[alternet-l] The Alternet News 112

Fri Jan 14 22:54:25 GMT 2005

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE 112
14 January 2005

This issue:
FORCE OF NATURE/
THE NEXT STEPS/
PRIORITIES FOR CHILDREN/
ILLEGAL ADOPTION RISKS/
TOURISTS' BODIES EXHUMED/
OXFAMS' ORDERS/
ALERT SYSTEM A PRIORITY/
OPPORTUNITIES EMERGE FROM DISASTER/
THE VOLUNTEERING SPIRIT/
BLOGGERS/

JOBS/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
DIARY/

Hot Sites:

Donate to the Asian Tsunami appeal:
http://www.redcross.org.uk
http://www.dec.org.uk
http://www.unicef.org
(Fraudulent email appeals have been reported to GreenNet. Remember to
send your donations through a known, reputable charity organisation).

TAPOL, The Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, says that the disaster "has
been compounded by chaotic mismanagement by the Indonesian authorities
and the legacy of decades of violent conflict" and are appealing for
funds and political pressure. The restrictions still placed on aid
workers by the Indonesian military are now becoming a major public
issue.
http://tapol.gn.apc.org
Also working in Indonesia: http://dte.gn.apc.org/

FORCE OF NATURE

Upwards of 160,000 people have now perished in one of the greatest
displays of nature's wrath since records began.

The tsunami of December 26th, 2004, triggered by an undersea earthquake
in the Indian Ocean off the islands of Indonesia, sent devastating
tsunami waves raging from Sumatra to Somalia, wiping out entire
communities and flattening tourist resorts.

Almost 10 days after the first earthquake, a series of aftershocks hit
Indonesia, the Andaman Islands and Indian Ocean coastlines in South
Asia.

As many coastal regions of the Indian Ocean struggle to recover in the
aftermath of this tragedy, aid effort from around the world continues
the immense task of finding, feeding and providing shelter and health
care for the survivors.

THE NEXT STEPS

The focus of health work in the areas worst affected by the tsunami is
now threefold: survival, staying healthy, and building a better future.
The initial relief effort is continuing, but there are still as many as
three to five million people who lack access to the basic requirements
for life. Concurrently, efforts are being made to begin planning the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of communities and their
infrastructure, which has been destroyed or seriously damaged.

http://www.gn.apc.org/newspage.shtml?cmd[288]=i-288-93008&x=93008

In Sri Lanka and the Maldives, teams from The World Health Organisation
continue with the vital work of gathering information about the most
urgent health needs and monitoring for information about potential
disease outbreaks.

http://www.who.int/en/

PRIORITIES FOR CHILDREN

In order to give Asia's "tsunami generation" a fighting chance, the
relief effort must focus on keeping children alive, caring for children
separated from families, protecting children from exploitation, and also
getting them back into school, said UNICEF ahead of the global
conference in Jakarta to coordinate aid in early January.

A fortnight later, and survivors have returned to school in the village
of Udulalpigiya, near Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka. Most arrived without
school uniform, in the only clothes they have left, and sat next to the
empty desks of classmates who did not survive.
http://www.unicef.org

ILLEGAL ADOPTION RISKS FOR SURVIVORS

Authorities in Sri Lanka have issued instructions to provide extra
protection for unaccompanied children in tsunami-ravaged communities,
amidst worrying reports that they are being removed for adoption without
proper authority.
http://www.reliefweb.int

TOURISTS' BODIES EXHUMED

Thai authorities have begun to exhume hundreds of bodies concealed in
mass graves after reversing their policy on unidentified remains. They
had originally decided to place those thought to be foreign in
refrigerated containers, whilst burying those believed to be Thai in
mass graves - though it is possible that many Westerners were also
interred.
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=102828&region=2

WWF points out that undamaged ecosystems form a defence against
tsunamis, and that preserving local economies and natural habitats go
together. This does require minor sacrifices from the tourist industry.
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000001429.asp

OXFAM ORDERS EU TO LEAD THE WAY IN AID EFFORT

Oxfam has expressed its desire to see the EU-25 come forward with a
five-year plan of grants, not loans, focused on reducing poverty. In
addition, the relief agency ask that the EU does this with a 'double
humanitarian pledge' to help victims of the tsunami as well as fully
funding its share of the UN's 2005 Consolidated Appeals for the 14 other
major crisis areas in the world. As the UK government increases its
tsunami aid with daily pledges, rich governments everywhere boast of
their generosity - but does this mean less money for Sudan, the Congo
and other disaster zones? Oxfam is already concerned.

