Archive for category: Human Rights

Information and stories about human rights.

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Constitutional Protection for Human Rights in Costa Rica

Human Rights in Costa Rica
Human rights in Costa Rica are established and protected by the country’s constitution. In the interest of protecting these rights, the Ombudsman’s Office was established to monitor complaints against government institutions and injustice. The office releases an annual report that evaluates the preservation of each constitutional right. All human rights abuses are covered in the report, along with progress being made to prevent future abuse.

According to the 2016 annual report on human rights in Costa Rica, there were four principal human rights violations. These abuses included overcrowded prisons, sexual orientation and gender identity-based discrimination, infringement on the rights of indigenous people and trafficking of persons.

Listed below are descriptions of each major human rights violation as well as the measures currently in place to minimize these abuses and protect human rights in Costa Rica.

  1. Article 40 of the Costa Rica Constitution states that “no one may be subjected to cruel or degrading treatment.” Under this article, overcrowding in prisons violates a human right. In June 2016, it was reported that prisons were 41 percent over capacity, creating poor conditions for prisoners. These included insufficient space, unsanitary surroundings and a lack of access to health services. To mitigate overcrowding and its resulting consequences, three actions were taken. The Administration permitted prisoners and detainees to file complaints to authorities or to the Ombudsman’s Office. Independent monitoring of prison conditions was permitted to human rights observers, allowing them to independently speak to prisoners and prison employees. And lastly, maintenance and minor repairs of all of Costa Rican prisons are now enforced.
  2. Costa Rica’s constitution states that “all persons are equal before the law and there shall be no discrimination.” However, in 2016, there were multiple cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity reported. The cases included discrimination involving employment, police abuse, education and access to health care services. Some of these issues stem from a lack of legislation regarding gay marriage. Costa Rica does not currently recognize gay marriage, but family courts can grant “common-law marriage.” This law grants all benefits of a traditional marriage but requires the approval of a judge. Thus, in May 2016, government employee regulations were reformed to prohibit sexual orientation and gender-based discrimination.
  3. Costa Rican law protects the reservation of property in indigenous territories. Despite this, about 38 percent of the land is taken by non-indigenous peoples. This has led to land disputes between indigenous and non-indigenous people, in which there were some reported cases of violence. In response, an executive directive was issued to establish a “consultative mechanism” with indigenous people on March 15, 2016. It was announced on April 13, 2016, that the government would lead workshops with indigenous leaders from all 24 territories.
  4. In 2016, human trafficking in Costa Rica was a critical issue, listed as Tier 3 by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. The tier system ranks countries according to how well they are meeting the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards. Costa Rica has since been raised to Tier 2, meaning that it is not meeting the minimum standards, but is making significant efforts to do so. The efforts made were comprised of disbursing funds to key government agencies and providing funds for setting up a second emergency shelter. Costa Rica also identified more victims of trafficking than in 2016 and improved public awareness campaigns. However, there are some standards not yet met. Both prosecution efforts and victim services remain insufficient for the number of victims identified. With improvements in these areas, there is hope that Costa Rica will move from Tier 2 to Tier 1 by 2018.

Costa Rica is among many other constitutional republics that still has room for improvement. Although human rights in Costa Rica seem well-established, abuses of these rights show the importance of continual effort to improve governmental systems.

– Haley Hurtt

Photo: Google

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The Ongoing Problem of Human Rights in Mali

Since 2012, human rights in Mali have been threatened by armed groups, impunity and a lack of national security. While the government has re-established its control, the northern part of the country is occupied by armed groups and uncontrolled by Malian authorities.

To escape the unrest, more than 135,000 Malians have fled to neighboring countries. The U.N. Security Council responded to the insecurity of Malian civilians with an additional 2,500 personnel for The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), maximizing its strength with 13,289 militia and 1,920 police, as well as authorizing French forces to intervene if imminent danger arises. Armed Islamist groups are restricting human rights in Mali by closing schools, cautioning against collaboration with the government and confining villages to their interpretation of Islam.

