A Cluttered Exchange of Cluster Munitions: A Comparative Examination of Russian and American Application and Shipment of the Weapons

    Few weapons in human history have drawn as much ire, controversy, and international outcry as cluster munitions. The international community has uniquely cracked down on cluster bombs via treaties barring their production, use, and shipment. Despite the stigma against their use, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen renewed controversy and created a legal quagmire over their use from both the United States and Russian Federation. Within the United States, proponents of sending cluster munitions have asserted they are vital to assisting Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia’s invasion. In contrast, opponents assert cluster munitions are marred with ethical and humanitarian problems that will haunt Ukraine for decades to come. Regardless of how the international community, American electorate, or policymakers in Washington feel, cluster bombs will continue to be utilized in the ongoing war in Ukraine

Rivers, Rights, and Religion: Securing Legal Personhood for the Ganges River in India

    Every day, as the sun rises in the Himalayas, the water from the melting glaciers flows into what becomes the Ganges River. Yet, what starts as pristine glacial water becomes polluted with toxic chemicals, sewage, and human remains by the time it flows through India and Bangladesh and empties into the Bay of Bengal.      Beyond being a crucial natural resource serving a third of India’s population, the Ganges River is also a religious landmark to the approximately 900 million Hindus around the world, many of whom make the pilgrimage to scatter their loved ones’ ashes in the holy waters. The banks of the river are also home to many businesses and irrigation channels used for crucial agricultural needs. Consequently, the water that is home to endangered species and used for drinking is becoming increasingly polluted. While there are laws that regulate some activity along the river, the river as a whole must be protected and authorized to defend itself against these multiple sources of contamination. Granting the river legal personhood is a step in the right direction

Challenging the Single Axis from the Nexus: Operationalizing Intersectionality in International Human Rights Law to Adequately Address the Corrective Rape of Black Lesbians in South Africa

Intersectionality refers to the synergistic interaction between various facets of an individual’sidentities that may result in compounded oppression. While intersectionality discourse has beenaround since the ’80s, the international human rights law framework has yet to do away with itssingle-axis model of discrimination law, posing a challenge to adequately addressing human rightsviolations like corrective rape. The corrective rape of Black lesbians in South Africa falls squarelyinto the category of intersectional discrimination, as in this specific context, it is heavily predicatedon the compounded effect of individuals’ race, gender and sexual orientation. This Article exploresopportunities for mainstreaming intersectionality in order to increase protections for persons withintersecting marginalized identities under the IHRL framework. In doing so, it makes the case thatunder the specific rubrics of intersectional mainstreaming and joint interpretive instruments,international human rights law can contribute meaningfully to the struggle for equal rights andjustice for Black lesbians in South Africa