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A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

Books – Civil and Political Rights

Non-Fiction

The Evolution of International Human Rights: Visions Seen
Explores the dramatic transformation of a world patterned by centuries of traditional structures of authority, gender abuse, racial prejudice, class divisions and slavery, colonial empires, and claims of national sovereignty into a global community that now boldly proclaims that the way governments treat their own people is a matter of international concern–and sets the goal of human rights “for all peoples and all nations.” Widely acclaimed.

  • Author: Paul Lauren
  • Source: Univ. Pennsylvania Press, 2003
  • Grade Level: Adult


A New Deal for the World: America’s Vision for Human Rights
Describes how a cadre of World War II American planners inaugurated the ideas and institutions that underlie our modern international human rights regime. Argues that Franklin Roosevelt’s planners brought to their task notions of security, justice, and governance forged within the United States during the New Deal and in doing so launched the human rights revolution that has reshaped today’s world.

  • Author: Elizabeth Bogwardt
  • Source: Harvard Press, 2007
  • Grade Level: Adult


Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice
Oral histories of men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror and subject to a wide range of human and civil rights abuses, from rendition and torture, to workplace discrimination, bullying, FBI surveillance and harassment. In their own words, narrators recount personal experiences of the post-9/11 backlash that have deeply altered their lives and communities. Free lesson plans for Patriot Acts available.

  • Author: Alia Malek (editor)
  • Publisher: Voice of Witness/McSweeney’s
  • Grade Level: middle school – college/adult
  • Subject Area: social studies


Throwing Stones at the Moon: Narratives from Colombians Displaced by Violence
For nearly five decades, Colombia has been embroiled in internal armed conflict among guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, and the country’s own military. Civilians in Colombia face a range of abuses from all sides, including killings, disappearances and rape – and more than four million have been forced to flee their homes. The oral histories in Throwing Stones at the Moon describe the most widespread of Colombia’s human rights crises: forced displacement. Speakers recount life before displacement, the reason for their flight, and their struggle to rebuild their lives.  Free lesson plans for Throwing Stones at the Moon available.

  • Author: Sibylla Brodzinsky and Max Schoening (editors)
  • Publisher: Voice of Witness/McSweeney’s
  • Grade Level: middle school – college/adult
  • Subject Area: social studies
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The core values of HRE USA and its partner organizations include transparency and critical thinking skills. We believe that human rights--and human rights education--belong to everyone, and that the full realization of human rights means that access to human rights education materials must never be conditioned upon the subscription to any particular religious faith, ideology, political affiliation, or membership in any particular organization and that any organizational connections should be openly acknowledged.