Human Right's Watch / World Report 2012

This is an excellent compilation of information and statistics regarding a wide array of issues from just about every country in the world over the course of 2011. I wasn't sure where to put this but, it's quite possible the global meltdown has contributed to this significantly, if in the wrong forum feel free to move.

The report concentrates on the Arab Spring movement and has pictures, a brief video, and other resources available for anyone interested.

Human Right's Watch

This 22nd annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2011. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.

The introductory essay examines the Arab Spring, which has created an extraordinary opportunity for change. The global community has a responsibility to help the long suppressed people of the region seize control of their destiny from often-brutal authoritarian rulers. Standing firmly with people as they demand their legitimate rights is the best way to stop the bloodshed, while principled insistence on respect for rights is the best way to help these popular movements avoid intolerance, lawlessness, and summary revenge once in power.

For anyone seeking information in a particular area you can browse chapters by countries or download the entire report available at the link.

In order to use the information sited above, it is required to post a link to the source below.

Creative commons terms and use

Wow. Nothing on Canada?

I enjoyed this part,

Counterterrorism Despite overwhelming evidence that senior Bush administration officials approved illegal interrogation methods involving torture and other ill-treatment after September 11, 2001, the Obama administration failed to criminally investigate high-level officials or to establish a commission of inquiry.

www.hrw.org...

reply to post by superman2012


Yeah, where the hell is Canada?

Originally posted by Swills
reply to post by superman2012

 

Yeah, where the hell is Canada?

We are too worried about living in igloo's and playing hockey.

Originally posted by Swills
I enjoyed this part,

Counterterrorism Despite overwhelming evidence that senior Bush administration officials approved illegal interrogation methods involving torture and other ill-treatment after September 11, 2001, the Obama administration failed to criminally investigate high-level officials or to establish a commission of inquiry.

www.hrw.org...

Despite calls for greater transparency, the US continues to be vague about the legal justifications for these killings and about who can be targeted, when, and under what conditions.

As I see it:
We attack countries that attack civilians; torture; beat/arrest protesters; use weapons banned by most of the world; preemptively attack other nations; refuse rights to their own citizens; pander to cronyism in the political system; ignore the will of the people; etc.

Can the US stand up to scrutiny on any of these counts?

In September Human Rights Watch uncovered a cache of documents in Tripoli that detailed the CIA’s role in the rendition of terrorism suspects to Libya, as well as its role in questioning those suspects once in Libya. The CIA participated in these actions despite overwhelming evidence at the time that the suspects would likely face torture.

I'm getting tired and cranky, just feel like starting a fight. Feel free to ignore this, but Human Rights Watch has some detractors.

•Annual budget of $48 million in 2010*; in September 2010, HRW announced a 10-year, $100 million donation from billionaire George Soros. With the grant, HRW plans to increase its staff by one-third and “to shape the foreign policies of these emerging powers, much as we have traditionally done with Western powers.”

•In October 2009, HRW founder Robert Bernstein published an article in the New York Times (“Rights Watchdog, Lost in the Mideast”), strongly criticizing the organization for ignoring severe human rights violations in closed societies, for its anti-Israel bias, and for “issuing reports...that are helping those who wish to turn Israel into a pariah state.”

•In 2009, HRW held a fundraising dinner in Saudi Arabia, using HRW’s anti-Israel bias and the specter of “pro-Israel pressure groups” to solicit funds from “prominent members of Saudi society.” At the event, Whitson boasted that HRW allegations of human rights violations were instrumental in the Goldstone mission.
•In September 2009 “senior military analyst” Marc Garlasco was revealed to be an obsessive collector of Nazi memorabilia. He was suspended and then dismissed, but his reports were not withdrawn.

NGO Monitor

I kind of like Freedom House. Here's a link to their report page, and yes, Canada is listed. Freedom House 2012 reports

reply to post by charles1952

Thanks for the additional links.

reply to post by charles1952



Freedom House is also funded by George Soros and the Open Society, along with Human Right's Watch and dozens of other NGO's. So if one is better than the other well, who knows.

Wikipedia.com

Freedom House receives the majority (80%) of its funding from the U.S. government through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID, and the State Department; the NED is funded from USAID's budget from the State Department. Freedom House also receives some funding from foundations such as the Bradley Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Dutch government, the Nicholas B. Ottaway Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, the John Hurford Foundation, and a list of others.[

Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.

Freedom House Press Release (By Laura Ingalls)

ETA: Freedom House was incremental in providing development and resources in the color revolutions.