In Memoriam: Wang Xiaoguang (王晓光)

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We were saddened to hear of the untimely passing of our colleague, teacher and friend, Wang Xiaoguang, one of the founders of Yunnan Daytop in China. Yunnan Daytop is a leader in China’s efforts to provide voluntary and supportive harm reduction services to people who use drugs, and in that role Wang Xiaoguang has been a consistent advocate for drug users and for Chinese grassroots NGOs that serve them. Asia Catalyst and other international agencies frequently called on Xiaoguang for his insights and advice, and we’ll be at a real loss without him to turn to.

Our (unofficial) translation of Daytop’s obituary for him follows, along with the Chinese original text.

Asia Catalyst

 

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[COMMENTARY] China’s First Lawsuit on Discrimination Against a Person Living with HIV/AIDS

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By Yu Fangqiang

On July 27, 2010, a person living with HIV/AIDS in Anhui Province successfully filed China’s first case alleging employment discrimination on the basis of HIV status. Soon afterwards, a second case was filed in Sichuan Province. A year later, both cases were lost, and both plaintiffs filed appeals. Currently, the third plaintiff in an HIV-related employment discrimination case is preparing to file suit. In this article, lawyer Yu Fangqiang tells the personal story behind the historically important Anhui case.

 

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[URGENT APPEAL] Tian Xi Expected Out from Prison

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According to friends of Chinese AIDS activist Tian Xi, he is expected to complete his prison sentence and be released on August 18, 2011. His family income is quite low, and they have no way to meet his medical costs. Friends and family have issued a call for donations to the following account.

Account name:  TIAN Xi

Bank: Bank of China
Runan Branch 中国银行汝南支行

Account number: 254608370972

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[UPDATE] Two Chinese NGOs

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One step forward, two steps back: Chinese health rights lawyer Yu Fangqiang reports that he has established
a new NGO in Nanjing, while Shanghai’s Rainbow Space, a gender and sexuality center, lost their home in Shanghai. 

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[COMMENTARY] A letter to the C.E.O of Apple Inc.

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By Ralph Litzinger PhD

Dear C.E.O of Apple Inc.,

For many years I have been a loyal customer of Apple.  I have bought many of your products:  the iTouch, iPhone, iMAC, and new MacBook Pro, to name just a few.  Like many Apple users, I was an avid fan of the wonderfully witty commercials that pitted cool, hip and trendy Mac users against the staid and blasé conventionality of Microsoft users.  I embraced Apple for its brilliant operating system, its commitment to making user-friendly tools, and its aesthetic sensibility.  Apple crafts beautifully designed machines, which is one reason your market share continues to grow.

But it seems there is another Apple that few of your customers know about.

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