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Mental health must be upheld as a universal human right
As multiple crises are putting mental health under pressure, people must be guaranteed the right to better care.
> Multiplying and escalating crises are placing ever greater strains on people’s mental health and the services available to support them. From the lingering effects of COVID-19, the uptick in climate-related emergencies and the ongoing impacts of conflict and displacement in many regions, more and more people are suffering. Meanwhile, stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities continue in our schools, workplaces and communities.
> With as many as one billion people – one in eight of us – living with a mental health condition, and a persistent history of under-investment in mental health services, the gap between the need for and availability of quality care and support can be expected to widen further. This will have predictable consequences for the health, happiness and wellbeing of millions of people.
Building new alliances: a path to social justice
> According to Türk, a human rights economy framework “ensures that business models and economic policies are guided by human rights standards and enables an integrated and mission-oriented combination of socio-economic policies that advance each and every SDG goal and target, including in particular by ending discrimination against women and girls, as well as racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities.”
> It also advances a fairer distribution of resources that reduces inequalities within and between countries, Türk said.
> “A human rights economy is one in which core human rights goals and methods infuse every policy and decision-making process, including taxation, investment and all issues of resource allocation in Government budgets,” he said.
Building economies that place people’s human rights at the center
> According to UN Human Rights, a human rights economy places people and the planet at the heart of economic policies, investment decisions, consumer choices, and business models, with the goal of measurably enhancing the enjoyment of human rights for all.
> Deepening inequality remains a key obstacle to achieving globally agreed ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the promise to leave no one behind.
> “We need to work together and harder to truly place human rights at the core of all dimensions of sustainable development,” he said.
> According to Türk, a human rights economy seeks to “redress root causes and structural barriers to equality, justice, and sustainability, by prioritizing investment in economic, social and cultural rights.”
United Nations Panel Urges The Advertising Industry to Consider The Intersections of Advertising and Human Rights
Advertisers possess immense potential to affect lives positively or negatively and they must consider human rights in their practices.
> Acknowledging the intersections of human rights and advertising, the United Nations panel gives a call to action to the advertising industry to use its global impact to positively influence human rights crises worldwide.
> The advertising industry operates across various platforms: print, broadcast, radio, and digital. Advertisers wield significant power in shaping public narratives and influencing societal perceptions of diverse issues and individuals.
> As Pia Oberoi mentions in her opening remarks at the recent United Nations panel, Intersections Between Advertising and Human Rights, the industry invests plenty of money in global ad spend.
> In 2023, digital ad spend is projected to reach a staggering $679 billion worldwide. With such substantial financial resources and pervasive outreach into households and communities, advertisers possess immense potential to affect lives positively or negatively, both online and offline.
> Oberoi argues that ethical and informed decisions by industry players can channel advertising spend to support independent and trustworthy media. It can promote inclusive narratives, foster diversity, challenge stereotypes, and empower individuals and communities to enhance their lives and contribute to the betterment of others.
> However, when advertising decisions lack a conscious focus on human rights, there is a risk of funding disinformation and hate speech. This may not only fuel discrimination and hostility but can also incite real-world violence, perpetuating discrimination and other abuses unintentionally. As we watch human rights violations across the world and in our own countries, we must consider the ethics and moral responsibility of our professions.
Private Companies, Government Surveillance Software and Human Rights
It's old news that governments around the world are misusing private company-sold digital surveillance software track and target people for human rights abuses. Recently, Amnesty International reported finding that two prominent Moroccan human rights defenders had been targeted using Israeli-based.....
> Some, including Citizen Lab and UN Special Rapporteur David Kaye, have suggested that a moratorium on the sale, transfer, and use of this kind of surveillance software should go into effect until a robust human-rights-compliant regulatory framework is in place. “Companies appear to be operating without constraint,” says Kaye. “It is critical that companies themselves adhere to their human rights responsibilities, including by disclosing their transfers, conducting rigorous human rights impact assessments, and avoiding transfers to States unable to guarantee their compliance with their human rights obligations.”
UNRWA: CLAIMS VERSUS FACTS
> UNRWA has long faced misinformation and disinformation, including about its staff and operations. This has intensified since the war in Gaza began on 7 October.
> This document outlines UNRWA’s positions—based on objective, ascertainable facts, data, and firsthand information— on some of the most frequent claims and allegations made against the Agency in the media and social media by various individuals, organizations, public and private entities.
