President Obama’s Leadership on International Human Rights (Part 8 of 8)

This is the last blog post in our eight-part series covering the Obama administration’s action and leadership on international human rights, focusing on international disability rights and the connection between labor and human rights. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is up for consideration again in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so it would be great if we could ratify this treaty this year, among other laws and treaties.

Next week, we’ll continue with our regular blog posting, covering topics such as recent human rights news, resources to help you with your activism, and notifications for upcoming human rights events in the area. As a reminder, our first St. Louis Amnesty chapter meeting of 2014 is Jan. 14. More details on the meeting when we get closer to the date, but don’t forget that our chapter is taking action this year also.

Promoting International Disability Rights

The Obama Administration is making international disability rights a key component of our international human rights policy, carrying forward our nation’s legacy of leadership as a champion for dignity, access, opportunity, and inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Institutionalizing our Support

The Obama Administration has created the new positions of Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the State Department and Coordinator for Disability and Inclusive Development at USAID.  With the leadership of these senior officials, the United States can better ensure that foreign assistance and development programs incorporate persons with disabilities, that the needs of persons with disabilities are addressed in international emergency situations, and that our public diplomacy addresses disability issues.

Ratifying the Disabilities Treaty

In 2009, during his first year in office, President Obama directed his Administration to sign the Convention the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a treaty grounded in the same principles as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the center of gravity for efforts to expand disability rights globally.  We are working to secure Senate advice and consent for ratification so that the United States can join the other 138 parties to the treaty.  While our diplomats and development professionals are doing great work on disabilities issues, our status as a non-party to the Treaty means that we lose credibility and leverage in this area.  By joining the Treaty, the United States will carry forward its legacy of global leadership on disability rights, enhance our ability to bring other countries up to our own high standards of access and inclusion, and help expand opportunities abroad for over 50 million Americans with disabilities – including our 5.5 million disabled veterans.  Our ratification will amplify and enhance the current work of the State Department and USAID by positioning the United States to be an effective champion for the kinds of systemic reforms needed to raise standards and improve the lives of persons with disabilities globally.

Business, Labor, and Human Rights

Because the activities of businesses have impacts on the lives of millions of people around the world, the U.S. government is working with U.S. companies to help them uphold high standards and ensure their activities respect the human rights of people in the communities where they do business.

Supporting Business Activities

The United States encourages and supports the activities of business that help solve global challenges and improve the welfare of people – for example, by hosting meetings and conference calls among U.S. companies, investors, and U.S. government experts to discuss how companies can effectively address labor and human rights challenges in particular countries.

Partnering Together

We support initiatives that harness the comparative advantages of business and government by working together – such as the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights initiative, in which the United States works with other governments, companies, and civil society organizations to promote the implementation of a set of principles that guide oil, gas, and mining companies in providing security for their operations in a manner that respects human rights.

Promoting Respect for Human Rights

We promote the rule of law, respect for human rights, and a level playing field by encouraging responsible business behavior and inviting engagement by business in venues that advance best practices.  For example, as part of the easing of sanctions on Burma last year, the Department of State established reporting requirements for newly authorized U.S. investment in Burma.  This reporting process will encourage responsible investment and business operations, promote inclusive economic development, and contribute to the welfare of the Burmese people.

This United States is also a strong supporter of decent work and of internationally recognized workers’ rights as a matter of both human rights and economic policy.  We work through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, trade, investment and development policy, and through human rights and technical assistance programs to help ensure that working people everywhere enjoy fundamental labor rights, as defined by the 1998 International Labor Organization (ILO) declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and by U.S. law.  In doing so, we work closely with our trading partners, the ILO, the private sector, and the global labor movement.

Related Links:

President Obama’s Leadership Part 1 – LGBT Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 2 – Women’s Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 3 – National Security and Human Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 4 – Civil Society, Open Government, Internet Freedom

President Obama’s Leadership Part 5 – Human Trafficking

President Obama’s Leadership Part 6 – Mass Atrocities

President Obama’s Leadership Part 7 – Religious Freedom

President Obama’s Leadership with International Human Rights (Part 6 of 8)

Part six of our eight part series focuses on preventing mass atrocities as well as multilateral efforts to prevent human rights efforts. These issues will be worth watching over the course of the next 12 months, maybe even 24 months, as many international issues progress. These issues and situations include the Thailand protests, the Ukraine protests, the situation in South Sudan, as well as increased violence and upheaval in Bangladesh and Cambodia. These situations may require UN intervention or US diplomacy, so President Obama’s leadership with foreign policy will be watched as he finishes his second term.

