An eminent constitutional scholar reveals how our approach to rights is dividing America, and shows how we can build a better system of justice.

With a very simple text accompanied by rich, vibrant illustrations a young narrator describes what it means to be a child with rights -- from the right to food, water and shelter, to the right to go to school, to the right to be free from violence, to the right to breathe clean air, and much more. The book emphasizes that these rights belong to every child on the planet, whether they are "black or white, small or big, rich or poor, born here or somewhere else." It also makes evident that knowing and talking about these rights are the first steps toward making sure that they are respected. A brief afterword explains that the rights outlined in the book come from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. The treaty sets out the basic human rights that belong to children all over the world, recognizing that children need special protection since they are more vulnerable than adults. It has been ratified by 193 countries, with the exception of Somalia and the United States. Once a country has ratified the document, they are legally bound to comply with it and to report on their efforts to do so. As a result, some progress has been made, not only in awareness of children's rights, but also in their implementation. But there are still many countries, wealthy and poor, where children's basic needs are not being met. To read a summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, go to www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf.

Most American teens know that when they turn eighteen they can vote, or that they have the right to free speech or to a twelfth-grade education. But what about other rights? Through expert advice and interviews with teens, readers will learn about their rights as consumers and employees, rights to health care and access to information, and their rights when they are in abusive situations or when they break the law.

Sure to appeal to the growing numbers of vocal animal-rights advocates, this hard-hitting explanation of the concepts of animal-rights critiques our so-called "civilized" society which often condemns animals to unnecessary suffering. With an introduction by Ingrid Newkirk, Director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The title of this volume is the critical and provocative question - do we need minority rights? - in order to announce that it does make sense to ask whether there are special obligations to minority protection. The following essays, none of which is published elsewhere, explore several of the many important philosophical questions about minority protection, as well as the practical and judicial problems related to certain answers. The first four essays concern minority rights within the theory of liberalism, while the last four focus on more detailed problems of minority protection.

The United Nations 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) constitutes a landmark in the development of international human rights law and reflects an historic turn in universal thinking about children and their rights. Many children in Africa today face the future with a deep sense of uncertainty and foreboding. Many have no hope of education and the issues of child trafficking, sexual exploitation and child labour reflect a profound crisis of the family. The current socio-economic situation has radically changed the world views and the life expectations of the African child. This book attempts to respond to some of the questions that could be asked: to what extent have the provisions of the CRC been implemented in the national legislations of African States? What effect have they had on children in Africa? What mechanisms exist to prevent and sanction rights abusers? Are children's rights in Africa reality, or simply rhetoric?