All posts filed under: Washington

American Alliance for Automotive Corporate Social Responsibility (AAACSR) report: The People v. The People’s Car

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The People v. The People’s Car: How Volkswagen’s Corporate Culture is Primed to Deceive As part of its #DefeatTheVice campaign, the American Alliance for Automotive Corporate Social Responsibility (AAACSR) announces the publication of a report analysis: The People v. The People’s Car: How Volkswagen’s Corporate Culture is Primed to Deceive. Download here for free. Earlier this year, the U.S. government “formally labeled the Chinese government’s policies targeting ethnic Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in the northwest region of Xinjiang as ‘genocide,’” constituting serious crimes against humanity. “Malfeasance at Volkswagen in the 21st century did not begin with the so-called ‘dieselgate’ scandal in 2015 but is perhaps what the company is best known for state-side,” reads the report.​​​​​​​ Changchun FAW-Volkswagen worker representative Ai Zhenyu was detained by Chinese police in 2017 for organizing for equal pay. Following his release from police custody, Ai told the China Labour Bulletin: “Volkswagen and Audi have been exposed for their discriminatory practices against Chinese agency workers, they’ve totally disregarded the human rights of Chinese workers.” AAACSR serves as a watchdog to …

Atlantic Council: 360/StratCom 2020

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Atlantic Council DFRLab “360/StratCom is DFRLab’s annual, premier government-to-government forum focused on working with allies and partners to align free and open societies in an era of contested information.” “As democracies counter and build resilience against disinformation, malign state and non-state actors continue to develop new tools to spread false narratives and manipulate civil discourse. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming elections in the United States – among other global events – have increased public awareness to the threat of mis- and disinformation. The DFRLab has been at the forefront of raising critical social debates about the role of government, the private sector, and civilians in monitoring and securing the information environment both on and offline.   “360/StratCom is the premier government-to-government forum focused on working with allies and partners to align free and open societies in an era of contested information. We find ourselves in a global competition for information and influence, and we face a rapidly evolving threat landscape, from war zones to our living rooms. Democracies must build resilience and work together …

TED x Mid Atlantic: Active Resistance

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We are just beginning to understand the massive efforts by foreign governments to influence our elections and plant the seeds of chaos into the United States. Our reliance on digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and the speed at which misinformation can spread has left us vulnerable. So what can we do? Amanda Rivkin says we must be proactive and form an active resistance against these attacks. Amanda Rivkin is a photographer and writer focused on gender, security, political and military issues in Eastern Europe and the United States.   Currently she is at work on a long-term project documenting in portraits and oral histories the victims of Chicago municipal police torture under former Commander Jon Burge. For this work, she has received a grant from the International Women’s Media Foundation Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists and support from The Invisible Institute, a non- profit journalism outfit focusing on issues of policing in Chicago.   In February 2017, she founded Trumpistan Watch, a free weekday e-mail subscription and blog media monitoring Western and …

I Stand With Khadija Ismayilova

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I will stand with Khadija today, Monday December 8, 2014, at 4pm at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington. Please join us. Renowned Azerbaijani investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova was remanded to the custody of the court according to section 125 of the country’s penal code in pretrial detention. Her work has landed her in trouble before. In 2012, months before Azerbaijan hosted Eurovision, the government launched a black mail campaign against her and released video it had secretly recorded in her bedroom, which it posted online. Khadija was as brave then as she is now, going public with the threats and publishing her investigations rather than cowering in the face of intimidation. This is a gathering of her friends and supporters outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington on Monday December 8 at 4pm to call for her unconditional and immediate release and stand up for and show support for free speech where it is under threat. — Some of Khadija’s work: “Azerbaijani President’s Daughters Tied To Fast-Rising Telecoms Firm,” RFE/RL (June 27, 2011). “Azerbaijani Government Awarded …

Voice of Russia American Edition Interview: Is Azerbaijan’s J-Lo Concert Taunting Iran?

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Is Azerbaijan’s J-Lo Concert Taunting Iran? Voice of Russia American Edition Oct 16, 2012 19:37 Moscow Time Interview with Ric Young The country of Azerbaijan appears to be embracing western culture and irritating its conservative Islamic neighbor, Iran, by holding concerts with popular western female singers and sponsoring a women’s athletic event. But is the country as liberal as it appears? Host Ric Young talks with photojournalist Amanda Rivkin from Istanbul about the country: (Listen here.) Rihanna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez have all appeared at concerts in Azerbaijan recently, but the singers have been condemned by critics due to Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record. In Rivkin’s opinion, the events are less about twitting Iran with a production of “scantily clad” western singers, and more about trying to improve their global image. The true tension between Azerbaijan and Iran is based on ethnicity, rather than women’s rights.

Chicago NATO Summit Weekend May 18-22, 2012 Events Calendar

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“Afghan Women Shadow Summit” Amnesty in Chicago It’s a crucial time for President Karzai, President Obama, world leaders and the media to see that people care deeply about the fate of women’s and girls’ human rights in Afghanistan. Speakers and panelists include Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky; Afifa Azim, Executive Director, Afghan Women’s Network; Gayle Lemmon, Council on Foreign Relations and Author, “Dressmaker of Khair Khana”; and Manizha Naderi, Executive Director of Women for Afghan Women. The panel will be moderated by Jerome McDonnell, host of WBEZ’s Worldview. After the Summit, please join us for an action as we fly kites to demand Afghan women’s rights! This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. To register and for more information, please visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/afghanwomen. We need you! When: 11AM – 1PM on May 20th – the first day of the NATO Summit. Registration and light brunch begin at 10AM Where: Swissotel Hotel, Lucerne Ballroom, 323 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601 Note: After the Summit, please join us at Navy Pier …

Interview on National Geographic Weekend Radio about Azerbaijan and Eurovision

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Last month when I was in Washington for the Fulbright orientation, I stopped by National Geographic headquarters for a brief interview with Boyd Matson for his National Geographic Weekend radio show. While the clip is not quite yet available online, it did air yesterday on satellite radio and several AM and FM stations across America. You can have a listen here. Previously I was a guest of the show in early 2010 to discuss my work photographing everyday life and the economic reality facing Cubans in their country after a trip there resulted in several images being published in Foreign Policy.

Lucie Foundation International Photography Awards 2011 Honorable Mentions

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I received three honorable mentions this year at the Lucie International Photography Awards for work in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Hungary, and Chicago. The entries are below with brief descriptions. You will have to scroll down pretty far in the same “Honorable Mention” gallery to find these entries in the environmental, political, photo essay and feature story categories here. From the entry description: Entry Title: “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline” Name: Amanda Rivkin, United States Category: Professional, Photo Essay and Feature Story The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline traverses three nations, skirts five conflict zones, and covers land held by believers in at least two of the world’s great religions. A major post-Cold War victory for the West that sent one million barrels of oil a day pumping from the oil fields of Azerbaijan with room to expand to transport energy from elsewhere in the Caspian and Central Asian regions, the BTC pipeline – as the project is known – has helped to redefine energy security in the early 21st century. (This work has previously appeared at National Geographic.) — …

Press Release: Amanda Rivkin Receives Fulbright Award

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The Fulbright Program The United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James A. Lawrence Date: 8/4/11 Telephone: 202-632-3241 Amanda Rivkin Receives Fulbright Award Ms. Amanda Rivkin of Georgetown University has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Azerbaijan in Photography, the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced recently. Rivkin is one of over 1,600 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2011-2012 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also …