Amid the chaos from the Syrian Civil War as well as rising violence from Islamic State (IS) militants, millions of Syrians are being forced to flee their homes. Since the outbreak of the civil war in March 2011, over nine million Syrians have been uprooted. More than six million remain internally displaced, while an additional … Continue reading
Since February 2014, Venezuela has experienced an outbreak of demonstrations that have led to unlawful violence perpetrated by security forces and government supporters against anti-government protestors, many of whom are unarmed civilians. Journalists and others found documenting the demonstration also face increasing personal risk as media censorship methods turn violent. “The Venezuelan government has openly … Continue reading
Since 2004, hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have fled their home country to escape government repression. Yet increasingly, in the past three years, they have found themselves subject to human trafficking and put in circumstances worse than those they had left behind. According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), thousands of Eritreans have fled to … Continue reading
A doctor in rural Fuping County in China’s Shaanxi Province has received a suspended death sentence for selling seven infants into child-trafficking. The sentencing court has announced that while working as an obstetrician at the Fuping Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, the doctor, Zhang Shuxia “fabricate[d] reports about the infants, saying they had suffered from … Continue reading
On May 23, 2013, US President Barack Obama described US drone strikes as a “legal, effective and necessary” tool in an effort to combat terrorism while asserting that he is haunted by the fact that the strikes can unintentionally kill civilians and that they were definitely not a “cure-all.” It seems, however, that the US … Continue reading
Pakistan has emerged as a focal point of global polio eradication efforts following this year’s World Polio Day on Oct. 24. The day came at the heel of a deadly bomb attack by the Taliban on an immunization team on Oct. 7 in the city of Peshawar. This was the latest of a series of … Continue reading
Shortly after the United States government shutdown began at midnight on October 1, Republicans and Democrats immediately began placing the blame on one another. Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Harry Reid put the blame on Republicans when, on October 1, he told the Senate “Government is closed, because of the irrationality of what is going … Continue reading
Ten years after the end of its civil war, Liberia is still working to rebuild itself. The 14-year war did much to destroy existing Liberian institutions, including their education system. In August of this year, all of Liberia’s 25,000 high school students took the state university entrance exam – not a single student passed. Nelson … Continue reading
National Football League (NFL) team the Washington Redskins has been heavily criticized for the name of their team, a name that is said to offend Native Americans. The recent controversy began when President Barack Obama said, in an interview to the Associated Press on Oct. 5, that if he were the owner of the team … Continue reading
Late September, tragedy struck the sprawling metropolis of Nairobi, Kenya when a group of al-Shabaab militants initiated a violent terrorist attack at Westgate, an upscale mall popular with tourists, as well as middle to high class Kenyans. Lasting more than four days from Sept. 21 to 24, the 80-hour incident led to the deaths of … Continue reading
JESSICA NEWFIELD Recognizing and protecting the civil rights, working conditions and opportunities of vulnerable and marginalized groups is an essential element of tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Minority sub-groups of society are generally the most affected by the spread of the HIV virus such as Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people, drug users and … Continue reading
AMANDA MURPHYReligious affiliation can complicate many situations, including the often problematic developmental aid situation in Africa. Volunteers who have worked for both religious and non-religious NGOs offer a valuable perspective on the differences between the two types of developmental aid institutions. Naomi Goodman is a fourth year Civil Engineering and Society major at McMaster University. … Continue reading
JENNA TOPAN The protection and promotion of religious rights are crucial aspects of the maintenance of human rights, especially in North America. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion … [including the freedom] to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, … Continue reading
LEILA BAMBA We live in a time where the influence of the media can be felt in all aspects of our lives; from subjecting us to endless gossip on celebrities or to keeping us informed on current events. In our globalized era, this seems fine to most people until certain issues are put under the … Continue reading
OLIVIA ZEYDLER A city government safe so stuffed with cash that it couldn’t close? A city’s Senior Engineer slyly taking tropical vacations and receiving numerous bottles of wine in his office? These situations involving our elected officials are unimaginable. Yet these were the testimonies made by both construction bosses and government officials during the Charbonneau … Continue reading
JENNA TOPAN It has been a year of protests. From the Arab Spring, to political turmoil in Russia, to Occupy Wall Street, and back to Québec’s campaign against tuition hikes, it is clear that revolution is in the air. Some protests have been peaceful, while others have turned violent. All have received media attention. One … Continue reading
LAUREN REDIES On March 4, 2012, Vladimir Putin was reelected to his third term as president of Russia. Discontent and outrage have spread across the Russian population, sparking riots and revolts against a government that the citizens believe is corrupt. Students are particularly active in these riots, with organized youth groups protesting against Putin and … Continue reading
As the final horn signaled the defeat of the Vancouver Canucks by the Boston Bruins at the Stanley Cup final on June 15, 2011, riots broke out in downtown Vancouver. About a hundred thousand people took to the streets. In the aftermath, 140 were injured, and close to 100 were arrested. These riots were not … Continue reading
On Jan. 26, 2012, Twitter announced its new content policy in an online blog post. Due to its increasing global audience with varying ideas about freedom of expression, Twitter plans to censor tweets deemed controversial by a host country. However, instead of removing the offending post entirely, Twitter will only make its content unavailable for … Continue reading
The historical significance of the Arab Spring is undeniable. It marks the thawing of the icy authoritarianism that has gripped the Middle East since the end of World War II. Many questions have been raised regarding the unique social media strategies used by citizens to bring down more than half a century of dictatorial rule. … Continue reading
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