Quickies

Global Quickies: Terminator of Child Marriages, Confronting a Witchdoctor Who Wants Your Organs, and Banning of the Bulls

CAMEROON
“Stephane Ebongue fled Cameroon because of the colour of his skin – his albinism made him a target for those who believe such people have special powers. Years later he returned home to confront a witchdoctor, and to question him about the practice of using human body parts in “magic” potions.”

SPAIN
“The regional government of Castilla y León has announced it is to ban the killing of bulls during festivities that take place outside a bull ring, among the most famous of which is the Toro de la Vega, a hunt using lances and clubs dating back to the Middle Ages organized by locals from the town of Tordesillas each September.”

MEXICO
“Mexico took another important step in the fight against discrimination this week after President Enrique Peña Nieto announced he will send a proposal to Congress to amend the Constitution to allow marriage between same-sex couples.”

INDIA
“An Indian village plants 111 trees every time a girl is born”. “In addition, as the parents plant the trees, they sign a legal affidavit stating that their daughter will receive a full education and will not be married before she comes of the legal age of 18”.

MALAWI (From mrmisconception)
“Malawi’s Chief Kachindamoto has broken up 850 child marriages in three years, and banned sexual initiations of girls.”

JAPAN
“A Japanese artist who is known for creating a vagina-shaped kayak has been found guilty of obscenity by a Tokyo court.”

COLOMBIA
“An official at Bogotá City Hall has resigned and Mayor Enrique Peñalosa has retracted his statement blaming Rosa Elvira Cely for her rape and murder in 2012, but activists are holding a series of vigils to highlight the continuing scourge of gender-based crimes and the Colombian capital’s negligent handling of the case.”

SEYCHELLES
“Seychelles’ National Assembly has passed an amendment to the penal code that decriminalizes the act of sodomy”.

ITALY
“Italian legislators voted to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples on Wednesday [May 11th], spurning fierce resistance by the Roman Catholic Church in favor of a growing consensus on LGBT rights in Western Europe.”

BANGLADESH
“The Bangladeshi government has reinstated a headmaster who was sacked after being publicly humiliated over allegations that he insulted Islam. Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, who is a Hindu, was made to hold his ears while performing squats, before being beaten.”

GERMANY
“Worshippers at Protestant churches in central Germany will soon be able to access the internet via free wi-fi hotspots – billed as “Godspots” by the church.”. “People will be able to access the “Godspots” both inside and outside, and the church is promising a secure network with no advertising. Users will first be greeted by a home page with information about the building, community and faith-related material, but then they’ll be free to browse the wider web.”

TAIWAN
Taiwan is leagues ahead of other places when it comes to women in politics, but there are still plenty of obstacles for these women.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (From Ray)
“Almost 100 girls in the Central African Republic have said they were sexually abused by international peacekeepers, with three claiming they were tied up and forced to have sex with a dog by a French military commander in 2014.”
Also on this topic: Focus on Africa interview with Editor In Chief of Media Diversified, Samantha Asumadu and Diane Corner, UN Assistant Secretary-General & Deputy SRSG MINUSCA Central African Republic

Featured image: The iconic “Osborne bull“. By Grez, under CC license.

Daniela

Born and raised in Mexico City, Daniela has finally decided to abdicate her post as an armchair skeptic and start doing some skeptical activism. She is currently living in Spain after having lived in the US, Brazil and Italy. You can also find her blogging in Spanish at esceptica.org.

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