TresSugar

Mass Exodus in the Congo Has Roots In Rwandan Genocide

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:00:10 -0700

I know the math on the picture=1,000 words shtick, but these words on the refugee exodus in the Democratic Republic of Congo combined with these pictures is almost a novel I can't even fathom:

Along the red dirt roads looping in and out of the jungle, they trooped in their thousands. The women clutching infants to their chests and balancing rolled-up mattresses, blankets and pots on their heads. Any child old enough to walk carried a jerry can of water or dragged a sack of food.

The people who live in the Democratic Republic of Congo are once again under fire. Many who live in the perpetually war-torn nation have been driven from their homes more times than they can remember and sadly they're finding it's time to escape once more. Packing up any possessions they can manage they're fleeing in advance of the invading Tutsi rebels. The rebels are driving both the government forces, which outnumber them by more than 3 to 1 and the UN peacekeepers that are being met with anger and violence at their inadequate response.

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To see the historic context, read more.

Nearly 30,000 refugees are fleeing into cities and towns bursting their resources. And as the fighting continues so does the human misery. "These people are in a very precarious situation," said Ms van Goor of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). "We're in the middle of the rainy season now and without proper water and sanitation, they're vulnerable to all sorts of diseases."

The conflict is in response to fear of a further genocide by the Hutus who were responsible for the murder of hundreds and thousands of Tutsis in 1994 in neighboring Rwanda. The Tutsi rebels claim that the Congolese government is not doing nearly enough to ensure their safety and are now taking matters into their own hands.

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Humanitarian Aid Workers Face Growing Dangers

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:30:58 -0700

The UN has been doing everything to help the planet from warning about meat consumption to turning down their own thermostat, but there's one global danger that's harder to fix: serious threats to aid workers.

Gayle Williams, a British and South African aid worker stationed in Afghanistan, was recently murdered by Taliban soldiers illuminating this growing tragedy. Growing numbers of people who dedicate themselves to assisting those living in impoverished nations are becoming victims of fatal attacks.

In the year from July 2007 to 2008, 63 aid workers were killed. Eighteen in Somalia, 17 in Afghanistan, 14 in Sudan, six in Pakistan, and four in Chad. Since June, those numbers have increased. Recently 17 were killed in one bomb attack in Algeria. Although in some countries, the murder of aid workers falls along ideological lines, such as the Taliban murdering for what they believe are religious reasons (Aid workers are there solely for humanitarian purposes and not to promote religious ideology). While in other nations, they are murdered simply for their possessions, as a result of unchecked banditry.

To see some of the reasons behind it, and what one aid worker has to say, read more.

While the latter reason is the result of general lawlessness, in countries like Afghanistan that are going through a political transformation, the reasons fall much more along religious lines. The United Nations under secretary general for humanitarian affairs said, “This is not the result of people being caught up in a conflict or in crossfire, these are people being targeted deliberately because they are humanitarian workers and that is frankly outrageous and unacceptable and makes it extremely difficult to continue our work.”

Aid workers have shared their thoughts about their work in danger. One says:

There are lots of incidents that happen that never make the press. This latest killing, however, I think has shown how dangerous it can be working here. I think it's the sort of the incident that if you're wavering about coming to Kabul in the first place it might possibly change your mind. But personally I always think that these are the sorts of the risks that you take when you believe in a place.

That sounds like the definition of bravery to me.

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Google Earth to Show Refugee Camps - Great Idea or Too Far?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:45:25 -0700

The ever-addicting Google Earth feature (who hasn't looked up every house they've ever lived in?) has a brand new feature with a humanitarian twist.

The feature is set to show the movement of refugees around the world using satellite images of refugee hot spots such as Darfur, Iraq, and Colombia. The maps are designed to help humanitarian operations as well as to inform the public about the millions who have fled their homes because of political violence. Google Earth's successful use after Hurricane Katrina, sparking the expansion idea.

The UN Deputy High Commissioner For Refugees said at the launch of the project, “all of the things that we do for refugees in the refugee camps around the world will become more visible.”

For example, Google Earth users will be able to see into the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad, home to refugees from the conflict in Darfur, and see tents clustered together amid the sparse landscape. Adding a servicey aspect, with another click, users can learn about the difficulty of providing water to some of the 15,000 people.

Google Earth faced controversy earlier this year when the US Defense Department cracked down banning views of military bases. By extension, if people wanting to help refugees can see the camps, could those wishing to harm them use the info, too? What about issues of privacy? Have we given enough thought to the bigger questions of this powerful technology?

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Angelina Jolie: US Should Step Up Iraq Humanitarian Support

LibertySugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:12 -0800

The US should step up its material and financial support to the 4 million displaced Iraqis, Angelina Jolie wrote yesterday in an op-ed in the Washington Post.

Angelina, a UN goodwill ambassador, appealed to US congressional leaders and presidential candidates to include as part of their Iraq strategy a comprehensive and specific refugee plan. She pointed out that the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) has asked for $261 million in funding, less than the US spends each day in Iraq.

As for the surge, Angelina wrote that during her visit to Iraq, international humanitarian workers told her that they felt that recent conditions in Iraq have allowed them to step up their programs. Angelina implored Americans:

"It seems to me that now is the moment to address the humanitarian side of this situation. Without the right support, we could miss an opportunity to do some of the good we always stated we intended to do."

