China is exploiting children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in its cobalt mines. They’re being forced to work under hazardous conditions to mine the cobalt that powers electronic devices and electric cars. “On the backs of trafficked workers and child labourers, China exploits the vast cobalt resources of the DRC to fuel its Read more
A two-year audit of Facebook’s civil rights record found that the company’s elevation of free expression – especially by politicians – above other values has hurt its progress on other matters like discrimination, elections interference and protecting vulnerable users. Facebook hired former American Civil Liberties Union executive Laura Murphy in May 2018 to assess its Read more
New Zealand’s Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has not question the banning of the graphic video of the shooting at two mosques in Christchurch but they believe other moves go too far. In their recent newsletters and press releases, they say that the wake of terror attacks, governments often consider curtailing a number of civil liberties. “With that Read more
Controversy over a gas pipeline’s proposed route through Pennsylvania has reached a new impasse in the form of a community of nuns and their chapel. The Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who own a strip of the land earmarked for the pipeline, have considered it “sacred ground” for nearly a century. Believing the pipeline Read more
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit againts the US Conference of Catholic Bishops for allegedly being negligent for barring certain treatments or the mention of the treatments such as abortion. The lawsuit was filed in the case of a pregnant woman whose life was at risk from premature labor. The group says Mercy Health Read more
The Catholic diocese of Hong Kong has given qualified approval to acts of civil disobedience in support of ensuring that citizens will be allowed to elect their own political representatives. In a public statement the diocese said that complicated voting rules, which limit the power of people in Hong Kong to choose their representatives, are Read more
A second senior Vatican official has spoken in favour of civil recognition of same-sex unions — but has said they can never be equivalent to marriage. Archbishop Piero Marini, who served for 18 years as Pope John Paul II’s liturgical Master of Ceremonies, said “there are many couples that suffer because their civil rights aren’t Read more
Fifty years ago this week, the great American preacher, Martin Luther King Jr, published a letter explaining his stand on civil disobedience. He was in jail at the time after being arrested for breaking Alabama’s law against mass public demonstrations. Some white clergymen had criticised him for leading illegal marches against segregation – a charge Read more
An ethical fund that was set up to invest in line with Catholic beliefs is to close after its managers lost faith in its ability to attract investors. JPMorgan Asset Management had hoped to attract investors who wanted exposure to investments that would not clash with tenets on issues such as birth control and civil Read more