Best Selling Books by Jo Becker

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction) A Kirkus Best Book of the Year “[A] riveting legal drama, a snapshot in time, when the gay rights movement altered course and public opinion shifted with the speed of a bullet train...Becker''s most remarkable accomplishment is to weave a spellbinder of a tale that, despite a finale reported around the world, manages to keep readers gripped until the very end.”-The Washington Post A tour de force of groundbreaking reportage by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Jo Becker, Forcing the Spring is the definitive account of five remarkable years in American civil rights history: when the United States experienced a tectonic shift on the issue of marriage equality. Beginning with the historical legal challenge of California''s ban on same-sex marriage, Becker expands the scope to encompass all aspects of this momentous struggle, offering a gripping behind-the-scenes narrative told with the lightning pace of the greatest legal thrillers. For nearly five years, Becker was given free rein in the legal and political war rooms where the strategy of marriage equality was plotted. She takes us inside the remarkable campaign that rebranded a movement; into the Oval Office where the president and his advisors debated how to respond to a fast-changing political landscape; into the chambers of the federal judges who decided that today''s bans on same-sex marriage were no more constitutional than previous century''s bans on interracial marriage; and into the mindsets of the Supreme Court judges who decided the California case and will likely soon decide the issue for the country at large. From the state-by state efforts to win marriage equality at the ballot box to the landmark Supreme Court case that struck down a law that banned legally married gay and lesbian couples from receiving federal benefits, Becker weaves together the political and legal forces that reshaped a nation. Forcing the Spring begins with California''s controversial ballot initiative Proposition 8, which banned gay men and lesbians from marrying the person they loved. This electoral defeat galvanized an improbable alliance of opponents to the ban, with political operatives and Hollywood royalty enlisting attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies—the opposing counsels in the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore case—to join together in a unique bipartisan challenge to the political status quo. Despite initial opposition from the gay rights establishment, the case against Proposition 8 would ultimately force the issue of marriage equality all the way to the Supreme Court, transforming same-sex marriage from a partisan issue into a modern crisis of civil rights. Shuttling between the twin American power centers of Hollywood and Washington—and based on access to all the key players in the Justice Department and the White House—Becker offers insider coverage on the true story of how President Obama “evolved” to embrace marriage equality. What starts out as a tale of an epic legal battle grows into the story of the evolution of a country. Becker shows how the country reexamined its opinions on same-sex marriage, an issue that raced along with a snowballing velocity which astounded veteran political operatives. Here is the ringside account of this unprecedented change, the fastest shift in public opinion ever seen in modern American politics. Clear-eyed and even-handed, Forcing the Spring is political and legal journalism at its finest, offering an unvarnished perspective on the extraordinary transformation of America and an inside look into the fight to win the rights of marriage and full citizenship for all.

Advocates within the growing field of children''s rights have designed dynamic campaigns to protect and promote children''s rights. This expanding body of international law and jurisprudence, however, lacks a core text that provides an up-to-date look at current children''s rights issues, the evolution of children''s rights law, and the efficacy of efforts to protect children. Campaigning for Children focuses on contemporary children''s rights, identifying the range of abuses that affect children today, including early marriage, female genital mutilation, child labor, child sex tourism, corporal punishment, the impact of armed conflict, and access to education. Jo Becker traces the last 25 years of the children''s rights movement, including the evolution of international laws and standards to protect children from abuse and exploitation. From a practitioner''s perspective, Becker provides readers with careful case studies of the organizations and campaigns that are making a difference in the lives of children, and the relevant strategies that have been successful—or not. By presenting a variety of approaches to deal with each issue, this book carefully teases out broader lessons for effective social change in the field of children''s rights.

A study of strategies implemented in local, regional, and international human rights campaigns elucidating how advocates were able to achieve their goals. Advocates within the human rights movement have had remarkable success establishing new international laws, securing concrete changes in human rights policies and practices, and transforming the terms of public debate. Yet too often, the strategies these advocates have employed are not broadly shared or known. Campaigning for Justice addresses this gap to explain the “how” of the human rights movement. Written from a practitioner’s perspective, this book explores the strategies behind some of the most innovative human rights campaigns of recent years. Drawing on interviews with dozens of experienced human rights advocates, the book delves into local, regional, and international efforts to discover how advocates were able to address seemingly intractable abuses and secure concrete advances in human rights. These accounts provide a window into the way that human rights advocates conduct their work, their real-life struggles and challenges, the rich diversity of tools and strategies they employ, and ultimately, their courage and persistence in advancing human rights. Praise for Campaigning for Justice “This book is a gold mine. A terrific resource not only for those just entering human rights work, but also for those with years of experience.” —Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Co-founder, International Campaign to Ban Landmines “A singular contribution that will be indispensable for those interested in advocacy and human rights.” —Elazar Barkan, Director, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University “Addressing the critical question of how human rights organizations actually do their work, this book has a currency that is needed right now.” —Barbara Frey, Director, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota “A vivid testament to the lives of human rights activists, including Becker’s own, as advocates and courageous fighters for the rights of others.” —Radhika Coomaraswamy, Former Special representative to the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations

And recommendations. Methodology - Recommendations. -- Background. War in Sri Lanka - The Tamil diaspora and support for the LTTE. -- A culture of fear: LTTE intimidation, threats, and violence. -- LTTE control of Hindu temples in the West. -- Paying for "the final war": LTTE fundraising and extortion within the Tamil diaspora in late 2005 and early 2006. Pressures to give money - Attempts to refuse and resist - Fundraising versus extortion - Response from the World Tamil Movement. -- Extortion of Tamil expatriates visiting Sri Lanka. Priya''s story - Common extortion methods. -- Response of the U.K. and Canadian authorities. -- Conclusion. -- Acknowledgements.

