Some (mostly) human rights links and thoughts

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
The Climate Crisis is real, urgent and existential!

The Pandemic is Real, and Vaccinations save lives. Stay safe - wash your hands, practice social distancing and wear a face mask in public, and follow informed medical advice - and be considerate towards those at risk or in situations of vulnerability (including economic) while the COVID-19 pandemic is a problem.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links - although I, somewhat despairingly, wish to comment that the nation Russia was founded by Vikings and the nation USA was founded by Puritan zealots: 

• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• “global heating risks most cataclysmic extinction of marine life in 250 [million] years”;   planned offset land for a new airport has been cleared;   the massive abuses in China's extreme lockdowns;   in Australia, “climate change means 1 in 25 homes could become uninsurable by 2030” - but see this bushfire proof house (which is using materials I’ve been advocating for for years);   the benefits of a wider electrification - not only cars;   a call to end the use of fossil fuels;   a call to learn from Australia's Indigenous people, who successfully sustainably harvested oyster intensively for millennia before European occupation;   take up of electric vehicles in Australia is limited by lack of information on charging stations, range,. etc;  
   
• on the COVID-19 PANDEMIC (noting WHO advice, Article 12 of the ICESCR, and public emergency provisions of the ICCPR and the ICESCR) and other health matters: 
• an elderly man in China was being taken to a morgue when it was realised he was still alive - see also this;   being hospitalised with COVID-19 may cause 20 years ageing of thinking;   “according to a new World Health Organization estimate, the COVID-19 death toll likely reached nearly 15 million in its first two years, or one in every 500 people worldwide”;  
   
  
• on Rashist  Putin and his cronies’ ILLEGAL (it is contrary to Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter  and international law [and the 1928 Pact of Paris which was successfully used in post-WW2 trials], and possibly includes conduct contrary to the "laws" of war and international humanitarian law (IHL)) INVASION of UKRAINE: 
• “depleted Russian units that failed to take Kyiv are merging”;   Russia is humiliating, abusing and trying to mind-control civilians fleeing Russia’s invasion;   an assessment that Russia is now trying to make Ukraine a landlocked nation;   more debunking of fake social media claims - but Russia’s misinformation campaign is growing;   a reprehensible US politician has taken the first step towards a nuclear escalation;   an assessment of why Putin MIGHT formally declare war against Ukraine on the anniversary of the end of World War (part) Two in Europe;  
  
• “Israel has reacted with fury to an “unforgivable” claim by Russia’s foreign minister that Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood” which was made while trying to justify Moscow’s reason for invading Ukraine”;   an editorial opinion that “Putin’s nuclear threats [are because] Russia is losing in Ukraine” - and see this consideration of what could happen if Russia loses;   Europe is cooperating on gas supplies to overcome Russia’s disconnection of some supplies;   new sanctions - including a complete oil boycott by the EU - are being planned or considered;   the miscalculations of Putin and the problem of “the collective schizophrenia that is standard for “homo sovieticus.” He lives and survives on lies, with fear of the secret service, with shame about his own cowardice”;   Putin’s use of staged support;   a group in Finland has cancelled plans for a Russian nuclear reactor;   some people are still reacting on the basis of fear and/or selfishness;  a call for the USA to stop undermining its quest for justice in Ukraine by refusing to be part of the ICC - see also this, which points out that Russia joined (belatedly) and is still signed up to the Pact of Paris making war illegal, and this;  
• “the Ukraine war could hit Africa harder than the pandemic” - see also this;   the UN is taking action on war rapes in Ukraine;   journalists continue to be targetted;   African students who fled Ukraine to France are facing problems - and other “migrants” are being blocked from leaving Ukraine because of racism;   more on Russia's war crimes in Ukraine;  
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• war crimes by Russian forces against civilians in cars and occupied areas, including older  people;   an assessment of Switzerland's neutrality policy and options for change in light of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine - also, “a committee in Switzerland’s parliament could put forward proposals ... that would amend the banking secrecy law – known as article 47 – which makes it a criminal offence to disclose information about a bank’s clients, even if it is in the public interest to do so”;   more spying on national leaders by foreign mobile phone hackers;   an assessment of North Korea’s latest nuclear sabre rattling;   abuses by some Chinese managers / business owners are creating widespread negative perceptions in Africa;  
  