According to the U.N., insecurity caused 296 out of 2,380 schools to close in Gao, Kidal, Ségou and Timbuktu without alternatives. Kamissa Camara, a researcher specializing in Africa’s Sahel region, doubts that most Malian children have attended school since 2012 with the exception of those near Bamako. The U.N. Peacebuilding Fund has invested $12 million since 2013 to address unemployment, access to justice and education and communal tension.

According to the Human Rights Watch, state security services are improving but “Malian authorities have made no meaningful effort to investigate those implicated in violations.” Without action from the authorities, Malian communities face continual conflict with armed groups and their allegiance to their country.

Armed Islamist groups focus their recruitment campaigns on exploiting community frustrations over poverty and corruption. While they provoke fear in civilians, they also use communities’ vulnerability by filling their lack of governance, including investigating crimes, resolving deadly land disputes and reducing communal violence in certain regions.

Though the government is engaged in counterterrorism operations, perhaps one of the greatest strides it has made is increasing awareness of human rights violations in Mali. In 2016, the government accepted a bill increasing independence for the National Commission for Human Rights and a five-year action plan to strengthen human rights and access to justice.

Strengthening Mali’s rule begins with providing greater security and human rights to its civilians, eliminating armed groups and creating peace where there is conflict.

– Sarah Dunlap

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in the Congo: A War Against Women

Human Rights in the Congo
While guerrilla warfare in the Congo is oft-reported, the veritable war waged against women in the country is much less known. Problems concerning human rights in the Congo span the gamut from corruption to exploitation to sheer brutal violence. Among the most heinous infractions is the tolerance of systemic rape. Below are nine facts about human rights in the Congo:

  1. The most recent statistics from the United Nations Department on Sexual Violence in Conflict reports a grotesque 11,769 cases of sexual assault from January 2014 to January 2015 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  2. Armed groups (such as rebel groups, gangs, government authorities and police forces) commit 69% of all reported sexual assaults. This forces women to either die or continue providing for their families while living with sexual assault trauma.
  3. Government officials and servants perpetrate 31 percent of sexual assaults, illustrating how systemic rape is in the Congo.
  4. Rape victims are slowly earning reparations in the country, but only in the form of exceptionally inadequate payments. For example, only 30 of the 400 victims of the Songo Mboyo mass rape in 2003 received reparations.
  5. Although the Congo ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), approximately 48 women are raped every hour.
  6. The desire to control Congo’s vast natural resources is linked to the systemic rape of women. Rape socially destroys communities and allows neo-colonizers to abduct land from their traditional shepherds.
  7. The CIA World Fact Book reports a 50% literacy rate among women, further complicating victims’ abilities to report sexual assault.
  8. HIV among rape victims is presumably high, though no official statistic on how many women contract HIV from sexual assaults exists. The CIA World Fact Book reports 374,100 people in the country live with HIV. However, sampling is never perfect and the true number of people living with HIV is most likely much higher — as is the proportion of people who contract HIV from rape.
  9. A nationwide survey of 3,436 Congolese women aged 15 to 49 in 2007 found that 22 percent of sexual assaults were issues of domestic violence wherein a family member perpetrated or instigated the sexual assault.

While the statistics paint an exceedingly grim picture, organizations such as Women for Women are working relentlessly to improve human rights in the Congo and improve the living conditions of assault victims and at-risk women. Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who participate in the Women for Women program report higher confidence in their ability to make decisions about their bodies and families, earn a higher living wage and are more likely to report their assaults to an appropriate body of authority.

However, the real issue here is not that women do not know how to handle sexual assault, it is that men–especially those in positions of relative power–systemically carry out sexual assaults. It is paramount that the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the U.N. and every other organization and government body working to improve human rights in the Congo, gets one fact straight: women do not need to be taught how to live in fear, men need to be taught that sexual assault is abhorrent and those who choose to commit such unspeakable acts will be held accountable and punished accordingly.

