Foreign Policy Blogs

Human Rights

Leading Opposition Candidate in Cameroon Makes Her Run for President Official

Leading Opposition Candidate in Cameroon Makes Her Run for President Official

Kah Walla, the only woman in the race against long term incumbent Paul Biya filed the papers making her candidacy official last week. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/3rxf5xy

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Modern Slavery: The Loss of Innocence

Modern Slavery: The Loss of Innocence

The life of a child is often equated to that of mere dollars… overall people are comparatively cheaper than they were in the 1600-1800s, when slaves were purchased for life. Prices for these modern day slaves are at an all time low, while profits remain high, leading some to believe the problem is worse now […]

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Double Standards, Libya… and Melons

Double Standards, Libya… and Melons

Just in time for the weekend, here’s a round-up of some articles and podcasts to keep you informed. Do you have any suggestions? Please post them in the comments!

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When Will We Stop Blaming Victims?

When Will We Stop Blaming Victims?

In May this year I published the piece, Ending the Blame and Shame of Child Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse, for which I discussed the issue of placing the blame of abuse, assault, and/or human trafficking on that of the victim.  The article was written largely in response to a horrendous case of blame […]

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See the Signs, Report It, and Save a Child’s Life

See the Signs, Report It, and Save a Child’s Life

Each year, more than 3 million child abuse reports (reports often contain the abuse of more than one child) are made in the United States alone. Furthermore, it is estimated that in 2009, 3.3 million child abuse reports and allegations were made, involving an estimated 6 million children (Child Help). Nonetheless, the reports of such […]

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News…

News…

New GAVI head eyes elimination of polio, measles Seth Berkley, the new head of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, talks about his life, career and the promotion of immunizations- “cost-effective and powerful tools for public health” worldwide. “The excitement about GAVI is the vision to ensure that all effective vaccines are available to […]

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Violence Against Women – Hindering Development Worldwide

Violence Against Women – Hindering Development Worldwide

Last week I was one of around 300 people who attended the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s event on “Violence against women – an obstacle to development”. The audience was a mix of parliamentarians, interested members of the public, and activists and members of civil society organizations from the African Great Lakes region – […]

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Safer Birth Practices a Must for Timor-Leste

Safer Birth Practices a Must for Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste women have an average of 7 children, yet in a country with birthrates so high, care for maternal and newborn health and safety is lacking. In a country were babies are far from the rarity, health problems for mother and babies are also far from rare.  Due to the lack of adequate prenatal […]

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What’s Made Europe’s Youth So Angry?

What’s Made Europe’s Youth So Angry?

International media have been rampantly covering the riots that began brewing in England four weeks ago have many now fearing that it is only the beginning of what may soon scourge across Europe.  Youth in London were the first to hit the city streets in anger and now the riots continue to burn as young […]

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New budget impacting millions of children finds it’s way to the Congressional floor

New budget impacting millions of children finds it’s way to the Congressional floor

On Wednesday, 10 August 2011, Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced the introduction of a budget outline which is aimed to create obs for some two million people. The “Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act,” as the plan has been titled,  if passed will cost $227 […]

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The use of rape warfare fades from headlines, but not the battlefields

The use of rape warfare fades from headlines, but not the battlefields

First it was the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, then Rwanda…Sudan and the Congo, which seemed to bring this unfathomable crime against humanity to light and then most recently it was Libya that brought the use of rape as weapon of war into the headlines. However while the headlines bringing such atrocities to light seem […]

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UN Allows for Sanctions in Somalia Against Violators of Children

UN Allows for Sanctions in Somalia Against Violators of Children

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, 2 August 2011,  United Nations Special Representative for the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, stated that she welcomed the decision by the UN Security Council made earlier that week, which allowed for sanctions against Somalia earlier that week. “Starting today, in Somalia, if you kill, […]

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Saudi Arabia Looks to Set Minimum Marriage Age

Saudi Arabia Looks to Set Minimum Marriage Age

Across the globe more than 60 million girls find themselves innocent victims as child brides, despite the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulation that 18 is the minimum age for marriage.  While many countries have set 18 as the minimum age, others have placed 16 as the age.  Other countries  have yet to […]

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The Whistleblower: A Compelling (and Tough) Story

The Whistleblower: A Compelling (and Tough) Story

The Whistleblower opens this Friday in selected cities and then to a broader audience on August 12. Here’s my review of the movie, which is worth watching: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephenie-foster/whistleblower-film_b_914881.html

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News…

News…

Women, children suffer most in drought Across the Horn of Africa, women and children are bearing the brunt of drought-related famine and humanitarian organizations need additional funding to deliver lifesaving supplies, writes Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. fund for UNICEF. Children are susceptible to malnutrition that decreases their ability to fight off […]

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