Today’s podcast guest is Jane Olson, a noted humanitarian who has worked many decades as a volunteer promoting international peace and justice and humanitarian work. She has chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch, from 2004 to 2010, and chaired the board of Survivor Corps for 12 years since its founding as Landmine Survivors Network.
In this episode, we discuss the current rise in human rights abuses globally, what roles international organizations have played in combatting human rights abuses, and the importance of educating people about their basic universal human rights, including starting in schools.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Jane Olson has worked many decades as a volunteer promoting international peace and justice and humanitarian work. She chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch, the largest US-based international human rights organization, from 2004 to 2010, having worked on behalf of HRW since 1988. She also chaired the board of Survivor Corps for 12 years since its founding as Landmine Survivors Network. LSN and HRW were among the five organizations to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997for the International Landmine Ban Treaty.
Jane is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and a board member of both the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and Direct Relief, based in Santa Barbara, CA. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Pacific Council on International Policy. She served as co-chair of the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York and continues to support the WRC as a commissioner.
Jane has received numerous awards, including the 2010 inaugural Alison Des Forges Award from Human Rights Watch, and the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Award from Feminist Majority in 2005. California Senator Barbara Boxer presented the “Women Making History” Award to Jane in 2010. She received Public Counsel’s Community Achievement Award and the Silver Achievement Award from the Los Angeles YWCA.
Trump is cornered on multiple fronts, and the pressure is intensifying. The Iran war has become a grinding stalemate. War driven energy shocks are intensifying inflation. His approval ratings have sunk. Inside the Republican Party, restive lawmakers and donors increasingly doubt his judgment. Taken together, these trends sharply narrow Trump’s political options and suggest that his second term is entering a dangerous, potentially irreversible downward spiral.
In my latest podcast episode, I spoke with former Principal Deputy Director in the Secretary of State`s Office of Global Women`s Issues, Katrina (Kat) Fotovat about the backsliding on women`s rights between the first and second Trump adminstrations. Kat noted the shift in priorities between administrations, and the national security implications of such cuts to women`s issues.
Listen to the full episode via the link in bio; episodes also available on all major podcasting apps
A new Human Rights Watch report shows how Trump’s immigration policies are hurting some of the most vulnerable people, especially undocumented survivors of serious crimes. The US was once the place where people fleeing violence came to feel safe. Under Trump, that promise has been willfully abandoned.
#Immigration #UnitedStates #Migration #HumanRights
Democrats must get their act together. Internal divisions—some drifting left, others right—are weakening the party. To succeed, they need a disciplined, centrist core while remaining pragmatic on key issues. Immigration policy should balance enforcement, while healthcare can remain progressive yet fiscally grounded. A winning coalition depends on aligning with where most Democrats and independents actually are: the center. That requires a cohesive national agenda that extends beyond the midterms and builds toward 2028. Priority issues must include economic stability, inflation, job growth, immigration reform, affordable healthcare, energy security, and the protection of democratic institutions. Voters want competence, clarity, and results. A unified message focused on urgent, practical solutions is no longer optional—it is essential.
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Trump’s threats and maximalist demands ignore Iran’s history, security fears, and distrust of Washington. A durable agreement requires time, restraint, and professional diplomacy—not bombast, coercion, and calls for unconditional surrender that guarantee only resistance
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Tomorrow marks Stephen Colbert’s final show, despite leading late-night ratings. CBS claims financial reasons, but few find that credible. The decision bears the unmistakable imprint of political pressure from an administration intolerant of dissent. This is a troubling moment for free expression. When a leading voice in political satire is silenced, it raises serious concerns about the erosion of First Amendment principles under a president who shows little regard for constitutional norms. Public outrage has been far too muted. This is not just about one host losing his platform; it is about defending the right to speak freely without intimidation. CBS may have bowed to pressure, but the greater loss will be its credibility. Viewers should take note—and respond accordingly — to ensure that CBS incurs far greater financial losses from reduced advertising than it has presumably incurred from keeping Stephen Colbert’s number one late-night comedy show running.
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Hundreds of children in Moldova are still being denied equal access to education, not because they lack ability, but because the system continues to fail the most vulnerable. Roma and refugee children remain at high risk of exclusion due to poverty, discrimination, social marginalization, and lack of support. A new European Union-funded initiative, implemented by UNICEF and UN Human Rights Moldova, in partnership with Moldova’s Ministry of Education, aims to change this by creating a more inclusive education system. The project will help out-of-school children return to classrooms, promote human rights-based education, and strengthen efforts to prevent school dropout. Education is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right that every child deserves equally.
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