Monday, August 21, 2017
News and Views from the Global South
Human Rights
Internet Shutdowns in Africa Stifling Press Freedom
“The internet for journalism is now like the air you breathe,” said Befeqadu Hailu, an Ethiopian journalist and a member of the Zone 9 blogger collective who was arrested in April 2014 and charged with terrorism. “Without the internet, modern journalism means nothing.” Yet, the internet is something that journalists in multiple African countries are often forced to do without.
Climate Migrants Might Reach One Billion by 2050
Imagine a world with as many as one billion people facing harsh climate change impacts resulting in devastating droughts and/or floods, extreme weather, destruction of natural resources, in particular lands, soils and water, and the consequence of severe livelihoods conditions, famine and starvation.
South Asia Faces Fury of Floods
Aid agencies warn of a serious unfolding humanitarian crisis as floodwaters continue to inundate new areas of three South Asian countries, forcing millions of people to flee their homes for shelters.
Civilians Increasingly Bearing Burden of Armed Conflicts in Arab Region
The war in Syria has now entered its 6th year and is becoming the world’s worst man-made disaster.
Resettling Congolese Refugees in Angola, a New Shot at a Normal Life
The UN’s refugee agency is relocating more than 33,000 Congolese refugees from overcrowded temporary shelters in northern Angola to a more permanent establishment in Lóvua.
The Perils of Irregular Migration: From Migrant to Migrants
Migrants are increasingly becoming communication agents, revealing their own stories, fears, hopes and dreams. The testimonies below are part of the Aware Migrants information campaign, implemented by IOM, the UN Migration Agency and funded by the Italian Ministry of Interior with the aim of helping potential migrants in making informed decisions by warning them about the real dangers of the journey along the main routes from East and West Africa across the desert and the Mediterranean.
Yemen: African Migrants Beaten, Starved, Sexually Violated by Criminal Groups
African migrants who arrive on Yemen’s shores --that’s if they are not forced into the sea to drown—risk to fall in the hands of criminal networks who hold them captive for several days to extort money in exchange for their “freedom,” according to UN sources.
One in 10 Displaced Syrians Returned Home
This year alone, between January and July, 602,759 displaced Syrians returned home, according to reports from the UN Migration Agency and implementing partners on the ground. Around 6 million Syrians currently remain displaced within their own country.
Promise or Peril? Africa’s 830 Million Young People by 2050
Last month, Spanish charity workers rescued 167 migrants arriving from Africa aboard a small boat.
Smugglers Throw Hundreds of African Migrants Off Boats Headed to Yemen
A total of 300 migrants have reportedly been forced from boats over the past two days by smugglers off the coast of Yemen – many feared dead or missing, the United Nations migration agency has reported.
This Is How Indigenous Peoples Help Curb Gas Emissions, End Hunger
A third of global forests, crucial for curbing gas emissions, are primarily managed by indigenous peoples, families, smallholders and local communities, according to the United Nations.
Why New US Cold War with Russia Now
Even before the imposition of new sanctions on Russia by Donald Trump and the ongoing fuss over Russian hackers undermining US democracy, Russian-American relations had deteriorated to a level not seen since the 1950s. Why?
Donald Trump & Kim Jong-Un Need To Find A Diplomatic Off-Ramp
Just six months into the administration of President Donald Trump, the war of words and nuclear threats between the United States and North Korea have escalated, and a peaceful resolution to the escalating crisis is more difficult than ever to achieve.
Why Breastfeeding Is One of the “Smartest Investments” for All Countries
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has released new findings on the economic gains—besides the obvious health benefits—of breastfeeding.
One Earth: Why the World Needs Indigenous Communities to Steward Their Lands
“Showing them a picture-book crow, I intone ‘kaak’ in Bengali, the State language. While others repeat in chorus, the tribal Santhali first-graders respond with a blank look. They know the crow only as ‘koyo’. They’ll happily roll out glass marbles to count but ask them how many they counted, they remain silent because in their mother tongue, one is mit, two is bariah - very different sounding from the Bengali ek and du.”
A Hostage to Parliament, Temer Sacrifices Indigenous Rights to Save Himself
Brazilians now have new reasons to yearn for and at the same time fear the parliamentary system of government. It facilitates quick solutions to political crises such as the one that is currently affecting the country, but it also further empowers reactionary forces and has led to backsliding on gains such as indigenous rights.
World Still Lagging on Indigenous Rights 10 Years After Historic Declaration, UN Experts Warn
The world’s indigenous peoples still face huge challenges a decade after the adoption of an historic declaration on their rights, a group of United Nations experts and specialist bodies has warned. Speaking ahead of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August, the group says States must put words into action to end discrimination, exclusion and lack of protection illustrated by the worsening murder rate of human rights defenders.
Migrants Crossing US-Mexico Border Dying at Faster Rate. More Deaths in Mediterranean
While the number of migrants deaths in the Mediterranean Sea has so far in 2017 exceeded 2,350 victims for the fourth consecutive year, migrants crossing the United States-Mexico border are dying at a faster rate in 2017 than in past years, the UN migration agency reports.
Mauritanians Go to Polls for Controversial Referendum Vote
While voters in Venezuela overwhelmingly rejected President Nicolás Maduro’s plan to amend the constitution recently, similar tensions and a clash between protesters and state authorities appears to be brewing across the Atlantic in the West African nation of Mauritania.
“I’ll Tell You a Story” – Violence Against Women in Peru
Domestic violence is alarmingly prevalent in Peru. Not only is it statistically more common than in other, more progressive cultures, but Peruvian women tend to accept it as simply a ‘part of marriage.’
Latin America Discusses How to Make Environmental Rights a Reality
The final declaration of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 stated that “Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens.” However, this rarely happens in Latin America and the Caribbean.Next Page »
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.
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Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
