Development 101

How a Kenyan village tripled its corn harvest

2008-06-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-30T10:03:00.001-07:00

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.

Caste system sets India back

2008-04-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

This week, the antiquated caste system in India caused a six-year-old girl to be shoved into a fire and critically injured. The six year old’s crime? The decision to walk on a path that was reserved for members of her village who belonged to an “upper caste.” The six year old was walking with her mother in their village of Uttar Pradesh, when a teenage boy took it upon himself to scold the pair for forgetting their place in society and to subsequently punish an innocent little girl. The boy has since confessed and is charged with attempted murder.

The little girl mentioned in this story is considered to be a member of the “Dalit.” Members of this group of people are also referred to as “untouchables,” since the Dalits are said to “pollute” people from higher castes just by touching them. People in higher castes attempt to avoid Dalits, and when they do come into contact with them, they engage in elaborate cleaning rituals to rid themselves of any filth. The Dalit are not officially considered to be part of the caste system, as they are viewed as so incredibly low on the social scale that they don’t deserve a ranking. There are 250 million Dalits in India, and recently a large outbreak of violence against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh.

This article jumped out at me in light of the discussion that we had in class yesterday when we ranked the countries from the case studies, with India obviously being one of the ranked countries. While there is no question that India has begun to boom economically, politically the country still has a long way to go. Definitions of “development” or what it means to be truly “developed” may remain ambiguous, but a country where people are critically and consistently harmed for being born into the wrong social class is wrong, and most certainly an impediment to true political development.

Russia and Libya's Swap Meet

2008-04-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

President Putin announced on Thursday a that Russia and Libya have signed deals on energy co-operation, military assistance, and plans to build a 310 mile railway line. In exchange for the signing of these deals, Russia has promised to forgive $4.5 billion of Libya's debt.
Libya was a big importer of soviet weapons during the cold war, which is when the accumulated a large amount of their debts. Russia plans to begin a large scale exploration and production project with Libya's national gas energy corporation. This would result in multiple gas-fired electricity plants and natural gas installations. Russia would also provide the technology for Libya to begin construction on a four year plan to build the 310 mile railway line. Russia also plans to begin talks with Nigeria to begin a multi billion dollar project to deliver Nigerian oil to Europe.
This again poses the question of the cost of development. While these projects could bring important energy and transportation resources to Libya, as well as important debt relief, it also poses a threat to the environment and to the culture of the people in Libya. Are these sacrifices necessary for a country to develop?

China Jails Tibetan Monks

2008-04-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the Chinese court, The Intermediate People's Court of Lhasa, sentenced 30 Tibetans who were involved in the riots last month to jail terms between 3 years to life. Six of those sentenced were monks. Those who were sentenced were accused of participating in the burning of government offices, shops, and attacking police officers. Seven schools, five hospitals, and 120 homes were burned down, along with over 900 shops looted. The damage was estimated at $35 million.

According to the Associated Press, the anti-government riots were the largest challenge to Chinese rule in the Himalayan region in nearly 20 years. China claims that 22 people were killed in the riots, however Tibet has said that at least 203 Tibetans were killed.

This unrest, and China's reaction to it, have added fuel to the fire of whether or not the Olympics this summer should be boycotted. The torch relay has already been boycotted in many places around the world, and actually caused major problems in some cities world wide.

Development To Halt?

2008-04-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Emerging from communist economic policies over two decades ago, Vietnam has come a long way from the country so impoverished and war torn that was at the center of the world stage in the 1960’s. Tourism is popular in the Southeast Asian country, in recent years annual growth as been a healthy 7.5%, its agricultural sector is booming, and Intel among other U.S. companies plans to open a $1 billion dollar plant there next year. On top of this the country is a member of the WTO, encourages free trade and markets, and has even met all of the World Banks Millennium Goals and has been touted as poster child for the Washington Consensus. However, despite these tremendous successes that have occurred in the past two decades, Vietnam could still experience a halt to their development due to forces within the country as well as natural ones.

An extremely corrupt government ranging from traffic officers to ministers and senior party officials hinders the freedom of the government as well as its human rights levels. Inflation and other economic factors, such as trade tariffs could cause the recent influx of foreign investment in the region to experience and a sharp decrease, and quite alarmingly its location in Southeast Asia leaves Vietnam open to possible natural disasters such as floods, or the possible outbreak of the dreaded avian flu. Any one of these disasters could push back Vietnam’s development, which even at a healthy growth rate of 7.5% is still lower than that of other East Asian countries experiencing the same level of growth. Though Vietnam has worked endlessly to make tremendous advancements it must work equally hard to make sure that the economy, and the country as a whole does not experience any set backs to the progress it has experience.

Corruption at its Worst

2008-04-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

The winner of the March 29th presidential vote in Zimbabwe still has not been declared. This is the longest any nation has ever had to wait for election results. "It's definitely a world record and it's not something to be proud of. And, when it comes, its credibility will be irretrievably compromised," said Jonathan Moyo, a former Mugabe protege. This delay is simply absurd and unexcusable. There is no justifiable reason for the delay, and one can only surmise that Mugabe is just trying to prolong the inevitable. Hopefully, the United Nations will step in and help put an end to this nonsense and facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.

Iran: Sending Barbie Back?

2008-04-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

In America, many school-aged children are growing up watching Spiderman movies and reading Harry Potter books. However, while these characters are quite popular among children in Western society, their introduction to Middle Eastern culture has alarmed many parents and leaders in places such as Iran. In this particular country, the Prosecutor General, Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi, has called for a ban on Western toys that he finds dangerous due to their threat of abolishing "Islamic culture and revolutionary values," according to a recent BBC article. However, while Najafabadi points to the importation of the toys of such characters as a "warning bell to officials in the cultural arena," he also emphasizes the fact that these toys are now being smuggled into the country illegally. Because of their popularity in the Western world and now in the Middle East, there is more demand for these toys; however, they must find their ways into Iran through illegal means, thereby increasing crime in an already unstable area.

Though this matter may seem somewhat trivial to Westerners who have casually observed the popularity of the likes of Batman and Barbie increase over the years, it must be understood that the introduction of these characters strike a moving cultural chord in the Middle East. In a place where women are expected to wear clothing covering most of their bodies, scantily-clad Barbie dolls pose a serious threat to traditional Islamic ways. Apparently, BBC reporter Pam O'Toole has found that "the increasing popularity of Western culture has been causing concern in Iran's clerical establishment for years."

This issue of cultural concern, then, raises many questions. Though this particular BBC article discussed the effects of introduction of Western toys, what happens when other more serious things, like democratic ideas or the theory that "modernization necessarily equals Westernization" are introduced into Middle Eastern culture? Should a country halt its imports simply because such products may offend a certain part of its population? What about the issue of preserving a country's culture---can a country refuse to carry some products in order to maintain a level of traditionalism? Does a country's action of refusing to import certain products that some in its country do wish to purchase infringe upon their basic rights as consumers to purchase what they would like (even if such rights may not explicitly exist as they do in Western nations)? With the widespread occurrence of Western expansion these days, even something that seems to be quite insignificant and even as silly as a Barbie doll has the potential to make national headlines.

Change Remains Elusive in Cuba

2008-04-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Although Cuba has experienced some change in the past few months since Raul Castro came to power, many things remain the same. Most of the 75 dissidents who were jailed in 2003 remain in jail 5 years later. Many of those arrested were reporters/journalists who were accused of being counterrevolutionaries sympathetic to the United States. Cuban mothers, wives, and sisters, known as the "Damas de Blanco" (Ladies in White) continue to march through the streets of Havana every Sunday in protest. These women, who "represent the only systematic, peaceful civil disobedience taking place today in Cuba," have gained international attention for their efforts and have thus far been successful in getting 20 of the 75 men released from prison.

The "Damas de Blanco" have not been spared violence and intimidation from the Cuban government despite their non-violent ways. Just recently, many were roughed up and arrested while peacefully protesting. The optimism that many had when Raul Castro lifted restrictions of things like computers and cell phones has been waning due to these recent events.

As our Freedom House reading for this week proved, "nonviolent civic forces are a major source of pressure for decisive change" (6). Therefore, it seems as though groups like the "Damas de Blanco" are going to be fundamental in creating real change in Cuba.

Do you think that a group like this one can act as the nucleus for creating real change in Cuba? Or is Cuba different, making nonviolent resistance less effective? If this is the case, how can Cubans put pressure on the government to give them the right to express themselves freely? How important is freedom of expression to development?

Picture: Christian Science Monitor

International Olympic Committee (IOC) breaches Olympic Charter by

2008-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

According to the Human Rights Watch the IOC cannot both respect human rights and support the Beijing Games The ongoing restrictions on foreign media violate a formal commitment made by China in order to win the right to host the games. The jailing of two civil rights activists who criticized the Beijing Olympics (Yang Chunlin and Hu Jia) on charges of State Subversion; and the decision to carry the Olympic Torch relay through Tibet despite the control measures of ethnic Tibetans, a military lockdown of the region, and refusal to grant access to Tibet to an international commission of inquiry, are the specific abuses of which HRW complains.

Article I of the Olympic Charter that seeks “respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.” This is a core principle of the Olympics. Accountability and responsibility- do not permit “governments with poor human rights practices who seek to burnish their reputation by hosting the world’s most prestigious sport event” to function outside of a “moral void”.

The abuses documented by Human Rights Watch include:

Jailing on charges of subversion advocates who dare criticize the Olympics;
Massive uncompensated forced evictions to make way for the construction of Olympic sites and related infrastructure;
Systematic and uncorrected abuses on construction workers’ labor rights, including denial of any remuneration and access to basic health care;
Sweeps of the poorest and most vulnerable groups from Beijing, including petitioners, vagrants, beggars and other marginalized communities; and
Pervasive practical restrictions on foreign media, in contravention of specific commitments made to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2001.

See: China: Letter to Ethics Commission of International Olympic Committee dated March 31, 2008 from Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/03/31/china18407.htm.

The question is whether silence by foreign competitors, spectators and reporters is collusion and tacit approval of these fundamental human rights violations. THE APPEAL BY THE Human Rights group is to the IOC to take some responsibility for the abuses that are made on behalf of their event. The spirit of the Olympic Games is at odds with the abuses of the host country and must be addressed if China is to reap the political and economic gains that the Olympic Games provide.

Sri Lanka: Still on the Right Path?

2008-04-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka: Still on the Right Path?

This morning in Sri Lanka there was a violent bus bombing, which according to the BBC, has killed at least 24 people and wounded at least 50. The Sri Lankan government blames the Tamil Tigers for the violent attack. As news coverage around the world reports on this tragedy, how can this violence that has been intensifying since January’s cease-fire be put to an end? The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state for over two decades and have killed over 60,000 people trying seeking it (Council of Foreign Relations). Rajat Ganguly speculated in his article “Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict: At a Crossroad between Peace and War” back in 2004 that optimistic peace processes should not be expected soon because of the “deep distrust” (Ganguly 2004, 915) that was severely embedded in their history. We know from our research that an ethnic and “deep distrust” is hard to overcome (Cambodia is an example). Like many of our projects, Sri Lanka has a long road to travel, a frequent revelation made in the history of this violence. Will these particularly extreme recent acts of violence deter Sri Lanka further from the path set toward a more stable state? Is this just another “bump” on the road that will become Sri Lanka’s history? Or has the country veered far from the peace path that had been laid before them years before?

This guerilla war seemed to never cease for Sri Lanka. In the CSMonitor article, a journalist explains, "In two-and-a-half decades of fighting, the government has set constant deadlines for the end of war…It is true that the Army has grown in strength and sophistication in recent years. But what it always seems to forget is that it is still dealing with a guerrilla force." The CSMonitor article reports that there are no signs of improval in Sri Lanka’s history. How can this fight be put to a stop? Can it be put to a stop? What does this mean for Sri Lanka’s development? Its HDI value is 0.743 and it ranks 99. While its GDP PPP is US$4,595 (http://hdrstats.undp.org/). However, “the country's traditionally resilient economy continues to suffer. This year, the government earmarked a record $1.5 billion for the war effort. In March, Sri Lanka's year-on-year inflation exceeded 28 percent, the highest in a decade” (Christian Science Monitor). There have already been many “cease-fires” that have not held. From what we know from our projects how can evaluate and improve Sri Lanka’s development?

Ganguly, Rajat. 2004. “Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict: At a Crossroad between Peace and War.” Third World Quarterly, 25, No. 5: 903-917.

Nepal: The Newest Player in the Capitalist Game?

2008-04-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

This Indian newspaper article explores the Nepalese government’s new claim to strive to form a capitalist government. I found that this article was especially important because it harped on many issues that have been covered throughout the semester. For instance, the process of development: What does it mean? How can it be attained? Is capitalism the only field we all can play on? Also, the issues of nationalism are mentioned as a fear of some of the opposing parties. We know from our discussions in class how quickly nationalistic ideals can go awry. Even though environment is not mentioned, it should be considered here because if Nepal plans to have an economic revolution, how will that revolution’s industrialization impact the Nepalese environment?

I have been fascinated by Nepal for a long time. As we know from our map quizzes, Nepal is sandwiched between India and China. Its location automatically assumes an integration of a dichotomy of different cultures. It will be fascinating to see if or how Nepal progresses successfully down this capitalist path, especially in a time where its neighbors, China and India, are experiencing remarkably rapid economic success. Will Nepal conform into a “modern” culture the more it progresses (or others mind argue that it will ‘digress’) toward a more capitalistic economy?

Finally, I feel that this issue of the capitalism of Nepal is so important right now because the world seems to be going through an incredible economic shift. Particularly, this is clear as the United States economy digresses and other “developing” countries seem to act as the United States’s competition. Now with Nepal in the game, will other developing countries strive to achieve a capitalist revolution? Where will that put the rest of the world? Some would argue that it is imperative to follow a capitalist path in today’s economic world. Is it true? Is there only one path or is Nepal conforming to the necessary standards?

Indian farmers are struggling

2008-04-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

India's Minister of Agriculture turned down a proposal to extend debt cancellations. Currently, the government is allowing debt cancellations for farmers who own less than 2 hectares of land. Opposition is trying to increase this minimum to allow farmers with a little more land to get their debts canceled as well. As a result of the high debts, many farmers are comitting suicide. Over the past 10 years, over 10,000 farmers with debt have comitted suicide each year. The government claims that it is not their fault that the farmers are doing this to themselves and have taken the stance that drought, price drops, and costs are the reasons for the high suicide rates. If the government won't help, what else do the people have to turn to? According to the article, loans haven't worked. All they have done was leave the farmers in debt. Moneylenders don't work either, since their interest rates are so high.

If the government is not willing to help its people and private organizations aren't willing to help, what can the farmers turn to? Isn't it the government's job to ensure a quality of life for its people? I know that the heart of the economy for India is moving towards urban centers and that the poorer populations are left in the rural areas. This doesn't mean that agriculture is not important in a country whose population is over a billion people. wouldn't the government want to ensure its people, even in the cities, that they could sustain this overwhelmingly large population? I feel that the government should provide some resources to small farmers who are struggling.

The Grand Inga Dam

2008-04-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

What is it?
Currently Africa is revisiting a project, which was first visualized in the 1980’s, however, due to political turmoil in the DR Congo the project could not advance. This project includes building the largest dam in the world. As it stands, China’s Three Gorges dam is the biggest, and it is recorded that Africa’s plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo will generate twice the amount of energy. Financiers and African politicians will discuss how to finance the cost of this great project ($80bn).

It is anticipated to increase Africa’s electricity supply by a third, however, others do not believe that it will help the poorest Africans currently without electricity. Although this causes some concern, The World Energy Council acknowledges that the Grand Inga project will help the probable 500 million Africans without access to electricity.

