Have Organizations like Amnesty International contributed to the improvement of human rights, and how?


It would be ridiculous to say that organizations such as Amnesty International have not ever contributed to some fashion with human rights. This essay investigates thoroughly whether organizations such as Amnesty International have contributed to the improvement of human rights and if so, how have they done this? It is simple to recognise that such organizations have contributed to improving human rights and these organizations of concern are distinguished in two groups; non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the other being Private Groups which are also commonly known as relief or development groups or Private Voluntary Agencies (PVOs). The NGOs focus on promoting human rights ideas as they create and try to apply human rights norms to countries in need. Private Groups address situations such as fixing peace and war situations. By the end of this essay, it should be easy to recognise that both of these groups are vital in ensuring the improvement of human rights.
Analysing NGOs, their main aim as mentioned earlier is to create and apply human rights norms to areas and the best known group that performs this is Amnesty International. As expressed by Forsythe (2000:163), NGOs actions are focussed towards the path of social interactions and they push for liberalism with the human rights protection in international relations. For NGOs to be productive, they must have certain resources, which include an appropriate budget, contacts, expertise and a respectful reputation that gets the attention of the global media and governments to look closer at issues and situations. The limited number of groups that do possess the abilities just mentioned includes groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Doctors without Borders and other groups alike. Forsythe (2000: 164) suggests that the oldest and best-funded human rights NGOs are originated from the Western societies and their interests are directed towards civil and political rights in peacetime and international humanitarian law in war like situations.
Past history shows also that private groups have accompanied NGOs for secular and religious purposes, as this resulted them being actors with international human rights for particular causes. This is evident as, “labour unions, in order to try to protect labour wages and benefits in their home country, may find it necessary to address labour rights in foreign countries” (Forsythe, 2000: 165).
Also in the past, it has been evident that International human rights groups have at times joined with other actors to address certain human rights issues. For instance, a particular situation may include actors like NGOs, local social movements, foundations, media, churches and governmental organizations. Forsythe (2000: 1665) identifies an occasion where lots of groups have come together such as the treaty for banning land mines, which included political leaders, NGOs, media and citizens from all over the world. The Internet has also been a great source that NGOs have made good use of as its development amongst the nineties displayed its ability to collect and spread information all over. Many organizations also have lines to publish books and reports, which also greatly spreads information.
For human rights NGOs to be influentially recognised, they must ensure that they deliver accurate reporting’s of information so governments and public authorities respect them. A particular group that has such an impressive reputation with this is Amnesty International, as they have on numerous occasions presented accurate information on human rights violations. When one presents accurate information, Forsythe (2000: 167) argues that very little scholars or public officials would dare to challenge NGOs reporting’s. It is important for human rights NGOs to provide accurate information on human rights violations so they can then lead towards the direction of attempting to enforce public authorities to reconsider new human rights standards and apply them. Forsythe (2000:167) explains how a group such as Amnesty International would pursue such a direction, as they firstly would write a formal letter and then try to organise a meeting to persuade public authorities. Such examples that organizations have enforced changes to human rights violations include areas like slavery, foot binding and denying women rights to vote, which all of these have changed through continual pressure over time.
Human rights NGOs aim for successful outcomes in their work and success can be evident in situations where perhaps an issue or subject gets on an agenda for discussion, success in changing institutional ways and success in redeveloping policy change that in turn eliminates problems. An example which Forsythe (2000: 174) believes reflects success was a situation where medical information was produced on female genital mutilation risks which mainly occurred in Africa, as this information allowed the human rights groups to eliminate this practice. However, most human rights violations rely on political and moral choice to be stopped rather than medical information, and these areas are much more difficult to raise immediate attention to. Even though this may be the case, NGOs create pressurizing conditions on governments that on many situations have been effective. Human rights groups influence through both public and private ways, as Forsythe (2000: 176) suggests, NGOs involve both international and domestic actors, which makes situations both public and private.
