Brother and Sister Hollocaust Survivors Reunited After 66 Years

The last time Irene Famulak and her little brother Wssewolod Galezkij saw one another was 1942, as he fidgeted while she tried to kiss him goodnight. It may have been long ago, but the memories are painfully acute: it was later that night the Nazis would come into their home in the Ukraine and take the 17 and 7 year old siblings to German labor camps.

Famulak flew to the Ukraine after she was contacted by the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, with news that her one surviving sibling had been located. Galezkij, who had to be taken to the hospital after the emotional shock of learning his sister was alive in the US, was filled with joy as he clutched her on the tarmac after 17 years of searching and over six decades of wondering. "I don't believe anyone has ever known such happiness. Now, I truly believe I can die satisfied."

Linda Klein, the director of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, reports that the group has reunited 1,500 families since it began work in 1990, and over 50 families this year alone... all for free. They also help families find information about loved ones who died during the Holocaust. She says the searches can be like "looking for a needle in a haystack... When a connection is made, there are just smiles all around."

for the heartwarming photos and more details about Irene and Wssewolod, here is the original link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/11/holocaust.reunion/index.html

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If you'd like to help create more happy endings (and more good news!) please feel free to contact the volunteer group which facilitates reunions like this one.

If you have questions about how to volunteer, contact Gabriel Kabik at the.simulacra@gmail.com
Particularly if you are able to translate Polish and other Eastern European languages, contact Jessica Duvall Wodarczyk at 410-624-2092, or mailto:Wodarczyk410-624-2092jduvall@arc-cmc.org

Special thanks to Gabriel Kabik for alerting the GNG to this amazing story.

Memorandum of Understanding to Improve Working Conditions

The governments of India and Malaysia have come together to fight for workers' rights by composing an official memorandum of understanding (MoU). This document carries significant legislative and psychological power towards helping Indians who are employed in Malaysia by overseeing the regulation of agents and brokers, some of whom extort money from those already struggling for an income. About 130,000 Indian workers are employed in Malaysia, where they are having a positive effect on the Malaysian economy. Both governments hope that this MoU will allow the economic benefits to continue to rise while protecting low-income workers from exploitation.

the original story:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3215855,prtpage-1.cms

more information on MoUs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorandum_of_understanding