Indo-French Seminar Rights, Participation, and Development in Comparative Context

19th - 20th May 2005 Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris, France

This seminar organised jointly by Calcutta University and French Institute of Pondicherry, and sponsored by the South Asia Program of the Fondation de la Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, was an interesting interaction between French and Indian scholars working on either India or France.

Its aim was to discuss critical issues related to the construction and implementation of international human rights frameworks against the backdrop of the developing challenges to received conceptions of the nation-state and civil society and the crescendo in critical and decisive participation by non-state actors. The workshop focused on three broad themes approached from the perspective of rights and participation :

  environment (including land and water) ;
  public space (social exclusion, access and safety) ; and
  political representation (especially gender equity).

Their salience for an Indo-French initiative is clear as they are at the forefront of public debates and activity in both countries.

The comparative context allows for a comprehensive yet differentiating consideration of the classic debate that juxtaposes a conceptualization of human rights as universal with one that maintains that rights are historically and culturally determined. The comparative approach to rights and participation in terms of environment, public space, and political representation also permits an interrogation of the dichotomy and hierarchy between civil and political rights on the one hand, and economic and social rights on the other. Traditionally, human rights have referred to civil and political rights such as the right to freedom of speech and the right to vote. However, recent development theory and practice have increasingly asserted the importance of economic, social, environmental, and gender rights as essential for the fulfillment of civil and political rights, as well as for poverty alleviation and sustainable human development in general. In both North and South, widespread participation by civil society actors - rather than only national and international governing bodies - in defining and demanding the broad range of rights has become crucial.

Programme Schedule

Organisation
  Bharati Ray, Professeure, Calcutta University
  Olivia Aubriot, CNRS (UPR 299)/Institut Français de Pondichéry

Jeudi / Thursday, 19 mai 2005 Salle 015 (2e ss-sol /2nd floor underground)

Vendredi / Friday, 20 mai 2005 Salle 214 (2e étage / 2nd floor)