The growing awareness about human rights makes it essential for everyone to have an idea of it. What actually are human rights? How did they come into existence? What is the history of their origins? These questions are imperative to define the meaning and limitations of human rights and interpret them accordingly with the ever-increasing scope to both curtail and enhance human rights.
You can easily find books about moral philosophy to give you an idea about human rights if you are connected with the field. However, it is relatively difficult to find interesting and relevant books to read if you are from a different arena and just want to have a basic knowledge about it.
Here are the books you should read on human rights-
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Written in 1960 by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic over the years. The book revolves around a lawyer of high integrity, Atticus Finch, who is fighting a case for a black man accused of raping a white woman. The book is taught in schools across the United States due to the content dealing with prejudice and racial injustice. Atticus Finch, the hero of the story, is widely regarded as an ideal for lawyers around the globe. Added several times to the list of books everyone should read at least once before dying, To Kill a Mockingbird has emerged to be a story of societal truth within its fictional elements.
2. 1984 by George Orwell
If you are wondering what a world without human rights and freedom of thought would look like, George Orwell did the work for you in his cautionary tale around a dystopian world where a totalitarian society exists with mass surveillance propagating the concept of “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.”
The book will compel you to think of the functioning of propaganda and how slowly we are moving closer to a world that Orwell wrote about as a “dark fantasy.”
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
A book that was rejected more than 60 times before being published in 2009, The Help is a gut-wrenching story of a maid who lives in the 1960s Mississippi. The novel shows the discrimination and stereotypes inflicted on African-Americans and their segregation during the establishment of the civil rights movement in America. Racial discrimination is still prevalent in parts of America, making it even more important to read books around the theme.
4. Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights by Juan E. Mendez
Having first-hand experience of suppression of human rights, Juan Mendez was titled as the “Prisonser of Conscience” by human rights organisation Amnesty International for becoming a voice of political prisoners. For the same reason, he was arrested by the Argentinian military dictatorship where he was detained and tortured for 18 months.
The recent events around the world subjecting genocide and violence makes it even more necessary to read about his struggle.
5. Are You With Me?: Kevin Boyle and the Human Rights Movement by Mike Chinoy
This book is a biographical account of Human Rights lawyer Christopher Kevin Boyle. It portrays the journey of the son of a taxi driver who went on to become one of the most popular human rights activist in Northern Ireland. He was one of the founding members of Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, an organisation that was built on the foundations of civil rights. His struggles played a role in many landmark cases in the European Court of Human Rights.
6. Article by Article: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights for a New Generation by Johannes Morsink
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a pioneering document of international importance adopted by the United Nations marking various civil and human rights to be followed at the global level.
Morsink gives an in-depth account of the Declaration, examining it article by article to help the new generations understand the background and relevance of these rights. It is a great book for all those who are looking for a historical account of Human Rights.
