Where does human rights stand in a world of divides and trade-offs?

A pioneering study that advocates and defines the stand of human rights in addressing conditions of the marginalized across the world. Six (6) Philippine project cases were used to illustrate the use of the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) in policy reform, localization of MDGs, setting of development indicators, change management in government reorganization, community participation and action planning. Two methods were used in the conduct of this study: a) instrumental case study and b) collective case study which were complemented with structured interviews with project participants and implementing partners. The efficacy of the use of the approach would redound to improving the power relations between the "haves" and "have nots"; and between the government (duty-bearer) and the people (claim-holder). As the study was undertaken under the Public Administration discipline, it suggests ways how the approach could be embedded not only into the discipline but, most importantly to governance practices of all segments of all societies.