Category Archives: Government Oppression

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping that government schemes that offer free or subsidized amenities such as housing, toilets and health care that have been availed of by the Scheduled Caste communities, will translate into votes for the party in the upcoming assembly elections in five states particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where it seemed to work in 2017. In recent elections the party has been able to earn dividends from a newly minted constituency of beneficiaries who seem to have shed their preference for voting on the basis of caste compulsions alone.

In states such as Uttar Pradesh where SCs comprise about 20% of the voter base, the partys outreach has been designed to underline the benefits that the socially and economically marginalised have derived from a clutch of government schemes. Having gained substantially by tapping into the non-Yadav OBC (other backward class) vote bank in the state, the BJP has focused on SC communities that have traditionally been with the Bahujan Samaj Party, the move did appear to work in 2017.

The BJP has traditionally not been the choice of the Bahujan Samaj. For years the RSS carried out the Samajik Samarasta (social harmony) programmes that stressed on doing away with separate crematoriums, temples and drinking water sources. But these alone did not erase the divisions on the ground. Political representation and [delivery of] a pacca house and cash transfer have been more effective. We are confident of having gained a toehold in the Bahujan Samaj, said a senior party functionary who asked not o be identified.

In 2017, the BJP showed a marked improvement in its performance in the 84 seats that are reserved for the SC candidates in UP. Its tally in the reserved seats increased from 3 in 2012 to 68 and its vote share also increased from 14% to 40%. The party gave tickets to 65 non- Jatav Dalits in these reserved seats. The Jatavs are BSP-loyalists.

Just as it did with the OBC community where it targetted the non-dominant sections, within the SC communities too the BJPs approach centred around wooing non-Jatav communities such as Dobi, Khatik, Passi and Valmiki that together account for 12% of the SC vote. The Jatavs account for 9%.

The BJPs outreach, ensuring political representation to all including the non-Jatavs and Jatavs and the emphasis on delivery of social schemes helped the party in 2017 and 2019 (general elections). If you look at the composition of PM Modis and CM Yogis council of ministers, you will find SCs present in significant numbers, said Guru Prakash Paswan, national spokesperson for the party. He said beneficiaries of social schemes have emerged as a political base and the younger generation of Dalits has realised that they were fooled by the SP and BSP.

There are 12 ministers from SC communities in the union council of ministers and eight in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP has so far announced candidates for 192 seats.

Lacking SC Faces

While the BJP claims to have given more representation to Dalits in government, the problem is the absence of faces that can draw votes. Apart from Baby Rani Maurya, who quit as Uttarakhand governor to contest elections the BJP does not have many prominent faces among the Jatavs. Party leaders aware of the developments claim the BJP is grooming leaders, particularly among the young, educated Dalits and accept that for now the biggest draw has been PM Modis popularity and the effectiveness of government schemes.

The party has also been pitching nationalism as a binding factor. In November last, UP unit president Swatantra Dev Singh while addressing a conclave told party workers to have tea with 10 to 100 Dalit families in their neighbourhoods and villages and persuade them that voting is not done in the name of caste, region and money but in the name of rashtravaad (nationalism).

A second BJP functionary who is also from a SC community admitted that the representation that the BJP speaks of has not entirely placated the communities. There is a lot of awareness now. Optics doesnt cut ice with the younger generation particularly. It is not enough to say there is a minister, the rank and the respect accorded to them matter as well. For instance, there is only one Dalit in the UP cabinet; the rest are state ministers with little clout. Jatavs are the largest lot but again with little representation, added this person, who too asked not to be named.

The BJP is also pitching the protection it can offer from oppression for SCs.

The composition of the villages was such that the SCs depended on the upper castes for jobs. There are number of cases where SCs have been subjugated by the Yadvas and for them the BJP is the only party that can prevent the recurrence of atrocities. Irrespective of their castes the BJP candidates will stand up for them, said a third functionary who asked not to be named.

Contesting claims

BSPs Lok Sabha MP, Ritesh Pandey rebutted the BJPs claims about improving the lot of the Dalits and claimed they would continue to vote for his party. The BSP has Behenjis (Mayawati) good governance model which included everyone including the most downtrodden. Since 2007 she has given fair participation to all castes and communities. Her cabinet had representation from every caste; it was extremely inclusive. And in her politics religious bigotry was not accepted which is what is the need of the state today.

Pandey added that the impact of social schemes and housing will not outweigh the concerns that the communities have. While all this (giving houses and building toilets) is fine, what has affected the youth is the absence of access to higher education and a substantial reduction in scholarship amounts. The state government has squeezed out OBCs and Dalits from getting government jobs by privatising jobs and bringing in contractual appointments in lot of Grade III and IV positions, in which many people of these communities would typically find employment.

While the BSP dismisses the BJPs overtures such as senior leaders eating in Dalit households as a political stunt, the BJPs retort is a long list of atrocities that went unheeded during Mayawatis tenure as CM. The BJP claims that in that period (2007-12) the state government failed to economically empower Dalits in the state. The Human Development Index of Uttar Pradesh was below the national average of 0.467 due to poor health services and low incomes, the BJP claimed.

In a booklet prepared for campaign in UP, the BJP alleged, during Mayawatis tenure an amendment was made to the law for prevention of atrocities on SCs, nullifying the possibility of a direct FIR in cases of rapes. It also commended the Yogi Adityanath government for repeatedly invoked the National Security Act against those who burnt the houses of Dalits and committed atrocities against them in Jaunpur, Azamgarh and Lakhimpur.

Concerns about identity

Chandra Bhan Prasad, a Dalit Ideologue and and scholar affiliated with the Mercatus Center, George Mason University, US said the BJPs claims of Dalits warming up to the party are questionable and that there is concern within the community about the continuing oppression of Dalits by the upper castes and the administration.

During the past five years of BJP Rule, upper castes and the police almost merged into one entity, and targeted rising Dalits. Let it be clear, Dalits dignity is no more exchangeable for few kilograms of ration and salt packets. And I have observed that before only Dalit intellectuals and activists called BJP names, now even commoners have turned abusive of the BJP, he said. The reference to ration is the free foodgrains being provided by the Yogi government in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.

To a separate question on which party stands to gain from the Dalit vote he said, To the Dalit middle class, defeating BJP is a bigger concern. Dalit Ki Beti (daughter of a Dalit) Chief Minister (one of the BSPs famous campaign pitches of the last decade) is an idea that has outlived its expiry date.

Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools. ...view detail

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UP elections: BJP banks on welfare plans to win SC votes - Hindustan Times

Letter writers| Fort Myers News-Press

A strategic principle in the master war strategist Sun Tzus classic book "The Art of War"is that you start a war only if you are certain you can win it. Putin is a master strategist like General Sun Tzu. He perceives Donald Trumps attack on our government Jan.6 and massive division in our country by Trumps lies about the election as weakness. The stage is set for abandoning the liberal world order since the end of WWIIand return to the madness of deadly costly medieval wars that only lead to destruction and chaos.

Donald Trumps promotion of big lies has resulted in division, distrust of our elections, and chaos in the United Stated. The implications are geopolitical, however -- not limited to our beloved country. The political upheaval that we are experiencing here has undoubtedly fueled Vladimir Putins militaristic ambitions, leading to a potential World War III. The time has come for Republican senators and representatives to break ranks, abandon support for the traitor Trump, heal wounds due to Trump's lies and bind our nation together once again.

William Pettinger, Bonita Springs

There are two Democratic senators in the Senate who keep President Biden from accomplishing the things he and all Democrats and many people want to see come to pass. No need to name them. We all know who they are. What those two senators ignore is the fact that by siding with the Republicans they make it more difficult for other Democrats to be re-elected in the midterm elections. People will not re-elect members of a do-nothing majority Congress.

An independent senator who votes Democratic has vowed to support opponents of those two in their next primary election. Too late to help President Biden but if successful, good riddance.

E.R. Santhin, Naples

A recent correspondent proclaims "worst ever"offering the following as proof.

Highest Inflation ever. Highest in 30 some years, yes. But highest ever? Not even close. Of course, inflation is a concern. But the president is hardly responsible for causing the current supply and demand imbalance that is driving increased prices.

Highest gas prices ever. Highest in the last year, yes.Highest ever? Again, not even close. The economy improved demand went up. COVID and Gulf coast storms reduced supply. Surprise, prices went up.

No longer oil independent.This likely refers to the presidents executive orders regarding drilling leases and pipeline construction, none of which have any effect on current production. We generally produce about as much oil as we consume. Looking at oil alone is a limited perspective. A broader perspective would be energy independence including all energy producing sources. Since 2019 we have reached energy independence exporting more energy than we import.

This is no defense of President Biden or his policies. But posting false or exaggerated political talking points serves no productive purpose.

Bill Guyer, Fort Myers

The Greater Naples Chapter of Americans United is proud to announce that the 2022 Turner Civic Award will be presented to Rev. Tony Fisher and The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples.

Rev. Fisher embraces both the pastoral and prophetic roles of ministry and sees great potential in the Unitarian Universalist movement as a catalyst for change. American Unitarian Universalism has its roots in the early American colonies and thrives today as a free-thinking, non-creedal religion where all are welcome. UUCGN members gather to nurture their spirits and put faith into action through social justice work.

Among their projects and activities promoting social justice are the Progressive Voices Lecture Series, Team Against Racism and Oppression, Voting Rights, Mindful Monday Forums, Weekend Meals, Legal Aid, Womens Justice, LGBTQI and Climate Change.

The luncheon ceremony will be held on Tuesday at noon at the Vineyards Country Club in Naples. Tickets cost$40 per person, $75 per couple or $140 for a table of four. For more information, please call 609-647-1343 or visit our website http://www.au-naples.org.

Americans United, a 501(c)(3) corporation, is a nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.

Bill Korson, president, Greater Naples Chapter of AU

SB 148 is silliness disguised as protecting "individual freedom"by attacking the phantom threat of critical race theory.This bill prohibits teachers from making students "feel responsible for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex or national origin,"

How does that play out in practice? At best, self-imposed censorship would change exciting chapters of our history to become increasingly bland so nothing could be interpreted as giving offense. At worse, lawsuits, firings and resignations would flow.

I have taught, although not at the K-12 level targeted by this bill. I have given classes about the war in Vietnam.Would mentioning my disabled veteran status risk censorship if a student of Vietnamese origin somehow thinks I am blaming him or her?If teaching about the world wars, would mentioning that my machine gunner great uncle was wounded and captured, or my fighter pilot uncle was killed, risk offending students of German descent?Would talking about the human and material cost of any conflict make students uncomfortable about being ethnically associated with combatants?Could business managers mention any of these and be accused of creating a hostile work environment?

This is a feel-good bill that has given little thought to the damage it does.Legislative efforts should be spent more productively.

Bruce Beardsley, Naples

A plea to moderate Republicans, moderate Democrats, and Independents: Please launch the creation of a third party for 2024. Romney, Manchin, Bloomberg or the like, get together and make it happen. Please, lets stop this insanity in Washington. We desperately need an American party for for all Americans. Do the math, its a winning strategy. Please start now!

Douglas Keeler, Bonita Springs

We live in a black is white world where if whats written is held up to a mirror itspeaks truth. Our 19th District representativeByron Donalds sent an email on Jan.14 supporting the abolition of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The bill was introduced by none other than Cancun Cruz. The CFPB is an agency that makes certainbanks, lenders, collection agencies and other financial companies treat the consumer "fairly."Donalds doesnt want you to be treated fairly so you have little to no recourse in a dispute. He lists crazy stuff in the email like unconstitutional, liberal judges and more. More like hes trolling for political campaign donations from big businesses at the expense of you, the constituents. Sign up for his emails and see where he really stands. Its shocking.

Laurence Jacks, Estero

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Letters to the editor for Monday, January 24, 2022 - News-Press

TEHRAN Heads of the three branches of Irans government held a meeting on Saturday to discuss domestic and international issues, including a recent visit by President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi to Russia.

The weekly meeting of the heads of the three branches, hosted by President Raisi, discussed the most important domestic and international issues, according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.

The president's two-day visit to Russia and the achievements of the visit in developing relations between Tehran and Moscow, as well as emphasizing the strategic importance of regional and international cooperation between the two countries, especially opposition to unilateralism, were among the topics discussed at the meeting.

The issue of reviewing the 1401 national budget in the special committee of the Majlis (parliament) and the need to pay attention to taxes, goals and orientations of the budget in accordance with the capacities and resources of the country were also discussed.

The next Iranian fiscal year starts on March 21, 2022.

Ayatollah Raisi paid a two-day visit to Russia last week where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He has expressed hope that his recent visit to Russia would be a turning point in improving relations between Tehran and Moscow.

Upon returning from a two-day visit to Russia, Ayatollah Raisi spoke to reporters about the achievements of the visit, saying, The topics of discussion in this visit were in line with the realization of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy, which is maximum interaction with world countries, especially allies.

Noting that a fundamental agreement was reached during the visit to expand comprehensive, stable and beneficial relations between the two countries, the president added, Undoubtedly, the development of relations with Russia will contribute to the security and welfare of the two nations.

He said, I hope that the visit to Russia will be a turning point in improving relations with the friendly and neighboring country of Russia, and that the combination of these relations will help improve the level of security in the region and resolve regional and global crises.

In a speech delivered before the Russian State Duma, Ayatollah Raisi said Iran seeks "maximum interaction" with all countries around the world with the aim of forming a "civilized global community".

The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks maximum interaction with all countries around the world, especially its neighbors and allies. The purpose and basis of this cooperation and interaction is the mutual interests of nations and the increasing formation of a civilized global community. This path can be achieved through the cooperation of independent countries with high cultures and attention to the principles of justice, morality and spirituality. Undoubtedly, the root of what human society suffers from today is the separation of politics from morality and spirituality. Violence, terrorism, the collapse of the family institution, and the spread of drugs do not come from a spiritualist mind-set. Any structure created on the basis of this segregation intensifies the suffering of humanity and, instead of promoting justice, structures oppression and creates the roots causes of domination, he stated.

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Heads of the three branches discuss Raisi visit to Russia - Tehran Times

In India, the National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on January 24. It was initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India to spread public awareness about inequities that girls face in Indian society. The day is celebrated with organised programs, including awareness campaigns about 'Save The Girl Child', child sex ratios, and creating a healthy and safe environment for girls. In 2019, the day was celebrated with the theme, 'Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow'.

The day also aims to highlight the importance of girls education, health, and nutrition and create a safe and healthy environment for them.

A girl's struggle begins in her mother's womb. The appalling practice of female foeticide is still prevalent in a country like India, as many families still prefer sons over daughters.

According to the Population Research Institute (PRI), nearly 15.8 million girls went missing in India due to prenatal sex selection between 1990 and 2018 5,50,000 in 2018 alone. And, if a girl is lucky enough to be born, the discrimination and oppression start soon after. In low-income families, especially in rural India, female children do not receive proper nutrition or education like their male siblings.

