284 SPECI A LPROVIDENCEtransitiontowardmultiracial,multipartydemocracy,andsubsequently
tospreaddemocraticvaluesandpracticestoothersub-Saharancountries
inAfrica.
Theremainingthreegoalswere thematicratherthangeographic.
Wilsonians wantedtouse the historicalwindow ofthe "democratic
spring"tostrengthentheroleofinternationaljudicialandpoliticalinsti-
tutions,tousherinaneraoflaw-basedinternationalrelations.Strength-
eningtheUNandtheWorldCourt,puttingdictatorsontrialforhuman
rights abuses, anddevelopingthe useofmultilateralsanctionsas an
instrumentofinternationalpolicyweresomeofthegoalsofthisambi-
tiousagenda.Wilsoniansworkedtoextendtheswayofinternationallaw
tonewtopics-inparticular,todevelopa law-basedapproachtoglobal
environmentalproblems.Theyalsoworkedtorevivesuchdocumentsas
theUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights.Treatedwithderisionand
cynicismbymanynationssinceitwassignedin1948,thedeclaration
wasdustedoffinthe1990s.
Next,Wilsoniansworkedtogivea greatervoicebothinternationally
andwithincountriestosomethingcalled"civilsociety,"generallytaken
tomeanNGOs,thoughascommentatorDavidRieffpointsour,Wilso-
niansoftenlookveryselectivelyatcivilsociety.TheNationalRifleAsso-
ciation(NRA),fundamentalistchurches,andpro-lifeprotestmovements
arenot,forexample,whatWilsoniansinAmericaorelsewheremeanby
civilsociety.Buildingontheirearlierwork,NGOslikeAmnestyInter-
national,HumanRightsWatch,FreedomHouse,DoctorsWithoutBor-
ders,andGreenpeaceachievedgreatinternationalprominenceduring
the1990s.Atthesametimea hostofNGOsindevelopingandtransi-
tionalpostcommunistcountriesemergedand,attimes,playedsignifi-
cantrolesinpoliticaleventsintheirhomecountries.Wilsonianssought
tobringUnitedStatespolicyintoharmonywiththevaluesandgoalsof
theleadinginternationalNGOs,andalsosoughtfinancial~upportfor
hard-pressedNGOsinpoorcountries,someofthemdictatorships.
Finally,Wilsonianopinionwassignificantlymorefeministin 1990
thanin 1945 or1919.Frommissionarytimesforward,therehadalways
beena feministcomponentofWilsonianpolitics,butinthepost-Cold
Warera,Wilsonianswouldforthefirsttimemakeseriousandlargely
successfulattemptstoenlistthepowerandprestigeoftheUnitedStates
fora systematicprogramtoimprovethelotofwomenaroundtheworld.
Increasingly,bothpublicandprivateaidagenciesaswellasdiplomats
andofficialswouldbepressedtofocusonissuesliketheroleofwomenin