– Spencer Linford

Photo: Flickr

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Eight Facts About Chattel Slavery

Chattel Slavery
The definition of chattel slavery is a “civil relationship in which one person has absolute power over the life, fortune, and liberty of another.” According to a report issued by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation, 29.8 million people still exist as slaves in the modern world. Among the enslaved, there are forced laborers, forced prostitutes, child soldiers, child brides in forced marriages and those in the servitude of absolute ownership (chattel slaves). Below are eight facts to illustrate the current state of chattel slavery around the world.

Top Chattel Slavery Facts to Know

  1. Countries with the most chattel slavery include the East African countries of Mauritania and Sudan. Within these countries, people can experience being bought and sold as if they were a commodity.
  2. The enslaved are often captured during raids of villages, with girls as young as ten often seen as easy targets. Branding with hot metal objects is a practice often used to prevent escape, while female genital mutilation and castration are frequently imposed punishments to those who try.
  3. Civil strife in Sudan has created a comeback for slavery within the country, as an increasing number of war prisoners face abduction. As government-armed Arab militias loot villages in the southern regions, they have been known to murder the men and take the women and children to be auctioned off and sold as property. According to James Aguir of Sudan’s Committee for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children, “35,000 slaves remain in bondage in Northern Sudan.”
  4. While Mauritania’s government has continually banned slavery, there is little enforcement effort.  Current estimates claim that 20% of the population are slaves to North African Arabs. As slaves, their only purpose is for house and farm labor and sex.
  5. Children of chattel slaves are born the property of their parents master. As Fatma Mint Mamadou was born a slave in Mauritania, she knew of little else. When questioned if she and the other slave girls in her village were raped, she answered, “Of course they would come in the night when they needed to breed us. Is that what you mean by rape?”
  6. About one in ten Haitian children are sold to wealthier families to become “restaveks” or “stay withs” by poor parents who have few other choices. As these impoverished people normally have no other income source, their only chance of survival often comes from selling their children into forced labor conditions resembling those of chattel slavery.
  7. Rich, developed countries have the lowest rates of slavery. In reference to the Walk Free Global Slavery Index, the Washington Post’s Max Fisher wrote that “effective government policies, rule of law, political stability and development levels all make slavery less likely.”
  8. Slavery is driven by extreme poverty, corruption, and discrimination. As Fisher argues, “When society treats women, ethnic groups or religious minorities as less valuable or less worthy of protection, they are more likely to become slaves”.

While slavery continues throughout many developing nations, the need for strengthening those weakened by poverty is undeniable. As trends have shown, investing in the stability of poorer nations and their people will help enable citizens to stand up against the corruption in their own countries, as well as major human rights violations like chattel slavery.

– Kendra Richardson

Photo: Flickr

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Six Important Facts About Human Rights in Afghanistan

Human Rights in Afghanistan
Armed conflict continues between Taliban and government forces, leaving human rights in Afghanistan a ravaged victim to the ongoing violence. The crisis has escalated and become a significant recipient of foreign aid. From displacement, abuse and harsh punishments to humanitarian assistance and defenders of human rights, here are six important facts to know about human rights in Afghanistan.

  1. As of September 30, 2016, the U.N. had documented 8,397 civilian casualties as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. Terrorist groups in the region were responsible for 61% of these deaths, while both official and unofficial government forces were responsible for 23% of civilian casualties.
  2. There were 15 documented incidents of the compromisation of medical treatment facilities in the first half of 2016 alone. Government forces are known to conduct search operations in hospitals and clinics, delay or impede the provision of medical supplies and use health facilities for military purposes.
  3. As of August 2016, Afghan judiciaries had registered more than 3,700 cases of violence against women and girls. Under Shari’a law, the Taliban and other armed groups increased their public punishment of women for so-called “moral crimes.” Punishments included public lashings and executions.
  4. The U.N. Refugee Agency documented 2.6 million Afghan refugees living in the world as of 2016. Ninety-five percent of these refugees now live in Iran and Pakistan where they face discrimination, racial attacks, lack of basic amenities and mass deportation.
  5. Armed groups regularly target active defenders of human rights in Afghanistan. For example, in August 2016, unknown individuals kidnapped, tortured and killed the brother of a local women’s rights activist. They then used the brother’s phone to further threaten the sister into ceasing her human rights work.
  6. According to data from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian aid reached 1.3 million people in the first quarter of 2017.  The current Humanitarian Response Plan in Afghanistan calls for funding of $550.2 million. The program has received 27.2% of that funding so far.

