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.

Satellite Images of Sudan: The Massacre of El-Fasher

Refugee camp for internally displaced persons, with poor living conditions, lack of water, hygiene, shelter and food.
image 1: Refugee camp for internally displace persons (IDPs). Source: Adobe Stock. By Miros. Asset ID: 541706476.

From far away, the tiny objects littering the grounds of El-Fasher, Sudan might not look like anything, slightly discolored; their white and red spots show a stark contrast to the once empty space captured by Satellite images a couple of days prior. Other images show burnt vehicles and dark spots outside of buildings. To the untrained eye, they might not look like much, but the images, collected on October 28, 2025, verify the ongoing massacre of the city, and the white and red discoloration, the bodies of those killed.  

Yale University’s Humanitarian Crisis research team has been collecting satellite images of Sudan throughout the civil war. Recent results found that 31 of the clusters from the satellite images were consistent with human remains. Communication within El Fasher has been extremely restricted since the invasion and mass killings by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Those who escaped report people being beaten, robbed, and killed in their pursuit to escape, with children witnessing their parents being gunned down. One of the most concerning factors, reported by Yale University, is the absence of movement within the city. 

The ongoing civil war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has resulted in the destruction of cities, the death of thousands, and the starvation and displacement of millions. In my previous blog, Chlorine Warfare in Sudan’s Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis, the SAF’s use of chlorine gas was evaluated in relation to International Humanitarian Law, along with the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. With the recent massacre of El-Fasher, satellite images have further highlighted the devastation of the war. 

International Humanitarian Law outlines the protections of civilians, medical workers, civilian infrastructure, and hospitals. Violations of these are considered war crimes. Throughout the war, both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Force (RSF) have violated International Humanitarian Law and committed war crimes. This blog will discuss the recent satellite images and the end to the 500-day siege of El-Fasher, which highlights the human rights and international humanitarian law violations that are occurring there.

The End of the 500 Day Siege and the Massacre of El-Fasher

Map of Sudan that shows the main conflict forces. Source: Adobe Stock. By Serhii. Asset ID: 817218906
Image 2: Map of Sudan: Main Conflict Forces. Source: Adobe Stock. By Serhii. Asset ID: 817218906

Darfur, a region located in west Sudan, holds El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. This region borders Chad, which has seen an influx in refugees since the start of the civil war. El-Fasher was the last major stronghold controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur. On October 23, 2025, after the 500-day siege of El Fasher, RSF fighters targeted civilian homes; large scale execution, starvation, and sexual violence have ensued. 

Targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, hospitals, medical workers, and humanitarian workers are all violations of International Humanitarian Law and constitute war crimes. There have also been reports of summary executions that specifically target certain ethnic groups. Summary killing means the execution of a person or people who are accused of a crime but have not been given a trial. 

In Tawila, a town close to El-Fasher, 652,000 displaced people are taking shelter. Since the RSF took control of El Fasher, hospitals, their patients and medical workers have been targeted. Reports state that in the Saudi Maternity Hospital, which is located in El-Fasher, patients were massacred, medics were attacked, and humanitarian workers were targeted. In this hospital, which had survived multiple bombings and continued to offer medical aid, close to 500 people were executed.

While the RSF have consistently committed atrocities against civilians and humanitarian aid workers, the SAF have also recklessly bombed areas, which has caused the death of civilians and reduced civilian infrastructure to rubble. The SAF has also contributed to the increase in sexual violence throughout the war, tortured people, desecrated bodies, and killed people without first giving them a trial. 

In Human Rights Watch’s report on Sudan, they stated that both the RSF and the SAF are complicit in blocking aid. Both sides have also knowingly targeted local first responders. Throughout the war, one thing has been apparent; both sides are willing to target civilians and commit war crimes in order to get what they want. This brutality has been dramatically apparent in El-Fasher, where there is disturbing evidence that a massacre is likely to have occurred there in recent weeks. 

Satellite Imaging Evidence

Peaceful protester holds sign representing Sudanese flag in front of his face. Source: Adobe Stock. By: Gérard Bottino. Assert ID#: 273049844.
Image 3: Peaceful protester holds sign representing Sudanese flag in front of his face. Source: Adobe Stock. By: Gérard Bottino. Assert ID#: 273049844.

There are many difficulties in gathering accurate information about ongoing atrocities, given the dangers of reporting from such areas and the challenges of communicating information from the affected areas to the outside world. Because of this, satellite imagery can be highly useful for producing real-time assessments of severe human rights abuses such as those being committed in El-Fasher. Throughout the end of October, 2025, Yale University observed and collected satellite imaging of El-Fasher, Sudan. In a side by side of two images, there are clusters of objects and ground discoloration. On October 27th, the viewer can see a group of objects with red and white discoloration around it. Just four days later, on October 31st, you can see the cluster on the ground, but the red and white discoloration have faded. This can be seen in Yale University’s Humanitarian Crisis Research Lab’s report on satellite imaging in El-Fasher, Sudan, on page 28. The report interprets this information as follows:

“Yale HRL assesses the fading of red discoloration as an additional data point corroborating its assessments that these discolorations are related to bodily fluid including red” (pg. 7, Yale School of Public Health: Humanitarian Research Lab). 

On page 29 of the report, you can see clusters of objects near and around the Al-Saudi Hospital, taken on October 28, 2025. In the images, white objects surround the outside walls of the hospital. These objects are not seen in satellite images that were taken of the area prior to October 28th, and they are not seen again in images taken on October 31st, see page 30. 

Yale HRL reports that its recent satellite images have not picked up any mass movement heading out of El-Fasher, even though the city was said to have an estimated 250,000 people living there. The lack of movement is suspicious, and Yale HRL interprets it as indicating “that the majority of civilians are dead, captured, or in hiding” (see page 3 of the report). In the absence of reliable communications from El-Fasher, this satellite imagery provides essential documentation of likely human rights abuses that can be used to inform the human rights community and spur people to action. 

Conclusion

In the weeks since RSF ransacked El-Fasher, around 100,00 people have escaped to nearby villages. The situation in Sudan continues to be critical, and the situation in El-Fasher, dire. There are still people trapped within the city, and little information has come out in regards to how many were killed by the RSF. 

