The Wall Street Journal is reporting that MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte’s $100 laptop for children in the developing world is one step closer to reality. The laptop is designed to aide in education. Steve Jobs of Apple Computer has offered to license Mac OS X for free on the machines, but the project refused because it is not a Free/Open Source operating system. Several companies are bidding to make the laptops
Category: Equality
Love Is Stronger Than Pride
Japan’s Princess Sayako has recently chosen to wed a non royal ‘commoner’ and has agreed to renounce her title to do it. After saying her farewells to the imperial family, the only daughter of Emperor Akihito abandoned her title as Princess. She is the first to do so in 45 years since her aunt married a non royal in 1960.
In this day and age many formal hiarchies aren’t holding as much power as they used to. For a woman to make a choice to lose her royal status (and royal allowance) for love is not only a very beautiful thing, but a step for woman everywhere who have their fate chosen for them.
The Japanese royal household currently faces a succession crisis, with no male heir produced for 40 years. As a result moves are under way to change the law to let women ascend the throne.
Yay woman power!!!
Protesters Greet Chinese President
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in London this week for a three day visit to have talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Upon arrival he ran into hundreds of human rights protesters waving Tibetan flags and Falung Gong supporters who stood in silent protest. Campaigners hoped to send a strong message to the President to encourage him to meet with the Dalai Lama. Whether this actually happens or not it is a message that Tibetan supporters rarely get the chance to relay as the Tibetan flag is banned in China and Tibet. Demonstrations such as these have led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in Tibet where Jintao declared Martial Law over protests by separatists.
Only one protester was apprehended after the prosession had passed. It was a man waving pro-China flag amidst the Tibetan campaigners.
Female Firefighters in Iran
Iran has something that is unique for the Middle East: the only all-female firefighter squad.
From The Christian Science Monitor:
“Not every rescue requires a feminine touch. But in the Islamic Republic, which tolerates little public mixing of the genders, the 11 women here are breaking new ground and creating a model for cities across the country. They also represent a strain of pragmatic progressivism in Iran that is rarely matched elsewhere in the region.”
Empty Houses in Britain to be Occupied
If a law passes in April next year councils in England can start seizing empty houses and convert them into social housing. The houses can then be renovated and leased out for up to 7 years before the houses are returned to their owners.
This strategy for repurposing housing is predicted to help those who need subsidized housing and help to fight crime. Of course, before the property is seized negotiation will be attempted with the property owner.