During the two-day meeting in London about this Grand Inga project, World Energy Council’s secretary general Gerald Doucet comments, “We have to raise the level of access to commercial energy all through Africa and other parts of the world, where this poverty is faced”.
What needs to happen?
In order for this project to take off as planned in 2014, The World Energy Council is asking for finance for a feasibility study to be done as prompt as possible. The plan consists of a 205m-high dam, 15k-long reservoir and a plant with the ability to produce 320 terawatt hours of electricity yearly.
Where exactly would it be located?
This Grand Inga project would be constructed on the Congo river beside two existing hydroelectric plants and it is anticipated to be running between 2020 and 2025.
How could this benefit other countries?
It is recognized that power would be transmitted to other countries by a large new distribution system to Egypt in the north, Nigeria in the west, and to South Africa.

China's support of Mugabe leads to new wave of opposition and fear of genocide.

2008-04-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

China, once again concerned about its image for the upcoming Olympics has signaled, according to the Christian Science Monitor, that it may turn around a ship full of nearly 3 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition and thousands of rounds of rocket propelled grenades and mortars headed for its longtime ally President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The ship has already been turned away at South Africa's main port, Durban, because dock workers refused to unload the cargo, while Mozambique, Angola, and Namibia have said they will refuse to dock the ship at their ports.

China has a long-standing relationship with Mugabe and a history of providing him weapons and support. During the war against the white-dominated government of Southern Rhodesia, China supplied Mugabe's liberation army with arms, funding, ammunition, and logistics. However, it remains to be seen if China will follow through with its promise to Mugabe. The global public opinion of China matters more than ever now with the upcoming summer Olympics and negative attention China has been receiving with the unrest in Tibet.

As of yesterday (Tuesday), according to BBC News, the Chinese ship was cited off Africa's Cape of Good Hope still heading in a northwesterly direction. China's possible support of Mugabe is inciting church leaders in Zimbabwe to call for international action, from the U.S. and the U.N.; fearing the escalation of post-election violence into genocidal proportions. If the ship reached Mugabe, China may be fueling yet another genocide with weapons and ammunition.

Post election violence has currently displace 3,000 people, injured 500 and left 10 dead. Although Zimbabwe's Justice Minister denies anyone has died from political violence, human rights groups say they have found torture camps for people who voted "the wrong way"

This movie illustrates footage of alleged attack victims.

Currently the U.S. has expressed its dislike with China from sending weapons to Zimbabwe and has encouraged Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, and Namibia to turn the ship away from their ports. As Tom Casey, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters, "Right now is clearly not the time what we would want to see anyone putting additional weapons or additional material into the system when the situation is so unsettles and when we have seen real and visible instanced of abuses committed by security forces."

While this is clearly a pressing situation, direct intervention from the United States is not a reasonable proposition at this point. The United States foreign policy cannot be solely dictated by morals or principle, this leads to sticky situations of inconsistency. The United Stated is unable to intervene in every country when there are human rights violation, so if we base our foreign policy on principle, who is to decide where and when to intervene? Instead, the U.S. must make its decisions bases on national interest, and it is simply not great enough in the case of Zimbabwe.

As for China, boycotting the Olympics is the current fad and if these weapons make it into Mugabe's hands, Hillary Clinton will have a new wave of supporters.

World's Longest-Ruling Party Ends

2008-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Bishop Fernando Lugo won the presidential election this past Monday in Paraguay. The Colorado Party ruled through dictatorship and democracy since 1947, including 35 years under violent anti-communist General Alfredo Stroessner.

While Lugo does not identify with either the Left or Right, his policies clearly reflect leftist tendencies. He is part of the Patriotic Alliance for Change Party that includes socialists, centrists, and conservatives. Known as the 'bishop of the poor' and influenced by Marxist liberation theology, Lugo's top priority is to help the natives that live in extreme poverty. He also intends to implement an agrarian reform that will aid the 300,000 landless peasant families. Further, he promises to gain more revenue from the world's biggest hydroelectric project, the Itaipu Dam that borders on Brazil's and Paraguay's shared river.

Lugo will take office on August 15 of this year. Many concerns and hopes have already arisen. Another "leftist" will now be in office in Latin America, leaving only Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and possibly Peru as more conservative governments. Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, commented that Lugo's victory is 'yet another stone in the foundation of this new Latin America that is just, sovereign, independent, and why not, socialist.' The article notes how this trend in Latin American leftist leaders began with Chavez ten years ago and continuing with the presidents in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Venezuela.

This change in leadership leave some questions to consider: Will Paraguay begin to rise from its extreme poverty through a more Socialist president? As also the first bishop in the world to ever become the president of a country, will Lugo's past affiliation with the Vatican contribute and shape his policies? How will this affect U.S.-Paraguayuan and U.S.-Latin American relations? And, lastly, will Paraguay receive more aid than in the past from other leftist leaders in the region and thus be coerced to follow similar paths?

Free Trade and Foreign Policy

2008-04-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Amidst a South American Region of the Anti-American pro-socialist governments of Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador lies one of our most valuable allies and supporters in the hemisphere. Colombia, and its President, Alvaro Uribe are staunch supporters of America who have stood up to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and have even gone into Ecuador to conduct raids on the malicious and rebellious FARC guerillas. Not only has the current Colombian government and President been supportive of U.S. policy and tough on terrorists, even supporting the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but in their own country the murders and kidnappings that once ran rampant are not nearly as bad as they were before Uribe took office, and the number of drug-traffickers who have been arrested and extradited to the U.S. under Uribe’s rule has increased exponentially. Among the many successes Uribe has achieved for his people and for America is negotiating a Free-Trade Agreement with George Bush and the U.S., however, due to Democrat’s lamenting over the state of the U.S. economy and in an attempt to snuff President Bush’s foreign policy directions, the House is set to turn down this FTA. With all that Colombia and its President have done for the U.S. is that any way to treat such a close partner in South America? Especially considering the neighboring countries of Colombia and their sentiments towards the U.S., it would not be wise of the United States Congress to alienate such an ally and snub an important Agreement that would benefit both nations. The Democrat’s are arguing that this will just take more jobs from American’s, and though that is not entirely true, it is true that if this does not occur it will take more jobs from the Colombians, who in turn will have less options for employment and have to turn to the illegal drug trade which has plagued both our nation’s for decades.

Dammed for the Greater Good?

2008-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

This article discusses the proposed Grand Inga Project, which would create in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's largest and most powerful hydroelectric dam. The project would cost about $80 billion, but the potential benefit of the dam would be to increase Africa's total energy supply by a third. The pro's and con's of the project are currently under debate at a two-day meeting hosted by the World Energy Council (WEC) in London. However, it appears the WEC is already convinced that this project should definitely go ahead, despite concerns from local groups regarding the environmental and social impact. Furthermore, opponents claim the electricity will not actually go to help the development of the poorest regions of Africa, like the supporters promise. Current plans call for this new dam to provide electricity to various regions of the Continent, stretching from Egypt to South Africa. This is a major justification for building the dam, because although the citizens of the DRC would suffer, the rest of Africa would benefit.

I found this article interesting because it never mentions the stance of the citizens of the DRC. This program appears to be an example of an "infallible" international organization dictating internal policy decisions for the DRC, which will have broader implications for all the nations of Africa. The WEC seems to wholly ignore the problems that are more directly impacting development in the DRC, like civil war. This oversight is necessary in order to finance a project that will most likely result in high profits for investors, but not necessarily benefit the poor citizens of Africa. This makes me wonder, to what degree are international groups required to take into account the specific needs of citizens in one region, if their broad agenda is based on the belief of development at any cost? Should the WEC be required to help end the civil war before they build the dam, or just make it safe enough to ensure they make a profit?

Lost in Translation

2008-04-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

There was a rally in my hometown (Wuhan, China) a few days ago. Along with other rallies in other major cities, it is part of the against the Western media and anti-France initiative. The last time a rally happened that I could recall was the protest against NATO in 1999. On May 8th 1999, NATO “mistakenly” damaged the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in the overnight bombing. In other words, when you see a rally in China, people must be really furious. So what are people in China angry about? All I hear in the U.S. has been how the Chinese government has such a poor record for human rights, and the rest of the world outside China thinks Tibet should be freed, according to all the pictures from the torch relays in London and Paris.
To my surprise, among the news coverage, I never heard about how the Dalai Lama ruled Tibet before he fled to India. I have read writings of Dalai Lama for a religious studies class I took here, and I have to say I was amazed by the message of peace and life philosophy he delivers through his words. No wonder Tibet can be a symbol of religious purity and conveys an image of tranquility and mystery. But, when a friend sent me the following picture of the skins of serfs (enslaved labor in agriculture), I was very disturbed and shocked. I didn’t know Dalai Lama used to ask for human skins for religious ritual, and I didn’t know he tortured so many lives under his spiritual rule. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t you call this evidence of human rights violations? If yes, why have I never seen it in any major Western news sources? No wonder people in China are angry. The domestic media in China is trying to cover, such as blocking the news coverage in Tibet. The foreign media, which used to be believed as much more objective and trustworthy, is skewing the issue by showing one side’s story only and partially.

As the news article described, this rally is also anti-France. What happened in Paris agitated people in China, because the torch relay was interrupted many times, and the Paris administration openly hanged the flag of Tibet during the relay. This is easily taken as an insult to a country’s sovereignty. When your country’s sovereignty is being disrespected, your voices are silenced, and part of the story is intentionally ignored, would you be angry?

Photo courtesy of news.china.com. Apologies for the fact that I couldn't locate any similar pictures in a U.S. or European major news sources.

Tibet in Turmoil

2008-04-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

On April 14 riots erupted in Lhasa, Tibet protesting Chinese rule of the region. Rioters called for Tibet to be freed from control by the Chinese state and for the return of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. These protests were discussed in an earlier posting on this blog.

As of April 17, Tibet is still closed off to foreign tourists by Chinese authorities. China had maintained in the past that Tibet would be open again for tourists by May 1, but now it seems like that date will have to be postponed. When questioned about the reasons for continued quarantine, Chinese authorities asserted that "conditions are not ripe for domestic and foreign tourism". While the number of individuals killed during the protesting is under debate depending on the authority asked, estimates range from 20 to 150 individuals. In light of the upcoming Chinese olympics, this news reflects very poorly on China - a country whose human rights record is already less than stellar.

This brings up multiple important issues regarding the relationship between China and Tibet in relation to the international community. Should China, a developing nation by most standards, be exempt or at the very least tolerated for its infractions of human rights in the name of progress? After all, most western democracies had terrible instances of worker exploitation early on in their development as well. If one wanted to, I think that the same general relationship exists between Tibet and China as existed between America and the Native American Reservation in Oklahoma - though they are by no means parallels of each other. Also, should the international community demand that China withdraw its forces from a region that is both ethnically different and unhappy about its occupation?

Can Google Earth Save the World?

2008-04-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees partnered with Google Earth “to use the company’s globe-mapping software to illustrate the plight of parts of the planet’s population.” This partnership with Google Maps is one of the six “layers”—a special program built by organizations incorporating video and other interactive features to engage and educate—added to the virtual-globe program in the past two weeks. The first non-profit layer was initiated by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. This new layer allows internet surfers to “visit a camp,” learn about the history of the people in the region and what the region lacks. Additionally, if the camp lacks a clean water source, internet surfers can donate with a click of their mouse.

While this program has the potential to take a foreign, abstract issue and “make it real” leading to an “immersive experience” resulting in greater understanding, compassion, and impetus to help—will it? This seems like a positive initiative to bring refugee and other global crises into people’s homes and minds but I’m skeptical as to how effective it will be.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum credits Google Earth’s program for increasing website traffic to its Rwandan genocide “What Can I Do?” page from 2,500 to more than 50,000. The museum also has expanded to channel attention and aid to the Darfur crisis. The incidence and magnitude of the Darfur crisis is relatively well understood, this new program provides a way for people to not just educate but activate and contribute. Bea Spadacini, of Care International, believes that Google Earth may provide the global push to result in political solutions. However, one NGO is Sudan says that this new tool is being used on the ground to intimidate: “’They [officials in the Sudan capital of Khartoum] go up to NGOs and tell them, ‘We are using Google Earth, we can monitor your activities.’”

Do you think this will be effective? Will this serve to educate and illuminate or further divide “us” from “them”? Is this use of technology a means to develop areas?

Kenya's Tourism Industry Declines

2008-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

After the chaos stemming from the 2007 presidential election, violence and turmoil has plagued Kenya leaving 1,500 people dead and 600,000 people displaced. Even after last week's optimistic power-sharing deal between opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki the country's future remains uncertain. The economy, particularly, has felt the negative effects of the disputed election. Tourism is the biggest earner of foreign currency and was forecasted to bring $1 billion to Kenya this year. However, the Kenya Tourist Board believes that figure could be cut in half due to the riots and violence that affected the country for months. Foreign governments have advised their citizens against all but essential travel to Kenya. This influenced tourists to abandon their plans to visit Kenya and opt for safer vacation destinations instead. Hotels have been reduced to asking their staff to take their vacations now and minimizing their rates while remaining optimistic that tourism will pick up later in the year. Jake Grieves-Cook, the Kenya Tourism Federation's spokesman, also remains optimistic stating, "A big chunk of our income comes in July, August, and September, so if everything continues moving in the right direction with the peace deal, and normality is restored, there is optimism that we could have some good moths ahead". What is the likelihood that Kenya's violent ethnic disputes will cease under the power-sharing agreement between Kibaki and Odinga? Is it realistic to think that tourism will resume unscathed? We can only wait and see what time will tell.

Tension Rising Between Latin American Countries

2008-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

As if things could not get any worse for the relations between Colombia and Ecuador, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe has thickened the plot. With the rising tension between the neighboring countries due to rebel forces (FARC) who seem to be housed in Ecuador. But the problem that has arisen besides the actions of the president of Ecuador housing these rebels is the fact that there were four Mexican students killed in the raid of the rebel camp by Colombian forces. Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa has not only condemned Uribe for his actions but has also cut off all ties with the Colombian government due to their harsh tactics. And to add insult to injury Uribe when confronted about the death of the students did not apologize, but his response was, "They were not doing humanitarian work. They were not hostages. So why were they there? They were there as accomplices of this activity. They were there as agents of terrorism". This was seen as the last straw. The ironic fact is that Mexican president Calderon is not as upset with Uribe as Correa is, and in a show of good faith offered to act as an intermediary for Ecuador - Colombian peace talks.

I have a couple of problems with this situation. My first qualm is the fact of why did Ecuadorian president Correa not demolish the rebel forces himself, therefore eliminating Uribe and his forces from having to enter Ecuador. Secondly, why were those Mexican student there was it a fact of study or were they actually there to promote terrorism. And if not then Uribe has gone to far in his actions to suppress the rebel movement.

Turbulent Journey to the Olympics

2008-04-16T20:26:00.001-07:00

The Olympic Torch has once again run into trouble as it worked to pass from Pakistan into India. Like in London and Paris, anti China protesters stormed the Chinese Embassy barging through barricades of police and security forces to protest the situation in Tibet. India has been a haven for over 100,000 Tibetans who have left their homeland to escape the political situation as well as hosting the Dalai Lama in exile.
Threats of large scale protests have become such an issue that Olympic officials are no longer disclosing the exact route the torch will take through India in the hopes of avoiding major disturbances. The torch runner will be accompanied by and entourage thousands of police officers and bomb squad dogs. These protests, and threats of protests have become a source of embarrassment for not only China but India as well as professional athletes are one by one dropping out of the torch relay.
The perseverance of protesters and the immense scale of many of these protests seems to be only the beginning of what we will see as the opening ceremonies draw nearer. It is up to China to make last chance decisions in their foreign policy towards not just Tibet but Darfur as well if it hopes to regain support from the growing portion of the global community that is questioning their support.

picture: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
article:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/world/asia/17torch.html?ref=world

Historic: China's First Charity Hospital

2008-04-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Founded by U.S hospital administrator and CFO of Beijing United Family Hospitals, Bart Daniels in Zhengzhou, China, The Morning Sun Center of Hope is China's first charitable hospital. Equipped with 240,000 square feet of space filled with 240 hospital beds, outpatient clinics, office space, and 200 one-bed apartments, the hospital offers free medical care and nutrition programs for orphans, disabled children and children from economically disadvantaged families.

