Seeing the Pain of Others: Understanding Human Rights Abuses Through Journalistic Writings, Films, Documentaries and Photography

Year 2022, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 230 - 243, 31.05.2022

Ali Eşref Keleş

https://doi.org/10.33709/ictimaiyat.1057486

Abstract

This article analyses the understanding of the pain of others and scrutinizes human rights violations committed against colonial subjects and vulnerable groups by colonial and nation-state actors. It employs an interdisciplinary perspective analyzing journalistic writings, films, documentaries and photography that cover human rights abuses committed against oppressed people. It elaborates on some human rights abuses rooted in the colonialism of European expansionism and other imperial policies that have destroyed the cultural distinctiveness of indigenous people. Exploitation, violence, exclusion are the main elements of colonialism and they are deeply connected with imperialism, the nation-state and the free market. Human rights abuses are discussed here in the context of critiques of colonialism and violence in the works of scholars such as Aime Cesaire, Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon and Michael Taussig. This article shows that films, documentaries, journalistic writings and photography are significant genres that can expose crimes committed against colonized subjects by colonial powers and vulnerable society by modern nation-states. It also indicates that instead of whitewashing the oppressors these genres can challenge and prevent further crimes and human rights abuses by inviting the spectator to face past crimes; form solidarity with victims; be vigilant about state crimes; take action against injustice.

Keywords

Human rights abuses, seeing the pain of others, cinema, photography

Seeing the Pain of Others: Understanding Human Rights Abuses Through Journalistic Writings, Films, Documentaries and Photography

Abstract

Bu makale, ötekinin acılarının anlaşılmasını analiz etmekte ve kolonyal özneye ve savunmasız gruplara karşı kolonyal ve ulus-devlet aktörleri tarafından işlenen insan hakları ihlallerini incelemektedir. Bu çalışma disiplinler arası bir perspektif kullanarak ezilenler toplumlara karşı işlenen insan hakları ihlallerini konu alan seyahatnameleri, filmleri, belgeselleri ve fotoğrafları incelemiştir. Avrupa yayılmacılığının sömürgeciliğinden kaynaklı bazı insan hakları ihlalleri ve diğer emperyalist politikalardan kaynaklanan yerli halkın kültürel farklılığını yok eden ihlaller etraflıca incelenmiştir. Sömürü, şiddet, dışlama, sömürgeciliğin ana unsurlarıdır ve bunlar emperyalizm, ulus-devlet ve serbest piyasa ile yakından bağlantılıdırlar. Buradaki insan hakları ihlalleri, Aime Cesaire, Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon ve Michael Taussig gibi yazarların eserlerindeki sömürgecilik ve şiddet eleştirileri bağlamında tartışılıyor. Bu makale, filmlerin, belgesellerin, seyahat yazılarının ve fotoğrafçılığın, sömürgeci güçler tarafından sömürgeleştirilmiş öznelere ve modern ulus devletler tarafından savunmasız toplumlara karşı işlenen suçları ifşa edebilecek önemli türler olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca bu çalışama, söz konusu janraların ezenleri aklamak yerine izleyiciyi geçmiş suçlarla yüzleşmeye; mağdurlarla dayanışmaya, ulus devlet suçları konusunda ihtiyatlı olmaya; adaletsizliğe karşı eyleme davet ederek suç ve insan hakları ihlallerine meydan okuyabileceğini ve önleyebileceğini belirtmektedir.

Keywords

İnsan hakları ihlalleri, başkalarının acısını görmek, sinema, fotoğrafçılık

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