Worldlink

Nearly 20% on Forbes Ranking Of Top 100 VCs Do Deals in China (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:14:00 +0200

VC pro Hans Tung of Qiming with tech star David Li of YY

The impact of tech innovation in China can be seen in the just-released Forbes Midas listing of top venture investors.
Of the 100 top tech investors on the list, 17 VCs are actively investing in the Chinese market or have made at least one deal in the Mainland. If you add in those who have overseen their firm’s strategy in China, the group expands to 19, including such notables as Jim Breyer of Accel and John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins.
Next to the U.S., China soars on a breakdown of geographic markets on the Forbes list. China also out-distances that other notable Asian venture market, India, by a long shot. India counts three dealmakers within the ranking. Remarkably, some 20% of the top 100 VCs have invested in these two emerging markets, a major development in recent years for these Startup Asia markets.
Read full post here.
Hans Tung, pictured above, is one of the VC pros who is speaking at our Silicon Dragon Beijing 2013 forum, May 29.

Heavy Metals as a concern for Vegetable Tires (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:23:00 +0200

I have been asked on several occasions if there is a concern about heavy metals leaching out of tires and affecting the vegetables. In short, the risk appears to be minimal.

Here is a somewhat longer answer. Your comments and especially any information you might have would be greatly appreciated.

If the question was about heavy metals leaching, I worked at finding information on that. The studies that have been done have been on shredded tires used as a base for play areas for children. I asked in ECHO, which has been promoting the use of tires and other basins for many years now. The consensus seemed to be that there have been no studies done on using tires for vegetable production, but that the risk is minimal (versus the advantages outweighing the negatives) because the tires are used whole, not shredded. That limits the surface area that is exposed to water/humic acids and also changes the physics of how water and humic acids interact with the surface area it does encounter. Also, at least part of any metals that might leach out would wash out with the daily watering, affecting the soil under the tires, but not the vegetables in the tires. Finally, we are worried specifically about heavy metals and heavy metals are not absorbed by most plants at all easily. The concern would be greater for vegetables that can (beets strike me as one that can absorb some heavy metals?) and particularly if those vegetables are grown consistently in the same tires. The odds would then increase that at least some of those crops are are contaminated.

Again, anyone reading this blog, please let us know if you have any information about studies that have been done. Martin Price at ECHO noted that one of the problems is that chemical studies like this are expensive and the people who use tires to grow vegetables are often poor, which makes it hard to find the funds to do the expensive studies.

Niger: a country of religious contrast (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:34:00 +0200

By Taylor Pool

While the Islamic call to prayer sounds from each Niger mosque, hundreds of Christians gather together to worship God at one of the country’s many churches.

A mosque in Niamey, the capital of Niger

Although Niger is considered an Islamic nation by the CIA World Factbook, which states that the country is 80 percent Muslim, other religions, including indigenous ones, are practiced in the country. Christianity is even spreading among the people of Niger. That growth comes as a result of the expatriate Christian presence in the country combined with the expansion of the flourishing local Church.

Unlike several north African countries, Niger is considered religiously free, meaning Christians are not generally persecuted for sharing their faith nor is the country governed by religious principles. Even so, religion still has a hold on daily life in the arid, land-locked nation that stretches from the Sahara Desert to the Sahel region of West Africa.

Worshipers at a Nigerien church

As the religion in the cultural majority, Islam has its influence on the country. Every city and village is home to at least one mosque. At the sound of the call to prayer, many Muslims pray to Mecca five times a day in a designated prayer area or even at work or outside on prayer rugs. Work ceases and markets slow down on Friday afternoons while many Nigeriens observe the Islamic Sabbath, even though Sunday is officially recognized as the Sabbath due to Niger’s history as a colony of France, where Catholocism is the most widely-observed religion. Christianity doesn’t stop at effecting school and business closures, however. As one of the poorest countries in the world, Niger is a target nation for evangelical missionaries. Many Nigeriens show their love for Christ in church, through passionate prayer, resounding musical worship and animate sermons.

Regardless of the religious contrast in the country, the people of Niger do share one thing: the drive to perpetuate their country’s values - brotherhood, work and progress. While its possible two neighbors may not share the same religious values, it is likely their identity as Nigeriens would unite them in a way that is entirely unparalleled, unchangeable and even misunderstood to anyone other than those who are a part of the unique Nigerien culture.

Finding Water in the Mountains of the Artibonite (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0200

"Every time I think I have found the community that is struggling with the most difficult situation in terms of water, I find people struggling with a problem that is even harder."

The week after MPP's 40th Anniversary Congress, I went with my friend from Oregon, Susan L. Smith to visit some of our work in the mountains of Verettes in Haiti's Artibonite. Susan is a professor of environmental law at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and a water justice advocate. She has worked with MPP (MPP website)for going on five years now, helping to provide funding and bring awareness of the need for clean water in the rural and disadvantaged communities of the Central Plateau. Susan is the Clean Water Leader for the United Church of Christ (UCC).

The Artibonite valley, with the majestic Artibonite river running through, is considered Haiti's "rice basket." While water is superabundant in the lower elevations of Verettes, it is can be extremely difficult in the mountain communities. Hosted by Nestly Voltair and other leaders of ODEVPRE (Organization for Development and Environmental Protection of Verettes), Susan was invited by ODEVPRE to see first hand the needs of the communities surrounding a spring known as Remonsaint. This site was about two and a half hours of tedious driving on a barely existent road. Walking, the community is about the same distance from Verettes, taking the much (much) steeper foot paths.

Susan Smith (blue shirt, red hat) visiting with the women and children patiently collecting water that slowly seeps into holes dug in the sand in this ravine. When I asked permission of the women to take this photo, they agreed without reservation, noting that the more people who know of their situation, the more hope they have that there can be change.

Trying to get some type of estimate for the number of people who depend on this site for their water, the folks collecting water listed for us about ten different mountain communities that come here during the driest months of the year (usually January-March). Then we asked about how many people live in each of those communities. The response that was a range. Folks estimated that the smallest had as few as 200 and the largest had at least 500. We took 300 as a possible average, which would mean that this ravine may be the main water supply for as many as 3,000 mountain inhabitants, for some part of the year.

Capping the Remonsaint water source. A Swiss aid organization, Helvetas (Helvetas) is helping the community of Remonsaint cap the spring and build a large cistern to store the water. It impressed me to find a non-governmental organization able to identify a need in an area as remote as this, and respond.

We spent a good bit of time visiting the folks working on the large cistern that will hold water from the spring and Susan and I were particularly impressed with one of the workers and a member of a local community (Terre-nette), Onondieu Louisius.

Onondieu Louisius from Terre-nette, one of the workers building Remonsaint's cistern. Onondieu helped explain the need for reforestation and the complications the communities face in following through with that need. Onondieu gave me permission to publish his photo on internet and to share his observations.

Onondieu was clear that the mountains of Verettes desperately need tree cover for many reasons, but especially to protect and increase the water supply for the local communities. He was also elegant in explaining some of the complications. Onondieu pointed out that because the area is remote and the road is so bad, trees grown in nurseries at lower elevations suffer too much by the time the reach the area around Remonsaint. That means that local tree nurseries are needed to produce trees that don't need to be transported long distances, and are better adapted to local conditions. But in an environmental catch-22, the lack of water during the dry season makes it impossible to establish a viable tree nursery during the dry months, which is when they have to be produced in order to plant them out during the rainy season. Onondieu noted that of course the area could produce trees during the rainy season, but then what would be the point of planting them out during the dry months, when they will just die? He also noted that there are organizations that often come in and give away trees to local farmers, but they rarely come back to find out if the trees were planted, or if they survived.

Inside the cap. The bamboo is holding up the form until the cement dries thoroughly. Once the main part of the cap is formed, the workers will remove the bamboo and fill in this space.

At this point, at the end of March, the spring was providing very little water. As it begins to rain in the area, some of our sources noted that fewer people would be coming to get water, which would give the spring time to recharge and to fill up the cistern. However, when we calculated the size of the cistern that is being built, we found that it would hold about 22.5 m3 of water, or about 22,500 liters. At 25 liters per person per day (the minimum per person used as a standard by the United Nations, according to Susan), the cistern would provide enough water for about 900 people, less than a third of the people who may depend on it.

As we left the spring, Susan observed, "Every time I think I have found the community that is struggling with the most difficult situation in terms of water, I find people struggling with a problem that is even harder."

African red worms doing their thing! Eudrilus eugeniae (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:26:00 +0200

Wilner Exil's red worms. From left to right, first hand shows the dried manure that we use as food for African red worms. The middle hand shows the worms at work and the third hand shows the finished product, full of worm castings. African red worms do an excellent job of turning dried, resource-limited cow, horse and donkey manure into a high quality, nutrient-concentrated compost. The worms reduce the carbon and concentrate the nutrients, increasing the microbial life exponentially as well. We also add a variety of green leaves to the manure to increase the nutrient value of the compost. We do not use kitchen waste because we have found that it creates a fatal attraction for fire ants. "Fatal" for the red worms, not the fire ants.The scientific name of African red worm: Eudrilus eugeniae

Hydraulic ram pump: Leodiagüe, Hinche (4th Section) (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:08:00 +0200

A Seed of Insecurity in Jerusalem (IIJ Blog)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:35:00 +0200

By: Maggie Krueger

In a season when local food donations might otherwise loll, Rabbi Danielle Leshaw of Ohio University’s Hillel community explains that Jewish students are revving up for their annual Athens County food drive.

The drive falls about a month before Thanksgiving, when other religious organizations might not be collecting as heavily, says Rabbi Leshaw. The push, she says, is in honor of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a Jewish holiday celebrated after Yom Kippur, the holy day of atonement.

“[On] this holiday, we are incredibly grateful for the houses that we live in and the shelter that protects us,” Rabbi Leshaw explains. Intern, the Jewish community takes this time to be more aware of people who may not have the same resources, she says.

Rabbi Leshaw’s awareness finds particular resonance in the story of shelter for two men living out this holiday in their own community - the city of Jerusalem.

For the seven days of Sukkot Israeli Rabbi Arik Ascherman left his home to sleep outside, within the confines of a booth, called a sukkah – a traditional Jewish custom. 

During Sukkot many Jews like Rabbi Ascherman shelter themselves under wooden beams, with a white cloth wrapped around the walls. Rabbi Ascherman emphasizes that his temporary dwelling lends itself to a feeling of delicacy.

“According to Jewish law, it has to be a structure where the thatching on top allows rain to come through,” he explains.  

About three miles away from Rabbi Ascherman’s sukkah, in the neighborhood of Al-Bustan, East Jerusalem, lives another man, also mindful of the delicacy of his living situation.  

“Every time I sit down [in this place] for dinner,” says Fakhri Abu-Diab, “I do not know if it will be for the last time.”  

Abu-Diab is a Palestinian who has been living in the Silwan quarter of East Jerusalem since 1962. He resides in one of 88 homes originally intended for demolition by the Municipality of Jerusalem in 2005.   

Silwan quarter of East Jerusalem. Courtesy of Emek Shaveh. Academic Fair Use.

While Abu-Diab’s residence has managed to avoid destruction, many homes in East Jerusalem have not. According to B’Tselem, the Israel Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, 1,636 people living in East Jerusalem have been left without homes since 2004 after demolition orders. From January to July 2012, 47 people have been uprooted, including 18 minors.   

“When I come home, my children and my grandchildren ask when will they come to demolish our homes,” says Abu-Diab.   

Although Rabbi Ascherman describes the process of preventing Palestinians from legally owning homes as intentional and systematic, Abu-Diab’s predicament is unusual. As archeologist Yonathan Mizrachi explains, clearing orders by the Municipality of Jerusalem have been made for the purpose of constructing an archeology-themed tourist park called “King’s Garden.”  

Rabbi Ascherman, head of External Relations and Special Projects for Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel, describes the Silwan area as particularly seductive to Jerusalem’s municipal leaders, as the Al-Bustan neighborhood lies within a religiously revered area. He says people believe Al-Bustan to contain archeological remains of the residence of King David, an important figure in Jewish scripture.

Disputes center on current plans for the proposed park that would require the relocating of families in 56 buildings, according to Ir Amim, a non-profit that advocates for equality and stability in Jerusalem. Their report, called “The Giant’s Garden,” details these demolition plans.

Moreover, Mizrachi claims that archeological evidence to support the location of King David’s gardens is not something that can be supported through excavation.

“It is a reasonable theory that cannot be proven,” says Mizrachi. He notes instead that the garden’s location was an intentional decision of municipal leaders, a fact many people find telling of a larger Palestinian-Israeli issue.

“The right wing [municipality] understands,” says Mizrachi, “if they make a situation that has nothing to do with Palestinians, then it will be easier to claim sovereignty over these areas.”

The Silwan quarter is home to approximately 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Ir Amim report. As Rabbi Ascherman explains, there is tension between Palestinians and Israelis over population demographics. He says that Israeli leaders have taken part in a silent transfer of land in Jerusalem since the time of Prime Minister Golda Meir.

View of Old City Jerusalem from Mt. of Olives. Provided by: Maggie Krueger

Joshua Bloom, the North America Director of Israel Programs of Rabbis for Human Rights, says that intentions for King’s Garden are part of a larger plan to create a green belt of parks surrounding Jerusalem.

Rabbi Ascherman explains that about 35 percent of what is today greater Jerusalem has been expropriated under a kind of eminent domain legislation. However, instead of taking property to build public highways, roads, or facilities, around 99 percent of that land, he adds, has been used to create Jewish neighborhoods.

“So it is not really eminent domain in the way we think of it, but more taking from one group to give to another,” says Rabbi Ascherman.

In answer to a petition addressed to the institutions involved in the City of David archeological projects, Professor Benjamin Kedar of Hebrew University writes that excavations are in preparation for a City of David National Park and ongoing academic research.

By Morgan Sigrist

IIJ Assistant & Ambassador

The Institute for International Journalism in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism, Scripps College of Communication, and Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam Tirupati, in India, are organizing an International academic conference in India. The conference is scheduled to be held from November 20-22, 2013 in Tirupati, a popular tourist destination. The conference is titled “Changing Landscape in Communication with New Media Technologies: Issues and Challenges”, and will focus on themes of social engagement, education and public health, and political discourse.

The key objective of the conference is to understand how new media

And mobile technology can be used to enhance our understanding of the issues of interest and to provide effective and innovative solutions.

Participants from different parts of the world will help stimulate discussion about these issues and will provide a platform where the significance of media technology can be discussed from different perspectives.

The organizing coordinator in India is Professor Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi, who also is a SUSI 2012 alumnus. The Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media is an annual summer institute of international journalism scholars and media experts from universities and academic institutions from around the world. The SUSI summer institute is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State's Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

“ Different countries at different stages of development may have different range of salient issues. For example, for developed countries, social engagement and political discourse may be more important issues, whereas for developing countries, fundamental issues like education and public health may have more importance. Bringing together scholars from different countries and sociopolitical environments may create great opportunities for mutual learning,” said Dr. Jatin Srivastava, one of the conference directors.

Dr. Srivastava observed that new media technology is increasingly becoming a dominant tool to address various social, political, and economic issues; this will provide a common frame of reference to participants to think about these problems and evaluate media and technology-based solutions.

The conference is inviting abstracts and articles from academicians and practitioners from countries all over the world; these submissions may cover qualitative or quantitative research and may also be about media based initiatives like campaign and new media products.

MPP's 40th Anniversary Congress, and March (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:28:00 +0100

Mass marches, theater, dancing, stirring speeches, excellent lectures, networking of all kinds and lots of singing. MPP's 40th Anniversary Congress, from 18th-22nd of May was all that and more. MPP is Mouvman Peyizan Papay--The Peasants' Movement of Papay. They held their 5-year congress at MPP's national training center, Sant Lakay, to evaluate the local, national and international situation and to develop a vision for the work of MPP for the next five years. The Congress officially closed with a march. While the Congress itself had about 2,000 participants, including a multitude of international guests, the march itself had as many as 15,000 participants, possibly more. The theme was national sovereignty and a country that can take care of itself. Walking from Papay to Hinche and all through the city, a total of around 10 miles, the march closed in Hinche's central park with speeches by Chavannes Jean Baptiste, the director of MPP, and other leaders of grassroots movements from all over Haiti.

"Contract of the People, a free people in a country that can make decisions for itself." As many as 15,000 people, or more, marched from Papay to Hinche to call on the government to work for a nation respects and takes care of its own people.

Also on the list to share: a report from the hydraulic ram pump in Leodiagüe, visits to the mountains in Verettes, colonial forts, a mountain paradise and more. It has been a very interesting two weeks. But now I am headed home to family, who I have missed very much, in the midst of everything.

Admiring She-Roes (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:14:00 +0100

Ms. Aazadi Fateh Muhammad

SUSI 2012 - Pakistan

“For living a Life, I really fight Hard”… an ordinary woman’s expression stated decades ago in the Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, an accurate description that how far great efforts are placed by the modern women to achieve their rights, as well. Women, like men are equally human, living and full of life, but unfortunately, they have to struggle doubly hard to prove their identity and status in society. They are continuously discouraged by an assortment of general biases, underestimated as weak and meek creatures. This is not only predicament of developing societies, but these discriminatory mind sets and behaviors can be easily seen in so called ultra modern world as well, where even a woman has no specific title for her other than ‘Women’, which means Wife of Men. Means treating them as a property of men is not a fashion of eastern societies just.

A Village Woman in Sindh Province

Gender based biases and violence, like charity, begins at home. Our family structures and socialization patterns generally support male members. Since childhood family members are directed to behave and live on gender lines. Not only in Islam but the constitution and laws of Pakistan award women their all basic rights and status in society.

Faces of Pakistani woman represent millions of identities, tales and fragments of society at the same time. Pakistani women, no matter living in urban or rural setups, are fighting at many stages to prove their own individuality and status. However, lack of education, poor awareness, social ignorance and male dominating social patterns are main hindrances in the way of her courage and success.

Aurat Foundation (A local NGO) reports that violence against women decreased by 6.41 percent in 2010 compared to figure from 2009, the report revealed that 8,000 cases were reported across the country in 2010 against 8,548 cases in 2009. Still serious measures are required to introduce new concrete laws and their implementation. According to Aurat Foundation report 7,733 cases of violence against women including hurt, torture, burning, rape, domestic violence, threat to violence and more were reported in the media but very few of them were answered positively. Most part of this crime has not been named by the law nor recognized by the state so it goes unpunished. In this scenario Harassment at work places bill and property rights of women law are music for the ears.

Population Reference Bureau Washington issued a data sheet in 2011 which shows 59% female (Age 15 to 24) literacy rate in Pakistan and in total female population of 91.6 millions only 22% of them are active in economy. Means more than half percent of women population are not being utilized and ultimately have less opportunities and exposure to work.

We are celebrating Pakistani Women Day on March 8 across the country with the International World, for acknowledging women achievements and raising awareness to protect their rights. This day is celebrated in the memory of those women who raised their voice against discriminatory and draconian laws of a dictator in early 80s. What is hidden and can be seen in a face of Pakistani woman? Let’s see below how intellectuals’ educationists and public representatives act in response towards this question.

A Pakistani woman has her own rightful identity. Pakistani women are beautiful, intelligent and hold capability of doing anything against all odds. Pakistani society in general and specially the religious groups are reluctant to give them their rightful place. Most of them think that they should be confined to their homes; are meant only for producing male children and taking care of family is what primary aim of their lives, said Bari Awan, an active member of War against Rape since 90s.

Asma Jilani Jahangir is a leading Pakistani lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and human rights activist, who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation of children.

Prof. Shahida Kazi (Head, department of Media Sciences at Institute of Business Management, Karachi) expressed her views as saying that Pakistani woman has so many different faces. “I will say that for the most part, because of centuries of suppression the Pakistani woman is one who has learnt to be cunning, scheming and manipulative in order to survive. Of course, there are exceptions but for the most part we are not straightforward or open even when there is no need to be crafty. And this goes for all, educated, uneducated, high class, low class, young, and old. Status of women in Pakistan differs according to circumstances. However I think all women of every class are basically nothing but commodities, generally taken as the property of their men”.

In the opinion of Dr. Zareen Abbasi (Professor at a Local University), she believes that Pakistani women are courageous, loyal, hardworking, sincere and leading at every walk of life in society
excluding all that she is capable for, her status is still not recognized at home nor even at working places.

Rasool Bux Sarang working as Assistant Manager Media, at Aga Khan Universityelaborated his point of view as, being a professional career woman, worker or a house wife, a Pakistani woman is an example of a dedicated family member whose joys, sorrows, successes or failures are usually linked to her family, but who understands the larger role she can play in improving society. Majority of Pakistani women are dependent and powerless - still struggling for their individual identities. Modern communication sources are playing a good role in creating the awareness that a woman with a more productive role in society can benefit not only to her family but also the larger society.

A young graduate Khushboo Rafique, responded to the question picked a rural woman as a model while defining a Pakistani woman; she has the real face of Pakistan. In my opinion, a Pakistani woman is a devoting and hard working woman who dedicates her own life to her family.

Pakistani society is basically a male-dominating society where status of a woman is not satisfactory. Obsolete customs and traditions, lack of religious knowledge and education are the main causes. Men are given more favor and attention in most of the families against their female counterparts. The real gender discrimination thus starts from homes. Women are considered not more than property in rural areas particularly the condition in urban areas is far better but women in urban areas also suffer a lot of problems in different paths of life.

Kiran Baloch is the record holder of the highest individual score in the international game. She scored 242 in the first cricket Test against the West Indies

In patriarchal societies like Pakistan, women are habituated to consent to men as the superior human being. However awareness, education and struggle for life may change the picture in general. History is full of enlightening examples of Great women leaders, artists, scientists, and other professional women from all walks of life, which have inspired other women to overcome social obstacles.

Need of the time is to focus on specific change leading communication campaigns who can actually bring up some differences in the existing mind sets and social patterns. Covering more than half of the country population, they deserve to be nourished and appreciated by the society without any discrimination. As Maya Angelou (an African American Poetess) said: It is equally important to recognize and celebrate our she-roes just like the he-roes. Let’s celebrate power and beauty of feminity not only on March 8, but onwards.

Why NYC Doesn't Have A Facebook (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:56:00 +0100

NY-based venture maverick Jim Robinson

For a well-rounded perspective on the New York City startup and venture investing scene, there’s few who could top James D. Robinson IV.
The co-founder of one of the Big Apple‘s leading venture capital firms, RRE Ventures, Jim has been investing for nearly 30 years and has backed dozens of startups in information technology, e-commerce, mobile and digital media. Now investing its fifth fund at $230 million, in 2012 RRE Ventures made seven venture deals and eight angel investments — and has even backed an innovative Chinese luxury travel network, Affinity China.
Having worked in both Silicon Valley and New York City, Robinson knows full well the customs of investing coast to coast will never meet. I asked Jim what are some key differences, and what follows is an excerpt of our interview in prep for Silicon Dragon Alley.
Q. Would you consider New York as the digital media startup capital? A. There are basically seven business sectors in New York such as finance, fashion, advertising, media – and two of those are being tremendously transformed by technology and the move to a digital future. This has created a lift for New York as a startup hub over the past few years after the end of the dotcom era.
Q. Why doesn’t the east coast have a Facebook, Google or Twitter? A. I would argue that it does — Bloomberg.
Keep reading at my post at Forbes.com.

Angel Investing: No More 'Stupid Money' (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:22:00 +0100

Angel Investing Matures From 'Stupid Money' And No 'Do Diligence'

Silicon Dragon Alley

After reporting from the startup hubs of Asia’s emerging markets for more than a decade, it’s refreshing to see innovation clusters forming closer to home.
I’ve been spending some time interviewing angel investors and entrepreneurs in New York City, hanging out in neighborhood cafes in the Flatiron district and the former meat-packing area around Hudson Street.
Brian Cohen, chairman of the New York Angels group and a lead investor in Pinterest, perhaps best exemplifies this new undercurrent of entrepreneurial energy that’s resurfaced in the Big Apple. I recently interviewed Cohen to get his thoughts on the startup scene in NYC and to hear more about his soon-to-launch book from publisher McGraw-Hill, ”What Every Angel Investor Wants You To Know: An Insider Reveals How To Get Smart Funding For Your Billion Dollar Idea.”
The title just about says it all. But Cohen has a lot more anecdotes and insights to share about how angel investing has developed from what used to be ”stupid money.” We did a Q&A at his office in a cool co-working space – a sign above the kitchen sink with dirty glasses reads “100% of all entrepreneurs who do their own dishes have successful companies.”
What follows is a few excerpts from my chat with Cohen, who’s on our digital media innovator and investor panel here March 21. Keep reading post at Forbes.

Broadcast TV reporting in Africa quirkier than in U.S. (IIJ Blog)

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:09:00 +0100

By Taylor Pool

Covering a story in Africa is largely the same as broadcast reporting in the United States, except, of course, that it’s in Africa making the experience a bizarre one every time.

During my first day with reporters, we managed to land ourselves in a near-death situation while covering the first of our two assignments on my first day as an intern. I say “our” because in Niamey, a reporter never does the job alone. The term “multi-media journalist” translates into the language of Niger, but normally, the journalists work as a team. In fact, there are generally five of us crammed inside a tiny car covering multiple stories each day: two reporters, the camera man, the chauffeur and me, the intern.

Before I explain my near-death experience, it is important to understand that roads in Niger are not like roads in the U.S. In Niamey, lanes are non-existent and traffic rules are merely suggestions. Getting through intersections is game of survival of the fittest and if you are not careful, you might run into a donkey or camel who uses the road as if it, too, were a car.

Of course, the team happened to choose one of the busiest round-a-bouts in the city to conduct “man on the street” interviews. Naturally, the chauffeur decided to park the car on the opposite side of the round-a-bout that we were standing on. What did we do to get back? We walked and then ran when traffic didn’t wait for us back to our car, where I was welcomed by the second reporter. He told me, laughing, upon my arrival that he hoped I liked sports.

Our second story assignment for the day involved finding a Malian citizen living in Niamey. We would try to find out his or her perspective of the conflict in Niger’s neighboring country. After exhausting all of our attempts to find a source, which included visiting the Mali embassy in Niger, paying a home visit to a woman who knew someone who knew a Malian and stopping at several merchant stands on the road, we found ourselves in the office of the chief press secretary for the city. He found out I was American and promptly handed me a sandwich.

My initial shock drastically diminished my ability to understand French in that moment, so I was incredibly unsure of what to do with the sandwich at first. I finally decided that I would rather risk food poisoning than risk being rude to a national authority figure, so I ate the sandwich, while four Nigeriens watched me with wide, anticipating eyes waiting to find out whether I would like the spicy Nigerien specialty. To my luck, it was a good sandwich. Finally, after a few more futile stops to find a Malian, we put the story on hold and made it back to the TV station.

I learned my first day that it is legal in Niger to shoot video and ask for interviews in public locations, just like it usually is in the U.S. I discovered in the editing room that in Africa, reporters make VOSOTs and packages complete with anchor intros and tags just like it is done in Western countries. I also learned that my first day that Africans have just as much difficulty as Americans at finding sources to interview. What differs, I learned, is that in Niamey, the reporters are still writing story scripts by hand, there is no such thing as “live” newscasts and weather segments do not exist six months out of the year because, well, in the dry season it is always hot, dry and dusty.

Since my first African reporting adventure, I have run across the unpredictable Niamey roads on more than one other occassion in order to snag the all-important “man on the street” interviews. I have sat in on a practice session of an African dance and drumming team as they prepared for their performance during the national wrestling championship and I have consumed more free food given to me before interviews, which I had to accept against my Western better judgment that told me to avoid accepting gifts from sources. Most importantly, though, I’ve had the chance to see that journalism is journalism, no matter where it’s happening, even if the method of getting the job done in Niger is a bit quirkier than what I'm used to.

SUSI 2012 Update (IIJ Blog)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:01:00 +0100

Morgan Sigrist

IIJ Assistant

Aysha Abughazzi, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Jordan

Doctor Abughazzi returned to her position as assistant professor at Jordan University of Science & Technology in Jordan, where she enjoys using the skills she acquired at SUSI with her work. Dr. Abughazzi has enhanced her curriculum by incorporating social media and field trips as a way to “involve students more closely with the material they learn and have them interact with the various outlets of the media.”

Karlyga Myssayeva, Al- Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan

Professor Myssayeva returned to her position as Deputy Dean for Research-Innovation and International Affairs, Department of Journalism at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan. Professor Myssayeva has enhanced her teaching and research by promoting interaction between herself and her students.

The SUSI program has helped Professor Myssayeva to “realize (her) potential,” through the training, cultural interactions and support of SUSI professors. Not only has the information gained from the other members expanded her cultural experience, but it has also allowed her to share these experiences with her students.

Social media has played a major role in helping to connect with other professionals in her field to share with the students and colleagues. This has helped to increase the critical thinking and interactions with people from around the world.

Alexander Kazakov, Saratov State University, Russia

Doctor Alexander Kazakov returned to his position as Associate Professor in Political Science Department at Saratov State University. Since leaving SUSI, Dr. Kazakov has brought more interactive material into his teaching and seminars. He has been working on projects such as Dr. Yusuf Kalyango’s Handbook of Global Journalism and New Media Education, and co writing with Bill Benoit.

Bogdana Nosova, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

Professor Bogdana Nosova returned to her position as Assistant Professor of the Chair of Social Communications in Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her second position remains as Anchorwoman and Special Correspondent for State Broadcasting Company “Ukrainian Television and Radio World Service."

The opportunities at Ohio University helped Professor Nosova to strengthen her knowledge of journalism and how media works in the US. The online content offered through the SUSI program has also helped Professor Nosovo to further her research.

Hugo Zarate Saucedo, University of the Bahamas, Bahamas

Professor Hugo Saucedo has begun a new project to develop a journalism institute in the Bahamas and Caribbean. Professor Saucedo is also working in conjunction with other SUSI scholars to conduct training in their countries. He is also currently working on community journalism.

Rachael van der Kooye, Freelance Journalist, Suriname

Professor Rachael van der Kooye has made some changes including doing online lecturing, writing a chapter for Dr. Kalyango’s book, media policy research and giving lectures. Professor Van der Kooye has also shared her SUSI experiences via the radio, television and newspaper since returning to Suriname.

Professor Van der Kooye has used her experiences at SUSI to analyze her surveys, and materials obtained at Ohio University to enhance her teaching techniques. Professor van der Kooye enjoys sharing her SUSI experiences with everyone she works with.

Taimoor Shah, New York Times reporter Kandahar, Afghanistan

Taimoor Shah is a reporter for New York Times in southern Afghanistan, where he works on he investigative reporting skills. Shah covers news from the front lines of the war and works as an interpreter for the New York Times. He is currently at the center of Taliban activity.

Shah has also been able to bring the tools he learned at SUSI back to his colleagues. He has been teaching his colleagues the reporting techniques he learned here at Ohio University, where he has seen much improvement in their work. Shah has also worked to create a journalism faculty at Kandahar University. The books and information he obtained from Ohio University will used as material for the students and faculty.

Murad Abdullah, Sana’a University, Yemen

Doctor Murad Abdullah has been appointed to position head of the youth activities in the college, which deals with the academic and nonacademic activities of the students.

Dr. Abdullah has been nominated to represent independent youth in a political debate to discuss the political status of Yemen, but is awaiting word for the final decision of if he is chosen. If Dr. Abdullah is chosen, he will be one of 550 people to represent different political and civil movements, along with the youth and organizations. This would be a great advancement in Dr. Abdullah’s career.

Life in Niger 'normal' despite West African conflict (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:23:00 +0100

Petit Marché, Niamey, Niger

“Today is a different normal,” expatriate Jonathan* said in light of the conflict in Mali Conflict that has altered the lives of many people living in several West African countries.

According to news reports, Niger has pledged to send troops to help with France’s efforts to fight corruption in neighboring Mali. Plus, many Refugees from Mali have fled to Niger to avoid unrest at home and soon, Niger may be home to several United States surveillance drones.

In the face of those changes, daily life in Niger is safe, perhaps safer than it has ever been. It’s just different.

Security efforts in Niger have increased for the safety of both Nigeriens and those who reside in the country, but have citizenship elsewhere.

It is true that expatriates living in Niamey, Niger are finding they can no longer leave the capital, even if they have been commuting to other cities in the country each week for years. Plus, some French schools have temporarily closed and many French expatriates are returning home.

Military trucks do patrol the streets to keep people safe and some schools are guarded by police officers for the same reason, but life on the ground is still the same as it has always been. You can still buy fruits, vegetables, brochettes, brooms, buckets and African mats on the streets and at the market. Taxis still run, the air is still hot and people still spend plenty of time each day greeting each other. People living in the villages in the countryside may never even see the effects of the conflict, especially if they don’t have access to the Internet.

If you asked me if I feel safe living in Niger, even despite the new reality of life here, the answer would be an absolute yes. I have never felt afraid of the police officers or military personnel because I know they are in the city for my safety. I have never doubted that I would return home or felt like my well-being was in question. Honestly, I have more to fear riding in the crazy Niamey traffic than I do living in a French-speaking country that has made it in the English-speaking news because of an international conflict.

The real reality is that conflict and danger is everywhere. It’s unavoidable, even in the small town of Athens, Ohio, home to Ohio University. While security measures increased in Niamey, Athens residents and students were in a panic 5,000 miles away because an armed robbery suspect was spotted in the small college town. In any part of the world, one’s safety is not a guarantee, nor should it ever be taken for granted, but to live life in fear is to not live at all.

*last name not provided to guard source’s anonymity

Predicing Top Trends for Startup Asia In 2013 (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:28:00 +0100

As we get ready to ring in the new year, here’s my top 10 predictions for Startup Asia in 2013 — with a decided Silicon Valley lens. In case you missed it, this forecast follows last week’s recap of the top 10 Startup Asia trends in 2012.

Here goes:

1. Silicon Valley will remain the global tech hub followed by China though innovation centers in clusters around the world will matter more. Think Indonesia, Brazil and Russia, and of course, the perennial, Israel. London too will help to jumpstart innovation again in Europe as Silicon Roundabout becomes a reality. Entrepreneurs from around the world still flock to the Valley for that spark of imagination.

2. Startups will consolidate or die in the emerging Asian tech strongholds of China and India as the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. The result will be more concentration of breakthrough products from fewer players and more pressure on startups to scale up quickly with a distinct advantage or get swallowed up.

To read all 10 trends, click Startup Asia 2013 at Forbes.com.

Top 10 Trends for Startup Asia in 2012 (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:24:00 +0100

As the 2012 calendar near a close in this Chinese Dragon year, it’s time to reflect on the top trends that defined the increasingly sophisticated Startup Asia scene over the past 12 months.

Here’s a few observations here from my many journalistic travels and interviews in China and India during 2012.

1. The rise of the serial entrepreneur. Those who struck it rich with their first startups are now going back in for another try, this time with more cash of their own and with lessons learned. It’s a phenomenon that jumpstarted Silicon Valley and has now spread to Asia’s tech hotspots.

