Barbadian Appreciation of Human Rights

The progress of social justice and the expansion of a free society in Barbados has given us an innate appreciation of the value of human rights and the rights of the individual. We have struggled long and hard to develop a democracy that serves our people well. Though imperfect we have continued to build on the foundations of freedom and the rule of law to respect the rights of the individual and to promote the application of justice for all.

Though we speak glibly of human rights and our commitment to the furtherance of human rights the subject is often ill defined or misinterpreted. For clarity it would be useful for us to refer to two documents, our Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights to which we subscribe. It is important that we do so for it clarifies the various facets of human rights and expresses the view that human rights are for all mankind and an essential aspect in the furtherance of peace around the globe.

The Barbados Constitution underscores the importance that we attach to the rights of the individual and the UN Declaration enumerates 30 articles defining the protections and treatment that all people are entitled to. These range from the right to own property and protection from arbitrary deprivation of property to the abolition of slavery and the equal treatment of men and women as well as the protection from discrimination based on race, nationality.

Today, many of the rights and freedom of choice that others have earned for us are taken for granted, but the preservation of democracy and the cause of human rights are a continual work in progress. The price of freedom is continual vigilance.

Though we are small we should champion the cause of freedom and support those that fight against the destruction of democracy and the institutions that support it. More valiant are those that seek to expand the principles of human rights and the establishment of democratic systems of government in countries that are ruled by despots.

Examples like The Sudan and North Korea leap to mind where slavery and misery stalk the land. In our own hemisphere we must be appalled at the destruction of democratic institutions and an independent judiciary in Venezuela where Chavez continues to expand his dictatorial powers and Ortega seeks to reestablish the dictatorship of communism in Nicaragua. As we continue to strengthen our diplomatic contacts with Cuba, we can not turn a blind eye to the political prisoners that have championed the cause of democracy in a country where even Fidel Castro has admitted that their economic model has failed the Cuban people.

The award of the Nobel Peace prize to Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo should be lauded by us as he seeks to bring reform to an increasingly dominant power on the world's stage. The Chinese regime brooks little dissent and Mr. Liu is currently serving an 11 year jail term in China for championing those principals that we hold so dear. We should also take note of China's threats against Norway as they sought to bully the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in an effort to deny the award to Mr. Liu.