Human rights, civil rights Books

Book SynopsisThis book on human rights practices chronicles dramatic changes and the stories of the people defending human rights in the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan; with a focus on providing lawmaker''s decisions on foreign military and economic aid. Respect for human rights is not a western construct or a uniquely American ideal; it is the foundation for peace and stability everywhere. Universal human rights include the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and to seek to reform or change their governments, a central theme around the world.

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Book SynopsisBecause of concerns about increasing restrictions on religious rights around the world, Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (the Act) to strengthen U.S. advocacy of individuals persecuted in foreign countries on account of religion. According to the Act, more than half of the world''s population was living under governments that severely restricted or prohibited freedom of religion. This book examines the elements and implementation efforts of the International Religious Freedom Act with a focus on its objectives, scope and methodology.

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Book SynopsisCurrent developments in constitutional drafting are spurring renewed analysis of the existing constitutional landscape in the majority of Muslim countries. New constitutions are being drafted in Egypt, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, and Turkey, among others. Although the drafting and approval processes will no doubt be markedly different in each of these countries, international legal norms are clear about religious freedom standards. In each country, questions will be raised, as they have been in the past, about the relationship between international legal/human rights norms and existing political arrangements in Muslim countries -- especially with respect to the internationally recognised right of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. This study compiles and analyses constitutional provisions currently in place concerning the relationship between religion and the state, freedom of religion or belief, and related human rights in the 46 majority Muslim countries and in 10 other countries that, while not majority Muslim, are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

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Book SynopsisIn the context of growing human rights abuses, religious freedom conditions in Russia suffered serious setbacks. The Russian government''s application of its extremism law violates the rights of members of certain Muslim groups and allegedly "non-traditional" religious communities, particularly Jehovah''s Witnesses, through raids, detentions, and imprisonment. Various laws and practices increasingly grant preferential status to the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Federation has a highly centralised political system, with power increasingly concentrated in the president, and a weak multiparty political system. The most significant human rights problems include the restriction of civil liberties; violations of electoral processes; and the administration of justice. This book provides an overview of Russian human rights and religious freedom reports.

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Book SynopsisHuman rights conditions in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) remain a central issue in U.S.-China ties. Different perceptions of human rights are an underlying source of mutual misunderstanding and mistrust. Frictions on human rights issues affect other issues in the bilateral relationship, including those related to economics and security. Chinas weak rule of law and restrictions on information affect U.S. companies doing business in the PRC. People-to-people exchanges, particularly educational and academic ones, are often hampered by periodic Chinese government campaigns against Western values. For many U.S. policymakers, human rights conditions in China represent a test of the success of overall U.S. policy toward the PRC. Some analysts contend that the U.S. policy of cultivating diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with China has failed to promote meaningful political reform, and that without fundamental progress in this area, mutual trust and cooperation in other areas will remain difficult to achieve. The U.S. government has employed an array of efforts and tactics aimed at promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in China, although their effects have been felt primarily along the margins of the PRC political system. Many analysts have observed that Chinas leaders have become less responsive to international pressure on human rights in recent years. This book examines human rights issues in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), including ongoing rights abuses, and legal developments.

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Book SynopsisThe Turkish government under the Erdoğan regime is undertaking a brutal crackdown against the participants of a civic group, namely the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet (service) movement, with the deliberate intention of destroying this social group, in whole or in part. In this extensive research, Dr. Keneş argues that this crackdown is filled with violations that may be classified at the very least as crimes against humanity and could very well be the harbinger of what comes next in terms of a full-scale genocide to exterminate thousands of innocent people. Keneş exemplifies many of these crimes and scales them against the genocide criteria according to definitions and norms accepted by United Nations and field experts.Given that the international community has historically downplayed the early signs of genocidal acts and thus failed to prevent such crimes many times before, it is necessary to be on the alert before the Erdoğan regime goes that far. A Genocide in the Making? is a unique volume that loudly cries out to the world this highly probable risk before it is too late.

