Saturday, 11 March 2023

Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 11th March, 2023

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Content shown in green (which may be only part of a news story) is about what is generally considered “good news”, but personal history may still make such events triggering. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. Reader caution is recommended. For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]).  

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, wear a face mask in public if prudent to do so, and follow informed medical advice.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links (note: the source of news items [but not reference links] is in brackets after each item - normal rules around abbreviations will apply, and abbreviations are listed at the end of this post; links behind hard paywalls have a [$]; also, comments by me are in purple).

  • the far right is now an existential threat to decency everywhere - but there is also progress being made by decency in standing up to the far right's fascistic abuses; 

  • a US state “seeks to jail trans kids’ parents, authorize out-of-state kidnappings” (M) - see also this (Mother Jones) ... but another state has protected (ABC News) trans health care and will be a trans refuge (Them);   concerns that Israel may be heading towards committing a genocide (PVG) - or civil war (MEE);   “the hard right aren’t democratic opponents — they’re enemies of democracy” (infinite8horizon blog) - and their supporters in the media are unethical (TG) liars (TG);   the USA’s “top 1% has taken $50 trillion from the bottom 90%” (Time);   a violation of the KKK Act in the USA (Law and Crime);   the US republican party is “about hate” (M), and a republican state has voted to allow child abuse in the form of child marriage (AP);   “at CPAC, a creepy obsession with trans kids, and a speaker’s call to ‘eradicate’ transgenderism entirely” (Huffington Post) - see also this (M);   one US state will now openly allow anti-LGBTIQA+ discrimination (ProPublica);   “we’re watching [US] fascism become nazism right before our eyes ... what do you call an organised political movement dedicated to … ending people’s rights to exist?” (M);   “the massacres of [15th March] 2019 at two Christchurch mosques confirmed the far right remains a constant threat to public order and safety in New Zealand, and that this threat was largely overlooked by security and intelligence agencies” (TC);   “how anti-woke became a cowardly slogan for a racist crusade” (M);   the US far right extremists also want to criminalise wearing a mask for health reasons (SS - JW);  
    from a few years ago, a     “historian of fascism offers lessons for democracies on how to resist authoritarianism” (YT) - see also this (RNS);  
    “Tunisia's anti-migrant discourse: 'A way to distract from the country’s problems'” (F24), as     “World Bank halts Tunisia partnership programme over president's ‘hate speech’” (MG);  
    focusing on renewable power sources may make aid more effective (CSIS);   an excellent article on the patronising and superficial (my terms) problem of the     “Disability Dongle: A well intended elegant, yet useless solution to a problem we never knew we had” (Platypus - The CASTAC Blog);  
    “the aspiration paradox: the proclivity of people to vote for the sort of life they wish they lived rather than the one they materially do” (TG);   “I’m still angry at the architects of robodebt, and furious that they have faced no consequences” (TG);   an opinion that the world is in a “behavioural sink” (SS - JW);   “hustle culture doesn’t understand trauma” (M);   a sports player has “apologise[d] for making [a] 'throat-slitting' gesture during [a sports] match” (this is toxic masculinity at its worst - and apologising after the fact isn’t enough: this sort of vile behaviour has to be PREVENTED) (ABC);  
  • on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
  • on the COVID-19 AND OTHER PANDEMICS (noting WHO advice, Article 12 of the ICESCR, and public emergency provisions of the ICCPR and the ICESCR) and other health matters: 
    • lessons from the pandemic (TC);  

  • on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
    • ongoing fear in Türkiye and Syria (F24) - see also this (DW), and the  limits of seismic forecasting (Nature);   the EU will set up an air bridge to fly aid to the DRC (DW);   10,000 Rohingya have been left homeless by a fire at a refugee camp in Bangladesh (ABC);      storms in the USA (ABC) - see also this (TG);   floods in Malaysia (ABC) and Qld (TG) (with crocodiles) (TND);   rain and landslides in Indonesia (ABC);   flood recovery is continuing in Pakistan (UN);   a tropical cyclone is threatening Malawi (UN) and, for a second time, Madagascar and Mozambique (UN) and aid is going to Vanuatu (ABC) to aid recovery from a cyclone;      cholera in Malawi (AP);   heatwave in NSW (ABC) - which is also facing a massive bushfire risk (TND);   drought in east Africa (AP) - see also this (UN);      an oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria (F24);   protests in Greece in response to the recent train disaster there (ABC);   a train-bus collision in Nigeria (Channels TV);   a fuel storage fire in Indonesia (ABC);  

