Sunday, May 31, 2015

Children used to be scared of the dark – now they fear failure | Life and style | The Guardian

Children used to be scared of the dark – now they fear failure | Life and style | The Guardian: "I recently asked one of my youngest daughters what she feared most. She answered without hesitation: failure. This disturbed and surprised me. I had always thought of fear of failure as an adult preoccupation, but it seems that one of the effects of the climate of the times (and the media saturation that expresses it) is the importation of adult fears to childish minds. The fear of ghosts is being replaced by the terror of underperformance."



'via Blog this'

U.S. appeals court strikes down Idaho law banning abortions after 20 weeks - LA Times

U.S. appeals court strikes down Idaho law banning abortions after 20 weeks - LA Times: "In addition to striking down the 20-week limitation, the court ruled against a provision requiring hospitalization for women seeking second-trimester abortions. The regulation “places an undue burden on a woman’s ability to obtain an abortion,” the court said in its opinion."



'via Blog this'

Why old rape test kits may now put thousands in prision - CSMonitor.com

Why old rape test kits may now put thousands in prision - CSMonitor.com: "The evidence piled up for years, abandoned in police property rooms, warehouses and crime labs. Now, tens of thousands of sexual assault kits are giving up their secrets — and rapists who've long remained free may finally face justice.

A dramatic shift is taking hold across the country as police and prosecutors scramble to process these kits and use DNA matches to track down sexual predators, many of whom attacked more women while evidence of their crimes languished in storage. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are proposing reforms to ensure this doesn't happen again."



'via Blog this'

Syria airstrikes kill scores amid government setbacks - The Washington Post

Syria airstrikes kill scores amid government setbacks - The Washington Post: "Airstrikes are commonplace in towns held by government opponents, but Saturday’s toll was unusually high. It came as a reminder that the government of President Bashar al-Assad still has unchecked control of the skies in Syria, even as its army loses ground."



'via Blog this'

The Malaysian jungle camps where traffickers raped and killed - BBC News

The Malaysian jungle camps where traffickers raped and killed - BBC News: "Ian Pannell and cameraman Darren Conway visit migrant camps on Malaysia's border, where traffickers abused and killed Rohingya Muslims."



'via Blog this'

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Local hero: Girl from Nepal scores 90 in Kannada - Bangalore Mirror

Local hero: Girl from Nepal scores 90 in Kannada - Bangalore Mirror: "Fifteen-year-old Meena Masrangi wears a broad smile on her face when we meet her at Fern Meadows in Hennur, where her parents work as domestic help, on Tuesday. After all, the fruits of her hard work have paid off—scoring an overall of 85 per cent in the SSLC examinations, and 90 per cent in Kannada, a language which was alien to her till a few years ago.
Waking up every morning at 4 am, she spent two years studying Kannada and Maths (in which she scored 82), the two subjects she was weak in. "Initially, since I found Kannada difficult, I used to mug the questions and answers. Then I found that while taking exams, I wasn't able to understand the questions and hence wouldn't be able to write the correct answers," she says. "



'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Bangladesh plans to move Rohingya refugees to island in the south | World news | The Guardian

Bangladesh plans to move Rohingya refugees to island in the south | World news | The Guardian: "Bangladesh plans to relocate thousands of Rohingya refugees who have spent years in camps near the Burmese border to a southern island.

The government has started planning the move to Hatiya Island in the Bay of Bengal in a plan backed by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, according to a government official, Amit Kumar Baul.

“The relocation of the Rohingya camps will definitely take place,” said Baul, the head of the government’s Myanmar refugee cell. “So far, informal steps have been taken according to the PM’s directives.”

A Rohingya leader urged the government to rethink, saying the plan would only make life worse for the refugees, many of whom have been languishing in the camps for years. “We want the government and international organisations to resolve our issue from here,” said Mohammad Islam, who lives in one of the camps."



'via Blog this'

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

France Declares All New Rooftops Must Be Topped With Plants Or Solar Panels | CSGlobe

France Declares All New Rooftops Must Be Topped With Plants Or Solar Panels | CSGlobe: "A new law recently passed in France mandates that all new buildings that are built in commercial zones in France must be partially covered in either plants or solar panels.