The estimated number of people residing in El-Fasher before the conflict was 250,000, not including those taking refuge there. With only 100,000 people having been reported to have escaped, this leaves over half the population of El-Fasher unaccounted for. According to the reports, there has been little movement within the city, with the images of clusters and discolorations a testament to that. These indications that grave human rights abuses have recently been committed in El-Fasher should concern human rights defenders everywhere. 

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. 

AI in Mental Health Diagnostics

Digital cloud earth floating on neon data circle grid in cyberspace particle wave.
Image 1: Digital cloud earth floating on neon data circle grid in cyberspace particle wave. Adobe Express Stock Images. ZETHA_WORK. #425579329

In recent years, the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental-health care has grown rapidly. AI systems now assist in screening for depression or anxiety, help design treatment plans, and analyze huge volumes of patient data. However, emerging evidence shows that these systems are not neutral: they can embed and amplify bias, threaten rights to equality and non‐discrimination, and have psychological consequences for individuals. We’ll be examining how and why bias arises in AI applications for mental health, the human rights implications, and what psychological effects these developments may carry.

The Rise of AI in Mental Health

AI’s application in mental health is appealing. Many people worldwide lack timely access to mental-health professionals, and AI systems promise scale, cost-efficiency, and new capabilities, like detecting subtle speech or behavioral patterns, that might identify issues earlier. For example, algorithms trained on speech patterns aim to flag depression or PTSD in users.

In principle, this could extend care to underserved populations and reduce the global burden of mental illness. But the technology is emerging in a context of longstanding disparities in mental health care; differences in who is diagnosed, who receives care, and who gets quality treatment.

How Bias Enters AI-based Mental Health Tools

Bias in AI systems does not begin with the algorithm alone; it often starts with the data. Historical and structural inequities, under-representation of certain demographic groups, and sensor or model limitations can all embed biased patterns that then get automated.

A recent systematic review notes major ethical issues in AI interventions for mental health and well‐being: “privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, bias and fairness, transparency and accountability, autonomy and human agency, and safety and efficacy.”

In the mental health screening context, a study from the University of Colorado found that tools screening speech for depression or anxiety performed less well for women and people of non‐white racial identity because of differences in speech patterns and model training bias. A separate study of four large language models (LLMs) found that for otherwise identical hypothetical psychiatric cases, treatment recommendations differed when the patient was identified (explicitly or implicitly) as African American, suggesting racial bias.

These disparities matter: if a diagnostic tool is less accurate for certain groups, those groups may receive delayed or improper care or be misdiagnosed. From a rights perspective, this raises issues of equality and non-discrimination. Every individual has a right to healthcare of acceptable quality, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other status.

Human Rights Implications

Right to health and equitable access

Under human rights law, states have obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to health. That includes ensuring mental health services are available, accessible, acceptable and of quality. If AI tools become widespread but are biased against certain groups, the quality and accessibility of care will differ, and that violates the equality dimension of the right to health.

Right to non-discrimination

The principle of non-discrimination is foundational: individuals should not face less favorable treatment due to race, gender, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or other prohibited grounds. If an AI mental health tool systematically under-detects problems among women or ethnic minorities or over-targets mental-health evaluation for other groups, discrimination is implicated. For instance, a study found LGBTQIA+ individuals were much more likely to be recommended mental health assessments by AI tools than was clinically indicated based on socioeconomic or demographic profile.

Right to privacy, autonomy and dignity

Mental health data is deeply personal. The use of AI to screen, predict or recommend treatment based on speech, text or behavior engages issues of privacy and autonomy. Individuals must be able to consent, understand how their data is used, challenge decisions, and access human oversight. The systematic review flagged “autonomy and human agency” as core ethical considerations.

Accountability and due process

When decisions about screening, diagnosis, or intervention are influenced by opaque algorithms, accountability becomes unclear. Who is responsible if an AI tool fails or produces biased recommendations? The software developer? The clinician? The institution? This ambiguity can undermine rights to remedy and oversight. The “Canada Protocol” checklist for AI in suicide prevention emphasized the need for clear lines of accountability in AI-driven mental health systems.

Differential labeling and stigma

When AI systems target certain groups disproportionately, for example, recommending mental health assessments for lower-income or LGBTQIA+ individuals when not clinically indicated, it may reinforce stigma. Being singled out for mental health screening based on demographic profile rather than actual need can produce feelings of being pathologized or surveilled.

Bias in therapeutic relationship

Mental health care depends heavily on the relationship between a person and their clinician. Trust, empathy, and feeling understood often determine how effective treatment will be. When someone believes their provider truly listens and treats them fairly, they’re more likely to engage and improve. But if technology or bias undermines that sense of understanding, people may withdraw from care or lose confidence in the system.

Reduced effectiveness or misdiagnosis

If an AI tool under-detects depression among certain groups, like women or ethnic minorities, and that leads to delayed treatment, then the psychological impact of possible longer suffering, increased severity, and reduced hope is real and harm-producing. One study found that AI treatment recommendations were inferior when race was indicated, particularly for schizophrenia cases.

These psychological effects show that bias in AI is not just a technical defect; it can ripple into lived experience, identity, mental health trajectories, and rights realization.

Chatbot conversation Ai Artificial Intelligence technology online customer service.
Image 2: Chatbot conversation with AI technology online customer service. Adobe Express Stock Images. khunkornStudio.
#567681994

Why AI Bias Persists and What Makes Mental Health AI Especially Vulnerable

Data limitations and under-representation

Training data often reflect historical care patterns, which may under-sample certain groups or encode socio-cultural norms that do not generalize. The University of Colorado study highlighted that speech-based AI tools failed to generalize across gender and racial variation.

Hidden variables and social determinants

One perspective argues that disparities in algorithmic performance arise not simply from race labels but also from un-modelled variables, such as racism-related stress, generational trauma, poverty, and language differences, all of which affect mental health profiles but may not be captured in datasets.

