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Ami Vitale

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  • Protesters who included celebrities like Jane Fonda, Susan Saranda, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, as well as politicians rallied in Washington DC, in the United States, Saturday January 27, 2007 to press their cause with a Congress about to make a decision whether to increase troops in the ongoing war in Iraq. United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, had hoped 100,000 would come but it was estimated to be smaller than 100,000.(Ami Vitale)
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  • Iraq Veterans Against the War along with other protesters who included celebrities like Jane Fonda, Susan Saranda, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, as well as politicians rallied in Washington DC, in the United States, Saturday January 27, 2007 to press their cause with a Congress about to make a decision whether to increase troops in the ongoing war in Iraq. United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, had hoped 100,000 would come but it was estimated to be smaller than 100,000.(Ami Vitale)
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  • Charlie and Donna Branham met in high school and married shortly thereafter. Donna Branham shaved her head on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol with a group of women in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Charlie Branham, a former coal miner, poses with his wife Donna outside their home in Lenore, West Virginia. Donna Branham shaved her head on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol with a group of women in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Donna Branham of Lenore, West Virginia, poses after shaving her head on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol with a group of women in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Supporters of a protest against coal mining on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol sit and watch as people shave their heads. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Donna Branham of Lenore, West Virginia, hugs her friend on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol, just minutes before they both shave their heads in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Paula Swearengin gets her head shaved by the late Larry Gibson, founder of the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation. On Memorial Day 2012, Swearengin and Gibson joined more than a dozen women (and a few men) on the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston to have their heads shaved to protest mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • Donna Branham poses in her home in Lenore, West Virginia after shaving her head on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol with a group of women in protest to mountaintop-removal mining. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "People don't know how hard it is on the Appalachian people," Branham said of mountaintop-removal mining. "They have no idea. And they don't want to know. As long as they don't have to look at it, they can ignore it." © Ami Vitale
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, hair falls on a woman who had her head shaved to protest mountain-top removal mines. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • Kashmiri youth scream "We want freedom" during a protest in the streets of Srinagar on September 24. Few people braved anti-poll violence in Kashmir's main city to vote in a state election after an early morning gun battle between Indian Border Security Forces and suspected Muslim militants.
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  • SRINGAR:KASHMIR:MAY 1:  Kashmiri protesters raise their arms to show they are unarmed as they pass Indian security forces in the village of Sowtang in Budgam district, outside Srinagar, the Indian administered summer capital of Kashmir May 1, 2003. Hundreds of Kashmiris were protesting the death of  a 17- year-old student, Javed Ahmad Magray, who was allegedly taken from his home in the night by Indian security and killed in cold blood.
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  • A woman protests mountaintop-removal mining in West Virginia. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • A Kashmiri man paddles to a floating market in the early freezing temperatures before sunrise on Dal Lake in the summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • Kashmiri men sell their vegetables at a floating market in the early hours before sunrise on Dal Lake in the troubled summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • Kashmiri children load themselves up in a rickshaw on their way back from school in the city of Srinagar   in  Kashmir during Ramadan November 21.  Kashmir has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • On the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol, Paula Swearengin shaves the head of Tori Wong of Virginia. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • Vicki Shelton sits at home the night before she shaves her head on the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7077.jpg
  • Vicki Shelton smells flowers the night before she shaves her head on the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol. The shaving of their heads was symbolic of the mountains that have been stripped of all of the living things on them. It was also symbolic of the many people who are sick or dying as the result of Mountaintop Removal. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. "Watch out, King Coal," Swearengin said, "because here come the Queens of Appalachia." © Ami Vitale
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  • Kashmiri men try to keep warm in the bitter cold morning hours before sunrise as they sell their vegetables at a floating market on Dal Lake in the summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • A Kashmiri man paddles to a floating market in the early freezing temperatures before sunrise on Dal Lake in the summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    mal10538.jpg
  • Kashmiri men sell their vegetables at a floating market in the early hours before sunrise on Dal Lake in the troubled summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    mal10537.jpg
  • Kashmiri men sell their vegetables at a floating market in the early hours before sunrise on Dal Lake in the troubled summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    kas104.jpg
  • Kashmiri men sell their vegetables at a floating market in the early hours before sunrise on Dal Lake in the troubled summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24, 2001. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    kas102.jpg
  • A women dressed in a burqua begs for money in  Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Kashmir and Jammu, November 8, 2001.  Many women are afraid to go outside without a full veil after an unknown organization declared that acid would be thrown on their face if they walked outside uncovered.
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  • The relatives and neighbors of Muzzamil Ahmad, a 19-year-old Muslim, who was killed when he was hit by an Indian security force vehicle move his body from a street in Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir.  Nearly 1,000 people blocked traffic, threw stones and shouted anti-India slogans after he was killed.
