The basic doctrine of animal rights supporters is that every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering. As the human population continues to expand, we must take vital steps to cut thoughtless animal cruelty out of our lives. Humane societies work to find homes for animals as shelters become overcrowded and are forced to stretch their resources to the brink. In addition to animal placement, these organizations also work to rescue animals from abuse and neglect.
Read more about this issue here: ASPCA, PETA, Friends of Animals
The Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad Basin. Although the Nigerian military has regained control in parts of the country’s north-east, civilians in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger continue to be affected by grave violations of human rights, widespread sexual and gender-based violence, forced recruitment and suicide bombings. The crisis has been exacerbated by conflict-induced food insecurity and severe malnutrition, which have risen to critical levels in all four countries.
Read more about this issue here: UNHCR, Time, UNICEF, BBC
Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities. The impetus for that commitment was, and still is, the rampant and deliberate violence inflicted on us by the state.
Read more about this issue here: Black Lives Matter, TWOCC, Black Girls Code, NAACP,
Child victims of trafficking are recruited, transported, transferred, harbored or received for the purpose of exploitation. They may be forced to work in sweatshops, on construction sites or in houses as domestic servants; on the streets as child beggars, in wars as child soldiers, on farms, in traveling sales crews or in restaurants and hotels. Some are forced to work in brothels and strip clubs or for escort and massage services. Cases of human trafficking have been reported all over the world, including in all 50 U.S. states.
Read more about this issue here: UNICEF, NSPCC, Save the Children, ERASE Child Trafficking
Most of the current warming trend is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia. Evidence of rapid climate change includes warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreat, and ocean acidification. Limiting greenhouse gas emissions is vital to curbing the significant, long-term effects of climate change such as lengthened growing seasons, changes in precipitation patterns, stronger and more intense hurricanes, and an ice-free Arctic.
Read more about this issue here: NASA, IPCC, Global Change, David Suzuki Foundation
Countries around the world are responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic by running record budget deficits and accumulating large amounts of debt to address pressing health needs, support the unemployed and aid companies affected by lockdowns. As a result, many countries might soon face a debt crisis on top of their rising health and economic crisis.
Read more about this issue here: CDC Foundation, WHO COVID-19 Mayo Clinic COVID-19
Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, many social barriers have been removed or reduced for people with disabilities. But there is more work that needs to be done for people with disabilities to become more independent and involved within their communities. Improved health programs, better schooling programs and more accessible technologies are still needed to help disabled people to be able to work, learn, and be engaged within their community.
Read more about this issue here: ADARA, American Association of People with Disabilities, American Council of the Blind, The Arc,
A consequence of the widening income gap in the United States is its effects on education in underserved communities. It is widely believed that education is an important stepping stone for financial and personal success. However, as it has been widely documented, students from underserved communities are not being afforded the same opportunities as their peers in more affluent communities. Organizations aim to bridge the education gap by providing students in underserved communities with school supplies, academic support, leadership training, scholarships, and financial and college advising.
Read more about this issue here: U.S. Dept. of Education, Higher Education Today, Global Partnership for Education
Advocates for gender equality believe in creating a just world where women and girls have the same rights as men and boys. Organizations for this cause challenge ingrained cultural assumptions and call out inequality. Social change often begins with legal change and so they use the power of the law to create enduring equality for women and girls everywhere. The goals of these organizations include achieving legal equality, ending sexual violence and sex trafficking, and ending harmful practices such as culturally normalized forms of violence or discrimination against women and girls.
Read more about this issue here: Equality Now, UN Women, Womankind Worldwide, Women for Women International
The first cases of what would later become known as AIDS were reported in the United States in June of 1981. Today, there are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV and more than 700,000 people with AIDS have died since the beginning of the epidemic. HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on certain populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men.
Read more about this issue here: KFF, (RED), HIV.gov, Avert
When hurricanes and typhoons strike, their volatility and unpredictability can leave many in peril, especially when storms follow in close succession. Food, water, shelter, and medical services are the four basic immediate concerns in a hurricane or other emergency situation to safeguard people. Preventing injury and loss of life from storm-tossed debris, electrocution, exposure, or being caught in floodwaters are priorities for first responders and emergency personnel during a hurricane.
Read more about this issue here: Direct Relief, eSchool Today, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases. Organizations such as the Immunization Action Coalition work to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for healthcare professionals and the public that enhance the delivery of safe and effective immunization services. These organizations also facilitate communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, healthcare organizations, and government health agencies.
Read more about this issue here: Vaccine Information, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, Vaccinate Your Family
The ‘me too.’ movement was founded in 2006 to help survivors of sexual violence, particularly Black women and girls, and other young women of color from low wealth communities, find pathways to healing. The 'me too.' movement from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront of creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.
Read more about this issue here: Me Too Movement, TIME'S UP, National Women's Law Center, Girl's For Gender Equity
Every child deserves a healthy start in life. However, there are far too many starving children in third world countries from around the world for whom hunger is a constant, chronic pain. In sub-Saharan Africa, a shocking 28 million children are experiencing stunted growth due to malnutrition. Stunting prevents children from developing to their full potential mentally and physically, and it is largely irreversible. Stunting is not the only form of malnutrition that affects children. Children who have severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of extreme hunger, can succumb to the disease in just a few days. Children who die in this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and eventually stop.
Read more about this issue here: The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, GreenShoots Foundation, Groundswell International, Heifer International
The LGBTIA community goal is to provide an open, safe, inclusive space and community that is committed to challenging sexism, cissexism/trans oppression/transmisogyny, among other entities. Knowing that, there is a lot of work required still to understand and dismantle all forms of oppression. The LGBTQIA community values and honors that we are complex, multifaceted, and whole individuals.
Read more about this issue here: Family Equity, LGBT National Help Center, Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG