Disrespect Today, Conflict Tomorrow: the Politics of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Edited by David Fraser and Graça Almeida Rodrigues

Year of Publication: 2009

While much attention has been paid to the key roles of human rights mechanisms and questions of the democratic deficit in post-conflict cultures and societies, little importance has been given to the deeper institutionalized legal and social inequalities which breed and enshrine conflict.

Bringing together academic experts and leading practitioners from the disciplines of law, politics and international relations, Disrespect Today, Conflict Tomorrow examines the theory and practice of rights discourse in relation to efforts to concretize the normative principles embodied in the 1976 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its founding principle of "the inherent dignity of the human person".

The collection critically examines and evaluates the state of economic, social and cultural rights in the world today from "above" (the institutional perspective of various governmental and non-governmental bodies charged with ensuring these rights) and from "below" (through detailed studies of how the varied rights to food, housing, health, and education, for example, are central to building freedom, dignity, citizenship and democracy).

Disrespect Today, Conflict Tomorrow will be of direct interest to scholars and practitioners working in international relations and international law, peace studies and human rights.