Human Rights Magazine
42 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago -Exploring inequality, abuse and oppression around the world, we hear from those directly involved in an issue, examine the structural context to find why rights abuse exists, and look for possible solutions.
Read articles related to these issues and episodes at the web site of The Upstream Journal - www.upstreamjournal.org.
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Episodes
The child soldiers of Myanmar
January 14, 2024 16:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBThe use of children in combat roles is not new in Myanmar. Both the government and some resistance groups have child soldiers, with tragic results. Hundreds of children have been killed and tortured by the Myanmar army in recent years. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Yiwen Li speaks with several experts about the issue. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human righ...
The repressed democracy of Uganda
December 02, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBPresident Museveni of Uganda has retained power since 1986, using violence, arrests and media suppression to maintain the military dictatorship. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Nkwesi Banage talks with experts about the dynamics of politics and elections in Uganda, and how Museveni has successfully kept power for decades. (Photo: A Ugandan military police officer chases a journalist who was covering Bobi Wine when he had taken a petition to the UN human rights Kampala office prote...
The persecution of Fulani people in Ghana
November 29, 2023 20:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBThe Fulani people are part of an ethnic group across the Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, comprising between 25 and 40 million people. About 10 million of them are pastoralists, and so they are part of the largest nomadic pastoral community in the world. Almost all are Muslims. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Pauline Goemans explores the discrimination that Fulani people face in Ghana, and why that discrimination has increased in recent years. Human Rights Magazine is produced by T...
La Révolution silencieuse
October 14, 2023 23:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBCe podcast cherche à capturer la complexité du combat féministe au Maroc dans une ère de réforme politique et juridique. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell your friends about episodes that you find interesting. Why not consider makin...
Cambodia garment workers - expression and repression in the garment industry
September 15, 2023 22:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBThe garment industry is Cambodia’s largest employer, with more than 850,000 workers. The three largest markets are the European Union, the destination of 40% of the production, followed by the United States at 30% and Canada at 9%. So, if we purchase clothing made in Cambodia, how concerned should we be about whether there were inadequate wages and rights abuse where the clothing is made? In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Marley Markham speaks with experts about the garment factorie...
Coming out as an LGBTQ+ refugee in Canada
June 06, 2023 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBMany refugees are fleeing conflict or poverty, but many are also seeking to escape from a society in which, because of their sexual identity and/or preference, they face violence and possibly death every day. In this podcast episode and the related article (at upstreamjournal.org), Julia Israel speaks with several guests about what it means for these people as they seek refuge in Canada. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor ...
Myanmar women fighting against the military regime
April 27, 2023 00:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBA look into the particular role of women in the resistance to the brutal military regime in Myanmar. Produced by Ruolan Ma, it follows on the podcast episode and article she did last year on the country and the role of journalists there. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the pod...
Autism – invisible and easily overlooked?
February 07, 2023 17:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBCanada provides universal healthcare, but people with autism and their families struggle significantly against many barriers and a lack of service. Support is commonly offered following a diagnosis, but what happens when an individual either cannot get one, or is considered too old for one? Host Emma Nahmiach speaks with experts about the lack of sufficient support for neurodiverse people, and why diagnosis for children (which is lacking) is so important. Read the companion article at The U...
Have a cuppa, and spare a thought for tea workers
January 16, 2023 16:00 - 37 minutes - 26.2 MBThe cost of tea for consumers is really low, given the volume of tea that is grown, half of it produced in China by some 80 million people. But it is workers in places like South Asia that have significant problems, where there is a long history of worker exploitation dating to colonial times. Tea workers throughout the region suffer from widespread child labor, gender discrimination, and wage theft because they are usually low caste and poor. Throughout South Asia, workers on many planta...
The crisis in affordable housing – the Montreal example
December 13, 2022 18:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBIn Canada, the last time housing was considered to be affordable, relative to income, was in 2004 The average price of a home in the Toronto area, the country’s most populated, is more than $1 million. In Quebec too, where the housing market has been historically affordable, there has been a significant decline in affordability over recent years. In Quebec’s largest city, Montreal, new rentals are, on average, 50% higher than the rents in occupied apartments. The vacancy rate is very l...
