Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war, child abuse. Reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 15th April, 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 day fascism came to Tennessee — and why the GOP won’t stop there” (M) - see also here (Huffington Post), and this commentary that those problems have been developing for years (P), here (M), and “is the GOP becoming the [US] fascist party?” (RR) - but, on the other hand, surprisingly a conservative US state used due process to expel a politician who tried to invite conspiracy fantasists (Arizona’s Family);   further to calls to impeach a notorious conservative US Supreme Court justice over secret “gifts”, it now turns out the donor is a collector of n___ items (TG), and has also been making gifts to the two DINOs (Democrats in Name Only) ... an extra two impeachments, anyone? (Business Insider) - see also this detailed examination and rebuttal of that justice’s claims (ProPublica), and that the corruption went beyond gifts (ProPublica);   a US republican has supported child abuse in the form of child marriage (Springfield News Leader) - see also this (M);   a notorious conservative UK politician is connecting to other far right extremist politicians (ByLine Times);   a US church refused to bow to LGBTphobic orders from police and a firebombing and, after the FBI arrested the n___ behind the threats, held the event - with police belatedly doing their duty (M);   the role of white women in hate groups (also seen in recent decades in violent extremist groups) (M);   “republicans are firing or intimidating local election officials” (M);   staggering criticism of a black athlete for not accepting an apology that was not made (M);   “removing Black lawmakers is voter suppression – and the US has done it for centuries” (TG);   US “cops let violent neo-N____ off with warnings after they menaced a charity drag show” (Raw Story);   LGBTQ people have been warned to stay away from the US state of Florida as it is no longer safe (Business Insider);   a US state has voted “to allow state discrimination against interracial and same sex marriages” (Daily Kos);   a “coalition of media companies sue for [equal access to] Jan. 6 tapes given to” to a conservative media platform (CNBC);         cisgender “women are getting harassed in bathrooms because of anti-transgender hysteria” (oh the poor diddums ... so are trans women!!!) (Vox) - see also this (TG);   in a massive surprise from a bastion of conservatism and hate, “the US Supreme Court ruled ... that 12yo trans athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson can compete on her school’s girls’ sports teams” (QN);   “Australia’s eSafety commissioner deployed tough new cyber abuse powers for the first time to force Twitter to remove severely harmful content targeting Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, last year” (TG);         on the Dalai Lama’s wrong behaviour this week;   classism (TC);   the ethical dangers of life extension (TC);   an ethical criticism of humanism (M);   another media outlet has left a dying social media platform after being misdesignated as a government outlet - although they had stayed despite all the other abuses (BB);  
  
  
• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• “‘headed off the charts’: world’s ocean surface temperature hits record high” (TG);   the impacts of abuse on climate scientists (Nature);   “how biodiversity loss jeopardises human health” (DW);   New Zealand is considering using wind power (TC);   “Australia’s climate battle has moved on – leaving deniers behind” (TG);   ways to help deal with the climate crisis (TC);   release of anoxic or anaerobic water may have caused a recent mass fish kill (based on the article, they can only draw off from the bottom layers, and that is contrary to normal good engineering practice and has been for decades!) (TG), and there are concerns over a recent deterioration of drinking water for people downstream of the fish kill (TG);   illegal fishing nets are threatening an endangered dolphin in Senegal (VoA);   “unregulated cocoa production behind deforestation in Côte d'Ivoire” (rfi);   “IEA chief slams climate 'contradictions' from oil companies” (DW);  
  
• climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   farming (TC),   lithium mining (Nature);
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
• an explosion (TG) has destroyed two buildings in France (F24);   drought and insurgency crises in Somalia (rfi);   two aid workers have been killed (AJ) and humanitarian food aid stolen (AN) in Ethiopia;   “UN limits operations in Afghanistan amid the humanitarian crisis [because of] the Taliban ban [of] UN's female staff” (ABC) - see also this (UN);   volcanic eruption in Russia (TC);   Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea (AN) and Tanzania (F24);   cultural heritage is at risk after the earthquakes in Türkiye (UN);   as the malaria outbreak in Sudan continues (rfi), “Ghana becomes first country to approve Oxford’s malaria vaccine” (AJ) - see also here (TG) and here (R);   “‘fully financing’ HIV response in Africa will save millions of lives” (UN);   the experience of being hit by a tornado (ABC);   “like for like” rebuilding is subjecting survivors of disasters to possible repeat future events (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 military matters:   “Ukraine debates ways to prevent military leaks after 'secret plan' ends up online” (F24);   russia is still trying to boost the size of its military (DW);  
  
