BlackCherryMagazine Online

Militants Ban Aid To Starving Somalis

2011-07-22T19:54:00.001-04:00

Islamist militants in Somalia have reversed a pledge to allow foreign aid agencies to operate in famine-struck regions in the nation.

''The lift of ban on aid agencies doesn't include the agencies that we banned earlier in areas we control because those agencies don't do relief work, they are spies and work on political agendas'," Al-Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamud Raage said Thursday on the militants' radio station, Al Furqaan.

His announcement reverses his pledge this month that militants would allow aid groups to operate in areas under their control.

Al-Shabaab originally banned foreign aid organizations from providing aid in southern Somalia in 2009, describing them as Western spies and Christian crusaders.

The ban included the United Nations Development Programme, World Food Programme and CARE International. The World Food Programme has said that a new dialogue -- but not negotiations -- is under way with the group.

Raage accused the groups of having a political agenda in declaring a famine in Somalia.

''The U.N. said that there is famine in Somalia. That is not true. It is a lie and they are politicizing the issue," he said. "We only have drought in Somalia, not famine."

Aid groups issued an urgent appeal this week for international help, saying Somalia faces a famine that has left half of the population in dire need.

Somalia is battling its worst drought in 60 years, sending tens of thousands walking for days into both Kenya and Ethiopia in search of food and water.

"Nearly 3.7 million people are now in crisis," U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

Aid agencies estimate that 10 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Somalia are at risk of famine.

Conflict in Somalia is adding to the problem as government forces battle militants in the capital of Mogadishu. The Horn of Africa nation has not had an effective government for two decades.

source: CNN

Former Model Kicked Off JetBlue After Officials Ask If She's Wearing Underwear

2011-07-22T17:48:00.006-04:00

A Harlem financial consultant wants JetBlue to pay for booting her off a Florida-bound flight after an airline worker accused her of not wearing panties.

Malinda Knowles, 27, claims in a Queens Supreme Court lawsuit that a

JetBlue supervisor put a walkie-talkie between her legs to see what she had on under her baggy T-shirt.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to see your panties or anything but do you have any on?’” Knowles recalled yesterday.

“I didn’t want to show him anything. He wanted me to basically show him my crotch. I was completely humiliated. It was vulgar. It was macho. It was rude.”

She said fellow passengers on the July 13, 2010, flight to West Palm Beach watched in horror as she was confronted.

The former fashion model said she was wearing a baggy blue T-shirt over a pair of dark denim short-shorts she had tossed on after waking up at 4 a.m.

Knowles said she was escorted off the plane at LaGuardia Airport.

She was taken to a hangar, where she lifted up her T-shirt to prove she met the dress code.

"Oh, she’s wearing shorts,’” the JetBlue fashion police responded, according to Knowles.

“It was really crazy,” she said. “I’ve never had a corporate employee ask me about my underwear.”

Her lawyer, Brian Dratch, is seeking unspecified damages in the civil claim that accuses the airline worker of assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“This caused plaintiff great embarrassment and humiliation to be expelled from the flight for no reason at all in front of a fully booked flight,” Dratch said in the suit.

A JetBlue spokeswoman declined to comment.

After showing off her shorts, Knowles returned to the plane, but was told by the same walkie-talkie-wielding supervisor that the pilot would not take off with her aboard.

“He said, ‘The captain is refusing to fly you today. We need to remove you from the flight,’” said Knowles, quoting the supervisor. “We need to remove you from the flight.”

As passengers grew upset and grumbled about the delay, Knowles acquiesced.

She was delayed four hours and put on a later JetBlue flight to Florida,where she had a business meeting.

"You should get a lawyer,’” a fellow passenger told her as she walked off the plane.

“I really feel like the guy just wanted to demean me in some way,” she said. “Maybe he thought I was cute. Even so, it was totally inappropriate.”

source:http://www.nydailynews.com

A Doll That Teaches Young Children To BREASTFEED Launches

2011-07-19T16:31:00.002-04:00

A doll that teaches young girls how to breast feed, which is about to hit stores across the U.S., has prompted a wave of complaints from angry parents.
Makers of The Breast Milk Baby claim that the doll, which simulates breastfeeding, allows children to experience the 'magic of motherhood'.

But parents have spoken out in anger over the toy, which they have slammed as 'totally bizarre'.
Controversial: Spanish toy makers have launched The Breast Milk Baby on the U.S. market claiming that it lets young girls experience the 'magic of motherhood'

The doll comes with a bib for the child to wear, with pink flowers indicating the nipple area.
When held to the breast the doll makes suckling noises, and start crying if it is not burped afterwards.

Parents have complained that the doll, which has only been available online in the U.S. until now, is inappropriate for young girls.
'I think that it’s totally bizarre to teach a prepubescent child how to breastfeed,' Nicole from Manhattan told CBS News. 'Quite strange.'

Breast is best: Breast Milk Baby latches on to a flower-shaped nipple, emitting a suckling sound
'I think it’s very creepy,' another woman told the network. 'I don’t think little kids should be breastfeeding.'
'I don’t approve of it at all. I think it’s ridiculous for a child. Let her learn it when she’s older,' one woman told CBS News.
Dennis Lewis, U.S. spokesman for Berjuan Toys responded: 'The whole purpose of The Breast Milk Baby is to teach children the nurturing skills they’ll need to raise their own healthy babies in the future.
'We really don’t understand why this has created such controversy.'
And though the overwhelming response has been negative, there are some parents that believe the Breast Milk Baby is harmless.

