A Few Important Things

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/09/10/child-mortality-unicef.html

The rate at which children under five are dying continued to fall in 2008, but 99 per cent of these child deaths still occur in poor countries, according to a paper released on Thursday.

Based on estimated mortality rates, the number of child deaths declined to an estimated 8.8 million last year from 12.5 million in 1990, when the Millennium Development Goals to reduce world poverty were set, UNICEF said.

So according to this news story, although tens of thousands of children continue to die every day of preventable causes every day-- 10,000 less die per day than they did 19 years ago. A reason to have hope and to keep fighting for social justice and human rights.


And also... the current situation unfolding in Honduras (where many of my friends here are supposed to be right now, but due to the border being closed they are not).



http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/29/honduras.president/index.html

After a coup in which the previous president, Zelaya, was ousted by the military and other government forces and an interim president (or dictator, depending on how you want to look at it) Micheletti was installed, there are still clashes and uprisings in this poor country. Now that Zelaya has snuck back in the country and is camping out in the Brazilian embassy, a controversial emergency decree limiting some freedoms in Honduras remained in place Tuesday, despite de facto President Roberto Micheletti's stated intention to repeal it.

The controversy over the decree, which limits constitutional rights such as freedoms of expression, travel and public congregation, became the latest obstacle toward a resolution between Micheletti and deposed President Jose Manuel Zelaya.