Tag Archives: People
People consider fleeing as violence increases
Baghdad, Iraq (IRIN) – Suicide attacks, assassinations and bombings in Iraq have claimed the lives of at least 265 people and injured hundreds of others since 18 December, the date the USA withdrew all but 200 of its troops from the country, according to the health and interior ministries.
The wave of attacks, carried out mainly by Sunni extremists from Al-Qaeda in Iraq against Shia communities, has alarmed many who fear the country could descend into chaos once more, with the government itself acknowledging it is not capable of ensuring security on its own.
The attacks also come as political factions are at loggerheads over how to reach a power-sharing deal. The Sunni community is complaining that it is being marginalized by the Shia-led government, which recently issued arrest warrants against Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi and other politicians for allegedly operating death squads.
Many fear the current violence could send the country back to the days of 2006-07 when Shia-Sunni conflict left thousands of people dead and millions of others displaced. A few families have already packed their bags and others are contemplating leaving.
Here is how some Iraqis are feeling:
Sultan Abdul-Latif Ibrahim, a 55-year-old father of six from the Shia Shabak minority in the northern province of Ninevah: “I lost 10 of my relatives since [the US-led invasion in] 2003… We used to live in the provincial capital, Mosul, for years with Sunnis and Christians. But in 2007 we were forced out of our houses by Sunni extremists who blew up our homes. Since then, we have been living in a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Mosul. Last Monday [16 January] our camp was attacked by a parked car bomb, killing eight people, including six of my relatives. I wish to die now rather than later. We can’t bear the hardships we are going through every day. We, the Shia, are facing constant threats by Sunni extremists who want to eliminate us and there is no place to go. I can’t afford to move with my family to another place.”
Hassan Abdul-Mahdi, a 35-year-old Sunni businessman and father of three from Baghdad: “Iraq today is just like Iraq after the toppling of the previous regime. There is one group that wants to dominate and impose its control on the country. Today, the Shia-led government and politicians who control the security forces have started to hunt down Sunni leaders and political figures to bite them one by one using different means… I’m contemplating leaving Iraq as the situation seems to be getting worse.”
Jandak Youssif, a 46-year-old Christian from Baghdad: “The situation is getting worse day by day, and the government doesn’t care about our suffering and needs. Our economy is stagnant; illiteracy and unemployment are prevalent; decent public services are not available; and people are leaving the country due to the security situation and religious discrimination. Christians are being attacked and no-one is campaigning for their rights. We are not seeing any improvement in any aspect of our life… My family is scattered in many parts of the world; my parents and brother are stuck in Syria waiting to be relocated to a third country. I have three sisters in Denmark, one in the Netherlands and two in Ninevah Province. Iraq is one of the richest countries in the world but we are the worst in terms of corruption, unemployment and illiteracy.”
Examples of recent violence
16 January: Two car bombs targeted a camp for displaced Shabak in the northern province of Ninevah and a commercial area in the central province of Babil, killing 11 and wounding 21.
14 January: A bomb attack against Shia pilgrims in the southern province of Basra killed 53 and injured 130. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack.
10 January: A wave of bombs and assassinations nationwide killed 10 people. The targets were government officials, security forces and Shia pilgrims.
9 January: Three car bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing 17 and wounding dozens.
5 January: A wave of bombings targeted Shia Muslims in Baghdad and other provinces heading on foot to the revered city of Karbala to mark the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein. Seventy-eight people were killed and more than 100 wounded.
22 December: A string of coordinated bombs tore through mainly Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing 69 and injuring nearly 200. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks.
18 December: The USA pulled the last of its combat forces out of Iraq, leaving only 200 for training and diplomatic protection.
sm/ha/cb
– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.
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Helping Somali young people to find work
Nairobi, Kenya (IRIN) – Instead of joining militias or idling at street corners, the youth in Garowe, the regional capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, are learning skills to help them earn a living, officials said.
A local NGO, the Farsano Technical Institute, is implementing the project, which is funded by the Education Development Centre (EDC), an American NGO. Trainees learn skills such as welding, plumbing and electrical services; carpentry, auto mechanics, bookkeeping and IT.
