Michael Curtotti, Ten Lives Declaring Human Rights

In an era disoriented, beset with rising inequality, festering hatreds, persistent injustice and brutal violence, in a world forgetting the very meaning of human rights, this book delves into the lives of ten individuals who arose to challenge the darkest chapters of human history. They walked amidst genocide, slavery, the oppression of women, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the insidious grip of racism. Yet, where others despaired or fell silent, they forged a path toward a more just future.

Their lives embodied the very essence of human rights, most of them long before those rights were written down.

This isn't a sanitized, 'official' history. Bartolomé de Las Casas, Thomas Clarkson, Lucretia Mott, Tahirih, Frederick Douglass, Alain Locke, Primo Levi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and Albie Sachs—their stories, often marginalized in traditional narratives, reveal the true, painful but inspiring struggle for human dignity. In an era where human rights and human dignity, where the value of human life itself are once again under siege, their experiences resonate with urgent relevance.

From Las Casas's courageous defense of Indigenous peoples against colonial brutality to Martin Luther King Jr.'s unwavering stand against racial segregation, these figures demonstrate that human rights are not abstract ideals but lived realities, won through tireless activism and personal sacrifice. As we navigate contemporary challenges—from the rise of hate speech, the erosion of democratic norms to profound war crimes and violations of human rights — their legacies serve as a powerful reminder that the fight for human rights is an ongoing, evolving struggle.

This book invites you to witness their journeys, to understand the personal costs and profound triumphs of their battles, and to rediscover the enduring power of human rights in our own lives. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: 'Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world’ This book brings those small places, those pivotal moments, into sharp focus, offering a timely and essential perspective on the enduring quest for justice.

“In telling these stories … Michael Curtotti has … done us all a great service  ...” Chris Sidoti (former Human Rights Commissioner)