Human Rights and Technology PDF

**WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS** HUMAN RIGHTS AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Human rights are basic rights and freedoms which belong to every person in the world from the day they are born to the day they die, regardless of any circumstance. By virtue of being a human, these rights apply to ever...

**WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS** HUMAN RIGHTS AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Human rights are basic rights and freedoms which belong to every person in the world from the day they are born to the day they die, regardless of any circumstance. By virtue of being a human, these rights apply to every individual regardless of who they are, what they believe in, where they are from, and how they choose to lead their lives. Human rights are sometimes used interchangeably with natural rights. Understandably, this interchangeable use is primarily because both acknowledge that the said freedoms come from one\'s humanity. However, there are slight differences in the nature of natural rights and human rights. Natural rights is used when referring to freedoms which exist whether or not a state or government acknowledges it. The right to life, for example, is a natural right, because whether an external entity (e.g., government) exists or not, each person has the natural right to be born and live their life. On the other hand, human rights are freedoms that a state or government acknowledges its citizens possess by simply being human. In this same vein, the right to life is also a human right, which means that nobody can try to end your life or prevent someone from being born. These human rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to work and education, are based on humanity\'s shared values of dignity, fairness, equality, respect, and independence. As such, it is imperative for states and governments to clearly define and consistently protect these rights through law and order. Upholding these rights is a telltale sign of a healthy society and effective governance. These rights and freedoms, however, are not absolute. Although they must not be taken away, they are sometimes restricted because of reasons more important than upholding individual rights (e.g., if a person commits a crime, violates the law, or is a threat to national security). The issue of human rights becomes trickier when observed in the context of science, technology, and development. Science and technology act as a double-edged sword in many instances. On the one hand, new technologies such as satellite and global positioning system (GPS) technologies are increasingly useful in monitoring peace and order and bringing perpetrators of criminal acts to justice. On the other hand, the same technology is being questioned for potential breach and violation of ordinary people\'s right to privacy. The introduction of learning management systems and other educational and instructional technologies has beefed up access to and quality of education. However, this development leads to a range of human rights issues as well. For one, the use of these technologies in schools raises questions on whether information collected from the use of these technologies are utilized solely for the intended educational purposes. Another issue is whether requiring students to obtain gadgets or devices to use these technologies impinge on their right to equitable education in situations where the students are unable to own or purchase the gadgets or devices. Clearly, science and technology can be used as tools in upholding human rights, but, in situations where the use of tools, products, or practices in themselves impinge on human rights, measures to control and mitigate the potential risks and hazards have to be put in place and implemented.. This intersection of human rights and science, technology, and development becomes an important reading and study material for students of STS. It is necessary that people are taught about ensuring inclusive access to the benefits of the sciences and guiding them in the ethical use of innovation. HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT Human rights in the face of scientific and technological advancement are critical factors in one\'s journey toward eudaimonia or the good life. Exercising the right to accept or reject, minimize or maximize, and evaluate and decide on the scope and function of science and technology indicates human flourishing in science and technology. Protecting the well-being and upholding the dignity of the human person must be at the core of continued scientific and technological progress and development. Such is the focus of a human rights-based approach to science, technology, and development. S. Romi Mukherjee, a senior lecturer in Political Theory and the History of Religions at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, explained a human rights-based approach to science, technology, and development as follows: Mukherjee (2012) furthered that this approach identifies science as \"a socially organized human activity which is value- laden and shaped by organizational structures and procedures.\" Moreover, it requires an answer to whether governments and other stakeholders can craft and implement science and technology policies that \"ensure safety, health and livelihoods; include people\'s needs and priorities in development and environmental strategies; and ensure they participate in decision-making that affects their lives and resources.\" Multiple international statutes, declarations, and decrees have been produced to ensure well-being and human dignity. Mukherjee listed some of the most important documents that center on a human rights-based approach to science, development, and technology, and their key principles (see Table 2). A human rights-based approach to science, technology, and development sets parameters for the appraisal of science, technology, and development and the impacts on human well- being. Thus, the discussion of human rights in the face of changing scientific and technological contexts must not serve as merely decorative moral dimensions to science, technology, and development. As Mukherjee (2012) posited, this approach \"can form the very heart of sustainable futures.\" TABLE 2. Useful documents for a human-rights based approach to science, technology, and development +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Document | Key Principles | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Universal Declaration of Human | This document affirms everyone\'s | | Rights (Article 27) | right to participate in and | | | benefit from scientific advances, | | | and be protected from scientific | | | misuses. The right to the | | | benefits of science comes under | | | the domain of \"culture,\" so is | | | usually examined from a cultural | | | rights perspective. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | UNESCO Recommendation on the | This document affirms that all | | Status of Scientific | advances in scientific and | | Researchers-1974 (Article 4) | technological knowledge should be | | | solely geared towards securing | | | well-being for global citizens, | | | and calls upon member states to | | | develop the necessary protocol | | | and policies to monitor and | | | secure this objective. Countries | | | are asked to show that science | | | and technology is integrated into | | | policies that aim to ensure a | | | more humane and just society. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | UNESCO Declaration on the Use of | This document states, \"Today, | | Scientific Knowledge-1999 | more than ever, science and its | | (Article 33) | applications are indispensable | | | for development. All levels of | | | government and the private sector | | | should provide enhanced support | | | for building up an adequate and | | | evenly distributed scientific and | | | technological capacity through | | | appropriate education and | | | research programmes as an | | | indispensable foundation for | | | economic, social, cultural and | | | environmentally sound | | | development. | | | | | | This is particularly urgent for | | | developing countries.\" This | | | Declaration encompasses issues | | | such as pollution-free | | | production, efficient resource | | | use, biodiversity protection and | | | brain drains. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ Human rights should be integral to the journey toward the ultimate good. They should guide humans to flourish not only as individual members of society but also to assist each other in flourishing as a unit, as a society. Human rights are rights to sustainability, as Mukherjee put it. They may function as the \"Golden Mean,\" particularly by protecting the weak, poor, and vulnerable from the deficiencies and excesses of science and technology. By imposing upon people behind science, technology, and development the moral and ethical duty to protect and uphold human rights, there can be a more effective and sustainable approach to bridging the gap between poor and rich countries on both concrete (e.g., services and natural resources) and abstract (e.g., well-being and human dignity) aspects. Individuals who have the privilege of access to scientific knowledge and technological innovations have a bigger responsibility of being a voice for those who will never have a platform to speak up about the abuses they suffer from some misuse or overuse of science, technology, and development. Interest groups (e.g., political, business) must also be made accountable for their abuse of power or discretion in science, technology, and development by ensuring that laws which protect human rights are put in place and effectively implemented. Ultimately, all these will lead to humans flourishing in science and technology.