Podcasts about United Nations Human Rights Council

Today marks two years since Sudan's brutal conflict erupted. As violence drags on, over 1.1 million refugees and returnees have poured into South Sudan, stretching already fragile host communities to the brink. A new United Nations Human Rights Council report exposes crumbling infrastructure: overcrowded schools, scarce healthcare, and land disputes over makeshift shelters. The UN Human Rights Council is calling for urgent global support to stabilize the region and offer hope for durable peace. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Silva Alkebeh, united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHRC)

Darren discussed these topics:Thousands of protesters came out across the country Wednesday to speak out against the Trump Administration and Project 2025.Now Trump wants to take over the Gaza Strip and redevelop it, forcing Palestinians from their homeland (ethnic cleansing).Palestinians say they won't leave the Gaza Strip.Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in favor of Trump's Gaza Strip proposal and is also in favor of dismantling USAID.A Justice Department official said that FBI agents who simply followed orders won't be fired for probing Trump's involvement in the January 6 traitorous riot or the classified documents case. Darren doesn't believe the official.Meanwhile, FBI agents have sued the Trump administration to keep their names from being published. They're fearful of retaliation from the January 6 criminals who have been pardoned.Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council and will stop funding UNRWA, which is assisting Palestinian refugees.Elon Musk said he deleted a government program that oversaw the IRS Direct File program, but Direct File is still working for American taxpayers.And a judge has blocked Trump's plan to offer buyouts for federal employees.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (02/04/2025): 3:05pm- On Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to Director of National Intelligence. The vote was 9 to 8 along party lines—with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Todd Young (R-IN) voting for approval despite rumors of hesitancy. 3:30pm- From the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which would end U.S. involvement with the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Last year, there were numerous reports documenting UNRWA's close ties to Hamas. President Trump also addressed China's retaliatory tariffs, reports he will dismantle the Department of Education, DOGE actively reducing the size of government, and the importance of protecting American sovereignty. 4:05pm- From the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which would end U.S. involvement with the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Last year, there were numerous reports documenting UNRWA's close ties to Hamas. President Trump also addressed China's retaliatory tariffs, reports he will dismantle the Department of Education, DOGE actively reducing the size of government, and the importance of protecting American sovereignty. 4:15pm- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that El Salvador president offered to house dangerous criminals from gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua—which President Donald Trump recently designated as foreign terror organizations. 4:30pm- Dr. Wilfred Reilly—Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University & Author of “Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me”—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to a new report which indicates 38% of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were, at one point, investigating January 6th related crimes. Plus, what do women REALLY want? A new survey indicates strong, wealthy men are still preferred—shocking! And Dr. Reilly says that President Donald Trump should award Stanford economist Dr. Thomas Sowell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 5:05pm- Speaking with the press from the Oval Office alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump said he would like Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians displaced from Gaza. 5:20pm- Is New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy terrified of the Trump Administration? During a recent interview, Murphy revealed an undocumented migrant currently lives at his home—and dared the Trump Administration to “come in to try to get her.” A representative for the governor insisted that Murphy's words were “misinterpreted.” 5:35pm- While speaking from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump said that if Iran assassinates him, he has left instructions to “obliterate” them and that “there would be nothing left.” 5:40pm- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said that people will die if the Trump Administration pulls funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Rich and Matt wonder: how many people will die if we don't spend $70,000 in taxpayer money on D.E.I. musicals in Ireland? 6:05pm- Don't say “Super Bowl” + Rich doesn't check his emails. 6:10pm- On Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to Director of National Intelligence. The vote was 9 to 8 along party lines—with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Todd Young (R-IN) voting for approval despite rumors of hesitancy. 6:15pm- Speaking from the Senate floor, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)—a doctor—explained why he has voted to advance Robert Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. 6:20pm- “If Presidents Can't Control Executive Agencies, Elections Are Fake.” In her article for The Federalist, Joy Pullman notes that Democrats are hypocritically suggesting that Donald Trump can't create a new executive department (like DOGE), while s ...

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- On Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to Director of National Intelligence. The vote was 9 to 8 along party lines—with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Todd Young (R-IN) voting for approval despite rumors of hesitancy. 3:30pm- From the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which would end U.S. involvement with the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Last year, there were numerous reports documenting UNRWA's close ties to Hamas. President Trump also addressed China's retaliatory tariffs, reports he will dismantle the Department of Education, DOGE actively reducing the size of government, and the importance of protecting American sovereignty.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: 4:05pm- From the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which would end U.S. involvement with the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Last year, there were numerous reports documenting UNRWA's close ties to Hamas. President Trump also addressed China's retaliatory tariffs, reports he will dismantle the Department of Education, DOGE actively reducing the size of government, and the importance of protecting American sovereignty. 4:15pm- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that El Salvador president offered to house dangerous criminals from gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua—which President Donald Trump recently designated as foreign terror organizations. 4:30pm- Dr. Wilfred Reilly—Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University & Author of “Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me”—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to a new report which indicates 38% of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were, at one point, investigating January 6th related crimes. Plus, what do women REALLY want? A new survey indicates strong, wealthy men are still preferred—shocking! And Dr. Reilly says that President Donald Trump should award Stanford economist Dr. Thomas Sowell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

//The Wire//1800Z February 5, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AMERICA WILL SEIZE GAZA STRIP. USA WITHDRAWS FROM UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------HomeFront-Washington D.C. - As part of a press conference conducted in conjunction with PM Netanyahu's visit to the United States, President Trump suddenly announced several startling policy decisions. First, President Trump reiterated multiple times that he supports the forced expulsion of every human soul in Gaza, into other nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Jordan (among others). Secondly, President Trump declared that the United States will seize control of Gaza, and be responsible for managing the entire Strip. AC: As most people were rather taken aback by this bold statement, and even though Trump reiterated his words and articulated his thoughts very clearly, no one is really sure what this means in practice.Also in Washington, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council. AC: It's not clear how this will work out, since this appears to be contradictory to Trump's stated goals in Gaza. For instance, this (and other executive actions) have resulted in a complete defunding of the UNRWA. To many America-first voters, this may seem to be a positive budget cut at face value. However, this agency (and the UN at large) is really the only entity in the region that is corralling the refugees in Gaza. As such, if Trump wants to defund the only civilian groups that can facilitate the mass exodus of Palestinians to wherever they are destined to be, the only other options are to use military logistics to achieve this forced migration.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: For those that do not understand the sheer magnitude of President Trump's policy decision in Gaza, this is a once-in-a-century policy decision the magnitude of which is impossible to convey. Even if this is a negotiation tactic (for instance, to oversell American involvement, so that the counter-offer of Israeli occupation of Gaza looks reasonable by comparison), this is an unprecedented line of logic altogether. As stated (with much fatigue) many times before, the issue regarding the current war in the Middle East is the most hot-button issue there is, with many states (and the US government) quite literally making certain opinions on this war illegal, to some degree. So right up front, no honest discussion can be had, even by those who have the most innocent and/or neutral intentions. This is one of the most important details to remember moving forward.Nevertheless, any comments on President Trump's recently announced policy decisions in the Middle East probably will (rather tiresomely) not have much weight at all or be able to change what is about to happen. Pushing aside the literal Merriam-Webster's definition of ethnic cleansing (and the destabilization that brings), if Trump is indeed serious about his aspirations for owning beachfront property in Gaza, he may find that getting there is more challenging than he previously thought. Trump theorizing about invading Greenland or Panama does not ring the same as invading Gaza, one of the most heavily militarized regions on Earth.Just to wargame the significance of this for a moment, in 1990, the U.S. military invaded Panama as part of Operation Just Cause, with the goal of ousting General Manuel Noriega from power. The United States achieved this goal in 41 days after very little effort on the part of the Panamanian forces. Greenland, being an arctic nation largely centered around one or two main (but still very small) cities would not really be much of a military challenge either. Gaza, on the other hand, presents one of the most significant military challenges possible in warfare...an entrenched adversary, who is strongly dug in throughout an urban area. Even I

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/secularism

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Faith in Rights: Christian-Inspired NGOs at Work in the United Nations (Stanford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Amélie Barras explores why and how Christian nongovernmental organizations conduct human rights work at the United Nations. The book interrogates the idea that the secular and the religious are distinct categories, and more specifically that human rights, understood as secular, can be neatly distinguished from religion. It argues that Christianity is deeply entangled in the texture of the United Nations and shapes the methods and areas of work of Christian NGOs. To capture these entanglements, Dr. Barras analyzes—through interviews, ethnography, and document and archive analysis—the everyday human rights work of Christian NGOs at the United Nations Human Rights Council. She documents how these NGOs are involved in a constant work of double translation: they translate their human rights work into a religious language to make it relevant to their on-the-ground membership, but they also reframe the concerns of their membership in human rights terms to make them audible to UN actors. Faith in Rights is a crucial new evaluation of how religion informs Christian nongovernmental organizations' understandings of human rights and their methods of work, as well as how being engaged in human rights work influences these organizations' own religious identity and practice. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the Christchurch City Council voted to sanction Israel. This follows calls from the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa to stop purchasing merchandise from companies that have links to funding Israel's war on Gaza, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The staff report on Wednesday shows that council did not have any business with companies identified on this list, with recommendations passed by council members that amended the policy to prevent future business with these companies. Despite passing, councillors Aaron Keown, and Kelly Baber voted against, with councillors James Gough, Victoria Henstock, and Mark Peters abstaining. News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the National Chair of the Palestinian Solidarity Network, John Minto, about the sanctions, and why these sanctions are so important.

