The Humanitarian Chronicle

Israel & Israel in the Bible

Frank — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:24:43 +0000

I have decided to write this after my latest post about the Israel/Palestinian conflict led to a conversation that probably needs me to fill out some of my theological/biblical studies thoughts a little more. This is a very long article (over 4500 words) so feel free to not bother reading it if this stuff doesn’t [...]

Israel vs Hamas - the Latest Violence

Frank — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:34:24 +0000

I’m on holiday at the moment, but I could not sit comfortably without saying anything about the latest violence that has erupted against Gaza. Israel is now in it’s third day of air-strikes in the densely populated Gaza strip. The first nine hours of the strike saw 100 tons of bombs dropped and the death toll [...]

Rediscovering Boxing Day

Frank — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:30:45 +0000

Boxing Day has come to be known as a shopping holiday here in Aotearoa/New Zealand (I’m not familiar with what other countries do on December 26th so can’t comment on that). It’s a day when there are bargains galore and stores flick off all the stock they couldn’t move before Christmas so that they can [...]

Review: Taxi to the Dark Side (DVD)

Frank — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 05:15:34 +0000

Originally written for Filmguide. Taxi to the Dark Side chronicles the story of a young man from Afghanistan called Dilawar, a taxi driver who was taken into custody and detained in 2002. He died in the American prison in Bagram only months later. Dilawar was innocent and had no part in the incident that he was [...]

NZ Business Women Finding Hope at Bottom of Rubbish Heap

Frank — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:14:44 +0000

Kiwi photographer Susanna Burton tells about heartbreak and hope among a group of rubbish collectors in Bali and how a group of New Zealand business women are giving them the chance of a better future. I am jolted from sleep at an hour that seems far too early for any sane westerner. Staring double-visioned at [...]

Obsessive Consumers - We are Addicts

Frank — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:28:10 +0000

Allow me to make a confession - I have come to the realisation that I am an obsessive consumer. The sad thing is that in my world consuming is so normal, encouraged and needed for the survival of the economy in which I exist that I, like many other such addicts, have been mostly blind [...]

Distributism for the 21st Century

Frank — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:40:38 +0000

by Richard Aleman. After more than a century, attempts to apply Capitalism and Socialism have met with the same disastrous outcome. A select group possesses everything while the majority is either bound to stale and declining wages, or worse, they slide from poverty to destitution. One model achieves this by appealing to individualism, while the other [...]

4 Ways to Rebel this Christmas

Frank — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:36:29 +0000

Eat Less We all know it and we’ve all participated in it. We know it as simply having a good feed. It could also be known as Christmas gluttony. Christmas is a time for many of us to enjoy good food with family and friends we love. Food can be a good means of enhancing a social [...]

Christmas Sucks

Frank — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:40:56 +0000

Someone told me yesterday that it’s Christmas soon and we should celebrate. He asked me if Santa was bringing me anything for Christmas. He told me that where he comes from Christmas is a time where everybody buys presents and gives it to their family and friends. He described Santa to me. He said Santa was [...]

Auckland City - The Homeless ‘Problem’

Frank — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:37:40 +0000

According to the New Zealand Herald today, Citizen’s and Ratepayers councillors on Auckland City Council formed the majority in a vote recently to move forward in developing a bylaw to force the homeless away from inner city streets. The development of the bylaw comes with a $50,000 spend, a contrast to the hault on spending [...]