Category Archives: Freedom

A report ranking press freedoms in 180 countries around the world has placed the Netherlands as number six in the world - a respectable performance, but slightly worse than the fifth-place ranking the country achieved in 2020.

Comprised by the journalists association Reporters Without Borders, the World Press Freedom Index examines freedom of the press in 180 countries worldwide. By surveying a number of experts and analysing data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists, the annual report ranks each country according to how free each country is.

Each country is awarded an overall score out of 100, based on how it performs across a series of seven criteria:

The 2021 report ranks Norway as number one in the world for the fourth year in a row, with a score of 6,72. Finland comes in second (6,99) followed by Sweden (7,24). Occupying the bottom spots are Turkmenistan (80,03), North Korea (81,28), and Eritrea (81,45).

This year, the Netherlands dropped from fifth place into sixth, with an overall score of 9,67 out of 100. While this means the country still falls into the Good situation category, it is the Netherlands worst performance since the indexs inception in 2013, and marks the second year in a row that the country has fallen in the ranking.

On the whole, the World Press Freedom Index notes that journalists in the Netherlands were able to work freely, enjoying the respect of much of the population as well as legislative and institutional protection. Dutch police have also consistently stepped up measures to protect journalists from attacks.

The 2021 report highlights the fact that the Dutch government has done little to improve the accessibility of state-held information and that mass data collection by intelligence agencies repeatedly violated the privacy of journalists. Furthermore, a number of right-wing Dutch politicians spoke out in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, questioning the reliability and legitimacy of high-profile news outlets such as NOS, and physical attacks on journalists also increased last year.

By clicking subscribe, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. For more information, pleasevisit this page.

Read more here:

The Netherlands drops a place in 2021 Press Freedom Index - IamExpat in the Netherlands

Freedom High School senior center fullback Austin Hoffert admitted the Patriots werent on their game in the first 10 minutes of Saturday mornings Eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys soccer championship game against Parkland.

But once the third-seeded Patriots got their wake-up call, they enforced their will on top-seeded Parkland to produce a comprehensive 5-0 victory that had the fans and players in black and gold satisfied all-around at Emmaus Memorial Field.

We started slowly the first 10 minutes but after that we knew we were going to win, Hoffert said. Mistakes really hurt us in the first game against them (2-1 overtime loss on Sept. 25).

The Patriots have won 13 games in a row since the loss to Parkland. They defeated second-seeded Central Catholic 3-1 in the semifinals.

Their (Freedoms) intensity was outstanding, Parkland coach Patrick Birns said. They were moving off the ball when they had it, and we werent moving off the ball when we had it. They played with high energy.

Freedom senior forward Peter Tichy lived up to his status as the EPCs leading goal-scorer. He was involved in all five Patriots scores with three goals and two assists. Not bad for someone who is in his first season as Freedoms primary offensive threat.

Both feel great, Tichy said of whether he enjoys scoring goals or dishing out assists better. I just want to help the team, so both are equal to me.

Tichy scored with 11:31 left in the first half when he lofted a shot from 25 yards out over the head of Parkland backup goalie Trevor Grice, who had drifted off his line. Grice was in for a few minutes after starter Matt Link was injured after a collision in front of the net with Freedoms Sebastian Garces.

That was a great shot, Birns said.

The Patriots (18-3) went up 2-0 eight minutes into the second half. Garces collected the ball in the middle of the field, passed to Tichy and he one-touched it to senior Michael Krents, who crashed in from the right side to shoot it past Link.

A few minutes later Parkland registered its best shot on goal, but the rocket ricocheted off Freedom defender Vincenzo Rosete who was planted on the goal line.

Then, Tichy pumped in his second goal for a 3-0 advantage with 19:05 left, and he added his third goal on a penalty kick when he was taken down in the box with 7:13 remaining.

Tichy concluded his golden effort when his corner kick was headed in by Hoffert for his ninth goal of the season.

That was just icing on the cake, Hoffert said.

Shutting out Parkland, which was coming off an emotional 1-0 overtime win over rival Emmaus in the semifinals, was even more satisfying to Hoffert, who orchestrated the defense in front of junior goalie Tristan Willey (eight saves).

That 0 meant a lot and the five goals was nice, too, Hoffert said.

The first time we played them we played a good game, but we got defensive after we scored first, Freedom coach Matt Reightler said. Today, we played our game and took it to them.