Educational: Makers of The Breast Milk Baby claim that the doll teaches 'children the nurturing skills they'll need to raise their own healthy babies in the future.'
Scott from Manhattan told CBS News that he would not buy the doll, but said: 'Make a product, if it sells, it sells.'
The range of six dolls are available in both sexes and a range of different ethnicities, retailing for $89 each.
Released in Spain two years ago under the name Bebe Gloton, meaning greedy baby, the toy was widely criticised by parents that felt it promoted the sexualisation of children.

Jamaican bride flees 20 MINUTES after joining new husband in UK, and he paid £5,000 for her visa

2011-07-19T16:02:00.000-04:00

A charity worker who spent £5,000 bringing his new Jamaican bride to the UK was left heartbroken after she abandoned him within 20 minutes of walking through his front door.

Johnny Gannon spent thousands arranging a visa for 24-year-old Patrice Chambers so they could live in marital bliss in his council flat in Perth, Scotland.

But as soon as Patrice arrived in Perth, she sent trusting Mr Gannon, 57, out to buy Pot Noodles. When he returned she grabbed her bags and told him she was going.

Happily married: Mr Gannon pictured with his new wife after they married in Jamaica
Within 20 minutes of arriving through his front door she had flagged down a car and caught a train. He found out she had also run up a £500 bill on his mobile phone.

Heartbroken Mr Gannon, who married Patrice in Jamaica early this year, believes his new wife fled to Bristol to meet a Jamaican boyfriend with whom she had organised the scheme.

He told the Daily Mirror: 'I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with Patrice but I think she had planned all along to do this.

'My relationship with her wasn’t something I’d done by mail order.

'I’ve known her for two years and it seemed very much like the real thing to me. She has used me and I feel humiliated.

'I had a vision of happiness laid out. I feel like a bit of a fool.'

Divorced Mr Gannon had originally met Patrice while on holiday. After their wedding he returned to Perth to arrange her visa and over the next few months sent her a total of £5,000 to sort out her papers ahead of her flight to Edinburgh on Saturday.

Mr Gannon has since reported the incident to police and plans to contact UK Border Agency officials to try and have his wife's visa revoked.

Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk

131 Children Vaccinated At Gunpoint In Malawi

2011-07-19T13:31:00.001-04:00

MIKE LANGA-LULANGA

Malawi Voice

About 131 children from Nsanje who fled into neighboring Mozambique during the anti measles vaccine a few months ago were vaccinated this week at gunpoint.
The children, belonging to Zion and Atumwi Churches were taken into Mozambique by their parents to hide them from officials fearing they might get vaccinated.

According to Dr Medison Matchaya District Health Officer for Nsanje, medics went to vaccine the children in Nsanje under police escort.

“We were alerted that some children who were hiding in Mozambique were back in the country and we asked police to escort the health officials in order to vaccinate them and we have managed to vaccinate about 131 children,” said Matchaya.

In a related development Mchinji Third Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced Appolo Chitsonga of the Seventh Day Apostolic faith to two years imprisonment for refusing his three children to access measles vaccine.

Chitsonga found himself on the wrong side of the law on September 17 after he refused his children to access free measles vaccine.

According to Police prosecutor, Chipiliro Kalimira, Chitsonga who is a senior member of his church locked his children inside a house to prevent them from receiving the vaccine and one child is believed to have died of measles.

Chitsonga whose church doctrine do not allow taking any medication and only believes in prayer for healing, pleaded guilty to the charges and asked the court to be lenient with him since is keeping orphans.

Magistrate Robert Mbewa, found Chitsonga guilty of an offence of endangering life by failing to supply necessities of life to a person under ones care without lawful excuse according to section 242 of the penal code.

Chitsonga, who hails from Majamanda Village in the area of Traditional Authority Makwangwala in Ntcheu, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment with hard labor.

Britain Links Homophobia In Africa To Foreign aid

2011-07-15T16:16:00.002-04:00

The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, in a speech to the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community in London hinted that in future it may be part of Britain’s policy to link aid with the extent to which homosexuals are treated in Africa. He spoke about three issues that concern him as far as human rights for homosexuals were concerned. The third important issue was Africa and the treatment of Gays on the continent.

Here is an excerpt of Cameron’s speech pertaining to Africa:
The third issue, where I think we are making progress as a government, and I think an area where we have the ability to make progress, is the fact that gay people can be appallingly treated in other parts of the world, particularly in Africa.

Now, we’ve had to make a lot of difficult decisions as a government and we’ve had to make lots of tough decisions but I’m very proud of the fact, in spite of the fact that it’s not always popular, we have made the difficult, but I believe the right, decision, to maintain a commitment to 0.7 per cent of our national income going in aid to the poorest countries by 2013. It’s a huge commitment for Britain to make, alone in the world. Everywhere is breaking their promises … we are keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world. And I think this is right morally because as a rich country, we should be helping the poorest people in the world.

But it also has a spin-off benefit of giving us some moral authority in the world to talk to other leaders and governments about our relationship with them and what we expect from them. I’m very proud of the fact we [put] huge pressure on the leader of Malawi about an issue in that country but I’m convinced we can do more. We have got the ability to speak to African leaders, African governments, about this issue that I know concerns everyone here tonight. And it concerns me.

What does South Sudan’s independence mean for women?

2011-07-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

On 9 July 2011 the world witnessed the birth of a nation — South Sudan, Africa’s 54th country. In an interview with UN Women, South Sudan’s Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Agnes Lasuba weighs in on the country’s independence and what it means for women.

