Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi tests her freedom after years of house arrest

Jul. 12, 2011
Jerome McDonnell wants to share a little secret with you…He loves political portraits…of all stripes.He has a hand painted plate of Kurdish political leader Massoud Barzani on his desk at WBEZ.

DePaul professor heads UN investigation of human rights abuses in Libyan war

Jun. 23, 2011
The Libyan government has repeatedly denied allegations that Colonel Muammar Qaddafi has ordered soldiers to systematically rape women who support the rebel movement.  Cherif Bassiouni is a human rights law pioneer who has worked for the United Nations on investigations looking into war crimes

Stoking dissidence: Chicagoan pushes for change in Iran

May. 23, 2011
The sudden wave of unrest in the Middle East may make it appear as though that part of the world has only recently undergone a political awakening. But some activists have been fighting for change for a long time. In some cases their work has forced them to flee and work from afar.

Malalai Joya takes on U.S. policy and government corruption in Afghanistan

Mar. 31, 2011
Malalai Joya is an Afghan politician, writer and human rights activist. She was the youngest person elected to Afghanistan's new parliament. But in 2007, she was suspended from the body for her persistent criticism of the warlords and drug barons and their cronies.

Mayoral hopefuls face off at activist forum

Dec. 15, 2010
Chicago mayoral candidates are facing each other in three forums this week.

Youth sports organization brings hope and shelter to Haitians

Nov. 30, 2010
Boby Duval is a Haitian native with an interesting and varied career. During the 1970s he made a name for himself playing soccer and basketball. Later, he became an outspoken defender of human rights.Now, he’s best known for his youth sports organization Athletics of Haiti.

Catholic priest details ongoing abuses in Honduras

Nov. 18, 2010
Last month, 30 members of Congress signed a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raising concerns about continuing human rights abuses in Honduras. They called for suspension of military and police aid. Padre Ismael “Melo” Moreno operates a radio station in Honduras.

Ending sectarian violence and observing elections in Egypt

Nov. 10, 2010
Earlier today a series of bombings and mortar attacks targeting Christian areas killed at least five people in Baghdad, security sources said.Six districts with strong Christian majorities were hit, and at least 24 people have been injured.The attacks come days after more than 40 people died when Is

Pages