As per the 2011 census, only 65.46 per cent of the females were literate as against 82.14 per cent of males. Education for daughters is not considered essential, and they are forced to stay at home and take care of the household chores. Some are married off much before they reach the legal marriageable age of 18 years. Often, discrimination and oppression increase after marriage and violence against women is not rare in their marital homes.

Given the scenario, there is an urgent need to recognise the importance of all the issues girls and women face in India and celebrate their place in society. On this day, various events are organised all over the country to celebrate the girl child. The Government of India organises campaigns such as 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' to increase the consciousness among the people regarding girl children in India.

Apart from the government initiatives, numerous NGOs in the country have taken the responsibility to protect the girl child and ensure that she receives the love, care, and support to grow into a strong individual who has equal opportunities in life.

Here's a look at some of the NGOs in India that work to empower girl child:

Rani, a 16-year-old girl from Raebareli, was compelled to drop out of school after class 7 due to poverty and household responsibilities. After dropping out of school, she spent all her time on household chores. She woke up at 5 am every day to start her work. She used to go multiple times to a hand pump to fetch water, clean the house, wash utensils, feed the buffaloes nearby and prepare breakfast for the entire family.

Many girls like Rani are currently outside the education system in India. Socio-economic circumstances force them to leave schools, work at home and, at times, as child labours. Often, they are forced to get married at a tender age and raise a family.

Oxfam India advocates for the proper implementation of the Right to Education to achieve the goal of quality and affordable education for each child in India, especially marginalised children. Their education programme addresses specific issues which hamper girl child education in the country. The NGO works with communities to monitor the delivery of quality education on the ground, engage with teachers, elected peoples' representatives and bring together existing education networks. In addition, it counsels parents and raise awareness about the importance of girls' education and works with families and community members to advocate for the importance of educating them. Oxfam India reaches out to the most marginalised communities in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha, where children, especially girls, are deprived of their education and rights.

Self-defence is not just a set of techniques, it's a mindset, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending. -Rorion Garcie.

The fear of sexual assault forms an everpresent backdrop of womens' lives, limiting them from exploring their true abilities.

Adolescents who are victimised are up to five times more likely to be victimised later in life than those who are not (Humphrey & White, 2000).

MukkaMaar removes this fear and vulnerability and creates agency in adolescent girls from underserved communities with empowerment self-defence training.

In a short span of three years of partnership with Mumbai Municipal Corporation, the NGO has imparted over 4000 hours of training to more than 3000 girls across 66 schools. Through the Equity Labs program, MukkaMaar trained 315 Physical Educators to practice consent, practical self-defence training, boundary setting, and equity in the classroom, indirectly impacting over 50,000 adolescents studying in Mumbai public schools.

The NGO has reached more than 11,000 children, youth, parents, and teachers through its workshops and awareness camps.

Girls are 'taught by society to behave in ways that make them 'better victims'. They internalise these behaviours are shamed and blamed for evoking violence, and it systematically allows for discrimination, violence, violation of rights to continue and percolate through generations. Through this, they are stripped of rights agency and are made to believe that their safety, sense of security, and freedom; are neither important nor something they can fight for. These 'qualities' make them 'vulnerable', a trait that is the most prominent denominator in victimisation.

MukkaMaar girls feel confident safe, can defend themselves and make disclosures of sexual assault without shame. It allows them to negotiate for their rights and freedom, continue higher education and delay forced marriage.

MukkaMaar has launched a 'text-based learning assistant' over WhatsApp to reach 10,000 girls in Mumbai, who have little access to a device and data, to continue to be safe. Launched in August 2021, it will have an integrated loyalty program, allowing girls to win points and redeem them as data packs to continue their learning and education.

Girls' education after they reach grade 8th, 10th and 12th is a challenge in targeted areas of Ibtada. The long-distance to the education facility creates hurdles for girls. The means of transportation are uncertain, and parents are concerned about girls' safety. Therefore, most girls drop out of school after grade 8th those who can study until grade 12th drop out after that. A college education is expensive, which is another obstruction coupled with earlier stated constraints. Parents also have a conservative mindset. They do not want their daughters to get exposed to the world by going out to towns and cities to pursue education. They want to marry them by 16-18 to be free of their responsibility. These are the reasons why girls do not get to continue their education beyond a certain level.

Ibtada has been working with these communities for the past 15-20 years and has been able to positively impact the community's behaviour. The NGO has mobilised the girls and motivated parents to continue their education until they complete class 12th as the first step and graduation at college as the second step. The transport facilities from village to school/college have been arranged, and parents are at peace that the girls have safe travel to school/college. There are expenses involved for fees, books, and stationery for college education, and Ibtada has arranged to pay the fees and other costs to be born by parents. It also conducts empowerment sessions with the girls on communication, negotiation, goal setting, adolescent health etc. It helps girls with continuing their education.

The education of adolescents and young girls has a long-term impact on gender relations and gender lookout in the community. Better educated girls can cope with life challenges, be eligible for employment, and strive for better status in the family and community. They get married at the right age and can exercise choices in life. They take better care of themselves and family. They contribute to family livelihood, children's education and health. The whole effort is to empower girls and women and create a gender-equitable society.

Also Read: Content Creator, Influencer Prajakta Koli Becomes UNDP India's First Youth Climate Champion

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National Girl Child Day: These NGOs Are On A Mission To Make Society Equitable For Girls In India - The Logical Indian

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Stacker.com) On Oct. 21, 1967, 100,000 people came together at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to protest the Vietnam War. Following several speeches, roughly 50% of those gathered walked over to thePentagon where a few hundred people then attempted to levitate the building.

The striking civic protest against the Vietnam War was noteworthy not just for its unusual call to action, but for the new and inventive ways Americans were flexing their right to peaceably assemble. And the Yippies who put on the event inspired countless creative takes on what protest could be, from the Womens Art Movement (WAM) to the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).

The tradition of protesting in the United States is older than the country itself. Weve seen that historic institution in full force with Black Lives Matter protests and, more generally, protests against the storied, systemic racial injustice in the United States. The May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd, a Black man, held under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparked protests across U.S. cities and around the world. The protesters called for justice for Floyd and other Black peoplefrom Breonna Taylor to Elijah McClainwho were killed by police, an end to police brutality, a dismantling of racist systems and symbols (includingmemorials to Confederate soldiers), and a greater investment in communities in need.

Theprotests prompted widespread dialogue about racial injusticeand the political and cultural systems that support it. The four police officers involved in the killing of Floydwere chargedwith crimes related to the incident. The Minneapolis City Council agreed todismantle its police forceand rethink how it approaches public safety. And many politicians promised to adjust police budgets so money gets reallocated to support communities directly through improved housing, education, and mental health programs, especially in communities of color.

To understand where the Black Lives Matter demonstrations fit into this rich history,Stackertook a closer look at some of the most famous American protests. Research came from The New York Times, The Week, Time, and Business Insider; government archives; and information from unions and mission-driven organizations. The demonstrations that have made their mark on history range from the Boston Tea Party and Temperance prayer protests to demonstrations for modern-day issues, like civil rights, climate change, nuclear disarmament, reproductive health concerns, LGBTQ+ equality, and gun control.

Keep reading to learn about the important issues that motivated Americans to protestand the impacts of those actions on our society today.

[Pictured: A portrait taken during The Day Without an Immigrant protest on May 1, 2006.]

A group of Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1688 created the first written protestagainst slavery in the new world, according to the Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust. The group saw the enslavement of others as a contradiction to its religious values and its history of fleeing oppression from the British. Sadly, the petition was not formally accepted by the higher governing bodies of the Quakers, but enslavement was eventually banned within the Quaker community in 1776.

