Poverty: 10 videos, a quotation and a short story Mon 13-Oct-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Aid, ReliefWeb.Tags: blogactionday, poverty
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Poverty is something we usually don’t want to think or talk about. It is too sad and too uncomfortable for people who have the luxury of reading these lines and not care about if they will eat tonight, where will they sleep or if they will wake up in the morning.
This post is for all the lost and forgotten souls that die every single day, for no reason, and we never know about it. And for all the dedicated people who risk their lives to be there and give one more day to them.
For this year’s Blog Action Day, here is Poverty – in 10 video clips, a quotation and short story.
World Environment Day 2008 Thu 5-Jun-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Environment, ReliefWeb.Tags: algae, APS, bioreactor, Environment, Greenfuel, WED
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A lot have happened since the previous post. The earthquake in China was undoubtedly a major disaster for the country and a test for the aid and relief organizations, just like in Myanmar. But today it is the day we all need to be optimistic and hopeful for the future of our planet. We are the only habitants responsible for the current environmental situation and the only ones capable of doing something about it, starting today.
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Myanmar: a desolate land Fri 9-May-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Aid, ReliefWeb.Tags: Aid, Burma, Darfur, Maynmar, Nargis, UNHCR
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It seems that every single month of 2008 up to now is marked by a major disaster of global scale. Myanmar is just this month’s feature that will probably be forgotten a month from now (maybe even sooner). On May 3rd, cyclone Nargis hit the country and swept away
Earth Day 2008 Tue 22-Apr-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Environment, ReliefWeb.add a comment
Probably a sad day for those who know what is all about. The Earth Day Network has a list of events and petitions, everybody is talking about “green” ways to live, but the truth is nothing has really changed since last year.
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The whaling continues Sat 12-Apr-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Environment, ReliefWeb.Tags: Esperanza, greenpeace, Nisshin Maru, whaling
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For those who are very aware of the things and crimes that happen in the oceans of this beautiful planet, the early days of 2008 were marked by the relentless chase that went on in the Southern Pacific. Greenpeace’s ship Esperanza confronted Japan’s flagship Nisshin Maru, the head of a large whaling fleet that was heading towards the southern migration paths of whales at this time of year.
A reason for War Sat 19-Jan-2008
Posted by xgeorgio in Anti-war, ReliefWeb.Tags: Benazir Bhutto, conflict, Fredric Brown, Kenya, sci-fi, war
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It seems that the new year is not as promising as we all hoped for. The killing of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan late December, the civil war that is emerging in Kenya and the countless war victims around the world are not the best start.
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Christmas for all? Fri 28-Dec-2007
Posted by xgeorgio in Aid, ReliefWeb.Tags: children, Christmas, donate
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I’m not sure when or where I first heard this story, I believe it was in one of Paulo Coelhio’s books:
Tar sands and feathers for BP’s Alberta project Wed 19-Dec-2007
Posted by xgeorgio in Environment, ReliefWeb.Tags: Alberta, BP, Canada, Exxon-Mobil, oil, oil spill, Shell, tar sands
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In BP’s website, there is a special section for Environment and Society. It is part of the company’s recent efforts to re-shape its market view towards the consumers, after a few blows on its image. Who can forget the 270,000 gallons oil spill in the wild tundra of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last March. But it seems that it’s just that: a marketing scheme.
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December 5th, World Volunteer Day Fri 7-Dec-2007
Posted by xgeorgio in Aid, ReliefWeb, Volunteers.Tags: Africa, famine, hunger, Kevin Carter, pulitzer, volunteer
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A few days ago, a friend sent me this image by email, along with many others. I was immediately struck by the sight, but then I remembered a few things I’ve heard from CNN’s Anderson Cooper, after his visit in Africa:
“…These things happen in the world, whether we’re aware of them or not, it’s always there even when we’re not there to see it. We have an obligation to tell their story, tell the world that they exist…“
This is a small token for the World Volunteer Day that went unnoticed on December 5th.
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A day full of red ribbons Thu 29-Nov-2007
Posted by xgeorgio in Aid, ReliefWeb, Volunteers.Tags: AIDS, HIV, origin, outbreak, prevention, red ribbon
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In two days, December 1st, the media all over the world will be filled again with those pretty red ribbons, at the edge of a newspaper, on the corner of the TV screen, beside the logo of major websites. It is that special day of every year that many people see it, but don’t realize exactly what it means. Young children may even think that this means Christmas is near!
Unfortunately, it is not so. I mean, yes, the Christmas is near, but not for the whole world. The “Red Ribbon” campaign was inspired some years ago as a motto for global awareness against HIV, a very special and very resilient virus that is haunting the medical community since the early ’80s. Although the first incident of death from AIDS was recorded as the “the Congolese man” in 1959, the AIDS epidemic officially begun on the 5th of June 1981.
