Russia’s crackdown is not just about silencing opponents at the political fringes. It is about stifling all who would question his consolidation of power (Photo Credit: Mikhail Klimentye/AFP/Getty Images). Since President Putin’s election, Russian authorities have intensified their assault on basic freedoms and undermined rule of law. The assault takes many forms. New bills restrict the activities of non-governmental organizations, criminalize public actions “committed to insult the religious feelings of believers” and outlaw activism by LGBTI individuals and their…
Human Rights
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Most Topular Stories
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What Happens in Moscow Doesn’t Stay in Moscow: Crackdowns on Basic Freedoms in Russia – And Why the U.S. Should Care
Human Rights Now » Women’s Rights14 Jun 2013 | 12:50 pm -
Sierra Leone: Investigate Alleged Rebel Arms Supplier
hrw.org18 Jun 2013 | 9:40 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war. This would be Sierra Leone’s first purely domestic prosecution in relation to war crimes or crimes against humanity committed during its 11-year armed conflict, which ended in 2002. (Nairobi) – The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during… -
Bandit attacks displace northern Nigeria herders
IRIN18 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmKANO, 19 June 2013 (IRIN) - Incessant deadly attacks on Fulani settlements and villages in northern Nigeria by armed bandits - made up partly of disgruntled Fulani who themselves have lost cattle - are threatening herds and upping tensions in northern Nigeria. -
Paying Tribute to Captain Mbaye Diagne, The Senegalese Hero of Rwanda
Global Voices » Humanitarian Response16 Jun 2013 | 11:55 amAt the time of writing, June 2013, official commemoration of victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide is continuing around the world. But few people still remember Captain Mbaye Diagne. However, this young officer from the Senegalese army showed bravery at a time when the rest of the world was demonstrating cowardice. Enrico Muratore has been fighting for years to ensure that the name of this hero is not forgotten. Photo of Captain Mbaye Diange from the Facebook page of the association bearing his name, used with their permission. Global Voices posed several questions to Enrico Muratore on the… -
Linking news and action
... My heart’s in Accra12 Jun 2013 | 2:04 pmSwiss author and entrepreneur Rolf Dobelli recently published a provocative essay titled “News is Bad for You” in The Guardian. The essay describes news – particularly fast-breaking, rapidly updated news – as an addictive drug, inhibiting our thinking, damaging our bodies and wasting our time. Dobelli is so concerned with the negative effects of news that he’s cut himself off from consuming news for the past four years and urges that you do the same. His arguments attracted angry responses within The Guardian‘s newsroom. Madeleine Bunting writes, “As…
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hrw.org
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Sierra Leone: Investigate Alleged Rebel Arms Supplier
18 Jun 2013 | 9:40 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war. This would be Sierra Leone’s first purely domestic prosecution in relation to war crimes or crimes against humanity committed during its 11-year armed conflict, which ended in 2002. (Nairobi) – The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during… -
China: ‘Benefit the Masses’ Campaign Surveilling Tibetans
18 Jun 2013 | 7:00 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The Chinese government, under the rationale of a campaign to improve rural living standards, has sent more than 20,000 officials and communist party cadres to Tibetan villages to undertake intrusive surveillance of people, carry out widespread political re-education, and establish partisan security units. (New York) – The Chinese government, under the rationale of a campaign to improve rural living standards, has sent more than 20,000 officials and communist party cadres to Tibetan villages to undertake intrusive surveillance of people, carry out… -
Cambodia: Court Upholds Unjust Verdict
18 Jun 2013 | 4:30 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email A Cambodian court’s ruling upholding the conviction of a land rights activist on trumped-up charges shows the political use of the country’s legal system to persecute critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today. (New York) – A Cambodian court’s ruling upholding the conviction of a land rights activist on trumped-up charges shows the political use of the country’s legal system to persecute critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today.read more -
Sri Lanka: Proposed Media Code Threatens Free Speech
18 Jun 2013 | 3:00 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech. (New York) – A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 17, 2013, the Ministry of Mass Media and Information officially proposed a Code of Media Ethics that would apply to print and electronic media, including the Internet.read more -
US: Protect National Security Whistleblowers
18 Jun 2013 | 2:47 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The United States should protect people who use classified or other sensitive government information to expose what appear to be serious human rights violations and other government wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said in a statement released today. (Washington, DC) – The United States should protect people who use classified or other sensitive government information to expose what appear to be serious human rights violations and other government wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said in a stread more
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IRIN
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Bandit attacks displace northern Nigeria herders
18 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmKANO, 19 June 2013 (IRIN) - Incessant deadly attacks on Fulani settlements and villages in northern Nigeria by armed bandits - made up partly of disgruntled Fulani who themselves have lost cattle - are threatening herds and upping tensions in northern Nigeria. -
Maternal and paediatric tuberculosis still overlooked
17 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmKUALA LUMPUR, 18 June 2013 (IRIN) - The global target of a 50 percent reduction in tuberculosis (TB) by 2015 may already have been achieved, but TB remains a neglected disease among women and young children, say health experts. -
Insecurity in Bangui increases food prices, lay-offs
17 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmBANGUI, 18 June 2013 (IRIN) - A security crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) - which began on 10 December 2012, when the rebel Seleka Alliance attacked the capital, Bangui, and continued after Seleka ousted former President François Bozizé on 24 March - is ratcheting up food prices, causing unemployment and salary payment delays, and throwing the banking system into turmoil. -
Linking early warning to early action in the Sahel
17 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmDAKAR, 18 June 2013 (IRIN) - While aid agencies agree that early warning systems offer the chance to mitigate humanitarian crises, difficulty in funding pre-emptive measures and government sensitivities in admitting a looming disaster continue to hamper early action. -
Analysis: Bridging the development-versus-pollution gap in Pakistan
17 Jun 2013 | 11:06 pmLAHORE, 18 June 2013 (IRIN) - “I don't let them drink this water,” Muhammad said, gesturing towards a group of water-buffaloes cooling off in a canal not far from Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore. “This water is from the city. All of its garbage comes into it,” he explained.
