ABSTRACT
T h e h u m a n r i g h t s m o v e m e n t 1is m a r k e d b y ad a m n i n g m e t a p h o r . T h e g r a n d n a r r a t i v e o f h u m a n r i g h t s c o n t a i n s as u b t e x t t h a t d e p i c t s a n e p o c h a l c o n t e s t p i t t i n g savages, o n t h e o n e h a n d , a g a i n s t v i c t i m s a n d saviors, o n t h e o t h e r . 2T h e s a v a g e s - v i c t i m s - s a v i o r s (SVS)3 c o n s t r u c t i o n is at h r e e - d i m e n s i o n -
202 Harvard International L a w journal IVol. 42
al c o m p o u n d m e t a p h o r i n w h i c h each d i m e n s i o n is am e t a p h o r i n itself. 4 T h e m a i n a u t h o r s o f che h u m a n r i g h t s discourse, 5i n c l u d i n g t h e U n i t e d N a - t i o n s , W e s t e r n s t a t e s , i n t e r n a t i o n a l n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s ( I N - G 0 s ) , 6 a n d s e n i o r W e s t e r n academics, c o n s t r u c t e d t h i s t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l p r i s m . T h i s r e n d e r i n g o f t h e h u m a n r i g h t s corpus a n d i t s discourse is u n i - d i r e c t i o n a l a n d p r e d i c t a b l e , ab l a c k - a n d - w h i t e c o n s t r u c t i o n t h a t p i t s g o o d a g a i n s t evil. T h i s A r t i c l e a t t e m p t s t o e l i c i t f r o m t h e p r o p o n e n t s o f t h e h u m a n r i g h t s
m o v e m e n t several a d m i s s i o n s , some o f t h e m deeply u n s e t t l i n g . I t asks t h a t h u m a n r i g h t s advocates be m o r e s e l f - c r i t i c a l a n d come t o t e r m s w i t h t h e t r o u b l i n g r h e t o r i c a n d h i s t o r y t h a t shape, i n p a r t , t h e h u m a n r i g h t s movem e n t . A t t h e s a m e t i m e , t h e A r t i c l e does n o t o n l y address t h e biased a n d a r r o g a n t r h e t o r i c a n d h i s t o r y o f t h e h u m a n r i g h t s e n t e r p r i s e , b u t also g r a p - plesw i t h t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s i n t h e basic n o b i l i t y a n d m a j e s t y t h a t drive t h e h u m a n r i g h t s p r o j e c t - t h e d r i v e from t h e u n f l i n c h i n g b e l i e f t h a t h u m a n b e i n g s a n d t h e p o l i t i c a l societies t h e y c o n s t r u c t can be governed by ah i g h e r morality. T h i s first s e c t i o n briefly i n t r o d u c e s t h e t h r e e d i m e n s i o n s o f t h e SVS m e t a p h o r a n d h o w t h e m e t a p h o r exposes t h e t h e o r e t i c a l flaws o f t h e c u r r e n t h u m a n r i g h t s corpus. T h e first d i m e n s i o n o f t h e p r i s m d e p i c t s asavage a n d evokes images o f
b a r b a r i s m . T h e a b o m i n a t i o n s o f t h e savage are p r e s e n t e d as so cruel a n d u n i m a g i n a b l e as t o r e p r e s e n t t h e i r s t a t e as an e g a t i o n o f h u m a n i t y . T h e h u - m a n r i g h t s s t o r y p r e s e n t s t h e s t a t e as t h e classic savage, a n ogre forever b e n t on t h e c o n s u m p t i o n o f h u m a n s . 7A l t h o u g h savagery i n h u m a n r i g h t s d i s - course connotes m u c h m o r e t h a n t h e s t a t e , t h e s t a t e is d e p i c t e d as t h e operat i o n a l i n s t r u m e n t o f savagery. S t a t e s become savage w h e n t h e y choke o f f a n d
2 0 0 IISavages, Victims, a n d Saviors 2 0 3
o u s t civil society. 8T h e " g o o d " s t a t e c o n t r o l s i t s d e m o n i c p r o c l i v i t i e s b y c l e a n s i n g i t s e l f w i t h , a n d i n t e r n a l i z i n g , h u m a n r i g h t s . T h e "evil" s t a t e , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , expresses i t s e l f t h r o u g h an i l l i b e r a l , a n t i - d e m o c r a t i c , o r o t h e r a u t h o r i t a r i a n c u l t u r e . T h e r e d e m p t i o n or s a l v a t i o n o f t h e s t a t e is solely d e p e n d e n t o n i t s s u b m i s s i o n t o h u m a n r i g h t s n o r m s . T h e s t a t e is t h e g u a r - a n t o r o f h u m a n r i g h t s ; i t is also t h e t a r g e t a n d raison d'etre o f h u m a n r i g h t s law. 9 B u t t h e r e a l i t y is far m o r e c o m p l e x . W h i l e t h e m e t a p h o r m a y s u g g e s t
