Interpreting Human Rights

"For anyone interested in the role of human rights in current-day Europe, the Aegean islands are a good place to start looking. They stand for some of the most flagrant human rights violations of our times, but also show the continued relevance of 'rights talk'. This book, based on thorough empirical and comparative research contains insights on the localization of human rights with a relevance that reaches far beyond this case study. Highly recommended for policy makers and scholars alike!"

Barbara Oomen, Professor of Sociology of Human Rights at Utrecht University and President of HZ University of Applied Sciences in Zeeland.

"Kolliniati?s book creates a fruitful encounter between empirical research, political theory and jurisprudence. It shows that local actors are not passive recipients of European asylum policy, but make their voices heard in a language of rights. An extremely valuable contribution to understanding the making of human rights."

Juergen Bast, Professor of Public Law and European Law at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Research Group "Human Rights Discourse in Migration Societies" (MeDiMi)

"The practical application of political philosophy is becoming increasingly important. The combination of narratives regarding human rights and asylum centers with contemporary political philosophy principles stands out as a notable innovation. Kolliniati's outstanding book adeptly navigates readers through the main arguments in the field, conducting interdisciplinary research. This is a compelling read for scholars and students interested in the subject."

George ?. Politis, Professor of Social Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

"Kollinati's fascinating interdisciplinary work is a prime example of how to gain insight into complex phenomena like migration and asylum politics through a micro-oriented perspective on narratives and local actors' practices. By drawing on interviews and field work in Greece, she demonstrates how human rights work in and through practices on the ground and are negotiated by various political actors using competing narratives. A must-read for students and scholars interested in narrative research, in political theory and local perspectives in IR!"

Frank Gadinger, Professor for International Relations, University of Muenster

"A landmark contribution to both the literature on the practice of human rights and to wider debates about the future of human rights in a time of crisis, uncertainty, but also of possibility. As her beautifully written book shows, the future of human rights-as idea, as law, as politics-is in the hands of those whose lives depend upon it."

Mark Goodale, Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professor, University of Oxford, author of Reinventing Human Rights