Warning: this post is full of random bits and pieces of stuff, but they’re all so good I wanted to include them all!
So many fascinating things going on in the news this week!
First off, here’s my running list of countries that made headlines because of large-scale protests this week: Brazil, Egypt, U.S.A., United Kingdom, Kuwait, Syria, Palestine
This week, in particular, I ask that we pray for Egypt. Things are, by all counts, not pretty there.
Here’s the link to an article about protests in Palestine. I’m loving the parallel to the U.S. civil rights movement. Way to go!
In the world of do-good ideas… you know how Angelina Jolie is the UNHCR’s spokeswoman on refugee issues? She’s actually one of a long series of famous actors that the UN has drafted to speak up on their behalf. THIS, however, is the first time I’ve seen an NGO do it. I’m loving the Oxfam partnership with Scarlet Johansen, and loving even more how she seems like a normal person in these videos! (If you click over to YouTube on the link, there are several more videos.)
Next up… Houses built of plastic water bottles… Brilliant! In Darfur, all of our drinking was in 500 ml bottles. And it was a hot desert, so we drank a lot of water. I tried to minimise my water consumption out of a sense of guilt about the environmental damage I was doing with the bottles, which in turn was of course not the best for my health. In Nigeria, I could drink my water freely, knowing the bottles would go to good use!
And on to a bit of social justice. PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN LEBANON. From my own experience and that of my friends, this rings SO TRUE. But the facts she presents in this article are, perhaps, even more frightening than I’d realised. World: become aware. World: let’s think about how we can address this injustice.
Finally… the fascinating topic of censorship. Pakistan’s government is - with all the most noble intentions in the world, I’m sure - looking into censoring SMS messages that contain words that, really, should not be included in an SMS because they are crude, rude or sexually inciteful. In theory, I can almost understand. But this cartoon illustrates how the experiment is surely doomed to fail.
And… I hear rumours they’re planning something similar for the U.S. Fun days ahead…