Globalization and Human Rights When faced with the need to balance justice against the world's many cultures, the world seems to be torn. Do we crush injustice wherever we find it throughout the world, no matter what traditions we have to topple in order to do so? More than that, do we have an obligation to do it? Some would say of course we do, that human rights are inalienable and it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. But can we make that call objectively, to tell someone else that our culture is right and their's is wrong? It is without a doubt a complex issue where each case is deserving of intense debate. There is, however, most certainly a middle ground that can be reached, balancing justice and cultural beliefs. To begin with, it is important to define the concept of justice. There has been much debate throughout history, but one aspect that is oft agreed upon is legal egalitarianism, or equality before the law. All people's are subject to the same law with same basic rights, and shall be treated fairly by the courts. Working with such a definition, a problem becomes clear immediately. All are treated equally and fairly by the law, but what happens when the law itself is not fair? Sharia law, for example, contains many rulings that a westerner would consider unjust. Having your hand cut off because you stole a trinket from a shop would be judged as a cruel and unnecessarily harsh punishment by western standards. Here it is apparent that equality before the law is not enough to ensure justice throughout the world. There must be a set of guidelines, accepted to be universal, that shape what the law can or cannot do to a human being. Fortunately, there exists such a document in the form of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Written and ratified by the United Nations, this document lists out thirty articles of rights