In today's episode, a scientist of Cypriot origin has been awarded the 2024 Nobel peace price for chemistry. Meanwhile, Cyprus was elected to a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council for the first time. Elsewhere, more than 2,000 people from 20 different countries have arrived in Cyprus from Lebanon as part of facilitated departures amid the deteriorating political situation in the country. All this and more in the Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Rapa Nui people are the original inhabitants of Rapa Nui Island, commonly known as “Easter Island.” The island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean is a colony of Chile, “annexed” in 1933 without the consent of the Rapa Nui people. The Rapa Nui people, comprising 36 clans, are engaged in a collective effort to rebuild its government and regain control of their ancestral lands and sacred and burial sites. In addition, the clans want to reclaim their self-government rights so they can curb unsustainable immigration and development on the island. The Center is providing legal assistance to help the Rapa Nui people use international law to defend their rights and bring an end to more than a century of Chilean mistreatment and human rights violations.The Rapa Nui clans had begun taken actions to reoccupy their illegally taken lands, control their sacred and burial sites, and exercise their self-government rights, to call attention to the need for serious and constructive dialogue to resolve these issues.The Chilean government took a hard line against the Rapa Nui protests and clan leaders, using excessive violence to evict clan members from their ancestral lands and sacred and burial sites, and criminally prosecuting the leaders.In 2010, the Center secured precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to prevent human rights violations arising from forced evictions perpetuated by Chilean armed forces. As a result, the violence has decreased but the situation remains tense because of unproductive and irregular dialogue carried out by the Chilean government on Rapa Nui issues.In the Spring of 2015, Rapa Nui leaders began to manage and control the sacred archeological sites that had long been controlled the Chilean government.  Chilean authorities began arresting and prosecuting the Rapa Nui leaders, and they searched and closed down the offices of the Rapa Nui Parliament. This led to demonstrations and further arrests as Rapa Nui leaders demanded self-determination and decolonization of the island. Center attorneys have provided legal counsel to the leaders and have assisted them in addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, demanding an end to Chile's colonial rule of the island; as well as in requesting again precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to protect the lives of Rapa Nui leaders. Center will help to enforce the recommendations issued by the Commission, and will continue to help the Rapa Nui to win respect for their land rights and their right to self-government.Dr. Edwin Barnhart, director of the Maya Exploration Center, has over twenty five years of experience in Central, South, and North America as an archaeologist, an explorer, and an instructor. He has appeared in over a dozen documentaries and given presentations all over the world.His involvement in Maya studies began in 1990 as an archaeological intern in the ruins of Copan, Honduras. In January of 1996 he was invited to return to Copan and help the University of Pennsylvania excavate the early acropolis and the tomb of the city's lineage founder. From 1992-1995 he studied art, iconography, and epigraphy (hieroglyphic translation) under the late Dr. Linda Schele at the University of Texas at Austin. During that same time he worked across the state of Texas as a contract archaeologist. https://www.mayaexploration.org/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

The National Students for Justice in Palestine is planning a nationwide 'Week of Rage' on college campuses, beginning on the one-year anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7th attack. The “Week of Rage” is also during the holiest days of the Jewish year, culminating with Yom Kippur on Oct. 11-12th. Jeff Robbins, former delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, joined to discuss how the Jewish community has their concerns over the “Week of Rage.”Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!

Boston City Councilors got into a debate over a resolution offered by Councilor Edward Flynn proposing the Israeli flag be raised at City Hall Plaza on Oct. 7, one year since Hamas' attack on Israel, to honor the civilian lives lost and Israelis held hostage. The resolution was objected by Councilor Benjamin Weber, who expressed concerns about inflaming passions on both sides. Councilor Ed Flynn and Jeff Robbins, former delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, join to discuss.*Councilor Weber denied our invitation to join the conversation*Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks with Chris Elston, also known as "Billboard Chris," about his mission to challenge the growing use of puberty blockers and gender transition procedures in children. Chris, who left his career as a financial advisor to pursue full-time activism, describes his work as a personal crusade to protect children from irreversible medical decisions. "I'm a dad of two girls, and I'm not going to send my girls into a world that doesn't know what a woman is," he states, explaining the core of his campaign.Chris recounts his journey from being a regular citizen to an activist on the streets, often carrying signs and billboards that proclaim messages like "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." Despite his peaceful approach, Chris has been met with hostility, including being assaulted. He recalls a recent encounter in Montreal where he was attacked by six individuals, leading to a broken arm. Yet, he remains unshaken: "If taking a punch to the face helps start a million more conversations, I'll take it any day."Niall and Chris discuss the political and legal hurdles Chris has faced, including a significant incident in Australia where one of his social media posts was removed by the government. The post criticized a public official involved in drafting trans healthcare policies for children, and while the Australian government ordered the post to be taken down, Elon Musk intervened to keep it visible outside Australia. "They tried to silence me, but they just ended up amplifying my message," Chris notes, seeing the controversy as further proof of the importance of free speech in this debate.Chris also sheds light on his advocacy work at international forums, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, where he recently spoke out against gender ideology. He explains that his activism focuses on educating the public, especially parents, about the risks associated with puberty blockers and surgeries for minors. "What are we doing, telling kids they're born in the wrong body?" Chris asks, stressing the long-term consequences of these treatments.The episode further explores Chris's interactions with political leaders, including his behind-the-scenes influence on gender policy in various countries. He expresses optimism about the growing pushback against gender ideology, especially from parents and political figures who are starting to question the ethics of these medical procedures. "The more people learn, the more they realize how wrong this is," he says, confident that public sentiment is shifting in his favor.In this thought-provoking episode, Chris's candid reflections on activism, free speech, and children's rights challenge listeners to engage with one of the most contentious debates of our time. Whether you agree with him or not, Chris's steadfast commitment to his cause ensures that this conversation is both engaging and impactful.

For many Jewish Americans, one main issue they are focused on when deciding who to vote for this November is how each ticket will handle the Israel/Hamas war. Will the Harris/Walz ticket be tough enough on Hamas? Jeff Robbins, a lifelong Democrat, and political columnist for the Boston Herald who was the former assistant U.S. attorney and delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, is concerned about how a Harris/Waltz ticket would deal with Hamas. He joined NightSide to discuss.Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!

Ten years have passed since the I-S-group attacked Sinjar in northern Iraq, killing and enslaving thousands of Yazidis. But many survivors, including those in Australia's Yazidi community, are still waiting for justice for what happened to them. The scale of atrocities perpetrated against the Yazidi community by the Islamic State group include mass executions, forced conversions, abduction, enslavement and systematic sexual violence. Those are acts which bodies such as a commission mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council have called a genocide. And a warning, some people may find this story distressing.

Jeff Robbins is a lawyer, “unabashed Democrat,” and political columnist for the Boston Herald who was the former assistant U.S. attorney and delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. As a staunch defender of the First Amendment, Robbins has used his column to bring awareness to a variety of pressing issues and topics. Robbins joined Dan to discuss his new book, Notes From the Brink: A Collection of Columns about Policy at Home and Abroad.Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!

The United Nations Human Rights Council published a report that concluded that Israel has committed war crimes and "the crimes against humanity of extermination" in Gaza. Ben Norton analyzes the statements of UN legal experts. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCIEdThk2jc Topics 0:00 Intro 0:42 (Clip) UN expert: Israel is committing crimes against humanity 1:11 Quotes from UN report 2:25 Israeli army is "criminal", says UN expert 3:01 (Clip) UN expert: Israeli army is "criminal" 3:39 Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians with West's complicity 5:10 UN expert: Israel is committing g -- cide in Gaza 6:40 Israel ignores Hague rulings 8:09 (Clip) UN expert details Israeli crimes in Gaza 10:17 The problem with bothsidesism and false equivalence 12:15 Outro

