How a Kenyan village tripled its corn harvest

This article expands on one of the readings we did this semester on Sauri, Kenya in Africa.  Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University came up with the Millennium Village Project in an attempt to advance impoverished villages.  This article discusses the success of Kenyan farmers growing corn and how the MVP has contributed to the growth of agriculture.  I think that this is great for Sauri and other villages that receive aid from the MVP, but I worry about what will happen after the project leaves Sauri?  The article we read for class expanded upon this issue regarding what happens to impoverished villages and countries after help leaves.  The point I'm trying to make is that the success of Sauri and villages alike might be a premature success story.  If we really want to give credit to Sachs and the MVP I think we should wait until the village can survive on its own without money being pumped into its economy.  Do you think programs like the MVP are short lived or is it possible that they will indeed work and set up stable villages in Third World countries?

A Democratic Facade: Why is the UN playing along?

While Zimbabwe is torn apart by violence and chaos, the UN sends an envoy to "examine the political situation and offer assistance in ensuring the country's upcoming June 27 presidential run-off election". This election is accepted worldwide as a sham, a hollow shell of democratic process designed primarily to appease the population into what will most assuredly be another Mugabe-led facade. The United Nations is seemingly content with attempting to give this nonsense a "fair shot" at being an actual democratic process, though humorously so as Mugabe seems bent on staying in power no matter what happens. The UN reminds me of an elderly Kindergarten teacher who, when witnessing a bully joyously stomping on a small child's face, kindly wanders over to ensure the bully is wearing sneakers and not combat boots. All things being equal, it seems government classes can discount the United Nations Paradigm of Political Development.

Japan seeks to set limits on waistline

I came across a very interesting article and did not get a chance to post it up here until now. We seem to be focusing at certain points in class on how laws in developing nations may seem outrageous or unfair. Some examples would be like how in Turkmenistan the word for "bread" was replaced with his mother's name and made it a state law or how in Tajikistan a student cannot have any parties because they should instead be focusing on their studies. But this article provides that a law that seems outrageous and could even cause an uproar if attempted to be implemented into other developed nations such as the USA.

Basically, the limits for the waistline in Japan for men is 33.5 inches and for women it is 35.4 inches. Potential penalties in discussion for breaking the waistline limit would be a series of warnings and "re-education" with a few months limit to lose weight. Upon not completing this re-education successfully, fines may be issued out as well.

I was just wondering how this law could go about being implemented successfully. Furthermore, what are the implications of successfully instating a law that limits people on how large they can be? In a nation as intellectually developed as Japan, this seems to be a very outrageous law. Many factors may not have been properly taken into consideration such as people that are proportionally larger than that of the average Japanese citizen (such as those of half Japanese descent) could have their health affected more so if it were a smaller waistline size than that of what is proportionally to their body, which could be anything more than 33.5/ 35.4 inches for men/ women, respectively, or a genetic condition. In addition to these issues, this law could  affect their culture as well since it would be the end of sumo culture.

I was wondering what take people had on this issue? 

Where is it?

There are few countries on map that creates 'concept dilemma' over the determined regions - continents. A criterion for continents is for it to be a land-mass separated - somehow - from other land-masses like North & South America, Australia, Africa and Antarctica.

What about continents aren't so clear-cut on borders, like Europe and Asia? Oh, simple, mix 'em together! Eurasia.. Everyone is satisfied.. One of the 'concept dilemmatic' countries is Russia and they have adopted the term Eurasia, gladly..

If the Silk Road symbolizes a uniting path for Europe and Asia, then one of those two doors, which open up to Europe from Asia is missing out on the 'concept dilemma' concept. One being Russia the other dear one is Turkey. Turkey, land wise, is both in Europe and in Asia - as Turks calls it Anatolia, which is the given name to the region, starting from the southern side of the Bosporus and expands within the Turkish borders.

Although New York Times serves the news about Turkey on its European pages, more and more people are labeling Turkey as a country from Middle East - pushing them  away from Europe. But wait!! Middle East is not a continent. So is Turkey in Asia or in Europe? Should Turkey become a new continent? The vital question; where does the Turkish mentality lies? In Europe? In Middle East?

Really, where is Turkey?..

Is America's Loss, the rest of the world's gain?

The world economy is cooling and so is the US economy. Some suggest that this may shift power to Asia and the developing nations -- a new "BRIC" bloc -- Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Is this good for the world?

A Look Into Nigeria

I just found two videos that were recently uploaded onto the BBC website, that offer an insight into the turmoil of Nigeria. The first video shows a government van that is transporting ballot boxes being attacked by Nigerian citizens who were not offered the chance to vote. The people believe that the ballot boxes in the van have been stuffed by the People's Democratic Party (PDP). They proceed to block the road and tear up the ballots. This illustrates just a single incident in constant struggle against the corruption of the Nigerian Government and the fight of the people to be heard. The second video offers an insight into the problems of Nigeria's oil industry. The strike that is referenced has actually come to an end, but not without shutting down the Exxon company's production in the company for eight days. At approximately 800,000 barrels per day, Exxon's temporary shut down cost the company 6,400,000 barrels. At an average price of $110 per barrel, the strike cost Exxon an estimated $704,000,000 in total loss of sales. Up against this kind of monetary pressure, Exxon supposedly agreed to "improve pensions and pipeline safety, and reduce the expatriate and casual labour it employs". Hopefully, this may spread to a reform of other oil companies in Nigeria as pollution and exploitation of the workers remains a significant issue in Nigeria.

More Like an Ocean than a Strait...Again

Taiwan’s President –elect Ma Ying-jeou, a member of the China-tolerating Kuomintang Party, has just named Lai Shin-yuan, a former member of the legislation for the Taiwan Solidarity Union, a pro-Taiwan-independence Party, as his choice to head the Mainland Affairs Council, a Council that deals with China. This is an interesting situation due to the fact that Mr. Ying-jeou’s Kuomintang Party campaigned for, and has taken a liberal stance on economic relations with China, choosing to strengthen the two countries economic dealings. By choosing a Mainland Affairs Council head who has openly stated her desire for Taiwan to be free, is the President-elect making a wise choice to have Ms. Shin-yuan be the main member of the administration to deal with China? Some have speculated that this appointment is merely to placate the Taiwanese population that is upset by the administrations decision to strengthen relations with China, and that the Chinese government should not pay much attention to it because the new Taiwanese government wants to strengthen their economic ties to the mainland. Though this could be a clever trick on Mr. Ying-jeou’s part, if Ms. Shin-yuan speaks out on behalf of Taiwanese independence in her new post then there could be big trouble for the small pseudo-country.