ERLC: 5 globally significant events to watch in 2022

 Posted at Baptist Press:

NASHVILLE (BP) – Between a new president taking office and COVID-19 variants causing a resurgence in the pandemic, 2021 has been a year of challenges and changes. (See, for example, “10 significant international human rights events of 2021.”) Whether 2022 will be as tumultuous remains to be seen. But there are already numerous events that are expected to have significant effects on the world in the coming year. Here are five to watch in 2022.

Supreme Court to rule in Dobbs case

During the summer, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one of the most significant pro-life cases in a generation. The court will decide if individual states can replace the current “viability standard” (i.e., restrictions only allowed after a child can live outside the womb) with a limit on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The result could be an overturning of Roe v. Wade or a broadening of restrictions on abortions in the early stages of pregnancy.

Beijing Olympics brings scrutiny to China’s human rights abuses

China will be hosting both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in its capital city of Beijing. Hosting the events puts a worldwide spotlight on the Chinese government’s human rights violations, including the ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people. The United States and several allies, including Australia, Britain and Japan, have imposed a “diplomatic boycott” of the games and will not be sending high-level official spectators. However, some groups such as the World Uyghur Congress want Olympic athletes to use the games to raise awareness about the persecution of Uyghurs and other groups within China.

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