just one humble truth seeker

more games for charity!

2008-05-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Want to play more games to earn money for charity?

Answer4Earth.com is a general knowledge quiz game. The money generated by ads goes towards planting trees, thus helping save the environment.

AidtoChildren.com is a word definition game. For each correct answer, AidtoChildren will donate twenty-five cents to children in need through World Vision.

Thanks to tom and bluesky for alerting me to these great games!

FreeRice.com

2008-03-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

this awesome website helps you learn new vocab words. for every word you correctly guess the meaning of, it will donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. try it, it's fun!

silence

2008-01-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

i know that i have been largely silent over the past few months. i haven't been ignoring you -- i really haven't. i've just taken a break.

i'm not sure why i felt the need. i was super busy, had a lot of reading, and a lot of thinking. i took a philosophy class that made me think A LOT, and it made me realize how much more i have to learn.

so i've taken a break. and i felt for a time that what i have worked so hard to establish here was just a big waste of time, like i hadn't really done anything. but i feel energized again. maybe i'm not doing a lot. but i'm doing what i do best right now -- i'm publicizing other people's efforts at making the world a better place. i'm forming networks and spreading the word about things i care about. one day, i hope that passion will translate a little more concretely; i'll be able to solve problems and help people in a more tangible way.

so i am back.

i will do my best to update this blog more often, to comment on yours, and together -- i firmly believe -- we can make this world a better place.

fair trade coffee reviews

2007-09-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

Looking to get the scoop on the best brand fair trade coffee has to offer? Maybe you have heard fair trade coffee isn't as good as its non-fair-trade counterparts. Coffee Review conducts blind, expert taste tests and rates coffee brands by a 100-point system. Kenneth Davids, editor and writer for CoffeeReview.com, wrote a September article specifically arguing the case for fair trade coffee: Fair-Trade Coffees: The Controversy and the Cup.

If you're looking for the scoop on fair trade coffee, check out these coffee reviews from CoffeeReview.com

Big thanks to Fair Trade Certified's myspace for alerting me to this website!

GoodShop

2007-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

"What if every time you shopped online a percentage of the sale went to your favorite nonprofit or school?"

Enter GoodShop. More than 100 stores (including Target, Macy's, The Gap, Best Buy, Nordstrom, PetSmart, Staples and Wal*Mart) have teamed up with GoodSearch to benefit nonprofit organizations that YOU choose.

The next time you're looking for a new book, computer, DVD, pair of shoes or clothing, go to GoodShop first.

"No username or password is required. Just designate your favorite charity or school, click on the store's logo from the GoodShop site, and then shop as you normally would.

You'll get the same great prices, but every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause with donations that average around 3% of the sale but can exceed 20%!"

If you already do a lot of online shopping, here's a great way to get involved. Happy shopping!

who am i?

2007-05-22T19:06:00.001-07:00

Who am I? I am just one humble truth seeker, trying to change the world. My famous tagline; does it really say anything about me? I like to think so. I seek the truth in everything, and I hope I always will. I try to remain humble in my pursuit of the truth, especially so that my perceptions and assumptions do not keep me from the truth. I am just one -- I believe there must be others in the world who desire truth as well. And while I realize I cannot change the whole world, I still believe I can make a difference.

I'm a college student, studying journalism. I hope to use journalism to impact the world positively. I'm 20 years old and wrapping up my second year of college (eek! time flies :)

The thing I want most in this world is to get published. I love writing. Fiction, nonfiction -- whatever I can get. I am never happier than when I have a pen and paper in hand, researching and writing something I am hopelessly passionate about.

I am a lifelong learner. Or at least I am learning to be a lifelong learner. I strive to have a teachable heart.

I love people, even when I don't like them. I even love people when I don't really know them. How can I say that? I strongly believe in the worth of every human being on this planet, even when others have given up hope in them. I am getting better at this every day.

I love Jesus. That truth impacts everything I do.

I feel very strongly that I am blessed to be a blessing.

Well, there's a few below-the-surface basics.

Little known fact (yeah right): I'm a confirmed chocoholic.

Now, a random list of things I like: ice cream, the color blue, smoothies, thunderstorms, comfy pj pants, a nice afghan and a good book (fireplace optional), iced tea, having a clock in every room, autumn, walks through the woods, pen and paper, playing guitar, crocheting, and singing my heart out. Just to name a few.

I hope this has given you a little picture of me :)

Now, for my unfortunate news:

I hate to drop the bomb like this, but I am almost done with school. This means I must go home, which means I will not have daily access to the Internet. Unfortunately, Wednesday, May 23, will be my last day online until autumn *sob*. I'll try to stay connected throughout the summer and check in on everyone, but I can't make any promises. I am not abandoning you! You all have created such a wonderful community here and it has meant the world to me. Believe me, I will miss you all dearly. Please don't forget me as I tarry into the world of the unplugged for a few months. I promise to return.

In the mean time, I'm working on some great stuff for the fall. I'm going to cover some topics that I am really passionate about. Hopefully, those blogs will help you get to know my heart a little better.

