I wish all people with writing jobs had their community… Just imagine that: writers society.. Translators, poets, writers…

People with common interests and occupation. And no more misundestanding and conflicts. Sounds great for me.

Too bad its just an utopia 

Last month, seven defectors were gunned down by North Korean border guards as they crossed the frozen Yalu river along the country’s border with China. Five of them were killed instantly; the other two were dragged, wounded, back across the border with permission from Chinese authorities. This incident is reportedly the first of its kind – observers say that North Korean border guards have never shot refugees once they made it to the Chinese side – and may indicate that border guards have been ordered to crack down on the rapidly increasing numbers of defectors.

From the time of the Korean armistice to the early 90s, there were few known defectors from North Korea, and most of these were either military personnel or political figures. According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, there were an estimated 14,000 defectors between 1953 and 2005, and only 607 of those escaped before 1989. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, however, North Korea lost its largest trading partner, which set off a period of industrial decline, and the subsequent decline of its communist neighbors made the problem worse. This also took its toll on the country’s input-heavy agricultural system, whose output began to decline at an alarming rate. Then, when a series of natural disasters (including severe flooding and a major drought) hit the country during the 90s, leading to widespread famine. The pace of defection began to pick up in 1994 and has increased steadily ever since as food insecurity and economic decay continues to plague the country. Videos obtained by the Sunday Telegraph with footage from North Korea, show harrowing footage of people starving and fed up with corrupt officials.

For those who flee, there are few options, and they never truly feel safe. Even among refugees, who are already overlooked and marginalized, North Koreans are invisible. China, where the vast majority of defectors flee, considers them illegal economic migrants; refugee agencies such as UNHCR are denied access to them, and it is illegal to even try to count them. Chinese citizens who provide assistance to them are harshly punished. Many of those who flee remain in the border areas, hiding in safehouses or with family members. Others work to save up enough money to flee to neighboring Thailand, or to make it to a South Korean embassy, where they will be granted amnesty and allowed to settle in South Korea. They are hunted the entire way by Chinese authorities, who deport as many as 300 defectors per week. Even when they are resettled, whether in South Korea close by or even as far away as the U.S. (which has officially resettled 100 or so North Korean refugees), defectors are guarded and work tirelessly to keep their identities hidden, as family members who stay behind are often punished if the regime discovers that a relative escaped.

As long as the North Korean regime remains what it is, little stands to change for defectors in any kind of major way. There are, however, some concrete ways to make the transition substantially easier for those who choose to leave. While South Korea accepts asylum seekers from the North and is the leading country for resettlement, the South Korean government is reluctant to make moves that risk provoking the North; in light of last year’s sinking of the Cheonan and the January shelling Yeonpyong, it is not difficult to understand why. Also, both China and South Korea maintain that a large exodus of asylum seekers would destabilize North Korea and force them to deal with the economic consequences, citing the re-absorption of East Germany as an example. If both of these countries started small, however, coordinated with other nations and emphasized resettlement as a humanitarian initiative (rather than a political move), then they could diminish the risk of angering the North and would greatly relieve the suffering of a population that has suffered under the repressive burdens of the Kim regime. Unfortunately, it does not look like China will be changing its tune any time soon. While the status quo is maintained, defectors will continue to brave the dangers and take their chances to obtain a shaky freedom – and those who stay behind will be left behind.

The blog named above has had a changed address.
This is because it doesn’t have to carry my name: Sabbath.
That was for time being.
It’s for whoever needs to share artistic works. You would not mind clicking on:

www.artlab-arts.blogspot.com

Sorry for incovenience.

This BBC video-clip describes the latest ingenious project from Sugata Mitra, an Indian-born professor at Newcastle University. You’ll most likely know Mitra from his Hole in the Wall computers set into the walls of buildings in India’s poorest slums. Mitra’s new project uses the «UK Granny Cloud» — a large group of British grannies who’ve agreed to volunteer an hour a week to tutor Indian classrooms over Skype video conferences — to supplement education in Indian schools where there is a shortage of teachers. (pulled from Boing Boing)

Contents:

* Causes of insecurity in Kakuma
* Drop out girls in the camp and reasons for this
* widening of roads camp wide declared by the camp manager
* Introduaction of solar panels in refugee schools by EDP
* Goals of EDP and its work with partner organizations
* Improvement in girls enrolment
* Individual refugee houses will have a switch
* Police and GSU to have access to refugee comunities

To read more log on to: www.artlab-sabbath.blogspot.com
 

A miracle peeved the massive analysis. A baby boy was fortunately rescued in a pit latrine, half a meter deep, on eighth of January, 2010 at six o’clock in the morning. His biological mother is a Ugandan. Naboya, the boy’s mother is an orphan, of sixteen years old living in Kakuma refugee camp.
She surprisingly delivered in a latrine on seventh of January, 2010 at eight o’clock in the evening. This girl had obtained credible maximum of nine months pregnancy, keeping the secret in her heart not anticipating an emergency, thus the message not delivered to her relatives.

