Category: Economic Rights

Indigenous Groups Demand Change at COP30

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP, brings together nearly every country annually for a “multilateral decision-making forum on climate change.” Leaders in business, science, governance, and civil society organizations attend to “strengthen global, collective and inclusive climate action.” In the first organized protests at a major climate summit since 2021, thousands of Indigenous activists marched the streets of Belém, Brazil, the site of COP30 in 2025, to demand action on a range of issues. COP30 Executive Director Ana Toni stressed that the protestors had legitimate concerns and that Brazil’s democratic government allows for “different forms of protest.” Protestors travelled from across South America to call for Indigenous representation in the formulation of global climate policy and to spotlight local Indigenous land sovereignty issues.  

Leaders at COP30 climate panel
Leaders discuss climate action at COP30 panel. By: peopleimages.com. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 1782077705

Demand for Demarcation 

Signs at the marches read “demarcation now,” demanding that states, particularly Brazil, transfer legal ownership of land to Indigenous peoples. Brazil’s Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, echoed the protesters’ sentiment, claiming that one goal of COP30 is to ensure that “countries recognise the demarcation of Indigenous lands as climate policy.” Demarcation is more than an issue of sovereignty or law; it is also a strategy for environmental conservation. Indigenous communities tend to their local forests and bodies of water using unique cultural knowledge. Some research suggests that Indigenous caretaking can enhance wildlife biodiversity, decrease deforestation, and mitigate disease. The UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) recognizes that Indigenous cultural practices “[contribute] to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.”  

Amid the encroachment of mining companies and the recent authorization of oil drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River, one Indigenous leader stated, “We want our lands free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners and illegal loggers.” He also said, “We can’t eat money,” critiquing the focus on climate finance at previous COP summits while environmental degradation continues.

Advocates have called for the Brazilian government to abandon the marco temporal legal theory, which holds that only lands allotted to Indigenous peoples during the 1988 adoption of the Brazilian constitution are eligible for demarcation.

In a breakthrough, the Brazilian government announced at COP30 that it would, for the first time since 2018, demarcate ten Indigenous lands. The UNDRIP states that redress, including land repatriation, should be provided to Indigenous peoples whose property was taken without their consent. All 193 UN member states have adopted the UNDRIP, but it is a non-binding declaration, meaning states must decide whether to incorporate its ideals in their national laws. Brazil’s demarcation efforts exemplify the commitments outlined in the UNDRIP.

Violence in Guarani-Kaiowá

The murder of Guarani and Kaiowá Indigenous peoples during the final week of COP30 by private security forces demonstrates the importance of demarcation and protection of Indigenous lands and their peoples. Attacks on the Guarani and Kaiowá communities over land disputes in the state of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil, have an ongoing history. In 2024, the head of UN Human Rights in South America called for land demarcation and a full investigation into these attacks. In the Guarani-Kaiowá struggle to regain sovereignty over their land, which has largely been lost to agribusiness, activists and spokespersons have been targeted by security forces allegedly hired by estate owners.  

Global Witness has tracked murders and disappearances of environmental defenders since 2012, and Indigenous leaders, particularly in Central and South American countries, are overrepresented among the victims of these attacks. According to the report, extractive, land, and agribusiness industries have been linked to these attacks. These attacks underscore the importance of demarcation for Indigenous peoples in South America. 

Indigenous woman walks on a mountainside in Peru.
Indigenous woman walks on a mountainside in Peru. By: sayrhkdsu. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 451597782

Brazil’s Environmental Policy 

Before the conference, the Brazilian government positioned itself as a climate leader, but some have criticized the current administration’s inconsistent attitude toward environmental conservation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has overseen a significant reduction in deforestation, which was ramped up under former President Bolsonaro’s leadership, but some environmental groups have denounced the recent authorization of oil drilling near the Amazon River. The president argues that oil will remain a necessity for years to come and that Brazilians should profit from it. Others point to the Amazon rainforest’s crucial role in storing carbon and reducing global atmospheric greenhouse gases. Some evidence suggests that the Amazon could become a savannah in the coming years as deforestation and drought intensify.  

Like Brazil’s broader environmental policy, recent actions have included successes for Indigenous rights, as well as failures to protect marginalized groups. The country recently undertook the Ywy Ipuranguete, or “Beautiful Land“, initiative, which aims to strengthen Indigenous-led land management efforts across fifteen Indigenous lands, accounting for six million hectares of land. The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund states, “the project focuses on strengthening sustainable territorial management.” When Indigenous communities are given access to collective property rights over land, there is a marked decrease in deforestation in these areas. Experts at a 2019 UN conference highlighted the importance of Indigenous participation in conservation efforts. 

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Brazil is suing the mining company Vale and the Brazilian government for “heavy metal contamination in the bodies of Xikrin Indigenous people.” The company’s nickel mining contaminated the Catete River and Indigenous lands, the lawsuit alleges. A study conducted by the Federal University of Para found nickel levels as high as 2,326% above the safe limit in one woman.  

Aerial view of Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
Aerial view of Amazon rainforest in Brazil. By: Curioso.Photography. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 339931047

COP30 Outcome 

Brazil’s tepid attitude towards climate policy reflects the results of COP30. While $5.5 billion was raised for the Tropical Forests Forever Fund, with 20% going to Indigenous communities, the Conference fell short of an explicit commitment to move away from fossil fuels—despite a warning from scientist Carlos Nobre before the final talks that continuing fossil fuel use beyond 2040 will lead to catastrophic temperature increases, collapsing the Amazon rainforest ecosystem. UN leadership emphasized the significance of a multilateral agreement in an era of geopolitical strife, despite the agreement’s limitations. The COP30 president, André Corrêa do Lago, conceded that “some […] had greater ambitions for some of the issues at hand,” acknowledging the gap between the Indigenous protestors’ demands for a radical change in climate policy and the material commitments made at the Conference. 

In a potent moment of recognition for Indigenous grievances, do Lago held an Indigenous baby before leading a group of protestors to an hours-long discussion. Indigenous participation in COP30 yielded wins for Indigenous communities, even if the global commitments did not go as far as some hoped. 15 governments agreed to support the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, which will “collectively recognise and strengthen 160 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples and local community lands” across tropical forest regions. While progress in the fight for environmental protection and Indigenous rights is staggered, Indigenous protestors made their presence felt at COP30, showing the world that Indigenous participation in environmental conservation matters. 

 

Catcalling Isn’t Just a Safety Issue

  What is Catcalling?

When I was 13 years old, I was helping tear shingles off the roof. It was the middle of the day, so cars were driving up and down the road. One car had the top down and a group of guys were in it. My back was towards them, but I heard whistles and yelps. When I turned around they were already speeding away.

Everyone might have a slightly different definition of catcalling; it can be based on things someone has heard, seen, or experienced. The official definition of catcalling is “a loud, sexually suggestive, threatening or harassing call or remark directed at someone publicly.” This behavior can include sexual comments and remarks, whistles, following someone in public, and even indecent exposure. While anyone can experience it, women have historically been, and continue to be, the main targets.

 In a study done by Colleen O’Leary of Illinois State University, women were interviewed about their experiences with catcalling. Most of them defined catcalling as “a man yelling sexual or derogatory comments towards a woman.” The majority of participants said that it is a verbal and audible gesture, while others said that they would consider things like staring and other suggestive behaviors as catcalling as well. It is important to remember that individual experiences shape your definition, and just because it is different from someone else’s, does not make it wrong.

Impact of Catcalling

For the women experiencing it, catcalling is almost never positive. While most men, when asked, said that it was their way of “complimenting” a woman, the women experiencing these comments did not agree that catcalling felt like a compliment. Catcalling is a form of sexual harassment, the consequences of which are not small or harmless. Girls as young as 11 years old, and even younger, will receive unprompted commentary on their appearances. Exposure to objectification at such a young age can cause feelings of shame, body image issues, anxiety, and vulnerability.

A girl sitting at a school desk staring out to the side, it looks like she is distracted and not paying attention
Caption: Girl distracted in school. By: Seventyfour Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 906974163

By the age of seventeen, 85% of girls claim that they have been sexually harassed. When 5,000 women were asked about their experience, 85% of them said that they choose alternate routes (often longer ones) to get to their destinations to avoid experiencing unwanted attention. Another study of 4,900 women found that more than a third had been late to school or work because of street harassment.

These studies show that catcalling is not innocent. Those who experience sexual harassment can have feelings of absent mindedness and a lack of focus. Research shows that girls who experienced objectification by men perform worse academically, especially in mathematics. Unlike a compliment, which makes someone feel good, this makes girls doubt themselves and diminishes them to “objects”.