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  • Marilyn Mullens poses next to a mine on Kayford Mountain in southern West Virginia. She organized the Memorial Day protest against mountaintop-removal mining: "We just want people to be aware. Know that every time you turn on a light switch . . . someone here is paying for that with dirty water, with air that they can't breathe." Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. © Ami Vitale
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  • Laundry hangs outside the home of Marilyn Mullens in Cool Ridge, West Virginia, where mountaintop-removal mines are abundant. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Mullens organized the Memorial Day protest against mountaintop-removal mining: "We just want people to be aware. Know that every time you turn on a light switch . . . someone here is paying for that with dirty water, with air that they can't breathe." © Ami Vitale
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  • Palestinian Hamas supporters display a show of force at a protest in Gaza, Monday, October 16, 2000. Many Palestinians are angry that Yassar Arafat agreed to attend the crisis summit in Egypt which is meant to stop the spiral of violence in the Middle East. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • Palestinian Hamas supporters display a show of force at a protest in Gaza, Monday, October 16, 2000. Many Palestinians are angry that Yassar Arafat agreed to attend the crisis summit in Egypt which is meant to stop the spiral of violence in the Middle East. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • A Palestinian protester hides from Israeli soldiers behind a burning tire and car as protests flared again near the West Bank town of Ramallah Wednesday, October 11, 2000.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • NEPALGANJ, NEPAL, APRIL 14, 2004: Children who have become orphans because of the Maoist insurgency point to a poster with the alphabet that has pictures of the current embattled King and Queen in Nepalganj, Nepal  April 14, 2004. The Royal monarchy is facing a crisis and shows no sign of resolution as King Gyanendra's hope of reshaping the political order is met by thousands of protesters shouting antimonarchy slogans in Katmandu and Maoist guerrillas prepare for a final offensive.  Since early April, the five parliamentary parties have organized public protests, saying the country faces a "decisive movement" after King Gyanendra ignores their political demands.  (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • BIHAR, INDIA: AUGUST 13: Villagers cross a river to get to Lalita's village after  she made a visit to her village of Koprah,  60 kilometers from Sitamarhi in northern Bihar, India August 13, 2003. Lalita was visiting after an eight month training course at a MSK and 4 months of teaching karate in another district in Bihar. She has overcome great barriers in a society that regards her as the most disadvantaged since she is a female in one of  the lowest castes in India, the "Musahar "caste which means rat eaters. This tenacious young woman attended,  Mahila Shikshan Kendra, a Women's Education Center,  depsite her father's protests and learned how to read, write and defend herself in a community which frequently abuses women. Now she is teaching karate to other young women in a MSK in Amos block. Bihar is the poorest state in India and women suffer  greatly because of the poverty, lack of education and opportunities. Most of the girls who are attending the eight month course have had to overcome tremendous resistance from families and a society entrenched in the  weight of a caste system which discourages those from the lower castes to be educated, especially women. The 10 centers with 40 students in each are being funded by the World Bank although it was initially started by Unicef . .(Ami Vitale)
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  • BIHAR, INDIA: AUGUST 14: Lalita'gathers water at a pump in her village of Koprah,  60 kilometers from Sitamarhi in northern Bihar, India August 14, 2003. She was visiting after an eight month training course at a MSK and 4 months of teaching karate in another district in Bihar. She has overcome great barriers in a society that regards her as the most disadvantaged since she is a female in one of  the lowest castes in India, the "Musahar "caste which means rat eaters. This tenacious young woman attended,  Mahila Shikshan Kendra, a Women's Education Center,  depsite her father's protests and learned how to read, write and defend herself in a community which frequently abuses women. Now she is teaching karate to other young women in a MSK in Amos block. Bihar is the poorest state in India and women suffer  greatly because of the poverty, lack of education and opportunities. Most of the girls who are attending the eight month course have had to overcome tremendous resistance from families and a society entrenched in the  weight of a caste system which discourages those from the lower castes to be educated, especially women. The 10 centers with 40 students in each are being funded by the World Bank although it was initially started by Unicef . .(Ami Vitale)
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  • A Kashmiri woman prays inside Dastigeer Sahib Shrine at the summer capital  of Srinagar in the Indian held state of Kashmir,  September 20, 2002. After the Friday afternoon prayers, protesters took to the streets to voice their feelings about the elections in Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir police responded with tear gas and one arrest.
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  • SRINGAR,KASHMIR--MAY 1:  Kashmiri protesters fight with Indian security forces in the village of Sowtang in Budgam district, outside Srinagar, the Indian administered summer capital of Kashmir, May 1, 2003. Hundreds of Kashmiris were protesting the death of  a 17- year-old student, Javed Ahmad Magray, who was allegedly taken from his home in the night by Indian security and killed in cold blood.
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