More than 25,000 landless families in Indonesia’s Aceh are still waiting for new homes following the 2004 Asian tsunami, aid agency Oxfam has warned.
Two years after the tsunami struck, the poorest Acehnese - squatters, renters and women - are still facing a crisis over when and where they will be resettled.
Yesterday, Thai authorities buried the last of the 2004 tsunami victims. The tsunami killed almost 6,000 people and left nearly 3,000 missing. And they are still burying the dead two years later!
A very cool site! Donate $1 or more to light up the wall… The numbers 1 to 400,000 cover The Darfur Wall.
Each number represents a person killed in Darfur. 
By donating $1 or more, you can light a number, turning it from dark gray to brilliant white. As we light the wall, we acknowledge the importance of each life lost, cast light upon a tragedy too many have ignored, and overcome one barrier to peace.
An article on The Economist website makes an interesting argument:
That the widening income gap between rich and poor should not necessarily be viewed as a bad thing.
Productivity and globalisation have caused real income to rise much faster for those at the top of the income distribution than it has for the poor and middle class. High earners experienced more than a 30% increase in their real income over the last thirty years. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of wage earners saw their real income increased by only 5-10%. Though the disparity is striking, it doesn’t necessarily cry out for justice. Things did get better for workers in that bottom 50%; they just did so more slowly.
The article also points out that the income gap may have positive effects, in that greater income disparities create bigger incentives to get an education.
I’m dubious.
One good thing:
A new human rights database is just about to be launched. The new system, called Hurisearch, combines data from many human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. By pooling information the groups hope to do a better job of co-ordinating work to highlight human rights abuse and campaigns to free prisoners of conscience.
One bad thing:
It’s official: The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of all household wealth, according to a new study by a United Nations research institute. The new study incorporates information about assets, not just income. The researchers say it is the most accurate study of it’s kind to-date.
One won!
Tuesday was not a good day for England, methinks.
I was blessed to get a ticket to the Make Poverty History concert in Melbourne tonight. I guess it could be described as Australia’s Live 8. Bono and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedde opened the event. A few well known Aussie and overseas bands performed - personal favs were Jet, Paul Kelly, Eskimo Joe, and Evermore. Tim Costello was among those who spoke on the need to ‘make poverty history’ - and he had plenty to say to his brother, the Australian Treasurer, Peter Costello - none of it flattering!
No not that Google!
Ok kids, who remembers The Poggle bird, The Great McDoo, The Soft-Nosed Wollop, or , yes, even The Google?
The Google, a classic childrens book, circa 1913, has just passed into the puiblic domain, check it out.
Check out this classic 80’s music video, ‘Separate Ways‘ by Journey.
Is Britain’s international development department raising expectations it cannot meet? In a stimulating and gentlemanly exchange, prominent aid critic William Easterly debates with the UK Development Minister Hilary Benn. A good read.
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7914
