A round-up and a thank-you as we begin a sunny late spring weekend here in the Upper Midwest.
May 16th is Endangered Species Day — right in time for our friends the Polar Bears. Other animals are still in peril. Tree Hugger has more info and adorable pix!
China Earthquake: See Thursday’s post for links to three good organizations for emergency donations. I’ve also moved up the Global Giving RSS feed (right sidebar), which includes giving opportunities in China and Myanmar.
Myanmar Cyclone: Aid agencies continue to struggle with Burma’s government. See my earlier post for agencies that already have personnel on-ground, and as such may be the best options for your donations.
Last but not least, a thank-you toFocus Organic for listing and categorizing the many May 15th Bloggers Unite for Human Rights posts, including Daily Mitzvah’s Darfur post.
I posted on Darfur for Bloggers Unite for Human Rights earlier today, but a friend noted that people are really focused on the earthquake in China at present. With more than 50,000 feared dead, this 7.9 magnitude quake is a horrendous disaster and people around the world are eager to help (see links below).
I also would like to find a charity that provides rescue equipment or sends in trained rescue teams. While much of this is coming from nearby governments — since the Chinese government has requested rescue assistance specifically, this would be a good area to target one’s donations. If anyone can recommend a rescue charity, please email me on DailyMitzvahBlog [at] gmail [dot] com.
In the interim, a quick spotlight and links for China-specific efforts by Mercy Corps, UNICEF, and the International Red Cross/ Red Crescent.
Mercy Corps receives high praise for their efficiency and the percentage of donations going directly to aid those in need. For their China efforts, they are working with their established on-ground partner, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.
The Red Cross has long been active in China, with an extensive network of Chinese staffed and operated Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. I’ve been wary about the Red Cross after questions were raised about their accountability and oversight after Hurricane Katrina. But they’re still the world-recognized emergency assistance organization, and their heavy presence in China is certainly and advantage. The American Red Cross site has more on the Red Cross / Red Crescent response and links for donations.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV. Courtesy of AlertNet.org.
UNESCO has designated May 3rd as World Press Freedom Day, noting the anniversary of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. It’s so easy to take freedom of expression for granted in the U.S., but many writers — and bloggers — are not so lucky.
This year’s focus is press censorship in China, especially with the Olympics coming up. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) provides animated commentary:
What can you do to show your support for World Press Freedom Day? Support Amnesty International USA’s “Call for an Olympic Year of Freedom of Expression in China.” This web site link allows you to send an email message to Chinese representatives urging release of journalists imprisoned for speech issues, including Shi Tao:
Using his Yahoo! account, he emailed a US-based website, sharing the details of an internal government directive barring media reports that could fuel unrest during the 15th anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown. Shi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities.” Disturbingly, Yahoo! provided information to the government for his prosecution. Call on the Chinese Government to release Shi Tao from detention immediately and unconditionally, to ensure that foreign and domestic journalists are provided full media freedom and that the right to freedom of expression and information is protected online.
Today’s mitzvah: How might you support World Press Freedom Day?