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Global Voices » Humanitarian Response
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Paying Tribute to Captain Mbaye Diagne, The Senegalese Hero of Rwanda
16 Jun 2013 | 11:55 amAt the time of writing, June 2013, official commemoration of victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide is continuing around the world. But few people still remember Captain Mbaye Diagne. However, this young officer from the Senegalese army showed bravery at a time when the rest of the world was demonstrating cowardice. Enrico Muratore has been fighting for years to ensure that the name of this hero is not forgotten. Photo of Captain Mbaye Diange from the Facebook page of the association bearing his name, used with their permission. Global Voices posed several questions to Enrico Muratore on the… -
Delays, Political Turmoil Plague Madagascar As Elections Near
10 Jun 2013 | 1:16 pmPolitical stalemate, financing issues, and logistical hurdles threaten to derail Madagascar's overdue upcoming presidential elections, the country's first since a coup in 2009 plunged the island into political crisis. Voting was originally scheduled for 24 July, 2013, but faced with sorting out the legitimacy of some contested candidates, the government has postponed elections again, moving the date a month later to 23 August, 2013. Madagascar has not had an elected president since the spring of 2009, when elected President Marc Ravalomanana was forced to resign his power by the… -
Mauritania Faces Deadly Unprecedented Heatwave
7 Jun 2013 | 7:14 amMore than two dozen people have died from heat stroke, dehydration or suspected heat-related conditions in Mauritania, which is witnessing scorching temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F), for the first time in 50 years. Medical sources and locals have reported deaths in various regions. On May 26, 2013 three people died in the Province of Hodh Ech Chargui (can be translated into Eastern Basin) in Timbedra due to high temperatures. Twelve others suffered a similar fate in Brakna Province. Two women also succumbed to dehydration the town of Boulahrath in the Region of Assaba. In the… -
Serbian High-School Students Trade Prom for Charity
2 Jun 2013 | 8:19 amAs proof of the awareness and understanding of economic hardship that young people have today, a graduating high school class from the town of Pirot in southern Serbia made a deeply responsible and humane decision. Back in October 2012, the 4th-year students of Pirot High School (Pirotska Gimnazija) calculated that they would have to spend some 500 Euros on average to buy dresses, suits and everything that goes with that for their graduating prom. They decided this was far too much to spend on one night that wouldn't mean a lot to them in the future. Together, and with the support of… -
Syria Untold: Raqqa Lessons, From Freedom to Creativity in State Building
28 May 2013 | 1:58 pmThis post is cross-posted from Syria Untold and translated by Global Voices Arabic. For Syrians, demanding freedom has extended from struggling against dictatorship, facing murder, jail, detention and destruction of the infrastructure, to trying to establish a new foundation for the country that they long dreamed of. Is it really possible to build from within all this destruction? If anyone can achieve the impossible, it is Syrians. They have turned the French students uprising´s slogans – “Be realistic, demand the impossible” – into “Be realistic and make the…
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... My heart’s in Accra
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Linking news and action
12 Jun 2013 | 2:04 pmSwiss author and entrepreneur Rolf Dobelli recently published a provocative essay titled “News is Bad for You” in The Guardian. The essay describes news – particularly fast-breaking, rapidly updated news – as an addictive drug, inhibiting our thinking, damaging our bodies and wasting our time. Dobelli is so concerned with the negative effects of news that he’s cut himself off from consuming news for the past four years and urges that you do the same. His arguments attracted angry responses within The Guardian‘s newsroom. Madeleine Bunting writes, “As… -
Sumo practice at Oguruma Beya
6 Jun 2013 | 5:28 amI like sumo. A lot. I follow the tournaments online, watching matches on YouTube a few hours after they’ve aired, then reading commentary on fan sites in English and Spanish. I have, one or twice, participated in virtual sumo leagues, performing dismally as there’s not always much overlap between the style of sumo I love (focused on agility and throwing techniques) and the style of sumo that wins. I show sumo matches to friends, hoping to turn them into fans, and I’ve been known to give talks at academic conferences on the globalization of this very Japanese sport. But… -
WeChat: Learning from the Chinese Internet
2 Jun 2013 | 7:10 amFour year ago, Hal Roberts and I were researching internet censorship by studying the use of proxy servers around the world. Proxy servers are often used to circumvent internet filtering, letting users access content that’s otherwise blocked by a national government, an internet service provider, or a school or business. We found that the usage of these tools, including both free, ad-supported tools and subscription-based VPN services, was surprisingly small: less than 3% of all internet users in countries that aggressively censored the internet. This surprised us, as there’s been… -
Li Yanhong at Sun Yat Sen University
31 May 2013 | 8:00 pmYanhong Li, Vice Dean and Associate Professor of Communications at Sun Yat Sen University, offers an example of ancient organizing history in China: a case from four years ago. She tells us about a set of protests against a garbage incinerator in Panyu district in Guangzhou, where middle class, well educated citizens challenged the incinerator and managed to get the incinerator moved to another district. Professor Li’s work focuses on the narrative these activists created. The government advanced the idea that there were zero risks associated with this garbage incinerator. The debate… -
Sasha Costanza Chock at Sun Yat Sen University
31 May 2013 | 7:07 pmFriend and colleague Sasha Costanza-Chock leads off the morning at Sun Yat Sen University’s conference on Civic Media with a talk titled, “Transmedia Organizing: Social Media Practices in Occupy Wall Street and the Immigrant Rights Movement”. Sasha begins with his personal journey towards a scholar of activism. He started his story with his work as an electronic musician in Boston as a student at Harvard, working to create multiracial and multicultural spaces around electronic music as a way of addressing some of the long-term cultural divides in Boston. That work led him to…
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UN Dispatch
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Map of the Day: Where Children are Soldiers
18 Jun 2013 | 11:34 amThe United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui briefed the Security Council yesterday on her latest global assessment of where children are being used as soldiers. In all, 55 armed groups operating in 21 countries were included in a “list of shame,” this includes new listings for armed groups in Syria and Mali. On balance, though, the situation is actually getting better. The stigma against using child soldiers grows stronger by the day, and countries like the USA have legislation that prevents military… -
Can President-elect Hassan Rouhani Fix Iran?
18 Jun 2013 | 8:14 amIran has a new president, but it might not be as important as expected. Hassan Rouhani won the election on a moderate campaign, promising greater freedoms for the press and a retreat from the socio-poliitcal crackdown of the last four years. He had the sudden support of reformist figures in the political system. But when he replaces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani will find the system will be against him. The sad fact is that the presidency isn’t the ultimate power in Iran. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is the supreme leader. Khamenei’s spent the last eight years in an… -
Top of the Morning: G 8 Meets, But No Mention of Assad’s Fate
18 Jun 2013 | 6:35 amTop stories from DAWNS Digest Obama-Putin Syria Summit Accomplishes Nothing “The G-8 summit’s joint statement on ending the Syrian civil war will not mention whether Bashar Assad must step down from power as part of any peace settlement, a senior Russian diplomat said Tuesday ahead of the document’s publication. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the eight nations have agreed they should not specify any outcome from peace talks that all agree should start soon in Geneva.” (ABC http://abcn.ws/13XVHVX) Study Urges 800 Million HIV Tests in… -
Map of the Day: Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis By the Numbers
17 Jun 2013 | 10:56 amVladimir Putin and President Obama are meeting today on the margins of the G-8 summit for some high politics negotiations on Syria. As they meet, it is worth remembering the sheer humanitarian toll that this conflict has taken. The figures are getting worse by the day. There are more refugees, more IDPs, more people killed. The UN expects that about half of the entire population will need assistance by year’s end. This map, from the US State Department, shows the scale of this humanitarian crisis. Syria Numbers and Locations of Refugees and IDPs -
Conflict Brings Measles Back to Central African Republic
17 Jun 2013 | 7:35 amWhen fighting broke out late last year in the Central African Republic late last year, one of the poorest countries on the planet became even worse off. A faltering peace process is currently underway, but instability persists. From a development perspective, the damage has been done. The economist Paul Collier likes to say that war and conflict is development-in-reverse. Infrastructure is destroyed, human capital is lost, and health systems that were in place prior to the conflict are disrupted. Via UNICEF, one glaring example of the deleterious health-conflict nexus has been an outbreak…
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Human Rights Now » Women’s Rights
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What Happens in Moscow Doesn’t Stay in Moscow: Crackdowns on Basic Freedoms in Russia – And Why the U.S. Should Care
14 Jun 2013 | 12:50 pmRussia’s crackdown is not just about silencing opponents at the political fringes. It is about stifling all who would question his consolidation of power (Photo Credit: Mikhail Klimentye/AFP/Getty Images). Since President Putin’s election, Russian authorities have intensified their assault on basic freedoms and undermined rule of law. The assault takes many forms. New bills restrict the activities of non-governmental organizations, criminalize public actions “committed to insult the religious feelings of believers” and outlaw activism by LGBTI individuals and their… -
Participation Rights Are Women’s Rights!
