Outrage in Turkey over the verdict of a rape case is being heard following the verdict by the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals (Turkey’s highest court). The case involved alleged gang rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2002, for which the court has ruled that the child had consented to sex with her 26 accused […]
“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.” – Kofi Annan Universal Children’s Day […]
Malaria: The beginning of the end? Global eradication of malaria is a step closer after the announcement last week of the discovery by scientists of the disease’s apparent vulnerability, a critical component of human red blood cells that can be targeted to stop the malaria parasite from completing its life cycle within the body. Trials […]
The Easter Rising was an rebellion staged in Ireland, by Irish republicans seeking the end of British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic. Over a six day period during Easter week, Easter Monday 24 April to 30 April 1916, more than 250 civilians were killed, 28 of who were children aged between two and 16. A lecturer […]
I loved Robin Wright’s new book, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion in the Islamic World. (And thanks to The Clash for inspiring the title!) The book couldn’t be more timely given current events. It is a smart, provocative and compelling read, and I recommend it for anyone who is interested in what happened across […]
Last week, Victor Bout, the infamous Russian arms dealer, was convicted by a New York grand jury on four counts of conspiracy to sell weapons to Colombian rebels. But, that is just the tip of the iceberg for this so called “merchant of death.” A former member of the Soviet Military and Intelligence Services, Bout […]
In May 2010, Israel raided a flotilla of aid ships determined to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza which activists claim violates international law by imposing collective punishment on the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Nine activists were killed in the raid, which created a major international incident for Israel and Turkey, where the […]
The Birth Control Solution Family planning services could help communities around the world better manage development concerns, from health care to climate change, if religious and political barriers to increased programming were removed, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof writes. Basic standard education and protections for women’s rights, combined with research into better contraceptives, could […]
The heinous crime that exploits, abuses, rapes and enslaves millions upon millions of children is hardly a new story. As a society we have become more open and aware of the issues of modern slavery and human trafficking, but we envision the facts as distant, far removed realities. Sadly modern slavery impacts some 27 million men, […]
Monday, October 24th was World Polio Day, and while the day gained global attention by much of the press, it was just any other day for most of us. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), polio has declined from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to 1,349 reported cases in 2010. Today the only […]
It’s been more than two weeks since Kenya sent its troops into Somalia. Initially, the incursion seemed like a short term retaliatory campaign in response to a series of kidnappings in northern Kenya. But, this past weekend, Kenya’s top commander said that troops will remain as long as necessary to vanquish the threat posed by […]
The fight against child malnutrition and poverty is an ongoing battle. It remains clear that efforts around the globe to tackle the food crisis and seek a sustainable end to child malnutrition and poverty need to see an increase in political will. This is necessary to ensure that both funding and sustainable practices are put […]
Africa struggles with secondary education Governments in Africa are struggling to meet demands for secondary education, with girls facing more challenges to securing access than boys, according to a report from UNESCO. Many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are unable to successfully provide education services to more than one-third of children. Ukraine – President: Ensuring […]
Back in mid-February, amid the optimism of the immediate post-Mubarak era, I wrote a blog post exploring the future of philanthropy and the NGO sector in Egypt, noting that the field had been developing quite rapidly despite a restrictive operating environment. I speculated that if regulatory interference from the Ministry of Social Solidarity receded, the future […]
The Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in 60 years, forcing people to flee their homes in search of food and water. Women and children are suffering the most due to malnutrition, especially in Somali, where the famine hit the hardest. Many mothers say they would rather die trying to reach a UN […]