The Trust Women conference debates how the rule of law should support women’s rights and is covered by Jennifer Allsop and Marion Bowman, with the intrepid Lydia Cacho on the merchandising of human beings.

Maria Tamboukou continues our Political Aesthetics series with a look at the ‘artpolitics’ of committed American working class artist, feminist and activist May Stevens. Markha Valenta is no less committed in exposing the moral sadism of the Dutch state, not to mention doing something about prejudice both in Amsterdam and in our columns, backed up by Susi Meret who charts the shrivelling of Danish Xmas cheer.

Strong in a different way is the clear-sightedness that Nathalie Tocci brings to Israel Palestine, and what to do about the peace process becoming an enemy to any solution: while Rebecca Greig talks to Palestinians and Israelis. On openSecurity, Jennifer Mittelstadt’s forensic overview of American militarisation brings to a close this week’s thought-provoking writing by women.

Men are doing well too. Jimmie Briggs invites them to stand up and be counted. And on oD, they do. Tariq Ramadan’s short interview is a blistering attack on the forces undermining the hopes of the Arab Awakening, east and west. Right on cue, we receive our first article from Nader Bakkar, official Salafi spokesman for the al-Nour party. It’s a good thing Andrea Teti and colleagues have given us some bearings in their update on what they see as a continuation of Egypt’s revolution, not to mention This week’s window on the Middle East.

On Our Kingdom, Nicholas Mercer traces the secret history of torture by the UK, Mark Serwotka looks at dark days ahead, while Geoffrey Bindman and Phil Miller sum up why British extradition is in such urgent need of reform.

This is alongside OK’s many reactions to the UK’s Leveson inquiry – including from Lis Howell, Henry Porter, Tony Curzon-Price, Sylvia Harvey, Dan Hind, Rupert Read, David Wearing, Barbara Gunnell , Justin Baidoo-Hackman, David Marquand, Stuart Weir.

On oDRussia, Mikhail Loginov introduces us to an uncharismatic St.Petersburg governor. Finally, Martin Evans extends his interesting editorial partnership with a history of Algeria in six objects, while Paul Rogers utters the words that not many openDemocracy readers have wanted to hear in Syria, the last chance.

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Don’t miss:

• Mark Taylor on the EU’s Nobel Peace Prize

• North Korea on the net

• And Jim Sleeper on democrats in Singapore

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