I will check back in tomorrow if you'd like to say goodbye. I hope you all have a wonderful, restful, fulfilling summer. Keep seeking the truth!

recycled plastic crafts and the dangers of plastic

2007-05-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Got plastic bags? Make a cute kite! Also check out these cute little guys made from trash. More sea creatures, and these are crocheted!

Or if you're REALLY adventurous, make a plastic bag bra??? Yeah, I think I just said that...

Okay, realistically... how about knitting your own bag?

Big thanks to NoPlasticBags for these links!

Now, for something a little more serious...

http://www.newscloud.com/read/Best_Life_Magazine_Health_amp_Fitness_Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plasticare_we

Read it and let me know what you think.

Also, check out EnviroWoman's post on soda cans. Ick!

I've got to admit, the more I read about this, the more green I want to get!

plastic bags

2007-05-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Plastic bags consumed this year:

Check out some facts and tips on ReusableBags.com.

Other great sites to browse:

PlasticFree.blogspot.com

www.ChangeEverything.ca

junk mail

2007-05-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

“320 million of your tax dollars goes toward the disposal of unwanted junk mail. Junk mail destroys 62 million trees per year, & fills 3% of America's landfills.” (Source: www.junkmailgems.com)
Art from Junk Mail

Fact Sheet on Junk Mail

More Tips, Stats, and Ideas!

going green

2007-05-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Thinking of going green? Three separate times today, I have seen these random things on the internet, so I thought I’d share them.

Care2’s Green Living Channel

The Big Green Purse – 12 ideas to go green just by replacing some everyday items with different brands

Green is Sexy – New tips every day for going green

Are you thinking of going green? Why or why not?

just one humble truth seeker...

2007-04-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am going to be very honest and very vulnerable with you here. I consider you all very valuable friends with valuable opinions. For that, I wish to share what is on my heart. Please do not think this is some preachy guilt-trip; I do not think everyone thinks the same way I do and I do not think my way is right alone. I make no pretense and simply speak from my heart.

I care about the world. Perhaps more specifically, I care about people of the world. Every person on this earth is valuable and has a purpose. I have to believe that -- I cling to the hope in that. It is an intricate part of my Christian faith. I say that not as an evangelizing statement, but a solid part of me and who I am as a person.

I care also about justice. I can't bear to see injustice triumph in this world, yet I see it almost daily. Through my limited periscope of current affairs, my heart breaks for those who are being oppressed and yet no one will help them. I know there are still others out there, silently toiling away with no one to speak for them.

That is why I want to dedicate my life to helping others, specifically through journalism. Though I probably sound like an idealistic, naive college student with no concept of the real world (which I don't deny that I am), I have to cling to the hope that these stories will someday be told. By believing that every single human being is valuable, I believe that no one should suffer alone.

I realize I am only one person, probably not very skilled or special, but I cannot deny that this is my calling.

I have but one major adversary at this point in my journey: apathy. This past week, I have felt its crushing weight all around me. Its magnitude and reality have cast me into a sort of depression. I have questioned my future career, my motives, and especially myself -- not only my abilities, but who I am as a person. Do I really have what it takes? And if I did, would anyone really care?

What do you, my friends, make of this? Is it a foolish calling? Is there a chance in this world for hope to triumph? Do you believe that goodness really can overcome evil?

I am struggling. I nearly signed my life over to apathy this week. I know you may not believe me, but I really have struggled with this. But I know that world justice is my passion. It is in my blood. I really can't deny that.

So what do you think? A silly dream, or something the world desperately needs to hear? Can we really make a difference in a world of apathy, or have we already resigned ourselves to a fatalistic outlook that nothing will ever change?

Be honest with me. Be honest with yourself. Delete me from your friends if you want. Say whatever you must say. But above all else, be honest and ask the hard questions.

I guess this blog is not complete unless I offer a rebuttal to your post, Fire-breathing Butterfly. I say this in honesty and love. I do care about America, and its problem, and most of all its people. It also breaks my heart to see hard-working Americans struggling day-to-day, fighting bills and trying to make ends meet. Yes, there are a lot of demands on our money. Yes, it is hypocritical of celebrities to admonish us to give all of our money away for charity (as if they themselves were living modestly and doing the same). But just because we have problems does not necessarily mean we should ignore the rest of the world. I don't think we should funnel money into corrupt governments, but what about programs to change those corrupt governments so that the people there *can* help themselves? Why is it wrong for us to help children who are dying of preventable diseases, or enslaved to pay off family debt, or serving in corrupt armies of ruthless dictators? Is it wrong of me to want to help these children who have nowhere else to turn? America has many problems, that is true. We will always have problems, big or small; we will always have them. It is my strong conviction, however, that we are blessed. Though it is hard to see sometimes, we are still very blessed. I can't expect that this one blog will change your mind on this point. Even if I wrote a million blogs on this topic, I couldn't expect that to change your mind. But I still pray daily that we will open our eyes to see the blessings instead of the curses.

Does that make me a saint? Not likely. I'm just one humble truth seeker, trying to change the world. Will you join me?

charity gets even easier...

