Stories about Human Rights from February, 2012
Colombia: Citizen Journalist Threatened Over Viral Video
Citizen journalist Bladimir Sánchez has already received threats for posting a video showing the forced evictions of farmers and fishermen protesting the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the department of Huila, Colombia. In less than three days, more than 600,000 people have watched it.
Haiti: Students in Sheds
Haiti Grassroots Watch explores the issues surrounding the non-reconstruction of the state university in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.
Barbados: A Woman's Worth
Free Logic is concerned about the tweets from “little girls and ignorant women extolling their love for Chris Brown, in spite of his ‘misdeeds'”, saying: “It made me feel sick inside. That there are women out there who think so little of themselves. For the record, no man will ever...
Iran: Letter from Jailed Blogger Details “Blue Sky of Pain”
Dr. Mehdi Khazali, a jailed Iranian blogger and publisher, wrote a letter this month from prison describing a “blue sky of pain” of his first-hand experience with the injustice of jails in Iran, where prisoners face torture and arbitrary death sentences.
Brazil: Quilombo Community in Bahia About to Be Evicted
One of the oldest slave descendent communities in Brazil, Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, has a date for its eviction: March 4, 2012. The claim for the land comes from the Navy of Brazil, that intends to broaden a condo for its officers in that territory, in the state of Bahia.
Syria: Call to Free Human Rights Detainees
Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi appeals to supporters to exert pressure on the Syrian government to release her colleagues at the Office of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression in Damascus. Ghazzawi herself was among those detained when the centre was raided on February 16. She has since...
Colombia: Impunity, a Documentary About the Victims of the Armed Conflict
In 2011, journalist Hollman Morris and filmmaker Juan José Lozano released the documentary Impunity, an audiovisual tour through the history of armed conflict in Colombia through the voices of victims of armed groups. Due to its theme, Impunity has generated all kinds of opinions, and reactions on the Internet are proof of that.
Brazil: Global Act “We Are All Pinheirinho”
A global act in solidarity with the population expelled from their homes at the Pinheirinho community has been called on Facebook for Thursday, February 23. The idea is to demonstrate in front of Brazilian consulates and embassies all over the world.
Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Month Later
Blogger Giambatista Brito recalls [pt] the one month anniversary of the “Massacre of Pinheirinho“. On the morning of Sunday, January 22, 2012, thousands of families where expelled from their homes with violence by the military police, in the city of são José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Guatemala: Speaking Out on the Genocide of Indigenous Women
The 36 year civil war (1960-1996) that ravaged Guatemala left more than 200,000 people dead and at least 100,000 women raped: most of the victims were Mayan. Finally, the sexual violence perpetrated against Mayan women is being investigated as part of the genocide proceedings taking place in Spanish tribunals.
Lebanon: Distortions to the Domestic Violence Draft Law
Lebanese blogger and Nasawiya activist Nadine posts a translation of Farfahinne's post[Ar] about how the law to protect women from family violence is facing horrible distortions.
Kuwait: Struggle of the Bedoon Takes Root Online
Since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring, that has brought to the forefront the atrocities Arabs face at the hands of their ruling clans, Kuwait's stateless population, which numbers more than 120,000, has been struggling to make its voice heard. Stateless blogger Mona Kareem has taken the struggle online.
China: Tibetan Matches
A satirical cartoon on the self-immolation of Tibetans and the conflict situation in Tibet. By Gianfranco Uber at Cartoon Movement.
Pakistan: Deciphering the Balochistan Issue
A resolution presented by the US congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Balochistan has stirred the political spectrum in Pakistan. Condemnation has come from government and opposition parties in the national assembly. However, Baloch nationalists are complaining about their rights being sabotaged.
Peru: New Racism Incident Ignites Debate on Social Networks
A movie theater in Lima became the scene of a case that public opinion quickly deemed another example of the ongoing problem of racism in Peru: a 13-year-old boy uttered racist insults at a couple who had asked him and his friends, who were kicking up a fuss, to be quiet. The attitude of the boy and what came to pass afterward have let loose numerous online reactions.
Global: Vigils in Solidarity with Tibetans
Since February 2009, 23 Tibetans have self-immolated to protest for a free Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama. In the month of the Tibetan New Year, activists from all over the world are showing their support for Tibetans through protests and prayers.
Bolivia: A Book on the Indigenous March in Defense of the TIPNIS
A book gathering a detailed recount of the indigenous march in defense of the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish) has been published in a digital format. Fundación Tierra [es] edited the book, titled “Indigenous March for the TIPNIS: The Struggle in defense of...
Pakistan: Caution For Social Media Activists
Pakistan Blogzine informs that a notice has been published by a leading Shia activist forum to warn Shia and other human rights activists to be aware of impostors who are reportedly monitoring internet to identify and potentially harm social media activists.
Haiti: Online Reaction to the Duvalier Decision
The investigative magistrate looking into human rights charges against Haiti's ousted dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, recently came to the decision that “the statute of limitations had run out” on those human rights abuses - but apparently not on Duvalier's misappropriation of public funds.
United States: Another Assault on Immigrant Culture
The decision to eliminate the Mexican-American studies program from the curriculum of schools has caused outrage. Yarisa Colón covers several initiatives that have been launched to stop this act of censorship against the culture of immigrants in the United States.
Sri Lanka: Promoting Reconciliation and Hope to Young People
Reconciliation is a much discussed buzzword across Sri Lanka. While there has been much talk about how to do it, a group called Sri Lanka Unites is actually doing something. They are uniting the youth of all ethnic and religious groups across Sri Lanka and promoting hope and reconciliation to them.
