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| U.N.
Releases List of Top Ten Stories That Need More Media Attention |
Posted:
05.03.04 | |
| The
ongoing occupation of Iraq and the violence there has been the focus of much of
the media's attention, forcing many important news stories to "slip off the radar
screen," according to the United Nations, which announced a list of the top ten
stories that merit more attention.
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| In
an effort to draw attention to these less-covered stories, the United Nations'
Department of Public Information released the list, dubbed "Ten Stories the
World Should Know More About." | |
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| The
list | |
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| The
stories outlined on the list include humanitarian emergencies -- such as the crisis
of children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and the condition of child
soldiers in Uganda --  and
post-conflict situations like Tajikistan's road to peace following a deadly civil
war. The United Nations admits that while these stories have been reported,
they need more thorough, balanced and regular coverage. They are, according
to Shashi Tharoor, undersecretary-general for Communications and Public Information,
"a snapshot of the most compelling stories that, at this point in time, we
believe are in need of more attention." The list was prepared
in consultation with various U.N. offices and agencies, but the DPI took full
responsibility for the final selection. Officials were careful to point out the
list does not represent the main issues before the United Nations and the order
of the stories was not mean to reflect its importance. The first story is merely
"the first among equals," according to Tharoor. Other highlighted
stories include: - The tenuous peace in the Central African Republic,
one of the world's poorest countries
- The growing strain on U.N. resources
needed to maintain peace throughout the world
- The vital role that women
play in achieving peace and rebuilding societies, for example in Rwanda
- A
potential treaty to promote the rights of people with disabilities
- The
role of the International Court of Justice in solving border disputes such as
the one between Cameroon and Nigeria
- How overfishing is depleting marine
biodiversity
- Why some indigenous peoples in the Amazon face extinction
as their land disappears
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| Child
soldiers in Uganda | |
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| Uganda,
a country in central Africa, has been plagued by violence for more than 18 years
as members of the Lord's Resistance Army have clashed with the government. The
LRA operate mostly in northern and eastern parts of the country and  have
forced more than 1.6 million Ugandans to flee, half of them children. In
addition to the effect the fighting has had on refugees, almost 90 percent of
the LRA is made up of children under the age of 18. Many of the fighters, who
can be as young as 8, are abducted from their villages and forced to attack their
fellow abductees or even family members. If they refuse, they are killed. Officials
estimate that over 30,000 children have been forced to be soldiers, porters or
rebel "wives" since the 1980s. In the past 18 months alone, more than
10,000 children have been abducted. | |
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| Post-civil
war in Tajikistan | |
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| Civil
war broke out in the central Asian country of Tajikistan when it became independent
in 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Fighting between regional militias
throughout the country killed more than 50,000 and left 1.2 million people refugees
in their own nation. Since 1997 Tajikistan has worked hard to maintain the
peace brokered by a U.N. agreement. In many ways, the United Nations says Tajikistan
has been a model for post-conflict reconciliation. The country has worked to promote
the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions. But Tajikistan
continues to struggle with the effects of the war including high unemployment
-- especially of former fighters, the spread of small arms, drug trafficking and
the resurgence of extremist organizations. | |
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| AIDS
orphans in sub-Saharan Africa | |
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| The
devastation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is most clearly represented
in the 11 million AIDS orphans -- children orphaned because both of their parents
have died of  AIDS.
Eight of every ten children who are orphaned as a result of AIDS live in sub-Saharan
Africa. As a result entire communities fall deeper into poverty as already
over-extended families must care for the well being of these orphaned children,
according to U.N. officials. Orphans who cannot be helped by these communities
are often forced to live on the streets where they are even more vulnerable to
abuse and exploitation. "Millions of children live traumatized, unstable
lives, robbed not just of their parents, but of their childhoods and futures,"
said Stephen Lewis, the U.N. Secretary-General's special envoy for HIV/AIDS in
Africa. --
Annie Schleicher, Online NewsHour | |
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