Green roofs, as they are called, have an isolating effect which helps to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a building during the winter or cool it in the summer. They are capable of retaining rainwater and reducing problems with runoff, and also offer birds a place to call home in the urban jungle."



'via Blog this'

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Eradicating Mosquitoes-borne diseases may involve sex change – STGIST

Eradicating Mosquitoes-borne diseases may involve sex change – STGIST: "Altering the DNA of mosquitoes to eradicate diseases is not a new concept, but changing the genitals of the insect is worthy of attention. A team of scientists revealed that they’re one step closer to transforming a female diseases-carrying mosquito into male which doesn’t bite."



'via Blog this'

It's Not Rude: These Portraits Of Wounded Vets Are Meant To Be Stared At : NPR

It's Not Rude: These Portraits Of Wounded Vets Are Meant To Be Stared At : NPR: "Jay believes these wounds belong to all of us: "You can imagine how many times each of these men and women have heard a parent tell their child, 'Don't look. Don't stare at him. That's rude.' I take these pictures so that we can look; we can see what we're not supposed to see. And we need to see them because we created them."

Jay believes seeing is one step closer to understanding.

The Library of Congress has acquired images from his Unknown Soldier collection as part of its visual documentation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."



'via Blog this'

Interview: Mat Johnson, Author Of 'Loving Day' On The 'Optical Illusion' Of Being Biracial : Code Switch : NPR

Interview: Mat Johnson, Author Of 'Loving Day' On The 'Optical Illusion' Of Being Biracial : Code Switch : NPR: "Early in the book, he calls himself a "racial optical illusion."



The people who see me as white always will, and will think it's madness that anyone else could come to any other conclusion, holding to this falsehood regardless of learning my true identity. The people who see me as black cannot imagine how a sane, intelligent person could be so blind not to understand this, despite my pale-skinned presence."



'via Blog this'

Opinion: From Marine Corps to Peace Corps - CNN.com

Opinion: From Marine Corps to Peace Corps - CNN.com: "While nothing compares to the risks our servicemen and women take in combat, the Peace Corps isn't exactly a walk to the local playground. Since its inception in 1961, the Peace Corps has lost at least 287 volunteers to disease, road accidents, crime, and other hazards in their host countries. That's more than twice the number of fallen CIA officers, whose sacrifices are properly commemorated by stars etched into Memorial Wall inside their headquarters."



'via Blog this'

As Memorial Day Nears, a Single Image That Continues to Haunt - NYTimes.com

As Memorial Day Nears, a Single Image That Continues to Haunt - NYTimes.com: "What brings the tears to my eyes is not just the bereaved young woman, but the Marine who stands behind her. In an earlier photo in the series, we see him building her a little nest of blankets on the air mattress. Sweet Lord, I cry just typing the words, the matter-of-fact tenderness is so overwhelming. So soldierly. But in this photo — the one that lives on and on online — he merely stands next to the coffin, watching over her. It is impossible to be unmoved by the juxtaposition of the eternal stone-faced warrior and the disheveled modern military wife-turned-widow, him rigid in his dress uniform, her on the floor in her blanket nest, wearing glasses and a baggy T-shirt, him nearly concealed by shadow while the pale blue light from the computer screen illuminates her like God’s own grace."



'via Blog this'

The Duggar Girls Learned to Kiss From Jim-Bob and Josh

The Duggar Girls Learned to Kiss From Jim-Bob and Josh: "Jessa Duggar’s father-in-law goes on to say that fans shouldn’t be shocked by Josh’s actions — he claims that many people would do the same thing if they didn’t fear the consequences of their behavior.



 “Many times it is simply lack of opportunity or fear of consequences that keep us from falling into grievous sin even though our fallen hearts would love to indulge the flesh. We should not be shocked that this occurred in the Duggar’s home, we should rather be thankful to God if we have been spared such, and pray that he would keep us and our children from falling.”



No, no it isn’t. For most people, I bet the decision not to molest a child probably doesn’t come down to thinking “I’ll get caught” or “man, I wish I could molest, but there are no kids around. Drat!” And if Jessa’s father-in-law is saying these things out loud now, are any of the Duggar kids (present and future) safe? I don’t know about you, but I’d be mighty concerned by anyone who says that we’d all be out there molesting if we just had the chance."