7 Jun 2013 | 12:30 pmHealthcare and nutrition are some of the many ways that women worldwide invest their time and income in their families, well surpassing the amount of contribution from men (Photo Credit: Amnesty International). Worldwide, women invest 90% of their income in their families and communities; men, only 30%-40% of theirs. It’s a great stat for women’s rights advocates, because it helps us tell this story: when women participate, things change. For example: When designed with women’s input, safe drinking water and sanitation programs function better and last longer. This, in turn, can give… -
Egypt: It’s Time to Address Violence Against Women in All its Forms
7 Jun 2013 | 7:30 amWhether in the public or private spheres, at the hands of state or non-state actors, violence against women in Egypt continues to go mostly unpunished (Photo Credit: Mahmud Khaled/AFP/Getty Images). By Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Egypt researcher Violence against women in Egypt gained international attention following a series of sexual assaults on women in the vicinity of Tahrir Square earlier this year during protests commemorating the second anniversary of the “January 25 Revolution.” Unfortunately, these instances of violence against women were neither… -
El Salvador’s Government Finally Acts to #SaveBeatriz
5 Jun 2013 | 3:46 amAfter over two months of dragging its feet, the Salvadoran government has finally acted to save Beatriz’s life. On Monday, Beatriz, the young mother we’ve posted frequently about, received an early cesarean section and is now recovering in the hospital. Our activism helped to save Beatriz’s life. The hundreds of thousands of people around the world who mobilized on Beatriz’s behalf helped make it possible for her to – upon recovery – be able to return home to her family which is what she has wanted all along. Because of this overwhelming support, Beatriz was… -
Join HBO and Send ‘A Punk Prayer’ For Pussy Riot
4 Jun 2013 | 2:00 pmOpposition activists attend an anti-government rally in Moscow to demand the release of political prisoners, among them the still-jailed members of the female punk band Pussy Riot (Photo Credit: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images). By Jasmine Heiss, Amnesty International USA’s Individuals & Communities at Risk Campaigner Sixteen months ago, three young women were arrested in Russia for performing less than 40 seconds of a punk protest song. Since then, millions of people have been captivated by their YouTube video. Five young women dressed in brightly colored balaclavas dance on the…
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Blog | Ushahidi
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Weekly: Iran Voices, Data Ethics & Crowdmap Topics
12 Jun 2013 | 2:15 pmIn the weekly: We’ve got upcoming events for Ushahidi Developers and Crowdmap users. Data is on our mind, so tune into our Data Ethics in Research conversation. And, we’ve got Topic of the Week for new Crowdmap and our Deployment of the Week from Iran. ***** I’ve been riveted by all the events in Turkey. My thoughts are with citizens and activists. There have been a few questions to our community about who is mapping. Protest and conflict mapping is very hard and complex, please be safe. See Security in a Box. Here are a few examples of projects related to OccupyGezi:… -
Weekly: Krizova Mapa Ceska, Ethics in Research
5 Jun 2013 | 8:37 amIn the weekly: On this World Environment Day, we recognize the work of Krizova Mapa, Louisiana Bucket Brigade and all the community mappers who want to help the Earth talk back with their projects. We are hosting our first Data Ethics introduction discussion. Research ethics are key to a successful project. Join us for our guests engine room and ihub research to G+ hangout to learn more. Deployment of the week We recognize Krizvoa Mapa Ceska and the amazing team including Ushahidi community leader, Jaroslav Valuch, as Deployment of the Week. The Krizova Mapa team are sharing the stories of… -
BRCK Update: A Surprise Reward for our $300+
3 Jun 2013 | 3:04 pmIt’s the final day of the BRCK Kickstarter, and we’ve been working on a cool surprise reward for the last couple weeks, trying to get it organized in time. sandstorm from Ushahidi on Vimeo. Sandstorm is a legendary canvas and leather bag company in Kenya, they design and fabricate all of their bags here and do it at a world-class level. I personally carry their fishing bag as my laptop bag wherever I go globally. The BRCK team met up with Mark Stephenson, Managing Director of Sandstorm, to talk about a special slip cover for the BRCK. We discussed it at length, talking about a… -
BRCK Kickstarter – 27 hours to go!
3 Jun 2013 | 10:02 amWow, this has been a wild ride. With just under 30 hours to go, we have 981 backers and $153,893 contributed. Huge! Your support has made all the difference. We are humbled. Everyone’s comments have been greatly appreciated as well. It’s helped inform some final parts of our design process BRCK v1 and given us some great ideas for v2. In this last day of the kickstarter, help us get the word out to an even wider network. We have to admit, it would be awesome to break 1000 supporters, it just has the magic number feel. So if you could email one friend, post, or tweet out, it… -
HarassMap: Help Reach the Tipping Point
30 May 2013 | 9:14 amCourtesy: HarassMap There is nothing more empowering than enacting the change that you wish to see; and along the way, battling the stereotypes and the social stigma that sexual harassment brings. This is what HarassMap continues to do, as Egypt’s first independent initiative to directly address sexual harassment; seeking change in the Egyptian society at an ambitious level. To be on the street, processing and mapping text messages, emails, calls, and locally reported incidents is a challenge in itself. After 8 years of research, and 3 years of mapping reported incidents, HarassMap has…
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united-nations « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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LGBT Rights Stymied at UN Despite Pressure
18 Jun 2013 | 2:30 amby Stefano Gennarini, J.D. (GENEVA — C-FAM) In a loss for homosexual groups at the United Nati -
Nigeria, 37 Others Bag UN Award for Meeting MDGs Hunger Target
18 Jun 2013 | 1:53 amFAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva Contrary to the impression that there is so much hunger in the land, Nigeria and 37 other countries have received the commendation of the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for reducing the number of people living in absolute hunger in their countries by half, well ahead of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target for the year 2015. Over the weekend, Nigeria was presented with diplomas for meeting the MDG-1 target by the FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva in Rome, Italy, during a high-level ceremony attended… -
Are You New To The Truth Movement? Has this PRISM / NSA Leak Got You Thinking?
