This article is part of an editorial partnership with the Fund for Global Human Rights. Twenty-two years ago Alfred Brownell could see a problem. The government of his country, Liberia, was awarding contracts for the exploitation of natural resources without consulting local communities; forest and mineral resources were being taken away with no questions asked….
Read more#Colombia the ghosts of war threaten peace
Political uncertainty, the objections towards the peace process and the ghosts of war haunt Colombia. The country faces the challenge of complying with the peace accords and moving forward if it is to consolidate the post-conflict stage that is yet to occur despite 2 years having passed since the historic agreement was signed by ex-president…
Read moreVeiling and revolutions: from Algeria to Sudan
In his famous essay, ‘Algeria Unveiled’, Frantz Fanon (1959, p. 35) writes: ‘The way people clothe themselves, together with the traditions of dress and finery that custom implies, constitutes the most distinctive form of a society’s uniqueness’. Protesting former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s absurd bid for a fifth term, Algerians flooded the streets angrily – yet…
Read moreUnder public stigma, families often force young women in Azerbaijan to marry those who raped them
The issue of women’s rights in Azerbaijani society is often discussed in superlatives, whether by the government or the local media almost uniformly under their control. Pro-government women’s rights organisations often pat themselves and the national leadership on the back for the enormous strides women have purportedly made in the 28 years of independence. Almost…
Read moreIt’s time to radically rethink our immigration system
One year ago today Sajid Javid was appointed as the UK’s Home Secretary. He said he wanted a “fair and humane” approach to immigration. His comments were very welcome and raised hopes of a fresh start. Though they were also received with some cynicism by activists and campaigners for a more humane immigration system. Those…
Read moreThis election has shown how first past the post poisons British politics
As I entered my Edinburgh polling station today, I walked past a forest of A boards from the different parties. The Conservative’s consisted entirely of a lie. It said, “Only by voting for Ruth Davidson’s team can you stop the SNP winning a majority of seats”. Scotland has six seats, and six parties in contention…
Read moreSearching for the entrance to France’s ‘prostitution exit programme’
Click:national clothing asian costume In April 2018 we co-authored a report, now translated into English, on the French Prostitution Act of 2016. This act introduced the ‘Nordic model’ to France, which targets the demand for commercial sex by criminalising its purchase (the clients) rather than its sale. Our report drew on data from over 70…
Read moreIus soli: Italy’s opportunity to harness much-needed talent
Great Nnachi comes from a Nigerian family. What’s remarkable about her is that she set a new pole vault record on April 27, in Turin, the northern Italian city where she was born. She jumped over 3.70 meters, beating the Italian outdoor record set in 2012. But here lies the problem: Nnachi, 14, can’t apply…
Read moreToday, DiEM25 has every reason to celebrate. Tomorrow we get down to work
Dear DiEM25 members, dear European Spring activists, dear fellow progressive Europeanists, Today is a day to celebrate, while taking stock of our remarkable achievement. Today is also a day to lament Europe’s downward spiral, while planning the next phase of our paneuropean effort to bring hope back to the hundreds of millions who have lost…
Read moreThe unbearable silence of Chechnya’s lesbians
“There are no gays in Chechnya,” said Ramzan Kadyrov in a now notorious interview in 2017. Two years on, it seems like the Chechen leader is trying to make good on those words by launching a new purge against LGBT people. According to recent reports, two LGBT people have been killed and nearly forty detained…
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