• noting particularly Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter, the 1928 Pact of Paris used in post-WW2 trials, the "laws" of war and IHL and Article 20 of the ICCPR on WAR / CONFLICT:  
   
  
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring) and misgovernance: 
• in a move that raises concerns about the perception of impartiality, a representative of a mining company was on a panel that chose an environmental monitor who was to be independent;   police ignoring an expert’s advice on the ineffectiveness of wrist X-rays is a gravely concerning abuse of power;  
   
• on DEMOCRACY (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• a thought provoking opinion piece on how democracies collapse;    how to stop bullies;   blatant propaganda in Egypt;   calls to end coups in Sudan and West Africa;   “grim tales test China’s claim to be governed by the people”;   “Sudanese families urge military leaders to free detainees”;   disinformation influencers in Kenya;  
  
  
• “feminist foreign policy – an approach adopted by nine countries so far, in Sweden, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Mexico, [...] , Spain, Germany and Chile – offers a good starting point for how the rules of the game might be re-written. Because, at its core, feminist foreign policy is a framework for grappling with systems of power – from the interpersonal systems of power that govern gender relations to the global systems of power that govern state interactions. Rather than being prescriptive, a feminist foreign policy approach is indicative and offers some guidance for how we can re-write the rules and re-establish Australia as a security partner of choice”;  
  on Australia's current national election campaign:   an Australian opinion piece on “how liars and bullies can win elections”;   an opinion that “bias exhibited by the [conservative] press is having too much political influence and slowly degrading our democracy”;   a call for government policy to “be shaped more around the public good”;   “the ethnic diversity of Australia's parliament is lagging behind other countries”;   most Australians WANT an Indigenous Voice to Parliament;   an assessment of a “balanced” or “mixed” Parliament (also misleadingly termed a “hung” Parliament);   an assessment of social media ads finds data privacy / cybersecurity is the major issue;   a comparison of parties finds the Greens and the “teal independents” commitments are consistent with” a 1.5˚C target, the ALP a 2˚C target, and the neoliberals a 3 - 4˚C target;   “key women’s safety and equality organisations are speaking out over ongoing rhetoric against transgender women, fearing it could lead to greater violence and hostility”;  
  
  
• suppression of dissent in Algeria,   Mali;
   
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC): 
• fears of “unchecked hate speech and incitement to violence online” in Africa and Asia in relation to a proposed sale of a social media platform;   “there is mounting evidence that El Salvadoran authorities have been committing serious human rights violations since adopting a state of emergency”;   years of research shows Australians are so-so on social inclusivity;   Israel will remove 1,000 Palestinian from their homes in the West Bank;   Costa Rica is leaping backwards on mental health “care”;   a Libyan government-backed militia has been accused of human rights abuses;  
  
  
• violence in the West Bank,  Kashmir,   France,   Sudan,   CAR (Russian mercenaries are killing civilians “with impunity”),   Somalia,   Mozambique (recovery from past violence), Niger (call for investment to resist violent extremists),   Haiti,   Mexico (in a Hydra like effect, attacking kingpins had led to more crime gangs and thus continued or increased violence),   Cuba;
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:  “since March, several humanitarian organisations have been concerned about new cases of violence and migrants being pushed back at the border between Poland and Belarus”;   IDPs in Niger;   Australia is pepper spraying protestors to enable refugees to be transferred to the officially unsuitable facilities at Christmas Island;   more criticism of the EU's frontier agency for abuse of refugees;  
  
