This book brings together twenty think-pieces on contemporary Human Rights issues at the international, regional and national level by one of Africa's foremost scholars of International Human Rights and Constitutional Law, J. Oloka-Onyango. Ranging from the 'Arab Spring' to the Right to Education, the collection is both an in-depth analysis of discrete topics as well as a critical reflection on the state of human rights around the world today. Taking up issues such as the African reaction to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the question of truth and reconciliation before the outbreak of post-election violence in Kenya and the links between globalization and racism, the book is a tour de force of issues that are both unique as well as pertinent to human rights struggles around the world.

This work examines the role of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, and how it has dealt with human rights since its inception in 1963. It considers the role of its main institutions both under the OAU and its transformation into the African Union. The book is divided into chapters examining various themes including the rights of women, the rights of the child, the concept of democracy and the right to development. Written by a leading human rights scholar, this book is essential reading for lawyers acting for African states, and for foreign governments and NGOs active in Africa, as well as being of interest to international and comparative human rights scholars.

Human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are by definition not part of the state. Rather, they are an element of civil society, the strands of the fabric of organized life in countries, and crucial to the prospect of political democracy. Civil society is a very recent phenomenon in East African nations, where authoritarian regimes have prevailed and human rights watchdogs have had a critical role to play. While the state remains one of the major challenges to human rights efforts in the countries of the region, other problems that are internal to the human rights movement are also of a serious nature, and they are many: What are the social bases of the human rights enterprise in transitional societies? What mandate can human rights NGOs claim, and in whose name do they operate? Human Rights NGOs in East Africa critically explores the anatomy of the human rights movement in the East African region, examining its origins, challenges, and emergent themes in the context of political transitions. In particular, the book seeks to understand the political and normative challenges that face this young but vibrant civil society in the vortex of globalization. The book brings together the most celebrated human rights thinkers in East Africa, enriched by contributions from their colleagues in South Africa and the United States. To date, very little has been written about the struggles and accomplishments of civil society in the nations of East Africa. This book will fill that gap and prove to be an invaluable tool for understanding and teaching about human rights in this complex and vital part of the world.

The development and study of human rights have increased significantly over time and have seen an intensified interest at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Much can be learned about the status of universal human rights by approaching the subject from regional perspectives. These diverse vantage points shed new light on the importance and complexity of the issues. ø David P. Forsythe and Patrice C. McMahon have brought together a collection of essays from top scholars in their fields. Each essay examines how a region, as defined by geography or culture, affects the standards and practice of human rights in a particular area. The issues discussed include human rights and child labor in South Asia, women?s rights in Muslim states, the prospects and challenges of human rights in the Middle East, the role of women and tradition in Africa, and accommodating diversity in Europe. The collection also includes essays commenting on the parameters and intersections of international human rights in relation to area studies.

Africa hosts thirty-three of the forty-eight least-developed countries in the world. Half a billion of its people live in abject poverty. The continent houses the most illiterate, most diseased or disease-prone population, and the most socioeconomically and politically unstable situations on earth. Why? Through research, the book explores the development challenges afflicting the continent, leading to Africa’s depressing socioeconomic and political performance in the world. It seeks to answer six major questions about the continent: Why has Africa failed to develop despite its vast natural resources? Why does it suffer social and political instabilities, often resulting in massive deaths, population displacements, surging poverty, disease, hunger, and starvation? Why does Africa suffer chronic dictatorships? Why is the continent increasingly afflicted by financial and political corruption? What do these situations signify for the continent and what should be done to address the situations? For scholars of African studies and development workers on the continent, this is a must-read. The book analyzes human rights and how this affects human growth and development in general, but particularly it seeks to appreciate how human rights and development have interacted to affect human development on the African continent. It approaches human rights from three major perspectives: the concept of human rights; the significance of human rights; and the contribution of human rights to humanity.

Rediscover the diversity of modern African literatures with this authoritative resource edited by a leader in the field How have African literatures unfolded in their rich diversity in our modern era of decolonization, nationalisms, and extensive transnational movement of peoples? How have African writers engaged urgent questions regarding race, nation, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality? And how do African literary genres interrelate with traditional oral forms or audio-visual and digital media? A Companion to African Literatures addresses these issues and many more. Consisting of essays by distinguished scholars and emerging leaders in the field, this book offers rigorous, deeply engaging discussions of African literatures on the continent and in diaspora. It covers the four main geographical regions (East and Central Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa), presenting ample material to learn from and think with. A Companion To African Literatures is divided into five parts. The first four cover different regions of the continent, while the fifth part considers conceptual issues and newer directions of inquiry. Chapters focus on literatures in European languages officially used in Africa -- English, French, and Portuguese -- as well as homegrown African languages: Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Swahili, and Yoruba. With its lineup of lucid and authoritative analyses, readers will find in A Companion to African Literatures a distinctive, rewarding academic resource. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in literary studies programs with an African focus, A Companion to African Literatures will also earn a place in the libraries of teachers, researchers, and professors who wish to strengthen their background in the study of African literatures.