Presidential polls open in Rwanda

Rwanda: Silencing Dissent Ahead of Elections

Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage, overturned by judge

Modern Day Slavery - Dignity Overdue

WATCH

Millions of women and girls around the world turn to domestic work in order to provide for themselves and their families. Instead of guaranteeing their ability to work with dignity and free of violence, governments have systematically denied them key labor protections extended to other workers. Domestic workers, often making extraordinary sacrifices to support their families, are among the most exploited and abused workers in the world.

Loretta and Bobbie

Loretta Lynn - First City

Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe

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Female Genital Mutilation in the UK

Female circumcision will be inflicted on up to 2,000 British schoolgirls during the summer holidays – leaving brutal physical and emotional scars. Yet there have been no prosecutions against the practice.

Princess Chelsea - And I love Her

Financial Reform Bill Including Conflict Minerals Passed in USA

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On July 15 USA Congress passed the financial reform bill with the inclusion of a key provision on conflict minerals, an incredible victory for the thousands of activists who for months have been calling on their members of Congress to take decisive action to end the trade in Congo's conflict minerals.

The amendment will require companies to disclose whether they source conflict minerals from Congo or neighboring countries, and require companies to report on steps taken to exclude conflict sources from their supply chains, backed by independent audits. From the day President Obama signs the bill, the Securities and Exchange Commission will have nine months to develop regulations implementing the new law.

Global Military Expenditure

source: Global Issues

Global military expenditure stands at over $1.5 trillion in annual expenditure at current prices for 2009, and has been rising in recent years.

(1991 figures are unavailable.)

Summarizing some key details from chapter 5 of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s 2010 Year Book on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security for 2008:

*World military expenditure in 2009 is estimated to have reached $1.531 trillion in current dollars;

*This represents a 6 per cent increase in real terms since 2008 and a 49 per cent increase since 2000;

*This corresponds to 2.7 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), or approximately $225 for each person in the world.

*The USA with its massive spending budget, is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 46.5% of the world total;

SIPRI has commented in the past on the increasing concentration of military expenditure, i.e. that a small number of countries spend the largest sums. This trend carries on into 2009 spending. For example,

*The 15 countries with the highest spending account for over 82% of the total;

*The USA is responsible for 46.5 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the China (6.6% of world share), France (4.2%), UK (3.8%), and Russia (3.5%):

The Cutest

Tom/Fri night please come.

Tom/Fri night please come.

TOMORROW:

Congo – Stronger Women, Stronger Nations

Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A, £3 unwaged, £5 waged

Hear from Women for Women International’s DRC Country Director Christine Karumba, human rights activist Sam Roddick, Judith Wanga from BBC documentary The Worlds Most Dangerous Place For Women and Susan Schulman photo journalist and Amnesty Media Award winner as a part of an expert panel discussing the impact of the current conflict in DRC on women and the vital role that they are playing in building a stable Congo. For further information email Kate Hughes on KHughes@womenforwomen.org

FRIDAY:

Congo Now! - London Literature Festival, Southbank Centre, £9

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/literature-spoken-word/tickets/congo-now-53462

Congo Now! is an evening to celebrate the extraordinary vitality and resilient creativity that is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congolese poets, writers, performers and musicians are joined by international artists in solidarity to mark the 50th anniversary of Congolese independence. Contributions from renowned writers and performers including Eddie Kadi, Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie, Sandi Toksvig, Norbert Mpu-Mbutu, Lynn Nottage, Adam Hochschild and Eve Ensler feature alongside a moving photo exhibit by the acclaimed photojournalist Susan Schulman. Music from the Congo features the celebrated Kasai Masai and singer-songwriter Safroman.

Congo Now! got in the press!!!!!!

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Parts of Seville

A Documentary to Watch

Examined Life, by Astra Taylor
watch

State of the World Population 2009

FULL REPORT

v i d e o

UNFPA Climate Change in Bolivia

50 years, 50 faces

My cancer is arbitrary. Congo's atrocities are very deliberate

Bluefin Tuna extinct by 2012? - Thanks humans!




link!
link!

Congo Now!

Don't forget about sharks because they are really beautiful and absolutely necessary to planet earth.

I went to listen to the speakers outside the Israeli Embassy, London at the end of the protest march yesterday. 25,000 people marched due to the sorrow and outrage felt after the murder of nine innocent people abroad the Flotilla in International waters (who were bringing aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip) by Israeli officers. Activists want the UK government to cull all trade agreements with Israel to show the distain felt by the international community and the severity of what they have done; a total breach of human rights laws: completely unnecessary killings.

The issues between the Israeli and Palestinian people are terribly old and clotted, but what's going on for civilians in the Gaza Strip (abject poverty) is sickening and needs to be stopped, and the murder of nine people who were trying to bring them necessities is miserable and just shows how desperate this situation is. Let us hope that the Martyr’s abroad the Flotilla did not die in vain.

MAP OF THE GAZA STRIP, 1991

Today more than 1.4 million Palestinian men, women, and children are trapped in the Gaza Strip. Their daily lives - in an area of land just 40 km long and 9.5 km wide - are marked by power shortages, little or no running water of poor quality and deteriorating health care. Mass unemployment, extreme poverty, and food insecurity both exacerbate and are deepened by the impact of the Israeli blockage, which was brought into force in 2007.

The six controlled crossings, five controlled by Israeli authorities and one by the Egyption authorities are kept closed and prevent the movement of Palestinians into and out of Gaza in all but a handful of exceptional humanitarian cases.

Kids in Detention

Vagina Monologues in the DRC

Nancy Sinatra Bang Bang

Dear Diary

Today my boyfriend told me he loved me. I didn't know what to say, so as I was cutting a slice I said, "Have another piece of cake!" He was rather embarrassed and didn't know what to say back. We ignored the whole thing, and when I dropped him home later we had an awkward kiss goodbye.

FROM TODAY'S WALK

trees grow in uncomfortable places