Content warning for discussion of genocide, torture, mutilation, rape, and slavery Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 14 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 13 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week marks the 5th part of our mini series of currently ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises. Episode 2 was on Palestine, Episode 11 was on Congo, episode 12 was on Sudan, episode 13 was on Xinjiang, and today's episode will talk about the genocide of the Rohingya people of Myanmar. It's officially the end of week 2! We made it. Congratulations one and all on surviving 2 weeks worth of weeks. As a gift for you all we're going to visit the Alchemist's Table. Today;s libation is called Prohibition Sweet Tooth. It's 1.5 ounces each of Redemption Bourbon and Creme de Cacao, followed by .75 oz of Frangelico. Shake well and pour over ice. Officially the Rohingya genocide began around 2016 and continues to this day, but as we know from every other episode we've had so far, genocide's don't just pop up out of nowhere all of the sudden. There is context, there is a roadmap of hindsight that we can follow back to, if not a starting point at least a starting line. So, first, let's talk about Myanmar. There have been homonid species living on Myanmar for about 750,000 years, first in the form of Homo erectus and then Homo sapiens starting around 25,000 years ago. Then a whole lot of history happened that, while fascinating and important, isn't strictly relevant to what we're going to discuss today. Starting on January 1, 1886 Myanmar (then called Burma) was officially annexed by the British Empire under the control of the British East India Company. Burma would remain under British rule until 1948. Burma was officially declared an independent state by an act of Parliament, specifically the Burma Independence Act 1947. Burma then remained under a civilian government until 1962, at which point it was overthrown in a coup detat and Burma (which became Myanmar officially in 1989) has been under military rule since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism, which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning. A long series of anti-government protests resulted in a popular uprising in 1988, sometimes called the 8888 Uprising. This would lead directly to the renaming of the country from Burma to Myanmar and the country's first free, multiparty elections in 30 years. So, as you can see Myanmar has had an interesting and contentious history born of a desire for a strong sense of national unity, stability, and growth. It was the instability of the civilian government, the lack of growth, the skyrocketing crime rates, and the fear of the disintegration of Burma into several smaller nations that would lead to the 1962 coup after all. When your country has such a strong, almost rabid desire for unity and strength and national identity it always goes hand in hand with a desire for a homogenous society. The Germans in World War 2 felt it. The Ottomans in World War 1 felt it. It's what nations who fear their own collapse DO. They look for the divisive elements, the ones who don't fit the majority mold and they say “Hey, these people won't fall in line. They're dividing out country, threatening it with their different religion, culture, values, etc. We can solve all of our problems, save our country if we just… get rid of them”. Myanmar is a Buddhist majority country, by an overwhelming margin. According to the 2014 Myanmar census 90% of the country's population (of about 56 million) is Buddhist. 6.3% is Christian and just over 2% is Muslim. The Rohingya people, the subjects of our episode for today and Mulsim, so let's dive back and take a look at the history of Muslim persecution in Myanmar. The first Muslim documented in Burmese history (recorded in the Glass Palace Chronicle) was Byat Wi during the reign of Mon, a Thaton king, circa 1050 AD. The two sons of Byat Wi's brother Byat Ta, known as Shwe Byin brothers, were executed as children either because of their Islamic faith, or because they refused forced labor. Throughout the premodern era various restrictions were placed on Muslim communities in Burma. The Burmese king Bayinnaung banned Islamic ritual slaughter, thereby prohibiting Muslims from consuming halal meals of goats and chicken. He also banned Eid al-Adha and Qurbani, regarding killing animals in the name of religion as a cruel custom. Burma having largely adopted Buddhism by the 12th century CE. Although, in a strange, cruel, and somewhat ironic twist King Bodawpaya from 1782–1819 arrested four prominent Burmese Muslim Imams from Myedu and killed them in Ava, the capital, after they refused to eat pork. According to the Myedu Muslim and Burma Muslim version, Bodawpaya later apologized for the killings and recognised the Imams as saints. During the "Burma for Burmese" campaign in the late 1930s, a violent demonstration took place in Surti Bazaar, a Muslim area. When the police, who were ethnically Indian (there was a lot of anti-Indian sentiment in Burma in the 1930s, and because most Indian people living in Burma were Muslim, this also affected Muslim Burmese people), tried to break up the demonstration, three monks were injured. Images of monks being injured by ethnically Indian policemen were circulated by Burmese newspapers, provoking riots. Muslim properties, including shops and houses were looted. According to official sources, 204 Muslims were killed and over 1,000 were injured. 113 mosques were damaged. Panglong, a Chinese Muslim town in British Burma, was entirely destroyed by the Japanese invaders in the Japanese invasion of Burma in World War 2. And, after the 1962 coup all Muslim troops were expelled from the Army.  And, of course, we need to talk about the 1997 Mandalay Riots. Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar. a mob of 1,000–1,500 Buddhist monks and others shouted anti-Muslim slogans as they targeted mosques, shop-houses, and vehicles that were in the vicinity of mosques for destruction. Looting, the burning of religious books, acts of sacrilege, and vandalizing Muslim-owned establishments were also common. At least three people were killed and around 100 monks arrested. The unrest in Mandalay allegedly began after reports of an attempted rape of a girl by Muslim men, though there's no way to know if that story is true or not. In 2001, anti-Muslim pamphlets, most notably The Fear of Losing One's Race, were widely distributed by monks. Many Muslims feel that this exacerbated the anti-Muslim feelings that had been provoked by the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. (The Buddhas are two giant statues in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan that daye from about the 6th century CE, they have long been considered a holy site by Buddhists and they were destroyed by the Talbian in 2001). And that's why on 15 May 2001, anti-Muslim riots broke out in Taungoo, Pegu division, resulting in the deaths of about 200 Muslims, in the destruction of 11 mosques and the setting ablaze of over 400 houses. On 15 May, the first day of the anti-Muslim uprisings, about 20 Muslims who were praying in the Han Tha mosque were killed and some were beaten to death by the pro-junta forces. Now, something that we need to discuss before I forget to is that since 1982 the Rohingya have been denied voting rights and citizenship within Myanmar thanks to the 1982 Citizenship Law. The law created three categories of citizenship: the first category applied to ethnic Burmans and members of the Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Arakan Buddhists, Shan, and any other ethnic group present in Myanmar prior to 1823 (though they did not include Rohingya Muslims, rendering them stateless), granted them full citizenship. The second category granted partial “associate” citizenship to the children of mixed marriages where one parents fell into the first category, as well as to individuals who had lived in Myanmar for five consecutive years, or to individuals who lived in Myanmar for eight out of the ten years prior to independence. Associate citizens could earn an income, but could not serve in political office. The third category applied to the offspring of immigrants who arrived in Myanmar during the period of British colonial rule. When we look at the state of Myanmar during the 20th century we can very clearly see Levels 3 and 4 of the Pyramid of Hate. The Pyramid of Hate was created in the mid aughts and was based on the Alport Scale of Prejudice created by psychologist Gordon Alport in the 1950s. Simply put the five levels, going from bottom to top are thoughts, words, discriminatory policy, violence towards individuals because of their membership to the group and violence against the cultural markers of the group, and finally genocide. Myanmar, very obviously has and had discriminatory policy and violence towards individuals and their cultural markers. Massacres, riots, burning Qurans and mosques all fit under level 4. But, of course, things can and did get worse. There was the 2012 Rakhine State riots. Sectarian violence erupted between the Rakhine ethnic group and the Rohingya and ended with most of the Rohingya population of Sittwe, the capital of the Rakhine State being expelled. Over the course of the riots that lasted most of June and erupted again in October a little over 160 people were killed and over 100,000 Rohingya were displaced. We are now in our time of rapid escalation of violence as the next major anti Rohingya event would occur in March of 2013. But before we talk about the 2013 riots we need to talk about the 969 Movement. The 969 is a violently Islamophobic Buddhist Nationalist organization founded and run by Ashin Wirathu. Time for a slight diversion for a fun fact: The three digits of 969 "symbolize the virtues of the Buddha, Buddhist practices and the Buddhist community". The first 9 stands for the nine special attributes of the Buddha and the 6 for the six special attributes of his Dharma, or Buddhist Teachings, and the last 9 represents the nine special attributes of Buddhist Sangha (monastic community). Those special attributes are the Three Jewels of the Buddha. Wirathu claims that he does not advocate for violence against Muslims and that all he wants is peace, and yet in a Time magazine article he had this to say: "You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog", Wirathu said, referring to Muslims. "If we are weak", he said, "our land will become Muslim". The 2013 riots were particularly brutal. One incident involved several Muslim teenagers dragging a Buddhist man off of his bike and setting him on fire. As well as the deadliest incident of the riot which occurred when a Buddhist mob attacked and torched the Mingalar Zayone Islamic Boarding School. While outnumbered security forces stood by, rioters armed with machetes, metal pipes, chains, and stones killed 32 teenage students and four teachers. Now, while 2016 would be the “official” start of the genocide we would be remiss if we skipped over the 2015 refugee crisis. In 2015, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas in Myanmar and Bangladesh fled from religious persecution and continued denial of basic rights in their home countries by means of boat travel, often through previously existing smuggling routes among the Southeast Asian waters. Many Rohingyas fled to Indonesia and Malaysia, which both adopted a stance open to acceptance of the Rohingya refugees still at sea in mid-May. And now we're at the genocide itself, though before we do that, let's take a look at that the US State Department had to say about Myanmar and Rakhine shortly before the shit hit the fan. The situation in Rakhine State is grim, in part due to a mix of long-term historical tensions between the Rakhine and Rohingya communities, socio-political conflict, socio-economic underdevelopment, and a long-standing marginalisation of both Rakhine and Rohingya by the Government of Burma. The World Bank estimates Rakhine State has the highest poverty rate in Burma (78 per cent) and is the poorest state in the country. The lack of investment by the central government has resulted in poor infrastructure and inferior social services, while lack of rule of law has led to inadequate security conditions. Members of the Rohingya community in particular reportedly face abuses by the Government of Burma, including those involving torture, unlawful arrest and detention, restricted movement, restrictions on religious practice, and discrimination in employment and access to social services. In 2012, the intercommunal conflict led to the death of nearly 200 Rohingya and the displacement of 140,000 people. Throughout 2013–2015 isolated incidents of violence against Rohingya individuals continued to take place. In 2016 a Rohingya resistance group known as Harakah al-Yaqin formed and attacked several border police posts leaving 9 officers dead and looting as many munitions as they could. In response to this the government of Myanmar immediately began cracking down on all Rohingya people as quickly and viscously as they could. In the initial operation, dozens of people were killed, and many were arrested. Casualties increased as the crackdown continued. Arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, brutalities against civilians, and looting were carried out. Media reports stated hundreds of Rohingya people had been killed by December 2016, and many had fled Myanmar as refugees to take shelter in the nearby areas of Bangladesh. Those who fled Myanmar to escape persecution reported that women had been gang raped, men were killed, houses were torched, and young children were thrown into burning houses. Boats carrying Rohingya refugees on the Naf River were often gunned down by the Burmese military. In a report published in March 2024, the IIMM stated the military had in a "systematic and coordinated" manner "spread material designed to instil fear and hatred of the Rohingya minority". The report found military was used dozens of seemingly unrelated Facebook pages to spread hate speech against the Rohingya prior before the 2017 Rohingya genocide. This is similar in intent to the use of radio stations to spread constant anti Tutsi propaganda during the Rwandan genocide, though obviously as information technology advances methods get more sophisticated. Though I hesitate to call Facebook sophisticated.. In August 2018, a study estimated that more than 24,000 Rohingya people were killed by the Burmese military and local Buddhists since the "clearance operations" which had started on 25 August 2017. The study also estimated that over 18,000 Rohingya Muslim women and girls were raped, 116,000 Rohingyans were beaten, and 36,000 Rohingyans were thrown into fires. It was also reported that at least 6,700 to 7,000 Rohingya people including 730 children were killed in the first month alone since the crackdown started. In September 2018, the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released a report stating that at least 392 Rohingya villages in Rakhine State had been razed to the ground since 25 August 2017. Earlier, Human Rights Watch in December 2017 said it had found that 354 Rohingya villages in Rakhine state were burnt down and destroyed by the Myanmar military. In November 2017, both the UN officials and the Human Rights Watch reported that the Armed Forces of Myanmar had committed widespread gang rapes and other forms of sexual violence against the Rohingya Muslim women and girls for the prior three months. HRW stated that the gang rapes and sexual violence were committed as part of the military's ethnic cleansing campaign while Pramila Patten, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said that the Rohingya women and girls were made the "systematic" target of rapes and sexual violence because of their ethnic identity and religion. In February 2018, it was reported that the Burmese military bulldozed and flattened the burnt Rohingya villages and mass graves in order to destroy the evidence of atrocities committed. These villages were inhabited by the Rohingya people before they were burnt down by the Burmese military during the 2017 crackdown. Since the 25 August incident, Myanmar blocked media access and the visits of international bodies to Rakhine State. Rakhine State has been called an information black hole. According to the Mission report of OHCHR (released on 11 October 2017 by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), the Burmenese military began a "systematic" process of driving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar in early August 2017. The report noted that "prior to the incidents and crackdown of 25 August, a strategy was pursued to": Arrest and arbitrarily detain male Rohingyas between the ages of 15–40 years; Arrest and arbitrarily detain Rohingya opinion-makers, leaders and cultural and religious personalities; Initiate acts to deprive Rohingya villagers of access to food, livelihoods and other means of conducting daily activities and life; Commit repeated acts of humiliation and violence prior to, during and after 25 August, to drive out Rohingya villagers en masse through incitement to hatred, violence, and killings, including by declaring the Rohingyas as Bengalis and illegal settlers in Myanmar; Instill deep and widespread fear and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological, in the Rohingya victims via acts of brutality, namely killings, disappearances, torture, and rape and other forms of sexual violence. In addition to the massive and horrific amounts of violence that are occuring, even now, inside Myanmar there is also the refugee crisis we mentioned earlier. There are over 700,000 Rohingya people who have been displaced from their homes and are living in refugee camps in surrounding countries. Most fled to Bangladesh while others escaped to India, Thailand, Malaysia, and other parts of South and Southeast Asia. On 12 September 2018, the OHCHR Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar published its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Following 875 interviews with victims and eyewitnesses since 2011, it concluded that "the [Burmese] military has consistently failed to respect international human rights law and the international humanitarian law principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution." Even before the most recent incident of mass Rohingya displacement began in 2011, the report found that the restrictions on travel, birth registration, and education resulting from Rohingya statelessness violated the Rohingya people's human rights. During the mass displacement of almost 725,000 Rohingya by August 2018 to neighbouring Bangladesh, as a result of persecution by the Tatmadaw, the report recorded "gross human rights violations and abuses" such as mass rape, murder, torture, and imprisonment. It also accused the Tatmadaw of crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. The mission report recommended that six Burmese generals in the Tatmadaw stand trial in an international tribune for atrocities committed against the Rohingya. Despite all this the UN refuses to do anything substantive. Instead they are still trying to cooperate with the Tatmadaw and convince them to stop committing genocide. The UN has always been a useless tool of appeasement, Western imperialism, and white supremacy that refuses to hold anyone accountable. Of course, if the UN held genocidal regimes accountable they'd have to arrest the entire permanent Security Council so, the lack of accountability isn't surprising. It's why cops don't arrest other cops. You may have noticed that the dates in this episode stop after 2018, you also might remember that Myanmar has been called an information black hole. The genocide is still ongoing, nothing has gotten better and it's probably gotten worse, but getting verifiable information out of Myanmar is all but impossible at this point. Keep Myanmar in your sight. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day, and Free Rakhine.    

