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