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Human Rights Today: 2/6/09

by John Richardson on February 6, 2009

Today’s update of human rights events around the world.

US: Advocacy Groups Fear New Wave of Homeless

Homeless man near railHomeless advocates in the United States say if the new Congress and the Barack Obama administration do nothing, many more low-income people already teetering on the brink could end up living on the streets over the next two years.  IPS

UZBEKISTAN: Abducted Refugee on Trial

Uzbekistan flagAn Uzbek refugee who was abducted last year in Kyrgyzstan is now believed to be on trial in Uzbekistan, Human Rights Watch said today. Haiatjon Juraboev is among more than a dozen refugees forcibly returned to Uzbekistan from Kyrgyzstan since 2005.  Human Rights Watch

GAZA: Israel Defends Gazan Deaths

gaza3 300x203 Human Rights Today: 2/6/09The Israeli military has defended the actions of its troops in an incident last month that resulted in the deaths of three daughters of a Palestinian doctor in Gaza.  Common Dreams

WEST AFRICA: Female Genital Mutilation Knows No Borders

West African womanLaws against female genital mutilation are driving the practice underground and across borders, says UNIFEM. A study released in 2008 looked at the flow of girls traveling to be excised between Burkina Faso and its neighbours Mali, Niger, Ghana and Cote d’ Ivoire. Except Mali, all four countries in the study have laws against female genital mutilation (FGM), although enforcement varies widely.  IPS

MALAYSIA: Custodial Death Revives Calls For Police Reforms

Malaysan flagThe death of a youth in police custody and the torture of another in a police lockup, in recent weeks, have shocked Malaysians and revived calls for an oversight body – proposed in 2006 by a royal commission but unimplemented because of opposition from senior officers in the command.  IPS

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TV Recycling Report Card Gives High Marks to Sony, but Flunks JVC, Philips, Vizio and More

by Erika Yost on January 11, 2009

images1 TV Recycling Report Card Gives High Marks to Sony, but Flunks JVC, Philips, Vizio and MoreElectronic waste, or e-waste, dumping in developing countries such as Ghana reflects the worst of our “throw-away” society and our willingness to push our problems off on others. To read more about Ghana, please read this August 2008 article from The Ghanaian Times: ‘Stop Electronic Waste Dumping in Ghana!’

What are companies that produce TVs doing to protect people and planet? In 2001 the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a national coalition of non-profit groups promoting green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry, was established to study this and other questions. Take Back My TV is a campaign of the Coalition and in November 2008 the group started issuing a TV Takeback Report Card.

Here are the results on a scale of A through F:

A – None of the companies achieved this grade

B – Sony received a B-. “Sony was the first TV company to launch a national takeback program. They need a lot more collection sites to be convenient in many states, but we applaud Sony for its leadership on TV takeback.”

C – Samsung, LG, Wal-mart “LG and Samsung have national takeback programs. Wal-mart has recently partnered with Samsung to take back Wal-mart’s house branded TVs.”

D – Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Best Buy “These manufacturers partner together in recycling under their MRM company. MRM has just started expanding beyond states which require recycling. Best Buy’s rating is for taking back its house brand TVs.”

F – Funai, Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Philips, Thomson, Vizio, Target, Sanyo “These companies have no voluntary takeback programs at all.”

Here is more about this initiative from the Take Back My TV website:

TV Recycling:  A Slow Start With Digital Conversion Fast Approaching

Is the TV Industry Embracing Recycling?

This is our first TV Takeback Report Card. Only a little over a year ago, no TV company had a national takeback and recycling program, and the digital conversion was fast approaching. While most computer companies have been offering takeback for a few years now, the TV companies had no programs, and were busy lobbying against state laws requiring takeback.

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