UN: Revise ‘Pact for the Future’ to Focus on Rights
United Nations member countries should use negotiations on the “Pact for the Future” to commit to strengthening human rights, including promoting economic justice and protecting the right to a healthy environment, Human Rights Watch said. The UN Pact for the Future, currently being negotiated, is ex...
> The UN Pact for the Future, currently being negotiated, is expected to be adopted at the Summit of the Future, a special UN meeting slated for September 2024. Among the issues being discussed by the 193 UN member countries are economic policy reforms and how to realize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, as well as the emphasis that should be placed on human rights generally.
> “The Pact for the Future shouldn’t become another UN document that gets adopted and then ignored,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch. “Governments should commit to action to end widening economic inequalities that deny billions of people their rights and a climate crisis that’s taking a mounting toll on lives and livelihoods around the globe.”
Freedom to Seek Matters
You would have to be living on Mars, not to have noticed the way “free speech” is a hot...
> Human Rights
> We concur, in other words, with the UN Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) Articles shown below (with bold highlights by us to emphasise those aspects which particularly relate to search):
> Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
> Article 19 Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
>Article 29: >2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
Ensuring media freedom and safety of journalists requires urgent concrete action backed by political will: UN expert
> Media freedom and safety of journalists have declined dangerously around the world with grave negative impacts on human rights, democracy and development globally, a UN expert warned today.
> “In a climate of surging authoritarianism and backsliding of democracies, populist leaders have actively sought to demonise and discredit independent journalists and many governments have introduced restrictions on freedom of expression contravening international law,” said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Blinken Says Israeli Units Accused of Serious Violations Have Done Enough to Avoid Sanctions. Experts and Insiders Disagree.
The secretary of state told Congress that Israel had adequately punished a soldier who got community service for killing an unarmed Palestinian. Government officials call it a “mockery” and inconsistent with the law.
> The secretary of state told Congress that Israel had adequately punished a soldier who got community service for killing an unarmed Palestinian. Government officials call it a “mockery” and inconsistent with the law.
> Community service is “not what would be considered appropriate punishment,” said Tim Rieser, a longtime aide to former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the chief author of 1997 laws that the State Department is meant to enforce.
WHO: Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC): No time to lose as famine stalks millions in Sudan amid intense fighting and access denials
Time is running out for millions of people in Sudan who are at imminent risk of famine, displaced from their lands, living under bombardments, and cut off from humanitarian assistance.
> To prevent these worst-case scenarios, we, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Principals, urgently request the parties to the conflict to do the following: > > Take immediate measures to protect civilians, including by refraining from directing attacks against them, allowing them to leave for safer areas, and ending sexual and gender-based violence. > Facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access through all possible crossline and cross-border routes to allow civilians to receive humanitarian aid. > Immediately cease all acts denying, obstructing and interfering with, or politicizing, humanitarian action. > Simplify and expedite administrative and bureaucratic procedures related to the delivery of humanitarian aid. > De-escalate the situation in Al Fasher and adopt a nationwide ceasefire. > Stop human rights violations, including grave violations against children, and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. > > We are also concerned by the limited support from donors. Nearly five months into the year – and six weeks after the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours in Paris on 15 April – we've received just 16 per cent of the $2.7 billion we need.
> Donors must urgently disburse pledges made in Paris and fast-track additional funding for the humanitarian appeal. With a famine on the horizon, we must deliver much more life-saving aid now, including seeds for farmers before the planting season ends.
> The clock is ticking. The choice is clear.
Haiti: human rights safeguards and transparency must guide security mission deployment.
Amnesty International raises concerns about lack of transparency regarding the establishment of human rights safeguards for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti.
> In a public statement issued today, Amnesty International is raising concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the establishment of human rights safeguards for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, that is expected to be deployed in the coming months.
> “It is imperative to ensure that any action taken by this multinational mission led by Kenya and supported by the United States and other countries strictly complies with international human rights law as mandated by the United Nations Security Council. A misstep in this regard would be devastating for Haitian people´s rights”, said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Yemen: STC de facto authorities must ensure safety of women’s shelter following takeover of Yemeni Women Union centre
The Southern Transitional Council (STC) de facto authorities must reverse their unlawful takeover of the Aden-based Yemeni Women Union centre, an independent civil society organization, and ensure women and children residing in the centre’s shelter for survivors of gender-based violence are protecte...