Preventing Mass Atrocities

President Obama announced in 2012 a comprehensive Administration strategy to prevent atrocities, underscoring that “preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States of America.” The U.S. government is working to implement that strategy and investing in prevention efforts within the U.S. government and around the world. As part of this strategy, President Obama established an Atrocities Prevention Board to coordinate and prioritize atrocity prevention efforts within the U.S. government. Through the Board, U.S. departments and agencies are identifying and helping address atrocity threats and developing new policies and tools to enhance the capacity of the United States to effectively prevent and respond to atrocities.

Improving our own capacities

Agencies are using early warning tools to ensure timely attention to potential drivers of atrocity risk and share our analysis with other governments; assisting U.S. embassies by providing surges of skills and expertise to help assess and respond to atrocity threats; and developing and implementing new training for personnel serving in countries at high risk.

Multilateral institutions and peacekeeping capabilities

The U.S. government is working closely with other governments to help build the capacity of the United Nations and other institutions to better protect civilians, mediate conflicts, and take other effective preventive measures.

Supporting country-specific prevention efforts

The U.S. government is undertaking and supporting preventive measures in countries around the world, including supporting the training and deployment of African Union peacekeepers to the Central African Republic; supporting efforts to prevent violence and protect vulnerable communities in Burma; supporting projects that lay the foundation for accountability for atrocities in Syria; and continuing to advise and assist regional partners as part of a comprehensive effort to mitigate and end the threat posed to civilians and regional stability by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Strengthening Multilateral Human Rights Mechanisms

Leading at the UN Human Rights Council

Since joining the UN Human Rights Council in 2009 and following our re-election in 2012, U.S. leadership has helped muster international action to address human rights violations worldwide and make the HRC more credible and effective. The United States supported the establishment of international commissions of inquiry to investigate human rights violations and help lay the groundwork for accountability, including in Syria, North Korea, and Qadhafi’s Libya. We led the creation of a UN special rapporteur on Iran to highlight the deteriorating human rights situation. U.S. co-sponsorship helped adopt the first-ever resolution in the UN system on the human rights of LGBT persons. We built a global coalition to advance freedom of assembly and association worldwide, including by facilitating the establishment of the first-ever Special Rapporteur for these issues and by underscoring the important role civil society plays in promoting and protecting human rights. And we worked across historical divides to win adoption of a landmark resolution calling on all states to take positive measures to combat intolerance, violence, and discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, while protecting the freedom of expression.

Related Links:

President Obama’s Leadership Part 1 – LGBT Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 2 – Women’s Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 3 – National Security and Human Rights

President Obama’s Leadership Part 4 – Civil Society, Open Government, Internet Freedom

President Obama’s Leadership Part 5 – Human Trafficking

President Obama’s Leadership on International Human Rights (Part 4)

Today’s post in our ongoing series covering the Obama administration and their leadership on international human rights specifically looks at civil society, open government and Internet freedoms. It can be argued that the Obama administration has shown more leadership for these specific rights abroad than at home, since Edward Snowden isn’t going to get any support for his work for an open government and that were unsure of what steps will be taken regarding the NSA’s spying of Americans. But, below is an overview of what’s been done so far. It will be interesting to see what can be accomplished in the final two years of the Obama presidency.

Supporting and Defending Civil Society

Stand with Civil Society Agenda

In late September, President Obama initiated an intensive, multilateral effort to support and defend civil society from increasing restrictions and enable civil society organizations (CSOs) to contribute to the economic, social, and political development of their countries.  Working through existing institutions and initiatives including the United Nations, the Open Government Partnership, the Community of Democracies, and Making All Voices Count: A Grand Challenge for Development, the United States will collaborate with other governments, civil society, the philanthropy community, the private sector, and multilateral organizations to: (1) promote laws, policies, and practices that foster a supportive environment for civil society in accordance with international norms; (2) coordinate multilateral, diplomatic pressure to roll back restrictions being imposed on civil society; and (3) identify new and innovative ways of providing technical, financial, and logistical support to civil society.