What does South Sudan’s independence mean for women?
South Sudan means a lot for women because they went through hardships during more than 20 years of war. For those women who lost their husbands and sons, they are overjoyed because their spouses and sons did not die in vain, they fought for freedom and South Sudan got freedom. To women it also means peace and stability. It is time for them to develop themselves because during the war they could not progress. With freedom things will be different — things will be better. The independence will bring basic services, like access to health, education, sanitation and clean drinking water to name a few.

What role did women play in achieving South Sudan’s independence?

The women of South Sudan played various roles to achieve independence. During war they picked up arms. Others were mobilizers and others were taking care of the wounded, the sick and the elderly. And others were yearning for peace and they took it upon themselves to lobby other people and other countries, so that there could be peace for them and for their children. Although few women were involved in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement negotiations, a significant number of women voted during the South Sudan referendum in January 2011.

Why is women’s political representation and participation important?

Politicians make many decisions for their countries and women are part of any society. Hence, they should have a say on issues concerning them and their children. So it’s important for women to be part of politics, because they can echo the needs of women. Also they can speak on issues of rape and human rights abuse better than men because they are mainly the victims.

Years and years ago being in politics was seen as a man’s privilege only and no women would go into it because they would be labeled as bad women. After going through the struggles of the liberation war, this changed. From 2005 to 2010, women made up 28 of the 170 parliament members in the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. From 2011 to 2015 women made up 52 out of the 170 honorable parliament members. The number of women nearly doubled. I hope in the next elections in four years, the number of women will go up to one hundred so that they — as a majority in parliament — put in place laws that are appropriate to protect women, such as for child rapists to be imprisoned for life.

What are some of the main challenges women face in South Sudan?

Women face many challenges, such as poverty, low literacy rates, maternal mortality and domestic violence. For women to move on, they need economic empowerment, because a large percentage of them live in poverty. They need political empowerment to speak on behalf of women. They need civic education to be more aware of national and state issues. On top of this, some men perceive gender equality as if it is a women’s issue. We are trying to work hard to recruit men to be ambassadors on gender. This is because if gender and human rights are not implemented and women and girls are treated in the traditional way — where 13- or 14-year-old girls are married and are not given opportunities to education and employment, for instance — South Sudan will remain underdeveloped. Women are developers. They even develop men from the womb up to adulthood. Therefore, women should play a key role in nation building.

The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare in partnership with UN Women in South Sudan have started to work together to tackle some of the issues on, for example, capacity building, gender mainstreaming, gender-budgeting, literacy and other issues outlined in the UN Millennium Development Goals.

What are your hopes for South Sudan’s women moving forward?

My hopes for the women of South Sudan are many. I hope that by 2015, women of South Sudan will be 50/50 with men in parliament. I also hope for more women in South Sudan to be literate. I am happy to say for our young generation, we are already seeing an increase. In 2006, the Ministry of Education came out with a “go to school” campaign. President Salva Kiir also echoed the girl child education in most of his speeches. Now the ministry tells us there are more girls registered in primary school than boys. In the long run, I believe girls can catch up with boys.

In all the challenges that women in South Sudan are facing, women cannot resolve them alone. We are now Africa’s 54th country, Africa’s youngest nation, and are about to become the UN’s 193rd Member State. Overnight we cannot claim that we don’t have challenges and that we know everything. We also cannot expect to compare ourselves to countries that have been in peace and stability for a long time. That’s why in the past five years we have been working closely with UN agencies and other partners to address some of the challenges. Most of them are mentioned in the UN Millennium Development Goals. If it’s poverty, it’s there. If it’s education, it’s there. If it’s maternal mortality, it’s there. As a new nation we wish to get up and move successfully without too many hiccups. We call upon good wishers to join us in developing South Sudan.

source:un.org

“Colonial”-Themed Wedding in South Africa with an All-Black Servant Staff

2011-07-13T07:33:00.003-04:00

These are photos of a wedding held in Mpumalanga, South Africa that appeared on welovepictures, a site that documents wedding photographs. It brings back memories of what South Africa used to be or perhaps what it still is.....

SMH.

Wife Cuts Off Husband's Manhood And Puts It Down Garbage Disposal

2011-07-12T17:49:00.001-04:00

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KTLA) -- A woman is under arrest after police say she drugged her husband, cut off his penis and threw it into the garbage disposal.
Garden Grove police were sent to the home in the 14000 block of Flower Street around 9 p.m. Monday night after a woman called 911 for a medical emergency, according to Lt. Jeff Nightengale. When officers arrived, they found a man bleeding from the crotch area.

The woman, identified as Catherine Becker, 48, the victim's wife, had put an unknown type of poison and/or drug into her husband's food to make him sleepy, according to Nightengale. She then tied him to the bed. When he woke up, she cut off his penis with a knife, investigators said. She then tossed the penis in the garbage disposal and turned it on.

The victim was transported to UCI Medical Center in Irvine where he underwent emergency surgery and is listed in serious condition.

Investigators say the couple was married, but going through a divorce. The initial investigation determined that Becker made dinner for her husband. He told detectives that he thought there was something wrong with his food. He went to lie down and woke up tied to his bed. His wife then grabbed the victim's penis and cut it off. She called 911 and told responding officers that he "deserved it."

A search warrant was served at the home and detectives found a knife and a rope.

