Doctors group: Zimbabwe ripe for new epidemics Already fighting a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,600 people, Zimbabwe faces new epidemics and an intensifying AIDS battle, the Medecins Sans Frontieres organization warns. The international physicians group blamed the crisis on Zimbabwe’s broken health system and prevalent malnutrition and urged the nation’s government to […]
This documentary doesn’t quite live up to its name. Filmed entirely in black and white, it combines photographs and films to tell the story of revolutionary Che Guevara. At little less than an hour, “Che Guevara: Where You’d Never Imagine Him” covers the high points of Guevara’s life as a rebel. Director Manuel Perez shows […]
It doesn’t count as public diplomacy — not yet. But the way in which the Iranian authorities have permitted foreign media visits, especially coverage by major American media (e.g., NPR and the NYT) , not to mention official Iranian comments on bilateral relations, suggests a whiff of change toward caring what the Western world thinks. […]
Russia’s recent increased ties with Latin American countries can hardly go unnoticed. In late 2008, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev paid visits to Venezuela and Cuba, Peru and Brazil, securing a host of bilateral deals. Medvedev concluded his visit by stating: “Russia has already returned to Latin America, including Cuba”. Read more about his visit here. […]
Kaing Guek Eav – known simply as Duch – begged for forgiveness Monday on the eve of his war crimes tribunal for atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge. “He said to the victims, I ask your forgiveness, I ask your forgiveness,” said his lawyer, Francois Roux. Duch, who faces charges for crimes against humanity, had […]
I’ve been blogging on climate change for almost two years here – and having a great time, don’t get me wrong. But there are some new FPA sister blogs that are looking at this issue as well. Welcome aboard. Check out, for instance, Thawing Permafrost Could Accelerate Global Warming from Mia Bennett at the blog […]
Tom Friedman wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times today casting some light on various green enterprises in India, focusing on the specific example of a solar-powered car made by India’s Reva Electric Car Company and driven by 2 American women across the Subcontinent. Other than referencing the Indian Youth Climate Network, Friedman’s piece […]
Al-Qaeda. Taliban. Hezbollah. Hamas. Jamaah Islamiyah. Islamic Courts Union. al-Shabaab. Fatah al-Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood. Abu Sayyaf. Lakhshar-e-Taiba… the list goes on. These are just a few of the many organizations that can be described as “Islamist Groups”. Though Wikipedia is not a proven reliable source for facts, it does have a list of many […]
As the day dawns on love, millions of couples are exchanging gifts which symbolize their love for each other. The commercialization of this day of love leaves many emptying their pockets, however those who pay the true cost for Valentines is often applied the, some 27 million people round the globe who are enslaved. “The estimated […]
American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is headed to Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and China this week for a series of talks aimed at strengthening ties across the Pacific Ocean. Clinton has outlined that her priorities for her trip include: A more “rigorous and persistent commitment and engagement” with allies in Asia Working with Asian […]
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, the world was listening and loved it. I feel as if we have come to a not-dissimilar moment in history. We have turned the corner, in the United States, and in much of the rest of the world, on reaching for a new frontier. We […]
Dennis Blair, the new national intelligence director, appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Intelligence on Thursday. Blair delivered the US intelligence community’s annual threat assessment to Congress. In Blair’s written testimony he highlighted the rise of Asia. “All together—Japan, the ‘tiger’ economies like South Korea and Taiwan as well as the rising giants […]
“It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honour nature’s gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.” Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. As a society we must look to teach our children the […]
…. here’s a terrific television show from the Foreign Policy Association. It’s part of the FPA’s signature Great Decisions program. The show is titled “Off the Grid: Energy and the U.S. Economy.”
I went to a panel discussion earlier this week at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. This is where I’m teaching now and they have, in addition to their great MS and extensive Continuing Ed programs, quite a bit of excellent public programming. The Canadian Consulate in New York City cosponsored this event. Here’s what we […]