17 Jun 2013 | 10:52 pmReblogged from January 27, 2013 Are You New To The Truth Movement? Has This Gun Grab Got You Thinking? I would say that it is late in the game but oh well, better late than never. I hope you have some time to sit back and watch some videos. Here are the videos that I suggest that you watch. I hope to save someone some time by listing my faves here. These don’t cover everything but they are a good start! For other posts on this blog about The Act of 1871 click here. Oh yeah, you will need to read the Five Stages to Awakening… I am sorry to tell you that you will be going… -
UN: US-NKOREA TALKS MUST INCLUDE NUCLEAR ISSUES
17 Jun 2013 | 10:18 pmUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes any dialogue between the United States and North Korea should focus on the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, a U.N. spokesman said Monday. U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said that Ban also believes inter-Korean dialogue is key to defusing tensions and ensuring peace on the peninsula. (More on this.. Courtesy: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/un-us-nkorea-talks-must-include-nuclear-issues 0.000000 0.000000 -
Bug Appetit
17 Jun 2013 | 9:32 pmThis past weekend I did something I had never done before. I ate bugs. Why did I eat bugs? What motivated me to pick three June bugs off the front porch of my parents’ central Wisconsin cabin, fry them in olive oil, dash them with salt, and chow down? I think a big part of it had to do with the recent urging of the United Nations for people to eat bugs to alleviate world hunger. Some people may have read that story and thought, “Eat bugs? Yeah right. This is America, not Thailand.” I took it as a dare. Eat bugs? Game on. I also recognize that part of my motivation was the…
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Forced Migration Current Awareness
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Thematic Focus: Health
18 Jun 2013 | 6:15 amAccess to Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment in Dadaab Refugee Camps, Kenya (UNHCR, June 2013) [text] Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs in Humanitarian Settings: An In-depth Look at Family Planning Services (Women's Refugee Commission, June 2013) [access] - Follow the link for the full report in English, Arabic, French and Spanish, as well as a summary for policy makers, accompanying annexes and beneficiary reports. Continuation of Antiretroviral Therapy for Ivorian Refugees in Liberia during the Emergency Phase (2011-2012) (UNHCR, June 2013) [text] "Is Forced… -
Regional Focus: Colombia
18 Jun 2013 | 5:30 amColombia: Displacement and Peace (UpFrong Blog, June 2013) [text] The Colombian Conflict: Views from the Ground and the EU Response (Norwegian Refugee Council, May 2013) [text via ReliefWeb] Internally Displaced Outside of Camps and the Role of Local Authorities in Colombia: A Comparative Study of Bogotá DC and Cali (Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, May 2013) [access] - Follow link for English executive summary and Spanish report. International Perspectives on Solutions to Internal Displacement, Speech given at Conferencia de Soluciones Sostenibles para la Población… -
Refugee Weeks
17 Jun 2013 | 8:45 amRefugee Weeks in Australia and UK take place this week, as part of the lead-up to World Refugee Day on 20 June 2013. For more information about events and advocacy opportunities, visit the following sites: Refugee Week Australia, 16-22 June 2013 [info] - This year's theme is "Restoring Hope." Refugee Week UK, 17-23 June 2013 [info] - The theme is "Different Pasts, Shared Future." Tagged Events & Opportunities and Web Sites/Tools. -
Regional Focus: MENA
17 Jun 2013 | 8:30 amAmid Syrian Crisis, Iraqi Refugees in Jordan Forgotten (IRIN, June 2013) [text] Fencing Migrants Out: The Impact on Regional Movement (RMMS Secretariat, May 2013) [text] - Discusses border controls in Israel and Saudi Arabia. Fragmented Lives: Humanitarian Overview 2012 (OCHA, May 2013) [text via ReliefWeb] Israel: Deportations of Asylum-seekers Must Stop (Amnesty International, June 2013) [text] Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians: A Handbook for Vulnerable Individuals and Communities (Badil, June 2013) [access] - Launched at the conference, "Forced Population… -
Thematic Focus: Statelessness - Part 2
17 Jun 2013 | 7:30 amThe Women's Refugee Commission and the Statelessness Programme at Tilburg University have launched a report entitled "Our Motherland, Our Country: Gender Discrimination and Statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa." The study focuses on Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Egypt. Follow this link to access the report, two short films, a photo essay, and a related blog post. In addition, two recent papers prepared by the Statelessness Programme's MENA Nationality and Statelessness Research Project are available via SSRN: - The Stateless Syrians (May 2013) [text] - The Stateless…
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Phayul Latest News
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Gyalwang Karmapa’s latest offering, The Heart is Noble, released in New Delhi
18 Jun 2013 | 9:00 pmThe 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s latest book, The Heart is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out, was released in the Indian capital New Delhi on Wednesday. The book was released in the presence of Gyalwang Karmapa by Aruna Roy, renowned social activist, with Rajiv Mehrotra of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility -
Campaigners deplore Tibet’s exclusion from G8 joint communiqué
17 Jun 2013 | 11:24 pmTibet advocacy groups have expressed “deep disappointment” at the failure of G8 leaders to make any mention on the situation in Tibet in a joint communiqué at the end of their two day annual summit. In a statement today, Tibet campaigners deplored the exclusion of any commitment by the G8 leaders on “working multilaterally -
CTA holds prayer service for Tibetan self-immolator Wangchen Dolma
17 Jun 2013 | 11:15 pmA mass prayer service was held today in the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala in honour of nun Wangchen Dolma, who set herself ablaze in protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet on June 11. The prayer service was presided over by Jhador Rinpoche, former abbot of Namgyal Monastery. -
Indian political parties call for review of Tibet policy
17 Jun 2013 | 10:22 pmAhead of next year’s general elections, major Indian political parties from across political lines have called for a review of the Indian government’s policy on China with regards to Tibet. The Arunachal Pradesh state unit of Nationalist Congress Party, a coalition partner in the ruling UPA -
Tibet campaigners urge G8 leaders to address Tibet crisis
16 Jun 2013 | 11:13 pmTibet campaigners today called on leaders of the G8 countries to stand together in addressing the crisis in Tibet and lead the way on a new diplomatic initiative on Tibet. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, USA, and UK are meeting at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland for the 39th Summit of the Group of Eight
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hrw.org
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Sierra Leone: Investigate Alleged Rebel Arms Supplier
18 Jun 2013 | 9:40 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war. This would be Sierra Leone’s first purely domestic prosecution in relation to war crimes or crimes against humanity committed during its 11-year armed conflict, which ended in 2002. (Nairobi) – The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during… -
China: ‘Benefit the Masses’ Campaign Surveilling Tibetans
18 Jun 2013 | 7:00 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The Chinese government, under the rationale of a campaign to improve rural living standards, has sent more than 20,000 officials and communist party cadres to Tibetan villages to undertake intrusive surveillance of people, carry out widespread political re-education, and establish partisan security units. (New York) – The Chinese government, under the rationale of a campaign to improve rural living standards, has sent more than 20,000 officials and communist party cadres to Tibetan villages to undertake intrusive surveillance of people, carry out… -
Cambodia: Court Upholds Unjust Verdict
18 Jun 2013 | 4:30 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email A Cambodian court’s ruling upholding the conviction of a land rights activist on trumped-up charges shows the political use of the country’s legal system to persecute critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today. (New York) – A Cambodian court’s ruling upholding the conviction of a land rights activist on trumped-up charges shows the political use of the country’s legal system to persecute critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today.read more -
Sri Lanka: Proposed Media Code Threatens Free Speech
18 Jun 2013 | 3:00 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech. (New York) – A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 17, 2013, the Ministry of Mass Media and Information officially proposed a Code of Media Ethics that would apply to print and electronic media, including the Internet.read more -
US: Protect National Security Whistleblowers
18 Jun 2013 | 2:47 pmTweet Widget Facebook Like Email The United States should protect people who use classified or other sensitive government information to expose what appear to be serious human rights violations and other government wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said in a statement released today. (Washington, DC) – The United States should protect people who use classified or other sensitive government information to expose what appear to be serious human rights violations and other government wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said in a stread more
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UUSC Blog
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Success in Senate Committee for Immigration Bill
3 Jun 2013 | 6:40 am -
Fear Mongering
15 May 2013 | 11:09 am -
Mourning Murder, Taking Action
3 May 2013 | 1:09 pm -
Who Gets the Help? Who Gets the Blame?
18 Apr 2013 | 9:12 am -
Haiti Program Alumni Headed to Washington, D.C.
27 Mar 2013 | 1:11 pm
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PhD studies in human rights
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Another ICC Case is in Trouble
5 Jun 2013 | 7:59 amYet another prosecution before the International Criminal Court is in trouble. Pre-Trial Chamber I has ruled that in the case against Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of the Côte d’Ivoire, the evidence is insufficient to satisfy the requirements of article 61 of the Statute. That provision applies to the confirmation hearing stage. It is a form of preliminary hearing at which the Pre-Trial Chamber must determine that there are ‘substantial grounds’ for a finding of criminal responsibility. The Pre-Trial Chamber was not unanimous. Judges Kaul and Van den Wyngaert were in the… -
Germany, Botswana Ratify Kampala Amendments on Crime of Aggression
5 Jun 2013 | 7:32 amTwo more States Parties to the Rome Statute have ratified or acceded to the amendments adopted at Kampala with respect to the crime of genocide, bringing the total to seven. Here is the page from the UN Treaty register showing the status of the amendments:It seems almost trite to recall the symbolic importance of Germany's accession to the amendments. This is the State blamed at Nuremberg for the most destructive acts of aggression in human history. Now it takes the lead as a peacemaker.Thirty ratifications are required for the entry into force of the amendments. They cannot enter into force… -
What Happened to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia?