Safety Issues

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that all people have the right to life, liberty and security, which includes feeling secure and safe in public spaces. For most women, catcalling can quickly lead to feeling unsafe in an area where they expect to experience catcalling. In a study done by Colleen O’Leary of Illinois State, it is reported that women felt fear when they had to walk alone at night, use public transit, or walk in desolate public spaces like parking garages.

A woman standing at a fenced dimly lit bridge in the dark looking outward before she walks forward.
Caption: Woman walking at night By: Haru Works Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 576642516

Some women have stated that they have cancelled plans and social outings, not because they did not want to go, but in fear of being harassed. The need to avoid catcalling and potential street harassment outweighed the experience they would get when hanging out with their friends. A smaller percentage of women reported that they packed up their things and decided to move towns. Imagine packing up your life and leaving your family, friends, and work behind because you don’t feel safe in the streets of the town you live in.

In a podcast hosted by Ayesha Rascoe, she interviewed a person who came up with an exhibit idea where males would get to experience getting catcalled by other men. Women from the Sacramento region, where this exhibit took place, were asked to send in their stories of being catcalled. Their submissions were then recorded in studios with men reading the submissions out loud. The idea of the exhibit was a dark hallway with a mirror in the middle. This was meant to provide an auditory experience. When men got to the mirror, they would put on headphones that would play a montage of the recorded submissions of catcalls, all while staring at themselves in the mirror.

This exhibit was visited by people all over the world, and both men and women came to experience it. Women who went in came out and stated that they felt validated and seen. Men came out of the exhibit crying and pleading for forgiveness. A lot of them claimed that they had never realized the impact catcalling carried. For most of them this was the first time that they experienced anything like this. And while this was a controlled environment, and there was no imminent danger, it made real situations that much scarier. Walking out of the exhibit, you are unscathed, bothered, but unharmed. The same is not true for real scenarios where women have experienced it.

Economic Issues

As mentioned previously, a research study showed that girls who have experienced objectification tend to perform worse in school, specifically in subjects like math. However, this is not exclusive to a school setting. Women experiencing objectification from the opposite sex, often experience enhanced feelings of self-objectification. Studies have shown that this has consequences of hindering focus and the ability to concentrate. In turn, it leads to inadequate performance in mathematical fields or during times when logical reasoning is required.

A woman looking angry at a man.
Caption: A woman looking angry at a man. By: Drobot Dean Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 94475250

In one study, college girls were left alone in a dressing room for 10 minutes and asked to complete a math test. The only difference is that some girls were wearing swimsuits, while the others wore sweaters. The women who were dressed in swimwear performed poorer on the test compared to those in sweaters. The same study was completed on college males, and there was negligible difference in their test scores regardless of what they were wearing.

This is important because in both studies it is apparent that, when girls experience feelings of sexualization or think that they are in danger of being perceived in sexual contexts, they tend to underperform on daily tasks. This puts them at a disadvantage in both the classroom and in the workplace, which might help explain why the male and female gap in STEM fields remains high.

Conclusion

While there are no legal repercussions that are meant to protect women, or anyone, from catcalling in the US, it is beginning to be recognized as a legitimate form of sexual harassment. In 2022, Britain included catcalling and street sexual harassment as crimes that would hold a two-year jail punishment. By doing this they are aiming to create a safer environment for their citizens.

Additionally, by creating immersive exhibits like the ones in Sacramento, along with protective laws, there is hope that catcalling and street harassment will be a thing of the past. As societies move towards a safer tomorrow, it is important to remember those who have been impacted by this. The more this gets spoken about and the more experiences are shared, the bigger an impact will be created.

Finally, it is important to step in when someone needs help. When witnessing an instance of street harassment or catcalling, statistically, bystanders will not engage because they assume someone else will help. With this mentality, those being affected by catcalling and street harassment are left without help. If you come across this, do not be the one who thinks someone else will step in. If it is safe for you to do so, then calling the police, intervening, or even creating a distraction can make all the difference for someone.

Training to Treatment: AI’s Role in Healthcare Inequities

My first English professor here at UAB centered our composition class entirely around Artificial Intelligence. He provided our groups with articles highlighting the technology’s potential capabilities and limitations, and then he prompted us to discuss how our society should make use of AI as it expands. Though we tended to be hesitant toward AI integration in the arts and service industries, there was a sense of hope and optimism when we discussed its use in healthcare. It makes sense that these students, most of whom were studying to become healthcare professionals or researchers, would look favorably on the idea of AI relieving providers from menial, tedious tasks.

AI’s integration in healthcare does have serious potential to improve services; for example, it’s shown promise in examining stroke patients’ scans, analyzing bone fractures, and detecting diseases early. These successes don’t come without drawbacks, however. As we continue to learn more about the implications of AI use in healthcare, we must take into account potential threats to human rights, including the rights to health and non-discrimination. By addressing the human rights risks of AI integration in healthcare, algorithmic developers and healthcare providers alike can implement changes and create a more rights-oriented system. 

A woman stands in front of a monitor, examining head and spine scans.
Adobe Stock #505903389 Gorodenkoff A woman stands in front of a monitor, examining head and spine scans.

THE INCLUSION OF INEQUALITIES

Artificial Intelligence cannot operate without data; it bases its behaviors and outcomes on the data it is trained on. In healthcare, Artificial Intelligence models rely on input from health data that ranges from images of melanoma to indicators of cardiovascular risk. The AI model uses this data to recognize patterns and make predictions, but these predictions are only as accurate as the data they’re based on. Bias in AI systems can often stem from “flawed data sampling,” which is when sample sizes of certain demographics are overrepresented while those of others, usually marginalized groups, are left out. For example, people of low economic status often don’t participate in clinical trials or data collection, leaving an entire demographic underrepresented in the algorithm. The lack of representation in training data also generally applies for women and non-white patients. When training datasets are imbalanced, AI models may fail to accurately analyze test results or evaluate risks. This has been the case for melanoma diagnoses in Black individuals and cardiovascular risk evaluations in women, where the former model was trained largely on images of white people and the latter on the data of men. Similarly, text-to-speech AI systems can omit voice characteristics of certain races, nationalities, or genders from training data, resulting in inaccurate transcriptions. 

A woman at a computer examines unequal data sets on two sheets of paper.
Adobe Stock #413362622 Source: Andrey Popov A woman at a computer examines unequal data sets on two sheets of paper.

The exclusion of certain groups from training data points us to the fact that AI models often reflect and reproduce already existing human biases and inequalities. Because medical data reflects currently existing healthcare disparities, AI models train themselves in ways that internalize these societal inequalities, resulting in inaccurate risk evaluations, especially for Black, Hispanic, or poor patients. These misdiagnoses and inaccurate evaluations create a feedback loop where an algorithm trained on poor data creates poor healthcare outcomes for marginalized groups, further contributing to healthcare disparities. 

FRAGMENTATION AND HALLUCINATION

Another limitation of the data healthcare AI models are trained on is their fragmented sourcing. Training data is often collected across different sources and systems, ranging from pharmacies to insurance companies to hospitals to fitness tracker records. The lack of consistent, holistic data compromises the accuracy of a model’s predictions and the efficiency of patient diagnosis and treatment. Other research highlights that the majority of patient data used to train algorithms in America comes from only three states, limiting its consideration of geo-locational factors on patient health. Important determinants of health, such as access to nutritious food and transportation, work conditions, and environmental factors, are therefore excluded from how the model diagnoses or evaluates a patient. 

A computer screen shows an AI chatbot, reading "Meet AI Mode"
Adobe Stock #1506537908 Source: Tada Images A computer screen shows an AI chatbot, reading “Meet AI Mode”

When there are gaps in an AI system’s data pool, most generative AI models will fabricate data to fill these gaps, even if this model-created data is not true or accurate. This phenomenon is called “hallucination,” and it poses a serious threat to the accuracy of AI’s patient assessments. Models may generate irrelevant correlations or fabricate data as they attempt to predict patterns and outcomes, resulting in overfitting. Overfitting occurs when models learn too much on the training data alone, putting weight on outliers and meaningless variations in data. This makes models’ analyses inaccurate, as they fail to truly understand patient data and instead manipulate outcomes to match the patterns they were trained on. AI models will easily fabricate patient data to create the outcomes that make the most sense to their algorithms, jeopardizing accurate diagnoses and assessments. Even more concerning, most AI systems fail to provide transparent lines of reasoning for how they came to their conclusions, eliminating the possibility for doctors, nurses, and other professionals to double-check the models’ outputs.

