Reflection

After spending four months living in Paris, my thoughts and ideas about human rights have become enriched. I have truly enjoyed learning about this topic, especially while being an abroad student, because I have never studied human rights in an academic setting before this class. Taking this class has caused me to view the world around me in a different way. “Human rights” is no longer a far-off topic, rather it is now an applicable concept which I will take with me in my future pursuits. From now on, I will look at different governments, states, and the United Nations as separate entities responsible for the upholding of human rights for their citizens. Because of my heightened interest in human rights, I will now make it a point to follow current events with the angle of human rights in mind. Living in Paris as an international student has taught me the importance of international human rights – it is not only important for my own country to be keeping up with human rights, but it is equally as important for all other countries and nations to keep up their human rights since people in every country matter. I am happy to say that my views on human rights have evolved in the sense that I now feel a heightened sense of urgency for how important human rights are, especially in the context of the international community.