Who's Watching "Big Brother"? Globalization and the Protection of Cultural Rights in Present Day Africa

What have come to be known as the varied forces and processes of globalization—including trade liberalization, real-time information and communications technology, and the privatization of state enterprise—have diverse implications (both positive and inimical) to the promotion and protection of the right to culture in contemporary Africa. While pointing out that culture is a dynamic aspect of human evolution, the article explores what implications globalization has for ensuring that its positive aspects are protected, while the negative are not given free reign. In particular, the article pays particular attention to the concept of traditional knowledge and women's human rights and the role of the African Commission in dealing with globalization's most adverse consequences.