'via Blog this'

Monday, May 25, 2015

When raising awareness backfires | Life and style | The Guardian

When raising awareness backfires | Life and style | The Guardian: "Troublingly, awareness can also influence what people define as a serious problem to start with. That’s one interpretation of a recent economics paper exploring why people tolerate rising levels of inequality: one big reason is rising inequality itself. Incrementally, as inequality worsens, so our baseline of how much inequality feels acceptable creeps upward. The solution can’t be to keep people in the dark about the scale of inequality, the risks of smoking, etc. But these findings are a reminder that shouting about a problem doesn’t mean you’re helping to solve it. Consider this column an awareness-raising campaign about the limitations of awareness-raising campaigns. Which means I’ve probably made matters worse."



'via Blog this'

John F. Nash Jr. dies; Nobel laureate was subject of ‘A Beautiful Mind’ - The Washington Post

John F. Nash Jr. dies; Nobel laureate was subject of ‘A Beautiful Mind’ - The Washington Post: "Dr. Nash, a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician whose descent into and recovery from mental illness inspired the Academy Award-winning film “A Beautiful Mind,” died May 23 in a two-car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was 86. His wife, Alicia, who was 82, also died.

According to preliminary findings by the New Jersey State Police, the Nashes were in a taxicab traveling southbound near Monroe when their driver lost control of the vehicle. The taxi driver’s injuries were not considered life-threatening, New Jersey police said. The Nashes lived in Princeton Junction, N.J."



'via Blog this'

Islamic State on the march? What fall of Ramadi tells us. - CSMonitor.com

Islamic State on the march? What fall of Ramadi tells us. - CSMonitor.com: "In Iraq, the United States' guns, money, and influence are long gone, while civil war has left much of Syria in chaos. In this power vacuum, Sunni tribesmen have in many cases leaned toward the Sunni-led Islamic State, fearing that Baghdad and Damascus are simply stooges for Shiite Iran. 

"The myth is that there are radical Sunni tribes and moderate Sunni tribes. The tribes are not moderate or radical. Tribes hedge and look for the strongest power," Kuwaiti journalist Hussain Abdul-Hussain, who has close ties to Sunni tribes in the region, told Newsweek last year."



'via Blog this'

Indonesia and Malaysia Agree to Care for Stranded Migrants - NYTimes.com

Indonesia and Malaysia Agree to Care for Stranded Migrants - NYTimes.com: "JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia and Malaysia agreed on Wednesday to take in thousands of migrants stranded at sea until they can be sent home or resettled in a third country, in the first official action by Southeast Asian nations to try to resolve a crisis well into its second week.

"



'via Blog this'

Sunday, May 24, 2015

When the Rapist Doesn’t See It as Rape - NYTimes.com

When the Rapist Doesn’t See It as Rape - NYTimes.com: "There are no easy solutions, but one way to fight the epidemic is legal: Prosecute aggressively, while recognizing that sexual encounters are often complex, ambiguous, fueled by alcohol, and prone to he-said-she-said uncertainties.

CONTINUE READING THE MAIN STORY
21
COMMENTS
Another way to fight back is cultural: Blunt conversations among men and women alike about consent, alcohol, and the need for friends to step up with what’s called “bystander intervention.” That means that just as you don’t let a friend drive drunk, you don’t let a friend take advantage of someone — or let a plastered friend get steered to a predator’s bed."



'via Blog this'

Malaysia finds mass graves of suspected migrants - Al Jazeera English

Malaysia finds mass graves of suspected migrants - Al Jazeera English: "Mass graves believed to contain bodies of hundreds of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been found in Malaysia, the country's home minister said.
Police discovered 30 large graves in two locations in the northern state of Perlis, which borders Thailand, local media reported on Sunday.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed the unearthing of a mass grave near 17 human trafficking detention camps in Padang Besar."



'via Blog this'

Friday, May 22, 2015

White America’s Waco insanity: The shocking realities it ignores about racism & violence - Salon.com

White America’s Waco insanity: The shocking realities it ignores about racism & violence - Salon.com: "For instance, in a 1963 public conversation and debate with James Baldwin, Malcolm X told him, “Never do you find white people encouraging other whites to be nonviolent. Whites idolize fighters. …At the same time that they admire these fighters, they encourage the so called ‘Negro’ in America to get his desires fulfilled with a sit in stroke, or a passive approach, or a love your enemy approach or pray for those who despitefully use you. This is insane.”