2. The arrival of the angel investor. Serial entrepreneurs are turning to angel investing as a way to seed lots of startups. The jury is still out if these first-time investors can make good bets, but early signs indicate that they are applying their skills to this new artistry. Check out Shanghai’s AngelVest as an example of how this model works.

3. Going private. With stocks trading low, several company founders raised enough private equity finance to take their companies off US exchanges and private again. Witness Focus Media, and a lot more in the cue. When and where the companies are re-listed is a trend to watch.

4. Survival of the fittest for venture firms. Those with a good track record and investment returns raised new funds, such as GGV Capital, which raised a fourth fund. Those that couldn’t get traction have gone silent or shifted their management teams. It’s a natural weeding out of venture firms in Asia, following a pattern that happened in the U.S. a decade earlier.

Continue reading post at Forbes.com. Click Startup Asia 2012 Trends.

5. Venture club deals. Venture capitalists are hedging their bets by grouping together and investing in deals that seemed destined to be big winners. Particularly favored are deals that have earlier angel financing say from a big name like Lei Jun.

Making It Happen in the mountains of Verettes (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 03:28:00 +0100

December 6th through the 13th, while I was in Papay, Hinche doing paper work, Herve Delisma and Lucien Joseph headed to Verettes in the Artibonite Valley to continue to provide hands-on help with designing and implementing yard gardens in the homes of the seven local technicians and their seven associates, whom we began training in late September.

The first local technician they worked with on this trip was Elcenou. Elcenou lives seven very difficult kilometers (about 4 miles) up at the top of a mountain in a community called Decomb. The coordinates for Elcenou's house are: 18.99178º N and 72.52789º W. Here are some pictures from that work. Photos by Herve Delisma, all right reserved.

Please also check out the photos from Herve and Gultho's work in Léogâne. The link is here: Mapping Yard Gardens in Léogâne

Elcenou (right in purple shorts) working with Lucien (left in white shirt), Givenson (left in bright green shirt) and Paul (behind Lucien) to build his third vegetable tire bench. Behind in the photo are bananas and other crops planted in Elcenou's yard.

Lucien checking out Elcenou's original vegetable benches. Ten tires are planted with seeds of a variety of vegetables and covered with banana leaves to help maintain the moisture while the seeds sprout.

To get his tires up to his house, Elcenou has to manage a very difficult route. If he uses motorized transportation, he will need to pay a motorcycle to carry the tires up the mountain on a trip that takes between three and four hours, one-way. If he uses a mule, donkey or horse, he will travel a route that is even more difficult, but shorter.

This is part of the route that all of the folks in Decomb take to get anything up or down the mountain. In this case, the group is taking someone from the community down the mountain for medical treatment. The person couldn't walk, so family and neighbors organized to carry them down on the stretcher you see here.

Besides the challenge of transportation, Elcenou and his neighbors face the daunting task of going for water. This is the stream bed of a small spring that is the only consistent source of water for a large number of people in the surrounding communities.

On our first trip to Decomb back in May 2012, community members told us that the spring has folks collecting water almost twenty-four hours a day.

Women and young women laboriously collecting "clean" water from a hole dug in the sand by the spring, to help filter out the worst of the muck.

Elcenou helping a neighbor build his own vegetable tire bench. Despite the exceptional challenges of living in Decomb, Elcenou is determined to put into practice some of the ideas he has learned in the Yard Garden program that has begun in three farmer organizations in Verettes--ODEPE, OGAD and MRPST. And now, only a few weeks after he began the process in his own yard, Elcenou is already beginning to work with family, friends and neighbors. The community group that Elcenou leads has collected funds to purchase thirty old tires (at about $1.25 a shot). Now they are searching for ways to get those tires up the mountain to Decomb.

In the United States, we often imagine that people with limited resources have nothing to offer the people around them. We believe, I think, that folks like these must be so mired in their own despair, that they could never even imagine lending a hand to someone in the same situation. Elcenou is one example of a local farmer living in extremely limiting circumstances who nevertheless has a vision for not just his family, but all of the families with whom they live. And he has the strength to begin making that vision a reality.

Pray with me for the work of people such as Elcenou, who with clear visions, strong bodies and strong wills are sowing the seeds of their own resurrection.

Amen and Amen

Effects of Hurricane Sandy (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:30:00 +0100

Taking some time to look at some other blogs, including my friend Robert Morikawa, and I wanted to share the link to his observations about the effects of hurricane Sandy in Haiti. Insidious would be one good word to describe what both Bob and I are seeing. Please check it out:
NOTE: you need to slide your mouse arrow to the link in order to see it: This is one effect I have not been able to figure out how to change.

The link is here: Effects of Sandy

Also, please check out the blog on our mapping work in the yard gardens. Here is that link: Mapping Yard Gardens in Léogâne

Inside the IIJ :: Cairo, Egypt conference accepting abstracts (IIJ News)

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:19:00 +0100

The Institute for International Journalism at Ohio University has joined the Faculty of Communication at Al-Azhar University to co-sponsor a conference that will take place in Cairo, Egypt.

The Media Professionalism and Democratization conference will be held at Al-Azhar University April 14- 17, 2013. One of the organizing committee members and chair of that conference is Dr. Ahmed S. Hammad, a 2011 alumnus of the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at Ohio University.

Ahmed Hammad presents during the 2011 Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at OU.

Some of the main themes of the conference are media performance during democratic transition, peace journalism and crisis communication, and professionalism in new media, among other themes.

Abstracts can be submitted in either Arabic or English and should include the completed abstract and its title, as well as the names, titles and contact information of the paper’s authors and presenter. The organizing scientific research committee will review the abstracts and notify authors of acceptance on Jan. 15, 2013.

For more information, contact Ahmed Hammad at ahmadh30@gmail.com.

Inside the IIJ :: IIJ director presents at forum in Saudi Arabia (IIJ News)

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:40:00 +0100

In early December, professor Yusuf Kalyango, director of the Institute for International Journalism, attended an annual forum of media and communications research in Saudi Arabia.

The sixth annual forum, which focused on ‘New Media: Theoretical and Practical Challenges,’ was organized by the Saudi Association for Media and Communication (SAMC) from Dec. 1- Dec. 4 at Riyadh Palace Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SAMC is based at the King Saud University, one of three major national universities in Saudi Arabia.

The SAMC is a pioneering academic association in media and communication that works within Saudi Arabia and in other countries in the Middle East, Asia and northern Africa. The association, in conjunction with King Saud University, annually holds training sessions, offers media and communication academic consultations, and cooperates with media organizations to develop the professional practice for the Saudi journalism and communication workforce.

Some of the association’s main objectives are to raise media awareness, to develop media and communication academic processes, to cement ties with Arab and international media associations, and to grant accreditations to media associations and professionals.

The IIJ became involved with the SAMC because the latter often invites media experts from the Western world to its events to give speeches and lectures. The goal is to enrich the cultural exchange among Saudi Arabia and some Arab and Western countries: Westerners discuss the latest theoretical and applied developments in media, while members of the SAMC help explain Saudi Arabia’s political stances on national, regional and international issues to the world.

Kalyango’s presentation at the forum discussed the impact of social media on political mobilization in East and West Africa.

While in Saudi Arabia, Kalyango was able to meet with the president of King Saud University, as well as some of the professors and journalists. Two of the professors he met are alumni of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, including Dr. Ali Alkarni, professor at King Saud University and Chairman of SAMC. Kalyango was also given a special tour of the university’s main library, which has more than four million titles in Arabic, English and French.

Some other topics discussed during the forum included the role of Twitter on national identities and cultures, and Facebook use in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

According to a tweet he sent during the conference Kalyango said it was impressive to witness many Saudi women professors and young women graduates engaged and participating in academic debates about social media. Also via Twitter, Kalyango said the university provided “excellent hospitality” during his time there.

LEPINA law harms rather than helps families in El Salvador (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:28:00 +0100

In El Salvador, thousands of children are being taken out of orphanages to instead live with their families in often-dismal situations.

By: Lindsay Boyle

Produced & edited by: Leisha Lininger

For 31-year-old Juana Espinoza, life has been a rollercoaster.

About 11 years ago, she, her 2- and 3-year-old sons, her newborn daughter and her husband — an alcoholic — lived with her aunt and uncle, who were also alcoholics.

After one particularly bad, physical fight, Espinoza’s uncle cast her whole family out of the house for good.

With nowhere else to go, Espinoza took to the streets with her children, crying and uncertain of her future. Although her husband reassured her they would be able to start new, it was his reputation that prevented them from doing just that.

Living in a cardboard house under a mango tree, Espinoza used a gas station’s faucet to bathe her children and wash her clothes, and often depended on others’ donations for clothing, food, diapers and more.

Although she had begun gardening and selling vegetables for about $6 a week, it was not enough to provide food for her children. She decided to take her then 3- and 4-year-old sons to a protection center — somewhat similar to an orphanage — where, after a bit of adjustment, they ended up having help getting the things they needed. She visited them every Sunday.

Eight years later, the Salvadoran government asked Espinoza if she wanted her boys back, and asked her not to worry about her ability to provide resources because the only requirement was to have a house. She did not have much of a choice — instead, she had three months to figure out how to use the same salary she had been living on for years to provide for three children instead of just one.

Because of one article in El Salvador’s LEPINA law, there are countless other stories just like Espinoza’s.

The LEPINA law, or the Law on Protection of Children and Adolescents, was signed in March 2009 and consists of 260 articles based on the human rights standards set by the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Although most articles of the LEPINA law are considered helpful and outlaw things such as sex trafficking and child labor, Article 13 states that it is a family’s responsibility to care for its children, which justifies the government to remove children from protection centers.

While on the surface the article may not sound bad, the issue is that the law is designed for developed countries, where families receiving children from places such as protection centers can turn to social programs such as welfare or food stamps for help. No such programs exist in El Salvador.

In El Salvador, the term “protection center” is more common than “orphanage” because only about 10 percent of children in centers are actually orphans. The rest ended up in centers because they were placed there by the government because of familial violence and or neglect, or because their families took them there voluntarily after being unable or unwilling to take care of them.

Often, those children have family members who are gang members, abusive, drug addicts, mentally handicapped or living in extreme poverty.

According to Kara Wilson, a San Antonio native who founded Project RED, although the term “orphanage” can carry a negative connotation in the United States, that is not usually the case in El Salvador.

“Orphanages here are wonderful places compared to (children’s actual homes), because they have three meals a day, they have beds to sleep in and they have an education — a private education, usually,” she said.

Gloria Daysi Abrego, a psychologist and social worker who has been with Project RED since it started as a pilot program in July 2011, called the LEPINA law contradictory.

She said that, although the law states that children have the right to live in a healthy home, they are often ending up in situations with little or no access to nutrition, health care, education and more — things she considers basic rights.

“For the majority of the children who are being reintegrated, all of these rights are being violated,” Abrego said.

El Salvador has experienced drastic changes since Article 13 of the LEPINA law began to be implemented in January 2011. In 2009, there were more than 3,000 children in protection centers. Now, there are about 700.

In El Salvador, there are about 60 private centers, which are usually funded by Christian, catholic or other organizations often outside El Salvador, and nine public centers, funded primarily by the government.

Children are being taken from both private and public centers and given back to their families, often with only three months’ notice.

There has been almost no national or international media coverage about the issue, which a source familiar with the LEPINA law said is mostly because Salvadoran media place little or no importance on children and their rights.

“Almost no one here in El Salvador has any idea that this is going on,” Wilson said. “Every time I tell people about what (Project RED) is doing and the problem behind it, people are shocked because they have never heard of the law.”

Project RED works holistically with families that have been reintegrated with their children to help them transition based on their individual situations. The project imparts counseling sessions, parenting school sessions and youth programs; provides beds for children; builds houses and bathrooms; registers children for school and provides them with school supplies and bus fare, and hands out monthly food and hygiene bags.

With just Wilson, an administrative worker, a social worker and two psychologists, one of which doubles as a social worker, the project is working with about 43 families, and wants to be working with 50 by the end of the year.

“Currently, the population that we work with doesn’t even represent 10 percent of the children in El Salvador that are being reintegrated into their families,” Abrego said. “But, we can see individually what the impact is through our work with each and every one of these families.”

Abrego emphasized that Project RED does not merely hand things out to families.

“Not only do we provide things for the families, we educate the families in order to take advantage of all the potential they have and empower them,” she said.

It was nine months before Juana Espinoza heard the Project RED field team knock on her door — nine months of living on her mother-in-law’s property in a shack with no walls and an open bathroom area, struggling to feed three adolescent children — now 11, 13 and 14 — with $3- $4 a day and no support from her mother-in-law.

“When I got the news that I was going to receive my children again, I was really worried,” Espinoza said. “I told them that I didn’t have any resources, I didn’t have a way to support them both.”

Since Project RED started working with Espinoza, it has been able to provide a new, enclosed, wooden house for the Espinoza family, which includes a stove, a latrine, a place for beds and a place to wash clothes. Espinoza endearingly calls the house the “little cabin.”

Without Project RED, Espinoza said things would be “a lot more complicated.”

“Through all of my difficulties, all of the things I’ve been through, I haven’t had really anybody to support me,” she said. “I see Project RED as a support.”

Like Espinoza, 34-year-old Ana Silvia Cardoza also voluntarily took two of her children to a private protection center when she realized she could not take care of them. With a total of five children, parents who were sick, and no support from any of the children’s fathers, things had become dire.

At the center, Cardoza said her two children received everything they needed. However, in October 2011, she was notified that she would be getting her children back, and that she would then have to attend six sessions of parenting school led by government social workers and psychologists in San Salvador to learn about her responsibilities as a mother.

Abrego explained that, often, the six parenting sessions do not do enough to equip parents to properly care for their children. She added that each session covers the exact same material, and that the parents almost always attend the sessions after they already have their children back.

According to Abrego, in many cases, parents explicitly say they are not ready to receive their children, yet the government still gives them back.

“The government is claiming that these families who have objections to receiving their children are just trying to avoid having any responsibility for their children, so they don’t take that into account,” she said.

Although Cardoza said the government was nice during the court hearing and did visit her house to complete a checklist before giving her children to her, she said they never offered any further suggestions or advice, even though the LEPINA law says the government will provide follow-up visits.

“I was really happy to be with my children again because I love my children, but I didn’t have any support,” she said. “The same problems that were there before were still there.”

She said her biggest issue was trying to provide food for five children with the $20 she received each week from her eldest son, who works in a brick-making factory.

Cardoza was only alone with her children for a week or two before Project RED started working with her. First, the project gave the family bags of food, but since then, they have given more.

”(Project RED) has given us many things,” Cardoza said. “Our whole life, our whole bathing aspect is totally different. We have a sink, running water, a shower.”

Project RED also gives weekly psychological counseling sessions to Cardoza and her 11-year-old son, who has had some behavioral problems as a result of the transition from the center to his home.

“Without this help, I’d be so much more worried,” Cardoza said. “Through this help, my life has gotten so much better.”

Not all of the families Project RED has worked with have shared the same kind of success.

In one case Project RED worked with, government workers returned four of six children to a house they were taken away from because of negligence, extreme poverty, some sexual abuse and mentally handicapped parents.

“Extreme poverty doesn’t even come close to describing what kind of conditions they’re living in,” Wilson said.

She described the home as a one-room, mud house in the jungle, with three string beds piled up with trash, and feces and molding food scattered throughout the house.

Although Project RED has reported the case to government authorities in the past, Wilson said the children continue to “live like savages.” She explained that authorities said they cannot take the children back to a protection center without actual proof that they are being sexually abused, regardless of the other conditions the children are living in.

Countless other families have not been reached by Project RED at all.

Wilson, who has been visiting El Salvador occasionally since she was 14, started a pilot program in July 2011 in order to assess what families’ needs were and what could be done to meet them. It worked directly with ISNA, the branch of government that oversaw child protection at the time.

Wilson said that when she discovered what the law was doing and decided to try to help the families affected by reintegration, she was kicked out of ISNA by the branch’s sub director, who told her not to try to do what the government is already doing well. She was forced to stop working with ISNA.

“I was really discouraged at the time, but that discouragement turned into motivation,” she said. “I realized it meant that really, no one wants anybody to expose what’s actually happening.”

The source familiar with the LEPINA law explained that the law is not yet complete. It is written in the law that the government is supposed to partner with NGOs and other organizations that would act as flag raisers when aspects of the law are not being implemented properly. However, that is not yet happening.

Project RED is part of a tax-exempt Salvadoran nonprofit organization that became legal early in 2012. Right now, Wilson raises all of its funds by taking fundraising trips and working with individual donors, and through donations made via Project RED’s website, www.projectredelsalvador.org.

For Abrego, the hardest part of working with Project RED is recognizing the true implications of Article 13 of the LEPINA law.

She added that even more families are struggling to make ends meet without the help of Project RED.

“The number of families we’re working with is a small sample of the reality that’s happening on a larger scale in this country,” she said.

Lebanon’s Pile of Corruption and Years of Neglect (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 01:15:00 +0100

By: Kaylyn Hlavaty
Produced & edited by: Leisha Lininger

Lebanon is known for attracting tourists from all over the world to see ancient cities like Tyre and natural wonders like the famous Jeita Grotto caves. Sea travelers can see mountains that stand tall and parallel the coastline with waves brashly hitting the permanent structures.

These mountains do not have snow peaks, cedar trees or rocks. Nor do they have the slightest beauty a natural wonder should exhibit. Rather they represent generations of consumption. Plastic bottles and bags, textiles, organic waste and chemicals pile up into a manmade mountain of trash totaling 40 feet of waste.

In Lebanon, there are 670 mountains of garbage scattered across the country. Both within city limits and on the coastal regions, landfills act like permanent structures failing to blend in with the city landscape. These landfills have acted as the solution to disposing of waste in Lebanon and over the years they became permanent sights among Lebanon residents.

In contrast, 40 municipal landfills are scattered throughout the state of Ohio’s 40,860.69 square miles of land according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. These landfills are monitored and operated to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. Lebanon’s total area is 4,014 square miles which is roughly two-thirds the size of the state of Connecticut. An Ohio resident can only imagine living in a country this small surrounded by 670 garbage dumps.

Fifi Kallab, president of Byblos Ecologia for Development and Environment has been campaigning and researching for alternatives and improvements to Lebanon’s waste management system since the 1980s.

“There is no long-term strategy for the disposal of solid waste or liquid waste,” said Kallab.

Waste disposal did not become a problem until the government had the first emergency plan put in place in 1997. The government signed a contract with the waste management company, the Averda group - Sukleen and Sukomi. This company controls the collecting of waste in the areas of Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Two incinerators were placed in the Aamorousieh and Quarantina facility as an alternative form to landfills. The increasing popular objection against incinerators led to the residents burning down the incinerator at the Aamorousieh plant.

“We had to deal with our waste, especially in Beirut, because it’s not like the remote areas where residents burn their organic waste so we had to find a place to put it,” said Kallab.

As trash continues to be dumped in landfills along the coast, Lebanon does not have any legislation to regulate how waste is collected and disposed.

“There is no accountability within the Lebanese government when it comes to managing waste,” said Ziad Abichaker, founder of the organization Cedar Environmental.

Cedar Environmental is making an impact on environmental initiatives. Since 1999, Cedar Environmental has built 11 recycling and composting facilities across Lebanon. Achieving efficiency and sustainability is a main feature of the organization because it sorts, composts and recycles all under one roof. Instead of dumping waste that could be recycled and reused, Cedar Environmental founder Ziad Abichaker researched and developed Eco-Board. It is a durable material made entirely out of breaking down everything from plastic grocery bags to flip flops that many consumers all over the world use on a daily basis. These boards are being developed into products such as benches and bins.

“We are the only organization that builds recycling plants and operates them without sending any residues to the landfill. Everything gets recycled or reused, even clothes and shoes,” said Abichaker.

The two contractors, Sukleen, who is responsible for collecting and sweeping the streets and Sukomi who is responsible for land filling the waste have very little incentive to change the way they collect garbage in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. One concept does make Sukomi and Sukleen act like a monopoly, however. Back in 1995, Averda signed a contract for Sukleen to collect and sweep the streets. Then three years later, two more contracts were signed with Averda for composting and land filling by Sukomi.

In 2012, President Michel Sleiman along with his cabinet didn’t want to renew the contract unless new initiatives to combat the waste management were included in the contract. However, the previous prime minister, Saad Hariri, felt that it was too late to think of other alternatives so the contract was renewed, Kallab said.

“There is no solution without political decisions because we don’t need ideas,” Kallab said.“We need a transparent solution, a transparent politician and accountability for them because in Lebanon there is no accountability. They do what they want and nobody can ask them what they are doing.”

Abichaker says both contractors ran out of space for landfills. He said that both Sukleen and Sukomi managed the solid waste of Beirut and Mt. Lebanon which equals 2,500 tons of waste processed per day, but 1,800 tons of that waste is dumped right in landfills and only 400 tons is actually recycled from the contractor’s recycle containers throughout the city.

The collection of garbage in the city of Beirut and the suburb of Mt. Lebanon is a daily routine. Tony Jada, a resident in Mount Lebanon who works as an engineer, says that the collection of garbage is politically based and often not done properly.

“We are not that advanced in technologies. We have some factories that help distribute the waste and some of this is used for agricultural reasons and it sometimes gets back into the ground water which causes more problems for us,” Jada said.

Sukleen and Sukomi usually collect garbage every day, which is different than the U.S. waste management companies once a week routine.

Jada adds, “the collection of garbage is chaos because of the crowded streets and the amount of garbage produced by each household.”

The amount of waste just dumped rather than recycled is costing the government more than just money. The waste produced and the way in which it is disposed is detrimentally affecting the fishing industry and marina life along Lebanon’s coastline.

The coastal region of Sidon is located 25 miles from Beirut. Away from the busy city life of traffic and skyscrapers, this ancient city may sound like it carries a natural awe overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. While it carries natural beauty from the ceareiulm water, this coast carries a burden; it holds a mountain of human garbage.

All the products wasted from day-to-day consumption land up here next to the Mediterranean Sea. The pollution of garbage is affecting the fishing industry and marine inhabitants along the Mediterranean coast.

Mohamed El Sarji is the President of the Lebanese Union of Professional Divers who sees first-hand the daily effects of the landfills on the fishing industry and tourism in Lebanon. Most landfills are prominent along the coastline.

“Nobody would allow garbage to be in their backyard. Most of the land is private except for the coastal area because they are public. They chose it simply because it’s free land for the people. They throw it there because no one will say anything,” said El Sarji.

In the winter the waves pound the bases of garbage piles and thousands of tons of garbage fall into the sea. The fishermen get garbage caught in their nets and as a result they have to keep buying new nets. Another percentage sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor. Then the garbage floats with the current and reaches the coasts of Syria, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.

“For us this is a national crisis. It’s a health problem for all Lebanese,” said El Sarji.

He explains how garbage is one of Lebanon’s biggest and most politically associated problems.

“We have a very corrupt government, very corrupt politicians and they will not solve any problem because they steal the money and bankrupt the country and take so many taxes from the people. It’s a very corrupt country, probably one of the most corrupt.”

There are four major landfills destroying the quality of the water and view of Lebanon’s coast. The landfills are located in Tripoli, Beirut, Sidon and Sour. The fishing industry, once a booming sector during the 1960s and 1970s, but since the civil war has steadily decreased as a major economic sector.

The profits of fishermen are decreasing because of some species living in the region. The caves many fish find shelter is blocked by garbage, making these places inhabitable for the local fish. Once this happens, Lebanon’s most expensive species, the Calico bass and the grouper, will leave the coast of Lebanon causing the fishermen to follow.

“Fishermen in Sidon with garbage in nets” |Photo credit Mohamed El Sarji

El Sarji explains that the coastal areas are losing in two ways. The first victim he describes is not the environment itself but the fisherman because since the sea is full of garbage, waste products are getting caught in the brand new nets. Every time this happens they are losing money. The average fisherman only makes 300-500 dollars a month.

El Sarji said the other victim is tourism in Lebanon. Tourism along with banking is one of the main sectors vital to the economy.

“Nobody wants to come to a country where garbage is covering the whole area of the beach. There are some places where you can see the sand, but there could be a little garbage and this isn’t acceptable. Tourists will not go on beaches that are polluted,” said El Sarji.

Photo credit Mohamed El Sarji

The current industries in Lebanon are polluting the environment because they are out of date and have little government regulation. Lebanon is a country of consumption so it is important that the sectors of tourism and fishing stay alive and apparent in the presence of waste dumps.

“We need to make our income from tourist and tourism,” said El Sarji. “The system we have now we are lost between the two. Ministries are trying to encourage industry to grow and we want to preserve the environment. But it’s unacceptable to let industries grow because of the environment.”

Despite the lack of initiatives from the Lebanese government, civic duty has taken over with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and projects trying to defeat this problem that has lasted decades. One NGO working towards a zero waste initiative with participation of local businesses is F.E.R.N, food establishments recycling nutrients.

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli was inspired to start a project where waste was sorted and collected at the source while studying resource management at New York University. She worked with restaurants to help compost and recycle their waste into bins, which would then be taken off to an appropriate facility for recycling.

“It is an uphill battle. We just have meetings with people trying to get the word out and trying to explain what we do,” said Danberg-Ficarelli.

The project is still in its startup phase and with everything finalized in March, Danberg-Ficarelli said there are currently three restaurants working with them. She explains how one of the hardest parts is getting employees to agree with the new process because many already have their own routine figured out.

Danberg said it has been difficult to convince residents to change their household practices. When she proposes her plan to restaurants, the biggest barrier is convincing the employees that it isn’t a waste of time and explaining the reasoning behind her ideas.

“It is something people don’t know how to do because there is no opportunity to do it,” Danberg-Ficarelli said. “If you see the owners or managers enthusiastic about it than their employees will be willing to follow.”

While there is participation in the movement to reduce waste and find alternative disposal, methods, a country that has a corrupt political system makes the move toward progress long and difficult. Until the government steps up their role and takes responsibility for their country, then Lebanon risks sinking in the piles of garbage they built unless something is done soon.

“You would go nuts because you would be upset,” said El Sarji. “You have no understanding of why any human would do this to themselves and their country. We don’t understand. It’s lack of responsibility from our politicians and failure to manage a country properly.”

Columbus, Boston united with worldwide organization to empower and provide aid to India (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:16:00 +0100

By: Leisha Lininger
Produced & edited by: Leisha Lininger

Home to the largest slums of Asia, the Republic of India boasts a 9.8% poverty rate with 29.8% of the population living below the poverty line. However, students in Columbus, Ohio, are determined to make a difference. Thus, with the formation of the Columbus chapter of the non-profit Association for India’s Development (AID), poverty meets a formidable foe.

According to their website, “AID is a non-profit, volunteer movement that supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, agriculture, health, women's empowerment and social justice.”

Mumkesh Goswami, one of four fellows at RTI Manch,
writes on the board during an event in 2011.
Courtesey of RTI Manch. (Academic Fair Use)

With meetings hosted on Ohio State’s campus, interested community members and students alike unite to brainstorm fundraising ideas and solutions for specific issues in India.

“We meet every Friday at 7 pm at Lazenby Hall. We always have a core group of 10-15 people,” said Aparna Lakshmanan, a student of the Ohio State University. “There are people from the community in the core group as well as undergraduates and faculty.”

Led by Lakshmanan and Rohan Mishra, the group’s aim is to address the root cause of issues, rather than simply treating the symptoms.

“We, at AID Columbus, believe that small initiatives such as the projects we support help shape the future of our nation.”

With over 70 chapters of AID active worldwide, especially in the United States and in India, the divisions tend to meet weekly or monthly to identify issues in specific regions and think of ideas of how to alleviate those issues.

According to minutes of a meeting held in August 2012 for the Columbus branch, the chapter approved 2 Lakh 25,000 rupees for the RTI NREGA Awareness campaign. RTI stands for the Right to Information Actand NREGA stands for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment GuaranteeAct.

The amount approved is equal to about $4093.36 in U.S. dollars (as of November 2012 currency conversion rates).

In addition, the group is working on six issues, described further in detail in sidebar 1.1 and has identified solutions for each one, some of which involve education, and others which involve political and legal action against the government or in enforcing laws. This project also has the support of the Boston and the Johns Hopkins University chapters.

Other projects sponsored by the Columbus chapter also include Community Environmental Health Monitoring in Cuddalore and Tamilnadu with the SIPCOT NGO. The AID chapter in Boston also sponsors this project.

This project focuses on the five main values that comprise a successful community monitoring system. They entail providing environmental & health monitoring skills, building awareness and mobilizing support, creating an emergency response team with the region’s youth, establishing an emergency relief fun, and creating a clean livelihoods program via modes such as “environmentally sustainable livelihood[s]."

Another project includes the Sangtin Kisaan Mazdoor Sanghatan 2011 Project with the SKMS NGO in the Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the RTI program mentioned above is located in the Rajasthan region and is partnered with students at the University of Rajasthan. All of these programs focus on building community empowerment.

Coordinated by Mr. Kamal and Mr. Tejaram, the Right to Information Manch project focuses on “improving government accountability and advising people on the opportunities and facilities that are available to them via the government,” according to the 2011 RTI Manch report.

“RTI requires timely responses to citizens requesting for information about government authorities. NREGA guarantees 100 days of employment yearly to a rural household in the form of manual labour.”

The group has been involved in serving as a watchdog and investigator of the government, and discovered that Rs 40 lakh was misused in a public hearing hosted in fall of 2011 for villagers who needed compact fluorescent lights, according to the 2011 Manthan project report, located on the AID homepage for RTI Manch: Awareness Generation and Facilitation of RTI and NREGA.

Yet another project sponsored by the Columbus chapter focuses on creating a short-stay shelter for Women, according to the July 2012 meeting minutes. The history of the shelter indicates that it was approved in 2010, but faced delays due to Fair Credit Reporting Act clearance requirements that were unmet.

The following year, however, it gained monetary support of $2,000. The organization’s aims are to expose female infanticide, support the education access for female student dropouts, and assist rape victims.

At this hearing hosted in November 2011, a scam involving
Rs 40 lakhs (4 million) was exposed and families living below
the poverty line in India received compact fluorescent lights.
(Photo courtesy of Mohan Singh, one of four fellows at RTI Manch)
(Academic Fair Use)

AID receives its funding from a variety of sources, such as grants, and donations. One staple, however, is its hot dog sale.

“We’ve been doing that for more than a decade,” said Lakshmanan. “[For about] fifteen years or more now at the Ohio State University at the football games. It’s a really well-organized system by the university.” In order to obtain permission to sell dogs for development, the chapter must sign a contract with the university.

The group is always looking for new members and for fresh ideas of funding. If you are interested in joining or in donating, check out their weekly meetings in Lazenby Hall 002, located at 1827 Neil Avenue Mall or check them out online at columbus.aidinidia.org.

The Association for India’s Development is a 501(C)(3) (Federal Tax-ID 04-3652609) non-profit charitable organization. All donations to AID are tax-exempt.

Boston’s Amit Soni and Columbus, Ohio’s Preethi Jyothi contributed to this report.

Amid Increasing Urban Development, Chileans Say Pedal Backwards (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:08:00 +0100

By:Seira Christian-Daniels
Produced and edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Morning traffic staccatoes along the Autopista, one of the two central highways in Santiago, Chile. The subtle scan of a toll-tracking device ushers Myriam Gregorio de las Heras to her final stop: Sanhattan, the largest and most modern area of Santiago. Sanhattan is the central location for business negotiations in Santiago and the epitome of development in the city.

De las Heras is among the nearly 60 percent of Chileans who commute to work into the downtown district of the city each day, according to a most recent 2002 Chilean Census Report. Highway tolls and wasted time, however, have caused several workers to challenge the efficiency of the Chilean transportation system amid much of the development downtown.

Some, like Camila Risso, a nurse who is continuing her education at Universidad Católica in Santiago, said she foots the bill to live on the outskirts of the city for the sake of her sanity.

“Santiago is too busy. It’s too noisy, so I prefer to get out. I prefer to go out and have a little bit of peace.” Though she says it is considerably more expensive to live in the suburban region of Region Metropolitano, the Metropolitan District, the chance to have a garden, trees in her yard, and a swimming pool allured her. Camila travels 45 minutes to and from work each day. Initially, she said, the drive did not cause alarm, but she’s beginning to feel worn out. “You spend about two hours a day driving. In the beginning it wasn’t that hard, but when it’s everyday. It’s stressful.”

Are the Roads to Blame?

Travelers come from small towns littered around the boisterously active capital city. The problem, de las Heras and Risso say, is the inefficient design of the roads downtown.

Francisco Contreras, a mine development engineer, says Chile’s copper mining industry has increased travel to and from Santiago. In Anagosto, the major mining city, there is only one main road, which often causes traffic congestion.

“This city has a huge floating population--people that come to Anagosto just to work at the copper mines and then go back to Santiago, La Serena, or Concepción--it becomes a real issue having a single "main" avenue.”

Santiago’s structure guarantees the centralization of services, public offices, and commerce, said Alejandro Aedo, an Engineering Specialist for BHP Billiton, a resource management firm. However, Jorge Jerez, an electrical engineer from Santiago, said the city structure has lagged behind the quickly increasing demographic. He says the mode of transportation must fit the population.

“The viability of the structures [downtown] doesn’t satisfy the requirements for vehicular transportation and connectivity required to improve some the congestion on the streets,” he says.

A Google map image of the streets around downtown Santiago appears the same as many other roads in major urban centers—with three-lane highways and express lanes attached on each side. Yet, as with many urban cities across the globe, the most developed cities have experienced mass amounts of congestion and inconvenience. A more simple solution

Chilean workers say the fix for congestion is to reinstitute the use of a more simple form of transportation. Diego Barros, a construction worker who has decided to live in the downtown region of the city, says though it is hard to find work in Santiago because of intense competition between small businesses and big corporations, he chooses to stay in downtown Santiago so he does not have to endure the hassel-prone public transportation system.

“I walk to work, but I try to use my bike in most cases. If it’s more than 40 km, then I take public transportation.” Barros said biking to work is a growing trend in younger professionals.

Maricel Brugerolles, who lives and works in Santiago, proposes the implementation of bike routes around the city to allow people who live closer to their jobs to bike ride to work everyday. “There’s a parallel life with respect to transportation. The government should divide the highways to decrease the amount of volume of traffic,” she says.

Though Chile records the second lowest gas emissions in 2012, the country had the second largest percent increase in gas consumption that year of BP’s top-eight monitored Central and South America Countries. These statistics explain government of Santiago issuing its first ever pre- emergency environmental alert in May of 2012. A second alert limiting vehicles without catalytic converters to a certain number of hours per day was issued in May 2011. Catalytic converters transform toxic vehicle emissions into less toxic forms.

Lingering Pollution in Ecuador's Rainforests (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:08:00 +0100

By: Rebecca McKinsey
Produced and edited by:Kaylyn Hlavaty

Indigenous tribes in Ecuador’s Amazon Rain Forest may have won a victory in 2011, but the toll of years of oil pollution that damaged both their environment and their health will take much longer to erase.

