Monthly Archives: March 2014

Heres how Bill Human went from a young lieutenant aboard a Navy destroyer to become mayor of Clayton:

Mr. Human returned from the Navy in 1952 after serving during the Korean War. His father was an alderman in Clayton, who stepped aside so his son could take his place. The father owned the old Human Brothers Hardware Store in downtown Clayton.

The younger Human took his fathers seat but not for long. He resigned to become Claytons city attorney. Soon after, city officials asked him to take another post, heading the charter commission that came up with a new form of government for Clayton.

In 1959, he was chosen as the citys first mayor under the new charter.

He proudly recalled a meeting with Claytons restaurant owners during the early 1960s, when many St. Louis-area businesses remained segregated. He said he persuaded the owners to open their establishments to black patrons. That earned him a commendation from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Mr. Human died Sunday (March 9, 2014) at the Mari de Villa nursing home in Town and Country. He was 90 and had been diagnosed with liver cancer about three years ago, his family said Tuesday.

Mr. Human gave up elective office after serving two terms as Claytons mayor, from 1959-1963. He continued to serve the public in many appointed civic positions.

In Clayton, he helped set up a strong city-manager form of government. The mayor and Board of Aldermen appoint a professional manager, who in turn appoints the police and fire chiefs and other employees. The idea was to reduce political influence.

Mr. Human later adopted a similar model as chairman of the St. Louis County Charter Commission, which drafted the countys first charter. That document created an elective county executive, prosecuting attorney and County Council far fewer elected officials than in the city of St. Louis.

Mr. Human also was a member of the committee that helped create the charter for the Zoo-Museum District. He was the general counsel and helped create the St. Louis Science Center and what is now the St. Louis Regional Chamber.

Excerpt from:
Bill Human dies; helped create modern Clayton

The Rev. Angel Arroyo speaks during a Tuesday panel discussion on human trafficking at LorainCountyCommunityCollege. ANNA MERRIMAN/CHRONICLE

ELYRIA Its often considered a taboo topic, but on Tuesday a panel of specialists spoke openly about human trafficking a problem which they say will become more frequent than drug trafficking in a matter of years.

Human trafficking often gets ignored or misunderstood, said Mindi Kuebler of the Human Trafficking Collaborative of Lorain County.

We make sure that people know about it, that theyre not afraid to talk about it, Kuebler said.

The collaborative, which Kuebler runs with Kristi Miller and Shawn Cleveland, aims to bring awareness to the problem and to assist human trafficking victims, who often have no other means of support, Kuebler said.

At the talk at Lorain County Community College on Tuesday, Kuebler, Miller, Cleveland and panelists Michelle Gillcrist of the Ohio attorney generals office, Director of Lorain County Urban League Mike Ferrer and the Rev. Angel Arroyo explained the ways a person gets coerced into prostitution or human trafficking often through friends.

They explained how it is difficult for victims of human trafficking, who are often in their early teens, to break out of the cycle.

Its just like with an addiction they can get help only when they want it, Miller said.

While some awareness has been raised in the four years that the collaborative has been active, speakers on Tuesday said they would like more people to understand the situation in Lorain County.

There has never been the opportunity that there is right now, Ferrer said, addressing the awareness that the Ariel Castro kidnappings in Cleveland brought to the issues of human trafficking and sexual assault.

Read this article:
Organization pushes to get human trafficking in the open

Home > News > world-news

By Ravi Khandelwal, Geneva (Switzerland), Mar.12 : Human rights activists, political leaders, Baloch nationalists and students from various parts of the world gathered in Geneva on March 10 to raise the issue of human rights violations in Pakistan's province of Balochistan.

The event titled "Human Rights, Regional Security and Perspectives for Balochistan and Pakistan Post-2014" was held at Palace of Nations, Geneva on the sidelines of the 110th session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) together with the United Towns Agency for North-South Corporation and Baluchistan House organizes the event.

The speakers highlighted the worsening human rights situation, especially the issue of missing persons in the province.

"There is an ongoing military operation in Balochistan. It has intensified in the last few months. In the last week alone, over 100 young Bugtis were killed in Dera Bugti area alone. And now we are requesting the international community to halt or to pressurise Pakistan to halt all military operations in Balochistan because operations are happening across Balochistan," said Balochistan's representative to the UN, Mehran Marri Baloch.

In January 2014, mass graves were discovered in the district of Khuzdar, Balochistan, current day Pakistan.

Numerous bodies of Baloch individuals were discovered, although most remain unidentified and the families of the disappeared still live in uncertainty about the faith of their beloved ones.

"There is a serious case of mass genocide taking place in Balochistan. Even in the American Congress it was raised last month that mass graves were found in the area of Khuzdar called Tutak where 167 previously abducted or disappeared Balochs mutilated, decomposed bodies were found. This is crimes against humanity and Pakistan should be held accountable for these crimes it is committing against Baloch nation," added Mehran Baloch.

T.Kumar, International Advocacy Director, Amnesty USA, said: "For the world body, international human rights organizations and the U.N., it is a challenge, how to bring attention that is being paid in Pakistan for war on terror to also focus on the people of Pakistan, namely the Balochistan. The conference gives special attention to Balochistan, which is covering parts of Iran, Afghanistan and is currently Pakistan's largest and most resource-rich province."

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Experts voice concern over rights violations, killings in Balochistan at UNHRC meet