Human Rights Magazine

The Yazidis are Kurdish-speaking people, most of whom live in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Because they are not Muslim, they were a target of Islamic State terrorists who killed and imprisoned them by the thousands in a genocidal campaign. In this episode of Human Rights magazine, Maiya Karsan explores the ongoing tragic story of the Yazidis since the brutality they suffered in 2014, and the general failure to protect and support many of those who survived. As a trigger warning, the last section of this episode includes a brief first-person account of sexual assault, which some listeners may wish to skip past to listen to her account of successful escape. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Kurdistan is a region in western Asia where political, cultural and environmental concerns overlap to a significant degree. Control of water is of particular importance. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Selin Abali explores some aspects of the tensions that continue to arise as Kurdish people face challenges to how rivers are managed and to their overall relationship with the water that is central to their lives. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

More than four million people have fled the conflict in Sudan since it erupted in 2023, mostly to neighbouring countries where they endure severe hunger. Many wish to leave the region. How is the outside world dealing with this refugee crisis? What are the deciding factors in who may leave and who must stay? In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Charlotte Jean-Gilles talks with experts about the way in which Canada is responding to the needs of those who are trying to escape the violence. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

International students in Canada can face considerable obstacles and sources of stress. There can be financial strain, including finding affordable accommodation. Finding meaningful part-time work can be difficult. There is also concern about exploitation by employers, landlords and criminals posing as immigration consultants. Human Rights Magazine looks into the issue in this episode hosted by Napas Thein, with technical support and outreach by Jing Xiao. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

My guest today in the Pathways to Peace series of interviews is Stephen Rapp, who is widely respected for his decades of work for justice and accountability in areas of conflict and war crimes. In 2001, he joined the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as part of the effort to prosecute those responsible for the genocide of 1994, and he headed the trial team that achieved the first convictions in history for those in the media who incited genocide. He directed the prosecution of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and others responsible for crimes during more than ten years of extreme violence in the Sierra Leone Civil War. As U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for war crimes issues, his office achieved the first convictions in history for sexual slavery and forced marriage as crimes against humanity, and for attacks on peacekeepers and the use of child soldiers as violations of international humanitarian law. He has been engaged in efforts for justice and accountability in dozens of countries, most recently in Syria where, he said, the worst atrocities of the 21st century were committed. I started our discussion by asking him about how a condition of peace might be achieved in a place where people have suffered from extreme violence. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

There are an estimated 130,000 Tibetan people living in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Most are in Dharamsala, India, where they continue their traditional customs and language with support from outside. But decades have passed since China occupied their homeland, and the communities have a new challenge. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Dina Shaw explores their changing situation. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Across the world, corruption costs trillions of dollars that should have gone into social and environmental progress. Corruption steals from efforts to reduce poverty, to improve social services and to build schools, hospitals and roads. It leaves little room for democracy and systems of justice. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Sofia Gobin explores the concern with corruption in Brazil. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Every year, about 11,000 people who work in farming in India are listed as having killed themselves. The actual number is probably much higher, and in recent years the number of suicides is increasing. High levels of debt, the impacts of climate change and government policy are all factors in the despair of small-scale farmers. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Aditya Sathe explores the reasons behind the poverty of India’s famers, and possible solutions. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Indigenous communities throughout the world usually take water directly from rivers, ponds, streams, wells or springs. This often requires people – mainly the women of the community - to carry the water from sources distant from their homes. A recent report to the UN Human Rights Council stated that one of the biggest barriers to indigenous peoples’ access to water and sanitation is that many countries deny the very existence of their indigenous peoples, or just ignore them. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, and its companion article in the Upstream Journal, Ciara Balhi explores the situation in Chiapas, Mexico. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Greece is a destination country for many refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from the Middle East and North Africa. The majority of these refugees come from Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Eritrea Greece currently hosts about 50,000 refugees. They may have expected that Greece would be a gateway to the rest of Europe, but most of them can expect to remain in the country, since they can no longer legally travel deeper into Europe. Since 2021, many of the refugee arrivals have been detained in what are called Closed Controlled Access Centres, which are similar to prisons, with their inadequate food, minimal and overcrowded housing, surrounded by fencing and watched over by security personnel. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Nell Pollak looks into the situation in these Closed Controlled Access Centres. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

Mira Cohen explores the situation for Wayuu people who live in an arid peninsula in northern Colombia. La Guajira region, a rapidly desertifying region shared by northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, has been home to the Wayuu indigenous people for centuries. With the presence of one of the largest open-pit coal mines in the world contaminating their land and regional government corruption, Wayuu must take matters into their own hands. Wayuu women uplift their communities by revitalizing indigenous ontology in the fight to preserve their ancestral lands. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

As this podcast episode, and its companion article on Upstream Journal were being prepared, the Peace Research Institute in Oslo announced the nomination of Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Sarah Elobaid takes a close look into the work of the Emergency Response Rooms and their impacts, with guests who have direct experience with these youth-led networks. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

In this episode, we take a somewhat different approach to our focus on human rights, and look not at a social situation but rather look at technological possibilities. Artificial intelligence is rapidly emerging as a new tool, as computer technology accelerates in the ability of machines to learn and emulate human thinking. Listen as Charlotte Power explores the impact that AI may have on human rights, especially in humanitarian work. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

In 2023, more than 650,000 people in America were identified as being without permanent shelters, and that’s a record number, the most since counts were started in 2007, and a 12 percent increase over 2022. Oregon has double what would be the national average of people without a permanent place to call home. In this episode, Tawnya Layne explores why so many are homeless, and possible short-term and long-term solutions, in her home state of Oregon. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

The garment industry is Cambodia’s largest employer, with more than 850,000 workers. The three largest markets are the European Union, the destination of 40% of the production, followed by the United States at 30% and Canada at 9%. So, if we purchase clothing made in Cambodia, how concerned should we be about whether there were inadequate wages and rights abuse where the clothing is made? In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Marley Markham speaks with experts about the garment factories and the extent to which they do, or do not, support decent working conditions and worker protection. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

In February 2021, Myanmar military leaders removed the democratically elected party from power and took control of the government. In the year following, at least 1,700 civilians, including children, have been killed by the junta forces and some 10,000 arrested. Media outlets have been closed, and journalists arrested, beaten and tortured. Some have been killed. Yet some independent journalists continue their efforts despite the repression. In this podcast, Ruloan Ma speaks with people directly engaged in journalism in Myanmar. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

The editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, Derek MacCuish, speaks with John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business. This episode is part of the series Pathways to Peace, in which we hear from people who have been deeply engaged in working for peace and human rights in their various aspects. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

New Upstream Journal article and podcast episode explores why current legislation does not prevent human rights abuse, what the European Union due diligence legislation will change, and what you can do at a personal level to protect human and environmental rights. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show

More than one million Muslim Uyghurs are in Chinese internment camps. Why? What has been happening, and what will be the outcomes? Rachel Ernest Cohen explores the situation with three experts: Darren Byler is a postdoctoral researcher with the China Made project at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research focuses on Uyghur dispossession, culture work and "terror capitalism" in the city of Ürümchi, the capital of Chinese Central Asia (Xinjiang). Barbara Kelemen, a China-Middle East security analyst, is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies and a research associate for Asia Pacific, Intelligence & Analysis at Risk Advisory Group, in London, England. Julie Millsap is the Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy with Campaign for Uyghurs, in San Antonio, Texas. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider making a financial contribution to help us cover costs? You are always welcome to email with your comments. Support the show