For almost 30 years, oil operations within the rain forest by Texaco Inc. — which Chevron Corporation bought in 2001 — caused such extensive pollution that it resulted in severe health problems, including cancer, for the indigenous tribes living there, who had no way to protect themselves, activists say.

And although a long, drawn-out legal battle between the tribes, activists and the oil company resulted in a $19 billion payout by Chevron in 2011, healing for the indigenous people within Ecuador’s rain forest is still far away.

Although the battle was drawn out for years, many groups, including Amnesty International and Survival, remained staunchly in support of justice for the indigenous groups affected in the rain forest.

One group that advocates for the health rights of the tribes is punto&coma, which works toward defending the environment, human rights, economic development and the fight against poverty.

“Punto&coma is a small company dedicated to creating publications for NGOs about topics such as the environment, human rights, et cetera,” said Luisa Toribio, a representative from the organization. “On a personal level, there are topics (such as pollution in the Amazon Rain Forest) that interest us greatly, and for that reason, we follow and support them.”

The tribes, many of whose members had no access to the world outside of their lives in the rain forest, were not prepared for the pollution or equipped to deal with its effects.

“We lived upon the river of rich, clear waters, but with the arrival of the contamination, my brothers are now dead,” said one indigenous woman featured in Joe Berlinger’s documentary, Crude. “I am the only survivor of my family.”

Crude outlines the pollution problems that manifested themselves in the forests over the decades and the legal battle that continued for years.

Wildlife was not spared by the pollution, but the documentary primarily shows translated interviews with members of the tribes who came forward — described as “some of the most marginalized people on Earth” — and described the health problems they were experiencing as a result of the pollution, including one woman whose young daughter had liver cancer. Not even their drinking water was spared from oil pollution. “What was once paradise now has just been left in destruction,” one indigenous man said.

Throughout the documentary, oil company representatives were shown providing protests that the health problems were a result of poor sanitation rather than oil pollution.

“This is not contamination,” said one activist shown in the documentary. “This is industrial exploitation permitted by the law.”

The National Cancer Registry for Ecuador showed more than 1,200 cancer cases in oil-producing areas in the country between 1985 and 2000, according to the Eurasia Review. The numbers are expected to be even higher because they don’t specifically pertain to the Amazon Rain Forest, the report states.

The types of cancer reported to be affecting people living in oil-producing areas in Ecuador varied widely and included cancer of the stomach, rectum, soft tissue, kidneys, cervix and lymph nodes as well as skin melanoma, according to the Eurasia Review.

Still, Chevron denies its oil production efforts caused any adverse effects.

“Chevron has thoroughly investigated the plaintiffs’ lawyers’ claims of social, health and environmental harms,” states the oil company’s website. “… There is no scientific support for the claims. To the contrary, all of the legitimate evidence presented to the Ecuadorian court demonstrates that… operations present no risk to residents’ health.”

The book Savages by Joe Kane provides an in-depth, long-term look at one of the tribes — the Huaorani Indians — who are most secluded and were most affected by the oil pollution.

It describes them as a group of people who “so fearsome that they had driven off generations of invaders” — until oil was discovered in their region.

When a company came in to clear seismic lines and recruited members of the tribe for manpower, their treatment provided an almost shocking insight into outsiders’ views of the tribes — one activists argue also promoted the problems with the oil companies.

Enqueri, one of the tribe members profiled in Kane’s book, described the treatment to Kane:

“I worked with other Huaorani Indians; we all slept together,” he said. “There was a lot of malaria, and someone was always getting hurt — cutting off a finger or getting chopped by a machete or ax. But if you didn’t work, you didn’t get paid.

“When we asked for better treatment, the company said we didn’t deserve it, because we were uncivilized.”

November Uprising: Jordanian’s Call for Reform (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:52:00 +0100

By: Gina Mussio
Produced & edited by: Molly Nocheck

The Arab Spring has largely steered clear of Jordan, a US ally and relatively stable country. After recent protests, however, all that has changed.

Thousands crowded the streets across the country protesting the sharp increase in gas and fuel prices announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour.

“People were there shouting and cursing the government and demanding they rescind the decision,” said Ahmad Tawalbeh, a chemical engineering major at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. “I went with my friend to protest because like a lot of Jordanian citizens I don't agree with the decision and I see it’s unfair for us.”

Jordan’s neighbors in the Middle East have seen their fair share of uprisings and demonstrations as well, starting in late 2010 with the Tunisia Revolution, and reaching its height spring of last year when thousands of Egyptians protested and called for the resignation of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Since then, rulers have been forced from power in Libya and Yemen and civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria.

Jordan too has seen its fair share of protests, over 2,000 in the past two years, but nearly all have been peaceful, with cooperation between both the citizens and the police. Now, however, demonstrations have turned violent. Protesters have been sprayed with water and tear gas, police hit with rocks and two people have been reported killed.

After hearing about the protests, Naseer Alomari, a Jordanian-American principal in Westchester County and online advocate for Middle Eastern democracy, called his family in Jordan to make sure everything was okay. A large demonstration was taking place in Irbid, the city closest to his hometown, and he hoped his family could keep him updated.

His 24-year-old niece, Rawan, explained the situation to him via Skype – the tenseness, the discontent among people throughout Jordan and the conversations happening among friends and neighbors. Alomari’s brother was also in the room, simultaneously calling friends to learn what was going on in the streets below.

It was then that he received a phone call from another relative, telling him that his and Alomari’s cousin had been shot in the chest. Qais Al Omari, 27, was the first killed during the protests on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in downtown Irbid.

“It’s still mind boggling that this would happen,” Alomari said. “He didn’t get to the hospital – Qais did not even make it to the hospital. He passed away.”

The village was traditionally supportive of the government, after this, however, the support of the people eroded. Demonstrators burned down the municipality building, as well as several vehicles belonging to the municipality.

“It was amazing that the first person to fall was in that small town where the king has a lot of support – or used to have,” Alomari said.

There is no doubt that Jordanians are angry. Unemployment in the cash-strapped nation is at 12 percent, with the highest rate, 27.2 percent, among young people between 20-24 years. In fact, similar to Egypt and Tunisia, its predecessors in protest, the youth are largely responsible for organizing protests and spurring conversation online and on the ground.

“My cousin, he has been looking for a job ever since I’ve known him. He’s 27 years old and he’s never held a decent job. When he died yesterday he didn’t have a job,” Alomari said. “People are afraid that they are not going to be able to support their families.”

The protests continued for days, with citizens chanting anti-regime slogans, calling the king a gambler in reference to his accused corruption, and supporting the downfall of the regime.

“I think most Jordanians have lost optimism,” said Sakari, a 24-year-old medical student and democracy activist in Jordan. “People are really frustrated and they are really angry. We are not seeing any serious measures taking place. The only thing we’re seeing is the government asking us to pay the price.”

Sakari, a member of the youth Herak movement, did not participate in the most recent protests because he doesn’t support their call for the downfall of the regime, but his discontent is palpable. The people’s demands are legitimate, he said, they want to elect a government, a parliament that represents Jordanians, to get through the economic crises and end government corruption. He acknowledged that this will not come easily.

“I’m really scared that things might develop like it has in many other Arab countries,” Sakari said. “Honestly speaking, most Jordanians don’t want that. We want the regime to be wise enough to make true reform without any bloodshed.”

The U.S.-backed Jordanian government has often issued government subsidies to placate the people, this time though, the cash ran out. The state attempted to institute austerity measures, such as the fuel price increase, to reduce a growing budget deficit and decrease public spending.

The protests have continued despite the violence, roadblocks set up by the police and hundreds jailed. Tawalbeh went to protest again after Friday prayer, Nov 16, taking video and continuing to support other citizens and friends on the streets.

Though none have said they believe the protests can be labeled a “revolution” yet, all acknowledge that Jordan is in uncharted waters and that the people are not going to give up their requests for reform.

“We are looking for a better future; We are looking for corrupts to be jailed; We want a democratic government that are elected by the people not appointed; We want a better future for the next generations,” Samkari said.

Pollution in Iran's Caspian Sea (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:42:00 +0100

By: Chelsa Lewis-Bevel
Produced & edited by Molly Nocheck

The wonders of the Caspian Sea have ancient origins. 1.8 million years ago, early hominids roamed the coastlines, and sought refuge next to this great body of water, which supplied them their every need. Today the people of the Caspian region still rely heavily on the resources provided by the Sea. But, this safe haven is in danger. An estimated 140 million tons of pollutants are poured into the sea every year.

Iran borders the southern part of the Caspian Sea. Of the five littoral states, it hosts the largest Caspian Sea coastline in relation to country size. The deepest area of the sea sits in the southern region, belonging to Iranian territory. Iran’s large coastline, and water depths up to 3,200ft, provides the country with opportunities to expand its coast based industries, and its oil industry. But, these expansions come with a price. Saeed Arjmand, a student studying environmental engineering at the University of Tehran, thinks pollution in the sea can get out of control if it’s not checked soon.

“In terms of pollution, the Caspian Sea is in critical condition,” he says.

Arjmand cites three ways Iran contributes to pollution in the sea; Sewage, agricultural waste, and its oil industry. Parvin Nassir, a member of the Iranian Society of Environmentalists, agrees.

“It’s a mixture of a bunch of different factors, different types of pollutants, coming from all across the coast, makes for a messy situation. It’s hard to pinpoint who’s to blame,” she says.

Scientists at the Caspian Research Station, in Noushahr, Iran, give some insight on how Iran is contributing to the pollution. Iranian sewage is a recent concern, as it produces bacterial pollution, which threatens the sea’s marine life. The country’s agricultural industry dumps waste such as fertilizers and pesticides as well as detergents into the sea. The main pollution sources of the Caspian Sea are the daily, extractions of crude oil and the transportation of the oil by the country’s oil industry.

“The traffic of large oil tankers dumps 122,350 tons of oil pollutants into the sea each year, alone”, says Nassir.

Iran’s contribution seems heavy, in this context, but the country’s pollution only accounts for 5% of all pollution in the Caspian Sea, according to the Iranian National Institute of Oceanography (INIO). Iran has a small share from polluting point of view, but it gets an extensive part of the pollution created by the other littoral states because of the sea currents in the Caspian Sea. The pollution in the Caspian Sea seems to be taking a toll of Iran the most.

Delbar Selim lives in Sari, a city in Iran’s Mazandaran Province, about 20 miles from the Caspian Sea shore. Citizens like Selim, who live by the shore fear for the Sea’s future.

“Some people, say 10 years from now, it will be too dangerous to even swim in the sea, I can’t even imagine that,” says Selim.

Coastal inhabitants have a bond with the seashore, according to Selim. And every year, they watch it getting worse. But the pollution is jeopardizing more that, the coastal culture. The pollution of the sea is causing the country some major economic losses, which include declining fishing revenues, changes in fishing expenditure, decreased aquaculture developments and property devaluation. The area is losing much of its attractiveness to tourists, who bring in a lot of revenue for coastal businesses. The country is also facing health issues. According to recent health statistics, diseases such as typhoid, dysentery and tuberculosis are 15 times more prevalent in coastal areas than in the remaining part of the country.

However, the country could be seeing better days, when it comes to pollution in the Caspian Sea. During the 15th meeting of the Association of Universities of Caspian Sea States, the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography was appointed as the center monitoring pollution in the Caspian Sea. This may give the country an opportunity to really assess the problem of pollution and come up with solutions that will benefit all littoral states.

The Institute has many plans for waste minimization; the most important is finding the problem. A report from the institute explains how they will address the growing issue. “The first plan is to identify the point sources of pollution in the Caspian seaboard. This includes the pollution from all industries, commercial places and cities around the Caspian Sea”.

South Sudanese Food Crisis Rises (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:02:00 +0100

By: Victoria Calderon
Produced and edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Shortly after declaring independence last July, South Sudan faces rising food prices and food insecurity for 2.4 million people.

Senada Kahriman, country director of CHF International in South Sudan said the country is reliant on imported food and cites lack of infrastructure in the country as a cause of the food crisis.

“There is very little local production [of food] and even in locations where food production is high enough to send goods to the market, lack of roads and basic infrastructure makes imported food, majorly from Uganda, easier to access,” said Kahriman.

According to the Malaria Consortium, the twenty-two year civil war that ended in 2005 left the infrastructure of South Sudan in a poor condition. Non-governmental organizations have been left to fill in the gaps while the infrastructure improves.

More than two years after its independence, South Sudan remains to be one of Africa’s least developed countries as indicated by a 2011 report determined by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Oil Production Ceases

In addition, a halt in oil production after disputes with Sudan has left the south without its major source of revenue since January.

"South Sudan derived about 98-percent of its budgetary revenue from oil exports," said George Fominyen, a spokesperson from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Once reliant on agriculture, the country turned to oil as a means of profit. Now, only four percent of arable land in South Sudan is currently under cultivation.

This is also a result of the country's expensive costs to operate the environment, said Kahriman.

It is estimated that 75-percent of former Sudan's oil reserves now remain in the south. A 2005 accord split the oil revenue evenly between the two countries, but this agreement ended with South Sudan's independence.

A breakdown in agreements after the split has suspended the production of oil since January. Plans to reopen the oil fields in September were postponed after Sudan added an addendum to the cooperation agreement.

Sudan has demanded that South Sudan disarm rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North, which currently operate in two states bordering South Sudan.

Negotiations for the implementation of a cooperation agreement between the two countries are still ongoing.

Food Insecurity Fominyen says, “Food insecurity is persistent in the country with a minimum of ten percent of the population experiencing severe seasonal food insecurity every year over the past five years, regardless of the agricultural season performance.”

The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) monitors trends in staple food prices where food security is vulnerable and has watched South Sudan's steady price increase.

Food prices generally begin to rise as food stores begin to decline in April. However, prices have not stopped rising in South Sudan, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Kahriman expects the resumption of oil production will result in a decrease in food insecurity, as well as the level of inflation in the country.

Fominyen is not convinced there is a trend between a lack of oil production and the rise in food prices, citing that food prices in South Sudan have always been high.

Data collected by USAID does show prices in South Sudan have been rising since as early as January 2008, even before South Sudan declared its independence and oil production was ceased.

Instead, Fominyen said the border closures between South Sudan and Sudan have caused a spike in food prices. Before the closures and South Sudanese independence, as much as 180,000 metric tons of assorted food reached the markets in South Sudan from or through the north. Fominyen said at least 40-percent of that food was sorghum, a grain high in fat and protein.

"Following the border closures...prices shot up."

Lamwalhok Liah, a South Sudanese citizen says he's watched the price of sorghum steadily rise.

"We observed that food prices, especially sorghum and wheat flour prices, in most areas were double what they were at the same periods last year," said Fominyen.

NGO's Struggle to Keep Up With Demand

Non-profit organizations are struggling to keep up with the demand for food. Kahriman said that CHF international has seen the number of people who require food assistance double from 1.2 to 2.4 million people.

The United Nations WFP office in Sudan, however, said their numbers have decreased since South Sudan split from the north. As many as 10 million people needed aid from the NGO at one once before 2011, but WFP now cares for closer to 4.2 million people in Sudan, according to Amor Almagro.

Plagiarism and Copying Continue to Plague South Korea (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:34:00 +0100

By: C.J. Buskey
Produced & edited by Molly Nocheck

As the Republic of Korea’s elections enter the final stretch, presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-Soo has some ground to make up, as he trails New Frontier Party nominee Park Geun-hye by nearly 10 points, according to a recent poll conducted by Realmeter and JTBC.

Yet, Soo may have other issues to worry about, including recent accusations that he plagiarized some of his research papers at Seoul National University. Ahn graduated from Seoul University’s medical school in 1991, but his work in question is research published two years later, which was suspected to copy a work by The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Soo is just one of the more prominent examples of the deeper problem of copying and plagiarism in South Korea, a problem that hasn’t been getting much attention.

“My Korean partner says that it's a big problem,” says Seoul resident Joe McPherson, who runs the Korean food blog Zenkimchi. “Those types of ethics aren't taught at all in the schools. It's funny that the Korean word for cheating on a test is ‘cunning.’” Plagiarism has not only affected students in South Korea, but also has been practiced by some of its professors. Two professors from Seoul National University were investigated for plagiarizing stem cell research earlier this year, the same University that saw Professor Hwang Woo-Suk fired for fabricating much of his cloning research in 2007.

While South Koreans are taught not to plagiarize during schooling, Seoul patent attorney Kim Yun Mi says she thinks it isn’t taken too seriously.

“In middle and High School, I was taught ‘not to plagiarize’ in several of my classes, but I was never told how serious of a problem plagiarism is,” she said. “It’s become very serious problem and before the past couple of years, it was considered a usual thing.”

Steve Herman, President of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club, goes even further in theorizing where the roots of South Korea’s plagiarism problems begin.

“It’s obvious that the approach towards academic plagiarism is more lax in South Korea than in the United States,” said Herman. “Based on discussions with students and academics I’ve had, the problem seems to be endemic and systemic.”

One theory that McPherson proposes is the concept of “Rote memorization”, which is a theory of learning strictly by repetition.

“Rote memorization is the dominant education model rather than critical thinking. This comes from the old Confucian scholar system that has been embedded in the culture for centuries,” he said.

South Korea’s plagiarism problem extends far beyond its academic institutions, however. Many of South Korea’s businesses have been caught copying foreign products, including the most recent example of Samsung v. Apple. Copying also affects other aspects of Korean life, such as the K-Pop music industry and even the cars they drive. “Automotive design nowadays is much better than it was in the past, but in the past, most automotive design copy the Japanese,” said Will Kim, who spent 26 years in Seoul before moving to New York.

Japanese products aren’t the only ones being copied either. Devon Weber, an English teacher in Seoul, says he sees copied American products almost everywhere, with multiple brands copying the same product. “The North Face, for instance, has a rip off brand here called ‘The Cools Place’. They also have brands called ‘The Red Face’ and ‘The Black Wind’, all of which are blatant rip offs,” he said.

Products like the North Face have come under intense scrutiny from the South Korean government, largely because the country fears influence from foreign brands. Korean officials seem to only want South Korean businesses to be successful to help promote nationalism. McPherson has seen this in action first-hand.

“A Canadian friend of mine runs a great burger joint, and he does it on his own,” McPherson said, “he recently ran into obstacles in renewing his investor's visa. During the process, an immigration official said, ‘why don't you get a Korean partner to make this easier?’”

Fortunately, however, plagiarism and copying is beginning to attract more attention than ever before in South Korea.

“The number of lectures about copying/plagiarism has definitely been increasing,” said Mi. “And the legal cases about copying/plagiarism have also increased. I think the consciousness of copying is changing.”

With plagiarism continuing to make international headlines, such as in the case of Cheol-Soo, it also serves as a black eye for a country that has been trying to separate itself academically from other economic superpowers, such as the U.S. and Japan.

The United Nations Index rated South Korea 7th out of 176 countries for its education system earlier this year. If South Korea hopes to maintain this ranking, weeding out plagiarism in its universities will be essential.

“I would expect as South Korea endeavors to bring its high education system up to a global standard and there are greater exchanges of academics and students between this country and the West, then awareness will grow and the standard will gradually improve here,” said Herman.

As for Soo, the investigations into his alleged plagiarism have come to a halt for the moment, as Seoul National University announced last week that they had found the papers in question “OK.”

(IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:34:00 +0100

By:Molly Nocheck
Produced and edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Hidden in the folds of society, gay and lesbian Tanzanians are chipping away at an age-old system of oppression.

In 2011 the Tanzanian government began to work toward producing a new constitution. In an effort to engage citizens, President Jakaya Kikwete enacted a Constitutional Review Commission. The Tanzanian Constitution Review Commission has been collecting public opinion on issues ranging from the makeup of the government to social issues.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender LGBT rights are one social issue causing a stir amongst citizens.

Historically, homosexuality in Tanzania has carried a harsh stigma. The stigma following gay and lesbians is subtle but ever-present.

“They’re there, but it’s not really something which is open…People look at it as something that is not right in the population” said Diana Kidela, the CEO for the Platform for Constitution Making: Tanzania.

Credit of causes.org

Kidela cites what she refers to as a common reaction to homosexual behavior, “I saw two girls walking and people starting laughing and whistling, saying that those two are husband and wife.”

The stigma can be harsher than taunts, however.

“I can not buy my needs in the neighbourhood because I am a gay, I have no friends in the neighbourhood,” said Mark.

The stigma was solidified with the criminalization of homosexuality in the Tanzania Penal Code of 1945.

Penal Code Sections 154, 155 and 157 make homosexual acts illegal with punishments ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment.

“In Tanzania, generally, we have not recognized the rights of the minority group- gays,” said Kidela.

Activists hope this will change with the passing of the new constitution in April 2014.

WEZESHA, a Tanzanian LGBT organization, has begun a campaign to “scale up constitutional literacy and create awareness among the LGBT community in Tanzania. Working in collaboration with other LGBT activists, they are reaching out to citizens using social media and educational materials.

For activists like Elizabeth*, connecting with people is an uphill battle.

“I presented my brochures to the women’s meeting on rights and issues on constitutionalism the participants did not even want to listen… Following this action I decided to use Twitter, Facebook, and SMS sending our opinions directly to the constitution platform team,” said Elizabeth, a LGBT activist.

Courtesy of Zanzibar Daima Katika

Feelings of frustration within the Tanzanian LGBT and ally community are widespread.

“To be honest, I’ve been interviewed by more than 1000 people but it has never helped the LGBT Tanzanians,” said James Wandera Ouma, the Executive Director of WEZESHA.

The Constitutional Review Commission has held several public forums around Tanzania in a grassroots effort to gather opinions on same sex marriage and LGBT rights.

Some worry that these forums further oppress LGBT activists.

“No one will ever try to raise that kind of question in the new constitution dialogue because he/she will look so stupid in front of the rest audience,” said Mark*, a gay Tanzanian.

Rather, the Constitutional Review Commission and Tanzanian citizens have focused on what they consider to be more pressing issues.

Kidela says their biggest priority is marginalized groups like the poor. With basic needs, such as health and education reforms taking center stage in the constitutional dialogue, LGBT rights have fallen wayside.

“It’s not really a priority in the constitutional review process.”

Israeli Organic Farms Rooted in Tradition (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:24:00 +0100

By Margaret Krueger
Produced and Edited by:Kaylyn Hlavaty

Midway between the metropolitan bustle of Tel Aviv and the religious tension of Jerusalem, interns like Ellen Brown sowed the soil just outside the city of Modi’in at Hava & Adam Eco-Education Farm. For Brown, thoughts of agricultural heritage consumed her time in Israel.

“The land of Israel, and this idea of land, isn’t talking about the political borders of Israel,” Brown said, referring to Jewish scripture. “It is talking about the earth.”

Brown, the current farm coordinator of upstate New York’s Jewish Farm School, said she pursued a five-month internship at Hava & Adam Farm, seeking a connection to Israel removed from the political tension of the region.

According to B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, since September 2000 there have been over 6,500 Palestinians and 1,000 Israeli have been killed in the hostilities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Amid a time of national turmoil some communities, have found organic farming as a way of promoting stability.

Kibbutz Lotan, like Hava & Adam, is a sustainable and organic farming community in southern Israel, which strives to “cultivate[s] the values that drive peace and social justice.”

A view of the Havaveadam Eco Farm domes where interns and workers live. Courtesy of Hava & Adam Eco-Israel

A view of the Havaveadam Eco Farm domes where interns and workers live.
Credit of Hava & Adam Eco-Israel

“[Participants] work alongside Palestinian-Arab, Bedouin and Jewish Israelis who aspire to move beyond dualistic thinking for equitable and long-lasting peace,” according to Kibbutz Lotan’s overviewing statement.

Adam and Kibbutz Lotan are not alone, as initiatives in the Negav desert of southern Israel such as Project Wadi Attir, farm with a lens of sustainability – an aim for complete self-sufficiency of resources, the elimination of waste, and bringing people closer to their own food production, defined Hava & Adam Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator Gili Chupak.

Hava & Adam Eco-Education Farm Hava & Adam farm, founded in 2003, was the vision of Israeli businessman Yigal Deautscher, who saw the need for hands-on experience in the context of sustainable living, Chupak said.

This vision took the form of a farm, which obtained eight acres of land from the municipality of Modi’in to forward sustainable education for the city, local schools, and individual interns living on site.

“The notion [is] that a sustainable individual is really someone who is a moral person,” said Chupak, “someone who is aware of the impact that they have on the people and the place that surrounds them.”

This moralistic take on sustainable farming is also reflected in Hava and Adam’s connection to Judeo-Christian principles. As Chupak explained, the word “hava” in Hebrew means Eve as well as farm, with the farm’s name serving as a direct reference to the story of the Garden of Eden.

Hava & Adam’s goal of establishing sustainable practices takes many forms. Hava & Adam has worked to start a composting program in Modi’in, provide community gardening plots, and organize with the local education department to provide sustainability education programs to local schools and daycares.

Kibbutz Lotan Located in Arava Valley in the Negav desert of southern Israel, Kibbutz Lotan was founded in 1983, said Director of the Kibbutz Lotan Center for Creative Ecology Mike Kaplin. Additionally, he noted that the kibbutz is affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism.

“The act of growing food, nourishing the land we live on and also nourishing our own bodies, is a very Jewish act for us,” said Leah Zigmond, Kibbutz Lotan’s Director of Education.

A view of the Havaveadam Eco Farm domes where interns and workers live.
Credit of Hava & Adam Eco-Israel

As a kibbutz – a kind of collective settlement – Lotan currently houses 75 adults and 54 children, working to grow organic vegetables in their eco-education park, explained Kaplin.

“The way we see it, the first job of our ancestors was tilling and tending the earth,” said Zigmond. “The reason that Jews from all over the world are drawn to this tiny country is because our roots are here, figuratively and literally.”

Kibbutz Lotan’s ecology work is rooted in many programs, from organic gardening to recycling programs, to land preservation. The kibbutz annually welcomes between 20 to 40 young people who participate in educational programs that empower visitors to take environmental initiative in their own lives.

“In Hebrew we say there is ‘no Torah without bread, and no bread without Torah,’” said Zigmond. “We need both spiritual sustenance and also real nutritional nourishment in order to be complete human beings.”

Project Wadi Attir For one Bedouin community in the Negav town of Hura, Dr. Michael Ben-Eli hopes advancements in organic farming practices will restore sustainability and economic sufficiency for indigenous Bedouin people.

In 2008, Project Wadi Attir began as an initiative of the U.S. non-profit Sustainability Laboratory. Founder Ben-Eli launched the laboratory after becoming increasingly aware of the huge gap between the rhetoric of sustainable development and what was actually happening on the ground.

Witnessing the impoverished conditions of many Bedouins during a trip to Israel, Ben-Eli explained he saw this as a need that the lab could fill.

“There have been a lot of attempts to do something right after 60 years of doing everything wrong,” said Ben-Eli, concerning the state of Bedouin poverty and the response of the Israeli government.

“I think there is a growing sensitivity,” he said.

The project has received diverse support from many sectors of Israeli society who don’t usually work together.

“Most of the government officers see this as a good opportunity,” said Mayor of Hura Dr. Mohammed Alnabari. Alnabari has been instrumental in securing over three million dollars in government funding for the project.

What is unique about the initiative is that it will give Bedouin families, including women, a means of returning to economic independence.

“Bedouin women use to work with their families in their own gardens,” explained Mariam Abu Rakayek. Rakayek currently works to provide Bedouin women a larger involvement in the household economy through the planting of home gardens.

Project Wadi Attir also plans to leverage the Bedouin experience and knowledge of the desert, with advanced technology that would allow for such production as milk, cheese, and produce for mass consumption, explained Ben-Eli.

Two Generations of Vietnamese Both Choose to Stay in Germany (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:16:00 +0100

By: Chu Wu
Produced & edited by Molly Nocheck

Among all the Asian immigrants living in Germany, Vietnamese people form the largest community.

Minority Rights Group International shows that by 2004, there were 83,526 Vietnamese, among which 17,893 were born in Germany. The number has increased in the following years, reaching 90,000 to 10,000 in 2008, according to The Voice of Vietnam.

Human rights issues and poverty in Vietnam and relatively better living condition in Germany keep these people stay in this Europe country, away from their hometown.

The first generation of Vietnamese immigrants arrived between 1970s and 1990s.

The reasons for immigration varied between West and East Germany, Melanie Moltmann explains. She is the specialist in Vietnam-Germany political and economic relations at German Federal Foreign Office.

Just as in the case of many Vietnamese immigrants in the US, many of those in West Germany were refugees from the Vietnam War. Others in East Germany were participants in the Guest Worker Plan between German Democratic Republic (GDR) and North Vietnam.

The plan was signed in 1980 to provide training to Vietnamese by East Germany to show its support for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The population of Vietnamese in GDR surged from 2,482 in 1980 to 59,053 in 1989.

“I moved to Germany in 1996 when I was 8 to live with my father in Dresden,” said Anni Do Thi, a Vietnamese living in Germany, who is now in his 20s.

Dresden used to be a part of GDR before the reunification in 1989. Anni’s father participated in the Guest Worker Plan in 1988.

“The situation in Vietnam (1980s) was bad. If you didn’t have money for school or good connections, it was hard to find work and get money,” Anni says.

Nguyen Hue Nhat wrote in his book – The commission of crimes of the Vietnamese Communists in Germany – “the Vietnamese communist media had brainwashed the people with propaganda depicting the West as a paradise for making money”.

“Vietnamese always think that Europe and America are better places to live and earn money,” Anni explains.

Ngo Xuan Nguyen had been living a poor life in Vietnam before he joined the working plan. He seized the opportunity of working in Germany as the greatest opportunity he could ever get, his daughter Diana Ngo says.

Mr. Ngo fixed broken items in a factory and lived with four other Vietnamese in a room of 50 square meters. Back then in the early 1990s, these foreign workers could only live in several districts appointed by the government.

He believed there was no way for him to get out of poverty if he stayed in Vietnam. Therefore, he enjoyed the life in Germany without wanting to return back to his home country.

Most Vietnamese in Germany in 1990s held the same opinion. When the Berlin Wall fell and the new government tried to send back workers back to Vietnam, they tried their best to stay.

There would be no way for them to start a good life in Vietnam with the government suppressing political dissent, lack of freedom of expression, and injustice. Everything was about money and connection.

“You can bribe people,” Andi says.

Despite the problem neo-Nazis and their anti-foreigners attitude, the first generation of Vietnamese immigrants chose to stay in a western country where they believed they lived a better life.

Many of the Vietnamese immigrants managed to stay successfully, including Anni’s father and Diana’s parents.

“It is a big community. Every Vietnamese knows about each other. We are polite and hardworking people. We have our nice lovely communities, but we are trying to integrate into Germany as well,” Anni likes Germany.

Young people like Anni were sent to Germany in a very young age for family reunion and more importantly, for a better education.

“After school I had to learn because education is the reason I came to Germany,” Anni spent his spare time studying and helping in the household, like cooking, washing dishes and clothes.

The young generation of Vietnamese immigrants in Germany is more like Germans, not Vietnamese. They were born or grew up in this European country and seldom go back to Vietnam. They like the life in Germany.

Thu Ha Tran Thi is a Vietnamese girl born in 1992 in Germany. She says her childhood was so happy with different Disney movies. She gave up her Vietnam citizenship and became a legal German citizen half a year ago.

Anni will apply for German citizenship in the near future. “I think German is much better than Vietnam. Here in Germany, if you have no job, the state will pay you. In Vietnam, you have to find work or die in poverty.”

There are over 40,000 people like Miss Thi between 1981 and 2007, giving up Vietnamese citizenship and get German nationality.

(IIJ Blog)

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Israeli Organic Farms Rooted in Tradition Midway between the metropolitan bustle of Tel Aviv and the religious tension of Jerusalem, interns like Ellen Brown sowed the soil just outside the city of Modi’in at Hava & Adam Eco-Education Farm. For Brown, thoughts of agricultural heritage consumed her time in Israel. “The land of Israel, and this idea of land, isn’t talking about the political borders of Israel,” Brown said, referring to Jewish scripture. “It is talking about the earth.” Brown, the current farm coordinator of upstate New York’s Jewish Farm School, said she pursued a five-month internship at Hava & Adam Farm, seeking a connection to Israel removed from the political tension of the region. According to B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, since September 2000 there have been over 6,500 Palestinians and 1,000 Israeli have been killed in the hostilities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Amid a time of national turmoil some communities, have found organic farming as a way of promoting stability. Kibbutz Lotan, like Hava & Adam, is a sustainable and organic farming community in southern Israel, which strives to “cultivate[s] the values that drive peace and social justice.” “[Participants] work alongside Palestinian-Arab, Bedouin and Jewish Israelis who aspire to move beyond dualistic thinking for equitable and long-lasting peace,” according to Kibbutz Lotan’s overviewing statement. Adam and Kibbutz Lotan are not alone, as initiatives in the Negav desert of southern Israel such as Project Wadi Attir, farm with a lens of sustainability – an aim for complete self-sufficiency of resources, the elimination of waste, and bringing people closer to their own food production, defined Hava & Adam Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator Gili Chupak. Hava & Adam Eco-Education Farm Hava & Adam farm, founded in 2003, was the vision of Israeli businessman Yigal Deautscher, who saw the need for hands-on experience in the context of sustainable living, Chupak said. This vision took the form of a farm, which obtained eight acres of land from the municipality of Modi’in to forward sustainable education for the city, local schools, and individual interns living on site. “The notion [is] that a sustainable individual is really someone who is a moral person,” said Chupak, “someone who is aware of the impact that they have on the people and the place that surrounds them.” This moralistic take on sustainable farming is also reflected in Hava and Adam’s connection to Judeo-Christian principles. As Chupak explained, the word “hava” in Hebrew means Eve as well as farm, with the farm’s name serving as a direct reference to the story of the Garden of Eden. Hava & Adam’s goal of establishing sustainable practices takes many forms. Hava & Adam has worked to start a composting program in Modi’in, provide community gardening plots, and organize with the local education department to provide sustainability education programs to local schools and daycares. Kibbutz Lotan Located in Arava Valley in the Negav desert of southern Israel, Kibbutz Lotan was founded in 1983, said Director of the Kibbutz Lotan Center for Creative Ecology Mike Kaplin. Additionally, he noted that the kibbutz is affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. “The act of growing food, nourishing the land we live on and also nourishing our own bodies, is a very Jewish act for us,” said Leah Zigmond, Kibbutz Lotan’s Director of Education. As a kibbutz – a kind of collective settlement – Lotan currently houses 75 adults and 54 children, working to grow organic vegetables in their eco-education park, explained Kaplin. “The way we see it, the first job of our ancestors was tilling and tending the earth,” said Zigmond. “The reason that Jews from all over the world are drawn to this tiny country is because our roots are here, figuratively and literally.” Kibbutz Lotan’s ecology work is rooted in many programs, from organic gardening to recycling programs, to land preservation. The kibbutz annually welcomes between 20 to 40 young people who participate in educational programs that empower visitors to take environmental initiative in their own lives. “In Hebrew we say there is ‘no Torah without bread, and no bread without Torah,’” said Zigmond. “We need both spiritual sustenance and also real nutritional nourishment in order to be complete human beings.” Project Wadi Attir For one Bedouin community in the Negav town of Hura, Dr. Michael Ben-Eli hopes advancements in organic farming practices will restore sustainability and economic sufficiency for indigenous Bedouin people. In 2008, Project Wadi Attir began as an initiative of the U.S. non-profit Sustainability Laboratory. Founder Ben-Eli launched the laboratory after becoming increasingly aware of the huge gap between the rhetoric of sustainable development and what was actually happening on the ground. Witnessing the impoverished conditions of many Bedouins during a trip to Israel, Ben-Eli explained he saw this as a need that the lab could fill. “There have been a lot of attempts to do something right after 60 years of doing everything wrong,” said Ben-Eli, concerning the state of Bedouin poverty and the response of the Israeli government. “I think there is a growing sensitivity,” he said. The project has received diverse support from many sectors of Israeli society who don’t usually work together. “Most of the government officers see this as a good opportunity,” said Mayor of Hura Dr. Mohammed Alnabari. Alnabari has been instrumental in securing over three million dollars in government funding for the project. What is unique about the initiative is that it will give Bedouin families, including women, a means of returning to economic independence. “Bedouin women use to work with their families in their own gardens,” explained Mariam Abu Rakayek. Rakayek currently works to provide Bedouin women a larger involvement in the household economy through the planting of home gardens. Project Wadi Attir also plans to leverage the Bedouin experience and knowledge of the desert, with advanced technology that would allow for such production as milk, cheese, and produce for mass consumption, explained Ben-Eli.

