By
Leigh Hartman When governments flout democracy and the rule of law, human rights are in danger. Nowhere is that clearer than in the Russian government’s war against Ukraine, where the troops of President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime have committed widespread atrocities, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said April 12, when announcing the release of the U.S. ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 15 April, 2022 | Topics: Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: Burma, China, civil society, freedom of expression, Russia, Secretary Blinken, Syria, ukraine
Ukrainian Americans continue to express solidarity with family and friends in their native homeland. They worry amid threats of another Russian invasion. “We stand with Ukraine and against Russian aggression against a sovereign nation,” Ihor Diaczun, president of the Illinois Division of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America,
said during a December rally in Chicago. “Our rally rejects the
Russian lies and disinformation .” ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 3 February, 2022 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, international security, Russia, ukraine
By
Amirah Ismail When does democracy start? In America, kids experience democracy as early as the first grade. Through participation in group activities, American students are immersed in
democratic principles like choice, consensus, and freedom of expression from an early age. In elementary schools — or primary schools — teachers and students make decisions at the beginning of the school ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 9 December, 2021 | Topics: Education, History, Human Rights, News | Tags: campus life, civil society, elections, freedom of expression, good governance, social activism
By
Leigh Hartman The United States is stepping up efforts to combat corruption and support honest governance around the world. President Biden, in a
June 3 memorandum , elevated the fight against global corruption to a national security priority. Anti-corruption efforts are one of three pillars of the Summit for Democracy that Biden will host December 9-10. The other two ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 29 September, 2021 | Topics: News, U.S. Agencies | Tags: civil society, corruption, good governance, United Nations, USAID
By
Linda Epstein and Noelani Kirschner In the 20 years since the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks , Americans have gathered on the anniversary to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well as the first responders who put their lives on the line to save victims. Here’s a glimpse at how first responders around the United States ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 11 September, 2021 | Topics: History, News | Tags: civil society, Terrorism, U.S. history
The U.S. government respects the role of civil society organizations in strengthening democracy in Georgia. Today, Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Phil Reeker had lunch with a group of civil society representatives and international partners to discuss the important contributions of these organizations in supporting electoral and judicial reform efforts. He stressed ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 7 June, 2021 | Topics: Ambassador, Key Officials, News, U.S. & Georgia | Tags: civil society, electoral reform, Georgia, judicial reform, Phil Reeker, Philip Reeker
By
Leigh Hartman Russian authorities raided student magazine Doxa on April 14, arresting four editors and ransacking their homes. The students’ alleged crime? Reporting on university administrators’ attempts to intimidate students protesting in support of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksey Navalny. The students’ arrest is the latest in the Kremlin’s ongoing crackdown on free and independent media ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 22 April, 2021 | Topics: Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, freedom of expression, press freedom, Russia
Ever since the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum opened its doors in 1993, its scholars have been educating visitors about the horrors of Nazi Germany’s genocide of European Jews (and other targeted victims) leading up to and during World War II. But the Washington-based museum also has another important mission: helping the general public — as ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 4 February, 2021 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, freedom of religion, social activism, WWII
By
Leigh Hartman For Antony Blinken, America’s new top diplomat, returning to the U.S. Department of State brings the opportunity to continue both professional and family traditions. Blinken, whom the U.S. Senate confirmed as secretary of state January 26, will lead the State Department, where he served during the Clinton and Obama administrations. His career in public ...
