The exponential transmission of COVID-19 is compounding the plight of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. While it took three months to reach the first 100,000 cases of the virus, it took only 12 days to double that, and in the words of Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) “Every day … Read more →
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Human Rights Opinion From Every Corner of the World
The Syrian war: the view from Idlib
With its beautiful landscapes embroidered with ever-green olive groves, cherry orchards, fig trees, and hundreds of historical sites, Idlib attracted tourists from all over the world. I was born there in 1969, one year before Hafez Assad became President-for-life of Syria. One whole year without an Assad regime, before our carefree life in Idlib was … Read more →
Poland’s ‘LGBT-free zones’ pose an eerie threat to equality in Europe
A recent report of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) has shed light on the living conditions of LGBTI people living in Europe and five countries in Central Asia. While some countries, such as Switzerland, have implemented legislation to criminalise anti-LGBTI discrimination, the situation doesn’t seem as rosy in other parts of Europe. Being LGBTI in Europe isn’t as easy as you may think According to … Read more →
Creating a safety net to protect “the most vulnerable in our society”
The SafeToNet Foundation is a UK registered charity and is part of the SafeToNet safeguarding and wellbeing brand, which focusses on safeguarding children in the online digital context. At first blush this may seem a simple thing to achieve; after all there are “Parental Controls” that come with smartphones, all you have to do is turn them on and all’s well. Sadly, no. In fact, using these embedded “Parental Controls” … Read more →
Automated threats of a digital dystopia are closer than you think
One of the common tropes of the digital age is that we should be worried about the AI robots that are coming to kill our jobs, kill our relationships, and ultimately even kill us. The problem is articulated often as a dystopian imagining, which we need to arrest before it becomes reality. Such discussions are in many ways justified, given the immense potential of digital technology and its rapid expansion … Read more →
Mourning «A Tunisian Girl »: Arab Spring blogger Lina Ben Mhenni
Arab Spring icon and Tunisian cyber activist Lina Ben Mhenni passed away this January. Her funeral was a bittersweet reminder of Tunisia’s long-held yearning for a better future. Nine years after the Jasmine Revolution she courageously fought for, the Arab world is still navigating the legacy of its democratic awakening. Her nationally celebrated … Read more →