HUMAN RIGHTS EFFECTS

All of this is to say that real patients are complex, and the data that AI is trained on may not accurately represent the full picture of a person’s health. This results in tangible effects on patient care. An AI’s misstep in its analysis of a patient’s health data can result in prescribing the wrong drugs, prioritizing the wrong patients, and even missing anomalies in scans or x-rays. Importantly, since AI bias tends to target already marginalized groups such as Black Americans, poor people, and women, unchecked inaccuracies in AI use within healthcare can pose a human rights violation to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) provisions of health in Article 25 and non-discriminatory entitlement to rights as laid out in Article 2. As stated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights principles must be incorporated to every stage of AI development and implementation. This includes maintaining the right to adequate standard of living and medical care, as highlighted in Article 25, while attempting to address the discrimination that occurs within healthcare. As the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights states, “non-discrimination and equality are fundamental human rights principles,” and they are specifically highlighted in Article 2 of the UDHR. These values must remain at the forefront of AI’s expansion into healthcare, ensuring that current human rights violations are not magnified by a lack of careful regulation.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

To effectively and justly apply Artificial Intelligence to healthcare, human intervention must ensure that fairness and accuracy remain at the center of these models and their applications. First, the developers of these algorithms must ensure that the data used for training is drawn from a diverse pool of individuals, including women, Black people, and other underrepresented groups. Additionally, these models should be developed with fairness in mind and should work to mitigate biases. Transparency should be built into models, allowing providers to trace the thought processes used to create conclusions on diagnoses or treatment choices. These goals can be supported by advocating for AI development teams and healthcare provider clinics that include members of marginalized groups. The inclusion of diverse life experiences, perspectives, and identities can remedy biases both in the algorithms themselves and the medical research and data they are trained on. We must also ensure that healthcare providers are properly educated about how these models operate and how to interpret their outputs. If developers and medical professionals do address these challenges, then Artificial Intelligence technology has immense potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, increase efficiency in analyzing scans and tests, and alleviate healthcare providers of time-consuming, menial tasks. With a dedication to accuracy and human rights, perhaps the integration of Artificial Intelligence into healthcare will meet my English classmates’ optimistic standards and aid them in their future jobs.

 

Clean Energy, Poor Practices: Africa’s Minerals Power Renewables

At the second African Climate Summit, leaders discussed the role of Africa’s critical minerals in climate change and sustainable development. The African Union’s joint statement at the global COP30 climate summit highlighted the continent’s potential to be a climate leader, with its “abundant natural resources, […] young and dynamic workforce, and vast renewable energy potential.” This article examines Africa’s mineral industry, which could be key to the fight against the climate crisis. 

Africa’s Minerals and Renewable Energy 

The world is moving away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, as renewables become the world’s dominant energy source. This is necessary to limit emissions and strive toward climate goals such as the Paris Agreement’s commitment to keeping the global temperature increase under 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, but non-fossil fuel renewable energy alternatives also require the extraction of Earth’s natural resources.  

As countries across the world push forward with the latest energy transition—the shift from traditional energy sources like coal and oil to renewable energy like wind and solar—Africa’s mineral deposits are increasingly critical to supplying the world’s energy. They store much of the world’s “transition minerals,” natural resources used in renewable technologies like lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. At the Africa Climate Summit 2025, the UN Economic Commissioner for Africa warned that there was the potential to “repeat the exploitative patterns of the past,” as the demand for the minerals used in renewable technologies increases. 

The transition mineral industry is fraught with human rights abuses, notably labor rights violations and environmental injustices. Violations of the 23rd article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects workers’ rights to favorable working conditions and living wages, are commonplace. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been at the center of conversations regarding Africa’s mining industry, where conflict, illegal mining operations, and smuggling endanger the people who provide the minerals for the world’s technology. 

Exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre tracked 178 cases of abuse from 2010-2024 in the transition mineral industry; mines in the DRC accounted for over half of these abuses. In a 2023 report, Amnesty International found that “multinational mining companies are forcibly evicting communities from their homes and farmlands in the name of energy transition mining” in the DRC. The exploitation present in the DRC is exacerbated by violent conflict, corporate irresponsibility, and the prevalence of illegal, dangerous operations. 

Miners carry supplies in an African mine
Miners carry supplies in a mine. Rubaya, DRC. By: Erberto Zani. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 1047185175

Conflict Minerals in the DRC 

Key to the conflict between the DRC government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has been control of valuable mines, like Rubaya’s coltan mine. Coltan is an ore that contains tantalum, which is used in the electric car batteries that are key to reducing fossil fuel reliance in transportation. In Rubaya, armed militants patrol impoverished workers, including children, who earn a meager wage to mine and transport coltan. A UN report revealed that a Rwandan exporter purchased coltan that was smuggled by militant groups in the DRC, funding the M23’s deadly offensive in the Eastern DRC. When minerals are used to finance and compound human rights abuses, they are called “conflict minerals.”  

Conflict Minerals in the Corporate Supply Chain 

Tesla, which uses tantalum in their products, outlines a “responsible materials policy” and explicitly states that it has made efforts to “eliminate from [their] value chain any benefits [their] sourcing of these materials may give to armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its adjoining countries.” However, a Global Witness report details how smuggled minerals, like coltan from Rubaya, are sourced from unvalidated mines and “laundered,” ending up in the global supply chain. The report names Tesla as one of the companies potentially profiting from this system. The use of conflict minerals in consumer products is just one facet of the human rights implications of transition minerals. Another important aspect to consider is how these natural resources are obtained. 

Electric cars charging at charging station outdoors at sunset.
Electric cars charging at charging station. By: logoboom. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 484699085

Unregulated Mining: Ramifications of Informal Operations 

Illegal and informal mining operations also put people at risk. Artisanal and small-scale mining sites can expose miners to toxic chemicals like arsenic and cyanide, and the overcrowded conditions produce a high risk of infectious disease, among other dangers. Transition minerals like cobalt are among the resources obtained through artisanal and small-scale mining in the DRC. Harvard researcher Siddarth Kara, in a conversation with NPR, outlines the hazardous conditions, child labor, and corruption embedded in cobalt mining in the DRC. He calls the conditions “modern-day slavery.” 

An Overview of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining 

The transition mineral industry is driving the use of illegal artisanal and small-scale mining operations in Africa. 10 million sub-Saharan Africans are artisanal and small-scale miners. Artisanal and small-scale mining is a diverse practice, mostly carried out by subsistence miners or small-scale industry, and some believe that artisanal and small-scale mining has the potential to provide critical minerals and drive economic development in Africa. However, it is a complex and controversial practice with consequences for labor and environmental rights. 

Artisanal and small-scale mining can be driven by poverty and scarce employment opportunities. Other actors, like Chinese nationals, also participate in the practice, benefiting from what is often an illegal and unregulated system. 

Unregulated artisanal and small-scale mining can threaten environmental health, which has downstream effects on human health. Artisanal and small-scale mining has been linked to water pollution, mercury contamination, and reduced water flow to nearby agriculture. Artisanal mining was responsible for high levels of mercury in crops, water, and the miners themselves in Ghana. Others criticize the practice for driving up the cost of living by displacing local activities like food production, thereby trapping workers in a cycle of poverty. 

Artisanal miner in Mauritania using mercury, a highly toxic chemical, to agglomerate gold
Artisanal miner in Mauritania using mercury, a highly toxic chemical, to agglomerate gold. By: Christophe. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 524805503

An Economically Sustainable and Human-Oriented Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector 

Despite challenges, the artisanal and small-scale mining sector has the potential to drive economic growth and provide a livelihood for millions of Africans. One proposed step toward a more equitable and community-focused artisanal and small-scale mining sector is formalizing the mining process in a way that does not simply issue more licenses but also considers environmental and social responsibility. A “livelihood-oriented formalization” can mean miners have a secure income rather than working for shelter, food, or a small share of profits; implementing worker safety principles can reduce accidents and limit the spread of communicable disease. Formalizing artisanal and small-scale mining should include a comprehensive reconsideration of the current processes, with the well-being of miners at the forefront. 