National Standards Continue to Threaten New Zealand’s Education System (IIJ Blog)

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:49:00 +0100

By: Hannah Cook
Produced & edited by Molly Nocheck

It was over two years ago that New Zealand’s National Party implemented National Standards in the nation’s primary education system. The policy, seemingly out of nowhere, blatantly sidelined New Zealand’s schools and their popular, unbiased curriculum. It led to the deterioration of the population’s morale; students, parents, faculty and teachers struggled with the idea that children were going to be labeled and placed within the hindering walls of an abstract title.

The battle between The Ministry of Education’s national standards and the education system exhausts and frustrates critiques to this day. Political ideology has outweighed educational ideology, manifesting a general sense of uneasiness in New Zealand. And although the side of the education system has waived its white flag--allowing National Standards into its schools because it is the law now--its anti-attitude still glimmers in the unceasing concern for the children and the future of the nation as a whole.

New Zealand’s National Standards policy is unique. Having noticed the faulty trends of standardized testing in other countries like the U.S., the government and Ministry aimed to come up with a plan to avoid testing all together. While the intentions were good, the result has become a confusing mess of inconsistent teacher judgment and a complete disregard of all the factors that affect learning.

“Without a national test, what we get is teachers making judgments by pulling together evidence, sure, but how they actually assess that evidence and what they make of it is highly individualistic and idiosyncratic,” says Michael Johnston, a professor at Victoria University and a member of the New Zealand Assessment Academy.

Essentially, the current National Standards system creates useless data, according the Johnston and other opposers. The disparity among teachers and schools is too great to come up with a set standard. The Ministry doesn’t see it that way though. Instead, it deflates the value put on teachers.

“We have gone from a situation of a fairly high degree of trust and valuing of teachers in schools and the education system to a situation of suspicions and political and media focus,” said Terry Crooks, a member of the New Zealand Assessment Academy.

Gavin Beere, a principal at Hillpark School in Auckland, agrees, “There’s a message that our teachers are lazy, that they’re incompetent.”

The National Standards, focusing solely on numeracy and literacy, also detriments the broad spectrum of learning a child should have. According to Phil Harding, a principal at Paparoa Street School in Christchurch, the fear is that teachers, as they are being pressured to produce positive results for their students in such a narrowed group of courses, will lose site of the visions founded in the original curriculum of 2007—a curriculum that had the support of all people involved in the education system.

Children of Paparoa Street school on Quail Island. Credit: http://www.paparoastreet.school.nz. Academic Fair Use

But the inconsistency doesn’t stop at the teachers. The students also face a wide range of influences that may make or break them in this National Standards system, the most significant being socioeconomic issues, particularly seen within the Maori peoples of the Pacific Island.

“We’ve got children turning up having not eaten, having seen their mothers beaten half to death the night before. Drugs are very prevalent,” says Dellis Hunt, a concerned mother of two and a previous member of Parents Against Labeling (PAL). “There’s a lot more to it than what they’re looking at.” The treatment of Hunt’s 13-year-old daughter at school due to her status of being “below the standards” is what got Hunt involved in PAL and other lobbying against National Standards. “It was awful. My little girl was treated differently within a year of starting school ... I actually chose not to get the reports. I didn’t want them. I didn’t see the value in them and I felt they would damage my daughter by labeling her as not being achieving,” she says.

Those issues of inconsistency have yet to cease. Meanwhile other problems continue to rise. Most recently, it is the publication of league tables, revealing to the public eye nearly every single school’s 2011 National Standards results. “I don’t think it was very helpful,” Johnston says. “It just sets up a whole lot of false comparisons between schools of different kinds.”

In the eyes of those who oppose the National Standards, the next step for New Zealand’s education system is to alter them so that they simply make more sense. Johnston and Crooks, who are both working to reassess the standards, believe that focusing on progress rather than status is more effective at producing actually usable data.

“Setting a National Standard and saying ‘this is an appropriate target for all kids in this year of schooling.’--it’s ridiculous,” Crooks says, “the best thing you can do for children is to assess where they actually are and set a target for how much you can progress them over the next year or three years or five years.”

Photo credit: http://www.paparoastreet.school.nz. Academic Fair Use

The system would not only bolster student morale, but it will also place less accountability on the unreliably varying characteristics of teachers. Johnston and his colleagues have been granted $5 million to rework the system, which should be ready by next year. “As far as I know there’s no other system like it in the world, so if it works we should be in a good position to introduce to other countries and see if they like the idea as well,” Johnston says. “But we’ll make it work here first.”

In the meantime, New Zealand’s education system continues to lock horns with National Standards and The Ministry. The people are losing faith and trust in their government, and the children are most at stake. Along with many others, Beere can’t help but feel a little hopeless. “I would say morale has never been lower in my career than it is now.”

From fraternities to cults; a shift in Nigerian brotherhood (IIJ Blog)

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:40:00 +0100

By: Kayla Hardimon

Produced and Edited by: Leisha Lininger

In Nigeria, confraternities, a system of brotherhood modeled after American fraternities, have taken a turn for the worst.

In the United States, Greek letter organizations exist on college campuses. These organizations operate as fraternities and sororities. They are a system of brotherhood and sisterhood for college students with similar morals, ideals, and interests.

Many of these organizations have come under a high level of scrutiny in the past two decades for hazing practices and violence against prospective members. These practices and the shift in recruitment methods have not been confined to the United States.

In the early 1950s confraternities such as The National Association of Sea Dogs arose in Nigeria. The NAS or Pyrates Confraternity, the first confraternity in the country, began as a method of protecting the weak against the tribal wars arising during that time. Seven men joined together to create the confraternity. These men banded together on the Pyrates creed “against convention, against tribalism, for humanistic ideals, and for comradeship and chivalry.”

“When it started it was a positive thing for the university,” said Omolola Omoteso Famuyiwa, a media specialist and public relations consultant from Nigeria,

“Now it is just a terror on campus.”

In the last 60 years, confraternities in Nigeria have evolved into cults. These cults are no longer labeled as student organizations, and serve as a system of intimidation of university students within the country.

Emmanuel Nkansah, Editor-in-Chief of Sigma Emperor Magazine, was hesitant to speak openly about cultism in Nigeria, saying the situation is as serious as the gang violence and intimidation of the “crips and bloods,” in the United States and other related gangs but “confined within the four corners of a university.”

Now, rather than serving as a system of comradeship and chivalry protecting the weak from tribal wars in the country, confraternities are now known as secret societies and cults that provide a form of power for their members. From the 1990s to the early 2000s cultism and violence led to the deaths of hundreds of university students and community members.

Before the 1990s, cult and gang violence was not common within the country, said Sam Oleka, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies at Kentucky State University, who attended university in Nigeria in the 1970s.

“At that time I don’t think across Africa there was any gang anything unless they were fighting for independence,” said Oleka.

“Confraternities in Nigeria have over the years become a group of violent and dangerous people who come together to promote oppression and violence for selfish gains,” said Theodore Nyingifa, an editor for Pulse, an online magazine.

In the last decade, cult violence has not been as rampant as in the past. In the early 2000s, many cultists began renouncing their membership as universities banned these organizations from their campuses. “I don’t know if this has eliminated the practice,” sid Omoteso, “I think is may have made it more secretive.”

Upon entering a university many schools require their students to sign a form stating that they will not join any cults.

Despite university attempts to crack down on cultist violence in the schools, it still serves as a fear for parents in the country. Obiora Nwajei, the proprietor of the Karis primary school in Nigeria, stated that he was not comfortable sending his daughter to university in Nigeria.

“When cultism crept into universities, people lost their freedom,” said Nwajei.

Becoming a member of a cult is an intricate process as these societies are meant to be kept in secret. Some students are targeted by the organizations to join.

Cult members target students for different reasons, “If you have money they will want to target you, to get what you have,” said Jide Oshin, an Ohio University student studying engineering and biology. Other students are targeted because of their intelligence, their strength or even in some cases their weakness.

Once targeted it is very difficult to decline membership into the cult.

“They won’t just let you go,” said Omoteso “because now you know that they are a member.”

Other students seek out membership in a cult to serve as protection from other cults or individuals.

Tolu Adeusi, a consultant with TG March Nata Education, says that many students who went to public schools feel like they do not fit in at universities, many of these students seek membership in such organizations to feel part of the community.

Oshin has three cousins who recently joined cults while attending universities in Nigeria.

“I think they joined because they wanted to be the big boys on campus,” said Oshin. “If you are a member people fear you and respect you.”

Once chosen, an initiation process occurs where prospective members are asked to complete tasks including violence, blood rituals, and the learning of information about the specific cult.

“Someone I know had to go beat someone up,” said Oshin, “a few others had to get a snake’s head for some type of witch craft.”

Some students continue cultist activities after graduating from university. “The job market is very stagnant,” said Awele Nwankwo, a student from Plateau State Polytechnic University in Nigeria who studied International relations in hopes of leaving the country to do his work.

Those who do not find jobs are often “called up by politicians as body guards” said Nwajei.

“They engage in meaningless gang wars, rob people, oppress fellow citizens, and in most cases get hired by wealthy politicians to carry out their dirty jobs,” said Nyingifa,

This system of brotherhood, and recently sisterhood, in Nigeria has changed the way students learn at universities. Though cultism still exists within the country, the media rarely acknowledges it.

“I am tempted to say we have become accustomed to it,” said Nwajei.

Opening of French Safe Injection Sites Turns from Public Health to Politics (IIJ Blog)

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:34:00 +0100

by Jennifer Halliday

Produced and edited by: Leisha Lininger

In the 1970s, the Netherlands opened their first safe injection facilities, which provided a safe and humane environment for those marginalized in society by addiction to inject their drugs in a supportive, non-judgmental way. Safe injection rooms, or legalized “shooting galleries” are facilities where addicts can inject heroin and other drugs with sterile needles provided by medical professionals. Since the 1970s, these facilities have spread throughout several European countries such as Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Spain and have even moved across seas to Canada and Australia.

With growing concern for both drug-related injuries and transmission of blood-borne diseases in the country of France, Marisol Touraine, France’s health minister, has announced a trial run of safe injection facilities.

“I hope that experimental trials will be announced before the end of the year,” Touraine told French BFM television.

France has become a natural distribution point for drugs moving toward North America from Europe and the Middle East. The country’s overseas territories in the Caribbean, its proximity to North Africa, and its participation in the Schengen open border system, contribute to its desirability as a transit point for drugs. In fact, the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs reports that drugs from Morocco, South America, Afghanistan, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany all find their way into France.

“One of the most dangerous drugs, one of the most prevalent drugs, one of the most addicting drugs, that we’re dealing with is heroin,” said Dr. Michel Craplet of the Association Nationale de Prevention en Alcoologie et Addictologie.

Heroin is an opiate analgesic synthesized from the opium poppy plant. According to a study by Carpentier and Costes, an estimated 160,000 heroin addicts live in France alone.

The country currently offers three forms of drug addiction treatment financed by the French social security system: outpatient care, inpatient care, and treatment for prison inmates.

“If you combined all three types of this treatment, there’s still only about 270 of these centers throughout the entire country,” said Craplet.

And according to Carpentier and Costes’ study, heroin-related deaths in the country have jumped thirty percent since 2000. As a result, many public health organizations are calling for a rapid start to the safe injection room program.

“Other countries’ safe injection rooms have shown a benefit to the public health situation,” said Christian Andreo, manager of the French AIDES National Program. “They have proven to cause a reduction of HIV and AIDS contamination as well as provide more access to care.”

Supervised injection sites are credited with lowering overdoses, reducing the spread of blood-borne diseases, improving client heath and public health, providing entry to drug treatment and other medical and social services, and reducing public disorder. They have also been linked to reductions in neighborhood crime.

However, despite numerous studies that support the implementation of safe injection rooms, Andreo has serious doubts that they will be up and running by the end of the year.

“I have doubts concerning the possibility to open such a program by the end of the year,” says Andreo. “It’s a lot of work to do with the competition from local authorities and police.”

Opposition for the implementation of safe injection rooms is widespread throughout France. In an opinion poll conducted in September by French polling agency Ifop, 55 percent of those questioned said they were against them, while 45 percent said they were in favor. However, the program’s largest opposition is France’s conservative UMP party, which has said it was against the opening of such trial centers.

“Opening consumption rooms does not help fight against the scourge of drugs, but rather trivializes drug use and legalizes the use of the hardest drugs at the taxpayer’s expense,” said Camille Bedin, the party’s national secretary in a statement to the press.

The idea of safe injection rooms opening in France has made headlines in the country since 2010. However, public health organizations are asking people to put the politics aside.

“On the topic of drug rooms, it’s really hard to focus on just what the science says,” says the AIDES program’s Andreo. “We will always debate and we will have a political party in favor of the opposing side, but we must focus on the health involved.”

Despite heavy political opposition, the French public has shown signs of supporting the implementation of safe injection rooms. In April’s presidential campaign, the PS candidate Francois Hollande was elected over the UMP’s incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. During his campaign, Hollande said the he would oversee the opening of France’s first “shooting galleries.” Medecins du Monde, along with other organizations, has since called on Hollande to see his word into action.

“We advocate for the opening of safe injection rooms, but you can’t open these programs without a legal basis, we need that legal basis,” said Medecins du Monde’s Emmanuelle Hau.

President Hollande has received support for his move to open safe injection rooms from fellow party member Jean-Marie Le Guen, of the Assemblee Nationale.

“I would prefer that these destitute drug abusers inject themselves in specialized rooms, rather than in the street or apartment building stairwells, as is the case today,” says Le Guen. “I would prefer that they are surrounded by medical professionals.”

The political stigma that surrounds drug-related issues such as the opening of safe injection rooms led to a two-year debate, prolonging possible public health services to thousands of French citizens. Some public health organizations say that the best move for public safety is to remove this stigma altogether.

“We aim for the end of the criminalization of drug use,” says the AIDES program’s

Andreo. “We want to prove that, with certain practices, people can really reduce the risks.”

Damages from Sandy in Léogâne and Verettes (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:04:00 +0100

Dear Friend,

The first part of November, I had the opportunity to spend five days in Lèogâne with the folks of ODEPOL(Organization for the Development of Orange-Pâque of Léogâne) and four days in Verettes, wth the folks of ODEPE (Organization for Development and Protection of the Environment) and MRPST (Movement of Farmer's without Land) just a couple of weeks after Sandy passed through.

I took many pictures of the damage that Sandy had done in both Léogâne and Verettes. Unfortunately, I lost all of those photos. Thinking I had successfully transferred them to my computer I then erased them from the camera. When I returned to look on the computer for the photos, there were only three or four actually downloaded, none of which are related to hurricane damage, or even to our work. Heartbreaking to say the least.

Damage that I heard about and saw include almost total loss of several major crops, including pigeon pea, sweet potato, corn and sorghum. Essentially all of the staple foods that keep folks going during the three to six month dry season. I was skeptical about the loss of the sorghum, because it looked to me like the heads were still intact. A member of MRPST then showed me several of the heads and every single individual grainhead was empty.

Animals were also lost, as were many trees. In all of the yards where we worked, the fruit trees and bananas were wind-whipped and will certainly take time to recover. Some people lost fruit crops as the wind shook off all or most of the fruits. Some people lost homes, or had homes severely damages. Particularly in the mountains of Verettes, we saw houses with damaged roofs. In one large yard, the family had cleared out the debris of a house destroyed by the storm and were preparing to rebuild.

There was also loss of life. There were at least nine people washed away by the flooding in just one of the municipal sectors of Léogâne. When we passed by the dam on the Grand Rivière de Léogâne, on our way up into the mountains, Esterne, who was leading us, showed us where three bodies had been found. Farther up the river, a man we found cleaning up some trees that had been knocked down pointed his finger and said "That was my house and my fields of sweet potatoes and bananas." Where he was pointing is now part of the river bed. Several hundred yards of the river bank must have been washed away, his home and fields along with it

In Léogâne, there was also damage to the irrigation infrastructure. The dam where the bodies were found is now utterly filled with rocks and debris. The captured water that formerly watered an extensive system of fields no longer flows. The canals are dry.

How will people in the rural countryside survive the next several months until they have a chance (with God's blessing) to grow more crops? How will people replace animals lost? How will they repair their roofs, let alone rebuild their homes? I have no answer, except to note that the people of Haiti are strong and they are resilient. But every setback in the rural area sends more people to the overcrowded urban centers. That is not a humane solution.

Yard gardens are far far far from being THE solution, but they are part of it. The way we are producing food requires relatively little inputs, including relatively little water. And the crops we focus on are highly nutritious and have a quick turn around. Some of the vegetables, such as amaranth and pak choy can be grown from seed to harvest in just over one month. We use moringa as a perennial vegetable that people can harvest almost continuously. We also focus on producing Haitian basket vine intensively. Hatian basket vine is an indigenous plant with very nutritious leaves. None of these crops can take the place of staples such as rice, sorghum, corn, bananas or root crops. But they can complete whatever staple foods the families do produce, turning them into complete meals with vitamins, minerals and proteins, rather than just carbohydrates. Families also are using the garden spaces to produce highly valuable crops such as hot peppers, that can increase income and help ease some of the difficult times.

None of this is enough, but it is something. And by God's grace, something will always trump nothing and eventually lead us to the next better, more fundamental solution. "Turning, turning we come down right."

In Christ,

Mark

Making It Happen: The yard garden program in Leogane (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:46:00 +0100

Western Blvd Presbyterian Church in Raleigh NC (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:46:00 +0100

A quick response to Kathy Johnson at Western Blvd Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC.

Hey Kathy,

Thanks for the note and the accolade. The pictures are beautiful because I have a beautiful family, of course.

As far as I know, I will not be in the States and I believe I will be in Haiti for at least the first part of the dates that you mention, June 29th-July 7th. From Tabarre, it should be no more than three hours to Hinche. Less if traffic is not bad in Port. Write me again as a comment, or visit the mission connections website PC (USA) Mission Connections

Blessings,

Mark

Tencent's WeChat Speeding Past QQ (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 04:59:00 +0100

Tencent's WeChat international trio:
Ian Chan, Poshu Yeung, Norman Tan

Imagine a mobile phone ‘app’ so appealing that it reaches 200 million users within 8 months of launch without any promotion and quickly spreads to 30 countries.

That’s Tencent WeChat, the highly popular text and voice messaging service from China that is becoming the ‘must have’ communication tool among the global technorati. WeChat is one of the first tech services from China to tap an international customer base and to sport more users outside the home country than domestically.

Even Poshu Yeung (photo center), VP of Tencent’s international group, admits he’s a

little surprised by how quickly WeChat took off. He notes that WeChat

surpassed QQ, its wildly popular instant messaging service in China, in

its adoption rate — partly because the name of the service was changed

from Weixin or micro message to the easily pronounceable WeChat.

Yeung (see photo) was recently named Silicon Dragon Entrepreneur of

the Pearl River Delta 2012 at an event recognizing the break-out success

of WeChat.

A former group tech manager at Google for five years and a graduate of

UC-Berkeley, Yeung joined Tencent in 2008 as a quiet techie who later

took on managerial roles requiring constant communication. He

describes the work environment at Tencent, which borrows

some entrepreneurial script fom Google with innovation baked into its

culture. There’s competition among teams for innovations and

developers can devote 20 percent of their time to explore new

projects — (remind you of Silicon Valley?) with performance results as

the key motivational driver, not salaries. More than half of Tencent’s

staffers are software developers or engineers, which gives an idea of

To read more of this post at Forbes, see WeChat Speeding.

The Silicon Dragon Entrepreneur Award is aimed at recognizing startups that fit three distinct criteria. First, they must have created an innovative and breakthrough product or service. Secondly, the startup’s management must be dynamic and passionate leaders that have brought their company to an industry leading position. Finally, the company must have achieved rapid growth over at least two years consecutively as a startup or emerging enterprise. The Silicon Dragon award, which is presented annually in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, is sponsored by KPMG.

You follow

Inside the IIJ :: Experts unveil cyber security threats (IIJ News)

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 22:33:00 +0100

By Morgan Sigrist

Technology has improved the way people communicate and socialize, but it has also created a way for hackers to infiltrate the most personal aspects of technology users. This stern warning was delivered by leading experts of cyber security at an event held in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Cyber security experts Danny O’Brien and Andrew Lewman have made full time professions out of their mission to protect both journalists and technology users from the threat of hackers.

The two leading experts — hosted by the Institute for International Journalism on Nov. 8 — addressed the virtual online and mobile technology challenges to different forums during a cyber security panel.

“(Spyware) records everything you do, every mouse click, every key log, every snapshot, every 30 seconds so they have an exact trail of what you’ve done,” said Lewman, the executive director of a technology protection-developing group known as the Tor Project.

He explained that the Tor Project was created as a way for all technology users to protect their information, especially when using unsecured connections such as those found in Internet cafes.

O’Brien is the Internet Advocacy Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which protects journalists around the world. The CPJ is a nonprofit organization that works to protect the freedom of communication and journalism from security threats. O’Brien said cyber attacks often come from repressive governments, organized crime or the subjects of stories.

Ohio University visiting professor Andy Alexander also shared his experiences of working as a correspondent and as a free press advocate. Alexander talked about the threats and challenges foreign correspondents faced, then and now, regarding both from tyrannical governments and by warring parties in armed conflicts. He said that today’s journalists face a different and very dangerous type of threat.

Meanwhile, O’Brien said, “It’s important for journalists to keep themselves anonymous, it’s important to tell the sources to protect themselves, and, finally, it’s important for readers and journalists to learn ways of getting around censorship.”

Students and faculty members asked several questions about how they can protect themselves, and about how far they should go to protect themselves.

Inside the IIJ :: Cairo, Egypt conference accepting abstracts (IIJ News)

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 04:22:00 +0100

The Institute for International Journalism at Ohio University has joined the Faculty of Communication at Al-Azhar University to co-sponsor a conference that will take place in Cairo, Egypt.

Ahmed Hammad presents during the 2011 Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at OU.

Some of the main themes of the conference are media performance during democratic transition, peace journalism and crisis communication, and professionalism in new media, among other themes.

For more information, contact Ahmed Hammad at ahmadh30@gmail.com.

Testing video (How to Become a U.S. Citizen)

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:32:05 +0100

Tug hub
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1067560-keyboardboo

Inside the IIJ :: Panel discusses aspects of working with development agencies (IIJ News)

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:53:00 +0100

On Friday, Oct. 26, a four-member panel discussed the various aspects and types of work that Ohio University has done with development agencies throughout the United States and around the world.

The panel was part of a program celebrating the Communication and Development Studies program’s 25th anniversary. David Mould, former director of Communication and Development Studies, organized, introduced and moderated the panel.

Panel members included Yusuf Kalyango, director of the Institute for International Journalism; Rafael Obregon, Chief of the Communication for Development Unit at UNICEF; Lauren Brown Vulanovic, a graduate of the Communication and Development Studies program and an employee at Pan American Health Organization, and visiting professor Karen Greiner.

The panel session kicked off with Obregon — also a former director of the Communication and Development Studies program — speaking primarily about the noticeable impact that communication and development studies has had within UNICEF and other agencies. He said that UNICEF has benefitted from many ever-changing communication and development strategies.

David Mould introduces the panel.

Kalyango first discussed the evolution of the Institute of International Journalism since 2008, the year he became director.

Today, he explained, the IIJ has enough money to fund student employees, international conferences and trainings, the publishing and production of research, foreign correspondence internships, and travel scholarships for students to present research around the world.

“If you have a very small program, you have to figure out how to market that and brand it, and find a way of showing that it can manage finances,” he said.

According to Kalyango, that was all possible primarily because of partnerships he worked to establish at the university level and beyond, including one with the Communication and Development Studies program.

For example, the IIJ was approved for one of its grants — the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media grant — after the U.S. State Department learned of some of the projects the IIJ and the Communication Development Studies program had done or had in the works.

IIJ conferences and trainings have occurred in countries such as India and Turkey, and students have presented research in countries such as Singapore. The IIJ’s ever-expanding international network includes scholars from more than 50 countries.

According to Greiner, there are many windows of opportunity for various research projects as long as graduate students know where to look and what to do.

In the Communication and Development Studies program, she explained that a group she is part of has started to organize a database of past grant proposals that successfully acquired funded.

Greiner encouraged students interested in consultation or grants, quite simply, to ask about them. When pitching an organization, Greiner emphasized that students should be specific and ready to prove they have done their homework.

She suggested that students should consider proposing research fellowships rather than internships because many organizations do not conduct their own research. She also said students should work to self-finance via grants and funding so the organization will not have to worry about paying them much, if at all.

“There are organizations working in development and social change that don’t have a lot of time to investigate or document or evaluate what they’re doing,” she said. “Many of them evaluate, because if you don’t evaluate and show impact, then you can’t get more funding. But oftentimes they don’t document in the day-to-day.”

Greiner said, in addition to typical communication and development studies skill sets, it is important for students to be able to help an organization explain its actions in terms of theory and research methods, as well as in layman’s terms.

“Communication theory is something that I was surprised that people wanted from me,” she said. “I’ve been flown places to sit in front of USAID and talk fancy.”

Vulanovic, who graduated in 2008, gave advice about some of the things she said she wished she had learned in college.

In addition to knowing methodology and research, Vulanovic said students should learn finance skills such as grant writing, budget planning and evaluation skills. Regarding the latter, she said many people are not able to write appropriate indicators for what they are trying to measure, and explained that having that skill would therefore give students an edge.

“The number one recommendation that I would have for everyone is learn to write grants,” she said. “If you can bring in funding, you can bring in a job.”

During internships, Vulanovic said students should not be afraid to be aggressive, especially if they feel as though they are not being challenged enough or are being ignored.

“Real world experience is so, so valuable,” she said.

Vulanovic added that communication and development skills are important, too, including the use of social networks.

“A lot of the concepts that you’re learning now…are absolutely, 100 percent applicable to stuff that we’re doing in WHO,” she said. “So, don’t lose heart on that — it still works.”

Inside the IIJ :: Glidden Visiting Professor delivers lectures, speeches at several events (IIJ News)

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:48:00 +0100

Since his arrival at Ohio University in early October, Glidden Visiting Professor Ernest Waititu has spoken in several classes and panels, as well as at other events.

Waititu’s professorship is just one aspect of the 2012-13 Year for African Journalism, which will include other speakers and events throughout the year. The program is a joint effort between the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Institute for International Journalism.

Currently, Waititu is teaching Foreign Correspondence, a journalism course consisting mostly of senior undergraduate and graduate students. So far, he has led discussions about embedded journalism, criticisms of U.S. media’s international coverage, and reporting humanitarian crises.

Additionally, he has spoken in classes such as Community Journalism and Modern Africa.

Other events where Waititu has made appearances include a program called Africa Crossroads and a program celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Communication and Development Studies program. During the latter, Waititu presented about one of his papers.

Some of the topics Waititu’s lectures and public events have covered are international media, digital journalism, social media storytelling, long-form storytelling and data journalism.

On Oct. 24, just two days after the presidential debate on foreign policy, Waititu spoke at a Students for Global Media and Diversity meeting about some of the perceptions of U.S. foreign policy held by citizens in developing nations in Africa.

Waititu explained that he typically sets up his lectures in a way that encourages student participation, and said the method has been successful so far.

“Lectures have been great because the students, especially in the Foreign Correspondence class, have been very passionate about their work,” he said. “I am learning a lot from them.”

Waititu said he has received “tremendous support” from the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

He described his professorship as a cycle of sorts, because, although he has been regularly teaching and mentoring students, he has also been receiving mentoring from Yusuf Kalyango, director of the Institute for International Journalism, and Steve Howard, director of the African Studies Program.

Waititu said he has enjoyed both the teaching and learning aspects of his time as the Glidden Visiting Professor.

“My time here has given me a great chance to share my knowledge, but also to learn, reflect and write,” he said.

Inside the IIJ :: Year for African Journalism kicks off with arrival of Glidden Visiting Professor (IIJ News)

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:33:00 +0100

The Year for African Journalism, a joint effort between the Institute for International Journalism and the African Studies Program, has kicked off at Ohio University with the arrival of Glidden Visiting ProfessorErnest Waititu.

On Oct. 10, Students for Global Media and Diversity and the African Studies Program co-hosted a welcome reception for Waititu in Scripps Hall. Speakers included Bob Stewart, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Steve Howard, director of the African Studies Program at OU, and Waititu himself.

Waititu is an OU alumnus who participated in the graduate programs of both the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program from 2003 to 2006, obtaining master’s degrees in both. Additionally, he is a past recipient of the Institute for International Journalism’s John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship.

Currently, Waititu is the program director of health and digital media at Internews, an NGO in Nairobi that is supported by the U.S. government, provides training for journalists throughout Africa and has a goal of promoting freedom of expression.

Throughout Fall Semester, Waititu will teach the Foreign Correspondence course and will assist with International Media Systems course lectures. He will also deliver a public lecture about his work at Internews.

Ernest Waititu poses with people affiliated with the IIJ and the African Studies Program after the welcome reception.

Additionally, Waititu will advise students about international opportunities, help create and launch the Scripps College of Communication’s New African Media for Social Change conference, and help plan an IIJ study abroad program.

The Glidden Visiting Professor is hosted by the African Studies Program and by the IIJ. Those organizations will combine to pay for event hospitality and incidentals for Waititu.

Ultimately, the Year for African Journalism aims to capitalize on a noticeable increase of student interest in Africa by teaching students more about African journalism. During Spring Semester, another African media scholar — Kojo Yankah — will come to OU for the African Studies Program’s West African Research Association Residency. Additional events and conferences will be held throughout the year.

Big Protest in Chile in the Wake of University Demonstrations (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:30:00 +0200

By: Seaira Christians Daniels

Produced & edited by Kaylyn Hlavaty

“The buses weren’t running again today.”

“I couldn’t leave out my front door.”

“The entire block was shut down, and that’s why I’m late for work today.”

Rakesh Arora, Owner of Jewel of India Restaurant, has heard all of these excuses for his employees being late to work, and he believes them all. The Jewel of India is located in the Providencia region of Santiago, Chile, about a 15-minute drive from Santiago de Centro, the capital city’s downtown.

Arora had read news articles on the Internet with images of cloudy mists of tear gas and block-lettered banners blaring the statements of young people protesting the Chilean higher education system. The demonstrations have been occurring as early as 2005, and continue today.

When student protests erupt, public transportation service is suspended and many streets shut down; employees living in Centro must wait for the storm of activists to subside.

Provided by Wikipedia

Arora says Chilean protests starkly differ those in his native country, India.

“We can do protests in India; we don’t eat, all we do is sit. We don’t strike, and we don’t damage property.”

He chuckles to himself; his country still practices the non-violent protest ideology established by Mahatma Gandhi, he says.

He’s thankful his swanky, stucco and clay-tiled roof eatery, ranked number one by TripAdvisor.com, is left relatively unscathed from the sometimes-violent demonstrations.

Many restaurants closer to downtown Santiago haven’t had such luck.

Impossible. That’s how Agusbin Ronero, manager at Ana María Restaurant in the Metropolitan region of Santiago, describes the difficulty in running his business while students are protesting.

Ana María is a brisk, seven-minute walk from the nearest university, Universidad Andrés Bello, in Santiago de Centro. Ronero has to close his restaurant whenever student marches start.

He says the protests have stifled his business, along with many other casinos, or local cafes, located near Chilean universities.

A few paces farther than around the corner from Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Gato Pardo Restaurant is subjected to the same closures as Ana María.

It’s the students’ methods, says Juan Romero, manager at Gato Pardo, not the message, that he disagrees with.

“The central idea is good,” he says, “the intentions are good.”

However, Romero says the students may be causing more harm than good because the protests are sometimes dangerous. Many of the student demonstrations escalate to a volley of tear gas and firebomb throwing between police and the protestors.

Romero estimates that only ten percent of the students involved in the protests have actually been victims of the high credit interest rates and substandard educational quality that originally sparked the protests.

Most of the rest, he says, are delinquents who join the ranks of protestors and use the demonstrations as an opportunity to incite havoc.

He suggests the students engage in more peaceful dialogue with the government as a better avenue to express their discontent.

Government Policy and Plans

Small businesses are allies of the Chilean government, says president Sebastián Piñera.

He says the ingenuity and meticulous preparatory skills that entrepreneurs use to forecast good business models will help develop Chile and eliminate poverty.

But with a group of unsatisfied and unsettled young people, the Chilean government has had to revamp its policy on education.

In 2011, the government released a statement saying that it would make new efforts to improve the quality of education, the level of transparency in government, and reduce the amount of student debt.

Under the Crédito con Aval de Estado, or government guaranteed bank loan program, the Chilean government promises to decrease low-income student loan interest rates with a state bank guarantee.

In late September 2012, a new budget plan was unveiled announcing that the nation will be spending more money on education in the future.

The amount of total income the government has spent on education since 2007 has steadily increased; however, the majority of the 18.2 percent total spending distributed to education is sent to pre-primary, primary, and secondary education, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

To meet demands of student activists, Chilean administrators created scholarships like La Beca Vocación Profesor, a Professor’s Vocational Scholarship, which gives aid to students training to be teachers. And the government says it wants to add 110,000 more scholarships by the end of this year.

On the Home Front

In addition to her household chores, Teresa Calderon works 12 hours per week doing laundry and ironing to contribute to her family’s largest investment, the education of her two daughters.

