There is an image that strikes me. In September of 2007, a Japanese reporter is lying on the ground. He has just been shot at close range and yet with the little life force still in him, he continues to film the brutality of a regime bent on destroying a movement for democracy. His body is finally […]
Bound to tradition, some families, communities and leader’s around the globe, hold steadfast to the practice of child marriage. One in seven girls in developing countries, with the exception of China, is married before their 15th birthday. The practice of child marriages is more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, however child marriage continues […]
In Iraq, a story of rape, shame and ‘honor killing’ A woman who was raped and impregnated by a high-ranking guard while held in prison in Iraq was shot dead by her brother. The brother reportedly killed his sister to spare himself and his family the shame of an unplanned pregnancy. Some in the prison […]
This Blog is also posted in the FPA Latin America Blog. Europe and the United States had often inherited many benefits from economic growth in the pre-2008 era. One of those consequences, especially for those countries on the border or across the sea from developing nations is legal and illegal migration into their economies. Due […]
The recent release of the Bybee memos outlining Bush-era justification for the use of harsh interrogation techniques raises the issue of legal consequences for former White House officials, not to mention the effectiveness of torture as a method of intelligence gathering. U.S. President Barack Obama last week said the White House would not pursue legal […]
“Children need systems that are inclusive and driven by them, systems that will enable them to respond to their feelings and needs at any time.” – Jeroo Billimoria, Executive Director of Child Helpline International & Child Savings International Children and young adults are the future, and to ensure that the future we are giving, or […]
Today in 1915 signaled the beginning of a tragic event that would forever haunt human history. We, as individuals, as a collective society in this smaller and smaller world, should never forget the massacre of the Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman gendarmes. In the wake of all the spilled blood, lay the remains […]
Today, we’re launching a new monthly feature called “On Our Bookshelves.” As the mysterious title suggests, it will feature our random thoughts on books that we’ve read, are currently reading or would like to read right after we finish reading all those other books we haven’t read. Enjoy, and please share your recommendations! Larissa Douglass […]
As Earth Day Celebrations wind down, many are left inspired and thinking of new ways to ‘go green’, others find themselves questioning if globally we are doing enough? The answer is, no! As climate change related disasters seem to be only increasing, world leaders are also left shaking their heads.. According to a new report […]
The first ever EU-wide survey on racism has revealed what most of us already knew. Racism is endemic and minority groups are the targets of violence, discrimination, and harassment. It’s a sad testimony for a continent that prides itself on the values of enlightenment. Published by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights , the report compiled […]
Today, April 22nd, marks Earth Day 2009, the day also launches The Green Generation Campaign, for which is based on three main points; A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal. An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption. Creation of a new green economy that […]
A website has been launched to help push for the release of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who has been sentenced in Iran to eight years in prison on charges for spying for the United States. I don’t think I can add anything to the many articles that have already been written about the case. I […]
The Kung-Fu hero, the drunken monkey king, and karaoke master has some disturbing ideas on democracy. I won’t go into any detail. It’s just too absurd to take seriously. But for the fans out there – enjoy this little article from the Taipei Times. Jackie Chan: Friend of repression
Today is Yom HaShoah, the Jewish holiday commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. It’s particularly appropriate to take a moment to remember those victims this year; the day before Yom HaShoah, a UN Conference allowed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to deliver an address vehemently critical of Israel and which, in its original draft, referred to the Holocaust […]
Slumdog Millionaire has been the media buzz again today, but this time the hype isn’t over the film or the portrayal of life in India’s slums, but of allegations of the trafficking of one of the films child stars. At the center of all the hype was 9 year-old, Rubina Ali, as stories flooded across […]