By Mandeep Tiwana, secretary-general of CIVICUS and Mariya Parodi, media adviser to CIVICUS.
The plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor includes an excerpt from the poem, “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. It reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
Over the years, and particularly since the end of the Second World War, successive U.S. administrations have consistently striven to extend a helping hand to the world’s downtrodden and oppressed people. Even through the Cold War and during the so-called “War on Terror,” the official position of the United States never veered from the stated commitment to promote democratic values at home and abroad. That is, until now.
Read on Commmon Dreams
