The history of mankind is the history of evolving societies, civilizations and nations. These are the various levels of groups a person exists as a citizen of, where he cooperates with others to fulfil and increase his own needs and potential and therefore developing that group as a whole. Hence, an individual is tied to his social moorings which provide him certain rights for his own self development and also demand from him certain responsibilities for the well being and sustainability of the society as a whole. These rights and responsibilities are indispensable for any organisation to exist and develop.
The rights have also evolved as society has progressed. Earlier in the days when democracy did not exist, a king or a dictator did not need to worry much about rights of his citizens. But democracy is based on will of people. In a democratic government, a citizen gets his rights which are fundamental to his well being and growth. Hence, in India our constitution makers provided us with fundamental rights which we did not enjoy when india was not a democratic nation. Similarly, when industrialisation had emerged in western Europe, the rights of the workers was not given much credence to. They lived in miserable conditions, with very long working hours and less leisure. But today, every organisation provides its workers safe working environment as a right.
Today, as the twenty-first century enters its second decade the world has shrunk in a space becoming a global village. The ancient Indian notion encapsulated in the sanskrit dictum ‘ vasudhaiva kutumbakam’( the world is a family ) has never been truer. Today, its not realistic to think only in terms of one’s own country . The exchange of ideas and goods are taking place everywhere in the world with ever greater frequency, speed and ease. The safety of people everywhere not only depends on local… lives of people in other countries? Do human beings have the right to use plants and animal species for any purposes whatsoever?
Should there be limits to the destruction of natural habitats? What different issues present themselves in urban, rural and suburban environments? Do transnational corporations have ethical responsibilities? Does consumption create happiness? What is the impact of maximum productivity and overly busy lives on the health of individuals, relationships and communities? What is the impact of governmental policies and new global trade agreements on the lives of people and the environment? And most importantly, how can ordinary people become involved in answering these questions?
