Towards a Surveillant Society: The Rise of Surveillance Systems in Europe

Towards a Surveillant Society: The Rise of Surveillance Systems in Europe
Thomas Mathiesen (Author)

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Human Rights

Tracking the Surveillance Monster... Thomas Mathiesen describes how the major databases of Europe have become interlinked and accessible not just to participating countries but diverse organizations and third States; meaning that, largely unchallenged, a 'Surveillance Monster' now threatens rights, freedoms, democracy and the Rule of Law. As information is logged on citizens' every move, data flows across borders via systems soon to be under central, global or even non-State control. Secret plans are hatched behind closed doors and 'systems func­tionaries' become defensive of their own roles. Goals expand and entire processes are shrouded in mystery. Alongside the integration of automated systems sits a weakening of State ties as Prüm, Schengen, Verizon, Prism and similar ventures lead to a lack of transparency, restraint or effective if any Parliamentary scrutiny. As Mathiesen points out in this penetrating account, the intention may have been fighting terrorism or organized crime, but the means have become disproportionate, unaccountable, over-expensive and lacking the verifiable results which ordinary vigilance, alertness and sound intelligence in communities should inherently provide. 'Brings into the light the hidden effects of [surveillance and warns] of the need for vigilance': Tony Bunyan, Director, Statewatch. 'A timely and highly troubling analysis [which] reinforces alarm regarding a panoptical globe': Andrew Rutherford.

• Rank: #233258 in Books
• Published on: 2013-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 290 pages

Gandhi and Beyond: Nonviolence for a New Political Age, Second Edition

Gandhi and Beyond: Nonviolence for a New Political Age, Second Edition
David Cortright (Author)
(1)

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Human Rights

Is there room for nonviolence in a time of conflict and mass violence exacerbated by economic crisis? Drawing on the legend and lessons of Gandhi, Cortright traces the history of nonviolent social activism through the twentieth century to the civil rights movement, the Vietnam era, and up to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gaza. Gandhi and Beyond offers a critical evaluation and refinement of Gandhi s message, laying the foundation for a renewed and deepened dedication to nonviolence as the universal path to social progress. In the second edition of this popular book, a new prologue and concluding chapter situate the message of nonviolence in recent events and document the effectiveness of nonviolent methods of political change. Cortright's poignant Letter to a Palestinian Student points toward a radical new strategy for achieving justice and peace in the Middle East. This book offers pathways of hope not only for a new American presidential administration but for the world.

• Rank: #104761 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.62" h x 5.91" w x .69" l, .90 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 296 pages

The International Human Rights Movement: A History (Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity)

The International Human Rights Movement: A History (Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity)
Aryeh Neier (Author)
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Human Rights

During the past several decades, the international human rights movement has had a crucial hand in the struggle against totalitarian regimes, cruelties in wars, and crimes against humanity. Today, it grapples with the war against terror and subsequent abuses of government power. In The International Human Rights Movement, Aryeh Neier--a leading figure and a founder of the contemporary movement--offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of this global force, from its beginnings in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to its essential place in world affairs today. Neier combines analysis with personal experience, and gives a unique insider's perspective on the movement's goals, the disputes about its mission, and its rise to international importance.

Discussing the movement's origins, Neier looks at the dissenters who fought for religious freedoms in seventeenth-century England and the abolitionists who opposed slavery before the Civil War era. He pays special attention to the period from the 1970s onward, and he describes the growth of the human rights movement after the Helsinki Accords, the roles played by American presidential administrations, and the astonishing Arab revolutions of 2011. Neier argues that the contemporary human rights movement was, to a large extent, an outgrowth of the Cold War, and he demonstrates how it became the driving influence in international law, institutions, and rights. Throughout, Neier highlights key figures, controversies, and organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and he considers the challenges to come.

Illuminating and insightful, The International Human Rights Movement is a remarkable account of a significant world movement, told by a key figure in its evolution.

