THEME: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

    Human rights constitute the necessary foundations of modern democracy. They are universal and have found their contemporary articulation in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. They belong to every human being in every human society. As such they are essential ingredients of international politics. The recent spread of democracy worldwide has given fresh impetus to promoting human rights as an essential objective of foreign policy. Yet, the war on terror and the rise of terrorism as a force of evil have created significant problems. In their attempt to combat terrorism, major democracies have often resorted to measures that in some way violate or at least temporarily suspend rights for certain groups or individuals. How do member states of the international community deal with this dilemma? What is the role of non-governmental organizations and individuals in promoting restrictions or respect of human rights worldwide? What are the implications for world politics?

    Birmingham is a place uniquely qualified to address these issues. Located at the heart of the civil rights movement in the South, it provides living testament to the dilemmas, issues, and prospects relating to human rights. While the conference will emphasize the theme of international human rights (broadly defined), papers, roundtables, and panels that deal with other aspects of international studies are equally welcome.

    ISA-South invites individual paper, panel, and roundtable proposals on topics in international studies (broadly defined), including IR theory, international law and organization, diplomacy, global health, ethics, foreign policy, pedagogy, development, human rights, conflict resolution, military-strategic studies, peace studies, international political economy, feminist theory/gender studies, environmental studies, comparative interdisciplinary studies, and other areas of the discipline.

    The meeting is generously sponsored by the Office of the President, University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Office of the Dean, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the International Studies Program at UAB, the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, and the Sparkman Center for Global Health.