“These are young people in their teens and 20s; most, if not all, were born during the civil war,” said Abdihakim Mohamed Jama, of the Farsano Technical Institute. “We have to find something for them to do or they may end up in criminal gangs, such as militia groups.”
Jama said the project, Shaqa Doon (“Looking for a job” in Somali] started early this year with 156 trainees.
“We have two types of trainees; those with no education and those with some education,” he said, adding that some had completed primary school while others had a secondary school education, “but most are illiterate”.
Jama told IRIN: “Bookkeeping and IT are taught to those with education, because the others cannot manage. We also teach reading, writing and basic mathematics to those who never had an education. So while they are learning the skills, we are also teaching them how to read and write.”
Of the total number of current trainees, Jama said, 38 are women.
One of the trainees, Amina Mohamed Nur, 20, said after completing primary school, she could not afford secondary school fees.
“I was basically sitting at home doing nothing; when I heard about the project I applied and was accepted.”
Nur chose to train as a mechanic, an unusual profession for a woman from a conservative community. “I am not the only one,” she told IRIN. “Four other girls are with me in this training. Since I was a child, I always wanted to work with cars. I don’t know why but that is what I wanted to do.”
She said she would eventually like to own a garage.
Nur Hassan Hussein, 25, from Garowe, was unemployed when he heard about Farsano. He had dropped out of school due to a lack of funds and is training to become an electrician. “I want to be the best electrician I can be and then eventually start my own business.”
Hussein said there were many young people like him “who would do anything to get this opportunity; I am very lucky”.
Jama said that once they have finished the course, trainees “go out and become self-employed, placed in jobs with government agencies or with businesses and other groups. If they don’t get the first two options, we absorb them in Farsano and they help with the project.”
“All these trainees are at-risk young people; if we save them now, they, in turn, will save others and contribute to the well-being of the community instead of becoming a menace,” he said.
The Farsano Technical Institute project is the only one in Garowe targeting the youth.
“There are many young people out there who need help, but we cannot take them all,” Jama said, urging other agencies to help with the growing number of unemployed youth by “giving them the ability and capacity to be productive members of their community”.
ah/mw
– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.
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Bad Credit Loans Monthly Payment Easy Loans For People With Bad Credit
As the name itself says, bad credit loans monthly payments are the loans made for people with the poor credit history with easy repayment options. Bad credit records such as CCJs, late payments, missed payments etc will not become an obstacle in your way to get the cash help.
Large numbers of people in this world are facing the bad credit scores. They are unable to get the loans that easily when compared with the good credit scores holders. Thus, it becomes very tough for them to get rid of their tough financial conditions. People with the bad credit records are not required to get worried during their bad financial times, as bad credit loans monthly payment are provided to the borrowers very easily.
Bad credit loans monthly payments are available in two forms: Secured loans and unsecured loans. Secured loans are the loans in which some valuable property of the borrower is kept as security with the lender. Here, the lender’s money is not at risk, thus low rate of interest is required to be paid by the borrower. On the other hand, people who are not having any valuable asset to place as security against the loan can avail unsecured loans. These loans are for people who are not willing to place their valuables or who are lacking some valuables to place as security. The loan amount that can be availed with secured loans ranges from 5000-75000. Repayment of the loan amount can be done within 25 years. On the other side, the loan amount that can be availed by the borrower under unsecured loans ranges from 1000-25000. Repayment of the loan amount in unsecured loans can be done within 10 years of availing the loan amount. Under unsecured loans, the borrowers are required to pay little higher rate of interest.
Now, bad credit history will not become a source of problem to meet all your urgent expenses. Whether you are having wedding expenses, education expenses, home improvement expenses all can be easily met with the cash help from bad credit loans monthly payment. One can find numbers of lenders, financial institutions and banks online who are making these loans available at easy conditions. Need is to fill up an online application form with simple details. Once approved, the loan amount will get transferred into your bank account in short period of time.
