Stories about Humanitarian Response from April, 2009
Uzbekistan: $67, a price for heroism
Musafirbek informs from Uzbekistan that the country's president decreed to award veterans of WWII with a one-time pension of $67.
Bubisher: A Bus of Books for Children in Western Sahara
Do you want to go to the Sahara desert and read for children living in the refugee camps? Bubisher is a mobile library being driven across Western Sahara refugee camps. In those refugee schools, the bus shares with youngsters food for the soul and mind: books. Renata Avila highlights the initiative.
Venezuela: How Children Show Their Community Through Photography II
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.
Afghanistan: The Tricycle Theater hosts Afghan actors
Colla writes that the London’s Tricycle Theatre organised one of the most comprehensive and challenging arts festivals ever mounted on the subject of Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka: The Pros And Cons Of International Attention
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
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
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…
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: A practical handbook for beating street vendors
The book, The Practice of City Administrator Law Enforcement, shows how brutal the practice of Chengguan. Joel Martinsen from DANWEI has translated the Southern Metropolis Daily report on the Handbook.
China: Free Wu Baoquan
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
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
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“.
Lebanon: Academics and Bloggers Call for Israel Boycott
Lebanese academics and bloggers are lending their voice and support to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Antoun Issa sums up reactions from Lebanese and Palestinian blogs in this post.
Sri Lanka: Plights Of The IDPs
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.
Jordan: Community Work Changing Lives
In a heartwarming story from Jordan, Sha3teely blogs about his local community's efforts to help a visually impaired street vendor. Ebtihal Mahadeen brings us the story.
Sri Lanka: What Happened To The Money?
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
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.”
Italy: citizens provide news and reflections on the earthquake in L'Aquila
More than 250 people dead, about 1,000 injured and over 25,000 displaced: Italy's worst earthquake in three decades. While the situation on the ground is still unfolding, people are widely using online tools to offer updates, commentaries, and help.
China: Psychiatry with Chinese characteristics
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
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.