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Book SynopsisIn this collection, researchers analyze rural societies, economies, and governance in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia through the lens of rights and citizenship, across such varied domains as education, employment, and health. The provocative concept of a “right to be rural” illuminates not only the challenges faced by rural communities worldwide, but also underappreciated facets of community resilience in the face of these challenges. The book’s central question—“is there a right to be rural?”—offers insights into how these communities are created, maintained, and challenged. The authors illustrate that citizenship rights have a spatial character, and that this observation is critical to studying and understanding rural life in the twenty-first century. Scholars and policymakers concerned with the health and well-being of rural communities will be interested in this book. Contributors: Ray Bollman, Clement Chipenda, Innocent Chirisa, Logan Cochrane, Pallavi Das, Laura Domingo-Peñafiel, Laura Farré-Riera, Jens Kaae Fisker, Karen R. Foster, Lesley Frank, Greg Hadley, Stacey Haugen, Jennifer Jarman, Kathleen Kevany, Eshetayehu Kinfu, Al Lauzon, Katie MacLeod, Jeofrey Matai, Ilona Matysiak, Kayla McCarney, Rachel McLay, Egon Noe, Howard Ramos, Katja Rinne-Koski, Sulevi Riukulehto, Sarah Rudrum, Ario Seto, Nuria Simo-Gil, Peggy Smith, Sara Teitelbaum, Annette Aagaard Thuesen, Tom Tom, Ashleigh Weeden, Satenia ZimmermannTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix 1 Geographies of Citizenship, Equity, Opportunity, and Choice 1 Karen R. Foster & Jennifer Jarman I The Right to Rural Education 2 The Right to Language in Rural Nova Scotia, Canada 19 Katie K. MacLeod 3 Experiencing an Active Citizenship 35 Democratic and Inclusive Practices in Three Rural Secondary Schools in Spain Laura Domingo-Penafiel, Laura Farre-Riera & Nuria Simo-Gil 4 Hallway Pedagogy and Resource Loss 51 Countering Fake News in Rural Canadian Schools Ario Seto II The Right to Rural Livelihoods 5 Stemming the Tide 71 Youth Entrepreneurial Citizenship in Rural Nova Scotia, Canada Gregory R. L. Hadley 6 Dispossession, Environmental Degradation, and the Right to Be Rural 91 The Case of Small-Scale Fishers in Chilika Lagoon, India Pallavi V. Das III The Right to Rural Health 7 Reproducing the Rural Citizen 107 Barriers to Rural Birthing and Maternity Care in Canada Sarah Rudrum, Lesley Frank & Kayla McCarney 8 Rural Food 123 Rights and Remedies for Older Persons in Canada Kathleen Kevany & Al Lauzon 9 The Multifaceted Sense of Belonging 141 Discursive Conceptions of Home by Third Age Residents in Rural Finland Katja Rinne-Koski & Sulevi Riukulehto IV The Right to Rural Representation 10 Citizens or Individuals? 159 Patterns of Local Civic Engagement of Young University Graduates Living in Rural Areas in Poland Ilona Matysiak 11 Beyond the “Rural Problem” 177 Comparing Urban and Rural Political Citizenship, Values, and Practices in Atlantic Canada Rachel McLay & Howard Ramos 12 Defining Indigenous Citizenship 193 Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), the Right to Self-Determination, and Canadian Citizenship Satenia Zimmermann, Sara Teitelbaum, Jennifer Jarman & M. A. (Peggy) Smith V The Right to Rural Policy 13 Density Matters and Distance Matters 211 Canadian Public Policy from a Rural Perspective Ray D. Bollman 14 Rural Citizenship Under the Impact of Rural Transformation 237 Unpacking the Role of Spatial Planning in Protecting the Right to Be Rural in Zimbabwe Jeofrey Matai & Innocent Chirisa 15 The Right to Multiple Futures in the Shadow of Canada’s Smart City Movement 253 S. Ashleigh Weeden 16 “What Makes Our Land Illegal?” 271 Regularization and the Urbanization of Rural Land in Ethiopia Eshetayehu Kinfu & Logan Cochrane VI The Right to Rural Mobility 17 Exploring Rural Citizenship through Displacement 289 An Analysis of Citizenship in the Context of Refugee Resettlement and Integration in Rural Canada Stacey Haugen 18 Local Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion 303 Exploring the Situation of Migrant Labourers and their Descendants after Land Reform in Rural Zimbabwe Clement Chipenda & Tom Tom 19 Rural Redlining in the Danish Housing Market 321 Toward an Analytical Framework for Understanding Spatial (In)justice Jens Kaae Fisker, Annette Aagaard Thuesen & Egon Bjornshave Noe 20 What’s Next for the Right to Be Rural? 339 Jennifer Jarman & Karen R. Foster Contributors 351 Index 365"

