· November, 2010

Stories about Humanitarian Response from November, 2010

Cambodia: Lessons from the Water Festival stampede

  29 November 2010

Cambodians are still mourning the death of 347 people in the stampede tragedy which happened last week at Koh Pich Bridge in Phnom Penh. Cambodian netizens share their reactions and recommendations on how to improve disaster management in the country

Haiti: Election Results?

  29 November 2010

“So the big election day in Haiti happened. However, the whole process seemed horribly dysfunctional to me. How many voters were left out just due to logistics? And what about fraud and intimidation?”: Dying in Haiti is convinced that “the results of the election, whenever they will be determined, will...

Brazil: Bloggers react to wave of violence in Rio de Janeiro

  26 November 2010

A recent wave of violence has frightened residents of Rio de Janeiro and reignited a familiar public debate on security in the city. A great wave of panic, in part brought on by the mainstream media, also brings to the fore a new problem: the great proliferation of false rumors on the internet.

Laos and the Convention on Cluster Munitions

  26 November 2010

The first meeting of state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions which gathered 101 countries as well as numerous NGOs was held early this month in Laos, which is incidentally "the most bombed country" in the world. GV author Gael Brassac summarizes the keys issues discussed during the convention

Pakistan: The Beggar Mafia

  23 November 2010

Saad Hirani at Chowrangi writes about the beggar-Mafia ring in Pakistan “that ‘employs’ children and sometimes adults to work for them”.

Serbia: Abuse of Stray Animals Continues

  23 November 2010

The Serbian President is willing to adopt a severely mutilated dog called Mila, which became a symbol of the suffering of Serbia's stray animals. However, despite all the publicity, horrifying animal abuse cases continue to be reported in the Serbian mainstream and citizen media. Sasa Milosevic reviews some of them.

China: Messages behind the flowers to the Shanghai fire victims

  22 November 2010

Yesterday, thousands of mourners in Shanghai flocked to the 28-storey apartment block that was gutted by a tragic fire on November 15 to pay their respects for the 58 residents who perished. Much of China's headlines today focus on the collective mourning, but few have highlighted the messages behind citizens' insistence in offering flowers at the disaster site.

Haiti: Saving Lives

  19 November 2010

“The current count of patients treated in 10 days is 227″: real hope for haiti shares some of their experiences as they help to battle the cholera epidemic.

Gambia: Climbing Kilimanjaro to build a school in Gambia

  18 November 2010

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to build a school in Gambia: “In August 2010 Hannah Braye climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in memory of her friend Lucy raising over £1,000. This will go to help build a school in Dairuharu in Brikama and the first classroom being built will be dedicated to...

China: Shanghai fire claims 53, local coverage criticised

  16 November 2010

53 lives were claimed and 43 others remain missing as a result of the tragic fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment block in Shanghai yesterday afternoon. The 28-storey building was undergoing renovations when welding sparks caused the scaffolding to catch fire, eventually spreading to the building itself. City blog Shanghaiist...

Nigeria: Remembering an Activist, Fifteen Years After his Execution

  13 November 2010

In 1995 Ken Saro-Wiwa, a prominent activist and outspoken critic of the oil industry in Nigeria, was executed along with eight of his associates. Saro-Wiwa was a hero for many Nigerians, and his execution inflamed the international community against the notoriously authoritarian regime of Sani Abacha and the practices of Royal Dutch Shell. Fifteen years after his death, bloggers reflect on his legacy.

Haiti: Tweets on Cholera Outbreak

  10 November 2010

Twitter updates on the cholera outbreak: @carelpedre gets news that the disease is spreading, while @MissionMANNA tweets a quote from the director of Haiti's health ministry suggesting that the situation is “now a matter of national security.”

Haiti: Cash for Work

  10 November 2010

“Is it a good thing that the sidewalks are jammed with people selling mostly imported goods and cast-off clothing and shoes from overseas?”: Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether cash-for-work programs help or hinder the country's recovery from the January 12 earthquake.

South Korea: Unicef T-shirt Guy Blocked From Entering G20 Venue

  10 November 2010

As G 20 Summit kicks off tomorrow, the summit venue is under maximum security. The government's ‘too much security’, though understandable, has drawn public annoyance online. Twitterer @michaelPARK83 tweeted that he had been blocked [ko]from entering the summit venue only because he was wearing a T-shirt with certain words on, which was ‘Unicef’.

Lebanon: Jismi, One Day, One Struggle

  10 November 2010

Lebanon-based groups Nasawiya, Helem and Meem launched a new website named “Jismi” (Ar) (My Body) dedicated to the annual “One Day, One Struggle” campaign, a unique effort to underscore the joint struggle against the violation of sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies.

St. Lucia: Hurricane Relief Efforts

  9 November 2010

“There are people who are very much still marooned by the metres of mud that descended from the mountains, swept away and buried their homes, vehicles, farms and kitchen gardens”: Sun, Rain, Or… does not want complacency to set in when it comes to hurricane relief for St. Lucia.