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by Dr MICHAEL
UNAGE
The recipe for a decent society
THIS article continues from what was
discussed in this column last week. The content is a summary of human
rights training given to a group of police personnel in Simbu.
Indeed, abuses of human rights happen when people fail to control their
most basic human impulses.
Studies reveal that there are actually three basic human impulses that
drive human behaviour and activity – reproduction, self-preservation and
self-assertion.
Reproduction means that every species have the inborn drive for
reproduction. However in human beings, this reproduction is quite
unique.
Offspring born of humans are helpless and needs special care and
attention, unlike other species. This somewhat demonstrates that human
progeny need to be raised in a loving and caring environment for growth.
In fact, human reproduction is intrinsically linked to the aspect of
love and nurture.
Every species, including human beings, has the natural mechanism to
preserve, protect and sustain itself.
For humans, both reproduction and self-preservation belong to what is
called determinate consciousness, meaning that those impulses most often
operate without our awareness and control.
Both reproduction and self-preservation belong to the physical realm and
concurs with the physical and safety needs in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy
of human needs discussed last week.
Self-assertion, nonetheless, is a specific human phenomenon and belongs
to the psychological realm dealing with the person’s individuality,
identity and dignity.
Thus, in the realm of consciousness, human beings possess a higher and
developed consciousness called self-awareness. The other three higher
needs – love, self-esteem, and self-actualisation needs – according to
Maslow, fall into this category. These three basic drives grow a person
to realise who he or she is.
The human impulse for reproduction, self-preservation and self-assertion
operates dynamically to sustain and validate human life and existence.
Abuses to human growth happen when people or circumstances limit the
attainment of the three basic human impulses.
The problem arises when those impulses, if not guided by a strong
conscience, destroy human growth and pursuits.
These destructive forces are what we believe, the source of any
violation to basic human rights.
Human rights abuses start with each one of us. If we do not regulate
those impulses, they will turn negative.
I will discuss five destructive forces that can be employed as an abuse
of one’s rights to life, to existence and to consciousness. They are
pride, avarice, envy, lust and gluttony.
Pride is an excessive desire for honour, distinction and self-worth.
Pride destroys people from developing healthy self-esteem.
Avarice is an extraordinary desire for material wealth and possession.
It sways people from being content with what they possess.
Envy, unlike avarice, is an extreme desire to possess what the other
has. It is not only a desire for possession but involves jealousy. Envy
is against appreciation and respect for the other.
Lust is the inordinate desire for sex. It is in contradistinction to the
practice of human love.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire for food and drink. It hinders people
from being moderate.
Human rights violation happens when people are unable to manage and
control these destructive sources within them.
In order to resolve the violations of human rights, there has to be
vital education in the management of those forces; such as pride
management, lust management and so on.
Without this, we cannot achieve much in talking about human rights.
If we are able to manage them, human beings will turn to develop a
healthy self-esteem, be content with what they have and what nature is
able to provide, appreciate the achievement of others and their
contribution to society and humanity, to be loving persons devoid of
sexual abuses, and be moderate in consuming things and be thankful for
those who make it possible.
If we cannot control and manage those negative forces, then pride will
make us boastful, mean, discriminatory, prejudice, stereotype and
eventually to suppress others.
Avarice will bring about abuses such as unfair acquisition and
distribution of resources, give rise to materialism and can worsen the
state of hunger and poverty as a result of greed.
Envy would produce morbid competition, intense jealousy, impersonation
without substances and often lead to enmity and conflict.
Lust can enhance prostitution, rape, family violence, the promotion of
sex industry and bolster the spread of HIV/AIDS to the degradation of
women as sex objects.
Gluttony may lead to the culture of consumerism, alcoholism and develop
physical symptoms such as obesity and hypertension.
We have to manage all these inner desires to minimise what is often
called the violation of human rights.
However, it is not enough just to control the negative forces. We need
to cultivate our other specifically human endowment to help us realise
who we are.
People possess self-awareness, have a mind and a will to help them to
grow into authentic human persons.
The passions and drives of human needs have to be guided by superior
forces of human reason.
Reasoning takes into consideration the fact that we live in a society in
which rights and obligations are mutually inclusive.
That means that the right of the other person is my obligation and my
right is the obligation of the other person. This should be the dynamic
concept that people should bear in mind.
Human reason is not as selfish as that of human drives, but is
characteristically altruistic and takes into consideration the other
person.
In any human drive for reproduction, preservation and affirmation, there
is mutual responsibility of humankind.
Thus, in any behaviour or activity that one pursues, it has to take into
consideration the three golden virtues.
All human needs should be pursued with prudence. That means we must
weigh the consequences before any engagement, which involves careful
reflection and planning.
Second, every action should be undertaken moderately, avoiding the
excess and defect that is detrimental to proper development.
Third, action undertaken should be just. Action taken should be fair to
everyone, and perhaps according to the law.
Every person is born with innate and unique talents and can make a
valuable contribution to life.
Human rights advocacy, in essence, is about creating an environment
conducive for each and every individual to grow towards some manner of
realising his or her potential.
 
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