Pope decries Belgian police raid over abuse allegations Pope Benedict XVI sharply condemned the decision by Belgian police to conduct a police raid on church property, seizing files, detaining bishops and even searching at least one cardinal’s tomb for evidence. The pope expressed solidarity with Belgian Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard, while the Vatican said that police […]
The 2010 Ibrahim Prize for excellence in African leadership goes to…no one. The prize committee of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation announced last week they are not granting the award this year, as they found no suitable candidates. The Ibrahim prize is granted to an African leader who has achieved positive developments in their country, and, […]
Last week the United States issued their annual worldwide report on human trafficking, the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, which for the first time included a ranking of the United States. The 373-page report states that some 12.3 million adults and children are in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution globally. While the numbers […]
Sean Murphy on the Global Film blog recently reviewed Amandla! a documentary about South African music under apartheid. As we turn our gaze to the country for the World Cup, it is good to look back and learn more about the intricacies of apartheid and the mass struggle to overturn the system. South Africa is […]
More addiction treatment is needed for Afghan women, children Aid workers are struggling to help Afghan women and children overcome drug addiction, adapting Western-style treatment programs to reflect local realities. An estimated 1.5 million Afghans suffer from addiction, but most of the country’s 40 treatment facilities are geared toward men. HRW presses Iraqi Kurds to […]
“Until you have a son of your own… you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son. You will never know the sense of honor that makes a man want to be more than he is and to pass something […]
Angelina Jolie, UNHCR goodwill ambassador, pled in her address for World Refugee Day “Please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes whose only hope of return is to not be forgotten.” “Never forget” has become an almost ironic slogan in the humanitarian world, as crises enter and leave public […]
There are 12 million refugees, as of 2005, and an additional 21 million Internally displaced persons scattered across the globe today, approximately 44% of which are children. Tomorrow, Sunday, June 20th, 2010 is World Refugee Day, a day set to honor the plight and resilient struggle of refugees around the world. World Refugee Day was […]
South Africans, Africans across the continent and diaspora, and Africa-lovers are rightfully proud of the first World Cup on African soil. With billions invested in infrastructure and a drastic increase in international airtime, South Africa is presenting a refurbished image as it affirms its presence on the world stage. However, strikes this week have […]
A small collection of human rights story from the FPB network and beyond: And the clashes continue… For those of you living under a rock (or just caught up in World Cup fever), Kyrgyzstan is currently in the midst of some of the worst ethnic violence seen there in years. As ethnic Uzbeks flee from […]
The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report was released today by the Department of State. This years TIP Report includes, for the first time ever, a ranking of the United States, which is based on the same standards to which we hold other countries. “The 10th annual Trafficking in Persons Report outlines the continuing challenges across […]
Today much of the world is flocking to their TVs to as the World Cup in South Africa kicked off. However while the joy of the game and international sportsmanship ensue, much of the World Cup and sport have been tainted by child labor, via sex trafficking and labor…including the stitching of soccer balls. Soccer […]
Much of our chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast, which according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) produces 43% of the worlds cocoa. According to the ILO, over 132 million children, aged 5-14 years old, work in agriculture around the world, they are just a segment of an the estimated 246 million child laborers around […]
UNICEF is concerned by Guantanamo trial for former child soldier The impending July trial of Omar Khadr at Guantanamo Bay sets a dangerous precedent on the treatment of child soldiers, UNICEF head Anthony Lake warns. Khadr was arrested in 2002 when he was 15 years old, accused of throwing a grenade that killed an American […]
As the US watches the growing disaster from the BP oil spill unfold, it seems appropriate to take a look at what has happened in the wake of other modern industrial disasters. Unfortunately, the developments of this week illustrate that justice is not always served in the aftermath. Twenty five years after a chemical gas […]