Foreign Policy Blogs

Human Rights

April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) was set to raise awareness of sexual violence and increase prevention. Across the country special events will take place over the next month to highlight the use of sexual violence, and its effects as a major public health issue. Much of the events will be hosted with an aim to […]

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Human Rights Round Up

Few links to human rights stories that other people have been following: Rape in the DRC Cassandra Clifford over at the FPB Children Blog has posted story highlighting the seemingly never-ending crisis concerning rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although this issue has gained more attention recently, her coverage illustrates how much further […]

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Rape Continues to Plague the DRC

Rape Continues to Plague the DRC

I frequently think of the Congo and the plague of war that has entombed the country for more than a decade. The conflict has been one of the most violent and deadly, its brutality taking countless men, women and children. I seem to have somewhat found my answer as recently the CNN reported the the […]

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Urbanization Leading to “Mega-Regions”

UN-Habitat released its biannual “State of the World’s Cities” report in March, a 250+ page document that covers all manner of subjects about our increasingly urbanized world. More than half of all people now live in cities, and this figure will reach 60% in less than twenty years, and 70% by 2050. A very interesting […]

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For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History

By Sarah Rose Ch. 4: Shanghai to Hangzhou, September 1848 Robert Fortune was patient as the coolie attended to his new coif. A small blue and white tea bowl sat nearby on a dusty crate, and swirling its sediment of leaves, Fortune spilled the cooling liquid out onto the dirty deck. Floors were the place […]

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Child Abuse: Verbal vs. Physical, What's More Harmful?

Child Abuse: Verbal vs. Physical, What's More Harmful?

What is more harmful to a child, verbal or physical abuse? First let me start with saying that both are harmful and I personally find it reprehensible to abuse a child in any form. However I pose the question as I all too often hear people in an unwitting debate as to which is more […]

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Interview with Tibi Galis, Director of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation

The Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation is holding a conference in Buenos Aires next week from April 12-14. The conference, titled ‘Memory, Justice, Truth and Reparations as Tools for Genocide Prevention’, has been co-organized by the government of Argentina. It will host government officials and policymakers from 40 nations. I spoke today with AIPR’s […]

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A battle in words

Those of us in the human rights field often talk as though what we call human rights are clear, obvious, and of course never up to interpretation. This is certainly the case with some rights. It is never acceptable, for example, to imprison an innocent person for political reasons or commit violence for the purposes […]

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Best of the Web: Women in Power Edition

*U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argues that achieving women’s equality is central to global security in an op-ed for The Times of London: Women are still the majority of the world’s poor, uneducated, unhealthy and unfed. They are the majority of the world’s farmers, but are often forbidden to own the land they cultivate […]

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Bullying is Abuse

Bullying is Abuse

As a writer on children’s rights, the subject of abuse is commonplace, however the types of abuse are as varied as they are haunting.  Most often I write about the horrors physical abuse, child labor, sex trafficking, etc. Though we often forget to bring much needed attention and awareness to the issues of verbal abuse. […]

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Depilex Smileagain – The saga continues

The below email is from Manzar Mian, former co-director at the Depilex Smile Again.  Place read my post about Depilex Smile Again for background. And here. ————— Depilex Smileagain Foundation (DSF) has sent a legal notice to its main donor and supporter, Clarice Felli, President Smileagain Italia,  accusing her of defaming DSF. Smileagain Italia lent its name […]

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News…

News…

Uncovered 1963 letter warned pope of “problem” priests In a letter to Pope Paul VI written five decades ago, a senior U.S. Catholic priest outlined the “problem of the problem priest” — a letter unearthed at a time when critics are seizing upon Vatican officials for negligence. In the letter, the Rev. Gerald Fitzgerald recommended […]

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Immigrants and the US Census

The United States is a country of immigrants – even more so if they are counted successfully in the current 2010 Census. Extra efforts have been made to reach previously undercounted populations, including those arriving as migrants. One reason that recent immigrants are less likely to participate may be lack of information about the Census, […]

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Roman Catholic Archbishop "sees" logic behind condom use

The influence of the Roman Catholic church is quickly waning throughout most of Europe. Already, for the most part, secular…the recent scandals of sexual abuse…let’s call it what it is – child rape – has further alienated the Vatican from the very ordinary lives of the common citizen. The Church has for the past several […]

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I.C.C. to Move Forward with Prosecution of Kenyan Officials

The I.C.C. decided this week to allow the Office of the Prosecutor to move ahead in pursuing charges against Kenyan leaders. From the Office of the Prosecutor: The judges decided. There will be justice in Kenya. To contribute to the prevention of crimes during the next election we must proceed promptly. We will. There is […]

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