Civil & Political Rights – Journalists for Human Rights

16 Apr

The Farm Bills and the Fallout: How Modi’s India Responded to Protests through State Violence and Media Repression

Sophie Sklar2020 – 2021, Asia, Civil & Political Rights, Social & Economic Rights

The Indian agriculture acts of 2020, often referred to as the Farm Bills, are three acts that were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020. These three very contentious laws have been called a “watershed moment” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while they have been deemed “death warrants for farmers” by MP Pratap […]

25 Feb

The Jailing of Environmentalists in Iran

Atussa Kian2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Collective & Developmental Rights, Middle East

Over the past few decades, Iran has transformed from being the greenest nation in the Middle East to a country grappling with worsening air pollution and rising temperatures. Today, the capital city of Tehran is among the most polluted cities in the world. The rise in air pollution, which in part consists of uranium particles […]

17 Feb

The Rising Plight of Anti-Semitism

Mackenzie Birbrager2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Collective & Developmental Rights, The Americas

As the news broke about the swastika vandalization of the Westmount Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, I thought, “yet another anti-Semitism attack.” Catching myself, I quickly wondered why that was my inital response — how had such a disdainful anti-Semitic event become normalized to me? Adam Scheier, the synagogue’s rabbi, unfortunately echoed my sentiment: “One is not […]

05 Feb

#ChallengeAccepted: The Black and White Photos Worth A Thousand Words

Derya Ekin2020 – 2021, Asia, Civil & Political Rights, Europe

Content warning: physical/sexual violence against women. In 2017, the viral #MeToo movement took the world by storm, inspiring women to use their voices to open up about their stories of sexual assault. Social media played an instrumental role in elucidating the toxic rape culture that has long pervaded our society. With the increased time spent […]

02 Feb

Confronting Home-Grown Terrorism: The Canadian Government Considers Designating the Proud Boys a Terrorist Organization Following the Attack on Capitol Hill

Tess Pilkington2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Newspaper, The Americas

The Canadian government is considering designating the Proud Boys a terrorist organization following their involvement in the violent attack on Capitol Hill on January 6. Adding the racist, white nationalist group to the list of terrorist organizations would place them alongside Boko Haram, ISIS, and al-Qaeda. The group has spewed violence and hate speech across […]

14 Jan

Addressing Systemic White Privilege: Is the U.S. at a Crossroads?

Sophie Crawford2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Newspaper, Social & Economic Rights, The Americas

Beginning in 2014, studies have demonstrated that public opinion increasingly recognizes that “anti-black discrimination is widespread, a serious problem, and that the United States has not made much real racial progress in the past 50 years.” Nonetheless, since 2016, the U.S. Department of State warned that white supremacist terrorism is both “on the rise and […]

31 Dec

A Look into Africa’s Conflict-Ridden Sahel Region in 2020

Derya Ekin2020 – 2021, Africa, Civil & Political Rights, Editors' Picks, Social & Economic Rights

2020 has undoubtedly been a year of mass uncertainty and loss. Worsening climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have elucidated the importance of establishing stability and security within our lives. For families living in the Sahel Region of Africa, the added threat of violent conflict makes for a daunting circumstance. However, years of learning to […]

26 Nov

The Iranian Regime’s Suppression of Women’s Rights Activists

Atussa Kian2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Middle East, Newspaper

Civil unrest, cruel tragedy, and unjustified brutality have defined the reign of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which came to power after the 1979 Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty. Since its inception, the Islamic Republic has cracked down on women’s rights, bringing initially rebuffed rumours about the regime’s plans to life and drastically changing […]

20 Nov

The Purity Paradox: How Cultural Populism Tarnishes Progressive Politics

Alexander Mclaren2020 – 2021, Civil & Political Rights, Newspaper, Social & Economic Rights, The Americas

Progressive political values have, by and large, provided the impetus for improving universal human rights standards. However, even though the ends ought to be the principal objective of any political framework, the means can affect the ends in surprising and widespread ways. While it is admirable to fight for progressive outcomes, the means of cultural […]

17 Nov

Double-Edged Sword: The EndSARS Protests and Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ Citizens

Sophie Sklar2020 – 2021, Africa, Civil & Political Rights, Newspaper

The EndSARS movement against police brutality in Nigeria has captured global media attention in recent weeks. While it has been hailed as a moment of tremendous progress, one must also consider whether this progress leaves any citizens behind. Nigeria is regarded as one of the most anti-gay societies on earth. Within the nation, same-sex sexual […]