· October, 2012

Stories about Human Rights from October, 2012

Pakistan: Developing Viewpoints on Malala Yousufzai

  19 October 2012

Malala Yosufzai, the female education activist who was shot by Taliban, has become a symbol for an enlightened and moderate Pakistan. Her name is being eulogized in prose and poetry in her homeland and beyond. However, an Anti-Malala Syndrome has also developed simultaneously.

Libya: Bani Walid under violent siege

  19 October 2012

Almost one year after Muammar Gaddafi's death, his former stronghold and heart of the Warfalla tribe, the town of Bani Walid, seems about to fall under the attacks of the Lybian army. Some sources [it] define its two week bloody siege as a ‘small genocide’. The operation is lead by...

India: Conflict Over Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Continues

  19 October 2012

The Atomic Power Project in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has started operations last month but protests continued and arrests are still being made and protesters remain in jail. This week also marks a call for a fortnight of protests across India in solidarity with people’s struggle against the Nuclear Plant.

Radio Campaign to Protect Colombian Human Rights Defenders

  18 October 2012

Front Line Defenders has joined Colombian social movement ‘MOVICE‘ [es] (National Movement of Victims of State Crimes) in a campaign to develop a series of 6 radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to “encourage public opinion in Colombia to support greater protection for [human rights defenders].”

Vietnam: Cost of Rescuing Trafficked Children

  18 October 2012

It's definitely worth stopping to count the cost of rescuing trafficked girls and boys. When we do so, we see that the cost of NOT rescuing them is even higher. Blue Dragon explains the value of helping trafficked children in Vietnam.

Turkey: Hundreds of Kurdish Political Prisoners go on Hunger Strike

  17 October 2012

Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have entered an indefinite hunger strike, challenging Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners. Through their protest, some are demanding re-trials and language rights while others want to raise international attention about Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners. Despite their hunger strike, which is nearing six weeks, international media outlets have largely remained silent.

The Stateless People of Egypt

  16 October 2012

Stateless people are those who do not have a nationality. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are up to 12 million stateless people in the world. Ahmed Awadalla introduces us to some of the stateless people of Egypt in this post.

Greece: Theater Critic Assaulted by Neo-Nazi and Religious Protesters

  14 October 2012

Religious groups and neo-nazis protested against gay-themed play Corpus Christi in Athens on 11 October, 2012. Deeming it blasphemous, they assaulted a theater critic and forced the cancellation of the performance. Netizens reacted in shocked outrage, demanding an end to the unchecked spiral of violence perpetrated by neo-nazis in recent months.

Saudi Arabia: Women2Drive Steps Up Tone; Blames Government Policies

  14 October 2012

Women2Drive, later renamed Right2Dignity, has been campaigning for lifting the ban on women's right to drive by calling for days in which women get behind the wheel and supporting lawsuits against the Interior Ministry for refusing to grant women driving licenses. Now they are blaming the government for the ban, saying that if the Saudi monarchy wanted to lift it, it would have done so earlier.

Sri Lanka: The Future In The Hand Of Young Leaders

  13 October 2012

Sri Lanka Unites (SLU) is a youth reconciliation movement led by a team of young professionals drawn from different ethnicities and religions in Sri Lanka who are working towards reconciliation, peace, change and are kindling hope. It is organizing workshops, leadership conferences and school tours across the country.

Zambian Watchdog Website in Jeopardy

  12 October 2012

The government of Zambia has threatened to de-register the online investigative site, Zambian Watchdog. In May 2012, the Watchdog reported that its website was a target of a sustained attack allegedly by the government after visitors to the site were met with “page not available.”