by Emily McLaughlin
Bahrain
Bahrain has been lost amongst the stories of Syria, Egypt, Libya and other more dramatic conflicts in the Middle East. Numerous Bahrainis have been detained as prisoners of conscience, solely because they have been protesting the power of the Sunni dynasty. One of the major human rights activists in Bahrain, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, staged a 110- day hunger strike earlier this year for two reasons: to gain his freedom from his unlawful imprisonment, and to call attention to the human rights abuses that are occurring in Bahrain against those advocating for reform. He was force fed for over a month towards the end of his hunger strike, which constitutes torture under international standards. Furthermore, while he has been in custody, his jaw has been broken in four places, and his family has been under threat of sexual abuse. It is pathetic that protests such as these are unable to gain significant media attention. This man is being forced to undergo torture in order to call attention to the pro-democracy demonstrations of his fellow Bahraini, yet little attention has been paid to the struggle and human rights violations these people are facing every single day as they fight for their cause. Clashes between protestors and the police occur nearly every day in Bahrain; however, much of this is lost with the ongoing conflict in Syria as well as the aftermath of the ousting of Mubarak in Egypt. It is deplorable that those showing peaceful resistance are not garnering a great deal of attention, while those that resist through violent means are the ones who have their desires heard.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Stories of conflict in the Congo dominated headlines during the 1990’s. However, since then, other “trendy” stories have taken over the attention that was directed towards the Congo in the past. But conflict in the Congo continues. An interesting facet of this conflict is the role that Rwanda has begun to play in perpetuating it. Government officials from Rwanda played a direct role in the creation of a major rebel group in Congo, named M23. The officials provided weapons and soldiers to M23, as the group is the major opponent to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebels based in the eastern DRC. The rebel group that M23 is fighting against is composed primarily of ethnic Hutus. Members of this group are believed to be direct perpetrators of the genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994. The conflict that persists in the Congo is due to the ethnic division that exists to this day in Rwanda. If the Hutu rebels were not stationed in the Congo, Rwanda would not have any motivation to supply rebel groups, which ensures that the conflict in the Congo will not be resolved. Thus, it is clear that more attention needs to be paid in Rwanda to guarantee the necessary healing surrounding the legacy of the 1994 genocide. Otherwise, interference in the conflicts of other countries will continue.
United States
Lost in the debate over Obama’s Affordable Care Act is a discussion of the numerous benefits the plan will have for women. The conflicting sides of the debate have drawn attention to many of the potential negatives of the law, or possible downfalls. Little attention has been paid to the fact that the law will strive to end gender discrimination in health insurance. Currently, women pay $1 billion more per year for the same health coverage as men, for plans that exclude maternity care in many cases. It is fantastic that, with this Act, gender discrimination has been dealt a significant blow for women across the United States. However, it is an insult to the status of women in the United States that they were being discriminated against in this manner. On average, women are paying 150% more per year than men for the exact same health care coverage. Additionally, many women were denied health coverage due to “pre-existing conditions”, such as having had C-sections or being victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. For a country that is considered advanced, it is shocking that women have been routinely discriminated against for the fact that they have the ability to bear a child. It is about time that subliminal discrimination of thi
Advocating for nonviolent change, the Center for Conflict Studies emphasizes research and practice to better understand conflicts and manage them effectively in order to bring changes to current inequalities and social injustices. Our magazine, Reflections, will be published in annually.
