Staff POV
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Pittsburgh Post Gazette: At Pa.’s largest detention center, immigrant safety endangered as cuts cripple DHS oversight arm
Tags Share At Pennsylvania’s largest immigrant detention center, Moshannon Valley, conditions have become increasingly dangerous amid severe cuts to the Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights oversight office. A sweeping investigation into death, abuse, medical neglect, sexual harassment, and excessive solitary confinement has been jeopardized after the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL)…
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Univision: The Laken Riley Bill: Which Immigrants Can Be Affected and Who Will Benefit?
Tags Share The proposed Laken Riley Act is drawing sharp criticism from human rights advocates as it would allow the government to detain undocumented immigrants based on arrests or accusations, not just convictions. Supporters say it’s about public safety, but critics – including Anthony Enriquez, Vice President of Advocacy and Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy…
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Pens for Press: Students Stand with Carlos Ávila
Tags Share Amidst final exams and end-of-year projects, young people across the country spent hours writing letters and sending emails on behalf of Honduran journalist, Carlos Ávila. On November 2nd, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the RFK Human Rights’ Civic Space Case Tracker launched Pens for Press 2024, a youth…
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Beyond Countering China: President Biden Must Address Human Rights Concerns in Angola
Tags Share President Biden is on a three-day state visit to the southern African country of Angola. This trip marks his first and long-promised visit to Africa as the U.S. President. During the visit, the leaders of both governments are expected to discuss strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing civic engagement, and expanding economic partnerships. Angola is…
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Speak Truth to Power: Refocusing and Uplifting Human Rights Narratives
Tags Share The origin of the phrase “Speak Truth to Power” has been attributed to a number of people and organizations. Most people recognize the American Society of Friends (ASF – Quakers) and one particular Quaker, Bayard Rustin, as the original source. In 1942, Rustin, a Black Quaker and the principal organizer of the March…
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Building Capacity for Human Rights: A Recap of the Arusha Initiative Town Hall
Tags Share On October 9, the Arusha Initiative hosted its first-ever Town hall focused on raising awareness around the integral role of human rights mechanisms in promoting human rights in Africa. This incredible event brought together members of the initiative and other people passionate about human rights, from advocates to community leaders and representatives of…
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Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’ Engagement at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Tags Share Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights participated in the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, The Gambia, on October 15-25, 2024. The ACHPR is the treaty body of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights treaty, which mandates the promotion and protection of human…
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Right to Vote and the 2024 Tunisian Elections
Tags Share On October 6th, Tunisians went to the polls for the first presidential elections since a new constitution was adopted in 2022. Tunisia’s highest electoral body, the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) declared victory for incumbent president Kais Saied with 90.69% of the vote, citing a participation rate of 28%, the lowest rate…
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Rising Temperatures, Rising Threats: The Growing Risk and Resilience of Environmental Defense
Tags Share In every corner of the world, from the burning rainforests of the Amazon to the rising shores of the Pacific Islands, environmental defenders are on the front lines of the fight against one of humanity’s greatest threats: climate change. These courageous individuals and communities are not only protecting our planet but are also…
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Access to Information: Empowering Citizens, Strengthening Democracies
Tags Share As we celebrate this year’s International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUIA), we are reminded that the ability to access information is more than a right—it is the foundation of democracy. This year’s focus, “Mainstreaming Access to Information and Participation in the Public Sector,” could not be more relevant. Across the globe,…
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Apátridas y Vulnerables: La crisis actual de los descendientes de haitianos en la República Dominicana
Tags Share «Nos están borrando como seres humanos», dijo Sonia Pierre, nacida en la República Dominicana de padres haitianos, en referencia a la profunda discriminación a la que se enfrentan las personas dominicanas de ascendencia haitiana dentro de la sociedad dominicana y sus instituciones. Sonia fue una dedicada defensora de los derechos humanos que lideró…
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Stateless and Vulnerable: The Ongoing Crisis of Haitian Descent in the Dominican Republic
Tags Share “We are being erased as human beings,” said Sonia Pierre, who was born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents, in reference to the profound discrimination faced by Dominicans of Haitian descent within Dominican society and its institutions. Sonia was a dedicated human rights defender who led the movement against the structural racism…
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