Human Rights in Canadian Domestic and Foreign Politics: From “Niggardly Acceptance” to Enthusiastic Embrace

Human rights transformed international politics beginning in the 1970s. This transformation was rooted in a dialectical relationship between international and domestic human rights institutions and movements. This article explores how we can use social movements, law, and politics to demonstrate the way international human rights norms were received, interpreted, and applied domestically and how this affected states’ participation in international politics. The focus is on Canada, which was profoundly influenced by international human rights norms and in turn contributed to transforming international politics. These developments were especially pronounced in the 1970s.