Conflict-related sexual violence, a discussion about how to respond
December 03, 2022 01:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBEsther Dingemans is an expert in programmes that respond to conflict-related sexual violence. She worked for several years in humanitarian programmes on sexual and gender-based violence in several countries in Africa and the Middle East. She is the executive director at the Global Survivors Fund and the Mukwege Foundation. In this episode, she was interviewed by Katie Coyle and Pamela Zambrano, two of the five students selected by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at the NYU S...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Reem Alsalem
November 28, 2022 02:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBFor this episode in the Pathways to Peace series, the focus is on the particular impact of violence and insecurity on women and girls. My guest is Reem Alsalem who, for 17 years until 2016, worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and then became an independent consultant in humanitarian action and refugee protection. She is now the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The...
Kafala in Lebanon - legal slavery?
November 25, 2022 14:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBThe Kafala system is a form of worker sponsorship that allows private citizens and companies almost total control over the employment and immigration status of migrant workers. Lebanon has some 250,000 migrant domestic workers, most of them women from Africa and Asia. The labour laws do not provide them protections that other workers have, like a minimum wage or pay for overtime, limits on their working hours, or a day off. The Kafala system is one of virtual slavery and exploitation. In...
Journalism in Myanmar despite the repression
November 07, 2022 01:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn February 2021, Myanmar military leaders removed the democratically elected party from power and took control of the government. In the year following, at least 1,700 civilians, including children, have been killed by the junta forces and some 10,000 arrested. Media outlets have been closed, and journalists arrested, beaten and tortured. Some have been killed. Yet some independent journalists continue their efforts despite the repression. In this podcast, Ruloan Ma speaks with people di...
Protecting culture and human rights as Amazon loses forest
October 30, 2022 15:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBThe world's largest rainforest is in trouble. Trees are being cut down at the fastest rate in years, for their wood and to clear the ground for crops supplying the global food industry. 75% of the forest is under stress with this level of deforestation, and with climate change impacts the trees take longer to recover from droughts and there are more fires. Much of the concern about the Amazon is about its important role in mitigating climate change. But there is a human rights dynamic as ...
Immigration detention in Canada and why it should be abolished
October 08, 2022 20:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBPeople who come to Canada as refugees or migrants without legal status can be held indefinitely in detention centers or provincial jails. They may not have committed an offense and there is no trial, but they are treated as though they are criminals. Find out more in the new podcast episode by Serra Hasiloglu. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social just...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Dan Smith
September 18, 2022 00:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBDan Smith is the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. With several years' experience with NGOs and international organizations he has written extensively on conflict and insecurity, and I encourage you to read his blog articles at dansmithsblog.com. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your s...
Assad's crimes against humanity - the Koblenz trial
August 27, 2022 19:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBThis episode is the third in a series on Syria by Emma Beilouny. In this one, she gets insights from several people about the brutality of the Assad regime, and the possibilities for holding it accountable for its crimes against humanity. Read the full article at upstreamjournal.org, with artwork by Doğa Atabay, Emma is now also the host of a new podcast series, Ou en sont les femmes, in which she explores the situation of women in the world. The series is in French and, like Human Rights...
Yarmouk, and the future for Palestinians in Syria
July 25, 2022 15:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBEstablished in 1957 as an accommodation for families who were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Nakba, al-Yarmouk camp is considered the capital of the Palestinian diaspora as well as a symbol of resistance to Israel and was home to most Palestinian political parties’ headquarters. Yarmouk’s population reached more than 200,000 Palestinians in the early 2010s and was the vibrant home to many cultural and youth centers, as well as economic, political, and social organizations. Alm...
First Nations people in Canada’s prisons. “It’s punishment, punishment, punishment. There is no healing.”
May 26, 2022 21:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBThe number of Indigenous prison inmates in Canada is increasing, while the number of non-Indigenous inmates is going down. Native people serve longer portions of their sentence and are less likely to be granted parole than other prisoners. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Charlotte Lalonde speaks with several experts about why this is, and what needs to be done to correct what critics consider a problem of systemic racism in the criminal justice system. Human Rights Magazine is ...