2007-04-21T15:42:00.001-07:00

EasyDonations attempts to find ways to give to charity without costing you any effort. (they even have a page about search engines for charity!) the site tries to go beyond the click-to-donate trend and find other ways that are even easier. check it out!

charity ideas you can do in just 15 minutes

2007-04-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

i just found this site committed to bringing charitable opportunities to a manageable level. it gives suggestions for how to make a difference in 15 minutes, a few hours, or on vacation. these inspiring, flexible ideas might just change the world, even in a very small way. check it out!

the perfect gift

2007-04-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

ever been stumped for a gift? maybe you're shopping for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, wedding, or other holiday. or maybe you are trying to make your own list and you're thinking you have too much stuff already -- like you need more gift cards for places you never shop, things you never use, or knick-knacks... what do they do, anyway? i mean, those things all have their place... but what if you want something... more?

if you find yourself in such a predicament, fear not! Oxfam has the solution with Oxfam Unwrapped. you or your loved ones can choose from a wide selection of gifts to fight poverty and suffering worldwide. sounds "funusual", right? (FAQ)

these gifts support various strategies to fight poverty and suffering: economics, clean water and sanitation, education, health treatment and prevention, humanitarian and emergency work, and other such campaigning work. check out the interactive map to see specific areas of improvement.

you can sort by price or subject, or just browse around for whatever looks interesting. whatever you choose, you'll have the peace of mind that you are making the world a better place.

GoodSearch.com

2007-03-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

a search engine... and a charity... at the same time? could it be possible? GoodSearch.com proposes to do just that. just pick a charity that's been registered with the site, conduct your web searches as you normally do (it's powered by yahoo!), and you can earn money for charities and schools! each click approximates to $0.01 for your charity (as long as you're not cheating!!). the money is generated the same way as the hunger site -- advertisers! half of the revenue generated goes to charities. read more at the faq.

google is my homepage and my favorite search engine. according to my search history, i've made 472 searches in the past month. wow! i'm going to commit to changing my homepage to GoodSearch.com for at least one month. if i like it, i'll stick to it. i propose the same challenge to you. just try it out for one month -- that's all!

so here's my april challenge for you: change your homepage to GoodSearch.com. recommend it to your friends. use those pennies to make a difference.

petition

2007-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

remember the bulgarian nurses who were sentenced to death in libya?
sign the petition to help make a difference!

the best valentines day idea i've ever heard

2007-02-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

i stole this idea from my vox friend electric firefly's blog. i think it's an amazing idea, so i'm spreading the word to you!

according to legend, St. Valentine is not only the patron saint of lovers, but of prisoners. this valentine's day, why not write a letter of encouragement to a prisoner? just drop a note to a prisoner -- one you know personally, one whose story touched your heart, or one who is injustly incarcerated because of a cause you support -- to let them know you are thinking of them this valentine's day.

for a great list of links to find a prisoner w/mailing address, check out electric firefly's blog post.

Six Resentenced to Death in Libyan AIDS Case

2007-02-03T11:15:00.001-08:00

Five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor have been charged with the death sentence on claims of infecting 426 Libyan children with the AIDS virus, though independent researchers have stated the infection probably occured before their arrival due to poor hygiene in the hospitals.

check out this washington post article. for more details on this case, visit
www.nestesami.bg

NEPAL: Child soldiers 'still recruited by Maoists'

2007-01-12T17:52:00.001-08:00

A 16-year-old youth, who was too afraid to reveal his real name, explained how he managed to escape the Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) in December 2006.

"The soldiers came to our village and recruited many boys and girls," he said, speaking from the remote Kunathari village of Surkhet district, nearly 700 km northwest of the capital, Kathmandu. The boy said he managed to run away from the training area in the village and is now in hiding with relatives. read more...

children with guns

2007-01-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

check out children with guns, a blog about news regarding child soldiers.

toybox charity

2007-01-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

just stumbled on this site: toyboxcharity.org. it has some pretty cool stuff about street children in latin america. check it out and let me know what you think!

take a second to help fight AIDS

2006-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1st, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith (that charges nearly $1000 for a 30 day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications), is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply visits their website and "virtually lights a candle."

Please, please take a minute to "light a candle":
The campaign actually lasts until December 31st.

lighttounite.org

There's no signing up or anything.
Just click the candle.

copy and repost this bulletin!
spread the word!!!!!

world AIDS day

2006-12-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

it is World AIDS Day -- a day to promote education and fight prejudice against AIDS. learn more at www.worldaidsday.org.

put a world AIDS day banner on your website or email sig:

AIDS victims petition

2006-11-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

AIDS has robbed more than 34 million children of their parents. We must work together to give these innocent victims an opportunity for a decent life.

Ask your Representative to give the innocent victims of the AIDS epidemic a second chance>> http://go.care2.com/e/R17T/A_Uf/vEmf

At the last G8 conference, the United States made a promise to lead the fight to end the AIDS epidemic. Since then, the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund which provides basic education in developing countries, has been cut by $136 million. Congress is withholding $100 million in funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. And more than $100 million dedicated to to alleviating poverty has been slashed.