Programs are in place to provide as many Afghan people as possible with the aid they require. However, while such foreign aid response systems are incredibly beneficial, the next crucial step is to take preventative measures against the recurring violations of human rights in Afghanistan.

– Sophie Nunnally

Photo: Flickr

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How Walk Free Foundation is Helping Countries with the Most Slaves


The most recent update to the Global Slavery Index estimates that, in 2016, 45.8 million people were in some form of modern day slavery in the 167 countries surveyed. Of these countries, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan are the countries with the most slaves, holding 58 percent of the worldwide slave population. The Global Slavery Index is a program developed by the Walk Free Foundation, an organization seeking to end modern slavery with a multifaceted method.

The foundation’s strategy includes building an extensive knowledge base through research that can be used to inform action. The Global Slavery Index reports the number of people enslaved around the globe, but it also provides other important data such as the global distribution of slavery. This indicates countries with the most slaves, as well as those with the least, and specific actions governments are taking to respond to slavery within their own borders and abroad.

 

Walk Free Foundation believes that a combination of direct implementation, faith-based grassroots, businesses, academics, NGOs and governments all around the world is needed to eradicate modern slavery for good. By teaming up with this variety of groups and individuals, the foundation can fight at the legislative, commercial and private levels. Attacking the issue from all these angles creates a better chance for ending slavery rather than just relocating the problem.

In August 2017, Walk Free Foundation’s founder Andrew Forrest will attend the Bali Process Government and Business Forum, where CEOs and business leaders will advise government officials on how to prevent and combat modern slavery. Since the majority of modern slaves are held in the private sector working in areas such as manufacturing, construction and agriculture, Walk Free Foundation and Bali Process focus on educating businesses on how to terminate all forms of slavery from their supply chains. The forum in August aims to raise awareness of modern slavery and address ways of action. This will be crucial countries with the most slaves.

– Hannah Kaiser

Photo: Flickr

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Countries That Still Have Slavery

Countries That Still Have Slavery
Although modern slavery is not always easy to recognize, it continues to exist in nearly every country. In total, there are 167 countries that still have slavery and around 46 million slaves today, according to the 2016 Global Slavery Index.

The U.S. Department of State defines modern slavery as “the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.”

India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and North Korea are at the top of the list for countries that still have slavery. Here are some facts about what slavery is like in each of these countries.