The sanctions on Syria & their impacts on women
April 22, 2022 15:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBIn this episode, Emma Beilouny explores the impact of the economic sanctions placed on Syria in June 2020, in particular the impact on women and girls. These sanctions are meant to punish the regime for its actions during the civil war, which began just over ten years ago, but they are having a devastating effect on the Syrian people. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on huma...
Pathways to Peace, with guest William Schabas
April 08, 2022 15:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBMy guest in this episode is William Schabas, the internationally respected expert on human rights law, genocide and the death penalty. He is a professor of international law at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom and a professor of international law and human rights at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He has served on several human rights commissions and fact-finding missions, and has written hundreds of articles on international law. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Up...
New cookstoves bring health and empowerment to Rwanda women
April 04, 2022 12:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Amelia Coleman explores how simple, more efficient cookstoves are having an impact in Rwanda on women’s health as well as their rights and empowerment. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tell you...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Agnes Callamard
March 28, 2022 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBMy guest in this episode of the Pathways to Peace series is Agnes Callamard, the well-known human rights expert who is now the Secretary General of Amnesty International. She has had many roles, including that of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions from 2017 to 2021. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice ...
Homelessness in the time of COVID
March 21, 2022 00:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBThe United Nations Commission on Human Rights estimates that there are more than 100 million people in the world who are homeless, people with no housing at all. In this episode of Human Rights Magazine, Florina Lupu examines the situation of homelessness here, in Montreal, the home city of the Upstream Journal and this podcast, in the context of the COVID pandemic, and with her guests explores how the pandemic has changed political responses to homelessness. Human Rights Magazine is prod...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Livingston Sewanyana
March 14, 2022 15:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBIn this episode of the Pathways to Peace series, Derek MacCuish speaks with Livingstone Sewanyana, the UN Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. The founder and executive director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in Uganda, he is a lawyer with an extensive scholarly background in human rights, governance and access to justice. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor ...
The Syria crisis and gender-based violence
March 10, 2022 15:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBGender-based violence targets women and girls in the largest forced displacement crisis in the world with almost 14 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance, 5 million of them women and girls of reproductive age. A rise in gender-based and sexual violence affects vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, tearing families apart and destroying communities. Many Syrians are internally displaced or have fled to neighbouring countries like Turkey seeking refuge or asylum. Kristi...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Sharan Burrow
February 08, 2022 01:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBThe editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, Derek MacCuish, speaks with Sharan Burrow, head of the world's largest trade union federation. The International Trade Union Confederation is acknowledged to be the global voice of working people. From her actions as a labour rights leader in Australia to her engagement at the global level, she has been a strong voice for workers and for women's rights. In this episode she gives her take on the roles of governments, international...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Phil Bloomer
December 20, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBThe editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, Derek MacCuish, speaks with Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, an organization that reports on rights abuse allegations of more than 10,000 companies worldwide. By providing the subsequent response by the companies, if any, the organization seeks a fair and balanced approach to transparency and accountability. He was asked to discuss objectives of peace in practical terms related to c...
Child marriage - causes and solutions
November 30, 2021 01:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBMahima Kapur explores the issue of child marriage with a particular focus on the situation in the UK, and speaks with people experienced in the issue about what is needed to end the abusive practice. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be welcome. Please rate the podcast wherever you listen to it, and tel...
Pathways to Peace, with guest John Morrison
September 22, 2021 11:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBThe editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, Derek MacCuish, speaks with John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business. This episode is part of the series Pathways to Peace, in which we hear from people who have been deeply engaged in working for peace and human rights in their various aspects. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human ...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Mary Lawlor
July 06, 2021 15:00 - 12 minutes - 8.41 MBDerek MacCuish, the editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, speaks with Mary Lawlor, the UN expert on the situation of human rights defenders. This episode is part of the series Pathways to Peace, in which we hear from people who have been deeply engaged in working for peace and human rights in their various aspects. Mary Lawlor was appointed to her role in 2020 by the Human Rights Council. An Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights at Trinity College, Dublin, she ...
