Steps in the right direction

There are times when we have to pause and think about what we can celebrate in the journey to overcome obstacles and injustices. And although it has been a few days already since this positive occasion, I still want to share this: the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

If anyone knows about a light at the end of the tunnel, it must be her. She has been under house arrest or in detention for 15 of the last 21 years. And while this is a long-awaited positive event for her supporters in Burma/Myanmar and worldwide, it does not remove the injustice of her imprisonment or other political prisoners. But it is an event that will hopefully fuel more steps in the right direction to political freedom and actions of conscience in the world.

Read an article about the celebration of her release here.

Freedom to Vote

What does it mean to be free to vote? In the U.S. as presidential elections draw near, not only are there 2 party candidates, but there are also slots on the ballot where you can write in the candidate of your choice should you feel that neither of the 2 candidates are your choice for the president. But in the elections that took place in Zimbabwe, there was only 1 candidate - this after an election whose results were controversial, hidden, and ultimately disregarded. Not only that but violent incidents occurred related to the support of the current government's opposition. A country cannot be expected to rise if its people are restricted.

Amnesty International reports on the related Human Rights concerns in Zimbabwe; click here to see their report.

More from other sites:

CNN, BBC, and Human Rights Watch.