Real Help in Real Time for Threatened CSOs

The United States is partnering with 18 other governments and foundations through the Lifeline: Embattled CSOs Assistance Fund to offer emergency financial assistance when civic groups are threatened.  Since its founding in 2011, Lifeline has assisted 255 civil society organizations in 69 countries to increase their safety.

Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders

In 2013 alone, the United States invested $500 million to strengthen the work of CSOs across development sectors, with a particular focus on developing the next generation of civil society leaders.  Through the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative and recently-launched Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, the United States is enhancing the capacity, leadership skills, and connections between young leaders committed to building strong democratic institutions and working with government to address common challenges.

Open Government Partnership

The United States is a founding member of the Open Government Partnership  (OGP), a global effort to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, harness new technologies, and transform the way governments serve and engage with their citizens.  In just over 24 months, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has grown from eight to over 60 countries, which have embraced the key principles of open government – promoting transparency, fighting corruption, and energizing civic engagement through new technologies and approaches to strengthen the democratic foundations of our own countries.  The United States has worked both domestically and internationally to ensure global support for Open Government principles.  We have made important progress to improve the ability of citizens to obtain access to government records, released government data that fuels entrepreneurship and innovation, and increased government spending transparency.

Internet Freedom

With over 120 million in Internet freedom grants since 2008, the United States has made Internet freedom a central program and foreign policy priority.  Programs focus on supporting the development of technology tools to assist activists in highly repressive environments; advocacy programs; training and rapid response to keep activists from harm or advocate for them if in danger; and applied research to help develop strategic responses to Internet repression.  The United States helped to organize the Freedom Online Coalition, a cross-regional group of 21 governments that collaborate on Internet freedom. The U.S. and the Freedom Online Coalition worked to pass, by unanimous consensus, a landmark 2012 resolution in the U.N. Human Rights Council affirming that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online.  The United States has also continued to support a free and open Internet and the multi-stakeholder approach to Internet governance, where all interested parties — industry, civil society, technical and academic experts, and governments — participate on an equal footing.

Related Links:

Obama on Human Rights Part 1 – Advancing LGBT Rights

Obama on Human Rights Part 2 – Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women

Obama on Human Rights Part 3 – National Security and Human Rights

Updates in Syria, and Other Human Rights News

The biggest human rights story of the past few days is the chemical attack in Syria, and this month’s human rights news roundup includes a few recent developments. However, it’s not the only thing from the past month, and we have those issues covered as well. Here is our roundup of the most important human rights news stories:

Two Protests Against US Intervention in Syria

This isn’t human rights news from the past month, but news of an upcoming event. If you are in the St. Louis area, and are against a U.S invasion into Syria, then Tuesday is the chance to voice your opinion. There will be a protest on Tuesday fro 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in front of Claire McCaskill’s office on 5850 Delmar. This is a protest against U.S military intervention and it is hosted by the St. Louis Instead of War Coalition. Make it out there if you can!

If you can’t make this one on Tuesday, then there is a Syria intervention march starting at 11 a.m. on Art Hill (if you can’t make it that early, then you can meet everyone at 2 p.m. at Kiener Plaza). August 31 is the chosen day for global rallies against war in Syria, so this one is projected to be the bigger of the two events and is part of an international movement. This one’s hosted by Veterans for Peace. Keep in mind that this one is a six mile march through St. Louis, while the first one is just a rally/protest. If marching six miles isn’t your style, then try and make it to the one on Tuesday.

Obama Administration Refused to Provide Gas Masks to Syrian Opposition

It turns out that there wasn’t just one request, and it was just requests before this most recent attack near Damascus. The Syrian opposition has been requesting gas masks and other chemical-weapons gear for over a year, with no reply from the Obama Administration or the State Department. On top of that, chemical weapons were actually used in an attack earlier this year, an attack that was not only projected to happen but one that Syrian rebels suspected would include chemical weapons. The administration has yet to answer for this problem and this lack of U.S assistance.

Today is International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

An enforced disappearance is detention by state authorities for no apparent reason, with no knowledge of the person’s status and/or whereabouts. In 2012, enforced disappearances were documented in 30 countries, 11 of them in sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and South Sudan. In Sri Lanka, it’s suspected that over 30,000 people have been forcibly disappeared since 1994.

