Month: February 2010

Professional Athletes have a "Green" Idea for Haiti

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Professional athletes from a number of organizations are doing their part to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. 

The no. 1 tennis player in the world, Roger Federer, delayed his preparation in the Australian Open to stage an event with several other stars including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams to entertain fans.  With proceeds at $10, fans poured in with excitement.  All in all, the event raised more than $200,000 for earthquake victims.

Professional basketball stars Dwyane Wade and retired teammate Alonzo Mourning teamed up once again co-founding the “Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti.”  They were able to receive donations from 27 professional athletes and expect more.  Wade donated a single-game salary of $175,000, while Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul all donated $100,000.  The fund raising project has garnered over $800,000. 

The National Football League and NFL Players Association pledged $2.5 million to aid relief efforts.  Also, other players including New England Patriot wide receiver Wes Welker, and Clevaland Browns wide recievers Donte Stallworth and Josh Cribbs have all donated to Project Medishare.  They also continue to use their Twitter accounts to help drive donations.       

Major League Baseball’s juggernaut New York Yankees announced a $500,000 contribution to Haiti relief, with several other players and clubs piggybacking with programs of their own.  The league itself announced that it would donate $1 million.

new haiti1It’s very touching to see how the United States, especially the world of athletics, has come together to give hope to the people of Haiti.  Professional athletes are digging deep into their own pockets to push and push the relief efforts.  It gives us sports fans something extra to admire and be proud of. 

Help pro athletes and organizations by donating to the American Red Cross.

Every bit counts.

 HELP

Rogue Nation #1

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North Iran
The North Korean Flag (left) and the Iranian Flag

Iran. North Korea. Syria.

These are just a few countries that come to mind when one is called to think of a rogue nation. However, if you were to ask these countries who their top choice is for rogue nation of the globe, the answer may or may not be surprising: The United States of America.

This assertion does not go without merit. A Newsweek article points out, “…for many states the term ‘rogue’ might just as well apply to the United States as to the renegades it seeks to isolate.”

As Samuel Huntington, author of The Clash of Civilizations, notes the United States is viewed as intrusive, exploitative, and hypocritical. The overthrow of the Iraqi governmentunited-states-flag against international objections, possession of nuclear weapons, the support of governments who commit human rights violations against their own citizens, all are reasons some deem the United States as “rogue.”  

Several people may dismiss this claim as a sign of jealousy or ill will toward America. They may be right. Yet this opinion, no matter how trivial it may seem, circulates within the global conscience. Huntington quotes one British diplomat as saying, “One reads about the world’s desire for American leadership only in the United States. Everywhere else one reads about American arrogance and unilateralism.”

The use of the term “rogue,” along with several other descriptions, can potentially have the same antagonistic affect on other countries’ policies toward the U.S. as the U.S. rhetoric has on American foreign policy. In either event, the connotation linked with “rogue” can be applied to any country.

Click here for pictures of “rogue” leaders, past and present.

Academic Source: Huntington, Samuel P. “The Lonely Superpower.” American Foreign Policy. Ed. G.  John Ikenberry. 4th ed. New York: Longman, n.d. 586-96. Print.

What's in a "Rogue"

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Il (left) and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il (left) and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

“The third group are the rogue states- those that not only do not have a part in the international system, but whose very being involves being outside of it and throwing, literally, hand grenades inside in order to destroy it.”

-Secretary of State Madeline Albright

 February 1998

Secretary Albright’s description may not assess the current position of all rogue states in the international environment, but it does beg the questions: what is a rogue state? And who are the rogue states?

A search of the United States Department of State website will yield no results for a list of rogue states. Why? That is because a list does not exist. There is not a designated list of rogue states that is determined by the government. Nevertheless, to add some clarity to an abstract definition, Political Scientist K.P. O’Reilly highlights four characteristics of rogue states:

  1. The possession or development of WMDs
  2. Involvement in international terrorism
  3. Posing either a global or regional military threat
  4. Challenging international norms (including human rights violations)

In order to be considered “rogue,” a nation does not have to conform to each trait. All the same, these illustrations are often what are refrenced to depict “rogue states.” The characteristics can potentially create a blanket image that incorporates several entities who do not necessarily share similar ideals. If we are to be an informed society, there must be increased knowledge about the words we use and what these words represent.

My next post will demonstrate how easily applicable the concept of a “rogue state” can be.

Academic Source: O’Reilly, K. P. “Perceiving Rogue States: The Use of the ‘Rogue State’ Concept by U.S. Foreign Policy Elites.” Foreign Policy Analysis (2007): 295-315. Print.

