“The Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) was established in July 1998 to focus international attention, resources and action on the global tobacco epidemic.”

Each year World No Tobacco Day has a theme. 2009 is no different:

“The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2009 is “Tobacco Health Warnings”, with an emphasis on the picture warnings that have been shown to be particularly effective at making people aware of the health risks of tobacco use and convincing them to quit. More and more countries are fighting back against the epidemic of tobacco by requiring that packages of tobacco show the dangers of the product’s use, as called for in guidelines to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”

About ten percent of the world’s population live in jurisdictions where picture warnings have been implemented. To date, the only African country is Egypt. This World No Tobacco Day may be the opportunity to mobilise for the changes to legislation needed in South Africa.

Some of the images used on the packaging of cigarettes in countries which have implemented the graphic picture recommendation would not normally be shown to children because of their graphic nature. Images of lips cut away because of cancerous growths and of lungs blackened by tar. This raises the question as to when the end justifies the means?

Cigarette Butts (©Adam Ciesielski)

Should we punish the smokers more? Is it time to let up on them? Is there such a thing as a caring smoker? What about people who work in the tobacco industry? If their jobs on the line, should governments support those who leave the industry?

World Press Freedom Day

This entry was meant to have been posted as part of Bloggers Unite’s World Press Freedom day celebration (hats off to the Bloggers Unite guys for getting people to write and contribute their time for worthwhile causes) on 3 May 2009.

World Freedom day is mandated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). From the Bloggers Unite website:

“The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.”

The World Association of Newspapers has a wonderful website dedicated to World Press Freedom Day and press freedom in general. This site includes statistics on journalists who have been killed, arrested and incarcerated in pursuit of their profession. I will leave it to WAN to describe and highlight the issues surrounding press freedom as it applies to the mainstream press.

Millions of bloggers all over the world are writers, journalists, editors and publishers in their own right. Some of these bloggers are writing in countries that have repressive regimes and tough censorship laws. Cuba, Egypt, Myanmar and others are amongst these.

Bloggers express themselves and take stands without the protection of a large media organisation that could watch their backs. The risks are all theirs. And the rewards are often minuscule. Their bravery and insight can often go unnoticed except by a very select few readers who discover their blogs on the internet.

It is to these people that I dedicate World Press Freedom day.

Unite for Hunger and Hope

Unfortunately, as seen from this part of the world, this specific cause has an American slant. The reality is that the very worst conditions exist right here in Africa. And a lot of the problems the direct result of megalomaniacs like ‘Bob’ Mugabe. Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of Southern Africa is dying. And its people are dying with it.

We as South Africans (with our own problems with hunger) have to take a lot of blame for the situation in Zimbabwe. Our former president, Thabo Mbeki, seemed to help drag the negotiations for power-sharing. The vast majority of hunger is the result of man-made catastrophes. Whether it be wars or overspending by western consumers, the result is the same. People don’t have the means provide foods for themselves and their families.

Here is one mainstream newspaper Taiwan News that can tell the story better than I can. I have asked if they could re-publish the article to coincide with this promotion.

So, is there hope? Not a realist question. There has to hope. There has to be a promise. This a case of solutions having to be found. And with a crisis at this level, it is a case of providing sufficient food so that people can survive. There is no time to fix the structural issues in the hope this will help the survival of these starving millions. But it also does not mean that we can afford to not work at the structural issues. They need to go hand in hand.

Five million (the estimated number of Zimbabweans requiring daily food aid, almost half the population) rolls off the tongue very easily. It sound a lot and it is a lot. But it is nothing but a big number that masks the reality of the suffering. It is easy to disassociate from big numbers. So look around you and find a loved one, and then imagine that they are one of those five million, with a shortened life expectancy and potential ongoing health problems for most of their lives, survivors of families that have already lost members, usually children, people who are always at risk of contracting any one of a number of diseases because their bodies are weak and their environment is not fit for human habitation.

Now wipe the tear from your eyes … and do … something.