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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Case Study

Human rights or human wrongs?

   A factory owner in the Southeast Asian country of Malaria, Mr. Ikan Sacrudakids, was severely criticized by an international human rights organization, Human Rights Watchout. After undertaking a summer research project involving scores of college interns from Europe and the US, HRW wrote a report claiming that Mr. Sacrudakids was exploiting his workers, relying on young children of a minority ethnic group to work long hours at substandard wages. The report is published in the national newspaper, the Malaria News Press. The very next day Mr. Sacrudakids submits his own expose—of the Human Rights Watchout organization. It is also published in the News-Press. Mr. Sacrudakids’ article points out that the HRW organization itself is hardly equitable: the organization consists almost solely of one ethnic group, white Europeans and Americans; the young, previously unemployed workers often toil 60-hour work weeks to file their reports; HRW provides no job security or benefits, and offers salaries—especially to interns—at pathetically low wages relative to their peers. Some are paid hardly at all.

Question:

The Malaria Times-Press invites HRW to respond. You are part of the HRW public relations team. What are the main points that you would like to present in your counter to Mr. Sacrudakids’ article?