Wake Up Call: Guinea's Army Out of Control

The local army in Guinea, West Africa, has taken it upon themselves to become looters, robbers, and killers. This comes after 57 people lost their lives over what the army calls an uprising. 53 people were said to have lost their lives in the stampede at this demonstration, and 4 people were shot down. Now the army is going door to door and doing as it pleases to these people. Does this remind us of another element that behaves in such a way? A gang perhaps? This is the countries military and because they have the guns and the control, they are using their usurped authority to oppress and kill a poor people in a poor country. International Community, it's a wake up call. These incidents are not just statistics, but real live mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Alive now, but for how much longer is the question we need to ask ourselves. Wake up world, this has got to stop!

Baby Brianna

GRAPHIC video, not for sensative viewers. This is a sad video. Please watch and then remember that this is still a problem and it is up to all of us, you and me to make some noise and STOP CHILD ABUSE NOW!

Afghanistan reaches historic milestone for children’s rights

KABUL, Afghanistan, 17 August 2009 – The Afghan Ministry of Foreign affairs launched its first report on the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by the Afghan Government in 1994.

This is great news everyone! We need to see reports coming from Afghanistan that are hopeful and positive and reflect real change and real constructive efforts from leaders in Afghanistan to help put an end to child labour, forced early child marriage, etc. This article from Unicef makes me very happy as I am a promoter of child rights! Now we can hope that the powers that be will stand on their words and will do what is right!

This is Why I Say Stop Child Abuse Now!

The family that taught me how to live, how to enjoy this life and how to find love in my heart was not the family I was born into. It was a friend of mine and her family, Olan, BJ, Larry, Deserie and Lonnie. Without their intervention, love and care I am not sure where I would be today. By the time I was 10 years old I was wishing my mom would kill me and get it over with. By the time I was 12 I did not care if I was alive and began to do drugs to kill the pain. It was a nightmare and there was really no end in sight as no one in our family would put a stop to it, and none of our neighbors would do anything about it. By the time I was 13, my head had taken all the blows it could take and on a bad day, extremely violent beating,my mom had blow after blow to the back of my head, cracked it open. She then threw me out of the house and I went down the street dizzy, blood running down my face, to my friends house and her mom was a nurse. She took one look at me and my life changed forever. I thank them for sharing their love, compassion, kindness, care, home, lives over the course of two years. I thank God for them everyday and anyone who would dare to be like them.

Be a Source of Light and Life

Children should not suffer from ill treatment or abuse of any kind. I cannot imagine growing up in a home without violence, hatred, abuse in all it's many forms, neglect and indifference to suffering. I know that I am not alone and that the world has always been full of these tragic offenses and will continue to be as long as there is a lack of education, a lack of hope, a lack of help, and a lack of response from people around the world who refuse to accept that this is a chronic disease to which there is no cure. People who have not experienced abuse of any kind do not realize how important it is to speak up and raise awareness, even if it does not directly affect their lives. I encourage everyone to become educated on human rights and get involved in any way you can. Reach out to someone in need! Be a ray of light and hope to those in your world who need a hand up! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! WE DO COUNT! IT DOES MATTER!

Making a Difference in Someone's Life

How many lives can we change for the better by just doing one simple thing? By giving of ourselves, sharing, mentoring and just being there for someone makes a positive impact on some one's life. Taking the time to spend with our loved ones, making the time to spend with a friend in need, a neighbor who needs a shoulder to cry on, a young adult who needs a mentor, someone positive in their lives who will just listen. That is how easy it really is. We can all take this on as a challenge and take a look around in our own "world" and then be that someone in their life and show them that it does matter, they do count. Be that someone!

Afghans Want Real Freedom Not War, Terror

The new recommendation by Osama Bin Laden is that all Europeans should remove their troops from Afghanistan. This is something the average Afghan citizen does not want. There are too many videos and too many news articles, television shows, media sessions that spell out the fact that Afghanistan does not want any more war, they do not want terrorists either and they do want the US, Canadian, and European troops to stay and support them as they take control of their country back from these oppressors and dictators. The average Afghan citizen will tell you that they want their country to be free, the way it used to be before the Soviet invasion in the late 1970's. These people have only known war, and with the current life expectancy of 45 years, there are not many people in Afghanistan who would have been old enough to know freedom. We need to stay and support the people in Afghanistan who want freedom. They know that so many troops have given their lives to oust the terrorists and they themselves have paid a heavy price as they have never known a time without war and oppression in these last 30 years. Who are we going to listen to? It better be the peacemakers. The people who want a life without fear and hostility, death and poverty. We have to close our ears to people who do not wish for a better world, and open our hearts to those that do.

The Afghan School Project: SAIT Video, Spring 2009

This video is just one example of the many awesome stories coming out of Afghanistan regarding the efforts of some caring people here in Canada. The Canadian International Learning Foundation is a must see. Take a look at their website and videos on YouTube and see for yourself all the great projects they are currently working on. Thank you.

In a World of Make Believe

Regarding the UN talks with Iran's Leader today, I find it funny that someone of that age can still play the game of make believe. We can all make believe that things do not happen in this world, to be honest it is my opinion that half of the world lives in a state of denial, but this does not cover up the truth. Truth is truth. The world has seen and heard and knows that there is real evidence that a certain historical fact has taken place due to physical evidence, photos, journalistic writings, and the actual people who lived through it or saw it, it just cannot be brushed off by someone who just does not want to admit the truth. Truth is truth Mr. Ahmadinejad. Whether we choose to believe it or not, the holocaust happened.