Psychology of diagnostic decision-making

Mental health diagnosis is not purely objective; it involves interpretation, cultural nuance, and relational trust. AI tools often cannot replicate that nuance and may misinterpret behaviors or speech patterns that differ culturally. That raises a psychological dimension: people from different backgrounds may present differently, and a one-size-fits-all tool may misclassify them.

Moving Toward Rights-Respecting AI in Mental Health

Given the stakes for rights and psychology, what should stakeholders do? Below are guiding principles anchored in human rights considerations and psychological realities:

  1. Inclusive and representative datasets
    AI developers should ensure that training and validation data reflect diverse populations across race, gender, language, culture, and socioeconomic status. Without this, bias will persist. Datasets should also capture social determinants of mental health, such as poverty, trauma, and discrimination, rather than assuming clinical presentations are uniform.
  2. Transparency, explainability, and human oversight
    Patients and clinicians should know if an AI tool is being used and how it functions, and they should remain able to challenge its outputs. Human clinicians must retain decision-making responsibility; AI should augment, not replace, human judgement, especially in mental-health care.
  3. Bias-testing and ongoing evaluation
    AI tools should be tested for fairness and performance across demographic groups before deployment, and, once deployed, they should be continuously monitored. One large study found that AI recommendations varied significantly by race, gender, and income.
    Also, mitigation techniques are emerging to reduce bias in speech- or behavior-based models.
  4. Rights to remedy and accountability
    When AI-driven systems produce harmful or discriminatory outcomes, individuals must have paths to redress. Clear accountability must be established among developers, providers, and institutions. Regulatory frameworks should reflect human rights standards: non-discrimination, equal treatment, and access to care of quality.
  5. Psychological safety and dignity
    Mental health tools must respect the dignity of individuals, allow for cultural nuance, and avoid pathologizing individuals based purely on demographic algorithms. The design of AI tools should consider psychological impacts: does this tool enhance trust, reduce stigma, and facilitate care, or does it increase anxiety, self-doubt, or disengagement?
  6. Translate rights into policy and practice
    States and professional bodies should integrate guidelines for AI in mental health into regulation, licensing, and accreditation structures. Civil society engagement, which includes patient voices, mental-health advocates, and rights organizations, is critical to shaping responsible implementation.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Risks

AI has enormous potential to improve access to mental health care, personalize care, and detect risks earlier than ever before. But, as with many new technologies, the impacts will not be equal by default. Without a proactive focus on bias, human rights, and psychological nuance, we risk a two-tier system: those who benefit versus those left behind or harmed.

In a favorable scenario, AI tools become transparent and inclusive, and they empower both clinicians and patients. They support, rather than supplant, human judgement; they recognize diversity of presentation; they strengthen trust and equity in mental health care.
In a less favorable scenario, AI solidifies existing disparities, misdiagnoses or omits vulnerable groups, and erodes trust in mental-health systems, compounding rights violations with psychological harm.

The path that materializes will depend on choices made today: how we design AI tools, how we regulate them, and how we embed rights and psychological insight into their use. For people seeking mental health support, equity and dignity must remain at the heart of innovation.

Conclusion

The use of AI in mental health diagnostics offers promise, but it also invites serious rights-based scrutiny. From equality of access and non-discrimination to privacy, dignity and psychological safety, the human rights stakes are real and urgent. Psychologists, technologists, clinicians, regulators and rights advocates must work together to ensure that AI supports mental health for all, not just for some. When bias is allowed to persist, the consequences are not only technical, but they’re also human.

Where Do You Go When Your Country Sinks?

How the climate has changed

Our planet is mostly blue. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, leaving less than a third as land. Throughout the 20th century, sea levels rose about 0.06 inches each year. But over the past two decades, that rate has more than doubled, now rising to about 0.14 inches (.36 cm) per year.

While those numbers may seem small, they gradually add up to a significant amount. Just in 30 years (1993-2023) global sea levels have risen about 4 inches (10 cm), enough to erase entire stretches of coastline; a single inch of additional rise can take away anywhere from 4 to 9 feet of beach . Let’s say that 6.5 feet (1.98 meters) of beach is lost with every extra inch. If levels rise 4 inches, nearly 26 feet (7.9 meters) of coastline disappears in 30 years.

Sea levels near a doc, it is shown that part of the stairs that go down to something are flooded.
By: Richard Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 311767670

Who is affected?

Now imagine living somewhere where the average elevation is about 3 to 10 feet above sea level.  Imagining the impact of 4 inches is hard, but if sea levels are rise a mere 1.5 feet (45 cm) by 2100, only 23% of the Maldives will remain above water. Today, the Maldives has a population of around 540,000 people. If levels continue rising, it means that in just 2 generations the country will be almost completely submerged underwater and uninhabitable.

Another country in danger of disappearance is Kiribati. It lies in the central Pacific Ocean with average elevations of about 6 feet (1.8 meters). While not at the same level of danger as the Maldives, their chances of surviving rising sea levels remain low. In 2008, the Kiribati president asked the countries of Australia and New Zealand to accept Kiribati citizens for permanent relocation. Presently two of the islands of the Republic of Kiribati, Tebua Tarawa and Abanuea, are completely underwater. Many communities and towns have been forced to uproot and move further inland due to the destruction of farmland caused by saltwater.

These island countries are not the only ones at risk when it comes to rising sea levels. Coastal cities in the U.S. will suffer similar fates. New York, for instance, is highly impacted by flooding, and it is estimated that in just 25 years almost 500,000 people will experience living on “threatened land,” which refers to areas that are at risk of flooding. Besides New York, Florida is at the highest risk of experiencing extreme flooding and shrinking coastlines.

The Islands of the Maldives from a bird's eye view
By: raul77 Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 532722555

Protections against climate change

Currently, there are no regulations on how to define those who are forced to leave their homes due to climate-related changes. Displacement can come from gradual causes, like rising sea levels, or sudden ones, like hurricanes, but in both cases, there is no clear international law to guide what happens next. However, when there is a hurricane that causes significant damage, the response is more obvious than the response to gradual change. People are rendered homeless in a matter of days, and neighboring countries and foreign allies provide necessary aid to help sustain those affected.

