Clicking on any of the following links will take you to a description of the website and from there directly to the online content of the corresponding organization.

Amnesty International: http://www.amnesty.org

Many non-governmental organizations "INGOs" (International Non-Governmental Organizations) have recognized the benefits offered by the Internet for their work and have made exemplary online content available. This is especially true of Amnesty International (AI), one of the best known organizations committed to the fight for human rights. AI's motto makes clear the task and aim of the organization: "Working to protect human rights worldwide". The link marked "About AI" on the horizontal bar will take you to a short text elaborating on the organization and its main work.

AI has approximately one million members in 162 nations, which means that it can be referred to as a global organization. Its main tasks include "campaigns to free all prisoners of  conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners". The chapter "About AI" also contains detailed information about the organization's work including sections entitled:

The website also contains the latest internationally recognized and respected report on human rights issues in a great number of nations, which is published by AI. Also included on this site are pages containing background information about the world's latest crisis regions, as well as appeals by the organization for help in campaigns and initiatives. Indeed, it is the interactive nature of the Internet that holds the greatest appeal for organizations like AI. An attempt is being made through the global nature of the Internet to sensitize and mobilize a global public in the cause of human rights.

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Human Rights Library: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/

Those looking for documents and material on the subject of human rights should visit the Human Rights Library at the University of Minnesota. The homepage includes links to the following extremely comprehensive sections:

In addition to this, going under the title of "Human Rights Search Engines", access is provided to a form using the link "Search for documents on multiple human rights sites", which offers a high number of search options and access to a multitude of additional sources. Excellent. All in all, this site is an absolute treasure chest containing a wealth of all material and documentation imaginable on the subject of human rights.

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Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org

Founded in 1978 under the name of Helsinki Watch, Human Rights Watch is dedicated, like Amnesty International, to the protection of human rights. The organization is split up into five regional units for the differing world regions and three special departments for dealing with the issues of weapons, children's rights and women's rights respectively. The organization's aims are summarized on its website (Link "About Human Rights Watch") thus:

The organization's site includes:

Another excellent feature is a map of the world. By clicking on a country, users are provided with reports and information about that nation. Using this also makes clear just how comprehensive the amount of information available at Human Rights Watch has become.

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OneWorld: http://www.oneworld.net

OneWorld Online is a website operated by the British-based One World Broadcasting Trust, whose aim is to make information available on global issues. Of course, the Internet provides an ideal medium for a project such as this and work began in 1995 on establishing OneWorld Online. This excellent and highly acclaimed site has won so many awards that the operators have had to create an extra page (awards cabinet) to speed up loading times. The aim of OneWorld Online is summarized on their site as follows (About us - background):

"OneWorld is dedicated to promoting human rights and sustainable development by harnessing the democratic potential of the Internet. (...) Our aim is to bear witness to the injustice and to help people shed whatever light they can on it. (...) Bringing issues into the light, we believe, is a first step towards positive change."

In addition to an attractive layout and accomplished design, its innovative structure that is currently used by around 250,000 readers every month is particularly worthy of note. What we are dealing with here is a "super site", which encompasses access to highly useful joint search functions within the content of over 100 partner organizations. Alongside the search functions, a nations index and subjects index allow easy access to the required information. Another unique feature of the site is its commitment to children and youth in the form of a separate department ("next.gen").

Excellent research opportunities, as well as access to content belonging to countless partner organizations, makes OneWorld Online an ideal source of information. This is an address that is certain to include enough information to satisfy even the most persistent of surfers.

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United Nations: http://www.un.org

One of the central aims of the United Nations is the implementation of human rights. Indeed, one of the main reasons for the establishment of the organization was to avoid a repeat of the crimes and atrocities witnessed during the Second World War. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" was passed in 1948 and instruments for the protection of human rights improved and developed in the years that followed.

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The children's relief organization UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org

UNICEF is one of the special agencies established by the United Nations. Its website is presented on a special UNICEF page in detail on this education server within the scope of an advanced subject on the issue of children's rights. Of course, the site includes a wide range of excellently presented information on the subject of children's rights, as well as plenty of details and facts about human rights.

The website also features a special section for children and youth: Voices of Youth (VoY), which is certainly worth taking a look at. There is also plenty of material and information for teachers including an interactive section where teachers from across the world can meet: Teachers Talking About Learning.

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UNESCO: http://www.unesco.org

The special United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's website also offers comprehensive information on the subject of human rights.

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UNHCHR: http://www.unhchr.ch

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees coordinates the varied activities of the world organization in the area of human rights. The site includes a list of the instruments used in the protection of international human rights.

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Council of Europe: http://www.coe.int 

The comprehensive website offers a great deal of information on the subject of human rights, which has been allocated its own individual section - the "Human Rights Web": http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_rights/.

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Subjects:  Human Rights  I  Democracy  I  Parties  I  Examples  I  Europe  I  Globalisation  I  United Nations  I  Sustainability

Methods:    Teaching Politics    II    Peace Education    II    Methods