And indeed we did get a front row seat to such insanity this week, when three biker gangs in Texas, had a shootout in a parking lot that left nine people dead and 18 people injured. More than 165 people have been arrested for their participation in this thuggish, ruggish, deadly, violent, white-on-white street brawl but there has been no mass outcry from the country about this. Though these motorcycle gangs were already under surveillance because of known participation in consistent and organized criminal activity, as Darnell Moore notes at Mic, “the police didn’t don riot gear.” Moore further notes that “leather and rock music weren’t blamed,” and there hasn’t been any “hand-wringing over the problem of white-on-white crime.”"



'via Blog this'

Seattle Couple Who Fled Nazi-Controlled Europe Leaves $847K Estate to 'America' - Yahoo

Seattle Couple Who Fled Nazi-Controlled Europe Leaves $847K Estate to 'America' - Yahoo: "A couple from Seattle left all they had, nearly $1 million, “to the government of the United States of America" in their identical wills, the lawyer who administered the estate said.

A cashier's check for $847,215.57 was received and deposited into the U.S. Department of the Treasury's general funds on May 13, according to U.S. assistant attorney Peter Winn, who told ABC News today that he was the one who worked with the Treasury Department to accept the money on behalf of the government.

Though Peter Petrasek and Joan Petrasek never indicated why they wanted to donate all of their money to the U.S. government, Winn believes the money is a "thank you" to the country that took in the couple after they fled from Nazi-controlled eastern Europe in World War II."



'via Blog this'

Gambia offers to resettle all Rohingya boatpeople - Yahoo News

Gambia offers to resettle all Rohingya boatpeople - Yahoo News: ""The government of the Gambia notes with grave concern the inhumane condition of the Rohingya people of Myanmar -- especially those referred to as 'boatpeople' -- currently drifting in the seas off the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia," it said in a statement.

"As human beings, more so fellow Muslims, it is a sacred duty to help alleviate the untold hardships and sufferings fellow human beings are confronted with."

The statement appealed to the international community to send tents, bedding, household materials and medicine to help Muslim-majority Gambia set up "habitable camps with decent sanitary conditions"."



'via Blog this'

11-Year-Old Tanishq Abraham Graduates From California College - NBC News.com

11-Year-Old Tanishq Abraham Graduates From California College - NBC News.com: "On his college graduation cap, Abraham wore his favorite "Toy Story" quote: "2 Infinity and Beyond."

As for what comes next for the child prodigy, Abraham said: "I want to become a doctor, but I also want to become a medical researcher, and also the president of the United States.""



'via Blog this'

Thailand lauds US over shelter offer | Bangkok Post: news

Thailand lauds US over shelter offer | Bangkok Post: news: "According to an AP report, the US State Department said Thursday the US is willing to take in Rohingya refugees.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the US is prepared to take a leading role in any multi-country effort, organised by the United Nations Refugee Agency, to resettle the most vulnerable refugees.

In the past three weeks, more than 3,000 people - Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar and Bangladeshis trying to escape poverty - have landed in overcrowded boats on the shores of various Southeast Asian countries.

Aids groups say thousands more are stranded at sea after human smugglers abandoned their boats to avoid crackdowns by authorities.

On Wednesday, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to offer sea migrants temporary shelter, as long as the resettlement and repatriation process is completed by the international community within one year."



'via Blog this'

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

What It Takes To Lift Families Out Of Poverty : Goats and Soda : NPR

What It Takes To Lift Families Out Of Poverty : Goats and Soda : NPR: ""Does global aid work?" Karlan says.



 He was reading a bunch of studies on the topic. But none of them actually answered the question. "We were tearing our hair out reading these papers because it was frustrating," he says. "[We] never really felt like the papers were really satisfactory."



One problem was that no one was actually testing global aid programs — methodically — to see if they really changed people's lives permanently. "They haven't been taking the scientific method to problems of poverty," he says.

