ABSTRACT
At the end of this presentation of contemporary human rights ideas,
we may ask: What will the role of these ideas be and how can we build
on them in the twenty-first century? These questions are urgent
because, when it comes to both dignity and freedom, humanity finds
itself in a perilous condition at this stage in history. Earlier in this
book, we touched on the fact that nearly a billion people in the world
live in dire poverty, while the overwhelming majority experience
deprivations and want. The mapping of the human genome; experimentation in bio-
technology; experiments such as cloning; the intrusiveness of modern
telecommunications technology; global warming; gender and racial
discrimination; the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS; mass migration
across borders in search of economic opportunities; international
criminality and human trafficking; violence and ill treatment of
women; the exploitation of children; inequitable conditions for mino-
rities and indigenous populations; continuing vast numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons; and the dangers of global
terrorism-all present us with a vast array of predicaments and chal-
lenges that will test the human rights approach and the human rights
ideas that have been discussed in this book.1 How should these human
rights ideas influence policies and strategies for improving the human
condition in the future?
