Saturday, May 21, 2011

Nobel Laureates Host a Conference on Sexual Violence in Countries in Conflict

This extremely important conference takes place next week at Montebello.


More information: http://nobelwomensinitiative.org/blogs/newsecurrity
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Most if not all of the metals in our mobile phones, computers, and automobiles come from these conflict countries, especially from the DRC. Several electronic corporations are trying to trace their minerals in an effort to be conflict free and have formed an industry association. (What shocks me is the absence of 5 major electronic companies in this association: Canon, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharpe, and Sandisk). But the most successful company, HP, has only been able to track 32% of their products' minerals. Every time you use your cell or laptop you may be inadvertently contributing to the problem since rape is the intimidation weapon of choice in controlling the mining of these minerls in the DRC.

Is Your Favorite Tech Company Conflict-Free


Commit to Purchase Conflict-Free Products





Some Telling Statistics about the Democratic Republic of Congo:


200,000
Number of rapes recorded by UN in conflict zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1996.
400,000
Number of rapes in the DRC in 2006-07, according to a public-health study, which breaks down to .
1,152
Number per day.
48
Number per hour.
4,311
Number of women treated for rape at Congo's Panzi Hospital, 2004-08.
458
Number who were over 65.
568
Number of vaginal-tear surgeries for 2009-10.
250,000- 500,000
Estimated number of rapes in 1994 Rwandan genocide.
35
Number of people charged by International Criminal Tribunal for sex crimes in Rwandan genocide as of 2010.
12
Number of total sexualviolence charges laid by the International Criminal Court.
0
Number of people convicted by the ICC.
Sources: UNIFEM, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, International Peace Research Institute, Stony Brook University School of Medicine


Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Rape/4820012/story.html#ixzz1N0JNFvGJ

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