"



'via Blog this'

Monday, May 18, 2015

Brown’s California Overtakes Brazil With Companies Leading World - Bloomberg Business

Brown’s California Overtakes Brazil With Companies Leading World - Bloomberg Business: "(Bloomberg) -- California is overtaking Brazil as the world’s seventh-largest economy, bolstered by rising employment, home values and personal and corporate income, a year after the most-populous state surpassed Russia and Italy.
The Golden State, with an equivalent gross domestic product of $2.20 trillion in 2013, expanded last year by almost every measure, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Brazil’s gross domestic product, in contrast, declined 1 percent from $2.25 trillion in the first three quarters of 2014 as its export of raw materials fell."



'via Blog this'

Indonesia pouring cold water over Asean Economic Community - Business News | The Star Online

Indonesia pouring cold water over Asean Economic Community - Business News | The Star Online: "While other member states of Asean, including Malaysia, have been busy ironing out the hurdles posed by their respective regulatory and policy framework to achieve the vision of an Asean Economic Community (AEC), the success of the scheme has come into question due to Indonesia’s lukewarm reception to the idea.

“Asean is nothing without Indonesia,” CIMB Group Holdings Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak said.

A staunch proponent of the AEC, Nazir, also co-chair of Asean Business Club (ABC), said the sheer size of Indonesia’s economy made the country’s commitment to and participation in the AEC critical in ensuring the success of the vision.

With a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$870bil, Indonesia is the largest economy in Asean.

It also boasts the largest market size in the region given its huge population of about 250 million."



'via Blog this'

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Luxembourg PM becomes first EU leader to wed gay lover - Al Jazeera English

Luxembourg PM becomes first EU leader to wed gay lover - Al Jazeera English: "Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has married his gay partner, becoming the first leader in the European Union to enter into a same-sex union in a symbol of growing social change across the continent.
Bettel, 42, a centre-right politician who became premier in 2013, tied the knot on Friday with Gauthier Destenay, a Belgian architect, just months after the Roman Catholic duchy legalised gay weddings."



'via Blog this'

These photographs helped integrate proms in Montgomery, Georgia | US news | The Guardian

These photographs helped integrate proms in Montgomery, Georgia | US news | The Guardian: "In 2009, the New York Times Magazine published a series of Laub’s photographs of Montgomery County high school’s racially segregated proms. The piece exposed what Laub calls the town’s “dark secret” and sparked a debate that eventually led to Montgomery County finally integrating prom. In 2011, Laub returned to document the historical event and learned that one of her previous subjects, a young black man, had been murdered.

Now, Laub has turned her study of racial tensions in Montgomery County and the killing of Justin Patterson into a documentary. Southern Rites, which airs on 18 May on HBO, explores the community’s struggle to move forward from its difficult past amid newfound tragedy. Musician John Legend produced the film."



'via Blog this'

Woman with Winston-Salem ties killed in Afghanistan worked to help poor - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News

Woman with Winston-Salem ties killed in Afghanistan worked to help poor - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News: "Paula Kantor dedicated — and ultimately gave — her life to the pursuit of better lives for some of the world’s poorest and most marginalized people.
Kantor, 46, was one of 14 people killed Wednesday during a Taliban attack on the hotel where she was staying in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“She lived and died doing what she wanted, doing the things she wanted to do. That gives us comfort,” said Barbara Kantor, Paula’s mother. “She had lived her life truly the way she wanted.”"



'via Blog this'

1,000 survivors of violence, hunger at sea land in SE Asia | Miami Herald Miami Herald

1,000 survivors of violence, hunger at sea land in SE Asia | Miami Herald Miami Herald: "Southeast Asia for years tried to quietly ignore the plight of Myanmar’s 1.3 million Rohingya but is now being confronted with a dilemma that in many ways it helped create. In the last three years, more than 120,000 Rohingya have boarded ships to flee to other countries, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

No countries want them, fearing that accepting a few would result in an unstoppable flow of poor, uneducated migrants. But Southeast Asian governments at the same time respected the wishes of Myanmar at regional gatherings, avoiding discussions of state-sponsored discrimination against the Rohingya.

Myanmar, in its first official comments as the crisis escalated in the past two weeks, indicated it won’t take back migrants who claim to be Rohingya, who are denied citizenship in Myanmar and are effectively stateless.

“We cannot say that the migrants are from Myanmar unless we can identify them,” said government spokesman Ye Htut. “Most victims of human trafficking claim they are from Myanmar is it is very easy and convenient for them.”"



