Cutting off a live shark’s fin. Once a shining star on Ethical Traveler’s “Ethical Destinations” list, Costa Rica won acclaim for its policies promoting environmental protection, social welfare and human rights. But the popular destination was dropped from our list when it became one of the world’s main hubs for sex trafficking. Today, Costa Rica […]
Burmese refugees who have fled for their lives to Malaysia because of religious and ethnic persecution in their homeland have not been recognized as Persons of Concern by the Malaysian government. Instead, they are “illegals”. Their basic human rights are imperiled. They are denied the right to seek livelihood, access health care, receive education or […]
Internationally, UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children are trafficked around the world each year, and 1.8 million children (mostly girls) are forced to sell their bodies. Peru has not been spared from this abhorrent form of slavery. The country’s fascinating cultural heritage and Incan legacy are being eclipsed by a more sinister attraction. Peru has […]
Aside from its wonderful culture and magnificent Khmer ruins, Cambodia has become notorious for a much darker attraction. The country is a source, destination, and transit point for modern day slaves: men, women, and children sold into the sex trade. According to the Not for Sale Campaign, one million children every day are forced to […]
Tasmanian forest The island-state of Tasmania is home to the world’s tallest hardwood forests and the largest area of rainforest in Australia. Old growth trees standing as high as 300 feet provide crucial habitat to native animals, including rare and endangered species such as the wedge-tailed eagle and the giant freshwater crayfish. Visitors come from […]
Asia’s most sacred mountain stands in a remote corner of Western Tibet. Its name is Mount Kailas, its reputation legendary. To pilgrims of four religions—Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Bön—this 22,028-foot rock pyramid is the throne of the gods and the “Navel of the Earth,” a place where the divine takes earthly form. Kailas and its […]
The island communities of both Ecuador and Costa Rica are environmental wonders, drawing visitors from all over the world. And both are World Heritage Sites, ostensibly protected from destructive fishing or other reckless exploitation. Legal fishing already puts a severe strain on the marine species of the Galapagos (there is no legal fishing around Cocos […]
In late May of 2003, Nepalese authorities in Kathmandu deported 18 Tibetan refugees who had fled over the Himalayas seeking human rights and religious freedom. International law, as well as a long-standing “gentlemen’s agreement,” dictates that such refugees are handed over to the UN, which then relocates them in India. As Nepal has a long […]
