Nigeria / Use Restraint in Curbing Jos Violence / Investigate Killings and End Discriminatory Policies

20 Jan 2010 13:53 Africa/Lagos

Nigeria / Use Restraint in Curbing Jos Violence / Investigate Killings and End Discriminatory Policies


ABUJA, January 20, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Nigeria should ensure that its security forces use restraint and comply with international standards on the use of force in responding to the latest deadly outbreak of inter-communal violence in the city of Jos, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should also investigate and prosecute those responsible for the killing of at least 200 people during the violence, the latest of several deadly outbreaks in Nigeria, and address the underlying causes.

This latest violence comes just over a year after Christian and Muslim clashes and the excessive use of force by the security forces responding to the conflict left more than 700 dead in Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria.

“This is not the first outbreak of deadly violence in Jos, but the government has shockingly failed to hold anyone accountable,” said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Enough is enough. Nigeria's leaders need to tackle the vicious cycle of violence bred by this impunity.”


Clashes between Christian and Muslim mobs reignited in Jos on Sunday morning, January 17, 2010. There are conflicting reports of what triggered the violence. Civil society leaders report that it began with an argument over the rebuilding of a Muslim home destroyed in the November 2008 violence in a predominately Christian neighborhood. The Plateau State police commissioner, Greg Anyating, said the trigger was an attack by Muslim youth on Christian worshippers in the Nassarawa Gwom district of Jos, an allegation that Muslim leaders deny.

According to credible reports from civil society leaders, and national and international media, the violence was carried out by sectarian mobs armed with guns, bows and arrows, and machetes. Roving gangs are reported to have burned and looted houses, cars, and shops, as well as several churches and mosques. There are also several credible reports that the military and police used excessive force in responding to the violence.

Muslim leaders reported that 80 of the dead were taken to the central mosque in Jos on Tuesday for burial, in addition to 71 buried during the first two days of clashes. One Christian official reported that by Monday, 50 Christians had died in the violence and another 15 were killed on Tuesday. The three days of clashes have forced at least 5,000 people from their homes. On Monday the state government deployed additional military and anti-riot police units to the streets of Jos and on Tuesday morning imposed a 24-hour curfew in the city. Witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that gunshots could still be heard around the city in the late afternoon, and smoke was seen billowing from the worst-affected neighborhoods.

Nigeria is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines. More than 13,500 people have died in religious or ethnic clashes since the end of military rule in 1999. In Plateau State, an unprecedented outbreak of violence in Jos claimed as many as 1,000 lives in September 2001; more than 700 people died in May 2004 in inter-communal clashes in the town of Yelwa in the southern part of the state; and at least 700 people were killed in the violence in Jos on November 28 and 29, 2008.

Human Rights Watch documented 133 cases of unlawful killings by members of the security forces in responding to the 2008 violence. Police officers and soldiers gunned down residents in their homes, chased down and killed unarmed men trying to flee to safety, and lined up victims on the ground and summarily executed them. The government has failed to hold anyone accountable for these crimes.

President Umaru Yar'Adua set up a panel to investigate, but the panel only began hearings in December 2009. The Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, also formed a commission of inquiry, which held hearings but did not investigate alleged abuses by security forces. The commission's report, submitted to the state governor in October 2009, has not been made public.

Human Rights Watch called on the Nigerian security forces to abide by the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials in carrying out their duties. State security forces are required to apply nonviolent means as far as possible before resorting to the use of force, and where lawful use of force is unavoidable, restraint is to be used at all times to minimize damage and injury and to respect and preserve human life. Any order authorizing indiscriminate use of violence by security forces, such as “shoot-on-sight” orders, would violate these principles.

The government should also take concrete steps to end the discriminatory policies that treat certain groups as second-class citizens and that lie at the root of much of the inter-communal violence in Nigeria. Government policies that discriminate against “non-indigenes” – people who cannot trace their ancestry to those said to be the original inhabitants of an area – underlie many of these conflicts. Non-indigenes are openly denied the right to compete for government jobs and academic scholarships. In Jos, members of the largely Muslim Hausa ethnic group are classified as non-indigenes though many have resided there for several generations.


Human Rights Watch has called on the federal government to pass legislation prohibiting government discrimination against non-indigenes in all matters that are not purely cultural or related to traditional leadership institutions.

“Nigeria needs to act now to end discriminatory policies and hold accountable those who commit these terrible acts of violence,” Dufka said.


Source: Human Right Watch (HRW)



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Nigeria / Use Restraint in Curbing Jos Violence / Investigate Killings and End Discriminatory Policies

PUNCTURED HOPE Establishes Itself as the Hollywood Avant Garde in this Awards Season

20 Jan 2010 00:59 Africa/Lagos


PUNCTURED HOPE Establishes Itself as the Hollywood Avant Garde in this Awards Season


TORONTO, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Yesterday, at Toronto Pictures' headquarters, the company's President Bruno Pischiutta and Vice President Daria Trifu have announced the production of three upcoming feature films: A PARTY GIRL FOR THE RAT PACK - from the original novel "Breaking My Silence" by Jane McCormick - (US $3.5 M; filming in Brazil & USA; June 2010), scripted and directed by Bruno Pischiutta, produced by Daria Trifu; GLICINE - Wisteria (US $6.1 M; filming in Romania; September 2010) and THE SEPIA PORTRAIT (US $12 M; filming in Brazil & China; March 2011), written and directed by Pischiutta and produced by Trifu.


Toronto Pictures' film PUNCTURED HOPE has recently been nominated by the Political Film Society (Hollywood) as Best Film Expose & Best Film on Human Rights of 2009. PUNCTURED HOPE has screened in Los Angeles since November 2009. PUNCTURED HOPE has certainly established itself as the Hollywood avant garde in this Awards Season. Each screening of the film has constituted an event. Viewers' reaction has created a grassroots movement that identifies with Bruno Pischiutta's CAUSE. Future event screenings will follow the film as it opens commercially in New York City starting in June.

The audience at PUNCTURED HOPE's screenings included members of Amnesty International, of the Green Party, of Women in Film (WIF), of Films4Change, of Veterans for Peace and film professionals. Together with the general public present, they all have chosen to join the movement behind the film and Pischiutta's CAUSE.
Toronto Pictures is trading on the OTC in the USA and plans are in motion to transfer the company on the London Stock Exchange in the coming months.
This year alone, the company is releasing commercially PUNCTURED HOPE and THE COMOEDIA: ENGLISH VERSION.

Brazilian producer and Los Angeles resident, Marcelo Brito, is in negotiations with Toronto Pictures to become an executive producer of the next two films alongside Bruno Pischiutta and Daria Trifu.

About PUNCTURED HOPE:

Official Selection at the Montreal World Film Festival (2009); Nominated by The Political Film Society in two categories - Best Expose and Best Film on Human Rights of 2009; and Qualified (2009) for consideration for Academy Awards(R) 2010 as 'Best Picture'. PUNCTURED HOPE is the first main stream feature film (USD 5.8 M, Hollywood standard, 35 mm, 91 min., English Language, Color, NR) that is based on an African story interpreted by an all African cast of professional actors and shot in Africa under the direction of visionary Maestro Bruno Pischiutta. PUNCTURED HOPE is inspired by the true life story of an African Trokosi slave who manages to escape. Trokosi is one of the widest spread forms of women slavery that exists today in the world.

Film Review: http://monilazo.blogspot.com/2010/01/movie-commentary-punctured-hope.html

Human Rights Examiner Article: http://www.examiner.com/x-10438-Human-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d24-Punctured-Ho pe-true-story-Academy-Award-contender-opens-in-LA
Political Film Society Review: http://www.polfilms.com/puncturedhope.html

Film Video Clips: www.youtube.com/TorontoPictures

About Maestro Bruno Pischiutta:

