Archive for category: Human Rights

Information and stories about human rights.

Human Rights Violations in Uganda

Human Rights Violations in UgandaUganda has undergone notoriously gruesome human rights violations. From the terror of the Lord’s Resistance Army to government discrimination against LGBTI groups, the human rights violations Ugandans have experienced have been treacherous. The recent election caused turmoil for Ugandans as many claim the process was neither impartial nor free as it should have been.

President Yoweri Museveni was elected for yet another five-year term in February 2016, putting him in power for at least the next 30 years. The election process was claimed to have been obstructed by removing the freedoms of expression, assembly and association of citizens. Violations of these freedoms were carried out by security forces.

Government officials and police repeatedly tried to keep journalists and media outlets out of commission by using physical force or by shutting down entire operations. For example, soldiers from the special forces stopped a local television station from covering some campaign meetings of the opposing candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Furthermore, the Uganda Communications Commission blocked social media sites on election day for what they said was “national security reasons.” These violations prevented the flow of information and obstructed citizens’ rights to obtain valuable information.

The police repeatedly interrupted campaign rallies for Besigye by using force against protesters and even arresting Besigye himself, detaining him before releasing him with no charges laid. Police even opened fire on FDC supporters in Kampala, killing one and injuring many others. Throughout the election process, the police targeted FDC supporters and anyone associated with Besigye’s campaign.

Although non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are allowed in the country, they are not given an easy pass. The NGO Act, which went into effect in March of 2016, vaguely presents its policy, leaving room for interpretation as to how it can be applied. Several NGO offices were broken into last year and thieves took computers, internet servers, projectors and more. Although a committee was formed to investigate, no progress on the case has been made.

These human rights violations in Uganda should be a concern for the country, the continent of Africa, and the world. They showcase just how far people can go in mistreating those who disagree with or challenge them. Hopefully with time and continued help from NGOs, human rights violations can be significantly reduced in the country of Uganda.

– Emily Arnold

Photo: Flickr

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Biram Dah Abeid, the Man Fighting Slavery in Mauritania

Slavery in Mauritania
On an April afternoon in 2012, Biram Dah Abeid held up books of Islamic legal interpretations. A large crowd in front of him watched as he dropped the books into a large box and set them on fire. As the books disintegrated, a tiny part of the legacy of slavery in Mauritania seemed to turn to ash along with them.

The books that Biram Dah Abeid burned contained interpretations of Islamic law that justified slavery. In the North African country of Mauritania, an estimated four percent of the population is currently enslaved.

The origins of slavery in Mauritania are complex. Over 2,000 years ago, Arab slave traders began capturing and enslaving dark-skinned people in the region. Now, slaves in Mauritania are called Haratines. Their owners are light-skinned and are called White Moors.

Slavery in Mauritania was officially banned by the Mauritanian constitution in 1981, but the government made no effort to enforce this. Because large swaths of Mauritania are rural and spread out, many White Moors continued to own slaves. The government did virtually nothing to stop them. Finally, in 2007, Mauritania passed a law making owning slaves a criminal offense. However, as of 2017, only three slave owners have been prosecuted. One of the owners was let out months after his arrest. The other two were sentenced to only a year in prison.

Biram Dah Abeid is fighting against this. In 2008, he started an organization called the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA). The IRA rescues enslaved Mauritanians and engages in large, nonviolent protests to publicize their cause. But Abeid’s protest does not come without cost. In recent years, the Mauritanian government cracked down on IRA activists. After the book burning incident, the President called for Abeid’s execution. Abeid was eventually arrested and detained for months. Three years later, he was arrested again for simply being a member of the IRA. According to the government, it was an “unauthorized organization.” He spent nearly two years in prison before being released.

Being an abolitionist in Mauritania is difficult. Slavery is incredibly entrenched in Mauritanian culture. Most slaves have no concept of who they are, outside of being slaves. And, on top of that, forty-four percent of Mauritanians are impoverished. No matter how much their masters dehumanize them, slaves are hard-pressed to imagine better alternatives. So, for the IRA, ending slavery in Mauritania is not really about removing physical chains. It’s about constructing a new culture—one that doesn’t have slavery as a foundation.

