The US elections have dominated international news media for months, with other important developments getting little attention. FRIDAY POLL: Look at this list of 12 under-reported stories around the world. How many were you already aware of? (be honest)
Gateway to Freedom monument in southern Moravia, #Czech Republic, on the border with Austria. Each iron beam is inscribed with the name of a person killed trying to escape communist Czechoslovakia. image
We’re not in the last days of democracy, but we are perhaps in the last years of it - if those remaining leaders who care about democracy and human rights fail to work together to defend it at every turn. 🧵
This is one of the better analyses I've seen so far:
#Mozambique: "A boy walks on the streets of Maputo wearing a paper made bullet-proof vest. As the unrest enters a crucial time, security forces should remember that their primary job is to protect children like this boy. Stop killing them!" - HRW's Zenaida Machado (we don't know the photographer) image
Phase out fossil fuels. That's it. That's the message for #COP29
"People facing atrocities in expanding conflicts in the Middle East, eastern Europe, the Horn of Africa, and elsewhere are unlikely to see much support from Washington over the next few years."
Working for human rights can achieve significant wins, but honestly, losing is more common. You and your colleagues are always in an underdog’s position, fighting against governments, large corporations, and other powers that have far more resources, money, and people than human rights organizations do.
"During Trump’s first term as president... Human Rights Watch documented his record of rights abuses. These included... [efforts] ...to fuel a violent insurrection to overthrow the results of a democratic election."
What does the map of Europe look like in 5 years?