This widely acclaimed and highly regarded book, used extensively by
students, scholars, policymakers, and activists, now appears in a new
third edition. Focusing on 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 human rights abuses 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." He reveals the truly
universal nature of this movement, places contemporary events within
their broader historical contexts, and explains the relationship between
individual cases and larger issues of human rights with insight.
This new edition incorporates material from recently declassified
documents and the most recent scholarship relating to the creation of
the new Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review, the
International Criminal Court, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P),
terrorism and torture, the impact of globalization and modern
technology, and activists in NGOs devoted to human rights. It provides
perceptive assessments of the process of change, the power of visions
and visionaries, politics and political will, and the evolving meanings
of sovereignty, security, and human rights themselves.