Things are Getting More Draconian for the 2014 Winter Olympics

As most of us are well aware, the anti-gay sentiment is controversial as Russia’s “gay propaganda” law has become a cause for concern. Wentworth Miller, the star of Prison Break, came out while declining an invitation to the St Petersburg international film festival, saying he could not “participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.” International athletes have done what they could to protest the laws, but have been scolded by the International Olympic Committee for making political gestures. Most recently, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed a decree banning all meetings, protests, demonstrations, and free assembly during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Related Links:

8 Current Urgent Actions You Should Do Right Now

Syria: UN Must Get Full Access to Investigate ‘Chemical Weapons’ Claim

14 MORE Human Rights Violations Happening Right Now

Amnesty International Failed in the Maternal Health Crisis

I just finished reading an incredible book called, “The Business of Baby: What Doctors Don’t Tell You, What Corporations Try to Sell You, and How to Put Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Before Their Bottom Line.” It’s a fascinating read, and although it doesn’t discuss maternal health in the United States as a human rights crisis, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in Amnesty International as I read this book. I think Amnesty could have uncovered some of what the author uncovered, and was in the right place in the right time with this issue. Why the organization dropped the campaign, I don’t know.

Amnesty International and Maternal Health

Amnesty International started its “Maternal Health as a Human Right” campaign in 2010, specifically targeting four countries for improvement: Peru, Burkina Faso, Sierre Leone, and the United States. Around the world, one woman dies every 90 seconds from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. At the start of the campaign, the U.S ranked 41st in the world for maternal mortality. Now, we rank 49th. For the United States, our primary action toward this problem was two-fold. First, increase awareness to the fact that two women die everyday in this country from complications of pregnancy or childbirth, and half of those are preventable. If I remember correctly, we had a billboard in Times Square that went up every 90 seconds to count the women who die.

Second, ask President Obama to establish an Office of Maternal Health to lead government action to reduce soaring pregnancy-related complications and maternal deaths nationwide. An Office of Maternal Health would be a major step toward improving maternal health in this country, because Amnesty International (and Business of Baby) point out several factors that have allowed this problem to get to where it is today:

• The lack of nationally standardized protocols addressing the leading causes of death — or the inconsistent use of them — may lead to preventable deaths or injuries. Measures used widely in the United Kingdom to prevent blood clots after Caesarian sections are not consistently taken in the United States, for example.
• Many women are not given a say in decisions about their care and do not get enough information about the signs of complications and the risks of interventions such as inducing labor or cesarean sections.
• The number of deaths is significantly understated because there are no federal requirements to report maternal deaths or complications and data collection at the state level is insufficient.
• Oversight and accountability are lacking. Twenty nine states and the District of Columbia have no maternal death review process at all.

If we can get hospitals and doctors to evaluate the problem, to collect information regarding deaths and the effectiveness of certain procedures and treatments, then we would have the necessary information on the changes that need to be made to improve maternal health in this country. Incorporating a review process and setting standards would also make it easier to hold someone accountable if something goes wrong. As of now, the only way to get any accountability is to sue for malpractice, which doesn’t address the systemic problems affecting maternal health.

Where Did This Campaign Go?

Personally, I don’t know. Someone might, but that person isn’t me. I don’t know if Amnesty decided to prioritize something else, or if budget got in the way, or if something else entirely different happened. What I do know is that Amnesty International dropped the ball on something huge here. Business of Baby illustrates how huge this really is, and Amnesty could have been a part of that and could have contributed to real progress. We wouldn’t have had to wait for an investigative reporter to uncover all of this and to get people going.

Related Links:

Why I-VAWA is the Next Step in Stopping Violence Against Women

9 Cool TED Talks about Human Rights

Emergency Contraception Over the Counter [Infographic]

May Human Rights News Roundup – US Foreign Policy Edition

This month’s human rights news roundup includes articles regarding US foreign policy and how the country is handling international human rights issues or the violations in other countries. Primarily, the emphasis in on drones, but that’s not the only thing the administration is focusing on. Catch up with what President Obama and other officials are doing in this news roundup.

Obama Drone Oversight Proposal Prompts Concerns Over ‘Kill Courts’ – The Guardian – In the president’s national security speech last week, he said that he has asked Congress to consider establishing a special court or oversight board to authorize lethal action outside of war zones. He also said that the attacks will be limited and will be carried out by the US military instead of the CIA. Obama said in the speech that with a court or oversight board, it bring in an additional branch of government into the process. This worries human rights and civil liberties groups because it doesn’t change the perspective that the US has a legal right to kill suspected terrorists abroad without trial. It also continues the ‘global war on terror’ and other human rights violations associated with it, such as indefinite detention and unlawful killings.

