With a president who can't seem to keep his finger off the "Tweet" button, it's easy to lose track of international happenings. We saw multiple noteworthy stories around the globe this week dealing with injustice. One thread we've followed closely: Ongoing mercury contamination in Onatrio's Wabigoon River. A former pulp- and paper mill released the neurotoxin, poisoning generations of the Grassy Narrows and the Whitedog First Nations people. In 2014 scientists testing First Nations members found that 90 percent had symptoms of mercury poisoning. Yet neither the Canadian federal nor the Ontario governments saw fit to build a treatment facility for the 1,500 residents, reports the Toronto Star. Read more:
Meanwhile, The Guardian paid tribute to women killed this year because of their activism in honor of Women Human Rights Defenders' Day. We were astonished to see the number of women killed for their cause the past 5 years. From the report: "While thousands of men defend human rights, women face particular challenges for their activism. They are targeted for who they are, as women, not just because they are protesting." Read the full story: It's not all bad news out there. Reuters highlighted a new online map, launched by indigenous groups in Paraguay, aimed at protecting ancestral lands from agriculture and cattle ranching. And Outside Magazine has a great 4-minute video on how off-grid solar power is bringing power to 335,760 homes that don't have electricity in Kenya.
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