Reightler said theres no one calmer on the field than Tichy, and the Division I prospect maintained his flatline emotions after the impressive win.

The jobs not done; we still have districts, he said matter of factly.

Freedom will be the top seed for the District 11 Class 4A tournament that begins Tuesday with first-round games and concludes Thursday, Nov. 4, with the championship game.

Corky Blake can be contacted at sports@lehighvalleylive.com.

More:

Freedom wakes up in time to give Parkland nightmares in EPC boys soccer final - lehighvalleylive.com

Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught enlisted in the Air Force in 1957 and retired in 1985 after breaking multiple barriers for women in the armed forces. Vaught later led the creation of the national Military Womens Memorial. (U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON Twenty senators, all women, urged President Joe Biden on Friday to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught, who broke barriers for women during her military service and later helped create the Military Womens Memorial.

Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who both served in the military, sent a letter to Biden asking that he award the medal to Vaught at his first opportunity. Eighteen other senators signed onto the letter.

For over 60 years, Brigadier General Vaught has served this nation both in uniform and as a staunch advocate and tireless voice for the women who have and are serving in Americas armed forces, they wrote.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States and is bestowed by sitting presidents to recognize people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

The senators argued the timing would be especially meaningful because this year marks the 80th anniversary of the legislation that created the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, which was the first formal path to military service for women.

Vaught, 91, served in the Air Force for 29 years. She enlisted in 1957 and broke through the many bureaucratic and gender discriminating barriers that military women faced, the senators wrote.

According to her citation for her entry into the National Womens Hall of Fame, Vaught in 1966 became the first woman to deploy with a strategic air command bombardment wing. In 1972, she was the first female Air Force officer to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and, in 1980, she became the first woman promoted to brigadier general in the comptroller career field.

She served in Europe, Vietnam and at various posts throughout the United States. She once served as the chairwoman of the NATO Women in Allied Forces Committee and she was the first woman to command a unit that received the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

After retiring in 1985, Vaught fought for the creation of a national memorial honoring military women.

She helped establish the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc., and raised more than $45 million to help establish the Military Womens Memorial, a 33,000-square-foot memorial and education center located at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial opened in 1997.

Throughout her life, Brigadier General Wilma Vaught has led the way, forging new paths and opportunities for other women to succeed with a career in Americas military services, the senators wrote to Biden. From her commissioning in 1957 to the combined 34 years she has served as president and president emeritus of the Women in Military Service to America Foundation, Brigadier General Vaught remains a pioneer.

Original post:

Senators urge Biden to award Presidential Medal of Freedom to creator of Military Women's Memorial - Stars and Stripes

Complaints about the governments handling of freedom of information requests shot up 39% in a single year while refusal rates and delays also worsened, new data shows.

Prime minister Scott Morrisons office also again failed to meet lawful timeframes in the majority of FoI requests it received, according to the latest Office of the Australian Information Commissions (OAIC) annual report.

The FoI system a crucial tool for transparency of government has deteriorated significantly in recent years. Requests are taking longer to be processed, often rendering the information sought irrelevant, and fewer documents are being fully released to the public.

The latest OAIC report, released late on Thursday, shows a continuation of that trend.

The number of complaints the OAIC received about the governments handling of FoI jumped to 151 in the 2020-21 financial year, an increase of 39%, despite the total number of FOIs being well down on previous years.

The proportion of FoI requests granted in full was 41%, down from 47% the year prior, 52% in 201819 and 50% in 2017-18.

The government rejected 18% of FoI requests completely, up from 15% in 2019-20.

Delays were more commonplace. The government processed only 77% of FoI requests within the lawful timeframe, continuing a gradual deterioration over several years.

Extreme delays also increased. The number of FoI requests decided three months after the statutory timeframe jumped to 12%, up from 10% in 2019-20 and 2% in 2018-19.

The prime ministers office was singled out as one of the agencies that decided fewer than 50% of FoI requests within the statutory timeframes in 2020-21. A specific figure for Morrisons offices compliance was not available but it sat at 7.5% the year prior.

The home affairs department, which handles a huge volume of FoI requests, met the lawful timeframe in only 62% of cases, a drop from 74% in 2018-19 and 66% in 2019-20.

The OAICs report contained some positive news. In recent years, the under-resourced watchdog has struggled to deal with a significant workload, causing huge delays to its consideration of complaints or requests for review of government FoI decisions.

But it is increasingly hitting its targets. It finalised 82% of the requests it received within a year, above its target of 80%.

