All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

The Taliban pledged to honor women’s rights in Afghanistan. Here’s how it eroded them instead — Stigmatis

By Sophie Tanno, CNN | 23 Dec. 2022 CNN—When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 in a lightning takeover following the withdrawal of US troops, the radical Islamist group appeared keen to distance itself from its earlier period of rule in the 1990s, presenting itself as more moderate and committed to the internal peace […]

The Taliban pledged to honor women’s rights in Afghanistan. Here’s how it eroded them instead — Stigmatis

Walden Writers Soul Journey #38

Words from Walden

This Writing journey is for anyone who wants to explore themselves and produce an intimate artistic expression from their soul. It is a no-cost journey, and it is my gift to you!

The google doc below (inside google docs, click “file ” and “make a copy” to have your own editable version).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hNFo7lgpW9f1Q3OScBjwzvpnCsnwwfYFTCLaRwDC6bY/edit?usp=sharing

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The Vegetable Seller

Kaushal Kishore

An old man in tattered clothes approached Sam with a bag of green vegetables in his hand. He was not able to sell those vegetables on that day. He requested Sam and his friend to buy some of those vegetables,

“I tried to sell them the whole day, but no one is ready to buy them. I have no money.”

Sam found the leaves dehydrated and yellowish and there were holes also, as if bitten by insects.

Sam’s friend asked the old man, “But it’s not fresh.”

The old man was embarrassed, but he tried to explain,
“I grew these vegetables myself. It rained a while ago, and the vegetables were soaked. They look ugly, I know, but I need money.”

Sam bought the whole bag without saying a word. The old man left his bag and went happily, with his feeble words,
“Thank you very much. I’m extremely obliged…

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Saturday Christmas Eve Surprise!

Filosofa's Word

Somehow it just didn’t seem right to do a post about political turmoil on Christmas Eve, and especially since it’s Saturday and I haven’t done a Saturday Surprise post for several weeks now.  So, let’s combine Christmas Eve and Saturday Surprise into one fun (hopefully) post!


I thought it might be fun to look at some of the Christmas food traditions around the globe. In Portugal, for instance, Christmas means lampreia de ovos, a sugary likeness of a blood-sucking eel-like parasite.  It is a curved, eel-shaped mound of egg yolks, sugar syrup, and almonds that will stare at diners with candied-fruit eyes and a big smile.

Looks pretty friendly and harmless, doesn’t it?  If you’d like to try making one at home, you can find the recipe here. Now, you might be surprised to learn what the Christmas feast in Japan is …

Yep, good ol’ Colonel Sanders Kentucky…

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India: Mumbai races to halt measles outbreak – DW – 12/23/2022

Measles has killed at least 16 children in the densely packed Indian city of Mumbai since the start of an outbreak in October. The disease is characterized by a high fever and a distinctive red rash. It can be contagious for days before the rash emerges and is often particularly dangerous for children under 5.

Experts have blamed a reduction in vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic for the outbreaks, which have also been seen to a lesser degree in other cities across India.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children missed a dose. And now they have grown into another age group,” said Mangala Gomare, executive health officer at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai’s governing civic body.

The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is part of the national childhood immunization program, with two doses recommended for children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years.

Missing measles vaccine doses

Although measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination, a 95% coverage rate is needed to create herd immunity and halt community spread. Once the number of unvaccinated children in an area reaches critical mass, the disease spreads, triggering an outbreak.

During the COVID pandemic, lockdowns and diverted resources caused disruption to routine childhood immunization programs, resulting in a significant drop in vaccination rates.

Source: India: Mumbai races to halt measles outbreak – DW – 12/23/2022

All Girls Must be Allowed to Return to Education in Afghanistan | Inter Press Service

Any ban on girls’ education is a despicable attack on human rights and on Afghanistan, as a country. Afghanistan has suffered decades of brutal conflict, extreme poverty, starvation and climate-induced disasters. The people of Afghanistan have experienced excruciating hardship for far too long. How much more can the Afghan people take?

In preventing girls and women from going to school and higher education, 50% of the population is excluded from rebuilding Afghanistan, their communities and their families. There will be no female doctors, nurses or teachers to provide basic services to girls and women. There will be no Afghan children whose mothers or sisters can help them learn and develop.

As the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, Education Cannot Wait joins UN Secretary-General António Guterres in urging the de facto authorities to ensure equal access to education at all levels for women and girls. Afghanistan needs all of its people in order to rebuild from four decades of conflict.

All over the world, women and girls have a basic human right to an education. By denying them the inherent right to an education, the de facto authorities are causing great harm to the people of Afghanistan – girls, women, men, and boys alike.

Source: All Girls Must be Allowed to Return to Education in Afghanistan | Inter Press Service