by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – Back in September 2005, the now infamous Danish cartoon of the prophet Muhammad became a worldwide controversy. It was reprinted in newspapers in several countries and led to widespread Muslim protests and violence.…
Blog Archives
The Hard Truth Behind Asia’s Health Care Worker Exodus
by Imelda V. Abaño – The Philippines – For decades, the Philippines, one of the poorest countries in Asia, has provided skilled medical professionals primarily to wealthy places such as the United States, Europe and the Middle East. But as…
Poverty and Food Crisis: from the Philippines to Haiti
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – Hunger is the most crucial manifestation of poverty. In many parts of the world, the soaring prices of food, fuel and other basic goods have triggered social unrest and a growing sense of…
Women Bear the Brunt of Climate Crisis: Their Stories from the UN Conference in Bali
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – At the December UN conference in Bali, Indonesia, experts and concerned people alike discussed how poor women in developing countries bear the brunt of climate change in a wide range of ways. They…
Tagged with: Bali, Conservation, Enviornment, Philippines, Science
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
In Ongoing War in Muslim Mindanao, Women Are Peacemakers and Breadwinners
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – In times of war and during the peace process, women have played key roles, particularly in the protection of their rights and those of their children. Unfortunately, women are still kept away from…
Tagged with: Asia, Conflict, human rights, Islam, Mindanao, Philippines, poverty, women's empowerment
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
The Right to Food on World Food Day
by Imelda V. Abano – Philippines – When I visited a dumpsite last week to do a story about scavengers, I saw a group of children sifting through mountains of trash and asked: “What do you do when you’re hungry?”…
Can the Struggle for Philippine Democracy Be a Lesson to Burma?
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – The bloody military crackdown in Burma (also known as Myanmar) was bound to happen. Some people called it “pure democracy” as hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters joined with 10,000 of the Buddhist…
Tagged with: Asia, Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma, corruption, Democracy, human rights, miltary-rule, Myanmar, Philippines, Uprisings
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Women in the Philippines Demand a Solution: Lack of Clean Water and Sanitation Facilities Threatens Their Children and Their Lives
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – For Edna Dela Cruz, water is life, but it’s also backbreaking work. As a young child, she trudged barefoot for hours in the hot sun over rough hilly terrain in search of water.…
Tagged with: Child Rights, Health & Illness, Philippines, Sanitation, Water
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
In a Landmark Case, Former Philippine President Joseph Estrada Gets Life in Prison on Corruption Charges
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – “It is a political decision…I am innocent!” cried the 70-year-old already ousted Philippine President Joseph Estrada after he was convicted of corruption on a massive scale. He was sentenced to life in prison…
Tagged with: Asia, corruption, courts, grafting, Joseph Estrada, law & justice, Philippines
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
4th Annual International AIDS Society Conference Addresses Successes and Failures in the Global Fight Against the Virus
by Imelda V. Abaño – Philippines – The AIDS epidemic remains a global crisis; its impact will be felt for decades to come. Today, as when it was officially first recognized on December 1, 1981, the international community remains determined…
