Stories about Humanitarian Response from January, 2008
Pitch Black Gaza: Jordanian Bloggers React!
As the Israeli onslaught in Gaza continues this week, the death toll continues to climb. With many of the dead being civilians and the European Union labeling the Israeli offensive as 'collective punishment', the situation has not sat well with Jordanian bloggers. Here's what they had to say in the past few days.
Palestine: Gaza Under Seige
Bloggers around the region are adding their voices to an international outcry as the Gaza Strip falls into darkness. A four-day Israeli blockade on the strip has led to the closure of the territory's only power station because of the lack of fuel.
Afghanistan: How to produce opium
Bipasha Ray says that Intrepid Independent reporter Patrick Cockburn finds that Afghans are helping Iraqi farmers grow poppy and produce opium, as traditional crops of oranges and pomegranates prove to be insufficient to provide a living wage.
China: The Vagrants behind the Wall
Beijing, the host of 2008 Summer Olympics, is trying to show every bright aspect of its stable and harmonious to the whole world, however, when you are almost convinced by the prosperous night scenes around the Forbidden City, you may never think behind some traditional Chinese-style walls, there is another totally different world.
Kazkahstan: Surviving or Prospering?
Kazakhstan is a country of contrasts, with no exaggeration: desperate poverty neighbors with arrogant wealth, economic growth is accompanied by decline of social sphere and expansion of state control, and tolerance abuts discrimination. Such is the set of topics in focus of Kazakhstani blogosphere this week. Eilide, a blogger living...
Kazkahstan: Surviving in the Steppe
Scaliger says that the famous Kazakh hospitality is vanishing into the past and recounts how people are surviving in remote rural areas — extortionate profiteering and traps for strangers are almost the only way to make living there.
Uzbekistan: Labor Migrants
Libertad writes about the problems Uzbek migrant workers face while working in foreign countries, refers to a report by an NGO on migrant workers and uploads photos of migrant labor workers leaving Uzbekistan in barrack-like buses.
Colombia: Congressional Delegation and Release of Hostages
Adam Isaacson of Plan Colombia and Beyond is returning from Bogotá, where he accompanied a delegation of U.S. lawmakers that visited Colombia. He provides some thoughts on the visit.
Russia, EU: Asylum Seekers
IVAN vs JAAN writes about the EU stance towards Chechen asylum seekers – and about the ongoing row between the U.K. and Russia over the British Council.
Uzbekistan: Tesco Ban Uzbek Cotton
Craig Murray says that Tesco, a large British retail group, have banned Uzbek cotton from all products sold in their stores and instituted supply chain audits to ensure this is enforced.
Turkmenistan: Drugs and Power
Maciula writes about the rising problem of drugs in Turkmenistan, noting that according to the World Health Organization, 10 per cent of Turkmenistan’s population is addicted to heroin.
Poland: Public Health Underfunded
Our Man in Gdansk writes about the lack of state funding for such crucial areas as health care and education in Poland.
Russia: Extremism Charges Against “Voice of Beslan”
Robert Amsterdam and Siberian Light report on the plight of Voice of Beslan, a group of Beslan survivors and their relatives, who are now being accused of breaking the law on extremism.
Bosnia & Herzegovina, East Timor: A Comparison?
Greater Surbiton writes about East Timorese and Bosnian genocides and the double standards used by some when assessing the human losses: “Unfortunately, many of the same people who highlight the extent of East Timorese suffering, such as Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Edward Herman and David Peterson, actually go out of...
Egypt: Social Responsibilty and the Safety of Individuals
Egyptian blogger Amr Gharbeia (Ar) looks at the ethics of bloggers and the roles they play in exposing torture against victims. Are they victimising the victims even further by exposing their identities in a society which still washes its dishonour with the victim's blood?
Kyrgyzstan: Radiation Trains
Joshua Foust reports that a mysterious train filled with Cesium-137, bound for Iran, was nabbed at the Kyrgyz border with Uzbekistan, but Kyrgyz officials waited well over a week to disclose the incident.
Afghanistan: Opium Poppy Crops Eradication Disputes
Barnett R. Rubin reports that the major donors and troop contributors to Afghanistan will meet in Tokyo early February to review progress in Afghanistan, and one major theme of the meeting will be counter-narcotics, as opium production increased last year.
Kenya: Bloggers seek to heal a wounded nation
After a week of killings, looting and the political madness witnessed in Kenya after last month’s general elections, Kenyan Bloggers are blogging to heal a deeply wounded nation.
Egypt: Chinese Goods
Chinese goods are swamping markets worldwide. Egyptians now have to deal with roving Chinese salesmen and women knocking on their doors. Tarek Amr brings us the story.
China: Destroying Corpse
Not only did the Hubei Tianmen City management team murdered Wei Wenhua, the police tried to rob his corpse in order to suppress the event. Izaobao describes that as Power Anomie (zh).
Kenya: Moving images of unrest and hope
A video walkthrough of the recent violent events in Kenya following the December 27th elections, with shocking images, insightful interviews and hopeful thoughts on the future.
