ABSTRACT
Human rights and conflict are inextricably linked. There are a range of ways in which denial of rights can lead to conflict, and numerous human rights violations occur as a consequence of conflict. The term "human rights" is so widely used today that it may seem to be common sense that these rights exist. Since first usage of the term in international law in the mid-twentieth century, the concept of human rights has become so powerful that individuals, groups, and even governments identify with and use such rights for their own purposes. The content and widespread acceptance of international human rights standards emerged largely in the post—World War II period, following the atrocities that transformed human rights from a domestic matter into an international concern. The concept of natural law first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome, with the idea that a natural law exists beyond positive laws as decided by humans.