The non-profit hospital is a joint venture between both Daniels and Henan Guochen Industry Company. Additionally, hospital services will be maintained collaboratively between foreign physicians and local Chinese. With regards to funding, the hospital will "mainly rely on overseas" foundations and donations from Local Chinese enterprises. Daniels and his wife, having lived in China for four years and having adopted two Chinese orphans from Jiaozuo orphanage, are well acquainted with Zhengzhou's orphan situation.

While some like Michael Holman, in his article "Foreign Aid II: This Kind of 'Help' is Just No Help at All," have argued that NGO's undermine state authority, I feel that this institution is an exception. The hospital draws on financial support both domestically from abroad while using a mixture of both local and foreign staff, providing an opportunity for international cooperation. The 200 one-bed apartments will allow visiting families to stay with their children being treated. Essentially, I believe this venture represents a collaborative and participatory approach to addressing an important humanist cause.

Mugabe's "defiance" of the West

2008-04-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Robert Mugabe's image as a modern day dictator who is doing little to alleviate the current political and economic crises in Zimbabwe has the nations of the West extremely concerned. Britain has asserted "we cannot wait anymore" stating that Mugabe's continued position of power has the nation in ruins--with inflation figures climbing exponentially every year. Additionally, the fact that Mugabe continues to be the political head of Zimbabwe severely undermines the notion of political development which emphasizes liberal democracy as the desired form of government. The Mugabe regime is seen as undermining human rights of its citizens as well by not allowing them to choose their leaders.

What remains interesting in this debate is that South African President Thabo Mbeki, the West's point person in resolving these Zimbabwean crises also states that Africa should be allowed to control its own affairs and that the interference of the West is only going to hamper this process. This brings us to the question: whose problem in Zimbabwe? Should the "West" be allowed to interfere in the affairs of another sovereign nation, imposing "Western" ideas of political and economic development, or should nations such as Britain do nothing even as they believe that Zimbabwe is increasingly turning into the new power keg of Africa?

Hypocrisy In the New Russian Regime

2008-04-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

This article from the Christian Science Monitor illustrates the murky government actions taken since Medvedev has taken office. Russia's fourth-largest oil firm, TNK-BP, was raided by government forces in March and now face a variety of issues including environmental abuses, as the state is attempting to acquire the firm. Medvedev has vowed to shift away from the trend of nationalization that Putin left, even though he too promised the opposite.

"Respecting private property should become one of the foundations of state policy," he said in a February speech. And he decried the wave of "raiding," in which private assets are purloined by a few favored businessmen, often with the aid of corrupt police and officials. "As before, the illegal seizure of businesses has a mass scale. I consider it necessary to quickly pass antiraiding laws," he added.

This speech and recent actions clearly the dichotomy in the words of Medvedev, who has been the chairman of the state-run monopoly on natural gas, Gazprom, since 2001.

Some suspect that with rising oil prices, such a trend will certainly not slow down. The growing bureaucracy in Russia will not cease as there is too much profit to be had, especially in energy sectors. However, nationalization is growing in other economic sectors as well, such as aviation and arms industries.

Despite the alleged liberal outlook that Medvedev has for Russia and the anticipation that he will reverse these trends of nationalization, state actions against private firms are growing. How will the growth of bureaucracy in the economy impact Russian development? Shouldn't the growing prices of oil be utilized in exporting their oil resources and opening up the market? Lastly, how will potential corruption in Russia affect other developing countries?

Can "Aid for Trade" fire a silver bullet?

2008-04-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

The argument over what international organizations like the WTO do to developing nations rages. Quite frankly, it depresses me most of the time. But I will shy away from my personal views. I wish to bring to light a program that has recently been enacted by the WTO in order to change tactics for development. This new program is called AID FOR TRADE. This program was initiated in 2005 and has a new approach. As part of a commitment to another class, I attended an on campus lecture on this new program. The presentation was done by Professor Badessa Tadesse of the University of Minnesota- Duluth. He is originally from Ethiopia and has intimate knowledge of how the developed world can affect the developing world. However, he tried to convey that trade can help the disenfranchised while not exploiting them.

- He laid out that trade allows for growth
- trade can alleviate poverty
- internal and external barriers exist
- these include corruption, lack of knowledge, red tape, poor infrastructure, poor border control, and slow shipping
- He said that these supply side problems can be addressed by the WTO's AID FOR TRADE program

AID FOR TRADE CALLS FOR
- Trade policy regulation --> develop trade strategies, send more effective participants to trade negotiations, and negotiate for those agreements
- Investing in Infrastructure--> Build roads, ports, telecommunications
- Improve Productive Capacity--> investment in industries and sectors that can diversify and expand
- Adjustment Assistance--> I honestly didn't understand this point, so I'm not gonna try and pretend

In the end, Professor Tadessee felt that this form of aid is different and has the potential to to help developing nations by using open trade. I asked him if it would be an improvement over SAP's and other programs of the past. He responded by saying it was very difficult to predict, and that its success hinges on the actions of the donating nations, but more importantly, how the recipient nations allocate these funds and their policy plans.

SO, maybe this is a new type of approach that can help. I am all for being cynical and questioning. Probing for problems and finding solutions is a good thing. But honestly, i am getting more and more bummed out when i hear in not one...but three of my classes on a regular basis that the West (IE a society i am a part of) is mucking up the lives and progress of others around the world. I hope that more things like this can help solve problems and my selfish desire to feel better about myself.

Do you think this program is a good step in the right directions?
Is it more of the same?
Can trade ever be relied upon to help these nations?
Can i prevent my woes when studying the developing world?

THE LINK CONNECTED TO THE TITLE IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROGRAM...enjoy

Government Gone Wild

2008-04-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Why is religion dangerous? Or, as I like to say, why is it "the root of all evil"? Sure it gives some people (some would say weak-minded) a guide to live by and the structure they need in their everyday lives. But, hasn't it done more harm than good? How many wars have been started because of religion? How many absurd laws have been enacted by government in order to satisfy the intolerant fiction storytellers that lead churches, mosques, and synagogues?

How much longer are people going to allow their freedoms to be restricted and erased in the name of religion?

Take the Muslim state of Indonesia for example. Recently, a local government in Indonesia's East Java province implemented a policy that required all masseuses to wear a padlock on their pants in an effort to curb prostitution. This policy came after Indonesia passed a bill that restricted access to pornographic and violent sites on the Internet. Earlier draft versions of the same bill that was passed included provisions that could jail people for kissing in public and criminalize many forms of art or traditional culture that hinge on sensuality.

Did these laws come about because of the pressure and influence of religious fanatics? Absolutely... It's dangerous when governments start legislating morality and I feel sorry for the people of Indonesia that have to live under a government that is attempting to curb their personal freedoms.

Zimbabweans Await Ruling on Presidential Result

2008-04-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

All eyes are on Justice Tendai Uchena as he will decide Monday whether to force the electoral commission in Zimbabwe to declare a winner in the presidential election held more than two weeks ago on March 29th. A decision that would order the commission to declare an immediate winner could spell the end of Mugabe's 28 year reign. President Mugabe's party, that has been accused of rigging allegations, has been fighting for a recount in 23 of Zimbabwe's 210 constituencies that is currently scheduled to take place next Saturday, more than 3 weeks after the election. Many fear that if the recount is allowed to happen, it will magically favor Mugabe due to his immense power and influence. Many are fed up with the economic mess that has occurred under Mugabe's leadership, yet he has remained in power because the people are afraid to speak out against him. The country is suffering from six-figure inflation and an unemployment rate of over 80%. The average life expectancy is now a dismal 36 years of age. The opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has already declared outright victory and is trying to get others to apply pressure to Mugabe and get him to step down. I doubt Mugabe will voluntarily step down, so hopefully the court system in Zimbabwe will do the right thing and give the country a chance to start over under a much needed new leader.

Kenya Implements Power-Sharing Agreement

2008-04-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today, Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki named rival Raila Odinga the Prime Minister of Kenya, implementing a power-sharing agreement that has been in the works following a highly disputed election in December. In addition, Kibaki named another member of Odinga's party as the deputy PM.
As for the Cabinet, the 40 seats have been filled, and are equally divided between both parties, another step in the right direction for Kenya's newly instituted government.

With the power-sharing agreement in place, and both parties seemly satisfied with the results, Kenya appears to be transitioning into a more peaceful time. With over 1,000 killed and 100,000+ displaced by the violence stemming from this election, the implementation of this agreement should curtail most, if not all, of the killings associated with the election.

What lesson can we learn from Kenya? How much violence could have been avoided, how many lives could have been saved if the two sides had agreed to this deal in the weeks immediately following the election? More importantly, how does this agreement affect the rest of Africa, and more specifically, Zimbabwe? With a similarly disputed election, signs are pointing to violence in this African nation - if they look to this power-sharing agreement, and model one after it, could a crisis in Zimbabwe be averted?

Condoleezza Rice Advises Kenyan Leaders to Share

2008-04-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition leader Raila Odinga have suspended talks on a coalition that would implement a power sharing accord. Kenya's two parties, the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, agreed to share ministerial posts in late February, ending violence that had been ongoing since the elections in December. The violence was caused by Odinga's oppositional party accusing Kibaki's party of rigging the elections in order to keep Kibaki in power for another five year term. At least 1,500 people were killed in the violence and over 300,000 people were forced to leave their homes, causing $3.6 billion worth of damage to the economy, and incomprehensible damage to the country's reputation for political stability.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that "it is imperative that they form the Cabinet without further delay...Should the accord not be implemented, however, the United States will form its own judgments regarding responsibility for lack of implementation of the accord, and act accordingly".

Rice spoke separately to both Kibaki and Odinga, urging them to implement the accord and share power. Odinga has called for the dissolution of the current Cabinet, saying that talks will not resume until his conditions are met, as he feels that the Cabinet is presently illegal and unconstitutional.

Image from BBCNEWS.com

“Nepal police kill ‘seven’ Maoists"

2008-04-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, for Nepal’s first election since 1999, things aren’t going so well. Last Tuesday (April 7) a Communist candidate, Rishi Raj Sharma, was shot dead by an unknown gunman. Now, the police have confirmed six deaths after a bloody scuffle between the Maoists and some youths employed by a local candidate of a rival party. The 6 dead and additional 15 injured were shot by the Armed police force. The Maoists claim that the shootings happened because they detained more than 40 youths who were allegedly being used by a local candidate of the Nepali Congress party for electoral malpractice. The police claim that the Maoists were trying to attack a vehicle being used by the candidate.
The details are vague and the stories contradicting. Either way, security has been heightened and thousands of police enforcers have been deployed across the country. It has been suggested that all political parties involved stop all forms of campaigning but it is unlikely that that will occur. The election is a pivotal one for it will create a new assembly which will re-write the constitution and in doing so most likely abolish the monarch rule.
The political turmoil really allows us to appreciate how utterly amazing the peaceful transition of power is here in the US. It’s awful that such an important election is going to be marred by such brutality. Is there anything any international actors can do in helping to assure peace for the rest of the process? Should anything be done?

Nepalese Getting Fired Up for the Polls!

2008-04-08T17:53:00.001-07:00

Citizens of Nepal are gearing up enthusiastically for the polls in their first election in the two years since King Gyanendra was forced to hang over executive powers to mainstream political parties. On April 10th, the Nepalese will elect a new assembly that they hope will not only write a constitution, but also finish a peace process with former Maoist rebels. Insurgencies by these former Maoist rebels has led to more than 13,000 deaths during their 10-year reign.

The elections, which were postponed twice last year has turned into a fanfare of public events as voters are enthused to hear from the candidates. The newly elected Assembly will replace the interim parliament and government in addition to writing the new constitution.

Though the events surrounding the election seem hopeful for the citizens of Nepal, the election rallies have been marred by explosions and election analysts fear for a challenging time following the April 10th election. It is feared if the Maoists have poor results following the election, the peace process could be interrupted. Moreover, analysts see this as an all too real possibility because the Maoists are expected to fare deficiently because of their lack of a unified political base and the discontent that surrounds their past violence by the citizens of Nepal. In addition, this is the first time the Maoists have stood in a real election. It is feared that hard-line party supporters may push for a war should they not gain as many seats as desired in the upcoming election.

The newly formed assembly for nepal will have a total of 601 members, of which 335 will be elected on a proportional basis by party vote, while 240 seats will be selected by direct vote, and an additional 26 nominated by the prime minister. The forthcoming elected assembly will also tackle its first item o the agenda of formally abolishing the monarchy which has stood for over 240 years.

With these forthcoming elections, will peace and stability really be granted to the people of Nepal? Will elections solve the problems of the former Maoist rebels? What is to happen if the former Maoist rebels fair poorly in the elections and receive little or no support in the proportional and direct election? The main underlying question in a situation like this one present in Nepal where elections could anger a former rebel group is, 'Can an election solve all of the political problems?'

Photo Courtesy of Christian Science Monitor April 8th, 2008

Hunger Forces Riots in Fragile Haiti

2008-04-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

The rising cost of food prices seems little if nothing to developed countries such as the U.S. But to a country so much in trouble such as Haiti, the rising cost of anything could bring turmoil to the already struggling country. As of today, millions of Haitians protested in the streets of the capital, of Port-au-Prince, screaming, "We are hungry!". Most of whom were children of which have missed school and cannot even attend because the hunger has overwhelmed them. The vast increase of food prices has severely threatened Haiti's economic stability but also their political stability. In the last couple of months there has been a call for the re-en statement of the former president ean-Bertrand Aristide -- who was ousted in a 2004 rebellion. Also this is severely affecting most haitians, to whom 80% of the population lives off of $2 a day, and the current cost of some staples such as beans, rice, milk, etc. has gone up at least 50%.
With all this said the question becomes, what are we to do? Is this the time when the U.S. steps in and helps with foreign aid by giving food instead of money. Or do we stand by and let the Haitian people destroy their country apart from the inside out because of hunger?

Violent Consequences to Voting

2008-04-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

Since the unprecedented election on March 29th, 2008, where President Mugabe's party, the Zano-PF, lost its parliamentary majority to the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), for the first time in 28 years, violence has erupted throughout Zimbabwe. According to the BBC, about eighty political activists have been beaten, while sixty farmers have been forced to flee from their farms. As Secretary General of the MDC, Tendai Biti points out, "militias are being rearmed, Zano-PF supporters are being rearmed." Futhermore, with a Presidential run-off set for the near future, the MDC beleives the violence is rooted in a desire to intimiate rural voters from going to the polls and voting for the opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, who garnered a majority of the vote, but not the 50% majority that was necessary to aviod a run-off. Secretary Biti has called on both the African Union and South Africa to intervene and help stop the violence; however, so far the declining situation has received little attention from both the African Union and South Africa. In essence, while it is promising that there is a possibility for poltical reform in Zimbabwe if the opposition is to win the election and oust Mugabe from power, the escalating violence as a reuslt of the controversial results of the election illustrate the difficulties that developing countries have in trasitioning to a more democratic society. Although there is obvious push for reform in Zimbabwe, the firm grip that Mugabe and the Zano-PF party still have on the politics of the country, have proven to be monumental obstables to progress. Therefore, what will it take to ultimately transition to a more deomocratic society in Zimbabwe? What role should the international community play in this transition? What are the implications that such a transfer of power will have on the day to day lives of the people of Zimbabwe and the goal of development and moderization? Finally, I believe it is interesting to note the great sacrifies that the people of Zimbabwe are making in order to promote a positive change in their country. Knowing the violent consequences of voting for an opposition party leader can have, would you still go to the polls and cast your vote? What lasting effects can such bravery have on the political conditions inside the country of Zimbabwe?

**Posted by Calisunshine**

China's Public Relations Disaster

2008-04-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

The Olympic torch relay endured another day of chaos as protestors in France overwhelmed 3,000 of France's finest causing the torch to be extinguished and transported by bus.

