The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe.
“Our food is in the forest. Our medicine is in the forest. The forest takes care of us, and we protect it. The forest is our home.” Wilson Memusi, an elder of the Ogiek community in the Rift valley of Kenya, is describing his community’s deep connection to the Mau Forest—the land his ancestors have …Read More
I confess that I have a book problem. Even though many have taken to audiobooks and e-readers, I still like the feeling of a book in my hands. As a result, my husband is starting to have difficulty moving around our apartment. That said, here’s a list of my summer reading recommendations. Surprise, surprise, they lean toward …Read More
On May 19th, India’s Supreme Court made a historic step towards advancing the rights of sex workers and ensuring their protection under the law: It issued a set of directives that acknowledges sex work as a dignified profession and mandates freedom from violence for those who practice it. These new guidelines have the potential to …Read More
Here in the United States, it can feel like there is a new attack on our human rights every week — a new headline to make us doubt the strength of our own democracy. As we write this, Americans’ autonomy over their own bodies and reproductive choices is no longer guaranteed. Our ability to safely …Read More
Last month, the world lost a transformational giant in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Urvashi Vaid was a pioneering social justice activist, attorney and award-winning author. She was also one of my great human rights teachers. Urvashi was bold, unflinching, driven. She brought the question of race, nationality and ethnicity into the LGBT space in the …Read More