Contracting Human Rights

Edited by Alison Brysk, Distinguished Professor, Department of Global Studies and Political Science and Michael Stohl, Professor of Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara, US

Contracting Human Rights is an exciting collection of essays covering topics from refugee rights and the International Criminal Court to corporate responsibilities, LGBT and women's rights, and beyond. The authors show how human rights can be blocked by resistance, counter-mobilization, and the reassertion of state sovereignty. Yet they also show that there are still means to reinforce human rights rather than give in to a politics of fear. Well worth reading, and a superb collection for classroom use.' --Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, Professor Emeritus, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada and Research Chair in International Human Rights, 2003-16'Brysk and Stohl bring together a diverse set of voices and perspectives in questioning long-held assumptions about the progressive expansion of international human rights norms and enforcement mechanisms. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the long-term impact of the so-called war on terror on international human rights and anyone concerned with the future of human rights.'--Michael Goodhart, University of Pittsburgh, US'In turbulent times for human rights, this volume explores why promotion and protection of rights is stalled or thwarted in a range of issue areas, in multiple countries and regions, and at varying levels of governance. Particularly impressive are the range of topics covered across the individual chapters, the depth of evidence marshalled, and the uniformly urgent call to move beyond conventional explanations.'--Shareen Hertel, University of Connecticut, US

• Contents:Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Contracting human rightsAlison BryskPart I Gaps2. Contracting the refugee regime: The global citizenship gapAlison Brysk3. Has the occupation occupied Israel?Gershon Shafir 4. Expanding extractive industries, contracting indigenous rights? Gains, setbacks and missed opportunities in Latin AmericaClaire Wright5. The bottom two billion: The global expansion of urban slums and second-class citizenshipNatasha BennettPart II Backlash6. The human rights costs of NGOs’ naming and shaming campaignsClair Apodaca 7. Perils of success: Backlash and resistance to LGBT rights in domestic and international politicsPhillip M. Ayoub8. Human rights and democracy promotion in times of contraction: EU human rights and democratization policies in EgyptFelipe Gómez Isa9. From lawless to secret law: The United States, the CIA, and extra-judicial killings Arturo Jimenez-BacardiPart III Accountability 10. Whither accountability? Counter-terrorism and human rights at the United Nations Security CouncilGeorge Andreopoulos11. Backlash and international human rights courtsWayne Sandholtz, Yining Bei, and Kayla Caldwell12. Retreat or retrenchment? An analysis of the International Criminal Court’s failure to prosecute presidentsKirsten Ainley13. Searching for accountability of the private sector: Civil liability of corporations for trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation in the European contextJulia Planitzer, Nora Katona, Barbara Linder and Karin LukasPart IV Opportunities 14. Business and human rights: Exploring the limits of an expanding agenda on corporate responsibilityAnne Vestergaard and Michael Etter15. Digital media and human rights: Loomio, Statistics New Zealand, and gender identityCynthia Stohl, Michael Stohl and Shiv Ganesh16. Beyond global vs. local: Islam, feminism, and women’s rights in MoroccoJesilyn Faust17. Contesting the citizenship gap: Advocacy, core rights, and women’s rights reformFeryal M. Cherif18. Conclusion: From hope to fear in the millennium: Human rights in an age of backlashMichael StohlIndex