Stories about Humanitarian Response from December, 2009
China: Akmal's death sentence, a resolute No to memory of humiliation?
Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen convicted of smuggling heroine into China, was executed on Tuesday although his families along with the British government had pleaded for reprieve, claiming that he is mentally ill. The supreme court of China however dismissed the request of a mental assessment because the documents provided...
Malawi: Bloggers discuss 30 earthquakes in 3 weeks
In what some geologists have described as rare occurrences, Malawi's northern district of Karonga has in the past three weeks experienced a total of 30 earthquakes resulting in at least 5 deaths, over 200 people injured and over 3,000 made homeless. Bloggers have been quick to share their reactions.
Iraq: Arabs, Coffee, and Resistance
Iraqi Mojo, connects the dots between calls to boycott Starbucks, calls to resist the Iraqi government, and the size of foreign troops in countries that send the largest number of suicide bombers to kill innocent Iraqis in poor cafes in Iraq.
Sri Lanka: Forgotten Victims Of The Tsunami
Dushi at Groundviews posts a photo story highlighting some forgotten victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 who are still living in temporary shelters. A commenter in that post wondered what happened to the 2.2 Billion dollars of aid Sri Lanka received.
Rwanda: Videos of volunteering
A series of videos uploaded by user kdarpa on youtube, featuring a group of volunteers and the people they met while they travelled to Rwanda and worked with local communities.
Lebanon: Fun(d)raising
A group of Lebanese bloggers decided to draw smiles on the faces of underprivileged kids by getting them toys for Christmas. Fun(d)raising is the name of their project and they're doing it the fun way.
Iraq: Iraqi Prisons and Iraqis
Iraqi Layla Anwar is “overwhelmed with sadness.” Click here to find out why.
China: Another elite's suicide – the story of Yang Yuanyuan
YANG Yuanyuan, a 30-year-old postgraduate at Shanghai Maritime University, hanged herself in her bathroom on November 25. She told her mother that knowledge cannot change destiny on the day before she committed suicide. Recent years have seen an increasing number of suicides committed by Chinese university students, in particular among postgraduates...
Dowry deaths – when will it end?
Reflecting on a case of recent dowry death in Bangladesh, Basira wonders if dowry deaths will ever be a thing of the past.
COP15 and the dreams of a Nation
Bangladeshi blogger Fakir Elias writes a moving poem about the indigenous needs of a Nation and how it is perhaps getting overshadowed in the COP15 buzz
Russian Google Books Site Launched
Google launched its “Books” project in Russian language [RUS], reports Russian radio “Mayak” [RUS]. The corporation will face serious competition from other 10 large Russian e-libraries with lib.ru [RUS] being the oldest and most popular.
Russia: Drug Abuse; HIV/AIDS
At OpenDemocracy.net, Elizabeth Rigbey writes about drug abuse and harm reduction efforts in Russia. Sean's Russia Blog writes about HIV/AIDS in Russia. Scenes from the Sidewalk links to a documentary on children and HIV/AIDS in Russia.
China: Forced Demolition
Two recent cases of forced demolitions have raised attention to the protection of citizens’ rights and fair conflict resolution. Chinese netizens provide plenty of comments and reactions.
Congo: Doctors without Borders tell people's stories through web video
Condition Critical is a website showcasing the stories of victims of the violence in Eastern Congo coordinated and launched by Doctors without Borders/Medecins sans Frontiers (MSF). With slideshows and first person accounts, they give a face to the conflict.
China: The Chengdu Self-Immolation
A woman, Tang Fuzhen, in Chengdu set herself on fire in order to protest against the forced demolition of her home. ESWN translated a T.V news commentary on the incident.
Ukraine: Charity
Stories of some Ukrainian street children who have received assistance at ChildRescue's rehabilitation center – at Scenes from the Sidewalk. Stories of some adults who have received humanitarian aid from Hope Center – at Matty's Place.