This funding must be restored if we want these children to have any chance to live a decent life. Help ensure the United States keeps its promise to the victims of this disease.

Tell your Representative to restore life-saving funding for the victims of the AIDS epidemic>> http://go.care2.com/e/R17T/A_Uf/vEmf

love, listen, lead...

2006-11-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

myspace

fridsro.org

2006-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.fridsro.org/

"Based in Kandy, Sri lanka, Fridsro is a registered non-profit organisation with about 300 employees. Since 1972 Fridsro has been investing in restoring the lives of children and adults affected by poverty and social disparities."

Kony denies use of child captives -- AGAIN

2006-11-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

SUDAN-UGANDA: 'No child captives here,' rebels tell UN

RI-KWANGBA, 13 November (IRIN) - Joseph Kony, the Ugandan rebel leader, told the top United Nations humanitarian official that his group did not hold any children captive, insisting instead that he only had 'combatants' in rebel ranks.

"We don't have any children in our movement, there is [sic] only combatants," Kony said after a short meeting on Sunday with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, near the border between Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), is notorious for kidnapping children to fight in his ranks or to serve as sex slaves to his commanders.

Egeland met the rebel leader under a tarpaulin at a muddy clearing in Ri-Kwangba, one of two assembly points in southern Sudan, where LRA fighters are expected to gather after a landmark cease-fire agreed with the Ugandan government in Juba, capital of southern Sudan.

Egeland said he had asked Kony: "What I should tell the mothers who have been crying and begging to see their abducted children?"

Egeland had hoped to secure the release of women, children and injured fighters but came away empty-handed after waiting more than two hours for the reclusive LRA leader.

"I think it was an important meeting because it was the first time we have been able to impress on the highest command of the LRA the whole range of humanitarian issues, such as the need for a genuine cessation of hostilities and [the] return [of] those they've abducted," Egeland said.

The rebel group signed a new truce this month with the Ugandan government, paving the way for further talks to end the war and allow the two million people who have been displaced by two decades of fighting in the region to return home.

Kony and his high command have, however, refused to attend the Juba talks, despite signing the agreement, fearing arrest on war crimes charges.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued warrants for the arrest of five commanders, including Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti, accusing them of crimes against humanity.

The ICC's move has been opposed by many people in northern Ugandan, who say the court's involvement will only prolong the conflict.

The Ugandan government has promised Kony an amnesty if the talks succeed, suggesting that traditional northern Ugandan forms of justice may be adopted to end the conflict.

Kony and Otti told Egeland the ICC arrest warrants were a major obstacle to the talks. "If the warrants are lifted, then we can go to the peace talks," Otti said.

Saying he could not comment on the ICC because of its independence, Egeland noted after the meeting that the issue of justice had to be addressed. "Peace and justice have to go hand in hand," he said. "There can be no lasting peace without justice."

Few, if any, LRA fighters have gathered at Ri-Kwangba, one of two assembly points set up by the cessation of hostilities agreement. The rebels are said to prefer their own well-equipped base to the muddy assembly point, replete with flies buzzing around bags of rotting sugar.

Egeland pledged to improve conditions in the camps, saying: "We have a major stake as the international community in this working and so hopefully we will see them assemble in the next few weeks."

He also said the rehabilitation of northern Uganda would be a priority. Funding, he added, had been secured to provide UN support to the peace talks and to assist those who would gather at the assembly points under the cessation of hostilities agreement.

Before flying out to meet Kony, Egeland had met parties in Juba involved in trying to end northern Uganda's brutal 20-year civil war.

"I think we can make progress. It took time before the international community saw the potential of the process. We now realise this and are there to help," Egeland said after meeting the chief mediator of the talks, Riek Machar, the south Sudanese Vice-President.

Also see:
[Related IRIN stories on Uganda]
[IRIN film 'The Shadows of Peace: Life after the LRA']

ed/eo/mw[ENDS]

SWAZILAND: Growing number of children working

2006-11-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

IRIN Report: SWAZILAND: Growing number of children working

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

MANZINI, 10 November (IRIN) - Rights activists have demanded laws to protect Swaziland's children, particularly its growing population of AIDS orphans, from being exploited as cheap labour.

With the current AIDS orphan population of 69,000 expected to rise to 120,000 or possibly even 150,000 by 2010, "these uneducated, unsupported children risk not only exploitation as labour use, but child labour of the worst kind. Today, 50 percent of children engaged in the sex trade are orphans," said Velephi Riba, consultant to the South African NGO, Reducing Exploitive Child Labour in Southern Africa (RECLISA), at their second national conference, held this week in the commercial city of Manzini, 35km southeast of the Swazi capital, Mbabane.

The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Swaziland is 34.2 percent and approximately 10 percent of households are now headed by children, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"The minimum age to work was set at 15 to 18 years - depending on the work - by the Employment Act of 1998," said Commissioner of Labour Jino Nkhambule. "This will be augmented by the new Child Welfare legislation when it is passed, and will allow for an expansion of my labour inspector team specific to child labour."

