How a once serious party surrendered judgment, subordinating institutions to a single strongman—and what must be done before the republic dangerously erodes from within How is it possible that the Republican Party, at the peak of American power and at the new dawn of the country’s 250th anniversary, became a cult of personality around a…
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary—a testament to endurance, sacrifice, and democratic aspiration—it does so under a dark and foreboding shadow. At this defining moment, the nation finds itself led not by steadiness or vision, but by a figure whose erratic conduct, corrosive narcissism, and moral decay mock the very ideals this milestone…
As midterm campaigns accelerate and disillusionment with Trump’s domestic and foreign policies widens, a stark scenario emerges: America faces a perilous inflection point demanding immediate action before democratic erosion becomes irreversible Donald Trump did not invent America’s vulnerabilities, but he has driven them to a breaking point. His contempt for democratic norms, alliances, and international…
A war launched to reshape the Middle East has instead exposed the limits of force—and the cost of misunderstanding a nation that has spent millennia learning how to endure The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was finally unveiled a few days ago only reaffirmed how misguided the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28…
Today’s podcast guest is Dr. Benafsha Yaqoobi, an attorney and civic society and human rights activist. Before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, she worked as an attorney for the elimination of violence against women and as a Commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She currently serves as a prosecutor on the team bringing Afghanistan’s case before the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan.
In this episode, we discuss the plight of people with disabilities in Afghanistan, particularly women and girls, the work that the Rahyab Initiative does in support of people with disabilities in Afghanistan, and the impact of the Taliban’s takeover on Afghanistan as well as its impact on receiving external support.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Dr. Benafsha Yaqoobi is a civic society and human rights activist, and currently serves as a prosecutor on the team bringing Afghanistan’s case before the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan in 2025. She is the founder and director of The Rahyab Initiative in the UK and previously established the Organization of Rahyab for Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (ORRSB) in Afghanistan.
Before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Dr. Yaqoobi worked as an attorney for the elimination of violence against women and later as a Commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She has consistently used national and international platforms to advocate for the inclusion of Afghan women in peacebuilding processes, with particular focus on women with disabilities.
Dr. Yaqoobi holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Lovely Professional University in India, with her dissertation examining democratic governance and women’s political rights in Afghanistan. She is currently pursuing doctoral research in sociology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Her contributions have been recognized internationally. In 2024, she was awarded the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award, and in 2022 she received the Marca Bristo Fellowship from Human Rights Watch. In 2021, she was named among the BBC’s 100 most influential women.
Today’s podcast guest is Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, a blogger and activist who has written extensively since 2006 on environmental and human rights issues in Vietnam. She has been arrested twice for her activism, and received a 10-year prison sentence. She was released after two years, on the condition of exile from Vietnam.
In this episode, we discuss the current political status inside Vietnam and its status in the region, Quynh’s experience of activism and persecution, including her arrests and imprisonment, environmental and human rights issues in Vietnam, and what role the US has and can play in supporting democracy and freedom in the country.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh is a blogger and activist who has blogged extensively since 2006 on environmental and human rights issues in Vietnam, publishing principled arguments to inspire change and greater transparency. Ms. Quynh co-founded the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers, an independent writers’ association that encourages members to “protect people’s rights and freedoms from restrictions and censorship.” She was arrested on October 10, 2016 under the charge of “conducting propaganda against the state” and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was released from prison on October 17, 2018, and sent into exile in the United States.
In 2014, she received a Human Rights Defender award from the Stockholm-based NGO Civil Rights Defenders, and was awarded the 2017 International Women of Courage Award by the US Department of State.
Today’s guest is Ambassador Frederic C. Hof, Bard College’s Diplomat-in-Residence, who served as ambassador and special adviser for transition in Syria under President Obama, and as special coordinator for regional affairs in the US Department of State’s Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. A US Army Vietnam veteran, Ambassador Hof served two tours of duty in the US Department of State.
In this episode, we discuss Ambassador Hof`s recent Track II diplomacy work in Lebanon regarding the prospects of a future Israeli-Lebanese agreement and the elements of the consensus document developed from this work, and the impact of the war on Iran on this delicate diplomacy work.
Listen now; link in bio.