[Pictured: A photograph of the original 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery after restoration in 2007.]

Protesters flooded Griffins Wharf in Boston on a dreary December evening in 1773 to demonstrate against the Tea Act, which gave the British government an effective monopoly on selling tea in the colonies. People dumped hundreds of chests of tea from the British East India Company into the wateran act of defiance against British rule without representation of the colonists who just two years later would fight in the American Revolution.

[Pictured: A Currier and Ives lithograph showing the destruction of tea in the Boston Harbor.]

Enraged by a new duty on whiskey and distilled spirits implemented in 1791, farmers in Pennsylvania and Virginia used violence and acts of intimidation in attempts to stop the collection of the tax. They justified their tactics with the belief that they were fighting against taxation without representation. President George Washington and his troops headed to the area with the protests to demonstrate the governments authority to enforce laws.

[Pictured: A painting attributed to Frederick Kemmelmeyer and titled, The Whisky Rebellion, depicts George Washington and troops near Fort Cumberland, Maryland.]

4 / 49Bettmann // Getty Images

A group of feminists on July 19, 1848, hosted thefirst womens rights conventionin the United States: the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Around 300 people assembled to protest the governments unequal treatment of women and to call for women to be granted all the rights and freedoms outlined in the Declaration of Independence. The convention gave the womens rights movement the momentum it needed to pursue suffrage.

[Pictured: An illustration of Elizabeth Cady Stanton speaking at the Seneca Falls Convention.]

5 / 49DEA/BIBLIOTECA AMBROSIANA // Getty Images

Violent demonstrations erupted in Lower Manhattan from July 1316, 1863, in response to a decision by Congress to draft men into the Civil War. The protests quickly devolved into a race riot as white protestors (comprised largely of Irish immigrants) began attacking Black peoplemany of whom ended up permanently moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

[Pictured: An illustration shows the Provost Marshals office burning during the draft riots in New York City on Aug. 8, 1863.]

6 / 49S.B. Morton // Library of Congress

The Womens Crusade was a religious, anti-alcohol group. Members of the group protested the sale of alcohol through picketing, marching, and public praying outside of saloons in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and Michigan in 1874. The group was the predecessor to the Womens Christian Temperance Union, which helped pave the way for Prohibition a few decades later.

[Pictured: An 1874 illustration depicts women in Logan, Ohio, singing hymns to aid the temperance movement.]

7 / 49Kheel Center // Wikimedia Commons

Labor rights activists mounted parades to draw attention to dangerous workplace conditions and mourn the victims of a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that killed 146 garment workers in New York City on April 5, 1911. Legislation was passed a few years later toincrease workplace safetyand allow people to work fewer hours.

[Pictured: Mourners picket after the Triangle fire in 1911.]

8 / 49Paul Thompson/Topical Press Agency // Getty Images

An estimated5,0008,000 protestersgathered to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., ahead of President Woodrow Wilsons inauguration in 1913 to call for womens suffrage. People in opposition to the protest assaulted many of the demonstrators, sparking public outrage that ultimately helped increase support for womens right to vote. It was one of manyprotests for the womens suffrage movement that decade. The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was finally passed in 1920.

[Pictured: Women lead the Manhattan Delegation on a Woman Suffrage Party parade through New York City in 1915.]

9 / 49U.S. Army // Wikimedia Commons

Around20,000 veteransand their families assembled in Washington D.C., in June 1932 in anticipation of the passage of a bill that would allow former military members to cash in certificates for $1,000 bonuses early, in the midst of the Great Depression. The bill failed in the Senate, and shortly after, the U.S. Army used gas, bayonets, and other weapons to destroy the camp and chase out the protesters. The act of violence caused public outrage aimed largely at President Herbert Hoover.

[Pictured: Bonus Army marchers struggle with police.]

10 / 49Associated Press // Wikimedia Commons

After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, the Black community in Montgomery, Alabama, banded together to boycott the city bus system in December 1955. The boycott lasted more than a year, only ending once a court order forced the Montgomery buses to integrate. The protests thrust Martin Luther King Jr. into a major leadership role of the civil rights movement.

[Pictured: Rosa Parks after being arrested on Feb. 22, 1956, during the Montgomery bus boycott.]

11 / 49State Archives of North Carolina // Wikimedia Commons

On Feb. 1, 1960, a group of young African American students protested racial segregation by staging a sit-in at aWoolworths lunch counterin Greensboro, North Carolina. They refused to give up their seats, despite being denied service because they were Black, and even returned the following day with a larger group of protesters. The sit-ins at restaurants popped up in 55 other cities by late March and lasted through July 25 of that year. The protests led to Woolworth Department Stores ending segregation at its southern locations.

[Pictured: Civil rights protesters at a Durham, North Carolina, sit-in dated Feb. 10, 1960.]

12 / 49Marion S. Trikosko // Library of Congress

More than 200,000 protesters gathered for a peaceful demonstration outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to call for racial equality in August 1963. There, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now-iconic I Have a Dream speech. The protest putpressure on President John F. Kennedyto push forward civil rights policies. It also helped get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed.

[Pictured: Looking out on a sea of signs during the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963.]

13 / 49William Lovelace/Express // Getty Images

Thousands of peaceful activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. trekked from Selma, Alabama, to the states capital of Montgomery in March 1965 to call for an end to the suppression of Black voters.Protesters were met with violencefrom white supremacist groups and local authorities throughout the five-day, 54-mile journey. President Lyndon B. Johnson would sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965 just a few months later.

[Pictured: Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Loretta Scott King lead the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, on March 30, 1965.]

14 / 49Warren K. Leffler // Library of Congress

A wave of civil unrest swept through the nation after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, with the largest riots occurring in Washington D.C., Chicago, and Baltimore. The National Guard and federal troops were called in tostop many of the riots, which left 43 dead and thousands arrested. The riots helped revive a bill for federal fair housing and get the legislation passed in Congress.

[Pictured: A soldier stands in front of the ruins of buildings destroyed during the uprisings in Washington D.C. on April 8, 1968.]

15 / 49Bev Grant // Getty Images

Around 400 second-wave feminists organized a protest of the Miss America pageant near New Jerseys Atlantic City Convention Center on Sept. 7, 1968. They wanted to speak out against theludicrous beauty standardswomen were supposed to adhere to, according to Megan Gibson of Time. The protesters tossed bras and other symbols of oppression into a trash can, which was never set on fire, but still gave birth to the myth of the bra-burning feminist.

[Pictured: Demonstrators protest the Miss America beauty pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.]

16 / 49Peter Keegan/Authenticated News // Getty Images

On June 28, 1969, New York City police conducted a raid on a gay bar called theStonewall Inn. Spontaneous and violent protests and riots occurred immediately after the raid and continued for the next six days. The unrest ignited the gay rights movement around the world.

[Pictured: A group marches up Sixth Avenue during the annual Gay Pride parade in New York City, June 29, 1975.]

17 / 49Garth Eliassen // Getty Images

The streets of Washington D.C., were flooded with more than half a million demonstrators calling for the end of the Vietnam War in November 1969. The protest was part of astring of ralliesthat erupted across the world that year. The war wouldnt end for another six years.

[Pictured: View of demonstrators during the Moratorium March On Washington to protest the war in Vietnam on Nov. 15, 1969.]

