It is an important job of the media to use their best judgement when reporting on every false alarm, sniffle or sneeze that is heard across the globe. The real danger of Ebola is in the panic it can cause, both in West Africa and elsewhere.
It is an important job of the media to use their best judgement when reporting on every false alarm, sniffle or sneeze that is heard across the globe. The real danger of Ebola is in the panic it can cause, both in West Africa and elsewhere.
The tragic outbreak of Ebola in Liberia that has killed at least 1,800 people has only added another debilitating layer on top of a slew of other concerns the government and its citizens are trying to overcome, especially years of civil war that ravaged the nation.
If you are reading this in the United States, Happy Labor Day! For the rest of the world, Happy Monday! (And n.b. Labor Day is a holiday in which we celebrate those who toil by not toiling.) In recent weeks I took a bit of a late-summer hiatus from blogging, but I plan to be […]
President Obama’s trip to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania was touted as a commitment to begin a new partnership with the rising continent. Home to 6 of the 10 fasted growing economies, Africa has made great strides – the International Monetary Fund predicts growth of 5.4 percent this year and 5.7 percent next year, but […]
When commenting on an article about corruption in Liberia, a poster on my Facebook buddy’s wall alluded that the state is not always a friend as generally viewed, especially in the Western context. Certainly, as reported by the Liberian Daily Observer, recent corruption index research reveals that that the entire state of this West African […]
2011 in Liberia was all about the elections and although they could not be deemed a complete success because of the opposition’s successful, but ultimately fruitless boycott– 2011 was still a very good year for Liberian democracy. The year was also very good to Liberia’s President Sirleaf, Africa’s only female head-of-state who garnered a Nobel […]
Al Jazeera is reporting that three people have been killed in in an exchange of gun fire with riot police in Monrovia. There are also reports of injuries to several UN peacekeepers, part of the 8000 strong UNMIL mission which has been in the country since 2003. It is still not clear whether the boycott […]
An Ethiopian by the name of Mehari Gebre. But no matter, young Liberian Lucy Massaquoi,16, took the gold in the women’s event and a fun time was had by all. The event, which was held on August 28th, was the brain-child of BHP Billiton, the Australian mining and energy giant who has recently taken a […]
Can corruption really be fought? That is, can you change a society from one whose everyday wheels are greased by bribes to one in which petty corruption is rare and shunned? Can you, say, turn Uzbekistan into Britain? The textbook examples of such change are Singapore and Hong Kong. Both faced corruption as a commonplace […]
Last week President Barack Obama granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians for a period of 18 months. This applies those already living in the US, but without legal papers. It prevents their detainment or deportation, and enables them to work legally. The purpose of this status is to protect persons who cannot return to […]
After nearly two months of questioning in the Hague, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) has temporarily adjourned the Defense’s questioning of former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor, due to the illness of lead counsel Courtenay Griffiths QC. The SCSL, an ad hoc international-national court – or ‘hybrid’ tribunal – was established by the […]
Read the full article about Tim Hetherington here Among the new books that come out every fall, there are always a few stand-outs. Long Story Bit by Bit: Liberia Retold is one of them. Although the book was technically released earlier this summer, the thought-provoking combination of photojournalism, reportage, and international affairs history is notable […]
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is in a dire financial situation according to Chief Prosecutor Stephen Rapp who appealed to the U.N. Security Council today for more funds. Mr. Rapp described the situation as “an impending crisis” and warned of a break-down of the courts functionality without additional resources: Even if all pledged donations […]
The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommended last week that Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf should be banned from government for 30 years for her previous support of former President Charles Taylor. Taylor is currently on trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone for his role in the civil war there, where tens […]