UNICEF has recently published their flagship publication, The State of the World’s Children, which each year examines a key issue affecting children. Last year’s report, The State of the World’s Children 2011: Adolescence – An Age of Opportunity, focused on adolescence; this year’s report highlights the shift of the world population to urban areas and […]
Behind the lines in India’s polio fight In New Delhi, at several of the 7,000 vaccination booths that span the Indian capital, children get two drops of an oral polio vaccine, after which one of their pinkie fingers is painted with indelible purple ink — a procedure that is being repeated across the vast country, […]
As food prices continue to skyrocket, necessities such as milk, vegetables and meat never find their way into many families’ homes, placing 500 million children at risk of malnutrition. Thus children’s physical and mental growth will be stunted over the next 15 years, according to a survey by the international charity Save the Children. Eighty percent of […]
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced its partnership with the global children’s rights organization Plan International for a worldwide push to ensure that children, especially those at risk of statelessness, are registered at birth. There are some 12 million stateless people across the world, half of which are children, according to the […]
I spent the other day watching a couple illuminating shows on the price of gold. The first was on Fort Knox and America’s precious national treasure and the second was a historical documentary on gold mining from pre-gold rush until today. It is well known that gold can come at an incredibly high human and environmental cost, […]
Sixty-six days. At this hour, that is how long Khader Adnan has gone without food to protest his detention without charge by the Israeli government. Unless you follow events in the Middle East closely, it is possible this is the first time you have heard of Adnan, or only heard of his in the last […]
Reforming Afghanistan’s orphanages Afghanistan’s new national director for orphanages, Sayyid Abdullah Hashemi, has been conducting inspections of the country’s provincial children’s homes in an effort to root out corruption by local officials, who often siphon off not only the $1.50 that is allocated daily per child, but food and clothing. Hashemi is finding that, outside […]
I have a love-hate relationship with Awareness Days. First, I do think they are needed to help promote awareness and educate society on various heath causes and human rights issues. Many such days make headlines thanks to political pushes and great community support, while others with little political power and international appeal pass with little notice. Such […]
When speaking about US foreign policy during the Republican Primary debates, Mitt Romney often returns to a familiar theme: his belief that troop levels in Afghanistan should be determined through close consultation with the commanding generals on the ground. It is both a criticism of President Obama’s June 2011 decision to begin drawing down troop […]
Children in Somalia continue to suffer needlessly from hunger as politics hinder the much needed distribution of food aid. In Somalia, it is women and children who bear the brunt of the famine. Children are susceptible to malnutrition that decreases their ability to fight off disease, while women are unable to access the services they need […]
In December’s post, Expectant American Mothers Help Raise Funds for Mothers in Developing Nations, the Imagine Me & You contest finalists had been announced. The Million Moms Challenge has now chosen a winner from its photo contest, in which hundreds of expectant mothers from across the United States submitted images with original messages, written on their “baby bumps,” stating […]
Nigeria polio campaign gains momentum Dozens of governors across Nigeria have signed up to support the Nigeria Immunization Challenge started by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to combat polio. The immunization initiative is part of the foundation’s efforts to support Nigeria’s fight against top priority public health concerns, such as HIV/AIDS prevention and providing […]
One year ago, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier made a surprise return to Haiti. As “president-for-life” for the second half of the 1971-86 Duvalier family succession, his rule was notorious for torturous treatment of political prisoners, unexplained disappearances and attacks on the press. Baby Doc was also a chubby sports-car loving playboy, whose glamorous wife spent […]
It’s February and love is in the air… Valentine’s day is just around the corner and many millions are looking for that perfect gift to show how they feel for their special someone. It is clear that much of the day’s meaning is lost to heavy commercialization. This year, American’s alone are expected to spend a total of $15.7 […]
As I mentioned in my recent post, Decreasing Child Labor in 2012, child labor continues to hold some 215 million children in its firm grasp. While the fight to this practice has received increased attention, it is a long and hard battle. One of the largest and most public arenas where the fight against child […]