What remains of the slum neighborhood of Borei Keila. Photo: Baltimore Sun

This article originally appeared at Dissent Magazine.

Approximately 70 people sat outside the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh last week in the sweltering heat because, quite frankly, they had nowhere else to go. They were members of some 300 families who were forcibly evicted from their homes in Phnom Penh’s Borei Keila district on January 3. Their homes were bulldozed to make way for corporate development.

Urban poverty has remained a constant in Cambodia’s capital city since it was repopulated following the madness of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. With little to no help from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, many of the country’s poor have no alternative but to rely on philanthropic institutions and Western NGOs to meet their basic human needs. Indeed, the Cambodian government has often prioritized corporate investment, accompanied with the expected kickbacks for the political elite, above the needs of its citizens.

This was the case in the Borei Keila tragedy. The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) provided a brief history of the situation in a recent press release that documents the government’s support for the construction company Phanimex, at the expense of the poor of Borei Keila:

In early 2003, a “land-sharing” arrangement was proposed for Borei Keila, which allowed the well-connected construction company, Phanimex, to develop part of the area for commercial purposes while providing housing to the residents on the remaining land. Phanimex was obligated to build 10 apartment buildings on two hectares of land for the villagers in return for obtaining ownership of an additional 2.6 hectares for commercial development.

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In April 2010, Phanimex unilaterally reneged on the agreement, however—with the approval of the government—and only constructed eight buildings. That left 300 Borei Keila families excluded from the original agreement—and still living in housing on the site. These were the homes that Phanimex representatives destroyed today.

Cambodian police took a pounding before firing tear gas back at the displaced residents. Photo: Khmer440.com

Many of the homes were bulldozed before its inhabitants could gather their personal effects from inside. On January 4, things turned violent. Several villagers began throwing rocks at the various individuals participating in the destruction, including police officers, security guards, and Phanimex workers. Police responded by firing tear gas at the protesters. The Phnom Penh Post reported that ten people were injured and ten more arrested.

This is not the first time the residents of Borei Keila have faced discrimination from the government and Phanimex. On June 18, 2009, twenty HIV-affected families living in the community were evicted and sent to a remote resettlement camp fifteen miles away. This action was so egregious that it prompted Human Rights Watch to write a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen decrying the creation of a “de facto AIDS colony.” The families evicted were told they didn’t qualify for the free housing that Phanimex (falsely) promised it would build for displaced residents..

With little recourse from their own government, about seventy former inhabitants of Borei Keila decided to camp out in front of the U.S. Embassy last week, hoping to garner some international attention. The embassy, via its official Twitter page, issued a bland statement about the need to clarify property rights, and called for both sides to refrain from violence and to “exercise maximum restraint.”

It does not appear that the United States will do anything else. Since the Cambodian government has sided with Phanimex, the country’s civil society will likely have to provide for the families of Borei Keila, who are now, in effect, homeless, abandoned by their own government.

Photo: Operation Christmas Child: Children who live at City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City decorated and filled 16 shoe boxes with gifts to give to other needy children.

It is that time of year again; for many the chill of winter has set in, and as we bundle-up with something hot by the fire, we think about giving to others. Regardless of your religious beliefs, the holiday season reminds us to give back to our communities and others in need, especially children.

I wish there were a way we could capture this holiday spirit and keep it going all year long. In the hopes that these accounts will inspire you to do just that, I thought I would share a few stories of children who have gone above and beyond the general spirit of giving:

Recognizing their power and potential to make a difference in the lives of others, more than 113,000 kids and teens joined generationOn and pledged their commitment to service, ensuring a donation of more than $1 million in toys and games from Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) to Toys for Tots.  As a result of these commitments to serve, tens of thousands of children across the country will now have the opportunity to experience the joy of play this holiday season (PR Newwire).

15 year-old Kaci Bowman, has been giving back to children in all over the world for years through Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a program of Samaritan’s Purse International Relief organization. ‘This year, Bowman collected 162 shoeboxes full of small gifts and personal hygiene products…’ and then traveled to Denver to help sort and organize gift boxes for children in Mexico and Haiti (The Norwood Post).