o t h e r w i s e , i t is n o t t h e s t a t e p e r se t h a t is b a r b a r i c b u t t h e c u l t u r a l f o u n d a - t i o n o f t h e s t a t e . T h e s t a t e o n l y becomes av a m p i r e w h e n " b a d " c u l t u r e overcomes o r disallows t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f " g o o d " c u l t u r e . T h e real savage, t h o u g h , is n o t t h e s t a t e b u t ac u l t u r a l d e v i a t i o n f r o m h u m a n r i g h t s . T h a t savagery inheres i n t h e t h e o r y a n d p r a c t i c e o f t h e o n e - p a r t y s t a t e , m i l i t a r y j u n t a , c o n t r o l l e d o r d o s e d s t a t e , theocracy, o r even c u l t u r a l p r a c t i c e s s u c h as t h e one p o p u l a r l y k n o w n i n t h e W e s t as female g e n i t a l m u t i l a t i o n (FGM), 10 n o t i n t h e s t a t e p e r se. T h e s t a t e i t s e l f is an e u t r a l , passive i n s t r u m e n t a l i t y - areceptacle o r a n e m p t y v e s s e l - t h a t conveys savagery b y i m p l e m e n t i n g t h e p r o j e c t o f t h e savage c u l t u r e . T h e second d i m e n s i o n o f t h e p r i s m d e p i c t s t h e face a n d t h e fact o f avict i m as well as t h e essence a n d t h e i d e a o f v i c t i m h o o d . Ah u m a n b e i n g whose " d i g n i t y a n d w o r t h " have b e e n v i o l a t e d b y t h e savage is t h e v i c t i m . T h e v i c - t i m figure is apowerless, helpless i n n o c e n t whose n a t u r a l i s t a t t r i b u t e s have been n e g a t e d b y t h e p r i m i t i v e a n d offensive a c t i o n s o f t h e s t a t e o r t h e c u l - t u r a l f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e s t a t e . T h e e n t i r e h u m a n r i g h t s s t r u c t u r e is b o t h a n t i - c a t a s t r o p h i c a n d r e c o n s t r u c t i v e . I t is a n t i - c a t a s t r o p h i c because i t is d e s i g n e d t o p r e v e n t m o r e c a l a m i t i e s t h r o u g h t h e c r e a t i o n o f m o r e v i c t i m s . I t i s recons t r u c t i v e because i t seeks t o r e - e n g i n e e r t h e s t a t e a n d t h e society t o r e d u c e t h e n u m b e r o f v i c t i m s , as i t defines t h e m , 1 1 a n d p r e v e n t c o n d i t i o n s t h a t g i v e
2 0 4 Harvard International Law Journal IVol. 42
rise to v i c t i m s . T h e classic h u m a n r i g h t s d o c u m e n t - t h e h u m a n r i g h t s rep o r t - - e m b o d i e s t h e s e two m u t u a l l y r e i n f o r c i n g s t r a t e g i e s . A n I N G O h u - m a n r i g h t s r e p o r t is usually ac a t a l o g u e o f h o r r i b l e c a t a s t r o p h e s v i s i t e d on i n d i v i d u a l s . As arule, each r e p o r t also carries ad i a g n o s t i c e p i l o g u e and reco m m e n d e d therapies a n d remedies. 12 T h e t h i r d d i m e n s i o n o f t h e p r i s m is t h e savior o r t h e redeemer, t h e good
a n g e l w h o p r o t e c t s , v i n d i c a t e s , civilizes, restrains, a n d safeguards. T h e savior is t h e v i c t i m ' s b u l w a r k a g a i n s t tyranny. T h e s i m p l e , y e t complex p r o m i s e o f t h e savior is freedom: freedom from t h e tyrannies o f t h e s t a t e , t r a d i t i o n , a n d c u l t u r e . B u t i t is also t h e freedom to create ab e t t e r society based o n p a r - t i c u l a r values. I n t h e h u m a n r i g h t s story, t h e savior is t h e h u m a n r i g h t s corp u s i t s e l f , w i t h t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s , W e s t e r n g o v e r n m e n t s , I N G O s , a n d W e s t e r n c h a r i t i e s as t h e a c t u a l rescuers, redeemers o f ab e n i g h t e d world.!'