Here at Enough, we often swap emails with interesting articles and feature stories that we come across in our favorite publications and on our favorite websites. We wanted to share some of these stories with you as part of our effort to keep you up to date on what you need to know in the world of anti-genocide and crimes against humanity work.
CNN's Faith Karimi wrote a year-end roundup on five ways the African continent shone in 2012, highlighting the increase in female leadership in key positions, the growth of African economies, and the restoration of the Somali government with the election of political newcomer Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Karimi notes that these positive stories are often lost in the midst of violence-ridden headlines: "For every conflict, there was a milestone. For every violence, there was reconciliation. For every setback, progress."
Voice of America's Henry Ridgwell reported on the increased risks of displaced children in Congo as a result of the recent upsurge of violence in the region. His report, accompanied by footage provided by Save the Children, discusses the impact of family separation and what aid agencies on the ground are doing to assist refugee families with missing children.
Reflecting on this past year's conflicts and the state of global security, International Crisis Group's President and CEO Louise Arbour wrote a feature story for Foreign Policy on the "top ten" global threats that will present a challenge to the security of people across the globe in 2013. Among the threats include ongoing conflict in several African nations including Sudan, Kenya and Congo.
BBC News published a photo slideshow "Focus on Africa in 2012" that featured 12 important moments from across the continent this past year. The slideshow include images of top political and cultural events, highlighting pivotal moments including the seizure of Goma on November 20 by the M23 rebel group, and the return of people to beaches in Mogadishu on Fridays, a sign of improved security in the Somali capital.
In its first issue of 2013, Africa Renewal magazine published a candid interview with Judy Cheng-Hopkins about the challenges facing post-war Africa. Cheng-Hopkins, who heads the U.N.'s Peacebuilding Commission, emphasizes that while many countries still have significant strides to make in peacebuilding efforts, she believes "… there's a new day for a lot of Africa. There are so many unexplored areas of wealth in the continent."