Becker is under arrest, charged with aggravated mayhem, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, administering a drug with intent to commit a felony, poisoning and spousal abuse. She is currently being held at the Orange County jail.

Patience Ozokwor Stars In Malawian Film

2011-07-10T19:22:00.000-04:00

Nollywood iron-lady Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, is billed to feature in a local Malawian film titled “The Return. The film is written and directed by Rising Choreos and Theatre Company in Malawi.

Ozokwor who arrived that country last Monday is expected to tour all the three major cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu to perform live on stage.

According to the company’s Director, Joyce Chavula, the play centres mainly on love, orphanhood and child trafficking,which are true stories happening in the society.

In her words, “these are the issues which our society cannot deny, they are there in us and we want to showcase them to the public on how they affect us, both the positive and negative side.”

Ozokwor, she disclosed will be cast as a wicked woman in the play who mistreats orphans and traffics children for economic gains.

She added that the company has taken advantage of Ozokwor’s trademark of being a wicked woman in most of the films she has acted to feature her in their play.

Commenting on the movie, Ozokwor said as an artist she is ready to take any role in the play either wicked or not because she sends a message to the public.

She added that her coming to Malawi complements her program of sourcing out potentials from African countries to join Nollywood. Ozokwor is the second Nollywood star to come to Malawi after Desmond Elliot.

Oprah Winfrey Heading to South Africa To Teach

2011-07-10T18:36:00.001-04:00

The students at Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa are going to be benefit from some private lessons from the media mogul herself! After receiving her Honorary Doctorate in Education at the University of the Free State, Oprah Winfrey is heading back to South Africa as a teacher!

In an email newsletter that Oprah sent out to her fans, she said that she will be returning later this year to teach a class called “It’s Life 101″. The course will be about all the things she wishes someone had taught her about how the world and life really work.

Oprah, who founded the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and has weathered some scandals that plagued the school in the beginning, said: “Should be fun since I love to teach."

Zimbabwe Beauty Queen Speaks Of Racist Abuse

2011-07-09T14:32:00.001-04:00

REIGNING Miss Universe Zimbabwe Lisa Morgan (right) says racism is alive and well in the country, and has called for a change in “people’s mindsets”.

The mixed race second runner up in the Miss Zimbabwe pageant held in February says she has struggled to find her place in society because of racial prejudices.

“I believe racism is a very touchy issue for all of us. It is something that we do not want to talk about but we know it does exist. It’s there, and I don’t stand for it,” Morgan said on Thursday, speaking at the launch of a monthly discussion forum held at the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section in Eastgate Mall, Harare.

The despairing beauty said she been a target of prejudice – both from whites, blacks and even among her own mixed race community which she says maintains a “class system”.

“There are so many different names I have been given. So far, I have been called a ‘colored’ or a ‘point five’ because I’m half that and half the other,” she revealed.

“Because of who I am, I find myself confused because I don’t know where I fit in society. Am I black if I go to the black community? I am not dark! Am I white?

“We need to change people’s mindsets. If we don’t, racism will continue.”

She continued: “With the ‘colored’ community, there is racism amongst themselves. They have different levels of class such that if you don’t suit that level of class, then you are not part of them.

“If you stay in Borrowdale and not in Arcadia, then you are not part of them. If you date a black girl or a white girl, then you are not part of them.

“They live a lifestyle of their own, in their own community under their own shell, and try to mind their own business.”

After a member of the audience suggested South Africa had successfully overcame racial prejudices, Morgan disagreed.

“White people are not really over it. There are certain words that until today they use to call black people, right here in Zimbabwe,” she said.

Thomas Brickhill, a white artist with the musical band, Chikwata 263, suggested however that the degree of racism in the white community differed between the ages.

“If you look at the white population in Zimbabwe, in terms of ages, and you take people who went to school inside Zimbabwe and those who attended school in Rhodesia, you see a difference in perceptions of race,” Thomas averred.

source: newzimbabwe.com

BREAKING NEWS: SOUTH SUDAN-THE WORLD'S NEWEST NATION

2011-07-09T14:03:00.004-04:00

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) -- South Sudan became the world's newest nation early Saturday, officially breaking away from Sudan after two civil wars over five decades that cost the lives of millions.

In the new country's capital, Juba, streets pulsed with excitement. Residents danced, banged on jerry cans and chanted the name of the world's newest president, Salva Kiir. One man kneeled and kissed the ground as a group ran through the streets singing "We will never, never, never surrender."

"Ah, I'm free," said Daniel Deng, a 27-year-old police officer and former soldier who broke out in a wide grin.

The Republic of South Sudan earned independence at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, breaking Africa's largest country in two. It marked the culmination of a January independence vote, which was guaranteed in a 2005 peace deal that ended the most recent north-south war.

After the celebrations die down, residents of South Sudan face an uphill climb. While the new country is oil-rich, it is one of the poorest and least-developed places on Earth. Unresolved problems between the south and its former foe to the north could mean new conflict along the new international border, advocates and diplomats warn.

Saturday's early morning celebrations were joyous for the freedom gained but tinged with the memories of family lost. At least 2 million people were killed in Sudan's last civil war, fought from 1983-2005.

"I came here for this moment," said Chol Allen, a 32-year-old minister who escaped Sudan in 2003 and eventually settled in Memphis, Tennessee. He returned to Juba two months ago for the midnight party, though he plans to go back to the U.S., where he has a 4-year-old daughter.

"We were all born into war. All of us," he said, then pointed at a crowded pick-up truck of youngsters. "This generation will see the hope of the newborn nation."