Born in Udine, Italy in 1947, Bruno Pischiutta began his film career in the late 1960s as an actor in films by Francesco Rosi, Nanni Loy and Billy Wilder. In 1975 he founded the Centro Iniziative di Azione Culturale in Rome. Pischiutta graduated from the Institute of Dramatic Art, Trieste, Italy (1966); he is a Dr. of Philosophy graduated from the University of Trieste, Italy (1971) and International Academician appointed by Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Pavia, Italy (1981). Pischiutta has been awarded: Critics Award at Venice Film Festival (1970), Premio Simpatia (1976), Belle Arti Di Roma (1976), New York Film Festival (1981 & 1986), Bahamas One World Film Festival (2003). Pischiutta has been nominated by The Political Film Society (2009). Maestro Pischiutta is also a published writer of two books ('The Comoedia' 1980; 'E va bene parliamo di cinema' 1982) and of recognized courses for filmmakers (directing, writing, editing and acting) in Italy. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with COMPAGNE NUDE, and he moved to Canada in 1983. His other films include ULTIMO INCONTRO A VENEZIA (1977), ISOLA MECCANICA (1978), THE COMOEDIA (1981), BOUNTY HUNTERS (1985), LIFE'S CHARADE (1987), MAYBE (2003) and PUNCTURED HOPE (2009). Additionally, he wrote, directed, produced, executive produced and edited other feature films, TV shows and documentaries widely screened in cinemas and broadcast throughout Italy and other European countries to date. Bruno Pischiutta is the Founder, President and C.E.O. of Toronto Pictures and Chairman of the Toronto Pictures Film Academy of Ghana.

About Pischiutta's CAUSE:

"We want that the rights of women and children are respected. We want to fight intellectual pollution, stupidity, racism and discrimination. We want to show that nonviolent films can be commercially viable and it can help to make a better world. We want to win the fight against ignorance and bigotry. We want to use film as an artistic weapon to improve the lifestyle and mentality of the viewers, to make their life better and to make them think in a positive way about major social problems that anguish our world today.
Our CAUSE is driven by high ideals and it is more important than anyone of us.
It is a new world; it is time for a new morality! It is time to put the important things first. We are working for our CAUSE through the medium of film because we are filmmakers. Film is our way to express ourselves and we are aware that our films will live after us: they will become our legacy." - Bruno Pischiutta

About Daria Trifu:

Born in Brasov, Romania in 1981, Daria Trifu began her film career in the year 2000, few months after moving to Canada, as a graduate of Bruno Pischiutta's exclusive Film Acting Courses in Toronto. Trifu has studied Fine Arts since grade 5 in Europe and she graduated in 2000 with honors from the Central Technical School - Fine Arts Program in Canada. In Romania, she held private exhibitions of her paintings ever since the early age of 15 and her artwork was commissioned by prestige hotels in the mountain resort of Poiana Brasov. In her youth, Trifu, a prodigy child, excelled in sports such as tennis and sky when she won numerous competitions; she traveled the world both with her family and on her own with a National Choir attending International Festivals. Today, Trifu oversees the organization of Toronto Pictures' attendance to all major film markets such as The American Film Market, Cannes, Montreal, etc. and in 2003 she was a speaker on the "Peacefulfish & Variety Presents Global Film Finance" panel in Cannes. Trifu is the Assistant Director of the feature film MAYBE (2003); Producer & Executive Producer of the documentary BRUNO PISCHIUTTA: FILM DIRECTOR (2009) and Producer & Executive Producer of the feature film PUNCTURED HOPE (2009). She will make her acting debut in the leading female role in the feature film GLICINE (Wisteria) to be shot in Romania in 2010. Daria Trifu is the Founder, President and C.E.O. of Adhara Properties and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of "Daria!" Magazine. She is also Vice President and C.O.O. of Toronto Pictures and President of the Toronto Pictures Film Academy of Ghana. Daria Trifu is the role model for the actual generation of Romanian girls. She is one of the youngest and most powerful film executives in the world.

About Toronto Pictures:

Targeting a global audience, Toronto Pictures explores different cultures and addresses controversial issues of our time in dramatic format. Toronto Pictures develops, produces and releases Hollywood standard, 35 mm feature films that provoke thought not violence.