The Highest Numbers: 6 Countries That Still Have Slavery

  1. India (18.4 Million) India has the highest number of slaves in the world. Like many other countries, modern slavery in India can take the shape of domestic service, forced begging, commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage and forced recruitment for armed services. Because of India’s growing economy, many modern slaves work in factories that export goods to other countries. Consequently, men, women and children work long hours without proper compensation or even basic rights.
  2. China (3.4 Million) The Chinese government relies on exports of goods and raw materials even more than India. According to a CNN report, people in China are forced into labor across many different industries. The migration of poor families from rural to urban areas in search of jobs often leads to opportunities for traffickers. Although families travel together, many eventually split up. Individuals sell young boys to other families who lack sons, and girls often face sex slavery or forced marriage.
  3. Pakistan (2.1 Million) Modern slavery in Pakistan, like India, centers on debt bondage, or bonded labor. Brick-making employs around 10 million people in Pakistan. Children and families often work 10 hours each day in brick kilns and are denied basic rights or laws to protect them. Without this protection, workers face torture and sexual exploitation.
  4. Bangladesh (1.5 Million) Contemporary slavery in Bangladesh is accounted for through 80 percent forced labor and 20 percent forced marriage, according to the Global Slavery Index. Poverty, natural disasters and government corruption have made Bangladesh the 11th most vulnerable country to slavery within Asia.
  5. Uzbekistan (1.2 Million) The main cash crop of Uzbekistan is cotton. Each fall, when cotton crops are booming, the government forces millions of people out of their jobs to work in the cotton fields. International organizations monitor the process, however, the government still does not compensate these people. They also do not enforce proper safety precautions.
  6. North Korea (1.1 Million) The government of North Korea has done little to criminalize modern slavery. People of all ages are subject to forced labor while their government says they are “living in a socialist paradise.” One in twenty North Koreans is enslaved. Although the country does not have the highest total number of slaves, it does have the highest concentration of forced labor.

While many countries have taken steps toward banning and criminalizing slavery, there is still much to do. Countries that still have slavery are facing many problems that we all must address. “Improving the rights of 45.8 million human beings is both wise and urgent for all leaders of countries and organizations,” said Andrew Forrest, Founder and Chairman of the Walk Free Foundation. “Eradicating slavery makes sense; morally, politically, logically and economically.”

– Madeline Boeding

Photo: Flickr

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3 Organizations That Support North Korean Refugees

Support North Korean Refugees
North Korea’s government is one of the most restrictive in the world. Unpaid labor is forced upon North Korean civilians, independent press and media are banned and the borders are guarded and monitored closely by both North Korean and Chinese guards. Human Rights Watch reports that North Korea contains prison camps holding hundreds of thousands of North Korean citizens of all ages. Conditions there include torture, sexual abuse and, for those accused of serious crimes, public execution. Discussed below are organizations that support North Korean refugees.

Liberty in North Korea

This organization helps North Koreans escape using calculated courses through China and Southeast Asia. To accomplish this, Liberty in North Korea leverages on-ground relationships and donor funding. The organization also has very systematic resettlement programs available to support North Korean refugees including translation, healthcare, integration and counseling services. Additionally, Liberty in North Korea educates, mobilizes and encourages others to support North Korean refugees via events and fundraisers. The organization has a thorough breakdown of how funds are distributed throughout the escape and resettlement process, and it claims that $3,000 will save and resettle one North Korean refugee.

North Korean Freedom Coalition

This organization partners with political leaders to support North Korean victims of human rights violations. It also hosts the annual North Korean Freedom Week, which raises awareness of the North Korean atrocities and gains support for the freedom of North Korean prisoners being unjustly held. This is a collaboration of several public and private members, including several different independent charities.

Helping Hands Korea (HHK)

This is a non-denominational Christian organization that provides food and basic necessities to North Koreans based on the level of support each requires. HHK also assists with the transport of refugees through Asia to safety. Although the spread of Christianity is not the primary goal of HHK, the organization provides each refugee a Bible and a message of hope.

The level of human rights violations in North Korea has not received the amount of attention it deserves, and further education is necessary to address these issues in a rational and effective way. North Korea continues to develop its weapon systems and actively test nuclear weapons and missiles, in violation of U.N. agreements. The U.S. has hinted that it is willing to use force in dealing with North Korea, but a war would cause an astronomical number of casualties, especially in South Korea. While China has increased its pressure on North Korea to denuclearize, it must take a stronger role in abolishing the inhumane treatment of North Korean citizens and support North Korean refugees.

– Emma Tennyson

Photo: Flickr

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The Facts on Breast Ironing

The Practice of Breast Ironing
The practice of breast ironing occurs when the breasts of young girls are pounded with heated objects such as spatulas, hammers and rocks. The aim of the tradition is to halt breast growth in order to slow puberty, and sometimes the practice is done in order to postpone girls’ first sexual relationships. The ritual is mainly carried out by female relatives of the victim. Approximately 3.8 million teenagers are affected by breast ironing worldwide, according to the U.N.

