Red Hand Day 2022
Today is the United Nations (UN) International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, which is more commonly known as Red Hand Day. If recruiting children to assist in conflicts is one of the six grave violations against children in international law, why does it continue to happen?
Make Justice a Habit
Franco Mulakkal, a Catholic bishop in India, was acquitted in a historic sexual assault trial last week. He had been accused of numerous assaults of a nun over two years. The New York Times wrote that this case is likely the first of its kind and notes that "the church was slow to react" and only responded after several nuns publicly protested and staged a hunger strike in support of the accuser. This case in India has highlighted a largely invisible issue: sexual violence against nuns.
The Race to Meet Vaccine Deadlines
Is the spread of the omicron variant linked to vaccine inequality? Since the introduction of the first COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have been clear that mutations could emerge if wealthy nations did not adequately share access to vaccines. While scientists are still looking into the origins of omicron, and the latest evidence does not point to where it was first sequenced in southern Africa, the fact remains that much of the developing world is still struggling to gain access to COVID-19 vaccines. How can we solve this problem?
"An Army with a Heart of Darkness"
In "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," we covered the early 2021 military coup in Myanmar (also called Burma). On February 1, the Tatmadaw (the official name of the military) seized control of the country, detained civilian leaders, and disrupted access to communications to silence their people and limit the press. The military has since mounted a campaign of persistent violence. Can the international community work together to stop the Tatmadaw?
2021 Season of Giving: Solving the Diaper Dilemma
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone had a wonderful celebration. Instead of sending the usual The Friday Brief this week, covering a policy issue or conflict, I am highlighting diaper banks that need support for Giving Tuesday and throughout this Season of Giving. A recent article by The 19th discussed the connection between diaper need and poverty. Diaper banks in low wealth areas require private support to serve millions of families each year.
Women in Farming Help End Hunger
The International Day of Rural Women and World Food Day occur side-by-side this week, further highlighting the role women in rural areas play in alleviating extreme poverty and hunger. According to the United Nations, women comprise more than "40% of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, ranging from 20% in Latin America to 50% or more in parts of Africa and Asia." But, many of those women face discrimination when trying to manage farms. How can women in other communities help them?