Official Website: www.torontopictures.com
Source: Toronto Pictures Inc.
CONTACT: Toronto Pictures, Inc., (647) 296-3459, corporate@filmail.com

Nigerian Baby Undergoes Major Open Heart Surgery in Bangalore

19 Jan 2010 10:33 Africa/Lagos


2-Year-old Baby With Complex Heart Deformity Undergoes Major Open Heart Surgery at Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore - (now a Network Hospital of Fortis) Without any Blood Transfusion

BANGALORE, India, January 19/PRNewswire/ --


- Faith by Their Side, This Case Challenged Medical Excellence


A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis) has performed a major open heart surgery on a 2-year-old baby from Nigeria. Baby Brendan was suffering from congenital heart defect called - Tetralogy of Fallot or complex blue baby syndrome.


"Baby Brendan was brought to us in a condition which was complicated and need surgical intervention to correct the anomaly. In this syndrome the pure and impure blood gets mixed in the heart and the amount of blood flow to the lungs is decreased. It is the most common complex heart defect, representing 55-70%, and the most common cause of blue baby syndrome. It can prove fatal if it is not treated in time," said Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis).


The other bigger challenge which came before the surgery was the fact that the baby's parents belonged to the Jehovah Witness community and as per their religious belief they oppose to any form of transfusion of blood and any blood products however they could accept other from of treatment. This made the case all the more complicated.


"Babies with Tetrology of Fallout have two treatment options - the first is palliative where no open heart surgery is done and the defect is treated with shunt operation. The second is complete repair - which is definitive treatment where the patient undergoes an open heart surgery with a heart lung machine. In the case of Baby Brendan we obviously chose the second option due to its curative value. But the problem we faced was that the heart lung machine requires 500 ml of blood by itself to drive away the air and still haemoglobin at acceptable level. The challenge was with the baby weighed only 11 kgs and his blood volume was 800 - 900 ml and to conduct an open heart proved difficult without additional usage of blood" said Dr. Devananda.


The team devised many things technically to make operative time shorter and do the best possible ways so that re-operation or re-exploration can be avoided and the ICU stay is reduced. The heart lung machine circuit was modified in such a way that total priming volume was reduced to the least possible; the haemo-filteration technique was used in such a way that excess water from the body is removed and it gives back the RBC's to the body. We also had to reduce the sampling to the least possible for various tests.


"We did everything technically possible to reduce the requirement of blood. With all these modifications the baby underwent the open heart surgery and was out of ICU within 24 hours and is flying back to his native on the 7th post operative day. In an era where a lot of talking is happening around blood transfusion and adults have been undergoing surgery without blood transfusion, the same thing on a child is quite complicated. However with technical modification and surgical skills it is definitely possible and should be encouraged so that no child from the community remains untreated" said Dr. Devananda.


Brendan can live an active life like any other child of his age as this is a one time complete correction and his post op ECHO is satisfactory.


Brendan's mother Ettieh's faith in Jehovah has strengthened after this incident. She says, "Everybody should give proper attention to their child and keep monitoring the health of the baby time and again. Till one year when Brendan was not keeping too well and was not gaining weight we got very concerned and kept taking to the local physicians in Nigeria. However nobody could give us a proper answer to his continuous ill health until last year August, 09 Brendan complained of breathlessness and pain on his left chest. A thorough examination indicated that my baby has some heart complication which needed to be treated immediately. Being a member of the Jehovah Witness community our challenge was to take Brendan to the right hands where surgery was possible without using blood transfusion. That's when one of our friends at Nigeria who knew about Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis) and their expertise in performing surgery without blood transfusion suggested us and we finally decided to fly Brendan down here for treatment. Initially when we decided to come to India for treatment I was engulfed with mixed feelings, but with the kind of care and response we received here I was quite confident that I have brought my baby to the right place."