18 / 49Walter Leporati // Getty Images

A group of around 100 feministsstaged an 11-hour sit-inat the offices of Ladies Home Journal on March 18, 1970. The protesters called for the magazine to hire women to fill editorial staff roles, including editor-in-chief, commission women writers for columns, increase employment of women of color, and raise womens salaries, among other demands. The protest resulted in the company agreeing to let the feminists create part of an issue of the magazine, and eventually hiring only women editors-in-chief starting in 1973.

[Pictured: Three demonstrators during the Womens Strike for Equality in New York City on Aug. 26, 1970.]

19 / 49Howard Ruffner // Getty Images

Around3,000 peoplegathered for an anti-war rally on the Commons of Kent State University on May 4, 1970. Ohio National Guardsman, who had been called to the campus after protesters and local police had a violent confrontation the week before, fired at the protesters, killing four and injuring another nine people. The shootings triggered student strikes nationwide and began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration, according to Jerry M. Lewis and Thomas R. Hensley of Kent State University.

[Pictured: View of students at an anti-war demonstration at Kent State University in Ohio on May 4, 1970.]

20 / 49Bettmann // Getty Images

Anti-abortion protesters gathered in Washington D.C., for the first March for Life rally on Jan. 22, 1974. While it was initially intended as a one-time event aimed at pressuring the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the March for Life became an annual event continuing today. In 2020, President Donald Trump spoke at the March for Life, making him the first president to do so.

[Pictured: Anti-abortion demonstrators pass the Washington Monument on their way to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 22, 1979.]

21 / 49Spencer Grant // Getty Images

Take Back The Night events began in Belgium and England in the 1960s to draw awareness to the issue of women feeling unsafe walking on streets alone at night. The movement hit the United States in 1973 at the University of Southern Florida, whenwomen dressed in black sheetsand paraded through the campus while holding broomsticks, demanding that the school open a womens center. Take Back The Night protests now occur annually in communities around the world as part of an effort to end sexual violence.

[Pictured: Participants hold a banner for Take Back The Night in Boston 1978.]

22 / 49Warren K. Leffler // Library of Congress

The National Organization for Women staged a series of marches and protests in Illinois beginning in May 1976 protesting the states resistance to ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The first demonstration drew about 16,000 people to Springfield, Illinois, while a record90,000 peopleattended another march in Chicago on Mothers Day 1980. Illinois eventuallyratified the ERAin 2018.

[Pictured: Womens Equal Rights parade in Washington D.C. on Aug. 26, 1977.]

23 / 49Mark Reinstein // Corbis via Getty Images

After attempting to organize a march for LGBT rights since 1973, activists finally made it happen with the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 14, 1979. The event attracted up to 125,000 members and allies of the LGBT community and urged Congress to pass protective civil rights legislation. It helped make the gay rights movement a national issue.

[Pictured: Attendees gather around the Washington Monument at the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.]

24 / 49Bettmann // Getty Images

Around260,000 peopletook to the streets of Washington D.C., on Sept. 19, 1981, for the Solidarity Day march against union-busting. The protest was sparked after President Ronald Reagan fired more than 12,000 air traffic controllers who had been striking for increased workplace safety and higher wages.

[Pictured: Marchers, including Washington Mayor Marion Barry, Lane Kirkland, president of AFL-CIO, Vernon Jordan, and Coretta Scott King, head down Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. on Sept. 19, 1981.]

25 / 49PL Gould/IMAGES // Getty Images

An estimated1 million protestersgathered in New York Citys Central Park on June 12, 1982, to protest nuclear weapons. The event was intended to show widespread support for nuclear disarmament ahead of the United Nations Second Special Session on Disarmament.

[Pictured: A crowd participates in a peace rally in Manhattans Central Park in 1982.]

26 / 49Allan Tannenbaum // Getty Images

The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament was a cross-country walk organized to raise awareness for the growing threat of nuclear proliferation. Around400 peoplecompleted the 3,600-mile, eight-month journey from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. It ended with the marchers and thousands of supporters singing This Land Is Your Land in unison across from the White House.

[Pictured: The Great Peace March protesters travel across the George Washington Bridge in New York City on Oct. 23, 1986.]

27 / 49LEE SNIDER/PHOTO IMAGES/Corbis via Getty Images

The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, a grassroots organization aimed at ending the AIDS epidemic, got its first national coverage on Oct. 11, 1987, when hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied in Washington D.C. for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The march was just one of many activities held over a series of six days, which also included the first public viewing of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. It is sometimes referred to as The Great March for its historical significance in the gay rights movement.

[Pictured: Marchers participate in the Gay Rights March on Washington D.C. on Oct. 1, 1987.]

28 / 49Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images

The six days of violent demonstrations of the Los Angeles uprising, also called the Los Angeles riots, occurred from April 29 to May 4, 1992, after four Los Angeles police officersthree of whom were whitewere acquitted of the charges related to their brutal beating of Rodney King, a Black man. The National Guard and the U.S. military were called in to help end the unrest throughout Los Angeles.

[Pictured: A crowd amidst the uprising in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, on April 30, 1992.]

An estimated1 million peopleparticipated in the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation at the D.C. Mall on April 25, 1993. The protesters had seven primary demands, including a civil rights bill to end discrimination against members of the LGBT community and increased funding for AIDS research and treatments, among others. The event helped give people of all sexual orientation greater attention from the media and politicians.

[Pictured: A large crowd cheers at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Rights on March 25, 1993.]

30 / 49Porter Gifford/Liaison // Getty Images

In an effort to encourage African American unity and promote family values, between 400,000 and 1.1. million peoplemost of whom were Black mengathered in Washington D.C. for theMillion Man Marchon Oct. 16, 1995. The event featured speeches from Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, and other prominent attendees. A theme throughout the march and events was for Black people to register to vote as a means to gain more political say-so. Following the events, around 1.7 million African American men became registered voters.

[Pictured: Attendees at the Million Man March raise their hands in fists and peace/victory signs Oct. 16, 1995, in Washington DC.]New From Marvel StudiosAd by Disney+See More

31 / 49TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images

Modeled after the Million Man March two years earlier, the Million Woman March involved half a million protesters, largely comprised of Black women, parading on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia on Oct. 25, 1997. The daylong event wasintended to unite African American womenand focus attention on issues that affected their families and communities.

[Pictured: Women cheer during a speakers comments at the Million Woman March on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Oct. 25, 1997, in Philadelphia.]

32 / 49HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images

At least40,000 protestors rallied against globalizationand widening wealth inequality on Nov. 30, 1999, outside the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, which was hosting a World Trade Organization meeting. During the protest, demonstrators smashed Starbucks and Nike store windows around Seattle and police arrested around 600 people. The demonstrations proved disruptive to the WTO delegates meeting.

[Pictured: Demonstrators in the streets of Seattle protest the World Trade Organization summit on Dec. 2, 1999.]

33 / 49Mark Wilson/Newsmakers // Getty Images

Continue reading here:

Famous protests in US history and their impacts - WNCT

An advocacy group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans has written to NBC, the US broadcaster of the Olympics, urging them to include China's oppression in Tibet in their coverage of the Games.

"With just weeks to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics, we trust you plan to roll out the usual coverage. But these will be no ordinary Games. The severe oppression, including of freedom of expression, that the Chinese government inflicts on Tibetans and others under its rule demands equal attention," said the letter by the International Campaign for Tibet.

The Winter Games are scheduled to open on February 4.

"As you are well aware, the Chinese government is one of the most brutal human rights abusers the world has seen in decades.

"Since falsely promising to improve its human rights record ahead of the last Beijing Olympics in 2008, China has cracked down viciously on Tibet, which Freedom House now ranks as the world's least-free country alongside Syria.

