Human Rights and Network Power

This article analyzes how the globalization of human rights discourse enables victims of rights violations to gain presence and influence on a global stage through the concept of network power. This article argues against criticisms of human rights discourse as another form of Western cultural imperialism. This article uses the case of the Rwandan Paul Rusesabagina, especially his representations in Philip Gourevitch’s We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, Terry George’s film Hotel Rwanda, and Rusesabagina’s autobiography An Ordinary Man to illustrate this point.