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Book SynopsisRights and the City takes stock of rights struggles and progress in cities by exploring the tensions that exist between different concepts of rights. Sandeep Agrawal and the volume’s contributors expose the paradoxes that planners and municipal governments face when attempting not only to combat discriminatory practices, but also advance a human rights agenda. The authors examine the legal, conceptual, and philosophical aspects of rights, including its various forms—human, Indigenous, housing, property rights, and various other forms of rights. Using empirical evidence and examples, they translate the philosophical and legal aspects of rights into more practical terms and applications. Regionally, the book draws on municipalities from across Canada while also making broad international comparisons. Scholars, policy makers, and activists with an interest in urban studies, planning, and law will find much of value throughout this volume. Afterword by Benjamin Davy. Contributors: Sandeep Agrawal, Rachelle Alterman, Sasha Best, Alexandra Flynn, Eran S. Kaplinsky, Ola P. Malik, Jennifer A. Orange, Michelle L. Oren, Renée Vaugeois. Afterword by Benjamin DavyTrade Review"This book is a collection of essays on the subject of human rights and cities with an emphasis on Canadian cities. ...this collection is worth reading." W. Dennis Keating, Journal of Urban Affairs, May 17, 2023 (Full review at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2023.2195779)“In Rights and the City, editor Sandeep Agrawal, professor of urban planning at the University of Alberta, uses the influential theories of Henri Lefebvre, a French philosopher and sociologist, to organize this collection and to illustrate the way ahead in order for our rights to and in cities to become truly entrenched.” Ximena Gonzales, Alberta Views, April 26, 2023 [Full review at https://albertaviews.ca/rights-and-the-city/]“In my view, the main contribution of the volume … is to bring renewed attention to the relevance of legal rights in the realm of urban planning and politics, as well as to illustrate how they can serve to disadvantage or push for the protection of already marginalized groups in society in practical terms. To do this, the book offers well-researched examples, most of which show how these debates unfold at the municipal level. This approach will be especially useful for readers and practitioners whose work lies at the intersection of policy analysis, program design, and planning through a rights-based lens.” Magdelana Ugarte, Canadian Planning and Policy, Volume 2023Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction | Sandeep Agrawal I THE RIGHT TO THE CITY 1 | Whose Right to What City? Indigenous Rights amidst Claims for Constitutionally Empowered Cities | Alexandra Flynn 2 | The Right to the City as an Emerging Norm: Codification and Cultural Institutions | Jennifer A. Orange II RIGHTS IN THE CITY 3 | Human Rights and the City in the Pre-Charter Era | Sandeep Agrawal 4 | Group Rights and Collective Rights: What Are They and How Do They Affect Urban Issues? | Sandeep Agrawal & Eran S. Kaplinsky 5 | Human Rights and Canadian Municipalities | Sandeep Agrawal 6 | Becoming a Human Rights City: Lessons from Edmonton | Renée Vaugeois III OTHER RIGHTS IN THE CITY 7 | The Right to Adequate Housing Around the Globe: Analysis and Evaluation of National Constitutions | Michelle L. Oren & Rachelle Alterman 8 | Property Rights and the Canadian City | Eran S. Kaplinsky 9 | The Dangers of Allowing “Othering” Speech in a City’s Public Spaces | Ola P. Malik & Sasha Best Afterword: After Rights? | Benjamin Davy Contributors

