The Strength of Diversity : Human Rights and Pluralist Democracy

At the beginning of the 1990's, all CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe) States committed themselves to pluralist democracy, the rule of law and human rights and fundamental freedoms. The idea of pluralist democracy is also gaining ground in other parts of the world. This book highlights the importance of human rights and pluralist democracy, but also addresses the challenges and pitfalls involved. The conflicts and tensions that have erupted in some European states provide a tragic background to this discussion. The relationship between human rights and pluralist democracy is analyzed mainly from a human rights law perspective. Included in the analysis are the concepts of democracy and pluralism, political rights and freedoms, religious and trade union pluralism, the questions of market economies and property rights, the protection of national minorities as well as relevant constitutional and other national developments. Excerpts from the text of the CSCE Helsinki Document, adopted on 10 July 1992, are included as an Appendix. The book, which contains contributions from international lawyers and human rights experts, should be valuable to research communities, policy-makers, practitioners and activists interested in human rights, pluralist democracy and what the 1992 Helsinki Document calls the "challenges of change".