• on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   russia says it has completed training of Belarusian pilots to handle nuclear weapons (AP);  
• on human rights in the region and globally:   claims some deported Ukrainian children have been returned to their families (ABC);  outrage over another barbaric abuse committed by russian “soldiers” (DW) - including a call for international action (TG);   a russian torture centre in Ukraine (HRW);  
  
• internationally:   “the US is pushing back against efforts by some European allies to offer Ukraine a “road map” to NATO membership” (as membership while a conflict is underway would, owing to the nature of membership of NATO, mean automatic war - quite possibly nuclear, given putin - with Russia, this is prudent) (F24);   Russia has begun military drills in the Arctic (DW);   “Russian ally Serbia denies supplying weapons to Ukraine” (TG);   
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• “China launched military drills [including live fire and “combat readiness” patrols] around Taiwan ... in what it called a “stern warning” to the self-ruled island’s government following a meeting between its president and the US House speaker” (these happen regularly after such contact, which tends to lead a downplaying of them, but they involve risk - see this explainer/assessment (DW) - and one day, possibly in a few decades, possibly some years - they may be a prelude to away) (F24), including simulating sealing off the island on the third day of exercises (which is something some commentators pointed out could be the lesson China learned from the response to russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine) (F24) after which it declared its military ready to fight (AP) - see also here (SBS), here (DW), here (TG), here (ABC), here (F24) ... and now “US and Philippines launch biggest joint drills yet in South China Sea” (which is a reasonably expected and appropriate counterbalance) (TG);   “China is its own worst enemy ... Xi’s belligerence prompts classic balancing, an alignment among smaller states that would alone struggle to compete” (Lowy);   “Australia and China have achieved a major breakthrough on trade impediments, agreeing on a pathway forward to end the dispute over barley” (TND - see also here (TG);         the USA has stated a guided missile submarine has been deployed to West Asia as a result of tensions with Iran (AP) - see also this assessment of Iran (TC);   North Korea has stopped regular communication with South Korea (BB);   to stop undermining NIgeria’s health system, the UK will stop recruiting medical staff from that nation (AN);   “curbing ‘expressions of violence’ a key to peace in Colombia” (UN);   “implementing the many global tools aimed at controlling the trade and transfer of weapons – ranging from tracing instruments, to export rules, to safe storage guidelines and beyond – is crucial to prevent arms from falling into the wrong hands, the UN’s senior disarmament official told the Security Council” (UN);   researchers have supported the African Union joining the G20 (Nature);   the USA is offering increased investment for the restoration of power sharing in Northern Ireland (TG);   “lost decade looms for debt-ridden developing countries” (UN);  
  
• 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:  
  “Israeli-Palestinian tensions run high after [fatal] attacks” (F24) - and “Israel is creating an explosive situation in [a famous mosque]” (AJ) - see also here (TND), here (F24), another killing of a Palestinian teenager (TG), and this backgrounder (DW);         “Kenya and Rwanda are backing a political solution fronted by the East African region, which will give a front seat to people with a “direct stake” in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to help end perennial conflict in the area” (TEA) - clashes are still occurring (TEA);         “Iraqi president condemns Turkish bombardment of autonomous Kurdish region” (F24);   “Saudi delegation in Yemen for peace talks with Iran-backed ... rebels” (F24) ... but the talks may be oversold (DW);   a VoA exclusive reports that 3,500 African Union soldiers have been killed in Somalia since 2007 (VoA) - see also this call for international support (UN);   “Sudan’s army warns of conflict as rival paramilitary force deploys” (F24);  
  
• incidents / action of concern in/regarding:   Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh (LFB),   Colombia (UN);
• violence in:   Northern Ireland (TG),   Burkina Faso (F24) - see also this (F24),   Nigeria (AJ),   eastern DRC (news24),   Gulf of Guinea (AP),   Ethiopia (VoA) - see also this (AP),   Mali (VoA) - see also this, on civilians paying the price (UN),   Sudan (NA);
   
