Intersections: Where Human Rights and Democracy Meet

Available Episodes

5 of 11

Democratic Dividends: Kenya’s Close Presidential Election
This week’s episode focuses on human rights and democracy news from across Africa: the results of the presidential election in Kenya, the release of the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, and the recent visit by Secretary Blinken to South Africa, Rwanda, and the DRC. We speak to Mvemba Dizolele, Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Program at CSIS, who explains the implications of these events and further steps the U.S. can take to support democracy on the continent. The news segment also covers the UN High Commissioner Michele Bachelet’s trip to Bangladesh and the one-year anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Additional Resources: U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/U.S.-Strategy-Toward-Sub-Saharan-Africa-FINAL.pdf CSIS Analysis of the Africa strategy: https://www.csis.org/analysis/potential-and-limits-new-us-strategy-sub-saharan-africa CSIS White Paper on Enforced Disappearances: https://www.csis.org/analysis/addressing-continuing-phenomenon-enforced-disappearances CSIS Commentary on the Taliban's crackdown on women’s rights in Afghanistan: https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-century-old-taliban Michelle Bachelet’s remarks on her visit to Bangladesh: https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/08/un-high-commissioner-human-rights-michelle-bachelet-concludes-her-official-visit
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Intensifying Repression: Pro-Democracy Activists Executed in Myanmar
This week’s episode focuses on the shocking executions of four pro-democracy activists in Myanmar. To understand the implications of this event for Myanmar and U.S. policy in Southeast Asia, we speak to Erin Murphy, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow in the CSIS Economics Program. We also discuss the fallout over Hungarian Prime Minister’s remarks about race and a class action lawsuit against Hyundai over allegations of child labor at a factory in Alabama in our news segment. Additional Resources: Burmese Haze: US Policy and Myanmar’s Opening – and Closing, by Erin Murphy: http://cup.columbia.edu/book/burmese-haze/9781952636264 Orban’s remarks and international responses: https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-parliament-condemns-orbans-racist-anti-europe-speech/ Report on the use of child labor at Hyundai subsidiary in Alabama: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-hyundai-subsidiary-has-used-child-labor-alabama-factory-2022-07-22/ Class action lawsuit against Hyundai: https://www.alabamanews.net/content/uploads/2022/08/v/b/Class-Action.pdf
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Litigating Internet Freedoms: Governments and Social Media Companies Go to Court
This week’s episode is focused on two important court cases – in India and West Africa – that will help define the relationship between social media companies and government regulation in efforts to protect fundamental freedoms. We talk to Allie Funk, Research Director for Technology and Democracy at Freedom House, about strategies to counter growing government efforts to block access to social media, as well as expectations for the private sector to develop their own rights-respecting policies and practices. Additional Resources: Changes to the foreign agent law in Russia: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-signs-off-harsher-foreign-agent-law/31943645.html ECOWAS ruling on Nigeria: http://www.courtecowas.org/2022/07/16/ecowas-court-orders-nigeria-to-guarantee-not-to-repeat-of-the-unlawful-ban-on-twitter/ Freedom House 2021 Freedom on the Net Report: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2021/global-drive-control-big-tech Op-Ed: What Twitter’s lawsuit against the Indian government could mean for global free expression: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-07-16/india-twitter-suit-freedom-censorship-internet The White House Declaration for the Future of the Internet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Declaration-for-the-Future-for-the-Internet_Launch-Event-Signing-Version_FINAL.pdf
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A Privilege, Not A Right: U.S. Reengagement with the UN Human Rights Council
How do international institutions and fora help defend human rights? This episode discusses the human rights-related outcomes of the G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, the first arrest warrants to come out of the ICC’s investigation into Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia, and the U.S. role in the recently concluded session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). Joining us to talk about the Biden Administration’s goals for the HRC is Allison Lombardo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs at the State Department. Additional Resources: Backgrounder on the G7: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/where-g7-headed G7 Leaders’ Joint Communique: https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2022/06/28/g7-leaders-communique G7 Leaders’ Statement on Democratic Resilience: https://www.g7germany.de/resource/blob/974430/2057608/61edf594f5ca30fb7b2ae4b79d16f1e6/2022-06-27-g7-resilient-democracies-statement-data.pdf?download=1 On Prosecuting War Crimes in Ukraine: https://www.csis.org/analysis/justice-ukraine-may-be-slow-must-be-steady U.S.’s return to the Human Rights Council after its withdrawal under President Trump: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/14/us-wins-seat-on-un-human-rights-council.html China’s role on the Human Rights Council: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/02/25/un-human-rights-council-as-the-us-returns-it-will-have-to-deal-with-china-and-its-friends/
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Sportswashing: The Human Rights Implications of Mega Sporting Events
This episode of Intersections reviews the human rights news of the week, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act going into effect, and the initiative by the UK government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Human Rights Initiative Director Marti Flacks also discusses major developments in the world of sports and the unexpected human rights connections there with Mary Harvey, CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Additional resources: Centre for Sport and Human Rights: https://www.sporthumanrights.org/ The Fan’s Guide to Human Rights: https://www.sporthumanrights.org/news/cshr-and-football-supporters-europe-release-fans-human-rights-guide/ FIFA Human Rights Policy: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/1a876c66a3f0498d/original/kr05dqyhwr1uhqy2lh6r-pdf.pdf BHRRC Qatar World Cup Portal: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-parallel-portal/ US-Mexico-Canada “United” Bid Human Rights Strategy: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/35837f1073bdad15/original/s2xnrvfjg9kp0zelhxnt-pdf.pdf Dignity 2026 coalition: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/group-asks-for-living-wages-labor-rights-for-2026-world-cup/2022/06/25/44723046-f44f-11ec-ac16-8fbf7194cd78_story.html
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About Intersections: Where Human Rights and Democracy Meet

The battle for democracy will be fought one human rights issue at a time. In this biweekly podcast from the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, host Marti Flacks tackles current events with activists and policymakers at the center of global efforts to promote human rights and build stronger, more sustainable democracies. Share your feedback at [email protected].

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