24 August 2010

AFRICA:
• Tanzania = women’s sexuality is being targeted, in the name of preventing the spread of HIV. A 21 year old woman was forced to strip naked in a public market and then was beaten up by a group of men for “dressing inappropriately” and therefore trying to spread the HIV. Community elders (male elders) are also using HIV as an excuse to “return to ancient cultural values” where women dressed “decently” and therefore did not entice men into sex, which spreads HIV. (IRIN)
o Thankfully community educators are challenging these ideas that HIV is not a personal responsibility and that the way women dress negates a man’s free will. In fact, Mkinga’s HIV/AIDS Committee has been facilitating educational workshops to educate community members about the legal consequences of perpetuating violence against women. (IRIN)
• South Africa = the currently proposed legislation, the Protection of Information Bill would severely restrict the independent press corps from reporting on governmental activity, as officials and state agencies would be given broad discretion to classify data as secret. The ANC is also proposing a special Media Appeals Tribunal to address complaints against the press. (CPJ)

CENTRAL ASIA:
• Pakistan = The effects of the massive flooding are obviously still being felt. For a Westerner’s take on what the past week has been like, click here to view UNICEF Regional Director Daniel Toole’s day-by-day diary. (UNICEF)
• Afghanistan = couple stoned to death (CNN, HRW)
• Bangladesh = Yay! In a move that supports the human right to freedom of religion and the practice thereof, a Bangladesh court has ruled that the wearing of religious clothing is a “personal choice” which may not be legally imposed upon anyone. (BBC)

AMERICAS:
• United States = Birthright Citizenship debates are the new racism (CAP)

EUROPE:
• Italy = Racism against people of the Roma and Sinti ethnicties has escalated again. Roberto Maroni, Italy’s interior minister, is continuing his lobbying efforts to be able to expel from Italy EU citizens who do not meet minimum income and housing requirements, despite the European Commission’s concerns about this racist plan. (AJ)
o France = Claiming that the repatriation was voluntary, France sent over 200 people of the Roma minority to Romania this week. (AJ, WP)

CULTURAL:
• A new musical compilation is out, entitled Yes We Can! Songs About Leaving Africa … it includes titles by K’Naan and Daara J Family among others.
o What do you think of this message? Its reference to Obama’s campaign?

ALSO OF INTEREST:
• The UN’s World Youth Conference is being held in Mexico this week and UNIFEM has organized a Young Women’s Forum for 24 August 2010 which will include a live webcast. Check it out here! (UNIFEM)
• Human Rights Watch and 95 other groups called upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to cancel the “Obiang Prize” to be rewarded in October because President Teodoro Obiang, for whom the prize is named and who donated $3million toward the prize, is widely criticized for his highly repressive regime, including his violation of the rights of his people to freedom of expression—one of the core rights recognized by UNESCO (HRW)

2 March 2009

AFRICA:

• Ghana = Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, the first female Minister of Justice and Attorney General has been appointed. She has a background as a human rights advocate, and will hopefully continue along that same path toward justice for all … (AT, GG)
• Kuwait = Dr. Lubna Al-Kazi is been a powerful voice for women's suffrage as well as women’s rights to run for political office. She is a leader of the Kuwaiti Women's Social and Cultural Society, one of the most pwerful women's rights group in Kuwait.
• Dr. Al-Kazi was interviewed for a podcast with Vital Voices and gives a very thorough and educational account of the current situation in Kuwait. She also advises advocates where to focus our efforts. You can listen here. (VV)
• Sierra Leone = Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a former rebel group, have been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity (including forced marriage and recruiting child soldiers) committed during the country's civil war. (AJ)
• Tanzania = superstitious killings of albinos for their body parts have now claimed the 45th victim since 2007 – a 14 year old girl. Witch doctors are allegedly fueling the killings. (AT)
• Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, has called for the killings to cease. (ABC)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = Yay! Hana Abdi, a Kurdish student and activist, was released after spending 15 months in prison. Her release was largely due to women’s human rights activists advocating on her behalf. She was originally charged with "enmity against God" and "gathering and colluding to harm national security". (AI)
• Iran = Boo! Iran has admitted to holding a US journalist, 31 year old Roxana Saberi, in detention since January of this year. She is a freelance reporter for the BBC, FoxNews, and NPR. (DN)
• Saudi Arabia = Local activists have been taking action to highlight the abuses of the religious Hey’a police force – formerly the Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice – by posting videos to YouTube. Yay! (NPR)

CULTURAL:

• United States = the media ban on soldiers’ coffins has been lifted. The decision of whether or not to allow media to show photos or video of the soldiers who have given their lives in service of their country. (DN, NYT)
• Barbie® turns 50 = see my previous posting on another blog to feel good about YOUR body.
• “Killer’s Paradise” is a great movie about the depressing phenomenon of femicide in Guatemala …

AMERICAS:

• United States = Ali al-Marri is FINALLY being charged with a crime: providing support to terrorism. He has been held for 5 years at a navy prison. It’s ‘bout time. (AJ)
• United States = The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (the NAACP) is 100 years old – Happy Birthday!
• United States = Boo! US Secretary of State Clinton says that human rights concerns should not impede our relations with China … (DN)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Malaysia = Human rights groups rebel against the latest fatwa: leading Islamic clerics have issued an edict against women doing yoga. For real.
• Sisters in Islam, a women’s rights group, and other advocates from 47 countries are using the Quran to support their opposition to this fatwa. They argue that the human interpretation is patriarchical and inconsistent with the original text’s emphasis on justice and equality. (AWID)
• Myanmar = Ummm … ? 24 political prisoners in Myanmar were released this weekend … after the government said it would release 6,313 prisoners. (AI)
• Serbia = the former President, Milan Milutinovic, was acquitted of murdering hundreds of Kosovan Albanians by the UN criminal tribunal. Five others were found guilty. (AJ)