Kindergarten students made four large gingerbread houses during the school’s holiday parties and donated them to the Defenders of Freedom Veterans Home & Shelter (The Registered Mail).

Honor roll fifth-graders at Village Academy in Delray Beach are receiving hand-painted TOMS Shoes donated by students at Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton. Saint Andrews fifth-graders painted the shoes, provided by a parent donor in association with Sound Tree Entertainment to supply needy children at home and abroad with shoes (Palm Beach Post).

Middle School students team up to fulfill 50 Angel Tree wishes (Daily Gleaner).

Girl Scout Troop 20379 and Brownie Troop 20049 at Clinton School are helping to feed 15 kids in three families over the 10-day holiday break (South Orange Patch).

10 Great Philanthropists Who are Kids was published in January of this year and provides 10 unique and inspiring stories of children giving selflessly to those in need.

Don’t under estimate the power of youth; children can have a powerful and lasting impact on the lives of other children and our world. There are many ways that children can get involved and make a difference. Think outside the box; never be afraid to think too big; remember that even small efforts can make a big impact. Volunteer opportunities for adolescents aren’t difficult to find, and one of the best places to start is with your school, local place of worship, or service groups. There are a number of youth centric organizations, such as Kids Can Make A Difference, that also help children and teens find ways to serve both local and international communities and find causes.

Encouraging children to do volunteer work is one of the most important things you can do for them as a parent or leader, and the best part is teenagers love to volunteer! Students who do volunteer work actually do better in school than those who don’t volunteer. In fact, volunteering provides many benefits for teens, it increases self-esteem, creates a sense of value, presents an opportunity to meet new people, leads to the acquisition of valuable new skills, not to mention the amazing memories these opportunities will create. When teenagers serve others, they become empowered; they learn that they can make a difference in the world and are already investing in the future. It is the fuel they need to be the best leaders of tomorrow.

Here are a few ideas of ways children can get involved and give to other children around the globe:

1. Grow and donate your hair to Locks of Love and help a child in the United States or Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis, get a hairpiece.
2. Visit your local hospital children’s ward, or send drawings and letters of encouragement to children who are suffering from illness or trauma at home or overseas.
3. Collect stuffed animals for local police and rescue personal to give to children who have suffered a tragedy.
4. Make jewelry, or other arts and craft items, to sell and fundraise for your favorite cause.  You can even use items that are already helping those in need like, Paper to Pearls.
5. Hold a concert or play and donate all of your ticket and concession sales to charity.
6. Organize a community yard sale and donate all the money to help children in need overseas, such as AIDS orphans, children affected by conflict or natural disaster, to provide needed childhood immunizations.
7. Ask your school, church, sports team, or scout group to adopt a cause or charity for the year and then host a series of fundraisers such as bake and rummage sales, donation drives, etc.
8. Volunteer at your local homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
9. Collect donated school supplies and backpacks for kids in need around the world.
10. Organize your friends to donate your gently used toys and books then take them to local homeless shelters.
11. Use your talents and interests in a creative way to help others!  Don’t forget the biggest impact you can have is often spreading awareness of the issues children in need have across the globe. So start a blog, host film screenings and spread the word about your causes.

Keep up the spirit of volunteering and share it with your friends and family. You can make a world of difference just by setting an example.  If you have a story of a special child activist or philanthropist, please share in the comments section, for the spirit of giving is truly contagious!
Links to organizations established by, or for, kids:

Resources for Children and Young Adults
JustGive.org Kids Corner - Learn about kids making a difference
Just Give – 50 Ways to Help Children
Starlight’s StarPower program -showcase’s young people working to help other kids.
Children Helping Children - International Musical Charity, holding In-Hospital Concerts and Gala Benefit Concerts
Kids Helping Kids with Nothing
Kids Helping Kids Heal 
Kids Helping Kids
Project Linus New Jersey - Providing handmade blankets and handcrafted toys to children suffering serious illness and trauma.
The Loose Change to Loosen Chains Campaign
Families with Purpose - Community Service Projects
PBS Kids Zoom Team - You can you help the world.