For more information please contact:

Priyam Bortamuli
PR & Communication
Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore - Now a Network Hospital of Fortis
Mobile - +91(0)984555-8559
Email: priyam.bortamuli@fortishospitals.in

http://www.wockhardthospitals.net/

Source: Wockhardt Hospitals Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis)

For more information please contact: Priyam Bortamuli, PR & Communication, Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore - Now a Network Hospital of Fortis, Mobile - +91(0)984555-8559, Email: priyam.bortamuli@fortishospitals.in

Nigerian Born American Artiste Outragiuz Storms Nigeria

Outragiuz

19 Jan 2010 01:23 Africa/Lagos


Nigerian Born American Artiste Outragiuz Storms Nigeria

LAGOS, Jan. 19 /Nigerians Report - Nigerian born American crossover artiste Ouragiuz is in Lagos, Nigeria, to promote the latest singles from his first album. The title of the album will not be revealed until the official release.
“The title of my album is going to be a shocker and the design is really outrageous,” said Outragiuz, who was on the top ten chart of Channel O Countdown for seven weeks and received over two million text messages from fans.

Outragiuz has been performing for eight years and started from Denmark before relocating to America in 2003. He has also had gigs in Germany and Sweden. In US, he has been performing in Atlanta, South Carolina, Florida, and New York City.



The tall and macho fair complexioned Outragiuz has been interviewed on the popular Silverbird TV and Superscreen TV in Lagos with over ten million viewers.

The unique tattoos on his body have attracted so much attention and Outragiuz has explained the reasons for these tattoos. The most attractive is the tattoo of Jesus Christ crucified on his upper right hand which is a testimony of his Christian faith. The other tattoos represent different important things in his life.



DJ Humility of the popular Rhythm 93.7 and other DJs say his songs are passionate and captivating.
They have given thumbs up to Outragiuz for his outstanding talent, class and style.
"He is as good as Wale and other acclaimed Nigerian born music stars," said his publicist, Mr. Hope Obioma Opara, the CEO of Supple Communications Limited and Publisher of the popular Supple magazine in Lagos.
His love ballads and R & B songs will surely hook listeners, especially, Love Addiction, Lonely is the Night and Key to My Heart.

Outragiuz is looking forward to the release of his singles and live performances in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja before returning to the US.


Source: International Digital Post Network (IDPN)

CONTACT:
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
The Publisher/Editor
Nigerians Report
Tel: 234 7066379246
E-mail: publisher@guarantysuccess.com

Over 100 Killed as Religious Riots Rage On in Northern Nigeria

Over 100 people have been killed in fresh bloody religious riots raging in Plateau state, as of Tuesday.

Local and foreign journalists in Nigeria have failed to report the facts on the reoccurrence of religious riots in Jos. Many reports said that the violence started after an argument over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the 2008 clashes, but eyewitness accounts confirmed that fringe elements in the Muslim community attacked the St. Michael's Anglican Church in downtown Jos Sunday morning. The church was set ablaze with worshippers trapped inside. The aggrieved Christians rose up in self defence. The indigenous Berom have gone on rampage in retaliation.

The police have declared a 24-hour curfew after a dusk to dawn curfew on Monday failed to stem the spread of the clashes as gangs of irate Muslims mobilized at midnight before resuming attacks on Christians in the early hours of Tuesday. Churches, mosques and homes have been torched and thousands of residents and visitors are fleeing to police and military barracks for saftey.


(Additional reports by Mainasara)

Kenya to Host Workshop on Implementing Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), 2-4 February

18 Jan 2010 13:27 Africa/Lagos

Kenya to Host Workshop on Implementing Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), 2-4 February

NAIROBI, January 18, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A regional workshop to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 2 to 4 February will aim to promote the building of national- and regional-level capacity to advance full implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).

Jointly organized by Kenya and the United States, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the workshop will encourage the sharing of experiences on relevant issues, particularly in the biological area, among the participating States as well as the identification of specific capacity-building measures that are responsive to regional and specific national requirements.

Invited to participate in the event will be officials from the Governments of Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. Representatives of international, regional and subregional organizations have also been invited. A representative of the Security Council's 1540 Committee and its experts will also attend the workshop.

The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1540 on 28 April 2004, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, obliging all States to refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors attempting to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and the means for their delivery. The resolution requires all States to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of these weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials.


For further information, contact Gabriele Kraatz-Wadsack at tel.: +1 212 963 3633.


