Stories about Human Rights from March, 2017
A Canadian Company Is Set to Construct Brazil's Largest Open-Pit Gold Mine—in the Heart of the Amazon
The Volta Grande Gold Project will extract 600 tons of gold over the course of 12 years. But activists and indigenous groups oppose the plan.
Homeless Filipino Families Occupy 6,000 Vacant Public Housing Units
"Look at those houses, they are idle. The grasses have grown tall, the houses are being invaded by soil. Why don't they let the homeless live there?"
Emirati Hardline Nationalists Target Human Rights Defenders on Twitter
It is no longer unusual for governments to maintain a robust online presence. They understand well the power of the internet in forming public opinion and manipulating political discourse.
Russian Web Censor Cracks Down Ahead of Next Anti-Corruption Protests
In the wake of the largest opposition protests since 2011-12, Russia's prosecutor general is cracking down on the organizers of demonstrations planned for April 2.
The Internet Blackout in English-Speaking Cameroon Continues
How and why Cameroon has denied internet access to its English-speaking population.
Netizen Report: India Had 31 Internet Shutdowns in 2016. How Many Did Your Country Have?
Venezuelan independent media sites suffer online attacks, Japan may use mass surveillance to punish “preparations” for crime, and the UK calls for backdoors on encrypted messaging apps.
What Role Did Brazilian Mainstream Media Play in the Murder of a Teenage Girl? This Filmmaker Wants to Know.
"Eloá’s story is the story of many Brazilians. Brazil is the fifth country in the world in terms of the number of women killed..."
RuPaul on the RuNet: ‘Drag Race’ Catches on in Russia
It’s dramatic, it’s campy, it’s gay, and it comes with Russian subtitles: meet the translators bringing RuPaul's Drag Race to the Russian-language Internet.
Thai Junta's Media Regulator Suspends Voice TV for ‘Unreasonable Criticism’ and ‘Biased Content’
"Even though Voice TV may provide different views, we insist that the contents do not harm national security."
Iranians See Arrests and Intimidation of Telegram Administrators and Journalists Ahead of the Elections
Revolutionary Guards have previously attempted to limit Telegram's free flow of information with arrests for immoral or obscene content. This is the first time crackdowns have focused on political affiliation.
Young Iranian Faces Execution Over ‘Anti-Islamic’ Social Media Posts
"Sina's grandfather was a martyr of the eight-year war. Sina himself served two years. Sina has more rights to this country than most of these authorities."
For One Somalia-Born UK Citizen, Brexit Is a “Point of No Return”
"This is not the England I grew up in, the one I wanted so much to belong to."
In Kyrgyzstan, Media Facing Pressure from a Fearful President
A series of civil suits launched by the state prosecutor have seemingly targeted media for quoting the government's critics.
In a Greek Refugee Camp: A Volunteer's Notebook
"As volunteers, we’re treated as though we’re not part of the story.... But whether we like it or not, we are part of the narrative and influence it, significantly."
What's Old Is New: Are You Listening? Podcast
We take you to Jamaica, Indonesia, Syria, Macedonia and Ethiopia for tales of remembering, revival and resurgence in this podcast.
Searching for Justice, This Catholic Church Worker Documents Drug Killings in the Philippines
"As a photojournalist, always be with the poor, understand their social reality."
A Century Later, Namibia Demands Justice From Germany for Its First Holocaust
In the early twentieth century, the German Empire committed a holocaust against 65,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama. A century later, Namibia is fighting for justice.
Netizen Report: Why Did YouTube Censor Your Videos? You May Never Know.
A Brazilian blogger is forced to identify his sources, Iran cracks down on speech pre-election, and Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission hears testimony from bloggers persecuted under Ben Ali.
Is Kazakhstan's President a Dictator? You Decide.
In a recent discussion with a hand-picked selection of journalists, Nazarbayev took pains to explain why Asian societies aren't always suited to democracy.
Is Jamaica Preventing Cybercrime or Cyber Activism? The Tambourine Army Goes to Court
"Making threats through social media is a criminal offence, but making accusations is not. In interpreting the new act, the courts must ensure [...] the right to freedom of expression.”
Meet Ara Malikian, the Cosmopolitan With a Violin
Global Voices interviews Ara Malikian, an Armenian violinist who grew up in Lebanon, about the influences that shaped his life and his music.
