College of FE students are given talk on human rights
HUMAN rights was the focus of a talk given to College of Further Education students on the day declared Human Rights Day by the United Nations.
Professor Kevin Bales, Professor of Contemporary Slavery in the School of Politics & International Relations at Nottingham University, provided the students with an overview of the subject.
‘It was basically an introduction to human rights, where they came from, where you get them, why do you want them,’ he said.
‘One of the ideas that always impresses in this day and age is that rights only happen when people decide they have to redefine something, such as when people redefined being gay as being one more part of the human experience.’
As well as lecturing, Professor Bales is research director at The Rights Lab, which comprises some 80 researchers and 30 staff looking into the impact of slavery on the planet.
It was this topic that attracted a lot of questions at the end of his talk, in particular with reference to China and North Korea.
Professor Bales said it would cost about $23bn to free everyone who is in slavery around the world.
While the students might have been shocked at that sum, he put it into perspective.
‘That’s what Apple made in the spring quarter this year and what the world spends on submarines every year.’
With Chinese links with western governments and businesses often in the news, Prof Bales said it was a challenge to keep reminding people of the country’s human rights issues.
‘All you can do is campaign and talk,’ he said.
‘China is basically turning into the Great Britain of 1880.’
There were things that people could do to raise their own awareness, such as installing an app called Good On You which could tell buyers were certain clothing products were manufactured and under what conditions.
Toby Pedersen, 16, said he had found the talk interesting.
‘I was surprised how much it would cost to get everyone out of slavery,’ he said.
Fellow student Romeo Nascimento, 17, said that it was important to know what people’s rights were and the talk was of particular relevance to the section of his course being taught by lecturer Rachael Wooldridge.
He had found Professor Bales’ information about China to be an eye-opener.
