Research Article
Unequal into the Collapse: Why There Can Be No Sustainability Without Social Justice
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 4, December 2023
Pages:
99-110
Received:
23 September 2023
Accepted:
27 November 2023
Published:
11 December 2023
Abstract: As climate change is not just a climate-related problem, social inequality is not only a problem of poor people. This essay explains why a structural social inequality, also in the distribution of power, is one of the main causes of the current polycrisis and inhibits a transformation of our society towards sustainability. Nevertheless, the institutional debate on “sustainable development” in the frame given by the United Nations and governmental organizations continues to suffer from a social blindness, because it is still ideologically trapped in the dominant development model of modernization. While modernization is an expression of a separation thinking and consider privileges and disadvantages as independent from each other, sustainability (in a broader meaning) is an expression of an interconnected thinking. It stands for a good life not at the expense of others: Global South, peripheries, lower classes, future generations, and nature. What our society celebrates as “economic growth” is mostly based on an incomplete invoice in which externalized costs are hidden. At prosperity islands’ visible and invisible borders, structures of social inequality act like a “sorting machine” that sets who experiences development as progress and who as a recession; who benefits from it and who pays the price. Because on a limited planet each growing order causes a growing disorder elsewhere (according to the laws of thermodynamics), the current environmental crisis cannot be overcome without changing the structures and relations within the society. A sustainable transformation requires a fair redistribution of wealth, opportunities, and power – it means also a “democratization of democracy” in the Western countries. This essay is largely based on discourse analysis, literature and Internet research.
Abstract: As climate change is not just a climate-related problem, social inequality is not only a problem of poor people. This essay explains why a structural social inequality, also in the distribution of power, is one of the main causes of the current polycrisis and inhibits a transformation of our society towards sustainability. Nevertheless, the institu...
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Research Article
Judicial Independence in Ethiopia and Its Challenge Vis-à-Vis the United Nations Basic Principle on Independence of Judiciary
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 4, December 2023
Pages:
111-119
Received:
8 November 2023
Accepted:
12 December 2023
Published:
22 December 2023
Abstract: Judicial independence is a vital cornerstone of any democratic society, as it guarantees the fair and unbiased administration of justice. However, the judiciary in Ethiopia has faced numerous obstacles that hinder its autonomy and effectiveness. This paper deals with the current state of judicial independence in Ethiopia, thoroughly analyzing the legal framework and institutional arrangements in place. It explores the extent to which the judiciary operates independently from external influences, such as the executive and legislative branches of government. This paper aims to shed light on the challenges faced by the country's judiciary and propose potential solutions. It also addresses practical challenges in addition to legal ones by employing a qualitative research method, including interviews, practical case reviews, and focus group discussions. Therefore, the concept of judicial independence is of utmost importance in ensuring a fair and impartial legal system. Ethiopia, as it strives to strengthen its democratic institutions and promote the rule of law, faces significant challenges in achieving judicial independence. This paper aims to thoroughly analyze the current state of judicial independence in Ethiopia, examining the legal framework and institutional arrangements in place. By evaluating Ethiopia's adherence to the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, this paper seeks to propose potential solutions to the challenges faced by the country.
Abstract: Judicial independence is a vital cornerstone of any democratic society, as it guarantees the fair and unbiased administration of justice. However, the judiciary in Ethiopia has faced numerous obstacles that hinder its autonomy and effectiveness. This paper deals with the current state of judicial independence in Ethiopia, thoroughly analyzing the l...
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