Adverse Credit Loans Especially For People With Bad Credit Profile
Usually people with bad credit profile faces problem in getting loan. A general loan provider will not be ready to take any risk by providing loan to such people. But financial emergencies and need can’t be avoided, in such conditions Adverse Credit Loans is here to help by providing them loan. It provides you loan at a very reasonable rate of interest without asking any collateral or any documentations against the loan amount. It gives at the sport services to its customers without giving them any hassle.
Adverse Credit Loans give a very good chance to people with adverse credit factor to improve their image in the market and gain a good credit score. Approval of the loan will depend on certain conditions which are:-
You must be an adult citizen.
You must be employed.
Your salary must be above 1000.
You must have a bank account for the transactions.
If you are fulfilling the above conditions then be confident and fill your online application form to apply here. You will defiantly get the positive response.
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If you really want to save you time and efforts plus want easy and convenient solutions to all your financial problems then just apply here any take the benefits of its services. Hurry, apply here by filling a simple online application form while sitting anywhere in the world.
Josie Long sets up charity to help young people
As tuition fees continue to make the news, the comedian Josie Long has taken her comedy – and her actions – into the political arena, setting up a charity to support students
Josie Long possesses the kind of playful energy that could make even the most hardboiled curmudgeon mellow, so it takes a few moments to realise that the young comedian, known more for her whimsical musings on the minutiae of life than her political opinions, has a serious message to get across.
For someone who is worried she is “going to say things that make me sound stupid,” Long displays a natural flair for articulating why, after more than a decade spent honing her comedy credentials, she is suddenly getting all political.
In 2009, Long, who has accumulated a string of awards since entering the comedy world at just 17, embarked on a typically whimsical project: “a hundred days to make me a better person” (her comedy shows have upbeat titles such as Be Honourable! and Trying is Good). She set herself small arbitrary tasks such as writing a joke every day and speaking to strangers.
One of the aims of the project was to become more politically aware because she felt a bit “woolly” on the subject. It was an experiment that sparked an unlikely journey and, later this month, she will launch an educational charity to help young people from underprivileged backgrounds get to university and tackle their debt. Underpinning the project is her desire to raise the profile of the liberal arts, which she believes have been sidelined by government ministers keen to push the idea of higher education as a route to employability rather than an end in itself.
Long, who is now 29, says she has always been annoyed that she left university in debt, when her rich friends didn’t. “I’ve always believed that higher education shouldn’t make you have a massive debt at the end. It should be state-funded.”
But the thing about being more politically active is that it has been a “world of hurt” every day, she says earnestly. “I began to feel like I couldn’t possibly be leading a good life unless I was doing more things. It came from feeling like I wasn’t doing anything to help society be more like how I wanted it to be. I guess it was just getting a bit older and feeling a bit disillusioned with being a comedian because it felt a bit too easy and good for me.”
It was the prospect of a Tory government that made her think hard about education (she is proud of having studied English at Oxford despite coming from a modest background with “no connections” or family financial assistance). “I was thinking about how much my degree enriched my life, and how much it gave me for the future, in terms of learning how to study and read and research and think critically”.
Rather than stay mired in vague exasperation or using comedy to vent (although she confesses to having enjoyed doing just that as part of her political awakening), Long decided to act on her impulses.
First of all she took part in the student protests last year, ending up on the late-night political programme The Week at one point and giving Michael Portillo a run for his money debating tuition fee increases. She also became involved with UK Uncut, the disparate anti-tax avoidance network, taking part in some of the group’s occupations of high-street banks.
But it still wasn’t enough, according to Long, so – despite having no voluntary or education sector experience whatsoever – she decided to set up her own charity. She is starting small with the mentoring where she lives in Hackney, east London, with “perhaps only a handful of pupils”, but the long-term aim is to help students all over the UK.
Her new charity, Arts Emergency Service, is a collaboration with her friend Neil Griffiths, an experienced fundraiser. As well as running a small monthly lottery for graduates where winners get some and possibly all of their debts paid off, the pair also want to raise money for a long-term mentoring scheme and to convince their friends and others that “it’s not enough to have the ‘correct’ opinions and anxieties”, but that they should play an active part in effecting change.
