Lily Mengesha discusses political prisoners and the human rights situation in Ethiopia with the World Movement for Democracy in an interview. On October 8, 2016, the Ethiopian government declared a six-month state of emergency in response to the anti-government protests throughout the Oromia and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. Journalist Lily Mengesha is one of many…
Bangladeshi civil society leaders call for amendments to the NGO bill at the Oct. 9 press conference (photo source: The Daily Star). On October 9, Bangladeshi activists convened a press conference to criticize a draft bill introduced by the parliament called the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill. Under Section 14 of the Bill, the…
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) have released the new election toolkit for election observers, “Votes Without Violence: A Citizen Observer’s Guide to Addressing Violence Against Women in Elections.” The toolkit seeks to arm election observers with a gender inclusive framework for assessing elections, and give actionable strategies that promote a safer space for women to…
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) is accepting nominations for its 2017 annual awards in support of individuals working in the front-lines of civil society to promote and defend human rights. Nominees must currently be an individual, or organization, working to support human rights, however, entire organizations may also qualify for a…