In theory, almost everyone agrees upon the importance of upholding and defending universal human rights. In practice, however, the wide range of human rights violations that occur everyday are often ignored, under-reported, and pushed aside. These violations are easily obscured in the confusion of war and politics, and it will be our objective to make them the prime focus. We hope to develop a well-rounded comprehension of human rights by examining their importance in political crises. In investigating such we are actively attempting to further define principles laid out in documents such as the Human Rights Charter outlined by the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights. Like the charter set out by the UNHCR, we pledge to help "develop a common understanding of the rights and freedoms" by examining our world's definition of human rights and to what extent the world's governments and organizations uphold and protect them. - Aisha Gawad, Human Rights Editor (aishagawad@crossingsmagazine.org)