Source: UNITED NATIONS

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US Leads Global Rescue Efforts in Haiti

Nations Rush To Help Haiti After Catastrophic Earthquake

Photo Credit: Finantial Times Media

Nigeria and other nations are rushing in response to the humananitarian crisis in Haiti after the Tuesday devastating earthquake that left hundreds dead and thousands rendered homeless in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.



President Barack Obama of the United States said his government is already sending emergency relief supplies of foodsuffs, water and medical aid to assist Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.



"This is also a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share, and Americans have always responded to these situations with generosity of spirit. If you would like to support the urgent humanitarian effort in Haiti, I encourage you to visit our website where you can learn more about how to contribute," President Obama said.

He told Americans who want to locate members of their family in Haiti to call the State Department at (888) 407-4747.



For more details and how to help, see Haiti Earthquake and read the following reports.



All photographs are from the copyright owners.



14 Jan 2010 01:03 Africa/Lagos Time

United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner Statement on the Earthquake and Relief Efforts in Haiti

Commits $1 million and Appeals for Support of UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ted Turner today issued the following statement in response to the January 12 earthquake in Haiti:


"Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti last night. We offer condolences to the families of those Haitians, UN peacekeepers and other international staff who have suffered tremendous losses. We are particularly concerned by reports that UN staff including Hedi Annabi, Head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, are missing following the collapse of the UN headquarters building. The men and women of the United Nations work on the global frontlines, putting their lives at risk to help address the world's most pressing problems. Many of them have paid an enormous price today.


"We are committing $1 million today to address the most urgent humanitarian and re-construction needs in Haiti. The United Nations Foundation is calling on its partners and friends to add their support by contributing to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which is the UN's humanitarian fund responding to emergencies like the earthquake in Haiti. Donations can be made on-line at www.unfoundation.org/donate/cerf.html.


"We note UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's statement that UN agencies are deploying to provide humanitarian assistance in close coordination with all parties on the ground. Such quick action, and the release of $10 million from CERF, is vital in preventing even further loss of life. We are grateful for the close coordination of the U.S. Government and other partners to ensure that timely, effective assistance gets to those that need it most.


"We are closely following reports about the devastation to facilities of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). This ongoing peacekeeping effort, comprised of over 9000 international forces, has been in place since the mid-1990s to enhance stability in the country. The UN is working side-by-side with Haitians to provide important security sector reforms, offer election monitoring and police training. UN peacekeepers now face the difficult transition to aid in the search, rescue and recovery efforts in the country, while confronting major personal losses of friends and colleagues.


"The UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation are also supporting the immediate deployment of two emergency response teams who will work to rebuild the communications infrastructure crippled by the earthquake. These teams, from the World Food Programme and the UN partner Telecoms Sans Frontieres, are deploying to provide emergency communications systems that will enable relief workers to coordinate the delivery of life-saving aid and supplies."


About the United Nations Foundation


The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner's historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. We build and implement public/private partnerships to address the world's most pressing problems, and work to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through our campaigns and partnerships, we connect people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns we conduct reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.


Source: United Nations Foundation

CONTACT: Aaron Sherinian of the United Nations Foundation,
+1-202-778-1622, +1-202-403-9525


Web Site: http://www.unfoundation.org/


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Win An all-expense-paid Trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Hollywood

About the challenge
Create a video short that completes the phrase “Democracy is…”
The Prize
• An all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Hollywood.
• Gala screenings of the winning videos in Hollywood, New York and Washington
• Exposure to filmmakers and the U.S. film and television industry.
• Meetings with democracy advocates from government, media and civil society.
The Timeline
• SUBMISSION DEADLINE - MIDNIGHT GMT JANUARY 31, 2010.
• Challenge semifinalists will be selected on or about March 31, 2010.
• An independent jury will narrow down the semifinalists to 21 finalists on or about May 15, 2010.
• The general public will vote online for the winning videos May 15 – June 15, 2010.
• Seven winners – one each from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South & Central Asia, East Asia/Pacific and one anonymous winner – will be announced in mid-June 2010.
• The six publicly identified winners, one from each of the six geographic regions, will travel to the United States to claim their prize in the fall of 2010.
The Details
• You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Videos can be any style: fiction or documentary, animated or live action.
• Videos must be no longer than three minutes.
• Videos must be in English or have English subtitles.
• Contestants may enter anonymously, but anonymous winners cannot collect the grand prize.
• See contest site for a complete list of rules, CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW

Nigeria: A Sick Nation with a Sick President

President Umaru Yar'Adua has never been really healthy since he became the head of state of Nigeria.