International organizations are now taking note of the vital work the IRA and Biram Dah Abeid are doing. In 2013, Abeid received the U.N. Human Rights Prize. In 2016, he was awarded the Trafficking in Persons Report Heroes Awards.

Ending slavery in Mauritania will be a lengthy process. Changing the mindset of an entire nation does not happen overnight. But the voices of people like Biram Dah Abeid are impossible to drown out. Abeid’s vision is inescapably expansive—in 2019, he plans to run for the Mauritanian presidency. His message is clear: Mauritania needs to become the type of place where anyone can do anything, regardless of how dark their skin is.

– Adesuwa Agbonile

Photo: Flickr

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No Education for Canada’s Indigenous Population

Canada's Indigenous PopulationThroughout Canada’s history, the Indigenous peoples of the territories have faced extreme racism, colonialism, hatred and violence. Canada’s Indigenous population has been so negatively represented throughout society, and resources that others take as basic rights have been unavailable to Indigenous peoples.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada’s territories fall far behind the national average on several measures of equity and social cohesion. Indicators of their low averages include poverty, crime rates and income distribution.

The problems that Canada’s indigenous population faces stem from the lack of proper education offered to these individuals. According to Markets Insider, improvements need to be made in education accessibility as well as access to healthcare in order for social outcomes to improve for Indigenous peoples.

Because of the territories’ isolated geographic location, education and social service attainment for Indigenous people are very low, and infrastructure gaps create low social outcomes.

Canadian leaders are working to improve educational outcomes and access to healthcare by implementing policies that protect and support Canada’s Indigenous population. Cultural measures are also being taken to improve emotional, social and material support in areas that are more secluded.

People are pushing to improve these conditions for Canada’s Indigenous population at the educational level, including Maggie MacDonnell, winner of the Global Teacher Prize in March 2017.

MacDonnell grew up in Nova Scotia and witnessed racism and hatred toward Indigenous people throughout her childhood. By viewing injustice toward Indigenous people at such a young age, MacDonnell made it her goal to work in support of her Indigenous students at Ikusik School located in an Inuit village in Northern Quebec.

Because Indigenous peoples have been oppressed for much of Canada’s history, it is important for people like MacDonnell to stand up for their right to a quality education. Education systems like that of Ikusik School are a great benefit to improving the future of Canada’s Indigenous population.

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau acknowledged MacDonnell’s work and the necessity to improve education for Indigenous students. “As a society, we must acknowledge past mistakes,” Trudeau remarked as he highlighted the victims of Indigenous oppression at Canada 150—the 150th anniversary of the country.

Without proper education, Canada’s Indigenous population will be unable to meet the national average in areas including equity and social cohesion. Breaking away from the habitual oppression that has been inflicted on Canadian Indigenous peoples is a tough task, but with the efforts of Trudeau, Canadian leaders and passionate teachers like MacDonnell, it is becoming more feasible for the future.

– Kassidy

Photo: Google

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Human Rights in Norway

Human Rights in Norway

Norway is a small Scandinavian country with a population of approximately 4.9 million. It is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, and a range of political parties operate freely there.

Recent reports on human rights in Norway show it is one of the best countries for political, civil and individual rights except a few minor, worrying trends in immigration and the rights of religious minorities. “Norway has ranked first on the UN Development Program’s Human Development Index for 12 of the last 15 years, and it consistently tops international comparisons in such areas as democracy, civil and political rights, and freedom of expression and the press.”

Below is a breakdown of characteristic details of human rights in Norway in the past couple of years.

Political pluralism: Norway’s Constitution promotes political pluralism and guarantees it in practice. All political parties from a range of ideological backgrounds participate freely in elections. The country’s political freedom is such that the indigenous Sami population, “the only group in Scandinavia recognized as an indigenous people by international conventions,” has its own legislature, the Sameting, which works to protect the language and political, cultural and economic rights of the group.