It’s not surprising, perhaps, that for all her earnestness Long seems unable to veer too far away from her comedy roots when talking about her plans. She beams mischievously while outlining one of her more quixotic ideas for Arts Emergency Service, which involves renting a van with a few friends and “going round for 10 days doing ad hoc [comedy] shows in the middle of nowhere – like in cul-de-sacs” to promote it. Another idea scheduled for later this month will entail using Twitter [@ artsemergency ] and the charity’s website [ arts-emergency.org ] to have a playful poke at Prince William. “We’ve got an idea to coincide with the royal wedding because prince thingy studied history of art – and he probably left debt-free.” Pausing for comic effect, Long adds: “I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t have a student loan.”
She says the “ultimate aim” of Arts Emergency Service is “to reinstate free education for all at a tertiary level,” and, she says, giggling, trying to be as unrealistic as possible. “I’m almost perversely pro-stupid degrees now. I don’t care if you are studying beer management. Good for you – you enjoy yourself. Have three years of absolute flowering.”
Long recalls the one-woman standup show she did at the Edinburgh festival in 2010, Be Honourable! It was her first foray into political comedy and was written as the concept of Arts Emergency Service was gestating. The critics loved it, with some saying she was unexpectedly filling a gap where political comedy should have been.
“I’m just [trying] really hard not to be shit,” Long says half-seriously. “I didn’t intentionally start doing shows [that were political]. I just always believed that if I said what I really cared about I would build the right audience. That’s why this last show felt totally a part of all the other ones.”
Whatever Long may have felt she was doing, there is a sense of someone who has put herself in the firing line – right in the middle of one of the most contentious issues of the day. When she first began mooting her views on the cuts and on education policy on Twitter, she was slightly thrown by the “massive resentment” of many of those who responded.
“What’s been really upsetting has been getting loads of people saying things like ‘Why should I pay for other people to flit around?’ The idea is that you would want to [pay tax to fund education] because you feel responsible for everyone else in a society. I feel old-fashioned because that’s what I care about and believe in.”
As she toured the country after the Edinburgh festival, Long, whose comedy is not the sort that tends to attract hecklers, found herself on the receiving end of some aggressive challenges. She recounts how one punter shouted that she shouldn’t be able to rant about government policy without any balance. “I was like, ‘yes I fucking can, it’s my gig you prick’.
“There are people who don’t like me because of a [comedy] aesthetic,” Long adds, shrugging her shoulders. “But what I’ve encountered recently – which I’ve not really encountered before – is that I’ve made people angry and upset. That’s been really hard to deal with and quite sad.”
But if it has been tough, it also seems to have reinforced her view that, with a few notable exceptions such as Mark Thomas, the contemporary scene is failing to embrace political satire.
“I feel like there’s been a real aggressive attempt to make comedy apolitical and to send it back to pre-alternative comedy. A lot of the mainstream shows are just men coming on and going ‘Oh this is crap isn’t it I hate my wife’ and that’s been quite tedious.”
Does she worry that by venturing beyond comedy and setting up a grassroots project – and one that could ironically be heralded by the Tories as a prime example of the “big society” in operation – potentially opens her up to accusations of naivety? “I would rather do something now than look back in 10 years and [realise] that I hadn’t done anything. I feel like I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I’m articulating these things at every opportunity and doing everything that I can.”
Then does she at least acknowledge that she’s taken on a very ambitious task? Yes, she says, but that is beside the point. “We’ve got a lot of righteous indignation. It’s fuel. And I think the government is going to keep giving us fuel for at least the next four and a half years. If in five years’ time we have paid for even one person to go through university to study an arts degree, that would be wonderful.” Students Comedy Student politics Tuition fees Higher education Charities Voluntary sector Josie Long Mary O’Hara guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Loans For People With Bad Credit-Shows The Way to Manage Your Expenses
As you already know that your financial condition will be in danger when your expenses will exceed your income limit thereby challenging your planned budget. If you do not clear your dues or pay your credit card and other utility bills in time, there are chances of getting sued by the creditors. On the top of that, if you have bad credit history, you would be denied loans very easily from lenders whose rules and regulations may be very stringent. However, you should not loose hope as there are many loan institutions would really come forward at the needful hour. They would definitely assist you in getting loans without taking any property as a mortgage and also considering your bad credit history.
