The Walpolean

“Great Decisions” next Monday Evening

“The Future of Human Rights and International Law”

On Monday, May 11, at 6:00 pm, “Great Decisions” in the Walpole Town Library will explore the status of human rights and international law in the United States. It may surprise you to learn how very few international human rights treaties have been ratified by the U.S. Congress.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, is the most translated document in the world. While this is cause for optimism, the undermining of human rights in the U.S. – targeting women, immigrants, non-white racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ individuals – has reached levels not seen since the UN’s establishment. Why has this happened?

The relevant reading is “The Future of Human Rights and International Law in a Divided World” by Jose E. Alvarez. A copy of this article, published by the Foreign Policy Association, is available at the library and can be emailed to you upon request to our Library Director: jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org  If you are joining the discussion via Zoom, please request the Zoom link and join at 6:30 pm; in-person meeting begins at 6:00 pm with a Master Class video.