It's wonderful that Angelina is drawing attention to the refugee crisis. As she argued, millions of homeless and jobless Iraqis in the heart of the Middle East could have grave security repercussions. Do you think the US must keep the troop levels high in order to improve the humanitarian situation?

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Do, Dump, or Marry? Matt Damon

TresSugar — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:00:00 -0700

Matt Damon, 2007's Sexiest Man Alive, is starring in The Informant!, which opens this weekend. Matt fans won't be seeing a familiar face (or body) when they show up to the theater, though. The actor had to gain 30 lbs. for the character, which he describes as "the Sexiest Man Alive's chunky cousin."

In addition to being an actor, Matt is a husband, dad, humanitarian, and outspoken citizen. If you remember, he made his support for Barack Obama very well known last year. What do you make of him?

Georgia Conflict Causes Diplomatic & Humanitarian Confusion

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:30:22 -0700

The conflict between Georgia and Russia presents a complex set of questions for the international community. While Western officials try to figure out how exactly Russia's two-headed government shares power, human rights workers are searching for the truth about atrocities that may or may not have been committed.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin undoubtedly holds the power in Russia, but diplomatic protocol obliges European and American officials to negotiate with President Dmitri Medvedev, who appears much more accommodating than Putin. The good-cop-bad-cop routine makes it unclear if Russia will follow the cease fire agreement, signed by President Medvedev, leaving the rest of the world unsure of how to react to Russia.

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Meanwhile Russia and Georgia have spread the confrontation and confusion to courts. To find out how the neighbors trade accusations of human rights violations, read more.

After originally claiming 1,500 had died, Russian prosecutors have opened criminal cases for the deaths of 133 civilians allegedly killed by Georgia's forces. Taking it to the next level, Georgia filed a suit against Russia at the International Court of Justice, accusing Russia of ethnic cleansing. The sensationalized allegations initially put forth by both countries in the media have made the job of human rights investigators very difficult. Gathering data for these lawsuits becomes an even more daunting task given the fact that many people have been displaced and considering that lines are blurred as civilians who take up arms become combatants.

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Do, Dump, or Marry? Brad Pitt

TresSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Brad Pitt is an accomplished actor and a doting dad, and his humanitarian work has made him a potential politician. He's also pretty damn hot, although I'm not sure what I think about the goatee.

As for marriage material? Jennifer Aniston infamously declared that her ex-husband was missing a "sensitivity chip." And it seems marrying Brad might get you trapped in a tabloid-fueled love triangle for many years to come.

Luckily for those of you who haven't had enough of Brad over the years, there's much more to come. His new film Inglourious Basterds comes out this weekend and the commercials for it seem to be on repeat.

Naomi Wolf: Angelina Archetype of Liberated Woman

TresSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0700

"Her persona hits an unprecedented level of global resonance - and makes women want to be with her and be her at the same time - because she has created a life narrative that is not just personal. Rather, it is archetypal. And the archetype is one that really, for the first time in modern culture, brings together almost every aspect of female empowerment and liberation."

- Naomi Wolf in Harper's Bazaar on why so many women find Angelina Jolie intriguing, beyond the fact of her beauty. Jolie, Wolf argues, is proof on some level that women can have it all. She’s a mother, a sex symbol, a humanitarian, and has been in both conventional and unconventional relationships. Finally, she seems unapologetic and has yet to be “punished” for her experiments as the stars of the past were.

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Pulitzers Can't Afford Award For Writing on Financial Crisis?

TresSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:03:55 -0700

It's a big day for people who write articles that get awards - the day the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes are announced. (The Pulitzer Prize is considered the highest national honor that can be bestowed to newspaper journalists, literary writers, and composers.) This year all the hoo-hah is over what won instead of who.

So what did win? Here's the breakdown for journalism awards:

Three awards for the presidential election
Two political sex scandals
Two humanitarian crises
Two on people's right to know
One on the Iraq war
One on the environment (wildfires)
One on art

I'm hardly the first to point it out, but the glaring omission is there's no award for coverage of the financial crisis. Maybe because nobody saw it coming? There's no Pulitzer for Best Hindsight.

Is it crazy that articles on sex scandals received two awards while writing on the worst recession since 1982 was ignored? It might be, but who really cares about Pulitzer Prizes? This guy?

Briefing Book! Obama Attends Parent-Teacher Conference

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:00:36 -0800

Obama Kids: Catching up? President-elect attends parent-teacher conference this morning. - Huffington Post
Election Night Pics: Want a behind-the-scenes look at election night? Check out the Obama family pictures on Flickr. - Flickr
Congo: Armed escort bad for humanitarian aid? Attempt to keep workers safe in the Congo, could blur the line between humanitarian help and military action. - newsblog
Bush: 50 reasons we can't quit W? You'll never get 250,000 Google search results by typing in the words "Obama drunk at a wedding." - 23/6
Palin: How does Dave chime in? Top 10 Sarah Palin revelations. - Huffington Post
GOP: Dirt not coming from the McCain camp? Recent rumors on Palin must be coming from a potential 2012 opponent, because an attack on Palin is also an indictment of McCain. - Townhall
Foreign Relations: Eager to move on? Obama speaks with leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, German, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea. - Donklephant

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