Corporate and Government Responsibility 

Transition mining involves small-scale operations, but large multinational corporations also play a significant role in determining how minerals are obtained. The role of corporate social responsibility in mitigating human rights abuses is controversial. Companies like Tesla, as mentioned before, have come under fire for being complicit in the sale of conflict minerals, and mining companies expel people from their homes. In recent years, multinational corporations have begun to consider themselves as part of the solution to human rights issues in Africa. Corporations that adopt rigorous due diligence standards can offset some of the failures of fragile governments, such as the DRC, in enforcing industry-wide rules. 

Hope for an Equitable Transition Mineral Industry 

Africa’s critical transition minerals will be vital to replacing fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere and accelerate climate change. With an equitable structure, the mining industry has the potential to bring jobs and capital to Africa; however, the current prevailing model of unregulated and dangerous mines, conflict-sourced minerals, entrenched poverty, and chronic environmental damage is not sustainable or fair to the people who supply some of the world’s most valuable and necessary resources. In recent years, some legal progress has been made; Congolese miners have won cases against cobalt mining companies for wrongful termination, injury compensation, and union representation. Continuing these efforts could bring about a world powered by renewable energy that doesn’t sacrifice miners’ human rights. 

“I Didn’t Know It Had a Name”: Understanding Labor Trafficking — and How to Spot It

AdobeStock_136448884 - Maid changing pillows during housekeepingBy Robert Kneschke
AdobeStock_136448884 – Maid changing pillows during housekeeping By Robert Kneschke

When Rosa* arrived to clean guest rooms at a popular beach hotel, the recruiter’s promises still echoed: “$12 an hour, free housing, and a chance to learn English.” Her temporary work visa had cost thousands in “fees,” which the recruiter said she could repay from her first months of wages. But the free housing was a crowded motel room with six other women. The “fees” kept growing. Her passport was locked in a supervisor’s desk “for safety.” Twelve-hour shifts stretched into sixteen. If she complained, the supervisor reminded her that she “owed” the company and could be sent home in debt, or reported to immigration. Rosa wasn’t chained. She could walk to and from work. Yet every part of her life, documents, debt, threats, and isolation, was controlled.

Rosa didn’t know it had a name. It does: labor trafficking.

What is labor trafficking?

Under U.S. law, labor trafficking (also called forced labor) occurs when someone obtains another person’s labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion. This includes threats of serious harm, schemes, abuse of legal process (for example, threatening deportation), or withholding documents and wages to compel work. 

Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates 27.6 million people are in forced labor on any given day. A 2021 report estimated that 50 million people are in “modern slavery,” which also includes forced marriage.  In 2024, the ILO reported that illegal profits from forced labor in the private economy reached $236 billion annually, a 37% increase over a decade; this is evidence that coercion is lucrative for traffickers and intermediaries. 

AdobeStock_36854977. Black Businessman holding black bag full money. By RODWORKS
AdobeStock_36854977. Businessman holding a bag full of money. By RODWORKS

How does it happen? The “means” traffickers use

The ILO identifies 11 indicators that commonly appear in forced labor situations. You rarely need all 11 to determine risk; one or more strong indicators can be enough to signal danger. These are abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, physical or sexual violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identity documents, withholding wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, and excessive overtime. 

Rosa’s story shows several in practice:

  • Debt bondage via unlawful recruitment fees and deductions.
  • Withholding documents (passport confiscation).
  • Threats and abuse of legal process (“We’ll call immigration”).
  • Excessive overtime and abusive conditions.

These tactics can entrap anyone, citizens and migrants, men and women, adults and youth.

AdobeStock_321877815-1. Man putting smartphone, passport and money into safe. By New Africa
AdobeStock_321877815-1. Man putting smartphone, passport and money into safe. By New Africa

Where labor trafficking shows up (it’s closer than you think)

Contrary to the myth that labor trafficking only happens “somewhere else,” it also occurs in wealthy countries, including the United States, across both hidden and highly visible industries. 

  1. Agriculture, forestry, and food processing: Seasonal, remote worksites and complex contracting chains create risk. Temporary visa programs (such as H-2A for agriculture and H-2B for non-agricultural seasonal work) can be both lifelines and levers for coercion when employers or labor brokers retaliate or threaten to withhold visa renewals. The Hotline data and policy research from Polaris Project detail cases involving wage theft, unsafe housing, and retaliation.
  2. Hospitality, cleaning, and landscaping: Hotels, resorts, commercial cleaning, and landscaping often rely on subcontractors and staffing agencies, which can obscure who is responsible for wages, safety, and housing. The National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified hundreds of potential victims linked to hospitality supply chains.
  3. Construction and manufacturing: Long hours, dangerous sites, and layers of subcontracting elevate the risk of coercion, document retention, and threats. The ILO’s indicators surface repeatedly in these sectors.
  4. Domestic work and caregiving: Workers in private homes can be isolated from the public and regulators, leaving them vulnerable to withheld wages, restricted movement, and threats. The ILO’s global estimates include millions of cases of domestic work under forced labor.
  5. Seafood and global supply chains: Beyond U.S. borders, supply chains can mask the use of forced labor in fishing, seafood processing, apparel, electronics, and more. The U.S. Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor is a sobering catalog, as it lists 204 goods from 82 countries (as of Sept. 5, 2024). Policymakers and purchasers use it to identify high-risk imports and improve due diligence.
AdobeStock_573441418. Exhausted little girl sitting on floor concrete wall background. child labor and exploitation
AdobeStock_573441418.  Exhausted little girl sitting on floor – labor exploitation. By AungMyo

State action and import bans

In recent years, the U.S. has restricted imports tied to forced labor under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and other authorities, adding companies to enforcement lists and blocking imports in sectors such as footwear, aluminum, and seafood. These steps matter because cutting off profits reduces incentives to exploit. 

Common threads: What to watch for

While every case is unique, patterns repeat:

  1. Recruitment fees and debt: Workers are charged unlawful or inflated fees by recruiters. Debts balloon through deductions for housing, equipment, or transport, paid back through labor; the worker can’t freely leave.
  2. Document confiscation: Passports, IDs, or visas are held “for safekeeping,” removing mobility and increasing fear.
  3. Threats and abuse of legal process: Supervisors threaten deportation, blacklisting, or calling the police if workers complain.
  4. Isolation: Workers are transported to remote sites, housed on-site, or told not to speak to neighbors, customers, or inspectors.
  5. Wage theft and excessive overtime: Unpaid overtime, below-minimum wages, or pay withheld until a season ends.
  6. Subcontracting opacity: When multiple entities sit between the worker and the brand, accountability gets murky, and traffickers exploit the gaps.

Who is at risk?

Anyone facing economic hardship, discrimination, or a lack of legal protections can be targeted. Migrant workers, especially those whose visas tie them to a single employer, can be especially vulnerable to coercion. Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline’s analysis shows thousands of victims holding temporary visas at the time of their abuse. 

But vulnerability isn’t limited to migrants. Youth aging out of care, people in debt or homelessness, and disaster-displaced families are at an elevated risk of labor exploitation. Traffickers prey on need, not nationality.

AdobeStock_265465062. Teenage girl with other homeless people receiving food.By New Africa
AdobeStock_265465062. Teenage girl with other homeless people receiving food. By New Africa

How is labor trafficking different from “regular” workplace abuse?

Workplace violations (like unpaid overtime) are serious and enforceable through agencies like the U.S. Department of Labor, but they are not all trafficking. Trafficking involves a compelling mechanism (force, fraud, or coercion) that deprives a worker of a meaningful choice to leave. If you see indicators like debt bondage, document confiscation, or threats of serious harm or deportation, you may be looking at forced labor, which is a crime. 

What progress looks like

Governments, companies, and civil society have tools to reduce risk:

But the profit motive remains powerful, given the staggering $236B in illegal profits stemming from forced labor, so vigilance and reporting are critical. 

AdobeStock_475597494.jpeg. "Ban goods made with forced labor " By AndriiKoval
AdobeStock_475597494.jpeg. “Ban goods made with forced labor ” By AndriiKoval

How you can help (even if you’re not sure it’s trafficking)

You don’t have to decide whether a situation is “definitely” trafficking. If you notice multiple indicators, such as debts used to control, threats, confiscated documents, isolation, abusive conditions, withheld wages, or excessive overtime, say something. Trained specialists can sort out whether it’s a labor law violation, trafficking, or both, and connect people to help.

