Full Description
Kolliniati's groundbreaking book, Interpreting Human Rights: Narratives from Asylum Centers in Greece and Philosophical Values, challenges the notion that the interpretation and application of human rights primarily occur within the corridors of power in Strasbourg or official European institutions. It argues that such interpretation takes place in the grassroots settings of rural areas and neighborhoods, by actors who do not belong to the class of decision‑making elites.
Focusing on the Aegean islands as exemplary sites of the European refugee crisis, this book draws on research conducted among local actors, including mayors, municipal councilors, representatives of NGOs and staff at refugee reception and identification centers. This book is divided into five distinctive sections: Methodology; Legal Framework and the Emergence of Hotspots; Empirical Research: Narratives of Local Actors; Local Narratives and Political Attitudes; and Glocalization of Human Rights. The study explores the role of human rights in narratives surrounding refugee flows, categorizing responses according to various political theory approaches such as global liberalism, egalitarianism, communitarianism and conservatism. By integrating applied political theory with localized human rights interpretations, this book offers actionable steps for addressing the challenges of migration in today's interconnected world.
By amplifying the voices of those directly engaged with one of contemporary Europe's most significant challenges, Interpreting Human Rights will appeal to scholars of sociology, political theory, politics and international law, particularly those interested in migration, human rights and refugee studies.
Contents
Introduction PART 1 Methodology 1. Human rights and local level 2. Empirical research: methodology and theoretical framework PART 2 Legal framework and the emergence of hotspots 3. EU and national legal provisions about asylum seekers 4. Hotspots mandate and the role of the EU PART 3 Empirical research: narratives of local actors 5. Chios, Vial 6. Cos, Pyli 7. Leros, Lepida 8. Lesvos, Moria until September 2020 and Mavrovouni or Kara Tepe 9. Samos, Vathy PART 4 Local narratives and political attitudes 10. Partiality: communitarianism and conservatism 11. Impartiality: global liberalism and egalitarian liberalism PART 5 Glocalisation of human rights 12. Limiting the interpretation of human rights 13. Pushbacks 14. Portraying the relationship between human rights and Reception and Identification Centers (RICs) in Chios, Cos, Leros, Lesvos, Samos 15. Human rights fulfillment at the local level: glocalisation and vernacularization of human rights through social justice and solidarity Conclusion Bibliography Appendix Index
