Global Issues for Students: Human Rights

Intrinsically bound up in the concept of individual freedom is the notion that every human being carries “certain inalienable rights,” to quote the Declaration of Independence. However, not all would agree on what those rights are (the "pursuit of happiness" is rather vague and difficult to measure) or how to enforce them. This excellent program, part of a seven-volume series entitled Global Issues for Students, offers a concise, thought-provoking overview of the complicated topic of human rights, leading off with a short history of the subject, followed by a look at three categories of human rights violations. The 1948 United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is used as a basis to discuss the various political, civil, and social rights recognized by the international community, and the program is openly critical of certain violations and alleged violations, including apartheid in South Africa, sweatshop labor, and the treatment of post-9/11 prisoners held by the U.S. in Guantanamo Bay (in fact, the ongoing American military presence in Iraq is discussed as part of the difficult question of whether force is ever justified in the name of human rights). Excellent footage, tight editing, and a smart script make this timely video highly recommended. Other titles in the series include: Africa: Challenges in the 21st Century, Genocide, and Global Economic Issues. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)