Words. Thoughts. Musings. Action. Sakti Das.Tumblr (3.0; @saktidas)http://blog.saktidas.com/ Haiti envelops me, embraces me, engulfs me in her unconditional love. And so little I can give back...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/9252284066http://blog.saktidas.com/post/9252284066Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:13:00 -0700haitileoganeUnivesity of Notre DameHopital Sainte CroixNeg MawonPort-au-PrincefilariasisPaul SchellhammerMarch 2011 marked my second trip to Palestine with the Palestine Children&#8217;s Relief...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/5192021592http://blog.saktidas.com/post/5192021592Wed, 04 May 2011 09:38:00 -0700gazaPalestine Solidarity CampaignPalestine Children's Relief FoundationPCRFal jazeeraal aqsa martyrs hospitalMedical Aid for PalestiniansMAPThree months after the 7.0-earthquake hit Haiti, our team of 22 volunteers from Sionfonds for Haiti,...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/808057267http://blog.saktidas.com/post/808057267Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:44:00 -0700haitijacmelaidmedicaldentalcareprenataltentsunus armyngoMissionaries of CharitiesLast month was another one of my annual visits to India and Bangladesh to look into our schools,...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/416812947http://blog.saktidas.com/post/416812947Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:31:00 -0800schoolBangladeshKhulnaIndiahometaj mahal<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HyW9VkpSzL4?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><h2><a title="BBC News" target="_blank" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8299780.stm">Youngest Headmaster in the World</a></h2> <p>At 16 years old, Babar Ali must be the youngest headmaster in the world. He’s a teenager who is in charge of teaching hundreds of students in his family’s backyard, where he runs classes for poor children from his village.</p> <p>The story of this young man from Murshidabad in West Bengal is a remarkable tale of the desire to learn amid the direst poverty.</p>http://blog.saktidas.com/post/326688849http://blog.saktidas.com/post/326688849Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:04:00 -0800educationbaber aliwest bengal<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ktfcplPh9p1qa3mo2o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><h2>CRC @ 20: All Rights, All Children.</h2> <p>With <a title="UN Treaties" target="_blank" href="http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11&chapter=4&lang=en">193</a> signatories, <b><a title="The Convention on the Rights of the Child" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/">The Convention on the Rights of the Child</a></b> is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the history of the United Nations.</p> <p> <object height="305" width="480" data="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/swf/crc-player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="videoplayer"> <param name="align" value="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="FlashVars" value="splashscreen=http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/crcpsas_queen_rania_pic1.jpg&video1=http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/8301_Rania_ENG_FINAL_mov.f4v"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><param name="src" value="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/swf/crc-player.swf"><param name="name" value="videoplayer"><param name="flashvars" value="splashscreen=http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/crcpsas_queen_rania_pic1.jpg&video1=http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/8301_Rania_ENG_FINAL_mov.f4v&video2=/rightsite/files/8301_Rania_ARA_FINAL_mov.f4v"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></object> </p> <p>On the 20th Anniversary only <b>two</b> nations remain on the wrong side of <everything> having yet to ratify the CRC: <strike><b>Somalia</b></strike>* and <b>The United States of America</b>.</p> <blockquote> <h3>*UPDATE — Nov 20: ‘failed state’ of Somalia <a title="Reuters" target="_blank" href="http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE5AJ0IT20091120">has agreed to ratify the CRC treaty</a>.</h3> </blockquote> <h3><b>Dear USA: Why Not?!<br/><img alt="Yours Sincerely, Children of the World. :)" src="http://saktidas.com/blog/nov19-crcsig.gif" align="absmiddle" height="25" width="280"/><br/></b></h3> <p>Many wonder why the USA hasn’t ratified the treaty… unsurprisingly, the usual suspects are at work, as you will see in this report:</p> <p> <object height="295" width="480" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xossWRlmr8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xossWRlmr8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></object> </p> <h3>Links</h3> <ul><li><b>UNICEF:</b> <a title="UNICEF" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/whatyoucando.htm">Action You Can Take</a> & <a title="UNICEF" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/213_230.htm">Education and Culture</a> <ul><li>Download report: ‘<a title="The State of the World’s Children" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/sowc/fullreport.php">The State of the World’s Children</a>’</li> <li>Video: <a title="UNICEF CRC Advocates" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/364_374.htm">Advocates</a> — <a title="UNICEF CRC Experts" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/364_408.htm">Experts</a> — <a title="UNICEF CRC Perspectives" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/364_366.htm">Perpectives</a></li> <li>Child? <a title="UNICEF CRC Know Your Rights" target="_blank" href="http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/433.htm">Know Your Rights</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a title="Human Rights Watch" target="_blank" href="http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/18/us-ratify-children-s-treaty">Human Rights Watch</a></li> <li>Save the Children: <a title="Save the Children" target="_blank" href="http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/what_we_do/child_rights/index.html">“Child Rights are the DNA of our work”</a></li> <li><a title="CRIN" target="_blank" href="http://www.crin.org">Child Rights Information Network</a></li> </ul><p>We’ll leave you with this quote from not-yet-President Obama in a 2008 debate:</p> <blockquote><b>“It’s embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land.”