Kerry, in Africa, Presses Nigeria on Human Rights – The New York Times – Secretary of State John Kerry made this point when he visited the country last week, urging the Nigerian armed forces to keep human rights violations in check when defending itself and the country against Islamic militants. There have been reports in the northeast provinces that the Nigerian army and policy have committed extrajudical killings against both militants and civilians. Kerry did say that the Nigerian government acknowledges the abuses, and that he supports the right of the government and the military to defend itself against the militants.

Did Myanmar President Thein Sein Deserve a Warm Welcome? – Amnesty International – Myanmar/Burma has made great progress in human rights over the past few years, most notably its release of several hundred political prisoners. However, the country and President Thein Sein still have a lot of work to do to further improve human rights in the country. In particular, it needs to build the rule of law, transparency, and accountability, and a prime example of this is with the Rohingya. They are subject to many discriminatory practices as well as growing anti-Muslim violence, but no one in government is denouncing the discrimination.

US: Take Lead Against Lethal Robotic Weapons – Human Rights Watch – Today, for the first time, countries will debate the challenges posed by fully autonomous weapons, sometimes called “killer robots,” at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Drones aren’t fully autonomous, but are very close. A UN special rapporteur has asked for a halt on fully autonomous robotic weapons. The introduction of drones and fully autonomous weapons has drastically changed warfare, and that a directive of self-restraint (which is what the US has presently regarding these weapons) isn’t enough. It would be hard to uphold if other countries start using these weapons without similar restraint.

Human Rights in Russia: Pussy Riot Takes Part in Committee Debate – European Parliament News – Although this article has nothing to do with US foreign policy, the Pussy Riot case is something that Amnesty International has been following and working on for some time. So far, only one of the three women of Pussy Riot, Ekaterina Samutsevich, has been released. The other two are still in prison serving sentences. One of them, Maria “Masha” Alekhina, is a single mother who was not allowed to defer serving her sentence until her son turned 14.

You can still take action on this issue by sending a letter to the Prosecutor General.

Related Links:

Sex Trafficking in the United States [Slideshow]

The President and Human Rights

Drones and Lethal Force: The Issue and the Action

April Human Rights News Roundup

It’s that time of the month where we do our roundup of some the latest human rights news from across the web. This month is another month where most of the news focuses on the United States, which is kind of a good thing, since there’s isn’t enough discussion of human rights in the United States. Below are some of most important human rights news articles from the past month:

Rights Groups, In Letter to Obama, Question Legality and Secrecy of Drone Killings – The New York Times – Our rally a few weekends ago was perfect timing, since from then on have we seen an increase in the coverage regarding drone secrecy. The impact our rally had isn’t the point. The point is that more people are paying attention to this secrecy and what our tax dollars are going toward. This nine-page letter, of which Amnesty International was a signatory, asks the administration to “publicly disclose key targeted killing standards and criteria; ensure that U.S. lethal force operations abroad comply with international law; enable meaningful Congressional oversight and judicial review; and ensure effective investigations, tracking and response to civilian harm.”

Three Human Rights Victories You Helped Make Happen – Amnesty International Blog – Yes, our work actually makes a difference! But, as a human rights activist and a reader of this blog, you knew that already. However, it’s always great to have a reminder of what you an accomplish when it comes to protecting human rights and to changing the law. Our recent victories include abolishing the death penalty in Maryland and securing the Arms Trade Treaty.

Guantanamo Bay and Indefinite Detention: Hunger Strike Continues – Human Rights Watch – Over half of the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are participating in a hunger strike at the prison, which is in its third month and is partly started by the growing realization that some of these people may never go home. Others say the protest started in February after guards handled Korans in a disrespectful way during the search. Whatever the case may be, when you consider that more than half of the detainees were approved for transfer to their home or third countries by an Obama administration interagency task force in 2009, it’s hard to see why Guantanamo Bay needs to be open.

Still the Guy Who Taught America to Torture – The Economist – Four years after the presidency of George W. Bush, it’s getting safe to discuss what his administration’s legacy is, and what this man’s legacy is as president. Particularly regarding his policies in foreign affairs, human rights, civil liberties, and the War on Terror, his record is abysmal, putting it a little more bluntly. The article makes a great point that the positions of Bush and his administration may see centrist now, but are really right-wing, and only seem centrist because the mentalities have continued to linger since he left office.

