Yesterday I reiterated George Clooney's question in regard to the impending disaster in Darfur:

If not the UN, who? Today, I ask a different one.

If not the UN, why?

The first 'why' is really a 'why not'?

Why wouldn't the UN step up to the plate it was ostensibly created for?

We've heard some ... more

Continued from here ...

By the summer of 2004, 50,000 to 80,000 people had been killed and at least a million had been driven from their homes, causing a major humanitarian crisis in Darfur. On the 18th of September 2004, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1564, which called for a Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to assess the Sudanese conflict.

On the 31st of January 2005, the UN released a... more

Darfur ...

The facts:

Darfur (Arabic, meaning "home of the Fur") is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ... Darfur covers an area of some (196,555 miles²)—about three-quarters the size of Texas, more than half the size of Kenya or slightly smaller than France. It is largely an arid plateau with the Marrah Mountains (Jebel Marra), a range of volcanic peaks rising up to 10,100 ft, in the center of... more

I've had about enough of this nonsense.

If Jan Baker ... opinionated and obstreperous birth mom that she is .. and I ... a confrontational and dogmatic adoptive mom ... can duke it out, then come to a position of mutual respect through the process, anyone can. So, what's the deal... more

Ward 16, Al Wasi Hospital, Dubai.

This is where children found to be abandoned in this UAE country are taken until the time homes are found for them. None, however, will be adopted. In Arabic, abandoned children are known as laqeet, meaning 'to pick up a child from death'. Reasons for abandonment in the UAE are much the same as in other parts of the world ... fear of poverty, reprisals for adultery, the birth of a child with special needs ...... more

I'm heading home soon, but in the meantime you're stuck with another resurrected post.

My life is much different than many, and a big reason for the differences is where I live. Sharing stories of island life is always fun for me. In this post, called, "Just South of the Equator" I tried to convey some of the feel of this place.

We had a bit of rain last night.

Yes, only a bit.

As Mark and I were sitting... more

Here's one of my old favorites, as far as posts go ...

From early March, this blog post makes me feel good:

For much of my life I’ve had a concept of the least a person should contribute over the course of a lifetime. Although I can’t conjure a scene to go with the first hearing, I attributed the phrase summing up the idea to my father. I’m second guessing that now, but do know that he certainly would have agreed, even had he not... more

Another day, another rerun ...

Every so often, I find myself really annoyed with negative attitudes toward international adoption. Last February, something had set me off, as this post sure came from somewhere.

International adoptions draw attention ... good, bad, rarely indifferent. Who hasn’t heard about Angelina Jolie’s kids? And while there are many who applaud her decision to bring her family together from far-flung corners... more

Rerun season continues since I'm still in ultra-modern Singapore, while other places still seem a very long way from the civilized world.

Back in June, before the latest hell broke loose in Lebanon, I wrote about an upsetting news report. That blog post was titled, "Mothers Imagine Peace."

A news report today showed the remnants of a Palestinian family after a day at the beach turned to mayhem when they were reported... more

Again with the old posts ... This time, the last entry in what I called my, "cynical series" where I'm wondering if it's a light at the end of the tunnel, or just a fast-approaching train.

Am I hoping against hope that my faith in humanity will be renewed, my vision of the future will brighten, light will shine at the end of a tunnel filled with hard work and dedication?

Do I feel a need... more