"In 2020, the US government also designated China's persecution of the Uyghurs as genocide. The US and other governments have imposed a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics in response to Beijing not abiding by international norms.

"Knowing this, the International Olympic Committee should have had the moral fiber to demand the Chinese government adhere to internationally upheld standards of freedom and human rights to deserve the Games.

"That has not taken place. Now, as the designated broadcaster of the Games, NBC too has an ethical responsibility as a defender of freedom, particularly that of expression, and must go beyond business as usual.

"By airing these Olympics, you are choosing to give China's authoritarian regime a platform to spread its propaganda. Therefore, it's only just that you provide equal time to the victims of China's oppression, who deserve more than to be brushed aside in the name of access and profits," added the letter.

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered in this Himachal Pradesh hill town.

--IANS

vg/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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US broadcaster urged to include Chinas oppression in Tibet in coverage - Business Standard

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) Heartland Community College (HCC) is featuring an exhibit showcasing photographs by 50 Iranian female artists expressing what life is like for women in Iran.

Being a Woman: Iranian Artists Reflection is an installation of dozens of photographs and digital art curated by Shahrbanoo Hamzeh, exhibition coordinator at Heartland Community College, at the Joe McCauley Gallery on HCCs Normal campus. Its her first collection and the first one of its kind at HCC.

You are never enough in my country as a woman, said Hamzeh, who was born and raised in Iran. She came to the United States four years ago to pursue her Master of Fine Arts at Illinois State University.

Hamzeh said she wants to shine a light on the sanctioned oppression of women in Iran. She said they are treated as second-class citizens by the government.

Domestic violence is tolerated to the point of femicide, and its not okay. There is no way for women to get help because the law is against them, she said.

Hamzeh said women in Iran are constantly in survival mode.

Many women in Iran think thats the way it is everywhere, she said. You are fighting to stay alive to survive and you dont know whats happening to you until you leave the situation.

All of the photos were sent digitally and reproduced locally because of censorship by the Iranian regime.

Its another layer of not being safe. Being a woman is a problem by itself but being an artist is not that appreciated either Thats one of the reasons I left my country, Hamzeh said.

Hamzeh said two artists backed out at the last moment so they covered their photos. She said that sends a message of its own.

I think its going to show how much the fear can change the peoples interactions. They decided to self censor themselves, and I think thats how authority can deeply plant fear in peoples minds, she said.

Carol Hahn, associate dean of liberal arts and social sciences at Heartland Community College, said the exhibit was eye-opening, especially as a woman herself.

The reflection of what these women are dealing with kind of helped me think about where I am and where we come from, she said.

Hahn hopes students make that association, too.

So when students come in, it shows them what these womens experiences are, but then they can also make connections between those womens ideas and their own ideas, she said.

Hamzeh said she wants to bring attention to the violence and human rights abuses against women in Iran. She said some people are familiar with the Iranian government, but not the Iranian people.

I want more people to know about our situation. My hope is with enough conversation in the future, the laws will change, she said.

A reception will take place on Monday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. at the Joe McCauley Gallery.

The gallery is located in room 2507 at the Instructional Commons Building (ICB) on HCCs Normal campus.

The exhibit goes through March 4.

Originally posted here:

Art exhibit at Heartland Community College showcases oppressed lives of women in Iran - CIProud.com

Good afternoon, Uphill readers. Todays edition focuses on the upcoming implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This isnt comprehensive, by any meansthere are still a lot of unclear details on what enforcement will look likeand Im particularly interested in covering how smaller businesses are preparing for this, which I didnt get into during this piece. If you or someone you know is going to be working on this in the months ahead, feel free to send me an emailhaley@thedispatch.com. Id love to chat. (I also welcome dog photos.)

Congress overwhelmingly approved a ban on imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang last year, but strong enforcement of the new law depends on how the government navigates an unwieldy set of logistical and political hurdles in the months ahead.

The stakes are high: Countries around the world want to see how implementation of the bill unfolds to determine how to enact their own forced labor prevention measures as China continues its brutal campaign against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.

Chinese authorities are carrying out a genocide in Xinjiang, including arbitrary mass detentions in concentration camps, involuntary abortions and sterilizations, and a sweeping forced labor regime that has permeated supply chains around the globe.

Importing goods made with coerced labor into the United States has been illegal for nearly a century. But in recent years, as Chinas oppression of ethnic minorities has mounted, companies have increasingly been complicit in selling products made with forced labor. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which passed the House 428-1 and without any opposition in the Senate, is intended to address the crisis. The law imposes a new presumption that all goods produced in part or in whole in Xinjiang are tainted with forced labor.

The import ban will go into effect in June. It is expected to affect about $64 million in direct imports from Xinjiang, according to the firm Paul Hastings LLP. An estimated $119 billion in imports from China as a whole could be impacted by enforcement of the measure.

Already corporations are raising fears that it is impossible to comply with the law. The bill previously stalled for more than a year after initial House passage as some major brands quietly lobbied against it. While there are still unanswered questions about how exactly the government will roll out the new rules, and businesses may have to dedicate greater resources to the issue, experts push back on the idea that compliance isnt possible.

Industries had a pretty sizable ramp-up window to be able to think about this, research these connections, identify these issues at scale, said Kit Conklin, the director of global client engagement at Kharon, which helps clients comply with sanctions laws.

Many of the indicators the American government relies on to identify instances of forced labor in Xinjiang have been publicly available since July 2020, when the State Department released a business advisory alerting companies to the risks of sourcing from the region. There are several red flags to look out for, including a lack of transparency regarding ownership and any mentions of education training centers, poverty alleviation efforts, ethnic minority graduates, or vocational training. Another key warning sign is location. Factories near prisons or internment camps are likely to be involved in forced labor practices.

Just because the information is difficult to find does not mean that it is not publicly available, Conklin, a former U.S. government official, said of these warning signs. He added that his team has found tens of thousands of entities that represent risk in the China context alone for this issue."

Products and goods from Xinjiang have a massive footprint in the international marketplace. A 2020 report from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China found that global supply chains are increasingly at risk of being tainted with goods and products made with forced labor from Xinjiang. Goods suspected of being made with forced labor range from electronics and textiles to tomatoes and other food products. Major brands like Nike and Coca-Cola have been implicated in having forced labor from Xinjiang in their supply chains.

But the problem isnt physically limited to Xinjiang.

Researchers from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute estimate that at least 80,000 Uyghurs were moved to other parts of China to work between 2018 and 2019. The report found 27 factories in nine Chinese provinces that had used Uyghur labor transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. The factories in question purported to be in the supply chains of 82 well-known global brands.

The legislation requires a government task force to determine how to target these practices, first by identifying organizations and entities involved in transporting ethnic minorities out of Xinjiang to work. The task force will also release a broad strategy on how the government will implement the forced labor law, as well as detailed enforcement plans for high-risk sectors like cotton and tomatoes.

Businesses will have a chance to weigh in soon, during a mandated public comment period. Customs and Border Protection, which is tasked with carrying out the law, will have to tell Congress what resources it needs to effectively identify and block goods made with forced labor.

Companies will have the option to rebut the presumption of forced labor if they can prove with clear and convincing evidence that their supply chains are not tainted.

The government is expected to issue guidance on the burden of proof to obtain exemptions in the coming months, but one thing is certain: Congress did not intend it to be an easy bar to meet. And lawmakers are in a strong position to make sure the law is rolled out as they want it to be, particularly because the legislation requires Customs and Border Protection to publicly share any exceptions it grants to the import ban, along with the evidence backing such a decision.