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. If you have suggestions or feedback on how I can earn your paid subscription, shoot me an email: cmclymer@gmail.com. And yes, I am available for Pride Month speaking engagements. And if all this is too big a commitment, I'm always thankful for a simple cup of coffee.]Every American of a certain age and older knows this story well: in Peanuts, the all-time great comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, there's a long-running gag in which Lucy van Pelt holds a football in place and invites friend and neighbor Charlie Brown to kick it.And every single time, for five decades, Charlie Brown would earnestly run at the pigskin, sizing it up for a good, clean kick, and at the last possible moment, right before he makes contact—YOINK—Lucy would rip it away and Charlie Brown would swing his leg through a ghost and fall flat on his ass. There were somersaults. Shoes were lost. The sky would spin. SPLAT. As Charlie Brown lay there on the grass, forced yet again into a reexamination of his unyielding faith in the goodness of others, Lucy would stand over him, holding said ball, and offer a biting and witty observation.It was hilarious. It was glorious. It was frustrating in the best way possible. It became an annual tradition for the strip, appropriately marking a cultural beginning to autumn (or fall, if you will). Would this finally be the year that Lucy offers a respite of mercy and Charlie Brown kicks the damn ball?It never came to pass. Charlie Brown never did make contact. Schulz, one of the few public figures in the past 50 years whose easy wholesomeness gave Mister Rogers a run for his money, was consistently cruel on this particular matter. Say what you will about the eternal naïveté of Charlie Brown, but you can't fault his intention. His sole motivation was kicking the ball, and his sole fault was earnestly trusting Lucy.Last week, former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley announced during an interview that she would be supporting Donald Trump in the election, despite her many statements to the press condemning Trump's leadership and character.Like last June, when she said that Trump had been “incredibly reckless with national security” after the Justice Department announced its initial 37 charges against him in the ongoing classified documents case.Yes, you read that right: Haley is now endorsing a man she deemed “incredibly reckless” with national security. As of this writing, no political reporters have asked her about this incongruence.YOINK. SPLAT.Then there was the interview on CNBC the following month in which she said this about Trump: “We can't have, as Republicans, him as the nominee. He can't win a general election. That's the problem. We've got to go and have someone who can actually win.”She has not been asked about this by political reporters since her endorsement of Trump.YOINK. SPLAT.Or how about when Haley appeared on “Face the Nation” back in September and asserted to host Margaret Brennan that Americans would not “vote for a convicted criminal” when asked if she'd vote for Trump if he were the nominee and convicted in any of his four pending indictments.As Trump's hush money trial enters final arguments today—and it looks more than likely he'll be convicted—as of this writing, no political reporters have asked her about this statement, one which was offered on one of the most well-known news programs in the country.YOINK. SPLAT.What about in January, when Haley was asked about Trump's various legal battles with E. Jean Carroll, whom he raped and defamed and was found liable for said defamation by two separate predominantly-male juries? Haley claimed she hadn't looked at the details of the then-pending trial, but that if Trump were found guilty, “he should pay the price.”She has not been asked about this statement by any political reporters since her endorsement of Trump.YOINK. SPLAT.(By the way, imagine taking it in good faith that Haley hasn't “looked into the details” of a nationally publicized trial in which the leader of her party is accused of defamation toward the woman he raped.)In February, Trump, during a rally, mocked the absence of Haley's husband on the campaign trail, who was then serving an overseas deployment with the South Carolina National Guard.Haley responded to Trump, in part: “Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief.”Then, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Haley said that Trump being the Republican presidential nominee is “like suicide for our country.”She has not been asked about either of these statements by any political reporters since her endorsement of Trump.YOINK. YOINK. SPLAT. SPLAT.Just three months ago, Haley followed that up with an NBC News interview in which she called Trump “unhinged” and “diminished.”Have any political reporters asked her about this since her endorsement? They have not.YOINK. SPLAT.Remember Haley's tenure as Trump's U.N. Ambassador? She was often referred to as a “voice of moderation” within the administration, though political reporters were never quite able to explain exactly how she was moderate. Her time as U.N. Ambassador was notable for: supporting the move of U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, backing up Trump's withholding foreign aid from innocent Palestinian civilians, supporting Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, defending Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, withdrawing the U.S from the United Nations Human Rights Council herself, and flagrantly violating the Hatch Act just months into her tenure, for which she was firmly chastised by the Office of Special Counsel.Do any of these sound like moderate positions? They don't meet the low threshold of having a moderating influence, much less being moderate.You guessed it: she has rarely been asked about any of these conflicting details by political reporters in the past several years and certainly not since her endorsement of Trump.YOINK and SPLAT.Folks, this is the nutshell version. There are examples of this stretching back into her early career: as a state representative in South Carolina and then governor, she constantly staked a position and then reneged on it in a cynical manner when the political winds starting blowing in an inconvenient direction.It's nothing new for Haley. This is who she's always been — always hedging her bets, always speaking out both sides of her mouth, always pretending to have red lines and then later pretending those red lines never existed, acting almost shocked if a reporter even asks about them.Political reporters have given Haley pass after pass after pass all these years. She lies and misleads and obfuscates and flip-flops, and still, they do it. It's why I predicted all throughout Nikki Haley's supposed campaign for president that she would eventually endorse Trump, despite what political press told us, despite their inexplicable and immediate embrace of her messaging, ignoring her entire history of lying and cynical tactics.Why? Because she's nice to them at cocktail parties, and they need access from a Republican with her influence. Lucy and Charlie Brown. Every time. Without fail.Fairly soon, Nikki Haley will be on Sunday news shows and she'll be lightly challenged on her endorsement for Trump and she'll demur and give weak-ass, equivocating responses as she always has and the hosts may push back a little and they may even bring up her past statements, though I doubt it, and she'll demur again and they'll thank her for coming on.YOINK. SPLAT.The last football “kicking” strip was published October 24th, 1999, a few months before Schulz' death from a heart attack in his sleep while undergoing cancer treatment.Lucy is sitting there and inviting Charlie Brown to kick it, as always, when Rerun, her brother, comes out and tells Lucy that their mother is demanding she come eat lunch. Lucy mutters “good grief” and invites Rerun to take her place holding the ball. Charlie Brown is more optimistic than ever that this is his moment. Finally.But we never see what happens immediately after that. In the following panels, Rerun returns home and Lucy asks him for details, and Rerun replies: “You'll never know…”Maybe we never will. Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

