International Human Rights in Post-Colonial Africa : Universality in Perspective

This study advances three interrelated claims for international human rights standards (IHRS). First, that post-colonial African societies are bureaucratic modern states and capitalist societies to which IHRS are suitable for application, pursuant to the Modified Modernisation Theory. The sweeping vicissitudes that have taken place in post-colonial Africa since colonial eras necessitate a paradigm shift: we must change our assumptions about the structural and socio-politico-economic systems of post-colonial Africa and their impact on individual and group rights. Second, that extant pleadings for cultural relativism in post-colonial Africa are fixated on reified assumptions about the minimal role of the individual. Today, however, every state relies on its individual subjects for its institutional and socio-politico-economic development, just as every individual relies on the state for a more secure, fulfilling and dignified human existence. Finally, the book advances legal and moral justifications for the universality of human rights standards, notwithstanding global cultural heterogeneity.

An interdisciplinary and accessible argument for international human rights standards in post-colonial Africa.

International Human Rights in Post-Colonial Africa: Universality in Perspective advances three interrelated claims for international human rights standards in post-colonial Africa. The sweeping changes that have taken place in post-colonial Africa since colonial eras necessitate that we change our assumptions about the structural and socio-politico-economic systems of post-colonial Africa and their impact on individual and group rights. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this study is rooted in law and draws on philosophy, political science, anthropology, sociology, economics, and more. It advances legal and moral justifications for the universality of human rights standards, despite global cultural diversity. Aiming to weave a case for human rights as universal imperatives, this accessibly written book offers a range of definitions for readers not familiar with the language used in this particular field of study. Complex terms or terms of art have been defined to make it easier for readers to understand and follow the arguments.