[afro-nets] Food for a wrongly accepted thought (2)

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Food for a wrongly accepted thought (2)
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From: Elias Davidsson, Iceland

Judith is right about the inflationary point for the $1/d MDG.
The whole exercise stinks. For human dignity is not measured by
dollars, but the capacity of people to live in dignity.

I have proposed - elsewhere - that the absolute minimum of human
dignity be defined as the norms applicable to prisoners of war.
This might sound strange to some. However, if you read the norms
agreed by most States regarding the conditions of life for POW
(in the Geneva Conventions), you'll find a very detailed list of
the type and quality of food, water, clothing, accomodation, fa-
cilities for learning and sport, etc. Similar, though less bind-
ing norms have been adopted by the UNGA for general incarcerated
persons, which also require penitentiory facilities to ensure
minimal standards of existence to their population.

I contend that these minimal standards - which are even applica-
ble to convicted murderers - are the absolute minimum that any
human being should be accorded, regardless of monetary value.

One may, however, contend that standards for innocent (non-
convicted) persons should be higher. But even if the standard on
prisoners would be used, it would be substantially higher than
those discussed today in alleviating poverty.