Our Own Backyard

Download or read book Our Own Backyard written by William M. LeoGrande and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2009-11-18 with total page 790 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this remarkable and engaging book, William LeoGrande offers the first comprehensive history of U.S. foreign policy toward Central America in the waning years of the Cold War. From the overthrow of the Somoza dynasty in Nicaragua and the outbreak of El Salvador's civil war in the late 1970s to the final regional peace settlements negotiated a decade later, he chronicles the dramatic struggles--in Washington and Central America--that shaped the region's destiny. For good or ill, LeoGrande argues, Central America's fate hinged on decisions that were subject to intense struggles among, and within, Congress, the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House--decisions over which Central Americans themselves had little influence. Like the domestic turmoil unleashed by Vietnam, he says, the struggle over Central America was so divisive that it damaged the fabric of democratic politics at home. It inflamed the tug-of-war between Congress and the executive branch over control of foreign policy and ultimately led to the Iran-contra affair, the nation's most serious political crisis since Watergate.

Download or read book Human Rights in Our Own Backyard written by William T. Armaline and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2011-09-28 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most Americans assume that the United States provides a gold standard for human rights—a 2007 survey found that 80 percent of U.S. adults believed that "the U.S. does a better job than most countries when it comes to protecting human rights." As well, discussions among scholars and public officials in the United States frame human rights issues as concerning people, policies, or practices "over there." By contrast, the contributors to this volume argue that many of the greatest immediate and structural threats to human rights, and some of the most significant efforts to realize human rights in practice, can be found in our own backyard. Human Rights in Our Own Backyard examines the state of human rights and responses to human rights issues, drawing on sociological literature and perspectives to interrogate assumptions of American exceptionalism. How do people in the U.S. address human rights issues? What strategies have they adopted, and how successful have these strategies been? Essays are organized around key conventions of human rights, focusing on the relationships between human rights and justice, the state and the individual, civil rights and human rights, and group rights versus individual rights. The contributors are united by a common conception of the human rights enterprise as a process involving not only state-defined and implemented rights but also human rights from below as promoted by activists.

Download or read book Lost in My Own Backyard written by Tim Cahill and published by Crown. This book was released on 2004 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces the author's lifetime of exploring the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park, journeys during which he visited its geyser, thermal pools, and glacier, and encountered a vast range of wildlife.

Download or read book Diamonds in my Own Backyard written by Natarielle Powell and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2011-08-22 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diamonds in my Own Backyard is a self-improvement manual designed to encourage, enlighten, and empower readers to utilize the innate gifts and talents that they possess in order to produce financial freedom and positive social change.

Download or read book In Our Own Backyard written by Anne Kayes and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It's March 2020 and Liza, her husband and two teenage children are at home in Auckland in level-four lockdown due to Covid-19. Reflections with her family around the dining table inspire Liza to reflect on another challenging time in history nearly forty years before when the South African Springbok rugby team toured New Zealand. Casting her memory back to 1981, Liza recalls her life as a fifteen-year-old, including her first love, friendships, first-hand experiences of racism, and what it means and what it costs to find your voice and use it. In Our Own Backyard is a startling, confronting portrait of a society divided..."--Publisher's description.

Download or read book Look Up! written by Annette LeBlanc Cate and published by Candlewick Press. This book was released on 2024-09-30 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A chatty, appealing introduction. . . . Small and accessible, this is jam-packed with accurate information likely to increase any potential birder’s enthusiasm and knowledge.” — Kirkus Reviews(starred review) This conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching encourages kids to get outdoors with a sketchbook and really look around. Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader. Interactive and enjoyable tips bring an age-old hobby to new life for the next generation of bird-watchers, and eighteen new pages of activities, including drawing, mapmaking, and a scavenger hunt, make this paperback edition a must-have.

Download or read book Discovering Moths written by John Himmelman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-07-01 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In lively, accessible prose, John Himmelman explains the intricacy of moths' life cycle, their importance in nature, and how just a tiny handful of the many moth species are truly pests to humans. He tells how to attract moths with lights and bait, when and where to observe them, and how best to photograph these tiny subjects. Entertaining personal anecdotes and short profiles of some of the country's foremost moth-ers add human interest. This new edition updates photos and information while focusing on states east of the Mississippi.