Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Wesam Ahmad, Palestinian human rights advocate at Al-Haq NGO in Ramallah, Palestine speaks via video conferencing. One person sits at a table with a laptop across from the large screen showing Wesam Ahmad.

Counterterrorism Off the Rails: Israel’s Declaration of Palestinian Human Rights Groups as “Terrorist” Organizations

Law professors critically analyze Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz's designation of six Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations

Oct. 24, 2021 Eliav Lieblich and Adam Shinar

Afghans watch the arrival of some of the ten-truck Red Cross convoy carrying 120 tonnes of mixed food-stuffs for homeless, on January 8, 1995, in Kabul.

Taliban Governance of NGOs – What to Expect and How to Respond

The last Taliban government imposed restrictions on registration and operation of NGOs. What can we expect from this Taliban government?

Oct. 15, 2021 David Moore

A nurse wearing a face mask tends to a mother and her infant at the therapeutic feeding unit of NGO "Action contre La Faim" in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province.

Aligning Sanctions Laws with Humanitarian Principles: Pre-authorizing Aid in Afghanistan and Other Crises

It's time to flip the presumption - critical humanitarian assistance should continue even when sanctioned actors take over governing.

Sep. 3, 2021 Rachel Alpert

Officials inspect the damaged Karbala airport in the Iraqi shrine city, one of the areas targeted by US military air strikes. March 13, 2020

A Legacy of Unrecognized Harm: DoD’s 2020 Civilian Casualties Report

The Pentagon report appears to defy the congressional requirement to report on civilian casualties “that were confirmed, or reasonably suspected, to have resulted in civilian…

Jun. 7, 2021 Annie Shiel and Chris Woods

International Red Cross and Red Crescent workers keep watch at an airport in the southern city of Aden, the interim seat of the Yemeni government, on October 16, 2020, as the war-torn country began swapping 1,000 prisoners in a complex operation overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Fixing “Material Support” — Lessons from the Houthi Terror Designation

Reversing the Trump administration's disastrous designation was a good first step - but the US must address fundamental flaws in the material support statutes to ensure continued…

Mar. 18, 2021 Paul Carroll

Demonstrators from several environmental groups including Extinction Rebellion and Sunrise Movement demand broad action at a youth-led climate strike near City Hall on December 6, 2019 in New York City. A large banner reads, “Climate Change” but “Climate” is crossed-out and “System” is written in its place to read “System Change.” Youth carry additional signs reading, “Respect your mama” with an Earth symbol; “We cannot say we did not know;” “Hey Exxon, stop burning my future;” “No more excuses;” and more.

How Domestic Civic Movements Could Reshape US Foreign Policy

Nonviolent and inclusive, they can provide the energy, dynamism, and power-shifting ability needed to address the world’s interconnected crises.

Feb. 25, 2021 Maria J. Stephan

Local elderly residents take shelter in the basement of an undisclosed church on October 12, 2020 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. Boxes and blankets are placed in piles on the floor and there are a few chairs and benches on which people sit. A person walks past the camera using a walking cane.

Power Politics Obstructs Protection of Civilians in — and After — the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Five measures that Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with Russia, Turkey, and the international community must take now to improve conditions.

Feb. 2, 2021 Beatrice Godefroy and Julien Théron

Female Israeli and Palestinian members of the "Parents Circle Families Forum" association, an organisation made up of more than 600 families who have seen a family member die in the conflict, destroy a symbolic wall representing the Israeli security barrier that runs through the occupied West Bank, in Beit Jala near the biblical town of Bethlehem, on March 10, 2017.

New Aid for Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding Aims at Issues Underlying Security

The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act provides an unprecedented $250 million over five years for economic and people-to-people projects.

Jan. 29, 2021 David Harary

Left: Hakeem stands near his tent in the settlement for displaced families, where he lives and works with Oxfam and Right: A’eshah with her family having their lunch.

USAID Has Suspended Aid to 80 Percent of Yemenis: An Appalling Abuse of Humanitarian Principles

USAID has suspended most aid for Yemenis living in territory controlled by the Houthi authorities in Sana’a. The suspension blocks $73 million in ongoing assistance and any additional…

Jul. 22, 2020 Scott Paul

Smoke billowing out of buidlings following a coalition air strike in the western al-Daraiya neighbourhood of the embattled northern Syrian city of Raqa on September 5, 2017.

Toward a Consistent and Coherent Ex Gratia Policy for Civilian Casualties

The summer of 2017 was an extended nightmare for the Badrans. Over the course of several weeks, 39 members of Rasha Badran’s family, most of them women and children, were killed…

Jul. 10, 2020 Daphne Eviatar

National Guard Soldiers stand in a line blocking a side street along a Black Lives Matter rally in Boston, MA on June 3, 2020.

National Guard Risks and Recommendations in Public Order Management

Since the tragic murder of George Floyd by police on May 25, more than 20 states have activated National Guard units to support local law enforcement in response to protests…

Jun. 25, 2020 Emilia Pierce and Elizabeth Fray

A team member of MINUSMA stands across from a helicopter in Sobane Da, in the Mopti region in central Mali.

As UN Renews Peacekeeping in Mali, Civilian Protection Requires Ongoing Push for Air Assets

The mission is missing critical military helicopters it needs in several locations to carry out its recently expanded mandate.

Jun. 24, 2020 Seán Smith