Some (mostly) human rights links and thoughts

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
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Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links: 

• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• a report on investigations into a devastating typhoon nine years ago in the Philippines has “argued” that “big coal, oil and cement companies acted “immorally” at best in sowing climate disinformation and delaying action on emissions ... They could be liable for reparations – particularly those expanding fossil fuel production”;   “a new paper ... in the journal Royal Society Open Science claims that “civilisations either collapse from burnout or redirect themselves to prioritising homeostasis, a state where cosmic expansion is no longer a goal, making them difficult to detect remotely” ”;   a review of climate change and health policies in Europe;   “we must end our command-and-control relationship with the environment if we are to arrest its destruction”;   solar power can be generated at night using residual heat - at very low levels;   “conflict within the Coalition on climate policy has made it harder for public servants to give frank advice about preparing for worsening weather extremes”;   Egypt is considering using sea water cooling as a district cooling measure;   experts have said a “persistent drought in Ethiopia [is the] result of climate change”;   growing bushfire risk in the USA;   “risk of climate-induced statelessness and nationality loss in the Pacific”;   “carbon pollution pushed environmental breakdown to record levels in 2021” - see also here;   we have the world's worst per person GHG emissions from coal;   “'Great Green Wall' still touted as the Sahel’s desertification solution”;   pollution is still killing 9 million people annually;   a criticism of usage charges for EVs as “a tax on not polluting”;   a proposal to use solar power from Africa in Europe;  
   
• 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: 
• as hundreds of people start going to food banks, “COVID-19 infections in Australia hit worldwide highs” - and calls for mask wearing to manage flu;   the pandemic has led to an increase in child labour in Africa;   second infections may not be milder;   staggering death rates in aged care this year;   one state’s “contact tracing system is plagued with significant privacy and security concerns, putting at risk highly sensitive personal and medical information”;  
   
  
• 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: 
• as more Russians change their views of their government, Russia (with Putin’s direct involvement) may have lost one third of its military invasion force - giving Ukraine has an opportunity which must not be pushed too far, or Russia may use nuclear weapons;   Ukraine is planning how to rebuild;   Russia has said it could murder some prisoners of war;   Russian bloggers are now criticising their invasion - see also this;   Russian plans to prosecute Ukrainian soldiers could breach international law;   Russian soldiers are booby-trapping even children’ s toys;  
  
• some concerns in the USA that it is depleting its arms stockpiles because of its rates of supply to Ukraine;   “Georgia's separatist South Ossetia region to hold [a] referendum on joining Russia”;   Turkey has set conditions before Finland or Sweden can join NATO;   a review of possible responses to Russian use of battlefield nuclear weapons;   an Australian company is breaching international sanctions;  
  
• after the world turned to India to make up the shortfall in global wheat supplies amidst concerns that Russia is “weaponising” food supply, the heatwave has led to India banning exports - the rising food prices may be “apocalyptic” to the poor;   yet more racism against refugees fleeing Ukraine;  
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
•  actions about the Northern Ireland border  could lead to a trade war between the UK and EU;   China may be lacking understanding of Australia;   confirmation that the USA's abrupt withdrawal caused Afghanistan's collapse;  
  
• 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:   NATO weapons from Afghanistan are now feeding a nascent insurgency in Kashmir;  
   
  
•  on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring) and misgovernance: 
• “a member of the administrative appeals tribunal has said he was benched from hearing social security cases because he decided too many against the government”;  
   
• on DEMOCRACY (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• Sir Lanka's crisis is continuing - see also here and here;   an excellent assessment of concerns about democracy includes a statement that “faith in progress is not enough. History does not run in a straight line. Tyranny is always laying in wait for justice and freedom”;   “the use of Pegasus spyware to target Catalan independence leaders and Spanish politicians – including the prime minister – has plunged Spain into a “crisis of democracy” and national security that can be tackled only with an independent investigation, a leading cybersecurity expert has warned”;   a change of political power in Lebanon;   protestors have called for a return to democracy in Tunisia;   “[Burma]’s democratic movement is as strong as the junta is brutal”;   democracy is still at risk in Hungary;  
  