5 Jun 2013 | 4:36 amSeveral recent decisions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have court-watchers scratching their heads. What seemed until a year or two ago to be a fairly consistent narrative of the conflicts and a coherent vision that was uncompromising in attaching liability for atrocities at the highest level seems to have shifted. There is a very stimulating op-ed by Eric Gordy in Monday's New York Times on the subject. -
Spy Fiction and the International Criminal Court
5 Jun 2013 | 4:31 am--> The International Criminal Court has already made a few appearances in cinema but to my knowledge it has not previously been dealt with in modern fiction writing. A couple of paragraphs in John Le Carré’s latest book, A Delicate Truth, change that.Here is the passage in question :Le Carré is writing about an anti-terrorist operation in Gibraltar involving British agents who are providing back-up to American paramilitaries (some call them ‘contractors’) who are being directed by right-wing extremists. The suggestion seems to be that the British are happy enough to let the… -
Stimulating Lecture on International Criminal Justice
2 Jun 2013 | 3:05 amPrince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, who is Jordan's permanent representative to the United Nations, delivered a very stimulating talk at the Brandeis University International Centre for Ethics, Justice and Private Life, sponsored by the Planethood Foundation. The talk has now been published and is available here.
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Chez Rémi
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News from Zaraland
4 Jun 2013 | 11:41 amWhen I read a few weeks ago that the local "government" of the Madrid region in Spain had signed a contract with a telecom company to change the name of Madrid's "kilometre zero" Puerta del Sol metro station, I thought it could only be a joke. It was near the time of April fools day I'd read the news, after all. For weeks I did not see any change at Puerta del Sol, so I'd got convinced that it was only a social media urban legend...Until I took this photo this week! I guess the contract between the government and Vodafone was becoming effective at 1st June.So, if in Spain a local government… -
Hoovering the seabed
15 Mar 2013 | 6:05 pmWe'd heard about seabed mining plans and operations in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Namibia, the Arctic and elsewhere before. We also heard this week that Japan was developping technology to trap methane hydrate near its coast. And now it looks like the deepsea mining race will soon become a reality. Lookheed Martin UK and the UK Government want a licence to hoover the seabed of a large area in the Pacific Ocean to grab valuable minerals. Russia, China and other countries are also on the go for what the British Prime Minister David Cameron describes as the new "global race".We need a… -
Global Ocean Commission: Sexy and exciting?
12 Feb 2013 | 7:04 amI’m writing from London where I’m attending today the launch of the Global Ocean Commission, a project I’ve been working with in an advisory capacity since its inception more than two years ago.Co-chaired by the former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, the former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manueland the former President of Costa Rica José María Figueres, the Global Ocean Commission is made up of about a dozen former leaders from the five continents, augmented by business giants. Many are still active in national politics or branches of the UN system. At first sight it… -
Poster Child
8 Oct 2012 | 4:14 amMediterranean Bluefin tuna ranchers are believed to be at the origin of the publication by the Spanish newspaper El País two weeks ago of a draft report of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The SCRS report, the tuna ranchers said in a nutshell, shows that environmentalists had it all wrong: there are plenty of Bluefin tunas in the Mediterranean; so many that restrictions ought to be reviewed and fishing quotas increased at ICCAT’s annual meeting next month in Agadir, Morocco.I’ve been… -
Software update
23 Sep 2012 | 6:29 amAs I was flying from Madrid to New York yesterday, I noticed that airline companies need to update their software: there isn't much of that Arctic ice left in summer now. Watch out for big trouble dead ahead.
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UNICEF News
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Emergency vaccination campaign protects children from measles in conflict-hit Bangui, Central African Republic
16 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmBANGUI, Central African Republic, 24 May 2013 – It’s the first day of a measles vaccination campaign, and 3-year-old Teves is among the first to be vaccinated at the Ouango Health Centre in Bangui. His mother, Aubierge Goneme, says she learned about the campaign from radio broadcasts and from organizers who passed through their neighbourhood with megaphones and pamphlets. -
The next generation of Malawi's children stay HIV free with Option B plus
11 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmKASUNGO, Malawi, 20 May 2013 – On a rainy afternoon in a village on the outskirts of Kasungu, 130 km north of the capital, Lilongwe, Lexina Lungu settles sidesaddle on the thinly cushioned seat on the back of a bicycle taxi. -
Amid Haiti's reconstruction, a chance for a more inclusive approach
4 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 31 May 2013 – When the 2010 earthquake struck, Jean Saint-Phar was buried and knocked unconscious by the collapsing walls of the classroom where he was studying engineering. After he woke up, hours passed with no sign of rescue. He feared he might die like the lifeless student beside him. -
In Jordan, refugee children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable
4 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmAMMAN, Jordan 31 May 2013 – When Abdullatif’s neighbour was killed, and his own house destroyed and farm animals lost, the decision was made simple. He had to flee the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic to save his family. But the journey and challenges that lay ahead were anything but easy, especially with two children with disabilities. -
In Lebanon, a Syrian boy copes with disability and loss
30 May 2013 | 5:00 pmBEIRUT, Lebanon, 30 May 2013 – Imagine you are a healthy 13-year-old boy from a prosperous family. One day at school, you witness the death of your classmates in a horrific bomb blast, and you realize one of your legs is missing. Suddenly forced to leave your home and your belongings behind, you walk across the border into a new country. You settle in a makeshift camp, living in poverty. And living with a disability.
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ONE
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What we learned at the 2013 G8 Summit
18 Jun 2013 | 4:50 pmONE’s reaction to the G8 outcomes by Adrian Lovett, Europe Director of ONE There are two ways to analyze a G8 communique. One is what you do in the minutes after it is issued, desperately scanning sentences, paragraphs, whole pages in seconds, your eyes alert for keywords, trying to build an instant impression of whether they’ve pulled a fast one, whether things have come out better (don’t hold your breath) or worse (more like it) than you had expected. In these moments, the smallest things loom the largest, like the use of “for example” rather than “including” (the… -
A G8 transparency revolution: yeah, some
18 Jun 2013 | 11:19 amONE’s reaction to the G8 outcomes on Transparency, by Verity Outram, Policy Consultant and Alan Hudson, Policy Director for Transparency & Accountability Back in January the UK Prime Minister set out a ground-breaking agenda for this year’s G8 Summit ontrade, tax and transparency. While those of us who have been pushing for the G8 to take decisive action on phantom firms are left feeling a little disappointed by the lack of ambition, overall the verdict on thecommuniqué is reasonably positive. ONE set out its ambitions for the G8 in our recent report “Summit in Sight”. In… -
‘Saving Mothers, Giving Life’ celebrates 1 year of reducing maternal mortality
18 Jun 2013 | 9:26 amSaving Mothers, Giving Lifewas launched in June 2012 with the goal of supporting countries where women are dying at alarming rates during pregnancy and childbirth to aggressively reduce maternal mortality. This post, which reflects on the program on its 1-year anniversary, was written by Celina Schocken, director of Saving Mothers, Giving Life. No woman should die in childbirth. In fact, most maternal deaths are preventable. Yet nearly one woman dies in childbirth every two minutes, and 99 percent of these deaths occur in the developing world. This month marks the first anniversary of… -
Engineering change through energy access in Tanzania
18 Jun 2013 | 7:48 amPhoto credit: David Youmans For the past five years, a group of San Francisco engineers from Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) have partnered with a Tanzanian community thousands of miles away to harness the sun’s energy to provide electricity to the town and meet the villagers’ basic human needs. Kelsey Gross, EWB-USA communications coordinator, shares their story. Community members in the rural village of Ngelenge, Tanzania, have a reason to rejoice when the hot, African sun beats down on them. Solar energy now provides solutions to a serious problem – lack of access to… -
59,664 US petition signatures to G8 leaders: Delivered!