She was an active girl learning in Anjelina Joli Primary School, located under Kalemchuch hill alongside Lodwar-Lokichoggio road. She did her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) last year. The pregnancy was not detected because her belly didn’t appear like that of a pregnant woman or a girl. They thought it was her normal stomach when she has eaten to satisfaction. It was so bad for all her relatives believed in her as a lady who could not meddle in sex.

No body knew she could deliver on that day. «Her delivery emerged, as she demanded going to the latrine,» said the child development worker like she was told.
On reaching the latrine she released the child into the pit. She stood up and discovered her libian Minora, in pain. The latter discovered the blood coming out and told Eveline in the morning about it.
According to the eye witness, Eveline, and the staff concern with the welfare of children, she delivered in the evening and the child was rescued the following morning at six. This was after spending forteen hours in the pit with dried waste products which had taken many years without being used rather than the normally used one.

Eveline, followed up where she had gone to that evening. She visited the latrine and found the blood surrounding the pit. Moreover, she saw the child looking up to the reflected light inside the latrine. She ran calling on neighbours extensively and the community members to rescue the baby. Anxious, they came with no confidence of getting the baby alive and fortunatley rescued him. This lucky baby boy, has a jaw injury but not fractured.

Immediately, the police was called. Ashamed of herself, Naboya-the mother and her son were rushed to IRC main hospital. They’re not discharged yet undertaking treatment.

A very interesting discussion by Michael Barutciski and Catherine Dauvergne on Australian asylum policies. In French and English.

http://globalbrief.ca/blog/2010/10/13/asylum-the-tamil-boat-and-the-australian-way/

Despite mentality that keyboarding has experts, not an individual can take expertise. For long typing, fingers pain and keyboarders error on documents. Secondly, if you think of somebody or something you love so; a girlfriend, wife, husband, boyfriend or favorite food, you end up typing it. After meeting Muthoni, I ended up typing Muthoni which was not the name I wanted. Jerome Sebwadaga of Digital computer training college, Kakuma and the executive director of Kanere told me he had once typed ant instead of weigh which the computer didn’t highlight.

They say keyboard enters errors but without a person it can’t. This shows that carelessness of a keyboarder is all it is. Rushing to send or post an article or a report onto the web or print out an office document make people find errors on the web and regret later when they read it unpolished standing as shame to them and chases some readers who think they can’t enter errors yet they do. Speed is valued more than accuracy by many keyboarders as well. It has no faith in it. Polishing before sending any issue or attaching any document is the treatment. Prevention works best. It stops spoiled printout of an office work too. To others who fear running time and later costs of internet, they can’t help it.

In areas like Kakuma where Cyber Cafe is only one with no printer, or use of Microsoft word to create documents, life is hard. Not going through the document that is polishing, is inevitable. Internet causes replication and words not correctly used by the writer or keyboarder are unlikely to be found. Running time threatens-a race. Incorrect grammar and sentences highlighted by the machine in most cases at some places are not.

Keenness, accuracy and speed need uniformity. NGOs in Kakuma and I believe elsewhere employ clerks based on these factors. Those who type without looking onto the keyboard but onto the monitor are the experts, leave alone how many errors they make. Once in this institutions, one is eager to work free from threats; for machines belong to the organization, thus ample time to do office work as you please.
Acceptable words in English intended not to be used still sneak into documents. Polishing is needed as well-a key to successful delivery of information.

Errors belittle writers and entirely keyboarders. Keyboarding is taught in various institutions as a programme opened on the computer. It’s called Mavis tutor/beacon. This directs learners on what and how to type. It gives exams, awards marks and sometimes print out certificates for the learners. Readers who need polished work too mistake. It’s a two-way critique.
What matters is:

Is the intended message delivered?

By Nyak Simon, Thor Dak and Sabbath De Yecouba

As the polling dragged this morning, at eight o’clock, amazement overrode southern Sudan refugees to march and run into the polling center, former Rajaf Primary School.

This delight was a reminder of the last civil war which had lost lives of Southerners. Some military drilled with woods or metals and sang military songs. «We don’t need results, we’re independent today,» said Peter in this group of delighted women, disables and young people celebrating referendum day before the results. Peter from Nairobi called on phone saying,»Let them cast votes first and celebrate later.» These two groups carried the flag of Southern Sudan and the cross which they said led them during the civil war.

This made the center unstable and the hands of influencers were felt. These were reported as men and a lady from an anonymous Southern Sudanese community. According to the report from the voters, men were seated in the queue neither moving forward to vote nor leaving. They influenced the people outside to vote for unity using their mother tongue and Arabic not understood by some Sudanese. The lady in the room influenced people from her tribe to cast votes of unity as well. She was said to be in a red T-shirt. Young men began opening windows and one of them said,»My dear friend, we don’t need unity.» Not only him, but others were eager to see and torture her.

Eventually, Mr. Manyok, in-charge of the center, classified this as an allegation yet others were insisting he was depending his staffs. «If it was perfect, I could have reported as a person in-charge,» he said.

This however didn’t affect willingness to vote. Sooner as the second group flagged in, Elizabeth said,»We need to vote for independence. I believe in God to bring peace.» Most of the voters were yearning,»Close that of unity.» This was not to confuse them vote for unity because the box had two different openings; one for unity and the other for separation. Aged, disables and some recognized personnel’s were directly taken into the voting room.

Aged are willing to vote for freedom of their children, grand children and grand-grand children.

Civic educators are restless, encouraging people to vote. Most of the voters put ahead God to decide for what’s good for them casting their votes. «Be calm and vote. A citizen should do the best for their nation,» shouted Victoria, in Clinic-two, the next referendum center.

The center in clinic two is much organized. Augustino Loro, the head of that center assured the RRN Journalists to have collected information if they had permits or Identity cards showing their working with the NGOs. «Go and contact SSRC representatives in Nairobi by mail or the organization you are working with to give you either a permit or an Identity document,» he urged.

There is not much to say about the first day even though challenges emerged. Security is tight. They check people entering into the polling centres. Only those with voting cards are free to move in and out to vote. Different observers were available including various media groups.

The message still goes to the people to vote first and celebrate later.

Overconfidence is another enemy.

Better those who danced and sang after casting their votes successfully.
 

Copyright 2011 Jessica Keralis

Add Laurent Gbagbo to a long list of heads of state who do not understand the concept of losing gracefully.

On November 28, 2010, opposition leader and former Ivorian prime minister Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner in a run-off election against incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo. Despite several incidents of violence, the election was largely considered to be free and fair. The UN’s Independent Electoral Commission announced Ouattara as the winner on December 2, but unfortunately, this was not good enough for Gbagbo. Immediately after the Commission’s announcement, Paul Yao N’Dre, the president of the country’s Constitutional Council (and an ally of Gbagbo), declared the results invalid and, the next day, proclaimed Gbagbo to be the winner of the election. The Council threw out half a million votes from seven regions in the north (Ouattara’s support base), stating that “[t]he irregularities are of such a nature that they invalidate the vote.” The result is, as usual, chaos: both Gbagbo and Ouattara have declared themselves president and taken the oath of office. The military has closed the borders and implemented an overnight curfew; international news sources are suspended. Although the UN, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the U.S., and France have all recognized Ouattara as the winner, Gbagbo insists that he won and proclaims that he is “not looking to be loved by them.” He retains control of the country’s military, and the golden rule of international politics is (as we all know) whoever has the guns makes the rules. Gbagbo has also demanded that the UN peacekeeping force, which is guarding Ouattara and his newly-appointed cabinet in a hotel in Abidjan, leave the country. Youssoufou Bamba, Ouattara’s appointed UN envoy, has appealed to the UN to take action, warning that Côte d’Ivoire is “on the brink of genocide.”

As the pressure, and violence, escalates, Ivorians are leaving the country in droves. As 2010 came to a close, over 18,000 refugees had fled to neighboring Liberia, Guinea, and Ghana. UNHCR estimates that 400-500 Ivorians cross the border into Liberia every day; 55% are women, and 62% are children. Families have reported walking several hours, even days, through the bush to get to barges that will take them to neighboring countries. No political alliance predominates: the group contains both Gbagbo’s and Ouattara’s supporters, who have said that they are seeking asylum due to fear of another civil war. Many refugees show up injured, malnourished, or ill with conditions such as malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhea. Some have even reported being prevented from leaving the country by armed forces and having to travel extra distance to cross the border. UNHCR has spent $53 million to position aid and emergency services to assist up to 30,000 refugees, but they are struggling to deal with the influx of the displaced. Some houses have up to 20 family members crammed into one room. Others sleep in corridors, on verandas, or just outside.

Unfortunately, this kind of election fall-out is par for the course in Africa (and elsewhere); the world saw the same story in Zimbabwe and Kenya. What is different this time, however, is the response: African voices, in addition to international ones, are calling for Gbagbo to step down. ECOWAS has been attempting to negotiate a transfer of power. They have offered Gbagbo amnesty if he steps down, but if he does not, they will oust him by force. The outcome of this standoff will have significant implications for the future of African politics: if ECOWAS follows through and makes Gbagbo face the music, other leaders may think twice about ignoring election results. If they back down, however, and broker some kind of power-sharing agreement (à la Zimbabwe), then it will only reinforce the standard protocol of ignoring election results if you control the military. In addition to the political statement it will make, the ultimate result of the Ivorian election will determine the fate of a ballooning population of refugees whose memories of the country’s last civil war are all too fresh.