Photo Courtesy of EPA-Corbis (left); Atta Kenare / AFP-Getty Images.

The Path to "Rogue"

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (left) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (left) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The steps on the path of rogue begin in the 1980s. According to political scientist Michael Klare, this decade marked an evolution where concerns over terrorism “transformed into fears of a third world power acquiring WMDs.” The term’s popularity continued into the 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nader Mousavizadeh of Newsweek writes that at this juncture the United States was left to contend with “those states [that were] unwilling to accommodate themselves to the ‘end of history’ and conform to U.S. values.” 

Nearly twenty years later we find ourselves at another turning point. With the burgeoning influence of some (former) rogue states, and the rebellious defiance of others, U.S. dominance is questioned by friend and foe alike. The rhetoric is still used to describe countries such as Iran, North Korea, or Syria, but what does this term mean? If this term evokes some sense of emotion or call to action, how does that recollection affect policymakers and citizens?

The term “rogue states” is often used in political discourse to describe countries that defy international norms, or possess or seek weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). However, many media sources pay little attention to the context of the phrase, failing to explore its history or ambiguous meaning. Politicians and pundits use the term stopping short of giving actual debate to our use of the term and the impact it has. Considering the amount of air time and print space “rogue states” consume, I think it is only fitting that the concept be further explored.

Read my next post to learn more about the common applications of the term.

Academic Source: Klare, Michael. Rogue States and Nuclear Outlaws: America’s Search for a New Foreign Policy. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995. Print.  

Photo courtesy of Louai Beshara / AFP / Getty.

What does Idaho say their "Heroes"?

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Those law-breaking Americans I talked about a couple of blogs back have finally been released!

But….

The Americans were imprisoned for three weeks for trying to smuggle children to the Dominican Republic
The Americans were imprisoned for three weeks for trying to smuggle children to the Dominican Republic

What does Idaho say about the Baptists’ return? According to one article, most public opinion was pretty negative. Like me, a lot of locals still don’t really think their argument makes what they did OK.

Furthermore,  media wasn’t allowed to ask the the newly released Americans many questions that have been on the minds of many in the US. Without the media being allowed to do their job, how will the general public develop an opinion on the story of the Americans imprisoned in Haiti?haitian-children

Honestly, I think that not answering questions will only hurt the Baptists. No one in their hometown thinks that what they did in Haiti is OK and the media has followed public opinion quite nicely.

The fact that Americans do not agree with what the 10 Baptists did in Haiti makes me feel more confident in what America stands for. It seems that the media has facilitated the dialogue between the accused and the public. Silence almost speaks as loudly as words in this situation…. where will the media take it? View more photos.

"Downhillers for Haiti"

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Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller
Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller

Just two days ago, Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to ever capture a gold medal in the Winter Olympic Games in downhill skiing.  She was an inspiration to us all by winning the gold on a severely bruised shin.  She persevered and her childhood dream became reality.  She now hopes for perseverance and a dream come true for Haiti. 

Vonn, along with other U.S. superstars, including Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso, autographed their ski bibs worn during races in Kitzbühel and Cortina.  The spontaneous charity campaign was named “Downhillers for Haiti.”

There were 59 signed bibs (start numbers), that were eventually auctioned off on eBay.  The sum accumulated to 56,194 Euros, which is around $76,396.  Also, eBay waived the deduction fees for the sellers so all the money was accounted for. 

Switzerland skier Didier Cuche’s signed bib was purchased for the highest amount at $16,209. The bib of Bode Miller earned $2,504, and Lindsey Vonn claimed the top spot amongst women’s bibs closing out at just over $4,000.

” When you’re racing, you feel like there are so many things that you can control, but really, there’s so much in the world you can’t control and unfortunately those things affect a lot of people. It’s important for everyone to do what they can and I hope our little bit helps.” –Lindsay Vonn

Julia Mancuso, who was a big part with heading the project and other projects for Haiti, reported that half of the bibs were purchased by fans in the United States, with all the proceeds going to the American Red Cross. 

In posts to come, you will see how the entire sports world has united together for Haiti.

Photo courtesy of None/Getty Images Europe

Save Money, Live Better?