  
• noting Article 19 of the ICCPR on FREEDOM of POLITICAL EXPRESSION:   a call to fix Australia's inadequate legal protection of whistleblowers;   only two African nation nations have committed to the “Declaration for the Future of the Internet”;   “in Africa, Namibia and Eritrea reflect journalism’s polar opposites”;   journalists are under attack in Somalia, Mexico, India, and South Sudan, but Tanzania will review its laws;   a Nobel prize winning journalist has criticised a social media platform as being biased against the facts;  
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   an article on cisgender women and visible facial hair;   Romania is looking to follow Hungary into 1950s-style bigotry;   one step forward and 300 back in the USA;   a call to LISTEN TO TGD PEOPLE on what gender affirming care is like;   a cold case murder was solved on the basis of an ex-spouse's evidence - and the murder was an extreme outcome of socially conditioned internalised homophobia (there are are no winners here - and the self-righteous out-of-touch homophobes who want to claim social conditioning doesn't exist or doesn't create this sort of harm should be jailed to protect society from their depravity);   “US lawmakers in 16 states to introduce laws to protect transgender youth”;   “Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins has dismissed suggestions that Australia's laws need to change to protect women’s sports. Ms Jenkins told SBS News sporting codes are already abiding by the [strong] laws and have shown a "real commitment" to being inclusive”;   confirmation that trans youths overwhelmingly do NOT de-transition - see also this EXCELLENT video;  
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   a comic-style illustration of what needs to be done to properly address the problem of racism;   “Antisemitism is vile but weaponising it for political gain is harmful for Jews”;   “‘Not calling a massacre a massacre is ridiculous’ ... Some teachers aren’t comfortable talking about Australia’s violent frontier wars. Victims’ descendants say it’s time to step up”;   the 65,000 year Indigenous history at Kakadu includes adaptation to change and managing the environment;   Indigenous tribes in the Amazon are using social media against intruders;   after racist abuse a bank in Canada has reached a settlement with the man and girl it victimised;  
  
  
• noting the CRC on CHILDREN: “police in India arrested an officer accused of raping a 13-year-old girl who had gone to the police station to file a gang-rape case”;  
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:  misogynistic injustice (and breach of due process and privacy) in Qld’s legal system for rape victims;   a professional female sportswoman has openly talked of periods to a sports journalist;   a sports organisation hid a report on sexist abuse of female umpires;   as happened in the Azaria Chamberlain case, a woman’s public stoicism led to emotionally incompetent (and possibly emotionally crippled) and often hypocritical (such as one woman I knew at the time of Azaria’s disappearance - “I would never cry in front of the media” in some circumstances, but “why isn’t she crying” in other circumstances) people - some using false "science" - to WRONGLY  condemn the mother of a disappeared child as a suspect ... what would have happened if they hadn't been so professionally incompetent?;   more on women in history who were made silent and invisible by misogyny;   a leaked  draft  opinion - which draws on opinions from domestic abusers and rape-in-marriage apologists, some from the 1700s - suggests  the US Supreme Court is possibly about to send the USA even further backwards by overturning the privacy-based Roe vs. Wade decision to decriminalised abortion ... this also shows the utter farce of claiming appointments to judiciary are merit-based and thus free of political bias - and the dangers of nominees lying ... ;   opposition to women’s rights in Argentina, Turkey, and the USA as three women lawyers in Haiti, “a society riven with poverty and where armed gangs use sexual violence as a means of control”, fight the judicial system;   “Australian men are more likely to take time from their female partners for exercise, which women are not afforded equally in return”;   “Southeast Asia: Gender parity is not gender equality ... Overcoming the root causes of the gender gap means tackling harmful stereotypes and biases, country by country”;   “a woman has been found guilty of sexual assault after poking holes in her partner's condoms without his knowledge or consent” - and so she should have been found;  
  