• Rank: #152981 in Books
• Published on: 2013-08-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, 1.23 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 392 pages

Jane Addams: Spirit in Action

Jane Addams: Spirit in Action
Louise W. Knight (Author)
(9)

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Human Rights

In this landmark biography, Jane Addams becomes America's most admired and most hated woman—and wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jane Addams (1860-1935) was a leading statesperson in an era when few imagined such possibilities for women. In this fresh interpretation, the first full biography of Addams in nearly forty years, Louise W. Knight shows Addams's boldness, creativity, and tenacity as she sought ways to put the ideals of democracy into action. Starting in Chicago as a co-founder of the nation's first settlement house, Hull House—a community center where people of all classes and ethnicities could gather—Addams became a grassroots organizer and a partner of trade unionists, women, immigrants, and African Americans seeking social justice. In time she emerged as a progressive political force; an advocate for women's suffrage; an advisor to presidents; a co-founder of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP; and a leader for international peace. Written as a fast-paced narrative, Jane Addams traces how one woman worked with others to make a difference in the world. 32 black-and-white illustrations

• Rank: #71822 in Books
• Published on: 2010-09-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.49" h x 6.26" w x 1.02" l, 1.40 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

World Poverty and Human Rights

World Poverty and Human Rights
Thomas W. Pogge (Author)
(1)

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Human Rights

Some 2.5 billion human beings live in severe poverty, deprived of such essentials as adequate nutrition, safe drinking water, basic sanitation, adequate shelter, literacy, and basic health care. One third of all human deaths are from poverty-related causes: 18 million annually, including over 10 million children under five.

However huge in human terms, the world poverty problem is tiny economically. Just 1 percent of the national incomes of the high-income countries would suffice to end severe poverty worldwide. Yet, these countries, unwilling to bear an opportunity cost of this magnitude, continue to impose a grievously unjust global institutional order that foreseeably and avoidably perpetuates the catastrophe. Most citizens of affluent countries believe that we are doing nothing wrong.

Thomas Pogge seeks to explain how this belief is sustained. He analyses how our moral and economic theorizing and our global economic order have adapted to make us appear disconnected from massive poverty abroad. Dispelling the illusion, he also offers a modest, widely sharable standard of global economic justice and makes detailed, realistic proposals toward fulfilling it.


Thoroughly updated, the second edition of this classic book incorporates responses to critics and a new chapter introducing Pogge's current work on pharmaceutical patent reform.

• Rank: #140050 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.06" h x 6.06" w x .91" l, 1.11 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement

Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement
Dennis Banks (Author), Richard Erdoes (Author)
(26)

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Human Rights

Dennis Banks, an American Indian of the Ojibwa Tribe and a founder of the American Indian Movement, is one of the most influential Indian leaders of our time. In Ojibwa Warrior, written with acclaimed writer and photographer Richard Erdoes, Banks tells his own story for the first time and also traces the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM). The authors present an insider’s understanding of AIM protest events—the Trail of Broken Treaties march to Washington, D.C.; the resulting takeover of the BIA building; the riot at Custer, South Dakota; and the 1973 standoff at Wounded Knee. Enhancing the narrative are dramatic photographs, most taken by Richard Erdoes, depicting key people and events.

• Rank: #275384 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.82" h x 6.46" w x .84" l, 1.10 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

America, the Owner's Manual: Making Government Work for You

America, the Owner's Manual: Making Government Work for You
Bob Graham (Author), Chris Hand (Author)
(6)

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Human Rights

Would you teach someone to play basketball using just chalkboard diagrams? Or would you get them on the court and have them play? In basketball, the answer is easy -- you do both. So why teach politics only as a spectator sport?

Senator Bob Graham believes that US citizens should expand on their classroom learning about the political system: he spurs them to hit the court and actually play the game. If citizens work on an issue they care about, politics will become a meaningful and positive experience. This short, how-to guide takes readers out of theoretical discussions of policy and into a world where they can affect change. Graham's goal is to have readers identify a problem, and then walk them through each step from researching the issue, to getting others involved, to engaging the media. Each chapter starts with a real case, showing citizens tackling a step in the process, and ends with a summary checklist and a series of questions that help readers put Graham’s game plan in action. By offering readers concrete guidance, an array of resources, and advice for troubleshooting and overcoming barriers, this compact user's guide gets readers way beyond textbook learning.

This book is the culmination of his efforts that began after a year in the state legislature more than 30 years ago, when Senator Graham took on the challenge of civic education at one school in Jacksonville. His time as both a governor and a senator has only strengthened his resolve to pique students' curiosity about politics and teach them to get what they want from government.

• Rank: #14614 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.81" h x 4.92" w x .59" l, .60 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages