Africa United

Africa United is in cinemas now and is a story about three Rwandan children who set off to Rwanda's capital city, Kigali, to audition for the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup. They end up on the wrong bus which takes them on a journey through the heart of Africa. Well worth a watch!

Global Peace Index

I have just had a look at the Vision of Humanity website and it looks very useful. 149 nations of the world have been ranked by their peacefulness and the results have stimulated some very interesting analysis.

Thanks to Dannyoc (SLN)

If the world were a village of 100 people...

If the world were condensed to a village of 100 people, what would it look like? Toby Ng has produced a set of 20 creative posters that capture these statistics in simple terms.



Thanks to @globaldimension (via Twitter) for the find.

Mankind is no island...

I just came across this film which won at the Tropfest New York film festival in 2008. It was created by Jason van Genderen and shot entirely on a mobile phone with a small budget. Images come from Sydney and New York city. It's an emotional visual poem which builds empathy for neglected street people. I think it is simple but very effective. Perhaps we could have a go at making some short films like this!

Social Geography: A portrait of child poverty...

Interesting article from the Guardian marking the anniversary of Tony Blair's promise to eradicate child poverty by 2020. It states that 30% of children still remain beneath the breadline.
Poverty for children in Britain means not having a winter coat, never having enough money to go on holiday or on school trips, not having the spare pound needed to join subsidised after-school clubs, not being able to afford to go swimming. It isn't about going hungry, but it is likely to involve eating irregularly, cheaply and badly. The article highlights a reluctance to confront the causes of poverty at home in Britain, bred partly from an unwillingness to accept that the answer may lie in the need to redistribute wealth.

The Good Life...

Useful for development issues.

Thanks to Tony Cassidy.

Africa plans biggest dam project!

A plan to build the largest and most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world is being discussed in London...

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This is controversial stuff! It will certainly benefit all the big multinational companies hoping to place a finger in this very large pie. What do you think could be done with the £40 billion in terms of improving lives for the worlds poorest people?

Maasai Marathon!

In April 2008 six Maasai warriors are travelling from their remote rural village in Tanzania to the UK to run the Flora London Marathon.The aim is to raise enough money to provide the village with clean water. This will cost between £20,000 and £60,000...

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