</b></blockquote> <p><b>Apparently, he is not embarrassed enough.</b></p> <p>Please contact the Whitehouse and turn up the volume:</p> <blockquote> <p><b><a title="Whitehouse" target="_blank" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/">Email the President from Whitehouse.gov…<br/></a></b></p> <p><b>Call</b><br/>Comments line: <b>202-456-1111</b> / Switchboard: <b>202-456-1414</b></p> <p><b>Write</b><br/>The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500</p> </blockquote> <p><i>**Photo credit: “Afghan children played in the Kochi refugee camp on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan…”</i> — <i><a>Reuters/Athar Hussain</a></i></p>http://blog.saktidas.com/post/251088371http://blog.saktidas.com/post/251088371Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800unicefConvention on the Rights of the ChildCRCTrip report from Josephine&#8230; Namaste, a simple greeting with a profound meaning: &#8220;bow...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/236190309http://blog.saktidas.com/post/236190309Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:17:00 -0800bangladeshtripreportsakti dasTina SasakiJosephine Tamolanamaste On October 16th the World prepares to celebrate World Food Day. For the first time in history...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/217292317http://blog.saktidas.com/post/217292317Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700World Food DayAl JazeeraChildHungerUNBangladesh, a land of lush verdant fields resplendent with abundant crops, rivers and waterways...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/210609259http://blog.saktidas.com/post/210609259Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:45:00 -0700bangladeshclimate changesakti das<object width="400" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/p/54F9B6832E06706A&hl=en&fs=1" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/p/54F9B6832E06706A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="240" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br/><br/><p><h2><a title="Youtube" target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taGkMCB_IT8&feature=PlayList&p=54F9B6832E06706A&index=0&playnext=1">Foundation for Freedom TV Interview</a></h2> <blockquote><b>“<a title="The Foundation for Freedom" target="_blank" href="http://www.foundation-for-freedom.org/">The Foundation for Freedom</a></b> serves the poverty stricken people around the world by supporting schools in Asia, the Americas and Africa. In this show <a title="Community Balance" target="_blank" href="http://communitybalance.net/">Community Balance</a>’s host, <a title="Suzanne Barnett" target="_blank" href="http://www.suzannestvshow.com/">Suzanne Barnett</a> interviews <b>Dr. Sakti Das</b> and <a title="Niall Battson" target="_blank" href="http://www.foundation-for-freedom.org/aboutus"><b>Niall Battson</b></a> about the Foundation and it’s work establishing schools in India, Latin America and Africa.”<br/><i>— August 7, 2009 - <a title="Community Balance" target="_blank" href="http://communitybalance.net/">Community Balance</a></i><i> @ </i><a title="KMTV Community Television" target="_blank" href="http://www.kmvt15.org/"><i>KMTV</i></a></blockquote></p>http://blog.saktidas.com/post/197599990http://blog.saktidas.com/post/197599990Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:07:00 -0700foundation for freedominterviewpublic televisionKMTVcommunity balanceniall battsonsakti das Constantly in pain, incontinent of urine and feces, bearing a heavy burden of sadness in...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/196613383http://blog.saktidas.com/post/196613383Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:48:00 -0700africahealthmusingsobstetric fistulapregnancysakti dassurgerywebcastwomenunfpa<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cv1V5gV_nRQ?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><h2><a target="_blank" href="http://playpumps.org">PlayPumps Water System</a></h2> <p><b>HOW — </b>“… kinetic energy generated from 25 children on the roundabout is used pump 1400 litres (370 gallons) of water per hour at an average 16 rpm, effective up to a depth of 100m.”</p> <p><b>WHY —</b> “.. water collection is overwhelmingly undertaken by women and children, the time saved through the installation of a locally operational water supply will allow girls to attend school and women to concentrate on more productive activities.”</p> <p>More information: <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout_PlayPump">Wikipedia</a> — <a title="PBS" target="_blank" href="http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/10/south_africa_th.html">PBS Frontline</a></p>http://blog.saktidas.com/post/188981556http://blog.saktidas.com/post/188981556Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:51:00 -0700africaplaypumpswaterchildrenplayroundabouteducationwomen“Professor Emeritus of Urology presently working at Alameda County Medical Center. He is...http://blog.saktidas.com/post/191080738http://blog.saktidas.com/post/191080738Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:30:00 -0700sakti dasbloghttp://blog.saktidas.com/post/197615798http://blog.saktidas.com/post/197615798Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700Poll