  
• “the rise of catchphrase politics: six examples of how policy loses out to soundbites”;
  on Australia's current national election campaign:   an opinion on leading issues for our next government;   the neolib nitwits have “offered incentives” for older Australians to downsize ... which ignores the lack of suitable choice of smaller housing - and “a major issue with Australia housing policy is that it regards housing as an asset rather than a need”;   a critique of the caretaker PM’s “gruesome election bet”;   a series of opinion pieces on what incoming Ministers should attend to;   a criticism of “pork barrelling” as “corrupt”;   another personal story rebutting the transphobic abuse of those neolibs who are also transphobic bigots;   a call for legal action against a minor party that used illegal signs;   a comparison of the main parties on refugees;   some sock puppets are parroting POTUS45's lies;   changed approaches to election costings - see also here;   31 former judges have called for strong anti-corruption action - see also this;   an article on voter databases;   seven key differences between the two main parties;   an opinion that the media has reached “peak passivity”;   Indigenous voices are not being heard;   concerns about an unhinged (my word) bigotted, right-wing, conspiracy fantasist “media outlet”;   several editorials have supported a change of government;  
  
  
• suppression of dissent in Guinea,   Guinea-Bissau,   Iran,   Russia;
   
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC): 
• a white supremacist  teenager was able to get a gun and then commit a mass murder hate crime in the USA - see also here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here, here, and another shooting;   “Israel’s police chief ... [has] ordered an investigation into the actions of officers at the funeral of [an Al Jazeera] journalist ... , after they charged the procession and beat pallbearers, sparking global outrage” - and unanimous condemnation by the UN Security Council - . . . and decided proper investigation was not necessary . . . ;   an Islamophobic / secularist cultural war in France - but less intense now;   an article on bullying of young people leading to suicide;   a call to move inclusion and diversity in the workplace beyond business cases to embracing responsibility to the broader community they are part of and event the political aspects via “radical equality” . . . I like that, but there’s a lot of work to get it in place;  
  
  human rights abuses in Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan;  
  
  
• violence in Mali / the Sahel,   Libya,   Ethiopia,   Haiti,   Tajikistan,   Togo,   Burkina Faso;
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:    “learn lessons of Rwandan genocide and act now to stop Ethiopian war” - and possible genocide;  
  
  
• noting the CRC on CHILDREN:   “the New South Wales government has refused to pass laws closing a loophole that allows prison staff to treat children in youth detention as adults, including the use of “oppressive” fully-naked-body strip-searches”;  
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   an ad has supported pregnant transmen men and trans family - and the company has held to it despite a backlash from the transphobes;   a US state judge has stopped a transphobic child abusing law preventing trans youth accessing life saving care;   calls for conversion practices to be banned nationally;   discrimination is stopping TGD people access mental health care;   five years of transphobic abuse;   the need for IDAHOBIT;   a homophobic sports player in a French sporting league;   homophobia in Chile;   Coles has introduced gender affirmation leave;   “Anglican Bishops in Australia have voted down a statement against gay marriages”;   inadequate health services for TGD youth in Qld;   transphobia in the USA;  
  
  
• noting Article 6 (4) (5) (6) of the ICCPR,   this, and this on the DEATH PENALTY:  Belarus has extended its use of the death penalty;  
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   an Indigenous town’s uranium contaminated water supply will finally be fixed - later this year ... ;   “Indigenous Australians are seeking ... to realise homes spiritual through the realisation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart”;   in my home state, “an [IBAC] audit has found there are “systemic failures” in how Victorian police treat complaints by Aboriginal people, with more than 40% of the files examined revealing indicators of bias on the part of investigators” - see also this (from another state);   WE HAD A PEACE ACCORD BACK IN 1889;   concerns over “fortress conservation” - and see also this;  
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES: inadequate support for Afghan refugees in France;  
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:  the abusive treatment of a former disability discrimination commissioner at an airport is being investigated;   making workplaces accessible is mostly free;   only 12% of Australians with a disability are on the NDIS;   the experience of one person at Uni who has a disability of being patronised;   delays paying approved funding are trapping people in hospitals unnecessarily;  
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:  “prejudices that led to witch-hunts still affect women today”;   online misogyny;  
  
  
• noting Article 19 of the ICCPR on FREEDOM of POLITICAL EXPRESSION:  an “extraordinary” order has been issued for media to hand over the DRAFT of a story - before it has been finished, let alone published - for editorial review by the person whose conduct is the subject of the article;   an opinion that “the big problem with free speech on platforms isn’t censorship. It’s the algorithms”;   Microsoft has been doing China’s censorship for them;  
  
  
• 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:  an example of the social problem of burnout from the hospital system;   a call for a global sporting body to pay millions in reparations to works who were abused by Qatar;  
   
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
• a bus accident in Indonesia;   cholera in Pakistan;   an explosion in Nigeria;   polio in Mozambique;   severe food shortages in the Sahel;  
   
• “US officials have warned businesses against inadvertently hiring IT staff from North Korea, saying that rogue freelancers were taking advantage of remote work opportunities to hide their true identities and earn money for Pyongyang”;   
• the experience of synaesthesia;

(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.)