Human Rights

The Children of Gaza Deserve Their Humanity – Their Education Cannot Wait

By Yasmine Sherif
22 May 2025, New York – In the past two months alone, more than 950 children have reportedly been killed in strikes across the Gaza Strip. That’s 15 children every day who lose their lives in this horrific conflict. Those who survive face the risk of famine, illness, and the collapse of essential services, including education.

The Largest Multi-Billion Dollar Deal in US History– & a Potential 51st American State?

By Thalif Deen
When US President Donald Trump offered to declare neighboring Canada as America’s 51st state, the Canadians vehemently rejected the proposal. “We don’t want to be part of America,” was the rallying cry. And the short-lived offer was shot down in flames.

The #ChurchToo Movement: A Wake-Up Call for the Modern Church

By Donna Nyadete
I was researching the role of the church in addressing contemporary issues such as gender-based violence, climate change, and social justice when I came across the #ChurchToo movement—and I got really excited. Not because the stories were easy to read (they weren’t), but because this movement was a bold, necessary conversation that faith communities could no longer ignore.

Using AI as an Ally: What the latest UNDP Human Development Report Means for Latin America, Caribbean

By Alison Kentish
The United Nations Development Programme’s 2025 Human Development Report (HDR) says crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to ‘the flatlining of decades of progress in the Human Development Index,’ with Latin America and the Caribbean facing unique challenges and opportunities.

A New Pope at a Pivotal Moment: Civil Society’s Hopes for Leo XIV

By Andrew Firmin
The new pope, the latest in a line dating back almost 2,000 years, was quickly subjected to a very modern phenomenon: no sooner had Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address than people started trawling his social media history for clues about his views. In the context of an ongoing culture war, the fact that far-right grievance entrepreneurs were quick to decry the new pope as ‘woke’ seemed reason enough for progressives to welcome him. But for civil society and the global human rights community, it’s how Leo acts that matters.

The True Cost of America’s Retreat: How USAID Cuts Threaten Millions of Lives

By Eric Bebernitz
In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that upended humanitarian efforts globally, leaving millions of vulnerable people without lifesaving services. The administration's decision to slash American international aid by 83% is creating daily tragedies in the world's most fragile regions.

UN Reform – Once Again?

By Palitha Kohona
The UN is going through another exercise in reforming itself under immense pressure from the US, its main funder. This time US President Donald Trump has expressed himself much more forcefully and seems determined to pare down US contributions and demand further curtailing of UN expenses, while some other donors, reluctant to show their own hands, are quietly cheering on the US.

Agenda for Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference Still Unclear

By Naureen Hossain
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons must not be allowed to collapse under the weight of geopolitical cynicism, the preparatory committee at the UN heard.

Civilians Face Humanitarian Disaster in Great Lakes, Horn of Africa Conflicts

By Wambi Michael
Political instability and conflicts in the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan have led to massive displacements and civilian suffering, and because the whole region is in crisis, the civilian population has few places to find refuge.

Malnutrition Plagues Children and Pregnant Women in Afghanistan

Bibi Gul, a pregnant woman from Helmand’s Marja District, walked two hours to reach the nearest health center in search of treatment for her moderate malnutrition.

Fostering Dialogue for Disarmament Ahead of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Review Conference

By Naureen Hossain
The argument for nuclear disarmament is perhaps more relevant than it has been since the end of World War II, especially in a world where there is a growing gulf between nuclear states and between nuclear states and those who don't have the weapons.

A Revolution in the Working Culture at the UN

By Simone Galimberti
How would the UN80 Initiative, designed to mark the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations, turned out to be, if Kamala Harris had won the American presidential election in November last year?

Will Europe Wage Peace?

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram
With President Trump’s efforts to end the Ukraine war, Europeans are now mainly responsible for prolonging it. Despite lame protestations of peace, Europe seems committed to fighting ‘to the last Ukrainian’.

‘Our Legal Challenge of the Funding Freeze Is Testing the Judiciary’s Ability to Check Executive Power’

By CIVICUS

 
CIVICUS speaks with Eric Bjornlund, President and CEO of Democracy International, about the impacts of the US foreign aid freeze and the resulting legal challenges the Trump administration is facing. Democracy International is a global civil society organisation (CSO) that works for a more peaceful and democratic world.

Explainer: What Rural Communities in Tanzania Need to Know about Carbon Trading and Land Rights

By Kizito Makoye
As global demand for carbon credits rises, Tanzania has become a magnet for carbon offset projects. From Loliondo in Arusha to Kiteto in Manyara, foreign firms and conservation groups are looking for land to capture carbon and sell credits to polluting industries in the Global North. The growing interest in carbon trading has sparked hope, confusion, and concern— putting millions of hectares of village land and the livelihoods of people who depend on it at risk.

Health Workers in Conflict Zones Experience an Epidemic of Violence

By Ed Holt
The international community must take action to uphold international humanitarian law, say healthcare and rights advocates, as attacks on healthcare in war zones reached a record high last year.

How Mangroves Save Lives, Livelihoods of Bangladesh Coastal Communities

By Rafiqul Islam Montu
Golenur Begum has faced 12 cyclones in her life. As a child, she witnessed her father’s house destroyed, and as an adult, she watched her home smashed. Saltwater brought by the tidal surges that accompanied the cyclones wrecked their farms and livelihoods.  And with climate change, these impacts are becoming more intense and frequent.

Following COVID-19 Pandemic, Child Wellbeing Rates in Decline

By Oritro Karim
Due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of children, particularly in some of the world’s wealthiest countries, experienced declines in their overall health and academic performances.

U.S. Deported Bhutanese Refugees Cry–‘No Country To Call Home’

By Diwash Gahatraj
Sitting in his small hut in the Beldangi refugee camp in Jhapa district, Nepal, Narayan Kumar Subedi feels relieved that his son, Aasis Subedi, is safe. Aasis is one of four United States deportees who were the subject of Nepal's Supreme Court landmark ruling on April 24, which directed the government not to deport four Bhutanese refugees who entered Nepal in March of this year after being disowned by Bhutan. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported the four after they had lived in various parts of the United States for nearly a decade.

From Grief to Action: Demands for Democratic Renewal in the Balkans

By Inés M. Pousadela
Three catastrophic events in the Balkans have sparked powerful movements for systemic change. A train collision that killed 57 people in Greece, a nightclub fire that claimed 59 young lives in North Macedonia and a collapsed railway station roof that left 15 dead in Serbia have ignited sustained anti-corruption protests in all three countries. These weren’t random tragedies but the culmination of systemic failure – neglected safety regulations, illegally issued permits and compromised oversight – with corruption the common denominator.

Young Africans Priced Out of Cities as Urban Housing Crisis Deepens

By Promise Eze
After graduating in 2019, Jeremiah Achimugu left Sokoto State in northwestern Nigeria for Abuja, the nation’s capital, in search of better opportunities. But life in the city brought unexpected challenges, especially the high cost of housing.
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