  • 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:
    • on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   the USA (NPR) and russia (CNBC) are expanding their nuclear stockpiles - and russia “will have to rely on nukes, cyberattacks, and China since its military is being thrashed in Ukraine” (Business Insider);  
    • on human rights in the region and globally:   a call for the ICC to investigate an apparent killing of a Ukrainian PoW by russian forces (TG);  Ukraine’s Roma have found acceptance on the frontline (F24);   aid is getting through (UN);  
    • inside russia:   russia’s informal military consider they have been betrayed (TND) by russia’s formal military holding back ammunition (TG);  
    • internationally:   russia has bought India’s support with oil (DW), and is trying to use fertiliser to buy African support (AP);   Swiss bankers have been helping to hide putin’s money (TG);   
       
  • on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
    • following the discovery of weapons grade particles of plutonium and a visit by the head of the IAEA, “Iran and the IAEA have agreed to more inspections and the reactivation of surveillance cameras and monitoring equipment at some of the country's nuclear sites” (DW) - see also this (F24);      after four decades of hostility (MEE), Iran and Saudi Arabia have - with China’s aid (CSIS) - resumed (ABC) diplomatic (F24) ties ... while Saudi Arabia and Egypt continue a falling out (MEE);       media and politicians allegedly aggro stance (TND) over China has led to an aggro (TG) response (P) - but things like this (DW) and this (DW) show there are valid grounds for concern ... and Chinese Australians get caught in the middle (TG) - and China’s Xi has seized (ABC) an unprecedented (TG) third (SBS) term as leader;      the UN Secretary-General “calls for [a] ‘revolution of support’ to aid world’s least developed countries” (UN);   America is NOT the USA (M);   “Sudan, Ethiopia agree to accelerate efforts to settle border dispute” (ST);    “Lebanon, Gabon and South Sudan regain UN vote, not Venezuela” (the votes were lost over unpaid dues) (UN);   the arms embargo on Sudan has been renewed (AP);   “Somalia working to ‘stop violence’ amid Somaliland tension” (AJ);  
    • 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:   another fatal Israeli raid on Palestinians (TG);   rebels in eastern DRC are reportedly ready for peace talks (the talks haven’t started yet, let alone led to peace) (BB) ... but the violence is continuing (AJ);  
       
  • on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
    • “the Robodebt fiasco has been laid bare at royal commission hearings. An overhaul of public service culture must be next” (ABC) - see also this summary of the scandal (TG);   another article suggests the RBA approach is wrong as “underlying Australia’s inflation problem is a historic shift of income from workers to corporate profits” (TC);   “‘no actual teaching’: alarm bells over online courses outsourced by Australian universities” (TG);   Senator Thorpe has been exonerated over claims she had an undisclosed relationship with a bikie, and has - quite reasonably - asked for an apology (TND);   how to prevent intelligence community ineptness for the next pandemic (TC);   the US FBI breached privacy principles by BUYING data (Wired);   a neochristian charity may (TND) be investigated by the commission over alleged (TG) wrongdoing (this is being investigated: it is not proven);   a neochristian “order accused of waiting for paedophile to die and using death to shield it from abuse claims” (again, accusations at this stage - although their past contemptible behaviour makes it easy to jump to this conclusion) (TG);  
    • concerns around past/current/potential corruption/misgovernance also in   Australia (ABC),   RBA - on management of inflation (ABC),   US conservative media (TG);

  • on DEMOCRACY, SOVEREIGNTY, AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
    • globally:   an assessment finds counter-revolutions (coups etc) are more successful against peaceful revolutions as the peaceful revolutions lack “coercive resources” (armed forces etc) (PVG);   the global digital divide (AN);      according to Freedom House, the “global freedom recession may be ‘bottoming out’” (AJ);   democracy in Tanzania has recovered significantly under the new President of the last two years (TEA);   art is returning to Somalia’s capital (WP);   good news from one US state (SS);      a push for elections sooner in Libya (The National News);   an opinion that Nigeria’s elections failed to meet expectations (Vanguard Nigeria) as further elections are deferred (Punch Nigeria);      widespread strikes (F24) in France over proposed - now adopted (F24) -  changes to retirement laws - see also this (SS) and this (F24);   protests (F24) in Georgia leads to a backdown (TG) on an anti-democratic bill that would have kept that nation out of the EU - and the release of arrested protestors (F24);   Greece is experiencing public rage over the recent train accident (will the current government resign - or at least call an election? Will that lead to effective change? Does any of this relate to the imposed  austerity  measures from a few years ago?  - yes, according to this (MSN) ) (TG);   protests against proposed judicial changes in Israel are continuing (DW);  
    • in Australia:   a suggested approach to protect Australian democracy against the far right (Lowy);   a small town built their own local high school - themself-  to avoid losing a significant number of families who would otherwise have been forced to move away (ABC);   “Guardian Essential poll: super changes backed by half of respondents – even among those with large balances” (TG) - but see also this (TG);  
      • on the proposed Voice to the Parliament in Australia:  a personal appeal for a yes vote (TG);   an awareness campaign will be funded (TG);   information on the no campaigns (SBS) - and Senator Thorpe claims to be “shocked” her image is being used by a no campaign (TG);   “South Australia set to become first jurisdiction with Indigenous Voice to Parliament” (ABC);  
    • suppression of opposition / dissent / media in   South Sudan (ST),   Ethiopia (Channels TV);
      democracy is also at risk in         the Philippines (DW),   Pakistan (DW); 