Nati Vilakazi, coordinator of the rights NGO, Save the Children-Swaziland, said the existing law provided limited legal and social protection for working children and exempted agriculture and domestic labour. "A child is defined as anyone aged below 16, against the internationally recognised age of 18."

UNICEF's Swaziland mission has found that orphans were twice as likely to engage in child labour, while a World Bank study pointed out that Swaziland has the highest number of school dropouts in Southern Africa. However, Riba cautioned that a ban on child labour had to be coupled with programmes that enabled a family to find other avenues of support.

"We don't want child labour - the effect on psychological and social development are detrimental - but in our intervention we don't wish to make the situation worse, which may only push children into the worst type of child labour," she told IRIN.

RECLISA has targeted 2,000 vulnerable children felt to be at risk of forced labour in the impoverished southern Shiselweni region, where agricultural production has been hard-hit by drought and AIDS. This week's conference was meant to jump-start child labour legislation that has been languishing with government since 2003, awaiting final drafting and presentation to parliament.

"Poverty is a major 'push' factor for child labour in Swaziland. It has become worse, with 69 percent of Swazis living in poverty today, 76 percent in rural areas," said Riba. According to the UN Development Programme, two-thirds of Swazis live in chronic poverty as peasant farmers under palace-appointed chiefs who administer communal Swazi Nation Land.

She commented that Swaziland's excessive rich-poor divide - the most affluent 20 percent of the population consumes 56 percent of the gross domestic product, while the poorest 20 percent consume only 4.3 percent - and the twin problems of high unemployment and low pay for those who do find work, create the economic necessity for child labour in some households.

The authorities lack the capacity to monitor workplaces: sixteen labour inspectors monitor 5,000 formal-sector workplaces, where slightly more than 100,000 people are employed. The informal sector has many more, and are usually not monitored.

"Children are the cheapest to hire, easiest to fire, and least likely to protest," said policy analyst Duncan Reed.

Conference participants reported an upswing in the number of children scavenging waste dumps in Manzini and the adjacent Matsapha Industrial Estate, and working in illegal bars, or as sellers of home-brewed beers in urban townships.

Swaziland's most famous exploited children remain where they have been for at least two years - dancing in makeshift costumes all day long for tourists along the highway in Pigg's Peak, capital of the northern province of Hhohho.

Mumcy Dlamini, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions and the first woman to hold the position, told the conference that the new child labour law stipulated penalties for violators.

"We have not seen a docket coming to our office on child labour violation - this has never been prosecuted in Swaziland. This could be due to a failure of reporting. The new law will contain a fine of not more than (US$435) for an employer violating child labour rules, or a custodial prison sentence of not less than one year," she said.

Rights activists have also called for a review of Swaziland's constitution, which allows underage girls to get married. Dlamini said traditional marriage was misused by elderly men to secure household labour.

"You ask yourself, why do these men marry a child? Mainly, they do this because they want to make the child work at their homes, with the ... [justification] that they are their wives. This is a vacuum that we need to address," she told conference delegates.

The new constitution, which is likely to be approved next year, defines a child as any person younger than 18 years, making a traditional marriage to a child a violation of the girl's constitutional rights. The constitution also forbids child labour, and calls for universal education for Swazi children.

Conference delegates cited studies showing that the need for child labour decreased as family income rose, and endorsed anti-poverty efforts by government and the NGO community. Compulsory education was mooted as another insurance against child labour abuses.

The recommendations will be presented to the Ministry of Enterprise and Employment, to ensure that the proposed child welfare legislation conforms to the International Labour Organisation's Convention 182 and other child labour accords to which Swaziland is a signatory.

jh/jk/he/oa

[ENDS]

mental illness in gulu, uganda

2006-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

THE number of metal illness cases at Gulu Referral Hospital is high.
A total of 30 cases were recorded in October.

“There is an increase in the number of mental illnesses because in the past months, the admissions were at an average of 20 cases,” said the principal psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Aluma.

“In July, we registered 15 cases and in August, we received 21 cases and the number is getting bigger.”

Aluma said the majority of the patients suffer from mental imbalances caused by the traumatic effects of the 20-year-old war between the Government and the LRA rebels.

“We are receiving many patients because of the heavy sensitisation that is done on radio that mental illnesses can be cured if treated early,” Aluma said.
Aluma decried understaffing, saying the unit has very few psychiatrists who can administer drugs and treatment to patients effectively.

“The unit has only one principle psychiatric clinical officer, two doctors of special training and four nurses. These are not enough to fully attend to each patient considering the alarming cases of re- admissions,” Aluma said.

He said over 500 patients are re-admitted each month due to their failure to take medication as directed by doctors.

***this is a repost from a myspace bulletin.

***just verified this article on allafrica.com.

do you like to write poetry?

2006-10-30T14:02:00.001-08:00

So all you creative people out there who want to help out, get writing.

I am looking for poems relating to the situation in Africa, poverty, Aids, Orphans situation,unfair trade or the national debt.

