Languages
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Journalism and Communication for Global Change
Population
In Turbulent Iraq, Children Bear the Brunt of War
As the ambulance stopped in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk, people rushed in to help. They unloaded six children, from several months to 11 years old, all injured allegedly by an air attack in the neighbouring town of Tuz Khurmatu.
Human Development – Latin America Less Than Halfway There
Construction worker Leobardo Gómez has been out of work for nine months since he slipped and fell to the street on a construction site in the Mexican capital in October.
Outlawing Polygamy to Combat Gender Inequalities, Domestic Violence in Papua New Guinea
New legislation recently passed in the southwest Pacific Island state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) outlawing polygamy has been welcomed by experts in the country as an initial step forward in the battle against high rates of domestic violence, gender inequality and the spread of AIDS.
Drought and Misuse Behind Lebanon’s Water Scarcity
In front of Osman Bin Affan Mosque, in a central but narrow street of Beirut, several tank trucks are being filled with large amounts of water. The mosque has its own well, which allows it to pump water directly from the aquifers that cross the Lebanese underground. Once filled, the trucks will start going through the city to supply hundreds of homes and shops.
For Many Asian LGBT Youth, Homophobia Starts at Home
To teenagers, running away can seem like the easiest answer to problems at home, but for Alex* it was his only option when his family refused to accept that he identified as a transgender male.
Fish Before Fields to Improve Egypt’s Food Production
Less than four percent of Egypt’s land mass is suitable for agriculture, and most of it confined to the densely populated Nile River Valley and Delta. With the nation’s population of 85 million expected to double by 2050, government officials are grappling with ways of ensuring food security and raising nutritional standards.
Oil Lubricates Equatorial Guinea’s Entry into Portuguese Language Community
Evidently, oil talked louder. By unanimous resolution, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) admitted Equatorial Guinea as a full member, in spite of the CPLP’s ban on dictatorial regimes and the death penalty.
AIDS Conference Mourns the Dead, Debates Setbacks
The 20th International AIDS Conference concluded today as the first in its history that remembered not just the 39 million people worldwide who have died of AIDS but also those who lost their lives in the crashed MH17 flight carrying six of its delegates, one of whom was the past president of the International AIDS Society (IAS).
U.S., Regional Leaders Convene over Migration Crisis
As the presidents of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala prepare to meet with President Barack Obama Friday, more than 40 organisations issued a petition urging U.S. lawmakers to meet their “moral and legal obligations” by providing emergency aid to Central American children and families.
Social Protection Needed to Reduce Africa’s Inequalities
For the last 13 years, Michael Ndah, 37, has worked for three road construction companies in Cameroon, but it is only in the last two years that his current employer has managed to register him with the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS).
Human Development Report Finds South Asia’s Poor on a Knife’s Edge
Millions still live in poverty and even those who have gained the security of the middle-income bracket could relapse into poverty due to sudden changes to their economic fortunes in South Asia, the latest annual Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) revealed.
OPINION: Tackling Human Vulnerabilities, Changing Investment, Policies and Social Norms
As successive Human Development Reports have shown, most people in most countries are doing better in human development. Globalisation, advances in technology and higher incomes all hold promise for longer, healthier, more secure lives.
OPINION: Empowering DR Congo’s Sexual Violence Survivors by Enforcing Reparations
Before a sexual violence survivor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has her day in court, she must surmount many obstacles. Poor or nonexistent roads and costly transportation may prevent her from going to a police station to report the crime, or to a hospital to receive treatment for the injuries sustained during the violence.
Focus on Child Marriage, Genital Mutilation at All-Time High
As Tuesday’s major summits here and in London focused global attention on adolescent girls, the United Nations offered new data warning that more than 130 million girls and women have experienced some form of female genital mutilation, while more than 700 million women alive today were forced into marriage as children.
For Nepal’s Dalits, Struggle Continues Amidst Slow Progress
With over 41 percent of Nepal's three million Dalits living below the poverty line, and over 90 percent classified as 'landless', the country must reassess its progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) vis-a-vis its most vulnerable populations.
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As the world's population grows at a pace of some 76 million people per year, so do the challenges associated with it. Increased longevity in some regions, juxtaposed with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in others, refugee movements and economic migration all contribute to a changing world demographic in ways that require unique social and policy responses. In the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the population is expected to triple by 2050, while the ever-increasing demand on the earth's finite natural resources makes it difficult for many to live even at subsistence levels. In this context, family planning and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health have never been more important to empowering women to lead the healthy and productive lives they desire and rendering local and regional population strategies effective.
