[…] Thank you. It is wonderful being back here at Georgetown in this magnificent Gaston Hall, and to give you something to do during exam week. (Laughter.) It’s one of those quasi-legitimate reasons for taking a break – (laughter) – which I’m very happy to have provided. I want to thank Jas for his introductory remarks, and clearly, those of you who are in the Foreign Service School heard reflections of the extraordinary opportunity you’ve been given to study here as he spoke about the culture of human rights.

[…] In commemoration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored two exceptional human rights champions and released the following statement: “As people across the globe mark International Human Rights Day, let me reaffirm the deep commitment of the United States to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[…] This Treaty, as you all know, is the first new human rights convention of the 21st century adopted by the United Nations and further advances the human rights of the 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. It urges equal protection and equal benefits under the law for all citizens, it rejects discrimination in all its forms, and calls for the full participation and inclusion in society of all persons with disabilities.

[…] The great human tragedies that have occurred in Darfur and the rest of Sudan are deeply embedded in our memories. Many people in Sudan suffer terribly from the pain and loss brought by conflict, and it is these people who deserve our support.

[…] United States will seek a seat this year on the United Nations Human Rights Council with the goal of working to make it a more effective body to promote and protect human rights.

[…] In honor of the 25th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the U.S. embassy on January 13 convened an international conference on the American model of church-state relations. More than 200 officials, academics, diplomats, and students seized the opportunity to examine the success of the American system in enabling many religions to not only co-exist peacefully but to flourish. Three noted American experts on constitutional law laid out the history, and current understanding, of church-state relations in the United States.

[…] The powerful possibilities offered by philanthropy in terms of expanding access to the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the subject of a conference co-sponsored by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See and the Acton Institute on December 3, 2008. Ambassador Glendon began the conference by noting that while “U.S. assistance efforts over the past eight years represent the single largest development initiative since the Marshall Plan,” the “financial flows from private sources come to four and half times U.S. government foreign aid.”

[…] The Latin American Human Rights Project: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow was the theme of a conference hosted by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See on May 2, 2008. The event was co-sponsored by the Chilean and Costa Rican Embassies to the Holy See. Ambassador Glendon highlighted the many contributions of Latin American countries to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

[…] If you would like to participate in this webchat, please sign up on the Ask America webchat registration page. Please tell us your preferred screen name; use of full names is not required. If you have participated in one of our previous webchats, use the same e-mail. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program. You may also e-mail questions without registering.

[…] Thomas Melia, Freedom House’s deputy executive director, told USINFO his organization produces a yearly report, similar to that produced by the State Department, on political rights and civil liberties on every country worldwide. Melia said his presentation at the conference will examine the similarities and differences between the reports by the State Department and Freedom House and how his Washington-based organization arrives at its human rights assessments.

[…] “According to the FBI, modern-day trafficking generates billions of dollars each year – much of it used to finance organized crime,” Ambassador Gregory Schulte said April 25 in Vienna, Austria.

He said that unlike drugs in the narcotics trade, human beings can be sold and resold again “until they are viewed as worthless by traffickers because of sickness, age or death.”

[…] The report documents the various tools applied by the United States to support indigenous democratic reform efforts across the globe. U.S. support is focused on the “core components” of a working democracy and the ability of human rights to be protected. These core components are free and fair elections, transparent and accountable institutions operating under the rule of law, and a robust civil society and independent media.

[…] “The focus of his discussions will be on Sudan and how Libya, how Chad can play a role in resolving the conflict, [and] what they might do. It certainly touches on their borders,” he said, adding that Sudan’s neighbors can play “an active, positive role” by encouraging the Sudanese government to take steps to help resolve the crisis, as well as to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

[…] “[Q]uite clearly, to this point the diplomatic pressure that we as well as others have tried to apply hasn't been working,” he said, and “as a result, we have to take a look at what else we might do.” McCormack said U.S. officials “still hold out hope” that President Bashir indicated a potential change in Sudan’s position during recent talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Saudi Arabia.

[…] In the first ceremony of its kind at the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice March 7 paid tribute to 10 women from around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership. The honorees represented Afghanistan, Argentina, Indonesia, Iraq, Latvia, Maldives, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

[…] In celebration of International Women's Day 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the annual Award for International Women of Courage. The Award recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and advancement.

[…] Today, we pay tribute to women of courage around the world and hold them up as examples of hope, strength, and compassion. This year it is my privilege to inaugurate the Secretary’s International Women of Courage Award. Through this annual award the United States will honor the courage of extraordinary women worldwide who have played transformative roles in their societies.

[…] With the release of this year's reports, Americans are "recommitting ourselves to stand with those courageous men and women who struggle for their freedom and their rights," Rice said. "And we are recommitting ourselves to call every government to account that still treats the basic rights of its citizens as options rather than, in President Bush's words, the non-negotiable demands of human dignity."