AJWS Blog

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 — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.

President Obama and the Many Meanings of “Justice”

President Obama declared this past week, “Justice has been done.” I work for an organization that throws around the word “justice” every day, and also none too lightly. The juxtaposition left me uneasy. At AJWS, we speak about justice in many different contexts. Sometimes the context is our work, for example, on “food justice,” described …

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Fish and Filth: The Dangers of Tilapia Farming

Do you love tilapia? I do. But after reading yesterday’s New York Times article about unregulated tilapia farming, I’ll think twice before I order my next fillet. Last year, more than 52 million pounds of fresh tilapia were exported to the United States, mostly from Latin America, as well as 422 million more pounds of …

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Bolivia Passes the Law of Mother Earth!

Today is Earth Day and something ground-breaking just happened in Bolivia. The country passed the Law of Mother Earth, the world’s first piece of legislation that gives the natural world rights that are equal to those of humans. Bolivia has long suffered from serious environmental problems from the mining of tin, silver, gold and other …

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On Passover, Water, and Earth Day… and How it All Connects

I learned a bit about water at my seder. Turns out water is a big deal– for better and for worse. Which, of course, we already know. The Nile plays a huge role in the Passover story —the death of Israelite boys; the rescue of baby Moses; the meetings with Pharaoh by the river. Water-based plagues …

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