Stories about Humanitarian Response from June, 2011
Palestine: Two Boats Sabotaged as Flotilla Floats Onwards
The Freedom Flotilla 2 to Gaza will be missing an Irish ship, it emerged today. The MV Saoirse has been reportedly sabotaged while at berth in the Turkish coastal town of Göcek and will now not be able to take part in the flotilla, aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade on Gaza and presenting humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Haiti: BBBC Benefits in Question
An interesting post on Bill Clinton's housing initiative, Building Back Better Communities (BBBC), which “seeks to construct housing projects across the nation of Haiti”, but upon closer examination, “seems as though the initiative won't live up to its name and in fact will build worse communities than even before the...
Mauritania: Ending Slavery in Mauritania
Beyond abolition: Ending Slavery in Mauritania: “Slaves in Mauritania do not have a legal right to own property, let alone have a surname. Nor do they have a right to custody of their children. The 2007 law criminalizing the ownership of slaves was received with resistance and scoffing. The director...
Russia: Deciphering Covert “Bath Salt” Drug Advertisements
LJ-user re3 writes [ru] about covert drug graffiti (e.g. “Aromatic salt – call center 24 hours”). Graffiti look like regular guerrilla ads air sprayed on the building walls. They, however, advertise fast delivery of the so called “Bath Salt” drug. The blogger claims whole Urals region is filled with such ads, some of which, might be...
Malaysia: Burmese women groups speak out
Various Burmese women groups working in Malaysia issued a joint statement calling for stronger protection for Burmese women refugees in the region.
Kuwait: Flip Your Avatar, Show Support to the Bidun!
Kuwait has around 100,000 stateless people or Bidun - meaning without nationality. They have no papers, ID cards, access to government education and health care, birth or death certificates. With Arabs rising this year, the Bidun of Kuwait are making their voices heard, both on the ground and via social media, asking people to "flip their avatars" in support.
India: Feed A Kid Every Saturday
Debolina Raja Gupta shares her experience of creating a Facebook group called Feed A Kid Every Saturday which encourages citizens of Mumbai to feed poor and hungry children.
Guatemala: Families in Quiché Benefit from ‘Maya Food Security Programme’
Mike, in Central American Politics, writes about the Maya Food Security Programme, “an initiative designed to combat chronic malnutrition through the distribution of monthly food rations and the sponsorship of workshops, fairs and street theater on nutritional education.” He says that “over ten thousand Guatemalan families in [the] Quiché [department] benefit from this program.”
Cannibalism In North Korea, Smuggled Documents Reveal
GI Korea from the ROK Drop blog commented on local news report claiming that they have obtained smuggled documents confirming cannibalism in North Korea. Acts of cannibalism have long been reported by North Korean defectors, especially during the mass famine in the mid-90′s.
North Korea: Women Forced into Prostitution
A Seoul-based aid organization, Good Friends, released an English version of its weekly report. According to North Korean defectors’ testimonies, not a few North Korean women are forced into prostitution in order to make ends meet.
Colombia: Satisfaction and Scepticism for the Victims’ Law
On June 10 the Victims' and Land Restitution Law in Colombia was approved. The law seeks to make amends with victims of violence and displacement. Some netizens have expressed their satisfaction with the law, while others show scepticism towards the measure.
Senegal: University women's group helps the needy
On the blog dakar.bondyblog.fr, Mamadou Sané presented the initiative of a group of female students from the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. “The association called ‘Regard de femme [A Woman's Look]’ is aiming to collect as many foodstuffs as possible to distribute to those in greatest need through a...
Africa: Bloggers Remember the International Day of the African Child
June 16 marks the International Day of the African Child. The day was initiated by the Organisation of African Unity on June 16, 1991. The day honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day and raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of quality of life for African children. Bloggers remember...
Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania: 70th anniversary of deportations
Otto's Random Thoughts commemorates the 70th anniversary of deportations from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania following the June 1940 Soviet occupation of the countries, whereas Itching for Eestimaa reflects upon the political and social legacy of the deportations for Estonia.
Syria: Crackdown Continues Despite International Outcry
Protests are continuing across Syria, as the Syrian regime shows no signs of loosening its brutal crackdown despite an international outcry. Netizens react on Twitter to the latest developments.
Russia: Yuri Budanov's Assassination Exposes Deep Wounds of Chechen Wars
The June 10 assassination of Yuri Budanov, the former Russian army colonel convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old Chechen woman during the Second Chechen War, has reignited inter-ethnic tensions both online and offline, and reinforced the feeling of bitter disappointment with what appears to be a permanent state of lawlessness in the country.
Afghanistan: Repeating What We Already Knew
Joshua Foust reviews the U.S. Senate's damning report on Afghanistan reconstruction and misuse of aid money, adding that “it says little new, but appears to do so in an authoritative way”.
Ghana: Donate Books to Support Education
Help to create change in Africa; “Donate books, T-shirt and educational marterials to support education in rural communities, located in Africa.Support passionate for change, an NGO that want the best for all African children. The objective is to inculcate the habbit of reading in young Africans.
China: Nose of CCTV female staff chopped off by stranger
Jing Gao from the Ministry of Tofu puts together Weibo's breaking news on a revengeful act against China Central Television. A female staff was attacked by a stranger and her nose was chopped off.
China: Panda Diplomacy
Olivia from China Hush translated a local news story from Netease on the fate of giant panda under the Panda diplomacy in China.
Russia: Life Of Central Asian Labor Migrants in Moscow
Photoblogger dervishrv posts pictures [ru] of Central Asian migrants’ living conditions in Moscow. Gastarbeiters, as they're called by Muscovites, live in abandoned houses, basements, often illegally.
