By Samir Goswami
The Huffington Post - 11/11/2013
For social justice activists, the speed with which news now crosses the
globe creates a tremendous opportunity to respond to human rights issues
as they emerge. We can now find out about and alert the world to abuses
almost as they happen, and people can act immediately to support human
rights defenders and others on the front lines of crises.
However, the sheer number of people who struggle for the most basic
human rights can be overwhelming. Although it is easy to get dismayed,
we must stay heartened that we can make a difference in an individual's
life even from thousands of miles away.
It is vital that activists who are concerned about abuses outside of
their own country continue to fight not just for human rights issues --
but for the individuals behind those issues. The issues that concern us
-- whether violence against women, crackdowns on freedom of expression
or assembly, corporate accountability or LGBTI rights -- are brought to
our attention because of the individuals on the ground who are
courageously, and with much risk, advocating for change in their
community. Individuals such as Mansour Ossanlu, who was imprisoned and
tortured for organizing workers in Iran, Norma Cruz, who is struggling
against gender-based violence in Guatemala, and Jenni Williams, who has
been arrested more than 50 times for fighting for social and political
rights in Zimbabwe.
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