In the United States

  • National Human Trafficking Hotline – 1-888-373-7888 (24/7), text “BEFREE” (233733), or online report/chat: humantraffickinghotline.org. (The hotline is supported by Health and Human Services and is transitioning operators; the number and channels remain active.)
  • DHS Blue Campaign / ICE HSI Tip Line – To reach federal law enforcement directly about suspected trafficking or smuggling: 1-866-347-2423 or submit an online tip.
  • U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division (WHD) – For wage theft, child labor, or overtime violations that may overlap with trafficking: 1-866-4-US-WAGE (1-866-487-9243) or file a complaint online.
  • OSHA – For unsafe or abusive working conditions posing imminent danger: 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
  • 911 – If someone is in immediate danger.

If you’re an employer or community leader, post these numbers in break rooms, faith centers, and shelters—and ensure reporting won’t trigger retaliation.

Bringing it back to Rosa

One winter night, a guest slipped Rosa a folded flyer with a number and the words: “You have rights.” She called during her only free hour. The advocate didn’t ask her to be certain; they asked about indicators, debt, documents, threats, wages, and hours, and created a safety plan. Law enforcement and labor investigators coordinated with a local nonprofit. Rosa got her passport back, moved into safe housing, recovered wages, and started English classes. She still cleans rooms, but now she does it on her own terms, and she keeps extra copies of that number in her apron pocket.

AdobeStock_239599722.jpeg. Young chambermaid with clean towels in bedroomBy New Africa
AdobeStock_239599722.jpeg. Young chambermaid with clean towels in bedroom By New Africa

If you or someone you know might be experiencing labor trafficking:

You don’t need to be sure. Calling could be the beginning of someone’s freedom.

Unchained hands raised to the sky
AdobeStock_54553304. Formerly tied hands raised to the sky. By Marina

*The name and story used are a representation of labor trafficking victims.

Economy and Exploitation: The AI Industry’s Unjust Labor Practices

I remember when ChatGPT first started gaining popularity. I was a junior in high school, and everyone around me couldn’t stop marveling over its seemingly endless capabilities. The large language model could write essays, answer physics questions, and generate emails out of thin air. It felt to us, sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, like we had discovered magic – a crystal ball that did whatever you told it.

I’m writing this, three years later, to break the news that it is, unfortunately, not magic. Artificial Intelligence (AI) relies on human input at nearly every stage of its preparation and verification. From content moderation to data collection, outwardly automated AI systems require constant human intervention to ensure the algorithm runs smoothly and sensically. This intervention calls for human labor to sift through and manage a given model’s data and performance. But where does this labor come from? And what are the implications of these workers’ invisibility to the public?

Labor Source

On the surface, it appears that Big Tech companies such as OpenAI, Sama, Meta, and Google are bearing the brunt of the labor it takes to develop and operate their AI systems. A closer look reveals that the human labor these AI systems require is distributed across the globe. These massive companies employ subcontractors to hire and manage workers who will perform the countless small, repetitive tasks required. These subcontractors, looking for maximum profit, often hire workers from less developed countries where labor rights are less strictly enforced and wages are not stringently regulated. What does this mean? Cheap, exploitative labor. Those living in poverty, refugee camps, and even prisons have been performing data tasks for subcontractors like Amazon Mechanical Turk and Clickworker. The outsourcing of workers in countries such as India and Kenya by affluent businesses in mostly Western countries seems to perpetuate patterns of exploitation and colonialism and play into global wealth disparities. 

Woman in a chair looking at computer screens
Crowdsourced Woman Monitors Data. Source: Adobe Stock

Wages

On top of the larger systemic implications of wealthier countries’ outsourcing their labor to less affluent countries, the individual workers themselves often suffer human rights abuses regarding wages.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), wage theft is a pressing issue when it comes to crowdworkers; this is due to employers denying wages to anyone who is deemed to have completed their tasks incorrectly. Issues with software and the flagging system can result in employers withholding wages due to completed tasks being labelled as incorrectly done. In the ILO’s survey, only 12 percent of crowdworkers conceded that all of their task fulfillment rejections were justifiable, with the majority claiming that only some of them were warranted. In other instances, pay can take the form of vouchers or gift cards, some of which are deemed invalid upon use. Unexpected money transfer fees and hidden fines can also result in wages being lower than initially expected or promised. 

Woman looking at her phone and credit card in shock.
Woman Looks at Her Wages, Which Are Lower than Expected. Source: Adobe Stock

Even if outsourced workers did always get paid correctly, it usually doesn’t amount to much. According to an ILO survey, the median earnings of microworkers were 2 US dollars an hour. In one specific case in Madagascar, wages were as low as 41 cents an hour. These workers are being paid far less than a livable wage under the excuse that their work is menial and performed task-by-task. The denial of wages and the outsourcing companies’ low pay rates violate ‘equal pay for equal work’ under Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

For some in periphery countries like India and Venezuela, data microwork is people’s only source of income. Its convenience and accessibility are attractive to those who don’t have the resources to apply for typical jobs, but its wages do not pay for the decent standard of living that is outlined in the UDHR in Article 25. As one microworker from Venezuela said in an interview with the BBC, “You will not live very well, but you will eat well.” 

 

Working Conditions

In addition to low wages, crowdworkers often face human rights violations regarding working conditions, and most of them are largely unable to access methods to advocate for better treatment from their employers. For those who classify and filter data, a day at work may include flagging images of graphic content, including murder, child sexual abuse, torture, and incest. This was the case for Kenyans employed by Sama and subsequently OpenAI; workers have testified to having recurring visions of the horrors they’ve seen, describing their tasks as torturous and mentally scarring. Many requests for mental health support are denied or not fulfilled. These experiences make workers vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and emotional numbness.

 

Woman covering her face as she looks at a laptop.
Woman Looks At Disturbing Images as She Monitors Data. Source: Adobe Stock

In one instance, the subcontractor Sama shared the personal data of one crowdworker with Meta, including parts of a non-disclosure agreement and payslips. Other workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk experienced privacy violations like “sensitive information collection, manipulative data aggregation and profiling,” and methods of scamming and phishing. This arbitrary collection and abuse of workers’ private data directly violates Article 12 of the UDHR, which enshrines the protection of privacy as a human right.

The nature of crowdwork is such that individuals work remotely and digitally, granting more power to the contractors over their workers and significantly diminishing microworkers’ capacity to take collective action and compromise with employers for better conditions. This independent contractor relationship between employers and employees has weakened the ability for microworkers to unionize and bargain with their contractors. Employers are able to rate crowdworkers poorly, which often results in the rejection of workers when they attempt to find new tasks to fulfill. There are few ways for workers to review their employers’ performance in a similar way, creating an unjust power imbalance between employer and employee, and various violations of labor rights. The possible convenience of self-employment and remote work comes with surrendering basic workers’ rights, such as “safeguards against termination, minimum wage assurances, paid annual leave, and sickness benefits”. Each of these aspects of microwork denies employees the labor rights outlined in Article 23 of the UDHR, another direct violation of human rights by these outsourcing companies. 

What’s Next?

The first step to addressing the human rights violations that are facing outsourced Artificial Intelligence data microworkers is ensuring their visibility. Dismantling the narrative of Artificial Intelligence models as fully automated systems and raising awareness about the essential roles microworkers play in the preparation and validating of data can help garner public attention. Since many of these crowdworkers are employed abroad, it is also important for advocates to highlight the exploitation that these tech companies and contractors are profiting from. In addition, because these workers have little bargaining power, making their struggles visible and starting dialogue with companies on their behalf can be a crucial step towards ensuring that microworkers have access to their human and privacy rights. While research and policy continues to expand regarding AI’s impact on the labor force, it is essential that academics and lawmakers alike consider the effects on the whole production chain, including low-wage workers abroad, rather than just the middle-class domestic workforce. Finally, it is imperative that big tech businesses and the crowdsourcing companies they contract with are held publicly accountable for their practices and policies when it comes to wages, payment methods, mental health resources, working conditions, and unionization. These initiatives can begin only once the public becomes aware of the exploitation of these invisible workers. So, the next time someone throws a prompt at ChatGPT, start a conversation about how reliant AI is on human labor. Only then can we start to grant visibility to microworkers and work towards change.

Access to Reproductive Health Care as an Economic Multiplier

In June 2022, I had just graduated high school when Roe v Wade was overturned, and it was impossible not to react to the news. This illustrates how one of the most controversial topics in the U.S. over the past few years has been reproductive rights. The discourse on what is right and wrong is never-ending, and what should be part of human rights and necessary healthcare has become a political topic rather than a medical one.

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, many saw it as a violation of the Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has a right to necessary medical care, social services, and the right to security. If medical care is a part of basic human rights, how can it be taken away? This has become an ongoing issue in the United States, as many people argue that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade represents a clear violation of human rights, given that women in multiple states are now unable to obtain the procedures they need because doctors fear losing their licenses. Aside from the clear medical implications, this has and will continue to affect aspects of life that people don’t even think about.