Press freedom: Freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed and protected in public life. The government subsidizes the majority of newspapers, although private and partisan, in an effort to promote political pluralism and democracy. Citizens’ digital rights are respected. Internet access is free and unimpeded. There is respect for academic freedom, and private discussions are free and vibrant.

The freedom of belief: The freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed and respected in practice. Norway is a secular country where the church and the state were separated by a 2012 constitutional amendment. All religious beliefs enjoy freedom, but lately, there is seemingly a rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim violence and harassment.

In 2015, a new special police unit in Oslo – founded to strengthen efforts against hate crimes – reviewed 143 crimes, roughly double the number reviewed in 2014. “In June of this year, Norway became the first Nordic country to propose a ban on the burqa -full face and body covering- in kindergartens, schools and universities.”

Although according to the Huffington Post “very very few” of three percent of Norway’s Muslim population, or roughly 150,000 individuals, wear a niqab – the veil that covers the face, showing only the eyes – it still is a matter of civilian liberty and has to be dealt with accordingly. In August 2015, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination criticized the country for lack of a comprehensive approach to halt these crimes, as it scars the overall picture of human rights in Norway.

Associational/organizational rights: The Norwegian constitution guarantees the rights to assembly and protest. In 2015, following a terrorist attack on a synagogue, hundreds of Norwegians made a “ring of peace” around an Oslo Synagogue to show solidarity with the Jewish community. The right to assembly and strike is guaranteed to labor organizations/unions and workers except for senior civil servants and the military.

Immigration: Like many other European countries, Norway has seen a surge in the immigration in recent years as it has increased fivefold since the 1970s. “In 2015, Norway received asylum applications from 31,000 people, primarily from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan; this was a significant increase from the 11,000 applications received in 2014.” The country is witnessing the rise of anti-immigration right-wing politics. Consequently, the controversial practice of refoulment, which the international law forbids, continued in 2015, affecting more than 1,000 people.

Prisoners’ rights: Norway is known globally for its radical humaneness toward prisoners. The incarceration rate is among the lowest in the world at 75 persons per 100,000. In the U.S., it is 10 times higher. There is no death penalty nor lifetime imprisonment, and the maximum sentence for most crimes is 21 years. Norway’s recidivism rate of 20 percent is one of the lowest in the world. However, the country’s capacity has not been sufficient with more than 1,000 prisoners waiting to serve their sentences in recent years.

Individual rights: Norway is also one of the best countries for personal autonomy. Citizens from the European Union do not need a permit to work in Norway. The Gender Equality Act provides equal rights for both men and women. Conscription in armed forces is gender-neutral according to a law that took effect in 2015. In 2013, women won 40 percent of seats in parliament. A gender-neutral marriage act passed in 2009 granted Norwegian same-sex couples identical rights as opposite-sex couples, including in adoption and assisted pregnancies.

Given its credible record in the past, it is very likely that the strong presence of NGOs and civil society networks with the cooperation of government, will strengthen efforts to redress discriminatory practices because they are a threat to pluralism and the positive image of human rights in Norway.

– Aslam Kakar

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Iran

How To Help People In IranAlthough Iran is both the second-largest economy and the second-most populous nation in the Middle East with all indicators pointing towards continued growth, the citizens of Iran still face a lot of oppression and human rights violations. Already this year there have been two public hangings, torturing of prisoners, discrimination against minorities, and the lack of important rights for women. Here are a few ideas for how to help people in Iran:

  • Supporting the Center for Human Rights in Iran, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group based out of New York, in their bid to protect the rights of Iranians. The organization has letter-writing campaigns lobbying the 6,000 plus worldwide government officials it reaches to get involved in Iranian human rights. It also produces daily social media content on human rights in Iran that it hopes to have shared across social media.
  • The National Iranian American Council is a nonprofit Washington D.C. organization that seeks to promote the voices of Iranian Americans, and to foster a better relationship between Iran and America through education and increased dialogue. The group provides plenty of material to familiarize oneself with issues affecting Iranians both in America and in Iran. The organization also accepts contributions to aid them in combating human rights abuses in Iran.
  • Educating oneself on the various issues in Iran, particularly those surrounding human rights and poverty, to be able to take an informed stance.
  • Sharing news and facts about the plight of the Iranian people can be another effective way of how to help in Iran, as it helps build awareness and public sympathy.
  • Donating or volunteering with organizations like the U.N. that have programs dedicated to helping countries develop, such as the U.N.’s Educate A Child (EAC) program. The EAC program, implemented in 2012, has given over 700,000 children in Iran and other countries in the Middle East and Africa access to schooling they would not otherwise have had.

