ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with a brief assessment of freedoms and rights in an historical perspective to summarise the three generations of human rights. The so-called civil or freedom rights, can be said to be the first generation of human rights. The right to work, education, shelter and the right to participate in cultural life, belong to the second generation of human rights. The third generation of human rights – the so-called solidarity or collective rights – emerged through anti-colonialist revolutions emphasizing national self-determination and non-discrimination. Though each generation adds new perspectives and complexity, they all remain very much grounded in Western individualism. As similar waves can be identified in the history of communication for social change theory and praxis. The study of communication for development and social change has gone through the paradigmatic changes. The local bottom-up initiatives are asserting their commitment to (human-) rights-based strategies.
