When Donald Trump, Jr. callously compared Syrian refugees to poisoned pieces of Skittles, he further degraded our debased national conversation and firmly situated himself in a long American tradition of dehumanizing immigrants and refugees. Now is the time to counter this kind of hate and exclusion with love and inclusion. My grandparents were Lithuanian Jews …
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According to tradition, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is the “birthday of the universe,” the day that God finished the great work of creating the world. Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, a time of introspection, repentance, and renewal. The American Jewish World Service, a faith-based human rights organization, is welcoming …
Read MorePolice in Uganda have blocked LGBT people and their supporters from holding a pride parade, after the country’s ethics minister warned such a demonstration would be illegal. More than 100 people tried to convene on a beach in Entebbe on Lake Victoria but were ordered back into their minibuses by police and told to leave …
Read MoreGrisela Mendez Gonzalez is mourning the tragic loss of her father, Bernardo Mendez, and I’m learning from her grief. The cause of his death? It all started with a silver mine. When a Canadian mining company arrived in their mountainous village in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, it quickly began guzzling the water local people …
Read MoreChild marriage is a clear violation of human rights and the practice is also a direct threat to girls’ health, education, economic security and overall well-being. According to Girls Not Brides—a 600-member coalition shining a brighter light on child marriage with the ultimate goal of complete eradication—if this practice isn’t slowed, there will be an …
Read MorePart-way through my Skype interview with Adrian Jjuuko, executive director of the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), in Kampala, Uganda, a dog’s loud, insistent barking began. Startled, Jjuuko looked away from the camera. He was not, however, at home and it was not a family pet. Jjuuko was at work, and what my …
Read MoreCountries all over the world have gay pride events every year. The annual festivities are usually safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people to celebrate their communities. That’s even been true in recent years in Uganda, a country where it’s a crime to be gay. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case in Uganda last week. In the capital Kampala, police raided a …
Read MoreIn the state of Rajasthan, in rural India, custom dictates that girls marry at a young age and begin raising children while boys assume much of the power and authority in a household and society. Usha Choudhary, an activist who grew up in Rajasthan and decided she wanted to pursue education over marriage, is trying …
Read MoreIn the political annals of New York, the 1990s boasted a strong presence of women not only in government but also at the United Nations. One such woman, Ruth Messinger, served as Manhattan borough president from 1990 to 1998, with time out in 1997 to run for mayor of New York City on the Democratic …
Read MoreIt was nearly 100 degrees on a February afternoon in the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and we were walking down a busy street with actor Mandy Patinkin. In khakis and a bandana and without his trademark beard, Mandy was nearly unrecognizable as his Homeland character, Saul Berenson. He blended seamlessly with his fellow travelers, …
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