NYC Rolls Out Subway Safety Plan After Violent Weekend

Last week a report was released which squared the blame for the sinking of a South Korean warship on the shoulders of the North Korean regime. The incident killed 46 sailors and is the worst naval tragedy in the history of South Korea. The evidence seems compelling, the reasons for the ‘attack’, well, your guess is as good as mine.

There’s good news coming out of Haiti about salvaging and preserving cultural property. An international effort, lead by Americans is underway and making progress.

Ever since standardization has been in vogue, a grocery purchase in any supermarket may give you a similar experience.As countries across the world pass through different stages of development, one may find number of retail giants opening shops. Air-conditioned, silent, well organized and the sight of good containers may be what every purchase in future may involve.

BP’s Deep Horizon oil rig blew up on April 20, and it has just been drawn to my attention that this year’s Israeli Independence Day was April 20. Is this a mere coincidence, or might it be what some consider as a God-incidence? God’s judgments of nations can strike in the economic, political or social realm as well as in the realm of nature. History shows that nations are either blessed or suffer according to what their leaders do. If you are unsure about this or even unaware of this reality then turn to Genesis Chapter 12 and read the first few verses. Many other Scriptures from the Old and New Testaments can support this. I learned quite recently that the only parts of Jerusalem where Jesus Christ walked and taught are in what is known as East Jerusalem.

Morocco has repeatedly been criticized by human rights organizations for their ongoing repression of the Sahrawi people from the forgotten nation of Western Sahara – with thousands having been stuck in refugee camps in Algeria for an amazing 35 years! The Polisario Front, who are fighting for independence for their country and head the government in exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, have been running the refugee camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria, which are wholly reliant on foreign and Algerian aid – Food, clothing and water are brought in by car and plane.

During dinner there were, and still are, lively conversations and one particular conversation between Katherine Chon and Derek Ellerman in the fall of 2001 delved into the history of slavery in the U.S. and the challenges and successes of the abolitionist movement. This conversation led to observations that slavery still exists around the world in modern times. One topic that stood out was human trafficking and, since neither knew much about the topic, they retreated back to their dorm rooms to research it on the internet.

My thoughts on a very interesting aspect of the far east. The beginnings of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

While slavery is known for being throughout the worlds written history, many seem to believe that slavery is an extinct practice in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, human trafficking still thrives.

The words “human trafficking” is heard frequently, and yet, when some are asked to explain the horrors of human trafficking and its victims, there is still an obvious sense of ignorance in the matter. These victims are bought and sold for labor and sexual purposes every day. Labor tends to consist of basic servitude and smaller labor demands.

Human trafficking continues to grow as a many people are not aware of its increasing presence. This is the most difficult challenge in combating human trafficking.