President Biden has signed three new laws containing policy changes that will have long lasting effects on the people of Palestine. In this episode, seven months into the ongoing destruction of Gaza, see what Congress and the President have enacted in your name. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Sources for Gaza News Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Who Pays for Corporate Media 2024. iSpot.tv. 2024. iSpot.tv. Hamas Dan De Luce et al. April 18, 2024. NBC News. December 29, 2023. International Court of Justice. Abdelali Ragad et al. November 27, 2023. BBC. Destruction of Khan Yunis Bisan Owda. May 21, 2024. AJ+ (@ajplus) and Al Jazeera English (@aljazeeraenglish) on Instagram. Israel's Buffer Zone Around Gaza Ruwaida Kamal Amer. May 21, 2024. +972 Magazine. Camille Bressange et al. March 16, 2024. The Wall Street Journal. February 2, 2024. Jon Gambrell. AP News. Dov Liber et al. January 25, 2024. The Wall Street Journal. Loveday Morris et al. January 24, 2024. The Washington Post. Israeli Settlements March 20, 2024. CNN on YouTube. Amira Hass. March 12, 2024. Haaretz. Julia Frankel. February 23, 2024. AP News. Nir Hasson and Rachel Fink. January 28, 2024. Haaretz. Itai Weiss. December 27, 2023. Haaretz. Hagar Shezaf. December 11, 2020. Haaretz. Updated February 2, 2024. Encyclopedia Britannica. AI Kill List Isaac Chotiner. April 12, 2024. The New Yorker. April 5, 2024. Amy Goodman and Yuval Abraham. Democracy Now! Avi Scharf. April 5, 2024. Haaretz. Ishaan Tharoor. April 5, 2024. The Washington Post. April 3, 2024. The Guardian. Yuval Abraham. April 3, 2024. +972 Magazine. Yuval Abraham. November 30, 2023. +972 Magazine. Patrick Kingsley and Ronen Bergman. Updated Oct. 18, 2023. The New York Times. Ami Rokhax Domba. February 14, 2023. Israel Defense. Tamir Eshel. June 13, 2021. Defense Update. Israelis Who Died in October October 19, 2023. Haaretz. Massacre at al-Shifa Hospital Tareq S. Hajjaj. April 11, 2024. Mondoweiss. Abeer Salman et al. April 1, 2024. CNN. Supplemental Funding April 24, 2024. The Washington Post. April 21, 2024. PBS NewsHour. UNRWA Ayesha Rascoe and Jackie Northam. April 28, 2024. NPR. Emanuel Fabian. February 16, 2024. The Times of Israel. Who Governs Palestine Noa Rone. March 8, 2024. Unpacked. UN Human Rights Council Updated April 5, 2024. United Nations Human Rights Council. April 18, 2023. United Nations General Assembly. ‘Detainee' treatment February 19, 2024. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations Information Service. July 10, 2023. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Suppression of Journalism March 20, 2023. Jewish News Syndicate. January 24, 2002. BBC. Why It's Not a War Ajit Singh (@ajitxsingh). November 14, 2023. X. Francesca Albanese. November 14, 2023. National Press Club of Australia on Youtube. Torture in Israeli Detention Facilities May 11, 2024. Middle East Eye on YouTube. CNN's International Investigations and Visuals teams. May 11, 2024. CNN. Netta Ahituv. May 4, 2024. Haaretz. Leahy Amendment Ben Samuels. April 27, 2024. Haaretz. International Criminal Court Michel Martin and John Bellinger III on All Things Considered. April 16, 2022. NPR. Laws Audio Sources May 5, 2024 Al Jazeera English on Instagram (@aljazeeraenglish) Imran Khan: If you are watching this prerecorded report, then Al Jazeera has been banned in the territory of Israel. On April the first, the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, passed a law that allowed the Prime Minister to ban Al Jazeera. He's now enacted that law. Let me just take you through some of the definitions. Within the law, they've banned our website, including anything that has the option of entering or accessing the website, even passwords that are needed whether they're paid or not, and whether it's stored on Israeli servers or outside of Israel. The website is now inaccessible. They're also banning any device used for providing content. That includes my mobile phone. If I use that to do any kind of news gathering, then the Israelis can simply confiscate it. Our internet access provider, the guy that simply hosts aljazeera.net, is also in danger of being fined if they host the website. The Al Jazeera TV channel [is] completely banned. Transmission by any kind of content provider is also banned and holding offices or operating them in the territory of Israel by the channel. Also, once again, any devices used to provide content for the channel can be taken away by the Israelis. It's a wide ranging ban. We don't know how long it'll be in place for, but it does cover this territory of the state of Israel. May 5, 2024 Al Jazeera English on YouTube Cyril Vanier: So what does the war look like, as presented by Israeli media to Israelis? Gideon Levy: Very, very simple picture. We are the victims. We are the only victims, as usual. There was the 7th of October, and we will stick to the 7th of October, which was almost the Holocaust in the eyes of most of the Israelis and this 7th of October enables us and legitimizes us to do whatever we want in Gaza. Gaza doesn't interest us. Gaza is Hamas and Hamas, Gaza. And therefore, we should punish them all, and if possible, even kill them al, destroy them all, and we will. We have no interest to see what's the suffer[ing] of Gaza, what's the punishment of Gaza, what the innocent people of Gaza are going through. We are only interested in the brave soldiers, the hostages and the victims of the 7th of October. That's our world, and that's the world that the Israeli media as a whole is describing to its viewers for seven months now, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Only this, you don't see Gaza. April 10, 2024 House Foreign Affairs Committee Witnesses: Samantha Power, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development Clips 47:15 Samantha Power: Again, you had very little, almost no child malnutrition before October 7, and you now have a massive spike. And particularly in the north, one in three kids are suffering from malnutrition. And again, the reports of famine also spreading to the south. It makes sense because so little assistance has gotten in commensurate to the needs of more than 2 million people. 1:13:55 Samantha Power: My understanding - this is something that Secretary Blinken is managing and you'll have a chance I'm sure to engage him on - but the national security memorandum 20 that was issued not long ago is taking 620 I and those elements into consideration. I think that report is due out in early May. 1:41:40 Samantha Power: You know well, because you've been in so many of these countries, we don't have an NGO out there -- This is not your traditional UN agency, where you can have like schools in a box, teachers in a box, health workers in a box. Hamas was the state and Hamas won the election back in the day. And Hamas had far too much influence on certain individuals, or even certain individuals were, it seems, potentially part of Hamas. But the fact is, the administration of schools and health systems was UNRWA. There's not an NGO or another UN agency that could perform the function of a State like that, or at least I haven't encountered one in my years of humanitarian service. 2:02:20 Samantha Power: One little parenthetical is, Israel, about a month ago, in light of the horrific allegations, made a decision that UNRWA could not participate in convoys to the north - humanitarian convoys. But what that meant was, fundamentally there could be no convoys to the north because you can't, as bombs are falling and kinetic operations are underway and terrorists are being pursued, suddenly invent an entire humanitarian infrastructure. 2:17:20 Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): I want to ask you obviously about the very urgent situation humanitarian situation in Gaza. In your testimony, you said that the entire population of Gaza is living under the threat of famine. News reports came out recently that certain USAID officials sent a cable to the National Security Council warning that famine is already likely occurring in parts of the Gaza Strip. According to the report "famine conditions are most severe and widespread in northern Gaza, which is under Israeli control." Do you think that it's plausible or likely that parts of Gaza and particularly northern Gaza, are already experiencing famine? Samantha Power: Well, the methodology that the IPC used is one that we had our experts scrub, it's one that's relied upon in other settings, and that is their assessments and we believe that assessment is credible. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): So there's a famine is already occurring there. Samantha Power: That is… Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): Yes, okay. 2:18:14 Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): More than half of the population of Gaza is under the age of 18, as you know, and are seriously affected by the lack of access to food and nutrition. Various organizations, including the United Nations, have warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children may die if they don't get necessary food and nutrition assistance in just the next two to three weeks. Has USAID made such an assessment itself? And do you have a sense of how many such children might be at risk of dying if they don't get access to food and nutrition that's currently unavailable? Samantha Power: I do not have those assessments on hand. But I will say that in northern Gaza, the rate of malnutrition, prior to October 7, was almost zero. And it is now one in three, one in three kids. But extrapolating out is hard. And I will say just with some humility, because it is so hard to move around in Gaza, because the access challenges that give rise in part to the malnutrition are so severe, it is also hard to do the kind of scaled assessments that we would wish to do. But in terms of actual severe acute malnutrition for under fives, that rate was 16% in January, and became 30% in February, and we're awaiting the the March numbers, but we expect it to -- Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): So it got markedly worse. Samantha Power: Markedly worse. But extrapolating and giving you the overall numbers… Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): And just to be clear, I realize you're not part of the DoD or the State Department even, working on these issues diplomatically. But is it your understanding that humanitarian assistance and food assistance is not supposed to be denied even when countries are at war with each other? Because there is this argument that if Hamas would release the hostages, if they would surrender, that this would stop, but there's certain laws of war and certain conduct that nations are supposed to follow, and that includes allowing for humanitarian assistance. Samantha Power: Correct. I mean, I will say, of course, we all agree the hostages should be released, absolutely. An absolute outrage that they had been kept this long and the horror and terror for their families, the families of those individuals I can't even contemplate but yes, food must flow. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): Kids can't be starved because you have two groups that are at war with each other. Samantha Power: Food must flow and food has not flowed in sufficient quantities to avoid this imminent famine in the south and these conditions that are giving rise already to child deaths in the north. 2:29:20 Samantha Power: Again, trusted partners like World Food Programme and UNICEF and others have not reported that Hamas is getting in the way of distributing humanitarian assistance. And I will say, nor are we getting those reports from the IDF who are present on the ground in Gaza. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC): I have been getting reports, in fact, that Hamas is targeting, punishing or hindering Palestinians who are working with the international community to provide humanitarian assistance. You have not seen any evidence of that? Samantha Power: I would be very interested in those reports, but that is not what our partners are reporting back to us. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC): Do you believe that Hamas is benefiting from the aid that we are providing to Gaza? Samantha Power: I mean, I don't even know how to think about that question in this moment when Hamas is on the run and being pursued across Gaza. So, you know, I don't think they are in a position, because of what the IDF is doing, to benefit per se. Would family members of Hamas potentially begin getting access at a food distribution? You know, that's possible. It's going to civilians. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC): Do you have any idea how Hamas fighters are getting their food? Samantha Power: I don't. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC): So it is a difficult balance to strike when we desperately want to make sure that innocent Palestinians don't suffer and don't starve, but we don't want to do anything to embolden Hamas. 2:46:10 Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): There was already serious concern with the operations of UNRWA prior to the administration's decision to cut funding. Further this past November, I led floor debate to pass the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, which discussed the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel curricula taught to children in Gaza and the West Bank, a curriculum taught by UNRWA employees. So while yes, we appreciate the prohibition on new funding in January, this is long overdue, as there were clear and present issues that UNRWA that look like were ignored by the administration. 2:48:45 Samantha Power: Putting people who want to eliminate another people in power is not anything that anybody would have wished. But the effect is that the governing institution had significant leverage over the UN agency that was carrying out -- Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): A terrorist state that has had control over this agency, which is in part why we have pushed to defund it. Would you support future year Appropriations defunding UNRWA? Samantha Power: I don't know if you've had a chance to talk to the King of Jordan, for example. Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): I've had dinner with him, in Jordan. Samantha Power: And about what it is going to mean for the Jordanian people to have 2 million young people basically looking for where their schools are going to get support. Now, it may be that the Europeans and others come in and address this issue and it doesn't -- Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): Defunding UNWRA does not mean that we don't deal with humanitarian issues. It doesn't mean that we don't -- Samantha Power: No, no but it just is the school system. Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): It doesn't mean that we don't deal with it, it means we find a different vehicle by which to do this, but UNRWA itself has proven to be corrupt. Samantha Power: You've been here for much of the exchange. There's no NGO, there's no UN agency that creates school systems. There's no, like, U haul where there's a school system that you just deploy in Jordan, to educate 2.6 million Jordanian kids, it just doesn't work that way. Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): Respectfully, being snide about it is not actually solving the issue here. The reality is UNRWA is not the vehicle by which we should be sending American taxpayer dollars at this point. It's just not. Samantha Power: We will follow the law. Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): Right, my question to you was, do you support moving forward? Samantha Power: I'm describing the benefits of educating young people across the region and providing health services, and I'm not seeing a viable alternative. So I would suggest -- Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): So you believe we should continue? Samantha Power: I think, first of all, we don't know what Gaza is going to look like after this war ends. Hopefully, Hamas will be dismantled and new institutions will be in place whereby they will take care of educating their own young people, and you won't need a UN agency to do it. But it is extremely important that we look out for young people in Gaza, it is going to do nobody any favors for them not to have access to an education Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY): No, the fact is, on October 7, part of the reason that you had that type of terrorist attack is because of the level of hatred and anti-semitism that is taught in schools in Gaza. That is part of the problem here. And UNRWA helped in terms of allowing for that to occur under the guise of a UN agency. It is disgusting. It is shameful, and the fact that we as the United States have helped support that organization helped fund it is an embarrassment. And that's why we fought to defund it. 3:00:00 Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA): I am hypercritical of the alleged 12 or 15, who may have been infiltrating as Hamas, who may have participated in the October 7, horrendous barbaric attack. But you don't throw everybody and all the good work out. Because I want to ask you, if we continue this pause, if the world said we will not help you UNRWA, your however many thousands of workers who are on the ground, who keep coming to work even when their whole families are killed, what will happen with famine in Gaza, if we just shut it down? No more UNRWA. By the way, they're not educating. We know that they can't even do that now. They have incredibly important vaccines and medical aid to to be a part of, but the essentialness of food and water. What happens if we continue this disinformation campaign of 'Defund UNRWA'? Samantha Power: Well, first, thank you for bringing some facts into the conversation that I probably should have raised before, including just the horrific loss of life for those who work for UNRWA. And in general, you know, more than 228 workers killed by IDF or in my IDF military operations to this point, including, most recently of course, the World Central Kitchen colleagues, devastatingly. And thank you also for reminding us all. UNRWA is an organization in Gaza alone of 13,000 people. The vast majority of those people have not been propagating hate but have been actually trying to educate young people. The literacy rate in Gaza-West Bank, I think, is something like 99%. It's one of the most effective literacy efforts in any of the places that USAID works. In terms of what would happen if the whole thing shut down....Right now, it looks like other countries are stepping up to avert that scenario. But, you know, I just cannot overstate how chaotic and how horrific the conditions in Gaza are. You've spoken to them. The visuals speak to the level of destruction. There's no work-around for the infrastructure that they provide. After the war, when there's a new administration of Gaza, if that comes about, obviously, that's itself extremely complicated. You know, the question of who is providing education as they try to rebuild virtually everything from scratch and the education and the health sector? You know, some of these questions will be will be addressed. But right now, there is no way to avert large scale famine without relying on the humanitarian backbone that has been enriched for decades, and that remains UNRWA today. We are going to follow the law, we are going to work through other partners. But, I started to say this earlier: even the government of Israel, which had banned UNRWA's participation in convoys, because of the food crisis - and US engagement, I hope - has now decided that UNRWA can in fact be part of convoys going to the North because they recognize there's just no other way. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA): Right. And I want to commend to anybody to please meet with the director of UNRWA who is stationed in Rafah: a 20-plus-year US military veteran. I don't know how people stay at this kind of work with the risks that they are taking, but they are there. Music by Editing Production Assistance

