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- DR Congo mass rapes reveal UN mission failures
The failure of UN peacekeepers to prevent 500 rapes in a single month in Congo -- including the mass rape of 240 women in a village near a UN base and another incident in which details are still emerging -- has seriously undermined the confidence of the UN in its largest peacekeeping operation. Human-rights groups say that the failure stems from a lack of communication between the UN peacekeepers and the communities they are pledged to protect. The Congo peacekeeping mission has the difficult and contradictory task of preventing human-rights abuses and working with the Congolese military, the single worst human-rights abuser in the country. The Independent (London) (9/9)        - UN takes up MDGs as 2015 deadline looms
Governments around the world are looking to forge agreement on a strategy for the last five years before the Millennium Development Goals deadline amid projections that none of the poverty, health or education milestones will be reached. "The final five years of the goals are going to require two things: more money to be spent and better policies," said Peter Yeo, executive director of the Better World Campaign and a vice president of the United Nations Foundation. Google/Agence France-Presse (9/8) - Jolie's star power is welcome in Pakistan
Angelina Jolie has thrown her star power behind United Nations efforts to raise money for Pakistan flood relief, visiting camps for displaced people as part of her efforts as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Local aid groups have welcomed her efforts as a way to instill trust in the relief effort at a time when allegations of corruption and fears over militancy have left Pakistan with a damaged image on the international stage. The Christian Science Monitor (9/8) - Peruvian gold rush is destroying rain forest
An intensified gold rush in the Peruvian rain forest by tens of thousands of indigenous people and prospectors from around the world sparked by rising gold prices is causing severe environmental damage to the local ecosystems. Diggers are using dredgers and bulldozers to fell trees and clear land, and local waterways are heavily polluted by mercury used to separate gold from rocks. The Peruvian government has little control over the situation, and many local authorities are actively engaged in the rush. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (9/8) - China's clean energy dominance raises questions
China has emerged as the world's clean energy products manufacturing hub, pumping out solar panels and wind turbines for foreign markets. The sector, now a million jobs strong, is growing thanks to heavy government subsidies that some challenge as breaking World Trade Organization rules on aid for exporters. China is also investing heavily in research and development for technologies to reduce air pollution and counter global warming. The New York Times (free registration) (9/8) - Cell phones give connectivity to world's poor
The low cost and availability of cell phones has sparked a revolution in applications geared toward poor and rural communities in the developing world. Weather updates for farmers, mobile banking and prenatal information are among the dozens of applications being tested by NGOs across Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Washington Post (9/8) - CIA gets court protection from torture cases
A U.S. federal appeals court ruled Wednesday individuals formerly held as prisoners of the CIA cannot file suit on torture claims as the legal proceedings could expose government secrets. The American Civil Liberties Union brought the case on behalf of five former prisoners, who charge they were held by the CIA in overseas prisons and tortured. The ruling provides a potential boost to the current U.S. administration, which has continued controversial renditions, ordered the death of a U.S. citizen suspected of terrorism ties and prevented efforts of Afghan detainees to file for grievances. The New York Times (free registration) (9/8) - Clinton lays out foreign policy strategy
Serious challenges to security remain in several regions of the world, but engagement across international borders through forums such as the United Nations Security Council is key to fostering agreement and change, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday. She said the time was ripe for "a new American moment" of global leadership characterized by cooperation and alliances. The Washington Post (9/9) - Fidel Castro says communist economy is a problem for Cuba
In a statement that Atlantic Monthly journalist Jeffrey Goldberg described as offhanded, Fidel Castro said that the Cuban economic model no longer works for the country. Though one Castro expert said that it did not sound like something Castro would say, Cuban President Raul Castro has acknowledged that the Cuban economy is deeply flawed and in need of reform. Neither Castro has ever hinted that the country is prepared to embrace capitalism, however. The Miami Herald (free registration) (9/9) - North Korea anniversary passes without expected meeting
North Korea celebrated 62 years of independence today with no sign an expected party congress to select new leadership had gotten under way. North Korean officials have indicated the impending congress will elect new leadership body officials, which has sparked widespread speculation that Kim Jong Il may use the occasion to hand over power to his son Kim Jong Un. Bloomberg (9/9)  | |  | | | | | | | | Communications Officer, mHealth Alliance | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director of Performance Measurement | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program | HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | New York, NY | | Executive Assistant | Social Science Research Council | Brooklyn, NY | | Deputy Director, Women and Population | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Executive Director, Europe and Central Asia Division | Human Rights Watch | London, United Kingdom | | | |  | |  | |
 | - Register now for the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C.
The 2010 mHealth Summit brings together leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations to share information and experiences related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research and policy.Featured speakers include Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation; Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Dr. Julio Frenk Dean of Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health; and Ted Turner, Chairman, UN Foundation. The mHealth Summit takes place Nov. 8 to 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and to register. |
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