January 2010 Archives

中国性工作者网络青岛培训有感

By Zhang Lan and Li Man

From January 14-16, 2010, the Chinese Sex Workers' Network held its second national training workshop for sex work NGOs in Qingdao. The purpose was to help build the capacity of staff at sex work NGOs, as well as targeted training for staff on project management, institution building, project expansion, and so on.

2010年1月14日---16日，中国性工作者网络在青岛举行了全国性工作者机构的第二次培训，这是对机构工作人员的能力建设，同时也有针对性的培训工作人员一些关于项目管理/机构建设/拓展项目/法律问题等等。

By Ricky Gunawan

Up through 2009, Indonesia suffered a tremendous blow from the so-called "judicial mafia", the corrupt network that controls the criminal justice system. Every sector of Indonesia's legal system has been paralyzed by this judicial mafia. It is made up of middlemen who, for a fee, can broker deals between police, prosecutors and judges. In a late response to this dismal situation, in late 2009 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established a task force to "eradicate the judicial mafia in the first 100 days" of his administration.

Last week, the task force conducted a surprise visit to Pondok Bambu Detention Facility, Jakarta. This visit revealed shocking - yet, to those in the know, all too predictable -- findings. Arthalyta Suryani, a high-class criminal convicted of bribery, is imprisoned in luxurious conditions. Her "cell" is an 8x8 meter room with a refrigerator, flat TV with home theatre, air conditioner, and other facilities such as dining tables, maids and a Blackberry. 

by Ami Evangelista Swanepoel

Earlier this week we returned to an area in Santa Lourdes called Purok Matahimik, which means "quiet place". It is also known as "Pulang Lupa" or red earth because of the color of the soil, or simply known as "Dumpsite" because of the community's proximity to the Puerto Princesa landfill. This community is a top runner for where we might begin our services as it is quite isolated and very poor, with high numbers of malnourished children.

By Glenn D. Tiffert

Google's recent revelation that its servers have been attacked by hackers, and that Chinese , US and European human rights activists have been affected, has drawn more attention to internet security. But in fact, any computer plugged into the internet may be probed by automated agents dozens-if not thousands-of times a day.  These agents check a long list of documented and undocumented vulnerabilities, looking for any that exist in your system.  The agents are indiscriminate. 

By Ken Oh

Last Monday, the United Nations issued a statement applauding the United States and the Republic of Korea for lifting travel bans on people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA).  The US ban had been in effect for 22 years, and the South Korean ban had been similarly entrenched.  Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, hailed the parallel policy changes as "a victory for human rights on two sides of the globe".  

January 2010

Happy New Year!

Here's the latest from our new Brooklyn office. Please help spread the word - we're looking for graduate and undergraduate interns for spring and summer 2010. Details all the way down.