Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category
The Chinese government didn't bully or buy Canada's silence on human rights last week. On his July 16-20 debut visit to China, Foreign Minister John Baird gave it away free.
Since mid-April, the government of Bahrain has urged its citizens to sign pledges of allegiance to the country’s "wise leadership," saying the signatures would be inscribed on a golden sword whose existence would then be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records, in the category of…
Amid preparations for the Libya contact group meeting in Istanbul on Friday, which sought a solution to the conflict in Libya, some states reportedly were-behind the scenes-exploring the possibility of offering Muammar Gaddafi the option of internal exile in exchange for relinquishing all power.
I have been riveted by the anti-austerity protests in Athens, my hometown, and the government’s response. From Paris – my adopted city – I watch the news, follow the tweets, and speak with family and friends.
The Indonesian government has long praised its migrant workers as "economic heroes" for their immense contributions to the economy in their home country.
Strasbourg has ruled that Britain failed to investigate civilian killings in Iraq. This must never happen again.
Kimberley N., a senior manager of a non-profit organization, gave birth to a baby with a life-threatening illness. After years of stellar performance reviews, she received a scathing one immediately after returning from a short maternity leave. Her organization refused to let her reduce her schedule even slightly or to telecommute to make it easier to care for her infant.
Earlier this year, a student in a human rights seminar I was teaching declared her conviction that gay parents damage their children by virtue of being gay. I explained as gently as I could why this is a discriminatory notion, incompatible with human rights standards, and moved on. My student sat as if stunned for two minutes, then gathered her books and left the class.
After six months of violence, almost everyone in Côte d’Ivoire has a horrific story to tell: a loved one killed gruesomely, the memory of being raped, a house burned or pillaged of everything. I have listened to hundreds of these stories, amazed at people’s strength to recount the unthinkable to a stranger as armed conflict continued.
A 13-year-old boy is allegedly tortured to death by security forces on suspicion that he was part of an anti-government protest. His broken body leads to anger and further protests. The government, claiming that the protests are being fuelled by foreign terrorists and that the demonstrations are not peaceful at all, engages in further crackdowns.
The House Judiciary committee plans on Thursday to move forward a bill to create a system of indefinite detention for immigrants in the United States. The bill would allow the government to detain deportable immigrants who can’t be sent home for as long as they live.
The House Judiciary committee plans on Thursday to move forward a bill to create a system of indefinite detention for immigrants in the United States. The bill would allow the government to detain deportable immigrants who can’t be sent home for as long as they live.
The House Judiciary committee plans on Thursday to move forward a bill to create a system of indefinite detention for immigrants in the United States. The bill would allow the government to detain deportable immigrants who can’t be sent home for as long as they live.