This Saturday, June 6, will be the 42nd anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Gaza. People all over the world will be holding vigils, peace rallies and protests willing Israel to leave the area.
During this past winter, over 1,200 Palestinians were killed during what is now known as “The Gaza Massacre.” And while the city was completely demolished, Israel will not allow any building materials to be sent in to rebuild. (more…)
After being barraged with so many horrifying stories of what both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians go through on a daily basis, it’s news like that that makes us continue to have faith in humanity.
A massive blanket drive for people living in Northern Iraq has been created by combat medic Spc. Steve Stephens of Portland, Oregon. He and his fellow soldiers have decided to help people who have been displaced by the fighting and have no electricity or heat. (more…)
Sri Lanka has been at war for nearly thirty years, a conflict that arose between the country’s government and the country’s Tamil minority. This month marks a likely end to the conflict, following what Sri Lanka’s government is calling a victory–the death of the Tamil Tigers leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran, and his senior officers. However, the issues of the Tamil people will still need to be addressed–especially the masses of Tamil people who have been displaced from the conflict. (more…)
With close to 10,000 confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 virus in at least 40 countries, we have an epidemic on our hands. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for global solidarity in combating this disease, which has its highest numbers in the United States–and highest death counts in Mexico–so far.
“Solidarity in the face of this particular outbreak must mean that all have access to drugs and vaccines. It means that virus samples and data are shared,” he said to the 62nd World Health Assembly on Tuesday. (more…)
Last year on May 20, people around the world celebrated the first annual Solidarity with Cuba Day. The day was already significant; it is the same day that Cuba won its independence from Spain. Today, Cubans seek an independence from the brutal human rights conditions of the Castro regime.
While the original Solidarity with Cuba Day had a purpose in calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience–of which there are at least 200 today, and likely more–today the day marks a day of hope. (more…)
During the continual onslaught against the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis have suffered through displacement and hardship. Since the army commenced the attacks in August 2008, over a million people have been reported homeless.
The country has called out for international aid, and it has not been met with deaf ears. The United Nations sent in 120 tons of supplies on Wednesday, including emergency shelters, portable warehouses and much-needed mosquito nets. (more…)
Pope Benedict XVI visited both Bethlehem and a Palestinian refugee camp outside the city on May 13, offering support and solidarity for victims of the 61-year violence. After presiding over an open-air mass in Bethlehem, a city symbolic of Christianity for being the birthplace of Jesus Christ, he continued his day of promoting peace by traveling to the ‘Aida refugee camp outside the city. Given that the United Nations has called for stronger efforts in resolving the violence, his visit was a timely one.