Her husband works 54 hours per week to fulfill the traditional duty of Chilean parents, funding an education for their children. The national average is about 40 hours per week, according to a 2011 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report.

The result is worth the labor to Teresa when she considers the noticeable difference in the quality of education between public and private universities in Chile.

She says her two daughters, who are enrolled in private universities, know more English than students in public universities, and will have a more valuable degree with the help of the weight of their private institution’s name.

Josefina Aguierra, a Chilean university student who attended Redlands High School in Redlands, CA, says she had more resources at the public American high school than do her peers who attend public universities in Chile.

Because of the educational inequalities in Chile, Teresa rallies, with many neighbors, friends, and countrymen, behind the cause of the student activists. She does not fear the violence resulting from some protests.

Provided by The Atlantic

“They are exercising their rights; I’m not afraid,” she says, as though the large public disturbances caused by both students and delinquent trouble-seekers were an afterthought to the grand ideology that the government should provide an education for its people.

Teresa thinks that perhaps the government should pay for public education because the students who graduate are helping to better their country. The schooling, in that sense, is a public service.

“A better access to education gives you a better social environment. If you have to pay back the loans, how can you do that?” she inquired. She says she knows people still making payments on university loans 20 years after they’ve graduated.

Marching and picketing past the transience of immediate reform, the student protesters aim to permanently alter Chilean educational policy.

Aguierra says the protestors hope that someday, their social movement will be chronicled on the pages of future history books.

“We want to be known as the generation that changed education in Chile,” she says.

Flooding Causes Health Problems in South Sudan (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:23:00 +0200

NBy-->

By: Victoria Calderon

Produced & edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

At the peak of malaria season and in the midst of heavy flooding in South Sudan, medical aid is needed more than ever for Southern Sudanese refugees, but violence has suspended the delivery of necessary medical services from NGOs.

“[The] majority of South Sudanese heavily rely on humanitarian aid,” says CHF International South Sudan Director Senada Kahriman, especially when 60-percent of the country is cut off from access during the rainy season.

Médecins Sans Frontières Head ofMission in South Sudan Stefano Zannini says MSF is close to suspending all services in the country due to security concerns.

“This will have a devastating impact on the community, leaving more than 160,000 residents of Pibor County without access to health care,” says Zannini.

Some agencies have pulled their regular staff and organized mobile teams to provide daily visits to remote villages, says Kahriman.

“In Abyei for example, where health facilities and the entire town were destroyed and people displaced, mobile teams travel daily to provide services to returnees, and the new health facilities have been established in the places where the population was displaced.”

South Sudan’s grasslands, swamps, and tropical rain forests that straddle both banks of the White Nile serve as a breeding ground for life-threatening diseases when the river floods.

According to Médecins Sans Frontières, malaria cases have tripled in the Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal state.

Spikes of malaria generally start in May and begin to subside in September and October until they hit their lowest point in December. However, the rainy season began even earlier than usual this year and will likely continue longer than normal.

The states most affected by flooding are Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile and Warrap.

“Seasonal flooding has affected about 260,000 people this year across South Sudan. Although coordinated emergency response is ongoing to flood-affected people, needs can only partially be met,” says Kahriman.

The continued influx of Sudanese refugees has strained humanitarian operations.

“Upper Nile and Unity State have received huge number of refugees from the north, fleeing conflict affected areas of Blue Nile State and Southern Kordofan. There are also great needs to assist returnees coming from the north of Sudan, as well as [internally displaced persons]. UN sources confirm that More than 126,000 people have returned to South Sudan this year,” says Kahriman.

The heavy flow of water has strengthened the presence of infected mosquitos, which increase the likelihood that malaria will be transmitted to people after they are bitten, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Provided by Catholic Relief Services Staff

Lamwalhok Liah is a worker in the out patient department of Médecins Sans Frontières in Juba, South Sudan. He says the condition of malaria and typhoid are present in all ten states, but it is at its height in the headquarters of Juba and the upper Nile region.

Malaria is preventable and curable, but the Plasmodium parasite that is spread with the bites of infected mosquitoes causes around 216 million cases of malaria every year around the world.

The large numbers of South Sudanese who were living in Sudan have returned to the south since the country’s independence, and these people have less immunity to malaria and are more likely to develop the disease says the World Health Organization.

South Sudan successfully transitioned to independence in June 2011 after 99-percent of Southern Sudanese voted to separate from Sudan. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement established that South Sudan regional autonomy.

Partial human immunity, especially among adults in areas of moderate to intense transmission conditions, can be built up after years of exposure even if it will never provide complete protection, according to the World Health Organization.

Despite the excess of floodwater from the White Nile, refugees are sick with dehydration.

According to the Amherst-based Global Water Policy Project in the United States, about 36-percent of Africa’s population lacks access to safe drinking water. By 2025, the United Nations Development Program estimates that about one in two Africans will be living in countries that are confronted with water scarcity.

This water stress indicates that each person in the country has access to less than 1,500 cubic meters of water every year. In cases of water scarcity, this amount is reduced to 1,000 cubic meters.

This situation leaves Sudanese vulnerable to contracting waterborne diseases like diarrhea and Cholera in addition to the already rampant malaria.

The livelihood of Sudan depends on the use of its water sources. Eighty percent of the country works in agriculture, and this accounts for 97-percent of its water use, according to The Water Project.

South Sudan provided by Shannon Jensen

The twenty-two year civil war that ended in 2005 left the health infrastructure of South Sudan in a poor condition, according to the Malaria Consortium, and non-governmental organizations have provided a range of health support while the infrastructure improves.

Kahriman says that while South Sudan is dependent on the health care from NGOs, “significant improvement [was] made this year in coordinating support to primary health care services, and jointly developed long-term strategy for health sector. This has brought together the government, key donors (USAID, World Bank and DFiD) and implementing NGOs.”

Southern Sudanese leaders fought for autonomy after more than two million southern Sudanese had paid for freedom with their lives. Another four million were displaced during the twenty-two years of guerilla warfare before the peace accord was established.

South Sudan remains to be one of Africa’s least developed countries as indicated by The Least Developed Countries Report 2011, determined by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

The Road to Heroin hits Zanzibar (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:06:00 +0200

By: Molly Nocheck

Produced & edited by Leisha Lininger

For tourists, Zanzibar offers the perfect destination for a blissful getaway. Island tourists are enticed by sandy beaches lined by turquoise-blue water, the historic charm of Stone Town and the rich culture of the island.

Zanzibar, an archipelago of Tanzania, is a popular tourist destination. Foreigners are drawn to the picturesque coastline and rich history of the island.

Most are unaware, however of the heroin epidemic that has ravaged locals.

By delving deeper into the seemingly idyllic island, the extent of the heroin epidemic is obvious. Zanzibar is quickly becoming an emerging player in the heroin trafficking ring.

Provided by U.S. Embassy Tanzania

“The tourists are generally unaware of what goes on in local society. They spend a lot of the time on the beach. Quite a disconnect,” said Tamalyn Dallal, producer of Zanzibar Dance, Trance and Devotion.

Heroin trafficking and addiction has become a national issue of concern for Tanzania.

Zanzibar’s island health ministries estimate at least seven per cent of the nearly one million inhabitants are addicted to heroin, one of the highest usage rates in the world.

According to the 2012 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Tanzania is primarily a transit country with some local consumption of heroin.

Zanzibar lies on a major drug trafficking corridor for markets in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The unique geographical nature of the island makes it difficult for officials to monitor porous borders.

Provided by the U.S Department of State

The Zanzibar coordinator for the National Commission of Drug Control, Dr. Mahmoud Mussa, says unofficial, unorganized harbors and lack of proper detection equipment make it easy for trafficking to occur.

This coupled with local corruption and global ignorance makes Zanzibar a prime trafficking stop.

“Europeans and North Americans do not inspect containers originating from Zanzibar as carefully as they would if the containers were originating from India, Pakistan or Afghanistan,” said Hassan Jaffer, a member of the Outreach Zanzibar board of directors.

“There is little cooperation, networking and sharing of information… within the country and with international partners,” said Dr. Mussa.

The lack of communication is creating a problem both internationally and with locals.

Heroin, locally referred to as “brown sugar,” is easy to come by on the island.

“The heroin is very cheap and easy to access in Zanzibar; the individual can pick up one foil-wrapped dose on the street for around less than $1,” said Dr. Mussa.

Suleiman Mauly, a former addict who runs a network of rehabilitation centers in Zanzibar, says the local addiction is rooted in trafficking.

“Local dealers are a part of a chain, receiving the drugs from big dealers.”

These dealers obtain the heroin either from the ships docked at one of the harbors or from drug mules, who ingest small amounts into the stomach.

“Availability, accessibility of drugs and the effect of the tourism industry are among other risk factors that make youth in Zanzibar indulge in abuse of drugs,” said Dr. Mussa.

For local Zanzibaris, overcoming the growing heroin problem is difficult.

“Zanzibar is a very corrupted island. It’s very difficult to go to jail for drug dealers,” said Mauly.

Local resident Warda Al Jahadhmy agrees. “They go to jail for few months, are released and they are back in business again, destroying our brother and sister’s lives.”

Mauly, who has been called the “Nelson Mandela of heroin addition”, says increased access to rehabilitation centers is key to combating heroin usage on the island.

Dallal sees a need for a more worldwide approach.

“Zanzibar is an entry point for drugs headed from India and Pakistan to South Africa and Europe. So if there was less demand in those countries, it would not be entering Zanzibar.”

Park-Geun-hye Vies to Become Next Female World Leader in South Korea (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:05:00 +0200

By: CJ Buskey

Produced and edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Out of the 196 countries that span the globe, only 20 of them have elected a woman as its leader. By the end of the year, another country might add itself to this list.

South Korea will hold its Presidential election this December and one of the country’s leading candidates is a woman.

The candidate, Park Geun-hye, is running under the nomination of the ruling party, the conservative Saenuri Party, where she has been credited as one of the main reasons why the party has gained a ruling majority of 152 seats on the City Council.

“Park Geun-hye is definitely the leading candidate for this election, because she is the most qualified,” says Gwangju resident Rodney Kang.

“When she was in the Blue house, Cheongwadae, as the daughter of a former president, Park Junghee, she picked up politics and learned how to control power. She was actually trained to be his successor.”

Yet, South Korea, which has acted as a Democracy since 1948, has yet to see a woman seriously challenge for the Presidency until Park’s current campaign. Many South Koreans, however, don’t see Park’s gender as any reason to change their opinion of her.

“I don't care whether a President is a woman or not,” says Kim Hyeon Kyung, a female art teacher in Seoul, “but in Asian societies, being a woman can be a obstacle on her way.”

But Seoul resident and student Lee Sung Jin says he thinks that South Korea may be the exception to this belief.

“Nowadays, South Korea has become a culture that is open to change. I don’t believe that we have sexual discrimination here and it doesn’t matter to me what [Park’s] gender is. However, there are still a few groups that share this old type of thinking.”

One of these old beliefs that could affect Park negatively is the fact that Park is single.

“Most of the older generation thinks that if someone didn't raise children of their own and didn't support a family, they can't understand an average person’s real life,” says Kang, “they think that no family means no life, so how can she do well with national affairs.”

Another issue that concerns South Korean voters has nothing to do with Park as person, but with her family’s history.

Park is the daughter of former South Korea President Park Jung-Hee, who ruled the country for a span of nearly 20 years, until he was assassinated in 1979. Park’s father, despite helping South Korea’s economy to substantial growth, was viewed by many South Koreans as a dictator because of his authoritarian approach as well as curtailing constitutional freedoms during his regime.

“Most people don’t know her history,” says Lee, “but we know her father’s history. Park Jung-hee was a dictator. It’s really hot issue now.”

Recently, Park came under fire from other South Koreans for her attitude towards her father’s history. When asked in an interview in early September on what her feelings were on one of her father’s execution of several People’s Revolution Party activists in 1970, she replied “We’ve had two court rulings on that.” Park apologized two weeks later for her comments and has since denounced her father’s actions.

“Whatever apologies she made, her conservative supporters would try to accept her apology, but her opponents, liberals, would not accept them,” says Changsup Lee, the Executive Managing Editor of the Korea Times. “The bottom line is not to alienate the undecided voters.”

Fortunately for Park, many of South Korea’s younger voters seem not to care as much about her father or gender.

“Even if her father was a dictator, I don't care. That and the fact she is a woman doesn’t affect me, even though I’m a woman,” says 29-year-old Song Kyoung Eun of Daejeon.

Oh Seung Hoon, a 28 year-old art teacher in Seoul, shares similar sentiments with Song.

“Maybe the old in here can be influenced with her father's history and her gender, but that's not effective to me and other younger people,” says Oh, “the first woman President of South Korea will be fabulous, even though I’m not sure it will be her.”

Park is trying to join the small minority of leaders across the worlds that are women, and some of them are already making an impact in office.

Germany’s Chancellor Anglea Merkel, for instance, has gained international recognition already for leading the discussions to help solve the ongoing Eurozone crisis.

Torsten Schwenke, who works out of Munich as a freelancer, says he believes that Merkel’s gender actually helps her favorability ratings.

“I like the fact that she is a woman, and I think that most Germans do as well. She is often considered as ‘The Mother’ and who doesn’t like his mother?”

Dilma Rousseff, the President of Brazil, has also gained international recognition, especially after being named one of Forbe’s most powerful people in the world.

Park, however, still needs to be elected before she can begin to have aspirations of what Merkel has been able to accomplish as a female leader.

Kang says that the results of the U.S. election may in fact affect Park’s chances at getting elected.

“The worst-case scenario would be a win for [Mitt] Romney and Park Geun-hye. Because both are conservatives, they would likely increase the regional conflict with North Korea,” says Kang.

With two months to go until election, Park will have her work cut out for her. According to the most recent poll conducted by Research Plus, Park trails Ahn Cheol-soo 52-42 and Moon-Jae-in 48-46.

French Wine Tops Market Depsite Weather (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:44:00 +0200

By: Jennifer Halliday

Produced & Edited by:Leisha Lininger

For decades, France has been on top of the world’s production of wine, competing closely with Italy and Spain. However, the wine industry is changing; almost every wine-producing nation is suffering a severe shortage in materials, prices are increasing across the globe, and competition is emerging in the international market. Despite the odds piled against French vintners, their confidence, and their sales, appear unaffected.

Due to this year’s inclement weather and disease-damaged raw material, France is expecting a 20 percent drop in wine production. The current production forecast is estimated at about 40.6 million hectoliters, down from 50.9 hectoliters in 2011. According to a report from the French Ministry of Agriculture, “all the categories of wine will see their production decline compared to 2011. Production estimates are particularly tricky this year due to the variation in grape weight in most of the vineyards.”

“Grapevines, like any other crop, need a healthy climate to survive,” said Catherine Thevenin, creator of Fugues en France “they need warm, dry summers and very mild winters, and we haven’t been seeing that kind of weather at all.”

Add caption

This year, French vineyards were damaged by cold and wet conditions as well as heat waves and droughts near the end of the summer. Grapevines in Burgundy and Beaujolais were destroyed in hailstorms, with surviving crops being ravaged by mildew and funguses.

“What has made this year so hard in particular is the fact that no one vineyard has been spared. Every region has seen at least some damage during this harvest,” said Thevenin.

France is home to several different wine regions and different species of grapes grow in each individual region. Therefore, production of certain wines will drop far more than others. Production in the Champagne region alone is expected to slump 40 percent after damage from frost and “particularly virulent” attacks by mildew and oidium, the ministry said.

Although wine may seem like a luxury commodity, it consistently brings in over seven billion euros annually to France. In 2011, France exported 7.17 billion euros of wine and champagne, accounting for 13 percent of the country’s farm and food exports. The expectation is that a lower yielding grape crop will result in a lower number of wine exports.

“Every month, the estimated [wine] production number seems to go lower and lower,” said Christophe Malvezin, an Agricultural Counselor for the French embassy, “but what we aren’t seeing is a negative effect on our international trade.”

In the first half of this year, wine shipments rose 14 percent to 3.57 billion euros. The main contributors were Americans, who are purchasing French wine and spirits in record amounts. Last year alone, America supplied 18 percent of France’s wine exports. This year’s shortage of supply has caused demand for wine to continue to grow, and French winemakers are taking advantage of it by raising the cost.

Prices on French generic red wine rose ten cents per liter last month. According to Anais Ricome, a winemaker for the Languedoc’s Domaine la Croix Gratiot, an increase in prices will not deter American consumers, who are looking for a more “sophisticated” taste.

“There seems to be a lot of young sommeliers and buyers who are interested in esoteric wines,” said Ricome.

In fact, even the French are amazed at how far American consumers will go to find the best French wine. Samuel Guibert, managing director of Languedoc producer Mas de Damas Gassac, remarked that he has been surprised how well French wines from outside the best-known regions have done in America.

“The rest of France is doing better than ever,” said Guibert, “five years ago you couldn’t fill a room if you had Languedoc wines. The whole emphasis on values is playing in our favor.”

With French wine stocking shelves all across America, American winemakers are trying their hardest to compete. In an attempt to sell more wine in their top export market, American vintners are trying to use chateau labels on their wine.

“What is at stake is the respect for tradition and quality,” said Laurent Gapenne, president of the Federation des Grand Vins de Bordeaux in an interview with The Associated Press.

French chateau bottles are wines made at the estate from grapes belonging to the chateau. The chateau wine tradition dates back centuries and the exclusivity of supplies makes it a more expensive product. However, the U.S. chateau definition is less stringent, including all “vines that have been traditionally used by this wine producer or producer group.”

“The Americans could create ‘chateau’ wines from grapes from all over and prices would of course be much lower,” said Gapenne.

While some American winemakers may be trying to push French wines out of the market with lower prices, another group of American vintners is turning their attention away from France. The Wine Institute, an association of 1,000 California wineries and businesses, has decided to focus on Asia for its international wine trade.

“Asia is a strong wine market with long-term growth across the board for California wines,” said Linsey Gallagher, International Marketing Director at the Wine Institute, “California wine and its lifestyle and cuisine hold great appeal to consumers in China and our other key Asian markets.”

American wine exports to China provided $62 million last year, a 42 percent increase. However, French vintners do not appear to feel threatened.

“There is no fear from French winemakers about the position of China,” said Malvezin.

French wine exports to China have also jumped, rising 75.5 percent just last year. In fact, China rose two spots to become the third-largest importer of French wine and spirits. Despite rough weather trends and fierce competition, France still remains dominant over the international wine industry, both in market volume and value.

Government of Eqcaudor Serves as Media Watchdog (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:36:00 +0200

By:Rebecca Mckinsey

Produced & edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

In September 2010, the National Police of Ecuador rioted over legislation affecting their bonuses and promotions. It was the type of breaking-news event that is a journalist's dream to cover.

And every broadcast station in the country was playing the same thing — a government feed.

TV viewers were receiving only one view, and it wasn't an objective one being offered by trained journalists; it was the government's slant on the events.

Journalists that day were disappointed by the TV takeover, but not shocked, said Gail Burkhardt, a reporter for The Monitor in McAllen, Texas, who worked at a daily newspaper in Ecuador, called HOY during the riots.

“(The reporters) were used to living in a country where the president has that much power over the media,” Burkhardt said.

The relationship between Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and the local media outlets that attempt to cover him is rife with secrecy, tricks and a disregard for freedom of information, journalists say.

Unlike the journalistic system in the United States, which is set up — at its best — to allow journalists to serve as independent journalism watchdogs, the scale between the media and government in Ecuador is much less balanced. Right now, the government has the upper hand, said Jorge Imbaquingo, a journalist with HOY, a daily newspaper in Ecuador.

HOY journalist,Jorge Imbaquingo provided by Stanford University's John S. Knight journalism program.

“The problem is that the media fell into the game and plays the role of victims,” he said.

Correa has been quoted as describing members of the Ecuadorian media in many ways, few of them complimentary. He's called the media “his greatest enemy.” He's described Ecuadorian journalists as “shameless,” “hungry dogs,” “filthy,” “disgusting” and “liars” in public speeches.

Information coming from the president's office is highly controlled, and journalists don't have much choice over the material they can use, Burkhardt said.

“Reporters have to rely on public speeches and interviews the president grants with the government's channel,” she said. “Obviously, they can't ask their own questions to the president.”

The relationship between Correa and the Ecuadorain media is clearly imperfect, said Robertson Vinueza, a coordinator at La Agencia de Noticias Andes (or the Andes News Agency), a public information company that distributes content on political, economic, athletic, social and cultural issues.

“It's no secret on an international scale that there doesn't exist a positive relationship,” Vinueza said “It is a relationship of harrassment. … Editorialists and opinion leaders say there is no freedom of expression.”

However, with the onset and rapid development of social media, the opinions of state leaders such as Correa are more accessible online, Vinueza said. Correa himself has a Twitter account, @MashiRafael.

In August, Correa spoke to The Guardian journalist Jonathan Watts and said that it had been necessary to rein in media outlets because they had enjoyed too much power for too long.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa provided by Wikimedia Commons

“We won't tolerate abuses and crimes made every day in the name of freedom of speech,” he said. “That is freedom of extortion and blackmail.”

Because of his views toward Ecuadorian media, Correa's decision to grant asylum to Julian Assange caused eyebrows to raise. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, which publishes secret information and serves as a whistleblower, has become a symbol for freedom of information. However, Imbaquingo said Correa's display of support for Assange is not paralleled in his work with Ecuadorian journalists.

“I think the fact that the government of Ecuador has granted asylum to Julian Assange only proves that it is a ploy for those who do not know the reality of this country, who believe that this government does respect the freedom of information and expression,” Imbaquingo said.

However, Vinueza said Correa's decision to extend asylum to Assange was a diplomatic decision, not a political one.

“As far as asylum, I think that is a right that should be considered for every human being,” Vinueza said.

Still, there's an inconsistency between the asylum granted to Assange and the Correa's availability to members of the media, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists' Carlos Lauría.

“As Ecuador provides support to Assange — an assertive if controversial force in promoting the free flow of information — it would do well to start listening to its critics, domestic and international, and unstop the flow of information right at home,” he said.

Behind the Steel Bars in Lebanon (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:07:00 +0200

By: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Produced & Edited by: Molly Nocheck

Behind the steel bars and the barbed wire fence are human beings, with an identity forgotten by the government. Inside are cries for attention and evidence of inhumane living conditions. Their faces are anything but forgotten by their family and friends. Located just a time zone away, is a prison system violating basic human rights and international prison standards.

In American prisons, mothers, fathers and children can visit their loved ones on a regular basis by simply making a reservation. At the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio, a child can visit his or her mother on a weekly basis and children can spend their time in a reading room. Unfortunately, the opportunity to visit a parent in a safe environment isn’t available in other parts of the world. In Lebanon, wives, husbands, children and parents have to face corrupt security guards, long distances and uncertainty just to visit a loved one.

Tanya Ghorra, a media professional and collaborator for The National Campaign to Abolish Death Penalty has witnessed the effects of imprisonment on family relationships.

“I once witnessed a young girl who came with her mom and she couldn’t see her dad. Her dad was detained and she was in the courtyard screaming for her father saying ‘I want to see my daddy’. The mother was in tears and so we went to the warden to sign papers and the mother begs him and after the little girl told the warden she wanted to say she loved her dad, he agreed and brought the dad back down again.”

This is the world inside, Roumieh; one of Lebanon’s 20 regional prisons according to the Lebanese Center for Human Rights. It is the largest prison for adult males and minors with a total population of 3,500 people in a facility with the capacity built for only 1,450 prisoners. Ghorra has worked closely with death row inmates in Roumieh for three years and saw the conditions of death row as just one of the problems within the Lebanese prison system.


Provided by the Lebanese Center for Human Rights

“The first time was transforming because you enter a completely different world. You can imagine how they are living, but I don’t even call this living. There is nothing,” Ghorra said. A person who signed a false check goes to Roumieh with drug dealers, murderers and rapists.

Ghorra says there are smuggling of drugs and the exchange of sex toys among prisoners that are passed from cell to cell.

“Weirdly enough, death row inmates are the most scared people in the prison. At night they stay in their cell because drug dealers, gangs and offenders occupy the hallways.”

The ALEF-Act for Human Rights reports the prisons are full of corruption starting with judges and trickling down to lawyers and even court reporters. For example, judges may take bribes to influence other judges or sentence the accused in a certain way. In a corrupt system, the accused may have no chance in winning a case or gaining permission to be released from jail. ALEF observed low-level corruption in a Jdeideh Courthouse. When the time came for lawyers to get access to a court file, lawyers often needed to bribe the clerk and if a lawyer didn’t comply, obtaining the files would be difficult.

“In the prison, you have a mix of inmates who are serving their sentences and then you have others who are awaiting a trial who may be found guilty or innocent,” said George Ghali, who is the project manager for the Arbitrary Detention Project of ALEF.

“The system is full of corruption starting at the court level down to the prisons and I think it’s a system that needs to be amended and the population needs to be addressed.”

Overcrowding is a cause for the poor conditions in the prison, but it’s also the effect of an inconsistent judicial process. The problem is evident because out of Roumieh’s 3,700 detainees, only 721 were serving sentences while the others waited for a trial according to the ALEF report. Ghorra said according to Lebanese text law, detaining a person shouldn’t last more than 72 hours but if you are investigating someone, than this can be renewed up to two times.

Drama therapist and founder of The Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy (Catharsis), Zeina Daccache produced an award-winning documentary called “12 Angry Lebanese”. The film was based off the American film “12 Angry Men”. While filming inside Roumieh,

“In Lebanon, you just wait. It takes a lot of money and energy and at times it’s the prisoners who ask to postpone a trial because a judge can ask for a testimony and sometimes things are made up so the witness is told what to say or may not show up,” Daccache said.

In the U.S. sometimes there are one or two inmates in a 7 by 11 foot cell. In Roumieh, a normal cell is 5 by 4 meters. In just one cell, there are as many as 15-20 people crammed with no plumbing and little ventilation.

Provided by NOW Lebanon

Often the parents come by to take inmate’s laundry to wash and bring back. The Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners says, “Every prisoner shall be provided by the administration at the usual hours with food of nutritional value adequate for health and strength, of wholesome quality and well prepared and served.”

“Sometimes the food is infected with bugs and it’s often inedible. For example, today is a chicken dish. If you don’t have money to bribe the officers then you will get something not even close to chicken that you won’t even be able to swallow down,” said Ghorra. “But if you have some money, that same exact kitchen will provide you with a decent, edible chicken dish.”

Many prisoners rely on family members to bring them food, cigarettes, chocolates and basic necessities. Usually walking over 500 meters on a bumpy dirt road in the rain or sweltering sun, mothers, sisters, wives and children will stand in line and experience mistreatment from prison security.

The conditions inside are eye opening even for social worker of the MH-Bekaa Project, Sarah Hammoud who regularly helps the prisoners inside Roumieh find medical treatment and get in contact with family members.

“I had no idea when I walked in Roumieh how bad things were inside this place. Everyone said I would see bad things and I did. It’s very inhumane for prisoners. It’s terrible. In the winter it’s very very cold and in the summer it gets very very hot inside,” Hammoud said.

Torture inside the prison walls remains a problem during and after criminal investigations. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture is an NGO that supports and protects the rights of prisoners and detainees. All over the world torture is used to break down the personality of the victim for personal motives.

Mohammed Safa is the Secretary General of Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture who also believes the prison conditions are in no way aligned with international standards.

Between the years 2007-2012, there have been 70 prisoners who have died in the Lebanon prisons according to Safa. They suffer from AIDS, cancer and other diseases without ever seeing a medical professional and receiving adequate treatment.

“The Lebanese government didn’t do anything and they promised and promised, but nothing ever happened,” Safa said.

The lack of medical treatment to prisoners is viewed as tortured to Khiam Rehabilitation Center. Investigative death reports are often not conducted by the government Safa says.

“The government didn’t give any reports of how any of the victims died because the government told their families they died of normal reasons,” Safa said.

The government does not address violence towards prisoners because it again stems from the line of corruption at the top these administrative officers. Hammoud said there were many cases she saw involving either mental or physical forms of torture.

Men who were convicted of drug abuse or selling drugs were often physically tortured for information and locations during the investigations. Prison and police authorities used beatings and other special techniques.

“For example, I would help and communicate with prisoners who in the past had their hands and feet tied with a bandage over their eyes,” Hammoud said. “They would be tortured without having any idea where they were and then would be screaming because they were scared. Other prisoners would hear them while this happened.”

Despite the dark image over Roumieh and other prisons in the region, there are many non –governmental organizations stepping in to help when the Lebanese government fails to take initiative of the situation such as by providing libraries and a computer center. AJEM is an organization that works with persons incarcerated in Roumieh and their families. The organization maintains a close watch and active presence in the prisons by having an office outside the front of Roumieh.

“One inmate who is serving a life-sentence is a computer certified teacher and he teaches fellow inmates every three months and they finish one course. He has a credit system established inside,” said Ghorra.

With corruption in prisons like Roumieh and others across Lebanon, reform can take a long time to notice. Despite prisoners who have committed crimes, there are people who have been locked up for months and even years that are innocent, but they have no voice. Many activists and citizens alike believe there should be reform within the judicial process and prison conditions. Until the Lebanese government takes a stance to reform the prison system, there are NGO’s making changes inside the prison and giving a voice to those who do not have one.

“The beauty of the Lebanese government is that it’s their job to control the prisons. We can’t solve their problems because this is a big issue. We hope our program will continue and make changes visible to the Lebanese government and families. Rehabilitation is one of the key ways to fix this issue throughout the world”, said Ghali.

Forgetting the Salvadoran Civil War (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:53:00 +0200

By: Lindsay Boyle

Produced & Edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Maria Cristina Alvarenga was just one year old when El Salvador’s civil war — a 12-year ordeal — came to a close in 1992. Today, Alvarenga, who grew up in the Comunidad Oscar Arnulfo Romero orphanage, said she would know very little about the war — even though it is essentially the reason she was in an orphanage in the first place — if not for a single novel that was assigned in her high school social studies class, which primarily covered one massacre that occurred in El Mozote.

Although some organizations — such as Amnesty International — have suggested that the El Salvadoran government is not doing enough to take responsibility for or inform citizens about what happened during the war, others believe that, right now, it is more important for the government to focus on moving forward and dealing with current issues.

In 1980, the Salvadoran Civil War began primarily as a result of land disputes and widespread poverty. Early in the war, the United States opted to intervene on the side of what was, at the time, a military dictatorship, rather than on the side of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front — a coalition of left-wing guerilla groups.

Armed with funding and training from the United States, the governmental military proceeded to commit massacres throughout the country. By the time the war ended, an estimated 70,000- 80,000 people had lost their lives.

Additionally, more than 800 children went missing throughout the course of the war. Often, Salvadoran soldiers essentially kidnapped those children, regardless of whether the children’s family members were still alive.

Some children were used as soldiers. Some ended up in Salvadoran orphanages under fake names. Others were sold into an illegitimate international adoption market for large sums of money. More than half of the children, many of whom would now be approaching 30 years of age, are still missing.

U.S.-born Victoria Cavanaugh, who started a nonprofit called Nuestro Ahora in El Salvador in 2006, explained that, although she thinks the United States should help find the children because “humanity has an obligation to help other people,” the missing children situation is not the primary issue in El Salvador for multiple reasons.

For one, she explained that many of the children lost during the war spent their entire childhoods in orphanages hoping to find their parents, but found little or no information. Because of that, she said some of them have stopped searching altogether.

She pointed out that those children, now adults, have started their own lives — different lives — and, if they live in the United States, have to consider whether they would leave the United States and potentially risk losing immigration status to find their real families.

“A lot of people have put it behind them,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m sure there’s always a hope to find your parents, but it’s a lot of history to dig up.”

Additionally, Cavanaugh cited two occurrences as more pressing issues in El Salvador: problems with gang violence, and problems with attempted emigration to the United States. According to the CIA World Factbook, El Salvador has a net migration loss of 8.78 per 1,000 people so far in 2012, which ranks as the 206th worst rate of the 221 included countries.

Although Cavanaugh said those problems exist mostly as a result of the civil war, she also said they often cause people to be more focused on the present rather than the past.

“I think, due to all the current other crises that are happening here, (the missing children issue is) just not at the top of the list,” she said.

Each year, Cavanaugh’s organization, Nuestro Ahora, provides scholarships, stipends and housing to about 10 18-- 25-year-old students coming from multiple orphanages. Unlike in the United States, most children in Salvadoran orphanages do have at least one parent. However, those parents were deemed unable to take care of them because, for example, they could not afford to feed their children, or lived too far away to send their children to school.

Orphans at Hogar de las Hermanas Inmaculado Corazon, Izalco, Sonsonate -- one of the orphanages Nuestro Ahora works with.

Cavanaugh explained that some of the oldest students have personal memories from the war, but most of the rest of them have only heard others’ stories. Some, she said, are mostly oblivious to the entire situation.

One of the older students, 25-year-old Maria Magdalena Lopez, said that, despite having few personal memories of the war, she has worked extra hard to learn about the war from classmates, companions and their parents.

She agreed that other issues have come to the forefront in El Salvador.

“The people in the city have tried to put the war behind them,” she said. “They’re not trying to forget — it’s more like they’ve put it to one side, because they now have to focus on their current problems in the country.”

Lopez acknowledged that those problems are largely related to the war, but said that, now, “people don’t necessarily see it as consequences of the war.”

When she first started working with students through Nuestro Ahora, Cavanaugh said she found it “striking” how little they knew about the war and the missing children, despite typically having grown up around several people affected by both.

Cavanaugh pointed to the government as a big reason people have stopped discussing the events of the war. She said that education in El Salvador is “totally, a thousand percent” biased, and that media are “very controlled” and typically portray everything in a positive way.

“There’s very little emphasis on thinking critically, so it’s no wonder that there’s not more insistence by Salvadorans themselves as to what’s going on,” she said. “They don’t have the sense that’s it their right to demand the answers from their government.”

One of the Nuestro Ahora students, 19-year-old Maria Cristina Alvarenga, spent her childhood in an orphanage because, after the war, her parents were not able to send her to school.

She said she thinks that more should be said about the war because she knows that many people have been affected by it — not only the children who went missing and their families, but also veterans who, today, do not receive any benefits from the government. Alvarenga even has a friend who lost both of her parents in the war, and whose brother was whisked away. His whereabouts are still unknown.

“I think, obviously, the war has traumatized lots and lots of people,” Alvarenga said. “The government, the population in general, they are forgetting about it, and that’s a problem.”

Scholars in Nuestro Ahora's University Program.

One nonprofit organization that has not forgotten about the effects of the civil war is the Pro Búsqueda Association for the Search of Disappeared Children, which was founded in 1994 and continues to actively search for persons who went missing during the Salvadoran Civil War.

A source familiar with Pro Búsqueda said the United States has the ability to improve the current situation in El Salvador in multiple ways, including by monitoring the Salvadoran government.

In addition to allegedly providing biased education and regulating media, the Salvadoran government has also largely ignored orders from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that were meant to address human rights violations committed during the war, according to the source.

