Human Rights

Kafka Comes to America: Fighting for Justice in the War on Terror - A Public Defender's Inside Account

“OUR GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE YOU DISAPPEAR.”

Those were words Steven T. Wax never imagined he would hear himself say. In his thirty-four years as a lawyer, Wax didn’t have to warn a client that he or she might be taken away to a military brig, or worse, a “black site,” one of our country’s dreaded secret prisons. So how had we come to this? The disappearance of people happens in places ruled by tyrants, military juntas, fascist strongmen–governments with such contempt for the rule of law that they strip their citizens of all rights. But in America?

Under the Bush administration, not only have the civil rights of foreigners been in jeopardy, but also those of U.S. citizens. In Kafka Comes to America, Wax interweaves the stories of two men he represented who were caught up in our government’s post-9/11 counterterrorism measures. Brandon Mayfield, an American-born, small-town lawyer and family man, was arrested as a terrorist suspect in the Madrid train station bombings after a fingerprint was mistakenly traced back to him by the FBI. Adel Hamad, a Sudanese hospital administrator working in Pakistan, was taken from his apartment and flown in chains to the United States military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for no substantiated reason. Kafka Comes to America reveals where and how our civil liberties have been eroded in favor of a false security, and how each of us can make a difference. If these events could happen to Brandon Mayfield and Adel Hamad, they could happen to anyone. They could happen to you.

Torture: A Collection

Torture is perhaps the most unequivocally banned practice in the world today. Yet recent photographs from Abu Ghraib substantiated claims that the United States and some of its allies are using methods of questioning relating to the war on terrorism that could be described as torture or, at the very least, as inhuman and degrading. In terror's wake, the use of such methods, at least under some conditions, has gained some prominent defenders, notably from within the White House. In this revised edition, Torture: A Collection brings together leading lawyers, political theorists, social scientists, and public intellectuals to debate the advisability of maintaining the absolute ban and to reflect on what it says about our societies if we do--or do not--adhere to it in all circumstances. New to this edition are essays by Charles Krauthammer and Andrew Sullivan on the adoption in 2005 of the McCain Amendment, which explicitly bars the use of torture and other cruel methods of interrogation.

The Evolution of International Human Rights: Visions Seen (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

This widely acclaimed and highly regarded book, embraced by students, scholars, policymakers, and activists, now appears in a new edition. Using the theme of visions seen by those who dreamed of what might be, Lauren explores the dramatic transformation of a world patterned by centuries of traditional structures of authority, gender abuse, racial prejudice, class divisions and slavery, colonial empires, and claims of national sovereignty into a global community that now boldly proclaims that the way governments treat their own people is a matter of international concern--and sets the goal of human rights "for all peoples and all nations."

Lauren makes clear the truly universal nature of this movement by drawing into his discussion people and cultures in every part of the globe. In this regard, the book offers particularly remarkable revelations and insights when analyzing the impact of wars and revolutions, non-Western nations, struggles against sexism and racism, liberation movements and decolonization, nongovernmental organizations, and the courage and determination of countless numbers of common men and women who have contributed to the evolution of international human rights.

This new edition incorporates the most recent developments of the International Criminal Court, the arrest of Augusto Pinochet and the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, technology and the Internet, the impact of NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, globalization, terrorism, and the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Human Rights in the World Community: Issues and Action (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

Specifically designed for educational use by international relations, law, and political and social science classes, Human Rights in the World Community treats the full range of human rights issues, including implementation problems and processes involving international, national, and nongovernmental action. This new edition reflects the global, large-scale change that has occurred in the field of human rights, and features an extensive bibliography and filmography.

Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

From the controversial incarceration of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, to the brutal ethnic cleansing being practiced in Darfur, to the widespread denial of equal rights to women in many areas of the world, human rights violations are a constant presence in the news and in our lives. Taking an international perspective, and focusing on highly topical issues such as torture, arbitrary detention, privacy, health, and discrimination, this Very Short Introduction will help readers to understand for themselves the controversies and complexities behind this vitally relevant issue. Looking at the philosophical justification for rights, the historical origins of human rights and how they are formed in law, Andrew Clapham explains what our human rights actually are, what they might be, and where the human rights movement is heading.

International Human Rights in Context: Law, Politics, Morals

The second edition of this widely acclaimed textbook has been completely revised to include developments in international human rights over the last five years. Retaining its unique approach and style, the book includes questions, problem cases, and a wide range of carefully edited materials from both primary and secondary sources. Gender topics are integrated into the general text where relevant; judicial opinions on constitutional issues by the national courts are also included. This edition offers more topics dealing with cultural variety, such as relating and personal law regimes. In addition, new information is provided on international humanitarian law and the laws of war, including the International Criminal Tribunal.

