March 23, 2018 – Bridge Agents

‘Sainthood’ Status of US Police Must Be Challenged for Police Culture to Change

March 23, 2018 Bridge Agents

Chicago (Sputnik) – On Tuesday it was announced that Chicago branch of Black Lives Matter, the Illinois chapter of the ACLU and a coalition of other community groups would be involved in an upcoming consent decree between the Chicago Police Department and the state’s attorney general’s office. The move would give the non-police groups a chance to influence reforms meant to improve the troubled police department by, for example, objecting to initiatives that fail to go far enough or pressuring officials if measures aren’t being followed through, according to reports. “It’s really setting up the community groups as watchdogs…

Clueless Students Engaging in Protests? Chicago High Schoolers Beg to Differ

March 23, 2018 Bridge Agents

Illinois, United States (LRMC) – As student protests continue at high schools across the United States, they’ve been met with responses ranging from liberal support, right wing condemnation, and quite a mix from the left. The reasons why rest in the issue at the forefront of the actions happening nationwide: gun control. But is this the only demand of the students? Regardless, critiques of Democrats attempting to use these kids as political props are well-founded. Democrats attach themselves to any popular social action in order to gain electorally, though the track…

How an indigenous woman left her mark on a tumultuous presidential campaign in Mexico

March 23, 2018 Bridge Agents

Mexico (OpenDemocracy) – “Mexico has been kidnapped by those in power, and with your help we’re going to get her back!” said María de Jesús Patricio at a political rally on 11 February. Her supporters filled the plaza outside the Palacio de Bellas Artes – a historic cultural hub in the heart of Mexico City – to listen to the woman that they hope can bring about a radical change in Mexican society. Marichuy, as Patricio is commonly known, is an indigenous Nahua healer from the state of Jalisco in western…

Urgent action is needed to enforce zero tolerance of sexual exploitation by aid workers

March 23, 2018 Bridge Agents

(Conversation) – A Syrian woman is waiting in line for an aid package, distributed by an international aid worker from the UN. War has left her without access to food, water or clothing, and she needs this aid package to survive until next week. The aid worker tells her she will get her package – in exchange for certain favours. This is an imagined scenario, but the issue of sexual exploitation for aid is real. It is known as “survival sex”. My research shows victims are not currently protected by…