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Book SynopsisCanada as a Settler Colony on the Question of Palestine explores Canada-Palestine relations through a settler colonial lens. The authors argue that there are direct parallels between Canada’s settler colonial project and its support for the Israeli settler colonial dispossession of Palestinians. Chapters reflect on community politics and activism, migration, orientalism, and critical race theory. Among its unique contributions, the volume provides a fresh look at Canada’s foreign policy as informed and shaped by its own history of settler colonialism. The collection also illuminates the breadth and depth of Palestinian life in Canada. Throughout, the chapters are connected by common themes of settler colonial destruction, dispossession, segregation, and otherness, as well as accounts of people challenging those processes in search of a better and fairer world. The book will be of interest to scholars in Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Canadian Studies, Palestine Studies, and beyond. Contributors: Samer Abdelnour, Nadia Abu-Zahra, Rachad Antonius, Lina Assi, M. Muhannad Ayyash, Peige Desjarlais, Randa Farah, Azeezah Kanji, Maurice Jr. Labelle, Nadia Naser-Najjab, Emily Regan Wills, Mira Sucharov, Jeremy Wildeman. Foreword by Veldon Coburn.Trade Review"This comparative analysis of Israeli and Canadian settler colonialism is one of the most useful angles for understanding the Palestine issue. Such an approach helps us to avoid the exceptionalism that has immunized Israel from international rebuke, and it charts crucial paths for liberation and reconciliation in the future." Ilan Pappé, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter“This book is unique in its comparative approach to the effects of settler colonialism in Canada and Israel. It is also distinguished by its highlighting of the heterogenous experiences of Palestinian-Canadians, particularly of activist and working class sectors of this community.” Sunera Thobani, University of British ColumbiaNamed one of the 100 Best Books of 2023 by The Hill Times, December 19, 2023#9 on Calgary Non-Fiction Bestsellers list, January 25, 2024Table of ContentsForeword Veldon Coburn Introduction M. Muhannad Ayyash & Jeremy Wildeman Part I: Conceptualizing Palestine-Canada Relations through the Settler Colonial Framework Chapter 1: Hyphenation and Conciliation in the Settler Colony M. Muhannad Ayyash Chapter 2: A Shared Settler Colonialism Jeremy Wildeman Part II: Settler Colonial Dispossession and Repression Chapter 3: Canada and the Palestinian refugees: Humanitarian License to Dispossess? Randa Farah & Peige Desjarlais Chapter 4: Enforcing the Settler Contract: Repression of Palestine Solidarity in Canadian Colonial Multiculturalism Azeezah Kanji Part III: Canada’s Policies and the Perpetuation of Settler-Colonial Domination Chapter 5: Canada’s Role in the People-to-People Programme: A Critical Assessment Nadia Naser-Najjab Chapter 6: Aid for Peace Revisited: A New Paradigm for Understanding Conflict and Development Nadia Abu-Zahra Part IV: Restricting the Public Debate on Palestine Chapter 7: Palestinian Images, Israeli Narratives: Radio-Canada Coverage of the 2014 War on Gaza Rachad Antonius Chapter 8: Canada’s Israel Lobby and the Palestinians Mira Sucharov Part V: Palestinian Life and Activism in Canada Chapter 9: Exclusion and Exile: The Identity of Working-class Palestinians in Canada Lina Assi & Samer Abdelnour Chapter 10: Palestinian Organizations in Ottawa: Understanding Communities in Practice Emily Regan Wills Chapter 11: Re-Presenting Palestine: Sami Hadawi and the Palestinian Revolution in Canada Maurice Jr. Labelle Conclusion: The Struggle for a Fairer Future Jeremy Wildeman

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Book SynopsisFollowing the dramatic events of July 2016, the global spotlight has fallen on Turkey's increasingly authoritarian government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. International observers fear the attempted coup has given Erdogan, already known for his attacks on press freedom, an excuse to further suppress all opposition.In November 2015, Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of the national Cumhuriyet newspaper, was arrested on charges of espionage, helping a terrorist organisation, trying to topple the government and revealing state secrets. His transgression? Publishing photographic evidence of a highly illegal covert arms shipment by the Turkish secret service to radical Islamist organisations fighting government forces in Syria - a crime that was in the government's interest to conceal, and a journalist's duty to expose.Arraigned by the President himself, who called for Dundar to receive two life sentences, he was held in solitary confinement in Turkey's Silivri Prison for three months while awaiting trial.We Are Arrested is Dundar's enthralling account of the newspaper's decision to publish and the events that unfolded as a result - including would-be suicide bombings, assassination attempts and fierce attacks from pro-government media - as well as the time he served behind bars for defending the public's right to know.Trade Review"Can Dundar is a very courageous journalist." - Orphan Pamuk; "Can Dundar belongs to that elite of extraordinarily brave journalists who risk everything so the world can know the truth. His voice honours a great country in peril." - Jennifer Clement, President PEN International

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Book Synopsis‘Bboy’ means ‘boy’ in a very particular form of internet cat-speak. You can pronounce it ‘boy’, ‘buh-boy’ or ‘bee-boy’, whatever makes your heart happiest. It’s not always easy to live your life with kindness, but Ellen Murray and her cat Bilbo are doing their best to spread messages of positivity to their followers. As an LGBT+ and disability activist, Ellen’s goal has always been to make love, care and safety a reality for all – but fighting for your own rights or standing as an ally to others can be daunting, intimidating and confusing work.How to Be a Good Bboy is an accessible guide to understanding what human rights work is all about: how to get involved, navigate the inevitable pitfalls, overcome imposter syndrome and own your vulnerability and power.It is about Bilbo, and about Ellen. About her work, and about how Bilbo’s online presence is not just an accessory to that work but a way to channel the greater goals of her activism to a wider audience. It is about dignity, respect and justice, and ultimately how to be a very good bboy.