The demonstrators, angry over China’s human rights record, its grip on Tibet, and support for Sudan, slowed the relay to a crawl and left the organizers with no other option but to cancel the third leg of the relay. The protestors in France weren’t the only ones voicing their displeasure Monday. They had plenty of company in San Francisco where the torch is scheduled to arrive in 3 days. Three protestors there climbed the Golden Gate Bridge and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. The banners read: "One World One Dream. Free Tibet" and "Free Tibet."

Meanwhile in France, Pro-Chinese activists carrying national flags held counter-demonstrations. A Chinese doctoral student in computer science was quoted as saying, "The Olympic Games are about sports. It's not fair to turn them into politics." China's Foreign Ministry assailed the demonstrations. "We express our strong condemnation to the deliberate disruption of the Olympic torch relay by Tibetan separatist forces," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a Web statement. "Their despicable activities tarnish the lofty Olympic spirit and challenge all the people loving the Olympic Games around the world."

Unfortunately for China though, the protests will most likely continue as the torch makes its way along its 85,000 mile journey. It is now rumored that French President Sarkozy may boycott the games and that President Bush may be absent as well. The games were meant to highlight China’s rising economic and political power, but it seems now that they might be China’s worst nightmare.

FOOD RIOTS

2008-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Riots have broken out in several developing countries including, Haiti, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, and Senegal.

Why? More and more people are going hungry. Food prices have gone up, and food reserves are at a low. Climate change makes this problem worse by causing droughts in some areas and floods in others.

Another factor is developed nation protectionism. This long-standing policy has pushed the price of food up. Also, the US and European policy of using farmland for the production of biofuels is starving the poor.

What to do? The World Food Program has asked for $500 Million from donor countries to feed the destitute. It needs the money by May 1st.

Are we listening?

Can Pakistan handle another crisis?

2008-04-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Pakistan - an unstable country with nuclear weapons, has been in the spotlight for a variety of reasons in the past few months. Recent elections had the rest of the world wondering how secure its nuclear arsenal would be. It is no secret that a large extremist population resides in the country. If politics, insecurity, and poverty are not enough, then add the Avian flu into the mixture.

Avian influenza is a virus that is normally found in poultry and it is usually only spread from animal to human. People that work around birds, such as poultry farmers are at a higher risk than the general population. In Pakistan, however, the first case of human to human avian influenza transfer is believed to have taken place. Due to a high rate of the influenza in birds, the WHO stepped in late last year and sectioned off a large number of them away from the human population. This was not enough to stop the spread of the disease to a few people. It is believed that a poultry farmer in Peshawar passed the disease to his family, of which, 2 of his brothers died from the disease. Neither of his brothers were believed to be in contact with any poultry. A genetic sequencing test was performed and it came out positive for human to human transfer of the disease. Health officials were able to prevent further spread of the disease.

Pakistan has a very high poverty rate, with the UNDP rating it as #35 on the poverty index in 2004. For the north-western region of Pakistan, which contains 85% of the poultry in the country, this could be a serious complication. Already, many birds have had to be quarantined away from the general population or killed. This could have serious implications on human nutrition and may lead to severe health risks. Also, Pakistan is not an extremely wealthy country and right now, it is relying on the experts from the WHO to curb this potential outbreak. What potential outcomes can this have? For one, a potential avian flu outbreak could come out of Pakistan with a virulent disease capable of transferring from human to human. Pakistan may have to focus on the health care of its population before it can look at other aspects of development. Can Pakistan afford another crisis on its hands? What of its stability?

Photo from http://www.crdf.org

Waiting Game

2008-04-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Ingrid Betancourt, a Colombia politician, was kidnapped by FARC about six years ago while she was campaigning as a presidential candidate in a Southern region controlled by the Farc. Six years later, recent rumors say that she is in a precarious health state and near death. Her French citizenship helped her attracted more international attention than the other 40 high-profile hostages also held by the Farc. Farc rebels have offered to free if the government releases hundreds of jailed rebels and sets up in a demilitarised zone, according to a BBC report, but the government seems to refuse to cooperate on this issue.
How long will these hostages be held? Hopefully not until they all reach precarious health state. Will there be more hostages if the negotiation cannot be settled between the Farc and the Colombian government? Colombia is also not the only country that has guerrilla rebels. For example, Ugandan government also has to face the challenges from Joseph Kony and LRA constantly. The question that how the government should deal with the guerrilla rebels is definitely able to generate some debate, since the issues are threatening both civilians and high-profile figures' lives.

Photo courtesy of BBC News, Profile of Ingrid Betancourt.

China Jails Human Rights Activist

2008-04-03T18:42:00.001-07:00

Chinese citizen Hu Jia was just sentenced to a three and a half year jail term for challenging the Communist Party. Hu Jia is an extremely high- profile activist, mostly working for rights for HIV infected citizens in rural areas of China.

Because of the upcoming Olympics to be held in China, human rights violations are taken more seriously by countries who are supposed to be participating. Many people have suggested that boycotting the Olympics would be a bold way to show that certain actions taken by China are unacceptable. Condoleeza Rice has personally asked for him to be released, along with debates by the US, Europe and China about Chinese violations.

Let This Be A Lesson To You

2008-04-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

After two years and around two-hundred witnesses, Israel has convicted Shlomo Beniziri
of corruption. Beniziri, a prominent member of the Israeli parliament has been convicted of accepting bribes among other scandalous activities. Beniziri is a member of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, and although his conviction will not likely affect the party greatly, I believe that this is a victory for justice and a step in the right direction not only for Israel, but for democracy in general. It is clear that this conviction brings with it no earth-shattering changes in the world, and Shlomo Beniziri of Israel is hardly world renown. Nor are his crimes nearly as offensive or outrageous as hundreds of leaders throughout Africa and the developing world. However, I feel that Israel's steps to cleaning their government are a perfect example that other countries should follow.
It is well known that corruption is one of the main issues facing the developing and developed world today. It is, in my opinion, one of the major reasons why democracy fails so often. As Fareed Zakaria argues, for democracy to succeed, the rule of law must be established. If leaders have no laws to abide by, or if these laws are not enforced, they will have little incentive to act for the good of their country. Countries must follow Israel's lead and start making their leaders accountable for their actions. The problem of course is how to enforce these laws when the people who are in charge of stemming corruption and punishing the corrupt are corrupt themselves. I think that Israel's conviction of Shlomo Beniziri is a step in the right direction. Hopefully this is just the first in a series of convictions that will clean the government. I think that other countries, either out of legitimate care for their people or from pressure by their people, will see this and follow Israel's lead. I may be thinking optimistically, but I don't see how else justice can be achieved. Hopefully, this will serve as a lesson to all governments and all leaders. At least this conviction can't be seen as a bad event.

MINE CLEARING MACHINES

2008-04-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Chains clank, tires crunch over the ground and the roaring motor almost masks the explosions of landmines. Yet despite the detonation of these potentially catastrophic bombs, the soldiers are laughing and talking on the side. Sound like an unusual scene to you?
Fifty years ago, this would have been unheard of, but fortunately for many inhabitants of developing countries, these sounds mean something else: freedom. For the first time in some of their lives, they are able to walk across fields without the danger of being blown to pieces. Children can run and play, adults can use the fields once. In a world where 2.5 million new landmines are laid each year and at least 26,000 are killed or maimed annually, the introduction of landmine detecting machines can be a godsend. Now used in various locations throughout the developing world, these contraptions have opened up a new host of possibilities for many people. Although they seem to be the answer to the landmine problem, this unfortunately is not the case.
Landmine detecting machines are extremely expensive to run. As the linked website explains, it costs $1,000 to remove just one landmine and the cost to remove every landmine from the planet is estimated at $33 billion. There are also problems of money. Who will fund such projects? Shouldn't those who released the mines be held responsible? How do we hold them to this responsibility? In a world where we go to great lengths to save lives, this apparent disregard for easily preventable danger seems ironic.

The United Front begins Peace Talks

2008-04-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

The head opposition group in Kabul Afghanistan, The United National Front, has announced that they have been engaging in peace talks with the Taliban. The members of the United National Front include ministers, members of parliament, and former warlords have admitted to having conversations with the Taliban for the last five months.
The spokesman for the United National Front stated the Taliban had approached them saying that “We are both Muslims, we are both Afghans, and we are both not satisfied with the government's performance." This approach differs from the current governments approach to dealing with the Taliban, as the current government is requiring that the Taliban back down completely and accept a foreign presence. The United National Front plans to be more flexible in their approach by planning to have “an agenda and clear program for talks.”
The development of these talks could be a result of the last year being the bloodiest year. The U.S. Intelligence estimates that the Taliban controls 10% of the country. It is also estimated that these talks are being used to put pressure on the current government. The United Front has the opportunity to use these talks to boost their political position in the country and within the International community.
If the Taliban does become a significant participant in these peace talks, it could result in the Taliban being an important part of the political process. As Afghanistan’s political development continues, bringing the Taliban to the table could result in both positive and negative outcomes. While peace talks could result in a more unified country and the disbanding of Taliban, it could also result in a collapse of the already fragile government. With a strong opposition rivaling for power and the current government fighting to maintain peace, it could lead to a breakdown within the government. If the Taliban becomes a significant role in the government, it also raises the question of international involvement. This raises the concern of whether a country can develop peacefully with so many contentious factors or whether these factors will lead back to ultimate unrest.

Rising Food Prices in Africa

2008-04-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Source: BBC -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7284196.stm

Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from major increases in international food prices over the past year. Riots and civil unrests, especially in urban areas, are becoming more frequent and the problem does not look to be getting any better in the near future.

The World Food Program (WFP) says that major foods' prices have jumped 4o% in just six months. Countries that are experiencing riots include Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Mauritania, and Senegal. Most people in these regions live on less than $2 a day, and cannot afford food any longer. In order to identify factors that will resolve the issue, an understanding of contributing forces that will worsen the situation must be had.

India, in a maneuver to protect itself from rising prices, banned the exportation of non-Basmati rice (while the price for exports of aromatic basmati rice has also been raised to discourage exports). "The move could have an impact on rice prices globally as the country is the third largest exporter of the grain – a staple food in many countries." - BBC This will only add to the already grim situation in Africa.

The WFP director Josette Sheeran stated, "Meteoric food and fuel prices, a slumping dollar, the demand for biofuels and a string of poor harvests have combined to abruptly multiply WFP's operating costs, even as needs increase. In other words, if the number of needy people stayed constant, it would take much more money to feed them. But the number of people needing help is surging dramatically." A now global problem is hitting Sub-Saharan Africa the hardest. Rioters know not what else to do but demand lower prices from their governments. Aid is obviously not the answer, but what can be done structurally in these countries? Governments are shutting down exports, but should they be opening them up and encouraging trade to help these countries?

Jamaica: At the Mercy of Gangs

2008-04-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

In a new report released by Amnesty International, it claims that Jamaica's poor have been abandoned by the government and have been placed at the mercy of violent criminal gangs. According to the report, Jamaican authorities had "wilfully neglected" inner-city communities in Kingston and people living in these communities were "held hostage" in a battle between gangs and the state.

Shockingly, Jamaica has one of the region's highest murder rates with approximately 1,500 homicides in 2007 and 272 police killings. In addition, the prevalence of these criminal gangs keep thousands living in constant fear. As a result, some entire communities shut down as soon as it gets dark out and children don't go out to school because of fear and the suspension of transportation.

Amnesty International has urged Jamaican authorities to address the underlying issues by dubbing it a "human rights crisis". Though jamaican authorities have made no official comment on the report from Amnesty International, Police COmmissioner Hardley Lewin acknowledged the fact that the number of major crimes including homicide had increased. In just one month, there has been a 25% increase in the number of robberies and a 9% increase in murders, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation. Since the beginning of 2008, over 300 people have been killed on the island.

Why is a country so small as Jamaica undergoing such struggles with criminal gangs and instilling fear in its people? How are these problems related to Development? Is it because of how Jamaica has been exploited as a result of its banana and tourism industry? Jamaica is a beautiful tourist destination for people from around the world, but if you simply drive a few miles from the coast, you are faced with turmoil and gang-fights which threaten the lives and future of adults and children.

Source: BBC

Few News Sources for Chinese on Tibet

2008-04-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Recently, when the Dalai Lama has spoken and issued his "personal appeals" to the citizens of China, his statements have fallen on deaf ears. His statement which which was meant to be a call for an end of misunderstandings was barely heard. Why would one of the most recognized spiritual leaders in the world speak to China and cause nothing more than a little ripple? Because Chinese newspapers, TV, and radio all ignored his lengthy message because they are all controlled by the government. These official news agencies are for the most part the only news sources that the majority of Chinese citizens rely on for news and official views. In addition, Chinese citizens also suffer from closely censored internet access.

Chinese officials, however, have viewed this as a public relations success because all of the coverage of the recent incidents in Tibet was led and managed by the Chinese government, thus, allowing them to have compete autonomy over anything that was portrayed in the news. The official news source, Xinhua, has been the only source used by newspapers across the country. The Southern Weekend, an independent weekly paper geared toward intellectuals, will not post stories if they are only available on Xinhua, because of the nature of stories' bias when only available via Xinhua.

China has extensive "Net nannies" working to keep Western media reports and other websites unaccessible for Chinese users. Great firewalls set up have blocked searches on both Google and China's largest search engine, Baidu. This one sided media has caused aggression by Chinese people against Tibetans because the majority of Chinese people have never really known Tibetans' lifestyle due to the constant media control by central government and the enforcing of their own opinion.

Some questions this article raised in addition to my own are: How can the Dalai Lama who is regarded as worthless in China, win the Nobel Prize? What has happened to Chinese sentiment against Tibet as a result of their one-sided news access? How does censorship of the media pose some type of roadblock to development and political participation?

In sum, the Chinese people are at a great disservice because they are unable to acquire accurate and truthful news about what is going on in Tibet, let alone the rest of the world, because their own government wants to shape their opinion. The Chinese people are at a great disadvantage because their views are being skewed and causing them to even feel as if all of the information they are recieveing is the truthful and only information.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Transition in Zimbabwe?

2008-04-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Reports from Zimbabwe this morning have alluded to a possible change in the government. Long-time President, Robert G. Mugabe, is apparently in talks with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in order to establish a transitional government. Apparently, Mugabe's chiefs of staff are in talks with members of the opposition, though a spokesperson for Tsvangirai said that there are no talks currently going on.

Elections in Zimbabwe were held three days ago, and while the results have not been officially released, Reuters had reported that Mugabe would have lost the election by a 48%-43% margin. According to Zimbabwean law, if no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, a runoff election must be held to determine the eventual winner. Mugabe has been quoted as saying that a runoff election would be "humiliating."

While all signs point to a change in power in Zimbabwe, it is important to note that Mugabe has been in power since 1980 - 28 years - and is one of the longest standing political leaders in Africa. As we have seen on this blog, conditions in Zimbabwe, especially with the high rates of unemployment and massive inflation, have not been improving. Whether Mugabe allows a runoff to be held (and subsequently steps down) or resigns now, as many people believe he will, Zimbabwe looks to be headed toward a new head of state.

But what does this mean for development? I believe that this election and discourse is a positive thing for Zimbabwe. While their economic situation is dire, a stable political environment in which the laws are obeyed, and the elections are not rigged is a positive thing for any developing nation. As long as Mugabe either resigns, or allows an unobstructed runoff to be held, the Zimbabwean government will be given a significant amount of internal and external validity, which can only help the Zimbabwean people.

China: The Environment, Darfur and now, Tibet

2008-03-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

As the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games draws nearer, China is finding herself under more international scrutiny over the recent activity with Tibet. The government is rallying nationalism among its citizens and is advocating a “people’s war” in order to combat Tibetans. While many in China are backing the government, the international community is up in arms. The largest critique so far is of China’s lack of coverage of injustices against Tibetans, which the international community claims is “fanning racial hatred” (Jim Yardley, NY Times). The Chinese government is using propaganda and censorship to conceal the controversial details of the Chinese retaliation against the Tibetans. This strategy to create a stronger sense of nationality is risky for China as they try to make their reputation welcoming and hospitality to athletes and spectators. Former supporters of previous nationalism campaigns have stated that if the US government was to get involved via a visit from Bush to the Dalai Lama or legislation from Congress it could spur the Chinese people to react in some sort of protest.

