In July, the UN declared a famine in two regions of Southern Somalia, the first such announcement in the region since the infamous 1984 famine in Ethiopia. Somalia continues to find itself gripped tightly by starvation; the famine has claimed the lives of some 30,000 children in the last 3 months alone. More than 12 […]
I woke up this morning to the amazing news that three women shared this year’s Nobel Peace Prize: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee; and Tawakkul Karman, a Yemeni opposition leader. These three women have all been trailblazers for non-violent social activism and for the inclusion of women in peace building. As […]
For the second year in a row, the Obama Administration is skirting a new law that prohibits U.S. security aid to countries that use child soldiers. Signed into law only three years ago by President Bush, the Child Soldier Prevention Act is designed to encourage countries to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers by restricting […]
Last year in the lead up to Halloween I published the piece, Is Halloween Getting too Sexy for Kids? Four years ago on Halloween I brought you the article, Too Sexy For Your Kids? | Children, where I discussed how our children are over-sexualized. The issue can be far reaching: from what is playing on […]
Last month, UNICEF announced that the child mortality rate has dropped substantially. The new estimates are published in the 2011 report Levels & Trends in Child Mortality, issued by the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), which is led by UNICEF and the WHO with participation from the World Bank and the UN […]
October is TransFair USA’s Fair Trade Month, and the 2011 theme is “Every Purchase Matters.” The goal behind this year’s theme is to illustrate how individuals can get involved with fair trade and what impact that can have on farmers and laborers across the globe. The month of October is dedicated to increasing consumer awareness of what fair […]
As a follow-up to the recent post, Bring an end to cyber bullying, it is appropriate to share the story of one mother’s plea to see that anti-gay bullying is denounced by Congress. Tammy Aaberg is the mother of a gay high school student from Minnesota who committed suicide after being harassed and bullied by […]
UNICEF: Global austerity is hitting children hardest Fiscal austerity measures being adopted by governments to combat the global economic downturn are heaping misery upon the world’s poor, especially children, who already are suffering from food, fuel and financial shocks, according to a study by the UN Children’s Fund. Cuts to wages, benefits and subsidies, as […]
The Obama Administration checked another high profile terror suspect off its’ list today. A senior Administration official reports that a U.S. drone strike in Yemen killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. born cleric that allegely sought to inspire “lone – wolf” jihadists in the Western world. Security officials argue that Al-Awlaki was the inspiration behind the […]
Last Spring I brought you the piece, Bullying is Abuse, regarding the case of 15 year-old Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide in Boston following instances of bulling. Now with technology in every child’s hands bullying is even easier, quicker and can be more widespread with only the click of a button or mouse. Children can easily text […]
I don’t know about you, but in the morning the first thing I do after hitting snooze a few times is start to dream about my first cup of coffee. I jump from the bed all energized thinking about the aroma of that hot cup of dark wonder… as if I can already smell it. […]
San Marino became the first nation to ratify an amendment proposed at the 2010 Kampala Review Conference of the Rome Statute, which governs the International Criminal Court. San Marino deposited its ratification of the amendment to Article 8 at U.N. Headquarters today becoming the first nation to ratify the amendment classifying the use of […]
Something needs to be done to protect civilians and prevent civil war in Syria. Last week, Avaaz, a human rights organization, reported that more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprisings began in March. Meanwhile, a number of sources are suggesting that Syria may be on the brink of a civil […]
Yesterday, twenty aid agencies called on the international community to put “people’s lives before politics” in Somalia. There are two very urgent problems in this war torn nation. First, aid dollars for famine relief are falling short. The head of Somalia’s National Disaster Management Agency claims the Somali government is only receiving 30 – 40 […]
Armed drones may be just the beginning of a major technological revolution in the defense industry. An expert on military robotics, P. W. Singer says the “Predator” and “Reaper” drones flying over Pakistan and elsewhere are “the equivalent of the Model T Ford or the Wright Brother’s Flyer.” Indeed, more can and is already being […]