With climate change, though, in this case rising sea levels, displacement becomes much more gradual. Bit by bit people are pushed inland, and while most do not want to leave their home countries, in some cases, they are left with no choice but to flee.  With the current international law, it is difficult to receive help. Those seeking to relocate are met with lengthy processes and a lack of support.

In 2012, a Kiribati national was severely affected by the rising sea levels. He stated that because of the salt affecting the land he had no way of growing food, so he applied to be a “climate refugee” and seek asylum in New Zealand. His application was rejected and his appeal denied, with New Zealand’s government stating that climate change is not a recognized condition for refugee status.

Articles in the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) are meant to protect people from harm and provide solutions in the case of extreme conditions. Under Article 14, people have a right to seek asylum in other countries in the case of persecution. The article does not mention anything about climate change, and climate change is not considered to be persecution. This is important in the case of the Kiribati national, because while he is justified for wanting to seek asylum, there is not a law that protects him against climate change.

This is not to say that the articles in the UDHR cannot be used to justify the fact that such displacements constitute a human rights violation. Article 25 promises the right to food and shelter. Rising sea levels bring salt water into agricultural lands and contaminate the fresh water supply needed to sustain crop growth. This directly threatens countries’ abilities to grow food, which limits their access to either have access to their own crops or use those crops in trade. Sealife also becomes impacted through warming and rising oceans. Fish, which is one of the main food groups for island countries, become scarcer as their coral reef habitats die.

Flooding that is covering homes, roads, and agriculture
By: bilanol Source: Adobe Stock Asset ID#: 360498460

Conclusion

Climate change is already having significant impacts on today’s society; however, there are not any straightforward solutions for those impacted by it yet. It is clear that if sea levels continue to rise, there will have to be modifications made for those displaced through reasons other than persecution. From a human rights perspective, laws that protect those who are losing their homes and countries due to rising sea levels will be imperative in the future.

Climate change is gradual and constant, and many people do not think about it, but it is still a humanitarian crisis. In the poorer countries, it continues to be the main driver for humanitarian aid. But aid is temporary, and it eventually runs out, which is why there is a need for lawfully binding change. In the future we can hope that laws around asylum for displacement will adopt broader conditions, but for now, it is important to support those who are already experiencing it.

Breaking the Huddle: How Domestic Violence Touches Every Alabama Classroom

Breaking the Huddle: How Domestic Violence Touches Every Alabama Classroom

Aggression in the family, man beating up his wife. Domestic violence concept.
Aggression in the family, man beating up his wife. Domestic violence concept.By: doidam10. Source: Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 229549647

Domestic violence is not simply a distant tragedy or a headline attached to famous names—it’s a daily crisis with real victims in every Alabama community. Shortly after Christmas 2024, former NFL star Marcell Dareus was arrested in Hoover after a violent altercation. This event of early 2025, underscores how quickly intimate relationships can turn dangerous. This incident isn’t exceptional; it reflects a pattern that plays out in neighborhoods across the state, affecting classmates, coworkers, and friends. Understanding this reality isn’t optional for college students; it’s essential for building safer campuses and futures.

Domestic violence is a human rights violation disguised as a “private matter.” International law and human rights frameworks are clear: everyone has the right to live free from violence, fear, and discrimination. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) guarantees, in Article 3, the right to “life, liberty and security of person.” Article 5 further prohibits “torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Survivors of domestic violence are entitled to protection, safety, and access to justice under both U.S. law and international treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

A Crisis Next Door: The Local Reality

For many, domestic violence may seem like a private matter that happens behind closed doors, far removed from campus life. But the truth is, it’s happening in your neighborhood—maybe even in your residence hall. The case of Marcell Dareus, a 34-year-old celebrity athlete, and the woman he harmed, is only one of thousands of incidents reported each year in Alabama. This incident is a sobering reminder that abuse can escalate from arguments to physical violence in mere moments.

Picture this: It’s 2 a.m., one week after Christmas. In a quiet Hoover subdivision, just minutes from UAB’s campus, a well-known athlete shoves his partner to the ground and smashes her car with a metal object. The victim could easily be your lab partner, a friend from your sorority, or the barista who knows your coffee order by heart. The physical injuries may heal, but the psychological trauma—fear, anxiety, distrust—can linger for years. And for every headline-grabbing case, countless more go unreported, leaving survivors to navigate their pain in silence.

When we ask, “Why does this matter to me?” the answer is simple: domestic violence is not limited by age, class, or background. If you think it could never touch your world, consider that four in ten women and one in four men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. The odds are overwhelming that someone you know—maybe even someone you love—is a survivor.

The Numbers Lawmakers Can’t Ignore

The statistics surrounding domestic violence in Alabama and the US are both staggering and deeply personal. Domestic violence is cited as a top cause of homelessness for women, and it costs billions of dollars nationwide, with one estimate saying that intimate partner violence costs $5.8 billion annually nationwide. This figure includes $4.2 billion for medical costs for physical assault and $1.75 billion in lost productivity. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates the cost of domestic violence at $9.3 billion (2017 dollars), which includes intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking, with medical and lost wages as core components of these costs. For Alabama, extrapolations from Youth Today’s national $3.6 trillion lifetime estimate suggest that state costs are in the low billions. That’s a staggering sum that drains resources from schools, hospitals, and public safety initiatives—money that could otherwise go toward scholarships, better facilities, or improved mental health services.

Every minute, 24 Americans become victims of intimate partner violence, amounting to over 12 million people every year. These aren’t just statistics; they are stories of dreams deferred, educations interrupted, and futures derailed. The consequences ripple outward: children witnessing violence at home are more likely to struggle academically, develop emotional disorders, and, in some cases, perpetuate the cycle of abuse as adults. The link between domestic violence and future criminal behavior is undeniable.

The country’s legal landscape has only made things worse for those at risk of domestic violence. The Supreme Court’s decision to allow states to ban abortion has, according to experts, raised the likelihood that women will be subjected to intimate partner violence. When women lose reproductive autonomy, abusers gain more power, trapping partners in dangerous, sometimes deadly relationships. Domestic violence can be considered a human rights violation, and Alabama’s numbers show just how entrenched the problem is.