> The Southern Transitional Council (STC) de facto authorities must reverse their unlawful takeover of the Aden-based Yemeni Women Union centre, an independent civil society organization, and ensure women and children residing in the centre’s shelter for survivors of gender-based violence are protected, said Amnesty International today. > > On 26 May, a group of armed men accompanying women from the STC-supported Southern Women Union, took over the Yemeni Women Union centre building in Sira district in Aden governorate by force. They broke in, changed the locks to the centre’s entrance and main rooms, destroyed security cameras, and expelled the centre’s guard replacing him with a new STC affiliated armed guard. They also denied access to staff of the Yemeni Women Union and to women seeking protective services. > > “Instead of guaranteeing the safety of women fleeing violence and strengthening the work of civil society organizations providing protective services, STC authorities have exposed them to further violence,” said Diala Haidar, Yemen researcher at Amnesty International.
Joe Biden’s Cruel Border Shutdown Follows in Clinton and Obama’s Footsteps Too
Joe Biden’s executive order to place draconian restrictions on border asylum-seekers owe a lot to Donald Trump — and Clinton and Obama too.
> The draconian restrictions on asylum-seekers owe a lot to Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, but the path was paved by Democrats. > > ... > > This is not to underplay the extremity of Biden’s new plan. Under Biden’s executive order, the administration will halt asylum requests at the border once the average number of daily encounters has reached 2,500 between legal ports of entry, which has been consistently the case since Biden took office in 2021. Requests will be reopened two weeks after the daily average falls under 1,500 for seven consecutive days. The restrictions went into effect last night.
UN expert attacks ‘exploitative’ world economy in fight to save planet: Outgoing special rapporteur David Boyd says ‘there’s something wrong with our brains that we can't ...'
Outgoing special rapporteur David Boyd says ‘there’s something wrong with our brains that we can’t understand how grave this is’
We can safeguard democracy without giving in to fear and more policing
> From countering divisive rhetoric to enhancing community-centric safety skills, voters themselves are showing what it looks like to protect against election violence. Tackling divisive rhetoric, strengthening community-led safety skills and adeptly navigating the evolving landscape shaped by the 2024 election cycle is essential. We must invest time, energy and resources to reinforce nonviolent, civilian-led safety endeavors — rather than accepting violence and deepening securitization.
> It is essential that this undertaking begins with community-based systems for safety, which means adopting a forward-thinking, constructive strategy rooted in relationships. By reinforcing the connections that bind us together, neighbors can come together to control rumors, provide protective presence, receive training in violence de-escalation, interrupt violence and more. This is not a new approach, and there is precedent. Creating pockets of safety during elections has been done from Nigeria to Myanmar to the United States.
Let's do things in a human rights based approach.
Federated Moderation: Towards Delegated Moderation?
Introduction In Improving fediverse culture and social behavior along the way I introduced two ideas, that are I think interesting enough to warrant a separate thread. The brainstorm will start in the Lemmy Fediverse Futures ideation space, and elaborated here (if there’s interest). See Lemmy: https...
> Why would you want to delegate moderation:
> Temporarily, while looking for new mods and admins. When an instance is under attack by trolls and the like, ask extra help When there is a large influx of new users
Switching from Facebook to the Fediverse: What's stopping us?
> This question is particularly relevant for non-profits working in the field of human rights – especially those who are familiar with the problems inherent in Facebook’s attention-based business model.
> In other words, doing human rights advocacy through Facebook could be a case of “one step forward, two steps back”: Though awareness and even impact may be achieved on a particular progressive front, it comes at the cost of all the economic, social, and political problems associated with surveillance capitalism.
Global navigation jamming will only get worse. The U.S. needs to move fast - SpaceNews
GPS jamming and attacks on other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are becoming increasingly common as geopolitical crises escalate.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16174071
> Interesting implications, perhaps the global positioning system is not as infallible as we thought
Can anyone else think of what instruments are available to citizens of UN member states to defend public access to GPS systems?
Relevant rights would be the right to benefit from scientific advancement, clearly.
If GPS jamming becomes a civilian issue, would the ICJ or the ICC be the appropriate avenue or OHCHR?
The 'Shared Psychosis' of Donald Trump and His Loyalists
Forensic psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee explains the outgoing president’s pathological appeal and how to wean people from it
>“Shared psychosis”—which is also called “folie à millions” [“madness for millions”] when occurring at the national level or “induced delusions”—refers to the infectiousness of severe symptoms that goes beyond ordinary group psychology. When a highly symptomatic individual is placed in an influential position, the person’s symptoms can spread through the population through emotional bonds, heightening existing pathologies and inducing delusions, paranoia and propensity for violence—even in previously healthy individuals. The treatment is removal of exposure.