Are Women Human?: And Other International Dialogues

More than half a century after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defined what a human being is and is entitled to, Catharine MacKinnon asks: Are women human yet? If women were regarded as human, would they be sold into sexual slavery worldwide; veiled, silenced, and imprisoned in homes; bred, and worked as menials for little or no pay; stoned for sex outside marriage or burned within it; mutilated genitally, impoverished economically, and mired in illiteracy--all as a matter of course and without effective recourse?

The cutting edge is where law and culture hurts, which is where MacKinnon operates in these essays on the transnational status and treatment of women. Taking her gendered critique of the state to the international plane, ranging widely intellectually and concretely, she exposes the consequences and significance of the systematic maltreatment of women and its systemic condonation. And she points toward fresh ways--social, legal, and political--of targeting its toxic orthodoxies.

MacKinnon takes us inside the workings of nation-states, where the oppression of women defines community life and distributes power in society and government. She takes us to Bosnia-Herzogovina for a harrowing look at how the wholesale rape and murder of women and girls there was an act of genocide, not a side effect of war. She takes us into the heart of the international law of conflict to ask--and reveal--why the international community can rally against terrorists' violence, but not against violence against women. A critique of the transnational status quo that also envisions the transforming possibilities of human rights, this bracing book makes us look as never before at an ongoing war too long undeclared.

Textbook on International Human Rights

Truly global in coverage, the third edition of Textbook on International Human Rights provides a concise introduction for newcomers to the subject. Beginning with a brief analysis of the development of international human rights and the history of the subject, the text allows full consideration of the work of the UN before turning in more detail to regional systems of human rights, focusing on Europe, the Americas and Africa. The second half of the book looks at a variety of substantive rights ranging from the right to liberty to the right to work and the right to education, with illustrations from both regional and international law.
The strength of the The Textbook on Interntational Human Rights lies in its clarity and broad scope, with the focus on making the subject easily accessible to those with little or no prior knowledge of the subject. The author guides students through the complexities of each topic before providing a wealth of recommendations for further reading, essential cases and useful websites at the end of each chapter.
Textbook on International Human Rights continues to be relied on by students worldwide as the first book to turn to for clear, accurate coverage and guidance for further research.
Online Resource Centre
The textbook is also supported by a website providing case updates, extended referencing and links to relevant websites.

Peacemakers in Action: Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution

Just a quick look at the news headlines on any given day is a powerful reminder that devastating armed conflicts worldwide are destroying lives and whole communities — often in the name of religion. Hidden in the news, if reported on at all, are the brave religious leaders in these zones of violence, working to bring peace and reconciliation to their people. These inspiring men and women offer critical insights and skills for addressing today's most urgent conflicts. But their stories are rarely told. Peacemakers in Action: Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution shares the experiences of 16 such remarkable religious peacemakers who have put their lives on the line in conflicts around the world — from Israel-Palestine to Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Sudan, South Africa, El Salvador, Indonesia — and beyond. For each of them, religious texts and traditions have served both as a source of inspiration and as a practical resource in resolv ing conflict. These grassroots peacemakers are powerful — but underutilized — actors for resolving some of the world's most horrifying conflicts. As such, this book contains timely information for diplomats, government officials, and resolution practitioners, as well as today's students of religion and international affairs — our future peacemakers. And in a world where religion-based conflict affects us all, this book provides critical lessons and much-needed hope for each of us.

Around the globe, there are men and women who are moved by their religious beliefs to put their lives and freedom at risk in the cause of peace. This book is a book of their stories, the risks they took, the ways they sought peace and the consequences they suffered.

Behind the Disappearances: Argentina's Dirty War Against Human Rights and the United Nations (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

Drawing on confidential Argentinian documents and memoranda, Behind the Disappearances documents a seven-year diplomatic war by one of the twentieth century's most brutal regimes. It relates how, starting in 1976, Argentina's military government tried to cripple the UN's human rights machinery in an effort to prevent international condemnation of its policy of disappearances. Initially this attempt succeeded, but in 1980--with encouragement from the Carter administration--UN officials regained the initiative and created a special working group on disappearances that rejuvenated the UN's efforts. This progress was abruptly halted in 1981 when the Reagan administration sided with the Argentinian regime. The result, claims the author, not only undercut the UN's actions against disappearances but also weakened its chances of playing a positive role in aiding Latin America's transition from dictatorship to democracy.