Worldfocus  

The United Nations has warned of a possible “blood bath” as the Sri Lankan military encroaches on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are now cornered in a small piece of coastal territory — along with up to 150,000 civilians. The Tamil Tigers have long fought for an independent state for Sri Lanka’s Tamil ethnic minority, which is often at odds with the majority Sinhalese community. Seen by some as a prototype for modern terrorism, the Tamil Tigers pioneered the suicide bomb jacket and the use of women in suicide attacks. The civil war is one of Asia’s longest-running conflicts, and the U.N. estimates that more than 60 civilians are killed every day – caused by firing from both sides. The conflict was more deadly than the war in Afghanistan last year. Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT will explore the root causes of conflict and if this is indeed the “final confrontation“ that the U.N. says it may be, examining the humanitarian consequences and broader implications for global terrorism. Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge will host a panel of guests.

During the past several decades, women politicians have made strides in Africa. The share of parliamentary seats held by women increased from 7 percent in 1990 to 17 percent in 2007. The Rwandan parliament is a world leader in terms of female political participation, with 56 percent of its seats held by women. Liberia now has Africa’s first elected woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Watch Worldfocus’ signature story and an extended interview with Sirleaf: Africa’s first elected female president lifts Liberia. But this heightened gender equality in government has not necessarily translated into equality in everyday life for the majority of African women, who still face disproportionate poverty, violence and challenges in accessing education. Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show on Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. EDT will explore the political, economic and social implications of the rise of women power players in Africa. Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge will host a panel of guests: Micheline Ravololonarisoa is the chief of the Africa Section at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). She has more than 25 years of experience as a sociologist, feminist and activist specializing in African development and women’s issues. Micheline began her activist career with a student movement in her native Madagascar and was forced to leave the country in 1974 because of this work. She has served as program director at the Agency for Cooperation Research and Development (ACORD) and remains a member of several African and international women’s networks, including Akina Mama wa Afrika and ABANTU for Development. Lynn Sherr is an award-winning journalist and author who has contributed to Worldfocus reports from Liberia, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua. She is a former correspondent with ABC’s “20/20? and covered a wide range of stories, specializing in women’s issues and social changes, as well as investigative reports. Lynn is the author of “Failure