'via Blog this'

Why No One Wants The Rohingyas : The Two-Way : NPR

Why No One Wants The Rohingyas : The Two-Way : NPR: "The spectacle of thousands of desperate Rohingya Muslim "boat people" being denied landfall in Southeast Asia has laid bare the region's religious and ethnic prejudices as well as its fears of being swamped by an influx of migrants.

An estimated 6,000 or more such migrants are stranded at sea in Southeast Asia. Most of the people on the overcrowded and unseaworthy boats are thought to belong to the 1.3 million-strong Rohingya minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Others are believed to be from Bangladesh.

Reuters reports that while nearly 800 migrants on one boat were brought ashore Friday in Indonesia, other boats crammed full of people were turned away."



'via Blog this'

Friday, May 15, 2015

Migrants From Myanmar, Shunned by Malaysia, Are Spotted Adrift in Andaman Sea - NYTimes.com

Migrants From Myanmar, Shunned by Malaysia, Are Spotted Adrift in Andaman Sea - NYTimes.com:

The Indonesian Navy turned away a boat with thousands of passengers on Tuesday, urging it on to Malaysia, while the Malaysian authorities turned away two boats with a total of at least 800 passengers on Wednesday.

“What we have now is a game of maritime Ping-Pong,” said Joe Lowry, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration in Bangkok. “It’s maritime Ping-Pong with human life. What’s the endgame? I don’t want to be too overdramatic, but if these people aren’t treated and brought to shore soon, we are going to have a boat full of corpses.”

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile | Cities | The Guardian

End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile | Cities | The Guardian: "It’s a vision of cities in which residents no longer rely on their cars but on public transport, shared cars and bikes and, above all, on real-time data on their smartphones. He anticipates a revolution which will transform not just transport but the cities themselves. “The goal is to rebalance the public space and create a city for people,” he says. “There will be less pollution, less noise, less stress; it will be a more walkable city.”"



'via Blog this'

5 reasons to work in business development | Devex

5 reasons to work in business development | Devex: "When aspiring aid workers think of a career in international development, it’s rare they envision spending their days scouting requests for proposals, writing key personnel sections or developing a Gantt chart work plan."



'via Blog this'

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

First lady uses Tuskegee's story to inspire graduates - StarTribune.com

First lady uses Tuskegee's story to inspire graduates - StarTribune.com: "Obama said the frustration is “rooted in decades of structural challenges that have made too many folks feel frustrated and invisible. And those feelings are playing out in communities like Baltimore and Ferguson and so many others across this country.” But those frustrations are not an excuse to give in to despair and anger, she said.

She said history provides a “blueprint” for moving forward through politics and voting and education."



'via Blog this'

$9 Debian-Based C.H.I.P. Computer Is a Kickstarter Smash | Developers | TechNewsWorld

$9 Debian-Based C.H.I.P. Computer Is a Kickstarter Smash | Developers | TechNewsWorld: "The Raspberry Pi "was pretty phenomenally received, and it was for the hobbyist market, so its $25 price addressed much of that market," said Wayne Lam, a principal analyst at IHS Technology.

"But when you get down to $9 and are basically mass producing this device, you're offering greater mass market appeal," he told LinuxInsider. However, "this isn't a finished product, so it remains to see how much interest it has among consumers.""



'via Blog this'

Friday, May 8, 2015

Does this ‘Nepal’ image make you want to build these children a home? Think again | Claire Bennett | Comment is free | The Guardian

Does this ‘Nepal’ image make you want to build these children a home? Think again | Claire Bennett | Comment is free | The Guardian: "It turns out, somewhat inconveniently, that this symbol of the disaster was just that. A symbol. A stock photograph churned out whenever there is a disaster that affects … well, er … anywhere that has poor-looking brown children. This is in fact just about anywhere in the world – Burma, Syria, Nepal. In fact, the children are from North Vietnam.

So why exactly do images like this appeal so much, and compel us to share them with everyone we know? Here’s an answer for you: because the images are empowering. Not for the subjects, but for us, the consumers. We feel sympathy and pity, and these emotions create a power dynamic. They are helpless, we can help. They are vulnerable, we can protect them.

These powerful emotions can fuel charity campaigns."