John Kuach, a former child soldier who joined the army after his father died in fighting with the north, first fought at age 15. At dinner late Friday, he draped the South Sudan flag around his shoulders and called Saturday "a big day."

"But some people are not happy because we lost heroes, those who were supposed to be in this celebration. So we are thinking, 'Is this true? Is this a dream? A new country?'"

The internationally brokered 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of north-south war expires at midnight Friday. That's when Sudan - which South Sudan is breaking away from - officially recognized the new country.

South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations next week and the 54th U.N. member state in Africa.

Later Saturday, world leaders will attend a celebratory ceremony. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon already has arrived. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also will attend, as will Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, whose country already has recognized South Sudan.

The young government faces the huge challenge of reforming its bloated and often predatory army, diversifying its oil-based economy, and deciding how political power will be distributed among the dozens of ethnic and military factions. It must also begin delivering basic needs such as education, health services, water and electricity to its more than 8 million citizens.

Abdule Taban wore a wide smile during the night's street party, but the 25-year-old was also reflective.

"In independence we are going to have hospitals and schools and a lot of development around here. Our mothers and sisters died in the past. Hospitals were very far from us," said Taban, as South Sudanese dusted in white cow dung - a traditional camouflage here - danced around him.

A draft constitution passed this week lays the groundwork for the president and legislators, who were elected last year, to serve out their five-year terms. The legislature's few opposition lawmakers are unhappy with the draft, but it now serves as an interim constitution until multiparty elections are held.

A $1 billion yearly U.N. peacekeeping mission with a 10,000-member peacekeeping force has monitored implementation of the 2005 peace deal. The mission has drawn criticism for its failure to protect Sudanese civilians caught in violence along the north-south border and in the south, where conflict has killed nearly 2,400 people this year alone.

The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a new peacekeeping force for South Sudan, authorizing the deployment of up to 7,000 military personnel and 900 international police, plus an unspecified number of U.N. civilian staff including human rights experts.

The Obama administration has devoted considerable time to ensuring the fragile peace deal holds.

With the raising of South Sudan's flag in the world's newest capital, Juba, the international community may breathe a collective sigh of relief that independence has been reached. Al-Bashir has pledged to accept losing about one-third of his country's territory, an area that contains valuable oil fields.

But relations between the two already are looking bleak, with hostilities raging between northern troops and southern-allied forces in a northern border state, a tense stalemate over another disputed border zone, and a breakdown in negotiations this week over the future of Sudan's oil industry.

While South Sudan is now expected to control of more than 75 percent of what was Sudan's daily oil production, it has no refineries and southern oil must flow through the north's pipelines to reach market.

North-south negotiations under way in the Ethiopian capital this week broke down over disputes between the two sides over how to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Nuba Mountains region in northern Sudan, where black Africans from the Nuba tribe have taken to caves to take shelter from aerial bombing by the northern army in the past month.

Western diplomats say hostilities in that area have stymied efforts to resolve other critical outstanding issues between the governments. Princeton Lyman, the U.S. envoy to Sudan, said Friday that relations between the south and north will be "strained and a little rocky."

"I don't expect that these countries are going to love each other but I do think they are bound up in each other," he said, citing the dependence north and south have on each other for trade and especially oil, which is the lifeblood of the economies of both governments.

Oil has been a major sticking point at the negotiating table, and tensions worsened after the northern army's seizure of the disputed zone of Abyei in May.

Despite calls from the Security Council and others to remove its troops from Abyei after they displaced about 100,000 residents, the Sudanese Armed Forces continue to occupy the Texas-sized territory.

The 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) border is disputed in five areas, several of which are being illegally occupied by either northern or southern troops.

"Everyone is for peace in and between Sudan and South Sudan," said John Prendergast, founder of the Washington-based Enough Project.

"It is clear that as long as the government of Sudan can without consequence militarily occupy Abyei, bomb the Nuba Mountains, continue military operations in Darfur, and support militias in southern Sudan, then there will be no peace," said Prendergast, who urged the U.S. government to work with allies to create "significant costs for ongoing human rights abuses and broken agreements."

News from The Associated Press

Signs That He Or She Is No Good?

2011-07-08T17:01:00.001-04:00

What are some of the "Red Flags" that were visible to you from a boyfriend/girlfriend but you kept ignoring them and later regretted??

12 year old girl kills herself to donate organs to Brother and Father

2011-07-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

West Bengal, India (KTLA) -- A 12-year-old girl in West Bengal committed suicide so that she could donate her organs to her sick brother and father only to be cremated a day before her wishes were discovered in a suicide note, it was reported Thursday.

Mumpy Sarkar from Jhorpara village, West Bengal had listened as her parents discussed how only eye surgery could restore her father's vision and a kidney transplant her brother's life, the Daily Mail reports.

The cost of the medical procedures was beyond the family's means, and Mumpy thought donating her own organs would give her loved ones back their lives.

She followed through with her plan, but Mumpy's father found the suicide note on her bed one day after her traditional cremation, according to the Daily Mail.

The girl requested that her eyes and kidneys be used for the treatment of her father and brother.

Her family is now shocked and saddened.

Her father Mridul told the paper: "We were too late in understanding the feelings of a very sensitive child."

The local state council has pledged to help the family with its medical needs.

source:http://www.ktla.com

Casey Anthony acquitted of murder

2011-07-05T15:41:00.002-04:00

NOT GUILTY
UPDATE: Casey Anthony has been sentenced to four years in prison for lying to police investigating the 2008 death of her two-year-old daughter.

