Human rights human efforts: an inquiry into the dialectics of idea and project

Abstract

Paul de Waart's latest book, entitled Human Rights Human Efforts (Mensenrechten Mensenwerk), provides an impressive account of human rights in an international law context. It gives a rich insight in backgrounds, formulations and definitions, mechanisms and procedures of the human rights project that was set off by the United Nations in 1945. De Waart's study of the international project for the protection of human rights ends with a call for an open dialogue on the human rights idea. In the end it all comes down to human responsibility for the fate of others.