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to Carmel Sepuloni about pay rises for MPs and National's new social housing policy. They speak to Shane Henderson for City Counselling about the Palestine protests in Tāmaki Makaurau and the end of half priced public transport for under 25s. They speak to Student Justice for Palestine Organiser Layan Khalil about the student rally for Palestine that took place on campus last night, and with Andre Fa'aoso on the student protests for Palestine in the United States. And they speak to Dr Kirsten Zemke about the racist backlash Beyoncé received after releasing her popular country album, Cowboy Carter, earlier this year. News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins speaks to Professor Law at the University of Auckland, Claire Charters, about the United Nations Human Rights Council's five-yearly Universal Periodic Review. Producer Jasmine speaks Tara Jackson, Executive Director of the New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society, about the current state of animal rights protections in Aotearoa.

Episode Description The Ruggie Framework is a three-pronged approach that includes the obligations of corporations to uphold human rights, the responsibility of the state to protect those rights, and the provision of effective remedies for any infringements.  In this CIPE Anti-Corruption and Governance Center (ACGC) podcast, Luis Fernando de Angulo, Senior Advisor to the Center for Responsible Business and a member of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, joins Michele Crymes and Angela Maria Velez of CIPE as they analyze the experience of Colombia's private sector in upholding the Ruggie Framework. They discuss the private sector's successes, challenges, and potential areas to improve the support of human rights going forward. Crymes is ACGC Deputy Director and Velez is the Program Director for CIPE Colombia.    More Information In 2008, the United Nations Special Representative, John Ruggie, introduced a framework to the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the relationship between human rights and business activities. This framework, known as the Ruggie Principles, was a three-pronged approach that included the obligations of corporations to uphold human rights, the responsibility of states to protect these rights, and the provision of effective remedies for any infringements. In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously approved and endorsed the Ruggie Framework, otherwise known as the United Nations' Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  Our special guest, Luis Fernando de Angulo, joins this podcast to analyze the Colombian private sector's experiences of upholding the Ruggie Framework. Specifically, we will discuss the private sector's successes, challenges, and areas to improve the supporting of human rights in the future. 

While the war rages on in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, the affects of that war are being felt here at home. Over the weekend, protesters in Dearborn, MI drew attention for their "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" chants during an International Al-Quds Day rally. Attorney Jeff Robbins, a former United States delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva joined Dan to discuss the situation.

In the United Nations Human Rights Council, the West voted against the rest of the world, supporting illegal sanctions (known as unilateral coercive measures). Ben Norton analyzes how the 14% of the population in the Global North constantly opposes the Global South, representing the Global Majority. VIDEO with maps and graphics here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VHBIfmxkHh4

April 9, 2024 - Join us for a conversation about recovering lost ground in the international effort to address North Korea's human rights violations, featuring: Ambassador Julie Turner, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, James Heenan, UN Human Rights Office representative in Seoul, Dr. Katrin Katz, Korea Society Van Fleet Senior Fellow, and Sean Chung, CEO of HanVoice, in conversation with policy director Jonathan Corrado. The United Nations Human Rights Council published its landmark report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ten years ago. That report documented “systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights” in North Korea. But the international effort to ensure accountability, involving U.S. coordination with allies such as the Republic of Korea and through the United Nations, is only just beginning. The U.S. State Department describes credible reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, arbitrary arrests and detentions, total state control of expression and media through censorship, severe restrictions on political participation, gender-based violence, and the worst forms of child labor. A Korean American adoptee with twenty years of diplomatic experience, Ambassador Julie Turner said, “The human rights situation in the DPRK is one of the most protracted human rights crises in the world,” in her testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. This discussion explores issues impacting refugees, information distribution, separated family reunions, pathways to practical progress, North Korean human rights success stories, the connection between the regime's human rights abuses and its weapons programs, and the nexus of humanitarian assistance and human rights. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1813-recapturing-lost-ground-on-north-korean-human-rights-with-ambassador-julie-turner

Somewhere between Radio Hall of Famer Barry “Dr. Demento” Hansen and Billie “Glinda” Burke, queer activist and audio producer David Fradkin found “Nurse Pimento” and her pop culture novelty treasures in the late 1970s. Featuring: Carroll O'Connor, Jack Lemon and Joe E. Brown, Groucho Marx, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Noel Coward, Sandy Dennis and George Segal, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks; music by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Edie Gorme, Tommy Smothers and Martin Mull. “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” Emma's Revolution reminds us what life “From a (Social) Distance” was like. And in NewsWrap: Uganda's Constitutional Court declines to nullify the “Kill the Gays” Anti-Homosexuality Act in its entirety, the owner of Orenburg, Russia's queer-friendly Pose nightclub is now in jail with two staffers being held on charges of “extremism,” the United Nations Human Rights Council specifically addresses the rights of intersex people for the first time, Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Tony Evers refuses to deny trans student the right to compete in high school sports based on their gender identity, Florida Republican state Representative Fabiбn Basabe sues Miami Pride for disinviting him due to his hypocritical record and need for massive police protection, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Ava Davis and Michael Taylor Gray (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the April 8, 2024 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

RCMP in the Vancouver-area city of Langley have initiated an Amber Alert for three-month-old Tyler Durocher.IDF investigation finds World Central Kitchen employees were mistakenly targeted in April 1 airstrike in Gaza, 2 officers have been dismissed.The United Nations Human Rights Council demands Israeli accountability over "possible war crimes" in Gaza.

More Hong Kong people at home and abroad voiced their strong objection to the smears by some Western politicians on the city's national security ordinance, which will take effect on Saturday.针对一些西方政客对将于3月23日生效的香港国家安全条例的抹黑，越来越多的海内外香港民众表示强烈反对。Hong Kong's legislature approved the long-awaited Safeguarding National Security Ordinance on Tuesday. The ordinance, legislated under Article 23 of the Basic Law, was created to prevent and punish five types of acts endangering national security in Hong Kong, including treason, insurrection and espionage.3月19日，香港立法机关批准了期待已久的《维护国家安全条例》。该条例是根据《基本法》第二十三条制定的，旨在防止和惩治叛国罪、暴乱罪、间谍罪等五类危害香港国家安全的行为。Following its passage in the Legislative Council, some Western politicians and organizations have groundlessly criticized the law, saying that it may restrict Hong Kong's freedom and human rights and undermine the city's long-standing advantages. Among the detractors are United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron, former British governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten, Vedant Patel, a spokesman for the United States Department of State, and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.该法通过后，一些西方政客和组织无端批评该法，称该法可能限制香港的自由和人权，损害香港的长期优势。其中包括英国外交大臣戴维·卡梅伦、英国前港督彭定康、美国国务院发言人韦丹特·帕特尔和日本外务省。Representatives from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attended the 55th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on Wednesday, rebutting the defamation and smearing of the ordinance.3月20日，香港特区代表出席在瑞士举行的联合国人权理事会第55届常会，严厉斥责对该条例的诽谤和抹黑。Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, the SAR's deputy secretary for justice, told the UN council that the ordinance will better protect the country and the city from genuine threats to national security amid increasingly intricate geopolitics.香港特别行政区律政司副秘书长张国钧向联合国理事会表示，在地缘政治日益复杂的情况下，该条例将保证国家安全和香港地区稳定发展。Stressing that the ordinance will strictly adhere to the principles of international law and practices, Cheung said there are appropriate exceptions and defenses, and he reiterated that people's rights and freedoms will be fully protected in accordance with the law. Edmond Sy Hon-ming, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong CPPCC Youth Association and a legal professional, delivered a speech by video to the UN meeting.张国钧强调，条例将严格遵守国际法原则和惯例，并设有适当的例外和抗辩，坚定不移地确保人民的权利和自由将依法得到充分保障。香港政协青年会副主席、法律界人士施汉明在联合国会议上通过视频致辞。Sy said Hong Kong people still vividly remember the unprecedented social unrest in 2019, emphasizing that a robust legal framework is necessary to safeguard national security and protect people's lives and property as well as their human rights and freedom of speech.施汉明表示，香港人对2019年前所未有的社会动荡仍记忆犹新，必须有健全的法律框架来维护国家安全、保护人民生命财产、人权和言论自由。Hong Kong experienced more than 150 years of colonial rule, and the residents do not want the city to be plagued by an unstable social environment again, Sy said. He added that numerous places around the world have regulations to safeguard national security, because every country has the responsibility to protect the safety and property of its residents.施汉明说道，香港经历了150多年的殖民统治，居民不希望香港再次受到不稳定的社会环境的困扰。世界上很多地方都有维护国家安全的规定，因为每个国家都有责任保护本国居民的安全和财产。Also addressing the council by video, Jonathan Chow Yuen-kuk, a newly elected district councilor in Hong Kong, said that since the National Security Law for Hong Kong was implemented in 2020, the city has been gradually moving toward stability. Chow said his experiences have taught him that national security is the foundation of social stability, adding that his work in the community can now focus on further improving residents' quality of life. He also invited everyone to visit Hong Kong to witness its vibrancy and safety.新当选的香港区议员周润谷也在视频中向立法会致辞，他谈到自2020年香港国安法实施以来，香港逐步走向稳定。过去的经历让他明白国家安全是社会稳定的基础。并提出建议，现在在社区的工作可以致力于进一步改善居民的生活质量。最后还邀请大家到访香港，见证香港的活力和安全。At home, representatives from various sectors expressed their objection to and condemnation of Western countries' smear campaign.国内各界代表对西方国家的抹黑行为表示反对和谴责。On Thursday afternoon, the city's biggest political party — the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong — protested with banners and placards outside the British consulate general in Hong Kong, strongly condemning UK Foreign Secretary Cameron's remarks.3月21日下午，香港最大政党民主建港联盟在英国驻香港总领事馆外拉横幅和标语进行抗议，强烈谴责英国外交大臣卡梅伦的言论。The DAB said the smooth passage of the ordinance fully demonstrates the Hong Kong people's support for the legislation and their consensus on the significance of national security.民建联表示，《条例》的顺利通过，充分体现了香港民众对立法的支持以及对国家安全重要性的共识。In a rally outside the consulate general of the United States in Hong Kong, members of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the SAR's largest labor union, expressed strong dissatisfaction with Patel's accusation that the legislation will hinder Hong Kong's openness to the international community. The FTU believes that the ordinance will create a good business environment for Hong Kong and attract investment in the city, including that of foreign-funded enterprises.在美国驻香港总领事馆外举行的集会中，特区最大工会香港工联会成员对帕特尔指责该法案将阻碍香港向国际社会开放表示强烈不满。工联会相信该条例将为香港创造良好的营商环境，吸引投资，包括外资企业来港投资。The Hong Kong Eastern District Community Association protested outside the consulate general of Japan in Hong Kong in response to a statement about the ordinance by Japan's Foreign Ministry, which the association said distorted the truth and called black white.香港东区社团联会在日本驻香港总领事馆外抗议，回应日本外务省有关该法令的声明，称该声明歪曲事实、颠倒黑白。distort the truth扭曲事实consulate general总领事馆

