George Clooney has done it again. He has raised his voice for Sudan and brought the world's attention to this troubled area. Yet, this is a little different then the traditional letter to the editor or a meeting with a congressman. Let me explain Imagine you're George Clooney. I know. Don't we all wish.) Every day, thousands of people on Google maps search for your house and can zoom in and see that one tile on your roof that you have been meaning to fix for months, but just haven't gotten a chance to fix. Inspired by the kind of intense scrutiny that celebrities often chafe under, George Clooney, Google, the Enough Project, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and others have joined together to create the Satellite Sentential Project. The project "combines satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google's Map Maker technology to deter the resumption of war between North and South Sudan. The project provides an early warning system to deter mass atrocities by focusing world attention and generating rapid responses on human rights and human security concerns." The Project works like this "Commercial satellites passing over the border of northern and southern Sudan are able to capture possible threats to civilians, observe the movement of displaced people, detect bombed and razed villages, or note other evidence of pending mass violence." In just two days Sudan's southern region will vote whether to become an independent country. This referendum comes with its risks. Unless the world continues to make sure that the parties know they are being held accountable for their actions, war could break out in a country that has already seen millions of deaths due to north-south fighting and the tragedy in Darfur Check out the map here and get involved by sending a letter to President Obama at the RAC's action alert site.
Watching Murder on Google Earth??
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We have so much to learn from our mothers, past and present. Soon, we'll return to the story of Passover and to the narratives of three remarkable mothers whose determination, fearlessness, and love changed the course of biblical history.
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When I found out I was pregnant, my mind was immediately filled with questions and plans. When my son Logan was born at 34 weeks, many of those plans quickly changed.
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As someone who is completely blind, I have enjoyed many opportunities to fully participate in the Jewish community because of accessible materials.