This is great, I hope it happens!

Meriam Ibrahim: Sudan 'to free' death row woman

Ms Ibrahim, 27, was brought up as an Orthodox Christian, but a Sudanese judge ruled earlier this month that she should be regarded as Muslim because that had been her father's faith.

She refused to renounce her Christianity and was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy.

On Wednesday, she gave birth to a daughter in her prison cell - the second child from her marriage in 2011 to Daniel Wani, a US citizen.

The court said Ms Ibrahim would be allowed to nurse her baby for two years before the sentence was carried out.

The court had earlier annulled her Christian marriage and sentenced her to 100 lashes for adultery because the union was not considered valid under Islamic law.

This woman and her family have been through a horrible ordeal. May they be reunited soon.

In an era where few peope stand up for their principles, kudos to them

I admire those who were arrested today protesting the Sudan government's treatment of it's own people. Here is what was said prior to the arrest of George Clooney and his father Nick:



George Clooney has used his fame to bring attention to the Sudan when the world has tried to overlook the atrocities there, for which I admire him. But his actions also show that one person can educate the world. What could we do if we all supported this cause?

Silence for those who should be laughing with childish joy, not kidnapped and put on the front lines

The Protection Plan from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

For more information, check out Invisible Children - The 25 Campaign and the Wikipedia article on the Lord's Resistance Army.

Indignation and sadness

Congo women fight back, speak out about rape: Victims shatter local taboos around talking about violence against civilians

'I am not ashamed to show my face and publish my identity. The shame lies with those who broke me open and with the authorities who failed to protect me...If you don't hear me, see me, you will not understand why it is so important that we fight this together.'--Honorata Kizende

According to MSNBC, UNICEF reports that more than 1,000 women and girls are raped each MONTH in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Elsewhere in Africa...

Sudan wants all aid groups out within a year: Wanted for war crimes, defiant president says 'spies' must be cleared out

'We have ordered the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to completely Sudanese the voluntary work in Sudan within one year and after that we don't want international organizations to deal with Sudanese citizens with relief,' Bashir told the rally.

It's one more way to isolate the region already devastated by genocide from the outside world. For ways to help Darfur, visit SaveDarfur.org.

I admit it--Africa is an enigma to me. Is it that power is so intoxicating that many feel they must work to destroy so many other lives in looking out for themselves? The problems Africa faces are staggering, and although there are some who would rather blame the colonising forces of Europe and the actions of the United States, the mess seems mainly to be a product of power struggles amongst factions and tribes in Africa. The countries in Africa are perfectly able to find peace and prosperity so long as their governments are just. But the governments in many areas of Africa certainly are not doing their best to protect their citizens and provide stability. This is something that can be changed ultimately only from the inside, although of course the rest of the world can provide aid and help in the process. I hope to see peace in these areas and a healing of the deep scars left by murder, rape, and destruction.