The agency received 15% more requests for reviews of FoI decisions and was still able to finalise 23% more reviews in 2020-21. The number of FOIs finalised within 12 months was 73%, still short of its 80% target.

Despite this significant improvement, resourcing issues means a gap between incoming FoI work and finalisation rates remains, commissioner Angelene Falk said. The appointment of a new FoI commissioner announced in the May budget will assist our capacity to manage this growing workload.

The prime ministers office was approached for comment.

More:

PMs office failed to meet deadlines for majority of freedom of information requests in past year - The Guardian Australia

Because the freedom to vote is essential to a healthy democracy, I contacted Sen. Susan Collins, urging her to support the Freedom to Vote Act. I wrote, I know you wholeheartedly embrace democratic values and represent a state that is in the forefront of ensuring Mainers can vote easily and safely. Your colleagues, Senator (Joe) Manchin, Senator (Angus) King and others crafted this compromise. This is the type of legislative work you are known for. Seeing a problem and working across party lines to have it remedied and enacted.

The Freedom to Vote Act ensures all Americans have equal access to the ballot box. It establishes federal protections to counterbalance the hurdles placed on voters and would insulate election officials from undue partisan interference.

Recently, I received her reply. The senator conflated the earlier House bill with this new bill. She insisted these bills would mandate that Maines elections and election laws would have to change, implying for the worse. She pointed to Maines 78 percent voter turnout and wrote: These results in Maine and across the country demonstrate that absent a compelling need, the federal government should not be pre-empting the election laws enacted by state representatives.

The senator purposely ignored why we need this bill. Since the 2020 election, 19 states have restricted voter access, making voting more difficult and endangering our democracy further. How is that not a compelling need? On Wednesday, she voted to oppose federal action that would ensure all citizens vote as we do in Maine. It is so disappointing.

Jessica SimpsonCape Elizabeth

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Previous

Latest Articles

Local & State

Letters

Letters

Letters

Columns

Excerpt from:

Letter to the editor: Collins' rejection of Freedom to Vote Act disappoints - pressherald.com

Rachel Hood| 76th House District

Whatever our skin color, religion or ZIP code, Michiganders value our freedom and right to vote. Votes are our voices, shaping the key decisions of our lives like protecting public health in a pandemic or securing good jobs, clean air and clean water for our communities. Today, our right to vote is at risk, and like generations before us, we have to fight today to protect the future of our democracy.

National networks of GOP-aligned extremists are running a state-by-state strategy to send our voting rights back to 1965. These same networks have threatened lawmakers in Michigan, and in D.C. They've spread lies about COVID-19 and the 2020 election. A single bill for a federal fix is available in D.C. today, and is the best way to protect our democracy. We must move with fierce determination to pass the Freedom to Vote Act in Congress, now.

This federal legislation would set national standards for us to cast our ballots safely and equally, ensuring that trusted local election officials count every vote, and preventing GOP politicians from sabotaging our elections. The Freedom to Vote Act is enormously popular it has the support of seven out of 10 Americans. Provisions in the law that would increase penalties for intimidating voters, and protect local election officials from harassment, are even more popular and essential in these times.

As a state legislator, I am working daily to stop a 39-bill, anti-voting rights package from Michigans GOP-led Senate from hitting Gov. Whitmers desk. As a citizen, I will decline to sign the falsely named Secure MI Vote ballot initiative that seeks to take away voter freedom. But ultimately, we need elected leaders in our nations capital to use the power that the majority of Americans have given them to pass the Freedom to Vote Act. The Senate must act now. President Biden and Vice President Harris must use every lever of power at their disposal to get it done.

This summer, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to stand alongside state lawmakers from Texas, Georgia, Florida, and beyond, pushing back against these state and national attacks on democracy. We need action in Congress, and vigilance in the states, because these efforts are all connected by powerful special interests and extremists seeking to overturn the legitimate results of the last election, and more shockingly, to undermine our ability to participate in the next one.

If we do not secure the Freedom to Vote Act, stop those pushing anti-voter legislation, and decline to sign the Secure MI Vote ballot initiative, we will see longer lines at polling locations, fewer options for eligible voters to cast their ballots, volunteers will be banned from working at our polls, and valid votes wont be counted. The issues that matter to West Michigan recovery from the pandemic, economic growth, water we can drink, and good schools are too important to risk. Its time to stand up for our communities and take action to protect the right to vote for all Michiganders.

