Human Rights

The issue of exclusive breast-feeding for the first year has been an area of confusion for many mothers in developing nations, especially following the marketing practices of many formula companies to push products in a misleading manner, an issue about which I have previously written. However, for mothers who are HIV-positive, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, exclusive breastfeeding […]

One of the uprisings in the Middle East that has failed to garner a lot of attention is the situation in Bahrain. Even though Bahrainis took to the Lulu Roundabout much the same way Egyptians did in Tahrir Square just days after Mubarak’s ouster and before major protests broke out in Libya, the story itself […]

The field of foreign policy has been described as a ‘city of men’- but as can be imagined, it is not the only discipline where a gender imbalance has been noticed. I asked Patricia Moser, President and one of the founders of WIIS Switzerland, about the situation with respect to international security and security studies. […]

This past weekend we saw the commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, via the celebration of International Human Rights Day on Saturday.  While the day was established to be a celebration of our freedoms, many continue to live without their basic rights.  Those who are hit hardest by this absence are 86% […]

Silence never won rights.  They are not handed down from above; they are forced by pressures from below.  – Roger Nash Baldwin Today we celebrate International Human Rights Day, marking the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today is one that continues to inspire people across the globe, transcending cultures and borders, as they stand united for […]

This year, for most of us, our wallets are not as fat as they once were. Charitable giving may seem like a daunting task or just plain impossible, as you search your pockets and come up empty handed. For those of you who find a few pennies to spare, and want to ensure that you […]

Women and children are hit the hardest by hunger worldwide. Why? In developing countries women face unique barriers to critical resources like income, land, education and the ability to borrow money.  The global population has now hit a astonishing 7 billion-plus mouths to feed, and women and children account for more than 60% of those […]

Did you know that there is an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals trafficked into the United States each year?  Shockingly, the number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even higher! “Is it really that bad?” is the question usually asked- the answer is undeniably, “Yes!” According to the 2009 Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking […]

Summary of the Past Year 2011 has surely been a year of trial and tribulations for children across the globe struggling for freedom and their basic human rights. I wish I could write and say that 2011 was the year that we abolished child trafficking, child marriage, prevented children dying from preventable childhood diseases and […]

Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. In 1988, the UN General Assembly expressed deep concern over the pandemic proportions of the AIDS virus. Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of 1 December 1988 as World AIDS Day, the General Assembly drafted resolution 43/15. According to the 2011 World AIDS Day Report, […]

Efforts to combat trafficking are diverse and growing. Businesses, NGOs, academics, politicians, governments and individuals all have a role to play. So, instead of spending Thanksgiving weekend watching the Macy’s Parade, eating turkey and shopping (my usual Thanksgiving activities), I was in Amsterdam and London for meetings on fighting human trafficking. Human trafficking, or modern […]

Thousands gathered in Senegal yesterday for the opening of the second International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), the largest meeting of its kind, which will run until December 2, 2011. The objective of the groundbreaking meeting is to push forward an agenda for broad family planning access and support across the globe. The outcome of the […]