The Politics of Rights and the Democracy-Building Processes in Comparative Perspective

Philosophical skepticism about human rights poses a threat to the politics of rights. The aim of this contribution is to provide an integrated theory of human rights by showing how a progressive rapprochement between different positions and paradigms is possible in terms of theory and practice. I will focus on the success (or failure) of the politics of human rights in bringing about social change within those countries where the democracy-building process is going on, showing in particular, how economic, cultural, and political rights of minorities are implemented. Human rights in democratization processes play a vital role in setting up transitional justice mechanism, establishing the rule of law and monitoring democratic procedures. They are an explicit goal for democracy-building processes, and the move from formal rights to the enjoyment of rights is often uneven. The establishment of the rule of law and the acknowledgement of human rights in countries in transition in Eastern and Central Europe as well as in Latin America and Africa will be examined, showing the role that politics plays in generating them, and analyzing the strategies that are currently being advocated to more effectively reduce the high level of human rights violations.