Excerpts Prison bars on Death Row in the Georgia State Penitentiary. In these essays, which explore some of the most common human rights violations in the contemporary world, we are reminded of the worst aspects of our global community. Companies in both developing and developed nations exploit their labor forces, women are beaten in their homes, and government officials abuse their power to limit the judiciary and the press. Human rights abusers act with impunity despite laws that states are morally and legally obliged to honor.
Families send their children into armies and bonded labor, or sell their daughters as sex workers.
Companies and governments sell arms to militaries and armed opposition groups, weapons which are often used to kill civilians. In our times, characterized by internal conflicts and wars, civilians suffer most. They become homeless and displaced within and outside of their nation's borders, and they are the prey of indiscriminate landmines. Those who do not want to partake in war, conscientious objectors, have little choice in some countries. In addition to investigating the details of these violations, this chapter cautiously celebrates the hard-won gains to combat human rights violations and to make particular violations legal offenses, as well as suggests what challenging work remains to improve human rights protection.