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POPSYou Are A Wimp (So Am I) "Any Neanderthal woman could have beaten former bodybuilder and current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in an arm wrestling match"
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POPSSocialites Without Borders Teach Rwandans How To Mingle
Arriving on private jets from their headquarters in Martha's Vineyard, volunteers from Socialites Without Borders touched down in northern Rwanda early Sunday morning. Following an extravagant luncheon held in their honor, the charitable luminaries were driven by limousine to a nearby refugee camp, where they provided impoverished villagers with emergency lessons in everything from making small talk, to name-dropping, to drastically improving one's life by marrying a wealthy steel magnate. "Always remember to keep things light and breezy when mingling," Danielle Watters, a real estate heiress, was overheard advising a group of war-ravaged amputees. "Talk about where you recently summered, or what boarding school you went to. When you feel at a loss for words, perhaps try remarking on the stunning architecture of the tent you're in." Enlarge Image Table Setting Ordinary Rwandans have been urged to put aside any latent tribal hostility and never forget to place water goblets to th
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POPSIntended Consequences During the 1994 genocide, Rwandan women were subjected to massive sexual violence, perpetrated by members of the infamous Hutu militia groups known as the Interahamwe. Among the survivors, those who are most isolated are the women who have borne children as a result of being raped. Their families have rejected both them and their children, compounding their already unimaginable emotional distress.
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POPSAfter Wars, Mass Rapes Persist
Of the 275 new sexual violence cases treated between January and April by Doctors Without Borders in Liberia, 28 percent involve children aged 4 or younger, and 33 percent involve children aged 5 through 12. “The rape of little children is common,” said Oretha Brooks, a social worker at the excellent Duport Road Clinic in Monrovia. “It happens on a daily basis.” She introduced me to Wynnie, a 9-year-old girl in her waiting room who had been raped twice. Yet there are signs of progress. Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman elected a president in Africa, has sent strong signals that rape is intolerable. Aid groups like the Carter Center are working to promote the rule of law and punish the rapists… Maybe the greatest reassurance came from Jackie, the resilient 7-year-old. She appeared to have overcome the stigma of rape, for she explained that she wanted to grow up to build shelters for abused girls, adding, “I want to be president for Liberia.”[/qu
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POPS"universal jurisdiction" over the world's most serious crimes In April 2000 the UN Security Council admitted responsibility for failing to stop the Rwandan genocide. The Canadian Foreign Minister, Bill Graham, said that 10 years after the genocide the international community had still not learned how to stop such killings from happening again. "We lack the political will to achieve the necessary agreement on how to put in place the type of measures that will prevent a future Rwanda from happening," he said. The head of the small UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda at the time, Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire, said that no-one was interested in saving Rwandans and the bulk of his force was ordered to leave. He suggested that attitudes now had not changed.
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POPSCanada convicts Rwandan of genocide The UN estimates that more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the genocide. This case is obviously clear cut, but I wonder at countries being able to do this. I thought we had a world Court for this sort of crime.
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POPSSilverback gorillas get drunk on bamboo sap To protect the gorillas, photographers and safari groups are not allowed to go within 21ft of them. Mr Rouse said: 'I was allowed to stay with them for only an hour each day and it was difficult taking photographs of them at their party because I was laughing so much. It was hilarious.' As these remarkable pictures show, 30-stone Kwitonda could hold his liquor - up to a point. 'When I went back the next day, it was all very quiet, as if they were nursing gorilla-sized hangovers.'
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POPSABC: "UN to Probe Alleged Israeli Crimes in Gaza" "Israel refused to say if it would cooperate" which translates so NO cooperation, as usual. With Goldstone being a Jew, will this be classified as a whitewash or will he too be another 'self-hating Jew'? Extraordinary choice! He cannot win. A poisoned chalice?! You would have to wonder.
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POPSSpanish Court "considers charging six former US officials" Spanish courts can prosecute offences such as torture or war crimes even if they occurred in other countries. The former officials - who include ex-Attorney-General Alberto Gonzalez - could face arrest on leaving the US if the courts decide to issue warrants. Among those named was former defence official Douglas Feith ... BBC One way tickets to Europe for many now.
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POPSDiary: Protecting mountain gorillas :eek:Recently, the rangers and their families had to flee from their homes and live in makeshift camps as the latest outbreak of violence engulfed the eastern part of the country. Diddy and Innocent are long-serving rangers who have spent their working lives protecting the remaining gorillas in the war-torn region. In this weekly diary, they describe life on conservation's frontline and the frustration of how current events are hampering their efforts.
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