Vanity Fair: The Africa Issue

So, two of my favorite people: Bono and Queen Rania. My dream is to meet them both (and I'm halfway there, although I didn't officially meet Bono as much as track him down at a local bookstore in Boston and get a quick hug from him before he was whisked away... but who's counting). Anyway, this is why they continue to inspire me... Bono is guest editor at Vanity Fair this summer and in celebration of his presence at the magazine and in dedication to his commitment to Africa, VF did a spread of photos of famous people who are are dedicated to causes in Africa. It's not about the pictures, although (as usual) Annie Leibovitz does an incredible job, but it's about the challenge to do better in Africa.

The Africa issue contains an interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a piece on Jeffrey Sachs (post), a reminder of Nelson Mandela's leadership, a look at Madonna's work in Malawi and much much more. It's important to remember that these celebrities are doing some great work, but they are simply an example of the true courageous work that individuals (who aren't necessarily famous) do every single day... This issue is out this week.

Have you registered?

Did You Know A South Asian has a 1 in 20,000 Chance of Finding a Match? However, South Asians comprise approximately only 1% of the National Marrow Donor Registry.

A few years ago I registered to be a bone marrow donor with Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches. Throughout the years, we've all heard stories about South Asian patients having a difficult time finding a bone marrow match. Once again, we find ourselves calling upon friends and family members to register. A fellow BU-er, Vinay, is in need of a bone marrow match. His friends and family are working hard to spread the news to the South Asian community to register in the hopes that he will find a match. I encourage you to take the steps to register in the National Bone Marrow Registry.

You can find out more information on a website that has been set up to help Vinay.

It is really easy to register:

We are asking all of you to please register at the Bone Marrow Website to help Vinay and many others just like him. Please forward this announcement to all people you know to do the same. Finding a bone marrow donor is very rare, which is why it is so important that as many people register as possible.

You can easily register with the Asian American Donor Program (AADP) Registry. The procedure to register is less than a minute and is not invasive, just a simple swab of the mouth. The AADP recommends that people read about the actual marrow donation procedure on the website before registering.

It is really important, as a South Asian, to register and I really encourage you to do so. I really believe that activism and action are an integral part of each of us.

Lest We Forget...

At 9:20am on 31 October 1984 India's prime minister Indira Gandhi was shot by two of her security guards in the garden of her home at No 1, Safdarjung Road in Delhi.

The attack led to rioting on a grand scale across India as Hindus took their revenge on Sikhs. At least 1,000 people are thought to have died and the army eventually intervened to quell the violence.

The assassination itself was revenge for the raid on Sikhism's holiest shrine in Amritsar to flush out separatist militants who had taken refuge there.

BBC - Never Forget 84
Witness84
Sikh Genocide