  • on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC):  
    • “how Women’s History Month ignores the plight of Black Women” (M);   hundreds of West African migrants have fled Tunisia’s xenophobic measures (F24) - see also this (F24);   “protests break out in Iran over suspected poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls” (SBS) - see also this questionable (on the basis of hypocrisy) statement (TG) and this broader assessment (TC);   a commonly used human rights software package is the subject of legal action on the bias of alleged racist and ageist bias (although this case has yet to be determined, AI has been the subject of widespread evidence of at least racist bias elsewhere - although I don’t know if any others instances have resulted in legal action) (BB);   “an Indigenous woman will this week allege in court that she was tortured and treated in a “cruel” and “inhuman” way by prison officers who pinned her down, forcibly strip-searched her while holding a knife, and ignored screamed warnings that she couldn’t breathe and was experiencing chest pains ... [she] was, in fact, menstruating and had placed sanitary tissues down her pants” (TG);   “at least 12 MPs and senators yet to complete Jenkins review sexual harassment training” (ABC);   South Korea will compensate victims of Japan’s abuses during World War (part) Two (Japan should do this, IMO) (F24);   “Franco-Cameroonian commission turns spotlight on colonial past” (Barrons);   a convicted wartime rapists has still not been jailed (TC);  
    • human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   Belarus (F24),   Mali (F24),   SA (ABC),   Eritrea (UN),   chemistry courses (Nature),   Ghana (The Star),   aged care (TC);
    • violence in:   northwest Syria (ICG),   Burkina Faso (VoA) - see also this (Punch Nigeria),   Somalia (R),   Germany (TG) - see also this (TG);

    • noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   “‘hope is rare now in Myanmar’, UN Human Rights Council hears” (UN);   an atrocity alert for burma, Nicaragua and South Sudan (GCR2P);  

    • noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   as the UK decides to follow (TG) Australia’s cruelty (TC), and independent Senator “”says offshore asylum seekers [are] ‘victims of our collective political failure’ as evacuation bill defeated (TG);   the expanding use of technology needs to be managed - especially with regard to human rights (CSIS);  

    • noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   “LGBT+ Australians call for funding to address discrimination at home as federal government pledges millions for Asia-Pacific” (ABC);   “what it's like to be intersex in Australia” (SBS);   yet another study showing that “children of same-sex couples fare at least as well as in other families” (TG);   “'trans people exist': Taoiseach  backs the teaching of gender identity in [primary] schools” (The Journal Ireland);   an update on a conservative US papers obsessive transphobic campaign against trans children (Popula);   NSW police took no action against an unauthorised anti-LGBTIQA+ march by pseudo-christians (Star) - see also this (Star);  
      more LGBTIQA+ issues:   USA (M),   Uganda (DW),   USA (good - leaves more for us to eat) (Star),   Ukraine       (good news) (Op),   Canada (good news) (Op),   Finland (good news) (Op),   Japan (Op),   Hungary (Op),   Romania (Op);

    • noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   “why racially marginalised women hide their identity by 'code-switching' to act 'white' at work” (ABC);   systemic racism in the NT (TND);   long awaited bail reform in Vic (TND);   “black family awarded [US] $8.25 million after being unlawfully searched and handcuffed on their way to a math test” (Raw Story);   fighting racism in Tunisia using small actions (DW);  
      more racism issues:   USA (M),   USA (M),   sport (TND);

    • noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    Tanya Plibersek did not contest leadership of the ALP some years ago because, it is reported, her daughter says she was fighting against domestic violence (so that incident of alleged DV [the article does not report the outcome o the court case] not only harmed a family, but robbed all Australia of a better leader than we have now) (TND);   domestic violence increases chronic illness (TC);   police in Tasmania are blaming victims of DV instead of perpetrators (ABC);   “German abortion clinics targeted by US-style protests” (DW);   as lack of diversity is found to still be a problem in MSM (TC), a MSM platform has accused two others of “of amplifying misogynist [social media] abuse of” a female newspresenter (the other MSM and the social media platforms all “have form” with regards to misogyny, so I consider the accusations likely correct) (ABC) - see also this (TG) and this (TND);  
      for IWD:       rights (UN), work (UN) pay (TG) and super (TG), and prison healthcare (TC), “protecting women politicians from online abuse” (PVG), Asia-Pacific (Lowy), politics (Lowy), ICJ (UN), digital gender equality (UN), engineering (SMEC), an opinion that the Australian neoliberals “misogyny stems from a history of female oppression” (IA), and this acknowledgement (TND);  
      more sexism issues:   Tajikistan (UN),   China (DW) - see also this (Lowy),   USA (TG),   Afghanistan (UN),   a Vic (TG) judge (ABC); 

    • noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   “inclusion means everyone: 5 disability attitude shifts to end violence, abuse and neglect” (TC);   

    • 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:   truck drivers are protesting unreasonable work conditions (TND);   “job crafting” (TC);   both major Australian parties support a four day working week on full pay (TG);   

    • 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:    “hundreds of participants in a “life-changing” Victorian housing program designed to permanently end rough sleeping face the prospect of returning to homelessness after being served with eviction notices” (TG) - see also this (ABC);   declining affordable rentals (TG) - see also this (TC);   
       
  • a robot bee is under development as a mechanical backup for pollination (considering we have billions, if not trillions of bees, this is a very distant prospect - trying to remedy the problem is an easier and more effective solution at the moment) (TND);   “lie detection tests have worked the same way for 3,000 years – and they’re still hopelessly inaccurate” (TC);  
(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.)

Abbreviations:   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project - ACLED;   Aeon Magazine - Aeon;   Africa Centre for Strategic Studies - ACSS;   Africa News - AN;   Al Jazeera - AJ;   All Africa - AA;   Amnesty International - AI;   Associated Press - AP;   Australian Associated Press - AAP;   Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC TP ;   Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility - ACCR;   Australian Independent Media Network - AIMN;   Australian Unions - AU;   Barrons;   Bellingcat (B);   Bloomberg - BB;   Brisbane Times - BT;   British Broadcasting Commission - BBC TP ;   Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - BAS;   Cable News Network - CNN [now too forceful, IMO, on IP, cookies etc] ;   Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC;   Centre for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS;   Climate Change News - CCN;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   Context - CT;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24 TP ;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   Globe Echo - GE;   HumAngle - HmA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Jessica Wildfire (Substack) - JW;   Just Equal - JE;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   Mail & Guardian - MG;   mainstream media - MSM;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Middle East Eye - MEE;   Minority Rights Group - MRG;   Mirage News - MN;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Television - NITV;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   Nature Magazine - Nature;   New York Times - NYT [$] TP ;   News24;   North Africa Post - NAP;   Openly - Op;   Out in Perth - OiP;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   Q News - QN;   Quartz - Q;   Radio France International - rfi;   Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE);   Religion News Service - RNS;   Renew Economy - RE;   Responsible Statecraft - RS;   Reuters - R;   Robert Reich - RR;   (Bruce) Schneier - Sch;   Special Broadcasting Service - SBS;   Star Observer - Star;   Sudan Tribune - ST;   Sydney Morning Herald - SMH;   The Age - TA;   The Big Smoke (TBS);   The Conversation - TC TP ;   The Defence Post - TDP;   The East African - TEA;   The Guardian - TG;   The (Nigerian) Guardian - TG-N;   The Monthly - TM;   The National Tribune - tNT;   The New Daily - TND;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Timothy Snyder - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$] TP ;   Wikipedia - WP;   Yahoo News - Yahoo; YouTube - YT.

Note: news sources are never perfectly accurate or good - for instance, some have been transphobic (which is why I may, for instance, cancel email subscriptions), but may be good in other areas (e.g., racism) - and attributes may vary depending on region and over time. I do NOT provide an unqualified endorsement of ANY of the media sources I use. Sources with evidence of being transphobic may be marked with a TP .

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

  • this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

  • there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  • I could be wrong in my views or commentary - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.

 If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.


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