The Courage of Strangers: Coming of Age With the Human Rights MovementPublicAffairs, 2005 M02 16 - 416 pages After Jeri Laber earned a Master's degree in Russian studies at Columbia University, she became a part-time writer and editor and a full-time wife and mother. Then one day in 1973 she read an article about torture that altered her life and subsequently the lives of countless others around the world. The Courage of Strangers tells how Laber became a founder and the executive director of Helsinki Watch, which grew to be Human Rights Watch, one of the world's most influential organizations. She describes her secret trips to unwelcoming countries, where she met with some of the great political activists of the time. She also recalls what it was like to come of age professionally in an era when women were supposed to follow rather than lead; how she struggled to balance work and family; and how her fight for human rights informed her own intellectual, spiritual and emotional development. This story of the birth of the human rights movement is also a sweeping history of dissent and triumph in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Elegantly written, full of passion, humor and political wisdom, it is exciting history as well as a moving, entertaining, inspiring story of a woman's life. |
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The Courage of Strangers: Coming of Age With the Human Rights Movement Jeri Laber Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
Abby activists American Americas Watch Anatoly Marchenko Andrei Andrei Sakharov Anna arrested arrived Aryeh Neier asked Austin became began Bob Bernstein Bucharest Budapest Burlatsky called Ceauşescu Charlie Communist countries Czech Czechoslovakia dinner dissidents East Eastern Europe Elena Bonner Embassy émigrés father felt foreign friends Glasnost Gorbachev Gulşat Helsinki accords Helsinki Committee Helsinki Watch Human Rights Watch Hungarian Hungary International Helsinki Federation Jeri knew Larisa Larisa Bogoraz later leaders lived looked Lyuda Marchenko meeting Moscow Helsinki Group never organization Orlov Orville Schell Party Poland police political prisoners Prague president published released reports repression Review Conference Rita Romania Russian Sakharov samizdat seemed Sergei Kovalev Solidarity Soviet Union spent staff talk thought told took torture trip Turkey turned United USSR Václav Havel Vienna visa wanted Warsaw West woman writers York young Yuri
References to this book
The Diplomacy of Hope: The United Nations Since the Cold War Newton Bowles No preview available - 2004 |