Watched an extraordinary episode on PBS last night on how the women of Liberia stopped a long running civil war in Liberia. Its part of a series PBS is doing and is definitely worth watching. Here’s the summary of the program from the PBS web site. Introducing Women, War & Peace Episode 2: Pray the […]
The main political parties in the UK have just finished up their annual conferences, and by and large, they were rather dull affairs this time around. However, along the fringes of the Conservative Party conference, the Scottish branch was preparing to, possibly, go out of business. The Tories in Scotland, officially known as the Scottish […]
Whether it provides an opportunity, or compromises our right to food, many of the currently used bio-fuel crops such as soybean, sugarcane and corn are traditionally used as staples. These staple food crops also have various other uses, such as animal feed, and for all intents and purposes, occupy the same soil or agricultural land. […]
Market analysts and economists can never fully judge the promise of an incoming president, but in Latin America they provide a welcome unbiased gauge for doing so. In the case of Peru, said analysts and economists are confused. The numerical confusion reflects the conflicted vision of President-Elect Ollanta Humala: maintain Peru’s revered economic prosperity while […]
The following is a report from the Israeli newspaper, Haartez: The list of Palestinian prisoners due to be released as part of a exchange deal that would secure the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit includes many names rejected by past Israeli governments as being too dangerous to release. One of […]
According to the official Hamas website, Marwan Barghouti, along with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Secretary General Ahmad Sa’adat, will be released from Israeli prisons. The two are part of a deal that is believed to bring the release of about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad […]
According to reports from various media outlets and Hamas and Israeli officials, Hamas and Israel have reached a prisoner swap agreement that will see the release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit. Officials from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have confirmed the talks. Corporal Shalit was abducted by Hamas during a cross border […]
Today’s announcement that President Sirleaf of Liberia has won the Nobel Peace certainly must have come as great news to the head of the Unity Party’s reelection committee in Monrovia. What a gift to have your candidate win the Nobel Prize just days before a hotly contested election. I think it is fair to question […]
Last week the team at the University of Salamanca in Spain launched their project Ciudadania 2.0. The focus of the project is to engage citizens in Latin America and those outside of the region interested and invested in its future by giving average citizens and those related to the region a virtual voice in Latin […]
Today’s New York Times reports that serious cuts in U.S. overseas assistance are being contemplated by Congress. Using our own economic woes as an excuse, many lawmakers deem it necessary to make cuts in programs they feel are not justified when so many remedies are required at home. Fair enough. The question is how will […]
by Suzanne Trimel, Amnesty International New York, Oct. 3, 2011 Amnesty International condemns the arrest of six individuals — documentary filmmakers and a producer — in Iran and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. The organization said it appears the five men and one woman are being held solely for the peaceful exercise of […]
Last week the UN published a report that made headlines around the world called: The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. Headlines screamed, “UN says 39% jump in violence in 2011”. As fate would have it the day of the announcement I was scheduled to participate in a Department of […]
The premiere public university in the state of Georgia is setting up shop in Mexico. In cooperation with Technologico de Mexico, Georgia Tech will run a Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Center in Mexico City aimed at education, research, and industry growth. The center is expected to become a fountain for research on supply chains […]
I first heard about Vincent Naramba in a piece by Jackee Budesta Batanda, a Ugandan human rights journalist who is currently a Neuffer Fellow at M.I.T. Mr. Naramba, a grass-roots political activist from the slums of Kampala, was inspired by the works of Gene Sharp, the so-called “Clausewitz of non-violent war.” On his website Mr. […]
As mentioned in my last blog a couple of weeks ago I’ve been laid low by back issues and unable to sit up for long periods of time. Because of the wonders of medical science, I am once again mobile…at least mobile enough to sit up for longer periods. I was even able to get […]