The United States has now suspended aid to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Administration for Palestinian refugees) after an Israeli intelligence report links some of its staffers to the Oct. 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Israel claims at least thirteen staff members were involved in varying capacities. Attorney Jeff Robbins, a former United States delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva joined Dan to discuss.

On today's show, Prof. Alfred De Zayas discusses the genocide case in the International Criminal Court in The Hague. GUEST OVERVIEW: Prof. Alfred de Zayas is one of the leading academics in international law. He will provide insights and commentary on the genocide case in the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Alfred de Zayas served as the first UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order from 2012 to 2018, appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. He is a Swiss and US citizen known for his independence and outspokenness. Prof. De Zayas is the author of a human rights trilogy, including "Building a Just World Order," "Countering Mainstream Narratives," and "The Human Rights Industry." You can find more information at https://www.claritypress.com/book-author/alfred-de-zayas/.

#UN: Michele Taylor- Ambassador Michèle Taylor, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 https://www.reuters.com/world/morocco-wins-vote-lead-un-human-rights-body-after-showdown-with-safrica-2024-01-10/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/11/israeli-women-and-girls-have-suffered-horrific-sexual-violence-from-hamas-where-is-the-outrage 1857 JERUSALEM

On today's show, Issa Amro will discuss the present and future of Gaza and the West Bank. GUEST OVERVIEW: Issa Amro is a Palestinian activist based in Hebron, West Bank. He co-founded and served as the coordinator of the grassroots group Youth Against Settlements from 2007 to 2018. Amro advocates for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience to address the Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories. In 2010, he was named "human rights defender of the year in Palestine" by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed concerns about his safety due to harassment from Israeli soldiers and settlers and a series of arbitrary arrests. Currently, Amro faces 18 charges in an Israeli military court. In May 2017, Bernie Sanders, along with three U.S. senators and 32 congressmen, wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging Israeli authorities to reconsider the charges against Amro.

Ben Saul is the Challis Professor of International Law at the University of Sydney, Australia, whose internationally recognized work has focused specifically on the intersection of human rights, terrorism, and international law. The United Nations Human Rights Council voted to appoint Saul as the newest Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, which has become one of the most visible and urgent special rapporteur mandates at the Human Rights Council. He began his three-year tenure, which can be extended to six years, on November 1, 2023. Lawfare Associate Editor Hyemin Han sat down with Saul for an interview about his priorities for his tenure, the intellectual frameworks and perspectives he brings to his role, and to get his perspective as Special Rapporteur on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's episode, we hear from Yassmin Abdel-Magied on the war in Sudan and later in the show, we hear from Francesca Albanese on the ongoing genocide in Palestine.Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-born author, broadcaster and award-winning social advocate. She runs the website eyesonsudan.net, amplifying the voices of resistance movements on the ground in Sudan. In this conversation, Yassmin provides context to this latest conflict in Sudan and explains the role of neo-imperialism in this war. This interview originally aired on Tuesday Breakfast on the 14th and 21st of November 2023.Francesca Albanese is a highly respected human rights lawyer, researcher and author. She has worked for over twenty years as a human rights expert for the United Nations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees. In 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Francesca Albanese as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. This speech was recorded at the Blak Solidarity gathering for Palestine held at Dardi Munwurro in Naarm/Melbourne on November 18th 2023.

The heatwave, Malawi re-elected in the United Nations Human Rights Council, a shift in Chakwera's cabinet, the death of musician Atoht Manje, Mkumano wa Achewa set for this weekend, and much more.Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at malawi@rorshok.com Like what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.Contact info:malawi@rorshok.comOur website:https://rorshok.com/Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link:https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Ralph welcomes award-winning foreign correspondent Stephen Kinzer to discuss America's bloody history of proxy wars. They'll also discuss the mainstream media's "shameful" coverage of the war in Ukraine, the warhawks on Capitol Hill, and the catastrophic trickle-down effects of American military meddling.Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries on five continents. Mr. Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the New York Times, most of it as a foreign correspondent. After leaving the Times in 2005, Mr. Kinzer taught journalism, political science, and international relations at Northwestern University and Boston University. He is now a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University and writes a world affairs column for The Boston Globe.We attacked Libya in complete violation of international law, but in accordance with the system that we have used as a substitute for international law. And that's what we call the “rules-based international order.” That's our alternative to international law. And the rules-based international order is great for us because we're the ones that make the rules. We decide everything. We decide who's making war, who's not making war, who's good, who's bad, who needs to be punished, who doesn't need to be punished. Under international law, we can't do that because countries are treated more equally. So I think this is the real way we have turned away from both international law and our own domestic law—we've said that they're all superseded by the rules-based international order, which is a nice way of saying everybody has to do what the United States decides.Stephen KinzerA mantra in Congress is “Israel has a right to defend itself.” But no one ever says in Congress “the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves,” and they take casualty counts anywhere from 40 to 100 times greater in terms of innocent civilians, killed or injured. The Iranians apparently have no right to defend themselves… What is this inverted sense that these countries that are legitimately threatened, that have been overthrown… What's this mindset in official Washington that nobody threatened by the US or Israel has a right to defend themselves?Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis1. On Monday, the Writers' Guild of America announced that they have reached an interim agreement with the studios. The proposed deal includes minimum writing room sizes, pay increases, a ban on writing by generative AI programs, and disclosures of streaming numbers with residuals to match, to name just a few of the top line wins for the union. The agreement still needs to be formally submitted to the Guild membership for ratification, but this marks the end of the second longest strike in the WGA's history.2. AP reports that earlier this week, President Biden joined the United Autoworkers on the picket line. This is the first time ever a sitting president has joined a picket line. “Donning a union ballcap and exchanging fist bumps, Biden told United Auto Workers strikers that ‘you deserve the significant raise you need'” and urged the workers to “stick with it.” Biden made this move in part because former President Donald Trump also addressed autoworkers in a speech this week, though he did so at a non-union plant away from the picket line. UAW president Shawn Fain deemed Trump's address to non-union workers “pathetic irony,” per FOX 2 Detroit.3. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is facing a mammoth corruption scandal involving fraudulent halal meat from Egypt and $100,000 worth of gold bars. Per the BBC, Menendez has been forced to resign his chairmanship of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Yet, the powerful New Jersey Senator has not resigned his seat, even as a growing chorus of top Democrats have called on him to do so – including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, and many more. One possible upside to all of this is that Menendez's departure from his post on the Foreign Relations Committee could pave the way for a more rational American policy towards Cuba.4. In more Cuba news, NBC reports that on September 24th, the Cuban embassy in Washington was attacked. The assailant hurled two molotov cocktails at the diplomatic mission; fortunately, the diplomatic staff were unharmed. No arrests have been made. This follows a 2020 attack, when a man shot “nearly three dozen rounds” at the embassy from an AK-47.5. CNN reports that the FTC and the attorneys general of 17 states have filed a lawsuit against Amazon,   alleging that “Amazon unfairly promotes its own platform and services at the expense of third-party sellers who rely on the company's e-commerce marketplace for distribution.” Specific examples of the e-commerce giant's anticompetitive practices include “requiring sellers on its platform to purchase Amazon's in-house logistics services in order to secure the best seller benefits, [and forcing] sellers to list their products on Amazon at the lowest prices anywhere on the web, instead of allowing sellers to offer their products at competing marketplaces for a lower price.” Hopefully, this reinvigorated consumer protection regime will serve as a deterrent to other would-be corporate criminals.6. Kyodo News reports Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki recently addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, and used the opportunity to rail against the proposed US military base in the Japanese-controlled territory. Tamaki noted that the base “was clearly opposed by Okinawan voters in a democratically held referendum" and that the installation of the base would threaten regional peace. Okinawa already hosts most of the American military presence in Japan.7. Variety reports that Anil Kapoor, an A-list actor in India, has won his legal battle against AI. The court “granted an order…acknowledging [Kapoor's] personality rights and restraining all offenders from misusing his personality attributes without his permission in any manner…across all modes and media worldwide.” Kapoor also noted that “My intention is not to interfere with anyone's freedom of expression or to penalize anyone. My intent was to seek protection of my personality rights and prevent any misuse for commercial gains, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence.”8. Finally, the Orchard reports that On September 22nd, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian House of Commons. In attendance was Yaroslav Hunka, a 98 year-old veteran who, according to the CBC “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War.” Students of history quickly put two and two together, deducing that this “veteran” was in fact a soldier in the 14th Grenadier Division of the Waffen SS, otherwise known as the Galician Division. Prime Minister Trudeau also held a private audience with this Nazi. Uproar in Canada proved so great that the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was forced to resign, per the CBC. Furthermore, Polish officials have now formally requested that Hunka be extradited to Poland to face charges for atrocities committed by the Galician SS Division during WWII. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to several criminal charges after his cushy plea deal unexpectedly falls apart. Then, the United Nations Human Rights Council uses the guise of human rights to demand that its member states institute blasphemy laws and censor speech. And finally, an award-winning singer randomly passes out and is rushed to the hospital with severe blood clots - is the Covid-19 vaccine to blame?Guest Host: Jim NellesGuests:Jack Posobiec | Senior Editor, Human Events & Host, Human Events DailyPatrick Wood | Executive Director & Founder, Citizens for Free SpeechGrayson Quay | News Editor, The Daily CallerJustin Hart | Data Expert & Founder, rationalground.com