A Florida jury has found Casey Anthony not guilty of murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

The jury of 7 women and 5 men in Orlando did find the 25-year-old Anthony guilty of giving false information to a law enforcement in connection with the case. The jurors returned the verdict after more than 10 hours of deliberation.

If convicted, she would have been facing death penalty.

What are your thoughts??

Liberia Tackles Sexual Violence Head On

2011-07-05T14:02:00.008-04:00

MONROVIA, Liberia (WOMENSENEWS)--Korlu, a young mother of two, lives on the outskirts of Monrovia, the capital here.

A high school dropout, Korlu, who declined to give her last name for safety reasons, says when she was a teen, she became pregnant.

"My parents put me out of their house because they couldn't bear the shame of me getting pregnant," she says.

She says when she was 17 she moved in with the baby's father and he began to beat her. Korlu says she accepted the beatings until she heard women talking on the radio one day about how sexual and gender-based violence was not acceptable.

"It was tough," Korlu says. "They were speaking directly about me."

The women on the radio were from the Liberia Women Media Action Committee, which promotes women's rights through the media. She says the radio program encouraged her to report domestic violence to the police.

"Before my husband would beat me and I would accept it," she says. "But nowadays, I report my husband to the police when he beats on me or tries to beat me because I know it is domestic violence. He doesn't beat me anymore," she says with a smile.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female president, has been proactive about fighting sexual and gender-based violence. The Liberian government and the United Nations jointly committed to reducing gender-based violence by 30 percent by the end of 2011.

The Ministry of Gender and Development also has a special unit dedicated to tackling sexual and gender-based violence, the Gender-Based Violence Task Force, which aims to coordinate violence prevention and response.

Violence Prevalent

Despite the end of the nation's civil war, many Liberian women still face violence daily.

Sexual and gender-based violence is accepted as an integral part of gender relations, according to a joint government and U.N. report. This was exacerbated during Liberia's 14 years of civil war, when sexual and gender-based violence was used as a weapon.

While combatants were the principal perpetrators of sexual violence during the war, now husbands, partners, family members and teachers are mostly responsible, according to the joint report. Rape continues to be the most frequently reported serious crime here, with nearly half of the cases reported in 2007 involving children under 18.

Almost half--45 percent--of Liberian women ages 15 to 49 said they had experienced physical violence, according to the 2007 Liberian Demographic and Health Survey, the most recent such survey. Gender-based violence also includes sexual violence, verbal abuse, restrictions in freedom of movement and withholding of funds.

Women are socialized to accept, tolerate, rationalize and remain silent about violence here, according to the survey. Liberia's weak justice system, pervasive poverty and a lack of economic opportunities for perpetrators have made the country especially vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, according to UNICEF.

However, efforts of the women's media committee and other women's organizations are beginning to show results.

Scott Johnson, a female journalist and member of the Liberia Women Media Action Committee, says the efforts have helped girls and women like Korlu to reject violence.

"I am happy that I can hear a 12-year-old girl stand out and talk about her rights as a woman, which was never the case before," she says.

Advocating for Women's Rights

The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia is another nongovernmental organization working to put an end to sexual and gender-based violence in Liberia.

"Our role in stopping sexual and gender-based violence is advocating for women who have been violated and to represent victims at the court," says Zeor Daylue Bernard, a lawyer and the organization's president.

She says her organization's campaigns have influenced the justice system here.

A court solely responsible for trying sexual and gender-based violence-related cases was formed, known as the Criminal Court E, Bernard says.

The rape law was also amended to increase the age of consent from 16 to 18 and the penalty for violating this, a second-degree felony, from seven to 10 years in prison, according to the Liberian Demographic and Health Survey. The penalty for gang rape and rape of a minor under 18, first-degree felonies, is now life in prison.

Out of the 388 sexual and gender-based violence cases reported in 2010, 148 were sent to the court, says George Sagbeh, deputy chief prosecutor of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Crimes Unit, the special unit created in 2009 along with Criminal Court E.

"The unit is the first of its kind in Liberia, and through the unit women have access to justice and can now brave the storm to report cases of sexual and gender-based violence," he says.

The unit also has a hotline.

"Sometimes we receive three to five calls daily," he says.

The Women and Child Protection Section at the Liberia National Police is another effort by the state to end violence against women. Ruth Kolleh, a section police officer, says they receive sexual and gender-based violence cases almost daily and now take action.

"We send cases to court, arrest perpetrators and make peace when necessary," she says.

source:http://womensenews.org

60 women acquire entrepreneurial skills

2011-07-04T07:27:00.003-04:00

Great News For Rwanda! Paul Kagame's government has partnered with local and international educational institutions and the private sector to teach women entrepreneurial skills and encourage entrepreneurship

By Frank Kanyesigye

The School of Finance and Banking (SFB) in partnership with the Michigan University’s William Davidson Institute, yesterday awarded 60 women with certificates after they completed a six month entrepreneurship training program.

The colourful ceremony included the rewarding of women who presented the best business plans during the course.

The entrepreneurship certificate program is one of the initiatives supported by Goldman Sachs (GS), a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm with an agenda of instilling 10,000 women entrepreneurs around the globe with entrepreneurial skills.

Speaking to The New Times, Claudine Tuyisenge, one of the graduates said that the new skills and techniques would enhance her business.

“It has enabled me to become a professional entrepreneur and I am going to use my expertise to expand my business,” she said.

