The European immigration crisis dominated much of the international news cycle this week, with ascendant coverage about continued unrest in the U.S. as new clashes between police and communities erupt. Here’s a look at the developments reporters delivered to our screens this week about the events and conditions impacting minority communities around the world.
Race, Ethnicity & Nationality
- Military deployed as xenophobic violence in South Africa spreads, while communities take an anti-xenophobia stand. (Eyewitness News)
- Nations grapple with how to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of what’s popularly known as the Armenian Genocide: as the Armenian Apostolic Church canonizes the victims, Turkey bristles at the EU‘s “racist” use of the term and the US sidesteps the term in its official statement. Armenians in Turkey are concerned about the controversy. (Reuters, NYT, Al Arabiya, EurasiaNet)
- French government announces policy and program plans to combat nationwide racism and anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment. (NYT)
- Members of Uzbek minority in Kyrgyzstan accuse Kyrgyz state security of unjust targeting. (EurasiaNet)
- Tajik authorities propose bans on parents giving children “foreign” names. (RFE)
- Operation Black Vote revs campaign to secure minority voter participation ahead of May elections in the U.K. as PM Cameron outlines vision for minority inclusion and prosperity. (Haringey Independent, BBC)
- U.S.: Death of black man in police custody in Maryland leads to protest and scrutiny; Google continues to battle lack of workplace diversity; Duke researchers find North Carolina charter schools to be failing in promises of equality. (NYT, Fox News Latino, Business Insider)
- Israel acknowledges the contributions of minority communities to the Israel Defense Force on Memorial Day as the UN renews call to end “administrative detention” of Palestinians. (Times of Israel)
- Violence in Iraq mars the usually joyous new year of ethno-religious Yazidi minority. (Al Jazeera)
Immigrants, Refugees & Displaced Peoples
- EU increases funding to Mediterranean patrols as arrival conditions for immigrants in Greece and Italy continue deteriorating due to recent influx; meanwhile, survivors of the recent Mediterranean tragedy recount pre-departure and in-trip abuse during the trip from Libya towards Italy. (Reuters)
- More than 20 dead after boat carrying Haitian migrants to Turks and Caicos sinks. (RTE)
- The Australian government entices detained immigrants with money and visions of a bright future to resettle in Cambodia, with little success. (Reuters)
- The first quarter of 2015 sees a 28% drop in the number of illegal crossings at the U.S.–Mexico border compared to 2014. (BuzzFeed)
- UNICEF reports around 800,000 children in Nigeria have been displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks. (NYT)
- Internationally backed Trafficking Protocol is doing too little too slowly to stem global human trafficking. (Reuters)
- As violence against foreign workers spreads in South Africa, the official Mozambique statistics agency notes that 40% of migrant labor workers in the country are South African. (Eyewitness News)
- African students studying in China organize vigil in Beijing for massacred Kenyan students. (Global Voices)
Religion & Belief
- Indian government declares recent church vandalism was not concerted effort of majority groups, while Christian groups seek accountability; MP invokes statement about revocation of Muslims’ voting rights. (Reuters, The Hindu)
- Pakistan Law Minister signals minority religious community protection law in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to be enacted soon. (The Express Tribune)
- Saudi students in Australia speak on anti-Islam expressions in the country. (Al Arabiya)
- Jordanian Crown Prince meets with UN council to discuss deterrents to the radicalization of Muslim European youth. (Reuters)
- Rise in Islamic kindergartens filling shortage of Kyrgyzstan‘s state-run pre-school programs, concerning some. (EurasiaNet)
Gender
- Chinese court suspends execution sentence for abused woman who killed husband. (NYT)
- Guyana Health Minister makes disparaging, threatening remarks towards female activist. (News Source)
- Ambivalence on part of Japanese women in push towards full gender inclusivity in workforce. (Global Voices)
Gender & Sexual Identity
- Russian court upholds teacher’s firing following outing by vigilante. (BuzzFeed)
- Chile signs bill legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples into law. (BBC)
- Japanese actress has symbolic wedding ceremony with her same-sex partner in call for marriage equality in Japan. (Japan Times)
Additional
- U.K. Education Secretary promises Conservative government would preserve minority-language A-levels and GSCEs. (Telegraph)