How Do I Become an International Human Rights Lawyer – The Guardian – For anyone wanting to pursue a career in human rights, human rights law is an option, albeit a competitive one. This article discusses what it takes to be a human rights lawyer in the UK (not sure if the landscape is similar in the US). Hint: learn a language and volunteer to do similar work to build experience.

Related Links:

The President & Human Rights

How Does Amnesty International Ensure its Impartiality?

Torture & Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The President & Human Rights

President Barack Obama is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and just won his second term as president. As just about everything else in his record, his presidency, and his personal life has been and will be evaluated, his efforts to promote human rights should be evaluated as well. President Obama has made many campaign promises regarding human rights, and has done some things outside of those promises that have also impacted human rights. Overall, he’s done well, but could do more. As best we can, here’s our evaluation of President Barack Obama and what he’s done (and what he hasn’t done) for human rights:

Where He’s Succeeded

• 2013 State of the Union – The president did a great job addressing human rights issues, primarily women’s rights and VAWA, during the 2013 State of the Union address. Although he didn’t make too many promises regarding human rights, it was refreshing to see the topic to have some spotlight in the address.
• Arms Trade Treaty – We are glad that Obama was instrumental in getting this through and didn’t listen to the NRA. Such a treaty was badly needed to regulate the flow of arms across the world, especially into the hands of human rights abusers and governments that do not protect human rights.
• Trip to Southeast Asia – Obama’s trip at the end of 2012 to Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand did include discussion and pressure to improve the human rights conditions in those countries. He praised Aung San Suu Kyi while being careful not to endorse the Burmese government.

Where He Needs Work

• Closing Guantanamo – Need more be said? He still hasn’t done this despite the egregious human rights violations taking place.
• The National Defense Authorization Act – Related to Guantanamo, the NDAA (signed by Obama) allows the US military to capture American citizens and foreigners abroad or inside the country and detain them without any trial, all in the name of war on Terror. Some are worried that this act would also give future presidents the power to detain people for life without any trial or charge.
• Immigration Reform – Not much has happened on this front, and despite numerous promises from this administration, Barack Obama has deported 1.4 million undocumented immigrants in his first term, 1.5 times faster than President George W. Bush.

Proclamation for Human Rights

On Human Rights Day in 2012, the president proclaimed the following words below. We must continue to work and to hold each other accountable, including Barack Obama, to what we are doing to uphold human rights and to ensure that promise of freedom and fairness.

The United States was built on the promise that freedom and fairness are not endowed only to some — they are the birthright of all. Ordinary Americans have fought to fully realize that vision for more than two centuries, courageously forging a democracy that empowers each of us equally and affords every citizen due process under the law. Just as we have cultivated these rights here at home, so have we worked to promote them abroad. Societies across the globe are reaching toward a future where leaders are fairly and duly elected; where everyone can get an education and make a good living; where women and girls are free from violence, as well as free to pursue the same opportunities as men and boys; and where the voice of the people rings clear and true. As they do, the United States stands with them, ready to uphold the basic decency and human rights that underlie everything we have achieved and all our progress yet to come.

Related Links:

Indefinite Detentions, Military Commissions, and Guantanamo

Human Rights 101: What You Need to Know

Torture & Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

February Human Rights News Roundup

Yesterday, we wrote letters to the editor to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch regarding VAWA and getting the comprehensive version passed by the House, not a version that fails to include LGBT and Native American women. Perhaps next month, one of our letters will appear in the human rights news roundup. Perhaps next month, we’ll have good news regarding the Reggie Clemons case. However, these things take time, so in the meantime, here are some of the biggest and more important human rights news stories for the month:

Five Human Rights Stories You Probably Didn’t Know About – Amnesty International – We can’t cover them all, which is why articles like this every now and then are so valuable. Yes, we have to pick and choose what we specialize in and where we focus our efforts, but the doesn’t mean everything else should be ignored. In the case of one of these stories (Bolivia), it’s not necessarily a matter of preventing human rights but of carrying out justice to those who suffered violations.

The Truth About Women and Chocolate – Oxfam International – Oxfam has started this really awesome campaign on food and beverage companies; getting them to commit to strong sustainability and social responsibility companies. Food and human rights is a very interesting topic, as is corporate responsibility and accountability, and Oxfam is taking both of those things by the horns. This article is just a snippet of the content and actions they have about the things we eat and where they come from.

