Introduction

Human rights are assuming an increasingly prominent role on the world stage. Interest in, concern about and action on human rights are widespread and rising, albeit in a far from globally even, uniform and untroubled fashion. Human rights have generated a booming global industry (Tremlett, 2004; Malhotra, 2004; see below) while having become, not unconnectedly, highly controversial and deeply contested. Human rights matters have emerged as a major source of disagreement, dispute and discord at and between the local, regional and global levels of twentyfirst-century social, cultural, political and economic life, relationships and experiences.