19

SATURDAY

Recently, the United States was ousted from the United Nations Human Rights Commission. And, from a publicity standpoint, the Rev. Robert F. Drinan’s publishers couldn’t be happier. His new book, The Mobilization of Shame: A World View of Human Rights, is a chronicle of the U.N.’s attempts to address human rights issues worldwide. Drinan begins with the establishment of the United Nations and works his way up to the present, showing along the way how the organization has played a role in establishing the idea of human rights as an international issue and how U.S. actions—such as refusing to ratify U.N. human rights covenants and not allowing U.S. soldiers to be tried by international courts—are exactly what led to America’s being booted. Drinan speaks at 6 p.m. at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. (202) 364-1919. (Stefan Grudza)