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Book SynopsisChosen as one of the best books of 2022 by the Financial Times and the Telegraph.Longlisted for the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing'Compelling, powerful and necessary.' Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism'Fascinating' GuardianWithout a moment's pause, we share our most intimate thoughts with trillion-dollar tech companies. Their algorithms categorize us and jump to troubling conclusions about who we are. They also shape our everyday thoughts, choices and actions - from who we date to whether we vote. But this is just the latest front in an age-old struggle.Part history and part manifesto, Freedom to Think explores how the powerful have always sought to influence how we think and what we buy. Connecting the dots from Galileo to Alexa, human rights lawyer Susie Alegre charts the history and fragility of our most important human right: freedom of thought. Filled with shocking case-studies across politics, criminal justice, and everyday life, this ground-breaking book shows how our mental freedom is under threat like never before. Bold and radical, Alegre argues that only by recasting our human rights for the digital age can we safeguard our future.Trade ReviewFascinating... We have all sleepwalked into this gloomy fairytale, and it's time to wake up. * Guardian *Freedom to Think could not be more timely... As the world experiences yet another brutal reminder of how far authoritarians will go to control and suppress their populations, [Alegre's] recommendations feel freshly relevant. * Financial Times *Timely [and] thought-provoking... One of Alegre's most compelling arguments for freedom of thought is that it allows us to try out ideas, to explore and test combinations of thoughts and concepts. * Times Literary Supplement *Profoundly essential and deeply engaging. If freedom of thought and the very possibility of a free society are to survive the digital century, then we urgently need the rights and laws that will make it so. Thankfully, Alegre stands with us to lead and light the way, beginning with her compelling, powerful, and necessary book. * Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism *Engaging and thought-provoking... [a] hard-hitting examination of the evils of Big Tech and, to a lesser extent, the surveillance state. * Literary Review *A brilliant, accessible book by a brilliant lawyer. Freedom of thought is a fundamental human right and Susie Alegre powerfully argues that it needs to be harnessed now. * Helena Kennedy QC, author of Eve was Framed *Freedom to Think identifies and then fills a gaping hole in how we consider the world. It is a book that will shake and refresh, but ultimately leave you more hopeful about the future. * Alison Goldsworthy, CEO of The Depolarization Project and author of Poles Apart *Engaging and entertaining. A call to action on one of the most pressing issues of our time. * Jennifer Robinson, leading human rights lawyer *Alegre asks a provocative and original question as we struggle to understand and react to our increasingly technologized world: are we losing our freedom of thought? Her ideas are much needed. * David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect *A thoughtful and engaging book: profound, moving, and even funny. * Johnny Ryan, leading privacy campaigner *In the absence of adequate scrutiny or accountability, technology has developed to undermine the keystone for human dignity: the right to freedom of thought. In this timely and pioneering book Alegre contributes a sorely needed vision for how we may protect a "forgotten freedom" and collectively avert an Orwellian future. This book is an insightful and urgent wake-up call. * Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief *Powerful and persuasive. This important, finely written book explains why we must protect that most fundamental of our freedoms at a time when it is in danger of being overborne by profit-making propaganda, fake news and hate-fuelled social media. * Geoffrey Robertson QC, founder of Doughty Street Chambers *Freedom to Think is an effective wake-up call for those unaware of the scale of efforts to restrict and control our thoughts. * Engineering & Technology *Table of Contents1: Inner Freedom 2: Of Gods and Men 3: Inside Your Head 4: The Politics of Persuasion 5: The Power of Human Rights 6: Facebook Knows You Better 7: The Ministry of Truth 8: Consenting Adults 9: Social Credit 10: Pre-Crime and Punishment 11: Body and Soul 12: We Don't Need No Thought Control 13: The Backlash 14: Freeing Our Minds

