Globalization And Human Rights

Editorial Reviews "The New Global Society" series, according to the foreword, is intended for high school students. Disney's dancing-doll lyrics "it's a small world, after all" are becoming more apt over time, so these books are meant to help youth understand, discuss, and find answers to questions raised by globalization. Yet the introduction to the series claims the books are for lay people. Young adults might find the material somewhat advanced: In this book, the interrelationship between globalization and human rights is examined. Whether or not globalization is responsible for human rights violations, it is asked to eradicate them. At the end of World War II, the United Nations codified a guarantee for international human rights. The document essentially adopted the U.S. Bill of Rights and added economic, social, and cultural mandates. Enforcement has taken various forms: exposure, shaming, diplomacy, protest, and military intervention. Some believe a long-term solution to international abuses is the economic development of countries through free-trade agreements and outsourcing. Others claim this profit-driven solution actually encourages inhumane treatment of workers, especially women and children. Many advocacy non-governmental organizations work to improve human rights globally by using the media and the Internet to inform and influence the public, which can then open a political dialog toward reform. The book looks at many faces, from a new "zippy" Indian call-center worker to an Indian child begging on the street. Photos, an appendix of human rights organizations, a glossary, notes, a bibliography, and an index complete this important discussion.