  
• noting Article 8 of the ICCPR,   Article 6 of the CEDAW,   Articles 11, and 32 - 36 of the CRC,   Articles 16 and 27 (2) of the CRPD on SLAVERY:   enslavers were “the original” book burners;   our caretaker neoliberal government appears to be dragging their feet on banning slave-made products;  
  
  
• noting Articles 6 (1), 7, and 8 (see here) of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (i) (ii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 11 (1) (a - c) of the CEDAW,   and   Article 27 (1) of the CRPD on WORK and FAVOURABLE WORK CONDITIONS:   “on the world’s 136^th International Workers’ Day ... “how the fictional workplace went from bad to worse” ... “from moments of humanity” ... “to grim visions of a more brutal post-Covid reality” ... “ “We’ve seen in the pandemic a massive transfer upwards of wealth, and we have a concentration of power and wealth” ... It’s no wonder that powerlessness pervades depictions of the modern office”;   what a possible UBI for artists could look like;   a major global sporting organisation has downplayed abuse of workers;   the problem of surveillance of workers;  
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   “housing designed for people with disabilities reduces the help needed” (see also this);   how to be more socially inclusive of people with a disability;   “hospitals only note a person’s intellectual disability 20% of the time – so they don’t adjust their care”;   appalling abuses of people with disabilities attempting to use my home state’s railways;  
  
  
• noting Articles 2 (1) (also noting this, this, this, and this), 3, 7, 14 (see here and here), 15, 16, and 26 of the ICCPR,   Articles 3, 5 (a), and 6 (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Articles 2, 12 (2), 37, 39, and 40 of the CRC,   Articles 5, 12, 13, and 14 of the CRPD,   and   Articles 1 - 2, 7 (2), 8 (2) (c), 9 - 10, 12 (2), 20 (2), 27, and 40 of the DRIP on the JUDICIARY / JUSTICE SYSTEM:   “giving ex-prisoners public housing cuts crime and re-incarceration – and saves money”;   “two key witnesses in the Philippine government’s case against Senator Leila de Lima [who has been in jail for five years pending trial], a longtime critic of [the] President’s ... “war on drugs”, have retracted their testimonies”;  
  
  
• noting Article 6 (4) (5) (6) of the ICCPR,   this, and this on the DEATH PENALTY:   opposition to legal murder is growing in Singapore;  
  
  
• noting Article 6 (1) of the ICCPR,   Article 11 of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (iii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 14 (2) (h) of the CEDAW,   Article 27 (3) of the CRC,   Article 28 of the CRPD,   and   Article 20 of the DRIP on FOOD, CLOTHING, and HOUSING:    “a key problem is Australia’s housing market is too skewed towards treating housing as a financial asset, rather than a basic human need” - see also here;   a call to start considering housing for those who can’t get onto the property-owning merry-go-round;   “seven downsides to Australia’s dangerous property obsession”;  
  
  
• noting Article 17 of the ICCPR,   Article 16 of the CRC,   Article 22 of the CRPD,   and   Article 12 (1) of the DRIP on PRIVACY:   “ACCC says consumers need more choices about what online marketplaces are doing with their data”;   
   
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
• India and Pakistan’s heatwave is continuing to have devastating effects;   “flood victims in New South Wales’ northern rivers say they are still struggling to find accommodation, as some are kicked out of caravan parks to make way for tourists”;   bushfires in a US state;   a building collapse in Nigeria;   floods in Malaysia;   an assessment of the causes of food insecurity;   20 million people are at risk of food shortages in the horn of Africa;   Tigray has received some aid but needs more;  
   
• another clueless medical assertion that ignores real life pressures; 
• “conservative” consumers may switch brands to spend their dollars on equally socially backward companies (my choice of words).
  

(Should you elect to write to your elected representatives or others on these matters, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with the links shown in blue - or to at least refer to them. Don't forget to CHECK whether your nation has RATIFIED the treaty concerned.)