Public Dialogue, Cultural Diversity, and Contextual Interpretation of Human Rights

Nejabatkhah, Morteza; Dabirnia, Alireza; Blake, Janet Elizabeth; Sadeghi, Komail

doi:10.22059/jplsq.2025.386728.3650

Document Type : Article

Authors

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of Human Rights and Environmental Law, Faculty of Law. Shahid Beheshti University,Tehran, Iran

⁴ Ph.D. Student of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2025.386728.3650

Abstract

Today, respect for cultural diversity is considered essential for the implementation of the universality of human rights. However, there is a conceptual divergence between cultural diversity and universality in the field of human rights, with respect for cultural diversity appearing closer to relativism at first glance. Nevertheless, a contextual interpretation of human rights is an approach that can effectively bridge the concepts of universality and cultural diversity. This interpretation implies that in recognizing, applying, and safeguarding universal human rights, the cultural, social, and economic contexts of societies must be taken into account. Utilizing this interpretation of human rights requires certain prerequisites, and the existence of a public dialogue is one of these prerequisites. Additionally, public dialogue fosters greater convergence in value domains and can lead to the creation of shared beliefs and values. This research seeks to examine the extent to which and how public dialogue can be effective in providing a contextual interpretation of human rights. Such dialogues occur at the national level among individuals, groups, ethnicities, and subcultures to achieve consensus and a shared understanding of fundamental human rights values.

Keywords

Main Subjects

International Human Rights Law

References

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Public Dialogue, Cultural Diversity, and Contextual Interpretation of Human Rights

References

References

Volume 55, Issue 3 - Serial Number 43Autumn 2025October 2025Pages 2201-2223

Volume 55, Issue 3 - Serial Number 43
Autumn 2025
October 2025
Pages 2201-2223