Join me in declining to sign the Secure MI Vote ballot initiative. Get informed and contact your state and federal representatives and senators. Together, we can join our ancestors and leave a legacy of voting rights and democratic freedom to future generations.

State Rep. Rachel Hood, Grand Rapids, is serving her second term representing the 76th House District.

Continued here:

My Take: West Michigan needs the freedom to vote act and leaders who will protect our democracy - HollandSentinel.com

In Bob Marleys 1980 folk ballad Redemption Song, he implores his listeners to:

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/

None but ourselves can free our mind.

Marley takes the lyric from fellow Jamaican and pan-Africanist leader Marcus Garvey, who was speaking about the political achievements of the black nationalist movement in America. The black nationalist movement struggled for the emancipation of blacks suffering under white oppression it was a social and political fight for freedom. But freedom, emancipation, nation, are all laden terms; they mean different things, depending upon the context. Marley, for example, seems to take the objective (political) sense of freedom implied by Garvey in his speech and render it subjective (personal) in his song. Marley had just learned of his cancer prior to writing the song and was in the process of coping with his immanent death.

Earlier this month, we celebrated the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Anyone who knows anything about Gandhi knows that freedom for him was not reducible to the objective condition of national self-determination. Self-government, political freedom, could not be equated to good, choice-worthy government, which demanded a great deal more from each of the individuals who comprised the political community, the State and the Nation. It also, perhaps even more importantly, entailed the kind of subjective element expressed in Marleys verse, Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery...

Emancipation, too, must be thought of as an idea that cannot be limited only to its civic or political sense. As its greatest champion, Karl Marx, had explained: It is doubtless a worthy goal to struggle for political emancipation (civil rights); but we must not lose sight of the wider historical challenge of securing true human emancipation the freedom of the human person as such.

Here, the distinction is not one between the subjective (personal) and the objective (political), but rather between the political/objective and the absolute (the human as such). It is the absolute, of course, that Bob Marley was evoking through his notion of redemption: Redemption songs/These songs of freedom/Songs of freedom.

My personal freedom, my communitys freedom, my nations freedom, true human freedom: There are struggles, many and varied, to redeem them all. And there are innumerable songs that sing their various stories.

Sometimes a just and righteous fight within one of these theatres of struggle will put us at odds with the others. It usually depends on where we are standing, our social location (what freedoms we already have the privilege to enjoy or what oppressions we have the misfortune to suffer), that determines which freedom struggles we champion and which, instead, we condemn. The upper castes, for example, have long excoriated Babasaheb Ambedkar for not having taken an active part in agitating for Indias national self-determination. But for those who long-suffered under the brutal oppression of Brahmanism, Ambedkar was the Freedom Fighter par excellence.

Gandhi, of course, recognised that Ambedkar was dedicated to national service. As he said during his first meeting with Ambedkar: From the reports that have reached me of your work at the Round Table Conference, I know you are a patriot of sterling worth.

But Ambedkar, in reply, brushed aside the dominant framework that equated patriotism to the national freedom struggle and reduced all freedom struggles to nationalism: If in my endeavour to secure human rights for my people, who have been trampled upon in this country for ages, I do any disservice to this country, it would not be a sin.

Ambedkar saw clearly what we, blinded by our privileges, so often fail to see: There are as many kinds of freedom struggle as there are varieties of bondage. Our circumstances will dictate which ones we must join, and what sacrifices this will entail. Each, in the short term, may bring those other freedom fighters into conflict with our own struggle. But ultimately, all these different freedom movements, like so many songs of freedom, push us forward collectively on the long-wending path to human emancipation.

That is why Bob Marley, facing the end of his life, reposited all of his hope in them:

Wont you help to sing/These songs of freedom?

Cause all I ever had/Redemption songs.

More:

Songs of Freedom - Deccan Herald

It seems that everyone from corporate behemoths like Visa and Anheuser-Busch to socialite Paris Hilton and NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant has recognized the growing importance of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) for the 21st-century economy.

World-renowned artists, athletes and musicians have been cashing in on the craze, lending legitimacy to this new use of technology that allows for ownership of a wide array of digital assets. But the true test of this innovation will not be how it helps the wealthy perpetuate their positions of power, but rather how NFTs can promote human rights and other public goods.

Let us start with the most misunderstood international human right the right of self-determination. It was the underlying principle behind United States President Woodrow Wilsons Fourteen Points at the end of the First World War, featured in 1945s Charter of the United Nations and incorporated into the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights.

