CALL FOR PAPERS: Where is the Evidence?
On what empirical basis are human rights claims made and evaluated? This is a question that could be asked in numerous areas of human rights work. On what grounds do practitioners and academics speak on behalf of victims and assert that violations of human rights have occurred? Or argue for particular priorities and strategies (eg: devoting considerable resources to using the UN human rights system)? Or suggest that a human rights approach should be privileged over other approaches? Or make claims about effectiveness and impacts of human rights research, advocacy, campaigns etc.? What tools are available for measuring, monitoring and evaluation and for assessing government compliance to their human rights obligations? How might practitioners more closely involve victims and communities in assessment of impact or effectiveness of human rights work?
For human rights practitioners the veracity of claims made in their name fold into broader questions of accountability and legitimacy. This is because more evidence- based claims are/can be more effective in holding duty bearers to account but also, critically, to ensure that those making those claims are themselves more accountable.
This special issue of JHRP will seek to highlight the methodologies and tools available for generating a solid base for human rights claims relating to civil-political and economic, social and cultural rights, as well as in newer fields such as the environment. It will also explore some of the challenges facing evidential paradigms - technical checklists and managerialism; depoliticisation; insensitivity to context; different perspectives on effectiveness (donors; NGOs; stakeholders etc.); evidence based claims (torture may ‘work’) versus other forms of justification and legitimacy eg: principles: the prohibition on torture is absolute - and whether these challenges are inevitable or avoidable. Contributions are welcomed on the themes such as:
• The use and impact of evidence in human rights research and reporting
• Evidence for human rights effectiveness/ineffectiveness in research, advocacy, campaigns etc.?
• Comparative evidence bases with regards to prioritisation and effectiveness (why use one approach rather than another)?
• Tools and approaches to assess government compliance eg: with economic and social rights obligations
• Methods for involving victims and communities in assessing impacts or effectiveness
• Critiques of the measurement, evaluation and benchmarks paradigm, and ways of managing or overcoming tensions within these fields
The deadline for submissions is the end of March 2009. To informally discuss possible contributions please contact Paul Gready or Brian Phillips.