Breast ironing is very popular in the nation of Cameroon. Carole, a victim of the practice there, explains how her mother told her that it was necessary. She claimed it was to keep away men because “‘men mean pregnancy.'” The routine would consist of her mother pressing a hot rock onto each of her breasts several times. It has left Carole with the permanent disfigurement of her breasts, which she describes as “flabby.”

Physical defects are common consequences of this practice. Many maturing girls also face the possibility of breast cancer or difficulty breastfeeding. Mental trauma occurs as well, such as low-self esteem and feelings of betrayal or resentment.

Breast ironing affects about one in four girls in Cameroon, but it is by no means limited to this country in particular. The practice also occurs in the nations of Nigeria, Benin and Chad, according to Newsweek.

Recently, reports revealed that the practice was taking place in some African communities within the U.K. as well. The CAME Women and Girls Development Organisation, a charity campaigning on behalf of breast ironing victims, has claimed that over 1,000 girls in Britain have dealt with the practice.

Fortunately, a number of global charities have increased volunteer work within Cameroon. Sex education is now being stressed as a better means to ending the pregnancies of young girls. By spreading awareness and offering educational services, the practice of breast ironing is already on its way to being stopped.

– Gigi DeLorenzo

Photo: Flickr

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Albert Einstein: The Refugee

Albert_Einstein_refugee
As the author of the theory of special and general relativity, his name stands synonymous with the word “genius.” Changing fundamental ideas about the physical relationship between space, time, and gravitation, Albert Einstein radicalized how humans think about the building blocks of the physical world we live in. His theory of relativity was confirmed in 1919 from further research into solar eclipses. His popularization by the press gained him a quick rise to fame and in 1921, Einstein would receive the Nobel Prize for his related work.

Being himself a German Jew, Einstein cultivated an outspoken political personality and was well known for his pacifist ideals. His work, paired with his political persona triggered negative attention from extreme right-wing groups.

Anti-Semites were determined to publicize his discoveries as “un-German”. The rise of the Nazi party made it more and more difficult for Einstein to work in Germany, so in 1932 when offered a position at Princeton University, he accepted, retaining dual U.S. and Swiss citizenship.

While his theories were still widely taught, he was ultimately accused of treason in 1933 by the Nazi Third Reich; winning the party a partial victory when Einstein’s name could no longer be mentioned in academic circles. Although Einstein was not in Germany at the time, Nazi fanatics still had his property seized and his books were among those burned on the famous May 10, 1933, as a symbol of purging an “un-German” spirit.

He fled to the United States on October 17th of that year, using his fame and financial resources to work vigorously with his wife to obtain U.S. visas for other German Jew refugees. Einstein had haunting mixed feelings about his life in Princeton:

 

“I am privileged by fate to live here in Princeton…In this small university town the chaotic voices of human strife barely penetrate. I am almost ashamed to be living in such peace while all the rest struggle and suffer.”

 

Among many notable others, the legacy of Albert Einstein’s refugee status resulted in the founding of the German Academic Refugee Initiative Fund (DAFI), an organization whose primary objective is to promote self-reliance of refugees through providing professional qualifications for future employment. In addition, DAFI contributes to the development of critical human resources that may be needed in the potential restoration of refugees’ home countries. DAFI also offers a scholarship project; an effective instrument used to attain and maintain self-reliance of refugees when used in the right context. The funds given from the scholarship must be used to aid in the academic studies of eligible refugee recipients.

Thus, Albert Einstein left us not only with mind-blowing new theories in physics, but a key organization telling us that education paves the road out of socioeconomic poverty.

– Kali Faulwetter

Sources: Azer, UNHCR, Jewish Virtual Library, PPU, OFADEC
Photo: Native Pakistan

 

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