The end of human rights?

This debate approaches the interface of human rights and social sciences. One of the fundamental questions posed at "A Struggle for Peace" concerns the contested universality of human rights. Are these rights truly based on values common to all human beings, regardless of cultural background and political environments, or do human rights serve as an instrument to impose Western ideals? In this debate, the future of human rights as a universal concept will be discussed critically. Globalisation and the idea of cosmopolitanism may demand a renewed understanding of the practice of human rights. This debate is organised in cooperation with the Utrecht Centre for the Hunanities.

Participants:

• Henk Oosterling
• Tariq Ramadan

Moderator: Rosi Braidotti