The Takeaway:

Although the U.S. and Iran have never had the best of relations, the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed onto has helped pave the way to improving relations between the two nations. Even so, the U.S. has maintained sanctions on Iran due to its continued human rights abuses and funding of terrorist organizations. TIME magazine reports that this action is beginning to have an impact.

Though knowing how to help in Iran can be a tricky task, writing to members of Congress and encouraging them to favor the retention of these sanctions and applying pressure to reform their laws, can help have an impact on U.S. policy and potentially help put a stop to human rights violations in Iran.

– Erik Halberg
Photo: Flickr

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Threats to Human Rights in Armenia

Human Rights in ArmeniaHuman rights is an internationally discussed topic, with the issues spanning from free speech to the rights of detained suspects. International councils have long harbored an interest in building alliances to eradicate violations of human rights in as many nations as possible. Human rights in Armenia are of special interest now. In June 2017, a human rights defender, Artur Sakunts, received death threats.

Sakunts is the director of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office (HCA-Vanazdor). HCA-Vanazdor is a high-profile defender of human rights in Armenia. Sakunts received a highly specific death threat via Facebook, which illustrates that the issue of human rights is hotly debated in Armenia. The Armenian government’s record with respect to human rights is somewhat uneven. In 2008, the government pledged to combat violence against women. However, no legislation was passed since. For example, there is no law criminalizing domestic violence.

LGBTQ populations also do not have anti-discrimination protection or legal protection against hate speech. The lack of legislation makes it difficult for women and LGBTQ groups to find a legal solution to advocate for their rights. Peaceful protesters are sometimes met with excessive force and with ill treatment in custody.

Founding Parliament, a radical group opposed to the government, seized a police station in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, killing a policeman and taking several others hostage on July 17, 2016. The gunmen eventually surrendered on July 31. Yet the seizure of the police station proved to be a catalyst for protest movement against the government.

In late July, peaceful protesters were showing their support for Founding Parliament in the same neighborhood of the seized police station. Without warning the protesters, police fired stun grenades into the crowd. The protesters sustained first and second-degree burns and fragmentation wounds. Other protesters were beaten with clubs.

Journalists covering the protest were warned by the police, but some journalists suffered the after-effects of stun grenades fired specifically at them. Protest leaders and participants were detained, with the authorities citing criminal charges leveled against them. Detainees were held up to 12 hours without documentation. Authorities relied primarily on police testimony to press criminal charges. Detainees were also denied access to lawyers and were not permitted to inform relatives about their detentions.

The explosive events of July 2016 demonstrate the palpable tensions between Armenian citizens and the government.  Fortunately, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch continue to report violations of human rights in Armenia. Generating awareness for human rights issues can pave a path towards finding legal, political and more permanent solutions for such human rights violations.

– Smriti Krishnan

Photo: Pixabay

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Human Rights in Liberia & Solutions

Human Rights in LiberiaOn March 14, 2017, on behalf of the European Union, the launch of a three-year “Land Rights for Liberia” project has brought new hope for the final passing of the Lands Rights Act. This would secure ownership of land to the community, as well as increase human rights in Liberia.

The Land Rights Act (LRA) is currently under review and debate in the National Legislature. However, the European Union, through the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Welthungerhilfe (WHH), is pressing for the adoption of the Act before it goes on recess by August 30.

According to the World Bank, 1.6 million hectares of Liberian land (the equivalent of 2 million football fields) has been sold or leased to commercial investors. These investors are interested in the land mostly for palm oil plantations, mines and timber concessions.

