Cambodia has never been known as a haven for free speech and political dissent, but several recent developments in the country have observers even more concerned about the shrinking space for political expression. Last week, a Cambodian court found an outspoken opposition MP guilty of defamation for filing her own defamation suit against Prime Minister […]
Children’s bodies aren’t like automobiles with the assailant’s fingerprints lingering on the wheel. The world of sexual abuse is quintessentially secret. It is the perfect crime. The following quote by, Beatrix Campbell, a British journalist, is from her book, Unofficial Secrets, ch. 2 (1988). In the book’s introduction, Campbell quotes a police source on the […]
Last Friday the New York Times ran an editorial offering ideas on how to begin serious reforms in New York State government, particularly the New York State Legislature. Leadership challenges in the state senate paralyzed the operations of government at a difficult time in the state’s economic situation (many of the states in the US are suffering in this downturn […]
A film not to miss–FIXER: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi–at the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday, August 12. The film is the story of the relationship between Naqshbandi and one of his clients, American journalist Christian Parenti. It has won critical acclaim, and is a rare inside look at the world of journalists […]
In the face of what appears as Wall Street returning to status quo business as usual, a brief discussion of two recent developments in public attitudes about the precipitators of the current global financial crisis indicating that voters want more aggressive government action in regulating the Titans of Wall Street.
Anyone interested in understanding the history of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and prosecuting war crimes should take a look at the new documentary “The Reckoning.” This film can currently be viewed on-line here [Warning: contains extremely graphic scenes of violence]. The movie explains the court’s history, its foundations in international criminal law that began […]
Moshi is a small town in Tanzania, about an hour drive south of the International Criminal Tribunal in Arusha. But this post is not about the endearing legacy of a genocide, or the incapacity of a court to bring to justice those responsible. Instead, this post is about hope – or at the very least […]
Universities can – and often do – play an important role in advancing the cause of international development (and public diplomacy). One program that works very well is USAID’swork with the organization Higher Education for Development (HED). HED uses USAID funds to create partnerships between US and overseas universities. These partnerships are focused on specific development […]
Morgan Stanley re-pays Federal government +20% annualized return TARP bail-out funds.
We usually only post once a day here at the Human Rights Blog, which means we can only cover so many human rights stories. But to keep you informed, here are some of the other stories that came across my desk this past week. Niger: For the People, By the people . . . Niger’s […]
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a gutsy mission in Africa. Eliza Griswold, a fellow at the New American Foundation, writes, “It is idealistic to think that Clinton’s visit might turn America’s eye more sharply on Africa. But it is also possible. Six months ago, it was utter lunacy to think that someone […]
The NYTimes published an article today detailing a set of energy deals concluded between Russia and Turkey in Ankara, with Prime Ministers Putin and Erdogan present. The deal was with Russian energy giant Gazprom, allowing state-owned Gazprom access to Turkish territorial waters, a benefit Russian czars and party chairmen since Peter the Great (pictured above […]
The Washington Post ran an article yesterday about how the continued lack of a USAID Administrator is making it difficult to define the role development in the new administration, especially as Congress looks to reform the agency and Hillary Clinton is beginning her Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. What is making this post so difficult […]
Yesterday’s interview on WITF Radio’s “Smart Talk” about the repercussions and implications of Bill Clinton’s visit to North Korea was a fascinating conversation. The show was hosted by Craig Cohen, and we were joined by John Park, Sr. Research Associate at the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The […]
The Wall Street Journal is reporting, based on unnamed sources, that the Obama administration’s top regulators are resisting the ‘New Financial Foundations’ regulatory reform plan written and proposed by U.S. Treasury Timothy A. Geithner, and the President’s White House Economic Advisor, Lawrence Summers. In attendance were Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. […]