In 1949, in the aftermath of two devastating world wars, many nations joined together to create the United Nations in an effort to stave off future conflicts. Today, nearly two hundred nations belong to the UN. Although the UN has had variable success in preventing wars, it has guided the formation of many new nations, contributed to the feeding and protection of refugees from civil strife, encouraged environmental awareness, and fought for human...

Peter Benenson was outraged when he learned that Portuguese students who publicly hailed freedom while living under a dictatorship were thrown into prison for their beliefs. He began an "Appeal for Amnesty" in an effort to get the students released. This appeal turned into Amnesty International, which is dedicated to persuading governments around the world to free prisoners of conscience or those who have been imprisoned for disagreeing with their...