Staff POV
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Human Rights under the Cuban Regime More than a Decade after Pro-democracy leaders’ Assassination
Tags Share 11 years ago today, on July 22, 2012, premier pro-democracy leader Oswaldo Payá and youth organizer Harold Cepero made their way across the island of Cuba on the central expressway headed to Santiago. Near Bayamo they were rammed off the road by an official government vehicle, killing both of them. Their driver, Spanish…
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Smart employers lead and hire with dignity
Tags Share Written by Jeffrey Siminoff The angst some feel around workplace diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is often built around a flawed premise. It’s that a focus on DEI means a take-away from some (say, straight white people) that subordinates merit to identity-based preferences. In fact, inclusive workplace recruiting and culture strategies are meant…
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Building the Foundation: Accurately Understanding the Landscape of Injustice in Venezuela as the Investigation Resumes
Tags Share Leer en español. On June 27, following a deferral request filed by the Venezuelan government under Article 18(2) of the Rome Statute that resulted in over a year-long suspension, Pre-Trial Chamber I (“The Chamber”) of the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) granted authorization for the Office of the Prosecutor to resume its investigation into…
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Construyendo los cimientos: entendiendo el panorama de la injusticia en Venezuela a medida que se reanuda la investigación ante la Corte Penal Internacional
Tags Share El 27 de junio, después de una solicitud de suspensión presentada por el gobierno de Venezuela en virtud del artículo 18(2) del Estatuto de Roma que resultó en un aplazamiento de más de un año, la Sala de Cuestiones Preliminares I (“La Sala”) de la Corte Penal Internacional (“CPI”) autorizó a la Fiscalía…
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Pride’s #BookBan Legacy: Speaking Truth to Power
Tags Share Pride has long been known as a joyous celebration of queer life and love, a time for the LGBTQ+ community to come together without fear. Unfortunately, Pride 2023 has felt like less of a celebration and more of a reminder: the struggle for queer existence is not over. From drag bans to policies…
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RFKHR attorney, legal fellow meet with U.N. delegation on human rights violations of Black people, asylum seekers in U.S.
Tags Share Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights staff attorney Delia Addo-Yobo, legal fellow Daniel Tse, and John Lewis Young Leader Lucina Kayee were able to meet with a United Nations delegation in May to shine a light on human rights violations against Black people in the U.S. – both American citizens and migrants seeking asylum…
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40th Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award goes to Xinka Parliament, in the name of peaceful resistance
Tags Share On Tuesday June 6, the same day as the 55th anniversary of the death of Robert F. Kennedy also marked the 40th Human Rights Award bestowed by his namesake organization. This year’s honoree? The Xinka Parliament, the official representative of the Xinka People, and the second-largest Indigenous nation in Guatemala. Among the distinguished…
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Rethinking US Foreign Policy Strategy on Wrongful Detention
Tags Share Russia’s arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich feeds into a worrying pattern of wrongful detention, including hostage-taking, of Americans overseas. More than 60 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are currently wrongfully detained abroad. With rising geopolitical tensions and the consequent Cold War-style polarization, this trend is likely to continue. In…
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Four-Year Sentence of Anti-Corruption Leader Deals a Blow to Guatemalan Democracy
Tags Share At 10 p.m. on April 19, we received a text message from Claudia González —the leading attorney representing Virginia Laparra— confirming that we had been authorized to visit Virginia at the Matamoros military prison the following day. Her text included a warning: “Don’t forget to wear a skirt or you won’t be allowed…
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Education as a Pathway to Reconciliation of Historical Harm: The Case of Korean Comfort Women
Tags Share In our most recent Human Rights Defender speaker series event, Dr. Jongwoo Han, President of the Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial Foundation, shared the history of comfort women during World War II, emphasizing education as an important way to heal historical harm and end conflict-related sexual violence. Lead educator Mona Al-Hayani, a history…
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After its first trip focused on addressing climate change, how Emerging Leaders is preparing students to become human rights activists
Tags Share When 12 students from Bangor, Maine, arrived in Washington, D.C. for Speak Truth to Power’s Emerging Leaders trip on April 16, they arrived ready to engage. The Emerging Leaders Trip is an opportunity for students from our partner schools to connect with a human rights issue. This year’s was centered around environmental justice…
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RFK: Personal Anecdotes 55 Years on
Tags Share May 1968 was Robert F. Kennedy’s last full month of campaigning for president before he was killed in June. While he is remembered more broadly for his vision of a more just and peaceful world, it is, perhaps, the anecdotes that best illustrate his character and a place to draw inspiration. Kevin Khadavi…
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