Category: Charitable Organizations

Donors Worldwide Pledge Nearly $200M for Family Planning

Nations and philanthropists pledged close to $200 million Thursday for family planning at an international conference that aimed to make up for the gap left by President Donald Trump’s ban on U.S. funding to groups linked to abortion. In all, 57 nations attended the hastily convened one-day conference in Brussels and the funding drive was boosted by Sweden, Canada and Finland each promising $21 million.

Heritage Foundation Panelists Criticize Pro-trans Bathroom Policies

Members of a Heritage Foundation panel on Thursday sharply criticized efforts to allow transgender people to use bathrooms and other facilities based on their gender identity. Ryan Anderson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, moderated the panel that was titled, “Biology Isn’t Bigotry: Why Sex Matters in the Age of Gender Identity.”

Human Rights Watch wants alleged Myanmar abuses investigated

A human rights group urged Myanmar’s government on Monday to back an independent international investigation into alleged abuses by security forces against members of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, including the reported systematic use of sexual violence. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement that soldiers and Border Guard Police took part in rape, gang rape, invasive body searches and sexual assaults while conducting counter-insurgency operations in the western state of Rakhine from October through mid-December.

Myanmar army and police commanders should be punished for rape of Rohingya, rights group says

Human Rights Watch on Monday called for Myanmar to punish army and police commanders if they allowed troops to rape and sexually assault women and girls of the Rohingya Muslim minority. The New York-based campaign group said it had documented rape, gang rape and other sexual violence against girls as young as 13 in interviews with some of the 69,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar security forces responded to attacks on border posts four months ago.

Utah bill seeks jail time for flying drones near livestock

A Utah lawmaker wants to send people to jail for harassing farm animals with drones, all-terrain vehicles and even dogs through a proposal that’s unique in the U.S. and has gained an unlikely opponent. Republican Rep. Scott Chew, who’s also a rancher, said Tuesday that he introduced the bill because farmers incur significant costs and hardships when livestock are injured.

EU: Orwellian Counter-Terrorism Laws Stripping Rights Under Guise of Defending Them

Sweeping new laws are driving Europe into a deep and dangerous state of permanent securitization, Amnesty International said on the publication of a comprehensive human rights analysis of counter-terrorism measures across 14 EU member states. Dangerously disproportionate: The ever-expanding national security state in Europe reveals how a deluge of laws and amendments passed with break-neck speed, is undermining fundamental freedoms and dismantling hard-won human rights protections.

Urban League of Louisiana annual Holiday Awards Luncheon honors 4 leaders

The Urban League of Louisiana hosted its fourth annual Holiday Awards Luncheon on Dec. 28 to honor four people for their leadership and contributions to New Orleans and the state. Held at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, the party was hosted by former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial , who is now the National Urban League President and CEO, and Urban League of Louisiana President and CEO Erika McConduit .