An overview of the story of need from February 2012, with links from blogs, articles and news services from around the country and the world:
Published in Feburary on EverydayEpics.com
- Homelessness in Broomfield? — Commentary on helping with a recent survey on homelessness in my area.
- “You May Do That” — A profile about civil rights heroine Rosa Parks.
- Thoughts on faith and advocacy — Commentary on Faith Advocacy Day 2012 organized in part by the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado.
- Us v. Them (Part I) — Commentary on rivalries, hatred and viewing the “other.”
Around the nation & the world
- Violence interrupters walk the walk to reduce gang violence in Chicago.
- A local Girl Scout donated her proceeds from selling cookies to the local nonprofit MuttSavers Rescue.
- A proposed Colorado law would limit hospital bills for uninsured patients.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say child abuse costs the United States $124 billion over the course of victims’ lifetimes.
- Cancer rates tripled among police officers who responded to the 9-11 terrorist attacks in New York.
- A village of prostitutes in India welcomed a mass wedding, giving them hope for a different future.
- Foreign companies are currently fighting over Mongolia’s copper resources.
- A prison fire killed more than 350 inmates in Honduras. Guards clashed with grieving family members after the tragedy. A Honduran judge later admitted that only 40 percent of the inmates in the prison had been convicted.
- Drug violence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, seemed more contained, leading to the tentative return of the city’s nightlife.
- Some of Bolivia’s coca farmers make a living by using zip lines to travel quickly across a deep valley.
Troublespots
- Experts project parts of Sudan could experience famine in March.
- Fighting in Northern Mali has caused 44,000 to flee the country.
- The danger of political turmoil looms in Senegal over its controversial presidential election. It appears the incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade, will have to face a runoff with former prime minister Macky Sall.
- Thousands who fled fighting in Northern Myanmar sought refuge in China.
- Continued unrest and violence in Somalia prompted a shift in focus by aid organizations and outside governments. Somali children are still dying at more than the “official” famine rate.
- Perhaps the most covered situation in the world today is the violence in Syria, which continues unabated despite the efforts of the international community.
Reviews & previews
- Christians around the world celebrated Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22, beginning a season of repentance and reflection that one blogger believes has both a public and a private element.
- Consider this snapshot of the challenges faced by social workers in the United States.
- On the movie front, the upcoming film Being Flynn, starring Robert DeNiro, tells the true story of a son’s relationship with his estranged father, whom he encounters while working at a homeless shelter. The Oscar-winning documentary Saving Face tells the story of women who have survived acid attacks in Pakistan.
- We will continue examining the theme “Us v. Them” in March. Possible upcoming stories and posts could include the stories of Covert, Mich., the Good Friday Agreement, health care in Colorado, how the “good news” of Christianity relates to the story of need, and more.
- If you have an idea for a future story on EverydayEpics.com, please let us know.