From this week’s news on: human rights and humanitarian aid [Note: Content Warning - links to distressing reports on this topic. Reader discretion is advised]

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. 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]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

Note: in my “from the news” posts, quotes are shown italicised and blue, my comments are in a different shade of blue, and “good” items are shown in green. I have loosely grouped the posts where such seemed reasonable, but that is subjective (i.e., my opinion - others are free to disagree), and challenging, as some posts belong in multiple “groups”.

From this week’s news on human rights (note: I may continue to add links for a few days, possibly up to a week, after these are published), noting that many issues have probably not made it into the news that I see: 

• “At least 61 migrants drown after shipwreck off Libya”   https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20231216-at-least-61-migrants-drown-after-shipwreck-off-libya   These abuses of human rights have been continuing for years now - with Europe having a key role by trying to block refugees, and appallingly violent abuses by some xenophobic factions in Libya   
  

• “Let’s talk about aid diversion | What’s Unsaid”   The New Humanitarian - What’s Unsaid   “Could talking about aid diversion actually help people who need aid?  Ashley Jackson is the co-director of the Center on Armed Groups and a former aid worker. She has researched aid diversion in Afghanistan, Somalia, and elsewhere, and joins host Irwin Loy for a candid conversation.”  What’s Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world’s conflicts and disasters.  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-new-humanitarian/id1420089508?i=1000637794619   

• “The New Humanitarian | EXCLUSIVE: How a WFP food aid revamp has gone wrong for refugees in Uganda”   https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/investigations/2023/12/15/exclusive-investigation-wfp-food-aid-revamp-gone-wrong-refugees-uganda   
  

• “How humanitarianism changed in 2023”   The New Humanitarian - Rethinking Humanitarianism   “From new conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, to flood disasters in Libya and East Africa, to earthquakes in Morocco, Syria, and Türkiye, humanitarian crises around the world drove more than 350 million people to need help in 2023. While funding to address those needs reached record levels, so too did the funding gap. Only a third of the $57 billion that humanitarians appealed for this year was actually received – the largest shortfall in years. For the last episode of 2023, we reflect on the year that’s been, Rethinking Humanitarianism-style. Which events have forced a rethink in aid? Have any lines been drawn in the sand? And how has 2023 been a turning point in the way aid is delivered? Co-hosts Heba Aly and Melissa Fundira convene a roundtable for a wide-ranging discussion on everything from humanitarianism’s more prominent role in the climate agenda, to shifting ideologies on neutrality and mutual aid networks, and of course funding.”   Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-new-humanitarian/id1420089508?i=1000638544940   
  

• “China rights activist goes on trial for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ | China | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/19/china-human-rights-activist-li-qiaochu-trial   

• More transphobic bigotry - that is threatening children’s lives - from the UK:   “DfE guidance for trans youth in schools released; its obviously bigoted”   https://medium.com/@notCursedE/dfe-guidance-for-trans-youth-in-schools-released-its-obviously-bigoted-25dc6bef5c1d   and   UK police - and the reporting journalist - have shown, in my opinion, incompetence about transphobia by failing to recognise the significance of (a) transphobic slurs (and one murderer POSSIBLY not being transphobic does not mean the others are not), and (b) the inclusion of the transwoman with four cismales (suggesting strongly - in combination with the slurs - that they considered the transwoman to be male, which IS transphobia) in the list of potential victims, and (c) referring to pronouns as “chosen”. The downgrading by police of transphobia from primary motivation to something else, and wording by police that suggested they did not consider it a motivation at all, led to inaccurate reports saying transphobia was NOT a motivation, when it clearly WAS part of the motivation. The police and the journalist have, in my opinion, buried themselves morally - even if, as may be the case, the police member did not want transphobia to be ... real. A nice wish, but that does not sit with the duty to the community and safety of ALL members of the community to actually BE safe - and this will damage public trust in the police (and media) for quite some time to come. Incidentally, if the victim being trans was not an issue, why are the media reporting that aspect? There is an element of hypocrisy/sensationalism, I consider. I hope the judge does better with sentencing - transphobia does make this a hate crime, and the UK is showing of a transgenocide which a conviction on the basis of transphobia (even a little) would have helped contain:   “Why B______ G___ police quickly ruled out transphobia as motive”   https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/20/why-b______-g___-police-quickly-ruled-out-transphobia-as-motive  “Evans accepts that Boy Y wrote some “horrific, dehumanising and transphobic” messages”   There were also victim blaming statements about B______ “choosing a lifestyle that made her vulnerable” (incidentally, not going out is something trans people often do in response to transphobia) ... unfortunately, that is likely to cause concerns along the lines of the rape victims dressing provocatively rubbish   See also this excellent, deeper analysis:   “The transphobia surrounding B_______ G___’s death”   https://medium.com/@notCursedE/the-transphobia-surrounding-b______-g___s-death-77fc0d4aa597   

