Nepal hosts international conference on widows

An international conference on the rights of widows is being hosted in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

The organisers hope it will highlight the plight of thousands of women who face discrimination and economic hardship after becoming widows.

The two-day conference on the challenges they face is being attended by representatives from Asia, Europe and the United States.

The aim is to create a worldwide effort to help widows fight injustice.

Discrimination against widows is particularly severe in Nepal where many women lost their husbands during the country's 10-year civil conflict in which an estimated 16,000 people were killed.

Widows are often blamed for these deaths, forced to wear white and are banned from participating in family rituals and ceremonies.

Seen as bad omens, they are often hidden away from public life and forced to work as unpaid domestic servants.

In his opening address to the conference, the Nepalese minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare said the government would gather accurate figures on the number of widows in the country's next census, due to take place in 2011.

He also pledged to abolish laws that discriminate against single women which he said would help raise their status in society.

Reference:

By Joanna Jolly

BBC News, Kathmandu

Dunga hopes Brazil win will give flood victims respite

AFP, 2010/06/24 19:51

Brazil coach Dunga said he hoped his World Cup team would defeat Portugal in their final Group G match to offer some good news for flood victims back home.

Raging floods have swept through towns in northeastern Brazil, killing at least 45 people, with hundreds more missing.

As three days of heavy rains eased, authorities feared a sharp rise in the death toll as rescuers reach communities cut off by the devastating torrents of mud, water and debris.

“We’re praying for the people of Pernambuco affected by the floods and hope they overcome this natural disaster,” said an emotional Dunga, who skippered Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title.

“We hope that a victory over Portugal will at least alleviate some of their suffering.”

Congratulation Anup for your success: World democracy video challenge

Congratulations Anup for the putting your video in top position in world democracy video challenge.
Anup paudel, son of a politician has made proud for all nepalese making a abstract video about democracy video challenge 2010. Among 700 videos from 83 countries , 6 videos wer declared as winner. you can see the details of the winner and video here . http://www.videochallenge.america.gov/video.html (scroll down to see the anup's video)

This is the direct link of the video posted in the organizer's site: http://www.videochallenge.america.gov/video5.html.



This is the winning video.