Tuyisenge, who graduated as a welder, requested the government to initiate programs that will see women entrepreneurs train in Information Communication Technology.

Speaking at the event, Trade and Industry Minister Francois Kanimba, said that in the past, women’s entrepreneurial potential was under-exploited, hence the fewer number of women venturing into business.

“Do not lose the momentum; go out and use your skills; try to innovate; seek and utilise valuable information about markets; approach financial institutions and build a network among yourselves and help each other grow,” he told the graduates.

Kanimba stressed the government’s commitment in developing Small and Medium Enterprises as the key to create jobs, increase exports, and reduce poverty.

“Such initiatives that unleash the potential people, women in particular, are a significant boost to the wellbeing of the people and development of the country at large”.

Reid Whitlock, the Rector of SFB, hailed the graduates for taking the training seriously and their persistence to complete it.

“It takes ambition, focus and a long term vision for an entrepreneur to consistently take on such long-term training,” he said.

Sharolyn Arnett, Program Manager William Davidson Institute said that the training aimed at empowering women economically by giving them skills.

“I appreciate the efforts you put in during the course and I hope the skills you got will shape your entrepreneurial potential,” she told the graduates.

The women entrepreneurs graduated in various disciplines such as farming, construction, wielding, tailoring, and cooking, among others.

So far, 180 Rwandan women entrepreneurs have benefited from the Goldman Sachs program since its launch in Rwanda in 2008.

source:http://newtimes.co.rw

Thailand Elects First Female Prime Minister

2011-07-03T18:57:00.000-04:00

The party allied to ousted and exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra has won a major victory in Thailand's general election, BBC reported, citing provisional results.

With most votes counted, outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conceded victory to his rival, opposition leader Yingluck Shinawatra.

Tingluck, who will become Thailand's first female prime minister, said there was "a lot of hard work ahead".

She is the younger sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006.

With 92% of votes counted, Yingluck's Pheu Thai party had won 260 seats, giving it a majority in the 500-seat parliament.

"It is now clear from the election results so far that the Pheu Thai party has won the election, and the Democrat Party concedes defeat," Abhisit said on national TV.

"I will give the chance to Yingluck, the first woman to form a government," he added. "I want to see unity and reconciliation. The Democrats are ready to be in opposition."

After Abhisit admitted defeat, Yingluck was cautious in her response. She thanked Mr Abhisit and said she would wait for the official results to be declared.

"I don't want to say it is victory for me and the Pheu Thai party but people are giving me a chance and I will work to my best ability for the people," she said at her party headquarters.

"I would like to reiterate that we are ready to deliver on all of the policies that we have announced. There is a lot of hard work ahead."

She said her party officials had been in talks with the smaller Chart Thai Pattana party with a view to forming a coalition.

"In the future there are more parties expected to come and work with Pheu Thai," she said.

source:novinite.com

Down-Low

2011-07-02T20:52:00.001-04:00

Tony & Rose are married and have a 10yrs old boy. Rose got ill and had to go back home early. She was shocked when she opened the bedroom door to find Mike, Tony's bestfriend having annal sex with him.
Rose passed out from shock. She has moved out of their matrimonial home and refused to tell anyone what happened. Her parents & friends have asked her to go back to her husband. What would you do in a situation like this?

Amy Goodman Hosts Discussion With WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief Julian Assange and Slovenian Philosopher Slavoj Žižek

2011-07-02T14:24:00.003-04:00

Watch live streaming video from democracynow at livestream.com

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN???

2011-07-02T07:58:00.019-04:00

WITH JAMAICA getting ready to celebrate 50 years of political independence from the United Kingdom next year, most Jamaicans are of the view that the country would have been better off had it remained a colony of Britain.

Pollster Bill Johnson, who, on May 28 and 29 and June 4 and 5, conducted an island wide survey among 1,008 people, found that 60 per cent of Jamaicans held the view the country would be better off under British rule.
Conversely, 17 per cent of those surveyed said the country would be worse off had it remained a colony of Britain, while 23 per cent said they did not know. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four per cent.

The island has been independent since August 6, 1962, after the lobbying and hard work of individuals such as National Heroes Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley.

But that has failed to impress six in every 10 Jamaicans who long for "the good old days".

The culture ministry has started the process of setting up a secretariat to coordinate and drive the planning for Jamaica's 50th anniversary national celebrations next year. A total of $50 million has been set aside in the national Budget for the celebrations.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has also proposed that Jamaica say "bye-bye" to the Queen (Elizabeth II) as head of state before Independence Day next year.

Free of monarchy
In his contribution to the 2011-2012 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives in April, Golding said he wanted Jamaica to make its 50th year of Independence free of its colonial ties to the British monarchy.

"Transforming Jamaica from a monarchical to a republican state means no disrespect, and must not be interpreted in this way," Golding said.

"I have long believed that if I am to have a queen, it must be a Jamaican queen. I would not wish to see us celebrate 50 years of Independence without completing that part of our 'sovereignisation', for want of a better word," he told legislators.

The Government and Opposition have agreed to work towards putting in place certain constitutional arrangements, including replacing the Queen as head of state, before Jamaica turns 50.

Republican structure
If Jamaica replaces the Queen, the country would move to a republican government structure.

But Johnson found that most Jamaicans have rejected the suggestion that the current Westminster system of government be replaced with a republican system.

Some 44 per cent of the people surveyed said the current Westminster system should be retained, while 35 per cent said it should be replaced with a republican system. Another 21 per cent answered 'don't know' to the question.

