human rights

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to express 'alarm' at moves by Charest government

Navanethem Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is expected to express "alarm" at ongoing attempts to restrict freedom of assembly in Quebec.

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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights criticizes Quebec

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Women in Guatemala oppose Canadian mines

Crisanta Hernandez, at her home in Ágel, showing the cracks in her walls she believes were caused by mining activity in the area. Photo: Ruth Warner

The Nobel Women's Initiative records testimonies from Guatemala women who have been affected by mining.

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Guatemala women defenders defy Canadian mines and plead for help

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human rights violence against women mining anti mining guatemala south american mining Goldcorp

Accident that claimed 11 Peruvian workers' lives not a tragedy but a crime

"Pilgrimage to Freedom," a 12-hour march organized by migrant workers and J4MW in 2009. Photographer: Gerardo Correa

The systematic exploitation of foreign and migrant workers takes place with the full participation of the Canadian state.

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Peruvian lives on Canada's conscience

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human rights migrant workers worker exploitation worker rights migrant work migrant worker deaths

press release

Amnesty International at 50: Global call to action aims to tip scales against repression and injustice

Amnesty International is marking its 50th anniversary on 28th May with the launch of a Global Call to Action designed to help tip the scales against repression and injustice, with events held in more than 60 countries in every region of the world.

The anniversary comes against the backdrop of a changing human rights landscape, as people across the Middle East and North Africa courageously confront oppression, tyranny and corruption -- often in the face of bloodshed and state violence.

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human rights civil liberties amnesty international

in his own words

Ecologik -- For Egypt and our world

Global warming didn't pause at all during Cairo's recent rebirth. In fact, every month of inaction on Earth's climate emergency makes recovery that much harder and costlier.

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children human rights children's rights Egypt uprising

in his own words

Kairos observes the South Sudan referendum

John Lewis, the human rights co-ordinator with Kairos, has been in South Sudan to monitor the recent referendum for secession from the north of the country. He has been blogging about his experience; below is his final blog post. Read the entire blog by clicking here.

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democracy human rights referendum CIDA sudan independence darfur kairos Bev Oda CIDA funding

Columnists

Sasha: UN decisions perpetuate sexual and gender-based violence

Wow, really? What the fuck was the UN thinking?

This past week a group of Arab and African nations succeeded in getting a resolution that condemns executions based on sexual orientation deleted from a list that includes "killings for racial, national, ethnic, religious or linguistic reasons and killings of refugees, indigenous people and other groups".

In case you're planning a getaway for the holidays and you don't like the idea of supporting a country that actively condones the murder of homosexuals, here is a list of who approved the removal of sexual orientation from the resolution:

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women's rights human rights violence against women United Nations homosexuality masturbation sex toys LGBTI

Columnists

Obama brings support for repressive regime on visit to Indonesia

If a volcano kills civilians in Indonesia, it's news. When the government does the killing, sadly, it's just business as usual, especially if an American president tacitly endorses the killing, as President Barack Obama just did with his visit to Indonesia.

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Torture human rights Barack Obama military U.S. foreign policy Indonesia

for the sake of argument

Ignatieff and the death of Liberal class

On Oct. 27, the House of Commons narrowly defeated a private members bill, C-300, aimed at ensuring mining companies are accountable and responsible for human rights and environmental standards abroad.

Despite being a Liberal lead private member's bill by MP John McKay, Ignatieff's Whip, Marcel Proulx in caucus during the week of the vote, was quietly encouraging Liberal MPs to stay away from the third reading vote on Wednesday evening to ensure its defeat.

In apparent contradiction, a backgrounder was sent from Ignatieff's office to the caucus members just before the vote that appeared to support the bill.

This is how it read: