Topic: Oxfam International

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Keep Calm
Rains cool off war in South Sudan (+video)

The six month rainy season gives time for Sudan and South Sudan to make progress in resolving differences. But the wet weather will strain the sanitation systems in refugee camps.
Girl Scouts under scrutiny from Catholic bishops

Conservative criticism of alleged Girl Scouts policy on sexuality, birth control, and abortion pulls the organization back into the culture wars with an investigation by Catholic bishops. It's not the first time the girls have been caught in political crossfire.
Report: Ethiopians could still go hungry despite economic gains

With its population of 91 million expected to double in the next 22 years, and a drier climate, Ethiopia will have trouble feeding its people, a new report says.
Change Agent
'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games' fans urged to do good

Movies can inspire social action, says Andrew Slack, head of the Harry Potter Alliance. He challenges fans to 'fight injustices in our world the way [Harry Potter] fought injustices in his world.'
'Hunger Games' fandom: Can it become a force for good?

'The Hunger Games' is filled with themes of social justice, but efforts to motivate the fandom to fight hunger and join other causes have faltered. The films could change that.
Africa Monitor
Chad: a closer look at the food crisis

The current food crisis in Chad could affect 3.6 million people, writes guest blogger Alex Thurston.
Africa Monitor
Joseph Kony 2012: It's fine to 'Stop Kony' and the LRA. But Learn to Respect Africans.

Invisible Children's viral campaign to 'Stop Kony' is a powerful use of social media in activism. But by focusing on what Americans can do, they are undermining the role of Africans.
African droughts: Could insurance schemes help out?

Aid groups are appealing for proactive action, as Horn of Africa drought persists. Could insurance schemes for poor farmers and drought-prone nations provide the answer?
Will a London conference help set Somalia on path to peace?

Somalia aid groups and experts welcome renewed international attention, but warn that a focus on either state-building or military action alone could make things worse rather than better.
Change Agent
Crisis Action makes a big noise using quiet citizen diplomacy

Crisis Action acts like a coach or talent scout for humanitarian and other citizen groups – but always behind the scenes.
Helpers in a hostile world: the risk of aid work grows

Some 242 aid workers were killed in 2010, up from 91 a decade before. Is 'humanitarian space' shrinking, or are aid groups spreading out to more conflict zones than before?
Famine ends in Somalia, as drought looms in West Africa

Aid groups say that improved harvests and food donations have ended risk of starvation, but warn that ongoing war in Somalia could still reverse gains made.
Africa asks itself: Where is the aid money?

African nations pledged five months ago to do more to help each other when famine and disaster strike. But so far, they haven't come up with the promised cash.
Mistreatment of Afghan women caused by far more than Taliban

The recent murder of an Afghan woman for giving birth to a daughter, rather than a son, has captured international attention and serves as a reminder that mistreatment of women is culturally tolerated.
Global News Blog
Aid groups: With new Africa drought looming, donors must speed response

Aid groups warned that a drought was coming to the Horn of Africa in 2011, and say now that a late response by donor nations unnecessarily cost thousands of lives. 
Change Agent
Honduras envisions building a Caribbean 'Hong Kong'

A poor Central American country, Honduras, is pondering creating a new semi-independent 'charter city' that would play by different rules and become an engine for economic growth.
Haiti struggles to 'build back better' two years after earthquake (+video)

Many of those displaced by Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake have been relocated, and buildings and roads repaired. But reconstruction in Haiti has been complicated by deep economic and social problems.
Somalia's Al Shabab Islamists are on the run

But the Somali officials, backed by international forces, are too busy fighting among themselves to govern.
New wrappings for Christmas giving

Social media, a slow economy, and other trends are forcing big changes in holiday gift-giving and charity donations. But trends in giving still point toward the spirit of Christmas.
Famine alert: West Africa still has time to avoid 2012 food crisis

A Famine Early Warning System – which accurately predicted the 2011 drought in the Horn of Africa – warns that millions of West Africans may face a food crisis in 2012.
Somali Islamists ban aid groups, renewing famine concerns

Somalia's Islamist insurgency banned Western aid agencies from its territory, raising concerns that famine could return to parts of the northeast African nation.
Why Obama is sending troops to Africa – a closer look

The 100 US Special Operations troops sent to central Africa will act as 'military advisers' in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the murderous rebel leader of the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group.
Kenyans ask if military attack in Somalia has exit strategy

Kenya's military incursion into Somalia, provoked by string of kidnappings by Al Qaeda-affiliated group Al Shabab, have some Kenyans asking whether the risks are worthwhile.
Beyond Viktor Bout: How to stop the next 'Lord of War'

Viktor Bout, the world's most notorious arms trafficker escaped trial for decades by exploiting a patchwork of international laws on arms trade. His case underscores the need for an international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate arms sales and hold "merchants of death" accountable.
Terrorism & Security
Yemen violence erupts after months of stalemate (video)

Nearly 50 people have been killed as Yemeni protesters and loyalists forces have clashed in the capital. A key source of tension is the weakened president's failure to transfer power.