The faces of human rights / edited by Kasey McCall-Smith, Jan Wouters and Felipe Gómez Isa.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface / Anna Eleanor Roosevelt -- The faces of human rights : an introduction / Kasey McCall-Smith, Jan Wouters and Felipe Gómez Isa -- Bartolome de Las Casas (1485-1566) : a radical humanitarian in the age of the Great Encounter / Ignacio de la Rasilla -- John Locke (1632-1704) : the natural law philosopher / Cristina de la Cruz-Ayuso -- Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793) : impressively ahead of her time : a visionary, daring activist and martyr / Teresa Pizarro Beleza & Helena Pereira de Melo -- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) : the undutiful daughter of the Enlightenment and her loud demands for justice / Dolores Morondo Taramundi -- Henry Dunant (1828-1910) : paving the way for contemporary international humanitarian law / Joana Abrisketa Uniarte -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) : advocate of duty, pioneer of human rights / George Ulrich -- Hersch Lauterpacht (1897-1960) : the visionary : preparing the world for human rights / Eva Maria Lassen -- Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959) : father of the Genocide Convention / Adam Redzik -- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) : driver of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights / Anya Luscombe and Barbara Oomen -- René Cassin (1887-1976) : the foot soldier of human rights / Jan Wouters -- John Peters Humphrey (1905-1995) : the man behind the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights / William Schabas -- Rosa Parks (1913-2005) : tired of giving in / Kasey McCall-Smith -- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) : a visionary citizen of the American South and the world / Vivek Bhatt -- Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) : free at last / Narnia Bohler-Muller -- Ida Lessing Faith Bandler (1918-2015) : striving to make rights a reality for all human beings / Michelle Burgis-Kasthala -- Angélica Mendoza de Ascarza (1929-2017) : Mamá Angélica and the victims of enforced disappearance in Peru / Elisabeth Salmón -- Rigoberta Menchú Túm (1959- ) : daughter of corn / Felipe Gómez Isa -- Victoria Tauli-Corpuz : a life spent peacefully advocating for indigenous peoples' rights / Davinia Gómez-Sánchez -- Asma Jilani Jahangir (1952-2018) : a saviour of democracy and human rights / Mikel Mancisidor -- Sean MacBride (1904-1988) : a life on the frontlines / Dimitrios Kagiaros -- Peter Benenson (1921-2005) : pioneer of contemporary human rights activism / Stefaan Smits -- Max van der Stoel (1924-2011) : the indefatigable traveller for human rights / Antoine Buyse -- Tadeusz Mazowiecki (1927-2013) : the human rights envoy of the former Yugoslavia / Roman Wieruszewski -- Jimmy Carter (1924- ) : "But ye brethren, be not weary in well doing" : a continuing faith and persistence in the cause of human rights / Michael Stohl -- Peter Leuprecht (1937- ) : human dignity as a lifetime compass / Wolfgang Benedek -- Juan E. Méndez (1944- ) : a figurehead of the fight against impunity for grave rights violations / Elaine Webster -- Mary Robinson (1944- ) : a woman of meitheal / Rebecca Smyth -- Radhika Coomaraswamy (1953- ) : standing up for the oppressed and neglected / Ingrid Westendorp -- Gerard Quinn (1958- ) : a powerhouse for disability human rights / Anna Bruce and Anna Lawson -- David Kato (1964-2011) : a life spent defending the human rights of LGBTI people in Uganda / Aimar Rubio Llona -- Malala Yousafzai (1997- ) : a portrait in courage and conviction / Gamze Erdem Türkelli -- Theo van Boven (1934- ) : passing the torch because people matter / Manfred Nowak.

"As human rights discourse increasingly focuses on analysing states and the institutions that promote and support the human rights machinery that states have created, this volume serves to recall that despite the growing size of the machinery and unwieldy nature of states, human rights began with real people. It samples a broad range of actors and localities where everyday people fought to ensure that the basic principles of human rights became a reality for all. This volume will give a face to the everyday people to whom credit is due for shaping human rights. It is designed to provide a point of reference for students of human rights, particularly those interested in pursuing a career in the field. It responds to the constant question about how to begin a career in human rights by highlighting that there is no single path into this dynamic field that was built on the back of small initiatives by people across a broad spectrum of career paths"-- Provided by publisher.