Taking Action: Your Role in the Playbook

If you think there’s nothing you can do, think again. Staying silent keeps domestic violence alive; speaking up can end it. Students are uniquely positioned to notice the warning signs—changes in a friend’s mood, unexplained injuries, sudden withdrawal from activities—and offer support. The most important thing you can do is believe survivors, connect them with campus and community resources, and, if necessary, call for help.

There are also events happening throughout Alabama to raise awareness and provide support. On October 24th in Tuscaloosa, the Purple Purse Drive collected donations for survivors. And in September in Birmingham, Safe Bar training was offered at 20 bars to help staff recognize and respond to abuse. These events are more than just calendar entries—they’re opportunities to get involved and save lives.

Conclusion: Your 60-Second Play Call

Domestic violence is not “someone else’s problem.” It is the roommate who flinches at loud noises, the teammate hiding bruises, the future nurse who can’t study because home isn’t safe. Every student in Alabama has the power—and the responsibility—to break the silence.

  1. Post #RollAwayFromViolence on social media and tag @ALCADV to raise awareness.
  2. Vote – some candidates’ domestic violence prevention plans are available at Vote411.org
  3. The huddle is broken. Now make the tackle.

Need help now?

  • National DV Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
  • Alabama 24/7: 1-800-650-6522
  • Text “START” to 88788

Roll Tide—and roll away from violence.

Eyes on Catatumbo: Colombia’s Silent Humanitarian Crisis

In mid-January 2025, people living among rural hills and rivers of the Catatumbo subregion of Norte de Santander —along Colombia’s border with Venezuela— faced a drastic and sudden surge of violence. Rival armed groups clashed in a territorial battle that forced tens of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes in a matter of weeks. According to available estimates, more than 56,000 people were displaced during this outbreak. Entire communities were uprooted almost overnight. Families left behind crops, homes, and schools as they escaped through mountains, carrying little more than what they could hold. Some families traveled for days on foot, crossing rivers and unpaved trails, hoping to reach towns where humanitarian aid might be available. The journey itself was dangerous, exposing them to natural hazards, extreme weather, and the constant threat of encountering armed actors along the way.

The clashes also cut off humanitarian access, collapsing local health services and leaving thousands without food, shelter, or protection. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that several municipalities, including El Tarra, Tibú, and Teorama, remain difficult to access even for aid convoys due to the presence of landmines and ongoing combat. These obstacles reveal not only the magnitude of the emergency but also the absence of a unified response strategy capable of addressing overlapping humanitarian, political, and security challenges. Medical teams attempting to bring vaccinations and essential medicines often have to reroute through alternative paths, delaying assistance to families in urgent need. Aid organizations have emphasized that the lack of reliable roads, combined with intermittent communications, hampers coordination and prevents the full scale of needs from being properly assessed.

Colombian army patrolling the streets, military forces on urban patrol in Colombia, soldiers securing the streets in Colombia, army troops conducting street patrol, Colombian military presence
Photo 1: Colombian army patrolling the streets. Source: Adobe Express. By: Alejandro. Asset ID# 1249540839.

A Conflict That Refuses to End

For many in Catatumbo, this is not a new story. The region has long been a zone of contestation, where fertile land, strategic routes, and a history of coca cultivation have drawn armed actors for decades. Despite multiple peace efforts, the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have failed to reach a lasting agreement, even after several rounds of talks in 2024 and early 2025. These breakdowns in dialogue have left a dangerous power vacuum, allowing the ELN and the dissident Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fronts to consolidate control in certain areas and tighten their grip on communities. Negotiations, often mediated by international actors, faltered due to persistent mistrust, accusations of non-compliance, and ongoing attacks during ceasefire periods.

Without a credible peace accord or strong state presence, civilians remain trapped between armed factions. Extortion, forced recruitment, and targeted assassinations continue to define daily life. In municipalities like Tibú, local residents report that shops must pay protection fees to avoid being attacked, while teachers and health workers face direct threats if they refuse to comply with armed groups’ demands or resist recruitment campaigns targeting young people. The persistence of conflict is also tied to the strategic importance of Catatumbo’s geography; its dense forests, mountainous terrain, and border with Venezuela make it a natural corridor for smuggling, illegal mining, and drug trafficking. Both the ELN and FARC dissidents use this border to move arms and coca paste, while Venezuelan armed groups exploit the instability to expand their influence.

For local residents, peace talks that never materialize mean that promises of safety remain words on paper, while violence continues to dominate daily life. As one community leader told the newspaper El Espectador in February 2025, “We are living between two wars—the one that happens in the mountains and the one that happens in silence when no one comes to help us.” This sentiment is echoed across Catatumbo, reflecting the frustration and fear that residents endure as cycles of displacement and insecurity continue year after year.

When the Crisis Fades from View

Despite the urgency and scale of this crisis, national and international coverage faded quickly after the first wave of reports in January and February 2025. That silence matters. When forced displacement disappears from headlines, so do the people living it. This invisibility normalizes neglect, delays humanitarian responses, and weakens accountability.

Based on the most recent protection analysis report, by April more than 62,000 people had been displaced and an additional 27,000 confined in their homes, unable to move because of landmines or threats from armed groups. Yet beyond a few humanitarian updates, public attention dwindled. One reason lies in the geography and access issues of Catatumbo. Journalists and medical staff face severe restrictions: entering many rural zones requires permission from the military or local armed actors. Donor fatigue also plays a role: international organizations have limited budgets and often prioritize higher-visibility crises. As a result, funding for Colombia’s internal displacement response in regions like Catatumbo has lagged.

The invisibility of the crisis is not just informational, it is political.

A view of indigenous children from the Embera people, displaced by armed conflict.
Photo 2: A view of indigenous children from the Embera people, displaced by armed conflict. Source: UN Photo; by Mark Garten; Unique Identifier: UN7715269.

