Key terms in this speech: “all forms of injustice,” “economy of exclusion,” throwaway culture,” culture of death,” “sadly risk becoming passively accepted”Mr Secretary General, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to welcome you, Mr Secretary-General and the leading executive officers of the Agencies, Funds and Programmes of the United Nations and specialized Organizations, as you gather in Rome for the biannual meeting for strategic coordination of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board. It is significant that today’s meeting takes place shortly after the solemn canonization of my predecessors, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. The new saints inspire
Archives for Human Rights
Pope Francis “Economy of Exclusion” Address to UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes, April 9, 2014
New Russian Internet Law Against All Bloggers and Providers Passed, Thanks to Edward Snowden and the CIA?
Further strictening of Russian internet law passed the legislature Monday, and is expected to further cool Russian internet expression, while Russian President Vladimir Putin explained the law in terms of “the way its done everywhere” to deal with the CIA-initiated internet, and thanked Edward Snowden for playing his part. Under the law, commonly refereed to as the “bloggers law” because the owner of any website–referred to as a “blog” in the language of the bill–with a daily following of 3,000 or more, including social media followers such as those on Twitter and Facebook, will be forced to register a
Polygamy Legalized in Kenya
Polygamy has been legally approved by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. The bill was passed into law by the Kenyan parliament in a vote which caused female legislators to storm out of parliament in protest. The president signed the bill April 29. The office of the president released a statement about the law. “Marriage is the voluntary union of a man and a woman, whether in a monogamous or polygamous union,” the statement read. The law does ban “bride prices,” despite earlier proposed drafts of the bill. Neither does it require men to seek the consent of existing wives
Human Rights Watch Releases New Report Calling USA “A Nation Behind Bars” and Says to Reform Criminal Sentencing
Human Rights Watch has just released a report finding that too many US laws violate basic principles of justice. The report, released today, entitled “Nation Behind Bars: A Human Rights Solution,” finds that the US has the highest reported rate of incarceration in the world because punishments are far more severe than are necessary to meet their purposes. A co-author of the report and US Program at Human Rights Watch senior advisory, Jamie Fellner, stated, “The ‘land of the free’ has become a country of prisons. Too many men and women are serving harsh prison sentences for nonviolent and
First Ever Charge for Female Genital Mutilation in UK After 28 Years of Law – Top Gynecologist Warns Do Not Prosecute
A London doctor charged with female genital mutilation (FGM)–the first ever charge for the 28-year-old crime in a country where 170,000 women live with the scars of the procedure–appeared at court this weekend. But a top London gynecologist is saying the man should not be charged in this landmark case. The gynecologist, Katrina Erskine, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist with a special interest in high risk pregnancy and maternal medicine, says this is not a case that should be prosecuted. Although the London Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) announced that there was sufficient evidence to charge Dr. Dhanuson Dharmasena,
Russian Law Allows Blocking Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Any Other Foreign Site (Feb. 1 Amendment)
Feb. 1, 2014, an amendment to Russia’s “On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection” law took effect. The amendment allows the government to restrict access to websites with content that calls for riots, extremist activities, and participation in mass public events. The bill is part of a trend in Russian law which began with President Vladimir Putin’s election to a second term in 2012. The amendment in question allows the government to silence not only national criticism–it does this through other laws, such as its 139-FZ (2012) censorship law–but also criticism anywhere else in the world. The measure shields Russia from political
Georgia Passes Gay Rights Law for EU Benefits
In a vote of 115 to 1, the parliament of Georgia outlawed discrimination against homosexuals. The most debated point had been the inclusion of the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Orthodox Christian groups had opposed what “believers view” as “non-traditional sexual relations” and “a mortal sin,” according to the head of the Georgian church, Patriarch Ilia II. “In its current form, this legislation provides propaganda and legality to this sin,” the Patriarch warned. The consideration weighing on the parliament leading to this decision was meeting the conditions for an Association Agreement with the EU, which includes relaxed visa procedures
Arizona Senate Bill 1062 “Discrimination Bill” – What Is It?
Arizona Senator Steve Yarbrough sponsored the bill that has now passed the Arizona state Senate as SB1062 in response to several trials in which people who had denied particular services requested for gay weddings had been sued under Arizona’s human rights laws, essentially forcing people in any business (other than private clubs and churches) to serve gay weddings even if their religious beliefs are contrary. One such case was Elane Photography v. Willock (2013) (case and trial summary), in which a Christian photographer was sued for discrimination because she declined to photograph a gay wedding due to her religious convictions. The
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