Globalization has made human rights both increasingly important as the normative standards that seek to shape the diverse religious, cultural, political, and economic interactions of the world, and also increasingly controversial in the face of the realities of cultural diversity and economic inequality. Over the past half century, hopes that human rights could become truly effective standards of international behavior have risen and fallen like tides. It is true, of course, that the Church's engagement in the struggle for human rights has not been uniform and consistent in all countries. It is also true that Church leaders and members have helped create a major global force for the promotion of human rights. A key question for Jesuit universities is how they can help both the Church and the larger secular community improve and advance on the achievements they have made. The Jesuit universities can contribute to advancing the cause of human rights in the globalizing world, both within the Catholic community itself and in the larger, religiously diverse world.