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
• US police killed an innocent homeowner after they went to the wrong address (TG);   “a growing body of evidence suggests that ... the militarisation of law enforcement is increasingly associated with higher levels of violence without a corresponding decrease in crime” (PVG);   yet more sexual assaults in the form of strip searches (ABC);   the problem of police and facial recognition technology (CT);         concerns over a US defence leak of secret documents (TG) - see also here (F24), and here (F24) ... and a young white male racist gun “enthusiast” in the US National Guard has been arrested (TG) as the alleged (TND) (remember: innocent until proven guilty) leaker (TG) - see also here (TND);   “a congressional watchdog probably won’t release a sanitized audit raising questions about the construction timetable for the Navy’s next-generation submarine because Pentagon censorship has gutted the document, the agency said” (BB);      a cyberhack of students information in Tasmania (TND);   how a recent hack affected more than the company’s current customers (ABC);   “Australia needs a robust cybersecurity overhaul – not whack-a-mole bans on apps” (TC);   common office software includes remote surveillance software (Privacy International);         “Nigeria probes sale to China of stolen 48 [million] barrels of crude oil” (TEA);   a The Guardian exclusive reports that the culture of Australia’s SAS will be regularly reviewed, respite policies improved, and “ADF members “will have to be assisted to disentangle their experiences of trauma and moral injury”” (TG);   a The Guardian exclusive reports “‘appallingly unethical’: why Australian universities are at breaking point ... cost-cutting, casualisation and ‘ridiculous’ teaching loads are taking a toll on tertiary institutions – and some academics are fighting back”;      “the blatherers either wilfully or through ignorance continue to waffle their way through real estate industry talking points while ignoring the bleeding obvious – the crime of governments neglecting their public housing responsibilities has come home to roost” (TND) - see also this (TND);      a US state judge’s overruling of scientific evidence has threatened that nation’s FDA management system (Nature);   a government official has been charged (remember: innocent until proven guilty) with passing sensitive information on to criminals for an abduction (ABC);   “how corporate price-gouging is causing inflation” (YT);  
• concerns around past/current/potential corruption/misgovernance also in   a former US administration/World Bank (TG),   USA (TND);
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY, SOVEREIGNTY, AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   “we’re headed for another economic lost decade — and you’re already paying the price” (M);   a reflection on the legacy of former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (ABC);   “hundreds of Tunisians protest to demand release of President _ opponents” (F24);   protests in Ethiopia against plans to integrate local militias into a centralised military (R);   “DR Congo to audit and review 'unfair' Chinese mining contracts” (TEA);   the Burmese junta has killed dozens of opponents by an air strike (TG) - see also this (UN), and this (TG);   I’m often wary of this channel, but this assessment of the economic impacts of machine learning (aka “AI”) and ChatGPT seem to me to be measured (follow the money), objective (e.g., new jobs vs. jobs lost), and credible (YT);   “South Sudan hold[out] groups have formed an alliance of all armed and non-opposition groups in preparation for major offensives against the Juba regime, raising concerns about their commitment to peace” (ST);  
  
• in Australia:   “Albanese government axing external debt collectors in bid to prevent another robodebt” (TG);   a call for a discussion on taxation (TG);   after the Israeli military's alignment in politics shifted from the left over the chance of peace from the Oslo accords (WP) to the right, it - or parts of it - now seems to be finding the right too extreme even for its tastes (PVG);   the unemployment rate remains high - although lower than any time since we abandoned full employment in the 1970s, and thus the irresponsible, inhuman and inhumane IPOCs in charge of the economy are likely to try to inflict more pain (TG);   “young Australians never stood a chance [of home ownership]. For decades the controls have been set to favour older generations” (TG);   an alleged Australian spy has been arrested (TG);  
  
• on the proposed Voice to the Parliament in Australia:   the need for truth telling (TC);   an examination of the proposed wording (TND);   a reminder that most (the article uses all, but that is not quite correct - overwhelmingly most, but not all) Indigenous people agree with the Voice (NIT);   a personal opinion on the likely impact of a Voice (TG);   “one of the nation’s top constitutional experts has reiterated to a parliamentary inquiry that the Indigenous voice to parliament won’t slow down government decision-making or clog up the courts” (TG) - see also this, from New Zealand (ABC);   the former Liberal Indigenous Minister for Indigenous Affairs has stood beside the current to advocate for the Voice (NIT) - see also this (NIT);   an impassioned defence of the Voice by a well known journalist (TG);         another senior (TND) figure (TG) has resigned (TC) from an opposition Indigenous role over the stance on the Voice, increasing the likelihood of success (TG) - and there are suggestions of a possible split (TND) as it is revealed that the briefing notes to the Libs supported the Voice (NIT) ... and another senior Lib chooses decency (TG) - see also this (TG), this opinion by senior Liberals that supporting the Voice is Liberal (TG), this, which raises questions about the neolib leader (TG) - and the neolib leader has also been “accused of misrepresenting locals’ views on Indigenous voice to parliament” (TG), and a “‘dog act’ ... the NT police minister and prominent Aboriginal Territorians have reacted angrily to Peter Dutton’s claims that “young Indigenous kids are being sexually assaulted on a regular basis” in Alice Springs, saying he should report any wrongdoing to police for further investigation” (TG) - see also this (SBS);  
  