Reminds Me of a Song

Iran, wanting to keep the lid on abuse allegations stemming from the demonstrations that came after the election, is confiscating reports of rape, torture and all manner of human rights abuses. It reminds me of the song called "Voices Carry" by the music group Till Tuesday, that sings these lyrics "Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry, I try so hard not to get upset Because I know all the trouble I'll get" and that my friends is exactly what is happening in Iran and around the world. Coercion, threats and more violations of human rights to those that would dare to expose the perpetrators of all of these heinous crimes. Stand up, Speak up against human rights abuses! It is literally up to you, and me.

Not Just Relief Agencies Bailing Out

Just checking the latest count of Afghan refugees who have taken asylum in Indonesia. The latest count is over 1,300 and that number is low as the real number of asylum seekers is more like 2,400. Now, doesn't this seem silly? Why are the Afghan citizens cramming themselves on tiny boats and floating across the treacherous waters to Indonesia if things are so great at home? These refugees are mostly comprised of displaced Afghans who were in Pakistan and just do not see "home" as a safe place any longer. The even larger groups are mostly from interior Afghanistan and plainly cannot take the insecurity and horrible conditions any longer. With all the aid dollars being pumped into Afghanistan this just makes no sense and should not be happening. It just screams out to the world that there is still so much more work to be done in Afghanistan and that the world needs to step up and continue to stretch our hands out to these desperate people. This is going to be a huge problem for many years to come and will continue to grow worse unless the international community puts pressure on the government to allow more help to be made available to the people of Afghanistan. It is getting way too "top heavy" to do anyone any good. Let's get down to business, the business of helping these people, not hindering them.

International Day Of Peace This Side Of The Globe

Now I will wish everyone a very peaceful and happy day of Peace on this side of the Globe. It is my sincere wish that we all find our peace from within and then pass it on to someone else. In order to have peace in this world, we will all have to make peace a number one priority in our hearts, minds, words, behaviour and actions! It is literally up to you and me! Have a great Peace Day every day!

In Honor of International Day of Peace - September 21, 2009

I feel a desire to wish half the world a Peaceful and Happy International Day of Peace as half the world is celebrating as this post is being written. I extend a special wish to my friend Roya in Afghanistan who will be celebrating with her family today! I wish Peace, Prosperity, Health and Happiness to all the Afghan People, and to all the Canadian Troops around the world. I wish the whole world Peace and Happiness and Health and Prosperity as well and I send a special thank you to all the "Peace Makers" out there doing their job! Now, if we could do this everyday, we might be on to something.

The Problem With Self Immolation In Afghanistan

Suicide, Afghan women style is a serious problem. The real problem with self-immolation and the Afghan women is that it isn't all it's cracked up to be. It is however what untold numbers of Afghan women are doing as a last ditch effort to leave an abusive husband or household. These women, if they survive at all, wake up in the hospital with very little pain relief. They know that they will be scarred for life and the real kicker? They know that they will probably end up back in the same abusive environment they were trying so desperately to escape from in the first place. Doesn't sound like a good game plan to me. We all need to take this matter seriously and reach out to desperate people like these around the globe. This is not okay and the sooner we begin to work to find viable solutions within the context and boundaries of their culture, ideals and beliefs the better. Let's get busy and help push for laws and advances in human rights, the clock is ticking, the match is lit, and the Afghan women are out of time.

Weighing In At The Going Rate

Can we put a price on human life? Can we truly measure what a group of individuals is worth? How much aid is too much? When do we pull the plug? When do we bail out? These are the questions that are resounding everywhere and the biggest question should be how can we come to the conclusion at the end of the day that all of this hard work and humanitarian effort going on all across the globe is not worth the price that we must pay? What about the price our Canadian Troops must pay each day and night? I venture to say that these courageous men and women would tell us that freedom comes with a heavy price tag and to fully comprehend what the prized possession that hangs from that pricey tag is, we need to see with their eyes, the small children whose lives hang in the balance day to day, the old men and handicapped women who are overlooked and have given up, the youth who would choose life and education if it were made available to them. What is the going rate these days? Please, no one answer.

Two Wrongs Will Never Make A Right for a Healthy Afghanistan

The international community at large is witnessing the same problem again regarding the lack of staying power when it comes to Afghanistan. I see this as two wrongs, as this action is just a repeat of the disaster that helped put Afghanistan where it is today as a country and a people. One wrong and one right we have a balance, nothing changes as far as the eradication of poverty and empowerment of individual people to pursue education and the right to life, the right to development and the right to significantly change their lives for the better. Looking ahead to the next generation with the international community's' help, I see an empowered nation, on the road to healing from the destruction and devastation of their country over the last few decades, I see a changed Afghanistan that embraces life and human rights, standing up for the greater good and human dignity. Becoming disengaged with this next generation will be costly as it will mean the crumble and decay of all progress made so far and will greatly impede any humanitarian development for the next generations. We simply cannot afford to close the books, close our eyes, or close our hearts. Two wrongs will never make a right.

We CAN make a difference!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my blog. It is my hope that this blog will be used to promote POSITIVE change in human rights and child rights issues. I believe that we all can make a difference, one person at a time, one family at a time, one community at a time, one country at a time. It does matter. We do count. I encourage everyone who reads my blog to put themselves in someone else's shoes and consider what it would be like to live with their conditions. Please remember that this blog is all about POSITIVE change and therefore negative and rude comments will be removed as spam. Let's be thoughtful of others and learn from each other. Thank you.