human rights

The First Amendment of the US Constitution states that all people have the right to freedom of the speech and the press. This means citizens can speak, write, and publish freely. But there are limits to these rights. People continue to debate what types of speech are protected by the First Amendment. Freedom of Speech and the Press explores these rights, looking at how our understanding of these freedoms continues to change.

"A heroic girl in Mumbai fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity--an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?"--Provided by publisher.

Examines the various forms of rights given to citizens in a democracy including rights to religious freedom, human rights, minority rights, and the rights to cultural expression. Includes teacher notes.

"High-profile cases, such as the killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, have sparked widespread debates on police use of police force, when it is justified, and how it can be regulated"--Provided by publisher.

"Richard Bowmaster--a sixty-year-old human rights scholar--hits the car of Evelyn Ortega--a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala--in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes an unforeseen and far more serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor's house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz--a sixty-two-year-old lecturer from Chile--for her advice. These three very different people are brought together in a mesmerizing story that moves from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil, sparking the beginning of a long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia."--Provided by publisher.

Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems--as many crises--as the current generation of young people. From the devastations of climate change to the horrors of gun violence, from rampant transphobia to the widening wealth gap, from the lack of health care to the lack of housing, the challenges facing the next generation can feel insurmountable.

"Offers global perspectives on the need to expand reproductive health services to ensure the safety and agency of women around the world"--Provided by publisher.

"A heroic girl in Mumbai fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity--an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?"--Provided by publisher.

Sophie lives on the border between the United States and Mexico. She spends most of her time taking care of her little sister and working at the family restaurant, hoping to catch the eye the Mexican boy who delivers baked goods. Her father and uncle spend their free time scouring the desert as part of a civilian militia, trying to stop undocumented immigrants from entering the United States. When Sophie becomes involved with an immigrant-aid organization called Human Kind, it challenges everything she's ever known. Suddenly, Sophie is stuck at the borderline of family and justice.

"In this brief yet profound address to global humanity, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet reveals that we all hold the seeds of world peace within us: 'I see with ever greater clarity that our spiritual well-being depends,' the Nobel Peace Prize winner writes, 'on our innate human nature, our natural affinity for goodness, compassion, and caring for others.' ... outlines both the inward and outward paths to peace, addressing a wide range of contemporary topics--from the rise of nationalism, Trump presidency, refugee crisis, climate catastrophes, and materialism to meditation, universal ethics, and even neuroscience" -- Provided by publisher.