Anyone whos looking at whats happening, saying, We have to gear up so that we can rebut this presumption with product made in Xinjiang, I think theyre probably either deluding themselves or just not really aware of whats going on, Frederic Rocafort, an attorney with the international law firm Harris Bricken, told The Dispatch.

Conducting due diligence to root out forced labor practices is notoriously difficult in China, let alone in Xinjiang. Rocafort, who said he has participated in more than 100 audits, most of which were related to intellectual property protection, said there are a number of limitations to the work. Not only are many suppliers hesitant to be transparent, he said, but there can also be language barriers and competence issues among the auditors.

"There are concerns with retaliation, both with the auditors and the persons with whom they talk, Rocafort added. Another issue with audits is that even in the case of the more reputable audit companies, by the time you go down the line to the people who are conducting these audits, in many cases there can be something of a disconnect. The head office might have the intention of acting in an ethical manner, but that doesnt always trickle down to the auditors out in the field. And even if theyre not necessarily on the take or anything like that, theyre going to be concerned. In many cases, these auditors are from the country where they are working, or they live there. Theres a human element to all this.

Audits involve compiling relevant documents, such as factory codes of conduct, personnel records, time cards, and pay stubs.

Auditors also carry out site visits to check if a suppliers purported position in a supply chain makes sense. For instance, Rocafort said, auditors may be told that production is taking place entirely within one facility, so they will check if that adds up given the work being done in that facility. He recounted one instance in which his team discovered a factory was working with a prison nearby, with incarcerated people making its products.

Independent audits are impossible to conduct in Xinjiang, and due diligence remains difficult in other parts of China. The U.S. government has noted reports of auditors being detained or intimidated. In 2020, five audit organizations announced they would withdraw from Xinjiang, as the Chinese governments oppressive conditions in the region made it too difficult to conduct the work.

Any company that thinks that theyre going to audit their way out of this needs to reassess that idea, Rocafort said.

He added that companies are doing less than they should in the areas they can control. That includes drafting internal guidelines, providing training to staff, and modifying supplier contracts to have robust forced labor language.

Companies are, in general, not doing a very good job of protecting themselves, Rocafort said.

Corporate pushback to the new regulationsand the surprise in some quarters that Congress would move so aggressively on the matterunderscores how the forced labor prevention landscape has shifted in the past few years.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, early enforcement of the longstanding broad ban on imports made with forced labor was minimal. Between 1930 and the mid-1980s, per the CRS, there were only eight instances of a product or goods exclusion from importation under the ban.

The United States rules against selling products made with forced labor didnt initially emerge out of particularly humanitarian concerns. Soon after the end of slavery in the United States, lawmakers grew worried about market competition from goods made with prison labor. They banned imports of all products made with convict labor, followed by another law in 1930 expanding the prohibition to forced and indentured labor. But there was an important catch, which explains why enforcement wasnt strong: Congress carved out a broad exemption for products like coffee, tea, and rubber that at the time were not made domestically to the extent necessary to meet American demand.

There was a period of renewed interest in targeting forced labor practices between the mid-1980s and the late 1990s, although it soon tapered off with increased economic collaboration with China. In that period, Customs and Border Protection issued several withhold release orders per year, per the Congressional Research Service. Withhold release orders come after the CBP finds evidence that merchandise from specific areas or entities should be blocked from entering the United States.

From 2000 to 2015, Customs and Border Protection did not issue a single withhold release order. But in 2015, Congress eliminated the consumptive demand exemption, growing the number of products subject to the forced labor prohibition.

Customs and Border Protection soon began blocking more imports in accordance with the law.

According to CBP data, the amount of cargo detained under withhold release orders grew from 6 detainments in fiscal year 2018a combined value of $218,000to 1,469 in fiscal year 2021, worth $486 million.

Companies are able to appeal for release of their products within three months in the event that a shipment is detained, if they have evidence their supply chains are clean.

Penalties for violating the law can sting: In August 2020, CBP collected $575,000 in fines from a stevia producer that imported products made with prison labor in China.

Some industries have had a head start in moving their sourcing out of Xinjiang. The U.S. government banned imports of tomatoes and cotton from Xinjiang, and products made with those goods, a year ago. During the summer, Customs and Border Protection further took aim at solar panel materials from major producers in the region.

But forced labor is pervasive in supply chains, and some brands that have pledged to move their production away from Xinjiang are still connected to the region.

Buzzfeed News Alison Killing and Megha Rajagopalan, who have done excellent work in the past exposing the massive network of factories underpinning Chinas forced labor regime, reported last week that a Guangdong-based subsidiary of a textile company, Esquel Group, sources its cotton from a branch in Xinjiang. Large brands, including Hugo Boss, source from Esquel.

Given the scope of the problem, members of Congress are urging a boost in resources for CBP. In April, a group of House Democrats called for an additional $25 million to empower CBPs forced labor division. The members said the funding would pay for at least 75 employees to work on forced labor prevention.

According to the CRS, before 2016, CBP handled these matters through an informal internal forced labor task force, which sporadically pulled approximately 8-12 staff from other divisions on a temporary basis. The agency has formalized the task force into a division within the office of trade, with 13 full-time positions as of mid-2020. Last summer, Ana Hinojosa, executive director of the CBPs forced labor division, told the Wall Street Journal CBP was in the process of doubling the staff of the division.

Olivia Enos, a senior policy analyst in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, wrote in Forbes last week that dedicating more resources to the division is essential.

This increase would go a long way towards ensuring CBP has the resources it needs to combat rising instances of forced labor abroad, she said.

Given the remarkably strong congressional consensus on combating the Uyghur genocide and forced labor in China, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act likely wont be the last step lawmakers take on the matter. Beyond boosting CBP funding, members of Congress may consider other actions to encourage companies to address forced labor in their global supply chains. Some experts are concerned that some large businesses, in complying with the law, will seek to rid their supply chains of forced labor for the products they sell in the United Statesand not the products destined for international markets with less stringent regulations.

Michael Sobolik, a fellow in Indo-Pacific studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, suggested Congress could look into establishing mandates for federal contracts, grants, and other forms of government funding. Such legislation could require entities to present a plan to scrub globalnot only products for sale in Americasupply chains from forced labor concerns, and after a reasonable amount of time provide clear and convincing evidence they have done so, in order to qualify for some forms of funding.

This dynamicenforcement of UFLPA, and how firms will lobby for loose regulations and/or seek to skirt them after implementationwill become ground-zero in the China human rights space, he said.

The Senate is in this week, despite previously being scheduled to have a recess. Democrats will try to change the chambers rules to allow passage of sweeping voting rights legislationbut they arent expected to have enough support to pull it off. You can read more background in Fridays Uphill, here.

The House is also in this week. Among several other bills, members are expected to consider legislation to automatically enroll eligible veterans in VA health benefits.

A House Homeland Security subcommittee will hold a hearing on the state of Americas seaports tomorrow afternoon. Information and livestream here.

A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee will meet to discuss transatlantic cooperation on supply chain security. (Fellow Trade Talks fans will be thrilled to hear Chad Bown is testifying at this one.) Information and livestream here.

The House select panel on modernizing Congress will meet for a status report on its recommendations Thursday morning. Information and livestream here.

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on voter suppression and threats to democracy Thursday morning. Information and livestream here. A House Homeland Security subcommittee will also meet Thursday for a hearing on protecting democracy against election interference and voter confidence. Information and livestream here.

A House Science, Space, and Technology panel will convene Thursday at 11 a.m. to examine NASAs Artemis program and the goal of exploring Mars. Information and livestream here.