Thursday, December 1, was World AIDS Day.  Each year, people gather worldwide to remember those lost to or affected by HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness.  It’s also a time to reflect on what’s been accomplished and what remains to be done, and the day serves as a time for politicians, celebrities, implementers, and activists to speak out.  This year, thirty years from the official beginning of the epidemic, proved similar. As always, discussions about increasing financial support of HIV/AIDS programs were at the forefront of most speeches, articles, and press releases.  For World AIDS Day, the UN released an ambitious set of goals to reach by 2015, which they acknowledge are “aspirational.”  In this uncertain funding environment, fears of budget shortfalls, program closures, and stock-outs of vital anti-retroviral drugs are very real.  AIDS-related deaths and new infections are on the decline, something that felt almost unimaginable just a decade or so ago.  We are close to radically altering the course of the epidemic, but the global economic recession is putting progress at jeopardy.

The Atlantic put together a series of articles for World AIDS Day.  Dr. Mitch Besser of mothers2mothers (disclosure: I used to work at m2m) focuses on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) efforts, highlighting UNAIDS’s Global Plan for elimination of MTCT by 2015 and the importance of US foreign aid programs.  Other highlights at The Atlantic include discussions on new scientific developments, a snapshot of the HIV epidemic in the United States, and what it will take to achieve an HIV-free generation.

As per usual, Bono had a thing or two to say.  Although his opinion piece for The New York Times  was a bit slick (and tripped in the end on an image of flag planting, which was meant to parallel the moon landing but inadvertently and unfortunately evokes colonialist imagery) , there’s no denying what he has done to shape the fight against the epidemic.  The piece recalls the frustration of the early years of ART, when drugs were available in high-income countries but not elsewhere.  Bono also acknowledges the vital role the US played in funding efforts to curb the epidemic, listing the names of the politicians and other figures from both sides of the aisle who contributed to the government’s legacy on HIV/AIDS.  He concludes with a shrewd argument about “smart power”–that the effects of US foreign aid efforts contribute to national security and global diplomacy.

US President Barack Obama spoke on Thursday and reiterated and expanded his commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS domestically and around the world.

He pointed to the declining rates of new infections and deaths around the world and the paradoxical steady rate of new infections in the US and the toll of the epidemic on minority populations in particular.  President Obama, perhaps to counter activists’ claims that he has not done enough to address HIV/AIDS, pointed out his administration’s increased financial commitment to HIV/AIDS programs and the lifting of the travel ban against people living with HIV, which will allow the next International AIDS Conference to be held in the US for the first time ever.  He underlined the need to implement the new US national HIV/AIDS strategy and pledged $15 million in additional funding for the Ryan White Program (which supports HIV clinics in the US) and $35 million extra for state ARV assistance programs.  He also called on countries to fulfill their pledges to the ailing Global Fund and for countries who were once recipients of aid but are now able to create foreign assistance programs, such as China, to make pledges of their own.  President Obama also announced two goals: to provide ARVs for 1.5 million pregnant women over the next two years for PMTCT and to get 6 million people on ART by 2013, which was greeted with hoots and wild applause.  He ended with a request that Congress continue to work together, saying that the gains made under the last three presidencies show “that we can do big things when Republicans and Democrats put common humanity before politics.  We need to carry that spirit forward.”  President Obama’s remarks are heartening, and it’s good to see his administration re-focus on HIV/AIDS efforts.  Julie Pace of the Associated Press reports, however, that PEPFAR will not see an increase in funding and that decreasing the cost of treatment and making current programs more efficient will be required steps to fund the the ambitious goals set out on Thursday.

I’d like to end with Susan Sontag’s definitive piece from 1986 called “The Way We Live Now,” which The New Yorker re-released this week.  It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the earliest days of the epidemic and of how far we have come in the twenty-five years since it was published.  Here’s to making even more progress, expanding commitments, and “getting to zero.”

Photo, via Wikimedia Commons, depicts activists from South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign in Cape Town in 2003.  The photo is from the TAC.

Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths.

