Our weekly round-up of must-read stories you might have missed: Greenpeace activists detained in Russia; Violence against women and girls; Two Peace Awards for Dr. Denis Mukwege; Leveraging soccer to take shots at malaria; Stop Journalist Intimidation!
Concern for health of Greenpeace activists detained in Russia – Greenpeace
Some of the 28 Greenpeace activists and two journalists being detained in Russia while awaiting piracy charges are being kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, while others are held in “extremely cold” cells, according to the head of Greenpeace. Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International’s executive director, told the Guardian that the crew had been split up into several prisons across the port city of Murmansk in north-west Russia, which is in the Arctic Circle. Three of the group have been sent to a prison 150km away. Naidoo said the organisation would have to “take into account” the way the protesters had been treated, but he added that Greenpeace had not been silenced by intimidation in the past and would continue to show “leadership” on the Arctic issue. Over the weekend, Vigils were held around the world to free the “Arctic 30”, with celebrities including actor Jude Law and musician Damon Albarn joining an estimated 800 people who gathered outside the Russian embassy in London…
Launch of pioneering non-formal curriculum to end violence against women and girls – UN Women
On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, UN Women and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) launch Voices against Violence, a new non-formal education curriculum on ending violence against women and girls, putting young people at the heart of prevention efforts. A first of its kind, the Voices against Violence is a co-educational curriculum designed for various age groups ranging from 5 to 25 years. It provides girls, boys, young women and young men with tools and expertise to understand the root causes of violence in their communities, to educate and involve their peers and communities to prevent such violence, and to learn about where to access support if they experience violence. Working with youth organizations, UN partners and governments, UN Women and WAGGGS will roll out the curriculum to young people around the world. It will be adapted to national context, translated into local languages, and reach an estimated five million children and young people by 2020…
Dr. Mukwege of DR Congo Wins Two Peace Awards, by Barbara Becker
While the world focused on the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Denis Mukwege, who was widely considered a top contender along with Pakistani activist Malala, was selected to receive two prestigious honors this month in the United States: the Civil Courage Prize and the Human Rights First Award. Dr. Mukwege is known for his work treating survivors of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But it is his role in publicly denouncing sexual violence as a weapon of war that has been gaining worldwide attention. Gloria Steinem says of Dr. Mukwege, “It is no exaggeration to say that he is to the fight against sexualized violence what Nelson Mandela was to the fight against apartheid.” Dr. Mukwege founded Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DRC, in 1998, originally as a clinic for gynecological and obstetric care. Since its inception, however, Dr. Mukwege and his colleagues have treated about 40,000 women and girls victimized in brutal sexual attacks, often at the hands of soldiers and armed rebels. In addition to medical care, the center provides legal, social and psychological services…
Leveraging soccer to take shots at malaria – MalariaNoMore.org
This year, as an official social cause of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), United Against Malaria ensured more than just soccer was on fans’ minds. Throughout the many-month tournament, millions of people across Africa were also tuned in to the malaria fight. And what they saw was impressive. Five African presidents and top African footballers like Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o represented United Against Malaria on 34 broadcast stations, on billboards in 16 countries, and at in-country activities in 19 countries during the qualifiers and finals. And thanks to the Confederation of African Football, the malaria cause was featured during the AFCON closing ceremony that broadcasted to a worldwide audience of nearly 700 million. As a result, hundreds of millions of people saw and heard life-saving malaria messages. And the outcomes are even more amazing! In Cameroon 4.8 million people were exposed to the 2013 AFCON malaria campaign, while in Chad 1.1 million people watched and heard about malaria from Drogba’s and Eto’o’s spots…
78,000 Call on Justice Department to Stop Journalist Intimidation – FreePress.net
On Friday, Free Press delivered a letter with more than 75,000 signatures to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging the Department of Justice to end the harassment and intimidation of journalists, specifically at U.S. borders. The letter follows the six-hour detainment in September of WNYC producer Sarah Abdurrahman and her family at Niagara Falls, along with the repeated detainment of documentary filmmaker and journalist Laura Poitras. Many other incidents of this kind have been documented. And those who have avoided such intrusions, like the Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story of the NSA’s spying programs, fear similar repercussions for their reporting. “As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer,” the Free Press letter states, “[Holder] must guarantee that the United States government will protect press freedom at all times and in all places. “U.S. journalists who have exercised their First Amendment rights around the world should be welcomed home, not harassed and detained. As it did with its internal guidelines, the Department of Justice should move swiftly to clarify the rights of journalists and U.S. residents at our nation’s borders.”…