17 Jun 2013 | 12:28 pmONE staffers with White House Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Yohannes Abraham outside the White House This post was written by Caitlin Hodes, a member of ONE’s Field team. She was one of the lucky ONE staffers to visit the White House last week. On Friday, a group of ONE staff members and a herd of summer interns delivered your voices to the White House. Together we met with Yohannes Abraham, chief of staff for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, to represent the 59,664 US ONE members who signed our G8…
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Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: Latest News
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Côte d’Ivoire: un chocolatier investit 100 millions de dollars dans la cacaoculture
27 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmL'Etat de Côte d'Ivoire et le leader mondial du chocolat, Mondelez International, ont signé lundi un mémorandum d'entente d'un montant de 100 millions de dollars pour participer à "la durabilité de l'économie cacaoyère" dans le pays, premier producteur mondial de cacao. "C'est le signe de la conjugaison des efforts entre le secteur privé et le secteur public en vue de faire prospérer la culture du cacao en Côte d'Ivoire", a déclaré la directrice générale du Conseil du café-cacao de Côte d'Ivoire, Touré Liste Massandjé. La signature du mémorandum intervient en marge d'une… -
Worker dies at AngloGold mine [So. Africa]
26 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmA miner died at AngloGold Ashanti's TauTona mine, near Carletonville, on Monday, the company said. Spokesperon Alan Fine said the winch operator was killed in a fall...Fine said operations in the area of the accident were halted, and a site inspection was done. -
Fashion shoot fights child labor with child labor
22 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmAamna Aqeel, an emerging Pakistani fashion designer, has recently come under fire...over her photo shoot titled "Be My Slave" for her new line of clothing...Rights activists and some cultural experts have criticized Aqeel for being a racist and glorifying slavery, and also for fighting child labor with child labor...Aqeel refutes the criticism by saying that her shoot is misunderstood. She told DW that the pictures were actually aimed at highlighting the issue of domestic child labor. "The objective of the shoot was to initiate a dialogue on this social issue..." [said Aqeel]...She did,… -
Advancing due diligence in the mining sector of Africa's Great Lakes region
17 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmThe OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas was met with some skepticism from most companies operating in the Great Lakes region. Three years on, legislative changes in the DRC and Rwanda, clarification of Dodd-Frank's Section 1502 and self-imposed industry requirements have moved these actors to progressive engagement...Of 60+ companies participating in the OECD pilot implementation phase, 30 have now adopted policies outlining key business and human rights principles…Of all these steps, moving risk management… -
The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the Implementation of the UN Guiding Principles
17 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmNational human rights institutions (NHRIs) are key domestic mechanisms for promotion and protection of human rights. The institutions' broad mandate, competencies, and special status between state and nonstate actors on the one hand, and special status between the national and international levels on the other hand enable them to engage effectively in the field of business and human rights. Since 2009, NHRIs have been engaging with the international human rights system in order to increase understanding and raise awareness of their role in addressing business and human rights issues. As a…
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Survival International Blog
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Penan on a fishing journey, Malaysia.
5 Jun 2013 | 4:52 amPenan on a fishing journey, Malaysia. -
A Yanomami woman, Brazil.
30 May 2013 | 3:57 amA Yanomami woman, Brazil. -
A Jarawa woman returning to her forest after gathering food on...
29 May 2013 | 3:28 amA Jarawa woman returning to her forest after gathering food on the edges of the Jarawa reserve in the Andaman Islands of India. Every day hundreds of tourists travel along the Andaman Trunk road in the hope of ‘spotting’ members of the Jarawa tribe – treating them like animals in a safari park. Help put pressure on the islands’ government by pledging not to holiday in the Andaman islands while the road remains open to tourists. -
Korowai hunter with bow, West Papua.
24 May 2013 | 4:31 amKorowai hunter with bow, West Papua. -
An Arhuaco father and son, Colombia.
23 May 2013 | 7:51 amAn Arhuaco father and son, Colombia.
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News from Survival International
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Success: Soliga tribe's forest rights upheld in court
19 Jun 2013 | 5:05 amTribal peoples like the Soliga have been living with and protecting the wildlife in their forests for countless generations.© Kalyan Varma/SurvivalA village belonging to the Soliga tribe in southern India has won an important court victory after its entire stock of honey – its key source of livelihood – was seized by local forestry officials in May. The community, with the support of local organizations, took the matter to court – and won. A Soliga man told Survival, ‘In my village, Hosapodu, we are very happy that we can continue with our work’. The confiscation of… -
Court reprieve for Bushmen threatened with eviction
18 Jun 2013 | 7:32 amRelocation trucks arrive at Ranyane.© FPKDozens of Botswana Bushmen threatened with eviction, reportedly because they live in an area proposed as a ‘wildlife corridor’, have won a significant court victory in their struggle to stay on their land. Since the wildlife corridor between the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was proposed, the local and national authorities have pressurized the Ranyane Bushmen to leave. The corridor project was promoted by the US organization Conservation International (CI) – Botswana’s President Khama sits on Conservation… -
Guarani man killed in ambush by gunmen
13 Jun 2013 | 7:49 amThe Guarani frequently suffer violent attacks by gunmen after returning to their ancestral lands.© SurvivalA Guarani Indian man was killed yesterday in southern Brazil, reportedly by gunmen working for the cattle ranchers who have occupied his community’s land. According to the leader of Paraguassú community, Celso Rodrigues, 42, ‘was ambushed by two gunmen whilst he was walking near a stream. His father is very sad and angry, as am I… it is very sad to see our relatives die’. Last August, the Guarani of Paraguassú reoccupied part of their ancestral land, known as… -
Rallying cry: Dongria stand firm against Vedanta mine
13 Jun 2013 | 2:01 amDongria leader Lodu Sikaka has called for an end to the harassment of village leaders and vowed to defend Niyamgiri.© SurvivalDuring a rally of defiance, India’s Dongria Kondh have vowed to defend their Niyamgiri Hills against an open pit mine by British mining giant Vedanta Resources, and demanded the release of village leaders ahead of consultations about the mine. Dongria leader Lodu Sikaka addressed a crowd of thousands determined to save their hills and said, ‘We are not going to let go of Niyamgiri … Let the government and the company repress us as much as they can. We… -
Survival condemns Steven Pinker’s ‘Brutal Savage’ myth
12 Jun 2013 | 2:18 amSteven Pinker, like Jared Diamond, bases his assertion that the Yanomami are a violent people solely on the work of controversial anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon.© Fiona Watson/SurvivalSurvival International has launched a vigorous rebuttal of Harvard ‘evolutionary psychologist’ Steven Pinker’s claim that tribal people are more violent than state societies. In articles published this week in US journal Truthout, and the UK-based OpenDemocracy, Survival International’s Director Stephen Corry accuses Pinker – once named by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential…
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About.com Civil Liberties
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Obama, Technology, and the Imperial Presidency
17 Jun 2013 | 11:36 amIt's clear that a good number of activists who were not terribly bothered by President George W. Bush's post-9/11 civil liberties abuses are less comfortable with President Barack Obama's. Most of this is simple partisanship, and I don't think partisanship is interesting enough to discuss, but I do see one factor that makes Obama's civil liberties abuses potentially more dangerous than Bush's, and that will no doubt make the next president's civil liberties abuses more dangerous than Obama's: the state of technology....Read Full Post -
I'd Rather Be Useful Than Loud
31 May 2013 | 2:59 pmReader Allison S. took issue with my "Is Abortion Murder?" piece. Since most of the people who write me about this article take it in a completely different direction than the one I'd intended, I asked her permission to reprint it--and respond to it--here. Allison writes:...Read Full Post -
Bloomberg: NYCLU ''Extremists'' Don't Keep NYC Safe
