Repression of International Journalism and the Venezuelan Crisis

Man looking for food on the streets of Caracas courtesy of EFE/Miguel Gutiérrez via Al Día News The deterioration of democracy in Venezuela has recently peaked the international community’s interest for a new reason: the impediment of American free press in Venezuelan territory. On the 25th of February and then, again, on the 6th ofContinue reading “Repression of International Journalism and the Venezuelan Crisis”

The USA’s new “domestic gag rule” and the impending damage to citizens’ lives

Citizens campaigning for protection of Planned Parenthood in Ohio. Source: Wikimedia Commons. On 22 February, the Trump administration announced the final version of their new Title X regulations. The changes to the public law are being labeled as the United States’ ‘domestic gag rule’ by sexual health advocates, due to the restrictions now set onContinue reading “The USA’s new “domestic gag rule” and the impending damage to citizens’ lives”

The USA’s new "domestic gag rule" and the impending damage to citizens’ lives

Citizens campaigning for protection of Planned Parenthood in Ohio. Source: Wikimedia Commons. On 22 February, the Trump administration announced the final version of their new Title X regulations. The changes to the public law are being labeled as the United States’ ‘domestic gag rule’ by sexual health advocates, due to the restrictions now set onContinue reading “The USA’s new "domestic gag rule" and the impending damage to citizens’ lives”

Netanyahu’s Re-election and its Damage to Israeli-Palestinian Relations

United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in February 2017. On the 9th of April 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected, winning his fourth consecutive term and putting him on track to soon be the longest serving Prime Minister in the country’s history. However, Netanyahu’sContinue reading “Netanyahu’s Re-election and its Damage to Israeli-Palestinian Relations”

Exile in the Modern Age: The Case of Shamima Begum

Shamina Begum in 2015, courtesy of PA via BBC News In 2015, at the age of 15, the second-generation Bethnal Green local was radicalised and coaxed into abandoning her home to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State. Within two weeks she was married to 23-year-old Dutch convert, Yago Riedijk. Over the coming yearsContinue reading “Exile in the Modern Age: The Case of Shamima Begum”

Können wir den Wohltätigkeitsorganisationen noch vertrauen?

This is a translation of Nitya Agarwal’s article Can we still trust charities? To read a Chinese translation of her article,followthis link. Als menschliche Wesen legen wir großen Wert auf Eigenschaften, die uns qualifizieren gute Menschen zu sein. Einige der wichtigsten Kriterien sind, die Großzügigkeit und das Mitgefühl. Um diese Eigenschaften zu erreichen, sind LeuteContinue reading “Können wir den Wohltätigkeitsorganisationen noch vertrauen?”

我们能相信慈善机构吗?