Consequently, this leaves more than two-thirds of Liberia’s land under customary tenure, with little or no consultation with those directly affected. Hundreds of thousands of people in Liberia have died through civil wars and violence caused by land disputes.

 

Human Rights in Liberia & Land Rights

 

Although the president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has supported the act, the government has continued to grant concession of the land to various investors. Ali Kaba, of the Sustainable Development Institute, stated, “Land grabs in Liberia have effectively turned citizens into refugees in their own country…We cannot continue on in a state where people’s homes and farms can be sold out from under them without their knowledge or consent, and where those who resist face violence.”

Despite the disputes of the past, the launch of the “Land Rights for Liberia” project promotes newfound momentum in order to get the act passed and secure further human rights in Liberia, especially for those living in rural communities.

The act would legally recognize those rights of the community to Liberia’s “customary land,” and the people would be able to reclaim the land they have lived and worked on for generations.

The passing of the Land Rights Act would also improve human rights in Liberia. It would reduce discrimination against women and other vulnerable groups who were unable to own land.

As Amina Bello, the Project Manager of CAFOD said, “The passage of Liberia’s land rights Act will increase women’s decision making power and improve family livelihoods…such women empowerment will further contribute to the eradication of poverty.”

With the passage of the Land Rights Act, farmers will be able to focus on sustainable food as well as nutrition security. As a result, food production will increase and can better support the growing Liberian population.

The”Land Rights for Liberia” project has placed added pressure on the passage of the Land Rights Act, which is necessary in order to secure various improvements for human rights in Liberia. It will rightfully return the land to the people.

– Kendra Richardson

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Human Rights in Cyprus

Human Rights in Cyprus
The Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus is a complex modern-day geopolitical concern with factional strife ongoing since the second half of the last century. Recently, human rights in Cyprus has become a more significant issue. Here are 10 facts that explain how the country evolved to its present situation and what is being done to combat its human rights issues today.

  1. Cyprus is one country with two de facto autonomous regions. The southern half of Cyprus is governed by the internationally recognized Cypriot government, and the northern half is governed by the Turkish-Cypriot community.
  2. A violent separation occurred in 1974. The United Nations currently has a peacekeeping force maintaining a buffer zone between the two regions.
  3. Peace talks between the two sides occurred as recently as July 2017 but failed to make any substantial progress. A main issue of contention is the presence of Turkish troops on the northern side of the island.
  4. While the presence of a foreign military is certainly a worry to the international human rights community, human rights issues are present in other areas of Cyprus. A State Department report found that Cypriot police were using physical abuse, particularly toward foreigners and migrants. There were also reports of the police blackmailing illegal migrants.
  5. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed concern in a report about the recent rise of right-wing extremist groups in Cyprus. CERD also criticized the Cypriot government for ineffectively handling hate speech in the media.
  6. As migrant rights become more prevalent in discussions of human rights in Cyprus, CERD is urging Cyprus to ratify the Convention for the protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
  7. CERD further encouraged the Cypriot government to ensure human rights for domestic workers. Currently, migrant domestic workers cannot hold long-term residence status in Cyprus.
  8. Due to the increasing diversity in Cyprus, the nongovernmental organization Kisa was created in 1998. Kisa works to promote multiculturalism and end racism, xenophobia and discrimination in Cyprus.
  9. Kisa has had great success in promoting its vision through litigation and campaigns. However, a 2010 Kisa peace festival was disrupted by right-wing protestors who injured festival participants. The police arrested festival attendees.
  10. Current problems of human rights in Cyprus may be exacerbated by the recent finding that 244,000 Cypriots are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. That amounts to almost one-third of Cyprus’ population.

Human rights in Cyprus is a complicated issue. Nevertheless, the international community and groups in Cyprus remain committed to finding a peaceful solution to the issues that are present on the island.

– Sean Newhouse

Photo: Flickr

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Historic Abuses of Human Rights in Chile

Human Rights in Chile
During the period of 1973 to 1990, Chile was occupied by a military rule under Augusto Pinochet. In these two decades, General Manuel Contreras, who commanded Pinochet’s secret police, was responsible for an alarming number of violations of human rights in Chile.

