What I’ve learned in my work in politics, advocacy, and human rights is that it’s a privilege to be able to take a break from the media and all the suffering in the world. So many people across the globe don’t have the choice to escape and it is our responsibility to be selfless and, at the minimum, keep an awareness of what impacts those around us.
Each of the following organizations’ blogs are resources to subscribe to in order to easily stay in the loop. I can personally give credibility to each of these organization’s insights and abilities as I’ve either worked with them directly or referenced their reports in academic research.
Amnesty International is an organization with a long-standing history of advocating on behalf of the less fortunate and producing critical research on important social issues. I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer with the organization as a college student. When it comes to education, the Amnesty International blog continues to come in handy.
If you’re looking for a liberally progressive perspective of global and domestic social issues, this is the resource for you. You’ll get all the information necessary to stay updated on current events.
Here are a couple great reads: Malaysia: PM’s resignation must restore respect for freedom of expression and assembly; and Afghanistan: International community must act decisively to avert further tragedy.
Follow @amnesty on Twitter.
Another organization I worked with while in college was New Mexico PIRG (local chapter). I would organize events and canvass during the summer regarding climate change. The U.S. PIRG blog continues to deliver.
PIRG stands for Public Interest Research Group. It is an advocacy and lobbyist group that advocates to politicians on the behalf of the general public. It focuses on issues that are considered important to those who may not have the ability or time to advocate directly to their respective representative.
A couple relevant reads: Will Executive Order Slow The March of the Mega-Banks? and Surprise medical bills hit 1 in 5 new parents with hefty charges.
Follow @uspirg on Twitter.
One of my long-time dreams in early adulthood was to work for the United Nations. I was part of my university’s Model UN team and would travel to compete at conferences against Ivy League schools. We were the only public university being represented at the time.
The United Nations has a long history of keeping countries accountable for their actions and human rights violations. Although it can be flawed due to its being run by humans, it produces wonderful content and reports that give humanity a clear path for how to achieve equity and justice.
I recommend reading Young peace activists in Mali and Youth Day: Peacekeeping missions facilitating the development of young people.
Follow @UN on Twitter.
Human Rights Watch is possibly one of my favorite organizations and I referred to their reports often while in graduate school. Human rights research is a love of mine and educating myself on the conditions that so many people are subjected to is something I find essential.
The Human Rights Watch blog is a great resource that provides insight into what is happening around the globe while remaining absolutely neutral.
Check out these posts: The Fragility of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and Ethiopia: Ethnic Tigrayans Forcibly Disappeared.
Follow @hrw on Twitter.
P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for activism or public issue news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.
Oscar Duran works as Global President of the EMBRACE Employee Resource Group at Cision as well as an Associate Account Executive. Check out his previous posts for Beyond Bylines and connect on Instagram. When he’s not working, Oscar can be found producing content for his podcast, being an advocate for the underprivileged, or traveling.
