Tag Archives: amnesty international

09Jan/26

The Gated Games: Why the 2026 World Cup is Losing its Soul

January 9, 2026FootballAdvocacy Team, amnesty international, Canada, Dakwar, Daniel, Daniel Noroña, FIFA, FIFA World Cup, Gianni Infantino, In Canadian soccer, Iran, Jamil Dakwar, Mexico, MEXICO CITY, Senegal, TORONTO, Twitter, United States, Watch Minky Worden, Worden, Zurichadmin

Jan. 9, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The World Cup has always been more than a tournament; it is a quadrennial “Global Village” where the world puts aside its borders for ninety minutes at a time. But as we approach the 2026 kickoff, that village is being replaced by a fortress. The United States’ current immigration stance—marked by travel bans for 39 nations and “extreme vetting” for others—is fundamentally altering the spirit of the game. We are moving toward a “Two-Tier World Cup” where your ability to cheer for your national team is determined by the strength of your passport, not the depth of your passion. Continue reading →

09Jan/26

A Divided Pitch: The Rise of “Fortress America” and the Death of the Global Fan

January 9, 2026FootballAdvocacy Team, amnesty international, Atlanta, Border control, Boston, Brazil, Canada, Canadian, Colombia, Dakwar, Dallas, Daniel, Daniel Noroña, FIFA, FIFA World Cup, France, Germany, Guadalajara, Haiti, In Canadian soccer, Iran, Jamil Dakwar, Los Angeles, Mexico, MEXICO CITY, Miami, Monterrey, Norway, Philadelphia, Port-au-Prince, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Seattle, Senegal, South Africa, Tehran, TORONTO, Travel visa, Tunisia, Turkey, Twitter, United Kingdom, United States, Vancouver, Visa Inc., Visa requirements for Indian citizens, Watch Minky Worden, Zurichadmin

Jan. 9, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The intersection of U.S. immigration policy and the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become a major flashpoint. The feasibility of a boycott and the “ruining” of the game are subjects of intense debate among human rights groups, fans, and governing bodies. Football without fans is like a movie without a soundtrack. You can still follow the plot, and the acting (the skill) is still world-class, but you lose the emotional crescendos that make you jump out of your seat. For a World Cup—an event built on the “unity” of humanity—a lack of fans doesn’t just change the score; it changes the soul of the event. Continue reading →

07Dec/23

Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah: The Poet Who Spoke His Truth

December 7, 2023Human Interestamnesty international, Benjamin, Benjamin Zephaniah, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Zephaniahadmin

31May/23

It is not illegal to be LGBTQ

May 31, 2023EconomyAcronyms, amnesty international, Bisexuality, Gender, GLSEN, Human sexuality, Kenya, Lesbianism, LGBT, LGBTQ psychology, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Transgender, Uganda, United Statesadmin

May 31, 2023 /Lifestyle/ –Uganda is a relevant country on the global scale for a number of reasons, including its strategic location in East Africa, its large population, and its natural resources. The country is also a member of the United Nations and the African Union, and it plays an important role in regional security and development.

However, Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ laws have made it a target of international criticism. In 2014, the Ugandan Parliament passed a bill that would have made same-sex sexual activity punishable by life in prison. The bill was met with widespread international condemnation, and it was eventually withdrawn. However, the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws remain in place, and LGBTQ people in Uganda continue to face discrimination and violence. Continue reading →

03Mar/23

ID of 93 million Nigerians at risk in landmark election

March 3, 2023SecurityAbuja, amnesty international, Automatic identification and data capture, Babajide Briggs, Biometrics, Countries, Elections in Nigeria, Electoral fraud, Facial recognition system, Felix Morka, Ghana, Identity document, International organizations, Kenya, Kolawole Oluwadare, Lagos, Learning, Malawi, Matt Mahmoudi, Nigeria, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Samson Itodo, Sierra Leone, Surveillance, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Video surveillance, Voter registration, YIAGA Africa, Yolaadmin

Facial recognition and fingerprints needed to cast votes
Privacy experts fear mass breach of Nigerians’ identity
Aim is to root out widespread electoral fraud

LAGOS – Africa’s biggest electorate votes on Saturday in a poll that experts fear could unleash a mass breach of privacy as Nigerians relinquish reams of personal data to cast their vote.
Continue reading →

27Oct/22

Pegasus: invasive spyware or national security?

October 27, 2022Securityamnesty international, Andrés Manuel Obrador, Apple, Augustín Basave Alanís, Bangkok, Basave, Bill Marczak, Citizen Lab, Computer and network surveillance, David Kaye, Donncha, Espionage, Fred Guterl, India, Indonesia, Mexico, NSO Group, Pegasus, Prague, Ronan Farrow, Samuel Woodhams, Samuel Woodhams Digital, Shalev Hulio, Spain, Spyware, Thailand, Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Statesadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

I’m Samuel Woodhams, a digital rights researcher and journalist based in London.

The saga of the NSO Group’s invasive Pegasus spyware continues, with yet another victim confirmed this month by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and digital rights group, R3D. The organisations said Mexican opposition politician Augustín Basave Alanís was targeted in September 2021, making him the fourth person allegedly hacked during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency. Continue reading →