There is less than a week to go before world leaders meet at the United Nations to negotiate an international Arms Trade Treaty. If delivered effectively, the Arms Trade Treaty has the potential to save lives and prevent human rights abuses. 85% of all killings documented by Amnesty International involve the sort of weaponry which could…Continue reading Gun control and the speech Obama hasn’t given
Tag: USA
King 1963: I have a dream. Obama 2013: I have a drone
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Today, fifty years on, in tribute to the great civil rights leader, the US marks Martin Luther King Jr Day with a federal holiday in his name. Today also…Continue reading King 1963: I have a dream. Obama 2013: I have a drone
Death penalty-free world?
We’re winning! That’s not a claim you may hear too often from human rights activists, but in the case of the global struggle against the death penalty, it’s true. The momentum around the world is towards ending executions. The vast majority of countries have now abandoned the death penalty. On the eve of World Day…Continue reading Death penalty-free world?
Guantánamo Bay: A decade of damage to human rights
Ten years ago today, the first detainees were transferred to the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Since then 779 people have been held, yet only one has been transferred to the USA for trial in an ordinary federal court. Yesterday I met with acting US Consul General Kevin Roland at the Consulate in…Continue reading Guantánamo Bay: A decade of damage to human rights