Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Sept. 7, 2012, edition 1 / Page 5
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WORLD & NATION SEPTEMBER?, 2012 i : • • $ * f ss D O X X u u M 2 w S X lu 2 X u H -I n “ u I flc i M U SWEDEN Research shows that Sweden is the country that most utilizes the World Wide Web, with a whopping 90 percent of Sweden’s population online. It is suggested that this serves as an advantage for the people of Sweden, making them more informed, current and tech savvy. ♦# •• • • ♦ • • • • • • SYRIA Months of brutal attacks on Syria’s city of Aleppo have caused a record number of Syrian refugees to flee to Jordan and Turkey. There is now a question of whether the US should step in and provide aid. SPAIN Spain has lifted its longtime ban against the television broadcasting of bullfighting.The tradition of bullfighting, though violent, is a major cultural component in Spain, and the push to increase viewership has finally succeeded. Approximately 3,000 South African protest of low wages. Police in the measures to contain the strike and workers initiated a march in country have resorted to violent have fatally shot at least 34 people. Kenyan disabled man raises money, awareness BY ELIAS BLONDEAU Staff Writer Most people equate being strong with being able-bodied. But every day, men and women with physical disabilities are testing the limits of the human body, sometimes to raise awareness for causes that affect millions. One man following this path is 43-year-old, Kenya native Zack^ Kimotho, who recently completed a journey by wheelchair. He embarked with hopes of raising money for a spinal rehabilitation center in Nairobi. Kimotho lost his ability to walk after being shot in the spine by thugs during a carjacking in 2004. "I still do not understand why they shot me," he recalls on his personal website. 'There was no struggle and I didn't defy their orders." Since that day, the former veterinarian has never lost hope when it comes to regaining his ability to walk, even while knowing the nearest spinal rehabilitation center was located in South Africa, over 2,500 miles away from Nairobi. This year, he decided to set out on a grueling journey to get the help he needed. This was not only to seek treatment, but to also inaease awareness about the lack of a center in his hometown of Nairobi. Along the way, he worked to raise money that could go towards building this center. The success of this endeavor, however, was greater than anything Kimotho had ever envisioned. He had traveled just over 50 miles when rolling into Tanzania and, already, his efforts had raised almost 73 million shillings ($900,000). That amount of money was enough to begin the construction of a spin^ rehab center in Nairobi this month. Spinal injuries are commonplace in Kenya as a result of gang violence and more support centers have been needed for years. According to Kenya Paraplegic Organization Board of Trustee Chairman, Peter Arina, Kimotho's efforts have helped bring that need to an international audience. "Zack is the personality that we used to embody the trauma of spinal cord injury in Kenya," he told The Star newspaper. 'This campaign has managed to create awareness both locally and internationally." According to Katerina Marks, a young Georgia woman who has spent a majority of her life in a wheelchair, this story is one that resonates with many who suffer a paralytic injury. 'This mindset, for a while, pushed me to take greater risks to prove myself to others," Marks said to The Guilfordian about her experience. "I'm realizing as I get older that I take risks more for myself than others. In doing things with this mindset. I've found it not only impacts my life, it inspires those around me, friends and even strangers, to do and be more." Both this brave young woman and Kimotho have proven that just because life has forced them to take a seat, nothing has to stop them from standing for something. Britain finally compensates Afghan family for nnprovoked stabbing BY ANTHONY HARRISON Staff Writer The British Ministry of Defense is compensating an Afghan family over two years after a hungover English grenadier stabbed one of their sons. The soldier, Daniel Crook, was on a routine patrol after a long night of drinking. He was stripped of his rifle and armed with only two grenades and a bayonet. When ten-year-old Ghulam Nabi rode up to Crook on a bicycle and asked him for chocolate. Crook grabbed the boy and bayoneted him in the lower back. When asked why he had stabbed the boy. Crook could not provide an explanation. Campus Ministry Coordinator Max Carter theorized, "What we're seeing in Afghanistan are bored soldiers committing violent acts out of sheer habit." Crook was court-martialed, leading to an 18-month prison sentence and ejection from the Army. Nabi's family was initially paid the equivalent of $800, a figure Nabi's father found insufficient. The boy frequently ran errands for his father's shop and was on the way to get a bottle of yogurt at the time of the attack. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was unable to contribute to his father's business, and his family's livelihood suffered for several months. v The Ministry of TJefense has since accepted liability and ag^ed; to pay more to the family. The sum is ,yet to te^.determin^ following an assessment of thedi^ records and costs. According to George Guo, associate professor of political science, these' improvoked attacks are common. 'There are presently 99 incidents being investigated in which the British forces had been accused of killing or wounding Afghan dviliahs," Guo stated. Guo added that victims and their families are generally not compensated. On this issue. Carter added, "Occasionally, the family will get an apology from a superior officer, but rarely, if ever, is there compensation. "Acceptance of liability would be admission to error, and that leads to other consequences, so armies are very hesitant to open that door." The stabbing may represent an impasse in relations between the Western troops and Afghan civilians. The boy's father, Haji Shah Zada, complained to The Guardian that the occupying forces should be there "to build the country and remove insurgents, not to stab a child." Carter claimed that the trial and its outcome are "an attempt to stave off what is absolutely clear — that we have outlasted our welcome, if we were ever welcome in Afghanistan." He went on to say, "When these kinds of attacks start occurring, the situation between the occupiers and the civilians in the occupied nation quickly spirals downhill, and we have to move quickly to win back the hearts and minds of the civilians." Guo believes that the incident represents a paradigm shift in British foreign policy; 'The new Conservative-led administration is trying to cut links with the Blair era administration." He concluded, 'This incident and tri^ ,$ends out a signal that Britain is trying to get opt of this mess, and will be more careful engaging ln military initiatives abroad in the future."L ^ L
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Sept. 7, 2012, edition 1
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