New Hope, New Dream required following Earthquake: Letter to John Key

Anthony Ravlich
Chairperson
Human Rights Council Inc ( New Zealand )

Dear John Key,

it is times like these – the earthquake in Christchurch – that a gamble on a new dream and a new hope, when the existing dream is failing, is necessary.

I was in the process of researching your government’s plan of rebalancing the economy towards the export sector. I was concerned whether this may just be a continuation of ‘trickle down’ i.e. with a major focus on established exporters. The earthquake interrupted my research.

The ethical globalization I have been proposing involves addressing the core minimum obligations of the State at home and promoting them abroad. This includes the self-help right to development (the rights of peoples….to pursue their economic and social development is a civil and political right but not in NZ’s human rights law). The latter involves a more balanced approach to development with an emphasis on small/medium business development (more full details can be found in my work, www.hrc2001.orgnz).

For example, it is important to require certain core minimum obligations such as ensuring imports are not made with child labor and that overseas exporters also have a decent minimum wage so our businesses are able to compete.

Also, I would seriously suggest encouraging New Zealanders living overseas to come home to help which they may do if they see that the government is serious about ‘equal rights’ for New Zealanders, and includes the omitted human rights in both our human rights law and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s National Plan of Action for Human Rights which also includes economic, social and cultural rights.

When people’s imagination is captured by a dream – which I consider the ethical globalization I propose can do - they will often persevere despite great odds whereas I very much doubt the present neo liberal dream is now capable of this.

ENDS

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