Human Rights NGOs

What is a Human Rights NGO?

Human rights NGOs devote their resources to the “promotion and protection” of universal human rights (Wiseberg 1991:529). Unlike governments, who tend to seek human rights for their own citizens, human rights NGOs fight for the security of human rights to all people. The human rights movement, which began after World War II, is a diverse movement comprised of thousands of NGOs that has spread throughout the world today (Wiseberg 1991).

History of Human Rights NGOs

In looking at the human rights movement and the role of NGOs, historians have primarily studied three periods that they see as three “waves” of activism (Cmiel 2004:12).

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