Mummies Help Fight Tuberculosis

The largest exhibition of mummies to date has opened in Los Angeles, California. The show not only provides a glimpse into the lives of ancient humans; as it is fundamentally a scientific project, it also allows researchers the opportunity to examine the different exhibits to elucidate the history of tuberculosis, by putting the mummies through medical technology, such as non-invasive CT scans, MRIs and X-rays, to look inside them without damage. "We're able to explore tuberculosis in several ancient populations, and so by studying the pathogen DNA over time, we've been able to look at how the strain has developed," says Dr. Heather Gill-Frerking, scientific research curator for the German Mummy Project. "Now with the resurgence of tuberculosis and drug resistant tuberculosis in modern populations, we can trace the evolution of the disease and perhaps find better ways to treat it." Photos of some of the 150 mummies on display can be viewed at BBC News.

Education and Opportunity at the Grass Roots

Friends of India's mission is to "fight poverty and create opportunities for children and women in Tamil Nadu, India, by supporting basic education for underserved children and investing in vocational training, life-skills development and income generating activities for women." A non-profit, charitable organization, Friends of India was founded in 2001 by its current President, Pamela Walsh.

Friends of India supports skills training for impoverished people who need to take on menial labour to supplement their family’s income. One young woman, for example, learned computer skills and typing, and now works at a local software company. Another learned to make detergents and cleaning products for sale, generating a regular income. The organization has also made the women of Sembakkam aware of their rights and helped them form a self-help group that empowered them to petition local authorities to pipe water to their village rather than spending hours each day walking long distances to collect and carry water home. In 2009 the Richard Walsh Music Project was established to teach music and the performing arts to disadvantaged children in southern India. In addition, the organization has provided financial and advisory assistance and helped fund Anbumalar School for handicapped children.

If interested in these or other Friends of India programs, contact: info@friends-of-india.org

Demographic Delight?

One often hears of the demographic doom-and-gloom scenarios. The world's population is rising at such a rapid rate that by some estimates by 2050 there will be 9 billion people on the planet, up from about 7 billion today. Yet some experts believe in a more optimistic state of affairs for the planet. Fred Pearce is one:

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Assisting the Poorest

Already in its 15th year, CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) is playing an important role in reducing poverty through advancing financial access for the world’s poor. An independent policy and research center, CGAP is a world-recognized authority in microfinance. Its Microfinance Gateway is a vast online resource for the global microfinance community. The website defines what microfinance and microcredit are exactly, and offers a wealth of updated information, research and news on the movement, which includes access for the poor to such financial services as credit, savings, insurance and fund transfers. The Gateway affirms, as one example, that Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) loaned the equivalent of about US$ 12.2 billion in microcredit to Chinese farmers in the first three months of 2010, compared with US$ 10 billion during all of 2009. According to ABC official Lu Chuan, the bank's microfinance venture has helped 15 million farmers in China since it started in April 2008, offering loans of approximately US$ 440-7,300.

CGAP has successfully developed as a platform for peer pressure towards improved microfinance effectiveness and is recognized for truly decreasing poverty through improving poor people's access to financial services. More on CGAP's assistance to the poor can be found at http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/

Table for Two Tonight?

A group of energetic young men and women, the Young Global Leaders, have launched the "Table for Two" initiative, simultaneously targeting hunger in the developing world and obesity in developed countries. "Every time someone eats a healthy meal at participating company cafeterias, restaurants and events, 20 cents is donated to fund a healthy school meal in developing countries," said James Kondo, President and Vice-Chairman, Health Policy Institute in Japan, and a Young Global Leader. The aim is to spread the initiative worldwide. "The World Economic Forum is supporting this Young Global Leaders’ initiative and encouraging businesses to consider the enormous impact that even a small company or organization can make in providing school meals and improving the health of its employees by implementing "Table for Two" in its cafeteria," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. "With this initiative the Young Global Leaders show that they want to engage in innovative approaches to respond to major global challenges."

To date, pilot programs have been conducted in Japan at Family Mart; IBM Japan; Itochu; Japan Airlines; NEC; the Yokohama City Government; and at Godrej India. Donations so far from these pilots support around 40,600 school meals, equivalent to meals for around 200 students throughout the school year. Find out more at Tablefor2.

The Millennium Development Goals: It's Time for a "People's Plan of Action"

Recognizing that "individuals, companies and non-governmental organizations need to stand alongside their governments to advance the best solutions to extreme poverty, to sustain public engagement and to hold their governments accountable," through a "people's plan of action" a group of Young Global Leaders have made action-oriented pledges to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015.

One such individual, Ayla Goksel, through the Husnu M. Ozyegin Foundation, has pledged by 2014 to provide access to sustainable income-generating activities for 1,600 people in rural Turkey and to ensure 27,000 children have access to education in primary and secondary schools and programs built by the Foundation. This pledge supports MDG1 on poverty and productive employment, and MDG2 on education.

In addition, Ms Goksel has pledged by 2011, through the Mother Child Education Foundation (ACEV), to impact approximately 1 million families in Turkey through increased awareness of early childhood development and education; to raise US$ 20 million for these activities; to provide preschool, parenting and literacy education to 400,000 young children, parents and illiterate women; and to train 2,500 new volunteer instructors for this program, thereby contributing to MDG2 on primary education, MDG3 on gender equality, MDG4 on child health and MDG8 on building a global partnership for development.

Justice for All

International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) describes itself as an independent, non-profit NGO that "strives to protect due process and achieve fair trials for the accused throughout the world. In countries where governmental commitment to human rights principles has, as of yet, failed to meet its practical goal, IBJ fills the gap between human rights legislation and domestic implementation." Learn more about IBJ's important work.

IBJ MISSION STATEMENT:
"In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary citizens in developing countries. Specifically IBJ works to guarantee all citizens the right to competent legal respresentation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial."

A Medical Miracle? It's Your Beeswax!

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th edition) defines "Propolis" as: n. a red or brown resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds for constructing and varnishing honeycombs. The term comes from the Greek propolis meaning "suburb" from pro "before" and polis "city".
Brazilian propolis has been found to be a remarkable supplement to cancer therapy. The Journal of the American Apitherapy Society gives details of the use of propolis in cancer treatment. "A literature review finds that propolis’s pharmacological properties make it safe and effective as an adjunct for patients receiving cancer treatment:
• Biological therapy. Biological therapy works hand in hand with the immune system. Propolis’s biological activities such as anti-tumoral activity, DNA protection, free-radicals scavenging, and immune stimulation act in synergy with each other and with conventional chemotherapy medication.
• Synergy with chemotherapy. Antioxidants may boost the effects of anti-carcinogenic drugs, thus enabling a decrease in the administered dose and in turn leading to a reduction in side effects. They may also influence the response to chemotherapy.
• Anti-inflammatory activity. This results from propolis’s inhibitory effect on prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and histamine release.
• Healing activity. Propolis promotes epithelial formation as well as vascular and fibroblastic neoformation of the connective tissue.
• Antimicrobial activity. Propolis’s flavonoids and phenolic acids are pharmacologically active compounds that have effects on bacteria, fungi, and viruses."
Source: “Biological Therapy Using Propolis as Nutritional Supplement in Cancer Treatment,” J. Galvao et al., International Journal of Cancer Research 3:1 (2007), pp. 43-53.
Read more: "Brazilian Propolis: A Promising Adjunct to Dental Care, Cancer Treatment, Vaccines" by José Alexandre S. Abreu, Brazil