One such order, for example, was for the government to identify and prosecute anyone who was responsible to for forced disappearances of persons during the war, which, to date, has not occurred.

However, in January 2012, current Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes publicly apologized for the massacre at El Mozote, fulfilling another one of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ orders. He said that true peace will not come until justice is served and made several promises, including declaring El Mozote a cultural center, providing computers to the area’s local school, and asking the Attorney General to ensure that Salvadoran laws allow for the prosecution of those who committed human rights violations during the war.

Only time will tell if the Salvadoran government makes good on those promises, but without a knowledgeable, pressing public, one cannot be sure how long that may take.

Neo-Nazis in Germany (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0200

By: Chu Wu

Produced & edited by Kaylyn Hlavaty

When you see a man hidden behind a white mask, you may wish him to be the Phantom of the Opera. However, the reality is that he may be a Neo-Nazi in Germany.

On May 1 this year, hundreds of people marched at night, armed with torches, and hidden in black clothing and white masks in Bauzen, Germany. This group organized the event through text message and called themselves “Die Unsterblichen” (“The Immortals”). The organizers later uploaded the video onto YouTube, delivering the message: “Your short life, make it immortal.” The flash mob reminds people of the torch marching back to the days of Hitler and the Third Reich when the Nazis saluted their leader in this way.

Germany’s loss in WWII did not end Nazism as people may hope. Instead, Neo-Nazis carries on and is becoming a growing national problem in the spotlight. According to the statistics from Robert Grimm, a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University of the MYPLACE project, as of 2011, there are 22,400 right-wing extremists in Germany among which 9,800 are violent or potentially violent. These people and the parties carry out political movements, demonstrations and hate crimes.

Police in Germany failed to prevent and investigate a series of murders by the National Socialist Underground, a far-right terror group. After the incident, the federal government of Germany promised to strengthen the fight with far-right extremism and enhance the democratic society. However, it’s tough. The problem is complex.

Anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and opposing multiculturalism are the basic characteristics of the extreme-right parties.

Timm Kohler is the program manager in a Berlin-based organization dealing with human rights issues. He says the main focus of the extreme-right and the Neo-Nazi topics are placed on the east states, which used to be German Democratic Republic before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Provided by Amandeu Antonio Foundation

He explains that when the states suffer from a poor economy and high unemployment rate, people tend to believe it is foreigners who take away the job opportunities. The activists, with this idea in mind, insulted and conducted crimes on foreigners, believing that they will attempt to hold possession of the Germans.

Mr. Fuerst is the political-economic specialist in the US Consulate of Leipzig, Saxony, “It’s just because there are few foreigners here, local people have no chance to know and meet foreigners. Thus, they become more afraid of them.”

Ethnic groups are exposed to such dangers. Angela Rainone is an international student from Italy in Leipzig University. Her ex-boyfriend was once beaten by Germans on the street because he is black. “My experience in Germany, for most part, is very good, but I remember once an old man responsible for fixing infrastructure in my apartment refused to help me because I am a foreigner.”

“They (the Neo-Nazis) don’t like anything that’s different,” says Crister S. Garrett, an American professor in Leipzig University. Asians, Africans, and Jews are easily identified as non-German, leading them to be greater targets.

Matthias Quent in University of Jena studies right-wing extremism for his research. The statistics make him worried about the future of the country. “Up to 20 percent of the German people are hostile to foreigners, in some areas even more than 50 percent,” he says the group focused enmity and the attitude of right-wing extremists are widespread. Though he agrees that Neo-Nazi parties are not taking over the national government, it is definitely embossing political and social life in some areas.

Provided by the Amandeu Antonio Foundation

Die Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands, known as NPD, is the most famous and biggest extreme-right wing party in Germany. The number of registered members is 6,600 in 2010 and 6,300 in 2011. NPD strongly opposes multiculturalism. They believe what they have been committed to is trying to keep Germany as an autonomous country by its own people.

Felix Korsch and Andrea Kloss are students at Leipzig University and have been working on research for this topic. They mention a publication by NPD to publicize itself strategically. “They are producing some kind of ‘newspapers’ that look like this would be regular press and would have been made by journalists. But in fact, that’s camouflage that has nothing to do with journalism,” Felix examines printed Neo-Nazi media.

By using different strategies, NPD actually attracts the young generation. Timm says most of the voters for NPD are between the ages 25-35. Matthias also found that the party has achieved in some villages to well over 20 percent of the votes. These facts worried people like Matthias and Felix a lot. Nevertheless, it’s not drawing the majority’s attention to the aggressive Neo-Nazism. They believe it has to do with the German history and lack of media coverage.

Mr. Lux from NPD in Berlin has agreed to an email interview, but has not since replied. Felix explained that he has continuously failed to complete an interview with the Neo-Nazis due to their refusal to answer.

The efforts of the federal government trying to ban NPD are reported by media in recent years, but it still remains in debates. Matthias says: “The government act ambivalent.” He believes there are some good ideas and projects. However, some top officials like the conservative Family Minister Kristina Schröder are deteriorating the movements because they feel discredited. With an increasing number of right-wing extremists crime in Germany reaching 8,000 in the first half of this year, the authorities are concealing the political motives in a lot of cases.

As an existing problem in Germany, the extreme-right ideologies and the Neo-Nazis will stay in dispute because of the complexity of legislation, freedom of speech and historical roots.

A Seed of Insecurity in Jerusalem (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:35:00 +0200

By:Maggie Krueger

Produced & edited by Leisha Lininger

Plans for biblically inspired garden threaten to uproot East Jerusalem Palestinians

For the seven days of Sukkot, Israeli Rabbi Arik Ascherman left his home to sleep outside, within the confines of a booth, called a sukkah.

Sukkot is a Jewish holiday celebrated after Yom Kippur, the holy day of atonement. Housed under wooden beams, with a white cloth wrapped around the walls, Rabbi Ascherman emphasized the delicacy of his temporary dwelling.

“According to Jewish law, it has to be a structure where the thatching on top allows rain to come through,” he explains.

About three miles away from Rabbi Ascherman’s sukkah, in the neighborhood of Al-Bustan, East Jerusalem lives another man, also mindful of the delicacy of his living situation.

“Every time I sit down [in this place] for dinner,” says Fakhri Abu-Diab, “I do not know if it will be for the last time.”

“When I come home, my children and my grandchildren ask when will they come to demolish our homes,” says Abu-Diab.

View of Silwan Village Provided by Emek Shavck

Disputes center on current plans for the proposed park that would require the relocating of families in 56 buildings, according to Ir Amim , a non-profit that advocates for equality and stability in Jerusalem. Their report, called “The Giant’s Garden,” details these demolition plans.

Moreover, Mizrachi claims that archeological evidence to support the location of King David’s gardens is not something that can be supported through excavation.

“It is a reasonable theory that cannot be proven,” says Mizrachi. He notes instead that the garden’s location was a decision of municipal leaders, a fact many people find telling of a larger Palestinian-Israeli issue.

“The right wing [municipality] understands,” says Mizrachi, “if they make a situation that has nothing to do with Palestinians, then it will be easier to claim sovereignty over these areas.”

Rabbi Ascherman explains that about 35 per cent of what is today greater Jerusalem has been expropriated, under a kind of eminent domain legislation. However, instead of taking property to build public highways, roads, or facilities, around 99 per cent of that land, he adds, has been used to create Jewish neighborhoods.

“So it is not really eminent domain in the way we think of it, but more taking from one group to give to another,” says Rabbi Ascherman

Taken by Margaret Krueger of Temple Mount

Further, as detailed in the Ir Amim report, the intentions of the Municipality’s King’s Garden plan will involve the construction of housing, storefronts, hotels, and a park. The plan grants permission for residents evicted from their home to live within the new housing area, compensation even in light of the fact the Municipality claims that many residents do not currently have housing permits.

“[The Muncipality has] offered them a plot of land and license to build new houses,” says city council member Meir Margalit. “People are willing to accept.”

Margalit says he sides with the Palestinians, however, there is a gap in the claims of Palestinian community leaders found in the media, and the desires of Al-Bustan residents. This discrepancy is echoed by many Palestinian activist voices, such as Bloom.

“The community has been very united in their position,” says Bloom. “There is a lot of community pressure [on] individuals not to give up claims to land.”

While international pressure froze plans in 2005, park supporters reconvened in June 2010, according to the Ir Amim report. Betty Herschman, the Ir Amim Director of International Relations and Advocacy says that plans are now stalled at the district planning committee.

While Rabbi Ascherman confirms that the courts released a statement that they will make no more postponements on demolition orders after September 2012, city council member Margalit says that nothing will happen until the end of the year.

Abu-Diab is not so sure.

“We do not have hope,” he says.

But Rabbi Ascherman sees the Jewish holiday as an opportunity, a chance to send a message of sensitivity and tolerance to his congregation.

“We find it fun to be in a sukkah for seven days,” he says, “but we are condemning people to be without any stable roof over their heads all year round.”

Fracking in New Zealand-Is it worth it? (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:17:00 +0200

By:Hannah Cook

Produced & edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

Michael Self has been concerned about the health effects of hydraulic fracturing ever since his mother unexpectedly died of a brain tumor a few years ago. His mother’s illness was one of many curious health problems plaguing the community surrounding the Kapuni oil field, one of the largest and oldest, owned by Shell, BP and Todd Energy.

“Suddenly, everyone started dying,” said Self. “I promised [at my mother’s] funeral that I’d raise the issue.”

Travel about 25 kilometers north and you’ll find Sarah Roberts facing similar disturbances. The schoolteacher owns farmland in Stratford that has fallen into the hands of Tag Oil, a Canadian company who has taken New Zealand on as a new client, so to speak. She looks out her window with disdain as she watches a frightening metal monster spitting out smoke and fire in the distance, its subtle fury ill fit for the beautiful rolling hills New Zealand is so known for. She calls it an “abuse of our land.”
Hydraulic fracturing isn’t necessarily recent to New Zealand, having been used mildly over the last 20 years. In fact, it’s not new to any part of the world. The process, slanged “fracking,” occurs when a well is drilled through first vertically, then horizontally for thousands of feet. A mixture of water, sand, and hundreds of chemicals is shot through the well, causing little fractures underground that release loads of natural gases. It has become one of the oil companies’ favorite extraction activities, as they relish in the profits.

But to people like Self and Roberts, fracking just isn’t worth it.

Protestors in Cape Town, photo Getty Images

First and foremost, opponents to fracking worry about the quality of water, especially in a country like New Zealand, whose economy depends largely on agriculture and dairy production. Historically speaking, there have been incidents of fracking contaminating water supplies. For instance, the water waste extracted after the natural gases are captured is essentially dumped into a pit, usually lined, but sometimes not. That water, ridden with carcinogens, can seep into the waterways of surrounding houses, making their tap water unfit for human consumption.

Gareth Hughes, a spokesperson of The Green Party of New Zealand’s Parliament, has seen such practices and outcomes happen in New Zealand. “What we know is we’ve had toxic chemicals that they’ve just dumped down the streams,” he says. Roberts also commented on fracking’s affect on water supply, saying, “I can see a place where I would have to say we could run out of clean water before we run out of oil.”

Those chemicals have also been known to bleed into the soil—the soil that grows the grass, and the grass that feeds New Zealand’s dairy cows. “We have this food chain of oil moving into our milk,” Self says, “no one seems to be checking our milk.”

What Hughes deems as “shotty practices” are at the root of the anti-fracking movement. A strangely compliant relationship has been building between the oil companies and the Taranaki Regional Council, who are meant to be the regulators; however, it could be argued that the TRC is in cahoots with the oil companies. “I don’t think they can be in the business of promoting oil and in the business of regulating them,” Roberts says, “I feel there should be a separation.”

Tim Fulton, a senior writer at the Farmers Weekly Newspaper of New Zealand, has covered three oil and gas stories just in the past two months. What he has discovered is what puzzles most New Zealanders: the oil companies seem to possess a certain right to land that the people do not. “One of the overriding concerns that some of the critics have here is that you let the oil companies in and you just don’t know how they will act,” Fulton says.

Sarah Roberts and David Morrison, photo provided by Pip Guthrie

Essentially, the oil companies are setting their own standards for the execution of fracking. The Taranaki community fears that that self-regulation, teamed with little government oversight, will relinquish any true benefits of the practice. “Until the industry can prove that it is safe, we shouldn’t allow it,” Gareth says. “I’d rather the government be putting its attention and focus into clean energy so we can actually have a sustainable development for the long term, ‘cause once the stuff’s gone, it’s gone forever and we’ve missed the opportunity.”

But fracking is a controversial issue for a reason—there are two sides to the story. The debate is as foggy as the dense air escaping from a drill well.

Chris Baker, the CEO of the natural resource advocacy corporation, Straterra, believes that the fracking debate lacks a certain level of intellectual maturity. “Let’s have a look at evidence behind what’s being done and then decide whether it’s a problem or not,” he says. He points to the Gaslanddocumentary, directed by independent filmmaker Josh Fox, as a source of “misinformation” guiding the public’s viewpoints. “Some of [the issues Gaslandraised] were valid in the context of what happened historically in the states, but the implication was created that those concerns continue in New Zealand. The regulations or practice provide no support for that position,” he says.

Chris also says that if managed properly, the impacts of fracking are acceptable; it’s all about risk management. And while they don’t fully support New Zealand’s green image, they do support economic growth. “We have to encourage economic activity and for that you need oil and gas,” he says, “they want their kids to grow up and have jobs, and that ain’t gonna happen if you don’t have any new business or move to a non fossil fuel economy.”

But Self worries about his kids, too, just in a different sense. “I worry for my children and my grandchildren, if they wish to work on the land,” he says.

Roberts, too, lacks faith in the system and how it will affect the safety of her community. “It feels like everyone’s got their fingers crossed.”

Money Matters in Nigerian Education (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:53:00 +0200

By: Kayla Hardimon

Produced and edited by: Molly Nocheck

The idea of all students having an equal opportunity to acquire an education has been a common topic of discussion in the United States. The idea is that the amount of money that parents make, or the community that a child lives in should not determine whether or not a child receives a good education. In Nigeria, this same problem with educational inequity exists. Problems arise because of the country’s system of pay to play education.

Equal education for all is not a reality for students in Nigeria. The set up of Nigeria’s education system plays a major role in student success or failure. In Nigeria, students have three stages of education; primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary and secondary stages last for 6 years each. In a student’s final year of primary school they will take what is called the Common Entrance Exam. This exam determines not only whether or not a student has successfully completed their primary schooling but also whether they will go on to secondary school. Secondary school entrance acceptance is based on the scores that students receive on their Common Entrance Exam.

If a student does not score at or above the cutoff score for a school, they will not be considered for admission. How prepared a student is for their common entrance exam depends on the quality of education the student receives.

The education system is separated into public and private schools. Both types of schools require payment for all aspects of education.

Nosike Agokei the managing director of MTI ELC in Nigeria, says that the biggest problem is the difference between public and private schools. He says that public schools in Nigeria are not properly funded and that the lack of infrastructure creates a system of improper schooling.

Many students do not have tables and chairs says Agokei, “If you can afford it you enjoy better quality.”

Private schooling in Nigeria provides better resources and materials to students.

“Unfortunately majority of Nigerian parents are not able to afford tuition in private schools and so they send their children to public schools,” says Bella Anne Chinwendu Ndubuisi, a worker in the public relations section of the United States Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

The school that a Nigerian child attends is impacted by three things says Agokei; the perspective the parents have on education and the type of disciple they want their children’s school to have, the scores a child gets on the test, and how much money the parents have.

Provided Green Springs Schools

“Private schools are better by and large,” says Agokei.

A child’s future in Nigeria begins with the location that they attend primary schooling. Tolu Adeusi, a consultant with TG March Nata Education an organization that helps students study abroad, says that he will not send his future children to public school in Nigeria because he believes that at public school they will be taught to be workers and they will not be taught math and other skills that they will need to succeed.

If a student’s family can afford to send them to a private primary school or a good federal government school, the child has a better chance at continuing on to secondary school.

A school’s ranking is based on how well the students do on the standardized exams. Mercedes Onyemenam, a Nigerian student studying at Case University, went to a top private school that used a British curriculum.

“We did a lot of practice questions, they really want every single person to understand what they’re saying, if one person doesn’t understand, they keep teaching the material. They drill it into your head.”

Damilola Darimola, a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at OhioUniversity, was able to attend a strong public secondary school, the Federal Government College in Lagos Nigeria, he says that although it was public, it was not open to everyone. “Although it was a public school you still had to pay money,” said Darimola.

When speaking about public schools in Nigeria, Ndubuisi says that she was able to go to a public primary school at a time when the public school system was still strong, now, she says federal government schools have deviated from the “good old standards.”

She says that not all public schools are bad, but private schools are way better. The problem with attending a private school she says is that a student could get a college education in the United States with the tuition paid in some private primary schools.

Provided Action Aid Nigeria

Government funding for schools is not high in Nigeria. Adeusi says that this is because “the government itself focuses on infrastructure not in connecting with the children.” This has left many public schools without the proper means to educate students, and other schools charging high prices for public education. Some students in Nigeria do not have access to education at all. Adeusi, an education consultant, says that in the Western part of Nigeria where many farming and rural areas exist, only 1 in 10 students go through proper education. “In other regions, it is less than one,” he says.

“We struggle to do everything for ourselves,” says Awana Adentux Isioma a student studying Modern Engineering at the Jo Marine Institute in Nigeria, “the government doesn’t provide.” Awele Nwankwo, a graduate of Plateau State Polytechnic University in Nigeria, says that without the help of his family in the United States he would not have had a proper education. Nwankwo’s immediate family did not have the money to pay for a good school.

Money is a driving factor for education in Nigeria. Parents who make enough money can send their children to any school that they choose, no matter what region the school is located in. Students who’s parents do not make a high enough salary are forced to attend schools with fewer resources and still obligated to pay in order to attend. No matter the quality of the education, it is not free. Money is determining the future for children in Nigeria rather than how much aptitude, drive, or determination the children possess.

Restrictions on Educational Fields for Women in Iran (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:43:00 +0200

By:Chelsa Lewis-Bevel
Produced & edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

In late June, 1.6 million of Iran’s high school graduates sat down to take the nationwide college entrance exam; the Concours. As August approached, nervous graduates waited in anticipation for the exam results. Scores were announced, disappointing some and elating others. But none were expecting the news that several universities across the country would be instituting “single-gender courses”; this effectively banning women.

Of the 2012 accepted applicants, nearly two thirds were female. This news came as a shock. Iran was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to allow women to attend college, and has seen progress in equal rights for women. 36 of the nation’s universities announced that 77 undergraduate courses, in both the liberal arts and sciences would be unavailable to women. With no additional statements from the 36 institutions or any remarks from the Iranian government, citizens are left contemplating how and why something like this could happen.

Some citizens believe this is an act to combat the reported low birthrate in Iran, others fear the country may want to bring back a more traditional Islamic state. Shirin Ebadi, a popular human rights advocate, believes the real agenda is to reduce the number of female students, weakening the Iranian feminist movement.

Mohammad Jalali, a recent graduate of University of Tehran believes this decision comes mainly from the government, not the individual institutions.

“This is not fair,” he said. “Women should have the same opportunities as men”. He believes the banning stems from the low job opportunities in Iran, and the push to get more men in the workforce.

Dr. Jalal Jalali, a professor at Guilan University, condemns the ban. “I don’t understand why they did it, it should be removed.” Guilan is not among the 36 universities imposing the restrictions, but still there is little room for discussion and debate about the ban, at the university. “It is not easy to talk to [the students] about the ban and political issues are not easy [to talk about]”, said Jalali. Yet it is difficult to silence the collegiate youth completely.

Nima Radi, a senior, civil engineering major at University Azad Lahijan believes the ban may hurt the effected educational fields, “Some courses can be done better by women, like English translation, they are hurting courses that can be better done by women”.

If mums the word across college campuses and the government and universities imposing the ban are keeping tight lipped, the citizens have very little to go on when constructing their views on the situation. Factors concerning the course restrictions may extend beyond a simple social injustice, and coverage of the ban may be misleading according to country officials, who believe the media is blowing the situation out of proportion.

Out of the 350 plus universities in Iran, only 36 are imposing restrictions. Each university follows its own admission policies and applicants can apply to the same banned fields at other universities. Women who have already started study in the banned fields are allowed to continue, at universities imposing the ban. Some of the restricted courses are only limiting the amount of women taking the course, not all women. These facts go unreported in the media.

Science and higher education minister, Kamran Daneshjoo, dismisses the controversy, saying that 90% of degrees remain open to both sexes and that single-gender courses are needed to create "balance." Iran has the highest ratio of women to men in college throughout the world.

How does this notion of creating balance play into the restrictions? Someone looking at the ban from a human rights perspective will see fault there, but is that the only scope through which this issue needs to be looked upon?

Mohsen Radi, a civil engineering PhD student, believes that many are not looking at the situation as a whole. Although he does not agree with the ban itself, he can understand the motives, and why country officials fear the growth of women in college.

“The restrictions are only in areas where there is a large imbalance between men and women”. An imbalance that he feels is detrimental to the country. Right now 65 percent of all college students are women, and that percentage is slowly rising every year. This growing imbalance could potentially affect the Iranian society. “Sometimes you have to think of the good of the country, before individual needs. It’s not about putting women down, it’s about balance”, said Radi.

Others share his view of creating balance and putting the country first.

“The growth of female students, they couldn’t control it”, said Majid Radi, manager at an engineering consulting firm in Tehran. He works closely with women daily, and does not think gender matters in terms of work ethic. He believes there’s a political and economic aspect to the issue that people are ignoring in favor of social ideals. “More men are needed in the workforce, it is better for our country”, he said. Not necessarily the men, but the balance of gender is better for the country. Radi is against the ban, citing it as a superficial solution to a problem that is deeply rooted and will take time and better planning to resolve.

The issues concerning the ban are complex, and the government and imposing institutions’ silence, only adds to the confusion. Two months after the announcement, citizens still have minimal information, and no sign as to when the ban will be lifted. Their only option is to wait, like so many students did back in august, for results that may have huge implications for their country.

NGO Roles in Rehabilitating Women in India’s Red Light District (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:57:00 +0200

By: Leisha Lininger

Produced & edited by: Molly Nocheck

Nestled in the Maharashtra district of India, Aruna of Oasis seeks to rehabilitate and free women from the bondage of sexual slavery and give them new skills so that they can leave the practice of selling their bodies. Director Sachin Kamble coordinates services for not only the women of the brothels, but also for the children of the women in the Red Light District. Volunteers come from all over the world to offer their time to these individuals and to open their minds to new cultural experiences.

Departing from their hotel, these volunteers travel via train and then they finally enter the hustle and bustle of the heart of Mumbai, just blocks away from the nationally known Red Light District. Weaving through food stands and vendors calling out for buyers, between cars angrily and incessantly honking while simultaneously braking and speeding, one follows the guide. With all the senses assaulted by the sounds of the horns, the stench of the trash, and the never-ending presence of the heats, the guide ambles on, leading the group to their destination: a non-governmental organization that works with the women in the brothels. The day is Tuesday, the day when women come over to gather for training, counseling, medical attention, and just to get a chance to leave the brothels for an hour or two.

Oasis is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that boasts branches not only in India but also in the United Kingdom, Bangledash, and around the world. According to the Oasis global website, their mission is as follows: “We're involved in anti-trafficking work, community development, housing, education, water... wherever we go we seek to extend the opportunities that we ourselves are so privileged to have.”

Sabina Kapur* speaks only Hindi and has two young children at home. Even though she does not like selling her body, she depends on the trade in order to provide for her young children. Even though she lives a life of hardship, she still delights in bringing a smile to others’ faces. Looking into the eyes of her visitors, the volunteers, she smiles and intently compliments them with phrases such as “Bahuth sunder hay,” translated, as “You are beautiful.” Her selflessness is evident in all that she does, even in a system that has taken away her freedom and away from her family.

Dimple Patel* has successfully left behind her life in the brothel system, and now volunteers with Aruna to encourage the other women and bring them out of the system. Patel helps host the weekly meeting, which entails a support group for those who have been diagnosed with AIDS.

During the support group, Shraddha Shelke, a longtime faithful employee of Aruna, gathers the women in a circle on the floor. Speaking in the mother tongue of India, Hindi, she explains how AIDS affects one’s body and charts the effects through pictures. Somber, the women listen intently. They are not alone in their struggle.

In a study written by R.D. Fowler in 2005, Human Rights Watch reports that “more than 50% of Bombay's prostitutes are infected with HIV, with India's red-light districts the primary vector of viral spread into the general population.” Based on the number of clients that utilize the services provided in the Red Light District on a daily basis, the watch estimates that hundreds of people are infected daily with HIV, with 160 million Indians infected and the death toll 10,000 per month by 2000.

Students are doing their part to give back and reform India. Some students have humanitarian ideals, and even reach out to their community by volunteering via other NGOs, such as education-focused Vision Rescue or the Asian Slums’ Reality Gives NGO.

Student Smruti Gaddamwar saw a bus traveling by her neighborhood on its ways to the slums of Asia to provide schooling and a meal to children, and wanted to join them. The bus is part of Vision Rescue, and Smruti spends one day a week traveling with the bus, playing with the children and helping to serve the food.

“I believe in helping others and in helping India,” she said.

Even despite the varying perspectives on NGOs, the staff that works there believe strongly in what they do. The employees and local volunteers spend their time helping to interpret conversation between the local women and the international volunteers.

Rafique Shake is a man who calls himself a “born-again Christian” and embraces the scorn that his wife and family have placed on him for spending time working at Aruna. Even Johan Singh, a former soccer fanatic, now spends his life working full-time to love, care for, and teach the children of Aruna Kids, located in the heart of the Red Light District. Each of these individuals shows how they are making a difference and creating an impact in their community.

University of Michigan junior Chithra Rajasekaran, left her homeland of Bangalore at age of eight for the United States, returning to India to volunteer over the years.

“[Volunteering at] Aruna Kids was really hard for me,” said Rajesakarn. “Having them go back to their life, I felt kind of hopeless. I am thankful for Aruna, though, because it does give me a little bit of hope. It shows me that not all Christians are apathetic, and some are trying to do something to help. There isn’t going to be one magical fix, there isn’t going to be one organization that fixes everything. It’s going to take a lot of trial and error.”

As Winter Looms, Prepartions Begin for Syrians (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:10:00 +0200

By: Gina Mussio

Produced & edited by: Kaylyn Hlavaty

As Syrian refugees continue to pour in to Jordan, both governments and non-governmental organizations attention is turned toward the oncoming winter, and the preparations necessary to help thousands survive the change of season.

Hot summers, cold winters and minimal rainfalls characterize the climate in northern Jordan, with the coldest part of the year falling between mid-November and mid-March.

For those Syrians living in Za’atari Refugee camp in the northern city of Mafraq, battling the elements is already well known, as the camp is located in the middle of the desert.

“You stay there five minutes and you are full of dust. It gets everywhere, in your nose, in your ears, everywhere,” said Marta Triggiano, project coordinator for Un Ponte Per, a partner organization of the Jordanian Women’s Union. “It’s super hot in summer, and it will be super cold in winter and this is the biggest problem.”

Jordan, a strategic American ally in the region, was also one of the first Arab countries to call for Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad’s resignation. However, with more and more refugees pouring in to the country, the strains on the country are beginning to show.

“The problem is the location, the problem is the Syrians are angry,” said Triggiano. “The people are already psychologically unstable and this situation stresses them.”

In fact, protests and clashes in the Za’atari camp prompted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to evacuate partner NGOs, such as the Jordan Health Aid Society (JHAS), whose team was evacuated to the entrance of the camp.

Tear gas affected three of the JHAS staff, but none were ever attacked or hurt by Syrian refugees, said Yaroup Ajlouni, president of JHAS.

“The more difficult situation is that winter is coming,” Ajlouni said, “This is a very difficult climate in the desert – cold mainly. “I think the (current) diseases will be more prevalent.”

Ajlouni expects that upper respiratory flu and gastroenteritis, sickness common among the refugees now, will rise exponentially come winter. He also cited flu vaccinations and a stronger focus on malnutrition as upcoming pushes to prepare for the winter.

Despite the difficult security situation and harsh conditions in the camp, the number of refugees living in camps is predicted to reach 150,000 people by the end of 2012, according to a recent report from UNHCR, a factor to consider when ordering supplies for winter.

Data Analysis Group for UNHCR

The winter season starts early December but UNHCR has already begun preparing.

The NRC Rapid Response Team (RRT) issued a winterization report recommending the distribution of winter clothing and blankets, the addition of a fire resistant porch to the tents in the camp and a supply of family heating and fuel.

In addition, to avoid the possibility of further disputes among the Syrian refugees, UNHCR considers an early information campaign explaining what to expect this winter of “utmost importance.”

One current problem that might be alleviated by the change of season is water.

The variation between summer and winter is considerable. With the drop in temperatures often comes a drop in water consumption, leading to a minimal use of water, explained Mottaz Obaidat, representative of Yarmouk Water Company.

In fact, the average rainfall in Mafraq during the winter season is about 1.8 inches, one of the lowest in Jordan. As such, there is not a considerable risk of flooding in the camp and simple drainage ditches are all the RRT suggests are necessary.

Outside of the camp, an estimated 50,000 Syrians came to Jordan looking for a safe place to live. The majority of Syrians who came to Jordan before Za’atari was established came to stay with relatives or friends and live in urban areas.

The basic needs of these ‘urban refugees’ is money to cover the cost of living, food and other various demands of life, said Ahmed Albzayah, representative of the All Jordan Youth Commission.

After months of displacement, the Syrian refugees rely almost totally on charity aid for their survival. Those refugees who were able to find jobs – most commonly in construction, maintenance, sales or agriculture – cannot obtain a work permit and so are often exploited and underpaid.

For them, the winter could potentially mean a decrease in work, among other concerns.

“The situation of the urban refugees is much more difficult in some ways than the camp people because they are really on their own they don’t have much support at all,” said Kevin Fitzcharles, CARE country director of Jordan.

The support they do have primarily comes from organizations such as CARE who often offer basic care and support, however, this is only if the NGOs can find the refugees and vice versa.

“The big thing on everybody’s mind is how these people are going to cope in the winter,” Fitzcharles said.

Battling a heartless system (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:06:00 +0200

Battling a heartless system

By: Sagar Atre, Research Intern-Healthcare, ProPublica, New York, NY.

M.S. Candidate, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University.

Email: sa649611@ohio.edu

Recipient of the Bob Considine Foreign Correspondence Internship Scholarship of the Institute of International Journalism at Ohio University.

Healthcare reporting is sometimes like a doctor; hearing about death, trauma, pain, suffering, and all other frailties of human health that ail every living being. It makes you realize how hard a job medical professionals do every day. It tempers your carefree life with thoughts of being a human after all, it reminds you that you too, like each of your fellow human beings, are as liable to fall sick as anyone else.

But sometimes, there’s more to being a health reporter. Sometimes you hear about the mistakes a doctor makes and alters someone’s life, or sometimes, even carelessly destroys it. This carelessness is then often met with a callousness befitting a heartless man, and often, the heartbroken family has nothing to do but give up, for lack of money, for lack of resources to challenge a system that makes a lot of fatal mistakes, but does not always acknowledge them. During my time at ProPublica as an intern, I had the chance to meet Dr Martin Makary, a Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon, and a whistleblower of sorts for his own field. When I first spoke with him, I asked him why he wrote this book in spite of being in the same field, his answer was simple, “Because today, some doctor can be careless, harm a patient and change their lives irreparably while getting away without a scratch, or at the most, by paying some money for it if the patient’s family can prove the hospital was responsible. I am not against mistakes, they are going to happen. What I am against is not acknowledging them, and not creating a culture of being righteous in a profession we equate with being God.”

I saw and read about a lot of past cases my colleague Marshall Allen worked on, some were chilling to read. One that particularly stood out was the case of Linda Carswell, whose husband suddenly died after a cardiac procedure in the hospital. But this was only the beginning, after protracted legal battles and many testimonies, she won some compensation. But the worst secret was yet to be revealed; Linda Carswell’s husband’s heart was not in his body. In a courtroom testimony, one of the pathologists reported that the hospital had retained the heart as legal evidence.

There are many other tales like these, where institutions do not follow their duties and instead become sites of harm. It is an exciting and uplifting thing to know that my work can help mitigate such social ills, can reduce the arrogance of institutions who are left unquestioned because they are too big to challenge. My project is in the healthcare sector, where we are investigating patient harm by involving patients and providers alike. The healthcare reporting team is trying to put together the large jigsaw puzzle and realize why patients are harmed in places where they go to feel better. In a time when healthcare is becoming unaffordable for many Americans, healthcare waste is responsible for $765 billion of taxpayer money.

Cutting a large part of that would balance budgets for a long time, according to an Institute of Medicine report. However, the medical hierarchy is against this. In a system where surgeons rule and no one challenges them, reporting and action on this is unlikely to happen. However, at ProPublica, it is our job to reveal inconvenient truths.

One of the most exciting factors of working at ProPublica is the synergy of public information and novel technology. Their use of technology to get information to the public on a platter makes it the best journalism work I’ve ever seen. Coming from a country like India where politicians and the powerful are not accountable at all, it makes me ecstatic to see things like this emerge. When I see heretofore unavailable information which was inaccessible to them before, but now is at their fingertips for them to use, I realize now what joy my ProPublica colleagues feel when they file a story after months of painstaking research. They should be proud, they are changing people’s lives for the better. I am glad to be part of a team like this and share some of that pride, even if it’s only a little.

Radio reporting in Dakar (IIJ Blog)

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:56:00 +0200

_____________
Brendon Butler
M.S. candidate, Scripps School of Journalism
Recipient of Cornelius Ryan Foreign Correspondence Internship, 2012
Multimedia reporting intern in Dakar, Senegal, with West Africa Democracy Radio
____________

It's a tough life out here in Dakar for most of the local inhabitants. Everybody struggles to survive, from the shoeless orphan kids called talibés who wave their colorful plastic buckets under your elbows to the thousands of men and women who wander through traffic with handkerchiefs, water-filled plastic bags, phone cards, shower sponges and other sundries for sale at 100 francs (20-cents) a pop.

Even the animals have it hard, from the scrappy little street kitten munching on spilled rice under a table, to the dwarf-sized horses roped to truck-axle carts who somehow look like they're prancing as they pull their loads of scrap iron or gasoline bottles through the dusty streets.

Yes, it's a tough life in Dakar, Senegal. Having money helps, but even the upper-middle class people don't have a particularly easy life here. Everybody must deal with the crowded streets, the unreliable electricity, the lack of sewage or water infrastructure, the corruption. Although I've been here now for over two full weeks, I've found my hardest task is to make it through each day with enough energy and time left over to produce something worthwhile on my journalism plans, which are going slowly.

