Awakening to Our Role in Human Rights and Global Peace
Dr Prasad comments on peace education for the protection of human rights and global peace on the occasion of UN Human Rights Day, emphasizing the role of the rich and powerful of society to leverage their privilege for the good of society and the necessity of each of us to awaken our best potential and serve the common good above selfish interests.
The Myth of Rule of Law
Law is neither morally just for its own sake, nor is it capable of securing international peace and stability as it is based on contested notions of territoriality and sovereignty. Shant Abou Cham explains.
We All Look Alike, But We Are Not the Same: The Root Cause of the Conflict in Sri Lanka
UPeace Asia Leaders Fellow Aingkaran analyzes the conflict in Sri Lanka within the framework of the relationship between political power and modern ethnic identities.
We’re not Laughing
The author was recently asked how she felt as a Muslim regarding the cartoon issue and was asked to put her religious beliefs aside and expound on it in the context of freedom of speech and civil rights. Following is an excerpt from her email in response.
Guantanamo and Human Rights
“Guantánamo is a professional and humane prison and interrogation centre” , a US Army general is quoted as saying this June at a press conference in Miami. The British journalist David Rose shows convincingly why it is not.
An Opinion About Everything: A Conversation with Sabria Jawhar
Sabria Jawhar is an outspoken and influential Saudi journalist perhaps best known for her passionate contention that human rights for Muslim women should be sought within the Islamic tradition. In this interview, Sabria speaks with Rob Wagner about her life and work, the friction and cohesion of cultural values, and the power of Saudi writers to overcome prejudices and set the record straight.
Arab Media Freedom and 7,000 Dead Chickens
Media freedom is virtually non-existent in the Arab World where freedom in the conventional sense is itself a mirage. But media freedom is now worth a story as things are changing, albeit slowly. The snail-paced changes being witnessed in the media scene, especially in the Arabian Gulf states where Sheikhdoms have made sure no free media existed, is interesting to watch
Arabic Awakening: Human Dignity and Democracy in Question
A new order is taking shape from North Africa to the Middle East; but as the dust settles down, will the quest for human dignity and democracy continue? Patrick Mugo Mugo analyzes what kind of governance system will win the hearts and minds of millions of the Arabic people: a Western based concept, or Turkish, Korean, Bangladesh or Indonesian models?
Ecuador and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Ecuador has long championed the struggle against colonialism and criticized exploitative neoliberal policies in Latin America, however, the government’s continued support of resource extraction on Indigenous lands have led them to repress legitimate protest movements, and to violate key legal documents including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the country’s own constitution.
X-Rated Reading: Literary Censorship in Iran
Literary censorship directly affects many aspects of media, in many countries of the world. This essay explores the ways in which the Islamic Republic of Iran has silenced national and international artists, thus banning their literary creativity. Chapters of contempt and scripts of scandal are classified as those that deviate from Iran’s much respected social, political and religious traditions. Hindering the free flow of imagination, of readers and writers alike, literature is kept hidden from the masses, in the name of maintaining Iran’s conformist state.