This is a translation of Nitya Agarwal’s article Can we still trust charities? 作为人类,我们将高社会价值放在使我们成为好人的条件上,一些最重要的标准是慷慨和 善良。在世界上特别优越的地区,人们渴望与慈善机构合作以实现这些特征,但我们支持 的组织是否真正实现了这些目标?随着社交媒体和数字营销的兴起,慈善机构已经获得了 一个更容易接入的平台,可以通过广告或互联网平台上的弹出窗口来吸引更多的受众传播 他们的信息并要求捐赠。虽然这在理论上应该增加捐赠和支持这些慈善机构的基础,但研 究表明,自2017年以来,公众对这些组织的信任度下降了6%,其中33%的受访者将这一 原因与此媒体报道联系起来。 由于媒体作为一个平台,使这些组织的工作具有透明度,因此在知名慈善机构的工作中发 现的令人沮丧和不道德的丑闻的可见度有所增加。正如英格兰和威尔士慈善委员会2018 年7月的报告所述,慈善机构是第五大最值得信赖的公众人物,比公众对街头普通陌生人 的信任要低0.2分。该报告指出,关于慈善机构工作及其过度广告活动的负面新闻故事引 发了一股怀疑,即捐赠的金额中是否有相当大一部分确实达到了承诺给予捐赠者的受益 人。对海外援助的信任度也从40%下降到36%,这主要是由于在经济欠发达国家发现了 关于慈善工作者的明显道德违规行为。 2018年1月,“泰晤士报”对2010年地震后海地乐施 会的工作人员助手的不当行为进行了调查,揭露了这一启示的最新和令人震惊的例子。此 后,英国乐施会被禁止向海地提供发展援助,在发现他们有性剥削儿童和妇女以换取食物 和资源后强行解雇了9人之后,数千名定期订阅捐款已经停止。 慈善组织的不信任不仅源于发现的严重不当行为,而且还能够长期隐藏这些问题。自 2010年以来,乐施会工人的上述虐待指控一直在进行,但经过媒体密集调查后,八年后 才曝光。乐施会的保护负责人海伦戴维斯称,尽管2015年对海地资源营地的妇女待遇表 示担忧,但没有人对她的言论采取行动,暗指对这些违法行为的内部管理不善。直到现在 才公开这种影响,Penny Lawrence(英国乐施会前副首席执行官)在丑闻发生后辞职, 因为她现在对“伤害和痛苦”造成了“全部责任”。这并不是大型组织掩盖的唯一案例,因为 巴纳多在2017年的丑闻中也出现了类似的情况。许多团体已经提出关于巴纳多的护理院 中许多虐待病例的无视,可追溯到20世纪60年代 – 20世纪80年代,慈善机构的律师在最 高法院听证会上承认Barnardo意识到这些指控,但并不认为有必要保留可能被用作刑事 案件证据的记录。慈善机构对管理他们的工人及其所承担的问责制的这种系统性忽视反映 在对大型组织的不良宣传中,因为74%的人现在对这些慈善机构的公开募捐感到不安。 在公众支持率下降之后,英国慈善委员会主席威廉·肖克罗斯表示,“这对于支持这个国家 的慈善事业的所有人来说是一个警钟”,将错误归咎于’不良筹款,不恰当的数据共享和商 业关系”。国会议员和公职人员虽然已经过期,却打击了不诚实和不道德的慈善工作,并 警告慈善事业老板,他们正在最后一次“让他们的房子井井有条”。不仅会更严肃地对待滥 用指控,而且会更频繁地检查对数据控制和保密的责任,因为政府委托Stuart Etherington爵士进行审查,提出了为行业召集新主管的建议。未能遵守强化管理检查意 味着大部分政府资助的公司将面临法定监管,限制其全球拓展和筹款方法。 虽然总是存在争议,即法规和政策还没有达到足以减少这些丑闻的程度,但慈善机构本身 仍然可以确保其功能得到其承诺的道德准则的支持,并且其捐助者的透明度是定期维护。 正如国际发展网络邦德所总结的那样:“非政府组织必须保护人们免受虐待,让滥用者承Continue reading “我们能相信慈善机构吗?”

How to Make a Humanitarian Crisis Worse

President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela was quoted recently saying that he is refusing international aid for his country, because he doesn’t want Venezuelans to be ‘beggars’. The need for aid was sparked by the current disastrous financial situation of the country. One study concluded that the annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 monthsContinue reading “How to Make a Humanitarian Crisis Worse”

A Profile of South Sudan

With an increasingly rapid technology-driven news cycle, ongoing worldwide political crises occupy space in the collective consciousness for less and less time, with the exception of a few intermittently covered hot-button issues. Issues receiving particularly minimal attention also tend to be those with little to no relation to Western peoples, which in turn leads toContinue reading “A Profile of South Sudan”

States, NGOs and the UN Get Ready for CSW63

As the Commission on the Status of Women prepares to open in New York, Jessica Craig looks at the upcoming event, the Commission’s history and its historical successes as a forum for advocacy for gender equality. Between 11th and 22nd March, representatives of the United Nations member states, UN entities and non-governmental organisations will gatherContinue reading “States, NGOs and the UN Get Ready for CSW63”