I recently finished reading “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander. Although I quoted a few facts regarding the racialized nature of our criminal justice system for a recent blog post, I wanted to expand on another topic this book discussed very, very well. Alexander examines the failure…
“I Had to Run Away” is an important and much-needed report by Human Rights Watch on the issue of imprisonment of women for so-called ‘moral crimes’ in Afghanistan. The report, which is quite heartbreaking, provides necessary statistics, data, and information on the lives of Afghan women who attempt to run away from home (usually, due…
Did you know that April is national poetry month? Poetry has always been a big part of my life; growing up, I shuttled back to Hyderabad for summers to spend time with my grandparents, and one on summer, my grandfather handed me the biography of Rabindranath Tagore (amongst many other books about India’s freedom fighters…
An incredible new movement of young people – women and men – in Afghanistan is arising to change the status quo around women’s rights in the country. This movement is called Young Women for Change (YWC), a non-profit consisting of volunteer advocates throughout Afghanistan which was founded in April 2011. YWC was co-founded by Noorjahan Akbar and Anita Haidary,…
A year ago on my birthday, I had just come back from Kabul, Afghanistan, having spent time there working with women lawyers to expand access to justice. The time spent there, albeit all too short, was exhilarating. I had finally found passion – a deep love for something that moved my heart, that made me want…
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the racialized nature of the criminal justice system in our country. In my work, I encounter a lot of police brutality and misconduct cases in Washington D.C. and the unfortunate truth is that police in this country are given an enormous amount of discretion on how to treat everyday people. That…
Today, I have a fun interview with Ryan Schuette and Tara Smith, co-founders of Peace Tree Africa, an NGO that focuses on sustainable development in Cameroon. Ryan and Tara are a delightful couple who are partners not only in their development work, but in love—they recently got engaged on Valentine’s Day on live TV! I first…
Happy Saturday everyone (and St. Patrick’s Day)! Here in the east coast, the weather is beautiful and life is good. Enjoy these links this weekend: Do Farm Workers from Developing Countries Take Jobs from Americans? A good analysis shows the answer is no. VAWA Is Not Enough: Academics Speak Out About VAWA Lubanga Found Guilty by…
Throughout my work with domestic violence survivors, as well as the trainings I’ve participated in on domestic violence issues, one thread weaves through our constant efforts: empowerment. And the truth is that the language we use – subtle as it may be – makes a huge impact. I am of a firm belief that we…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you have seen your Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds blow up with reposts of Invisible Children’s (IC) new viral social media campaign, “Kony 2012,” intended to make Joseph Kony, the rebel leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, infamous worldwide — so that the international community can bring…