“The United Nations (UN) is the only multilateral governmental agency with universally accepted international jurisdiction for universal human rights legislation.[47] All UN organs have advisory roles to the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council, and there are numerous committees within the UN with responsibilities for safeguarding different human rights treaties. The most senior body of the UN with regard to human rights is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The United Nations has an international mandate to: ... achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. — Article 1–3 of the Charter of the United Nations.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

“Moral philosophers have defined discrimination using a moralized definition. Under this approach, discrimination is defined as acts, practices, or policies that wrongfully impose a relative disadvantage or deprivation on persons based on their membership in a salient social group.[9] This is a comparative definition. An individual need not be actually harmed in order to be discriminated against. He or she just needs to be treated worse than others for some arbitrary reason. If someone decides to donate to help orphan children, but decides to donate less, say, to black children out of a racist attitude, he or she will be acting in a discriminatory way even if he or she actually benefits the people he discriminates against by donating some money to them.[10] Discrimination also develops into a source of oppression, the action of recognizing someone as 'different' so much that they are treated inhumanly and degraded.[11] This moralized definition of discrimination is distinct from a non-moralized definition - in the former, discrimination is wrong by definition, whereas in the latter, this is not the case.[12] The United Nations stance on discrimination includes the statement: "Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection."[13] The United Nations Human Rights Council and other international bodies work towards helping ending discrimination around the world.” All of these happened to me in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia): “Donald Cressey's Cosa Nostra model studied Mafia families exclusively and this limits his broader findings. Structures are formal and rational with allocated tasks, limits on entrance, and influence on the rules established for organizational maintenance and sustainability.[177][178] In this context there is a difference between organized and professional crime; there is well-defined hierarchy of roles for leaders and members, underlying rules and specific goals that determine their behavior and these are formed as a social system, one that was rationally designed to maximize profits and to provide forbidden goods. Albini saw organized criminal behavior as consisting of networks of patrons and clients, rather than rational hierarchies or secret societies.[18][19][20] The networks are characterized by a loose system of power relations. Each participant is interested in furthering his own welfare. Criminal entrepreneurs are the patrons and they exchange information with their clients in order to obtain their support. Clients include members of gangs, local and national politicians, government officials and people engaged in legitimate business. People in the network may not directly be part of the core criminal organization. Furthering the approach of both Cressey and Albini, Ianni and Ianni studied Italian-American crime syndicates in New York and other cities.[179][180] Kinship is seen as the basis of organized crime rather than the structures Cressey had identified; this includes fictive godparental and affinitive ties as well as those based on blood relations and it is the impersonal actions, not the status or affiliations of their members, that define the group. Rules of conduct and behavioral aspects of power and networks and roles include the following: family operates as a social unit, with social and business functions merged; leadership positions down to middle management are kinship based; the higher the position, the closer the kinship relationship; group assigns leadership positions to a central group of family members, including fictive god-parental relationship reinforcement; the leadership group are assigned to legal or illegal enterprises, but not both; and, transfer of money, from legal and illegal business, and back to illegal business is by individuals, not companies. Strong family ties are derived from the traditions of southern Italy, where family rather than the church or state is the basis of social order and morality.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

More than 100,000 people turned out in central Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday to say no to the government's plans for judicial reform, for the 18th consecutive week. For now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding off on the judicial overhaul. And, in 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council established the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement. Their most recent trip brought the international experts to the United States. Also, the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate in Sudan as the fighting intensifies. The UN estimates 19 million people will be food insecure in the coming months. Plus, get ready for Eurovision, kicking off soon in Liverpool. 

On this edition of Parallax Views, Estee Chandler, co-host of KPFK's Middle East in Focus alongside Nagwa Ibrahim and a key organizer in the pro-Palestinian social justice organization Jewish Voice for Peace, joins us to discuss the controversial, right-wing Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich's comments calling for the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank to be "wiped out". Smotrich made the comments shortly after Israeli settlers laid waste to the village reportedly burning down houses and cars in a rampage last week. “I think that Huwara needs to be wiped out," remarked Smotrich at a March 1st, 2023 conference of the Israeli business newspaper TheMarker, "but the State of Israel needs to do it, most certainly not private citizens." In response to Smotrich's comments, the activist group Jewish Voice for Peace released an action statement calling the comments genocidal and urging the administration of President Joe Biden to respond by barring Smotrich from entry to the U.S. and ending unconditional military funding and support to Israel. Although the U.S., through the voice of State Department Spokesman Ned Price, has in no uncertain terms referred to Smotrich's comments as "repugnant", "disgusting", and "irresponsible", JVP argues that the Biden administration must take action beyond what they describe as "hollow words of condemnation". Smotrich is scheduled to be in the United State on Sunday for an Israel Bonds conference in Washington, D.C. The Biden administration was reportedly considering denying Smotrich a visa, but the State Department has since granted a diplomatic visa for the controversial political figure. Smotrich has gone on to apologize to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for his remarks while simultaneously claiming the media distorted and manipulated his comments. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Smotrich's statements "inappropriate", before appearing to accept that Smotich had unfortunately misspoken and then going on to accuse both the Palestinian Authority and the international community of being lax on Palestinian violence and terrorism. The latter comments concerning the international community come on the heels of UN rights chief Volker Turk referring to Smotrich's so-called so-called "emotional slip of the tongue" as "an unfathomable statement of incitement to violence and hostility" at a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva Meanwhile, Smotrich's extreme statements about Huwara have sparked something of an uproar in the American Jewish community, and not just amongst activists associated with the explicitly anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace. For instance, the Israel Policy Forum, an organization oriented towards the goal of a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, released a statement signed by a plethora of American Jewish Community leaders not only condemning Smotrich's Huwara outburst but explicitly saying that Smotrich and his views should not be welcomed by the American Jewish community. Signatories included J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, former Chairman of the Board of the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy Lawrence B. Benenson, former Executive Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Commitee (AIPAC), Thomas A. Dine, George W. Bush-era Under Secretary of Defense and Atlantic Council board of directors member Dov S. Zakheim, former AIPAC President Steven Grossman, former Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman, Square One Foundation President and Obama-appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council Priscilla Kersten, National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz, Jewish Democratic Council board member and former AIPAC board member Ada Horwich, 8 time Academy Award-winning film producer Lawrence Bender, and many others. Additionally, the Progressive Israel Network has released a statement signed by 77 Jewish American organizations pledging to shun Smotrich during his planned visit to the U.S. Amongst the Arab nations, Smotrich has also received pushback and condemnation, even amongst state involved with the Abraham Accords or nominally less hostile relations with Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affair in Saudi Arabia, for example, called Smotrich's remarks "racist" and "irresponsible" as well as claiming that they "reflect the amount of violence and extremist practiced by the occupying Israeli entity towards the brotherly Palestinian people." Fellow Persian Gulf nations Qatar and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) have likewise made strongly worded condemnations. Beyond those GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council States), Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Smotrich's comments are an "unacceptable and serious incitement for violence" that "contradict laws, norms, and moral values." In this episode, Estee and I discuss not only Smotrich's disturbing response to the Israeli settler violence in Huwara and JVP's stance on how the Biden administration should've have responded to it, but a number of other issues as well including: - JVP's opposition to Zionism; the history of Zionism and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - The question of apartheid in relation to discussions of international law and Israel/Palestine - Estee's background as a Jewish woman with Israeli family and her personal awakening on Israel/Palestine - The BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) Movement and free speech - Jewish Voice for Peace and the role Jewish people can play in Palestinian human rights activism - Antisemitism and the controversy over the IHRA definition of antisemitism - Settler-colonialism and Israel/Palestine - Is the new Netanyahu government, with figures like Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in key ministerial position, a signal of a particularly dangerous moment in Israel/Palestine? - And more!

A new edition of Roqe as part of the Uprising series, including feature interviews with popular athlete and blogger, Picasso Moin, in Istanbul, and founder of the online marketplace, ‘Alangoo,' Golshid Mola, in Los Angeles. Plus, Jian kicks off the show with an audio essay reflecting on the appearance of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the United Nations Human Rights Council, entitled, “The Iranian Foreign Minister is a Buffoon,” and the Roqe Roundtable convenes with new team member, KNZ, to discuss Pirouz the cheetah, the events of the UNHRC and the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran.

*) UN human rights session opens More than 100 heads of state and ministers are set to take part in the week-long United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva. The session focuses on issues ranging from Russia's alleged war crimes in Ukraine to China's reported mistreatment of its Muslim minority. A UN report published last year found that the detention of Uighurs and other Muslims by China may constitute crimes against humanity. Beijing denies any abuses. *) Nigeria awaits first election results Nigeria has announced initial results on Sunday after a tight election for the presidency of Africa's most populous nation. The election pits former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress against former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party. A surprise third-party candidate, Labour Party's Peter Obi, has challenged the APC and PDP dominance with a message of change and an appeal to younger voters. Announcing first results state by state, the Independent National Electoral Commission said APC' s Tinubu easily won southwestern Ekiti state with PDP coming second. *) Israeli premier says will not freeze building settlements in West Bank Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no change in the plan to build illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu's remarks came following a meeting held in Jordan on Sunday, with the participation of Palestine, Israel, Jordan, the US and Egypt. According to Jordan's foreign ministry, Israel had committed to stop discussion of any new settlement units for 4 months and to stop authorisation of any military outposts for 6 months. The Israeli premier denied such reports. *) British premier, EU chief to meet amid talks on Northern Ireland UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hold face-to-face talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as the two sides seek a deal to resolve post-Brexit talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol. In a joint statement, the leaders said they will continue to work towards shared and practical solutions to the longstanding issue. Sunak on Wednesday said any deal needs to ensure sovereignty for Northern Ireland and safeguard its place in the union. *) Football fans shower field with toys for children in quake-hit Türkiye Istanbul football club Besiktas fans have thrown thousands of stuffed toys on the field in a show of solidarity with children who were affected by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye. Sunday's Besiktas game was paused at 4 minutes 17 seconds after the kick off in memory of the earthquake which struck at 4.17 am local time on February 6, killing at least 44,374 people. The Turkish football team started the campaign, asking fans to bring stuffed toys to be donated to the affected children.