But the culture shock is wearing off. I've learned to get up between 1 and 6 a.m. to fill my water bottles while the plumbing in my second-floor apartment has enough pressure to pump out a trickle; and I've learned to bathe using those bottles, a bucket and a sponge. I've figured out how to relax my mind enough to go potty in a squatting toilet with flies and mosquitos buzzing around my nether regions.

I've learned where to buy the big 10 liter bottles of purified water to drink so I don't spend too much each day on single bottles. I've figured out where to find food to eat that doesn't upset my stomach, and I've found that Senegalese food has some really satisfying tastes, such as the "chaybu jën" or fish and rice; and some others that I'd rather not try again, such as a dish of stewed spinach and goat meat that I couldn't finish no matter how I tried. (The greenish sauce had tiny pieces of an unknown substance that crunched between my teeth like sand.)

I'm dealing with the constant heat. I've managed to reset my internal scale so that the temperature I used to consider "hot" back in the United States is now just a sort of sweltering normal. I can now think to myself, "Ah, that's cool," when I turn on the fan in my office where it is always between 82 and 88 degrees, night or day, and I feel the blowing air kiss the back of my sweaty neck.

I'm acclimating, but all of these problems make it difficult to produce work. The basics of survival take practically all of my focus and energy to overcome, not to speak of starting a full-time internship at a radio station, or of creating a news report about an important issue or event.

And I have it easy in comparison to many people's lives here. I don't have to worry about where my next $20 will come from, since I've saved enough money to live out here fairly well, at least for awhile.

So this first update about my three-month-long sejour here in Dakar will be more about the ways I've had to adapt to a different culture than it will be about some important news report for my radio journalism internship, which is supposedly why I came in the first place. It's certainly not going to be a blog update about my exploits as a dashing and danger defying foreign correspondent in West Africa, at least not yet. I apologize if you'd been hoping to read something like that here.

In my mind, I've had an idea about what kind of person works as a foreign correspondent. This image is of the tough-as-nails photojournalist who lives out of a rucksack and shines a light on the dark events that occur in remote and dangerous parts of the world. I'm thinking of James Nachtwey documenting the murder and destruction during the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts (as a sidenote, if you haven't yet seen the documentary film called "War Photographer," you should find it and see it tonight); or of National Public Radio's Middle East correspondent Kelly McEvers, who calls herself a "mic slinger" in homage to the old West gun fighters.

As McEvers talks about her evolution to foreign correspondent in an excellent interview with PRX radio, she doesn't do much to dispel the stereotype that foreign correspondents are danger-addicted adrenaline junkies:

"I have a problem. I mean that's, you know, yeah. I like that stuff [war reporting]. It's a problem. I mean, I wouldn't do this if I didn't like doing things that are a little bit, you know, not safe. It's a problem. It's a big problem. My husband's theory is that I do not have a worry gene, or a worry compartment in my brain. … I can joke about it, but it's something I've actually considered very deeply in recent months, because things have gotten so out of hand in the Middle East, and two guys who died in Libya, one of them was a really good friend of mine."

In this same interview, PRX replays one of McEvers' most famous stories for NPR, in which she follows an Indonesian guy who robs ships for a living around the waters of Malaysia. He's a pirate. You should stop for 8 minutes and listen to it, because it's really good.

McEvers' kind of radio reporting is exactly what I want to do. Not in the sense that she does dangerous work. No, I don't want to deliberately put myself into dangerous situations, court conflict. But I want to try to connect with the people who live here, to communicate with them and to get them to show me a little bit what their life is like. And I'd like to share these stories with you.

My first attempts at radio storytelling will begin next week when I start my internship with West Africa Democracy Radio here in Dakar. The station is small. It operates out of the ground floor of a white concrete villa situated in a residential neighborhood called Sacré Coeur 1, near downtown Dakar. I made the initial contact with its managing editor, Monsieur Peter Kahler, last spring. He answered my emails with encouragement, and I planned to arrive near the end of August. But I'm not sure that he figured I'd actually arrive here, because he seemed a bit surprised to see me when I called. In fact, it took me all of three weeks to finally make contact with him after I arrived in Dakar, partly because of the difficult transition I'd been making after arrival.

But I did finally see him last Wednesday. He gave me a tour of the radio station, showed me the control room and recording studios, and he told me a bit about his past. He's Liberian. Got his start doing radio reports during the 1990s civil war there. Moved up to freelance covering the war in Ivory Coast in the late '90s, which was such a terrible war because of the use of child soldiers by the opposing sides. (BTW, have you read this book?) In early 2000s, Peter Kahler came to Dakar and reported for several years for Africa Press Int'l, the mouthpiece of the African Union, before he was tapped to take over as managing editor of WADR in 2007.

So I will attend my first WADR news meeting on Monday at 2 p.m. After that, I will start my planned reportage of "la vie quotidienne" here in Dakar, along with whatever other stories come along from WADR's direction. I'm looking forward to the start of my work here.

Now it's late in the evening and I need to go to sleep. But first, I have to go fill my water buckets — it's 2 a.m. and the water pressure has just come up.

Time with family, Time for Work (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 22:33:00 +0200

All in all it has been a very good two and a half weeks. The third week of September was spent working, and walking, in the mountains of Leogane, working hand in hand with two families beginning to start their yard garden systems. The last week of September, we held a workshop for the folks from Verette (Artibonite) at the Colladère Cooperative north of Hinche. We worked with the participants on the basic techniques they need to begin (and in several cases, improve) their yard gardens. We will be following up with the group from Léogâne and the group from Verette at the beginning of November.

But what was the best thing about the last two and a half weeks was that Jenny and Keila and Annika were in Haiti with me for the last twelve days or so. Most of that time we were together in our home in Bassin Zim, but Monday afternoon (October 1st), we slid down the road to Mirebalais, where we spent two nights in a nice hotel (Wozo Plaza) and all day Tuesday up near Saut D'eau, a gorgeous set of waterfalls just west of the city. Our friend Jan Jan Hedé helped us organize that trip.

Here are a few pictures (photos by Mark Hare and Jenny Bent, all rights reserved):

Mark and Jenny with daughters, Keila and Annika, sitting in the waterfall below the Saut D'eau waterfalls just west of Mirebalais.

At our home in Bassin Zim. Keila playing with her Kiki, a friend from when she was less than a year old and she (and Jenny and I) lived in Bassin Zim. Kiki is the youngest son of Fanaheme and Ygenia, our neighbors to the north.

Kiki with Annika. Something about the environment helped our girls slide quickly into the life of the immediate neighborhood where we live. Kiki is a gentle kid, so that certainly may help.

Keila with Francesca, the daughter of our neighbors to the south,Fedlens and Georgli.

Workshop participants from Verette learning about redworms from Marimode St. Amour (center, with pink blouse). In the workshop, held at MPP's Colladère Cooperative, we also worked with participants on SALT (Sloping Agricultural Land Technology), compost construction, vegetable bed preparation, building vegetable beds, making natural insecticides and creating the soil mix for the vegetable tires (3 parts decent soil, two parts crushed manure and one part sand).

In the municipal section of Pâque, high in the mountains. Wilner (middle) and Gultho (right) helping Bruno Sené (left), a program participant, set up a bench for his first vegetable tires. Wilner and Gultho are members of the Road to Life Yard crew who came with me to Léogâne to provide hands on training. To get his three tires to his house, Bruno walked for over five hours with the tires on his back.

Walking in the mountains of Lèogâne, Municipal Section Pâque. The interesting thing about this walk is that we walked from Bruno's house to Lucsen's, the next closest, walking for an hour and a quarter, without leaving Pâque. This gave us some idea of what we are actually trying to do--something surely only possible by the grace of God.

Lucsen Sommervil, the second participant from Pâque, working with Wilner to fill out a form stating at least four goals for his yard garden system. Each participant must fill out this form, as well as develop a yard plan, drawn approximately to scale and showing the changes they want to make. We did not have time to help Lucsen with his vegetable tire bench, but he already carried five tires up the mountain to his house.

Vista from the Saut D'eau waterfall. Haiti has many difficult aspects that make the work challenging, but there is also so much grace and beauty. It is a good place to work. Being here with my family was stressful at times, but ultimately a wonderful experience, making it easier to work with an open heart.

Freedom of Expression, Political Depression or Conspiracy ? Protests against Anti Islamic movie turning into Mob Behavior and Violence in Pakistan (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:18:00 +0200

Aazadi Fateh Muhammad - Pakistan

Pakistani nation strongly rejects defamatory attacks on the profile of Prophet of Islam Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) in the name of freedom of expression when the movie trailer ‘Innocence of Muslims ', triggered intensive protests and anger in Pakistan after Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Public protests began across the country starting from a rally launched by Majlis e Wehdat ul Muslimeeen in front of US Consulate building in Karachi, last Saturday. Police used warning shots and tear gas to disperse the participants of the rally against the anti-Islamic movie resulting in 1 killing and 6 injuries.

Soon after this, number of demonstrations took place in Karachi city and across the country by various religious - political parties and civil society to condemn the blasphemous movie mocking the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). In Karachi only, 1 killed and 8 people injured; two police vans set on fire when these protests turned violent and formed clashes with Police and law and order personnel.

The government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the first Muslim state in the region to announce a public holiday on September 21 and banned the web portal youtube.com across the country to mark the protest against the film. However these steps did not do much to calm down the aggression and public protests as on Thursday evening biggest hike and violent protest was observed, when more than 3000 people gathered in Islamabad tried to enter in diplomatic enclave area consisting government official buildings and embassies of US, France and other countries leaving at least 15 injured.

Earlier in the week, the city witnessed the worst industrial fire in the history of Pakistan on September 12 when almost 300 workers burnt to death in a garment factory. Being in trouble all the time, the society not only suffers floods and natural disasters but also crime and terrorism. Target killings, political riots and call for strikes are part of routine life here. With nearly 40 million people living below poverty line, 60 percent of population illiterate, increasing terror, insecurity and unemployment left the nation depress and hopeless. Erfan Aziz a senior academician from Karachi expressing his remarks for public culture said that, ‘Public in Pakistan has remained much oppressed in the past. Even the genuine issues of society were not allowed to be discussed in public. You’ll still see messages such as SYASI GUFGTOO SE PERHEZ KAREN (Avoid Political Conversations) in some public restaurants and places. He believes that with the Private media working in line with popular-Islam-loving set of people and ideology, the show of aggression and violence has attracted tremendous value in the society.’

In this scenario the news of anti-Islamic movie received immense anger and condemnation by the folks at all public platforms including social media, mobile messages (SMS), wall chalking and crowd marches, still the opinions regarding methods of protest may vary from one segment to another.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is most respectful and loved personality among Muslims. His flawless character and biography considered as an ideal way to follow to get a fruitful and ideal life. His immense impact on humanity and strong profile has been recognized not only by Muslims but non-Muslim communities in the world as well. Michael H. Heart included personality of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as most influential person at top of the list in his book ‘100 Influential Persons’ in 1978. With the clear understanding, honor and status of him in the world, the content of movie seems an intentional insulting attempt and producer’s self-prejudice.

The heterogeneous Pakistani society responded differently in their ways to protest against the controversial movie. Numbers of rallies by socio-political groups are on the go to mark the protest against the disrespectful movie. After religious parties, political segments, traders, lawyers, teachers, students, and members of minorities also joined Muslim communities in protest.

The major part of protest is based on marching rallies and enchanting slogans, but many academics and scholars believe in nonviolent actions depicting disapproval of the movie.

Narjis Fatima, a graduate student in University of Karachi suggested using vice-versa mediums to mark the protest on such offensive attacks on religion and society. She said ‘we should protest in similar terms by using cartoons, films or mass media to portray and register our disapproval with sufficient arguments and rationalizations. She forced on the idea of social tolerance and respect by conveying a message to the international community that we respect their beliefs and ideologies and expect them to do same for our faiths. Peaceful planned protests are necessary to show this respect and understanding among the world communities.

Pakistani youth must come up with creative ideas to register their feelings and hurt the movie did, thought by Kulsoom Shah a Pakistani Graduate and Fulbright scholar presently studying in USA. She further explained the idea of unity and understanding among the Muslim Ummah around the world. She liked the way of protest in France where Muslim students distributed copies of Islamic holy book Quran in non-Muslim communities. She further added that with the support and consensus of International community the Film crew may be sued for the act of defamation.

There are serious concerns among the scholars of society on the ways to treat controversial messages avoiding violence and conflict. Responding to the question that how this situation may be positioned, Erfan Aziz firmly believe that a democratic government is bound to follow popular public sentiments. Yet on the other hand it has to guide its public to the sensible course of action in such situations.

Present situation is sensitive indeed and cannot be dealt in isolation. Islamic scholars of modest approach should be brought forward on the popular media to calm down people resentment, hard-liner political parties and public figures should not be allowed to use public space, and Government should address the situation at some reasonable and adequate forum so it can have its due impact.

Lindsey Boyle graduate and journalist from Ohio University strongly condemns the offense attempted by the movie and added that an overgeneralization is occurring. For one, the film does not represent popular U.S. opinion (partly, unfortunately, because many U.S. citizens do not even know who the Islam prophet is). Second, the U.S. government has condemned the movie, so burning the American flag is not necessarily a reasonable reaction. The problem with the freedom of speech we enjoy in the United States , a freedom that many nations wish they too enjoyed is that it applies to essentially all material, whether our government or citizens endorse it or not. I hope that Muslims throughout the world can understand that the film is not airing because all U.S. citizens believe it is true, but instead because the freedom of the media in the United States allows it to.

Answering the query about international community role and protests made by Muslims she said that the Muslim community should regarding a message to the rest of the world focus on debunking the myths of how the Islam prophet is portrayed in the film, as well as the incorrect portrayal of the religion itself. I know that is easier said than done. However, I believe there are many similarities between true Christianity's Jesus and Islam's Mohammed - they are both open-minded, they both help the weak, they both overcame struggle, and more. The biggest problem in the world today, religiously and culturally, is misunderstanding. People on both sides of this situation simply need to take time to learn about one another. That becomes almost impossible when one side is making an overgeneralized, demeaning movie, and the other side is violently protesting it in an overgeneralized way. We need to work to promote positive messages and understanding, above all else.

The question about nature of protest remains sensitive to answer, and far more difficult to motivate people to follow that in practical. Lindsey added her opinion that Peaceful protests that are truly peaceful are often effective. However, there is an almost inevitable challenge that comes with huge peaceful protests. When you bring a large body of unhappy people together in a small area to protest, the maintenance of peace can often become a problem.

A large number of academicians and scholars strongly believe in peaceful protests, as violent and mob based protests not only will generate more violence and conflict but also make it easy to lose the true spirit of message and cause.

Lindsey Boyle is sure on the bases of her own knowledge of Christianity that violent aggressive protests may not be the way how a Prophet would also want the people to react in anyway.

The similarities in faith led to equal reactions around the Muslim regions and communities. The neighbor country Afghanistan witnessed same levels of angry and huge protests when they came to know about the movie. Taimoor Noorie senior journalist and academician from Kabul told that People responded critically against that depiction of Muhammad (peace be Upon him) at provincial and capital level and series of demonstrations still on the way through all Afghanistan, in Kabul the protest turn to violence which resulted 20 police men injured and dozens of civilians also have inflicted injuries. Universities students protested by burning the flag of United States, chanting slogans They demands the culprits should bring before justice. The clerics, tribal elders and civil activists hold meeting and condemned the action seriously and asked the USA Officials to take the halt such depiction which damage the relationship being created, they said it only generate hatreds towards Americans and benefits those who wage war against them.

In any society of the world Human diversity and pluralism must be understood to promote peace and prosperity. Present world is in a subtle need of Peace and Harmony, by showing tolerance and giving space to each other’s differences like color, race, creed, religion or country we can promote a more genuine and friendly life around us. Educational Institutions and Mass media must play their roles in promoting world knowledge and obvious presence of difference, which may be accepted as a law of nature rather than seen as reason of clash or hatred.

(IIJ Blog)

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:00 +0200

First Steps in the realm of investigative journalism

Sagar Atre

Reporting Intern, Healthcare

ProPublica, New York

Recipient of John R Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship, 2012

M.S. Journalism, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism

Being an investigative journalist is a tough job, and completely without the glamor until your story creates a big splash. Even then, the next story is also another rather rigorous investigation before it goes live. Investigative journalism is probably deemed to be the most interesting and valuable, but the work done by an investigative journalist rarely comes to the fore. Only a few investigative journalists ever catch public attention, others are silent guardians, tirelessly working to expose problems and anomalies in the system. The only thing sustaining them is the overwhelming evidence that they are doing good. As my first month at ProPublica as a healthcare reporting intern draws to a close, I see this as a vital takeaway during my time here.

ProPublica is a serious organization, working against the tide in a time when the media is getting shallower, and stories are pandering more to the needs of the market and advertisers than the needs of societal needs. ProPublica journalists sometimes don’t seem to be journalists, they seem to be an investigative committee investigating the many wrongs happening in American society and government today. They study huge amounts of documents which are almost always available, accessible and readable, to get a story which is powerful to rock the most dominating centers of power in the country; governmental organizations, large corporate houses, and even presidential campaigns (whose funding is one major ongoing investigation right now).

The project I am working on is a major project on healthcare which ProPublica is doing. It is a project investigating patient safety and medical errors in American hospitals. My work is a mixed bag of doing background research for the project, speaking to researchers about some topics in medicine and eventually, writing blog posts for the newly launched page of the patient safety project. ProPublica seems to have a very different environment when compared to the conventional news-based journalism organization, the journalists are not always in a frantic hurry, there is no ticking clock which everyone is nervous of, and the flurry of the day does not rise as the day progresses. There are no last minute additions, no cut-throat deadlines, and the atmosphere in the office is a mixed one of composed silence tinged with some polite humor. Unlikely, we feel, for a top notch news organization that has won two Pulitzers in a span of four years.

The pressures at ProPublica are different. Here, the race is not for speed, but for quality. Every word in a ProPublica story which says something meaningful has to be documented, backed by rock-solid evidence and substantiated through credible sources. This does not always mean sources, it means studying a lot of documentation and bringing evidence to the story which usually few people have looked at. This sometimes means that reporters are working on stories for weeks at a time, poring over documents over mugs of coffee, huddled in meetings with their editors who demand highly from their reporters. This is a new environment for me to work in as a young journalist.

The reputation of journalism as a high-octane profession is somewhat negated when someone sees ProPublica working, but it is a different kind of rush, a rush when you pore through a hundred pages and find something significant hidden away in a report or research many pages long. Journalists at ProPublica are seekers of deep truths; secrets hidden below the daily facts of news happening across the country. It’s a different kind of journalism, exhausting, time-consuming, but highly interesting and exciting. Work at ProPublica has changed my impression and beliefs about the power of journalism. It is a profession whose power can be incessantly magnified if done right, and at ProPublica, I hope to learn how it can be used as a powerful tool for change.

Buzz Durham, MPP and a hydraulic ram pump (Mark Hare via Haiti)

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 03:46:00 +0200

Saturday, August 18th, I left the house in Barahona, DR around 6:30 AM and caught the bus to Jimani on the border with Haiti abound 7:30 AM. I met Jan Jan, the MPP driver by 10:00 AM and we finished with the Haitian side by 10:30 AM. Then, we slid down the road to the airport in Port au Prince to pick up Buzz Durham. We got him and his big bag of plumbing parts (with one or two pieces of clothing and one pair of sandals) and headed to Hinche and Bassin Zim. On the way we picked up Jenny and my god daughter, Fanete, who sat in the front with her young niece. Agame, Fanete's husband, rode with Buzz and myself in the back of the Toyota Landcrusier pickup.

In Mirebalais, about half way to Hinche, we thought we might get wet, then breathed a sigh of relief when we took a left and the clouds get going to the right. But when we popped over the ridge after Cange (Partners in Health, Paul Farmer), we were greeted by another storm hanging out waiting for us. We got pretty well wet with that one over the next half hour, then we thought we were finished with it as we made it into Hinche, where the streets were dry. As we crossed out of Hinche and started up the final piece, through Papaye and up to Bassin Zim, we got the next piece, better than the last.

Buzz didn't complain. Buzz doesn't complain much. But what a way to welcome him! There are two things that kept me from complaining much. One, when you work with farmers, you don't complain about rain, unless you are on your eighth or ninth day in a row of torrential downpours. And two, when you invite someone to come work on plumbing, it seems somehow fitting (so to speak) to start out by getting wet. Agame had two pieces of wisdom. One, he noted that it was a real baptism of Buzz, welcoming him to the country. And two, he told Buzz that when folks asked him if he got wet, to tell them, "No, just my clothes."

We didn't manage to get Agame, Fanete and their niece to their house, but we got them as close as possible to the driest place possible. It was getting dark by that time, and they ended up sleeping at the neighbors, and going home the next day.

The next two weeks went quickly. Working with Buzz was a hoot and we got good stuff done. Not exactly as much or all of what we hoped for, but we learned a lot. I learned a lot, and the local folk who worked with us learned a lot. We will need follow up and hopefully, we can get Buzz back in February to work on that.

Here are some photos. I hope to get more on later, but wanted to get these out there.

Thanks to all who prayed for us, especially the congregation at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, in Asheville, North Carolina. Thanks to the folks of Grace for being partners in some of the best senses of that word. God's grace be with you.

As Fedlens said during our evaluation time with Buzz, an extra large thanks to Pat, Buzz's wife, who let her crazy husband come spend quality time with us.

Checking out best possible site for the first hydraulic ram pump. Lowòb lake dam.From left to right: Fedlens Pierre. Fedlens is a member of MPP and keeps Jenny and my yard garden in Basen Zim. Pauleon (blue striped shirt) is a civil engineer and directs MPP's rural engineering program. Jean Claude Monerot (red shirt), is an MPP agronomist and responsible for a program for pumping water from the lake up the hill into two large ferro-cement cisterns in order to increase the acreage irrigated by the lake. Buzz Durham, farmer and innovator. We were looking at a siphon from the lake that feeds the downhill irrigation system. We were looking at the possibility of putting in at least two hydraulic ram pumps that could help maintain Monerot's cisterns full, reducing the load on the project's diesel pump.

Samaná river and fields. After looking at various sites all day Monday and Tuesday AM, I asked Buzz if he would like to go visit our friend Gultho, who lives near Samana river. Buzz said, "sure" and we set off on a two and a half hour walk, over hill, under dale. By the end, when we got home, I figured Buzz would be like, "what did you do to me!" He said, "Thank you for an absolutely wonderful afternoon." Samana river, however, is too wild when it rains to set up a hydraulic ram pump. At least until we try the system out more.

Gultho Orne showing us his partially composted goat manure. This is just extremely cool. Fedlens and I have our own goats and manure at the house in Bassin Zim, but Gultho is doing better than us so far.

Dry fun. Buzz working the night before we were to start on our first (and only, for this trip) pump, showing Fedlens and me how the pieces go together.

Laying out the pump for the real deal. In Leodiagüe, by the Palma stream, down the hill from Wilner Exil's house. Our goal was to get water from the stream pumping up into Wilner's in-ground cistern (which holds about 2,000 gallons). We had calculated that the cistern was about 18 m (about 54 ft) vertical distance above the level of where we would put the pump, which meant that we needed at least a 1,8 m (5.4 ft) drop from where we would put the intake for the pump. Horizontal distance from the pump site was about 100 m (300 ft). Horizontal distance to the intake for the pump turned out to be over 80 m (240 ft). In Google Earth, 19 13 16.29 N, 71 59 20.22 W, elevation 1,118 ft.

Fedlens (right) with the pump, minus the propulsion valve, which would screw on to the right, and the air chamber, which would screw on to the left. Engineer Pauleon looks on.

Julienne Dorcin, helping make some of the pump connections. Julienne worked with us consistently for the first three days. She is a member of the local yard garden committee which sponsored the installation of this pump in the Leodiague area.

The pump plus part of the drive pipe (to the left) and delivery pipe (3/4", crossing the stream) to the right. Buzz and I calculated each component of the system separately. The pump component, starting with the impulse valve (the one sticking up in the air) and finishing with the air chamber (the large 4" diameter piece of PVC that is vertical) would cost $US 199.00 in Haiti.

Wilus Exil helping to build up the pool of water by the intake for the pump. We were able to increase our head by at least 30 cm (1 ft). The sacks were cheap and the dirt and sand in them was free.

Julien Dorcin (left), one of the local yard garden committee members, helping make the cement base for the pump. Getting the pump assembled and positioned turned out to be the easiest part. What we thought would take two or three days ended up consuming most of Buzz's (and my) two week period. We originally had purchased flat lay 2" pipe for the drive line going from the intake down to the pump. But that didn't work, so we purchased 2" SCH40 PVC. That got the water down to the pump, but we couldn't get the water to reach the cistern. Among other difficulties, it seems that we underestimated the vertical distance to Wilner's cistern, and overestimated the drop between the intake and the pump.

After trying this and that and redoing that, we finally got the water to get up to within fifteen horizontal feet of Wilner and Tesil's cistern. It was just a drip, but it was a strong steady drip. We asked Wilner and his wife, Tesil, to bury a five-gallon bucket into the ground below the delivery line and measure how long it took to fill it. The first night, about 12 hours, it filled the bucket half way.

Back to Lake Lowòb, we clearly didn't have time to work out the quirks for a whole new context. But we did have all that 2" flat lay pipe that didn't work in Leodiagüe. On our second visit, Buzz saw the ditch irrigation system that folks use below the dam to irrigate, and thought maybe the flat lay could help. So our last day on the job, Friday, August 31st, we took the flat lay down and tried it out. The owner of this small field of vegetables, (second from left, in the blue shirt and white shorts) was ecstatic. He and other lake folks declared the experiment a definite success, which after seven full days in Leodiagüe and just getting a steady drip, felt very good in deed. Lake Lowòb, and specifically the dam, is at 19 09 07.60 N, 71 09 20.22 W, elevation 834 ft.

P.S. On our way down from Hinche-Bassin Zim, we talked with Wilner on the phone. After twenty-four hours of running, apparently the system finally got rid of some air bubbles, and the drip got much stronger. I called yesterday AM and the pump was filling the 5 gallon bucket every hour. The pump works 24/7, so that means 120 gallons per day and 840 gallons a week. In terms of vegetable production, that is 60 watering cans per day, plenty for some really good vegetable production.

Silicon Dragon Eyes Shanghai's New Tech Hub (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 05:11:00 +0200

Silicon Dragon (above) recently interviewed Charles Chan, the executive director of Shuion Land, about the company's new tech hub in Shanghai, Knowledge and Innovation Community or KIC.

It's the site of our Silicon Dragon Shanghai 2012 event, held on September 13 with the city's leading venture investors and tech entrepreneurs. See you there!

Charles Chan

l What is the vision for KIC and is it a kind of Sand Hill Road for Shanghai?

Compared to Sand Hill Road, Sand Hill Road is notable for its concentration of venture capital firms, and easy access to Stanford University and Silicon Valley. KIC is dedicated to become a platform to align with different resources from “Campus” , “Community” , “Tech Park” to cultivate and incubate start-ups and help them grow to a greater scale. But KIC not only integrated the scientific innovation spirit of US Silicon Valley, but also absorbed the creative culture of Paris Left Bank. It has become a place for communication, information exchange, negotiation and cooperation, and even relaxation. It's a cradle for entrepreneurship and innovation in China, and accelerating it through international best practices.

l Why was KIC located close to Fudan University? Is this because of the cluster effect, such as Silicon Valley with Stanford University？

Of course. KIC is located in the Wujiaochang sub-center in the Yangpu district of Shanghai, clustering within 14 major universities and colleges, including Fudan, Tongji and so on. The abundant resources of universities and research institutions nearby cannot be found anywhere else in Shanghai. Those nearby universities provide talent support and bring continuous energy to those MNCs in KIC. For example, both ebaoTech & EMC signed a strategic partnership with surrounding universities including internship program/training course/lab research, etc. The key concept for KIC is “three zones integration:” “Campus” , “Community” , “Tech Park.” We believe that our “Knowledge and Innovation Community” will eventually become a platform for information exchange and communication based on the resources and talents from “Campus”, supported by the domestic and international high-tech corporations in “Tech Park”, venture capital firms and the government services, inspired by the atmosphere and lifestyle in “Community”.

l Will Shui On Group develop other tech centers like this in other locations in China, in addition to Shanghaiand Dalian?

KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) is a new business model, and we are still exploring all possibilities to make our vision come true. Now Shuion Land has a similar project,Dalian Tiandi in Northern China, with around GFA 3 million sqm, and focused on the global software and outsourcing industries to provide an integrated community. While we are extending our reach in the Chinese property market, we have stepped up our effort to set the trend and contribute to the creation of large-scale, multi-faceted knowledge communities to provide a total "work-live-learn-play" environment. And I think KIC sets a model for us on which we can be inspired to introduce potential projects of similar kinds in other key cities in China.

l How did Shui On Group get the idea for KIC? How long was the idea in development? how does this project compare to Xintiandi?

The story traces back to Shui On Group founder – Vincent Lo. Mr. Lo himself is a successful entrepreneur, and he has the strong passion to help young people. When he visited Silicon Valley over eight years ago, he was inspired and dedicated to create a “Silicon Valley” in Shanghai, which was quite forward looking in China. In his vision, KIC will be a think tank to assemble world famous enterprises and top class elite talents in scientific research, finance, and business consulting, and also become a platform for cultural exchange regularly for organizing various cultural activities, promoting communication, and enriching community life.

Both XINTIANDI and KIC have a full range of modern facilities for residential, office, retail, entertainment and leisure. Shui On projects provide a unique environment enabling life enrichment of "Live-Work-Play".

In terms of difference, XINTIANDI is the “city’s living room”, a Shanghai landmark, a trendy place for people from all over the world to play, entertain, live, work and enjoy. It blends the architecture charm of "shikumen" with modern features and facilities. While KIC is a knowledge community, it aims to create an environment where innovators and entrepreneurs can share knowledge, communicate, negotiate, cooperate, and relax.

l How is KIC encouraging startups in Shanghai?

Part of KIC’s core offering is an enterprise ecosystem where companies, foreign and local, big and small, can interact and work together for mutual benefits. While big companies and technology leaders would be a major anchor to this ecosystem, innovation and entrepreneurship would provide the talent and creativity needed to sustain the long-term vibrancy and growth of the Community.

Towards this goal, KIC has been actively promoting and nurturing entrepreneurial culture and spirit since its inception. It cooperated with Dragon TV in 2005 to launch a TV entrepreneurship competition named Winner in Shanghai, which set off a surge of entrepreneurial activity. Impressed with KIC's offerings, the winning players have subsequently hosted their operations in KIC.

Learning from the successful experience of Silicon Valley, KIC also founded the IPO Club where dozens of innovative entrepreneurial activities are held every year. As Shanghai’s first entrepreneurship club, IPO rolled out KIC Star incubation program, for prominent and successful businessmen and industry leaders to share their knowledge and experiences, as well as mentor aspiring entrepreneurs. More than 10 aspiring entrepreneurs have been successfully matched and coached by KIC mentors in the past two years.

KIC has nurtured technology start-ups since its inception. Some of these companies are now market leaders in their own right. Some have successfully obtained funding and even listed in overseas bourses. KIC now seeks to further enhance its incubator platform. Apart from the usual provision of plug-and-play venue for entrepreneurs, this incubator will offer a whole suite of services to help support and nurture the growth of start-ups from business match-making to technology partnership and licensing to fund raising to even international expansion.

l How many companies are now located at KIC -- both startups and SMEs, plus tech companies?

KIC is home to now more than 300 enterprises, with more than 6,000 talents working here. Small and medium sized companies (SMEs) and technology start-ups make up more than 80% of this Community. Fortune 500 companies like EMC, Oracle, IBM and Deloitte are some of the MNCs member companies of our Community.

l How important are Silicon Valley Bank, Bay Area Council and Innovation Works to the success of KIC?

As part of its holistic enterprise ecosystem, KIC works very closely with key players like government bodies, universities and research institutions, professional bodies and so on, to help companies to grow and expand. Silicon Valley Bank, Bay Area Council and Innovation Works are some of our partners in this ecosystem. In particular Silicon Valley Bank and Bay Area Council work closely with us to provide an effective landing pad for American companies to expand and grow in China and in turn, for our Community members to expand and grow in US as well. In fact, we have a Joint Venture with TUSPark, Silicon Valley Bank and Northern Light Venture Capital in the form of an incubator in Santa Clara, USA to do just that. We launched this incubator called InnoSpring in mid-April this year, and demand for its services has been encouraging; with some 30 companies being hosted in InnoSpring.

KIC also works closely with partners in other major technology hubs such as Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, to actively link our Community members with potential partners for market and technology access, as well as funding. Through our networks, our Community companies could also have access to launches in these overseas markets. For example, our Japanese partner has made available its incubating space and services to KIC Community members for free.

Through its strategic partnership with key players both domestically and internationally, KIC constantly seeks to improve its enterprise ecosystem to better support its Community.

SUSI 2012 wraps up in Washington, D.C. (IIJ Blog)

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 00:35:00 +0200

By Lindsay Boyle

The 2012 Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media program concluded on Aug. 17 in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

OU has successfully hosted the program for three consecutive years.

The SUSI scholars spent their last four days in D.C., where they visited a variety of both media and cultural locations, as well as attended a debriefing at the U.S Department of State.

Media visits included tours of and discussions at NPR, The National Geographic headquarters and museum, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Voice of America (VOA), and The Newseum.

At NPR, for example, the scholars talked to digital news editor Erica Ryan — who is an OU alumna — about political and international coverage, as well as issues regarding bias and objectivity.

SUSI scholars pose outside NPR with digital news editor Erica Ryan.

Scholar Dr. Murad Abdullah said the visits to The National Geographic and to Voice of America were his favorites. He said he especially enjoyed an exhibit at the National Geographic Museum that displayed many videos and materials about Muslim inventions and discoveries between the ninth and 11th centuries.

Abdullah said he found Voice of America to be interesting because he did not know there was a U.S. radio station devoted solely to broadcasting to the rest of the world.

“I came to know that (Voice of America) is targeting particular countries to preach and promote some of the U.S. values and principles,” he said.

The scholars also visited many cultural landmarks and buildings in Washington, D.C., including the White House, the Capitol Building, monuments and Smithsonian museums.

On Thursday, Aug. 14 — the scholars’ final day in the United States — they traveled to the U.S. Department of State to undergo a final evaluation of the 2012 SUSI program, and to receive their certificates of completion. Kevin Orchison, program officer for the Study of the U.S. Branch of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, conducted the informal evaluation and handed out the certificates.

Scholar Bogdana Nosova receives a certificate of completion at the U.S. Department of State.

Several of the scholars said that the evaluation went well, including Abdullah.

“I enjoyed the discussion with members of the State Department as they showed great concern — first, to understand the possible problems we might have encountered and, second, to take our comments seriously in order to develop the program in the coming years,” he said.

On Thursday evening, the scholars shared Ethiopian cuisine during a farewell dinner at a restaurant in Georgetown — a historic district in D.C. filled with shops, restaurants and other entertainment. Toward the end of the night, each of the scholars stood up and gave a farewell speech to an attentive audience.

