Stories from Quick Reads and International Relations
New Report Details Unanimous Support Amongst Iran's Civil Society for the Iran Deal
Global Voices collaborators the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran released a newly written report yesterday entitled “High Hopes, Tempered Expectations: Views from Iran on the Nuclear Negotiations.” The report engaged with 28 members of Iranian civil society including former members of the Iranian Parliament, journalists, academics, lawyers,...
Macedonian Activist Ends Hunger Strike for Migrant Rights
On Saturday, June 20, human rights expert and activist Suad Missini ended the hunger strike he started six days prior in protest of inhumane treatment of migrants passing through Macedonia. Mr. Missini issued the following statement [links added]: While the effects of the changes of the Asylum Law are yet to...
Candlelight Vigil for the 23 Victims of Boko Haram Suicide Bombings in Chad
Two suicide bombings killed at least 23 people Monday (June 15) in Chad's capital N'djamena. Chad government stated that four attackers belonged to extremist group Boko Haram and were killed by the blast which targeted police. More than 100 people were also injured in the incidents. Chad has committed his...
Human Rights Activist Begins Hunger Strike for Migrants in Front of Macedonian Parliament
The growing migration crisis has recently also affected countries in southeastern Europe, with new issues arising almost daily. Reacting to the inhumane treatment of migrants who pass through Republic of Macedonia, renowned human rights activist Suad Missini started a hunger strike in front of the Parliament building in Skopje. He began...
After Citizen Uprising in Burkina Faso and Burundi, Are Niger and Togo Next?
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi...
Southeast Asia Migration Routes and Statistics
The International Organization for Migration has released a map showing the routes taken by boat refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar when they sought shelter in several Southeast Asian countries. As of May 19, 2015, the IOM estimated that 4,000 refugees are still stranded in the sea while 3,200 have already...
Can Africa Really Maintain Its Own African Centers for Disease Control?
Anna K. Mwaba discusses the future of the newly established African Center for Disease Control: The establishment of such a center in Africa is not a particularly new idea; talks on the need for more effective means to combat epidemics on the continent were held in July 2013 at the...
The Humanitarian Crisis You Haven't Heard of in Burundi
Following Burundi President Nkurunziza's announcement of his candidacy for a third term (unconstitutional by Burundi's existing law), a massive humanitarian crisis has hit the country as at least 50,000 refugees have fled the country after scenes of violence were reported in several cities. The occurrence of violence were often posted...
Former French Defense Minister Finds Excuses for the Alleged Rape of Central African Children by French Soldiers
Afrique Info reports that JP Chevènement, a former defense minister of France, stated on public radio Europe 1 on May 3 that the challenging conditions that French soldiers face in the Central African Republic could explain “behavior of that kind” (see video above). Chevènement was referring to the allegation of child...
#JesuisKenyan Trends in Francophone Social Media to Show Support for Garissa Victims
147 people were killed by gunmen on the campus of Garissa University in Kenya. The world and specifically the french speaking world after Charlie Hebdo, shows support to the victims
Macedonian Journalist Describes How It Feels to Be Subject of State Surveillance
Prominent investigative journalist Meri Jordanovska wrote a testimony about her experience on receiving evidence that she was one of allegedly twenty thousand individuals who have been subjected to state surveillance in Macedonia. In an op-ed on Balkan Insight, Jordanovska explains: Each report on one of my wiretapped conversations was true:...
Russia's Internet Ombudsman Advocates for Storing User Data Abroad
Internet Ombudsman Dmitry Marinichev has proposed allowing foreign Internet companies to store Russians’ personal data abroad with the permission of the owners.
First Former African Head of State to Stand Trial Before International Tribunal in Africa
Oumar Ba discusses the historic trial of the former president of Chad Hissène Habré: For the first time in history, a former head of an African state will stand trial in Africa, before an internationalized tribunal, the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegalese Courts. The EAC is an ad hoc court...
Gun Attack Kills 5 in Bamako as Mali Tries to Consolidate Peace
A shooting in a restaurant in Bamako, capital city of Mali, claimed the lives of five people on Friday night, March, 6. The attack took place around midnight in a restaurant called La Terrasse in Downtown Bamako and a dozen people are seriously injured. Two suspects are in detention and...
The African Union is Failing South Sudan
David K. Deng argues that the African Union is failing South Sudan after deciding that the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) should not release its report: On the evening of 29 January, African heads of state gathered in Addis Ababa for a meeting of the African...
Niger Youth Defiant Following Boko Haram Attack in Bosso and Bombing in Diffa
For the first time, Boko Haram conducted an assault on Niger's territory and the youth of Niger will not stand for it. Boko Haram assaulted Bosso and Diffa, two towns in southeast Niger at the border with Nigeria but was repelled by Niger and Chad's army. Boko Haram lost an...
Boko Haram Kills at Least 81 Civilians in Fotokol, Northern Cameroon
On February 4, Boko Haram conducted a particularly gruesome attack on the town of Fotokol in Northern Cameroon, right across the Nigerian border. Hundred of civilians are feared dead, 81 confirmed so far by the Minister of Defense. Local Human Rights Organization believes that close to 370 civilians were killed....
Malaysia Launches New Logo as Chair of ASEAN 2015
Malaysia is the new chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the year 2015. This year is crucial for ASEAN as the region takes steps to achieve full integration as a united community. The new logo represents “harmony, close partnership and aspiration of the people from the ten...
VIDEO: How Palm Oil is Causing Environmental Destruction in Indonesia
The team of Coconuts TV went to south Sumatra in Indonesia to document the impact of the burning of peatlands and forests to make way for the expanding palm oil plantations. The burning of forests in Sumatra is causing the displacement of endangered species in the island; and it also...
A March in Solidarity with Migrants Who Perished Trying to Reach Europe
“Europe is fighting its own make-believe enemy”: This is the message that a dozen of associations in defense of migrants wanted to convey when they organized a human chain between the tramway station “Droits de l'Homme (Human Rights)” and the EU Parliament station in Strasbourg on November 26. In order to put Human Rights back at...
Updates on the 18th SAARC Summit On Social Media
The ongoing summit of the The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was covered by international media with different perspectives. However non-official initiatives such as 18th SAARC Summit blog, Facebook account, Twitter and Google+ account are aggregating updates on the summit for easy archiving. Here are some examples: This...