Global: Some quiet victories for human rights

In a world beset by terrorist violence, natural disasters and war, small signs of progress are often overlooked. So it's no surprise that even as Western donors spend millions to foster the "rule of law" from Baghdad to Bolivia, recent advances across three continents have attracted little notice. In each instance, ordinary people, with extraordinary courage, have gone to court to rectify a government injustice. And each time, the judiciary - in Africa, Europe, and Latin America - has responded just as the civics textbooks prescribe: with wisdom, reason and a touch of humanity. The results - landmark judgments vindicating fundamental human rights - demonstrate that independent courts rendering impartial justice are more than a pipe dream.