In concluding human rights NGOs influences and improvements on human rights standards, they have greatly supported negotiations of human rights standards amongst areas. They have helped transform political culture which violated human rights in the past, they have raised many critical questions and conclusions through there accurate information which they endorse and they have created great attention to human issues, which if this was never done, human rights violations would have never been addressed with much attention. For instance, Forsythe (2000: 177) distinguishes that Mexico in the 1960’s made many huge human rights violations, which did not receive much attention at the local or international level because no NGOs were around to report or act on these violations. Finally, human rights NGOs helped restricting state sovereignty and helped promoting liberal democratic states that support civil and political rights and continually remind all when violations occur so states are pressured to act on them. In all, NGOs through all of these actions have helped promote improvements on human rights.
Addressing private groups which have also improved human rights situations, as mentioned before, it’s important to recognise that these groups help to fix peace and war situations and they are frequently identified as relief and development agencies. Their support is mainly from state donations and they regularly act in alliance with inter-governmental organizations. These groups are in war like situations, providing civilians with clothing, shelter, food and medical care. For instance, Forsythe (2000: 180) describes how one particular group that is dominant in this field is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as they on one particular occasion were recognised as great relief actors in the nineties at Somalia. Other well renowned relief groups are groups such as World Vision, Church World Service, Oxfam, Save the Children and many more. It is often the case that many of these groups work at one situation, as relieving requires a lot of attention.
These private or relief groups follow a process in resolving situations as it was suggested by Forsythe (2000: 180-181), that the process has five steps. Firstly, they must negotiate access to those in need with those who have guns on the ground. Secondly, relief agencies must provide an accurate assessment of need as this can include things like psychiatric services to those such as raped victims. Thirdly, the private groups must mobilize relief in a timely and effective way as having well established networks of mobilization all around the world. Fourthly, private groups must have the ability to deliver assistance in a timely and cost effective way. Lastly all relief agencies must evaluate past actions and they must plan ahead for future situations.
Although, even with this process, Forsythe (2000: 181-183) argues that many still dispute that these relief agencies have three main issues that are concerning. It has been suggested that perhaps groups need more coordination with other groups, but none of the major groups want to be dominated by any other actors. Another concerning issue is whether politics and humanitarian action should be kept separate as for instance, the ICRC believes in this as they feel that they shouldn’t be involved in taking sides with military action, however even they at times require military support for protection so they can fulfil their duties of delivering relief. The last concerning issue is could one change a situation through new legislation of norms, although this does seem far fetched as for instance in Somalia, they didn’t even know about the Geneva Convention so how could new legislations be effective.
However, in total, relief agencies have contributed to man-made conflicts and to improving human rights as for instance, as mentioned before, the ICRC was a great contributor in Somalia. Forsythe (2000: 184) describes how relief agencies rely on states and inter-governmental organizations for material resources for humanitarian assistance in wars and emergencies, as also public authorities need relief agencies for possibilities of influence on issues, which makes relief movements both public and private at the same moment and free form bias.
Development agencies, such as Oxfam, which also co-operate with public authorities are important as they provide lacking services provided by the public sectors like good contacts at the local level, freedom from political manipulation, a labour orientation and flexibility in administration. Development agencies seek support from places like the World Bank, which endorses development programs. However development programs don’t receive much support compared to relief programs, as they are lower in the scale of importance. Some of the influences produced by development agencies, which are suggested by Forsythe (2000: 186) are like the push for women’s rights and also the socio-economic rights, but this still needs closer attention. Most of the leaders from Private Development Agencies act form their moral commitment and their ideas are at times proven to be more controlling over public authorities ideas.
In conclusion, there is much evidence that organizations do play major roles in improving human rights. NGOs work mainly through social contacts in doing this as they focus on promoting human rights ideas to areas that are in deep need of them. Private Voluntary Agencies work mainly in accordance with public authorities and inter-governmental organizations in providing relief and development in cases of peace and war times. Both of these groups are needed to promote the improvements of human rights. However, some issues remain concerning, such as if public authorities really do support human rights issues, as most of the time it is them who are creating the violations and how much support do organizations have in non-western civilisations? Perhaps a suggestion could be that countries must all agree on a world law that they must promote human rights and if they are caught guilty in the act of violating them, they should be punished much more greater than what the punishment is today or perhaps each leader of government should sign certain papers before they are in power in that they will promote human rights and if they don’t, they will be stripped of their power and will be punished. These issues need and require greater attention but the gradual progress of human rights is so far looking promising, all thanks to certain organizations but still there is lots of room for improvements.

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