Human Rights

Prison Island

Bahrain has badly botched its local version of the Arab Spring. And there seems to be no way out.

BY TOM MALINOWSKI | MAY 7, 2012

The World in Photos This Week

Chen Guangcheng became an icon, demonstrators rallied for May Day, and Newt Gingrich bowed out.

MAY 4, 2012

"Captains Stay with Their Crew"

Most of the Americans charged by Egypt in the NGO affair have since left the country. But one, Robert Becker, decided to stay and face the music.

BY MOHAMED FADEL FAHMY | MAY 2, 2012

Where Democracy Is America’s Second Choice

For Washington, democracy promotion in Yemen continues to take a back seat to the fight against Al-Qaeda.

BY FRANCISCO MARTIN-RAYO | MAY 2, 2012

The Shawshank Prevention

As the blackout on news of Chen Guangcheng shows, Chinese censors are getting better at what they do. Can U.S. government-funded tools help China's netizens break free?

BY REBECCA MACKINNON | MAY 2, 2012

Out of the Embassy and Into the Fire

U.S. officials cut a dramatic deal for the freedom of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, but the agreement appears to contain few hard assurances that China will keep its end of the bargain.

BY SUSAN GLASSER | MAY 2, 2012

Gimme Shelter

So, how do you take refuge in an embassy, anyway?

BY URI FRIEDMAN AND JOSHUA KEATING | APRIL 30, 2012

Why America Must Save Chen Guangcheng

Now is one of those times when the United States must live up to its ideals.

BY FRANK WOLF | APRIL 30, 2012

Congratulations and Condolences

The conviction of Charles Taylor is welcome news. But don’t be fooled: The international criminal justice system is in deep trouble.

BY CHRISTOPHER STEPHEN | APRIL 30, 2012

Abbas's Police State

The Palestinian Authority is taking aggressive new measures to squelch dissent -- and the White House is missing in action.

BY JONATHAN SCHANZER | APRIL 30, 2012

Exit Taylor

The former Liberian leader is going to jail for war crimes. But he leaves behind a host of unanswered questions.

BY JOHNNY DWYER | APRIL 27, 2012

Predators for Peace

Drones have revolutionized war. Why not let them deliver aid?

BY JACK C. CHOW | APRIL 27, 2012

The Work of All Nations

President Barack Obama's creation of an Atrocities Prevention Board is an important step, but America can't prevent genocide alone.

BY HASHIM THACI | APRIL 27, 2012

Ostriches and Automatic Weapons

My surreal afternoon with Charles Taylor. 

BY JOHN NORRIS | APRIL 26, 2012

Obama's Committee of Salvation

Preventing genocide sounds like a worthy cause. But setting up a new White House committee isn't the way to do it.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | APRIL 25, 2012

Debating the War on Women

In the May/June issue of Foreign Policy, Mona Eltahawy argues that the real war on women is in the Middle East. FP asked six smart observers to weigh in on Eltahawy's claim that many of the men of the Arab world hate women -- and the controversial cover image that accompanied it.

APRIL 24, 2012

The Most Powerful Women You've Never Heard Of

The Angela Merkels and Dilma Rousseffs get all the attention. But they're not the only female leaders running the world.

BY FP STAFF | MAY/JUNE 2012

The Bedroom State

The new politics of sex -- from Iran to India and 7 countries in between.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MAY/JUNE 2012

Why Women Are a Foreign Policy Issue

The most pressing global problems simply won't be solved without the participation of women. Seriously, guys.

BY MELANNE VERVEER | MAY/JUNE 2012

The Heroines of the Arab World

Twelve women challenging their societies to change the status quo.

BY ALLISON GOOD | APRIL 23, 2012

Mad Libs: Women in Politics

FP asked top female politicians around the world to fill in the blanks on sexism, women leaders, and breaking the glass ceiling.

MAY/JUNE 2012

Teaching Intolerance

You should see what even first graders have to read in Saudi Arabia.

BY EMAN AL NAFJAN | MAY/JUNE 2012

The New al Qaeda Franchises

Al Qaeda itself may be diminished after the death of Osama bin Laden, but its affiliates are still sowing instability around the world.

BY LOIS PARSHLEY, HANNA TRUDO | APRIL 23, 2012

Trust But Verify

How important is representative data in human rights work?

MAY/JUNE 2012

More Than Just Remembering

The president's new Atrocities Prevention Board represents a pragmatic -- and timely -- commitment to deterring mass violence worldwide.

BY MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND WILLIAM COHEN | APRIL 23, 2012

The Stubborn Past

Thirty-five years after the "Dirty War," a trial in Argentina is still struggling to shed light on a bloody legacy.

BY ALEX GIBSON | APRIL 20, 2012

The Arab Spring's Best Photos

The Pulitzer committee gives a nod to the best chroniclers of the revolutions.

APRIL 16, 2012

Could North Korea Have Struck It Rich?

Kim Jong Il promised that in 2012, North Koreans would witness a new dawn of prosperity. Here's how it could have been done.

BY STEPHAN HAGGARD | APRIL 13, 2012

Out of Africa

An expat witnesses the end of halcyon days in Mali.

BY JENNIFER SWIFT-MORGAN | APRIL 13, 2012

Don't Throw Iran's Democrats Under the Bus

In pursuing a nuclear deal with Tehran, Obama is betting against the future.

BY PATRICK CLAWSON | APRIL 13, 2012