Human Rights

Olympics Ideals Prove as Fragile as China

by Diane Farsetta — July 30, 2008 - 1:24pm

When China submitted its bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, it promised that journalists would have "complete freedom to report" from the country. However, "sites such as Amnesty International or any search for a site with Tibet in the address could not be opened at the Main Press Center [in Beijing], which will house about 5,000 print journalists when the games open Aug.

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Reuters, July 30, 2008

Public Criticism for Public Strategies

by Diane Farsetta — July 23, 2008 - 3:04pm

Human rights and labor activists protested outside the Washington DC offices of Public Strategies, Inc., claiming that the public relations firm helps the Bridgestone / Firestone Tire Company "deflect attention away from the company's long history of exploiting workers and the environment on its rubber plantation in Liberia." The protest comes shortly after the publication of a

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The Stop Firestone Coalition, July 23, 2008

See You Later, Alligator!

by Anne Landman — July 16, 2008 - 12:15pm

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless plans to hand out free movie tickets, free passes to the Zoo, Denver's Museum of Nature and Science and other cultural attractions to homeless people during the Democratic National Convention August 25-28. They will even provide free bus tickets for the homeless to visit attractions that are beyond walking distance.

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Rocky Mountain News, July 16, 2008

The PR People in the Lost Chapter on Iran / Contra

by Diane Farsetta — July 3, 2008 - 1:16pm

To understand how the Bush administration "could fool tens of millions of Americans, intimidate Democrats, and transform the vaunted Washington press corps from watchdogs to lapdogs," look to the 1980s, suggests Robert Parry.

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Consortiumnews.com, June 30, 2008

Image and Reality in Zimbabwe

by Diane Farsetta — June 25, 2008 - 11:44am

"Horrified directors of global marketing giant Young & Rubicam have begun a sell-off of their holdings in Zimbabwe, after learning the company's head was behind Robert Mugabe's election campaign image makeover," reports Rowan Philp.

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The Times (South Africa), June 25, 2008

The Secret of Marlboro's Success: Freebase Nicotine

by Anne Landman — June 23, 2008 - 4:21pm

Most American cigarette makers, including Philip Morris (PM), have used ammonia in their manufacturing processes for decades, to "puff up" tobacco to increase its volume, highlight certain flavors, help hold together reconstituted tobacco sheet and reduce the amount of

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American Journal of Public Health (sub req'd), July 2008

How Not to Win Friends and Influence People

by Diane Farsetta — June 17, 2008 - 1:53pm

"The U.S. military has long sought an agreement with Baghdad that gives American forces virtually unfettered freedom of action, casting into doubt the Bush administration's current claims that their demands are more limited," concludes the National Security Archive's analysis of recently declassified documents.

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National Security Archive, June 13, 2008

"Bad Apple" Theory Rotting

by Anne Landman — June 17, 2008 - 12:59pm

The Bush administration has long held that overly-aggressive interrogation methods used on detainees in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay were the work of a few "bad apples." Now, an investigation bei

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Washington Post, June 17, 2008

Playing Politics with Refugees

by Diane Farsetta — June 11, 2008 - 5:02pm

Western Sahara -- a North African territory and one of the last remaining official colonies, or non-self governing territories -- is controlled by Morocco. The Polisario Front, a political group of indigenous Sahrawis, wants independence. Tens of thousands of Sahrawis live in Polisario-run refugee camps in Algeria. Recently, "a delegation of six Sahrawi refugees ...

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New York Times, June 4, 2008
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