Amnesty International report 2014/15: the state of the world’s human rights

The Amnesty International Report 2014/15 documents the state of the world’s human rights during 2014. Some key events from 2013 are also reported. The foreword, five regional overviews and survey of 160 countries and territories bear witness to the suffering endured by many, whether it be through conflict, displacement, discrimination or repression. The Report also highlights the strength of the human rights movement, and shows that, in some areas, significant progress has been made in the safeguarding and securing of human rights. While every attempt is made to ensure accuracy of information, information may be subject to change without notice

On the brink of death: violence against women and the abortion ban in El Salvador

Cada año, la prohibición total del aborto y su penalización niegan a miles de mujeres y niñas de El Salvador sus derechos y decisiones. Las mujeres y niñas que tienen un embarazo no deseado se enfrentan a dos opciones: cometer un delito abortando o seguir adelante con el embarazo no deseado.http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR29/003/2014/e

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act: time for a renewed debate in India on human rights and national security

"For decades, The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has enabled serious human rights violations to be committed by soldiers in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and parts of northeast India, and shielded those responsible. Attempts to challenge the AFSPA have been met with weak responses from authorities, and little apparent commitment to tackle impunity. In 2013, two high-level official committees released damning reports1 highly critical of the way the AFSPA facilitated sexual violence and extrajudicial executions. The reports of the Justice Verma Committee and the Justice Hegde Commission supported calls made to authorities by the UN and Indian bodies to address the abuses committed under the AFSPA and end the effective impunity enjoyed by security forces. These two reports have renewed debates on the special powers granted to security forces in India and their impact on human rights. This briefing examines recent developments and outlines the ongoing rights violations being committed in areas where the AFSPA is in force. Amnesty International India urges the Government of India to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Acts, 1958 and 1990.

Examining the accounts of oil spills crises in Nigeria through sensegiving and defensive behaviours

Purpose: The paper examines how oil multinational companies (MNCs) in Nigeria framed accounts to dissociate themselves from causing oil spills. Design/methodology/approach: We utilised data from relevant corporate reports, external accounts and interviews, and used sensegiving with defensive behaviours theoretical framing to explore corporate narratives aimed at altering stakeholders’ perceptions. Findings: The corporations gave sense to their audience by invoking scapegoating blame avoidance narrative in attributing the cause of most oil spills in Nigeria to outsiders (sabotage), despite potentially misclassifying the sabotage-corrosion dichotomy. Corporate stance was reinforced through justifying narrative, which suggested that multi-stakeholders jointly determined the causes of oil spills, thus portraying corporate accounts as transparent, credible and objective. Practical implications: With compensation to oil spills’ victims only legally permitted for non-sabotage-induced spills alongside the burden of proof on the victims, the MNCs are incentivised to attribute most oil spills to sabotage. On policy implication, accountability would be best served when the MNCs are tasked both with the burden of proof and a responsibility to demonstrate their transparency in preventing oil spills, including those caused by sabotage. Research implications: The socio-political dynamics in an empirical setting affect corporate accounts and how those accounts appear persuasive, implying that such contextual factors merit consideration when evaluating corporate accounts. For example, despite contradictions in corporate accounts, corporate attribution of oil spills to external factors appeared persuasive due to the inherently complicated socio-political dynamics. Originality/value: Crisis situations generate multiple and competing perspectives, but sensegiving and defensive behaviours lenses enrich our understanding of how crisis-ridden companies frame narratives to alter stakeholders’ perceptions. Accounts-giving therefore partly satisfies accountability demands, and acts as sensegiving signals aimed at reframing/redefining existing perceptions

'Glocal' disorder: causes, conduct and consequences of the 2008 Greek unrest

This article examines the unrest that emanated in Athens and rolled out across Greek cities in December 2008 as a case through which to advance understanding of how local, national and international arenas may together shape localised episodes of disorder. We begin by addressing the proximate and structural causes of the unrest, before turning to explore the multifarious character of protest actions, including novel and derivative forms of contestation deployed by protestors, and public debate about the appropriate apportioning of blame amongst the variety of actors involved. Finally, we look at the diverse outcomes of the unrest and their impact upon extant socio-political tensions. For each stage of the lifecycle of the unrest, we evaluate the relevance of international actors, practices and discourses. Our analysis of the Greek unrest of 2008 suggests, first, that the array of intersections between global, national and local dimensions of unrest are more diverse than has heretofore been recognised by pertinent scholarship; and second, that international or transnational factors may play a significant role in the emergence, conduct and consequences of disorder even in instances where national and local dynamics remain predominant

Technologies for Social Justice: Lessons from Sex Workers on the Front Lines

This paper provides analysis and insight from a collaborative process with a Canadian sex worker rights organization called Stella, l'amie de Maimie, where we reflect on the use of and potential for digital technologies in service delivery. We analyze the Bad Client and Aggressor List - a reporting tool co-produced by sex workers in the community and Stella staff to reduce violence against sex workers. We analyze its current and potential future formats as an artefact for communication, in a context of sex work criminalization and the exclusion of sex workers from traditional routes for reporting violence and accessing governmental systems for justice. This paper addresses a novel aspect of HCI research that relates to digital technologies and social justice. Reflecting on the Bad Client and Aggressor List, we discuss how technologies can interact with justice-oriented service delivery and develop three implications for design