A new Human Rights Watch report reveals that Russia is using schools in occupied Ukrainian territories to erase Ukrainian identity. Children are denied education in their own language, pressured to obtain Russian passports, subjected to propaganda, and even prepared for future military service. Families who try to keep their children connected to Ukrainian education face surveillance, threats, and intimidation. Education should nurture identity, critical thinking, and hope—not become a weapon of war. The international community must do more to protect these children, support their education and mental health, and hold those responsible accountable. A child`s classroom should never become a battlefield.
A new Amnesty International investigation alleges that India continued exporting weapons, ammunition, and military components to Israel despite the serious risk they could contribute to violations of international law in Gaza. The report documents 2,596 arms-related shipments since October 7, 2023, including ammunition parts, artillery components, and military vehicle parts supplied to companies that equip the Israeli military. Amnesty argues these transfers risk complicity in ongoing atrocities and urges India to immediately halt military exports to Israel, strengthen export controls, and align its policies with international legal standards. The findings add to growing international pressure on governments and companies to ensure that arms transfers do not contribute to grave human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law.
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After years of blockade, repeated wars, and systemic poverty, Israel's war in Gaza has produced mass displacement, extreme hunger, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure on a scale unseen before. Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, hospitals and universities have turned into rubble, and an already devastated economy has led to widespread starvation. Over 73,000 have been killed and over 170,000 injured. Put together, this constitutes nothing short of genocide. The West Bank, meanwhile, has been experiencing its most severe wave of displacement and Israeli settler violence since 1967. International law is invoked but blatantly ignored, and accountability is non-existent. Gaza and the West Bank have become the mirror of our moral bankruptcy, and the emptiness of humanitarian rhetoric is clearly exposed.
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Talk to Iran and Hamas
We are proud to introduce the inaugural issue of the Journal for International Humanitarian Conflict Resolution, a platform dedicated to exposing injustice, amplifying courageous voices, and inspiring action. In a world where war, authoritarianism, displacement, gender-based violence, climate catastrophe, and digital oppression devastate millions, indifference is complicity. This issue brings together leading scholars, humanitarian experts, and frontline advocates whose work confronts the greatest moral challenges of our time and refuses to look away. More than a collection of essays, this Journal is a call to conscience. It gives voice to survivors, challenges impunity, names those responsible, and insists that behind every statistic is a human life deserving of dignity, justice, and hope. Read it. Reflect on it. Share it. Then act. Because awareness is the first step toward accountability, and lasting change begins only when silence ends.
Click here 👇 to read the Journal for International Humanitarian Conflict
ihcr.institute/book/journal-for-humanitarian-conflict-resolution-volume-1-issue-1-summer-2026/
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valuing your opening words on page 138
Today’s podcast guest is Dr. Benafsha Yaqoobi, an attorney and civic society and human rights activist. Before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, she worked as an attorney for the elimination of violence against women and as a Commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She currently serves as a prosecutor on the team bringing Afghanistan’s case before the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan.
In this episode, we discuss the plight of people with disabilities in Afghanistan, particularly women and girls, the work that the Rahyab Initiative does in support of people with disabilities in Afghanistan, and the impact of the Taliban’s takeover on Afghanistan as well as its impact on receiving external support.
Listen now: soundcloud.com/alon-ben-meir/on-the-issues-episode-159-benafsha-yaqoobi
Full bio
Dr. Benafsha Yaqoobi is a civic society and human rights activist, and currently serves as a prosecutor on the team bringing Afghanistan’s case before the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan in 2025. She is the founder and director of The Rahyab Initiative in the UK and previously established the Organization of Rahyab for Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (ORRSB) in Afghanistan.
Before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Dr. Yaqoobi worked as an attorney for the elimination of violence against women and later as a Commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She has consistently used national and international platforms to advocate for the inclusion of Afghan women in peacebuilding processes, with particular focus on women with disabilities.
Dr. Yaqoobi holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Lovely Professional University in India, with her dissertation examining democratic governance and women’s political rights in Afghanistan (2001–2021). She also earned two master’s degrees in Political Science and International Relations from Kabul-based universities. She is currently pursuing doctoral research in sociology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Her contributions have been recognized internationally. In 2024, she was awarded the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award, and in 2022 she received the Marca Bristo Fellowship from Human Rights Watch. In 2021, she was named among the BBC’s 100 most influential women.
Dr. Yaqoobi’s work is guided by a commitment to equality, justice, and the full participation of Afghan women in shaping their country’s future.
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