Global LGBT Rights

Last year the U.N. declared that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people violates core international human rights laws. This December the Obama administration joined a movement in Europe declaring respect for LGBT rights a consideration in its foreign policy decisions. Despite these supports, activists in Honduras say the situation for gay [...]

January 30th, 2012 | Tags: | Category: Human Rights | Leave a comment

Largest Online Protest in History Derails Anti-piracy Legislation

On January 18, numerous internet giants including Wikipedia, Google, Wired, and Mozilla Firefox censored their homepages in an unprecedented one-day protest of anti-piracy legislation. The protests caused senators to change course in backing the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa), which is currently passing through the House of Representatives, and the Protect IP Act (Pipa), [...]

January 23rd, 2012 | Category: Issue Advocacy | Leave a comment

Human Rights Watching Guantanamo

Human Rights Watch says Guantanamo detainees are currently tried under a flawed system and should instead be transferred to the United States for trial. Some of the findings that support their position include:

Since the September 11, 2011 attacks, 578 terrorism-related cases have been prosecuted in the federal courts, while only 6 cases have [...]

January 17th, 2012 | Tags: , | Category: Human Rights, Social Justice | Leave a comment

From Poverty to Prison – A Child’s Story

In November 2010, a 15 year-old Indonesian boy allegedly stole sandals that had been placed outside of a police boarding house. The police officer who owned the sandals found this child, beat him badly, and then went on to file a suit. The young boy faces up to five years in prison – a [...]

January 9th, 2012 | Category: Human Rights, Public Policy, Social Justice | Leave a comment

Sexual Violence Escalates in Somalia

The conflict, famine and chaos of Somalia have contributed to a rise in rape and sexual abuse incidents targeting Somali women and girls according to victims, aid workers and United Nations officials. The famine has forced hundreds of thousands of women to trek hundreds of miles seeking food, often alone with children, leaving behind [...]

January 3rd, 2012 | Tags: , , | Category: Human Rights | Leave a comment