Factors of Economic Growth

Economic development is an essential part of a country’s growth. Factors like human capital – defined as the skills, knowledge, and abilities provided by individuals -, natural resources, capital formation, technological development, and social and political forces all play crucial roles in the economic progress of a country. But what happens when one of these becomes compromised? Although all five are essential, one stands out as the foundation for the rest.

Without human capital, the other factors are simply not possible to achieve. Technological developments don’t happen overnight, and government policies don’t spawn out of thin air. Therefore, it is easy to understand that the more labor force participation there is, the greater the push for development and growth. With this in mind, one would assume that the biggest challenge would be encouraging as many people as possible to enter the labor force.

To achieve this, there are several key factors that are necessary for growing human capital– one of those being access to affordable healthcare. Since 1965, women’s labor force participation has been going up (with exceptions for COVID). In 1960, the FDA approved the distribution of the birth control pill, and less than a decade later, in 1973, Roe v. Wade was passed, challenging abortion bans and ruling them unconstitutional.

Labor Force Participation in the US

Woman in a contemplative state
Woman in a contemplative state
fizkes, Adobe Stock
     As of 2025, women reportedly make up 47% of the labor force, meaning the distribution between working men and women is practically equal. Access to reproductive care has given women and families an ability to have control over their lives. By delaying having kids, women have been able to increase their participation in the labor force and pursue higher education, including undergraduate and post graduate degrees. This ultimately led to earning higher wages. So, it begs the question, if the goal is to grow human capital and grow the economy, why would a government ban one of the things that allows women to have a higher labor force participation?

Abortion as a State Right

In the US, it is expected that 25% of women will undergo an abortion at some point, making it one of the most common health procedures for women. In many areas, the criminalization of abortion access is seen as a human rights violation, and it is known that criminalizing abortions causes a plethora of problems. Getting rid of safe abortion does not eliminate abortion, instead it makes it dangerous and scary (Berer, 2023).

After abortion laws were left up to individual states in the US, it became clear that the states that outlawed abortion not only have higher maternal mortality rates, but also twice as many teen births compared to the states where abortion remains legal.  While teen births have been on the decline since before the ban, the same cannot be said for maternal deaths. Maternal deaths are more than twice as high in states that do not allow abortion, and worse yet, maternal deaths have been on the rise since before the abortion ban (GEPI, 2023). Although those living in states that now have abortion bans were already less likely to seek abortions prior to the ban, the rise in deaths post-ban has noticeably increased.

A hand holding a protest sign that says keep your laws off my body.
Protest sign for abortion bans
Adobe Stock, JP Photography

Future Reproductive Rights Issues

In the coming years, due to the abortion ban, more women could end up in situations where they have to stay home to take care of children and are thus unable to enter the workforce. Pregnancies in young women will likely increase, making it difficult for them to obtain higher education degrees, which could ultimately limit them to a life of staying at home or holding a series of lower-paying, temporary jobs.

Some might argue that in the past, women did not obtain college degrees and worked stable income jobs their whole lives. As much as that is true, it fails to consider the fact that the world is different now than it was 30 years ago.  Over the years, the competition in the job market has significantly increased, and obtaining a higher degree can be the determinant of job stability. The more people who earn degrees, the harder it becomes to compete for a job for those who don’t have one. Which makes it now, more than ever, so important for women to be able to rely on the fact that they will be able to get affordable reproductive healthcare when they need it.

Women as a Part of the Labor Force

Allowing women autonomy over their body supports economic growth. The more people who have entered the labor force, especially those who are educated, the more development and technological innovation will follow. Women will be able to work and start families when and if they want to. By doing this, there is also a higher guarantee that more children will grow up in stable households and go on to obtain higher education. There is almost a domino effect that is created which will multiply through the years. Access to reproductive healthcare serves as an economic multiplier.

Being able to obtain the necessary medical care that someone needs should never be a political issue. Stripping away the rights to abortion and possibly contraceptive care clearly violates the Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights are not and should not be rooted in political agendas. In a world full of injustices, it remains important to stand up for the greater good and bring awareness and education to those around you.

Construction and Consequences: The Human Impacts of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers

This summer, I worked with a few different advocacy organizations during Louisiana’s 2025 Congressional Session. The amount of policy issues flying around was mind-spinning, but a constant murmur about the new Meta data center popping up in Richland Parish always seemed to pierce through the chaos. I couldn’t help but think, “Of all the state issues we could be debating, what could be so provocative about a data center?”

Data centers are nothing new; ever since the birth of the Internet, they have been used for the large-scale computing that comes with ever-advancing technology. With the rapid expansion of generative AI, our country is seeing more and more of these processing centers pop up, especially in rural areas. Governments, researchers, and communities alike have been forced to face the glaring reality that comes with the construction and maintenance of new AI data centers: where there are new data centers, there are human lives directly impacted by their creation. Debate on whether these effects are a net positive or negative to these communities has prompted closer examination on the human impact of data centers. Only through a thorough analysis of this ongoing research can we determine the nature and scope of these impacts and explore proper policy responses.

A large computing center surrounded by rural farmland.
Source: Adobe Express, Sepia100, #566722487

WATER

We rely on water; it’s as simple as that. We need water to drink, bathe, flush the toilet, wash our hands and dishes, and water our crops; it’s a necessity to life, and an officially recognized human right. As much as we need water, data centers are even thirstier. It takes a lot of water to cool down all of the computing that takes place in these buildings. In 2021, just one of Google’s data centers in Oregon used up 355 million gallons of water. In 2023, all of Meta’s data centers worldwide guzzled around 1.4 billion gallons of water. Where is this water coming from? Of Meta’s 1.4 billion gallons, about 672 million gallons came from local water sources. The extraction process is permanent, meaning data centers deplete millions of gallons of water from communities’ local water supply yearly, and with the industry’s rapid expansion, its water consumption will only grow. Some residents living nearby these new data centers, such as Beverley Morris in Mansfield, Georgia, believe that these centers are draining wells and aquifers, leaving locals without drinkable or fully functional running water in their homes. For communities in the Southwest, this could pose an especially pressing threat during droughts as the scarce water supply is divided between industrial and civilian use.

Landon Marston, a professor in environmental and water resources engineering at Virginia Tech University, points out that since companies like Meta and Google tend to choose areas outside of cities to construct these data centers, the surge in water demand could also necessitate water infrastructure updates, the costs of which could fall partly on local ratepayers.

ENERGY

AI data centers require tons of energy. We’re talking 200 trillion watts an hour, and that was only in 2016. The power usage of these data centers is projected to rise to nearly 2967 trillion watts an hour by 2030. The previously flatlined demand for electricity has been increasing nationally since 2023 partly due to the energy-intensive operations of growing data centers. The majority of data centers’ energy relies on fossil fuels and power plants, putting pressure on local energy grids. This increased pressure poses the threat of more frequent, long-lasting, and expensive blackouts for the communities surrounding these energy-hungry data centers.

More pressure on the grid naturally means more pressure to update the grid. Local belief and research alike contend that the cost of these grid updates, as well as the price tag of the extra energy demand, will show up in locals’ energy bills. A Harvard study provides evidence that under-the-table agreements between utilities and Big Tech consumers could be partly responsible for increased rates on everyday residents’ bills. Additionally, in places like Louisiana, the combination of prolonged need for air conditioning and damage to energy infrastructure due to storms drive energy bills up as it is; the intense energy demands of the new data center will serve only to exacerbate the steep cost of energy and amenities in nearby homes and businesses. Utilities are essential to decent quality of life and even employment, tying their accessibility directly to human rights.

A person with a calculator in one hand and a utility bill in the other attempts to calculate what they owe.
Source: Adobe Express, Anna, #529027855

PUBLIC HEALTH

Since AI data centers rely heavily on the fossil-fuel energy of power plants, they run the risk of increasing local pollution and threatening public health in already vulnerable rural locations. AI centers, on top of their energy use from the grid, also employ backup generators in case of grid failure; these diesel generators can release 200 to 600 times more nitrous oxides (NOx) than a natural gas plant while producing the same amount of energy. NOx pollution can cause irritation in the eyes, throat, and nose, as well as more severe cases of respiratory infection, reduced metabolism, and even death. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE, data centers caused about $6 billion in public health damages due to this type of air pollution in 2023. That being said, location matters. Often, these data centers choose rural areas, and in cases like that of Bessemer, Alabama, these areas are often home to a large Black population. Black Americans already suffer disproportionately from air pollution and other environmental injustices; in fact, low-income Black Americans have the highest mortality rate due to fine particulate matter air pollution. The emergence of data centers in rural Black communities only serves to exacerbate this phenomenon. This can be directly traced to industrial zoning policies, which often result in the sacrifice of poor, rural, often Black areas to attract business and wealth to cities. The result? Higher rates of asthma, respiratory issues, even pollution-related death, and a direct violation of the human right to clean air.

