· July, 2007

Stories about Refugees from July, 2007

Palestine: The Plight of Women

Instead of the usual political banter, this week's view into the Palestinian blogosphere will focus on women - join Jillian York for a glimpse into what female bloggers (or those blogging about females) are thinking.

“Welcome to Japan”? Kurdish refugee family leaves for Canada

  22 July 2007

Few people, including Japanese themselves, are aware of the dismal record of Japan's treatment of refugees, particularly its treatment of Kurdish refugees. After struggling for many years to make a home in Japan, Erdal Dogan and his family, who fled Turkey amid religious and ethnic persecution, have finally been forced to leave, luckily having been accepted as refugees in Canada. Japanese bloggers reflect on the departure with sadness and frustration.

Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome

Politics is the order of the day this week. Events in Iraq can be confusing at the best of times - so why not let Iraqi bloggers put things straight. But it is not all dry subjects, I also have snipers in Baghdad, two weddings and a funeral. And, if read to the end, the kittens are back!

Maldives: Jamming to save the islands from submerging

  16 July 2007

In Greek mythology singing of the Sirens were so sweet and melodic that sailors were lured into the sea and met fateful deaths. On July 07, or the date known better as 07.07.07, music and melodies were used by Maldivians as they pondered about the fate that sea level rise...

Georgia: Controversial murder

Melissa is appalled that the murder of a famous politician is being brought into connection with the repatriation of the Meshkhetian Turks. The murder victim, Guram Sharadze, had always spoken against inviting the ethnic minority to return to Georgia.

Palestine: Palestinians Celebrate Alan Johnston's Release

From the sad news of a death of a 31-year-old mother waiting to cross into Palestine from the Rafah Crossing to celebrations over the release of kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston, Palestinian blogs this week are abuzz with activity. Ayesha Saldanha reports how one Canadian-Palestinian blogger is ashamed to be an Arab and how another expresses her disbelief at how veiled women are being discriminated against in Jordan.

Tanzania: the implications of sending refugees home

  7 July 2007

The Head Heeb looks at the social and economic implications of Tanzania's decision to expell refugees: “It's hard not to sympathize with Tanzania, which has done far more than its share as a refugee host country. Repatriating half a million refugees prematurely, however, will expose them to an uncertain future,...

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Genocide Conference

Srebrenica Genocide Blog reports that the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) will hold its 7th meeting in Sarajevo on July 9-13, 2007: “Our conference theme, Responding to Genocide Before It's Too Late: Genocide Studies and Prevention, is always appropriate, of course, but also has an immediate resonance as we...