Protecting Human Rights

Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working for the United Nations and other organizations in the humanitarian sector. She discusses her experience in disaster zones and clears up some commonly-held misconceptions about humanitarian aid.

Earlier this year, Virginia became 1 of only 10 states to pass a Bill of Rights for domestic workers. But Jennifer Fish says while it’s certainly a step in the right direction, these protections often exist only on paper. Jennifer has been named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the most translated document in the world. But it’s not typically taught in American classrooms. Eric Bonds says we could learn a lot from studying the document and applying its moral framework to our communities right here in the United States.

Before the Cold War, UN peacekeeping missions were executed almost entirely by the United States and Western European countries. But now developing countries have started to take the lead. Tim Passmore says this may signal a larger shift in the global power structure.