Top
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," regardless of "race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." This fundamental principle is true for all people everywhere, whether or not they know it. Yet, people must know what their rights are in order to defend them.
This Manual was produced to provide a concise and clear handbook about human rights and how to defend them. The American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights, through its Justice Defenders Program, has collaborated with the international law firm Brown Rudnick LLP, to create a resource that can be used on short notice by human rights defenders anywhere in the world. The Manual is not intended to replace in-depth legal research or analysis tailored to a specific case, but provides human rights arguments based on internationally recognized human rights guarantees that can be made in any courtroom, police station, or prison.
