The authors of the essays collected in Legal Mobilization for Human Rights, edited by Gráinne de Búrca, turn their attention from laws, institutions, and courts towards activists, advocacy groups, and social movements.
This publication, as part of the AEL Collected Courses series, deals with a range of issues including which groups claim rights, the goals they pursue, the forums they use, the obstacles they encounter, and the extent of their success or failure.
The case studies featured in the book reveal key themes such as the importance of human rights to marginalised communities, the way political and societal authoritarianism shapes opportunities for effective mobilization, the relevance of the choice of forum for instigating change, and the role intermediary actors such as NGOs play in innovating strategies to address challenges.
This book is a testament to the shifting approach in human rights scholarship, from a top-down focus on laws, institutions, and courts to a bottom-up focus on activists, advocacy groups, affected communities and social movements.