"It's critical that European Foreign Ministers put forward a plan to
ensure that the EU's aid pledges are new money and are sufficient for a
long-term response. Europe has to send a strong and united message today
that it will be there alongside Asia for the reconstruction effort,"
said Jo Leadbeater, Head of Oxfam in Brussels.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk

ALERT SYSTEM A PRIORITY

Mainland environmentalists in China have launched a petition urging the
government to fast track the establishment of an earthquake warning
system in the southwest of Asia. They say it could help prevent other
human disasters in the area by providing a warning of the event hours
before a suspected earthquake.

http://www.probeinternational.org

OPPORTUNITIES EMERGE FROM DISASTER

Whilst launching a major UN appeal at the Jakarta Conference, Kofi Annan
has noted that, whilst the Asian tsunami is undoubtedly the worst
disaster ever faced by the United Nations, it may also create the
"opportunity to heal old wounds and long-running conflicts".

http://www.un.org/
http://uk.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/

THE VOLUNTEERING SPIRIT

An overwhelming human capacity to volunteer time and skills to assist
the victims has been revealed in the aftermath of the tsunami. Many
surviving Westerners holidaying in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
have pledged to remain in the affected areas, offering whatever services
they can, despite the risks of disease and the lack of facilities and
basic requirements. There are also many instances of retired medics of
all nationalities resuming their duties in order to help stem the
ever-increasing numbers of injured individuals.

http://www.unv.org

BLOGGERS

A relatively recent addition to most people's vocabulary, a 'blog' is
defined in Merriam Webster's Dictionary as a "website that contains an
online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks
provided by the writer".

The authors of these websites have provided an invaluable service by
informing Western relatives of any developments in search efforts, and
also by posting photos of located orphaned children on the web.
"Together the amateurs and professional journalists have given the
public an unprecedented look at a story of this magnitude," Richard
Duke, publisher of CyberJournalist.net and managing producer of
MSNBC.com, told Asia Times Online.

"These tribal digital networks are now part of a tidal wave of
integrated disaster links and information" on the web since the tsunami
separated families, the paper reports. More links via the original
article at
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GA05Ae02.html

http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/

Jobs

UNICEF UK are currently urgently recruiting for a Media & PR Officer to
fulfil a 3 month contract, 35 hours per week, based at Africa House,
London WC2. Closing date for applications is Monday 17 January.
http://www.unicef.org.uk

Child Protection Programme Manager for Save the Children UK,
Salary: £25,000, plus competitive benefits package
Location: Ituri, Congo (Democratic Republic of)
Closing Date: 21.01.2005
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10637

Stop Violence Against Women's intern for Amnesty International UK
Salary: travel within London area + lunch
Location: London EC1, United Kingdom
Closing Date: 19.01.2005
http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/10626

Advertise your vacancies for free at http://www.gn.apc.org/jobs.shtml

Quote/unquote

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous
circumstances would have lain dormant."
- Horace

Diary/dates

KYOTO CLIMATE MARCH - Saturday Feb 12th
Assemble 11.30 am Lincoln's Inn Fields (Holborn Tube)
Bicycle Ride Protest - 9.00 am Thames Barrier (South Side, 10 minutes
from Charlton Rail), Goes via Greenwich (about 10.00 am) and London
Bridge (about 11.00 am) to Lincoln's Inn Fields.

The main march will involve a parade of the flags of all the countries
that have ratifed the Kyoto Protocol (132 at last count) and will go
from Lincoln's Inn Fields via the Exxon Mobil offices and the Australian
embassy (Aldwych) to end at the US embassy for speeches at around 2.00
pm. Speakers will include Caroline Lucas MEP (Green Party).

http://www.campaignagainstclimatechange.net/
http://www.risingtide.org.uk/

BELMARSH DEMO - Thursday 20 January
6pm Downing St
Following judgement of the House of Lords on the situation of the nine
individuals detained at HMP Belmarsh and elsewhere under Part IV of the
Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, protest to repeal
internment powers and demand justice for all detainees.
http://www.cacc.org.uk

PEACE & DISARMAMENT REGIONAL GATHERING - Saturday 22 January
Speakers and workshops.  English Martyrs Church Hall, York.
paxchristi at gn.apc.org or 020 8203 4884

BLOCK THE BUILDERS - Saturday 22 January
Training at Tadley Village Hall for people pledging non-violent action
against new Aldermaston facility. http://www.cnduk.org

DIRECT ACTION TRAINERS' WORKSHOP - Weekend January 21-23, Sheffield
Preparing for G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.
Info: 0845 458 4776.  DATW at seedsforchange.org.uk
Also February 18-20, Glasgow; and London date tbc

MARCH AGAINST IRAQ OCCUPATION - Saturday 19 March
Central London, 1pm
http://www.stopwar.org.uk

GRADUATES AS GLOBAL CITIZENS CONFERENCE - Wednesday 13th April
Woburn House London WC1
A one day conference organised by Development Education Association to
explore the role of higher education in the 21st century in building
human capacity and supporting sustainable development for current and
future generations. Contact: kate.damiral at dea.org.uk tel: 020 7490 8108

Also 'Making Global Connexions'; workshop on 20th Jan, to enable staff
working with young people to explore a global dimension to create new
opportunities for learning and development.
http://www.dea.org.uk/calendar

GLOBALEYES - 19th April onwards
The Chicken Shed Theatre Company announces a new production,'Globaleyes'
Set to open on the 19th April until the 28th May at the Chicken Shed
Theatre, Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE.
'Globaleyes weaves a story of unerring passion for the beauty of life
against the cheapening value that society can put on it. Through dance,
theatre and music, still and moving image, this stunning, uplifting
piece of dance theatre brings to life issues of globalisation, the abuse
of power and the impact of these issues on the world and its future'.

See SchNEWS events at http://www.schnews.org.uk/pap/yourarea.htm

Add diary dates at http://www.gn.apc.org/calendar/calindex.shtml

Send your news and hot sites to actnow at gn.apc.org

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