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Human rights - and the international institutions that strive to protect them - are under increasing attack from powerful actors on the global stage, from recent political trends even within established democracies and from new technologies. Together, these threats have undermined what had been a fragile international consensus as recently as two decades ago about the importance of concerted international action to protect human rights and punish those who abuse them. China, Russia, and other nondemocratic regimes have become increasingly bold in acting as if agreed-upon international human rights standards no longer exist, or at least do not apply to them. More broadly, domestic political movements based on nationalism, religion, and populism are challenging human rights norms on nearly every continent. And new technologies including autonomous weapons systems and relentless digital surveillance have given national leaders new ways to control or even abuse their citizens with impunity.This book examines these new challenges to international and regional human rights in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. It is the result of a year of workshops with human rights activists and young leaders from around the world, with chapters written by a diverse group of leading scholars. Beyond describing the challenges to human rights, the book offers targeted, practical recommendations for national and multilateral policymakers, activists, and scholars for concrete actions to protect human rights as well as improve public understanding of why doing so is essential.Reclaiming Human Rights in a Changing World Order will interest scholars of international relations and human rights law, domestic and international activists involved in human rights indeed, anyone wanting to understand the implications for the liberal international order of the new geopolitical competition, modern technology, and political and social movements.

U.S. regionalists need a reminder that development doesn't end politics and that contemporary Latin America has its own power dynamics. As the region enters a new era marked by increasing geopolitical autonomy and intraregional rivalries, it should be addressed with the mindset of international relations, not just comparative politics. Adapted from the source document.

Abstract: The article looks at the emergence and growth of regional and local parties in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru after decentralization. It argues that in a context of weak political parties and declining public trust in parties, local elections and the transfer of resources to sub-national units have had unintended consequences for national party systems. Traditional and national parties have struggled to adapt to these new conditions and a mosaic of locally defined parties have emerged. The growth of these parties has fragmented party systems in the Andean Region and will pose a challenge for governability of these countries.

International funding of civil society organisations within the framework of support for democratisation processes has increased significantly in recent years. This article presents the results of a survey that examined the sources of financing, level of organisation, domestic constituencies, and relationships to political parties of 16 civil society groups in Latin America that received support from the National Endowment for Democracy in 1999. It finds that while the groups demonstrate a remarkable diversity in their sources of funding, all of them receive the lion's share of financing from international donors. (DSE/DÜI)

Abstract: Latin America may be approaching a historic turning point in the areas of political incorporation and labor relations. The levels of economic and social dislocation and political flux in the region are opening up an opportunity for creative, entrepreneurial leaders to change the direction of employment, labor rights, and politics for a new generation. Doing nothing will ensure only that the promising shores of opportunity become the menacing shoals of crisis as the unbending realities of demographics, globalization, and populist opportunism threaten the political and economic fortunes of the region.

The paper explores the effect of donor-supported civic education programs on levels of citizen trust in institutions in the Dominican Republic. Using attitudinal surveys of control and treatment groups the paper demonstrates that civic education had a direct, negative effect on participants' levels of institutional trust, with the greatest negative effects on trust in governmental bodies such as the army and the judicial system. (DSE/DÜI)

Hakim, Peter: Dispirited politics. - S. 108-122. Lora, Eduardo ; Panizza, Ugo: The future of structural reform. - S. 123-137. Sabatini, Christopher: Decentralization and political parties. - S. 138-150. Hunter, Wendy: Brazil's new direction. - S. 151-162. Lagos, Marta: A road with no return? - S. 163-173