When Business Harms Human Rights

The contemporary business and human rights regime speaks almost exclusively to states and business entities. The absence of victim voices has been a consistent challenge within the field in general as well as within the various literature and policy proposals. This challenge is so widely recognized that, for the first time, the UN made affected communities’ access to remedies the central theme at the November 2017 Forum on Business and Human Rights.

“When Business Harms Human Rights” is timely, exploring many of the key themes from the forum and offers an in-depth analysis of business-related human rights impacts and the challenges experienced by rightsholders in accessing remedies. The volume relies on reported narratives of and qualitative data on various incidents where businesses have intersected with affected communities. It allows the voice of the rightsholders to be heard and presents initial ideas regarding best practices that governments and businesses can undertake when engaging with communities. Most importantly, however, this edited volume engages with a larger audience primarily from the perspective of affected rightsholders.

The volume stands as a first-of-its-kind. Indeed, of the scholarly books currently published within the field of business and human rights, none have provided narratives from rightsholders or made their perspectives the center of the narrative.

“When Business Harms Human Rights” narrates the experiences of different individuals and communities from around the world, examining the impact that business activities has had on their lives. The volume is situated within the multidisciplinary subject area of business and human rights.

The contemporary business and human rights regime speaks almost exclusively to states and business entities. The absence of victim voices has been a consistent challenge within the field in general as well as within the various literature and policy proposals. This challenge is so widely recognized that, for the first time, the UN made affected communities’ access to remedies the central theme at the November 2017 Forum on Business and Human Rights.

“When Business Harms Human Rights” is timely, exploring many of the key themes from the forum and offers an in-depth analysis of business-related human rights impacts and the challenges experienced by rightsholders in accessing remedies. The volume relies on reported narratives of and qualitative data on various incidents where businesses have intersected with affected communities. It allows the voice of the rightsholders to be heard and presents initial ideas regarding best practices that governments and businesses can undertake when engaging with communities. Most importantly, however, this edited volume engages with a larger audience primarily from the perspective of affected rightsholders.

The volume stands as a first-of-its-kind. Indeed, of the scholarly books currently published within the field of business and human rights, none have provided narratives from rightsholders or made their perspectives the center of the narrative.

Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Chapter 1 Complicity in False Arrest, Imprisonment and Theft by a Fairtrade-Certifi ed Company, Madeline Hung; Chapter 2 Hindrances to Access to a Remedy in Business- Related Cases in Colombia: The Case of Gilberto Torres, Piergiuseppe Parisi and Gareth Sims; Chapter 3 The Global Pursuit for Justice for DBCP- Exposed Banana Farmers, Daysheelyn Anne P. Brillo; Chapter 4 The Rupturing of the Dam and the Community’s Social Fabric: A Testimony from an ‘Atingido’ from Bento Rodrigues, Brazil, Rajiv Maher and Adriana Bravin; Chapter 5 Taming the Dragon, Unpacking Options for Access to Remedy for Violations by Chinese Multinational Corporations Operating in Chiadzwa, Zimbabwe, Bellinda Chinowawa; Chapter 6 Máxima Acuña: The Story of How a Business Impacted Human Rights Defenders, Marianne Bertrand and Ariadna Tovar; Chapter 7 Community Interrupted, ‘Life Projects’ Disrupted: Cajamarca, Ibagué, and the La Colosa Mine in Colombia, Tara L. Van Ho with residents of Cajamarca Ibague and surrounding areas; Chapter 8 Occupational Health as a Human Right: A Case Study in a Turkish Free Trade Zone, Cigdem Cimrin and Yucel Demiral; Chapter 9 The Price of the ‘Black Dollar’: Veteran Coal Miners and the Right to Health, Jennifer D. Oliva with contributions from Jena Martin; Chapter 10 Abandoned: A Tale of Two Mine Closures in South Africa, Michael Clemens and Maria Isabel Cubides; Conclusion; Appendices; List of Contributors; Index.