Yesterday morning, they had a press conference to wind the summit up. As I sat waiting for Ken Livingstone to start the proceedings, I thought about how long it had taken to get here. Finally, there’s enormous momentum from governments at all levels, as well as from industry and finance, and all working with the […]
On Wednesday, L.A.’s mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, announced his city’s Green LA plan, which incorporates a commitment to 35% use of renewables by 2020. The Green LA plan is not unlike “PLANYC” in emphasizing energy efficiency, renewables, mass transit and alternative fuels for surface transport, etc. The afternoon session, “Cities Can Thrive in a Low-Carbon Economy,” was led […]
“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.” — Kofi Annan
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) today issued a report highlighting government complicity in attacks on civilians in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan. The UNHCR called for an "immediate and independent investigation" into atrocities committed by Sudanese intelligence officers. The report highlights violence over a land dispute between two ethnic groups […]
Today on the Foreign Policy Association's parent site they ran one of their many analysis pieces, this one was for the topic of Children's Rights. Please see the article, Great Decisions Analysis: Child Trafficking, and their many other great resources and analysis pieces. To accompany the piece on child trafficking, I wanted to give you […]
On this date in 1967, President Abdul Nasser of Egypt orders the UN Emergency Force (UNEF) in Egypt to disband. In 1957, Egypt had decided to nationalize the Suez Canal, imposing severe economic complications on Israel and her allies. Mounting circumstances resulted in the eventual invasion of the Sinai Peninsula by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). […]
When talking with the American reporter, Leo DiCaprio says, "Maybe we should all just write about it then". His cynical view is right in many ways, but here I am writing about it. Will I end the plight of any child soldiers in the world with this post? The truth is directly, most defiantly not, […]
The Summit started in earnest yesterday. Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, and Chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, had some opening remarks, including these which are very direct indeed. (The C40 is in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative. I'll have more to say about President Clinton and the CCI in a later post.) In a separate […]
A military hotel was raided yesterday in downtown Belgrade yesterday evening as part of a search for Ratko Mladic who is sought in connection with the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. Police officials said they were tipped off that Mladic was in the area, though the search turned up empty handed. Serbia has been developing a […]
I wasn't going to write a piece on a movie, but I have heard so much talk about one in particular that I feel I cannot ignore its effect on the general population. After having so many people approach me since the release of Blood Diamond, and even more since it came out on DVD, […]
The transitional government in Somalia has agreed to allow the United Nations to investigate allegations of human rights abuses, disappearances, and illegal detentions, among other war crimes. The UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, said the Somali government did not accept allegations it was implicated in the atrocities, but said it would allow investigations […]
Today, May 15th is International Day of Families, and I wanted to take this time to honor the family. Having a loving and caring family is something none of us should ever take for granted, unfortunately most of us do. We take it as right, we complain about out siblings, our parents, and often take […]
The C40 Large Cities Climate Summit kicked off on a gorgeous spring day today in the Big Apple. Thirty-two mayors are here with their delegations. There are 46 cities represented, from six continents. There's been considerable press on this, a couple of hundred by Google's count, including this from Reuters "London mayor says cities lead […]
Opening statements will be heard in Miami today in the case involving Jose Padilla, a US citizen and former gang member who converted to Islam while in prison. Padilla, 36, has been accused of material support of a terrorist organization and conspiracy to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas. Among the key documents expected to […]
Mark Vallen from his series Art for Change They are your children, though you cannot and do not see them. They are all of our children…the parentless, homeless, abused, innocent victims of war, and the unloved children of the world. Why are they our children? Because they are the future, they are the future […]