One Year Later, Raising Our Voices for Pussy Riot – Human Rights Now Blog – Can you believe that its been one year since Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot performed their song in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral? In that year, we’ve been able to get one of the three members released, but we’re still working hard to get Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova and Maria “Masha” Alyokhina released as well. And, we’re not stopping until the two of them are free as well.

Same-Sex Marriage Ban Challenge Tossed by Australia Judge – Bloomberg – I’m actually surprised to hear that Australia has a national ban on same-sex marriage. I would have thought Australia would be more progressive on these types of issues. However, it could just seem that way since the U.S. is always portrayed as conservative on many human rights issues and benefits, such as maternity leave, the death penalty, and international treaties.

Obama Urged to Back Tough Arms Trade Treaty at U.N Talks – We’re still working on that arms trade treaty, and UN negotiations take place next month. We really want a tough treaty in place, one that will close loopholes and make it harder for governments to violate the human rights of their people and for others to cause enormous human suffering. Right now, there are more regulations for the international trade of bananas and dinosaur bones than there are for guns. This needs to change, and Obama has the power to change this.

Georgia Rushes Through Executions Before Lethal Injection Drugs Expire – The Guardian – Are we really surprised here? The state might still actually execute Warren Hill, despite being a mentally disabled man. But, isn’t it weird and abhorrent that a state is rushing to kill people because the drugs are going to be no good in a few days? It’s also crazy the Georgia was exposed in 2011 for acquiring lethal injection drugs through an unlicensed company that operated out of a driving school in west London. Isn’t it cruel and unusual punishment if the means to inflict that punishment were obtained through less than legitimate ways? Well, it should be.

November Human Rights News Roundup

Before will get our fill of cranberry sauce and pecan pie, let’s get our fill of the month’s latest human rights news. As we give thanks with our friends and family, let us not forget that there are many in the US and abroad who cannot spend the holiday with their friends and family because of human rights violations. Human rights must never take a break, even as we do. There’s a lot to be thankful for this season.

Obama Offers Praise, Pressure on Historic Myanmar Trip – Reuters – Although some human rights activists say his trip is too soon because Myanmar has yet to free all its political prisoners, Obama says his visit isn’t to endorse the current government, but to push the country in a direction of progress and to show that further reform is a good decision. Obama also met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a human rights leader that many within our chapter and other chapters around the United States helped to free from house arrest.

Over a Billion Women Lack Safe Sanitation – Voice of America – Monday was World Toilet Day, and this modern convenience that we take for granted (and maybe don’t clean often enough) is something that a lot of women don’t have and suffer because they don’t have it. Seven out of ten women in Africa have no access to a safe toilet, and often have to wait until dark to go to the bathroom so they can find a safe place to do it. One in five women have been threatened or intimidated when going to the toilet.

President Obama: Keep Your Promise to Close Guantanamo – Amnesty International Blog – Closing Guantanamo Bay would end a lot of human rights violations, such as torture, indefinite detention, unfair trials, and unlawful drone killings. Fifty-five detainees have been cleared for release, yet have not been transferred out of Guantanamo. We want President Obama to recommit to his promise to close Guantanamo.

8 Insane Arguments Business Owners Used To Oppose Basic Human Rights, Social Safety Net  – Huffington Post – There are many labor laws that we ought to be thankful for: eight-hour work days, no slavery, no child labor, minimum wage etc. all of which were opposed by big business when legislatures were in the progress of establishing these laws. We all know this same thing is happening with Obamacare, and like with all these other laws, everything will work out.

Why Walmart Workers are Striking on Black Friday – ThinkProgress – Have you heard of this happening retail workers and not just Walmart? Walmart workers are striking not just because of the steady “Black Friday creep” that’s been happening over previous years (Black Friday sales are starting at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at Walmart, Target, and other places), but also because of cut benefits and low wages despite Walmart’s record profits. This is also newsworthy because Walmart has been able to squash unionizing and strikes in the past.

5 Reliable Twitter Users to Follow for the Gaza Conflict – UN Dispatch – If you’ve heard about what’s going on in Gaza, and need some folks to follow to get quality, up-to-date news, then this article is a must read for you. The folks on this list are on the ground in Gaza right now.