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By simonishvilia | 27 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, U.S. elections, U.S. history
By
Leigh Hartman For Antony Blinken, the incoming administration’s pick for America’s top diplomat, returning to the U.S. State Department brings the opportunity to continue both professional and family traditions. If confirmed by the Senate, Blinken would resume a career at the State Department, where he served during the Clinton and Obama administrations. His career in public ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 19 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, U.S. elections, U.S. history
The United States is calling out “egregious violations” of religious freedom worldwide, as many regimes continue to criminalize expressions of religious faith. On December 7, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo designated the governments of Iran, China, North Korea and a half dozen other nations as “countries of particular concern” for engaging in or ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 4 January, 2021 | Topics: Human Rights, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, freedom of religion, Sanctions, Secretary Pompeo
Venezuelans at home and abroad stood up for democracy, rejecting efforts by the illegitimate Maduro regime to exert authoritarian control over the National Assembly elections. The United States congratulated the Venezuelan opposition party — led by legitimate interim President Juan Guaidó — for successfully holding the consulta popular — or “
the people’s referendum ” — from December ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 December, 2020 | Topics: Human Rights, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, elections, good governance, Secretary Pompeo, venezuela
By
Lauren Monsen The
Emancipation Proclamation is arguably one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. Abraham Lincoln himself stated that he considered it to be his greatest legacy. “I never in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper,” he said. “If my name ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 December, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: African Americans, civic equality, civil society, U.S. history
In the 80 years since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his
Four Freedoms speech — citing freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear — the United States has made these democratic principles central to its foreign policy. Today, the United States continues to champion human rights as a critical component of U.S. ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 8 December, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: China, civil society, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, press freedom
By
Leigh Hartman The Chinese Communist Party forces critics and activists to publicly confess to crimes before trial, violating Chinese and international law, rights groups say. In a
recent report to the United Nations (PDF, 1MB), groups including Safeguard Defenders and Human Rights Watch say the CCP forces critics into confessions that are then aired on state-run television, making a mockery of due ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 2 December, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: China, civil society, freedom of expression, press freedom, social activism
Ahead of the unconstitutional and fraudulent
December 6 parliamentary elections in Venezuela, the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro is cracking down on journalists. The Venezuelan constitution protects freedom of expression, forbids censorship and guarantees access to information. However, Venezuela has fallen 31 places since 2014 in the
World Press Freedom Index — ranking 147 out of 180 countries — thanks to Maduro’s attacks ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 24 November, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, corruption, press freedom, venezuela
The illegitimate Maduro regime has used the COVID-19 pandemic to crack down on anyone who doesn’t comply with Maduro, a Human Rights Watch report says. Since mid-March, “Venezuelan authorities have arbitrarily detained and prosecuted dozens of journalists, health care workers, human rights lawyers and political opponents who criticize the government of Nicolás Maduro,”
according to HRW . The organization ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 6 October, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, corruption, freedom of expression, venezuela
Zhang Jialong, a former journalist and anti-censorship activist, faced trial in China in May after criticizing the Chinese government on Twitter. Chinese authorities reportedly charged Zhang with “
picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” He is just the latest victim of the Chinese Communist Party’s continued detention of reporters, lawyers and human rights activists as part of the ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 21 September, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: China, civil society, freedom of expression, press freedom
In September 2001, after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York, the Maasai people of Kenya tried to send 14 cows to the people of America. Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, who had come up with the idea, explained: “To heal a sorrowing heart, give something that is dear to your own.” The cows, sacred ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 9 September, 2020 | Topics: News | Tags: civil society, international cooperation, Terrorism
Iran’s regime continues persecution of human rights defenders (July 20) Protesters, journalists and women who refuse to wear a hijab all risk facing trial in Iran. But many of the lawyers trained to fight for those defendants are already in jail. According to a recent report from the Center for Human Rights in Iran, ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 20 July, 2020 | Topics: Human Rights, News | Tags: civil society, freedom of expression, Iran, social activism, women's empowerment
America’s free press offers diverse views on protests (June 29) The right to a free press is one of America’s most cherished liberties, fostering a wide-ranging discussion among citizens. When demonstrators in U.S. cities protested the May 25 death of George Floyd and other instances of police officers’ use of excessive force, America’s editors ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 29 June, 2020 | Topics: News | Tags: civic equality, civil society, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, press freedom
President Trump orders police reforms (June 25) President Trump has issued an executive order instituting nationwide police reforms to keep communities safe and ensure equal justice and treatment for all Americans. The
Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities mandates that police departments will receive accredited training on de-escalation, use of force and community engagement. Additionally, a database will track police ...
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By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 25 June, 2020 | Topics: Key Documents, Key Officials, News, News from Washington, President of the United States | Tags: civil society, good governance, President Trump