Overall, China is in quite a dilemma. On the one hand, as the Communist Party anticipated they have been given an opportunity to show to the world how modern they have become and that while they are an emerging power, they are not a threat. On the other hand, the criticism China is receiving regarding Darfur, environmental issues and now Tibet is fueling boycott threats from leaders such as France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and driving China to boost its nationalism, which is creating a less than favorable few of the country.

article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/world/asia/31china.html?hp
picture: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Zimbabwe: Politics As Usual

2008-03-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

As many have predicted the Presidential election that occurred in Zimbabwe this past Saturday, the 29th has already been contested and claimed to be rigged.

The opposition party, The Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, have already declared themselves victors over incumbent Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party. This declaration comes amidst the claim from the MDC that their candidate for president, Morgan Tsvangirai, was ahead of Mugabe with two-thirds of the vote counted, and that the ZANU-PF has already rigged the elections due to the fact that they have waited to declare the official outcome, and due to problems that occurred at some voting centers. At some schools and other voting centers officials from the MDC were not allowed to enter, voters were intimidated, and there is already the fear that “ghost” voters, or voters who do not exist will have cast their votes for Mugabe, keeping the highly controversial incumbent in control of Zimbabwe for another term.

This may not be the end of the voting trouble in the African country, out of the three candidates for president, Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and Makoni, if none gets at least 50 percent of the vote then it will go to a second round, though it is expected that Mr. Tsvangari should win. One hopeful aspect of this election is that widespread violence has yet to break out in Zimbabwe which has been plagued by rampant inflation, AIDS, and a mass emigration to more economically stable countries such as neighboring South Africa; proof that through all of the short comings of Robert Mugabe’s government he can still successfully put his armies and police force to work. However, the lack of violence will be tested when “official” results are released and it is seen whether or not the ZANU-PF acted fairly in tallying the votes, either way the upcoming week will be nothing short of dramatic, if not politics as usual in Zimbabwe.

Olympic Torch Political Gold

2008-03-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

This very brief article discusses three different torch ceremonies separate from the main Olympic torch. I think it is interesting the amount of political attachment this ceremony carries. Earlier on in the blog we discussed Spielberg's boycott and if it had any effect on the China's decision or if it was due to other political pressures. I think that the Olympics carries so much political importance more so than athletic, at least before the competitions start. Of these short segments the one that drew most of my attention was the Tibet case. It was a purely political move for the rights of Tibetan exiles. More interesting is that these people are trying to prove a point of their own but do not draw as much attention as Spielberg's withdrawal.

2008-03-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

"Landmine pageant"

2008-03-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Even six years after the 27-year civil war ended, there are still many reminders of its incredible impact. People struggle with their daily chores and living their lives to the fullest because of lack of limb(s) or other severe injuries. Millions of mines had been planted in this country during the war and tens of thousands of Angolans lost limbs or suffered other injuries because of these mines and continue to suffer because of these mines.

On April 2nd, in the capital of Luanda, a "Miss Landmine Survivor" will be held. Eighteen contestants, representing each of the country's provinces as well as the impact of the mines, will compete for this crown. Madalene Neto, coordiantor of Angola's de-mining commission says that the primary purpose is for the injured women to regain their self-esteem. Additionally, she would like these contestants to become ambassadors for the victims.

I thought this would be an appropriate article to discuss in today's class centering on women and the power inherent in them to truly affect change in developing nations. It will be interesting to follow the effects this event will have on the country and the international community in the near future. Will this good press bring more attention and funding to Angola and help to de-mine the millions of landmines that still remain? How will the Angolans receive this competition - will they think it is imitating Western values of beauty (to some extent) and/or will they recognize the power and the strength these women have? I personally think this a fantastic event to hold to bolster Angolan pride and to help them look optimistically to the future. The locals are certainly being proactive to help eliminate the mines. Lastly, does this say anything about Angola's move toward democracy and becoming a larger actor in international politics?

The Ties That Bind

2008-03-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

The idea that slavery ended hundreds of years ago is quite common amongst typical American’s and other Western people’s who do not experience the great poverty and social constraints of many developing countries. As close to U.S. soil as Haiti, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children are ready for purchase as the all too common commodities in these areas as slaves.

The idea of organized crime syndicates transporting women and children as sexual slaves forced into prostitution is a topic that is often covered on television news specials, Law and Order episodes, and movies such as “Eastern Promises” starring best actor candidate Viggo Mortensen. But the severity of this problem is not known by most people, and what is known even less is that for every woman or child involved in the sex trade, there are 15 men, women or children working for little more than food and shelter in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. In some of these areas entire families for generations have slaved away to pay off the “interest” of debt a great grandfather may have incurred in the early part of the century. Though I am aware that this link does not provide this whole story, if you get a chance take a look at this article in the current issue of “Foreign Policy” in which the author tells the tale of a man who’s family has been enslaved for 3 generations to pay off a debt of his grandfather’s that was less than 60 cents in the 1950’s. More people are enslaved world wide now than ever before, and though UN resolutions, and international courts, as well as American and European courts have prosecuted more cases involving human trafficking in recent years than ever before this problem remains looming and in need of serious consideration and action.

Helping to Develop Nations While Developing Corporate Management

2008-03-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Starting this summer, about one hundred I.B.M. employees will go abroad to different developing countries for the first time under the company's relatively unique Corporate Service Corps program. The employees will be formed into 12 teams that are sent off to work in countries such as Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ghana, and Tanzania for four weeks to "help tiny businesses make their operations more professional," "help entrepreneurs seek microloans," "create training programs on information technology," etc. However, a program goal of equal if not more importance is to use the time in the developing countries as a " 'management development exercise for high-potential people' " within the company. In describing her expectation for the program, one I.B.M. employee who will be going to Ghana in July states: " 'It feels good to help in a developing country, even as you enhance your career.' " She adds, ' "This will help my internal resume more than an assignment in a developed country.' "

What are your thoughts on programs such as this one? Do you think they actually have the potential of being beneficial to developing countries by exporting technology and helping local people learn and understand the new technology? Or, do such programs actually hinder development? I was surprised to read in this article how much I.B.M. openly places its focus more on improving itself as a company rather than helping the nations the employees are going to. While it is not out of the ordinary for companies to be concerned with how such a program will benefit them directly, the strong emphasis on personal and professional development over all else really struck me about this article. While I.B.M. employees may believe that they are doing a good thing by "volunteering," I believe that the program's focus and objectives are not what they should be. In fact, in some ways I believe that it is even arrogant to use developing countries as testing grounds and places to experiment with coorporate teambuilding. Using this trip simply as "a sabbatical from...everyday routine" will just wind up hurting these developing countries. This is a shame because these countries could really benefit from well-thought-out programs with more of a selfless rather than self-serving purpose.

Picture: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/technology/26blue.html?ref=world

Somalia becomes "too impoverished" to receive aid

2008-03-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Deemed to be “on the brink of human catastrophe” by numerous NGOs, Somalia faces the threat of losing all hope for development in their country. Over 40 relief organizations are preparing to call it quits and completely give up on Somalia, citing a general lack of respect for humanitarian international law and too many checkpoints as their reasons for pulling out. As conditions in Somalia continue to deteriorate, so do their prospects for development. The UN special representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah begged for the UN Security Council not to turn their back on the country, imploring the world community not to punish Somalia for mistakes made during the early 1990s against the international community.

Somalia’s crisis has begun to drastically affect the surrounding African countries in terms of the number of refugees flooding over their borders. Djibouti in particular receives over 100 refugees per day from Somalia and is contemplating closing its borders if the influx does not die down in the near future. If over 40 relief agencies are pulling out and neighboring countries are threatening to close their borders, what hope does Somalia have for development? Furthermore, who is responsible for impeding Somalia’s development; is it the departing relief workers, the surrounding countries or the actions of the Somalians themselves?

[Picture courtesy of http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/03/25/somalia.crisis/index.html ]

More alllowance for Kenya?

2008-03-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

A recent article from the Associated Press lays out Kenya's plea for a $400 million dollar allowance under the name of emergency humanitarian aid and reconstruction program. Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition leader Raila Odinga presented their plan to the representatives of 40 embassies including the United States, Canada, and the EU, their major creditors. The leaders want to use this financial aid to help restore peace after violence erupted following the Presidential elections. In order to mitigate the fraudulent election, Odinga is expected to become the Prime Minister after the Kenyan parliament passes a law that will allow for a power sharing deal between Odinga and Kibaki.
The December 27th election that was so badly rigged that not even foreign observers could determine the rightful winner. This mass corruption is what led to the outbreak in violence and disturbance of peace. Unprovoked policemen were charged with shooting down protestors and there were widespread claims of organized political violence. One must ask: should Kenya’s creditors ignore the fact that the violence and faltering economy were caused by the opposing political parties efforts to corrupt the election and give Kenya the financial aid they need? By giving Kenya aid, the international community is consenting to clean up the mess that its political leaders knowingly started through rigging the election and organizing political violence. But then again, is it fair to hold its citizens accountable, and let them suffer just because they live under a corrupt political system?

The World's Newest Democracy

2008-03-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan Kingdom, became the world's newest democracy on Monday, March 24th, as the country held their first elections, ending a century of Royal Rule. Many families traveled miles, sometime days, by minivans, horseback and on foot to cast their ballots. Of the estimated 318,000 Bhutanese registered to vote, more than 79% voted, compared to the 64% voter turnout for the US Presidential election in 2004.

Bhutan peacefully became a constitutional democracy as DPT (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) won by a landslide, receiving 44 of the 47 seats in the national assembly. The spokes person for DPT said, "I think what happened was that, they looked at the two parties and figured out that our party was the one that could possible give us a government that was envisioned by His Majesty".

The King, Harvard and Oxford educated, ordered his subjects to vote, believing that democracy would foster stability in Bhutan, which is vulnerably located between China and India. Before the King's father abdicated his throne to his son in 2006, he took steps to give power to the people, he believed leaders should be chosen by merit instead of birth.

Will this newest democracy be able to face all the challenges ahead? Economically? Politically? Socially? The Bhutanese elections where highly managed, candidates were required to have at least a bachelor's degree to run, fewer than 5% of the population hold such qualification- will these educated elite properly lead the new constitutional monarchy? Only time will tell as the new chapter of Bhutan begins.

Tibet: "Stop the Genocide"

2008-03-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

This Spring Break I went to visit my sister in Indiana and we went to Chicago for a day trip. While there we ran into a crowd of Tibetan supporting protesters shouting: "Stop the Genocide", "Free Tibet", "China Let Us Go" and the such. "Stop the Genocide" was the one that caught me the most. Naturally it sparked my interest to try to find out what was going on, since I was oblivious. It turns out that in the past month anywhere from 13-80 people (depending on who is doing the reporting) have been killed in ant-Chinese riots in Lhasa. Some have called in the possibility of ethnic issues, but to call the deaths genocide? Perhaps I do not know enough to make the call on whether or not this is true.

"Tibet has been under Chinese control for seven centuries" says the Tibet Communist Party leader Zhang. The recent violence there has sparked international protests for peace. My first thought was of Kosovo, and a comment I made on a post, questioning whether or not the independence of Kosovo would spark other nations in similar situations to made a vie for independence as well. The Dalai Lama, having been exiled, says that Tibet is just looking for autonomy, not independence. It just seems interesting that all of this is coming out, at least to my attention, now at the time of the Olympics and after Kosovo's claim for Independence.

Call for Bangladesh War Trials

2008-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh gained independence from pakistan in 1971. While the liberation struggle has been called a civil war by some and a freedom movement for others, the fact remains that nearly 3 million civilians from what was East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) lost their lives. Now, there is a move in the nation for Bangladeshis who supported Pakistanis to be put on trial. It is one thing to hold Pakistan accountable for the crimes committed against the Bangladeshi population. However, it is quite another thing when Bangladeshis themselves supported the Pakistanis, opposed the breakup of Pakistan and "raped our mothers, and killed our brothers and sisters."

Often hailed as the genocide of South Asia, nothing has been done to redress the crimes committed against the Bangladeshis at the time (both by Pakistan and Bangladeshi supporters of Pakistan). Maybe it is time to do so. However, perhaps what is more troubling is the fact that the call for these trials has come so late. Even if trials were to be carried out now, there is a big question mark as to whether or not they will be effective at all, and achieve anything for the Bangladeshi people who suffered during this period.

Franklin & Marshall College in South Africa

2008-03-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,
I just wanted to bring your attention to a blog that the F&M soccer team has on their Grassroots soccer trip to Cape Town, South Africa, particularly, the shanty town of Khayelitsha.
The student athletes are there to help educate and fight HIV/AIDS. Check out their blog!

Government's Priorities Have Gone To the Dogs

2008-03-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that the citizens of Zimbabwe are struggling daily to feed themselves. The World Food Program has estimated that in this year alone, about 4.1 million Zimbabweans will need food aid. However, the government is shockingly focusing its' efforts on encouraging exports rather than advocating the production of food for the citizens and livestock of their own country.

A government run grain mill in Zimbabwe has recently announced its newest product; "Doggy's Delight." The production of this dog food is being pushed by the government in an attempt to stimulate their lucrative export market and perhaps contribute to salvaging their collapsing economy. This clearly highlights the distorted priorities of the Zimbabwean government, which currently has an enormous role in their economy. They have caused price controls and inflation, which have led to a serious food crisis. In June, the government instated price controls forcing merchants to sell goods below cost which has led to immense food shortages, with many food stores ending up "half empty." The black market has food to offer but the costs are far above what the average Zimbabwean can afford. This article describes one woman only being able to feed her family, which includes six children, boiled pumpkin leaves and water once a day. Inflation has also made it difficult for farmers to afford tools, fertilizer and seeds, thus furthering the food crisis.

While it is clear that the amount of grain being put into these products can nowhere near solve the food crisis Zimbabwe is facing, the emphasis the government is placing on exports rather than the welfare of their own citizens is evidence of their priorities and inherent attitudes toward reforming their economy. The people of Zimbabwe are struggling daily to obtain a commodity that their own government is having turned into dog food.

Slow Down China

2008-03-10T14:17:00.002-07:00

We discuss how countries develop so frequently that we rarely give any thought to the amount of growth needed to develop. I reason that there is an "ideal" amount of economic growth over a period of time that each nation strives to achieve. If a developing nation does not reach this rate, the country will remain underdeveloped for a longer period of time. Exceeding this rate, although rare, seems to be a problem the Chinese are now experiencing.

From Beijing a few days ago, the Chinese government announced that it would attempt to slow its economic development. With an economy growing an average rate of 10.6% since 2002, they fear escalating inflation, rising energy costs, and long-term environmental consequences such as polluted air and water may debilitate sustained growth over time.

"'We must give priority to the quality rather than speed of development,' [Chinese Premier] Wen said in a speech opening this year's session of China's top lawmaking body, the National People's Congress. He said the country should 'aim for fast yet steady economic development'" (emphasis mine).

It is seemingly obvious that a nation would try to find the right balance. Yet it is something that is rarely spoken, especially regarding developing countries. At first glance, high economic growth seems like a problem you want to have. Yet it has many disadvantages. Aside from those listed above, there are others. For instance, while poverty in China has been declining, inequality has been rising as a result of some basic economic governmental policies. These issues will only be resolved by slowing the blistering growth and focusing on the quality of development.

The article is vague about how exactly China plans to curb economic growth. Does anybody want to take a stab at answering this? I guess I'll start: First, I think we may see China push more money into social programs, higher education, and healthcare/hospitals. Second, China may start to seriously look to protect their environment and resources after years of exploitation. Third, and most importantly, I predict that China will likely try to upgrade their economy rather than expand it. Again, quality over quantity.