• suppression of opposition / dissent / media in   Algeria (The North Africa Post) - see also this (R),   Palestinian Authority (HRW);
  democracy is also at risk in   Chad (BB),   Sudan (ST),   Sudan (R); 
  
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC):  
  
• “social barriers faced by Roma, Gypsies and Travellers laid bare in [UK] equality survey” (TG);   more gun (TND) violence (TG) in the USA - where “one in five ... has had family member killed by gun violence” (TG);   “university ethics boards are not ready for Indigenous scholars” (Nature);   “surge in Iran executions aims to 'spread fear', rights groups say” (F24);   a major tech company should “should suspend its investment in a new cloud data centre region in Saudi Arabia until it can clearly demonstrate how it will mitigate the risk of facilitating serious human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said today” (HRW);   “gender inequalities in food and agriculture are costing world $1 trillion: FAO” (UN);   dozens of women and children migrant workers have been sexually assaulted as they were deported from Angola to the DRC (AJ);
  
• human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   Sri Lanka (HRW),   Ivory Coast (F24);
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   “children of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi living abroad continue to engage in genocide ideology, government officials say” (TEA);   an atrocity alert for Nigeria, Israel & the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Sudan (GCR2P);  
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   after this (TG) and this (VoA), Italy is moving to rescue over 1,000 refugees from the Mediterranean (BBC) - see also this (F24), and this (UN);   “an unprecedented number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants have entered northern Brazil since 2017; the way they have been welcomed and dealt with at a UN-run facility has been praised as a model for the region” (UN);  
  more refugee issues:   Niger (AN),   France (Indian Ocean) (BBC);
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   whilst acknowledging some recent positive actions, a call for politicians to do more (TG);   one US state has declared itself to be a safe haven for gender affirming care (The Advocate);   “there’s a reason we aren’t safe in public bathrooms — and it isn’t because of trans women” (M);   a US university failed to respond after a gay student received violent threats (M);   “there’s a growing gap between countries advancing LGBTQ+ rights, and those going backwards” (TC);   a bashing of gay men in WA (Star);   more support in Vic (Star);  
  more LGBTIQA+ issues:   NSW (Star),   social media (Star);
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   “we’re in a relationship dynamic that is built on a betrayal of trust. That’s what that means. There is no place for pats on the back or high fives or any of that. We have to save the celebrations for the day all the suffering and inequality has been removed” (M);   “US army sergeant found guilty of murdering BLM protester in Austin [after driving into a crowd of protestors but the] Texas governor moves to pardon [the convicted murderer]” (TG);   all people can be racist (M);   “tensions rise between scientists over industrial impact on Murujuga’s sacred rock art” (Ngaardi Media);  
  more racism issues:   sport (TG),   sport (M),   Tasmania (SBS);
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    Iran is planning (TG) on identifying (AJ) and harassing (ABC) women who do not wear coverings;   “Egypt’s female social media influencers face arrest, jail on ‘morality’ charges” (F24);   some online forums are helping men exit toxic masculinity (TND);  
  more sexism issues:   Australian Antarctic Division (TG),   commercial (maritime) shipping (DW),   USA (F24),   USA (TG),   a university (Nature);
  
  
• noting the laws listed here, the conventions listed here, and principles discussed here, here, here, here, and here, on the RIGHTS OF ANIMALS and other forms of life:   18,000 cows have been killed in an explosion and fire at a dairy farm (ABC);   
  
  
• 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:   more privacy concerns - including over the competence of politicians (TBS);  
  
  
• 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:   a push for a national minimum work age - driven by those cases where work is excessive, unsuitable, or damaging (TG);   the problem of diminished collective action for workers and other everyday people against inflation (TC);  
  
  
• 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:    housing prices are declining (TG);   the disastrous impact of short term rental on all renting (TND) - and the need for cultural change (ABC) and translation services (ABC);  
  more food, clothing and housing issues:   Qld (ABC); 
   
• my (partial) thoughts on authenticity/being genuine, as an intro to a much better article by someone else;
  

(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:   3KND radio - 3KND;   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;   Pink News - PN;   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 ^TP ;   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 New Humanitarian - TNH;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Timothy Snyder - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Vice - V;   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; 
• I expect readers to take positive action on at least some of these stories - e.g., write to elected representatives, where that is possible. 
  

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.