A deeply disturbing take on the decline of the international human rights culture, focused on the frustrations of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the face of growing international indifference.
The concept of human rights is under attack from conservatives, but I have become increasingly frustrated at the supposed progressives who criticize human rights as a neocolonial project but offer no better alternative.
I once heard a panel that trashed the UN for its failures. China Achebe was the discussant and said, with great passion, Yes, the UN is flawed, but it is all that we have. We have to make it work. Don't just criticize it. Make it better!
This is how I feel about human rights. International human rights regimes are flawed and biased toward Western conceptions, institutions & priorities. But the concept of providing international legal protections for basic human dignity remains essential. We need to make it work!
