Ray W. Howard Library: Listening Tree Project (Zale): Human Rights Organizations

Introduction

An Inter-governmental Organization or IGO is "an organization whose members are the governments of different countries... Inter-governmental organizations are either global, meaning open to every country, such as the United Nations, or regional, meaning open only to states in a particular geographic region, such as the OAS in the Western Hemisphere."
(Cartwright and Conde 128)

A Non-governmental Organization or NGO is "a not-for-profit association of people working for the promotion and protection of human rights in either a general (all human rights) or a special (specific, focused on certain human rights issues) focus. NGOs may be local, national, regional, or international..."
(Cartwright and Conde 160)

Definitions from: Cartwright, Rita Cantos and H. Victor Conde. Human Rights in the United States: A Dictionary and Documents. Santa Barbara, Calif. ABC-CLIO, 2000. NetLibrary. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.

Documents

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
From the site:The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict happen again. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere.

Human Rights Organizations: Inter-governmental Organizations (IGOs)

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - OHCHR
OHCHR acts as the principal focal point of human rights research, education, public information, and advocacy activities in the United Nations system.
UN Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. (Replaces the Commission on Human Rights.)
Human Rights Bodies
List of 4 UN Charter-based and 9 treaty-based bodies that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties.
Council of Europe - Human Rights and Legal Affairs
Includes news reports, podcasts and more concerning human rights.
IACHR - Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The IACHR is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS). The website includes basic documents pertaining to human rights in the Inter-American system, annual and special reports, cases, speeches and more.
African Commission on Human and People's Rights
Established by the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is charged with ensuring the promotion and protection of Human and Peoples' Rights throughout the African Continent. The website includes periodic reports submitted by member countries relating to the rights and freedoms included in the Charter.
International Criminal Court
From the site: July 1 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the first permanent international court with a mandate to investigate, charge, and try people suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes worldwide. At the ripe old age of 10, the court has become a high-profile institution on the world stage -- central to nearly every call for international justice for the most serious crimes.

Human Rights Organizations: Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Amnesty International
Amnesty International works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. The Amnesty International site documents human rights violations in 150 countries and territories.
Human Rights Watch
International NGO that investigates and reports human rights abuses and advocates for policies to prevent them.
Human Rights Internet
Website includes reports on their programs and a comprehensive Human Rights Organizations database.
ANHRI - Arab Network for Human Rights Information
ANHRI's objectives include: to make available Middle East and North African human rights organizations’ reports and statements to Arabic readers worldwide; to link to major international organizations that feature content in Arabic; and to increase access to information about specific human rights issues or abuses.
AOHR - Arab Organization for Human Rights
AOHR was founded in December 1983, as a regional non-governmental organization that aims to promote and protect Human Rights in the Arab World in accordance with international standards. Website includes publications of research on Darfur, annual reports and statements from participating countries.
Derechos Human Rights
Website includes news, links, and documents on many issues including corruption, the death penalty, economic rights and los Desaparecidos (the disappeared ones).
ACDHRS - African Centre for Democracy and Humans Rights
Website outlines the programs initiated by the Centre.
Human Rights First
Human rights advocacy group. Website includes news, full-text reports, video, a blog, etc.
Youth for Human Rights
The purpose of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI has now grown into a global movement, including hundreds of groups, clubs and chapters around the world.

Human Rights & FOIA Reports

Country Reports on Human Rights (U.S. Dept. of State)
Reports submitted annually to the U.S. Congress by the U.S. Department of State. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
UNICEF - United Nations International Children's Fund
Go to the "Progress for Children" tab to find numerous free online reports and other publications on a variety of topics concerning children.
CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room
View CIA documents released through the FOIA and other disclosure statutes.
FBI FOIA Electronic Reading Room

Encyclopedia of Human Rights Online

Encyclopedia of Human Rights
- This link opens in a new window
From the site: The five-volume Encyclopedia of Human Rights, edited by David Forsythe, offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of human rights theory, practice, law, and history in over 300 entries signed by leading scholars and human rights experts. The coverage includes major figures, organizations and institutions, human rights events and crises, and human rights norms.

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Listening Tree Project (Zale): Human Rights Organizations