It seems many of Chile’s current human rights issues derive from this era, as the Constitution adopted during the military government under General Pinochet made provisions outside of international human rights law. Between April and August 2016, the Chilean government began a consultation process open to all citizens as the first step toward drafting and adopting a new Constitution. The process is ongoing.

It was reported in March 2015 by the chief justice of Chile that 1,056 cases of human rights violations from the previous military rule were under investigation. A tenth of the cases were for torture, and other cases included killings and enforced disappearances. For example, in 1986, during a street protest, two teenagers were set on fire, killing one and maiming the other for life. Soldiers were forced under duress to testify that the students accidentally burned themselves with their own Molotov cocktail. It was revealed in 2014 that a patrol commander ordered soldiers to douse the students in gasoline and set them on fire.

Torture in the period of Contreras is not the only violation of human rights in Chile. Currently, torture is a common problem for detainees. Additionally, detainees are placed into overcrowded prisons where they often face repeated torture and violence.  More than 2,000 inmates were surveyed in 2013 by a Chilean prison service, and it was noted that more than 30% claimed to have suffered violence from prison guards and over 20 percent claimed to have been tortured. Chile’s current criminal code does not ban or address torture in any form.

Another issue present under the current constitution comes from the power that military courts possess over the legal process. For abuses committed by the Carabineros, the uniformed police, military courts usually hold the cases. Under the military courts, criminal proceedings lack independence and due process guaranteed under normal criminal proceedings; the investigations are held in secret, usually only conducted in writing; and most of the time lawyers cannot cross-examine witnesses.

While there are still many steps Chile needs to take in addressing both its past and ongoing human rights violations, it has recognized these as problems and is making progress towards prosecuting human rights offenders and ensuring this is a part of its history never to be repeated. Hopefully, after a new constitution is drafted, Chile can look away from its dark past and towards a better future.

– James Hardison

Photo: Flickr

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Spotlight on Human Rights in Brazil

Human Rights in Brazil
As the most recent host of the summer Olympic Games, Brazil is strikingly diametric to the glamor and leisure of them. With a focus on human rights in Brazil, the country has many problems that it cannot hide despite hosting the Olympics.

A few notable human rights violations in Brazil in 2016 include police abuses and extrajudicial killings — notably more often in disenfranchised areas (favelas) and during peaceful protests — violent and overcrowded prisons and the targeting of human rights defenders.

During the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, many peaceful protests occurred across the country for education reform and against the presence of the Olympics. Police responses to protests of this sort were frequently violent and generally led to excessive use of force. For example, to protest the current education reform, students across the country peacefully occupied more than 1,000 public schools. Police used excessive force to remove students from the schools, shooting stun grenades at students. One student lost sight in her left eye because of the grenade’s explosion.

Other police abuses come from both on and off-duty police officers. In 2015, police officers killed 3,345 people, leading to cyclical violence in crime-infested areas. This undermines public security and endangers the police officers as well. In 2015, 393 police officers perished in the backlash.

Of all the violations of human rights in Brazil, overcrowded prisons are the most significant. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of imprisoned adults increased an alarming 85%. About 622,000 people total are incarcerated in prisons designed to hold 67% less than that or a total of 205,000 people. The increase of inmates in Brazil is attributed to a 2006 drug law that allowed drug users to be charged as drug traffickers. Luckily, in 2014, judges began to see detainees promptly after their arrest (required by international law), and this mitigates the rate of inmates entering prison.

Speaking out against violations of human rights in Brazil is a dangerous but necessary duty. There was a general increase from 2015 to 2016 of attacks, threats and killings of human rights defenders. Ranging from lawyers to laborers, 47 human rights defenders of all sorts have been killed.

Human rights violations do not define Brazil as a nation; there are many human rights virtues. For example, the country passed a “Digital Bill of Rights” protecting the privacy and free expression rights online. A co-led initiative in the United Nations to create a new U.N. special rapporteur on the right to privacy accompanied the bill. Keeping the last few years in mind, there is hope for the bettering of human rights in Brazil.

– James Hardison

Photo: Flickr