On March 17, Somalia’s Supreme Court ordered the release of a journalist sentenced to a year in prison for interviewing a woman who claimed to have been raped by Somali government forces. Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim spent more than two months in prison in a case that received international condemnation from organizations like the United Nations and Human Rights Watch and attention from media outlets around the world.

In a world that says that freedom can only come if we preserve ourselves as individuals, I’m always excited when I come across movements that demand freedom through solidarity. When we come together as one, there is an overwhelming hope to achieve a freedom that can only be described as miraculous. On February 14th 2013, that hope and that sense of freedom culminated in one event: One Billion Rising.

In the States, we are disgusted by the idea of human trafficking, so to analyze such a tragedy in impoverished countries is almost unthinkable.

Unfortunately, this problem remains stagnant in Nepal, one of the main sources of child trafficking in south Asia. According to the United Nations Human Development Index, this neighboring country of India is ranked as one of the countries with the lowest human development indicators in the world.

Last October, Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond agreed to a referendum for Scottish independence in autumn of 2014. Scottish citizens ages 16 and above will have the chance to vote for or against Scottish independence, as Cameron removed the option to vote for Scottish inclusion in the United Kingdom with greater autonomy. Ironically, this referendum vote will occur on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, one of the greatest battles during the Scottish Wars of Independence and the climactic battle in Braveheart (thank you, Mel Gibson).

One of the worst droughts that Mexico has ever experienced is leaving millions of people hungry and thirsty, due to a cold snap rendering cropland insufficient.
Although over 2 billion dollars is being authorized for aid, there’s not much that can be accomplished in terms of long-haul relief efforts until rainy season arrives.
And indigenous Mexico will embrace this season with open arms, for the rural, most isolated communities who are already crippled with poverty, are struggling to survive.

Twelve million people in Eastern Africa are facing hunger every day, a number that continues to grow. The United Nations has declared famine in several parts of the Horn of Africa, including areas in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Stemming from a drought, thousands of people have been forced to flee from their homes and seek refuge in neighboring countries. Recently, rain has begun to fall again. What some might think of as relief has actually just added to the misery of those affected.

According to October15.net, the official website of the October 15th, 2011 day of global protest related to Occupy Wall Street, on October 15th, 1,039 events were held in 87 countries around the world. Looking more broadly, according to Occupytogether.org, the main website for all Occupy movements, there are currently 2,301 cities hosting Occupy Together events worldwide, including Occupy New Orleans and a smaller community in Slidell.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the twin towers, there was shock and horror. In the not-so-immediate aftermath, there was a lot of sweeping rhetoric about the “post-9/11 world.” These grand statements were somewhat understandable. The world, or at least America’s relationship with the world, changed after 9/11.