The Stakes: Life, Dignity, and the Fabric of Communities

When a family flees their home at night carrying only what they can, they are not just moving, they are losing a way of life. Land, livelihood, and community ties are abruptly severed. Among those displaced in Catatumbo, families are separated, elders lose access to medication, and children miss months of school. Young people face a heightened risk of recruitment or exploitation. Humanitarian workers warn that amid the chaos, gender-based violence, human trafficking, and child recruitment are on the rise. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a broader pattern of rights violations that undermine communities’ social fabric.

This is not only a crisis of numbers—it is a crisis of rights and belonging. When the state cannot or will not guarantee protection, internal borders form. These lines are not drawn on maps, but rather through abandonment, neglect, and fear. Those living within these invisible borders are often left to face violence alone. The humanitarian system’s focus on immediate relief, without long-term strategies for restitution or reintegration, risks perpetuating these cycles of vulnerability.

Cúcuta: The Border City Bearing the Weight

The humanitarian fallout has spilled into Cúcuta, one of the largest cities in Norte de Santander and a key crossing point to Venezuela. As displaced families arrive seeking refuge, schools, shelters, and hospitals are overwhelmed. Local authorities struggle to register new arrivals and provide basic assistance. Many displaced people sleep in overcrowded houses or informal settlements near the border, where conditions are precarious. Limited job opportunities push most into informal labor or survival economies. Meanwhile, the influx of people has intensified pressure on already fragile public services, deepening social inequality and tensions in host communities.

Organizations like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Pastoral Social have set up temporary aid centers offering hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and legal counseling. However, these efforts often operate with minimal funding and no long-term sustainability. Teachers in Cúcuta’s public schools have reported overcrowded classrooms, with some hosting up to 50 students, many of them recently displaced or migrants from Venezuela. Children often struggle to keep up academically, while parents face pressure to find income quickly, forcing many into informal work that provides little security.

Human rights observers, including the ACT Alliance, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and UNHCR, have warned that unless there is sustained national support, Cúcuta and the surrounding municipalities could soon become the epicenter of a prolonged displacement emergency.The city’s local government has called for international coordination, urging Bogotá, UN agencies, and the Venezuelan authorities to establish a humanitarian corridor. However, bureaucratic obstacles and diplomatic tensions between the two countries have stalled progress. Even when aid is allowed, delays and limited resources prevent sustained coverage for both immediate relief and long-term recovery.

 

A view of a migrant tent
Photo 3: Migrant tent. Source: Adobe Express. By Andrea Izzotti. Asset ID# 128345640.

Documentation and the Demand for Accountability

In the midst of this crisis, documentation plays a crucial and often lifesaving role. Human rights groups, journalists, and even the survivors themselves aren’t simply keeping track of events; they are building a record that can shape humanitarian responses, inform policy, and hold perpetrators accountable in the future. Organizations like Human Rights Watch, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) rely heavily on reports from the field to see what’s really happening, identify urgent needs, and spot patterns of abuse. They collect this information through interviews with displaced families, surveys in affected communities, and photographic or video evidence of destroyed homes, schools, and infrastructure. Each record isn’t just a statistic—it’s a voice, a story, and a testimony from people whose experiences are too often ignored or silenced.

For families, documentation gives words to experiences that are otherwise invisible. It allows survivors to describe what happened, who was affected, and who is responsible. Lists of victims, personal testimonies, and photographs are far more than records, they’re tools for protection, reparations, and accountability. Imagine a parent reporting that their teenage child has been forcibly recruited by an armed group; that report isn’t just a number in a database. It can trigger emergency protection measures, alert authorities to ongoing recruitment campaigns, and eventually inform broader policy changes. Photographs of destroyed homes, abandoned fields, or burned schools can serve as concrete evidence in legal and advocacy processes, ensuring that destruction and loss don’t go unnoticed.

But documentation on its own isn’t enough. In Catatumbo, the state is often absent, and political will is inconsistent at best. Armed groups operate with near impunity, while local authorities may lack the capacity, or the security, to act on reports of abuse. Without a platform to turn these records into action, documentation risks becoming a snapshot of suffering rather than a catalyst for change. This is why media attention, advocacy, and international solidarity are so essential. Without them, even the most thorough documentation can sit in databases without effecting any real-world impact.

The Colombian Truth Commission (CEV) has stressed that remembering is key to preventing repetition. Its final report highlights how collective memory plays a central role in breaking cycles of violence. But if testimonies simply sit in a database without leading to policy reforms or justice initiatives, then impunity continues, and survivors remain vulnerable. In other words, documentation must have a purpose: it must feed into action, whether through legal avenues, public policy, or protective measures.

Local communities have also taken matters into their own hands. Community radio stations like Voces del Catatumbo act as informal archives of survival. They broadcast updates, report abuses, and provide essential information about displacement, health, and security. These stations give residents a platform to be heard in real time and foster a sense of connection in a region where isolation is a constant threat. They are also a reminder that documentation isn’t just a bureaucratic process—it’s lived, community-driven work that can save lives.

A passenger truck travels on the road between Riohacha and Uribia on La Guajira peninsula, Colombia.
Photo 4: A passenger truck travels on the road between Riohacha and Uribia on La Guajira peninsula, Colombia. Source: UN Photo; by Gill Fickling; Unique Identifier: UN7386312.

What We Can Do as Readers, Citizens, and Advocates

Keeping eyes on Catatumbo is both a moral and political act. Sharing verified information, reading humanitarian updates, and amplifying local voices helps keep the crisis visible. International partners can support local organizations with funding and technical assistance, while citizens can call for greater accountability from their governments and international institutions.

We must hold two truths together: the urgency of humanitarian needs today, and the necessity of long-term justice and inclusion. Attention, when sustained and informed, can make a difference.

If we listen to the people of Catatumbo—and now those arriving in Cúcuta—we learn that rebuilding is not only about returning to what once was. It is about imagining what could be: a community whose safety, dignity, and memory are protected, not merely by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of justice.

 

Chlorine Warfare in Sudan’s Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

Peaceful protester holds sign representing Sudanese flag in front of his face.
Image 1: Peaceful protester holds sign representing Sudanese flag in front of his face. Source: Adobe Stock. By: Gérard Bottino. Assert ID#: 273049844.

