Human Rights : Volume II

Description

This is the second volume in a continuing study of human rights.
Volume I of this series established the conceptual and institutional foundations of human rights. It examined the meaning, definition, and characteristics of human rights; traced their historical development from the 19th century through the World Wars to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and introduced the major categories of rights — civil and political, social, economic, cultural, and solidarity rights — alongside the key national and international agencies tasked with their protection.
Building on that framework, Volume II turns into some of the most persistent and acute violations of those rights in practice today. The chapters that follow address three areas that demand sustained attention: the trafficking of women, children, drugs and arms; the rights and conditions of laborers, with particular focus on child labor; and the entrenched inequalities founded on caste, color and creed.
The material gathered here draws on published reports, legislative records, and the research of international and non-governmental human rights organizations. Our intention has been to make these issues visible and undeniable, so that this volume may serve equally as a resource for students and researchers and as an accessible introduction for the general reader. We are grateful to all contributors and to the organizations whose work has made this volume possible.