Adam Bemma

The 16th edition of the jhr Rights Report brings attention to gender-based violence in Canada and around the world. First, International Crisis Group President/CEO Louise Arbour wrote an editorial in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper calling on Sri Lanka to end gender-based violence against Tamil women. Second, Missing Justice is a Canadian movement calling for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women…

Brièvement, je veux dire que la nouveau film de Phillipe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar, est géniale. J’avais la chance d’aller au cinéma la semaine dernière de voir ce film, est je vous jure que cest la meilleur film canadien cette année. C’est un histoire d’un immigrant et réfugié au Canada, qui veut enseigner des enfants à l’école…

The 15th edition of the jhr Rights Report examines the ICC and chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo‘s case against several high-profile politicians in Kenya and the United Nations-backed trial of Liberia’s Charles Taylor at the Hague. *Rights Report news update* According to a Haitian judge, former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier will not stand trial for human rights abuses committed during his…

The 14th edition of the jhr Rights Report focuses on Burma. After repeated calls by the international community to stop human rights violations, Myanmar’s regime is releasing political prisoners and allowing democracy activists to regroup under the National League for Democracy party banner. *Rights Report news update* Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil was finally released by authorities after spending 10 months in prison for…

The 13th edition of the jhr Rights Report commemorates the sombre anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, 10 years since the opening of Guantanamo Bay prison, and one year of the Egyptian revolution, which brought down dictator Hosni Mubarak. The Rights Report speaks to Dr. Wendy Lai from MSF in Haiti and learns about Aid Still Required, a non-profit continually…

The 12th edition of the jhr Rights Report connects with correspondents in Canada, the U.S. and Middle East to find out about the next phase of the Occupy movement in North America, and about Palestinian youth occupying bus seats to combat segregation. For the social media minute, #jhr Rights Report host @adambemma speaks to regular contributor @damianor about apartheid-era laws returning to South…

A report by jhr Montreal’s Adam Bemma on the fate of Cairo, Egypt’s Tahrir Square. One year since the Arab Spring uprising and protest that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, protesters are still gathering in Cairo’s main square calling for the military to hand over power to a civilian government. Egyptians are preparing to…

Once I arrived in Cairo, Egypt, after a harrowing experience on the bus from the Sinai (I’ll get to that later), I hailed a taxi and said: “Midan Tahrir” to the driver, meaning: “Take me directly to Tahrir Square.” I don’t speak Arabic at all, but have had no problems communicating with Arabs who don’t…

“Forget your logic when you’re in the Middle East, just throw it out the window,” an Australian oil company employee, working in the region. (photo-Israel’s wall separating the town of Bethlehem from Jerusalem). When I first spotted this towering structure on a bus from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, I thought to myself how prison-like it looked.…

After my brief foray into Syria, I passed Homs and crossed the border into Lebanon. A great sense of relief washed over me. However, right at the Syrian exit point, an older Lebanese woman found out I was Canadian and started asking me questions in French about my profession. I didn’t feel comfortable telling her…