The War Drums are Silenced

2008-03-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Diplomatic relations between Columbia and Ecuador and Venezuela have renewed with hand shakes at a summit of Latin American leaders held Friday in the Dominican Republic. The agreement ended the massing of troops along the Columbia border and freed passage for Venezuelan fuel to be imported into Columbia. The heart of the conflict surrounded a Columbian raid and killing of a top Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, leader across Columbian border in Ecuador. Columbia accused Venezuela and Ecuador of being allied with FARC and Venezuela and Ecuador responded immediately, considering the attack a breach of sovereignty. The summit ended with an agreement to renew diplomatic ties within the Andean region.

A different sort of handshake was given to the Columbian government in the form of the severed hand of a FARC Central High Command leader, Ivan Rios. His security chief who acted to save his own life killed Rios, manager of FARC’s finances. Believing he would be killed as a deserted, he killed the leader and his girlfriend. "The death of Ivan Rios, at the hands of one of his own fellow guerrillas, definitely has to represent the interior implosion" of the rebels, said Gen. Mario Montoya, the Columbian army's top commander. The U.S. State Department had a bounty of $5 million for Rios' capture, although Montoya declared the Columbian government intention of paying their reward to the rebel.

Rios was believed to have been a go-between with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was instrumental in the release of six FARC hostages earlier this year. The four-decade dispute between FARC and Columbian government has escalated with the Columbian attacks across its border. That conflict is at an uneasy truce after the Dominican Republic summit. The future of the release of the hundreds of other FARC prisoners will be of particular attention now that two of the top seven FARC leaders have been killed.

Little Change From Chavez

2008-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Propaganda coming from the country of Venezuela and their socialist leader Hugo Chavez is not something new in the national media. Chavez’s resentment of the west and his big mouth have not earned him a place in the heart’s of the American government and George Bush, and especially not the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, who told Chavez to shut up. The government has prided itself on its social “missions” that have targeted social problems within the developing South American country.

Due to the history of the reign of Chavez, his close ties to Castro, and his anti-western policy, it is not hard to believe that his government would exaggerate the reach of the social missions it has put in place. At one time, Chavez’s government claimed that they had all but eliminated illiteracy with less than 1 percent of the population being illiterate, that number by their estimates now stands at a more modest 4 percent. However, vast discrepancies found by scholars in the United States as well as Venezuela have found that the achievements of these missions are vastly overstated. One study shows that up to 40 percent of one Indian tribe, the Warao, may be illiterate, and the government claims that since it began its missions, some 1.5 million Venezuelans have been taught, whereas estimates show that only 1.1 million Venezuelans were illiterate to begin with.

The most alarming aspect of this project is not that the government has embellished its data at best, but that the mission’s that are conducting these programs to end illiteracy are spending on average $1,000 a person, whereas similar programs in other Latin American countries has cost as little as $60. This wasteful spending and exaggerated results are an issue for Venezuela and its people. Illiteracy is a real problem in the developing world and covering the problem up will not solve it. Also, wasting hundreds of dollars more per person than comparable programs spend on programs targeting illiteracy is extremely wasteful, especially for a government that claims to be socialist and for the people. If only Chavez and his programs were held accountable then maybe progress could come to this country which has seen little change besides foreign investors being driven out, and state-run programs taking over industries.

How powerful is Steven Spielberg?

2008-03-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

During the three Save Darfur rallies I have been to in the past 2 years, I have listened to Barack Obama, Madeleine Albright and George Clooney call for support from China to step up in agreeing to send peacekeeping troops to Darfur. Thus I am personally very delighted to see this news summary: China has issued an unusually energetic call to its ally, Sudan, to do more to stop fighting in Darfur.
China's government sent an envoy, Mr Liu Guijin, to Darfur, Sudan, and he states that "he had been profoundly affected by the things he had seen in the province." He also had a chance to hear stories from Darfuris who were forced to flee home due to the "humanitarian disaster" and he said he was very moved by them. Now despite the strong linkage between Sudan and China, which is mostly based on economic interests, China's government for the first time in a long while calls for Khartoum to speed up in deploying peacekeeping troops.
Interestingly, these all happened right after Steven Spielberg backed out as the artistic adviser of the Beijing Olympics this August. On a personal level, this does not look like a coincidence. I believe Spielberg is not the only reason why China's attitude on Darfur changes recently. But I do believe Spielberg has pushed this action greatly. China has been preparing for the 2008 Olympics in every possible way since the success in bidding on July 13th, 2001. Olympics means so much to China in the sense that it would bring countless opportunities to the nation. Maybe Spielberg's backing out gave a strong warning to the Chinese government, thus the government needs to take urgent actions on Darfur.
I myself do not think Olympics should be associated with political intentions. However, if the government can be pressured to take actions immediately and make a positive impact on the devastating situation in Darfur, I am grateful for those who use their power to generate such long-wanted changes. Or thanks, Steven Spielberg.

Digital Underground in Cuba

2008-03-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

Students and young people alike have been spreading news, photos, and videos through a technology medium not allowed by the Cuban government. The state has long restricted the public access to the internet. While three years ago three Internet cafes stood in Old Havana, only one remains today, hidden in the Capitol building owned by the state. To use a computer for an hour costs approximately a third of the average Cuban's salary, $5.
According to the younger generation of Cubans, "there is a thriving black market giving thousands of people an underground connection to the world outside the Communist country." People can gain illegal connections to the Internet and spread information through such things as illegal satellite dishes and antennas, memory sticks, flash drives, and from foreign business connections and hotels. Young journalists have created blogs voicing their discontent about politics and daily life in Cuba. Many young Cubans doubt that ordinary citizens will ever have access to internet in their homes and thus have found other ways to stay informed about their own country and others through less-biased sources.
The article concludes with a mid-level government official predicting that the 10,000 students studying at the University of Information Sciences will "transform the country over time." One must be a bit skeptical as Raúl will undoubtedly employ similar methods of control over this nation as his brother has for over the past forty years. It would be very interesting to investigate what is actually taught at this school and how much influence the government has over it. Further, after the publishing of this article, will the Cuban government find ways to employ tighter controls and punitive measures over "misuses" of technology. To end on a hopeful note, perhaps the school and this younger generation will be able to truly affect change within their nation while a new figure is coming to power. The key phrase in the official's statement is "over time." This digital underground will require more time, participation, and resources to change the current situation in Cuba to educate not only the Cubans but the rest of the world of what is really going on down there.

Health Care in Bangladesh

2008-03-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

When understanding some of the main differences between the "developed" and "developing" world, health care inevitably figures in the list. The HDI takes as one of its main indicators of the development of a nation, life expectancy. It can be persuasively argued that the health care in a nation significantly impacts life expectancy.

The case of health care in Bangladesh as described in this article speaks to the differences between health care as we take for granted in the West, and how some people have to go about getting medical attention. For the approximately four million people who live on the banks and islands of the Brahmaputra river in Bangladesh, the only substantial medical facility is a floating hospital. In this part of the nation, it is not possible to build a permanent hospital given the fact that the river floods its banks every year. The rate at which patients are treated on this boat-hospital is alarming. In the West, we expect, and indeed believe that it is our right that those treating us take time on our case and provide us with good health care. However, in the setting described in this article, the journalist stated that while he was interviewing one of the surgeons, a new patient had already appeared on the bed in front of him. We are not talking about simply bandaging someone's cuts and scrapes; real surgical procedures are carried out in this boat, which the journalist grants feels more like a boat than a hospital. The doctors themselves complained that for them the biggest adjustment is the lack of privacy when they are practicing and having consultations.

It might seem to many that this is a situation out of a book of fiction. The reality, for many people, however, is that this is their best shot at getting the healthcare they so desperately need.

Dishonorable Undercoverage of "Honor Crimes"

2008-03-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, March 4, 2008, an Israeli court sentenced a man to 16 years in prison for "aiding in the so-called honor killing of his sister." The Human Rights Watch defines "honor crimes" as "acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family". This is an extraordinarily rare and significant incident because several female members of his family testified against him in court. Women are usually abused or murdered for bringing shame upon their family for refusing to marry a man that her family had chosen, attempting to get a divorce, or even defending herself against her abusive husband.
The young woman in question, Hamda Abu Ghanem, 18, was shot in her sleep in her home in January 2007. She was the ninth woman in her family to be killed because she violated her family's honor. Honor crimes and particularly killings are illegal, but are considered private family matters by the families who commit them. Therefore, very few are reported and the evidence of the killings or abuse do not extend outside the walls of the family. Occasionally, in avoidance of the law, families sometimes force women to "commit suicide," as in the case in Batman, Turkey in 2006.
The sentence is incredibly under covered in the world media. This sentencing demonstrates that women taking a stand against this injustice. The fact that these women are coming forward at the risk of their own life is incredibly courageous.
Honor killings take place all over the world including western societies. Socially, how is the United States developed? As Megan brought up previously this week how do social aspects integrate into a country's degree of development? Honor killings and honor crimes are interpreted as injustice around the world. If it is such an incredible injustice why is it not being publicized? Originally, the New York Times wrote an incredibly short article about it and I could not find it on BBC or CSM. I had to ended up finding it reported on LawInfo.com instead. The killings and crimes are incredibly awful occurrences, but why are we not acknowledging this unbelievably rare testament of courage? Are not we encouraging these abused women to remain behind closed doors by not recognizing the occurrence of this abuse?
Legally, there are many laws in place granting these "practices" illegal. However, some understand this abuse to be very similar to female circumcision in various countries in Africa. There are social and cultural stigmas that have to be differentiated from actual crimes. Therefore, circumstances of right and wrong are put to question. Are these crimes or legitimate social practices? How can we address these issues without overstepping other practices? Ignorance and assumptions intermingle and surface when situations like these become more recognized. Is this avoidable or inevitable? Should these circumstances remain less recognized? There exists such a great ambiguity surrounding the plethora of various cultures and backgrounds around the world and various practice that each entails. Is it possible to achieve greater, accurate clarity in our understanding of cultures unlike our own? Can we properly distinguish between acceptable practices and crimes?

Follow this link, if you want additional information about “Honor Crimes.”

A Russian Revolution?

2008-03-04T05:48:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, Dmitri Medvedev was elected as Russia's new President. Many outside observors claim that this election was not a true democratic election. There have been claims that that boxes were stuffed and oponents were intimidated. The reality of the situation is the Medvedev's win causes great concern. Medvedev has confirmed that he will appoint Vladamir Putin as Prime Minister. However, Medvedev is emphasizing that Putin will not have say over foriegn policy and will not be an overly influential associate. Many do fear that this situaion will bring about a new Soviet style polit bureau in conjunction with Vladamir Putin's ability to run the show from backstage. Both share connections back to their days in St. Petersburg city government and Putin has been a mentor to Medvedev for much of his poltical career.

Despite all the gloomy predictions, Russian poltical analysts feel that Medvedev may actaully be a step to the left. They cite past speeches and his personalty as being liberal and not as inflamatory. Another expert feels that the heated rhetoric out of Moscow will calm down due to the fact that Vladamir Putin is no longer in office during an election year. Thus, allowing for smoothing of US- Russian relations.

What is key here is the fact Russian is still not making significant progress in economic and political development. There is still massive corruption in the Russia's growing beurocracies and massive gaps between the rich and poor still exist. Does Medvedev have what it takes to back up his liberal tone and truly reform Russia. Will Putin pull the strings?

I feel that Russia truly is a developing nation, but...there is hope for change in Russia. The US and the world must be careful to walk a fine line between demanding more from the Russians in terms of a fair democractic process and ensuring freindly relations with the Russians. I only hope that the world fairly engages with Russia and stops its current tone of rejection of the Russian election. The argument is legitimate, I understand that, but negative statements should be toned down and practical engagement should be embraced. In the situation that Russia is in now, everything must be done in order to establish stable and progressive relations with Russia. Now is not the time for news worthy sound bites and strong man stances with Russia.

US Bombs "Failed State"

2008-03-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

The most powerful government in the world has bombed a Somali village. The pentagon calls it an attack against a 'known al-Qaeda terrorist.' Four people are dead.

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991. Civil war and conflict with Ethiopia have been huge impediments to progress.

Is this kind of attack intended remove an obstacle in the way of Somalia's development?

What should the role of developed countries be in the development process of developing countries?

South Africa: Shouldn't Racism Be a Thing of the Past?

2008-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

It seems that old emotions accompanying the destruction racism can produce are becoming pertinent again. Recently, four white college students at the University of the Free State in South Africa produced a video in which white students coerce black housekeepers to perform degrading acts, such as eating food infused with urine, drinking beer, and crawling on the ground. The students have said that they were aiming to create a commentary about "racial integration on college campuses," but instead the video has caused an uproar among those who remember the horrific consequences of apartheid.

The South African system of apartheid, or racial segregation, was established for roughly fifty years. Under this system, which lasted from 1948 to 1994, black South Africans had their citizenships revoked, and the government installed a period of resettlement that forced many black South Africans to relocate to designated group areas. Education and medical care were also segregated, and black South Africans' services were many times second-rate compared to those of white South Africans. Organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC) resisted apartheid, and as a result, many violent protests occurred that landed many in jail. One famous figure to note is Nelson Mandela, who once served as President of South Africa and was imprisoned for twenty-seven years due to his involvement in anti-apartheid activities. However, after the ANC won the country's first multi-racial elections in 1994, many hoped that the tragedies associated with racism would come to a close.

Now, after the production of what many are calling a racist video, the citizens of South Africa are forced to examine the social situation of their country, and to determine whether or not it has really improved since the ending of apartheid. Racial tensions between black and white South Africans still obviously exist. After all, the University of the Free State's campus has not even been officially integrated yet. After an unsuccessful and violent attempt to integrate campus housing in 1997 and considering the outrage associated with the recent video, government officials are finally taking a stand and strongly encouraging the university to integrate.

While South Africa is a relatively affluent country financially compared to other African states, can we really call it "developed" if there are still so many instances of racial intolerance that hinder citizens' ability to unite? Should a country be considered "developed" if it has a relatively acceptable GDP statistic, even if its citizens are trapped in a perpetual state of unrecognized segregation? What causes some countries, like the United States, for example, to become superpowers with great economic, governmental, and military strength even though they still have examples of blatant racism embedded in their present societies?

Though I certainly respect a country's desire to prosper economically, I do find it troubling that some nations are willing to put their economic interests first and brush troubling social issues, such as the persistence of racism, to the side. In the event that another questionably racist incident should occur in South Africa, it would behoove the government to continue to become directly involved and push for tolerance, as it has done concerning the recent video incident.

Image from:

http://www.thewe.cc/thewei/images2/south_africa_april_26_2004/south_africa_april_26_

2004_1.jpe

Chavez Postures for War with Columbia

2008-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

A Venezuelan soldier patrols a checkpoint near the border with Colombia on Friday. Colombia's leftist rebels have increasingly obtained refuge in Venezuela as President Hugo Chavez, who now calls their cause legitimate, further distances himself from the U.S.-backed Bogota government.

Using typical anti-American rhetoric, Venezuelan President Chavez moved 10 battalions of approximately 600 troops each to the Venezuela border with Colombia in response to what he considered the terrorist action of Columbia of killing of Raul Reyes, a FARC leader and spokesperson, among others in a raid in Ecuador seen to be a violation of Ecuador’s sovereignty. Chavez threatened a military response if Colombia violates its border and he ordered Venezuela's embassy in Bogota closed.

According to Associated Press reports, Chavez was quoted from his weekly radio program: “Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately — tank battalions. Deploy the air force, . . . We don’t want war, but we aren’t going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master (of Colombia) ... to come divide us.”

“This could be the start of a war in South America,” Chavez said. He warned Uribe: “If it occurs to you to do this in Venezuela, President Uribe, I’ll send some Sukhois” — Russian warplanes recently bought by Venezuela.

