Reflections

    After three months of studying human rights, I have come to an unexpected realization. Though I have always had an understanding of basic human rights abuses and violations, I was not aware of the complex legal framework under which they can be prosecuted or even understood. Though I, like many, used to constantly wonder why abuses such as the genocide in Darfur could not be addressed with more speed and efficiency, it is clear to me now that the situation is more complex. I now understand the often paradoxical dilemmas faced by heads of state and IGOs such as the UN.
    Being abroad these several months has also given me a new perspective both on foreign cultures and my own. It is very difficult to analyze one's own country or culture while sbmerged in it, just as it is difficult to truly understand another unless one is immersed. Discussing issues such as health care and education with my French friends has created a new perspective for me, one which questions certain "human rights" or values that I may have had only six months ago.  The conversation at Amnesty International was particularly fascinating when different perspectives on such an emotional issue, Bin Laden's death, were discussed. I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss these issues calmly, intellectually and in the spirit of furthering human rights understanding.
    Additionally, this course allowed me to see human rights and human rights violations in just about every aspect oflife. From the mapping exercise, which forced us to see human rights as very much of a day to day thing, to the blog posts, which compelled us to constantly keep up with the news, human rights has taken on a new meaning for me. Though I have always been interested in these subjects, I am now much more likely to notice issues on a more theoretical or legal level than I ever have before.