by Cody Mitchell As Australians digest the findings of a review of their religious freedoms, which was leaked recently, Cody B. Mitchell, 17, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Moree, Australia, writes that all over the world people are being persecuted for their faith. He calls on people who practise their faith freely to stand by those who …
Gay rights campaigners have been celebrating in India, as homosexuality has been decriminalised there. India’s Supreme Court has struck down a 157-year-old law that made gay sex a crime. Weeks earlier, India’s Psychiatric Society had declared that homosexuality was not a psychiatric disorder. Shiboni D’Souza, 23, a Correspondent from Bangalore in India, writes that this all …
A marriage or civil union is usually entered into by two people but Bernard Lim, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Singapore argues that it should be the right of citizens to enter marital arrangements of their choice, whether their unions are monogamous or not. Many people have taken for granted that monogamy should govern every …
Although male circumcision (MC) and female genital mutilation(FGM) both involve the surgical removal of sections of the genitalia, while men benefit from circumcision,girls and women are harmed by FGM. Belema Ekine, 28, a correspondent from Tombia, Rivers State in Nigeria argues that with females suffering so much from FGM, advocacy is crucial to discourage the practice. …
It should be everyone’s responsibility to protect the rights of those around them. However, very few accept this mantle with as much grace as Ashley Komangaapik Rose Cummings. Commonwealth Correspondent Samantha Khan, 26, from Trinidad spoke to the 2019 Commonwealth Youth Awards finalist about her work championing the rights of indigenous communities in Canada. If …
Young people make up more than half of Fiji’s population – but they are mostly excluded from policy formulation and decision-making. Broderick John Mervyn, one of this year’s Commonwealth Youth Awards finalists, is working to change that through his initiative Ignite4Change. Oghenekevwe Oghenechovwen, a 21-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Warri in Nigeria, spoke to Broderick about …
Stay home, stay safe, stay alive. That is the global message as the coronavirus pandemic claims more lives. While many of us can practice social distancing, spare a thought for refugees, forced migrants and displaced persons who have no choice about how and where they live. Bismark Akoto, a 24-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Accra, Ghana …
As one of the countries in Africa hardest hit by the coronavirus, Nigeria is pushing through new health legislation to replace old laws dating back to 1926. Although most citizens understand the need to replace old laws to reflect new health challenges, Omeye Chimaobi Kenechukwu, a 24-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Nigeria, raises concerns about human rights infringements …