The most fundamental human right is the right to life as recognized in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The denial of the right to life, through the practice of capital punishment, is internationally condemned with nearly two-thirds of countries worldwide banning the death penalty in law or in practice. The United … Continue reading The Death Penalty: Violation of the Right to Life
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The Claims of Our Common Cause
Today is the last day of Black History Month… and what a month it has been. This blog is a nod to Frederick Douglass, who received a mention during a meeting earlier this month. Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818. In 1848, ten years after his escape to freedom, he penned a … Continue reading The Claims of Our Common Cause
The Arc of History Bends towards Justice
On Sunday, January 15, 2017–the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr–Ajanet Rountree and I filed into the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, a day before the nation officially recognized Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The historic location held a special church service commemorating King and his contemporaries, reinforcing the role Birmingham … Continue reading The Arc of History Bends towards Justice
THE BRIDGE PERSPECTIVE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND RACE IN AMERICA
by Sunny Slaughter It took me a minute to get my thoughts together on exactly what I wanted to say in this piece as a guest blogger. I rewrote this more than once, almost to the point of nausea thinking about whether I should not offend the host and its readers, but then I realized … Continue reading THE BRIDGE PERSPECTIVE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND RACE IN AMERICA
From hostility to hope: Kosovo’s struggle for inclusion and independence
Ambassador Ahmet Shala, former Minster of Economy and Finance in the government of Kosovo, recently visited the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Institute for Human Rights to speak with faculty and students about minority rights in the Balkan Peninsula, current economic development in Kosovo, as well as efforts to modernize the country. The Republic … Continue reading From hostility to hope: Kosovo’s struggle for inclusion and independence
Threads in American Tapestry: Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Ilhan Omar is a Minnesota state representative. She is the first American lawmaker of Somali descent. She is a former refugee. Omar and her family fled Somalia during the civil war and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp for four years before emigrating to the United States in 1995. Wearing a white hijab, Omar who … Continue reading Threads in American Tapestry: Asylum Seekers and Refugees
What is the International Criminal Court and Why Should I Care?
What is the International Criminal Court and how did it develop? The ICC is not a substitute for national courts. It is the only court with global jurisdiction that a state can go to when it cannot carry out the investigation and trial of perpetrators that have committed war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. … Continue reading What is the International Criminal Court and Why Should I Care?
The Liberian Renaissance: The Rebirth of a Nation
Leymah Gbowee is one of my human rights heroines. I first heard of her work in my peace studies class. We watched the documentary, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, which chronicles the cessation of the second Liberian Civil War and the power of nonviolent protests in pursuit of peace. Gbowee and the women … Continue reading The Liberian Renaissance: The Rebirth of a Nation
Mexico’s Interrogation Secrets Revealed
Cruel and unusual punishment is a human rights issue we don’t hear enough about. It is illegal according to our US Constitution and the Eighth Amendment and a grave human rights violation according to international treaties and documents. For example, Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads “No one shall be subjected to torture or … Continue reading Mexico’s Interrogation Secrets Revealed
Contributors
Contributors Many people contribute to the IHR blog, though the bulk of our posts come from our undergraduate blog interns. Interns are selected at the beginning of each school year through a competitive application process that includes the submission of a writing sample and an interview. We also welcome guest bloggers to post on human … Continue reading Contributors