Human Rights

This will be the final of the “Fast for Gaza” conversations with peacemaker Kathy Kelly.  It was the beginning of a brutal heat wave in NYC; we found a shady spot on the UN side of 1st Avenue.  On the…

Bontoc, Mountain Province – A Bontoc Declaration was released titled “A Declaration of Stewardship and Sacred Responsibility”, affirming the collective commitment of over 60 indigenous community leaders and advocates from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to defend the Rights of…

In Urdu, there is a verse—I do not know its source, but it lingers in my mind: “One running dog said to his fellow dog: ‘Run, before you die a human’s life.’” This speaks not to the nature of dogs—though…

On Thursday, the Queens Community House held a celebration of its 50th anniversary. Executive Director Ben Thomases opened the event by recalling the organization’s origins—it was founded in response to community conflict in Forest Hills, where long-time residents clashed over plans for…

Declaration Released at United Nations Oceans Conference Plastics Treaty Negotiations Continue August 5-14 Nice, France – On the second day of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France (June 9-13), ministers and representatives from 95 countries (the majority of…

I met Achinoam Nini, internationally known as the singer Noa, in Florence on May 31, 2025. She is a peace activist, and she says: “Our role as artists is to create an alternative reality”. What I appreciate is that her…

Monday – June 9, 2025 — 19th day of the VFP Fast for Gaza — talking with peacemaker Kathy Kelly and friends, as they consume no more than 250 calories a day for 40 days in solidarity with the citizens of Gaza…

This is Day 16 of the Veterans for Peace “40-Day Fast for Gaza.” https://embed.acast.com/$/5ca4a75d29388cc466cf4481/fasting-for-gazans-kathy-kelly-brian-terrell-day-16? Since May 22, 2025, I’ve been speaking with peacemaker Kathy Kelly, who has been fasting to raise awareness about the starvation of the citizens of Gaza. It…

After a number of incidents and subsequent news appeared in media outlets, an adviser in the Bangladesh interim government, led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, stated that Dhaka had officially protested against the Push Back policy, which was adopted…

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) once again failed Myanmar at the summit in Kuala Lumpur from 26 to 27 May 2025 with a “Peace Formula”, when the country plunged into a bloody civil war with “revolutionary” armed ethnic…