A constitutional commission in 1995, after consultations, recommended that Jamaica should no longer have the hereditary monarch of the UK as its head of state, and that the country should become a republic with its own indigenous president as head of state.

However, there is no agreement on the role the president would play in the affairs of the State.

What Do You Guys Think?

SOURCE:

Hillary Clinton Warns Against “New colonialism” in Africa

2011-07-02T07:31:00.008-04:00

Speaking on China’s increasing dealings with African countries, Clinton had a sharp warning for Zambia. Appearing on a television program in Lusaka, Zambia, Secretary of State Clinton said that she was..
"…concerned that China’s foreign assistance and investment practices in Africa have not always been consistent with generally accepted international norms of transparency and good governance.” Going further, Clinton likened China’s expansion on the continent to colonialism, saying:

“We saw that during colonial times, it is easy to come in, take out natural resources, pay off leaders and leave…And when you leave, you don’t leave much behind for the people who are there. We don’t want to see a new colonialism in Africa.”

Not everyone seemed moved by Clinton’s admonitions on relations with the Chinese. Zambian President Rupiah Banda told reporters: “Our country has been with a close relationship with China as early as before our independence…We work closely with the Chinese, as with any other country that supported our desire to be independent.”

Hillary Clinton is only the third Secretary of State to visit Zambia since the country declared its independence in 1964. The last Secretary before Clinton to visit Zambia was Henry Kissenger in 1976.

Though the U.S. has not always placed the country high on its foreign affair agenda, Clinton said that Zambia remains an important part of the State Department’s focus.

When asked if she say China as a potential model for governance for African countries, Clinton bluntly replied: “In the long-run, medium-run, even short-run, no I don’t.”

In addition to her commentary on China, Clinton was in Zambia to address trade and diplomatic relations between the landlocked south African nation.

There is much debate between the two countries on the most mutually beneficial economic policies, with many in Zambia saying the U.S. trade policies have been a one-way street.

Clinton acknowledged the shortcomings of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been the cornerstone of U.S. economic policy on the continent for over ten years.

The act, which gives 37 African countries trade preferences for U.S. exported goods such as textiles, has largely been criticized as a mechanism to boost oil trading.

Currently, African countries account for only 3 percent of all U.S. imports and 1 percent of all U.S. exports. Set to expire in 2015, many aid groups and lobbyists are calling for major changes to the AGOA bill should the U.S. Congress vote to extend it.

What Do You Guys Think?

Woman Of The Month

2011-07-01T22:33:00.009-04:00

We believe every woman has an incredible story. We want to hear about yours. Whether its standing up for something you believe in, overcoming an obstacle, giving back, or just living the life you mapped out in your dreams, we want to honor your efforts! Of if you want to nominate someone please send us your story and a picture to info@blackcherrymag.com

Past Woman Of The Month

Lydia Micah Jones

Nicki Minaj: Modern day Josephine Baker?

2011-07-01T21:58:00.003-04:00

She is the very definition of a sex symbol. Just about everything about her oozes sexuality. She’s notorious for her sexually explicit lyrics, condemned for her even more explicit style of dressing (or lack there off) and even her sexual orientation is often in question.....

No, I’m not talking about Nicki Minaj, but about Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker in Havana, Cuba (1950)

Nicknamed "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole Goddess, Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 3, 1906. She began her career at the age of 15 on a St. Louis Chorus vaudeville show. Afterwards, she joined in the Harlem Renaissance activities in NYC, performing in Broadway shows as well as at various clubs. She became known as "the highest-paid chorus girl in vaudeville."

Her touring took her to France, where her popularity skyrocketed, and she became the most popular American entertainer working there. Known in France as “La Baker”, she would frequently appear nearly nude while doing her music accompanied with erotic dancing. Her Danse banane scene in 1927’s Un Vent de Folie won her international notoriety. By the end of the 1920s, she became the highest paid entertainer in Europe.

Josephine Baker in Danse banane costume (1927)

While many people try to brand artists like Nicki Minaj and her predecessor, Lil Kim, modern day Josephine Bakers, just about the only thing that they have in common is the fact that they were considered to be sex symbols for their generation. However, the comparison stops there. For one, what Josephine Baker was actually revolutionary for her time, whereas, Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj are doing nothing more than copying from the model that Baker and others laid out before them.

Lil Kim and Nicky Minaj

Secondly, Baker’s radicalism extended beyond her music. Whereas you would not catch Lil Kim or Nicki Minaj dead taking a stand on any issue that mattered, Baker fought against racism in a number of ways. She adopted twelve orphans of different who she called the "Rainbow Tribe." When she did shows in the United States, she refused to perform in front of segregated audiences. She did official work with the NAACP, and she even spoke at 1963’s March on Washington, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by her side, where she was the only female speaker for the entire event. In fact, after his assassination, she was approached to take MLK’s place as the “leader” of the Civil Rights Movement. Can you imagine Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, or any artist for that matter in today’s pop world being approached to be head of any type of serious movement?

Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Trina and others like them are nowhere close to being in the league as Josephine Baker artistically, and definitely not politically. Miss Baker has earned the right to be in a league all her own. When we decide to compare artists of today to ones of yesteryear, we should look at the entire package and not just what entertainment they provided. Let us remember and praise the Josephine Bakers, Fela Kutis, Miriam Makebas and other artists who demonstrated excellence both on stage and off stage, and support artists that do the same today.

written by Onyemobi Desta Anyiwo for blackcherrymagazine