30 Apr 2013 | 3:37 pmNew York City mayor Mike Bloomberg has strong words for the New York Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights activists who are concerned about racial profiling by the NYPD. He said in part:...Read Full Post -
The Constitutional Path to Same-Sex Marriage
31 Mar 2013 | 12:03 amIf we look at relevant precedents and follow them to their logical conclusions, the Supreme Court has already legalized same-sex marriage on a national level. Whether they have the political will to acknowledge this is, of course, another question entirely....Read Full Post -
The Privileged Court
28 Feb 2013 | 2:30 pmTo hear the U.S. Supreme Court say it, racism is incredibly simple and very easy to address. As conservative justices prepared to kill section 5 of the Voting Rights Act ...Read Full Post
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Inter Press Service » Headlines – IPS Inter Press Service News Agency Journalism and Communication for Global Change
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Zanzibar’s Encroaching Ocean Means Less Water
11 Jun 2013 | 10:23 pmOver the years Zanzibar’s sea levels have risen to erode beaches and contaminate some of the island’s fresh water supply. Credit: Giandomenico Pozzi/CC by 2.0Khadija Komboani’s nearest well is filled with salt water thanks to the rising sea around Tanzania’s Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar. And until recently, the 36-year-old mother of 12 from Nungwi village in Unguja on the northernmost part of Zanzibar, spent most of her day walking to her nearest fresh water supply to collect safe drinking water. “The water is very salty so it can’t be used for anything. You will use a lot of… -
Scales Tip Towards Women in Jewish Religious Rights Struggle
11 Jun 2013 | 8:14 pmUltra-Orthodox worshipper Jenny Menashe argues with Rabbi Nahum Weiss. Credit: Pierre Klochendler/IPSThe struggle for gender equality and Jewish pluralism took a highly symbolic turn on Sunday at the Western Wall, Judaism’s most revered site and emblem of unity, as a group of women known as “Women of the Wall” prayed legally and in a way they saw fit. For 24 years, the Women of the Wall, a Jewish feminist group, have demanded the right to carry and read aloud the Holy Book of Judaism at the Western Wall (“Kotel”, in Hebrew) while wrapping themselves in prayer… -
Cairo’s Poor Convert Kitchen Waste Into Fuel Savings
11 Jun 2013 | 7:08 pmIn Egypt, some families are turning to bio-gas digesters that convert organic waste into methane for fuel. Credit: Cam McGrath/IPSThe bio-gas digester on the roof of Hussein Farag’s apartment in one of Cairo’s poorest districts provides a daily supply of cooking gas produced from the kitchen waste his family would otherwise discard in plastic bags or empty into the clogged sewer below his building. Constructed of two large plastic tubs and mostly recycled materials, the zero-emissions bio-gas unit saves his family about LE 20 (three U.S. dollars) a month in gas bills. And in the… -
Globe Less Peaceful Than Five Years Ago – Report
11 Jun 2013 | 6:20 pmThe war against terrorism has left many Pakistanis disabled. Credit: Ashfaq Yusufzai/IPSThe world – especially the Greater Middle East – has become less peaceful than it was five years ago, according to the 2013 edition of the annual Global Peace Index (GPI) released here Tuesday by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). Consistent with that trend, the Index also found that global peacefulness declined over the past year, chiefly due to the intensifying civil war in Syria; the rising number of homicides, especially in Mexico, Central America, and several sub-Saharan African… -
U.S. Regulatory System “Stymied by Special Interests”
11 Jun 2013 | 5:47 pmA broad-based alliance of public interest and other groups is warning that years of attacks by business interests has made the U.S. regulatory so inefficient that public safety is being put at risk. The groups, under the umbrella of the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS), are urging the White House and U.S. Congress to institute reforms to increase transparency, reduce special interests’ ability to block public protections, and improve the enforcement of legislated rules."It’s important to note that this was a very concerted effort by the business community as well as their allies in…
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EarthRights International
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U.S., European Economic Policy on Myanmar Pulled Between Two Extremes
12 Jun 2013 | 2:45 pmHow can the world's major economies support political reform and take advantage of business opportunities in Myanmar, without exacerbating human rights abuses and fueling ethnic conflict? In a number of recent and upcoming decision points, the U.S. and European Union have the opportunity to address this question cautiously and strike an appropriate balance. ERI has repeatedly documented how economic activities in Myanmar -- especially in the extractive industries and plantation agriculture -- are often connected with serious human rights and environmental harms. Myanmar remains a high-risk… -
ERI files brief in support of Bangladeshi torture victim’s case in the wake of Kiobel
23 May 2013 | 2:23 pmOn Friday, May 17, 2013, EarthRights International and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a friend-of-the-court (“amicus”) brief in Chowdhury v. Worldtel Bangladesh Holding, at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2009, a jury found Worldtel and Amjad Khan liable for torturing Nayeem Mehtab Chowdhury in an effort to obtain control of his business. Worldtel was a corporation operating in Bangladesh through the direction of Mr. Khan, who was the corporation’s authorized representative and agent and has been a legal permanent resident of the U.S. for more than 25 years. -
EarthRights Urges Senators to Oppose Srinivasan Nomination and Seek Information on Pro-Corporate Advocacy
23 May 2013 | 8:29 amConcerned by news that the Senate will vote on the confirmation of former corporate defense lawyer Sri Srinivasan’s nomination to a coveted federal appellate judgeship on the D.C. Circuit as early as today, ERI has written a letter to Senators urging them to oppose cloture and the nomination. ERI believes that federal judges – especially those serving on a court often described as the second-most powerful in the nation – should have a clear dedication to public service. Mr. Srinivasan’s record shows a commitment to serving corporate persons, rather than making the law work for real… -
Welcome to the HEART School's class of 2013!
22 May 2013 | 3:44 pmOn Friday, May 3, the 2013 Health and Earth Rights Training Course (HEART) officially commenced with an opening ceremony in Mae Sot, Thailand, in a new classroom beautifully decorated by the incoming students. This year’s convocation calling together alumni, teachers, advisors, founders and support staff, marks the beginning of the school's 3rd year. Fourteen students attended the ceremony, with six more students arriving over the weekend in time for orientation week. Mr. Chana Maung, ERI’s Asia Office Director, gave the first speech, welcoming everyone and sharing the vision of the… -
ERI to U.S.: Giving Trade Preferences to Myanmar Can Have Human Rights Consequences
22 May 2013 | 9:52 amForced labor, land grabs, and other serious abuses are still common in the extractive industries and plantation agriculture sectors in Myanmar (Burma), according to a brief ERI submitted to the U.S. Government on Friday. In the brief, ERI argued that if the U.S. wants to give trade preferences to Myanmar, it needs to take steps to manage the possibile human rights consequences. ERI’s intervention comes in the context of a proposal by U.S. trade officials to grant Myanmar “beneficiary developing country” status under the Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP. The U.S. can offer a…
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Peace and Justice from YES! magazine
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A Healing Walk through Canada’s Tar Sands Dystopia
6 Jun 2013 | 12:25 pmThe author and others participate in the Walk to Heal the Tar Sands in 2009. Photo courtesy Occupy Love / Velcrow Ripper. A couple years ago I was asked by the Keepers of the Athabasca to be Master of Ceremonies for a unique event: the first annual walk to heal the Canadian tar sands. It took place in the region of the most controversial energy project on earth. The idea was not to have a protest, but instead to engage in a meaningful ceremonial action to pray for the healing of Mother Earth, which has been so damaged by the tar sands industry. Members of the five First Nations of the… -
Meet the Refreshing Evangelical Who’s Leading a Revival—of “the Common Good”
30 May 2013 | 5:45 pmThis memorial marked every American killed by guns since the Newtown, Conn., school shootings—3,300 as of April 11, the day Sojourners set up the makeshift graveyard in Washington, D.C. as Congress was debating gun control legislation. Photo by John Sonderman. Jim Wallis surprises people. He’s very much the evangelical pastor, with infectious warmth and an enthusiasm for preaching. But the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine is not out to convert people. He takes the teachings of Jesus seriously, challenging Christians to think first of justice for the poor and oppressed and to… -
A Roadmap to a World Without Drone Proliferation?
