Stories about Human Rights from January, 2011
Israel/Palestine: Reacting to the Palestine Papers
Today, Al Jazeera English released the first of more than 1,600 internal documents from a decade of the Israel-Palestine Peace Process, dubbed the “Palestine Papers.” The papers released today make public a number of secret negotiations between Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat and the Israelis, including what Al Jazeera called...
Kenya: Notes from the ICC demonstration
Moreen's notes from a demonstration organised by Kenyans supporting The International Criminal Court: “Chantingand weaving their way round Freedom Corner carrying placards and wearing t-shirts with slogans like ‘Yes to the ICC’ ‘Defending Suspects Not with my Money’ ‘Yes to the ICC! No to Impunity!’”
Arab World: Racism and the Slave's Head Candy Controversy
Are we - Arabs - racist? It's really hard to tell. Some might argue that racism is against our religion, and that people are never discriminated against because of their skin colour. On the other hand, other tiny aspects of our lives might prove that we are. It seems to be normal, for instance, to make fun of black people [Ar] in the cinema, and even call a candy “The Slave's Head” because of its colour.
China: Falun Gong Tiananmen immolation incident ten years on
Following up discussions over why China sees so many acts of self-immolation but none of the response seen in Tunisia, Stainless Steel Mouse notes [zh] that ten years have passed since five Falun Gong protesters led a deadly protest in Tiananmen Square: ‘it didn't lead to a Falun Gong uprising,...
Azerbaijan: Bloggers remember Hrant Dink four years on
Wednesday marked the fourth anniversary of the murder in Istanbul of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist, editor, and human rights activist who advocated for reconciliation and friendship between nations, and especially estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey. This year, however, the anniversary was also unexpectedly marked by many bloggers from Azerbaijan.
Brazil: Thousands on the street against price increase of the bus tickets
Panópticosp posts a series of photos [pt] in the Brazilian Independent Media Center from the manifestation against the price increase of the bus tickets. On January 20, more than 3 thousand students went to the streets of São Paulo showing that they are not affraid of the police brutality seen...
Haiti: Time for a Change
“I thought that after Duvalier left, things in Haiti were going to improve. What I never imagined was that the leaders who came after Duvalier were going to take Duvalier's concepts and use them to their own benefits”: Changing Perspectives republishes an interesting take on Haitian politics by Richard Morse...
Haiti: What About Aristide?
Wadner Pierre wonders how come exiled dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier has been granted a diplomatic passport to return to Haiti while the country's former democratically elected President has not been extended the same privilege.
Trinidad & Tobago: Proposed Constitutional Amendments
“Our new Government is seeking to amend our Constitution. It is not doing so to provide you with stronger guarantees of your rights as people of different sexual orientations”: gspottt explains.
Jamaica, Haiti: The “Baby Doc” Blues
Jamiacan diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp pens a poem for Haiti's reportedly “homesick dictator”.
Haiti: About “Baby Doc”
“Préval, who will complete his mandate which runs from 2006 to 2011, has betrayed the aspirations of the Haitian people. Now he organizes the return of a dictator who should be judged for his crimes”: The Haitian Blogger translates a French blog post that opines about the return of Duvalier...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Effects of Lifting Travel Limits
“President Barack Obama's decision to loosen limits on travel and remittances from the United States to Cuba is a gift the Castro dictatorship has not earned”: Uncommon Sense links to an article which makes him surmise that “as a result, Cubans will have to wait even longer for freedom.”
Azerbaijan: Remembering Hrant Dink
The Önər Blog [AZ] remembers Hrant Dink, the slain Turkish-Armenian journalist, editor and human rights activist who was murdered in Istanbul four years ago today. The post is also available in Armenian. 1+1=3 [AZ], another Azerbaijani blog, also posts an entry in memory of a figure who stood for reconciliation...
China: Mapping labor unrest
Cornell PhD student Manfred Elfstrom has started a website to map instances of labor unrest across China on the Ushahidi platform.
Panama: Fire in Youth Prison Sparks Controversy
A fire in a correctional facility for juvenile offenders has generated all types of reactions on Twitter and Panamanian blogs. The police officers involved are trying to defend themselves and explain what happened, and on the other side the Panamanian people are divided between those that want heads to roll among the prison guards and those that justify the police actions.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Haiti: On the Return of “Baby Doc”
Empath has a question about the return of Jean-Claude Duvalier to Haiti: “How is he able to do return and not Aristide?”
Kenya: New constitution sets new standards for privacy and data protection
Michael Murungi says that Kenya's new constitution has set new standards for privacy and data protection: “Kenyan law on the subject remains sketchy and even with the improved level of the enjoyment of civil liberties and democratic governance that the country has experienced in the last three decades…”
Haiti: Duvalier Arrest Imminent?
From just before eleven o'clock this morning, Twitter has been rife with speculation that Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the banished former dictator who has been living in exile in France and who made a surprise return to his homeland on Sunday evening, may be in the process of being placed under arrest.
Kenya: I support the ICC process
Wambui has just signed The Kenyans In Support of the ICC Process petition: “I believe we as Kenyans need to start somewhere to stop this insanity that is our Government dragging our name across the realm of madness in their attempt to rule this our country.”
Ecuador: Crime as the Government's Main Challenge for 2011
One of the outstanding social responsibilities of the government of Rafael Correa is public safety. Ecuadorian bloggers share their experiences, analysis and opinions about the growing problem of crime.
Russia: Blogger Tests if $88 per Month is Enough to Survive
Volunteer project minproduct.ru launched by a 17-year-old Muscovite examines the state-defined monthly living wage (around $88 per month). Many Russians retirees have nothing but this amount to live on. Vitaliy, an author of the blog, shares recipes and pictures of his humble daily diet.