In 1988, the UN General Assembly expressed deep concern over the pandemic proportions of the AIDS virus. Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of 1 December 1988 as World AIDS Day, the General Assembly drafted resolution 43/15.

According to the 2011 World AIDS Day Report, entitled “How to Get to Zero: Faster, Better, Smarter”:
“…to be effective, the AIDS response must be transformed. We need to move  from a short-term, piecemeal approach to a long-term strategic response with  matching investment.”

Backed by the United Nations, the “Getting to Zero” campaign runs until 2015. It builds on last year’s successful World AIDS Day “Light for Rights” initiative, encompassing a range of vital issues identified by key affected populations. “The potential for creative, connected and meaningful campaigning is really exciting,” says World AIDS Campaign Africa Director, Linda Mafu. “Our organization will focus on Zero AIDS Related Deaths, but the choice is there for others to pick a different zero or all three.”  The World AIDS Campaign focus on “Zero AIDS Related Deaths” highlights the progress in gaining greater access to treatment for all; a call for governments to act now. A demand they honor promises like the Abuja declaration and that African Governments at very least hit agreed targets for domestic spending on health and HIV in support of the human right to the best attainable level of health care for all.It’s a global campaign that spotlights how our fundamental right to health is intrinsically and inextricably linked to other basic rights.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.3 million people living with HIV.  Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 60 million people have been infected with HIV and nearly 30 million people have died of HIV-related causes. In 2009, around 370 000 [230 000–510 000] children were born with HIV, bringing to 2.5 million [1.6 million–3.4 million] the total number of children under 15 living with HIV.  The total number of children aged 0–17 years who have lost their parents due to HIV increased to 16.6 million [14.4 million–18.8 million] in 2009.

Unfortunately children suffer disproportionately from HIV/AIDS, as they are not only unwittingly infected, they are also losing their parents in varying numbers in many parts of the developing world. According to UNICEF 5 million young people in low- and middle-income countries around the world are living with HIV and an estimated 890,000 new infections occurred among young people aged 15-24.

10 goals for 2015

1. Sexual transmission of HIV reduced by half, including among young people, men who have sex with men and  transmission in the context of sex work
2. Vertical transmission of HIV eliminated and  AIDS-related maternal deaths reduced by half
3. All new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs
4. Universal access to antiretroviral therapy for people  living with HIV who are eligible for  treatment
5. TB  deaths among people living with HIV reduced by  half
6. All  people living with HIV and households affected by HIV are addressed in  all national social protection strategies and have access to essential  care and support
7. Countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective  responses reduced by half
8. HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence  eliminated in half of the countries that have such  restrictions
9. HIV-specific needs of women and girls are addressed in  at least half of all national HIV  responses
10. Zero  tolerance for gender-based violence

*Goals list courtesy UNAIDS

 As I wrote in Monday’s post, Leaders Meet to Put Family Planning on the Global Agenda, thousands are gathered in Senegal for the second International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP).  Today experts have convened to discuss the great challenges, particularly in Africa, in preventing both unplanned pregnancy and HIV infection.  At the ICFP today speakers will evaluate what is needed to ensure that family planning and HIV integration is achieved.

“Women need a range of options that can protect themselves from both pregnancy and HIV. There are several promising technologies in the pipeline, but increased support for this research and development is critical,” said Judy Manning, Health Development Officer, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

While the goals set are clear, what is not apparent is the sustainable political will to achieve these global goals.  Nonetheless conferences such as the ICFP are working to achieve sustainable solutions.  With over 5 million HIV-positive children living around the world, we cannot turn our heads. Looking back four years ago, on the first year that I wrote about World AIDS Day, the little change that has come in the numbers of children who are suffering is striking.  In 2007 I reported that some 2.3 million children where HIV positive, the following year the numbers decreased to 2.1, but now we look to 2011 and all we can see is an increase. After failing to miss the 2010 goal  I find my self asking, ‘can we keep these promises in 2015?’  I wish I could be more hopeful, however the reality is that we are not currently winning the battle against HIV/AIDS. I am not one to give up hope, and if political will and funding can be truly commited and kept then we can seek “zero”.

