Most of the world's cobalt production is extracted in Congo-Kinshasa. Photo: Enough Project. Source: Flickr.
Of: Melanie Alphonse
The extraction of the minerals cobalt and lithium has increased in connection with the demand for electric cars. Several companies are interested in opening mines in northern Sweden, something that risks threatening the Sami right to land and culture. At the same time, multinational mining companies are exploiting child labor and violating human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's largest exporter of cobalt.
February 24, 2022, Interview
An oil spill has caused damage to animals and nature in the Ecuadorian rainforest where Mireya Gualinga and her people Kichwa live. Photo: Mike Gualinga.
Several Swedish AP funds and several large Swedish banks invest in companies that engage in deforestation and violate human rights in various places in the world - something that affects, among other things, the Amazon rainforest and indigenous peoples. "These companies are killing our earth. They are plundering the last help the earth can offer – and that is the forest," says Mireya Gualinga, climate and indigenous activist from the Ecuadorian Amazon.
January 25, 2022, Interview
Democracy is currently facing several setbacks in the world - something that may have hampered the success of the protests in Kazakhstan, according to Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict at Uppsala University. Pictured: Presidential Palace in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan. Photo: Francisco Anzola. Source: Flickr.
Of: Elise Olsson
Poverty, corruption and large economic income gaps - it is not just the shock rise in petrol prices in Kazakhstan that has triggered a violent riot in the country. And even though this type of uprising can be a starting shot for democratization, the weakened democracy in the world can also be an obstacle to the starting shot, says Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict at Uppsala University.
January 18, 2022, Interview
The Spanish seas have a high concentration of so-called hotspots for biodiversity, which makes ecosystems extra vulnerable to external influences. Photo: Furious Germans. Source: Flickr.
Of: Jonna Erdos
Studies show alarming levels of plastic in the deep sea areas around the Spanish coast. New Spanish legislation will be implemented to reduce the use of plastic, but it is criticized for being misdirected and insufficient.
January 7, 2022, FUF-correspondents, Interview
This is what it looks like in the Kaniola gold mine in the South Kivu region of Congo-Kinshasa. An example of very precarious working conditions. Photo: Enough Project. Source: Flickr.
Of: Elin Holm
The mining of metals used in technology often leads to severe human rights violations. In Chinese-owned mines in the Congo, people work in dangerous conditions - in some cases they have been locked up and buried in the mines, according to Richard Mukena, head of human rights at the Afrewatch organization. Olof Björnsson, researcher at Swedwatch, believes that the risks of human rights violations increase together with the extraction of metals.
December 28, 2021, Interview
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva voted in favor of a new human right in the autumn - the right to a healthy environment. Photo: Elma Okic. Source: Flickr.
Of: Ulrika Granlund
The right to a healthy environment was voted through in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on October 8 - and the world now has a new human right. This right strengthens the link between climate and human rights, something that UN experts believe is important as we live in a world with increasing climate-related issues, such as desertification and large-scale oil projects.
December 21, 2021, Interview
After 42 years of dictatorship and ten years of civil war, the popular will for democracy is strong in Libya. Pictured: Election of the Transitional Government Presidential Council at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva, February 5, 2021. Photo: Violaine Martin / UN Geneva. Source: Flickr.
Of: Andreas Klawitter
With the forthcoming presidential election on December 24, Libya, since Gaddafi's fall 10 years ago, is facing a crucial transition phase. Despite successes in holding municipal elections and the fact that the implementation of removing foreign mercenaries has begun, it is still uncertain whether decisive election laws will have time to enter into force on election day.
December 9, 2021, Interview
This summer, protests were held around the world against the actions of the outside world during the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Photo: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona. Source: Unsplash.
Of: Julia Lundén Azzeddine
During the intensive news reporting on the Taliban regime's takeover of Afghanistan this summer, Sweden's aid authority Sida announced that they will end million payments in aid for development projects in the country. - It will destroy development programs concerning education, health and more, says Anders Fänge, Afghanistan expert and board member of the Swedish Afghanistan Committee.
December 8, 2021, Interview
Zambia's peaceful transfer of power in this year's political elections gives hope to other countries on the continent. Photo: Canva.
Of: Linnea Boström
At the end of the summer, presidential elections were held in Zambia. Against expectations, the opposition candidate Hichilema took home the victory and the country became overnight a prime example of a well-functioning, political transition in Africa. - The peaceful transfer of power made me feel very proud to be a Zambian, says Pezo Mateo-Phiri, who works at the Swedish embassy in the capital Lusaka.
December 1, 2021, Interview
Aja Barber is a journalist, stylist and now a writer in sustainable fashion. Photo: Stephen Cunningsworth.
Of: Julia Carlzon
In previous articles from this week, we have read about the fast fashion industry's impact on people and the environment, and how slow fashion is the future. Aja Barber - journalist, stylist and author of the book "Consumed: The Need for Collective Change" - is convinced that all consumers bear a responsibility for the injustices created by the fashion industry.
November 26, 2021, Interview
