Free Expression Another Casualty of Sanctions

Aliakbar Mousavi is a former member of the Iranian parliament and an internet freedom and human rights advocate now living in Washington, DC. In 2006, he was arrested and jailed by the Iranian government for urging human rights reforms.

When Families Fear “Human Services”

It is nearly impossible in this day and age to turn on the news without hearing about systemic racial discrimination in the United States.

AIDS-Free Generation Still a Dream in Southern Africa

Maureen Phiri, 18, has a soft voice and a strong message about HIV and young people in her country. “In Malawi, people are still in denial because of cultural beliefs. Traditional leaders and churches are denying the disease. Let us gather those leaders and hear from young people what is really happening.”

U.N. Security Council Greenlights CAR Peacekeeping Mission

Following on the heels of a deadly explosion in the town of Boali, about 100 kilometres northwest of the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui, which left 12 dead and 30 severely wounded, the United Nations Security Council Thursday approved an African-led peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn country.

OP-ED: What Europe Must Do for Syrian Refugees

The terrible bloodshed in Syria has been going on for over two and a half years. It has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history, with more than half of Syria’s pre-war population now needing humanitarian assistance for their survival.

Poll Finds Iranians Sceptical of Rouhani Government

A new poll following the election of President Hassan Rouhani says that a majority of Iranians oppose Iran’s intervention in Syria and Iraq and believe that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons despite their government’s claims to the contrary.

ESCAP Pioneers Platform for Expanding Social Protection

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) last week launched a cutting-edge platform designed for expanding social protection in the region.

Deforestation Spawns Creeping Desert in Central Argentina

This small town in the semi-arid central Argentine province of Córdoba now has a 24-hour hotline for people to report their neighbours for sprinkling their lawns or using water to clean off the sidewalks.

Working To Honour Nelson Mandela’s Legacy

As the world mourns the passing of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, his close friend and political stalwart Tokyo Sexwale says much needs to be done to honour his legacy.

U.S. Drug Offenders Pressured to Plead Guilty, HRW Says

According to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), U.S. federal prosecutors more often than not threaten drug offenders with extraordinarily severe prison sentences as a means of coercion into waiving their right to trial and pleading guilty.

U.N. Stays on Sidelines of Central African Chaos

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to authorise the deployment of thousands of French and African Union troops in the Central African Republic but stopped short of approving a full U.N. peacekeeping force in the country.

Bill Commits U.S. Diplomacy to Ending Abuse of Women

The U.S. Congress is being urged to pass “urgent” legislation that would make issues of violence against women and girls a key focus in all U.S. diplomatic efforts.

Preserving Life in Cuba for When the Climate Changes

Nature reserves act as a safe deposit box for biodiversity and contribute to adaptation to climate change. But in a country like Cuba, plagued by a chronic economic crisis, efforts to increase the number of protected areas go largely unnoticed.

Morocco Under Fire Over Women’s Rights Bill

Women's rights activists in Morocco have criticised the Islamist-led government for excluding them from drafting proposed legislation to combat violence against women and for seeking to dilute the bill through changes.

U.N.’s Post-2015 Agenda Needs a Triple Play

As the international community fleshes out a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be unveiled next year, civil society activists and U.N. officials agree their success will hinge on policies that address the nexus of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation.

Bringing Cameroon’s Marginalised to the Poverty Debate

Lydia Njang, a widow and mother of five from Cameroon’s North West Region, has lost her farmland three times. 

Gaza Returns to Donkey Days

The garbage trucks of Gaza city are at a standstill due to an ongoing fuel shortage affecting all aspects of daily life, including garbage collection, sewage and waste disposal and other vital services. But the local donkeys are here to help.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

They were a family of farmers and bakers in a war ravaged land with nothing to show for their hard work; no money, no real home.  They made four separate attempts to escape the grinding poverty and the stifling government controls, all to no avail.   They were the family of Binh  Ly and his four brothers.

UN and World Resources Institute Seek Common Goal in Boosting Food Production

Strong efforts to close a 70 per cent gap between current food availability and estimated requirements for 2050 are under way. The World Resources Institute (WRI)  – along with UN agencies and the World Bank – has produced a report showing that the global populations will more than likely grow, from the present seven billion to 9.6 billion people by 2050.

Iran Deal Looks Safe from Lawmakers’ Attack for Now

Ten days after the signing in Geneva of a groundbreaking deal on Iran’s nuclear programme, the agreement appears safe from any serious attack by the strongly pro-Israel U.S. Congress, at least for the balance of 2013.

Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan: Cold Leaders, Warm Ties

Two of the most despotic leaders in the world sit atop the governments of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, according to rights groups. But in sharp contrast to the way they regard their respective peoples, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov seem to treat each other with courtesy and respect when they get together.