World holidays: weaving (im)probabilities

Luísa Semedo expresses alarm over a perceived ideological shift that is transforming the defense of human rights into a supposed extremist practice. This trend, she argues, is leading to the labeling of such advocacy as leftist or "woke," a redefinition that distorts the fundamental nature of human rights.

The author finds this ideological turn troubling, suggesting it aims to delegitimize efforts to uphold universal rights by associating them with specific political or social movements. Semedo implies that this framing serves to marginalize and discredit the work of human rights defenders.

This opinion piece critiques the contemporary discourse that seeks to recast the defense of human rights, a concept historically rooted in universal values, as an extreme or niche ideology. Semedo's concern lies in the potential consequences of this reframing on the broader acceptance and practice of human rights globally.