Initially willing to apologize for the attack on the camp outside its borders, Ecuador and Venezuelan leaders President Hugo Chavez, and Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa view the actions of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as a violation of Ecuadorian sovereignty.

Columbia has challenged Venezuela and Ecuador as becoming increasingly sympathetic to leftist group, FARC, which has been fighting Colombia's government for more than forty years. FARC funds itself largely through the cocaine trade and kidnaps for ransom and political ends. FARC is said to strike in Columbia and then escape into Venezuela and Ecuador rest, train, obtain medical care and smuggle drugs. Both Columbian border countries deny providing refuge to the FARC. However, Chavez has recently negotiated the release of FARC captives and sought to have the FARC removed from international terrorist lists. The United States has yet to issue comment but has indicated through U.S Embassy spokeswoman Suzanne Hall, in Bogota, declined comment on the possibility of U.S. involvement, saying it was a Colombian government operation. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe commented that this is a puzzling reaction to “an organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage."

Colombia and Venezuela have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since Uribe sought in November to halt Chavez’s efforts to mediate a prisoner swap. The FARC has since freed six hostages to delegates of Chavez, including four released last week.

This massing of Venezuelan troops is not believed to be a genuine step toward war between Venezuela and Columbia, but is rather intended to unite popular support for Chavez and his leadership during a time of economic weakness. With continuing rise in inflation, the beating of war drums could provide the sort of identification that would help him toward his goal of extended government leadership and control. The strong threats that action against rebels could bring war indicates the alignment of FARC with Ecuador and Venezuela which alignment is threatening to Colombia.

New Path for Cuba...?

2008-03-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

Since the resignation of Fidel Castro, his successor and brother, Raul Castro has drawn surprise from the international community. Just days after taking office, Raul and his communist government signed two major human rights treaties: the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. While some see this as a step in the right direction for Cuba, others are less optimistic. The signing of these new accords may bring about a change in the repressive government which restricts many aspects of its citizens' lives, but it could also be a farce meant to mollify other nations who have terminated diplomatic relations.
Perhaps one off the most interesting points in this article is the quote from Cuba's foreign minister, Felipe Perez Roque. After the signing of the agreements he stated, “This signing formalizes and reaffirms the rights protected by each agreement, which my country has systematically been upholding since the triumph of the revolution." Funny...but something seems wrong to me. Some of the rights upheld in these treaties include: "right to self-determination, peaceful assembly, freedom of religion, privacy, freedom to leave a country, and equal protection before the law," but the last time I checked, many of Cuba's citizens were denied many of these rights. Cubans' travel is restricted and there are many political dissenters in prison. This contradiction is rather alarming. I don't like to call people liars, so perhaps this statement has some truth. Nevertheless, I can't find it...

What Does Development in India Mean for the Environment?

2008-03-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

India's recent push for development has caused a need for more energy in the developing country. New buildings, roads and it's growing economy have all made it inevitable for a large increase in India's emissions of greenhouse gases. With 1.136 billion people living in the country, India is surprisingly on the lower end of carbon emissions. Per capita, America produces 16 times the emissions of the average Indian. This is due to the fact that as soon as you step out of the cities almost half of India's population has no power whatsoever. "Nearly 700,000 Indian's rely on animal waste and firewood as fuel for cooking."

This growing need for energy has caused a stir in the environmentally conscious, internationally. India, like many other developing nations, has neglected to initiate new energy bills due to the very fact that they are not emitting as much carbon per capita, and that they are still in the developmental stages. Energy efficiency and emission reduction are very costly for developed and developing countries and in many causes the developing countries just do not have the means to compile with the new standards. With the growing emissions from the country, environmentalist are worried about what India's new energy, with constant emission standards, will do globally. India's response has continual been that they are much better than America, China and Russia. However, The International Energy Agency has stated that, "India's energy demand would more than double by 2030," which in turn will create much more carbon emission.

However, is this new energy necessarily a bad thing for a developing country and are developed countries complaints just hypocritical? Electricity is just another factor that segregates the community. A want for electricity is herd in every small town and village in India. In the village of Chakai Haat, the only source of power comes from three diesel generators a few hours every night. This is not an unusual case as many Indian villages are completely in the dark. Is it fair for other nations, who are emitting much more carbon, to argue over India's want for more energy. The situation in India is interesting because the want for development has taken precedent over a cleaner environment, and shouldn't it? The deciding factor is where the new energy is actually going. If the energy is being used up in the booming cities than maybe it is unneeded. If the energy is going to be entering into the smaller villages I think it is a positive action.

Celebration in Kenya

2008-02-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

The two parties in Kenya finally signed an agreement on Thursday, calling for a new, coalition government. The new coalition will be headed by President Kibaki, while Raila Odinga will most likely be assigned to the newly created role of prime minister. Kofi Annan, who resided over the agreement, said: "Compromise was necessary for the survival of this country," a statement that few could argue with. The article indicates that each party will elect a deputy prime minister, and that they will begin "wrangling" over who gets what position-wise, especially with the post of finance minister.

Afterwards, President Kibaki said, "This process has reminded us that as a nation there are more issues that unite than that divide us..." Odinga stated, "With the signing of this agreement, we have opened a new chapter in our country's history - from the era or phase of confrontation to the beginning of co-operation."

This news has been seen as a beacon of hope not only for Kenyans, but for the entire international community, with many leaders from around the world commenting on the magnitude of this agreement. This shows how unification and compromise can be reached, as long as parties work together and keep their efforts aligned in hopes of peace and stability. I sincerely hope that the struggling countries all over the world see this agreement as motivation and as a benchmark. Will the magnitude of this deal spread or will it be disregarded, as many positive steps towards development often do?

One More Time

2008-02-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yet again Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe is expected to stay in office after launching a sixth campaign for office. The 84-year-old launched this campaign in his typical style by verbally attacking his opponent and blaming George Bush and Gordon Brown for the horrible economic problems that plague his African Country.
The economic situation in Zimbabwe is grim to say the least; the country has an 80% unemployment rate and their annual inflation rate is said to be 100,000%. This has led some 3 million Zimbabweans to go abroad, and the AIDS rate has caused the country’s life expectancy to drop below 41 years, tying Zimbabwe with Swaziland as the lowest in the world.
With such serious issues plaguing Zimbabwe it is questionable how Mugabe will win a sixth term. His challenger is a younger, well-educated former finance minister under Mugabe, Mr Makoni, who was ousted from Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party and is now the candidate for the opposition Movement For Economic Change.
How this election will go will be interesting to see. After 5 terms of human rights abuses, economic decline, and especially a continuously falling standard of living, it would seem unlikely that Mugabe could be re-elected. However, in order to beat the Zimbabwean behemoth Mugabe, Makoni will have to appeal to the masses and get them to believe that he can actually right the sunk ship that is Zimbabwe, which is easier said than done considering the difficulty of getting his message out there thanks to the lack of a daily newspaper, as well as the general lack of free media. Makoni would also have to secure the support of other popular political figures who would more likely than not be afraid of going against Mugabe, and if all of this were to happen before the elections next month, and the Movement For Economic Change could get enough voters to the polling stations, it is still possible that like he has before, the elections will just be rigged, and the desperate change the Zimbabwe needs will not come again for at least another term.

A House Divided

2008-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

On this blog we've discussed countries with ethnic splits in them before, and how it relates to a nation's development. After a semester of studying the European Union, I'm fascinated by Cyprus, a country that certainly has that problem, and am shocked no one has posted on it until now.

In 1974, the Turkish Cypriot minority seceded from the rest of Cyprus, in an effort to gain minority rights. That didn't work out so well, as it turns out, the only other country in the entire world that would recognize the Republic of North Cyprus was Turkey. Cyprus was split, and due to the constant animosity between the Greeks and Turks, not just in Cyprus, there was no way it was going to be united after it divided. Walls went up in Cyprus, and when they started coming down all over Europe after the fall of the USSR, they stayed up in Cyprus, which now has the pleasure of calling it's capital city Nicosia the last divided city in Europe. Eventually, someone got the bright idea to admit Cyprus into the EU, with hopes that the EU could heal the rift that has divided a developed nation for over 30 years.

No dice. Cyprus is still split, and the Greek and Turkish Cypriots still can't seem to come together in the name of peace. If a UN listed 'developed' country like Cyprus can't get their act together and come together in the name of peace and the common good, how can we expect less developed nations with ethnic strife to come together? They can afford food in Cyprus, but they can't come to peace, what are countries where you can't even afford a loaf of bread to do?

No Timetable? Where have I heard that before...

2008-02-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Alright, funny titles aside, this is worth checking out. The Turkish government has lead an incursion into the north of Iraq to assault Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bases. The PKK has long lead a campaign of terrorism (or freedom fighting, depending on your perspective) against the Turkish government in an effort to gain their own home state, Kurdistan, in the southeast territories of Turkey, and the northern sections of Iraq. They've been active for a long time, but have rarely made the news in recent years, but since Iraq was destabilized, they've been growing in power and support, with the Turkish government eventually getting fed up. They invaded the northern sections of Iraq last week, where the PKK has been holding strong since the defeat of Saddam, in an effort to end the attacks against Turkey. It's worth mentioning that Turkey doesn't have the best track record when it comes to minority treatment, and allegations of the mistreatment of the Kurdish population still occur to a small degree.

Personally, I think that the assault of Kurdish bases in Iraq is going to quickly become a tremendous destabilizing force in Iraq, considering the Kurdish regions have tended to be the only semi-stable areas in the country, and could lead to a greater destabilization of the entire region. Factor Kosovo's recent well supported separation from Serbia, and we might see even more effort coming out of 'Kurdistan' in an effort to finally gain their own country. Any thoughts?

Kenya's Peace Talks Suspended

2008-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Kenya was once considered to be a beacon of stability in Africa. The tumultuous elections has left the country in a state of disarray that has forced 600,000 people from their homes and killed more than 1,000 people in violent protests. The former United Nations leader, Kofi Annan, has been mediating talks between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to reach a peaceful settlement. Mr. Annan has been in Kenya for more than a month trying to resolve the crisis- the longest period he has spent on any conflict resolution. He has met separately with both parties, and has rebutted both sides' arguments to try to reinvigorate the talks and push both parties into moving forward with peace settlements. Yet, after Mr. Annan's determined efforts the "talks to end Kenya's deadly postelection crisis were suspended yesterday after dragging on for weeks with no tangible progress". The suspension of talks came due to heightened international pressure and the opposition's threats to resume protests this week that had previously turned violent resulting in many deaths. A BBC news article wrote, "Mr. Annan is reported to have said that he feels like a prisoner of peace - unable to achieve an agreement but unable to leave Kenya." How long will it take for a resolution to be agreed upon? And, in the mean time, what other detrimental consequences will occur with unresolved political instability besides for an increasing death-toll? Thomas Edison said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up". Can somebody please tell Kenya!

Poor Education in India

2008-02-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

India's public education system is among the worst in the mid-level developing nations. Overcrowded, unsanitary, unorganized and even corrupt school houses are leaving children with little or no education. India's population is so, that forty percent of the people are under 18, making the schools more crowed than they have ever been. However, the government has not done enough to help this dire situation developing in the public schools, creating larger consequences for the country .
India's public schools are generally only attended by the poorest people in the country, while the upper class students attend private school, English schools or even go abroad. Among the poorest 20 percent of Indian men, half are illiterate, and barely 2 percent graduate from high school, according to government data. By contrast, among the richest 20 percent of Indian men, nearly half are high school graduates and only 2 percent are illiterate. This inequality causes the poor to stay poor, illiterate and starving while the upper class are able to get an education and thus jobs. The situation in public schools is disturbing. In a two room school house in Lahtora, kids range from all ages of elementary and middle school levels. Students sit on rice sacks which they are not able to eat, drinking water is not available and the toilets are clogged and broken. While the children get to school on time, the teachers do not. Out of the three teachers at this school house, only one teacher showed up on time, another came 90 min late, and the third not at all. Time is wasted taking attendance and figuring out what level each student should be in, leaving no time for actual learning. Reading and arithmetic levels are way below what they should be, "among children in fifth grade, 4 out of 10 could not read text at the second grade level, and 7 out of 10 could not subtract."
The situation in India has caused government to start the talk towards change. Government spending on schools has increased in the last four years and they are proposing even more in the years to come. A push for education has been created by the lack of skilled labor in the country and the new improvements elsewhere. However, only some of this money laid out for the schools is actually being seen in the schools. What can India do in this situation? It is terrible that the country is allowing such a large part of the population to become illiterate when they are attending, literally sitting in school. India is supplying large amounts of money for new restorations, roads, highways, universities, but not supplying the means for the lower class to raise from poverty. India's large poverty stricken class is one of the reasons that they are not at high development. Wouldn't higher development be a large insensitive for providing for the schools, which in turn would help their economy and work force?

Green Olympics: Stronger, Better, Faster, Cleaner?

2008-02-26T17:23:00.001-08:00

Birds are an uncommon sight in Beijing, but around almost every corner you will find cranes of the metal kind framed by cages of scaffolding. Beijing has pledged to provide an ecologically friendly environment for the 2008 Olympics, yet pollution levels remain below standards deemed safe by the World Health Organization. While Beijing has shut down and relocated numerous factories, the recent boom in city construction has negated otherwise commendable reductions in pollution emissions. Additionally, with the city automobile population increasing by approximately 1,200 new vehicles daily, gas emissions further reduce efforts in Beijing's 'greenification' process such as the minimization of coal-burning furnaces. Obvious concerns arise for the 2008 athletes who risk pollution induced respiratory problems and and unbroken records. On another level, Beijing's efforts to reduce pollution have highlighted important developmental factors.

First, efforts to minimize auto pollution have been hindered by Beijing's underdeveloped public transportation system. Second, because Beijing is surrounded by mountains with low outgoing wind forces, pollution generated from within the city is likely to remain along with in blown pollution from neighboring regions. Third, Beijing's pollution is directly impacts the health of citizens. For instance, on days with high particulate matter (PM) pollution scores, visits to emergency hospital rooms for respiratory issues increase. Additionally, cases of non-smoking lung cancer have increased significantly as a result of pollution levels.

Essentially, Beijing's road towards the 2008 green Olympics raises the question if China can reconcile its rapid industrial-based economic growth with environmental protection. As Beijing's pollution issues directly link to health problems, foreign relations, and the long-term economy, the environment proves to be a necessary factor to consider in assessing a countries development. For now, chances of finding 'silver lining' behind any of Beijing's cloud remains uncertain with Beijing's levels of pollution equalling those of New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta combined. Nonetheless, on Chinese standards, Beijing's increasing environmental awareness is commendable.

Nigeria rules in favor of corruption

2008-02-26T16:21:00.001-08:00

According to today’s ruling delivered by the Nigerian election tribunal, the current president of Nigeria, Umaru Yar’Adua is in fact the rightful winner of last year’s election. Ballot stuffing in addition to thugs who allegedly intimidated voters and stole ballot boxes, caused the validity of President Yar’Adua’s election to come under scrutiny.

The President’s opponents in the election, Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, attempted to prove to the election tribunal that the “ballot stuffing” occurred frequently enough that it changed the outcome of the election. The election tribunal ruled that the evidence presented by the plaintiff was very speculative and it was not conclusive enough to unseat President Umaru Yar’Adua.

This is not a good sign for the future of Nigerian democracy. In 2007, former president Olusegun Obasanjo stepped down and gave up his seat since the Nigerian constitution stipulated that he was not eligible to run for another term. This diplomatic transfer of power in 2007 was the first time that a non-violent change in Nigerian leaders had occurred since 1960. At the time, it seemed as though Nigeria was on a path towards democracy. Not anymore.

