Universalism vs. particularism in the transnational civil society of human rights organizations. Amnesty International USA and Human Rights Watch between cooperation and competition (1978-2008).

At the beginning of the 21st century the number of non-governmental organizations participating in the transnational civil society of human rights is almost uncountable. One could applaud the proliferation of human rights organizations (HROs) but one should also wonder why so many exist. Does this reflect an effective division of labour or does it indicate particularistic interests? This project, which dovetails with the very recent growth of historical research into HROs, focuses on the tension between their universalist mission and their particularistic tendencies. The underlying hypothesis is that the increasing participation of HROs in a 'human rights marketplace' has created a competition that is sometimes at odds with the universalist logic of cooperation and the defence of human rights. Or in other words: organizational self-interest may have fragmented the universal ideal of human rights and hampered the effectiveness of the activities and campaignsof HROs. This hypothesis will be tested through an analysis of the relations between Amnesty International USA and Human Rights Watch between 1978 and 2008, combining structural-quantitative research (historical social network analysis) and a qualitative examination of sources.

Keywords:POLITICAL HISTORY, HUMAN RIGHTS

Disciplines:History