30 May 2013 | 12:15 pmA protest against U.S. drones that target Pakistanis. Hong Kong, 2012. Photo by Yu Ping. This article originally appeared in Waging Nonviolence Two decades from now, social commentators may very well decide, with hindsight, that 2013 was a historic turning point. Humanity has an urgent choice to make about many monumental crises—including climate change, economic inequality, democracy for sale and resource wars—and opportunities. One of the great decisions we face is about drones. This train is rapidly leaving the station, and it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see where it’s headed. -
Meet the Rainforest-Dwelling Malaysian Farmers Fighting to Keep their Land above Water
24 May 2013 | 1:25 pmInternational Hydropower Association president Richard Taylor addresses indigenous protesters. Photo by Save Rivers Network. Richard Taylor, the president of the International Hydropower Association, left the air-conditioned interior of the Borneo Convention Center on Wednesday to face a crowd of more than 300 indigenous people. The protesters had traveled to Kuching, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, from villages far in the state’s interior that will soon be underwater if a series of proposed hydroelectric dams is built. They had traveled many miles by boat and by bus to… -
For a Future that Won’t Destroy Life on Earth, Look to the Global Indigenous Uprising
23 May 2013 | 10:30 amMelina Laboucan-Massimo stands next to logs from clearcuts at a proposed tar sands site north of Fort McMurray, northern Alberta, Canada. Photo by Jiri Rezac. There’s a remote part of northern Alberta where the Lubicon Cree have lived, it is said, since time immemorial. The Cree called the vast, pine-covered region niyanan askiy, “our land.” When white settlers first carved up this country, they made treaties with most of its original inhabitants—but for reasons unclear, the Lubicon Cree were left out. Two hundred years later, the Lubicon’s right to their traditional territory is…
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WNN - Women News Network
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The first time I met Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chodron
18 Jun 2013 | 4:41 pmMichaela Haas – WNN Religion & Belief (WNN) Santa Barbara, California, UNITED STATES, AMERICAS: Facing what scares us is Pema Chödrön’s signature topic. A glance at the book and audio titles of the most beloved female Western Buddhist teacher provides a first-aid kit for handling life: When Things Fall Apart, we have No Time to [...] -
World education petition launched at UN with girl rights hero Malala Yousafzai
18 Jun 2013 | 3:03 pmWNN Breaking (WNN) United Nations, New York, New York, UNITED STATES, AMERICAS: The United Nations is gearing up campaign in a push for greater worldwide education as they get ready for a July 12 appearance with education rights advocate Malala Yousafzai at the UN. Named by TIME magazine as one of the “most influential people [...] -
Human trafficking has long history in UK says Solicitor General
18 Jun 2013 | 11:02 amSolicitor General Oliver Heald – WNN SOAPBOX (WNN) London, UNITED KINGDOM, WESTERN EUROPE: Member of Parliament at the House of Commons and Solicitor General for England and Wales Oliver Heald spoke out recently in mid June, 2013 saying progress to stop human trafficking in the UK has been implemented, but crime and abuse by traffickers [...] -
Report: Path to Legal Status Harder Now for Women Immigrants
18 Jun 2013 | 9:42 amAlissa Bohling – Truthout – June 18, 2013 (originally published 14 June) A report released late last month by the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) found gender discrimination is built into U.S. immigration law. Two experts working with the not-for-profit nonpartisan organization spent 10 years interviewing women from Mexico and Central America living in Phoenix, Arizona, [...] -
UN works with resettlement for Nepal Bhutanese refugees
17 Jun 2013 | 9:43 pmNini Gurung for UNHCR – WNN Breaking (WNN/UNHCR) Damak, NEPAL, SOUTH ASIA: Seventy-nine-year-old Keshar Singh Rai vividly remembers the day he started his life as a refugee. It was August 1992, when he came to Nepal from Bhutan with his wife Bhai Maya Rai and their three sons. “Before leaving Bhutan we were in the [...]
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New Internationalist - The people, the ideas, the action in the fight for global justice
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Blogging the Caine Prize 2013
19 Jun 2013 | 3:59 amThe shortlist is out! Bloggers from all over the world are reviewing each story in turn before the winner is announced on 8 July. -
A word with musical archivists Public Service Broadcasting
18 Jun 2013 | 3:40 amJo Lateu speaks to J Willgoose about warmth and positivity. -
G8 mobilizations need solidarity, not stage management
17 Jun 2013 | 8:53 amJamie Gorman was inspired by Belfast’s Big March for a Fairer World, but unimpressed by the image control of the If campaign rally. -
Caroline Lucas: ‘The People’s Assembly offers hope’
17 Jun 2013 | 6:06 amMischa Wilmers speaks to the Green Party MP about the public response to the anti-austerity coalition and her optimism on what it can achieve. -
What will happen when the MDGs expire?
17 Jun 2013 | 2:35 amDan Smith gets to grips with the UN High Level Panel’s report on international development post-2015, and argues that it needs to go deeper.
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Not For Sale: End Human Trafficking and Slavery
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Official Ambassador Jeremy Affeldt Appears on CNN
17 Jun 2013 | 5:27 pmOn Friday, San Francisco Giants player Jeremy Affeldt appeared on CNN to promote his new book, “To Stir a Movement.” In the interview, Affeldt chronicles his early childhood connection to human trafficking, as well as his current motivation to play for the millions of children that are in captivity today. “Are you confident in the future of the fight against slavery?” the reporter asked. “I am. I am confident in the future if people get on board,” Affeldt responded. Affeldt currently serves as an official ambassador to Not For Sale’s efforts in fighting slavery around the world. -
Trafficking Routes from Africa to Europe
11 Jun 2013 | 1:41 pmOne in three women receiving assistance at our shelters in the Netherlands come from West Africa. The majority of women come from Nigeria and Guinea, but we are also seeing women from Togo, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana. To understand why we are seeing so many women from Africa it is critical to understand the lives they are coming from. Almost every story is set within the context of an unstable community. Extreme violence, drought, foreign intervention, political unrest and corruption are all pieces of a community infrastructure that creates highly vulnerable people. These realities… -
Children for sale in Thailand
28 May 2013 | 4:26 pmBefore she was 2 years old Sukanya was sold by her mother. It is a common story at our Children’s Home in Thailand. The severity of poverty in the golden triangle, combined with discrimination towards stateless people leave women with very few options. Vulnerable and homeless, they are often addicted to drugs and many end up being raped. Then, when they become pregnant, they have no support system in place to help with the raising of that child. Desperate for food, or drugs, or lacking any ability to support the needs of the child, many women sell their children. Kru Nam has devoted her… -
Farming for Freedom in Romania
20 May 2013 | 3:33 pmOur project in Romania has been growing, and that growth means we are able to successfully transform more lives. Our Calacea farm project is 17 miles outside of our center in the city of Timisoara. At the farm, survivors of human trafficking learn to farm sustainably as job skill development, and as an important step towards personal healing. Right now the farm is in full swing, and our staff are working alongside survivors to grow crops, tend animals and prepare the farm house for 14 new victims. While only a half hour drive, the Calacea farm has the feeling of getting away from it all. In… -
Mothers are Not For Sale
10 May 2013 | 9:57 amThe illegal logging trade, believed to be worth up to $100 billion worldwide, poses one of the greatest threats to the safety and freedom of the communities indigenous to the Amazon. Reports suggest that this year, the illicit industry will make victims of tens of thousands of people living in poverty in remote regions of rainforest, people like Josefina. Josefina is a mother of eight from a remote village in South East Peru. Like the majority of the victims we work with, she grew up without a formal education. In her village, it is the role of mothers to care for the children and community…
