A chance to give!!!

From now through December 31, 2007, OLPC is offering a Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. This is the first time the revolutionary XO laptop has been made available to the general public. For a donation of $399, one XO laptop will be sent to empower a child in a developing nation and one will be sent to the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. Up to $200 of your donation may be tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving).

Quoted: Bishop Luiz Flavio Cappio has been staging his protest for nine days.

It is the second time he has launched a hunger strike over the plan to divert the Sao Francisco river.

The government believes the irrigation scheme could benefit millions of people but critics say it will cause irreversible environmental damage.

I am skeptical about the newly proposed “fair tax” based on consumption and the implementation than the current flat rate. It is not clear cut how this will benefit the working class, when they consume almost all of their income...wouldn't they end up paying more.

I have not seen a lot discussion on this yet...hopefully soon!

Quoted: Unspinning the FairTax. We look at the numbers behind the numbers.

Quoted: A key hearing on whether Guantanamo Bay inmates should have access to civilian courts is held in the US.

different perspective on China's business model and the land of opportunity in Sudan by Mahmoud A. Suleiman

“One World, One Dream" is China’s slogan for its 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. But there is one nightmare that China shouldn’t be allowed to sweep under the rug. That nightmare is Darfur, where more than 400,000 people have been killed and more than two-and-a-half million driven from flaming villages by the Chinese-backed government of Sudan. China is pouring billions of dollars into Sudan. Beijing purchases an overwhelming part of Sudan’s oil exports and state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, an official partner of the upcoming Olympic Games, owns the largest shares in each of Sudan’s two major oil consortia. China has been indirectly funding the Sudanese government’s war effort in Darfur by massively investing in Sudan’s oil industry.

closing the gap...I hope they will get the funding soon!

Quoted: The initiative has proved so successful that four of South Africa's neighbouring countries - Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Swaziland - have entered into a partnership with MiET to develop similar programmes.

But the future of South Africa's SCCS initiative is shadowed by doubt, as MiET only has funding until 2009 to establish the programme in 1,192 primary schools in the two provinces.

"We are busy capacitating people, but there is only money until 2009. What will happen then?" said Aubrey Kgobokoe, a SCCS training coordinator in North West. "It should be rolled out in all schools, so that teenagers will also benefit. Are we going to have to leave those who have yet to benefit to fend for themselves?"

Pete you might find this interesting
urbanization without effective planning on infrastructure (speciifcally roads)...this issue is very common in a lot of major African cities (from what I have seen so far)...disparity in urbanization and displacement (eviction) of many poors living in major cities.

Quoted: Central Abuja looks like a modern capital with wide streets and a skyline with spectacular public buildings. But four years after a massive urban demolition programme began in 2003, little progress has been made in resettling the roughly 800,000 people that the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) estimate have been displaced.

Not another war...!!!

’’The curfew imposed since last week and which the group said lasts from dusk to down aimed to control its fleeing citizens to Ethiopia in the cover of darkness.” The group added.

Quoted: According to the EPDF’s statement Eritrea has break into the buffer zone, Temporary Security Zone, (TSZ) between the Eritrea and Ethiopia forces; and heavily started massing its troop