 

• a The Guardian exclusive reports   “‘I feared for my life’: three women in mental distress say they were further traumatised by NSW police”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/21/i-feared-for-my-life-three-women-in-mental-distress-say-they-were-further-traumatised-by-nsw-police   “Exclusive: officers aren’t allowed to call mental health experts for help if someone is armed – but what happens when someone having an episode doesn’t pose a threat?”   and also   “NSW police ‘adversarial or unnecessarily defensive’ during gay hate crimes inquiry, commissioner finds”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/21/nsw-police-must-be-trained-on-lgbtq-community-and-bias-inquiry-into-gay-hate-crimes-recommends   “Police must be trained on LGBTQ+ community and impact of bias on investigations, landmark inquiry recommends”   and   “Nineteen recommendations from NSW Inquiry into LGBTIQ Hate Crimes”   https://qnews.com.au/nineteen-recommendations-from-nsw-inquiry-into-lgbtiq-hate-crimes/   and   “Advocates respond to NSW Hate Crime Inquiry report”   https://qnews.com.au/advocates-respond-to-nsw-hate-crime-inquiry-report/   “The report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ Hate Crimes has been welcomed by LGBTQIA+ advocates, who call on the NSW Police Force to action the report’s recommendations”  
  

• US “Police fatally shoot Black woman who called 911 for domestic violence”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/21/los-angeles-domestic-violence-victim-fatally-shot-police   “Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy who killed _, previously had killed another civilian under similar circumstances”  
  

• “Police officer who assaulted Aboriginal teenager avoids prison time”   https://nit.com.au/15-12-2023/9079/police-officer-who-assaulted-aboriginal-teenager-avoids-prison-time   “[the victim’s mother said, outside the court] The police are public servants and held to the same standard as everyone else ... we hope the result will send a message to deter other police officers ...   The magistrate noted Barlow's record, which included no complaints against him, but argued a conviction was necessary to show the community the behaviour was unacceptable.”   The comment about police being public servants is very pertinent. A comment on the need for a police culture change and training on de-escalation was also included in the article  
  

• “Aboriginal-led project funding available to combat domestic and family violence”   https://nit.com.au/18-12-2023/9082/aboriginal-led-project-funding-available-to-combat-domestic-and-family-violence   

 

• [Content Warning - disturbing testimony]   “'Worse than death': Surviving sexual violence in Cameroon's anglophone crisis”   https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20231217-worse-than-death-surviving-sexual-violence-in-cameroon-s-anglophone-crisis   
  

• “Men and women who hold sexist views are less responsive as parents: new research”   https://theconversation.com/men-and-women-who-hold-sexist-views-are-less-responsive-as-parents-new-research-216622   “... thinking women and men are different can do a lot of harm. Nowhere is this more obvious than in how some people view the roles of parents ... people who break with these gendered norms can face criticism from those who hold these views – also known as “hostile sexism””   I am not surprised - sexism often comes with a batch of other bigotries, and conservatism as well which has also been shown to be connected to bigotries    

• “First prosecution for Gendered Violence as OHS issue”   https://www.weareunion.org.au/first_prosecution_of_gv_as_ohs_issue?   
  

 

• “Extra $25bn needed to make NDIS sustainable by boosting other disability services, actuary says | National disability insurance scheme | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/19/ndis-services-funding-government   The article has a good discussion on “people falling through the cracks”, foundational support (or, in other words, what’s in or out of the NDIS, with the “out” including the supports that were lost by the establishment of the NDIA   

• “‘They’re doing the wrong thing’: accessible taxi drivers at Melbourne airport filmed refusing service to wheelchair user | Melbourne | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/22/theyre-doing-the-wrong-thing-accessible-taxi-drivers-at-melbourne-airport-filmed-refusing-service-to-wheelchair-user   Apart from being frustrating and simply wrong in and of itself, this sort of appalling lack of service is WHY ride-sharing services came about  
  

• “Scams. Lemon Cars and Ombudsmans with Consumer Action Law Centre”   Raise the Roof   https://www.3cr.org.au/haag   “Shane and Fiona hear from Rose Bruce-Smith about the types of things Consumer Action Law Centre are seeing affect older people - sophisticated scams, dodgy car sales, and retirement disputes - and what needs to be done about it. Heaps of great resources on their website https://consumeraction.org.au/”   Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/raise-the-roof/id992767851?i=1000638631488   or at   https://www.3cr.org.au/haag/episode/scams-lemon-cars-and-ombudsmans-consumer-action-law-centre   

My links for activism post may aid any activism  you may decide to do on any/all of these. 

 

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 - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

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

Remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing, and all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering”.