'via Blog this'

NASA technology located four trapped earthquake victims in Nepal, by detecting their heartbeats - Quartz

NASA technology located four trapped earthquake victims in Nepal, by detecting their heartbeats - Quartz: "A technology developed by NASA and the US Department of Homeland Security designed to save people trapped by debris in natural disasters has been used in the field for the first time. FINDER (Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response) lived up to its name, locating and saving four people trapped under rubble for days after the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal killed more than 7,000 people and injured countless others.
FINDER is a radar machine that sends a continuous microwave signal through the rubble, and can detect a human’s breathing or heartbeat (and distinguish it from the movement of an animal). It can locate people hidden behind 20 feet of solid concrete or buried beneath 30 feet of rubble, and the person doesn’t need to be conscious to be detected.
"



'via Blog this'

Mount Everest shrunk by catastrophic Nepal earthquake | Nature | News | Daily Express

Mount Everest shrunk by catastrophic Nepal earthquake | Nature | News | Daily Express: "Data obtained from European Space Agency Satellites shows Mount Everest subsided in last week's devastating quake, leaving it about 2.5cm shorter than before."



'via Blog this'

How 'crisis mapping' is helping relief efforts in Nepal - BBC News

How 'crisis mapping' is helping relief efforts in Nepal - BBC News: "Nama says in the immediate aftermath of the quake, relief workers would head out to remote areas to help, but would have no information on what was required.
"They took rice, for example. When they got there, they realised that's not what the people there needed, they need tents.
"The problem was in the information. What do people need and what relief can be offered?" he says.
The Red Cross was already working with KLL on mapping Nepal in preparation for an event like this, says Dale Kunce, senior geospatial engineer for the American Red Cross based in Washington DC.
He says they are using the maps after the quake to guide teams on the ground about things like which routes might be prone to landslides, where possible distribution centres could be based and where banks are."



'via Blog this'

Nepal 2015 Earthquake Update: Thousands Mark End To 13-Day Mourning Period, Death Toll Crosses 8,400

Nepal 2015 Earthquake Update: Thousands Mark End To 13-Day Mourning Period, Death Toll Crosses 8,400: "Thousands of people gathered across Nepal on Thursday, the last day of a 13-day mourning period for the victims of the deadly earthquake, which struck the region on April 25. 

The main event to mark the end of the mourning period was held in the ruins of the Kastamandap temple, after which the capital, Kathmandu, is named. Nearly 500 people reportedly gathered at Kathmandu's historic center, Basantapur Durbar Square, to honor the dead. The death toll from the magnitude-7.8 quake has climbed to 8,413 in the Himalayan nation alone, according to reports citing the Nepal Red Cross Society."



'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Burundi crisis talks in bid to end political violence - Yahoo News

Burundi crisis talks in bid to end political violence - Yahoo News: "UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres said he was "extremely worried" as tens of thousands fled the small central African nation.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from the June 26 presidential poll.

"This is a last chance meeting, they have to come up with concrete solutions so that elections can be held in acceptable conditions," a diplomat said of the talks, warning international funding for polls could be cut if a deal was not struck.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he was "deeply concerned" about Nkurunziza's decision to stand again, which he said "flies directly in the face of the constitution"."



'via Blog this'

Almost 40,000 flee Burundi amid political crisis - Yahoo News

Almost 40,000 flee Burundi amid political crisis - Yahoo News: "A total of 16 people were injured in protests held in different parts of the capital on Wednesday, the Burundi Red Cross said.

More than a week of demonstrations have plunged the African nation into its worst crisis since an ethnically charged civil war ended in 2005. Civil society groups say a dozen people have been killed. Police say the death toll is half that number.

The opposition says Burundi's constitution and a peace deal that ended the civil war limits Nkurunziza to two terms."



'via Blog this'

International action needed to stop Burundi catastrophe: Egeland - Yahoo News

International action needed to stop Burundi catastrophe: Egeland - Yahoo News: "GENEVA (Reuters) - International action is needed to avoid a catastrophe in Burundi, Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council and the former top humanitarian official for the United Nations, said on Wednesday.

More than a week of demonstrations against the Burundi president's decision to stand for a third term have plunged the African nation into its worst crisis since an ethnically charged civil war ended in 2005.

"All lights are blinking in Burundi. All alarms are going. So where's the fire brigade," Egeland told a news conference in Geneva."



