By Cameron Parsons (’14). Is there such a thing as “International Law”? In an era where national self-interest and sovereignty mark the corner stones of international politics, do we posses a cooperative and effective system of to which sovereign nations willingly bind themselves in exchange for order, stability, and justice? Can International Law be applied equally among still-unequal States and ordering the behavior of States and individuals without bias? Editor-in-Chief, Cameron Parsons (’14), discusses.

By Rachel Leiken, Sarah Eve-Dill, and Julia Stoller (’15) In their talk “Advocating for Human Rights in the Muslim World: Abuses Against Women and Children,” activists Brooke Goldstein and Raquel Saraswati presented their findings about human rights abuses in the form of child suicide bombing and honor-based violence in the Middle East and the United [...]

Aasha Jackson (’15) On October 9, members of the Taliban shot a 15-year-old Pakistani girl named Malala Yousafzai. On her way home from school, a group of Taliban gunmen singled her out among a group of schoolchildren, and shot her in the head and neck. BHRR Staff writer Aasha Jackson (’15) explores what lessons we can learn from Malala regarding the education and the rights of women in Afghanistan and around the world.

Why has the war in Afghanistan been so drawn out? Why does progress on the ground or even the hope of it seem impossible? Some answers lie in Joel Hafvenstein’s Opium Season: A Year on the Afghan Frontier. Published in 2007, the book describes his experiences as a member of a USAID development team charged with dissuading Afghans from working in poppy fields. The obstacles Hafvenstein and his team faced are emblematic of a much larger set of problems in the region.

Last Spring, BHRR reporters Marc Briz and Michael Miller spoke with Lisa Hajjar, a Professor of Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. In the interview, Hajjar explains the current U.S. stance on torture, the debate surrounding Guantanamo Bay, and the United States’ selective enforcement of International Law.

The preservation of women’s rights has been touted as a justification for initial and continued military involvement in Afghanistan. The brutal oppression women suffered under the Taliban has served as an important rallying point for the government and aid organizations alike, tasked with “liberating” Afghan women. Though the resulting positive impact on human rights has been variable, there have been some significant gains. Yet civil and political gains do not reflect the harsh reality that many Afghan women continue to face from lack of access to basic human rights. By Reva Dhingra (’14)