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A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

Books – Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

NON-FICTION

America Needs Human Rights
Makes a powerful case that both the letter and spirit of universally recognized human rights are routinely violated in America by government policies that safeguard profits rather than people. Topics include understanding human rights, basic needs, the new American crisis, poverty in America, welfare reform, policy options, and movement building.

  • Author: Anuradha Mittal and Peter Rosset
  • Source: Food FIrst
  • Grade Level: Adult


Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and its Aftermath
Oral histories of men and women who survived Hurricane Katrina, only to be victimized again by their own government reveal the racial and economic rifts that continue to plague American cities. Many resident of traditionally poor and minority communities suffered incalculable losses and endured unimaginable conditions due to late evacuations and insufficient aid after the Gulf Coast disaster. Fills a crucial gap in the understanding of this disaster. Free download of lesson plans for Voices from the Storm available here.

  • Author: Chris Ying and Lola Vollen (editors)
  • Publisher: Voice of Witness/McSweeney’s
  • Grade Level: middle school – college/adult
  • Subject Area: social studies


Invisible Hands: Voices from the Global Economy
In their own words, the men and women in Invisible Hands reveal the human rights abuses occurring behind the scenes of the global economy. The narrators of this book – including phone manufacturers in China, copper miners in Zambia, garment workers in Bangladesh, and farmers around the world – reveal the secret history of the things we buy, including lives and communities devastated by low wages, environmental degradation, and political repression.  Free download of lesson plans for Invisible Hands available here.

  • Author: Corinne Goria (editor)
  • 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.