HAITI: Experts Urge Sea Change in "Culture of Aid" William Fisher NEW YORK, 5 Mar (IPS) - A delegation of human rights experts is preparing to visit Haiti to assess the human rights and aid situation in the earthquake-crippled nation and to urge the international community to follow a series of guidelines they have prepared to help donors' to "overcome the mistakes of the past." more...   U.S.: Grassroots Groups Get More Bang for Donors' Bucks William Fisher NEW YORK, 4 Mar (IPS) - While "community organising" has become a punch line for late- night comedians since the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, the activity "delivers enormous benefits to communities," according to a new study conducted by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). more...   U.S.: Obama Urged to Aggressively Pursue Rights Agenda Matthew Berger WASHINGTON, 22 Feb (IPS) - Following a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and a summit last week, human rights activists from a range of countries released a plan of action Monday according to which the United States can lead the way in safeguarding human rights. more...   POLITICS: Iran's "Now What" Moment Analysis by Farideh Farhi* HONOLULU, Hawaii, 17 Feb (IPS) - After eight tumultuous months, during which attention from all sides of Iran's political spectrum as well as anxious watchers around the world focused on a series of street clashes between protesters and the government's security forces, an eerie calm has taken hold in Iran. more...   CANADA: Resistance Casts Pall over 2010 Olympic Festivities Anthony Fenton VANCOUVER, 15 Feb (IPS) - The 2010 Winter Olympics opened with the largest protest convergence in the history of the Games. more...   US-IRAN: Journalists Call for Release of Jailed Colleagues Charles Fromm WASHINGTON, 11 Feb (IPS) - On Thursday, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a coalition of international journalists, writers and publishers launched a campaign calling for the release of their colleagues imprisoned following disputed presidential elections last year in Iran. more...   US-HAITI: Civil Rights Delegation Calls for Reparations Matthew Cardinale ATLANTA, Georgia, 11 Feb (IPS) - A U.S. delegation to Haiti led by civil rights veteran Joe Beasley is calling for a 30-billion-dollar restitution payment by France to help Haiti rebuild after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, and the end of what Beasley refers to as an unofficial blockade of Haiti. more...   IRAN: Revolution's Anniversary Ratchets Up Tensions Mohammed A. Salih WASHINGTON, 10 Feb (IPS) - One day before the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iran is a country divided, with pro-government groups and Green Movement supporters each presenting their own narratives of what the highly symbolic day means and whom they represent. more...   MIDEAST: U.S. Non-Profit Targeted Rights Group over Goldstone Eli Clifton WASHINGTON, 9 Feb (IPS) - A campaign of attacks against the New Israel Fund (NIF), a U.S.-based progressive organisation that supports human rights groups in Israel, has gained attention in both the Israeli and U.S. media, raising questions about the role played by foreign non-profits and non-governmental organisations in influencing Israeli government policy. more...   HAITI: Time to Build a Just Society, Rights Groups Urge William Fisher NEW YORK, 1 Feb (IPS) - In the wake of last month's catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, prominent advocacy groups are calling on the U.S. and the international community to reverse decades of racial and political discrimination and build relief and reconstruction efforts on human rights principles, transparency, and respect for the dignity of all Haitians. more...