This catalog for British painter Rachel Howard’s (born 1969) exhibition at Newport Street Gallery features 14 paintings drawing on the Stations of the Cross, with a study of media images of the torture of Iraqi detainee Ali Shallal al-Qaisi by US soldiers in 2003.
The book explores the fragility of human rights established post-World War II, highlighting their ongoing threats from populist and authoritarian movements. It discusses the foundational rights to refuge, health, and education, as well as protections against torture and discrimination. The author emphasizes the need for global justice and equality while addressing contemporary challenges such as war, inequality, technological advancements, and climate change, arguing that human rights can play a crucial role in overcoming these crises.
A powerful and urgent explanation and vindication of our human rights and freedoms After the devastation of World War Two, the international community came together to enshrine fundamental rights to refuge, health, education and living standards, for privacy, fair trials and free speech, and outlawing torture, slavery and discrimination. Their goal was greater global justice, equality, and peace. That settlement is now in danger, attacked by opponents from across the political spectrum and populist and authoritarian movements worldwide. We are threatened by wars, inequality, new technologies and climate catastrophe, and we need our human rights now more than ever. In this powerful, accessible book, Shami Chakrabarti, lawyer, parliamentarian and leading British human rights defender, shows us why human rights are essential for our future. Outlining the historic national and international struggles for human rights, from the fall of Babylon, to the present day, Chakrabarti is an indispensable guide to the law and logic underpinning human dignity and universal freedoms. Her intervention will engage both sceptics and supporters, equipping believers in the battle of ideas and persuading doubters to think again. For human rights to survive, they must be far better understood by everyone.