Gaseous chlorine is a yellow-greenish gas that, when inhaled, is extremely toxic and harmful to the body. It is a pulmonary irritant that burns conjunctiva, the throat, and the bronchial tree. In plain terms, it is a choking agent. When chlorine gas is inhaled, the respiratory tract is severely affected. The air sac in the lungs begins to secrete fluid, which causes a person to feel as if they are drowning. When used as a weapon, chlorine gas causes severe respiratory issues and, in extreme cases, death.

Recently, evidence has been brought forth in regards to Sudan’s military using chlorine gas as a weapon. The use of chlorine gas as a weapon goes against the Chemical Weapons Convention and is considered a war crime. Previously, at the end of 2024, a blog was written in relation to the civil war in Sudan by another blog writer. If you would like to read about the beginning of the war check out Delisha Valacheril’s blog post Civil War in Sudan: What is Happening and How to Help. This blog will address the Sudanese military’s use of chlorine gas amidst the humanitarian crisis and ongoing civil war in Sudan.

The Sudanese Military’s Use of Chlorine Gas:

Image 2: Sudanese soldier with assault rifle.
Image 2: Sudanese soldier with assault rifle. Source Adobe Stock. By: Bumble Dee. Asset ID#388763922.

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of State released a press statement that determined that the Sudanese military had used chemical weapons in 2024 that were in violation of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act). The statement neglected to detail which chemicals were used, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) denied any such use of chemicals.

Since the U.S. Department of State’s press statement in May 2025, new evidence of the Sudanese military’s using chemical weapons has emerged. International news channel France 24 observed two incidents that occurred in September 2024, where the Sudanese Army was attempting to recapture al-Jaili oil refinery, which was then under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control. In France 24’s investigation, they discovered that the chlorine canisters found around the oil refinery could only be carried by aircraft that the Sudanese military has exclusive access to.

Along with that, one of the oil barrels was imported from India by a Sudanese company that also supplies the Sudanese Army. The pictures and videos containing evidence of chlorine gas being used can be viewed in France 24’s report, linked here. In the pictures yellow-green clouds and large canisters with the remnant of a bright yellow chemical can be seen.

From a legal lens, all nations that ratify a convention or treaty are legally obligated to follow those regulations and rules. Violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention are considered war crimes and are potentially punishable in the International Criminal Court (ICC). Sudan ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1999, meaning that the state is legally obligated to adhere to the agreed-upon terms of the convention.

Utilizing chlorine gas as a weapon is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. As such, the use of chemicals by Sudan’s military is considered a war crime and, should the individuals responsible be identified, they could be punished in the International Criminal Court (ICC). This violation also goes against international humanitarian law, which seeks to decrease the effects of armed conflict and protects non-combatants. The deliberate use of chlorine gas, which affected not only RSF, but also civilians working at the oil refinery, emphasizes the growing danger in Sudan.

The Ongoing War in Sudan and Humanitarian Crisis:

Refugee camp full of people who took refuge due to insecurity and armed conflict.
Image 3: Refugee camp full of people who took refuge due to insecurity and armed conflict. Source: Adobe Stock. By: Miros. Asset ID#541706323

The ongoing war officially began April 15, 2023 when Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF engaged in violent conflict, which both sides stated the other started. Prior to the war, tensions had been increasing between leadership of the SAF and RSF. Background on the conflict and leadership is available in the aforementioned blog post Civil War in Sudan: What is Happening and How to Help.

However, as far back as 2016, there have been reports of chemical weapons being used on people in Darfur, a remote area in Sudan. Amnesty International found evidence that these weapons had resulted in the injury and death of many Sudanese civilians. In September of 2016, Amnesty International reported that around 30 chemical attacks were used in remote areas within Darfur, Sudan. These attacks resulted in chemical injuries and painful deaths. The people most affected by these attacks were children. In interviews, Darfurian villagers talk about blistering skin and rashes amongst many other symptoms from chemical exposure.

The struggle of Sudan has been a largely silent affair, one that is often overlooked by the media and the rest of the world. The lack of coverage of this conflict happens in spite of the fact that Sudan is currently experiencing the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II. The fight for power between SAF and RSF has left many areas of Sudan completely destroyed. Families have been forced to flee their homes, crops have been decimated, and villages have been set ablaze.

Since the fighting began, an estimated 150,000 people have been killed, and another 14 million have been displaced. Due to the large influx of people fleeing the conflict, refugee camps in South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Chad have been filled past their capacity. Furthermore, because of the fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF militia, close to 30 million people in Sudan need assistance in various forms, such as medical attention, food aid, housing, etc. On the border of Chad and Sudan, around 850,000 people are seeking refuge and aid.

Throughout the war, hospitals, schools, and homes have been targeted and destroyed. This is another violation of international humanitarian law, no matter which side targeted civilian infrastructure. With housing and hospitals continuing to be destroyed, food insecurity and malnutrition are steadily increasing.

Conclusion:

When chlorine gas is used, or any gaseous chemical for that matter, it does not discriminate in who is affected. It burns the lungs and restricts the breathing of anyone it touches: combatant, non-combatant, or children. The use of such weapons is in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and international humanitarian law. It is a war crime, and it is something that no person, least of all children, should experience.

The war in Sudan has been ongoing for over 2 years now. The people of Sudan continue to suffer, and the conflict shows little sign of ending soon. Moments like this underscore the urgent need for humanitarian aid and media attention.

Rights and Regulations: A Case Study on Guidelines for AI Use in Education

Based on my previous two articles, a reader of this blog might assume that I’m an advocate for the complete eradication of Artificial Intelligence, given the many criticisms I’ve made of the AI industry. While you shouldn’t expect these critiques to stop on my end, I also accept the fact that AI has effectively taken over the technological world and will not easily be vanquished. Therefore, a more realistic approach to keeping AI within acceptable bounds is regulating its use. This regulation is especially imperative when it comes to our nation’s youth. Their human right to quality education centered on tolerance and respect should not be infringed upon by generative AI use.

