Janessa Schilmoeller

Janessa Schilmoeller is a Mint Press correspondent and staff writer based in Southern Africa. Janessa has worked with intercultural education programs for several years and focuses on topics of international relations, social change and human rights. She has previously lived in Jordan and has traveled to various countries in the Middle East. Janessa is currently reporting from Southern Africa where she coordinates study abroad programs focused on nation building, liberation theology and decolonizing the mind while reporting on social and political issues in the region. Follow her on Twitter at @jschilmo

Investigation shows half of US States at high risk of government corruption

(MintPress)—Lack of transparency and accountability in state governments continue to exacerbate corruption across the United States according to the State Integrity Investigation released this month, which revealed that half of the 50 states received a D or lower on the corruption risk report card. Only five states ranked in the B range and eight states received […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
Former Illinoi Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at federal court for is arraignment on federal racketeering and fraud charges in Chicago, Tuesday, April 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

(MintPress)—Lack of transparency and accountability in state governments continue to exacerbate corruption across the United States according to the State Integrity Investigation released this month, which revealed that half of the 50 states received a D or lower on the corruption risk report card. Only five states ranked in the B range and

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Vague suspicious terrorist behavior guidelines put innocent civilians at risk

(MintPress)-The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Preparedness is one of many states to have created a terrorism awareness and prevention training as part of a nationwide effort to provide residents and workers with the skills to better identify and report terror suspects. The department’s guidelines, which align with those of the U.S. DHS […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
A woman is patted down by airport secuirty at the London Heathrow Airport, England. (Photo by Scott Ableman)

(MintPress)-The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Preparedness is one of many states to have created a terrorism awareness and prevention training as part of a nationwide effort to provide residents and workers with the skills to better identify and report terror suspects. The department’s guidelines, which align with those of

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Amnesty International demands halt to US Weapons shipment heading to Egypt, protesters at risk

(MintPress)-The United States came under fire by rights group Amnesty International on Thursday as a shipment of U.S. weapons and explosives headed towards Egypt’s shoreline. Amnesty International hopes to block the shipment, expected to dock early next week, out of fear that the weapons will be used by Egyptian security forces to commit human rights […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller

(MintPress)-The United States came under fire by rights group Amnesty International on Thursday as a shipment of U.S. weapons and explosives headed towards Egypt’s shoreline. Amnesty International hopes to block the shipment, expected to dock early next week, out of fear that the weapons will be used by Egyptian security forces to commit human

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ICC prosecutes first criminal after 10 years

(MintPress)-The International Criminal Court (ICC) celebrated its 10-year anniversary by delivering a verdict on Wednesday in the first and only case to be tried since its inception in 2002, leaving many critics questioning the efficacy of the organization and the future of the international justice system. Ruling from the official seat of the ICC in the […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
Photo of ICC prosecutors and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. (Photo courtesy of ICC)

(MintPress)-The International Criminal Court (ICC) celebrated its 10-year anniversary by delivering a verdict on Wednesday in the first and only case to be tried since its inception in 2002, leaving many critics questioning the efficacy of the organization and the future of the international justice system. Ruling from the official seat of the

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War on Drugs Losing Ground, Legalization Gains Popularity

(MintPress)-As the discussion around drug legalization heats up, the Obama administration is taking action to convince its regional allies that the war on drugs is still alive and working. However, despite recent visits to the region by US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Vice President Joe Biden, Latin American countries are not convinced […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
Police take a suspected drug trafficker off a helicopter in Hermosillo in the state of Sonora. Journalists who print names or photographs of cartel members risk their lives. As a result, many papers in Northern Mexico have stopped reporting on drug violence. (Photo courtesy of the Knight Foundation)

(MintPress)-As the discussion around drug legalization heats up, the Obama administration is taking action to convince its regional allies that the war on drugs is still alive and working. However, despite recent visits to the region by US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Vice President Joe Biden, Latin American countries are not

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Over 7,000 die from cholera outbreak: Haitians demand UN accountability

(MintPress)—A day after former President Bill Clinton responded to questions about the U.N.’s connection to the cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed over 7,000 people, hundreds of Haitians marched to the U.N. headquarters in Port-au-Prince to demand accountability for the organization’s alleged role in reintroducing the disease, which had not been seen in the country […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
A UN peacekeeper stands guard in Haiti following the Jan, 2010 earthquake which left thousands dead and injured. (Photo by the embassy of Paraguay)

(MintPress)—A day after former President Bill Clinton responded to questions about the U.N.’s connection to the cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed over 7,000 people, hundreds of Haitians marched to the U.N. headquarters in Port-au-Prince to demand accountability for the organization’s alleged role in reintroducing the disease, which had not been

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While eyes are on Syria, Bahrainis storm the streets in anti government protests

Tens of thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets on Friday, marching along a major highway in the capital city of Manama to demand comprehensive political reforms one year after Gulf Arab states brutally crushed the original uprising. Conservative estimates report that close to 100,000 protesters took part in the march, which stretched for more […]

Janessa Schilmoeller
By Janessa Schilmoeller
A Bahraini anti-government protester carries pictures of some of the residents of the area who have died during the past year's unrest in the Gulf island kingdom during a demonstration Thursday, March 8, 2012, in Saar, Bahrain, west of the capital of Manama. Clashes erupted with riot police firing tear gas and some protesters throwing Molotov cocktails and stones. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Tens of thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets on Friday, marching along a major highway in the capital city of Manama to demand comprehensive political reforms one year after Gulf Arab states brutally crushed the original uprising. Conservative estimates report that close to 100,000 protesters took part in the march, which stretched for

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