Corporations are increasingly recognizing the link between good business and respecting human rights. This is reflected in the more than 12,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders from over 145 countries in the UN Global Compact, the largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative in the world. The Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative spearheaded at the United Nations for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

By B.R. Ole Koissaba

By Emily Sanders

By Paola Canova

By Ben Ole Koissaba

Two people killed, four government officials arrested as Maasai protest mismanagement of resources in Narok County, Kenya.

A senator and three members of parliament were arrested on January 29, 2015 by Criminal Investigation officials in Nairobi after being required to write detailed accounts regarding a peaceful demonstration that turned ugly when police opened fire, killing at least one person and injuring scores of others in Narok County.

By Glenn Smith

In Taiwan, 'Oppose Meiliwan' has been the battle cry of a wide-ranging coalition of eco-activists, Indigenous rights groups and everyday citizens for more than a decade. Meiliwan, which means 'beautiful bay', comes from the Chinese name for the Miramar Resort Village, a five-star beachside property development at the tiny seaside hamlet of Shanyuan (杉原) ten miles north of Taitung City.

By Stephanie Hon

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reviewed Colombia on January 21, 2015. The Colombian Development Plan for the next four years were structured around the key pillars of peace, equity, and education, and Colombia has increased its investment in children from $1.3 billion in 2011 to $2 billion in 2014. Despite these improvements, Colombia is still challenged with addressing inequalities among regions and groups, particularly in regards to Indigenous Peoples.

By Hauʻolihiwahiwa Moniz

By  First Peoples Worldwide

By Susan G. Enberg

Reposted from Pretty Good Productions

By Tom Miller

This Land is for All of We: A Small Rama Community in Bangkukuk, Nicaragua, Speaks Out About the Grand Canal Project

The right to health is the most basic of human rights, argues Indigenous Maasai scholar Ben Koissaba, of Kenya, in conclusion to his participation at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples that took place September 2014 in New York.  “[It’s] fulfillment is both a precondition to, and a by-product of, the enjoyment of all other rights,” he explains.  In a recent publication, Koissaba evaluated progress towards the right to health for Indigenous Peoples of Africa. Around the world, Indigenous Peoples suffer from greater illness and poorer quality of care than other groups.