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Book Synopsis"My story starts at the very end of the journey to equal marriage rights. I stand on the shoulders of giants..."In the future, people will find it difficult to believe that until 2014, somewhere between 5 and 10 per cent of Britain's population were excluded from marriage.As Equalities Minister during the coalition government, Lynne Featherstone played a fundamental role in rectifying this. From setting the wheels in motion within government, to her experiences of the abuse with which the gay community is regularly confronted, through her rebuttals against the noise and fury of her opponents, and finally to the making of history, Lynne details the surprising twists and turns of the fight. Filled with astonishing revelations about finding allies in unexpected places and encountering resistance from unforeseen foes, Equal Ever After is an honest account of one woman's pivotal efforts during the turbulent final mile.This is real, lived history - recent history. Many of us celebrated on the day the dream became reality; many of us know people whose lives were changed by the events described here.In this inside story, Lynne reveals the emotional lows and the exhilarating highs involved in turning hard-won social acceptance into tangible legal equality.Trade Review"The inside story of the legislation of same-sex marriage by the government minister who pioneered it, with jaw-dropping revelations of how Stonewall initially tried to scupper marriage equality." - Peter Tatchell; "Lynne delivers both an insider's perspective and a comprehensive narrative on one of the most significant and progressive social changes in a generation." - Benjamin Cohen, Chief Executive of PinkNews; "We named Lynne Politician of the Year in 2012, and this book is a reminder of just how deserved that award was." - Attitude; "A pacy read and contains some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from Westminster." - Diva Magazine; "A very useful guide for anyone wishing to bring about change in society through public action." - The Inquirer

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Book SynopsisWhen the Ngarrindjeri women of South Australia asked Diane Bell if she would work with them in the running of some workshops to develop a booklet about culture and governance, none of them realised quite where it would take them. This book is the result. It has developed from a booklet to a book that outlines their visions for the future. A future in which their culture is respected, their stories heard, their laws carried out.Table of ContentsCaring for Country; Caring for Stories; Caring for Families; Caring for the Nation; Economic Development.

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Book SynopsisFifty years after the event, here is the first full account of an audacious publishing decision that — with the help of booksellers and readers around the country — forced the end of literary censorship in Australia. For more than seventy years, a succession of politicians, judges, and government officials in Australia worked in the shadows to enforce one of the most pervasive and conservative regimes of censorship in the world. The goal was simple: to keep Australia free of the moral contamination of impure literature. Under the censorship regime, books that might damage the morals of the Australian public were banned, seized, and burned; bookstores were raided; publishers were fined; and writers were charged and even jailed. But in the 1970s, that all changed. In 1970, in great secrecy and at considerable risk, Penguin Books Australia resolved to publish Portnoy’s Complaint — Philip Roth’s frank, funny, and profane bestseller about a boy hung up about his mother and his penis. In doing so, Penguin spurred a direct confrontation with the censorship authorities, which culminated in criminal charges, police raids, and an unprecedented series of court trials across the country. Sweeping from the cabinet room to the courtroom, The Trials of Portnoy draws on archival records and new interviews to show how Penguin and a band of writers, booksellers, academics, and lawyers determinedly sought for Australians the freedom to read what they wished — and how, in defeating the forces arrayed before them, they reshaped Australian literature and culture forever.Trade Review‘Anyone interested in Australian history, politics and books generally will find much food for thought in this entertaining, well-researched and carefully written history.’ -- Julia Taylor * Books+Publishing *‘The finely detailed story of the legal fight in Australia against the censorship of Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint.’ -- Sean O’Beirne * The Monthly *‘Mullins’s compelling account of these last days of the old censorship regime skilfully draws on a rich range of sources, including interviews with many of the key figures involved. He gives an insight not just into how the system operated and the politics involved, but also into a significant cultural moment in Australia.’ -- Amanda Laugesen * Inside Story *‘Mullins has applied his skills in thorough research, forensic examination of evidence and a light wit to the numerous trials in different States which, in 1970-71, determined whether sales of Portnoy’s Complaint should be permitted in Australia.’ -- Mark Thomas * The Canberra Times *‘[A] literary detective story with a difference.’ -- Craig Munro * The Australian *‘The Trials of Portnoy, tells the true story of how Portnoy’s Complaint was declared illegal throughout the Commonwealth, and how, eventually, it became a book we were allowed to own and read … The real treat of The Trials of Portnoy though, is to see how many people were willing to stand up in court and make the always difficult argument for literature.’ -- Sean O’Beirne * The Monthly *‘The Trials of Portnoy is full of the juice and drama and hilarity of the courtroom … Patrick Mullins has written an utterly diverting account of a bit of ancient Australian literary history … superb.’ -- Peter Craven * The Saturday Paper *‘Patrick Mullins’ latest effort provides the most detailed account yet of this embarrassing moment in our inglorious history.’ -- Chris Dite * Readings *‘[A] wonderful account of how a group of brave publishers, booksellers and academics brought down Australia’s ridiculous censorship regime.’ -- Barry Reynolds * Herald Sun *‘Mullins draws on his skills as an academic and writer to give an extraordinary rundown on these trials … [The Trials of Portnoy] could well become the ultimate academic guide to the changes to censorship in Australia.’ -- Fiona Myers * The Weekly Times *‘An illuminating tale about book censorship in Australia … Publishers and bookstores are the heroes in this … entertaining account of a ‘hard-won’ battle.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Patrick Mullins gives us a useful litany of the blow by blow progress of those cases that came to court.’ -- Sue Rabbitt Roff * Pearls and Irritations *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘This is, as others have remarked, biography at its best: diligently researched, with detail nowhere else examined, and a demonstration of fine judgement concerning the crucial interplay between personal disposition, role demands, and historical context.’ -- James Walter * Australian Book Review *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘A welcome addition to prime ministerial biography … An engaging and informative read.’ -- Troy Bramston * The Australian *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘This is the most detailed investigation and explanation of what happened … Completing a biography of this scope is an enormous undertaking, and Patrick Mullins does it with considerable skill … Mullins conveys the turmoil, the atmosphere of crisis, the bickering and the bloodletting that marked this extraordinary period of Australian political history.’ -- David Solomon * Inside Story *‘With The Trials of Portnoy, Mullins has further established himself as a first-rate historical storyteller and considerably strengthened our understanding of the history of censorship in Australia.’ -- Nathan Hollier * Australian Historical Studies *