'via Blog this'

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Virtual Volunteers Use Twitter And Facebook To Make Maps Of Nepal : Goats and Soda : NPR

Virtual Volunteers Use Twitter And Facebook To Make Maps Of Nepal : Goats and Soda : NPR: "A public relations executive in Toronto, she's on the board of directors of the Standby Task Force, a loose organization of several thousand digital volunteers around the globe who track, map and post news of damage and pleas for help when natural disasters strike. After the Nepal earthquake, she and other volunteers neglected sleep as they met in online chat rooms, trading tidbits and discussing how they can best help.

"I'm in 17 chat rooms right now, and thousands of lines behind in my reading," sighed Jen Ziemke, a political science professor at John Carroll University in Cleveland and co-founder of the International Network of Crisis Mappers.

It was Crisis Mappers that helped focus on the potential of social media back in 2009, at a conference organized by Ziemke and co-founder Patrick Meier. The goal was to recruit online volunteers to analyze huge data sets. In other words: crowdsourcing, relying on volunteers to take a slice of a huge task, such as clicking through photos streaming from Nepal to identify where help is needed first."



'via Blog this'

Senate adopts GOP budget targeting 'Obamacare’ - SFGate

Senate adopts GOP budget targeting 'Obamacare’ - SFGate: "Democrats blasted the measure for getting the bulk of its savings from cuts to programs that help the poor and middle class while leaving tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, including a proposal to eliminate taxes on multimillion-dollar inheritances.
“This is an absolute disaster for the working families of this country,” said liberal Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who’s running for the Democratic presidential nomination."



'via Blog this'

Senate, Along Party Lines, Passes Cost-Cutting Budget Blueprint - NYTimes.com

Senate, Along Party Lines, Passes Cost-Cutting Budget Blueprint - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — The Senate gave final approval Tuesday to the first joint congressional budget plan in six years, ratifying a 10-year blueprint that would cut spending by $5.3 trillion, overhaul programs for the poor, repeal President Obama’s health care law and ostensibly produce a balanced budget in less than a decade."



'via Blog this'

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Obama Nominates Gayle Smith to Lead U.S.A.I.D. - NYTimes.com

Obama Nominates Gayle Smith to Lead U.S.A.I.D. - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — President Obama nominated Gayle Smith, a senior White House official, on Thursday to be the next administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, administration officials said."



'via Blog this'

To sustain climate adaptation, integrate it with local economies: experts - Yahoo News

To sustain climate adaptation, integrate it with local economies: experts - Yahoo News: ""The private sector must be brought into these projects in the beginning, and planning done between them, traders and the farmers,” said Pariyar, whose work in Nepal is supported by BRACED, a $216 million UK government-supported effort aimed at “building resilience and adaptation to climate extremes and disasters” in particularly challenging countries in Africa and Asia.

The iDE Nepal project helps subsistence farmers – most of whom have less than one hectare and little surplus to sell – to organize collection centers where their spare produce is brought together. Collected vegetables or other crops are then transported to large markets or purchased by regular visiting buyers.

The system allows farmers – and also the traders involved - to make more sales and profit, Pariyar said.

Resistance to partnerships with the private sector often hinges on a belief that focusing on the business bottom line will compromise people’s rights. Changing that, Pariyar said, “is only an issue of trust-building.”"



'via Blog this'

Want a Steady Income? There’s an App for That - NYTimes.com

Want a Steady Income? There’s an App for That - NYTimes.com: "Income volatility has been called America’s “hidden inequality.” The economists Karen Dynan, Douglas Elmendorf and Daniel Sichel estimated in a Brookings Institution paper that American household incomes became 30 percent more volatile between the early 1970s and the late 2000s, and that in recent years, more than one in 10 American households took in half the annual income that they did the previous year. The Federal Reserve found in 2014 that nearly a third of American households experienced significant income swings. The volatility is hardest, of course, on the poor, who don’t just earn less than the better-­off but also earn their lower incomes more choppily, the money coming in irregular bursts, surging in some weeks, vanishing in others, always making a mockery of plans. Many poor people earn more each year than they spend, but on a given day, they don’t have the cash to handle the expenses due. Payday loans, pawn shops, credit cards, overdraft fees and such fill the vacuum and make things worse, levying a vast toll in interest, fees and stress."



'via Blog this'
 
Think local. Act global. Learn more about the Peace Corps