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Indonesian Muslim women perform Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Sunda Kelapa port in Jakarta, Indonesia today. (Tatan Syuflana/AP/Press Association Images)
HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps.
THINGS WE LEARNED
#COORDINATION: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that the UK’s presidency of the G8 next year will carry the same themes Ireland will promote during its presidency of the European Council in 2013 – food security, nutrition and climate change. During a speech commemorating Michael Collins’ death, Kenny also called on Irish people and his government to “work harder than ever” to restore Ireland’s finances.
#ASSANGE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called on the US to drop its “witch-hunt” against the website in a statement he delivered from the balcony of Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he has sought political asylum for the past two months.
#ROADS: A 17-year-old boy has died following a single-vehicle crash in Co Roscommon early this morning. The car’s four other occupants received minor injuries.
#JOANNE: A documentary film being made about the life of 16-year-old quadriplegic Joanne O’Riordan by her brother has received a boost in support from the Rehab Group which pledged €25,000 towards the production costs.
#ISLAND CONTROVERSY: A group of Japanese activists swam to an island which Japan and China are engaged in a terse territorial dispute over. Meanwhile, Chinese protesters gathered in several cities across China to demonstrate against Japan’s claims to the islands.
THINGS WE LOVED
YouTube Credit: PtDefianceZoo1
THINGS WE SHARED
YouTube credit: johnnylloydrollins
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How about they post details of how much money donated actually reaches the victims before they go blaming the donors. Food supplies entering black Market, stealing, local corruption, lack of accountability? Don’t blame me if you want to get another donation, you are a professional charity, it’s your failure to communicate and react to the situation.
Economic issues matter more than human life. It is a shame that famine gets ignored because there is an over abundance of food in this world and yet we can’t share it. The idea that governments running these country’s that are famine hit are keeping funding and food supplies is also sickening. Something needs to be done but if governments stop aid from getting to the people that need it, then UN should be the ones policing this yet they seem to be unresponsive as they do not want conflict even though it means saving lives.
“I want proof”, in another words “I know well its happening, I just want to relieve myself of the guilt of it by pretending I think its not happening”
Foreign aid is killing Africa, a number of African economists have written about it. The West is failing to grasp that the intuitive thing to do doesn’t always solve a problem.
2012…and this is still happening,all the charities are doing thier best but still not enough…were do we go from here…is heartbreaking to see a human like this…
A lot of this is due in no small part to the IMF, this is the style their help comes in. Too many of the African countries that received or were put in a position to accept such loans had to face severe austerity or hand over rights to mineral or other national resources to the IMF and global corporations. Slowly stripping these countries with even the means to finance the ability to repay its loans.
Sounds familiar today doesn’t it?
The value of human life is shocking. They shipped my cousin with an automatic weapon on his back to Afghanistan in a heart beat (unfortunately he was happy to go) but mobilize to help starving children. use a super power to cut out the corruption, the back handers and get the food directly to those who need it and help them actually build their country properly…………not today pal. John Pilger made a great documentary in which he stated that in the 85-86 after live aid Africa gave more cash to the west than we gave them. I think bono would have more success for his cause if he organised mass protests in front of world bank and IMF head quarters instead of throwing a gig.
incredible that the wikipedia story gets more views than this
@ Harry I agree but I think people bury their head in the sand when it comes to these types of stories and particularly with that heart wrenching picture of the (probably now deceased) child. Its just mind boggling how one half of the world is up to its eyeballs in an obesity epidemic but these poor people are left to waste and die.
The western governments, huge private companies (is there a difference?) and the animals the west uses to control and rape these countries of there natural resources are completely responsible.
I am so sorry but I can not read this or look at the pictures .Too horrific . I can donate to charities …. Was it lways so bad through the decades and centuries in these places ?? Or is this an historically recent phenonomon ? I am sorry if I am displaying ignorance,I do not want to offend anyone.
Charities really just don’t cut it when it comes to issues on this scale, yet the members of the government don’t need to worry about someone dying if it’s not in their family.
It also doesn’t help that there are 10 different charities with the same goal. Can’t see why they don’t just amalgamate into one, would save costs on admin and other stuff too.
How the western nations attempts at a painfree solution to the crisis of their own making is crippling developing nations.
http://economichorizon.blogspot.com/2010/11/sound-dollar.html
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