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Book SynopsisIn 2023, debate about an Indigenous Voice to Parliament swirls around us as Australia heads towards a referendum on amending the Constitution to make this Voice a reality. The idea of a First Nations Voice' was famously raised in 2017, when Indigenous leaders drafted the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It was envisioned as a representative body, enshrined in the Constitution, that would advise federal parliament and the executive government on laws and policies of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But while Indigenous people may finally get their Voice, will it be heard? In Time to Listen, Melissa Castan and Lynette Russell explore how the need for a Voice has its roots in what anthropologist WEH Stanner in the late 1960s called the Great Australian Silence', whereby the history and culture of Indigenous Australians have been largely ignored by the wider society. This forgetting' has not been incidental but rather an intentional, initially colonial policy of erasement. So have times now changed? Is the tragedy of that national silencea refusal to acknowledge Indigenous agency and cultural achievementsfinally coming to an end? The Voice to Parliament can be a transformational legal and political institutional reform, but only if we really listen to Indigenous people, and they are clearly heard when they speak.

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Book SynopsisHow did civil society function as a locus for reconciliation initiatives since the beginning of the 20th century? The essays in this volume challenge the conventional understanding of reconciliation as a benign state-driven process. They explore how a range of civil society actors - from Turkish intellectuals apologizing for the Armenian Genocide to religious organizations working towards the improvement of Franco-German relations - have confronted and coped with the past. These studies offer a critical perspective on local and transnational reconciliation acts by questioning the extent to which speech became an alternative to silence, remembrance to forgetting, engagement to oblivion.

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Book SynopsisThis book deals with various facets of the human right to health: its normative profile as a universal right, current political and legal conflicts and contextualized implementation in different healthcare systems. The authors come from different countries and disciplines - law, political science, ethics, medicine etc. - and bring together a broad variety of academic and practical perspectives.The volume contains selected contributions of the international conference "The Right to Health - an Empty Promise?" held in September 2015 in Berlin and organized by the Emerging Field Initiative Project "Human Rights in Healthcare" (University of Erlangen-Nürnberg).

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Book SynopsisThis book is a rich ethnographic and historic account of the juridification of prior consultation in Brazil. In her case study on the national regulation of ILO Convention 169, Charlotte Schumann critically examines the dynamic conflicts over competence and interpretation of this paramount safeguard mechanism for indigenous self-determination. The administrative center Brasília becomes the stage for a fierce struggle between state actors, social movements and experts over the limits of participation, the reification of cultural difference, and ways to vernacularize international human rights - leading to an intriguing discussion that interweaves law, anthropology and multiculturalist politics.