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What's Next for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - The Dispatch

THE SITUATION. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Wednesday, January 19, said he won't enforce National Capital Region's "no vaccination, no ride" policy in his city. Until there's an order from the national government, he said, public utility vehicles here may accept everyone, including the unvaccinated. Meaning, he will follow the national order only when it comes.

But on the "no vaccination, no entry" policy, Mayor Mike embraced the rule in his January 19 executive order banning, among others, the unvaccinated from malls and indoor venues in the city.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, on the same day, said she disapproves of the "no-vaccination, no ride" policy. She also put her foot down on the "no vaccination, no entry" policy implemented by other LGUs like Cebu City, backing her principle with a January 19 memorandum order (3-2022) to all mayors in the Capitol's jurisdiction to refrain from "requiring the presentation of a vaccination card for any educational, employment and other similar government transaction."

WHAT STRIKES THE PUBLIC at once is this: The chief local executives of the two biggest LGUs in Cebu have contrasting beliefs on an important matter -- the vaccination cards -- in the government response to the pandemic. The mayor wants it used to encourage vaccination; the governor sees it as a tool of oppression.

Mayor Mike favors the no vax, no entry rule against the unvaccinated and includes it in his executive order. Guv Gwen disagrees with the no vax, no entry policy and reminds her mayors to avoid it from any government transaction. Mike will implement the no vax, no ride rule once it comes from Manila. Gwen does not like it but doesn't say if she'll disobey a national order to enforce it here.

NO DEFIANCE. Neither LGU leader is defying national government policy, for now.

The governor appears to comply with national policy under Republic Act 11525, which establishes the vaccination program against the coronavirus. She cited the part that says "vaccine cards shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment, and other similar government transaction purposes." Her memo to the mayors echoes that prohibition of the law and doesn't go beyond that.

Notice that Gwen's memo doesn't touch on any ban on private establishments catering to the public. That gives private owners the discretion to impose their own rules, provided none will violate any express government order. Thus, in the 44 towns and six component cities of Cebu, malls and similar businesses may or may not require the vax cards, while in Cebu City, there is an express order from City Hall to require the cards for admission.

NO COLLISION, YET. The governor has expressed her opposition to the no vax, no ride policy, calling it "anti-poor" and repeating once more her belief that vaccination is a matter of choice. "Give that respect to the individual," CNN quoted her Wednesday. Yet it has not come to the point where she is defying the order. There's no order yet. With the confusion in Metro Manila, it may not come soon but when it does, she can make her choice, as she did in that imbroglio last year over airport arrival protocol.

Different rules among the LGUs -- because of different mindsets of their leaders -- but they don't directly clash or collide yet. Still, it is setting up the stage for similar incidents in the earlier part of the coronavirus emergency when rules in Cebu City differed from those in the province. One time, the governor called out an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) official, a councilor, for interfering with Capitol rules at the airport.

TOO SOON TO FORECAST failure of the agreement among Metro Cebu mayors and the governor regarding a united front on the anti-Covid campaign.

Last January 7, Cebu Province and the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu announced they agreed that the anti-Covid policy of entire Cebu should be uniform. The three city mayors met the night before with the mayor and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino and discussed the need for similar guidelines and regulations in dealing with the pandemic. Typhoon Odette increased the urgency of being united so as to speed up rehabilitation and recovery, Guv Gwen stressed.

They started the posture of a "One Cebu" by agreeing on similar border restrictions.

THE LAST WORD. Now the apparent differences of policy seen from the mayor and the governor are still mostly talk. As cited earlier, there is yet no direct and frontal clash. And local policy-making has not yet crossed lines of national fiat. The gap may still be bridged but surely, the posture shaping up does not look like the kind they want to present to their public and the decision makers in central government.

It could bolster the IATF and Palace argument for having the last word over the LGUs in a time of emergency and crisis.

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EXPLAINER: Different mindsets of Mayor Mike, Guv Gwen on using vax cards against the unvaccinated. But could any LGU defy central government policy? -...

India claims to be the biggest democracy in the world. But looking at the recent trends one wonders, whether this claim holds any substance. Since its independence India concocted an image of secular democratic republic as stated in its constitution. But it could not hide the reality from the world for too long. Over the years, the atrocities against the minorities and the oppression against dissent contradicts the Indian claims of democracy and exposed its real face for what it truly is; electoral autocracy.

Democracy pertains to the basic principles of equality, freedom of speech, inclusiveness, and participation of public in decision making in a nation. The death of democracy in India entered into its final stage as the BJP, champion of Hindutva ideology, came in power in 2014. Hindutva, as a matter of ideology considers Hindus superior to other religious communities; considers them as true Indian as opposed to members of other faiths. The basic democratic principles were slammed in India, and a religio-nationalist and fascist movement has taken a national stage. The key target of hate and violence since then have been the Muslims of India which constitute 14% of the population. Not only Muslims but other religious minorities in India were also mistreated and targeted by Hindutva aligned groups since BJP came into power.

Indias democracy has eroded over the years as extremist elements have ingressed in highest echelons of power corridor. The situation has deteriorated to the point where Freedom House has downgraded Indias position as a democracy to Partly Free. Sweden Varieties of Democracy Institute not only classified India as an Electoral Autocracy, it also made to the list of top 10 autocracies. The Economist List also downgraded Indias position in democratic countries ranking from No.35 to No.53. The condition is worsening day by day as the fascist Hindu ideology is on rise.

Since 2014, BJP government supported harassment, unwarranted arrests, and prosecution of activists, journalists, students, academics, and others critics of the government or its policies.

As soon as Modis reign began, dozens of murderous attacks on Muslims by Hindu mob were reported in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP government sided with the murderers in the name of religion while the judiciary stood idly toeing governments policy of appeasement towards Hindu extremists. It shows the reality of secular veil of India where only Hinduism is considered the Holy religion.

Muslims were attacked openly and the authorities accepted this culture as normal. Muslim majority areas were targeted. Even the special constitutional status of IIOJK was revoked in August 2019 as Modi government unilaterally nullified the constitutionally granted semi-autonomy to erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.

Citizen Amendment Bill allows migrants from adjacent countries to apply for Indian citizenship if they dont follow Islam, implying that citizenship in apparently secular India is based on religious identity. Muslims have also been the victims of communal rioting and mob lynching on several occasions. Modis government and its allies constant anti-muslim rhetoric, along with the authorities lack of condemnation, has fueled the idea that such illegal and unconstitutional violence is tacitly supported.

The governments treatment towardspolitical opponents is the major predictor of democratic deterioration in India. Indian state has consistently shown contempt for dissent under Modi, attempting to portray critics of the administration as anti-national. Academics, activists, and journalists who criticize the powers that be, have been targeted by the central government. Authorities recently detained a young student climate activist, Disha Ravi on allegations of sedition for sharing toolkit to create and spread awareness about the farmers protest.

Several alarming political tendencies in the Indian nation have been identified, including the development of a Hindu-majority political brand. The executives overwhelming concentration of authority, as well as the governments crackdown on political dissent and the media. Much of the shift is linked with the prime ministers image, whose electoral appeal is based on his self-acclaimed desire to disrupt politics as usual. Despite multiple scandals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys enormous popularity. His hold on the popular imagination has not lessened, and its repercussions for Indian democracy are immense. Today, India is no less than a scam in the name of democracy where there is no freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of religion and basic rights.

*The author is an economist & independent researcher. She is a graduate of NUST & Quaid-i-Azam University. She served at the Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiative as Young Development Fellow. She can be reached at [emailprotected]

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Unmasking The Autocratic Nature Of Indian Democracy OpEd - Eurasia Review