Abdullah described the farewell dinner as bittersweet, because he enjoyed the company of the SUSI scholars and the program directors and assistants, but was sad to know it was the last time they would all be together.

“The speeches delivered were influential, and it was hard to see some colleagues shedding tears in that farewell dinner,” he said. “I consider my participation and involvement in the SUSI program the best experience that has ever happened to me.”

SUSI scholars enjoy a farewell dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant in Georgetown.

During the 2012 SUSI program, two newsletters, called Global Spotlight, were created to help capture the scholars’ experiences.

To view the July issue, click here.
To view the August issue, click here.

SUSI scholars attend AEJMC Conference in Chicago (IIJ Blog)

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 02:08:00 +0200

By Lindsay Boyle

From August 9 through August 12, the 2012 SUSI scholars participated in the 2012 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference in Chicago.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

The AEJMC Conference is an annual event in which journalism scholars from throughout the United States and around the world engage in panels, presentations and other sessions related to research and teaching.

While in Chicago, the scholars were free to attend sessions of their choice, as well as other events such as a keynote ceremony and evening receptions. Many scholars also used some of their free time to go sightseeing in the city.

Scholar Dr. Aysha Abughazzi said that the conference well organized, but added that she sometimes had trouble choosing among the many simultaneous sessions.

“Other than that, I enjoyed attending sessions, getting to know new people in the field and sharing in the discussions,” she said.

Scholars Prof. Godfrey Danaan, Prof. Alexandre Twizeyumukiza, Prof. Hugo Zarate and Prof. Divine Bisong pose for a picture in between sessions at the AEJMC 2012 Conference.

During the afternoon of Friday, August 9, six SUSI scholars were part of a panel that was moderated by professor Mary Rogus, academic director of the OU SUSI program. The session was called “Arab Spring on TV: Global Perspectives on Coverage by CNN, BBC and Aljazeera.”

The six participating scholars were Abughazzi, from Jordan; Dr. Murad Abdullah, from Yemen; Dr. Alexsandr Kazakov, from Russia; Prof. Hugo Zarate, from The Bahamas; Dr. Ibaa Awad, from Sudan, and Prof. Taimoor Noori, from Afghanistan. They each spoke about various aspects of media coverage and public opinion of the Arab Spring as experienced in their countries.

“I was privileged to participate in such an international conference,” Abughazzi said. “It allowed me and my colleagues — who come from six different countries that are either directly or not directly involved in the events of the Arab Spring — to share with other scholars in the field our side of the story on a very hot and controversial topic.”

She explained that people of different countries watch different news stations to receive information about the Arab Spring based on how trustworthy they think the stations are and what kind of agenda they think the stations have. In Jordan, she said that Aljazeera is usually the public’s first choice, although some Jordanians also tune in to Western media outlets such as CNN and BBC.

SUSI scholar Dr. Murad Abdullah presents during the Arab Spring panel at the AEJMC 2012 Conference in Chicago, Ill.

Abughazzi said that the feedback she and her colleagues received about their panel was favorable.

“Many panel attendees continued the discussion on the various aspects of the topic — coverage of the Arab Spring — following the panel,” she said. “The questions we received indicated to us that people in the west were interested in learning our side of the story.”

On Thursday, August 8, SUSI Program Director Dr. Yusuf Kalyango was a panelist during a session called “African Media, the Arab Spring and Democratization: The ‘Unseen’ and ‘Unmentioned’ Social Side of the News Revolution.”

Specifically, Kalyango discussed media and democratization in Africa in relation to one overarching question: “Is an Arab Spring conceivable in Africa?”

Kalyango also coauthored a paper about social networking in India. The paper was presented in a refereed research paper session on Thursday, and also won the Asian Journal of Communication Award for International Communication Research. One of the other authors of that paper, Dr. Peddiboyina Vijaya Lakshmi, was a 2011 OU SUSI scholar.

Dr. Yusuf Kalyango and 2011 SUSI scholar Dr. Peddiboyina Vijaya Lakshmi receive the Asian Journal of Communication Award for International Communication Research.

In addition, SUSI program assistants Sally Ann Cruikshank, Ashley Furrow and Jim DeBrosse presented a total of eight papers at the AEJMC Conference.

Papers authored or co-authored by Furrow discussed topics such as the mission of Champion magazine, an influential female sportswriter named Mary Garber, and fans’ perceptions of local and national media coverage of college sports scandals.

Cruikshank’s papers examined issues such as media coverage of the genocides in southern Sudan and in Rwanda, as well as media coverage of France’s burqa ban.

One of DeBrosse’s papers offered strategies for reporters to challenge customer access barriers at shopping malls, while his other paper examined the censorship of Wikimedia versus that of mainstream media.

Collectively, OU graduate students had a total of 19 papers accepted into the 2012 AEJMC Conference.

Cruikshank said the benefits of attending AEJMC will last long after the conference is over for scholars.

“It’s a chance to connect with other scholars who share similar research and teaching interests,” she said. “In fact, two scholars from last year’s SUSI program at Scripps enjoyed the conference so much, they came back again this year. It was great to see them there."

Program assistant Sally Ann Cruikshank poses with SUSI scholars Prof. Karlyga Myssayeva, Dr. Suren Deheryan and Prof. Bogdana Nosova at the AEJMC Opening Reception.

The Promise of Silicon Global (Rebecca Fannin, BSJ '77)

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 20:14:00 +0200

Draper University in San Mateo

Silicon Valley is going global but don’t count on any market to surpass it soon.

Today, just about every market in the world is aiming to capture the Valley’s magic: creativity, optimism, not to mention blue skies, clean air and mild year-round temperatures.

Brazil and Russia are two emerging markets that are vying to get on the tech map and Sand Hill Road investors have arrived. Both follow the lead of China and India, which continue to show the challenges and opportunities of creating world-class tech startups and innovations from developing markets. Read more at Silicon Asia post at Forbes.

Of course, not every market can copy the Silicon Valley formula. It takes a special blend of talent and funds all clustered together to make it happen.

Where else but Silicon Valley could a venture capitalist open their own entrepreneurial school? See photo I took of Draper University, which VC Tim Draper is opening in the former Benjamin Franklin Hotel currently under renovation in downtown San Mateo.

We'll be exploring the theme of Silicon Global at our next event in the Valley, October 3, at Rosewood Sand Hill. See the program and sign up here: Silicon Dragon Valley 2012.

Final Thoughts (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:26:00 +0200

After three and a half weeks of living out a dream, my time in England is coming to an end. However, I still have a lot to write about. I want to try and sum up the last, and busiest, week of the trip. So sit back and relax, I’m about to cover a lot of ground in a small space.

On August 4^th, I got to go to a U.S. women’s basketball practice. There are a lot of rules and regulations that the media has to follow in a situation like that. We’re allowed into the gym for the last 30 minutes of practice. Usually the players are shooting around or talking with the coach at that point. As soon as the team starts to break up and head to the showers, that’s when the reporters pounce. If there’s one thing that this trip has taught me is that my chosen profession is very predatory. We descend on a good news story like a vulture on a slab of road kill by the side of the road.

On this day, there wasn’t too much media presence. The U.S. women’s team is a dominant force and are in the midst of a 40+ win streak that dates back to 1992, so there wasn’t much doubt about who would win gold. (They did indeed bring home the gold after beating France in the finals.) The relative quiet played to my advantage. Me and my fellow OU students got to have personal, face-to-face interviews with several of the players, including the star Candace Parker. It was definitely a surreal experience. These are players that I’ve seen on television and whose names I’ve heard spoken about on ESPN for years. Actually seeing and talking to them in real life was pretty cool.

Let’s fast forward to August 9^th, when another milestone in my trip occurred. For the first time, I got to attend a press conference in the Media Press Center in Olympic Park. Other students in my group have gone to press conferences (some even chanced upon Michael Phelps’ final press conference), but it was finally my turn in the rotation. Since it was pretty late into the Games and a lot of the events were either done or winding down, I wasn’t expecting too much.

We walked into the main conference room for the IOC conference. For those who don’t know, the IOC is the governing body of the Olympics. They are in charge of everything. The room wasn’t full so we got good seats and set up our recorders and cameras. I looked across the nametags on the table at the front of the room to see who would be in attendance. The big name was Sebastian Coe, the head of the London 2012 bid and Chairman for the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. Then another name popped out at me. Gabrielle Douglas.

If you haven’t heard of Gabby Douglas by now, you should have. She’s America’s new sweetheart. And frankly, she deserves it. She’s 16 years old, and she is the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual and team all-around competitions in the same Olympics. She is also the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to become individual all-around champion. She’s also pretty darn cute.

She bounced into the room like a bubble and was all toothy smiles and excitement for the duration of the conference. As one of the darlings of the London Games, it was exciting to see her and have the opportunity to ask her questions.

Following the press conference, we went out into the Olympic Park. Now, technically, we didn’t have tickets to get into the Olympic Park, we only had our press passes. It’s a good thing we subscribe to the ‘act like you know what you’re doing so no one questions you’ way of life. We waltzed through the gates and into the Olympic Park unchallenged.

Our first stop was the Coca-Cola Beat Box, which was a pretty cool piece of architecture designed to produce music. As you passed through, you could place your palm on little speakers and create music, or wave your hand in front of it to change the tempo. On the ground floor there was a dance show, where we all got free Cokes. I'm a big fan of free stuff.

We walked around for a while and saw the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome, and Park Live, where a giant screen had been set up for thousands of people to watch. We spent most of the day there and were reluctant to leave.

The last thing I want to talk about happened on August 11th. I went to the women’s basketball bronze medal game between Australia and Russia. It was held in the same arena as the gymnastics event I went to before, so it was interesting to see how they had transformed the floor for the basketball game.

I decided to cheer for Australia, because by virtue of being Australian they were automatically ten times cooler than everyone else. I chose right. Australia dominated most of the game, although Russia came back towards the end to keep it interesting. The final score was 83-74, but as usual, it was the atmosphere within the arena that made the game unforgettable.

The Closing Ceremonies are now done and finished. The athletes have all packed up and gone home. London is returning to it's regularly scheduled programming. I’m back home now as well. When my family and friends ask me how the trip was, I struggle to find the right words. I usually settle on awesome or amazing, but somehow that doesn't quite do it justice. Those three weeks seemed both unbearably long and tragically short. My first time visiting England had not been a disappointment and I got to experience things some people only dream about. This was a truly once-in-a-lifetime trip and I’m so happy I got the opportunity.

See you in Rio in 2016.

Hopping on the Gymnastics Bandwagon (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:18:00 +0200

Guys, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

Gymnastics are awesome.

Seriously.

Nobody ever hears about gymnastics outside of the Olympics but trust me, it is something unforgettable to see in person. I had the good fortune of having (really good) tickets to the men’s individual all-around finals. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’d never seen a gymnastics event live before and walking into North Greenwich Arena I was impressed by the set-up, but had no idea what I was looking at. There were some bars, some mats and some rings but I didn’t know how they were going to be used.

I attended the event with three other students from my program. We had just spent the afternoon hanging around the entrance to the Olympic Village, which is where the athletes stay. We didn’t have passes to go inside, but there were plenty of athletes coming and going. We took pictures with Japanese track runners, an American shot putter, and some Argentinean basketball players. A pin trader displaying his impressive collection gave me a London 2012 pin for free, which started my own collection (I now have seven.)

By the time we got to the arena I was pretty excited. Gymnastics is one of those events you hear about during the Olympics. It’s one of the sports people talk about on the streets and follow on live chats throughout the day. We were lucky to have gotten these tickets; the few remaining seats available were going for about $630.

And our seats were awesome. We were in the lower bowl, the first section off of the floor. Our seats were directly behind the horizontal bar station. We could see everything, and even more importantly, take pictures of everything.

When the gymnasts came out to the loud rhythmic clapping of the spectators, my focus was entirely on John Orozco. He was the only male gymnast I’d heard of before the event. A 19-year-old from the Bronx, Orozco was the popular U.S. choice for medaling.

Orozco was in the first group, and their first event was the floor routine. Maybe this is something those watching at home can’t quite grasp, but there are four different groups of about six gymnasts who rotate to different stations around the arena. While Orozco and his group were on the floor, another group was on the pommel, a third was on the rings, and the fourth was on the vault. It was impossible to keep an eye on all the action all the time.

Things were progressing nicely and I found myself getting more and more enthralled. I was learning about the sport while I was watching it. When Orozco stumbled on the pommel, struggling to rise into a handstand, I knew he’d lose a huge amount of points. When a Japanese gymnast stuck his landing after spinning off the parallel bars, I could tell he’d just moved up in the standings.

And I was also becoming more and more impressed with the gymnasts themselves. The sheer athleticism on display was staggering. The strength, precision, and flexibility required for this event were beyond anything I’d ever seen.

One gymnast in particular began to stand out. Danell Leyva of the United States started to make a case for himself. Like Orozco, Leyva struggled on the pommel, but brilliant routine after brilliant routine brought him back into the running. He became my medal choice. His final station was at the horizontal bar. His coach (who is also his step-father) hugged him, kissed him on the forehead and then lifted Leyva onto the bar. If Leyva wanted a medal, he couldn’t hold anything back. This was his final chance to break into the top three.

Being the tallest gymnast there, Leyva shouldn’t have been as good on the bar routine as he was, but he flipped and flew and spun around like he was weightless. By the end, when Leyva stuck his landing and pumped his fists toward the crowd, his step-father was running back and forth along the platform, screaming and shouting and grabbing anyone within an arm’s length to hug.

When the final scores were tallied, Leyva was in third place. He went home with the bronze. I watched him receive his medal and salute the fans with his bouquet of flowers.

Am I a gymnastics fan now?

I’m not sure. There’s still so much about the sport that I don’t know, but I will say this. Those couple of hours I spent at North Greenwich Arena were the most entertaining hours of this trip by far. If I get the chance to go see a live gymnastics event some time in the future, I’m taking it. You should too. Trust me, it’s worth it.

IIJ, African Studies Program anticipate "Year for African Journalism" (IIJ Blog)

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:37:00 +0200

By Lindsay Boyle

In recent years, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program at Ohio University have gradually expanded their collaboration with each other. To showcase that expansion, the two groups have decided to hold a “Year for African Journalism” during the 2012-13 school year.

The abstract program aims to capitalize on a noticeable increase in student interest in Africa by teaching students more about African journalism. It will do so primarily by bringing two prominent African media scholars to the OU campus — one during Fall Semester and one during Spring Semester. Additional events and conferences will be held as well.

One major part of the Year for African Journalism is that Ernest Waititu will be the Glidden Visiting Professor during Fall Semester. Waititu is an OU alumnus who participated in the graduate programs of both the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program from 2003 to 2006, obtaining master’s degrees in both. He is currently the program director of health and digital media at Internews in Nairobi.

Internews is a U.S. government-supported NGO that provides training for journalists throughout Africa and has a goal of promoting freedom of expression. In addition to his work with that organization, Waititu founded an online news digest called Afrikanews, and has contributed to various publications in Kenya.

When he was a student at OU, he covered international news for the Athens News and was able to obtain an internship at CNN. Recently, Waititu hosted a workshop for East African journalists at his Internews offices. The workshop focused on health issues, taught techniques in digital journalism and archival research, and encouraged discussion about ethics and other contemporary issues.

As the Glidden Visiting Professor at OU, Waititu will teach the Foreign Correspondence course, and will assist with International Media Systems course lectures. He will also deliver a public lecture about his work at Internews.

Dr. Steve Howard and Dr. Yusuf Kalyango pose with Ernest Waititu.

Waititu will have many additional responsibilities. He will offer students advice about international opportunities. He will assist members of the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Institute for International Journalism with creating and launching the Scripps College of Communication’s New African Media for Social Change conference. Finally, Waititu will help plan the annual IIJ study abroad program, which will ideally take place in Ghana during the 2013-14 school year.

For Spring Semester, Kojo Yankah has agreed to come to OU for the African Studies Program’s West African Research Association Residency. Yankah, who has established himself as a prominent and award-winning media figure in West Africa, has also been a minister in the government of Ghana, and is the founder and president of the African University College of Communication (AUCC). Additionally, Yankah has established his own marketing communications consultancy, Yankah and Associates, is currently a fellow of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, and has spent time as its president in the past.

Collaboration between AUCC and OU has increased in recent years with the hope of educating more OU students in communications-related majors about Africa. In the past, OU President Roderick McDavis has given a commencement speech at AUCC, and senior E.W. Scripps School of Journalism faculty member Dr. Ralph Izard has taught classes there. Additionally, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding when Yankah visited the OU campus in August of 2011.

During his month-long residency, Yankah will host a public lecture series about African media issues, which will be streamed on multiple university-related websites. He will also speak to Scripps College of Communication student organizations, sit for interviews with student journalists, speak with local media about African economic and political progress, and be interviewed for the West African Research Association Bulletin.

The Glidden Visiting Professor is hosted by the African Studies Program and by the IIJ. Those organizations will combine to pay for event hospitality and incidentals for Waititu. The West African Research Association residency is sponsored by the African Studies Program, which provides housing for Yankah during his residency.

The IIJ strives to prepare students to work as international journalists and to increase overall international communication. The African Studies Program at OU is one of 10 National Resource Centers for African Studies in the U.S.

The day a stranger in London confirmed my future (IIJ Blog)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:17:00 +0200

By Megan Hickok

LONDON, England -- Many times during these last few years as an aspiring journalist in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, I have second guessed my future. This usually happens after I fail a journalism ethics exam or when I struggle with a story deadline.

Right in the middle of the Women’s Cycling Road Race with rain pouring down on my face, I realized that not only did I pick a major that fit me, but I also picked one of the most unique and rewarding career paths on that Student Orientation tri-fold.

Journalism.

I was talking to Chris, a volunteer for the Olympics. After giving myself my routine 30-second pep talk, I started to ask him all of the questions I was curious about for my story on the atmosphere of the event. He was friendly, helpful and once I turned my recorder off, very entertaining.

We talked about the funny differences between Brits and Americans. I told him all about my embarrassing train ride where I hit an English man with my baguette on accident. He shared stories of growing up in London. We were guessing why dogs seemed prettier in England and why lamb tastes so much better back in the states. I did my best British accent, which is absolutely terrible. I even confided in him about the few rude encounters I have had with some Brits. He gave me advice on how to make the most of my time here.

“Don’t take us so seriously,” he said.

He was right. I was too focused on fitting in. Talking with Chris was entertaining and interesting. If it weren’t for my role as a reporter to approach strangers and engage them, I would have never met Chris. I would have stood on the side of the road with my fellow American friends having a much more mediocre version of the road race.

I had overlooked this side of the job until London. Students studying abroad in other career fields may not have met all of the wonderful foreigners I have so far. They would not get to know a Brit past, “Do you know where Big Ben is sir?” As for my journalism friends and I, we’re filled with names and life stories in just a few days of being abroad. All of the strangers that I have gotten to talk with downtown, on the train or even in the pubs, have helped shape my time abroad.

The skills I have developed in Scripps have not only taught me how to get the best quote I can for my story, but also how to experience places and people on such a deeper level. I have not traveled much in my (almost) 21 years in this world, but being in England and being a journalist have made all of my confused stars align.

If you are not a journalist yourself, it may be hard to understand what I am getting at. However, you do know the feeling after having a really rewarding, intriguing conversation with someone you just met. Journalists get to do this everyday.

People may think they’re just helping me do my job, but really they’re helping to open my eyes.

London's Biggest Secret: USA Women's basketball 39 game winning streak (IIJ Blog)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:16:00 +0200

by Megan Hickok

LONDON, England -- Carmelo Anthony rewrote history with his 37-point Olympic performance against Nigeria. The team also shattered the overall scoring record with 156 points the same night. The roster has a combined 43 All-Star appearances. They even survived a scare against Lithuania, winning by just three points.

However, these aren’t even the greatest statistics of the Olympics. Their female counterparts stole that honor.

Following Tuesday’s 91-48 victory over Canada, the USA women’s basketball team continues its 39 Olympic game winning streak. The streak has strengthened ticket sales, and viewers are up by more than 50 percent from Beijing in 2008, according to the Associated Press.

Photo by Jacob Corrigan
Maya Moore, University of Conneticut legend, answers reporters questions about team chemistry.

Maya Moore said the atmosphere among the new team members is supportive.

“We don’t really get the chance to play with each other a lot so we enjoy it when we’re around each other,” said Moore. “Everybody treats everybody well, and it’s a great group to be a part of.”

This 2011 WNBA No. 1 draft pick said she looks up to the experienced captains as she takes part in her first Olympic competition.

“All of our captains lead,’ said Moore. “They have been around and take the initiative whether it’s helping somebody handle something off the court or whether it’s the middle of the game.”

Veterans Candace Parker, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings fill their captain roles well, said Coach Geno Auriemma, head coach of Team USA and the University of Connecticut women’s team.

“They have been great leaders as well as being great players,” said Auriemma. “We have five new players that have never been to the Olympics that are great followers so it’s been a pretty good combination.”

With six wins under Team USA’s belt, the coaching staff quickly realized they got an A+ in chemistry with these girls.

“Chemistry is huge and getting people that don’t care more about themselves is huge in the selection process,” said Assistant Coach Doug Bruno. “We wanted people who cared about the big picture.”

Bruno, women’s basketball coach at DePaul University, said Auriemma puts a strong focus on team building over the few weeks they are together.

“We have the most talented players in the world,” he said. “We just don’t have the longest opportunity to get them together.”

Although Wednesday marked only the team’s 11th practice, they already harmonize on the court.

“Offensively we have great talent, but the offensive chemistry takes time so we have to be able to use our athleticism and depth to create offense out of our defense,” said Bruno.

The women recognized this against Canada as the defense forced three shot clock violations for Canada in the first seven minutes. USA also forced 26 turnovers. This suffocating defense unified the team, said Moore.

Photo by Jacob Corrigan
Coach Geno directs Maya Moore, #7, on how to run the play. This is the team’s last practice before facing Australia.

“It did a lot for us,” she said. “It built our confidence about who we can be defensively and helped us to go into the next game knowing that if we execute our game plan we can accomplish a lot.”

Succeeding at this level means being better defensively, Auriemma said. The USA women must contain Australia’s 6-foot-8 Liz Cambage and 6-5 Lauren Jackson to head to their fifth straight gold medal game. Australia is also one of the favorites to appear in the gold medal game and will represent the U.S. team’s toughest test so far in London.

“I never go into any tournament or game expecting the scores to be what they’ve been,” said Auriemma.

With attention and pressure rising for the women’s team as they approach the semi-finals, some for the first time in their careers, it’s all about focus on the task right in front of them, according to the coaching staff.

“It’s just business as usual,” said Moore.

The people you meet along the way (IIJ Blog)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:13:00 +0200

By Megan Hickok

LONDON, England -- Twenty days in the rear view mirror as I woke up to the 48-hour countdown on my time left in London. I don’t want to leave.

Not because I want to attend one last Team USA event or come across one more story to tell at the Olympics. I love the fish and chips, but I could fry them up back home. The train and Underground were never really nice to me, and I could certainly go without paying for drink refills ever again.

Yet I don’t want to leave, at all.

When it comes to memories in my life, it’s not about what I did, but rather whom I was with. I may forget all of the small details of an experience in my life, maybe even London one day, but I will never forget the people who shared these days with me.

Photo by Megan Hickok
Megan Hickok and Colin Brown sight see London on the Big Bus Tour.

Andy, security cop at the Tesco Market.

Better known as Miami Vice, Andy and I talk on a daily basis. He works as the security cop at the grocery in Guildford. On my third day here, while searching through Tesco, trying to deal with my culture shock about food, Andy helped me find the peanut butter. Ever since that day, he always welcomes me with a smile when I come through the doors.

He told me about his trip to Miami and how he bought a pink shirt and white pants last minute to fit in. He didn’t believe me when I said only people in Miami dress like that. I update him on my experiences reporting and socializing in London, and he continues to share his outlook on the world with me.

Tyler and Jacob, football’s biggest fans.

These two popped up during my instant rush to meet a million new people the first couple of days on my trip. After the introductions, they went right back into their heated argument about Arsenal football. I nodded my head along, acting like I knew anything about what they were saying.

Then, I did the unthinkable. I said the forbidden word ‘soccer.’ They looked at me blankly for what felt like a long five seconds, then proceeded to tell me I was going to make no friends in London because I said that. After apologizing 20 times in 35 seconds, they laughed and told me that I could still be their friend. They spent the next 20 minutes teaching me everything there was to know about European football.

Photo by Megan Hickok
A group of Scripps students pose with local police after chatting about their unique helmets and duties during the Olympic games.

French fry guy on the train.

It was a late night catching the trains back from London and I was with a few of our friends. As we walked down the aisles, I noticed everyone indulging in late night McDonalds. I instantly became severely hungry, remembering I still had a 35-minute train ride to sit through before I could eat.

Then, he sat down. French fry guy instantly talked to us about Guildford and all of the London suburbs we pass through on a daily basis. He too was headed home after a day out in London. He munched on his fries, sharing his opinions on everything from football to Americans. Then, as if fate sat him next to me on this train in my time of need, he offered me his extra fries. The fries were exactly what I needed as my stomach growls subsided, but his stories and friendly face are what got me through that late night train ride.

Josh, the waiter at Wetherspoons.

He has seen how far this American has come over the last three weeks. The first time he noticed me, I was sitting at the bar stressing as I counted out my pounds and pence. The money thing over has been a struggle for me. Josh came over and collected the right change out of my big pile of coins sitting across the table. Since then, he checks in with me between my food or drink orders to see how I’m getting along in London. My accent still makes him laugh along with my million questions about unusual drinks and food in Europe. He, along with many others at Wetherspoons, has become a friend of mine.

The names, faces and stories are turning into memories as I start collecting my thoughts and belongings to say goodbye to this place I’ve called home lately. I am so fortunate to have sat 10 rows back from a men’s beach volleyball game. I had to pinch myself as I chatted with Candace Parker about London. I snapped a thousand pictures of the London Bridge and Big Ben. However, these aren’t even the experiences impacting me the most.

Photo by Megan Hickok
Megan Hickok and Danny Medlock pose with the official 2012 Olympic mascot.

As I reflect, I realize all of the people who became friends of mine over the last three weeks made this trip for me. Those long chats were invaluable. I met real people who could share the culture and personalities of London. I taught them everything I could about back home, and they unknowingly opened my eyes to a new outlook on life.

I can say goodbye to Buckingham Palace and even the Olympic Park, but it hit me this morning, I’m not ready to end the conversations.

London is no different than any other journey in my life. It really is about the people you meet along the way.

International Mass Media: August 1 (IIJ Blog)

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:38:00 +0200

By Lindsay Boyle

On Wednesday, August 1, the ninth and final International Mass Media summer course was held in Copeland Hall at the Ohio University campus. During each class, two SUSI scholars give a lecture about their own country’s media systems, journalism practices and political cultures. All of the lectures are streamed live through Ohio University distance learning and are available online to 35 students who are taking a summer class instructed by Dr. Brook Beshah.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at OU to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

Dr. Ibaa Awad
Sudan

To kick off her presentation, scholar Dr. Ibaa Awad gave some facts about Sudan, the third largest country in Africa. Sudan has a population of 33 million, with about 50 percent residing in urban areas. The country’s economy is largely agricultural.

The primary religions are Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs, and the primary languages are Arabic, English and indigenous languages. Awad also discussed some of the national dress, foods and traditions of Sudan, including the fact that wedding celebrations in the country can last three days.

Sudan gained independence in 1956, underwent a second civil war from 1983 to 2005, and then adopted an interim constitution in 2005 after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed.

The government now operates as a representative democratic republic that has national and state levels with about 72 registered political parties. However, questions have been raised about the fairness of the 2010 presidential election.

In Sudan, Awad said that journalists are considered to be responsible, first and foremost, for providing at least somewhat free information to their audience. She explained that the government used to interfere more in regard to what could be reported, but now does not do so as often.

However, Awad also said that the media are sometimes hindered by the fact that some governmental workers simply do not understand the role that media should play.

SUSI scholar Dr. Ibaa Awad presents a lecture that is streamed live through OU distance learning, and is available online.

There is a long history of print newspapers in Sudan, according to Awad. Although there are more the 45 papers that are not politically affiliated, she said there are no local papers at all.

Several magazines exist that cover many different topics for multiple audiences, she said. Radio and TV have a mixture of governmentally, privately and locally owned stations.

The online world is still developing in Sudan. Awad said that many websites target Sudanese diasporas. However, she explained that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are usually reserved for educated people, journalists, and the like.

One of main agencies in Sudan, Awad explained, is the Sudan News Agency, which is owned by the government. It not only is the main source of local and international news in the country, but it also works as an information center for students, researchers and otherwise. Additionally, Awad said there are several other related councils ands unions that also work to promote journalistic activities.

Challenges faced by media workers in Sudan include poor pay and a lack of qualification and tools, as well as the general risk of performing the job.

Despite those, Awad said that most media workers genuinely exert efforts to provide honest information. She added that she believes media can affect society, but that such change occurs gradually through generations.

Prof. Guoping He
China

Professor Guoping He first introduced China, which is the largest — both in size and in population — developing nation. The country, he explained, operates under socialism, which takes its beliefs and principles from Marxism.

In the socialism system, society posses and controls the means of production, while the government manages and allocates tools, goods and materials based on public interest.

Although He acknowledged that there are many problems with socialism, he said that the idea is good overall. He pointed out that the Chinese have enjoyed about 30 years of sustainable economics with no war, and that China has become the manufacturing heart of the world.

He explained that, although China is and has been led by the Communist Party of China since gaining independence in 1949, there are about eight additional democratic parties that also participate in state affairs. However, those parties are not considered oppositional parties.

In China, the National People’s Congress is the highest authority, and the president is the head of state. According to He, the Chinese media, in addition to having “soft power,” have four primary functions: political, social, economical and entertainment.

Politically, He said the media serve as the mouthpiece for the state in what is essentially propaganda. Socially, the media produce, communicate and provide a public forum for information. Economically, advertisements in the media act as their own industry. Finally, for entertainment purposes, several different kinds of TV shows, such as reality TV, are available in China.

He explained that the media in China are not parallel with the government, but rather contained by it. The media follow a hierarchical model with four primary levels: central (national), provincial, city and county.

SUSI scholars and staff listen as scholar Guoping He presents a lecture that is streamed live through OU distance learning, and is available online.

There are two primary news agencies in China. One, which is the official governmental news organization of China, is the fourth largest news agency in the world. He said that it has many branches both domestically and internationally, and broadcasts in several different languages.

Although there are many print publications in China, He said that two of the frontrunners are People’s Daily and China Daily. People’s Daily is a state-run paper that has a circulation of about 2.35 million and publishes in multiple languages. China Daily was established in 1981 with the sole purpose of allowing foreigners to get information from China.

There are also many radio and TV channels available in China, including foreign channels that cover a variety of countries. The largest TV station is China Central Television, according to He.

Two of the biggest radio stations are China National Radio and China Radio International. The former, with a domestic audience of more than 700 million, has the largest audience in the world. The latter is the only national radio to broadcast to the world. It broadcasts in 43 languages.

In China, there are about 538 million Internet users. The State Council Information Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is responsible for regulating China’s Internet.

Additionally, He explained that many different organizations act as managers for every form of media, in both the physical and the online worlds. For example, the General Administration of Press and Publication manages all things related to print publications, and the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television manages all things related to broadcast media.

He said that there is no official press law in China, and that the openness and freedom of the media depends largely on the party leader. Regardless, he said that there is basically no chance for citizens to express their opinions on traditional media. Additionally, news from foreign agencies is usually censored and edited to some extent.

Recently, He explained that some media reforms have been taking place, though he pointed out that those reforms will not create instant change.

First time for everything (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:32:00 +0200

By: Colin Brown

Growing up as a typical American boy, I have attended dozens, maybe hundreds, of sporting events. Ranging from football to basketball to baseball games as well as several golf matches, I have witnessed my fair share of professional sports. But recently I got the chance to witness a new sport — an opportunity that I won’t find back on my home turf.

: Cricket match at Uxbridge Cricket Club. (Photo by Colin Brown)

I attended my first cricket match with my journalism partner-in-crime, Danny Medlock, on Sunday. We saw the Clydesdale Bank 40 Tournament match between the Middlesex County Cricket Club and the Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Neither one of us had ever seen a cricket match in our lives, so as avid lovers of all sports, we were incredibly excited for the new experiences that the day would bring us.

We were greeted at the gates as “chaps” by Middlesex’s PR guy, Steven Fletcher, or “Fletch”, as he is known around the club. We sat down in the front row and observed the first hour of the match in compete confusion. I saw the “runs” section of the scoreboard increasing after every moment of action, but I had no idea what the players were doing to earn these runs. To help with my perplexity the gentleman sitting next to me tried to explain to me the details of the game. His friend watching the match with him then offered me a glass of fine, red wine and later the two popped open a bottle of champagne. I was shocked! When was the last time that you were at a sporting event and saw someone pull out bottles of expensive alcohol from their bag?

: Middlesex County Cricket Club and Worcestershire County Cricket Club end their match in a draw at 229, after five hours of play. (Photo by Colin Brown)

Cricket is a unique sport. Whether it is the details of the game or the fans that come to watch it, you won’t find many other sports that are similar to cricket. It really provides for a one-of-a-kind experience.

After watching the five-hour long match, seeing one player account for 120 runs by himself (a rare occurrence in the game) and experiencing a comeback of four “maximums” in the final “over” of the match, the match ended with both teams tied at 229!

That is the craziness that is cricket.

Too much pageantry? (IIJ Blog)

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:29:00 +0200

By: Colin Brown
If you didn’t know by now, England sure does like its royalty. The only thing that they enjoy more (if at all possible) is making a firework out of a sparkler. Whether it’s a wedding, a jubilee or a job, England likes to celebrate.

Thursday morning, Olivia and I took the 8:55 a.m. train into London Waterloo to cross off one of the items on our bucket list: watch the “changing of the guard” ceremony at Buckingham Palace. When I went to Washington D.C. on the eighth grade field trip I saw the “changing of the guard” ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so I was expecting something similar.

But then I remembered that I was at the Queen’s house and it wouldn’t be England if there weren’t a bit of pageantry. A parade of “knights” sitting atop their noble steads made their way around the Victoria Memorial and through the main gates with their shiny, gold helmets to remind the crowd what a big deal they are. They were followed by a marching band playing common songs. All this time there were two groups of guards facing each other on opposite sides of the large, black gate being shouted at by their commander. There were copious activities to be watching all at once.

With the entire spectacle around to gawk at, I truly did not actually see the guards change positions during the ceremony. I’m assuming that they must have done so because otherwise that would be quite the overdone formality.

In the end, the “changing of the guard” was a neat experience to be able to say that I have seen it, but I would have to say that in true English fashion it is incredibly haughty.

p.s. Don’t you think that the Queen gets upset when there is a band playing outside her palace every morning when she is trying to make the most of her beauty sleep?