The best poems will be selected to appear in a book which will be published to raise funds for Rafikis Children.

There will be no no form of payment or royalties for the author however your name will be published with selected poems.

Please email your poems to:

rafikis.children@virgin.net
Thank you
Love&Hope
Sian.x.

HIV/AIDS in India

2006-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Did you know that families in India "often disown their HIV-positive family members"? Or that children with AIDS could be kicked out of schools and/or orphanages? Or that people may be denied housing by landlords if they have AIDS?

"India has the world's highest national HIV/AIDS caseload with 5.7 million infected people. Although the country reported its first case over 20 years ago, many sufferers still face acute stigma due to a lack of awareness and misconceptions about the disease."

Read more about this crisis here.

need a little perspective?

2006-10-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

WorldHelp

2006-10-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

just found another web source for information on the uganda crisis: WorldHelp. check out their page on ugandan children and maybe order a book or dvd. if you have any more sources regarding this situation, please leave a comment.

vote the issues

2006-10-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

if you are a Christian interested in voting the issues and not the candidates/political parties, check out sojourners.com where you can download an issues guide to help you vote God's politics.

fair trade coffee

2006-10-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

for more information, visit these links:

IRIN Report: School torched in Badakhshan, Afghanistan

2006-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

BADAKHSHAN, 16 October (IRIN) - Unidentified gunmen set fire to a large high school in the northeastern province of Badakhshan on Saturday night, local officials said on Sunday.

"Last night a number of gunmen entered Hazrat Khalid school in Zebak district, tied up two guards and then set fire to the school building," Abdul Mohammad Fateh, head of Badakhshan education department, said.

"Nearly 80 percent of the building has been torched. They also set fire to all equipment, including books and note books and even cans of dry milk," Fateh maintained.

According to Fateh, some 800 boys and girls used to study in Khalid school.

Local security officials said so far no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Mohmmad Sadiq Fatman, deputy education minister, blamed the attack on "the enemies of Afghanistan" - a reference to the hardline Taliban militants who were toppled by the US-led coalition in 2001. The militant group closed down all girls' schools and banned women from work in governmental institutions during their five years in power.

"They are the enemies of development of our country and are trying to keep our people in darkness and ignorance and then exploit them for their brutal aims," Fatman asserted.

A primary school building was also damaged on Saturday when it came under rocket attack in Sarkh district of the southeastern Logar province, local officials have said.

Schools and educational institutions are a common target for resurgent Taliban guerrillas who are fighting against the US-backed government of Hamid Karzai. They operate mainly in the south and east of Afghanistan.

Attacks like these are growing in frequency. Some 150 schools have been torched during 2006 alone, while more than 200,000 students are staying away from schools due to fear of more attacks, according to officials from the Ministry of Education in Kabul.

Earlier this month, local education ministry officials in southern Afghanistan told IRIN that some 330 mixed schools had been closed in the provinces of Kandahar, Zabul, and Helmand alone, due to fear of attacks and threats from Taliban militants.

In August, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that attacks on schools in the south and southeastern regions were spreading to other parts of Afghanistan and called for stricter measures to ensure the safety of teachers and students.

Six school children have died as a result of insurgency-related violence this year.

sm/sc/jl
[ENDS]


This report also available here.

homeless

2006-10-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

"If someone looks like he could use a meal, be warned: Giving him a sandwich in a Las Vegas park could land you in jail."

as the cold weather approaches (in this state, anyway), i would like to remind you to give freely to a nearby charity for the homeless. hats, scarves, gloves, coats, blankets, anything to help them keep warm.

for more perspective on this, visit The Homeless Guy's blog.

Anna Politkovskaya - truly dedicated to the truth

2006-10-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

living in america, it is easy to forget that some people actually don't want the truth to be told. check out the story of Anna Politkovskaya, a brave Russian journalist who never stopped seeking the truth. we may only pray there are more people out there like her.

save darfur

2006-10-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

As you read this, millions of families in Darfur, Sudan are dieing of disease, hunger, and dehydration inside concentration camps.

Sudan's dictator, Omar Al-Bashir, is continuing a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against blacks in Sudan.

Everyday, women and girls are raped by government troops.
Men are castrated and left to bleed to death on the ground.

Children, unworthy of even the price of a bullet, are bashed to death with the butt of a rifle.

Even if you only have 30 seconds, you can can help us reach more people by reposting.

www.myspace.com/savedarfurnow

After the Holocaust the world said it would "never again" allow the wholesale slaughter of ethnic groups by any government, even if it meant standing up to a major world power such as Nazi Germany.

Omar Al-Bashir is making a mockery of this pledge by committing genocide on a budget less than that of most U.S. states.

If the world is unwilling to intervene in a genocide committed by a relatively minor world player, how can we possibly hope to stand up to the next Nazi Germany?

"When we tried to escape they shot more children. They raped women; I saw many cases of Janjawid raping women and girls. They are happy when they rape. They sing when they rape and they tell that we are just slaves and that they can do with us how they wish."

-Man from Mukjar, as reported by Amnesty International.

