AIDemocracy.org

Bogged Down In Red Tape

January 3, 2013 by Caleb Fritz Leave a Comment

On January 10th 2010, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti, killing over 300,000 people, displacing hundreds of thousands more, and causing billions of dollars in damages. Since then, the small island nation has endured several direct hits from hurricanes, a cholera epidemic, and social unrest. As a result of these compounding tragedies, little progress has been made in the three years since to rebuild the shattered nation. As it stands today, nearly 380,000 Haitians are still living in squalor in one of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less Tagged With: aid, earthquake, Haiti, Reconstruction, Relief

Understanding the Rights of the Marginalized: Haiti’s LGBT Community

February 13, 2012 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

By Carly James In the wake of the second anniversary of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, much of the world is directing its attention to the social, economic, and political progress that Haiti has made. Since that historic moment in Haiti’s troubled history, considerable strides have been made in terms of rubble removal, medical assistance, and resettlement of displaced persons. In fact, the country was proud to inaugurate the ultra-modern Roi Henri Christophe University, currently one of Haiti’s largest buildings, in mid-January. Secretary … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Sex and Justice Tagged With: discrimination, Haiti, human rights, LGBT, minority, religion

‘Hey Sexy Lady!’ Shouting Back Against the Pervs

January 26, 2011 by Gillian Rollason

“Hey sexy lady! Check THIS out...” [Michael Jackson-esque groin thrust in my direction] ‘Ohh please’ I think 'please wait while I hurry over and give you my phone number, you prehistoric, knuckle-dragging moron’ You may assume that the slimy guy leering at you in the street or beeping his car horn is simply a victim of tragic social ineptitude, but this situation is more sinister. Street harassment ranges from whistles, shouting, and dodgy trouser pocket movements to full blown groping and physical attacks. Where does … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security, Sex and Justice Tagged With: BBC, dialogue, discrimination, Egypt, empowerment, Gender, Haiti, human rights, Human Rights and Social Justice, Reproductive Health, sexual and reproductive health, social justice, technology, violence against women, women, youth

No more band aids for Haiti

January 25, 2011 by Rachel Stanley

With wars, natural disaster, and economic crises, people are always looking for solutions to a myriad of problems. There definitely have been steps in the right direction, but many problems never truly die down because of the type of solutions that we utilize. While airlifting in food or medical supplies is an act of kindness, it is essential that we dig deeper and find solutions that address the root causes of many of the problems that we see. “Band aid solutions”, solutions that ignore root causes while taking some effort to address topical … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Hunger Tagged With: Haiti

Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak. Where did it come from? Where is it going?

November 5, 2010 by Binta Diallo

By Binta Diallo, Global Health Issue Analyst Eleven months after the earthquake hit Haiti, the country is now faced with its worst health challenge; cholera. As of November first, the cholera outbreak in central Haiti had killed more than 250 people and infected more than 3,000 people. Until the current outbreak, cholera has not been documented to be found in Haiti since the 1960s. Due to the lack of familiarity with the disease, many people are said to be frightened by the news of the outbreak and unsure of what steps to take to avoid the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sex and Justice Tagged With: aid, global health, Haiti, poverty

Outraged about the relief effort in Haiti? Reasons why you shouldn’t be

November 2, 2010 by Kyle Fluegge

By Kyle Fluegge, Environment Issue Analyst Imagine giving $100 to a charity that helps people in poverty better their lives regardless of their background circumstances. A noble gesture on your part. Then you find out that only $7.00 of your gift actually went to help who it was intended to help. That’s only 7%. Outraged? It would have me asking “Why…?”, but not for the reasons you think. That’s the situation in Haiti right now – 10 months after the devastating earthquake ripped apart the poorest country in the Western … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Change Tagged With: aid, Climate Change, earthquake, Haiti, poverty, rally, water

AIDemocracy Activism in Kansas Fall 2010 – RC Kristen Tebow

November 1, 2010 by Kristen Tebow

This semester has been exceedingly progressive at Kansas State University with new advocates and activists coming out of the woodwork. In September, I collaborated with other local shelters and organizations to put on a very successful "Take Back the Night" event in Lawrence, KS. http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/abuse-victims-rally-awareness-in-lawrence October was a busy month! We supported a fellow organization on campus, Coalition, who put on a Rave to Save to raise money for Zindagi Trust, an organization working to aid refugees … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sex and Justice Tagged With: activism, democracy, events, Haiti

Youth engagement today

October 3, 2010 by Binta Diallo

By Binta Diallo Binta is one of AIDemocracy’s 2010-2011 Issue Analysts. Find out more about Binta below or take a look at the Student Issue Analysts. Nine months ago, Haiti was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake affecting as many as 3 million people. Immediately, aid organizations and governments from around the world responded to this disaster by providing medical attention, food, shelter, and safe drinking water. There was such an enormous effort in helping the country; immediate support and help coming from students and young adults … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Sex and Justice Tagged With: foreign aid, global health, Haiti, poverty, youth

Six Organizing Principles for a Sustainable Future

July 28, 2010 by Sarah Frazer

An inspiring news article from Grassroots International: Six Organizing Principles for a Sustainable Future Lessons from Wendell Berry and Grassroots International Partners By Carol Schachet July 27th, 2010 Some of the most important lessons I know about grassroots organizing come from the poet Wendell Berry, who advises, “Invest in the millennium; plant Sequoias.” Growing trees, like organizing for social change, may not provide the short-term gratification. (A tomato plant will feed you this summer, and a bake sale might provide books for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, Brazil, Gaza Strip, global development, Haiti, organizing, Palestine

Haitian Reflections on the CARE National Conference

May 27, 2010 by AIDemocracy

Post by Claude Joseph, Brooklyn College. The CARE’s National Conference 2010 is the most far-reaching event that I have participated in in the past three years. The reasons are twofold: first of all, it approached the eradication of global poverty with a paradigm focused on empowering women. Since women are the cornerstone of any society, this approach is, in my opinion, the best one. I was so proud to meet Her Excellency Sia Nyama Koroma, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Her Excellency Ida Odinga, wife of the Prime Minister of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: CARE, earthquake, Haiti, poverty, women, youth leaders