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- Russia seeks UN peacekeepers for Libya
 Russia today called for peacekeepers from the United Nations and the African Union to be utilized in Libya, and for the curtailment of NATO-led airstrikes it claims violate the Security Council vote in March that permitted the United States and its allies to enforce a no-fly zone. NATO planes today bombed eight warships belonging to forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, noting that the embattled leader has been increasingly using his navy to attack civilians. Bloomberg (5/20), BBC (5/19)        - Guinea worm disease is nearly wiped out
The international community is on the cusp of eradicating dracunculiasis, the disease caused by the guinea worm. Currently, the affliction is confined to just four countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali and Sudan. The key to eradication is a clean water supply. AlertNet/WaterAid (5/20) - Pennies add up for Wisconsin 8th-graders
A so-called "penny war" begun by eighth-graders at West Salem Middle School, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, raised $610 in loose change from students -- a portion of which was donated to a village in Rwanda to meet the water needs for a month. Students divided the remainder of the money between a Sudanese water program and Nothing But Nets, the UN Foundation-backed campaign to combat malaria. La Crosse Tribune (Wis.)/Coulee News (5/19) - Abbas acts against honor killings
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to crack down on honor killings in the wake of a murder that has sparked international condemnations. Twenty-year-old Aya Baradiya was murdered by her uncle because he did not approve of a potential suitor. Abbas has already vetoed laws this week that would have limited sentences for honor killings to six months or less. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (5/19) - Japan to sign international child-abduction convention
The Japanese Cabinet has approved plans to sign on to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction after facing intense international pressure. The convention seeks to protect the rights of both parents and places custody decisions under the jurisdiction of the country where a child first resided. Japan has faced criticism over policies that make it easy for Japanese mothers to remove children from foreign fathers and deny visitation. BBC (5/19)  | - Solar power lights up East Africa
Barefoot Power has created a network of business people bring affordable solar power options to villages across East Africa. From a small portable panel with light and a phone charger to a larger system to power an entire house, the solar entrepreneurs have a product for every budget. Supporters tout the products as safer, more environmentally friendly than kerosene -- which is a main light source across the region. The Christian Science Monitor (5/19) - Crowdsourcing in Kenya
The open-source technology platform Ushahidi, used in response to ethnic violence that swept through Kenya in 2008, has since been used 12,000 times worldwide, notably in response to natural disasters. Next week, the crowdsourcing approach will be used again in Kenya to monitor delivery of health and educational services. The new product dubbed Huduma, developed by Ushahidi co-founder Erik Hersman, allows users to report using SMS, e-mail or Twitter. The Guardian (London)/Poverty Matters blog (5/19) - New paralysis treatment is heralded as a breakthrough
An experimental treatment that has enabled a paralyzed American man to stand, wiggle his toes and even walk is being heralded as a breakthrough that could usher in a period of new potential for some victims of paralysis. Researchers surgically implanted a strip of electrodes along his lower spinal cord to send electrical signals that stimulate movement, mimicking those sent by the brain. The Washington Post (5/19) - North Korean delegation visits China
South Korean media reported a visit by a senior North Korean official to China today, but was unable to identify whether it was Kim Jong Il, his son Kim Jong Eun, or both men. Kim Jon Il visited China twice in 2010. North Korea relies heavily on China for food aid and financial help. The Washington Post (5/20) - Rebels leave women out as pressure mounts on Gadhafi
While rebel leaders have moved to appoint officials across Libya and prevent conflicts after a departure of embattled leader Moammar Gadhafi, women have been left out of appointments. Women were at the forefront of the anti-Gadhafi movement -- with the female relatives of men slain in Gadhafi's jails sparking mass protests. Gadhafi has come under increased pressure this week as NATO airstrikes bombarded command centers, the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest and food supplies continued to dwindle in Tripoli. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/19), The Economist (5/19)  | |  | | | | |  |  Project Coordinator | Invisible Children | Dungu, Congo (Dem. Rep. of) | | Senior Associate, Private Sector Engagement | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Regional Leader, East Asia | World Vision International | Bangkok, Thailand | | Program Administrator - Project on Justice in Times of Transition, Institute for Global Leadership | Tufts University | Medford, MA | | Senior Associate, Planning and Learning | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Senior Communications Officer, Global Health | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Communications Officer, (UNA) | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Associate, Online Communications (UNA) | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  |
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