"There was also another rape on a young single girl aged 17: M. was raped by six men in front of her house in front of her mother. Ms brother, S., was then tied up and thrown into fire."

-a 35-year-old Fur man from Mukjar, as quoted by Amnesty International

The most important thing you can do right now is repost this bulletin.

It only takes 30 seconds and it's extremely effective!

Don't let this message die out, repost and spread the word to thousands

When you repost a bulletin, some of your friends will see it and repost as well. Then their friends will repost. This creates a snow ball effect that allows us to reach HUGE amounts of people without using the mainstream media. This summer we were able to reach over half a million people and collect 60,000 petition signatures - and none of that would have happened if people like you saw this and didn't repost. President Bush responded to increased pressure from us and other Darfur organization by appointing a special envoy to Darfur, and Congress voted to provide food and medical care to help families in Darfur!

Please repost ASAP, the longer you wait the more momentum the snowball effect looses! Also, feel free to edit the bulletin and add your own message our subject title.
If you want to make an even bigger difference you can repost more than once - advertisers know many people need to see a message several times before they will act.

The mainstream media won't cover Darfur, help us reach millions without them.

The mainstream media is more concerned with celebrity gossip than the murder of hundreds of thousands of people. But the internet has democratized media access, so now it is possible to reach large numbers of people without having business connections or millions of dollars. We know. We've done it before, and with your help will do it again.

Where is Darfur?

Darfur is a region in western Sudan, an eastern African country half the size of the United States

Why are people being killed?

Sudan is an Islamist Dictatorship controlled by Omar Al-Bashir. Like most dictators, Bashir maintains control by ruthlessly crushing rebellion. When Ethnic African groups in Darfur started a war for independence, Bashir responded with a campaign of violence targeting civilians. He has used proxy militia groups to torch whole cities, rape and kill thousands of women and children.

Omar Al-Bashir has used the Janjaweed militia to murder thousands of men, women, and children while enjoying a luxurious lifestyle. Parade magazine's David Wallechinsky ranked al-Bashir at the very top of his list of the worlds ten worst dictators. Most recently refused to let UN peacekeepers enter the country.

When Omar Al-Bashir rose to power in 1989 he dissolved parliament and banned political parties. Ignoring countless U.N. resolutions to disarm the Janajaweed militia and end the violence in Darfur, Bashir has made a mockery of international law and the ideals on which the United Nations was founded. He seems to believe the international community will allow him to get a way with the wholesale murder of entire ethnic groups, and so far he has been right.

Click here to repost this petition and help us reach as many people as possible!

POLITICAL SOLUTIONS FOR DARFUR:

1- Humanitarian funding - The international community has fallen short of the donations they have promised to help provide basic necessities for men, women, and children in Darfur. The United States has been a leader in providing life saving assistance and should continue to lead our allies in providing basic necessities for children in Darfur.

2- The International Criminal Court - The United States should use every diplomatic means available, including the International Criminal Court. Full U.S. cooperation with the ICC in Darfur will send a strong message to Omar Al-Bashir and other war criminals.

3- Multi-national peacekeeping force - The African Union mission in Darfur has proved horribly inadequate at maintaining peace. Humanitarian operations have been curtailed due to the violence. The U.S. should play a logistical role in supporting a multi-national peacekeeping force in the region and work with our allies to fund an adequate multi-national force in Darfur.

"If every member of the House and Senate had received 100 letters from people back home saying we have to do something about Rwanda, when the crisis was first developing, then I think the response would have been different.''

-Senator Paul Simon

LifeNets.net - Who we are

How you can help families in Darfur (even if you're too young to vote.)

Repost this petition - I know, I know, this is like the 20th time we've said that but we wouldn't keep repeating ourselves if it wasn't really important. It is also extremely easy. You can do it several times if you want - advertisers know that every time we see a message we become more and more likely to act on it.

Email the President and other elected officials - a politician is a public servant. If the public doesn't make some noise, they won't act. If we stay silent we are telling our representatives that everything is ok and they can carry on business as usual. Emailing the Whitehouse is easy. It's a lot like voting - a Whitehouse staff member will add your message to the total count for the day on that issue. When they get a lot of emails on one topic they start to notice and give it priority.

Join our Action Network! - Every so often there is a time limited opportunity to help Darfur. When this comes up we'll send you an email and let you know how to help. When we organize together like this we magnify our political force by a factor of ten. Imagine you're a politician considering whether or not to sign a bill. Just before you leave your office your aide informs you that your email account is being flooded with letters from hundreds of your voters demanding results. That is the power of networking.

The Shadows of Peace" Review

2006-10-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received my very own copy of the IRIN film The Shadows of Peace: Life after the LRA. If you have not yet viewed this extraordinary short film on the IRIN website, please take fifteen minutes to do so. The most emotionally impacting story for me was the story of Ida. She had been forced into sex slavery, becoming the "wife" of an LRA commander and bearing a child by him. Yet when she returned to her village, her people abandoned her. She was alone. Even her parents had left. As I watched this young woman collapse in tears, my heart broke for her. She said that life in the bush had been better than returning. I could not fathom it. After all the horrors she had faced, life was no better after the LRA than it had been before. Then I wondered... what could we do? How could we improve life for this young woman halfway around the world? How can we make a difference?

