Archive for July 22nd, 2014

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22/07/2014

More Than 700 Million Women Alive Today Were Married As Children

Human Wrongs Watch

22 July 2014 – New data released today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows the need for urgent action to end female genital mutilation and child marriage – two practices that affect millions of girls across the globe.

Kalpona was 12 when her parents arranged for her to marry a man more than twice her age. A few days before the wedding, they agreed to let her continue with school instead. Photo: UNICEF/BANA2014-00451/MAWA

Kalpona was 12 when her parents arranged for her to marry a man more than twice her age. A few days before the wedding, they agreed to let her continue with school instead. Photo: UNICEF/BANA2014-00451/MAWA

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According to the newly-released data, more than 130 million girls and women have experienced some form of female genital mutilation, also known as FGM, in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where the harmful practice is most common.

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In addition, child marriage is widespread, the agency pointed out in a news release. More than 700 million women alive today were married as children. More than 1 in 3 – or some 250 million – were married before the age of 15.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Middle East, The Peoples | 3 Comments »

22/07/2014

Who Is Winning?

Human Wrongs Watch 

By Uri Avnery*, 19 July 2014, TRANSCEND Media Service 

What would history look like if it were written in the style of the “Solid Cliff (a.k.a. Protective Edge) operation?

397px-UriAvneryFor example:

Winston Churchill was a scoundrel.[*]

For five years he kept the population of London under the unceasing fire of the German Luftwaffe.

He used the inhabitants of London as a human shield in his crazy war. While the civilian population was exposed to the bombs and rockets, without the protection of an “iron dome”, he was hiding in his bunker under 10 Downing Street. He exploited all the inhabitants of London as hostages.

When the German leaders made a generous peace proposal, he rejected it for crazy ideological reasons. Thus he condemned his people to unimaginable suffering.

From time to time he emerged from his underground hideout to have his picture taken in front of the ruins, and then he returned to the safety of his rat hole. But to the people of London he said: “Future generations will say that this was your finest hour!”

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Posted in Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 2 Comments »

22/07/2014

CAR — Recruitment, Abuse of Children by Armed Groups, Endemic

Human Wrongs Watch

21 July 2014 – The recruitment and use of children by armed groups remained endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2010 and 2013, according to a new United Nations report, which cited impunity as a major factor in the ongoing abuses.

Child soldiers guard a road near Bunia, Ituri region, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: UNICEF/HQ03-0555/LeMoyne

Child soldiers guard a road near Bunia, Ituri region, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: UNICEF/HQ03-0555/LeMoyne

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“Impunity has encouraged perpetrators to continue their violations against children,” Leila Zerrougui, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, told the Security Council Working Group on children and armed conflict today.
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Briefing on the 5th Report on Children and Armed Conflict in DRC, she said there were close to 4,200 cases of recruitment and use of boys and girls by armed groups and the Government armed forces. One third of the cases involved children below the age of 15.

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Posted in Africa, Market Lords, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 2 Comments »

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