FACTS About AIDS HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus which attacks the body’s immune system — the body’s defence against diseases. HIV can be passed on through infected bodily fluids, most commonly via unsafe sex or by sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment. Over 90% of people [...]

Sheikh Abdel-Mageed al-Zindani a prominent cleric and staunched opponent to the regime is adding to his many list of alleged crimes, human testing.
The Sheikh who is now in hiding since President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued a warrant for his arrest earlier this year for his ties with al-Qaeda militants has been on the American Most Wanted Terrorist list for quite some time now, with Senator Mac Cain stating that the man was a menace to society.
A well respected figure within the Yemeni community, Sheikh al-Zindani has been shamelessly using his position to abuse the weak and bank on their vulnerabilities.

Human Testing

Being a country where traditions are highly uphold and respected, Yemenis have for millennia used their vast array of medicinal plants to cure their various ailments, putting as much faith in alternative treatments than in mainstream medicine.
However, most “modern” Yemenis would know better than to put their fate into the hands of a healer if confronted with illnesses such as cancer, AIDS or even type 2 diabetes.
However as most are living below the poverty line and since medical treatments are rather expensive many patients are willing to explore alternative ways of riding themselves from their diseases, putting their lives into the hands of potential crooks and criminals.
Sheikh al-Zindani used his status within the society to coerced sick people to entrust him as he promised that he would made them better.
Some might say that it was pure folly to believe a man with no medical credential or success rate, but those do not know Yemen and the power that Sheikhs hold in the popular psyche. There are 2 types of Sheikhs in Yemen, some are little Kings within their territories others are religious authoritative figures.
Zindani belongs to both.
For several decades now, Zindani has been conducted amoral medical experiments on the sick and disabled, claiming to be curing them while really testing medical compounds directly onto human.
Because he is offering free treatments and hopes for those who have none left, streams of people are constantly passing through the Sheikh’s facilities in Sana’a, the capital.

Amal Saif Ali

Amal Saif Ali came to al-Zindani after she had unsuccessfully terminated a round of chemotherapy for her cancer.
After a couple of years of respite, Amal suddenly fell ill again. Terrified at the idea of having to endure another chemo treatment, the young woman went against her parents’ wishes and decided to give the Sheikh a go, hoping that he would rid her of the illness painlessly.
As soon as she passed the door of the “hospital”, Amal revealed that she was ordered to stop all her previous medical treatment. The medical staff then informed her that all her medicine taking would be supervised within the compound itself as no patient was ever allowed to bring home their prescriptions.
“I took several pills, drinks and injections per day for several months, spending about 3 to 4 hours at the hospital for every visit. After a few weeks I began to feel very ill and weak. At one point I fainted in the street unable to carry on any longer”.
As test revealed, Amal’s cancer cells had spread throughout her entire body with doctors sadly announcing that her chances of survival were now very slim.
The young woman was immediately rushed to Jordan where she underwent a grueling cancer treatment with both radiation and chemotherapy.
A year later she was declared cancer free.
“I was so lucky,”she said. “Thank god I survived. I want now for people to know what this man is doing; he is preying on the weak and hopeless, subjecting them to the most horrendous pains….and all for what? Money? Glory?” added Amal Saif Ali.

Pharmaceutical Companies

Although those allegations could not be proven, several sources within the medical facilities revealed that al-Zindani was working in partnership with several “big” pharmaceutical companies which were hoping to cut corners, passing on to human trials before making sure that the medicine given were safe for consumption.
A cure would generate hundreds of millions of dollars and many companies apparently are willing to jeopardize the lives of a few to reach that goal.
Since the Sheikh holds a certain status within Yemen they knew that the authorities would not ask too many questions, trusting that al-Zindani was conducting a legitimate business. Moreover, alternative medical treatment centers are perfectly legal in Yemen.
The Sheikh used the system, abusing people’s trust and that of the government.
Countless men and women were sent into diabetic coma for Zindani told them to stop their daily insulin injections; others saw their cancer spread so fast that they died within weeks.
And because Amal had the courage to speak up, we owe her to listen.