Liberty Human Rights - Essay Example

Pressure groups have proliferated over the past several decades. By definition, these groups seek to change the way powerful organizations such as governments and corporations work. They do not usually have people that run for democratically elected positions, but will throw their support (and the support of their members) behind the candidate that they feel best represents their cause. Some pressure groups operate in democratic countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Others are trying to bring about change in areas of the world where human rights and freedoms are not as well protected. In all cases, pressure groups use a wide variety of tactics to try to bring about change in governments and corporations. Some of the groups insist on staying within the laws of the nations in which they operate. They raise funds, educate and lobby members of government to enact laws that support their views. In non-democratic countries, this is often not possible because the very existence of the pressure group may be illegal. Other pressure groups seek to bring attention to their cause by creating legal public displays such as marches and rallies. By doing this, they hope to generate interest in their group and their cause that will result in greater public awareness and increased membership (Utting). Sometimes these marches and rallies are legal and sometimes they break laws such a permit violations or obstructing public places. If they turn violent, inciting riotous behavior laws can be brought to bear against these groups. Other pressure groups flagrantly break the law as a means of drawing attention to their cause. They will trespass, vandalize and defame as a means of swaying public opinion. While many various tactics can be used by pressure groups, one thing these groups cannot do is force any corporation or government to change. They must influence the population in free and oppressed states around the world to achieve their goals. This paper will examine the goals and tactics of three pressure groups that are currently active in the United Kingdom and in some cases, around the world. One public pressure group is the Open Spaces Society. This group works to protect common land, pathways, right of ways and village greens from encroachment and blockage. This group is a very good example of a decentralized pressure group that acts locally and entirely within the law. A brief history of the group is essential to understanding how they operate and why they use the tactics they do. The group was originally founded as the Commons Preservation Society in 1865 by a group of landed gentry and intellectuals. Their fear was that industrial and agricultural production would ruin natural places such as Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest and Wimbledon Commons. These areas had been held as common lands for many centuries, but were now being eyed by industry for lumber and gravel extraction. Through the years, the Open Spaces Society has faced ever-changing challenges. Much common land was put to use for industry and agricultural production during WWII. Reclaiming these lands as common lands was difficult and occupied much of the Society’s efforts for the next decade. In 1965, the Commons Registration Act required common lands be registered or lose their designation as common lands. The Open Spaces Society worked diligently for the next three years to register as many lands as possible. Some were unfortunately lost during this process. Other legislative changes in 1986 and 2000 caused the Society to again work to preserve footpaths, right of ways and village greens. A common theme over the history of the Open Spaces Society is their close association with legislation (Open Spaces Society). This group does not seek to publicize their position through events or pushing the limits of the law. Instead, they rely on a network of local volunteers that are intent on enforcing the laws of the land, as they exist. Much of the efforts of this pressure group are focused on informing the public as to what their rights are relative to village greens, footpaths and common lands. They have worksheets available for anyone that wants to report a blockage of a public footpath or construction on a common space. Part of the Open Spaces Society’s strengths stems from the fact that influential people have always been associated with the group. These influential individuals have been able to craft or suggest legislation that is beneficial to the aims of the group. It is then up to the network of local individuals to educate their fellow citizens as to how best to enforce the law. Times continue to change, as do the challenges for the Open Spaces Society. The concern over global climate change has spurred the formation of many pressure groups. The push for renewable energy is a key position for many environmentally themed pressure groups. The Open Spaces Society has found themselves at odds with these other groups. They feel that wind turbines spoil the natural beauty of areas commonly called Beauty Spots. They have fought vigorously through letter writing campaigns to local governments to block planned wind farms from being built. This circumstance is a rare one, where pressure groups actually find themselves fighting against one another, rather than fighting against the government or a corporation. One of the environmental groups that take a very different approach than that of the Open Spaces Society is Greenpeace. This group started as a group of people opposed to nuclear testing. Their first organized effort was to board a fishing vessel and travel into a restricted zone off the coast of Alaska. They were turned away and arrested. The nuclear test took place anyway, but Greenpeace claimed victory because of the amount of publicity they got as a result of being arrested. Greenpeace still operates much the same way today as they did in the 1970’s. Recently, they trespassed onto the corporate headquarters of Hewlett Packard to protest their decision not to honor a previous promise to eliminate hazardous materials from their computers. They delayed the implementation of their environmentally safer computers because the switchover would be too costly. The Greenpeace activists painted a huge sign of the roof of the Hewlett Packard corporate offices that read, “Hazardous Products” (Rusk). While no one was arrested at this incident, being arrested is a mark of success for Greenpeace advocates. This is all a part of the name and shame tactics used by some pressure groups. They will expose the wrongdoing of a corporation or government in an effort to sway public opinion against the business or their products. In a democracy, they will also expose the voting records of representatives and MPs in an effort to label them as friend or foe to their cause. Breaking the law may be a part of the tactics at Greenpeace, but that isn’t their only focus these days. They still depend on these antics for publicity, but their growing membership and financial support ahs allowed them to pay to lobby government officials the same way corporations do. These waters are new for this pressure group. They require a new set of skills and lots of cash. As a result, the Greenpeace website offers many different ways to donate to their cause or to buy merchandise that will spread the visibility of the group. Money raising seems to be a major effort for nearly all active pressure groups. A final group to mention is Liberty. This is an organization that is dedicated to promoting civil liberties and human rights to all people. In their own words they state, Liberty campaigns to protect basic rights and freedoms through the courts, in Parliament and in the wider community. We do this through a combination of public campaigning, test case litigation, parliamentary lobbying, policy analysis and the provision of free advice and information (Liberty Human Rights). A look at the events and activities planned by the group gives an indication of their methods of operation. Most of them are lectures at universities. This organization from it’s beginning has been one that is very different than Greenpeace. They do not stage rallies or seek to break the law through civil disobedience. They are similar to the Open Spaces Society in most regards save one. The Open Spaces Society seems intent on enforcing existing laws through their network of community supporters. Liberty, on the other hand, focuses on challenging laws in the courts. They bring suit on behalf of individuals that they feel have had their liberties taken away or infringed upon. Liberty is a decidedly professional organization. They seek donations through internet and direct mail fundraising, but have chosen to maintain an air of quiet purpose instead of the all out marketing of groups like Greenpeace. This professional bearing has allowed Liberty to claim major legislative victories in each decade of the 75 years they have existed as an organized group. The 1998 Human Rights Act is an especially big accomplishment that Liberty worked very hard to achieve. This Act states that no corporation or governmental organization can discriminate against any individual or group for any reason. This is the equality that Liberty has been trying to achieve for a very long time. Pressure groups all operate differently. Some operate civilly within the law, such as Liberty and The Open Spaces Society. Others break laws as a form of pressure, protest and attention getting. No pressure group can make a government or corporation change, save by influence and swaying public opinion. Works Cited "Liberty Human Rights". Liberty. February 1, 2010 . "Open Spaces Society homepage". Open Spaces Society. February 2, 2010 . Rusk, Karina. "Greenpeace fingerpaints message to Hewlett Packard". ABC 7 News. February 3, 2010 . Utting, P., 2007. Whose partnership for whose development?: corporate accountability in the UN system beyond Global Compact. Civil Society Hearing, New York City, July 4 2007, United Nations: New York. Read More