Exercise Eight

Establishing the failures of the government in human rights terms

Go back to the table where you identified the economic, social and cultural rights problems in your country (Exercises 6 and 7)

For those problems that are caused by your government's actions (column1), are the problems the result of

(a) Lack of appropriate laws?
(b) Lack of the implementation of the laws?
(c) Actual violations of specific rights?

Choose the appropriate letter next to each issue

You have now identified your government's failures with regard to meeting its obligations to respect specific rights.

This enables the identification of actions that needs to be taken for this obligation to be met

* * * * *

For those problems in your country that are caused by people outside the government (column 2), are the problems

(a) Acknowledged by the government?
(b) Ignored by the government?
(c) Able to be brought before a court of law?

Choose the appropriate letter next to each issue

The government has failed in its duty to protect people from having their rights threatened or undermined by non-state actors. In addition the government must have in place means by which people can be compensated when their rights are abused by third parties. This can either be in a court of law or through some administrative process.

Once again we can identify clear human rights objectives for our advocacy.

* * * * *

For those problems caused by government inaction (column 3), are the problems the result of

(a) Lack of resources?
(b) The wrong priorities in the allocation of resources?
(c) Ignorance of the problem

Place the appropriate letter next to each issue

Each of these can lead to the establishment of targets and goals for collective campaigning to change government policies and practices