Global Days for Darfur - April 23 to April 30

And so it continues....action is needed for Darfur. This week is Global Days for Darfur and many events are being organized and held around the country. To see what events are going on, visit the Save Darfur website. There have been a lot of talks but a resolution has not yet been reached. It is imperative that a resolution be reached soon. Find an event near you and participate; or visit the Amnesty International website to find ways you can call or write to your representatives in Congress to press forward on this issue.

Prayer for those killed at Virginia Tech, and for their loved ones....

What a tragedy....Promising lives ended in a moment of darkness, by a fellow student and community member.... I do not know you but your lives will be missed by those who are left behind.... Amidst chaos and great hurt, I pray that your loved ones find peace and comfort. I pray that the community bonds together and overcomes this moment of horror, inspired by the lives that the 32 victims led....

Today's NPR coverage

Tsunami aftermath in the Solomon Islands

Recently, a tsunami hit the Solomon Islands along with an earthquake (8.1 magnitude with numerous aftershocks). In the aftermath, thousands were left homeless and at least 28 people dead. The United Nations reports a death toll of 35. While aid has been arriving, there is still a lot of need. Homes, towns, roads, and bridges have been destroyed and people, including children, are living in camps and shelters. These camps have poor sanitation and cases of diarrhea are becoming prevalent. Organizations like World Vision and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are working to provide relief; however, the situation continues to need aid.

View a media clip from World Vision regarding the tsunami and its effects in the Solomon Islands by clicking here.

For more information on relief aid and updates, visit the World Vision website and the IFRC website.

Big Sunday '07 in Los Angeles

Big Sunday (well Saturday too) is an upcoming event in Los Angeles, on April 28th and 29th. It is a city-wide event where thousands sign up to volunteer for various projects all over the city, from painting to beautifying schools and neighborhoods to handing out sandwiches to the homeless. It is an opportunity to help those in need, including those nonprofit organizations who work daily to improve the conditions of others. It is a great opportunity to get involved, even if just for a day, with your whole family. A lot of projects have tasks for all ages - from kids to adults. If you live in the Los Angeles area, or surrounding counties, check out the website by clicking here and consider signing up for a project. They still need lots of volunteers!

Attacks in Somalia

Last December, a war began between the Ethiopian government and the forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The Ethiopian government provided forces to support the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) who were engaged in fighting with the ICU in the coastal areas of southern Somalia, areas under ICU control. Since then, the fighting has raged on in the city of Mogadishu - the capital of Somalia.

According to a Human Rights Watch article last week, fighting still continues in Mogadishu, Somalia, even though a cease fire is supposed to be in effect. The fighting continues between the Ethiopian military, the Somalian government and ICU groups in Mogadishu. Shelling and mortar attacks on heavily populated areas have killed and injured hundreds of civilians. The United Nations reports that nearly 400 people have died in the recent fighting and thousands are fleeing. The UN reports that more than 100,000 people have fled the areas where attacks continue to occur and are living under trees or whatever shelter they can find. Although there appears to be a temporary cease fire, people anticipate that fighting will continue. Most airstrips around Mogadishu have been closed down, making it difficult for humanitarian aid to reach those who are displaced, and with the long rains approaching, shelter is a major concern for these displaced people. The most vulnerable among these displaced and fleeing people are women and children.

Click here to view the most recent Human Rights Watch article on Somalia. Click here to view the most recent UN news report on Somalia.

Child Labor

Although there are some forms of work that may be acceptable for children and within legal restrictions, child labor is often exploitative in many parts of the world. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines that a child must be protected from any economic exploitation and forms of work that interfere or are harmful to a child's education, health, and development. The International Labor Organization Convention 182 addresses what are called the "worst forms of child labor" emerging out of the general convention held in 1999, and the contents of this convention call for a prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.

Even with these regulations and laws, in 2007, child labor still exists in many exploitative forms. In my recent postings I have already covered one of them, namely children exploited in armed conflict (child soldiers). But there are more. As the weeks progress, I will continue to blog about child labor, among other things, more specifically.

Today I turn to the significant child labor problem in Ethiopia. About 60% of the children in Ethiopia work to supplement their family's income, according to the IRC, working in domestics, farm work, and mining. While child labor in Africa, particularly rural Africa, is viewed as a normal occurence, there is often a lack of distinction between moderate, excessive, and exploitative forms of work. Children are driven to labor by circumstances - poverty, death of family members, illness of family members, and ultimately to survive. The problem of child labor is a significant one but it is important to note that the solution is not simply to deal with the child labor issue alone. There must be more support given to these areas in order to decrease the circumstances that cannot help but push children into labor. Of course, the solution and support given to one area or country cannot be the same as another - they are each unique in their own ways.

For more information consult the following websites:

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child
  
• ILO Convention 182
  
• From the Bureau of International Affairs, on Ethiopia
  
• IRC News on Child Labor in Ethiopia
  

Orange County Rescue Mission

At a recent conference called Children at Risk, I attended a workshop given by someone from the Orange County Rescue Mission. The title of the workshop talked about a model of mobile outreach rather than something specific to Orange County so needless to say, I was surprised and my eyes were opened to new information. I thought that I would blog about this because this is something closer to home, as a resident of Los Angeles, and because it indicates that there are opportunities to help everywhere. When I think of Orange County (aside from the fact that it's the "OC" and we seldom venture there except out of necessity since it's quite a drive - particularly in traffic), I hardly ever think of homeless. But apparently there are a large number of homeless in the OC and most of them are families (70% in fact according to their website) - families that cannot afford the rent, that are not good with money management, end up living in motels with their children, and then finally end up on the streets or a shelter. There are over 30,000 homeless in OC! The Orange County Rescue Mission has implemented programs to assist these homeless families and work with them to empower them and bring them out of the homeless situation utilizing mobile outreach as well as numerous other services. For more information, visit their website by clicking here.

Sri Lanka: Child Abduction & Child Soldiers

According to a Human Rights Watch article last week, children continue to be abducted in Sri Lanka by the pro-government Karuna group. Not only that but the recruitment of children is also conducted by another group called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) who turn the children into armed soldiers. As much as 200 cases of abduction have been reported by UNICEF but these numbers are the minimum; the actual numbers could easily be more because parents are afraid to report their missing children. About a dozen children were released by the Karuna group in December, according to the article, but UNICEF reported that at least three of these children were re-recruited.

The children are being abducted from camps for the internally displaced as well as in broad daylight in the city. The abducted children are being trained to carry arms, to fight, to be soldiers. Children are being used in the frontlines, even girls. The government is doing little to acknowledge this as a human rights violation and has not taken any effective action to put a stop to these abductions. Government patrols do nothing even when they pass by children with arms guarding various Karuna offices.

This is a serious violation of children's rights. See the Human Rights Watch website for more details and other related articles.