Hong Kong and the struggle for Democracy

A Hong Kong protester (x)

In 1970 Hong Kong was relinquished from British oversight and established as a Special Administrative Region within the People's Republic of China. This region was and allowed a level of autonomy not seen in mainland China and was set out to operate under a "one country, two systems" rule. This path moth has proved very difficult for these two systems. Hong Kong authorities announced new limitations on chief executive candidates for 2017 , essentially stating that leaders must be Beijing-approved. Protests broke out in this financial hub and have been dubbed the Occupy Central with Love and Peace by the pro-democracy groups and students that have amassed to demand change from their government. Protesters have tirelessly camped out in busy city streets despite violent police reactions. Last night a meeting was held between activists and government representatives. Students demanded true democracy while officials lamented that Beijing holds a level of constitutional authority. Articles 19 (freedom of the press), 20 (freedom of assembly) and 21 (freedom to take part in a government with genuine elections) define the necessity of these movements. Beijing has violated these rights with the censoring of social media, harm of non-violent protesters and initial tampering of democracy. 

Sources
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Hong Kong's Protests are a Big Deal
The Hong Kong government-protestor Sit-down

Nobel Laureates and Their Impact: Kailash

Photo by Made in a Free World (x)

Kailash Satyarthi began his crusade for children's rights over 30 years ago by raiding Indian manufacturing plants that condoned bonded labor and the use of child workers. In 1980 Styarthi created the Bachpan Bachao Andolan or Save the Childhood Movement, an organization that rescues children from trafficking and modern-day slavery, returns them to society and provides them with education options. The group also seeks to end child labor through limiting the purchase of products made by these bonded children. Similarly this activist has also founded RugMark which encourages the purchase of carpets made in factories that are sans child labor. Satyarthi is also a founding member of the Global March Against Child Labor which spans 103 counties. His impact on his homeland of Indian is evident in the work of the BBA which has produced an estimated 317 Bil Mitra Gram, or child-friendly villages, that prohibit child labor and child marriage and allow women and teens to take part in the governance of the community.
 Less than a week ago, Kailash Satyarthi was awarded one of two Nobel Peace Prizes. Satyarthi spoke on his achievement “It was a passion from my childhood to work for children...I have been very strongly advocating that poverty must not be used as an excuse to continue child labor. It perpetuates poverty. If children are deprived of education, they remain poor.”

Sources
Kailash Satyarthi's Crusade to Save Childhood
Kailash Satyarthi's Child-friendly Villages

Nobel Laureates and Their Impact: Malala

Photo by Glamour Magazine (x)

In 2012 Malala Yousafzai was campaigning for accessible education under Taliban occupation. She had created a blog to get out the message of the jihadist group's influence in her homeland of Swat Valley, Pakistan. It was October when tragedy stuck and Yousafzai was shot in the head by the jihadist group after trying to attend school during a ban on girl's learning. Following this assasination attempt, Malala has been outspoken in her international advocacy of education in safe and quality environments through public speaking and her memoir I Am Malala. Pakistani protests have led to the first Right to Education Bill in Pakistan. Malala has receieved a plethora of accolades for her brave service. 
Two years have passed since the incident that incited Malala's established activism and she has been chosen as one of two Nobel Peace Prize winners. This laureate stands for children suffering in areas of conflict and for girls faced with adversity. Free, compulsory education that provides equal opportunity to both genders and isn't impeded upon by government forces or armed groups is an international goal that all can stand behind. This sentiment is expressed in Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon stated the UN's support of this advocate in a statement that read "The United Nations will continue to stand with her against extremism and for the right of girls everywhere to be free of violence, to go to school and to enjoy their right to an education.” 

Source
Nobel Peace Prize a Victory for Education
Nobel Peace Prize to children's rights activists
Malala Yousafzai

The Effects of ISIL

The jihadist group known as IS has been wreaking havoc on Iraq and the Levant. Their acts of terror seek to kill off all apostates and create a homogeneous empire. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have issued a report on the varied human rights abuses committed by this group as well as the associated forces that are battling them. The report details the violations which include "attacks directly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, executions and other targeted killings of civilians, abductions, rape and other forms of sexual and physical violence perpetrated against women and children, forced recruitment of children, destruction or desecration of places of religious or cultural significance, wanton destruction and looting of property, and denial of fundamental freedoms." ISIL's tirade has murdered many, displaced thousands and terrified the international community, but the abuses deeply effect certain ethnic and religious groups that are being targeted like the Turkmen, Shabak, Christians, Yezidi, Sabaeans, Kaka’e, Faili Kurds, and Arab Shi’a. 

Sources
Gross Human Rights Abuses in Iraq

Tobacco Group Adopts Child Labor Protections

The Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina recently announced a new policy in regards to limiting child labor. The Association asserts that "children under 16 should not be hired to work on tobacco farms, even with parental permission." This differs from the current United States labor legislation that accepts children to work on tobacco farms at the age 12 with parental permission. Earlier this year a report was released that proved hazardous conditions of child labor on tobacco farms in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The report depicted cases of working children suffering from symptoms of nicotine poisoning and found incidences of overwork in poor conditions like "extreme heat without shade or sufficient breaks, and no...protective gear." US law also deems it acceptable to have 16-year-olds doing hazardous work (like that which involves direct contact with tobacco) whilst on tobacco farms. This improvement in governmental policy is a reflective of Articles 23 and 24 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The included rights are "the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment" and "reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay."

Sources
Tobacco Group Adopts Child Labor Protections
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Effects of Israeli Force

A sign of Spanish origin advocating for Gaza freedom (x)

In June of 2014, three Israeli teens were kidnapped in the West Bank and the government of Israel took to blaming Hamas (current sources find it was the actions of Qawasameh). The Israeli Defense Forces began an initiative of searching and arresting Hamas leaders (known as Operation Brother's Keeper) and then instated Operation Protective Edge, which involved weeks of bombarding Palestine. The war lasted 50 days and has since reached a ceasefire but the after-effects of this combat have been devastating. Makarim Wibisono, a Palestinian- based human rights watchdog has published results on the experience of Gaza residents. The excessive Israeli force has left 1,479 civilians dead and 11,231 injured. Wibisono stressed the impact this action has caused on children and found wide-spread evidence of trauma, not to mention the 228 schools damaged, 60,000 civilians living in shelters and the critical shortage of medical resources. Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, spoke of the events as a "genocide" and "accused Israel of planning 'ghettos for Palestinians on fragmented land, without borders and without sovereignty over its airspace, water and natural resources, which will be under the subjugation of the racist settlers and army of occupation, and at worst will be a most abhorrent form of apartheid.'" Many countered that this language was harsh and unhelpful. Wibisono comments that “Israel’s claim of self-defense against an occupied population living under a blockade considered to be illegal under international law is untenable."

Sources

Mahmoud Abbas calls on UN

Not a single child untouched

2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict