Category: Equality

WHO Paves Way for Medicines for the Poor

The World Health Organization is actually going to try to make drugs more affordable for the majority of the world.

“The resolution approved by the Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO), urges the 192 member states to make the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals a strategic sector, thus committing themselves to making R&D of medicines consistent with public interest needs a priority.

This was the response of health ministers at last week’s meeting in Geneva to the concerns of developing countries and humanitarian non-governmental organisations, which criticised the tendency of transnational pharmaceutical companies to concentrate their R&D efforts on diseases prevalent in affluent countries. “

Randomly Generated Education

A handheld deceived used by a teacher can encourage better learning by randomly generating names to call on in class. The device was created to try to get teachers to call on girls as much as boys so all can learn equally, but an additional benefit is that it helps to keep kids focused.

Maybe it’s the fear of randomly being called upon to answer questions that keep kids focused, or perhaps the success lies in making everyone feel included.

“When teachers use a handheld computer that randomly selects which student to call on, even shy or reluctant pupils will be included in class discussions–and students pay more attention as a result, the researcher found.”

Amnesty International Invites Webmasters to Defeat Censorship

Worldwide human rights group, Amnesty International has begun a project called irrepressable.info to monitor and circumvent internet censorship.

The website gives visitors the opportunity to place a small box on their own sites which contains a snippet of censored information.

Africa Freedom Day

Today, May 25th, is Africa Freedom day!

One World Africa has nice article written about the Africa Freedom day. Since Africa Freedom day started good progress as been made on the continent, the article looks at both the good and the bad developments in the last 40 years. Let’s hope that the spirit that Africa Freedom day represents is never forgotten.

“Africa Freedom day which falls on 25th May, is a day in which as Africans we observe the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and pay tribute to the Heads of State, who through a common vision of unity, decided to seek a joint African solution to the dichotomy facing Africa in the 1960s.

Forty-one years ago, leaders of the African Continent decided to establish the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Driven by a common aspiration towards de-colonisation, liberation, equality, justice and progress, an inter-African organisation of independent states was founded. “

Helping out Darfur

Canada’s Prime Minister announced that we’re gonna step in and help the troubled Darfur region of Sudan with $40-million in foreign aid.

“First, working through the United Nations, the lead organization on the ground, we will help to provide urgently needed necessities like food and water, deliver medical care to the afflicted and the suffering and build desperately-needed sanitation services,” Stephen Harper said on May 23, 2006.

Humanitarian needs, such as food, water and sanitation are of the highest importance here, but steps will also be taken to implement the Darfur peace agreement. The suffering people of Darfur will finally get some much needed help! The UN has also decided to step in with a peacekeeping force.