World Debt and the Human Condition: Structural Adjustment and the Right to Development(Studies in Human Rights)

Set against the backdrop of deteriorating living conditions for hundreds of millions of people in developing and debtor countries, this volume concentrates on the structural adjustment policies designed to facilitate debt repayment and to stabilize indebted economies and the effects these policies have on the human rights of affected peoples. Conducted by contributors from various disciplines, this analysis provides distinctive insights into the relationship between international economic decisions and human welfare. The volume begins with general chapters on the issue of world debt; the various perceptions of debtors and creditors and the general consequences of the crisis. The specifics of the right to development are presented along with an explanation of and a rationale for this particular project on debt and human rights. The social, political, and economic consequences of the debt crisis and of the adjustment policies designed to alleviate it are presented by academic analysts as well as economists involved in dealing with poverty and equity issues at the international financial agencies. The book concludes with contributions from NGO representatives. These chapters discuss policy change and popular participation. The complex issues of debt and international economics are examined from a variety of perspectives. World Debt and the Human Condition's unifying element is a shared concern for the advancement of human dignity and the protection of the basic human rights of all those affected by the current international debt crisis and by current international economic policies and development strategies.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction World Debt and the Right to Development by Ved P. Nanda Stabilization, Growth, and Equity: The Narrowing Parameters of Debate by Joan M. Nelson The African Debt Crisis in a Global Context: Causes, Trends, and Solutions by Karamo Sonko Theoretical Underpinnings The Right to Development: An Appraisal of Its Potential by Ved P. Nanda Religious Right to Development and Adjustment: World Policy and the Debt Crisis by George W. Shepherd, Jr. Structural Adjustment: Social and Political Consequences Economic Modeling of Structural Adjustment Programs: Impact on Human Conditions by Haider Ali Khan Coping with Human Conditions: The Impact of Structural Adjustment Programs by F. L. Osunsade IMF Conditionality and Polity Characteristics in Black Africa: An Exploratory Analysis by Will H. Moore and James R. Scarritt The World Bank's Approach to Poverty Reduction by Ifediora C. Amobi Popular Response: The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations as Envisioned in the Right to Development by Paula Rhodes and Eileen McCarthy-Arnolds Transcending the Vicious Cycle of Debt and Adjustment by Nancy Alexander Shifting the Burden of the Debt Crisis by John Cavanagh The IDB and the NGO Community: A Partnership in Support of the Microentrepreneur by Richard Leach Conclusion The Human Right to Development: Toward Self-Reliance and a Jubilee Year by George W. Shepherd, Jr. Selected Bibliography Index

About the Author :
VED P. NANDA is Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law and Director of the International Legal Studies Program at the University of Denver College of Law. He is the author and editor of a wide range of books, including Refugee Law and Policy (Greenwood Press, 1989). He co-edited, with George Shepherd, Human Rights and Third World Development (Greenwood, 1985). Professor Nanda has also written numerous articles for various publications. GEORGE W. SHEPHERD is Professor and Director of the Center on Rights Development at the University of Denver. He is the author of Effective Sanctions against South Africa (Praeger, 1991) and The Trampled Grass: Tributary States and Self-Reliance in the Indian Ocean Zone of Peace (Praeger, 1987). He has co-edited Racism and the Underclass (Greenwood, 1992), Emerging Human Rights: The African Political Economy Context (Greenwood, 1990). EILEEN McCARTHY-ARNOLDS is Assistant Editor of Africa Today and a Research Fellow at the Center on Rights Development at the University of Denver. She is a Ph.D. candidate and is a frequent contributor to Africa Today and Global Justice.