I would encourage you to pray about this situation, about this region of the world that has been through so much turmoil lately. Prayer is the Christian's most powerful weapon against the evil of this world. If you have the money, donate to one of the many reputable charities that are working in Africa to bring peace and restore the lives of its citizens. But first and foremost, please just pray.

silent day

2006-10-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

From: Food & Health Missions 4 Uganda!

If you registered last
year, you DO need to register again this year.

It is extremely important register so we know how many schools participate.
Last year we had over 1,200 schools involved, I know we can beat that number
this year. Register -
Silent@standtrue.com
Include Your Name, School and State.

hunger and malnutrition

2006-10-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

Reuters AlertNet put out an article about the millions of African children facing hunger and malnutrition. Click here to check it out!

But this problem is not only affecting Africa -- it affects America, too. Here's a Myspace bulletin from Support a Crazy Idea:

20% of children living in rural areas in America live in poverty! 7.5 million people in rural areas live in poverty!

The numbers are staggering. Today 37 million Americans live in a state of poverty, hunger and hardship. That's more than last year, More than ever before. But one by one, working together, we can reverse the trend. For the fourth consecutive year, the poverty rate and the number of Americans living in poverty both rose from the prior years. Since 2000, the number of poor Americans has grown by more than 6 million. The official poverty rate in 2004 (the most current year for which figures are available) was 12.7 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2003.

Total Americans below the official poverty thresholds numbered 37 million, a figure 1.1 million higher than the 35.9 million in poverty in 2003. The U.S. Census Bureau defines poor families as those with cash incomes of less than $15,067 a year for a family of three – or $19,307 for a family of four. (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004)

On average, more than one out of every three Americans - 37 percent of all people in the United States - are officially classified as living in poverty at least 2 months out of the year. (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004) The number of Americans living in severe poverty - with incomes below half of the poverty line - remained the same at 15.6 million. (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004)

A single parent of two young children working full-time in a minimum wage job for a year would make $10,712 before taxes - a wage $4,355 below the poverty threshold set by the federal government. (U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Census Bureau.) About 40 percent of poor single-parent, working mothers who paid for child care paid at least half of their income for child care; an additional 25 percent of these families paid between 40 and 50 percent of their incomes for child care. (Child Trends, 2001.)

More than two-thirds of all poor families with children included one or more individuals who worked in 2003. What’s more, family members in working-poor families with children typically worked combined totals of 46 weeks per year.

A CRAZY IDEA, INC., STOP (students together opposing povert), YOUTH AGAINST POVERTY, and other local Agencies HAVE TEAMED UP TO FORM A COALITION TO END POVERTY IN AMERICA AND WE NEED YOUR HELP! We at a crazy idea have a dream that one day poverty will be ended in AMERICA We dream that No child will go hungry with in AMERICAN BOARDERS That parent should not have to choose whether to put food on the table or pay the rent We have A CRAZY IDEA fix this but we need your help!

We here at A CRAZY IDEA, Inc have started a campaign to end poverty in America

We are working on job training programs to help teens and college students get a head in the world. We are working with groups like Youth against poverty to come up with ways that young people can join in and help their fellow Americans! From small towns to big cities Americans all over are feeling the pain of being able to put food on the table and that should not be!!! We will be setting up food donations, suit and clothes donations. Along with people to teach job skills and life skills training. As a team we can tie the world together!

Learn more by reading about successful local efforts.

Follow local politics, and tell your local elected officials that you support policies aimed at permanent solutions to poverty in your community and your nation. Time and again, letter-writing campaigns have demonstrated that, when people combine their energies in a single purpose, the results are magnified.

Write or call your senators or representatives, asking what their stance is on pending legislation affecting low-income Americans. Join A CRAZY IDEA, INC AND OTHERS TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD!

WWW.SUPPORTACRAZYIDEA.COM

watch

2006-10-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

uganda rising -- watch this preview

2006-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

IRIN short film now online!

2006-09-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

"The Shadows of Peace: Life after the LRA" is now online! you can view it via windows media player or real player, but it is not downloadable. there are lots of other short films available on the IRIN Film Page, check them out! (they're are only about 15 minutes long...) enjoy!

the hunger site

2006-09-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

the hunger site is an amazing website where you can click on a button to help feed the hungry in the world -- all FOR FREE!! thanks to the corporate sponsors of the website, your click provides 1.1 cups of staple food for someone in need. the food is distributed by Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest. the hunger site also has an online store, which also helps benefit the hungry.

"There is enough food in the world for every man, woman and child. Yet an estimated one billion of the world's people live in poverty and face chronic hunger. 24,000 die daily. 75% of them are children under age five."

please click to help the hungry!!

east africa news

2006-09-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

here's a good website i stumbled on. check it out!

for more uganda news, clicky here.

hi

2006-09-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

let the search for truth begin.