It’s been a horrific weekend for residents of the Syrian city of Homs as conflict escalates between government forces and rebels.

THIS is a protest that doesn’t seem to be gaining traction and the Middle eastern Country’s people are suffering as a result.

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology International Security Expert Dr Binoy Kampmark has been watching events unfold and joins me with the latest.

If he was living in Nepal, he knows his life would be much worse. After realising this he started a not-for-profit-organisation called Upside.

They are trying to attack the problem at the root by creating self-sustainable projects that will fund essentials like education and health in remote areas of Nepal.

Youth reporter Josh Marshall-Clarke caught up with Upside CEO Calum Fouler…

Power of the state will now be handed to The Supreme Council of Armed Forces, but they are not willing to accept the resignations.

It is getting confusing as the chaos continues and the death toll climbs.

Professor Robert-Bowker is a former Ambassador of Egypt and the Arab Middle East, and has written about the changes of Egypt’s political system and surrounding areas. He joined Ben Ainslie to discuss the recent events in Egypt…

The Nobel Peace Prize nominee and an international Human Rights lawyer David Matas joined Jamie Macdonald to tell us more about this issue and his new book, ‘Blood Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for their Organs’.

This protest has been largely peaceful, but last month six demonstrators were shot dead in Jayapura by Indonesian security forces.

Where is this heading?

To get us up to speed, Murdoch University Professor of Southeast Asian Studies David Hill joined Bren McGurk on Morning Magazine.

Most of the Eurozone is facing austerity measures, which have been far from popular amongst its citizens.

And perhaps Greece is the first to crack, with a shock referendum to decide whether they will accept their second bailout plan

Director of Global Political Economy Research Unit PROFESSOR PHIL O’HARA joined Stacy

Can the planet handle our ever growing need to reproduce?

Professor Roger Short from the University of NSW discussed this with Rhian Todhunter.

Coinciding with this is a Community forum, discussing offshore processing – why it’s disastrous for any Government and why it’s so important to have Asylum Seekers processed humanely within Australia.

International Detention Coalition Researcher, Dr David Corlett joined Ben Ainslie me to discuss the issue and the coming forum.

The 130 delegates from the extremities of the former empire were here to identify the most important issues to the youth of the commonwealth and present them to the heads of government in a formal communiqué.

As the participants prepared to head back home youth reporters Josh Marshall-Clarke and Sophia Van Gent went to see what had come out of the forum.

Youth reporter Sophia Van Gent spend the week with the forum and managed to sit down for lunch with a few of the delegates.

Shantal Munro Knight has played a significant role in Commonwealth strategy as a member of the Commonwealth Foundation Civil Society Advisory Committee and joins Meri Fatin

As part of Morning Magazine’s outside broadcast from the Commonwealth People’s Forum, Meri Fatin canvassed the opinions of people directly involved in campaigning for more monitoring of human rights abuses.

Mr Jerald Joseph of Dignity International – an organisation that believes that everyone should live life in full dignity – joined Meri on RTRFM 92.1.

Police have banned loudspeakers and arresting people, but the media team is still making sure the message gets out there.

Rhian Todhunter spoke to local man and blogger Phil Airey, and Carl and Jeff from the media team in New York’s Zuccotti Park on Morning Magazine.

Recognised internationally every year since 1992, it aims to raise the voice of the poor around the world.

And it signals the start of Anti-Poverty Week.

It’s a time to encourage research, discussion and action to address the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Anti-Poverty Week’s National Co-Chair DR. Lynn Arnold joined Joseph Cassidy on Morning Magazine.

Bay of Plenty residents finally had small cause to celebrate amid the Rena disaster when officials declared Mt Maunganui’s most popular beach open yesterday.

Australian Marine Conservation Society Director Darren Kindleysides spoke to Joseph Cassidy on Morning Magazine to talk about the latest developments.

The actress starred in a 2009 film called ‘My Tehran For Sale’, a critical look at the levels of artistic freedom in the Islam estate.

Even though the film is not officially released in Iran and the film was made with all necessary permits, Miss Vafamehr is supposed to receive ninety lashes for taking part in the film.

To help wrap our heads around the issue Ben Ainsle was joined by the Director of the Center for Muslim States and Societies, and Political Science lecturer at UWA, Professor Samina Yasmeen.

Amnesty International think we’ve got a ways to go on both fronts and their international heads have been touring the country checking out the situation for themselves.

To tell us what they think Ben Ainslie was joined by Amnesty International Global Director of Advocacy, Steve Crawshaw.

The protests began in New York in mid September and have now spread throughout the US with more demonstrations happening all over the country.

It seems, however, that US citizens aren’t the only people getting involved.

Australian Phillip Airey is one such non-US citizen who wants to get involved. He’s about to drop everything and head over to the Big Apple.

He spoke to Ben Ainslie this morning…..

There are 10 year olds in America whose country has been at war for their whole life. Although less smothering in every day life, technically the same is true for Australian 10 year olds too.

Have we become so content and comfortable in our safe western lives that we no longer focus on the hundreds of thousands of people who die every year due to armed conflict?

Most of them non-combatants.

The medical association for the prevention of war hasn’t forgotten. This Saturday they are holding an art exhibition called Artists for Peace 2011, and Ben Ainslie got three folks in the studio to chat about it.

Exhibition curator Pauline Williams is one, Exhibition Coordinator Professor Peter Underwood is another and the last is Mia Pepper.