"Weapons, not blankets, are pouring into the country"

As Syria's humanitarian crisis escalates, Desmond Tutu makes an impassioned call to the international community to put the safety of Syrians above politics.

"The more we grow accustomed to voicing our opinions online, the more we resist being silenced."

In a blog for Skoll World Forum on Human Rights Day 2012, Mary Robinson argues that we must protect the internet as a space where fundamental freedoms prevail.

“Egypt has a people who are passionate about the future of their country – and refuse any longer to be taken for granted.”

Martti Ahtisaari considers some of the key challenges facing the emerging Egyptian democracy, and argues that the there is an opportunity for a national dialogue that can lead to a new constitution meeting the needs and aspirations of all members of society.

As Egyptians celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising that removed Hosni Mubarak from power, Mary Robinson argues that it is time to challenge the patriarchal norms that continue to restrict women's political participation – and that Egypt's future as a just, democratic and prosperous nation depends on it.

"For too long, many authoritarian regimes have falsely claimed that certain values – freedom, justice, human rights – are 'Western'."

Mary Robinson argues that the events of the Arab Spring show that people everywhere yearn to be free, and that justice and respect for fundamental human rights are universal values.