The Global New Deal

Economic and Social Human Rights in World Politics

By (author) William F. Felice

Not available to order

Publication date:

15 January 2010

Length of book:

364 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742567283

Global human suffering in the twenty-first century seems bitterly entrenched, with almost half of the world's people remaining impoverished and over 26,000 children dying daily from preventable causes. This powerful and empowering text offers a way forward, presenting a realistic roadmap for enhanced benevolent global governance with practical, workable solutions to mass poverty. Now fully updated, including new chapters, The Global New Deal outlines the legal responsibilities for all institutions, organizations, and states under international law to respect, protect, and fulfill economic and social human rights. William F. Felice focuses on seven key areas: the dynamics within international political economy that contribute to economic inequality and create human suffering, the U.N.'s approach to economic and social human rights, the priority of ecosystem protection within all development strategies, the degree of racial bias prevalent in global economics, the relationship between gender equality and economic growth, the impact of military spending on human development, and the importance for the United States to adopt a human-rights approach to poverty alleviation. Arguing for a "global new deal," a set of international and national public policy proposals designed to protect the vulnerable and end needless suffering, this book provides a viable direction for structural reform to protect those left behind by the global economy.

Introduction: The Elimination of World Poverty
Chapter 1: Global Policy Choices: There Are Alternatives
Chapter 2: International Political Economy and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 3: The United Nations and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 4: The Environment and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 5: Race and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 6: Gender and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 7: Military Spending and Economic and Social Human Rights
Chapter 8: The United States and Economic and Social Human Rights:A Contrast with Europe
Chapter 9: The Global New Deal

This second edition is a rare discovery: methodologically sound and relevant social science research laced with a strong dose of compassion. A broad definition of human rights, based on the 'transitivity principle'—subsistence needs must be satisfied prior to the realization of other rights—is adopted. Yet, however measured, world poverty remains staggering despite the decade-old UN articulation of Millennium Development Goals (MDG), intended to substantially reduce poverty by 2015 as a first major step toward the fulfillment of universally declared fundamental rights. Progress toward the MDG has been sluggish and probably, from this reviewer's perspective, impeded by the global recession. Nevertheless, institutional mechanisms, such as committees to monitor rights, remain to strengthen rights for disadvantaged groups, those of gender and race included. Committees can be reinforced while certain policies, like military spending, can be redirected to advance rights. Felice offers a systematic analysis of pertinent data informed by human rights theory that, in turn, yields positive recommendations at the end of each chapter and, taken collectively, 'a new global deal' to effectively promote economic and social human rights. Research tied to relevance and compassion at its academic best. Highly recommended.