Social contract and deterring famine: first thoughts.
The links between certain kinds of political systems and protection against famine are investigated in this paper. The starting-point is a critique of Amartya Sen's observation that famines are unknown in countries with a free press and competitive elections. This holds true only in India because of a unique political history in which freedom from famine became a right, upon which political legitimacy was founded: an anti-famine 'social contract'. The rise and decline of anti-famine systems in Africa is charted. Major reasons for decay include neo-liberalism and the international humanitarian system, both of which undermine relationships of domestic political accountability that underpin effective famine prevention. A number of politically regressive tendencies in 'actually existing humanitarianism' are identified that work against any nascent anti-famine social contracts in Africa. This is possible because famine prevention has not been established as a right in Africa.
de Waal
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African Rights, London.
D000349:Africa; D000533:Altruism; D002961:Civil Rights; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008402:Mass Media; D011056:Political Systems; D011057:Politics; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013217:Starvation / Q000517:prevention & control*