[Picture courtesy of CNN]

Those Arent My Nukes

2008-02-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

In the wake of more sanctions placed upon them by the U.N., Iran calls documents fake with relation to their build up of nuclear weapons. This article states that Iran was presented documents Monday by the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency, which states that their nuclear program has continued past 2003. The U.N. emphasized 2003 because that was when the last report on the Iranian nuclear program put out by the U.S.
Although these reports come on what seem to be a pivetal time for Iran, since earlier reports say that Great Britain and France have already started drafts of new sanctions which are to be placed upon Iran. But Iran's chief delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEAE), has no worries calling the documents "forgeries".
Who knows who is telling the truth, and frankly who cares. The fact of the matter is, Europe and the U.S. are tired of Mahmūd Ahmadinejād. I don't know if Iran has nukes or not, probably so. But the real question is, could this be a way for the "West" to win again and oust another outspoken Islamic president (hint hint wink wink)? Or Does the U.N. really want to put an end to Iran's nuclear program which has been going on for quite some time now...

Without Music, Life is a Mistake

2008-02-25T09:05:00.001-08:00

Thought this would provide an interesting counterpoint to the article posted prior to this. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is playing in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and some of the songs they plan on playing include the Star Spangled Banner, and Arirang, a classic, well loved, Korean folk song. The North Korean authorities have even taken down anti-American posters that typically cover the walls of Pyongyang, in an effort to welcome the Orchestra. These may seem like trivial, small motions, but this show of soft power is a tremendous motion. In addition, it's worth it to remember how a small trivial display of music helped to take down the USSR. In 1987, a huge traditional folk music festival was held in Estonia, and it kicked off what became known as the 'Singing Revolution', that ultimately lead to the independance of the three Baltic states. With any luck, this small display of soft power in North Korea could set the ball rolling on another musical revolution.

No YouTube in Pakistan?!

2008-02-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Pakistani government recently ordered a ban of the popular website YouTube because it considered parts of the site's content disrespectful and offensive to Islam. In an attempt to block the site, an internet service provider in Pakistan mistakenly "hijacked" the site, causing a temporary global blackout of the site on Sunday.
Because of the anonymity and freedom associated with the internet, many see it as both a blessing and a curse, yet in an increasingly technological world, how important is internet access to a country's development? Does the internet produce a more empowered, connected and educated citizenry? A more apathetic citizenry?
How does the internet effect the global market? Many have argued that the internet has contributed extensively to globalization by giving individuals access to more information and opportunities to personally engage in international trade and communication. Is this form of communication discriminatory, favoring primarily rich countries? As of 2005 in Pakistan, only 67 per 1,000 people were internet users, compared to 630 internet users per 1,000 people in the United States. Is the internet another technology developing countries will have to accept and adopt in order to remain competitive with the developed world? Can the internet be a tool for further development?
Does the internet itself need to be regulated? What is the role of governments in internet disputes and regulation? Does the Pakistani government have the right to block websites, such as YouTube? Should it? (Turkey and Thailand have also blocked access to YouTube recently.) Is this censorship evidence of a lack of personal freedom in Pakistan?

Picture: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7262071.stm

Raul Castro Takes Control

2008-02-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Raul Castro (Image from Reuters)

Following the departure of Fidel Castro as head of state in Cuba, the Cuban legislature appointed Fidel Castro's brother Raul as the new head of state in Cuba. Despite this transfer of power, very little is expected to change in the near future as Raul plans to consult his older brother on all major issues of state for as long as he is able. Also created in this transfer of power was a 31-member ruling body known as the Council of State. This body will be comprised of many old guard revolutionary figures such as Jose Ramon Machado who fought alongside the Castro brothers in the Sierra Maestra during the late 1950s. Unsuprisingly, the US has been unimpressed with the transition of power calling it a transition from "dictator to dictator lite". Longtime Castro ally Hugo Chavez of Venezuela was more optimistic about the situation, maintaining that despite the change in leadership, Cuba's policies will continue on in the path that Fidel has set. These two polar opposite viewpoints highlight the great contrast in opinion of Cuba by its neighbors. Whether or not one personally agrees with Fidel's leadership, one cannot deny that Fidel had a great impact on international relations in Central and South America. It seems doubtful that the United States would have had much interest in Latin American development had Fidel Castro not shown even a tiny Carribean island nation could have grave national security implications is the leadership proved hostile towards the United States. Castro has also been a source of inspiration for his defiance towards the United States. Perhaps one of the main reasons why leaders like Hugo Chavez feel comfortable defying the United States is because of the example set by Cuba. At this point in time, however, it seems like the US's disapproval of Cuba is mainly a historical one and not one truely rooted in the political realities of today. Now that such an iconic leader such as Fidel Castro has finally stepped down, it seems very likely that the US will resume relations with the Cuban government. After all, it's greatest trading partner is China - and that's a Communist nation, too, right?

Outbreak of the Inevitable in Kosovo

2008-02-21T11:28:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, Serbian protestors against Kosovo's independence set fire to the U.S. embassy in Belgrade, and attacked a NATO-led peacekeeping and policing force at the Merdare border crossing. The violence was part of a larger protest involving around 150,000 people. These clashes represent the outcome many feared when Kosovo declared its independence on Sunday. The United States was one of the first to recognize the declaration, and government officials warn that Americans should avoid protests as they can easily escalate towards violence.

Serbian officials are determined to avoid isolation and continue to oppose Kosovo's independence. Protestors continued shouting, "Kosovo is ours! Kosovo is Serbia!" during the rallies. NATO and European Union officials have stressed that an increase in security forces was unnecessary. That was before today's attacks.

How does a newborn country overcome such early tensions and violence? I personally foresee more violence stemming from Thursday's events. I believe it is paramount that the Kosovo president, Fatmir Sejdiu, continue to lend support and protection for Serbs within the country. He responded to the attacks when saying, "What is important for us is that we invite all of Kosovo's citizens, especially Serbs, to return to and share lives as soon as possible, especially the part of the population that has second thoughts about it. Kosovo is one, internationally supported and with a vision for the future."

Are these attacks going to constrain hopes of development? What is the long-term solution?

President Bush's New Efforts to Combat Malaria in Tanzania

2008-02-20T14:07:00.001-08:00

President Bush's commitment to fight malaria could have a lasting impact on the future of Africa. Experts claim that, "the prospect of beating back malaria raises the possibility of rapid, permanent gains for Africa's society and economy. The gains come not just from improved productivity because the disease is less widespread, but from more fundamental changes." Jeffrey Sachs, an expert in sustainable development and head of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, states that "There's huge evidence that if you get malaria under control, you [can]...save more than one million lives a year". He believes that new investments in combating malaria are bringing the world close to being able to virtually end malaria deaths by 2012. The United States is estimated to spend about $300 million on malaria this year. Bush, however, announced new efforts this week which include distributing 5.2 million insecticide-laced bed nets for free in Tanzania, which apparently is "enough so that every child in the country between 1 and 5 years old can be protected". The efforts in reducing malaria in Africa has already helped economically and is projected to additionally have a positive long term economic impact which would stem from predicted social changes. "As children--who are particularly vulnerable--stop dying of the disease, Africans likely will be induced to having smaller families. That in turn will allow more investment by families in children's education and nutrition, among other things, and eventually a stronger work force." The importance of bed-nets in preventing malaria and the recent bed-net phenomenon has led to the emergence of new factories in Africa that produce bed-nets. The manifestation of new factories has created new manufacturing jobs that in turn are currently helping to boost the local economies in Tanzania. If the commitment to fighting malaria does not waver from foreign nations- I am optimistic that Tanzania will continue to increase its economic growth and that living standards will improve as well.

Aftershocks

2008-02-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

In a discussion about the declaration of independance coming from Kosovo on Sunday, there were concerns in every article I had read, or conversation I had about the message that the secession sent to the world. Now the effects of Kosovo (and her allies)'s actions have become clear, and may further destabilize an already unstable area.

A top Palestinian official stated earlier today that, "Kosovo is not better than us. We deserve independence even before Kosovo, and we ask for the backing of the United States and the European Union for our independence". (It's worth remembering that the US administration wholeheartedly supports Israel, and the EU tends to support the Palestinians). It took 3 days for Palestine to make a move following Kosovo's secession from Albania. One can view the situations as being vaguely similar. The Palestinians feel that they are oppressed by the Israelis, and feel they deserve their own nation after what they view as years of oppression under the Israeli fist. This situation in the Middle East is a very complex one, that I haven't been able to fully explain in 15 page papers, and this small blog entry won't be nearly enough to really examine the situation. Despite an unfortunate lack of background here, there are still many important questions that need to be asked. Is the Palestinian claim valid? Do they have more of a right to 'secede' from Israel than Kosovo did from Serbia?

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a difficult one, one that tends to raise tempers, which is not my intention on this post. This being said, I think that the Palestinians do have a claim to their own territories, but in no way whatsoever is this the appropriate channel for them to mark that claim. The best (and possibly only) bet is through diplomacy and the current round of peace talks. Rash action is what got us all into this mess in the first place, and declaring Palestine a nation off the cuff won't help anyone, not the Israelis, not the Palestinians, and certainly not the trans-Atlantic relationship.

The United States and its Moral Imperative

2008-02-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

On Monday of this week, President Bush visited Tanzania as part of his six-day trek through a total of five African countries. The larger goal of Bush’s African tour is to incorporate a sense of humanitarianism into his legacy by improving the health of the people on the continent. One particular part of this effort is the president’s initiative to confront the devastating effect of malaria upon the region.

In 2005, President Bush launched a plan to dramatically reduce malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, people in countries like Tanzania are truly grateful for the assistance the U.S. is providing to combat this disease that is particularly deadly in this region of the world. Eighty percent of all malaria cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa. On average, at least one million infants and children under age five die every year as a result of it. In Tanzania alone, the disease kills 100,000 people every year. With admiration, one can clearly look favorably on the U.S. program to fight malaria. Over five years, the Bush administration is putting $1.2 billion into a program that will carry out such tasks as distributing 5.2 million free bed nets to Tanzanians in a six-month period. With resounding moral authority, Bush stated, “the suffering caused by malaria is needless and…unacceptable…people in the U.S. who believe every human life has value, and that the power to save lives comes with the moral obligation to use it.” Yet, when comparing this humanitarian effort to statements made about Darfur one should question America’s moral imperative.

President Bush preaches about how morally high-minded citizens of the United States are, but his actions and those of the rest of the country lack a certain conviction. It seems more that America’s sense of morality is solely controlled by its ability to throw money at a situation. While in Rwanda, Bush commented on the genocide currently taking place in Darfur. The president announced that the “evil [in Darfur] must be confronted,” yet he is only willing to pledge an additional $100 million towards peacekeeping efforts and he refrains from contributing U.S. troops. In my opinion, it appears that President Bush’s actions fail to live up to his rhetoric. It was earlier noted that Bush urged “the power to save lives comes with the moral obligation to use it.” Still, does this not logically mean then that U.S. has the obligation to use its military capabilities to end the violence in Darfur? For 2007, the president’s budget plan allocated $439.3 billion to the Department of Defense. Clearly, the U.S. military is the strongest in the world. Nevertheless, challenging the U.S. notion that every life has value, does this sense of worth exclude the American citizen from risking his/her own life for others? Is this acceptable for George Bush to draw a line that says we are sympathetic to your situation, but the best we can do is give you money so others can solve this problem because we don’t want our families to suffer by losing loved ones? As a liberal empire, should more of a commitment be expected from the United States? Is it correct for some to think that the United States is required to sustain casualties in this greater war for human rights?

Sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23218791

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7254077.stm

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/defense.html

picture from http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4300421

Decolonization?

2008-02-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

Evo Morales is making drastic changes in the political, economic, and social structures of Bolivia that are of interest to the U.S. The nationalization of Bolivian's energy industry has antagonized many foreign investors to the point of dettering them from investment in Bolivia's energy industry. This may seem negative for the development of Bolivia, but to Morales it is similar to the first step in Rostows non-communist manifesto. Morales calls his changes "...starting a process of decolonization" perhaps this means moving away from traditional society, then again the communist manifesto and the non-communist manifesto also have similar first steps.

Another area of change would be in the social aspects of Bolivia. Morales is standing up for the indegenous population and fighting for the ability to export traditional coca products. His efforts in this sector seem to be in favor of the traditionalist society. While he is making some efforts to eradicate "its [Bolivia's] illegal coca plantations" he places the burden of fighting drugs on the shoulders of the international community. Ironic because the past presidents of Bolivia have recieved aid from the US on the basis that farming of the coca plant be limited or eliminated. He feels that, "Governments must face up to the problem of secret banking" this seems as if he is shirking the blame as his country is the third highest producer of cocaine in the world behind Columbia and Peru.

His friendship with Cuba and Venezuela is also troubling for the U.S. because of the radical leftist nature of their governments. Cuba has installed eleven optometry centers in bolivia and operated on 120,000 people at absolutly no cost to Bolivia according to Morales. This is a particularly important set of international friendships because of the lack of checks for these executive officials. He has very negative view of the US and when asked, "North American imperialism with Venezuelan imperialism, Mr Morales retorts: Venezuela helps without imposing conditions. Our relationship is based on mutual respect between governments, countries and communities."

The relationships of these three countries could lead to an alliance of some danger to the US.

Kosovo Questions

2008-02-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

Alright. I find it interesting that in all of the discussion of the Kosovo separation from Serbia that no one has really concentrated on the International Community's response to the declaration. A number of big name countries have refused to recognize Kosovo's independence, despite the US taking the lead on the issue. This countries include, but are not limited to, Spain, Canada, China, Russia, among others. Now why, one might ask, would Canada be opposed to such a positive development in a NATO held country?

Quebec.

The separation of Kosovo, and the international communities recognition of it is sending a message not just to developing nations like Cameroon, but also to developed countries with large separatist/regional movements, like the ETA in Spain, or the Taiwanese in China. This recognition of Kosovo's separation has set a precedent, that separation due to ethnic conflict/differences is a legitimate reason to call for independance. What does that say to the Flemish in Belgium, who have been trying to split Belgium for decades now, let alone to the developing world?

Uganda Moves One Step Closer to Peace

2008-02-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Ugandan rebels have agreed to let the courts of Uganda deal with allegations of war crimes, a big step to closing in on a final peace agreement between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army. A special division of the Ugandan High Court will be set up to deal with serious rebel crimes, according to Captain Magezi. The LRA has been fighting the government for more than two decades, killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting millions from their homes. The LRA leader Josephy Kony, wanted along with three other LRA leaders by the International Crime Court, has been hiding out in the Northeast Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the Congolese government has ordered Kony's troops to disband immediately. The government of Uganda has given the LRA until the 28th to end the war. With so much despair and hardship in developing countries, it is nice to see progress such as this. Hopefully the agreement will be signed soon, and these tyrants will be brought to justice.

Castro Steps Down

2008-02-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

This morning Cuba's longtime president Fidel Castro announced his resignation. Although the president has been in poor health for over a year, the announcement still comes as a surprise. There is a plethora of speculations toward where Cuba may go from here, economically and politically. However, mostly there is a greater presence of uncertainty about this situation. In the article, Dennis Hays, former official of the Cuban-American National Foundation, highlights that although Castro is resigning does not mean that Castro's influence will cease. "It's not clear what [Castro's] continuing hovering presence means for the country," says Dennis Hays. This puts Cuba in a very interesting position. Castro has been president since 1959. There has been at least one generation of Cuban citizens who know nothing more than Castro's rule. Where will Cuba go from here? Will relations between Cuba and the United States improve overnight? I doubt it. Castro has been the president of Cuba for fifty years, policy changes will not suddenly steer in our favor. Will Cuba go under drastic governmental reform now once a new president is elected or will it continue to be "under Castro" until Castro's death? Will there ever be governmental reform even after Castro's death or will new leaders continue down that path that he established as president?

Also, President Bush's initial reaction is that Castro's resignation is an optimistic step toward democracy. Bush's statement brings to light one of the main topics that have been discussed in class: The spread of democracy. We know through recent evaluation of the modernization theory that democracy has been almost forced fed to countries throughout the world over the past century. The United States is almost addicted to democracy in the sense that we view that there is no other option. Is it incredibly unrealistic for the United States to continue to imply that a step in the "right" direction is a step toward a democratically governed nation?