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Book SynopsisAmnesty International's (AI) focus on civil and political rights has marked their work with a gender bias from the outset. In the first comprehensive look at AI's work on women's rights, Miriam Ganzfried illustrates the development of their activities regarding women's rights issues over twenty years. Through interviews with staff members and activists and unprecedented access to archive material from the Swiss and the German AI sections, she shows how women activists strategized to make AI increase its work on women's rights. Additionally, the book demonstrates that, despite the leadership's commitment to the Stop Violence Against Women campaign, internal resistance hampered the integration of women's rights into the organization's overall work.Trade Review"The book is a humbling reminder of how difficult it has been to arrive at an agreement that women's rights are human rights. It will no doubt serve as a key reference for tracking progress on the integration of women's rights within AI and in human rights discourse more broadly in the years to come." Elisabeth Prügl, Swiss Political Science Association, 25.01.2022

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the ways in which a range of representational forms have influenced and helped implement the project of human rights across the world, and seeks to show how public discourses on law and politics grow out of and are influenced by the imaginative representations of human rights. It draws on a multi-disciplinary approach, using historical, literary, anthropological, visual arts, and media studies methods and readings, and covers a wider range of geographic areas than has previously been attempted. A series of specifically-commissioned essays by leading scholars in the field and by emerging young academics show how a multidisciplinary approach can illuminate this central concern.

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Book SynopsisMore than three decades since the fall of the Soviet Union, several conflicts over territory and political influence in Eastern Europe persist. This volume gathers new empirical and conceptual perspectives on the situation regarding security and human rights in the EU's eastern neighborhood.The first part of this volume consists of five articles, detailing the origins and recent developments in the conflict areas of Donbas (Ukraine), Transnistria (Moldova), Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Georgia), and Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenia and Azerbaijan). The second part provides a comparative perspective, focusing on the implications of protracted conflicts for European security, the OSCE, and international law. The articles analyze the regional context, explain the role of regional powers such as Russia, Turkey, and the EU, and provide clear policy recommendations regarding conflict resolution and accountability.

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Book SynopsisBased on authentic sources, this work evaluatesand analyses the problems of the girl child in the country. Covers topicsrelated to girl prostitution, decline in sex ratio, human resource development,disparity in education and health of the girl child, child labour, denial ofhuman rights to girls, and how all this impacts on the economy.

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Book SynopsisIn this, our 75th year of Independence we needed qualityiterature around our great tribal freedom fighters. This book is a truly commendable start in that direction. Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal Affairs Our first war of Independence was not in 1857. In fact, tribal mutinies against the British began ateast 75 years before the 1857 revolution. These battles were fought with traditional bows and arrows and spears, and predated the reported political movement that came to the fore in the latter part of the nineteenth century. As we complete 75 years of Independence, it is only fair to acknowledge that a parallel freedom movement had existed in our far-flung villages and jungles, away from the mainstream freedom movement acknowledged in the books of history. The Great Tribal Warriors of Bharat is a humble attempt to honour theseargely unsung heroes of an epochal movement, whose contribution remainsargely unacknowledged. The book begins with Tilka Manjhi, who unleashed guerilla warfare to combat the British, and includes Jaipal Singh Munda, one of the most nuanced speakers of our Constituent Assembly, tracking the trajectory of this movement. These brave warriors came from all parts of India, including the Northeast and the South, and from all tribes existing in the country. This book is a rare collection and a journey into self-discovery for our civilization turned nation.

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Book SynopsisThe book sheds light on the issues of structural violence perpetrated against the tribes and vividly analyzes the infringement of human rights of the tribes in the neo-liberal hegemonic context, due to which the tribes are going through massive upheaval induced displacement and dispossession from livelihood. They are unable to advance their existentialist interests and fulfil their aspirations, because of which they are taking recourse to extremism and get caught into the battle of state sponsored militia and forces on the one hand, and the extremists on the other. The mechanism of structural violence is embedded in the global capitalism, which has its roots in colonialism and imperialism. Tribal movements of the central-eastern India, inspired by human rights exigencies, are up against this imperial project that violates the trajectories of state-led development initiatives for the reason that these movements have been brutally suppressed by the military forces.

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