~ I n reality, however, these i n s t i t u t i o n s are merely fronts. T h e savior is u l t i m a t e l y as e t o f c u l t u r a l l y based norms a n d practices t h a t inhere i n l i b e r a l t h o u g h t a n d philosophy. T h e h u m a n r i g h t s corpus, t h o u g h w e l l - m e a n i n g , is f u n d a m e n t a l l y Euroc e n t r i c , 14 a n d suffers from several basic a n d i n t e r d e p e n d e n t flaws c a p t u r e d i n t h e SVS metaphor. F i r s t , t h e corpus falls w i t h i n t h e h i s t o r i c a l c o n t i n u u m o f t h e E u r o c e n t r i c colonial p r o j e c t , i n w h i c h actors are cast i n t o s u p e r i o r a n d s u b o r d i n a t e p o s i t i o n s . Precisely because o f t h i s c u l t u r a l a n d h i s t o r i c a l cont e x t , t h e h u m a n r i g h t s m o v e m e n t ' s basic c l a i m o f u n i v e r s a l i t y is u n d e r -
2001 ISavages, Victims, a n d Saviors 2 0 5
m i n e d . I n s t e a d , ah i s t o r i c a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e s t r u g g l e for h u m a n d i g n i t y s h o u l d locate t h e i m p e t u s o f au n i v e r s a l c o n c e p t i o n o f h u m a n r i g h t s i n t h o s e societies subjected t o E u r o p e a n t y r a n n y a n d i m p e r i a l i s m . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h i s is n o t p a r t o f t h e official h u m a n r i g h t s n a r r a t i v e . Some o f t h e m o s t i m p o r - t a n t e v e n t s p r e c e d i n g t h e p o s t - 1 9 4 5 , U n i t e d N a t i o n s - l e d h u m a n r i g h t s m o v e m e n t i n c l u d e t h e a n t i - s l a v e r y c a m p a i g n s i n b o t h M r i c a a n d t h e U n i t e d States, t h e a n t i - c o l o n i a l s t r u g g l e s i n M r i c a , Asia, a n d L a t i n A m e r i c a , a n d t h e s t r u g g l e s for w o m e n ' s suffrage a n d e q u a l r i g h t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e w o r l d . 1 5 B u t t h e p i o n e e r i n g w o r k o f m a n y n o n - W e s t e r n a c t i v i s t s 16 a n d o t h e r h u m a n r i g h t s heroes are n o t a c k n o w l e d g e d b y t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y h u m a n r i g h t s m o v e m e n t . T h e s e h i s t o r i c a l l y i m p o r t a n t s t r u g g l e s , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e n o r m s a n c h o r e d i n n o n - W e s t e r n c u l t u r e s a n d societies, have e i t h e r b e e n overlooked o r r e j e c t e d in t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e c u r r e n t u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f h u m a n r i g h t s . Second, t h e SVS m e t a p h o r a n d n a r r a t i v e r e j e c t s t h e c r o s s - c o n t a m i n a t i o n 1 7
o f c u l t u r e s a n d i n s t e a d p r o m o t e s aE u r o c e n t r i c ideal. T h e m e t a p h o r is p r e m i s e d ont h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n b y W e s t e r n c u l t u r e s o f n o n - W e s t e r n c u l - t u r e s i n t o aE u r o c e n t r i c p r o t o t y p e a n d n o t t h e f a s h i o n i n g o f am u l t i c u l t u r a l mosaic. 18 T h e SVS m e t a p h o r r e s u l t s i n a n " o t h e r i n g " process t h a t i m a g i n e s t h e c r e a t i o n o f i n f e r i o r clones, i n effect d u m b copies o f t h e o r i g i n a l . F o r exa m p l e , W e s t e r n p o l i t i c a l democracy is i n effect a n o r g a n i c e l e m e n t o f h u m a n r i g h t s . 19 "Savage" c u l t u r e s a n d p e o p l e s a t e seen as l y i n g o u t s i d e t h e h u m a n r i g h t s o r b i t , a n d by i m p l i c a t i o n , o u t s i d e t h e r e g i m e o f p o l i t i c a l democracy. I t is t h i s d i s t a n c e from h u m a n r i g h t s t h a t allows c e r t a i n c u l t u r e s t o c r e a t e v i c t i m s . P o l i t i c a l democracy is t h e n viewed as apanacea. O t h e r t e x t u a l exa m p l e s a n c h o r e d i n t h e t r e a t m e n t o f c u l t u r a l p h e n o m e n a , s u c h as " t r a d i - t i o n a l " p r a c t i c e s t h a t a p p e a r t o n e g a t e t h e e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n for w o m e n , also i l l u s t r a t e t h e g u l f b e t w e e n h u m a n r i g h t s a n d n o n - l i b e r a l , n o n - E u r o p e a n c u l t u r e s .
