Localising Human Rights in a Globalising World: The Challenge for Africa
Wednesday 08 May 2024 12:30 - 14:00
Location: The Moot Courtroom in the Riverside Building and online via Zoom
Join us online or in person for our Cross Cultural Conversation event, which engages scholars, legal practitioners, and policy makers.
Cross Cultural Conversation IV is anchored by the Forum for the Study of Jurisprudence and Value Inquiry (JVI). The Forum has active participants from universities within and outside the United Kingdom and is supported by the University’s Equality and Diversity Forum. The hybrid event takes place at The Law School in RGU's Riverside Building. Our approach to the Conversations is both interdisciplinary and cross cultural. For now, the focus is on the Non-Western World as we seek to gain insight into worldviews and values that shape scholarship and engagement with local laws and legal education.
Abstract
“Globalisation is a complex process that takes many forms, such as the Neo-Liberal and Counter-hegemonic paradigms, which influence political, social, technological, economic, and legal aspects of life on a global scale. The process of global integration poses problems to norms, especially in the context of human rights discourse, where local circumstances, especially in Africa, and global norms sometimes clash. The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which emphasises the necessity for localised approaches, is one example of how the dichotomy between global and local perspectives applies to human rights, especially women's rights. To resolve this conflict, academics support a balanced strategy that navigates the challenges of globalisation by acting locally while thinking internationally. Furthermore, the impact of globalisation reaches the economic sovereignty of African nations, influencing international relations and entwining human rights discourse. This study attempts to investigate this mutual impact through the Mutual Impact Thesis, advancing knowledge of how globalisation affects economic sovereignty and human rights. In summary, globalisation creates complex normative issues, especially in the context of human rights discourse, where the conflict between international standards and regional realities necessitates the use of nuanced strategies. To provide insights for future discourse and policy development, this research examines the Mutual Impact Thesis as it seeks to clarify the intricate relationship between globalisation, human rights, and the economic sovereignty of African governments.”
View the event poster for further information:
Guest authors will have opportunities to discuss their own works and, by extension, to showcase their own worldviews and cultures.
You will have plenty of time to engage the speaker and the reviewer throughout the event. For our May Cross-Cultural Conversation, we will be joined by:
Our JVI Reviewer, joining us from University of Surrey, England
Our guest author, joining us from Rivers State University, Nigeria
- 12:30 - Pre-session chat begins
- 13:00 - Introduction of self and participants by the Event Moderator
- 13:05 - Welcome address by the programme host (Dean of RGU Law School)
- 13:10 - Overview of focussed work by Guest Author
- 13:25 - Review of the focussed work by the JVI Reviewer
- 13:40 - Author responds to the reviewer
- 13:45 - Cross-cultural conversation with the audience
- 13:55 - Announcements and vote of thanks by JVI Convenor
- 13:58 - Closing Remark: Keep the Cross-Cultural Conversation (live and online), by Event Moderator
- 14:00 - Post-session chat begins
This event is free and is available to attend both online and in-person.
Registration
A registration form will be available shortly.
Join online
Once registered, virtual attendees can join the conversation online:
Previous event
For an idea of how our Cross Cultural Conversation event is run, you can watch the recorded live coverage from the March 2023 event:
Passcode to view: ne1+e%P8
After the event
Give us your feedback on the session and conversation(s) and help us further enhance the quality of our event. The information gathered from your responses will also support the Convenor's application for the UK Senior Fellowship (Higher Education Academy):
To keep the conversation going after the event, you can access the JVI Facebook group: