Violeta Bermudez Biography

Imagine for a moment what it would be like if the entire population of Sonoma County, California was killed, and twenty years later not many people knew a great deal about it. When over 500,000 people, primarily Tutsis, were killed in the Rwandan genocide in 1994, it was a great tragedy. However, no one rushed to the country’s aid. Now it is vital that the horrors of the instance that violated the human rights of so many, is not forgotten. Human rights are the universal actions and objects that all people are entitled to because they are human. Human rights have been violated in numerous ways over time, typically as a result of a person in power having their own best interests in mind rather than the peoples´. Various groups, such as Amnesty

Americas Watch. 1991. El Salvador’s Decade of Terror: Human Rights since the Assassination of Archbishop Romero. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.

A government’s duty is to run a country with fair laws and regulations, however, when the leaders themselves are abusing their power, something needs to be done. In order for the people to stop the government from abusing its power, they will sacrifice their lives to achieve social change. Almost all the dictators of Latin American countries abuse their power. In Nicaragua, the Somoza family preserves their power by relying on election fraud, murder, torture, and arrests of any political opposition. They rip off humanitarian aid from relief organizations. The blatant disregard and lack of shame led to the formation of several opposition groups against the Somoza regime. In the novel, Alvarez clearly demonstrates how Trujillo abuses his power. Even though he owns many extravagant mansions, he often deprives the people of Dominican Republic by making laws that are unjust and taking their land and selling them at a low price. Trujillo is notorious for his reputation with women, and how he immorally has relations with many women and girls and he even violates them. When the Maribal

At the young age of 17, she fell in love for an attractive gambler, named Frederick Hart. She soon eloped with Hart, who sometimes worked as a bartender, but more often lost his money from gambling. Hart was also a heavy drinker and sometimes abusive

Human rights are essential for all people, despite their nationality, gender, ethnic origin, color, or religion. Everyone is entitled to these rights without being discriminated against. For a long time, people were being denied these basic rights as they were being abused and tortured for things that they couldn’t control. People were tired of getting caught in the cross-fire, they wanted protection, a chance and the freedom to live. Although there was a lack of human rights before World War II, human rights have significantly improved over the post-war period, and officials are putting forth efforts to ensure that human rights are protected in modern-day society.

In the past, groups advocating for civil, human and migrant rights hardly made any meaningful progress courtesy of insufficient legislation and absence of political will. However, sweeping changes coupled by the need to recognize human rights have made it crucial to defend the oppressed in society irrespective of their location. Such civil and human rights groups have constantly set high standards when it comes to reinforcing the rule of law. Such groups ultimately combine forces to expose human rights violations and prosecute perpetrators. It’s undeniable that such groups have significantly ensured the enforcement of the rule

Dana Raigrodski is a Lecturer and Director of the General LL.M. Program at the University of Washington School of Law, as well as the Executive Director of Global Affairs at the Law School. She serves as a Commissioner on the Washington State Supreme Court Gender & Justice Commission and as member of the University of Washington Women’s Center Anti-Trafficking Task Force. Dr. Raigrodski’s scholarship and research interests examine human trafficking, migration and globalization, criminal procedure and jurisprudence, feminist legal theories, and law and development. She teaches courses on law and globalization, American legal system and research methods, and comparative legal studies. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Raigrodski practiced law for

The entire time I was reading Enrique’s Journey, I kept asking myself, “What would I do?” If my mother left me to go to another country when I was five, would I try to find her years later? Would the abandonment and neglect by my family members lead me to resort to drugs? Would I make an eighth attempt to cross the border of the United States after my first seven attempts failed? These, and many other questions, ran through my head as I read Enrique’s Journey, the story of a Honduran teenage boy’s attempt to reunite with his mother, Lourdes, after she leaves him for the United States. Lourdes, a single mother, leaves her children with obviously good intentions— she wants to get a better job and send money back to her children, but it is hard not to resent her a little. As I was reading, I kept trying to think of ways Lourdes could have stayed with her family in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and still have sufficiently provided for them. Maybe there could have been a way, but Lourdes obviously did not think there was. Leaving her family is not easy for Lourdes; she cannot even take a picture of Enrique with her because it would make her too sad, but she feels that this is the only way to give her children more than she had.

Rigoberta Menchu, a Quiche Indian woman native to Guatemala, is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for politically reaching out to her country and her people. In her personal testimony tittled “I, Rigoberta Menchu” we can see how she blossomed into the Nobel Prize winner she is today. Following a great deal in her father’s footsteps, Rigoberta’s mobilization work, both within and outside of Guatemala, led to negotiations between the guerillas and the government and reduced the army power within Guatemala. Her work has helped bring light to the strength of individuals and citizen organization in advocacy and policy dialogue on the world scale. In a brief summary of the book I will explore why Rigoberta Menchu is important to

The Mirabal sisters’ death have been all over the news. Numerous articles, in honor of the sacrifices these women have given up to bring liberty to our country, are being sold to the public. The clouds have finally been cleared from all the tyrannical years of Trujillo’s regime. Everyone finally feels safe to walk freely down the main streets and not have to worry about what they say in public. And yet, there are some, including myself, who still question the justification of these extreme sacrifices. And as an answer to this question, I strongly believe that the sisters’ sacrifices, which include spending time in prison and orphaning their children, were not justified in that it hurt their close ones.

The Declaration of Human Rights continues to be widely cited by academics, advocates, and constitutional courts. Beyond academics, perhaps her greatest impact, globally, is the hope and inspiration that The Declaration of Human Rights has given to “common people” who do not experience Human Rights but are shown the possibility that they have the right to seek justice. In addition, Eleanor Roosevelt’s stance for human rights inspired The National Youth Association, The League of Women’s Voters, the International Congress of Working Women, Women's Trade Union League, the Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom and, International Human Rights’ Day. Clearly Eleanor Roosevelt’s passion for human rights left a deep and lasting impact on this

Human rights seem to be one of the most undervalued rights that people are given. Although not tangible, or even visible, in the end they are one of the most significant aspects of life (Universal 1). They keep us civil. As the

American countries during the 1970s and 1980s. She was active in the Comité de Unidad

This book connects to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by having the right to live, be free, and be safe. Also no one can be tortured, treated with cruelty or made to feel less than human. Melinda isolated herself from her school because the people at her school is torturing her by avoiding her, leaving her alone. Melinda is not allowed to sit in a cafeteria table so she went to this abandoned janitor’s closet, where she feel safe, free, and no one can’t treat her like an animal.

Across all nations and cultures, the enduring pursuit of equality in life seems global and timeless. Some would believe that their own country has achieved a true democracy with no residual inequalities of which to speak, while others know they are at the other end of the spectrum, enduring unjust laws that should not be bestowed on any human. Through the course of history many countries have fought for that democracy and all the equality that it implies. While some believe they have reached that goal, others continue to fight for the most basic human rights, even in this time of enlightenment. The journey each country takes on its road to that place may vary by origination, length, severity and outcome, but the goal seems to be the