Tag: Human Rights

Myanmar: The Final Frontier

The Republic of Myanmar (commonly known as Burma) is not the most tourist-friendly place.  That may change soon, however, as the government seeks to capitalize on the benefits of 50 years of heavy tourist restrictions and isolation: beautiful, unspoiled landscapes and culture.  For decades the country has faced heavy sanctions because of the oppressive regime …

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Taking Back Our Rights

Evelyn Beatrice Hall, a writer who published a biography on philosopher Voltaire in 1906, concisely summarized Voltaire’s beliefs with the now widely recognized phrase “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” The Founding Fathers of the United States also seemed to take Voltaire’s teachings …

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Inversiones peligrosas

Read this post in English Durante los últimos años en los países del sur se está experimentando un aumento de la inversión extranjera directa en tierras agrícolas. Motivados en parte por la crisis alimentaria, los inversores públicos y privados están comprando millones de hectáreas de tierras agrícolas en África, Asia y América Latina. Sin embargo, muchas inversiones …

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Land grabs

During recent years the Global South is experiencing a surge in foreign direct investments in agricultural land. Prompted in part by the food crisis, state and private investors are buying and leasing millions of hectares of farmland in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, many large-scale land investments do not service the goal of ensuring …

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Arab League Threatens Syria with Sanctions

Two weeks ago the Syrian government agreed to ends its crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, a development I was skeptical of.  I hoped that the Syrian government was legitimately ready to end the violence, but worried that President al-Assad’s history of broken peace agreements was a sign that he was not going to commit to a …

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¿Cuántos Esclavos Trabajan Para Usted?

Read this Post in English ¿Sabe dónde está hecha su ropa? Que manos recogieron los tomates que usted come? ¿Cómo los cosas que usa a diario se fabricaron? Su respuesta probablemente es no, y la verdad es que la mayoría de nosotros no tomamos el tiempo para averiguarlo. Podemos leer la etiqueta cosida en nuestra …

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Trafficking Calls to Action

January is right around the corner. It signifies the beginning of a new year, of new opportunities and resolutions. It is also gives a solemn reminder of the 27 million people who don’t enjoy the freedoms and opportunities we do. In 2010, President Barack Obama designated January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness month. …

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New Hope for Peace in Syria

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Syria and whether or not the international community should intervene and impose a no fly zone like they did in Egypt.  Well, today, some heartening news came from Syria:  Syria has agreed to end its crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, pull troops from the streets, and release …

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A Torturous Past

I was born in Argentina during one of the country’s darkest period. I might have been too small to remember the turbulent times, but I grew up hearing the stories of disappearing youth, tortured protesters and despairing families. It is estimated that during the 1970s and 80s, approximately 20,000 people were killed by the country’s …

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Disarming the Developing World

The debate on the use of weapons is heated, personal and wide-ranging. As a conflict resolution student, I’d like to think that conflict can be resolved in other ways besides using deadly force. This particular blog doesn’t try to address the debate on whether weapons should be used or not. It accepts that in today’s …

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