And while self-determination provides all peoples with the right to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development, its exercise was reserved for national liberation movements to become fully independent states after long decolonization battles. No one else needed to apply. But now with nonfungible tokens, the right of self-determination may be more fully realized, outside the context of statehood.

Voting rights, including access to, and confidence in, the electoral process could be facilitated by nonfungible tokens, making them more accessible and strengthening the democratic process. It is not far-fetched to imagine a political world in which civil rights are replaced by membership rights embedded in smart contracts. An NFT holder could vote on proposals in the greater community of other NFT holders, and see the changes get enacted in real-time via smart contracts. Voting on the blockchain could solve a litany of current real-world problems, most notably fraud or access to the election polling stations.

Related: Blockchain will transform government services, and thats just the beginning

There are innumerable ways in which NFTs can facilitate the pursuit of economic, political and social agendas. In such a system, states would no longer be the sole adjudicator of disputes, the arbiter of property rights or the enforcer of contracts. Smart contracts on the blockchain can do all that. We could develop a new system wherein individuals or political groups (whose membership is represented by NFTs) vote on mechanisms to distribute goods and services more effectively instead of being undertaken by beleaguered, inefficient or traditional bureaucracies. Goodbye politics as usual.

After all, we all do not have to vote in lockstep if we are registered Democrats, Republicans or Independents. We might support gun rights, but might also be open to choice concerning abortion and vaccines. An individual could easily show support for a variety of causes simply by having control of whichever underlying NFT coincides with group membership. With this change, we can have many more ways to define self outside of our nation or even traditional identity politics. We can opt-in to be part of other communities rather than attorn to the jurisdiction and predilections of our pre-assigned cultural, economic, faith-based, social or political groups.

Related: Decentralized parties: The future of on-chain governance

As such, self-determination does not have to revolve around statehood. This is quite an advance when one reflects on the litany of failed secessionist projects after the Second World War when renegade provinces attempted to further exercise the right of self-determination. The disastrous civil wars that attended the dissolution of the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia (1990s), Katanga (1962) and Biafra (1967) are cases in point.

In the latter example, the leaders of Biafra wanted that territory to be its own country, separate from Nigeria. Much of Africa had only recently decolonized so further secessionist movements were deemed threats to the continents political stability. Only a handful of African states recognized Biafran independence, a movement that was doomed to failure. An estimated half a million to two million people died of starvation in the civil war during that ill-fated exercise of self-determination: Never had the fight to defend human rights gone so wrong.

Related: Charitable sustainable NFTs for the United Nations 17 SDGs

Biafra did, however, produce its currency. But money supply is only one area of the states responsibility as sovereign. The public goods a state should supply may also include public health, citizen safety, utilities, a clean environment, potable drinking water and even basic foodstuffs.

As the tulip-mania of NFTs shows no sign of waning, let us find ways to leverage this craze to better develop the mechanisms by which we govern ourselves and distribute public goods. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Paris Hilton and multinational companies already have enough power and fame.

This article was co-authored by James Cooper and Peter Grazul.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

James Cooper is a professor of law at California Western School of Law in San Diego. He has advised governments in Asia, Latin America and North America for more than two and a half decades on legal reform and disruptive technologies.

Peter Grazul is a recent graduate of California Western School of Law and passed the February 2021 California State Bar Examination.

Go here to read the rest:

NFTs for freedom: Nonfungible tokens and the right to self-determination - Cointelegraph

Negina Azimi felt shock and fear like never before when she heard that Taliban fighters had entered Kabul on 15 August. As an outspoken female artist in Afghanistan, she knew they would come for her.

We heard reports that the Taliban might raid houses. I was scared because I live in a very central neighbourhood and every room in my house is adorned with the kind of art the Taliban wont approve of, she says, referring to paintings that feature messages about womens empowerment and are critical of the Talibans atrocities.

Azimi rushed home from the studio where she worked, ArtLords, and took down all her work, carefully stashing the paintings away in places where she hoped they could not be found. But so much of our work is outside on the walls of the city, and everyone knows us, she says, referring to the ArtLords initiative of painting murals on the thick concrete anti-blast walls that cover most of the war-ravaged capital. We heard that the Taliban enquired about us to the shopkeepers and asked for our addresses. They wanted to punish us.

