This is the fourth installment in a series on rights holders at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the annual gathering established by the UN Human Rights Council to: 1) “discuss trends and challenges” in implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs); 2)…

Over the past four years, rights holders have comprised only 6% of the speakers at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights. This matters, for reasons I’ve already set out in my first post in this short series on the Forum. …

This is the second in a short series on rights holders at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights. Over the past four years, rights holders have comprised only 6% of the speakers at the Forum. In my last post, I explained that this matters because rights holders have…

The UN Forum on Business and Human Rights needs an overhaul. As the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights, it is an important venue for exchange of ideas and good practice — but one that has not provided sufficient space for rights holder expertise and input. We…

Human rights work is a praxis of possibility when it is based in learning from and collaborating with people directly impacted by systemic injustice and oppression. …

Portland’s past 50 years reflect a police force with a history of harassment and violence against African-Americans, surveillance of activists and organizers, and excessive force in response to public demonstrations. The white supremacy that set the stage for that oppression extends back even farther, to the founding documents of Oregon’s…

Before COVID-19 disrupted our lives, I was having lunch with my nephew, an intelligent and curious kid, during which we got into a discussion about politics. He has been raised in a Catholic, ultra-conservative household. I typically avoid talking about politics because I try to respect their religious beliefs and…

In the United States, COVID-19 has thrown the brutality of late capitalism into sharp relief. Billionaires donate a tiny fraction of their wealth while cities offer homeless people a demarcated parking lot so they can practice social distancing while sleeping on the pavement. While we confront how little our social…

While I travel a lot and recently moved away, I consider Portland, Oregon my home. My daughter lives in Portland, as do many friends and small businesses I love. …