One world, one humanity, now one court to defend its rights. Another step towards universal human rights, but not remotely a step far enough. The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights more than half a century ago, but that has done little to stop violations the world over, just as the Geneva Convention has not protected prisoners of war enough. Democracy itself and the freedom it presupposes has not been protective enough. This is the century to move from politicisation of human rights towards humanising political ways. IPS keeps an eye on that difficult path.
HUMAN RIGHTS
UN Security Council Must Halt Disastrous March of Myanmar’s Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya
Abdu Salam stayed in his village as Myanmar soldiers and local vigilantes burned down dozens of homes there last August. He stayed as news spread of atrocities that soldiers had committed in other Rohingya villages across northern Rakhine State. He stayed because Hpon Nyo Leik village was his home, the only home he’d known, and he wanted to protect his family’s property and right to live there.
Pyeongchang Olympics: A New Cornerstone for Peace and Prosperity
All eyes are on the 23rd Olympic Winter Games and 12th Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang this February. Top athletes will carry their national flags in an opening ceremony which has come to epitomize the international community. Sports fans worldwide eagerly await the Olympics, and this time there is cause for cautious optimism that sport diplomacy may lower tensions on the Korean Peninsula itself. Leaders, diplomats and citizens from the world over will witness North and South Korean athletes walking side by side. For this, there could be few better places than PyeongChang, which means peace (Pyeong) and prosperity (Chang): goals integral to the mission of the United Nations and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
UN Migration Agency Facilitates Release of Refugees from Indonesian Detention Centres
IOM, the UN Migration Agency, has facilitated the release of over 500 refugees from immigration detention centres in North Sumatra, Riau, and Riau Island provinces to community housing.
Bangladesh’s Garment Industry Boom Leaving Workers Behind
Although Bangladesh has made remarkable recent strides like building green factories and meeting stringent safety standards, garment workers here are still paid one of the lowest minimum wages in the world.
Humanitarian Response Plan for Spreading Crisis in Nigeria
The 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for north-east Nigeria demonstrates the commitment of the international community to the people of Nigeria. It is also a clear and positive indication of the strong and continued partnership between us - the international humanitarian community - and the Government of Nigeria.
How It Feels to Survive Slavery: Ira’s story
“A client called at night and ordered a girl. I was sleeping when suddenly I was told to go to the client. He was already drunk and aggressive. I was scared to stay with him. He made me drink and I had to obey. You feel neither pain nor shame when you are drunk. Everything goes easier. I woke up in the morning and got ready to leave when he told me to stay. He told that he had paid for the whole day and I must work it off. The door was closed. He hid the door keys and my phone. He claimed that he had paid for my services and could do with me whatever he wanted… He fell asleep soon again. I didn’t find the keys. I thought I could exit through the window. It was the third floor and there was a fire escape ladder nearby. I decided to climb over the balcony to the ladder. And fell down… Everything happened very quickly. I felt no pain… I remember that I tried to stand up but couldn’t and saw my bones sticking out of my arms. I passed out. I came round in the ambulance. Later – only in the intensive care unit. There I told my name and where I came from. Doctors called my relatives. Later my family moved me back to Belarus. It was super expensive.”
“No Time to Waste” in Ending FGM
More than 200 million women around the world have experienced some kind of female genital mutilation (FGM) and more could be at risk, a UN agency said.
Gaza Health Sector on Verge of Collapse
UN agencies have sounded the alarm on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, pointing to the devastating repercussions of the ongoing fuel shortages.
Three Opportunities for Humanitarians in 2018
As 2018 begins, the challenges of humanitarian crises are momentous. Humanitarians are responding to large-scale emergencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
One Migrant’s Brutal Odyssey Through Libya
Thirty-year-old Nazir Mohammed sits on one of the two sofas in his single room in Kwame Danso, a small town about 290 kilometres north of Ghana’s capital Accra, reflecting on life back in Libya.
A New Home – Resettling Syrian Refugees to Canada
At the end of 2015, the Government of Canada requested the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the Prime Minister’s commitment to admit 25,000 Syrian refugees from the Middle East. IOM quickly deployed logistics and operational staff from around the globe to complete the humanitarian operation which spanned three months from December 2015 through February 2016.
UN Refugee Agency Calls for Aid and Peace in South Sudan
As South Sudan quickly becomes Africa’s largest refugee and humanitarian crisis, the world must come to its aid, said the UN refugee agency.The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has launched a global appeal to support displaced persons amid South Sudan’s rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.
As Peace Talks Resume, South Sudan Continues Assault on Press Freedom
A ceasefire agreement signed on December 21 between the South Sudanese government and opposition forces has revived a 2015 peace process and brought hope that the conflict will not persist into its fifth year.
Survival of Indigenous Tribes in Bangladesh Starts at School
Just before sundown on Jan. 30, a group of women day labourers from the Shantal indigenous community are in a rush to wind up their work harvesting potatoes in a field in the village of Boldipukur, some 15 km away from Rangpur district in northern Bangladesh.
Except for Syria, Middle East Disappeared from U.S. Network News in 2017
Except for the ongoing war in Syria, coverage of the Middle East by the evening news programs of the three big U.S. networks virtually disappeared in 2017, according to the latest annual compilation by the authoritative Tyndall Report.
Bodies Wash Ashore following Boat Capsize off Libyan Coast
An estimated 90-100 migrants are reported to have been on board a boat, when it capsized off the coast of Libya on Thursday evening (01/02). According to IOM Libya’s Olivia Headon, 10 bodies are reported to have washed up on Libyan shores – one Libyan woman and reportedly some Pakistani nationals. Two survivors are reported to have swam to shore, while another was rescued by a fishing boat, Headon said. IOM is working to get more details of the tragedy and to see how best to assist survivors, she continued.
BDS Movement for Palestinian Rights Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
As a member of the Norwegian parliament, I proudly use my authority as an elected official to nominate the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights for the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the Streets
An estimated 44 tonnes of processed heroin is consumed in Pakistan annually, generating some $2 billion in illegal trade, according to a report in the Telegraph in 2014. The figure, it is feared, has gone up since then. According to the Anti-Narcotics Force, close to 8.9 million people in Pakistan are drug dependent and local media sources suggest drug-related complications claim 700 lives daily in the country — much higher than terrorism. This figure is all the more alarming as the average age for drug use has fallen below 24, signalling a worrisome nature of the problem amongst the youth.
Iraq’s Toxic Conflict
In Iraq, thirty years of armed conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people, wounded countless more, displaced millions and laid cities and towns to waste.
Wars, Crises and Catastrophes Drive Immigration to Brazil
The war in Angola, the earthquake in Haiti, Venezuela’s political crisis and shortages and the political repression in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the main driving factors behind the recent waves of immigration to Brazil.
Sexual Harassment: At Least 2 Billion Women
Most of the world’s women have experienced sexual harassment. Based on available country surveys, it is estimated that no less than 75 percent of the world’s 2.7 billion women aged 18 years and older, or at least 2 billion women, have been sexually harassed (Figure 1).
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