Category: Peace

Peaceful Nepal

Nepal had some turmoil earlier this year that brought the country to a basic standstill. Then the fighting sides realized that peace is better than war and decided to end the violence. It’s a LOT more complicated than that, but the good news is that peace in Nepal just needs signatures.

The people of Nepal are getting what they wanted.

“The six-point agreement, which was reached at midnight on Tuesday November 7, 2006, included provisions that will lead to the signing of a comprehensive peace accord on November 16, which will mark the end to the armed conflict between the Maoist insurgents and the Government of Nepal.”

Explosive Coffee

In Ethiopia, a man uses spent shell casings to make coffee machines. I love it when people use former weapons of destruction to make something that can be used everyday in a constructive way. It shows a willingness to acknowledge the past while building a better today, plus some neat human ingenuity!

“The shells were dropped in Ethiopia during the war with Eritrea. They were dropped so people hid them in their homes and now they sell them,” Mr Azmeraw says.

“He cuts off the pointed ends, seals them and puts holes into the aluminium cylinder. The cylinder channels the water, coffee and milk.”

Open Sourced, Except for Killing

robot attacksThe GPL is designed to let people modify the code for almost any purpose. Every so often the GPL is modified to reflect our changing needs and wants of software.

Right now there is a debate whether or not to include Isaac Asimov’s first law of robotics:

“A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”

I hope this is included into the GPL even if it isn’t really enforceable.

US Congress Supports Peace

logo of the organization Unbeknownst to me, the United States Congress has been funding the US Institute of Peace since 1984. Recently they updated their website and have made it a lot better, they’ve added podcasting, and archived recordings. The USIP also offers online training. You should check out their impressive Library!

“Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and democratic transformations, and increase peacebuilding capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide. The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by its direct involvement in peacebuilding efforts around the globe. “