“Human rights” can sound like an abstraction, something spoken of only at the highest levels of government. But the work governments do on human rights has consequences and can even make the difference between life and death. As we celebrate Human Rights Day on December 10, we look at how international campaigns in four human rights areas improved the lives of people around the world.

During the past eight years, the United States has made some serious strides with respect to the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons at every level of our federal system: the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the Obergefell Supreme Court decision, and the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crimes Act are all good examples.