Entre le rire et les larmes: une citoyenne du monde raconte
By Elisabeth Carrier, Les Editions de l’Homme, Montreal, 1996

In this passionate account of her long career as a nurse, Elisabeth Carrier takes us on a voyage of personal experiences and impressions from war-torn parts of the world she has worked in, more particularly in the place she always dreamt of going as a child – Africa. A behind-the-scenes account of working in countries at war and a rich insight into local people and their customs from the viewpoint of a true humanitarian.

Available in French from Les Messageries ADP, 955 rue Amherst, Montreal H2L 3K4, Canada.

Droits de l’enfant? Tu parles!
Defence for Children International, Geneva, 1995

In over 160 A4 pages, Danielle Plisson brings together short written pieces by 24 people from various walks of life, under the common theme of children’s rights. The contributions are sometimes amusing, poetic or moving, but invariably revolve around the problems of childhood and the violation of children’s fundamental rights. The contributors, many of whom work directly with children, include Jean-Luc Bideau, Laurence Deonna, Henri Dès, Barbara Hendricks and Cornelio Sommaruga.

The book is beautifully illustrated with paintings by pupils of the Ecole de la Roseraie, a primary school in Geneva.

Available in French from Editions des Deux Continents, 51 rue Prévost-Martin, C.P. 666, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Population and food:
global trends and future prospects
By Tim Dyson, Routledge, London, 1996

Population and food examines recent trends in food production and assesses the prospects for feeding humanity in the 21st century. With case studies from throughout the developed and developing world, the book suggests that food production in most world regions has kept ahead of population growth, that future food production prospects are generally not discouraging, and that in all probability the people of the world will be somewhat better fed in the year 2020 than they are today.

Tim Dyson is Professor of Population Studies at the London School of Economics.

Available in English from Routledge, 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE, UK.

World Refugee Survey 1996
U.S. Committee for Refugees, Washington DC, 1996

A country-by-country analysis of the refugee situation in the world today. Discover how many refugees from which countries are in which countries, learn about changes in national legislation governing asylum and read five signed articles written around the subject, including a piece on protecting the internally displaced.

Available in English from the U.S. Committee for Refugees, 1,717 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 701, Washington, DC 20036, USA.

Mines antipersonnel:
la guerre en temps de paix and Essais nucléaires: fin de
partie
European Institute for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP), Brussels, 1996

Two up-to-the-minute publications dealing with destructive themes. The first concerns antipersonnel mines, their propagation, their removal and the latest on a possible worldwide ban. The second addresses the issue of nuclear testing and the global treaty which should put an end to such practices.

Both publications are available in French from GRIP, 33 rue Van Hoorde, 1030 Brussels, Belgium.

Children: the invisible soldiers
By Rachel Brett and Margaret McCallin, Rädda Barnen (Swedish Save the Children), Stockholm, 1996

Children participate actively in most of today’s conflicts. Although some are driven by ideology, it is mostly the poor and disadvantaged children that are exploited in this way. Children: the invisible soldiers was originally commissioned by the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (the Machel Study). On
1 November 1996 Rädda Barnen published an expanded and updated version in book form. Based on case studies from 26 countries, it is the most extensive survey of the child soldier issue carried out so far and reveals the dimensions of the problem: an estimated 250,000 children under 18 – some as young as seven – are currently serving in government armed forces or armed opposition groups.

Available in English from Rädda Barnen, Torsgatan 4,
107 88 Stockholm, Sweden.

An Afghan recovery
By Claudio von Planta, ICRC, 1996,
5 minutes 45 seconds

A film about the ICRC’s programme to fit the war disabled in Kabul with artificial limbs.

Available in English and with international soundtrack from the ICRC. Price SFr. 20.

Northern Caucasus/
Chechnya: when the fighting stops
ICRC/Euronews, 1996, 13 minutes

Depicts the humanitarian situation in Chechnya in December 1996, just before the tragic events of
17 December when six ICRC staff members were shot as they slept.

Available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish from the ICRC.

Panorama 1996
ICRC, Geneva, 13 minutes 30 seconds

A look back at ICRC activities during the year. The film is available in English, French, German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian from the ICRC.

Price SFr. 20.

Goldtooth
Street Kids International, Toronto, 1995, 27 minutes

This animated action adventure recently won Street Kids International, a Toronto-based organisation which promotes independence and self-respect among street children around the world, the prestigious UNICEF Meena Prize at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Dealing with substance abuse, a common coping strategy among street youth and youngsters in remote communities the world over, the film discusses decision-making, trust and friendship and is currently used by youth workers in over 100 countries and in eight languages, with eight more in production.

Available from Street Kids International, 398 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1,000, 10th floor, Toronto M5V 1S7, Canada.

Georgia: the school for respect
Azimuths/ICRC, 1996,
9 minutes 30 seconds

The friendship between the 12-year-old Jewish Michiko and the 11-year-old Christian Gigi proves that the things that unite people are stronger than those that divide them. Yet the collapse of the USSR has plunged the Caucasus region and Georgia in particular into turmoil, undermining the coexistence of the many peoples of different origins living there side by side.

Drawing on local culture and literature, the ICRC has published a manual intended to teach children the principles of international humanitarian law and stressing the need to respect one’s fellow human beings in situations of armed conflict.

Available in English, French and Spanish from the ICRC.

Healing the world through time
Australian Red Cross, 1997

An innovative educational CD-ROM designed to raise public awareness of the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, has come from the Queensland Division of the Australian Red Cross.

The multimedia programme has extensive coverage of international humanitarian law – history, development and current issues – and includes such sections as Landmines, Tracing and Message Service, and Emergency Relief, depicting the work of the Movement in times of peace and conflict.

A key aspect of the programme is that it remains current, by allowing users to access the most up-to-date information on almost any Red Cross or Red Crescent topic via Internet links.

Available in English from Australian Red Cross, GPO Box 917, Brisbane 4001, Queensland, Australia.
e-mail: javb@qld.redcross.org.au. US$10 plus postage and handling.