· April, 2009

Stories about Humanitarian Response from April, 2009

Venezuela: How Children Show Their Community Through Photography II

  28 April 2009

Children can often be the most vulnerable members of refugee communities. The group Ancla2 is working to provide more opportunities to these children through a photography and creative writing workshop in a community called El Nula along the Venezuelan-Colombian border teaching them how to appreciate the details of daily life and to communicate that through images and text.

Sri Lanka: The Pros And Cons Of International Attention

  24 April 2009

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are holding on to to just a sliver of land in the north of Sri Lanka, but the United Nations is estimating that 50,000 people are still trapped in the warzone. As fighting surges in the final throes, concerns for civilians is growing and calls for international attention and understanding abound on the Internet and in the streets of cities around the world, such as London, Berlin and Paris.

Sri Lanka: An Appeal To The International Community

  23 April 2009

Indi.ca criticizes the international media coverage of the civil war in Sri Lanka: “the ‘International Community’ and international media are far too quick to offer solutions without looking at the situation.” The blogger opines that “the best thing the international community could do is call on the LTTE to surrender...

Bangladesh: To Protect Nesting Sparrows

  22 April 2009

Bangladeshi blogger Shahnaz, who blogs at Dhaka Dweller, shares a tragic story and suggests: “if you have nesting sparrows in your home, please protect them while they are raising their brood.”

Liberia: Fellow Bloggers, Please Assist Me…

  22 April 2009

A Liberian blogger, Denna Gibson, is asking for assistance from fellow bloggers so she can be able to blog consistently, “IT IS NICE TO BLOG CONTINOUSLY BUT U CAN NOT DO SO IF U DO NOT HAVE A LAPTOP TO YOURSELF. I AM APPEALING TO MY FELLOW BLOGGERS TO PLEASE...

China: Free Wu Baoquan

  21 April 2009

A netizen has been sentenced to 2 year imprisonment for criticizing Ordos city government (in Inner Mongolia) for illegal land requisition. Spontaneous Online campaign calling for justice to Wu has been harmonized. (more in GVA).

Bangladesh: Bijli Strikes

  17 April 2009

Tropical cyclonic storm Bijli (01B) is making a landfall in the Southern coasts of Bangladesh. The 3rd world view has the updates.

Western Sahara: Landmine Injures Five During Peaceful Protest

Last week, Saharawis and Spaniards stood together in solidarity against the berm (”Wall of Shame”) built between Morocco and the Western Sahara, over which Morocco claims sovereignty. The protest, dubbed the International March against the Wall of Shame, resulted in an unconfirmed number of Saharawis injured by landmines. Jillian York shares the story.

China: Gender Imbalance

  13 April 2009

Angry Chinese blogger highlights the gender imbalance problem in China with British Medial Journal report on: “China’s excess males, sex selective abortion, and one child policy: analysis of data from 2005 national census survey“.

Sri Lanka: Plights Of The IDPs

  12 April 2009

Laksundara at Groundviews describes the plights of the IDPs (internally displaced persons) who fled their homes during the recent civil war in the Northern areas of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: What Happened To The Money?

  8 April 2009

Rising of Ceylon asks some questions regarding the international aids that have flown into Sri Lanka after the Tsunami in December 2004: “what happened to all those money which came to the country in bucks? What happened to all those plans which the government had??? Where did they all go???”

Haiti: Planting a Garden

  8 April 2009

Konbit Pou Ayiti seeks to create sustainable solutions to hunger in Baie d’Orange, Haiti by “working with local officials to plant a garden that can benefit the community.”

China: Psychiatry with Chinese characteristics

  8 April 2009

Peking University Law Professor specialized in forensics, Sun Dongdong, told China News Weekly on March 23 that 99% of China's petitioners (zh) are mentally ill and that he support for forced hospitalization of them. Update (April 8, 2009 @ 8:00): Internet monitor center issued a notice to webmasters of portals...

Colombia: Humanitarian Minga Recovers Bodies of Awá Indigenous

  8 April 2009

A group of 470 Colombian indigenous participated in a humanitarian minga, which is a collective mission towards a common goal, to recover the bodies of members of the Awá indigenous communities that were killed by the FARC, who accused them of cooperating with the army. The blog from the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) provided regular updates on the progress of the minga, as well as the situation that led to the action.