by Rhona Mahony. Maybe. The most remarkable thing, though, about violence in the United States between spouses and lovers over the last 15 years has been its decline. In these charts from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, we see the trend.
Entries Tagged 'Social justice' ↓
Will Family Violence Rise as Family Incomes Fall?
November 14th, 2008 — Domestic violence
Foreclosed Borrowers Shut Down Courthouses in Massachusetts
October 19th, 2008 — Foreclosure crisis, History
Since August, well-organized crowds of hundreds of aggrieved debtors have stood at the entrances–and prevented the opening–of courthouses in Northampton, Springfield, Worcestor, Athol, and Great Barrington in western Massachusetts. On the first occasion, a farmer and Army veteran, Luke Day, stood on the courthouse steps holding a petition asking the judges not to execute any more foreclosures or debt processes until the protesters could meet with state legislators to craft relief for borrowers. Fifteen hundred men stood with Day. Most of the police officers accompanying the judges sympathized with the debtors and declined to make arrests. The judges, prudent men, went home. Continue reading →
Talking Book teaches reading
September 10th, 2008 — Literacy
by Rhona Mahony. Today, September 8, is International Literacy Day. Cliff Schmidt would like to make every day literacy day for the one billion poorest people in the world who not only scrape by on less than $2 a day but who also, for the most part, do not know how to read. Not knowing how to read keeps poor people poor. His team of engineers has developed a handheld digital audio player and recorder. It will cost the user $5. So far, however, it costs Schmidt’s non-profit organization, Literacy Bridge, about $160 to make one. He needs to raise money to send 100 Talking Books to the Upper West Region of Ghana, to the villagers who will test them in November. Their experience and comments will help Schmidt refine the device. Big foundations are willing to consider supporting Literacy Bridge only after the field test in Ghana. After getting financing, Schmidt will be able to begin large-scale manufacturing, bring down his costs per unit, and sell millions of Talking Books in Africa, India, and beyond. A small donation to Literacy Bridge now might make a bigger difference than a donation to an established project.
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