In Iraq, a story of rape, shame and ‘honor killing’ A woman who was raped and impregnated by a high-ranking guard while held in prison in Iraq was shot dead by her brother. The brother reportedly killed his sister to spare himself and his family the shame of an unplanned pregnancy. Some in the prison […]
This Blog is also posted in the FPA Latin America Blog. Europe and the United States had often inherited many benefits from economic growth in the pre-2008 era. One of those consequences, especially for those countries on the border or across the sea from developing nations is legal and illegal migration into their economies. Due […]
America’s unique ‘national character‘ — the common underlying values and patterns of thought that gives our nation its “flavor” — is under assault as we re-think what we, as a nation, think about the use of torture; the role of government (the ‘Good guys’) in our lives and the social security it provides; the nature of 21st-century […]
I’ve written about the truly heinous practice of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia a number of times, most recently here and here. An amazing activist, Maria Gunnoe, is featured in both the superb documentary, Burning the Future, and in the magisterial book Big Coal. Now Gunnoe has garnered international recognition for her work by winning […]
The recent release of the Bybee memos outlining Bush-era justification for the use of harsh interrogation techniques raises the issue of legal consequences for former White House officials, not to mention the effectiveness of torture as a method of intelligence gathering. U.S. President Barack Obama last week said the White House would not pursue legal […]
“Children need systems that are inclusive and driven by them, systems that will enable them to respond to their feelings and needs at any time.” – Jeroo Billimoria, Executive Director of Child Helpline International & Child Savings International Children and young adults are the future, and to ensure that the future we are giving, or […]
Today in 1915 signaled the beginning of a tragic event that would forever haunt human history. We, as individuals, as a collective society in this smaller and smaller world, should never forget the massacre of the Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman gendarmes. In the wake of all the spilled blood, lay the remains […]
I call them the ‘Titans of Wall Street,’ others refer to them as the ‘Lords of Finance,’ and there are books outlining their pillaging exploits. Either way, they amount to the same thing when this phenomena occurs in Russia, India, China, Argentina or late 19th-century Victorian England — we are now, in America, living in a Plutocracy, and the […]
South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, romped to victory in the country’s national and local elections. (With over half of the votes counted, it remains unclear if the ANC will reach the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution.) The ANC’s win paves the way for Jacob Zuma to assume the presidency. Some […]
23. In a symbol of China’s growing influence around the world (albeit a small and indirect sign), only 23 countries maintain formal relations with Taiwan. Beijing contends that there is “one China” and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Through political power and pocketbook diplomacy, Beijing pressures the international community to disavow Taiwan’s statehood […]
Today, we’re launching a new monthly feature called “On Our Bookshelves.” As the mysterious title suggests, it will feature our random thoughts on books that we’ve read, are currently reading or would like to read right after we finish reading all those other books we haven’t read. Enjoy, and please share your recommendations! Larissa Douglass […]
In Black Carbon in Waxman-Markey here from a few weeks ago, I noted that “The summary of Waxman-Markey says that black carbon ‘…is a major contributor to warming in the Arctic. EPA is directed in the draft to use its existing authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of black carbon domestically and […]
As Earth Day Celebrations wind down, many are left inspired and thinking of new ways to ‘go green’, others find themselves questioning if globally we are doing enough? The answer is, no! As climate change related disasters seem to be only increasing, world leaders are also left shaking their heads.. According to a new report […]
Secretary Clinton warned yesterday that Pakistan is in danger of abdicating to the Taliban by giving up too much territory. They are becoming, she said, a mortal threat to world peace. The government of Pakistan then sent troops in to a region recently controlled by the Taliban, where they were then attacked by Taliban forces. […]
What could be a more quintessentially human activity? Our food tastes better and is usually much safer to eat when it’s cooked. (There is something to be said, don’t get me wrong, for the raw foods approach too. I’ve been a vegetarian for … what year is this? … a long time and I do […]