What started out as a normal Patriots Day for Massachusetts residents soon transformed into one of horror and fear as hundreds fled from the dual explosions that tore through the jubilant crowds. Now that a week has passed and the city of Boston is no longer paralyzed by one of the most extensive manhunts in U.S. history, the process of healing and retribution may begin in earnest. But now the question becomes: what is to be done with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Nicholas Brigg 13′ explores possible options for pursuing justice and upholding human rights principles.

In April 2011, the French cabinet approved the legislation proposed by Sarkozy that outlawed the veiling from any public place. Despite widespread support of the law, its justifications, buried in rhetoric of gender equality, combatting extremism, and the need for cultural integration, hold little merit, as they specifically target Muslims, and worse generalize Muslim culture based on the extremist actions of a small sect of the population instead of delving deeper into the roots of the problems hindering Muslim-French unity. Jackson Shaad 13′

On Tuesday, Brown’s Ivy Film Festival screened Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony, starring Javier Bardem. Staff writer Felice Feit 14′ critiques the film claiming that while the film educates viewers about the largely ignored Moroccan occupation in The Western Sahara it doesn’t go far enough or take a strong enough stance on human rights issues.

The international community increasingly strives to combat the growing threat of human trafficking. A communication gap often remains, however, between potential victims of trafficking and those who seek to help them. Stacey Vanderhurst, an anthropology PhD candidate at Brown University, researched human trafficking prevention in a women’s shelter in Lagos, Nigeria and focused on the communication tensions within the establishment.

Thanks to extensive research and noticeable changes in weather and storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye to the reality of climate change. Since the Industrial Age spurred the increasing usage of fossil fuels for energy production, the weather has been warming slowly. In fact, since 1880, the temperature of the earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius. Contributed by authors at Learnstuff, the article provides detailed infographic information on climate change and its effects on Earth and its inhabitants.

When the first case of HIV/AIDS was reported in Brazil in 1982, the country was in the midst of a democratic transition. While the disease was initially considered a severe threat to national health, and remained subject to intense stigma and discrimination, Brazil and its National AIDS Program (NAP) have increasingly utilized a rights based approach to disease prevention and treatment. For its adoption of human rights language to frame its national AIDS policy, Brazil is often heralded as a model of a successful response to the epidemic, particularly for countries of low- and middle-income status. Michael Hoffman 15′

Though controversial, the views expressed in the Clash of Civilization by renowned scholar and political scientist Samuel Huntington, reflect a common understanding of Islam. According to this polarizing work, Islam represents not only a backwards and monolithic force pitted against secular democracy, but also a religion hostile towards individual rights, particularly those of women. However, below the surface, Islam, including Sharia Law, contains nuanced doctrines that are often distorted by popular culture and deserve reconsideration. Hannah Loewentheil 14′ examines common misconceptions about the practice of veiling to explore this issue.

  Video by Caroline Sagalchik ’13

Girl Rising portrays the true stories of nine young women from countries
where female education is typically neglected. Prominent writers from the
respective countries adapted the girls’ stories into screenplays, and A-list
Hollywood actors and performers, such as Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and
Alicia Keys, then provided narration. BHRR staff Caroline Sagalchik 13′ and
Sarah Melton 16′ sat down with the executive producer and director Holly Gordon
for an interview.

On February 14, 2013, people around the world joined together in dance, strikes, and marches in honor of One Billion Rising, a campaign to demand the end of violence against women, and rape in particular. Tracing the history of the One Billion Rising movement Aasha Jackson 15′ sheds light on its recent controversy.

Bradley Manning caught worldwide attention when the U.S. government revealed that he was the primary suspect for distributing classified materials to the whistleblowing site Wikileaks. Accused with 22 charges against the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including “aiding the enemy”, a charge for which he could face life imprisonment, Manning has spent more than two years under arrest waiting for his trial. Thaya Uthayaophas 15′ explores the legality and concerns surrounding Manning’s treatment and the issues at hand.

By Madeline Schlissel ’15 One month ago, French troops entered Mali on request of the Malian government. The task was to help the government troops expel the Islamists who have been in control of northern Mali since last spring. Within weeks, the French troops had pushed the Islamist troops out of the major cities of [...]

The downtown area of Tunis in September 2012 did not look like the capital city of a country a year and a half into a revolution. It was calm, and the boulevards and streets were open. Following an attack on the U.S. Embassy, the scene changed. Felice Feit 14′ examines the current political climate in Tunisia following the revolution that marked the beginning of Arab spring and the first of the Arab uprisings in the region.

As China’s economy continues to rumble forward at a staggering pace, the mass proliferation of industrial manufacturing centers and massive consumption of fossil fuels, has led to hazardous air and water pollution levels that threaten not only the health and wellness of its citizens, but also the well-being of our planet. Nicholas Briggs 13′

The first detainees at Guantanamo were picked up in the Windward Passage on their way to the United States from Haiti. Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has a long history of political turmoil. Mara Freilich explores the history of Guantanamo Bay and the lessons that President Obama can learn from Clinton’s Guantanamo.

In 1996 the Unified Communist Party of Nepal, often referred to as the Maoists, attacked the nation’s army in an attempt to overthrow the Nepalese monarchy. Ten years of bloody civil war followed in what came to be known as the “People’s War”. Alexandria Sharpe 14′