| |
- UN official sounds off on Pakistan response
UNICEF director of emergency operations Louis-Georges Arsenault described the aftermath of flooding in Pakistan as the greatest humanitarian crisis in decades in his plea for world countries and donors to meet the incredible demand for aid. Pakistani officials are meeting with officials from the International Monetary Fund to discuss ways to prevent Pakistan's economy from collapsing -- even as Pakistan prepares for more flooding. The U.S. fears that economic and humanitarian destabilization in Pakistan could pave the way for greater infiltration by the Taliban and other insurgent groups. BBC (8/23) , Reuters (8/23)         | - India tests programs to curb large families
Indian authorities have launched a pilot program in Satara to offer cash bonuses to newlyweds who wait two years after marriage to have children. Across India, officials continue to test initiatives such as encouraging the use of condoms and campaigns to end teenage marriages as part of the government's ongoing bid to curb population growth. The size of India's population -- half of which consists of individuals under 25 years old -- is increasingly straining the government's ability to provide services and threatens the country's economic gains of the past decade. The New York Times (free registration) (8/21) - Humanitarian crisis lightens in Somalia, but need is still immense
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that the number of people in Somalia who require food assistance has dropped by 25% despite demands by Islamist militant groups that dozens of humanitarian organizations abandon their work. Some 27% of the population still remains in crisis, but rains have improved the lot of certain agricultural center. The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shebaab group has prevented many aid organizations, including the UN, from operating in southern and central Somalia. Google/Agence France-Presse (8/23) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- World Bank enters carbon-trading market debate
The World Bank weighed in on concerns that the UN was clamping down on carbon credits for hydrofluorocarbon-23 gases over fears the credits were driving production of the gases -- whose impact on global warming are 11,700 times that of carbon dioxide. The World Bank said that the carbons credits market was not driving production of hydrofluorocarbon-23 gases, which have increased in China. The UN has placed at least five projects on hold to determine whether carbon credits have led to an increase in hydrofluorocarbon-23 production. Bloomberg (8/23)  | - U.S. mosque debate raises questions across world
The heated debate in the U.S. around the proposed construction of an Islamic center and mosque near the former site of the World Trade Center has Muslims in other countries questioning the survival of religious tolerance that has long distinguished America from countries in Europe and elsewhere. While the mosque question has elicited lively comment from Asia, the Middle East and Africa, many observers question whether the mosque really needs to be built and note issues like resolving the long-running Israeli-Palestinian dispute will have a more profound effect on America's stature in the Muslim world. Los Angeles Times (8/23) - Mass rape is reported in eastern Congo
UN and humanitarian officials say that Rwandan rebels associated with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda gang-raped at least 150 women during a raid on villages in eastern Congo, near the mining center of Walikale. Witnesses said that in early August, between 200 and 400 armed men entered the village and systematically raped the women -- with multiple assailants perpetrating rapes usually in front of the victims' families. The New York Times (free registration) (8/22) - Iran adds to strike capabilities
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled a new long-range drone Sunday -- the Karrar -- which can carry up to four cruise missiles as far as 620 miles. The announcement came just one day after Iran officially announced the country's first nuclear power plant will soon be operational, and two days after Iranian military officials confirmed a successful test of a surface-to-air missile. Iran's nuclear program remains an area of concern within the broader international community over fears Tehran may be in pursuit of nuclear weapons. The New York Times (free registration) (8/22) - Russia follows own war on terror strategy
Russia's openly harsh tactics against terrorism and separatist movements in restive provinces stand in contrast to efforts of the U.S. and other Western countries that have pursued tougher measures behind a cloak of secrecy. Tough talk and action from Russian political leaders wins support in the Russian press, but Russian authorities have yet to engage the public or immigrant communities in aiding the fight. TIME (8/22) - Social media is an integral tool in Kashmir unrest
Indian authorities are continuing to struggle against violence in Kashmir and the growing popularity of stone-pelting youths clamoring for independence who have turned to social media such as Facebook and Twitter to drive protests against India. The use of social-media tools has changed the way opposition to the continued heavy presence of the Indian military is organized, and has left Indian leaders unable to identify the best individuals to negotiate with. TIME (8/21)  | |  | | | | | | | | Executive Director, Europe and Central Asia Division | Human Rights Watch | London, United Kingdom | | Senior Associate, Foundation Relations | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Online Communications Associate | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Operations Assistant | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Development | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Business Operations Officer – Energy | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | SENIOR ADVOCATE/RESEARCHER (International Financial Institutions) | Human Rights Watch | Washington, DC | | Development Director | Crisis Action | New York, NY | | Executive Director, United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Maternal Newborn mHealth Initiative (MNMI) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | | |  | |  | |
- Who do you believe is responsible for achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
 | Me | | U.S. government | | Foreign governments | | International organizations | | Other |
|
 | Key Sites
| | |
This SmartBrief was created for eleccion@yahoogroups.com
| | | About UN WIRE | | UN Wire is a free service sponsored by the United Nations Foundation which is dedicated to supporting the United Nations' efforts to address the most pressing humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the world today. | | | | | | | | Recent UN Wire Issues: - Friday, August 20, 2010
- Thursday, August 19, 2010
- Wednesday, August 18, 2010
- Tuesday, August 17, 2010
- Monday, August 16, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Adam Mazmanian
Contributing Editor: Juliette Terzieff | Kriston Dean Capps
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment