Dear colleagues, The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the August 2012 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council. For August, in which the France has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on the situations in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Central African Region, Haiti, Lebanon, Middle East, and Sudan / South Sudan. The MAP also provides recommendations for the Security Council's … [Read more...]
DAKAR – Catch 22, ‘opium’ farmers need Alternative Livelihood
July 28, 2012 by
DAKAR, July 2012 (IRIN) - Upwards of 90 percent of the opium poppies in Myanmar’s northern region are grown in Shan State, even though farmers are aware that if they grow an illicit crop, it may be eradicated and they could lose everything Alternative livelihood support is needed if growers are to be weaned off this double-edged source of income. “Farmers grow opium poppy to buy food, pay off debt and have a cash income to pay school fees and health expenses,” Gary Lewis, regional … [Read more...]
NEPAL – Better health, particularly women and children
July 28, 2012 by
KATHMANDU, July 2012 (IRIN) - Nepal will produce nearly half a million improved cooking stoves over the next five years to benefit rural communities and bring the chance of better health to millions of people, particularly women and children. The target of 475,000 stoves was set by the National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme, a new effort to bring all rural energy programmes under one management and funding body, and will be implemented by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) … [Read more...]
Meena Seshu, founder of India’s SANGRAM: HIV,VIOLENCE & SEX WORK
July 25, 2012 by
As the founder of SANGRAM, an Indian non-governmental organisation that works with sex workers to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, Meena Seshu has strongly lobbied against the image of sex workers as powerless, irresponsible or even deserving of harm. Based in rural Maharashtra, the group seeks to empower the workers – most of whom are women – to form collectives and lobby for their rights. Here Seshu explains that in order to help reduce their vulnerability to HIV, any efforts must first help … [Read more...]
Ramadan, 2012 begins on July 20th – in North America – on Saturday, the 21st
July 20, 2012 by
Ramadan in 2012 will start on Friday, the 20th of July and will continue for 30 days until Saturday, the 18th of August. Based on sightability in North America, in 2012 Ramadan will start in North America a day later - on Saturday, the 21st of July. *Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Ramadan on the sunset of Thursday, the 19th of July. Although Ramadan is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, … [Read more...]
‘Mitochondrial Eve’ ~ To be or not to be?
July 20, 2012 by
Mitochondrial Eve is estimated to have lived around 200,000 years ago, most likely in East Africa, when Homo sapiens sapiens (anatomically modern humans) were developing as a population distinct from other human sub-species. On the first day of 1987, a scientific “discovery” seized the attention of the popular press. The original scientific article that caused all the commotion — “Mitochondrial DNA and Human Evolution”— appeared in the January 1, 1987 issue of Nature, and was authored by … [Read more...]
RAPE in BOSNIA – Broken Silence leads to Way for a New World …
July 17, 2012 by
Breaking the Silence leads the way for all .... SREBRENICA GENOCIDE IS NOT A MATTER OF ANYBODY'S OPINION; IT'S A JUDICIAL FACT RECOGNIZED FIRST BY THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA AND SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE. PHOTO #1: Traumatized woman, Bosniak rape victim. Serb forces used rape as a weapon of war in Bosnia. Photo taken by Antony Loyd, noted war correspondent and former British Army officer. Image used for Fair Use … [Read more...]
Lorre White interviewed by the British Fashion Week
July 16, 2012 by
Luxury Lifestyle Guru - Lorre White, USA Interview conducted by the British Fashion Week Q.What’s your favorite luxury shop and boutique ? What makes it special? A. For elite luxury brands the physical shop is still a mandatory requirement that separates them from the blue chip mass market, but the truth is much of the non-tourist shopping is going to the web. Successful boutiques need to be a destination. I have traveled much of the world and have been in boutiques for buying … [Read more...]
Lorre White reports ‘ Rich Chinese Choose France, US, & Australia’
July 15, 2012 by
Rich Chinese Choose France, US, Australia as Favorite Private Jet Destinations According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the land down under is one of the top holiday choices for China's super-rich to relax, go sightseeing and shop. For the second year in a row, Australia has ranked third behind France and the US as the most attractive destination for Chinese millionaires to holiday, according to a report by Shanghai-based private wealth researcher Rupert Hoogewerf. According … [Read more...]
FGM: New Research Highlights Link between FGM/C and Mental Disorders
July 15, 2012 by
FGM: Female Genital Mutilation and other Harmful Practices Female Genital Mutilation may Cause Mental Health Problems This pilot study investigated the mental health of women following genital mutilation. A number of experts have in the past assumed that women undergoing genital mutilation would be more likely to develop psychiatric illnesses than women in the general population but there has been little research to confirm this belief. Health Consequences of Female Genital … [Read more...]
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games – 27 July to 12 August
July 14, 2012 by
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, also known informally as London 2012 (for example on the official logo), are scheduled to take place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris. … [Read more...]
JAKARTA, ‘highest number of pre-term births’
July 11, 2012 by
JAKARTA, July 2012 (IRIN) - Linda Rullis sold her motorcycle and borrowed money from relatives to cover neo-natal treatment for her daughter, who was born after only 24 weeks of pregnancy, barely weeks within the threshold of survival. The baby girl is now one year old and weighs 5.1kg. “I insisted on taking her home after she had been treated for four months because I couldn’t afford the treatment anymore,” Rullis, 30, told IRIN. “When she was born she weighed only 690g, but luckily she … [Read more...]
World Population Day – Celebrated July 11, 2012
July 10, 2012 by
World Population Day 2012: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services On 11 July – World Population Day – many activities and campaigns will call attention to the essential part that reproductive health plays in creating a just and equitable world. Help us generate greater commitment to the idea that everyone has a right to reproductive health. This year focuses on the theme of “Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services.” Reproductive health problems remain the leading … [Read more...]