Nigeria: A Sick Nation with a Sick President


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

A silver spooned young Nigerian al-Qaeda suicide bomber failed in his desperate mission to bomb an American plane from Amsterdam to Detroit and the news made headlines all over the world, but not a word from the President of Nigeria. Why? They said he was ill and recuperating at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, but the hospital cannot be named. His vice president spoke on his behalf, but Nigerians felt disappointed. Then the US quickly added Nigeria on their list of terrorist countries to worsen the critical state of the most populous nation in Africa. They thought the shocking news was bad enough for their ailing President to be jolted to react, but there was no word again.

The condition of the president must be terrible that he could not even speak on the international political embarrassment of Nigeria in a state of emergency. He must be in coma or could he be dead?

Both the educated and uneducated have been commenting and speculating on what has gone from bad to worse with their president and his government. Rumours of his death have been spread on the Internet. But the rumours have been debunked by his press sectary and the office of the President played a BBC Interview of him addressing Nigerians that he would soon be back once his doctors declare him healthy enough to return back to work. But many Nigerians called it a hoax.

This is not the first time that spurious speculations and rumours of his deteriorating health and death have been circulated. An online political rumour website once published a fake report that President Umaru Yar’Adua was dead until the man resurfaced alive and continued his presidential responsibilities with full support of the political contractors in his cabinet, shareholders in the corridors of power and their beneficiaries.

A president that has failed to improve the deplorable living conditions of the majority of Nigerians who are living on less that one dollar per capita income in a country rated as one of the most corrupt and among the poorest in the world. They have little or no confidence in their sick president and corrupt government. But spurious speculations and rumours are the stock-in-trade of tabloids and should not be taken seriously.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

A sick political system has given Nigerians a sick President of Nigeria.

This is the simple diagnosis of the present political crisis and the only cure is not the replacement of the sick President by another sick product of the same sick ruling party, but the total quarantine of the sick political system.

Nigerians do not need any mass rally or whatever hullabaloo over the hide and seek game that the ruling party is playing with the critical state of the President of Nigeria, who was never really elected in the first place, but was appointed by rigging the last Presidential election in 2007.

Corruption is very contagious. Corruption makes people sick and that is why most Nigerians are sick.

Making noise online and offline will not frighten these devils, because they do not care about what makes Nigerians sick. In fact, the sicker Nigerians become, the better, happier and richer they would be. What makes normal humans sick is what makes these abnormal people well. Their government is a government of corrupt people by corrupt people and for corrupt people. If you are not corrupt, you cannot be in their government. Being well fitted in the costume of corruption is the de rigueur of the ruling party of Nigeria. So, it is not only the President of Nigeria that is sick, but the whole political leadership of the country. They are all sick.

It is not an easy task to find incorruptible Nigerians, except those who were born last night. It is an oddity to be honest in Nigeria. So, it is not always wise to join the majority of Nigerians pointing accusing fingers at the corrupt political contractors, corrupt workers in private business and the religious hypocrites, because most of them are not holier than those they are accusing of corruption. A thief is a thief, from the one who stole one naira to the one who stole one billion naira.

You wonder if there is anyone who has not been entangled in the tentacles of corruption in Nigeria through their common extended family system. Therefore, directly or indirectly everyone could be implicated. Nigerians should stop pointing accusing fingers and start making amends from the person gazing at the mirror...

At the national level, the ruling political party should be sacked, because this is the cankerworm of corruption that is destroying Nigeria. And if this cankerworm is not destroyed, it would eat up the whole country.


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