Clipmarks | petercasier's clips

Thousands of angry protesters have clashed with police in several cities in Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran's presidential poll. He claims victory over his rival Mir Hossein Mousavi, who called the results a "charade". (Full)

As violence broke out, the mobile phone network was switched off for hours and Internet connectivity was either interrupted or slow at least. Still, in what seems to become a school example of crowdsourced reporting at its best, individuals got their messages out through different social media channels.

Tags: social networking, social media, twitter, iran, iran elections, iran violence, crowdsourcing, news

The CNN effect: the media's role in humanitarian relief operations

Sat, 30 May 2009 15:41:12 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

[Video]

The phenomenon is known amongst aidworkers as "The CNN Effect": If an emergency gets the spotlight on CNN, humanitarian wheels start rolling. If it is not featured on CNN, the emergency is forgotten and hushed in a corner. You might just as well not start an emergency operation if you feel you won't be able to fundraise for it, right?

Tags: humanitarian, aid, media, news

How can a battle in Italy, 150 years ago have been that important for humanity?

Sat, 16 May 2009 13:01:44 GMT

clipped by: petercasier
clipper's remarks: ...the birth of the Red Cross movement...

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

On 24 June 1859, during the War of Italian Unification, Franco-Sardinian forces clashed with Austrian troops near the small town of Solferino in northern Italy. More than nine thousand wounded took refuge in the village of Castiglione, lying dispersed and unattended.

On that day, a gentleman by the name of Henry Dunant, a citizen of Geneva, Switzerland, was travelling in the area. He was shaken by the human suffering, resulting from the war. He mobilized a small army himself. An army of local volunteers, mostly women to care for the wounded, wash and dress their wounds, and to provide shelter and basic food.

Tags: humanitarian, relief, red cross, humanity

How many people die of flu every year? How many died of swineflu so far?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:23:05 GMT

clipped by: petercasier
clipper's remarks: Sometimes it is good to put things a bit into perspective

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

36,000 die of flu every year, in the US alone. So far, dependent on the sources, 152 have died of swineflu, globally. For you to decide whether we are talking of a pandemic or a media hype.

Tags: swineflu, cdc, pandemic, health

The global collapse of humanitarian aid?

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:57:59 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

Bad news all around in the aid world. It is difficult, as an aidworker, to remain positive these days, and to see a light at the end of the tunnel of poverty.

Tags: aid, humanitarian, development

Why I am a humanitarian aid worker

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:10:28 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

They ask "So what do you do for a living?", cocktail drink in hand. When I answer "I am an aid worker", there are two kinds of people: Those that roll their eyes and those that say "Really?".
For the first, I don't do an effort to go any further. Either they are not interested or it goes beyond their level of imagination.

For those that look me in the eye, I know I will have a hard time to explain what exactly I do. And why.

Over the years, luckily many people has asked me why I do the work I do, far fewer have rolled their eyes.. So what do I answer?

Tags: aid worker, aid, humanitarian

Revisiting "Dead Aid" and rethinking the "Make Believe" in international aid.

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:09:05 GMT

clipped by: petercasier
clipper's remarks: How the book "Dead Aid" can make us think...

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

I always had -idealist as I am - an issue with the "politization" of aid. I have felt this first hand in Afghanistan and Iraq after both countries were invaded by the alliance of the willing (and their puppy dogs). As a humanitarian aid worker, not only did my conscience struggle, but I have seen the first hand consequences where the affiliation of aid agencies with 'occupying' powers made the former a target for hostilities. Many of us have died because of this alliance.

Tags: aid, humanitarian

The Blackboard Blogger in Liberia

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:22:59 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

Alfred Sirleaf is an analog blogger. He runs the “Daily News”, a news hut by the side of a major road in the middle of Monrovia. He started it a number of years ago, stating that he wanted to get news into the hands of those who couldn’t afford newspapers, in the language that they could understand.

Tags: blogging, blogger, africa, technology

Beautiful, Horrible Urban Decline

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:21:43 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

The William Livingstone House in Detroit, constructed in 1893 in the once-elegant Brush Park neighborhood.

Time Magazine published a powerful photo series about urban decline in Detroit.

Tags: detroit, urban, urbanization, cities

The UN Does More Good Than Harm

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:50:39 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

According to a recent poll by Harris Interactive, amongst the 7,000 people surveyed, the majority believes the "United Nations Does More Good Than Harm".

Tags: un, survey, news

Poor Porsche Owner made redundant in Dubai

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:15:47 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

This picture symbolizes the current economic downturn in Dubai more than anything else. A 'made redundant' Porsche owner uses his sports car to advertise for a job.

Tags: economy, dubai, uae

Wanted for war crimes: the Sudanese president.

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:06:24 GMT

clipped by: petercasier
clipper's remarks: Should Bush be next?

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

It's done. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Tags: darfur, sudan, icc, bush, genocide

Is Coca-Cola buying Venice?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:52:56 GMT

clipped by: petercasier

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

"Coca-Cola is not buying Venice!", its city council stated this week, reacting to polemics over a planned million-dollar partnership between the soft drinks giant and the lagoon city.

Tags: travel, venice, italy, publicity, advertising