JVA in the news

My organization mentioned in a NYT article about the recent bombings in Uganda: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/world/africa/22uganda.html?ref=africa

Ruling for Women's Rights & Asylum Law

A United States federal court ruling this week could unleash a wave of political asylum claims from applicants who say being a woman from Central America is reason enough to fear for their lives.
The ruling concerns an application by a Guatemalan woman, but activists say hundreds of thousands of women from throughout the region could use it to argue that the United States should let them immigrate.
In the ruling on Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco ordered immigration judges to reconsider whether Guatemalan women constituted a “particular social group” that might be persecuted. Courts have granted such status to women who fear genital cutting and to victims of domestic abuse, but two lower courts have said that Guatemalan women constituted too broad a category.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/americas/16guatemala.html?_r=1&ref=world

Reporting From The Field: Dadaab Refugee Camps

For the past 2 months I have been working at the UNHCR compound in Dadaab town to do resettlement processing for refugees from Hagadera, Dagahaley, and Ifo Refugee Camps.  There have been a mixture of uplifting and heartbreaking experiences.  Here are a few...

Malnutrition

Every now and then I get a reminder of how difficult life can be in the refugee camps.  Having worked in the field for 2 years now, I tend to become cynical about the reality of refugee life.  It amazes people when I explain that there are very "wealthy" refugees living in the camps: refugees who have remittances from abroad, who own real estate businesses, who employ people from the local communities for domestic housework...but their are also those who are vulnerable, and yesterday I got a reminder:  I father came into my office in the late-afternoon complaining that his baby was sick.  It had been a hot day and the refugees wait for their interviews outside, so I suspected dehydration.  I took the father and the baby to see an IOM nurse working on a medical mission at the work site.  The nurse said that the baby was dehydrated and needed to be breastfed.  After speaking with the mother, the father returned and said "I need permission to leave the compound: My wife has not had enough to eat today and cannot breastfeed.  I need to go outside to buy her tea".  I was so stunned I simply shook my head to say yes....

According to the World Food Program, last year there was a 22% malnutrition rate among refugees in the 3 camps comprising Dadaab: Hagadera, Dagahaley, and Ifo Refugee Camps.  Since the beginning of 2010, the malnutrition rate in Dadaab has dropped to 13%, just below the "critical danger" level of 15% (http://www.wfp.org/node/265) 

Despair & Violence

There was a murder yesterday in Hagadera Refugee Camp: the body of a Somali youth was found mutilated and dumped in front of the Sudanese community accomodations block.  When the body was discovered, a mass of 1,500-2,000 Somalis gathered and began attacking the Sudanese community.  Over the course of a few hours, over 500 homes were burned down and over 50 people injured.  UNHCR eventually brought in trucks to restore calm and order.  The murdered youth is believed to be a a recent arrival to the camp: a 17 year old Somali boy who was not registered with UNHCR.

Reasons behind the murder are unknown.  However, officials speculate that the body was dumped in front of the Sudanese community to stir unrest and create violence between the Sudanese and Somali communities living in Hagadera Refugee Camp.  Officials believe that this was done in an attempt by community members to "create space" for Somali refugees living in the overcrowded camp....
(http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89830)

Arts Collective in New York

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/03/arts/design/03third.html?pagewanted=2&ref=design

The Genius of e.e.cummings

Sarcasm & The Great Immigration Debate

Immigration is always a contoversial issue.  The state of Arizona recently passed a law that bars people with "accents" from teaching English.  This NPR All Things Considered piece is a poignant and comical look at the bill:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126480169

Siddhartha

Musical references (found on wikipedia)

• The 1972 Yes song Close to The Edge from the Close to the Edge album was inspired by the book.
• Radiohead's 2001 album Amnesiac contains themes and lyrics inspired by the book, especially "Pyramid Song", "I Might Be Wrong", and "Like Spinning Plates".
• Rock band Queen recites a passage from Siddhartha in their 1977 BBC re-take of the song We Will Rock You.
• The 1971 Ralph McTell song The Ferryman from the You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here album was inspired by the book.
• Jerry Cantrell has a song called Siddhartha on his Degradation Trip double album.
• Andrew McMahon of the bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin has the quote "the river is everywhere" tattooed on his wrist and is currently working on a clothing line called River Apparel.
• The Hot Water Music song Sunday Suit contains the line "Siddhartha style, I'll choose a path of open minds".
• "The river man" by R.E.M
• Pete Townshend's song The Ferryman was written for a modern production of Siddhartha in June 1976.
• The Slovenian rock band Siddharta was named after the novel.