Human rights are increasingly under fire, facing political challenge from illiberal governments worldwide, and intellectual challenge from progressives and conservatives alike. Contrary to predictions that the end-times of human rights are upon us, and to arguments that the human rights movement cannot meet the justice demands of our age, this book seeks to reframe the picture and to offer an experimentalist account of human rights that emphasizes the ongoing engagement of domestic activists and social movements with local and international norms, institutions and actors. Drawing on a series of case studies from Argentina, Ireland and Pakistan, the book argues that the human rights movement is a vibrant and resilient one which has helped to promote rights and positive social change in many parts of the world, and that the challenges of the current turbulent era provide good reasons to innovate, reform and strengthen that movement, rather than to abandon it or herald its demise.

Panelists:
– Alicia Ely Yamin, Harvard Law
– Catherine Powell, Fordham Law
– Martti Koskenniemi, University of Helsinki
– Gráinne de Búrca, NYU Law

Moderator:
– César Rodríguez-Garavito, NYU Law