The Power of Human Rights

This book celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by showing how global human rights norms have influenced national government practices in eleven different countries around the world. Had the principles articulated in the Declaration had any effect on the behavior of states towards their citizens? What are the conditions under which international human rights norms are internalized in domestic practices? And what can we learn from this case about why, how, and under what conditions international norms in general influence the actions of states? This book draws on the work of social constructivists to examine these important issues. The contributors examine eleven countries representing five different world regions - Northern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe - drawing practical lessons for activists and policy makers concerned with preserving and extending the human rights gains made during the past fifty years.

This work shows how global human rights norms have influenced national government practices in 11 countries around the world.

List of contributors; Preface; 1. The socialization of international human rights norms into domestic practices: introduction Thomas Risse and Kathryn Sikkink; 2. Transnational activism and political change in Kenya and Uganda Hans Peter Schmitz; 3. The long and winding road: international norms and domestic political change in South Africa David Black; 4. Changing discourse: transnational advocacy networks in Tunisia and Morocco Sieglinde Gränzer; 5. Linking the unlinkable? International norms and nationalism in Indonesia and the Philippines Anja Jetschke; 6. International norms and domestic politics in Chile and Guatemala Stephen C. Ropp and Kathryn Sikkink; 7. The Helsinki accords and political change in Eastern Europe Daniel C. Thomas; 8. International human rights norms and domestic change: conclusions Thomas Risse and Stephen C. Ropp; List of references; Index.

Shows how global human rights norms have influenced national government practices in eleven countries around the world.