Pathways to Peace, with guest Marie Dennis
June 30, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThe editor of The Upstream Journal and Human Rights Magazine, Derek MacCuish, speaks with Marie Dennis, who has worked for several years with Pax Christi International, the Catholic peace movement. She is the author of several books on peace and nonviolence. This episode is part of the series Pathways to Peace, in which we hear from people who have been deeply engaged in working for peace and human rights in their various aspects. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal ...
Corporate due diligence in human rights - the new EU rules.
June 09, 2021 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBNew Upstream Journal article and podcast episode explores why current legislation does not prevent human rights abuse, what the European Union due diligence legislation will change, and what you can do at a personal level to protect human and environmental rights. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be w...
Corporate due diligence in human rights - the new EU rules.
June 09, 2021 15:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBNew Upstream Journal article and podcast episode explores why current legislation does not prevent human rights abuse, what the European Union due diligence legislation will change, and what you can do at a personal level to protect human and environmental rights. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agree that informed reporting on human rights and social justice issues is important, your support would be w...
A million Uyghur people imprisoned in China. Why?
May 28, 2021 18:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBMore than one million Muslim Uyghurs are in Chinese internment camps. Why? What has been happening, and what will be the outcomes? Rachel Ernest Cohen explores the situation with three experts: Darren Byler is a postdoctoral researcher with the China Made project at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research focuses on Uyghur dispossession, culture work and "terror capitalism" in the city of Ürümchi, the capital of Chinese Central Asia (Xinjiang). Barbara Kelemen, a China-Middle E...
Can global standards be reached in China's factories?
May 18, 2021 18:00 - 15 minutes - 9.01 MBTen years have passed since UN Human Rights Council endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). Corporate social responsibility has become a mainstream view that serves as a standard for the company to modernize its policies. However, without a legally binding agreement, major challenges remain as businesses in developing countries face difficulties seeking a balance between profitability, productivity, and social responsibility. In newly industrialized countries...
Can global rights standards be reached in China's factories?
May 18, 2021 18:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBTen years have passed since UN Human Rights Council endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). Corporate social responsibility has become a mainstream view that serves as a standard for the company to modernize its policies. However, without a legally binding agreement, major challenges remain as businesses in developing countries face difficulties seeking a balance between profitability, productivity, and social responsibility. In newly industrialized countries...
Challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community worldwide
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 8.88 MBThe global LGBTQ+ community faces many complex and evolving challenges. While from an outside perspective it may seem as though the fight for equality has been won, there is still a long way to go. To understand these issues, Meera Raman, the producer of this episode, spoke with three experts: Victor Madrigal-Borloz, UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity Xin Ying, executive director of the Beijing LGBT Center Mihika Srivasta...
Challenges Facing the LGBTQ+ Community
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 8.47 MBThe global LGBTQ+ community faces many complex and evolving challenges. While from an outside perspective it may seem as though the fight for equality has been won, there is still a long way to go. To understand these issues, Meera Raman, the producer of this episode, spoke with three experts: Victor Madrigal-Borloz, UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity Xin Ying, executive director of the Beijing LGBT Center Mihika Srivasta...
Tattoo Blues
January 31, 2021 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.23 MBSexism and racism in the tattoo industry. The tattoo industry is being challenged by tattooists all over the world who want to fight the lack of regulation and the systemic power imbalances that lead to abusive behaviour within studios. The world of tattooing is having its own #MeToo movement Read the article by episode producer Meera Raman at The Upstream Journal. Human Rights Magazine is produced by The Upstream Journal magazine. The host, Derek MacCuish, is editor of both. If you agr...
Lithium Dream
January 30, 2021 02:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBBolivia has a massive amount of lithium. What are the implications for a country with widespread, deep poverty? The Salar de Uyuni is a vast salt flat spanning almost 11,000 square kilometers in the department of Potosí, Bolivia. Here, high in the arid Bolivian Andes, lie the world’s largest brine deposits of lithium, a light metal used in batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric vehicles. Brine lithium technology has the potential to enable Bolivia to escape its hist...