Redefine News

 

It has been said before that cheap labor carries hidden costs. In some countries like USA, it would appear normal to have access to basic technology like owning a car, television set and basic communication gadgets like a modern mobile phone. However, as it appears normal in some of these countries, some people in the less fortunate countries lack even the basic of these technologies such as a mobile phone. Since most of the world bodies continue to use the basic technology to communicate with the world e.g. about health and safety, access to these ‘modern’ basic technology should be regarded as human right and every effort be taken to ensure that just like immunization, every human being has access to them.
It would be of little effort to produce vaccines that people never get to know about just because they cannot afford a television set. In order for individuals to increase their own development and creative potential in a human environment, it’s important for them to have access to technology. A change of replacing needs with rights is required. With this change, equal access and equal opportunities would have to be provided by the technologies in this modern world that measures everything from its practical effect. Equal access is required in these modern basic technologies in order to have sustainable human development and meet vital human rights.

Vital human rights with modern basic technology.

A complete scope of the vital human rights guarantees development of life at its broadest sense and a sustainable human development. Health, life, education and nutrition have been considered to be on top of the human rights list. For many years, United Nations (UN) has been concerned with the link of right to development to human rights and technologies. Of late, a link between development and the proclaimed human rights has been developing. UN has linked sustainable development to the positive effects of poverty reductions and has thus given priority of the human rights to a fair share of education, welfare, employment and health.

A study done in 1986 by United Nations University concluded that there is a closer link between science & technology, development and human rights. It was thus recommended to have science and technology urgently oriented to have an improvement of human rights especially in the developing countries. It was concluded that advances in science and technology does enable promotion of universal health care as well as provision of clean air and water. This is the solid basis required to transform basic social needs into vital human rights. The recognition would also give weight, universality as well as legitimacy of poor people around the world to these critical rights.

Science should place human beings at the center of the universe. Since technology is meant to serve the human beings, a set of rules needs to be established in order to have universal access to techniques essential for a good healthy life. Without discouraging research especially for products such as vaccine, there is need to have a Global Technological Facility that addresses vital human rights. People should have a right to simple yet adequate information through essential technologies. Education needs to be the center of concern in promoting technology towards human rights. It should be a permanent activity such that professionals with human sensitivity receive continued education.

Conclusion

A simple and a pure market approach will not lead to an automatic solution for people with basic-needs problems especially those with scarce resources. The poor also are so much in need of a healthy life that is in harmony with nature and their fellows. Reality has not turned to be pleasant for the poor after the centuries of modernity since transformations of the scientific and technological context has seen advances in liberty but delays in liberty. A dual strategy is thus required to deal with extreme poverty and modern competitiveness, a dual challenge for the ‘modern world’. Thus it can be ruled out that enabling access of the poor and semi illiterate to ‘modern’ technology is enhancing their human rights. With further redevelopment and common international agreements steered by UN commissions on human rights should have these legally recognized incorporated as human rights.