If you are beginner, it will be better for you to search the right lender in Better Business Bureau website. It would be appropriate if you use the keyword “loan” and if you type your area code, you would find a dataset of number of lenders who offer loans for people with bad credit in your area. These lenders would also bear BBB rating starting from A to F and you should always look for a lender with the rating “A” as this would reflect the reputation earned by the lenders in the loan market. You will also get the opportunity to study the company profile and the contact information. Make a list of top five lenders and contact them and express your needs for loans. Even though the rates of interest are maintained by state regulators, there are chances to get lenders who would offer lower rates of interest. During the festivities, you will be fortunate enough to get a lower rate of interest and if you are a first time borrower, you may strike the deal for unsecured loans for people with bad credit at half of the rate of interest. Many lenders would also provide you with referral fees ranging from 25 to 100 if you introduce new customer to them for loans.
These lenders would not check your credit history even though credit records are showing you as a poor performer and they would easily transfer the loan money to your checking account without taking any property as a mortgage from your end. However, you need to disclose your basic information like the citizenship of UK, employment status which would determine your repayment efficiency and the checking account details so that money is easily transferred to your bank.
Immediate Bad Credit Loansfor People With Poor Performance In Credit Repayment
Are you constantly denied of borrowing funds from various financial institutions present currently in the market due to your bad credit performances in the past? Do you feel embarrassed before going to lend some money in times of urgent need from the lenders? You might not be even in a position to ask your friends and relatives for the funds as they might also be facing shortage of funds in the mid of the month. If so, then a perfect remedy for this problem has been launched in the market in the name of Immediate Bad Credit Loans scheme especially designed for people troubled because of their poor past performances in repayment and now they are in urgent need of funds with low interest rates.
The Immediate Bad Credit Loans scheme is an optimum solution for people who are unable to fulfill their needs with their salary and are in a problem due to inability to repay the amount previously as a result of which no one is willing to lend them funds. But with this scheme in hand such people can easily get funds the very same day as they need not to undergo any credit checking process. You just need to file an online application for registration with some basic details which gets approved the very same day and after approval the amount is transferred to the checking bank account of the client without delay.
There is no need of standing in long queues in order avail such scheme. The scheme is easily available online without any paper pen formalities to be fulfilled but some basic requirements are that you need to a UK citizen, should be having a valid bank account and should be a salaried person. As soon as these requirements are verifies you become eligible of holding the funds. Moreover the major benefit of this scheme is easy repayment options available according to your convenience.
Loan For People With Bad Credit Loan For Bad Creditors
This loan for people with bad credit scheme offer the fast money to the applicant without even bothering about the past credit record. But before approval, you need to prove that you are earning a regular salary by working in a known and good organisation which can assure that you will not have any problem while to repay it back. As there is no credit is checked at any stage in this bad credit scheme. So, it not only helps you to save your time but also makes it great for you to get a loan within a single day.
This loan for people with bad credit scheme is easily availing to all those people who can easily fulfil all the requirements with genuinely. These requirements include the applicant must belong to UK and for this; he/she need to submit their residence proof. And except this citizenship requirement, the applicant age must be more than 18 years because only adults are eligible to apply for this loan scheme. And the applicant must have a valid and active account in any UK bank. Although the last statements of your bank account are not asked at any moment.
This offer does not include any paper work or any other time wasting formality. As the online way is the fastest way of lending money within the day you submit the application, so this scheme is offered only by the online mode. Upon approval of your application form, you will be replied soon to collect your required money and use the money as you required. You need to remember that if you apply for this scheme, even at the time of making an online application form and for the approval, you are not at all charged any fees. This is one of this scheme advantages.