· October, 2006

Stories about Humanitarian Response from October, 2006

Poland: News and Opinion

  31 October 2006

The beatroot writes about media freedom in the EU, the fear of the Polish plumber (again; 70 comments so far), a Sudanese woman giving birth on a bus in Warsaw, and a few other matters.

Dispatch from Uganda

  27 October 2006

The tenuous peace talks in Juba, Sudan, between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continue for a third month, with each side accusing the other of non-compliance with the cessation of hostilities agreement. However, complete breakdown of the talks was averted when the Government of Southern...

Malawi: Madonna and child

  23 October 2006

Madonna and little David: the debate continues, “Then again, my concern remains with this little boy who has been thrown in a mix of affairs between a poor father with no means and a foreigner with more than enough to offer. There is nothing wrong with adoption so long as...

Video exposes child-soldier's identity

  20 October 2006

If you've seen the guidelines for this site, you'll know that there are types of footage that we wouldn't post, and circumstances surrounding the shooting of particular videos that mean we wouldn't even link to them. Today's post is about one of those videos. I was researching a possible post...

Croatia: Online Discussions Overview

  19 October 2006

Some Croats feel nostalgic when they think about Tito's Yugoslavia, which broke into pieces in 1992. Turbo Kvrcko posts a funny “Wanted” image that depicts why he misses the good old times (HRV): WANTED Josip Broz Tito Beyond reasonable doubt, he has committed the following “criminal acts”: he didn’t allow...

Russia: Grozny War Diaries, 1994-95

  18 October 2006

“Every wall, every gate, every street has their signs of war in Grozny.” Like hundreds of other members of the Virtual Grozny Russian-language forum, Natasha Raslambekova lived in Chechnya's capital until the war forced her to flee in the spring of 1995. This past September, nearly 12 years after the...

Bangla Blog World discusses Dr. Yunus, Grameen Bank and Microcredit

  18 October 2006

Ever since the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 has been announced this month, with Md. Yunus and Grameen Bank from Bangladesh being declared joint winners, the Bangla blog world is abuzz with conversations regarding this win. Congratulatory posts have been pouring in, indicating that the people of Bangladesh are happy about...

D.R of Congo: challenges of building a hospital

  17 October 2006

The Congolese-born basketball star, Dikembe Mutombo, talking about his experience building a hospital in his home country: “The big question was: Why do you want to be the first one to do it? What motivate you to build this hospital and what is behind this hospital?,” via Dizolele.

China: shooting in Tibet

  16 October 2006

The opposite end of China puts together some Youtube videos on the recent shooting of Tibetian refugees at the Nepal border by the China PLA.

Africa: Jay-Z social activism in Africa

  16 October 2006

Ethnicloft writes about Jay-Z's musical tour in Africa, “Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z, on horse back in photo) is making waves in Africa. He has been using his musical tour of the continent to drive a social cause – by drawing attention to the world’s growing water crisis. I like that!”

Philippines: The perfect storm

  12 October 2006

More than twenty typhoons enter the Philippines every year. But super typhoon Milenyo (international name: Xangsane) which recently hit the northern part of the country shocked everyone with its ferociousness and the degree of destruction it left along its way. Metro Manila was severely damaged. Power blackouts gripped the Luzon...

Sudan: MySpace rocks for Darfur

  10 October 2006

Ethnicloft is a bit pessimistic about initiatives such “Rock for Darfur” organized by Myspace:”As they party hard, shamelessly, a multitude of people are being raped, maimed and killed, helplessly, in Darfur. I wonder if that ever crossed their mind.”

Russia: Anna Politkovskaya's Murder

  8 October 2006

Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist famous for her critical coverage of Chechnya and Vladimir Putin's policies, was shot to death in Moscow Saturday. Russian-language blogs are awash in speculation on who might be behind the murder. Anton Nossik (LJ user dolboeb, aka “the Guru of Russian Internet“) points (RUS) at...

Sudan: helping Darfur

  6 October 2006

What is Africa doing to help Darfur?, asks Grandiose Parlor: It is a shame that the best Africa leaders can muster is some 7,000 ill-equipped troops that are expected to to police an area half the size of Nigeria! [Darfur=493 180 sq. km , Nigeria= 923,768 sq. km] This is...

Ukraine: Help Sought to Save an Ailing Teen

  6 October 2006

Petro Rondiak and his wife Ola are looking for ways to save a 14-year-old Ukrainian girl diagnosed with leukemia: “It is clear that Tania will not get the required treatment in Ukraine. Ola and I are looking for a western hospital (USA? Germany?) to provide pro bono medical care for...

Congolese Blogger on Darfur

  5 October 2006

At Forum Realisance (Fr), Congolese blogger Musengeshi Katata takes France, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, Christianity, radical Islam and the black African elite to task for the conflict in Darfur: “Darfur is not only a new battlefield between Christianity and Islam; it is also offers a poignant indictment of the black...

Senegal: Illegal Immigration

  2 October 2006

On illegal African immigration Senegal Diaw (Fr) writes that “the reasons that push young, able men to risk death to come to Europe…are many and complex, and are not necessarily linked to [Senegal's] poverty,” but are rather a product of a country that is not advancing fast enough, whose youth...