Azimi was one of a number of artists who made it on to an evacuation flight in the days that followed, leaving behind years of hard work and efforts to revive the Afghan art scene. From exile in refugee camps in Europe, they have watched online as the Taliban erased their murals, one after another. The hardliners had painted over many ArtLords images and replaced them with the words, Ham Watan Azadet Mubarak a message congratulating the citizens on their freedom.

I cant express how hurt I felt when I saw on social media that the Taliban had whitewashed the mural of the Afghan womens orchestra; it was my first piece with ArtLords, she says.

Top row, works by ArtLords. Above left, Fatima Wojohat, 18, who joined ArtLords four months ago. Above right, The ArtLords gallery in Kabul

Much of our art was about the 20 years of struggle for Afghan women, about justice and freedom of speech. We had chosen to portray Afghan heroes to inspire the next generation, which the Taliban erased, says another Afghan artist in exile, who wishes to be identified only as Muhajir (which means refugee in Dari).

I was forced to leave everything I built and created behind. Wherever I go now, this will always be my identity: I will always be a muhajir, he says.

Shamsia Hassani is an Afghan graffiti artist and art professor at Kabul University, who also managed to escape the Taliban. She says: My country and my art gave me an identity. The day Kabul fell, I could not believe it; my heart was on fire.

Hassani, like many Afghans of her generation, grew up as a refugee in Iran because of decades of war, and had returned to Kabul after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Art was evolving there. The number of artists and art lovers was gradually increasing. Of course, there were still many who opposed art, but it was available for everyone and we had the freedom to be an artist, she says. We had planted a seed and were watching it grow.

Hassanis distinctive style of graffiti featuring a young woman with closed eyes appeared on many walls in the Afghan capital, a symbol of social change, empowerment and peace. Much of her work has also been erased.

The plants I nurtured with years of effort and hopes were all destroyed, she says.

I used to believe that art is stronger than war, but now I realise that war is stronger, and everything we built over 20 years could be destroyed within minutes by its darkness, she says. The reason I am still painting here is to help myself stay afloat and not sink in this darkness.

Lida Afghan is an Afghan-Dutch artist who has worked extensively in Afghanistan but is now unable to return. When I think of Afghanistan I get very overwhelmed, and lately I find myself crying a lot. The only comfort I get is through painting, which is also my way of communicating to the women in the country that you are not alone, she says.

Afghans recent pieces, which depict womens rebellion in her former home, often went viral on social media. When I draw women, I try to show how powerful they are, because often Afghan women are seen as victims and weak. I have seen women, from all parts of Afghanistan, and they are constantly fighting against the patriarchy, she says.

Art is a movement it is such a universal language that can speak to the peoples souls. And with it, I try to say to Afghan women to not give up. My hope is that when they see a piece like that they feel empowered, she says.

The artists who have fled Afghanistan remain undeterred and have been creating new work, even in the refugee camps. The ArtLords collective continues to create new pieces in exile and hopes soon to put on an exhibition of works by displaced artists.

The Taliban can whitewash all our work in Kabul, but we will always have our paint and our brush. We will fight back with that, says Muhajir.

Shamsia Hassanis imaginary graffito on the cliffs of Bamiyan, where the Taliban destroyed huge Buddhist statues from the fifth century in 2001. The picture is part of her Dreaming Graffiti series, in which she enlarges photographs of places she would like to put graffiti, then paints a mural on pictures of locations she can only dream of

See the article here:

'We planted a seed': the Afghan artists who painted for freedom - The Guardian

Opinion

Securing basic voting rights should take priority over more elaborate reforms

Securing basic voting rights should take priority over more elaborate reforms

Michael Latner is a professor of political science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a senior fellow of voting rights at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy. He is co-author of Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty (Cambridge University Press, 2016).

Charles "Tony" Smith is a professor of political science and law at the University of California, Irvine. His research is grounded in the American judiciary but includes comparative and international frameworks; its unifying theme is how democratic institutions and the strategic interaction of political actors fulfill or inhibit rights. He received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, and a J.D. from the University of Florida.

Alex Keena is an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University whose research focuses on political representation. He is co-author of Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty (Cambridge University Press, 2016). He received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Irvine.

Anthony McGann is a professor of government and public policy at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He is co-author of Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism (Cambridge University Press, 2021), Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty (Cambridge University Press, 2016) and The Logic of Democracy (University of Michigan Press, 2006).

Discover world-changing science. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners.

See the rest here:

Electoral Engineering and the Freedom to Vote - Scientific American