The human cost of trafficking
January 22, 2010 2 min. read

Some stories never die. Human trafficking, a multibillion dollar a year global industry, seems to be one of them. In recent years, there has been a huge advocacy effort that has raised awareness on the issue, but still the trade of people as goods persists in every corner of the world. One of the most […]

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Putting words into action
January 21, 2010 2 min. read

Yesterday Human Rights Watch released their annual World Report for 2010, detailing the state of human rights affairs around the world for the previous year. Many of the stories they focused on were also covered and editorialized here throughout 2009, from government abuses in Eritrea and Sri Lanka to increased civilian casualties in the Democratic […]

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Crisis in the Aftermath, Haiti's Fight for Survival
January 20, 2010 3 min. read

As the aftermath of Haiti’s deadly hurricane continues to unfold, historic rescues are starting to be come less and less as hope for finding live victims in the debris and rubble has faded, as fear induced ciaos quickly followed in its path.  A country already teetering on the brink of disrepair, the future of Haiti […]

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Haitians Granted Temporary Protected Status
January 20, 2010 2 min. read

Last week President Barack Obama granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians for a period of 18 months. This applies those already living in the US, but without legal papers. It prevents their detainment or deportation, and enables them to work legally. The purpose of this status is to protect persons who cannot return to […]

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A Sarah Palin in Europe
January 20, 2010 2 min. read

It was probably over before it even started.  As I watched Bulgaria’s minister of foreign affairs, Rumiana Jeleva, shuffle with discernible panic in her chair, any notions she had of becoming the EU’s future commissioner for humanitarian affairs came to an abrupt end. That was last Tuesday at the European Parliament as MEPs from around […]

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How Kids Can Help Kids in Haiti
January 20, 2010 3 min. read

We don’t all have a lot of money to send to Haiti to add to the countries harrowing disaster and relief effort and few of us have the needed skills, time and capabilities to volunteer to go over and help the country quite literally dig themselves out of the heartbreaking rubble that covers the impoverished […]

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Google vs. China
January 19, 2010 8 min. read

News of the disaster in Haiti drowned out most other concerns last week but the earthquake was not the only newsworthy thing that happened in the world. Earlier the same day as the earthquake, Google posted a surprising message on its official company blog that raised the possibility the search engine giant may leave the […]

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Haiti, Pat Robertson & YouTube
January 18, 2010 2 min. read

On January 13, only one day after the earthquake in Haiti that has probably killed 200,000, and the moron Pat Robertson was already at it. “They made a pact with the devil,” were more less his words because “they wanted to free themselves from the French.”  As if God is now punishing these people 200 […]

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"Avatar"'s Lessons for Migration
January 18, 2010 2 min. read

The movie Avatar is a blockbuster, and now the third-highest grossing movie of all time. It is also a story about migration. In short, it depicts humans in the year 2154, seeking to extract a valuable mineral from a far-off planet called Pandora, and willing to do so at any cost, including the extermination of […]

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12% of Youth in Juvenile Detention Victims of Sexual Violence
January 16, 2010 3 min. read

A report that was released on January 7, 2010, by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), regarding the levels of sexual victimization within juvenile detention facilities leaves many shocked by the statistics.  The report, Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09, is part of a series of statistical reviews, which are required under […]

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The Eritrea Debate
January 15, 2010 1 min. read

A couple of months ago I wrote an article for a magazine here in Brussels about Eritrea.  Eritrea is a nation struggling to come to terms with conflict, with a looming food crisis and human rights abuse. In November, Eritrea’s dismal human rights record was put in the spotlight at the United Nations.  A month […]

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Long-term Response to Haiti Earthquake in Haiti May Depend on Remittances
January 15, 2010 2 min. read

As with the international aid community, Haitians living overseas are seeking ways to help from a distance after a devastating earthquake struck Port-au-Prince on Tuesday evening. Many migrants already send significant proportions of their earnings each week or month in the form of remittances. Rather than foreign assistance from governments, they may provide the most […]

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