That is why programs addressing AI literacy and guidelines on its use in schools are so essential. The Alaska Department of Education’s Strategic Framework on AI use in the classroom, released in October 2025, outlines strategies on safe, responsible, and ethical AI integration in K-12 schools. Alaska is merely the latest state to adopt guidelines for AI use in public schools; a total of 27 states and Puerto Rico have established such policies. Today, I’ll be concentrating on Alaska’s framework as a case study to explore the value in creating state and local guidelines on the education on and use of AI in the classroom.

FEDERAL REGULATIONS

In April of this year, an executive order was signed promoting AI competency in students and establishing a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. In response, the U.S. Department of Education has released potential priorities for grants funding the integration of AI into education: “evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice, and returning education to the states”. While these statements are an encouraging acknowledgement of the need to turn our attention to the use of Artificial Intelligence in academia, they fail to provide tangible guidelines or policies that effectively promote the proper use of AI in schools. These statements also fall short of acknowledging the need for regulation and limitations on AI’s role in academia; in fact, “America’s AI Action Plan” highlights the administration’s aversion towards regulation by providing that states should not have access to federal funding on AI-related matters should they implement “burdensome AI regulations.”

STATE-LEVEL POLICIES

The federal government’s failure to acknowledge AI’s limitations when it comes to privacy, ethics, and functionality in education creates a vacuum devoid of guidelines or regulations on AI’s educational use. A lack of parameters has raised concerns about academic misconduct, plagiarism, privacy breaches, algorithmic bias, and the dogmatic acceptance of generated information that may be inaccurate or unreliable. Complete bans fail to address AI’s potential when used responsibly and create environments where students find new and creative ways to access generative AI despite the ban.

Thankfully, states are beginning to recognize the need to fill the void to maintain the quality and safety of children’s education. Alaska’s Department of Education answered this call by providing its K-12 AI Framework document, which provides “recommendations and considerations for districts” to guide their school districts’ Artificial Intelligence policies and guide educators on how to treat AI use in their classes.

A metal placard on a building reads "Department of Education"
Adobe Stock, D Howe Photograph #244617523

These guidelines serve to “augment human capabilities,” educating students on how to maintain critical thinking and creativity while employing generative AI in their studies. This purpose is supported by the following guiding principles for AI Integration outlined in the framework; these principles serve as building blocks for fostering a positive relationship between students and generative AI, educating about its limitations while highlighting how it can be used properly. To take a human-rights based approach to highlighting the value of these principles, I’ll be providing specific human rights that each guideline works to preserve.

ARTICLE 27

Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) establishes the right to enjoy scientific advancements as well as the protection of ownership over one’s scientific, literary, or artistic creations. Alaska’s AI Guideline provides for a human-centered approach to AI integration, emphasizing that districts should move beyond banning generative AI while adopting initiatives to ensure AI enriches human capabilities rather than replaces them. This ensures that students have access to the scientific advancement of generative Artificial Intelligence without diminishing the quality of their education. The “Fair Access” aspect of Alaska’s framework outlines additional provisions for ensuring students have equal access to AI-based technological advancements. It calls for allocating funding dedicated to accessible Internet and AI access, as well as implementing an AI literacy program within school districts.

A boy looks at a computer monitor, generating an AI image.
Adobe Stock, Framestock
#1684797252

Additionally, the “Transparency” and “Ethical Use” principles provide that AI generated content should be properly attributed and disclosed. Citations are a requirement under these guidelines, and any work completed entirely by generative AI is considered plagiarism. This maintains the right to ownership over one’s creations by ensuring that generative AI and the data it pulls from are properly attributed.

ARTICLE 26

Article 26 of the UDHR codifies the right to education that promotes tolerance for other groups and respect for fundamental freedoms and rights. Alaska’s AI framework calls for recognition of generative AI’s potential algorithmic biases against certain ethnic, racial, or religious groups. It states that students should be educated about the prejudices, misinformation, and hallucinations a generative AI model may produce, emphasizing that its outputs must be critically examined. By overtly acknowledging the manifestation of societal prejudices in these algorithms, Alaska’s guidelines preserve the human right to uphold dignity and respect for others within education. This requires the inclusion of diverse local stakeholders such as students, parents, and community leaders in discussions and policymaking regarding AI regulations in the classroom, which the guideline provides suggestions for.

ARTICLE 12 and ARTICLE 3

The final human rights Alaska’s framework works to uphold are outlined in Article 3 and Article 12 of the UDHR, which state the right to security of person and privacy, respectively. The AI Framework establishes that student data protection and digital well-being are essential to maintain and educate on. It highlights a responsibility on the districts to support cybersecurity efforts and compliance with federal privacy laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Schools also have an obligation to review the terms of service and privacy policies of any AI tools used in classrooms to ensure students’ data is not abused. Educators also should teach their students how to protect their personally identifiable information and the consequences of entering sensitive information into generative AI tools.

A page in a book reads "FERPA, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act"
Adobe Stock, Vitalii Vodolazskyi
#179067778

WHAT’S NEXT

Alaska’s framework is only an example of a wider trend of states adopting guidelines on Artificial Intelligence’s role in education. These regulations ensure that students, educators, and stakeholders acknowledge the limitations and potential of AI while implementing it in a way that serves human ingenuity rather than replacing it. These guidelines go only so far when implemented locally, though. We must civically engage with local school boards, individual school administrations, educators, and communities to ensure these helpful guidelines are properly abided by. Frameworks like Alaska’s provide sample policies for school boards to enact and provide examples of school handbook language that can be employed to preserve human rights in the face of AI expansion; all it takes is local support and implementation to push these policies into action. Community training and panels could be utilized to start conversations between families, students, community members and AI policymakers and experts.

As individuals, it is our place to engage in these community efforts. And if you’re a student reading this, take Alaska’s frameworks on guiding AI use in education into consideration the next time you’re thinking about using ChatGPT on an assignment. From plagiarism to biases to security, there’s good reason to tread carefully and emphasize a responsible approach to AI use that doesn’t encourage over-reliance but rather serves as a helping hand.