Topic: Nobel Peace Prize

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6 famous dissidents in China

The surprising escape of a blind legal activist from house arrest is buoying China's embattled dissident community, even as the government cracks down on those who helped him.
Myanmar's about-face: 5 recent reforms

Since 1962, Myanmar's dictatorship has jailed the opposition, beat up monks, denied aid to disaster victims, and run scorched-earth campaigns against ethnic minorities. That may be changing, however. Here are five key changes the regime has made in just a matter of months.
5 countries with the longest ongoing US sanctions

Sanctions are once again leading the news with trade embargoes tightening around Iran and debates over whether to loosen US restrictions on Cuba and Myanmar.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: A quiz on the struggle for a national holiday

Take this quiz to test your knowledge of this day of remembrance, and the man whose life and works it honors.
Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Artisans

They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.

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Taylor's 50-year sentence draws mixed reactions in Liberia (+video)

Human rights groups welcomed the sentence for Liberia's former president Charles Taylor for his role in Sierra Leone civil war. Some Liberians argued he didn't get fair treatment.
Global News Blog
Aung San Suu Kyi's 'test run' outside of Myanmar (+video)

On her first international trip since 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi is in Thailand to attend a World Economic Forum summit on Friday. Next month she will travel to Europe, collecting while there the Nobel Peace Prize awarded her in 1991.
By not lifting sanctions, West and Obama are helping Iran enrich uranium

The West just blew its latest chance to rein in Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Though Iran expressed willingness to compromise on key demands, by refusing to ease sanctions, the P5+1 nations offered no meaningful reciprocity, derailing the possibility of a deal with Tehran.
Obama names ambassador to Myanmar: Is US moving too slow or too fast?

Rewarding the former pariah state for progress on reforms, Obama names the first US ambassador to Myanmar in two decades and announces a further easing of sanctions.
Change Agent
World Bank unit, MasterCard Foundation boost small loans in Africa

They'll spend $37.4 million over five years to provide microfinancing, which helps people lift themselves out of poverty by starting or expanding small businesses, sending children to school, or improving farms.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: Politics of withdrawal, fossil fuels, and media freedom in South Africa

Herewith, a shout out to longer-form analysis stories about President Obama's security pact with Afghanistan, as well as stories on oil, developing countries, and media restriction in South Africa.
Will Charles Taylor ever face justice for crimes in Liberia?

A week after a Special Tribunal for war crimes in Liberia found Liberian President Charles Taylor guilty for aiding war crimes in Sierra Leone, Liberians ask if he will face justice at home.
Aung San Suu Kyi takes Myanmar parliamentary oath

The longtime activist, who had been under house arrest for many years, joined her new colleagues in the country's parliament on Wednesday.
'Three Cups of Tea' a fraud? Judge dismisses lawsuit against Greg Mortenson.

A federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by readers seeking damages from 'Three Cups of Tea' author Greg Mortenson. Parts of the nonfiction book are alleged to be fabrications.
6 famous dissidents in China

The surprising escape of a blind legal activist from house arrest is buoying China's embattled dissident community, even as the government cracks down on those who helped him.
The day President Obama said: 'Go get bin Laden'

During his presidency, Barack Obama has undertaken a string of military operations, topped by the raid that killed Osama bin Laden hiding in Pakistan. One expert calls Obama 'one of the most militarily aggressive American leaders in decades.'
Why Voice of America is losing to voice of communist China – at home and abroad

With funding and program cuts, Washington is crippling the truth-telling Voice of America broadcasts in China. Meanwhile, Beijing is aggressively expanding its media campaign to spread untruths – broadcasting from American soil. America can't afford to let the VOA go silent.
Change Agent
Actor-activist Sean Penn says he's in Haiti for the long haul

Sean Penn's role in Haiti has evolved from heading a band of volunteers and serving as unofficial mayor of a homeless camp to becoming ambassador-at-large for President Michel Martelly, the first non-Haitian to receive the designation.
Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi speaks out against Iran sanctions

Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian to win a Nobel Peace Prize, also spoke with the Monitor about her fight for human rights in Iran and challenged the supreme leader's role.
Artful diplomacy with Syria and Iran

Kofi Annan and Catherine Ashton each relied on delicate diplomacy to bring some fragile hope to two big security issues – Iran's nuclear program and the civil war in Syria.
Why France now backs easing EU sanctions on Myanmar (+video)

France follows the US in supporting a lifting of sanctions on Myanmar after April 1 elections. Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD won a landslide parliamentary election.
The real victory in the Myanmar election

The Myanmar election produced more than a small victory for Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy. It also firmed up the moral legitimacy of those seeking freedom in Burma.
Not just Suu Kyi: How a former general is opening up Myanmar

President Thein Sein has advanced reforms partly through his choice of advisers, allowing critical voices to be heard even before today's freer elections.
Myanmar elections: A hold-your-breath moment for freedom and Aung San Suu Kyi

Suspense is building for the Myanmar elections April 1. Will democracy fighter and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi finally get an official voice in her country, formerly known as Burma? The US can help freedom emerge in Myanmar through pressure and a new ambassador.
Dalai Lama wins Templeton Prize as more than 'simple Buddhist monk'

The Dalai Lama has won the Templeton Prize for exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension by spreading his message of compassion worldwide.
Keep Calm
Liberia's President Sirleaf defends country's anti-gay laws

Liberian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf defends Liberia's anti-gay laws, underlining persistence of colonial laws and 'traditional values.'
Self-immolations in Tibet must resonate in America

Tibetans around the world are in mourning for the more than 25 Tibetans who have immolated themselves over the past year in protest against China's oppression. These self-immolations are also desperate cries for support from the international community. Americans can help.
Shimon Peres: a dovish voice in Obama's ear

Israeli President Shimon Peres meets with President Obama today. Mr. Peres opposes an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran, adding a dovish voice to deliberations between the US and Israel.
Myanmar's about-face: 5 recent reforms

Since 1962, Myanmar's dictatorship has jailed the opposition, beat up monks, denied aid to disaster victims, and run scorched-earth campaigns against ethnic minorities. That may be changing, however. Here are five key changes the regime has made in just a matter of months.
The great wait of China: How long until freedom?

How long can China's communist regime hold in thrall people who have prospered in an economic system that has many of the hallmarks of free enterprise? Despite attempts to censor the Internet, China's huge, new urban population is aware of the outside world and changes in it.