 

Smog plumes out of a large plant, polluting the sky.
Source: Adobe Express, Jaroslav Pachý Sr., #175217425

ECONOMY

While industrial zoning and property value are the most important location factors, choosing a lower income, rural area also poses possible economic advantage for the communities. The construction of processing centers can require thousands of workers, offering steady employment opportunities for locals. After construction, companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft will have to hire employees to keep their data centers managed and running properly, another new job opening for those in the surrounding area. Some locals have expressed excitement over the new economic growth data centers will bring, especially in areas with dwindling industries like coal and timber. Working in data centers is an attractive alternative to the low-paying, dangerous agricultural jobs some of these areas rely on. Others have raised concerns that while many jobs will certainly appear during the construction period of the centers, employment opportunities from data centers seem to fall off afterwards. Depending on the size, each data center building could operate with as little as fifty employees, according to Microsoft. Larger ones like the one developing in Louisiana are required to employ 500 locals, but even that opportunity seems small to some residents in comparison to the harm the center could bring to their community. Members of communities impacted by the development of data centers have also expressed concerns about land usage, pointing out that the extensive land taken up by these new data centers had potential to be used for farming or other less health-damaging economic development. The right to employment good working conditions are outlined directly in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and these economic impacts could very well jeopardize them for those living in surrounding areas.

What Now?

Artificial Intelligence isn’t going away; in fact, we can expect its rapid expansion in the coming years, including the construction of dozens of new data centers. Behind AI’s captivating technologies, there are human lives impacted by the processes it takes to power its functions. Considering the damage data centers can do to local resources, it certainly seems like measures need to be taken to ensure the escalating growth of AI doesn’t come at the expense of communities, especially those that already face disadvantage. First and foremost, companies establishing these centers should focus on using renewable energy for much of their power, thereby decreasing their environmental impact on local communities. In addition, companies should adopt initiatives to maintain the local water supply’s integrity, recycle water when possible, and ultimately, improve the efficiency of their computing to save resources like water and electricity. Local governments must ensure that the price of increased pressure on electricity and water infrastructure does not end up on ratepayers’ bills; this means more transparency from large companies and their agreements with local utility providers and governments regarding the construction and maintenance of these centers and the impacts on local residents’ well-being. These centers, if built sustainably and with people in mind, could ultimately have a positive impact on industry and economy within these communities. The development of data centers must not concentrate solely on maximum profit and computing power but also on the adverse effects the center has on utility bills, air quality, water demands, the power grid, and public health as a whole.

So, really, it’s no wonder advocates, lobbyists, and policymakers couldn’t stop talking about Richland Parish’s new data center. It’s nearly as big as Manhattan, and its effects on the surrounding community may end up being just as sizable.

Marriage, Inequality, and Human Rights: Rethinking a Cultural Norm 

As a philosophy student, I find the debate around marriage fascinating because it’s something almost everyone has personal experience with—whether through their own relationships, family, or society at large. On the surface, marriage might seem like a simple institution built on love and commitment, but when we dig deeper, we start to see cracks in its foundation.  

Marriage has long been regarded as a cornerstone of social life, providing structure for intimate relationships, legal benefits, and a framework for raising children. But as legal scholars and human rights advocates have increasingly pointed out, marriage also functions as a gatekeeper to economic security, legal protections, and social recognition—and it does not serve everyone equally. This raises serious ethical questions: Does marriage reinforce systemic inequality, particularly for women and non-traditional families? Is it time to reform, replace, or abandon it altogether? In this blog, we’ll explore three contemporary philosophical arguments about marriage and their implications for justice and human rights.  

Russian artist, Firs Zhuravlev, painted this in 1880. It depicts a newlywed woman who is exasperated and facing away from her husband
Image 1: “Unequal Marriage” by artist Firs Zhuravlev. Source: Yahoo Images

Susan Okin: Marriage Makes Women Vulnerable

Susan Okin argues that marriage, as it exists today, creates and reinforces gender-based vulnerabilities, particularly for women. In Vulnerability by Marriage, she explores how society expects women to take on most of the caregiving responsibilities, which leads to an unfair division of labor both at home and in the workplace.   

According to the American Time Use Survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, women spent an average of 2.4 hours per day on household activities, compared to 1.5 hours for men. Women were also far more likely to provide unpaid caregiving for children and elderly family members. Even in so-called egalitarian households, studies show that men’s careers tend to take priority, affecting decisions about where to live and how to divide time and resources.  

A woman overwhelmed during a tense office meeting. Her head is down and people are yelling at her.
Image 2: An overwhelming woman in a workplace. Source: Yahoo Images.

These patterns have real economic consequences. Women who step back from paid work to care for children often experience long-term wage penalties and loss of retirement savings. After divorce, the gender wealth gap becomes even more stark. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that women’s household income fell by 41% after divorce, compared to just 23% for men.  

Okin’s critique points to a larger human rights issue: economic dependency can limit women’s autonomy and political participation. Without systemic support, such as paid parental leave, subsidized childcare, or equitable divorce laws, marriage remains a structural disadvantage for many women.  

Laurie Shrage: Should the State Be Involved in Marriage at All?

In her piece, The End of Marriage, Laurie Shrage takes Okin’s critique even further. Rather than just reforming marriage to be more equitable, she questions the role of the State in structuring intimate relationships. Shrage argues that marriage, as a state-sanctioned institution, provides legal and social privileges to some relationships while marginalizing others. If you’re married, you get tax breaks, easier access to healthcare, and legal rights over your partner’s well-being. But what about people in non-traditional relationships, cohabiting partners, or polyamorous families that don’t fit into the legal mold?  

Consider this: The U.S. Government Accountability Office identified 1,138 federal statutory provisions in which marital status is a factor in determining benefits, rights, and privileges. But for unmarried partners—even those in long-term caregiving relationships—those same protections are often unavailable. This creates a system of legal exclusion that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals, lower-income families, and those outside traditional family structures.  

Shrage does not argue that the state should entirely remove itself from intimate relationships. Instead, she believes the law should be restructured so that protections and benefits are not solely tied to marriage. Instead of privileging marriage, we could develop alternative legal structures that support all kinds of caregiving relationships without requiring people to fit into a specific mold. Some states have made attempts to implement this. For instance, Colorado’s Designated Beneficiary Agreements allow individuals to assign rights such as hospital visitation or inheritance without marriage. Yet these reforms are patchwork and often limited in scope.  

Scissors cutting through a marriage contract
Image 3: Restructuring the Institute of Marriage. Source: Yahoo Images.

Shrage’s argument forces us to rethink what marriage actually does. If it’s primarily about securing legal and financial benefits, then why should it be tied to romantic relationships at all? Shouldn’t anyone be able to create binding legal partnerships that reflect their chosen family structures? Shrage proposes an alternative: decoupling legal benefits from marital status. Legal agreements could allow individuals to designate financial partners, medical proxies, or co-parents without needing a state-sanctioned marriage. By ensuring equal access to legal protections regardless of relationship type, we could create a system that better serves the diverse ways people build their lives together.  

Claudia Card: Tear It All Down

While Okin and Shrage suggest ways to reform or restructure marriage, Claudia Card takes a more radical approach in Against Marriage and Motherhood. She argues that marriage is not merely flawed but fundamentally coercive—and often serves as a mechanism for control and abuse.   

One of Card’s most powerful arguments is that marriage can trap individuals in violent or exploitative relationships. Because marriage is a legal contract that binds two people together, leaving an abusive marriage often requires legal intervention—something that can be expensive, slow, and emotionally exhausting. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey by the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men have experienced severe intimate partner violence. Due to financial dependency and legal entanglement, many people find it difficult to leave abusive marriages. A 2020 study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that economic abuse, like controlling access to money or employment, was a key barrier to leaving. In many cases, the legal system inadvertently works to sustain abusive relationships by making it harder for the abused partner to leave, which is the fundamental reason why Card believes marriage, in any form, is beyond repair.    

