The Evolution of International Human Rights
Visions Seen

Paul Gordon Lauren

Second Edition
416 pages | 7 x 10 | 16 illus.
Paper 2003 | ISBN 978-0-8122-1854-1 | $34.95s | £23.00 | Add to cart
A volume in the Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights series
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Praise for the first edition:

"A beautifully written and meticulously researched history of the idea of human rights."—American Journal of International Law

"It is difficult to imagine a finer gift on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights than this study of the Declaration's complex and far-reaching impact. Paul Gordon Lauren has skillfully combined a detailed history of the legal documents with the political, philosophical, and social context in which they developed."—American Historical Review

"An indispensable reference source for scholars and students of human rights."—Political Science Quarterly

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.

Paul Gordon Lauren is Regents Professor at the University of Montana. He is the author of a number of books, including Power and Prejudice. He has lectured widely and delivered invited addresses, at the Smithsonian Institution and the United Nations, on the subject of human rights.

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