Citizens for Justice and Peace
Philippines says ICC examining complaint alleging Duterte involved in crimes against humanity
08-Feb-2018
According to the Guardian, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque has said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has notified that country that it has launched a preliminary examination of complaint against Duterte that includes allegations of crimes against humanity. It alleges that Duterte was complicit in several thousand unlawful deaths in his government’s bloody…
Rights group says attacks, killings of land defenders surged in 2017
07-Feb-2018
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) said that more than 120 activists working to shield their environmental, land, and labour rights from corporate interests were killed in 2017, according to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. This figure was nearly 50% higher than the same figure in 2016, according to BHRRC. BHRRC’s spokeswoman said that the…
Deaths of migrants near US-Mexico border rose in 2017, while crossings dropped
07-Feb-2018
According to the United Nations’ migration body, the number of migrants who died near the United States-Mexico border increased last year, while the number of those trying to cross the border decreased. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 412 migrants died on either side of the border in 2017, compared to the 398 deaths…
Israel begins deportation plan for African migrants
07-Feb-2018
Israel has begun issuing notices to 20,000 male African migrants, requiring them to leave the country within two months or face imprisonment, Reuters reported. Israel’s government is giving the migrants $3,500 and plane ticket to what it says is a safe destination in a country in sub-Saharan Africa, though the destination has not been identified. According to rights…
American ivory trade researcher murdered in Kenya
06-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that Esmond Bradley Martin died after he was stabbed in his home in a suburb of Nairobi on February 4, 2018. Although early reports indicate that police believe he died as a result of a bungled robbery, there are also that his death was linked to his work, the Guardian said. Bradley Martin, who…
Ozone layer declining over densely populous regions
06-Feb-2018
Although the ozone layer is recovering over Antarctica following Montreal Protocol that banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that destroy ozone, newly published research indicates that it is declining over lower latitudes, the Guardian reported. The earth’s stratosphere ranges from 10km above ground to 50km. Ozone is gradually increasing in the upper stratosphere, heading towards levels that were observed…
Nearly four environmental defenders killed every week in 2017
05-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that the killing of those who defended their land or the environment “continued unabated in 2017,” with new data indicating that nearly four people were murdered every week across the world due to conflicts involving mining, plantations, poaching, and infrastructure projects. This figure has increased four times since the first time data was gathered…
Over $2 billion pledged toward education at global conference in Senegal
05-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that several heads of state, including six from Africa, gathered last week in Dakar, Senegal for a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) conference that was co-hosted by Senegalese President Mickey Sall and French President Emmanuel Macron. Donors, including the EU, the UK, France, and Norway, pledged $2.3 billion to be put towards education spending…
Cape Town water supply at risk of approaching ‘day zero’
05-Feb-2018
The New York Times reported last week that Cape Town’s water supply is perilously low, and that if water levels continue to decline, the South African city could “declare Day Zero in less than three months”. If this happens, taps in houses and businesses will be turned off until the rains arrive, and Cape Town’s residents will…
Rwanda becomes first low-income nation to provide universal eye care
01-Feb-2018
According to the Guardian, “Rwanda has become the first low-income country to provide universal eye care for its 12 million population.” Rwanda’s government has tied up with Vision For a Nation (VFAN) “to train more than 3,000 eye care nurses” in 502 local healthcare centres; they prescribe spectacles, and refer patients with serious eye conditions to…