Debating Win
St Mark’s wins debating final in one of the closest finals seen in a long time
The final of the SAAUCC (Inter-College) debating between St Mark’s and Lincoln had the three adjudicators initially engaged in a debate of their own before reaching a unanimous decision. St Mark’s Debating team captained by Richard Arnold argued the affirmative case “that Economic Development is more important than Human Rights” while Lincoln’s team, captained by Eric George argued the negative. The standard of the debate was very high with St Mark’s only very narrowly defeating Lincoln in one of the closest debating finals seen in a long time.
What could be more important than human rights? Rights to which every person should feel entitled wherever they live. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, http://www.universalrights.net/main/decl_fm.htm drafted in 1948 are intended to be the means to allow people around the world to live freer and more fulfilling lives. Importantly this declaration also covers economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to work, to education, to cultural life, to health care, and to food.
Human rights are universal, although challenges to the universality of the rights might include that in developing economies, economic and social rights are more important than political and civil rights and that a respect for human rights will occur as a result of economic development. However such countries have shown that in the process of economic liberalisation, human rights are denied to marginalised individuals.
Through leadership and support for human rights, governments lay the necessary foundations for civil society to take up the responsibility of human rights education and awareness. Respect for human rights plays an important role in the development of basic civil and political rights, the right to freedom of association, opinion and expression And there must also be an equal respect for and promotion of the economic, cultural and social rights if the benefits of development are to be long term and accessible to all.
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