A sad child looks at the camera as her distressed parents sit behind her
Image 4: A visual representation of the harms marriage can bring. Source: Yahoo Images.

Additionally, Card critiques the cultural glorification of motherhood. While motherhood is often idealized, mothers in the U.S. face one of the highest unpaid caregiving burdens in the developed world. The U.S. is the only wealthy country without guaranteed paid maternity leave. Women, especially single mothers, are left to shoulder the costs of caregiving without adequate support, leading to heightened rates of poverty, stress, and burnout.  

Card’s radical proposal—to abolish marriage as a legal institution—calls for building new social structures based on mutual care and autonomy rather than control and dependency. From a human rights standpoint, her argument challenges us to rethink whether any institution should have the power to limit freedom, security, or self-determination.

Where Do We Go From Here?

In philosophy, we often come back to the same fundamental question: Should we work within the system to make it more just, or should we tear it down and start over? Okin, Shrage, and Card each offer different visions for the future of marriage, but they all agree on one thing—the way things are now isn’t working.  

At its core, the debate about marriage is a human rights issue. Who gets access to economic security, legal protections, and social recognition—and at what cost? And marriage laws don’t just reinforce inequality for adults; they also impact vulnerable populations in ways we rarely acknowledge. For example, child marriage remains legal in parts of the U.S.—a reality that raises serious ethical concerns.  

Our three authors all highlight different ways in which marriage has historically marginalized certain groups, particularly women, and ask us to consider alternative frameworks that promote justice and equality. Whether through reforming marriage, removing state involvement, or abandoning it altogether, the goal should be to ensure that all individuals—regardless of their relationship status—have equal rights, protection, and autonomy. As we continue to challenge traditional norms, we must prioritize human dignity, fairness, and inclusivity in the ways we structure relationships and social institutions.  

Thailand’s Uyghur Crisis: A Decade of Detention and Desperation 

Forty-eight Uyghur men have been held in detention facilities throughout Thailand for more than ten years. Trapped in a diplomatic limbo that perfectly captures the clash of international politics, human rights violations, and the suffering of an oppressed minority. These men, who are members of a Muslim ethnic group from China’s Xinjiang province that speaks Turkic, left their country in search of safety from systemic persecution. But rather than escaping to safety, they now risk being forcibly deported back to a government notorious for its cruel treatment of Uyghurs. 

150 Uyghurs and supporters protested in Berlin after July 2009 Ürümqi riots.
Image 1: 150 Uyghurs and supporters protested in Berlin after July 2009 Ürümqi riots. Source: Claudia Himmelreich, Creative Commons

Who Are the Uyghurs? 

The northwest Chinese province of Xinjiang is home to the Uyghurs, who are an ethnic minority whose population is predominately Muslim. International human rights organizations have repeatedly reported serious violations in Xinjiang, such as forced labor, mass detentions, cultural erasure, and even accusations of genocide. The so-called “re-education camps” in China have imprisoned more than a million Uyghurs and subjected them to psychological abuse, forced sterilization, and indoctrination. 

Many Uyghurs have left China in search of safety, often going across Southeast Asia in dangerous conditions. Thailand’s close proximity has made it a popular transit country. However, many Uyghurs have been held in overcrowded facilities indefinitely instead of being granted refuge. 

Thailand’s Role: A Decade of Detention 

Nearly 350 Uyghurs, including women and children, were detained by Thai police in 2014 under the pretense of being “illegal immigrants.” Some, most notably the forty-eight men, were left behind in Thailand. Others were later sent to Turkey, a country that shares cultural and theological similarities with the Uyghurs. The individuals detained in Thailand have suffered horrendous conditions in prison over the years, with no access to healthcare, sunlight, or legal protection. 

When Thai authorities forced the captives to sign “voluntary return” forms in January 2025, their situation worsened. In a desperate protest against their protracted incarceration and impending deportation, the Uyghurs refused to comply and on January 10 began a hunger strike. 

Fears of Refoulement 

Human rights organizations are incensed by the idea of sending these men to China. The cornerstone of international refugee law, the principle of non-refoulement, would be broken by such acts, according to Human Rights Watch and other groups. Countries are not allowed to send people back to places where they risk threats of torture, cruel treatment, or persecution under the principle of non-refoulement. 

There is little uncertainty on the fate of deported Uyghurs given China’s history in Xinjiang. Prior examples have shown that repatriated individuals are subject to substantial prison sentences, forced confessions, and immediate detention. “Deporting these men to China would be a death sentence. Thailand must resist political pressure and prioritize human rights.” said Elaine Pearson, Asia Director for Human Rights Watch, urging Thailand to honor its international obligations. 

Thailand’s Political Calculations 

A larger battle to achieve a balance between national policies, international commitments, and geopolitical influences is seen in Thailand’s treatment of the Uyghur captives. Thailand has historically refrained from ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention due to worries about illegal immigration and sovereignty, and the nation’s dependence on Chinese commerce and investment makes it more difficult for it to stand firmly against Beijing. 

Despite widespread outrage, Thailand deported 109 Uyghurs to China in 2015. Chinese state media aired videos of deportees arriving in shackles and clearly distressed. The incident showed the impact of China’s global reach while also drawing harsh criticism from the UN and other international organizations. 

Uyghur children in old town Kashgar, China.
Image 2: Child’s play – Uyghur children in old town Kashgar, China. Source: Sherpas 428, Creative Commons

Hunger Strike 

The severe physical and psychological effects of indefinite incarceration are brought to light by the ongoing hunger strike. Hunger strikes, which represent the captives’ desperation, have long been used as a nonviolent protest tactic. Prolonged hunger strikes can cause organ failure, permanent health problems, and even death, according to medical professionals. However, for many Uyghurs, the risks of being detained or deported forcibly are greater than the risks of protesting. 

The detainees’ relatives have pleaded with Thai authorities to step in. In an impassioned appeal, a relative of one detained stated, “They are not criminals; they are victims… Sending them back to China is the same as signing their death warrants.” 

International Responses 

The plight of Thailand’s Uyghur prisoners has drawn attention from throughout the world. Foreign governments and advocacy organizations have called on Thailand to free the inmates and give them safe transportation to third countries that are prepared to take them in. Turkey is still a possible destination because of its sizable Uyghur diaspora. These attempts are complicated, however, given political tensions between Beijing and Ankara.  

International human rights standards are being broken by Thailand’s ongoing detention of the Uyghurs. Even though Thailand is not a member to the Refugee Convention, the UNHCR has reminded it of its duties under customary international law to prevent refoulement. 

Broader Implications 

Thailand’s Uyghur crisis is not an isolated event; rather, it is a part of a wider trend of Southeast Asian nations facing refugee challenges. Regarding their handling of Uyghur asylum seekers, Malaysia and Indonesia have also come under fire, frequently pointing to Chinese diplomatic pressure and domestic security concerns. 

Furthermore, Thailand’s actions established a concerning precedent. Global human rights frameworks are weakened if strong countries like China can apply enough pressure to compel weaker states to violate international rules. It also calls into question how international organizations hold nations responsible. 

A Path Forward 

The ongoing crisis calls for immediate action to protect the rights and lives of the detained Uyghurs. Here are some thoughts on how they should proceed: 

Release and Resettlement: Thailand should release the detainees and work with international organizations to facilitate their resettlement in third countries willing to accept them, such as Turkey or Canada. 

Strengthened Legal Protections: Thailand should consider ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, thereby aligning its policies with international human rights standards. 

Increased International Pressure: The global community, particularly Western nations, should intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent deportations and ensure the detainees’ safety. 

Monitoring and Transparency: Independent observers should be granted access to monitor the conditions of Uyghur detainees in Thailand to ensure compliance with human rights norms. 

Addressing Root Causes: The international community needs to hold China accountable for its actions in Xinjiang, addressing the root causes that force Uyghurs to flee their homeland. 

Looking Ahead 

The situation of the forty-eight Uyghur men who are being held captive in Thailand serves as an alarming example of the human cost of international indifference and geopolitical scheming. Unless Thailand and the international world step in, these people, who escaped unspeakable oppression, now face a bleak future. Respecting the values of refugee protection and human rights is not only a moral obligation but also a test of our shared humanity. 

There is, nevertheless, hope for a solution that puts human rights and international collaboration first, even though the situation is still grave. Thailand can establish a standard for treating refugees humanely and solidify its standing as a responsible global actor if it takes the appropriate actions. The future of the Uyghur captives is in jeopardy, but a fair resolution is hopefully achievable with enough advocacy.