Wie gelingen Rehabilitation und Recovery bei Menschen mit herausforderndem Verhalten? 20 ehemalige »Experten für Eigensinn« beschreiben ihren Weg, Fachkräfte und Angehörige schildern den Verlauf aus ihrer Sicht. So ist eine Sammlung von Beispielen guter Gemeindepsychiatrie entstanden, berichtet von Praktikern und Experten aus Erfahrung. In einem fachlichen Teil werden einfache und effektive Methoden vorgestellt, die sich in der Zusammenarbeit mit »schwierigen Klienten« bewährt haben. Dazu gehören Kommunikationstechniken zur Entwicklung einer empathischen Beziehung, Biografiearbeit, Selbstachtsamkeit und die Netzwerkmethoden »Runder Tisch« und »Konsultationsverbund«.

Menschen mit Behinderung werden in Gastfamilien aufgenommen und erhalten dort die erforderlichen Hilfen. Ein Angebot mit langer Tradition, das in den letzten 20 Jahren neu belebt wurde und sicherstellt, was stationäre Angebote nicht leisten können: die volle Inklusion in die Gesellschaft.

"The unprecedented economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with school closures and inadequate government assistance, is pushing children into exploitative and dangerous child labor. As their parents have lost jobs or income due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns, many children have entered the workforce to help their families survive. Many work long, grueling hours for little or no pay, often under hazardous conditions. Some report violence, harassment, and pay theft. [This report] is based on interviews conducted from January to March 2021 with 81 children, ages 8-17, in Ghana, Nepal, and Uganda.... The report examines the impact of the pandemic on children''s rights, including their rights to education, to an adequate standard of living, and to protection from child labor, as well as government responses."--Page 4 of cover.

I. Introduction -- II. Existing standards - and why they are not enough -- III. How jewelry companies can source responsibly -- IV. Company rankings and performance -- V. A call to action: next steps fro the jewelry industry -- Acknowledgments -- Annex.

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of global supply chains and the vulnerability of people working at the bottom of these supply chains. In the mining sector, the pandemic has had devastating effects on workers and communities around the world. In some parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, small-scale mining activity has been reduced or halted due to lockdowns and blocked trade routes. Where mining has been suspended, mine workers and their families have lost their income. Where mining has continued, workers and affected communities have been exposed to increased risks to their human rights. In some small-scale mining areas, child labor has risen. This report scrutinizes and ranks the efforts of 15 major jewelry brands to prevent and address human rights abuses in their gold and diamond supply chains, and tracks progress since Human Rights Watch’s 2018 report on the subject. It also assesses the role of broader industry initiatives, including certification standards. Jewelry companies should do more to fully control their supply chains, assess and address human rights risks, and publicly report on their actions. Voluntary certification standards have helped generate dialogue and supported companies that seek to develop best practice, but they do not always set a high standard. Ultimately, only mandatory human rights due diligence rules—laws—will create a level playing field and move the whole industry in the right direction.

"This report shows that Iraqi and KRG authorities often arrest and prosecute children with any perceived connection to ISIS, use torture to coerce confessions, and sentence them to prison in hasty and unfair trials. International law recognizes children recruited by armed groups primarily as victims who should be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society."--Publisher website.

"Nearly 40,000 foreign women and children from about 60 countries are currently detained in camps for Islamic State (ISIS) suspects and their family members in northeast Syria. Although the majority of the detainees are children, most under age 12, many countries have been reluctant to allow their nationals to return home. Since 2019, governments have accepted the return of only about 1500 children. [This report] examines how children have fared after being repatriated or returned home. It draws on interviews and surveys with family members, social workers, psychologists, and others regarding approximately 100 children who have been returned to their home countries in Western Europe and Central Asia."--Page 4 of cover.

"This 73-page report found that some child domestic workers- who are overwhelmingly girls - toil for 12 hours a day - 7 days a week, for as little as US$11 a month. Some girls told Human Rights Watch that their employers frequently beat and verbally abused them, denied them education, and sometimes refused them adequate food"--Publisher''s website.

The Nigerian military has arrested and detained thousands of children, some as young as five, for suspected involvement with the armed Islamist Boko Haram, which has engaged in a deadly insurgency against the Nigerian state since 2009. Government forces apprehend children they suspect of Boko Haram involvement in a variety of ways: during security sweeps, military operations, screening procedures outside of camps for internally displaced persons, and based on information provided by informants. Some children are imprisoned for months; others for years. Few are ever charged with any crime.