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Month: February 2018

THE CRISIS IN PUERTO RICO: HOW IMPLEMENTATION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

THE CRISIS IN PUERTO RICO: HOW IMPLEMENTATION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

      The end of summer 2017 has posed extraordinary disaster management challenges for the US.  Between August 26 and September 20, 2017, Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, Hurricane Irma affected Florida, and Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. While the US responded swiftly and with urgency to the damage Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused in Texas and Florida, the relief delivered in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria has fallen short.  The assistance that local and federal authorities…

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“Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied.” A time for Celebration, A time for Reflection, A time for Action

“Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied.” A time for Celebration, A time for Reflection, A time for Action

Today, Tuesday 6th February 2018, the United Kingdom (UK) will celebrate the centenary of women being granted the right to vote. Although the Representation of People Act 1918 did not extend suffrage to all women (this was only achieved in 1928) this day in 1918 is one to be remembered and celebrated. It is surely a day upon which thanks should be given to all those who struggled for women’s suffrage. It is also fitting, albeit long overdue, that the…

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The Persistence of Extreme Poverty in the US: Recent Findings of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

The Persistence of Extreme Poverty in the US: Recent Findings of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

“In Alabama, I saw various houses in rural areas that were surrounded by cesspools of sewage that flowed out of broken or non-existent septic systems. The State Health Department had no idea of how many households exist in these conditions, despite the grave health consequences.”[1]  “I saw people who had lost all of their teeth because adult dental care is not covered by the vast majority of programs available to the very poor […].”[2] These are only a few examples…

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