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Wal-MartWal-Mart announced yesterday plans to open 300 new units in Mexico this year.  That’s almost one every day. Since the first one opened in 1991, Wal-Mart has steadily been taking over the Mexican economy.  Thanks, in part, to NAFTA stipulations, it now even has its own claim in the stock market.  The multinational corporation has expanded their operations and bought out competing companies.  Their holds in the country now include:

  • Wal-Mart Supercenters
  • SAM’S Club
  • Bodega Aurrera (grocery supercenter)
  • Superama (grocery supercenter)
  • Suburbia (high-end supercenter)
  • Vips (restaurant)
  • Banco de Wal-Mart (banking firm)

 

Wal-Mart participates in charity work as well.  In 2009, Wal-Mart

 

Currently Wal-Mart has over 174,000 employees and plans to create 7,000 permanent jobs with the store openings this year.  They will invest an unprecedented 12.5 billion pesos in the operations, up 28% from last year. 

 

But who will actually “save money, live better?”

 

According to WakeUpWalmart.com for every two jobs Wal-Mart creates, three are lost.  This is due largely to the fact that the transnational company puts smaller, local stores out of business.  Not only that, the locations Wal-Mart chooses to build are often prime agriculture fields.  When I traveled to Mexico last summer I saw entire villages plowed over by the opening of one of these mega-stores, displacing hundreds and hundreds of people.

 

For a company whose social responsibility pillars enumerate goals such as “promote sustainable feeding of less fortunate communities in Mexico” and “promote competitiveness,” are they practicing what they preach?

Think trafficking is only a foreign fiasco?

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Well think again. Human trafficking happens much closer to home than you would imagine. Greenville, South Carolina was home to a human trafficking bust right off of White Horse Road in the fall of 2007.  In fact, trafficking can happen at places as common as small family-owned restaurants, hotels, construction companies, street peddlers, and carnivals.

In the most local case, discovered in a trailer park off of White Horse Road, the police discovered and rescued a group of women between the ages of 18-24 years old who had been forced into prostitution.  One trailer was a guard station with cameras, while the second trailer was used as a brothel.  Authorities suspect that more than 100 women from Latin America have been in trafficking circulation around the Southeast, throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Maria Latrado, German Garcia, Fricman Ramirez, Carlos Castillo-Rodriguez, Aztlan Jaimes-Santana and Rolando Hernandez-Hernandez, the traffickers arrested in Greenville, kept small groups of women in each city for 6-8 days and then moved them to their next destination.  It appears that trafficker held the threat of deployment, abuse, and financial dependency over the women’s heads.  The women have been placed in shelter, but do face deployment.

Home in Greenville, SC where authorities busted past sex trafficking
Home in Greenville, SC where authorities busted past sex trafficking

Unfortunately, local cases do not end with this one.  Charlotte, NC has become a trafficking hub of sorts due to its central location between the major cities of Atlanta and D.C.  As a result, the discovery of such cases has sparked concern and action to reform in Greenville in the past two years.

More Greenville Trafficking Cases

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A Risky Endeavor

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Yemen education

Jihadist ideas and scholarship are intertwined at Al Eman University in Sana, Yemen.  The university has more than 4,000 students and teaches courses in Islam and Western disciplines, sometimes mixing the two.  The university, the size of a village, was founded in 1993 by Sheik Abdul Majid al-Zindani, a revered spiritual leader, theological adviser to Osama bin Laden an co-founder of the main Yemeni opposition party, Islah.

Sheik Zindani, is thought to be 59 and favoring a long dyed beard.  He is well known for his effort to prove that the Koran predicts Western scientific discoveries, and there are reports that he has even claimed to have cured AIDS.  However, in 2004, the United States Treasury put Mr. Zindani on a list of “specially designated global terrorists” for suspected fund-raising for Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

The terrorism threat in Yemen is a reality.  However, will US and global intervention help matter or make them worse?  Jihadist ideas are ingrained in daily life because there is proof that these ideas are taught in schools and universities.

Sheik Zindani said that the “U.K. request for an international conference on Yemen is meant to pave the way for a U.N. Security Council resolution to approve an occupation of Yemen and to put it under a U.N. mandate.”  According to Al Jazeera, Zindani said that Washington’s “so-called war on terror is in fact a war against Islam.”

Therefore, will US involvement improve conditions and the education system in Yemen or will they cause further violence?  Only time will tell, if the involvement in rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan are any indication.

View more pictures.

(Photo: courtesy of yobserver.com)

U.S. and Peru Collaborate on Conservation

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The meeting discussed the needed steps to put a stop on environmental damage
Government officials from the United States and Peru discussed conservation issues

While individual nation’s plans on emission cuts are being drawn up all over the planet, government officials from both the United States and Peru met on Wednesday, February 17 in Washington D.C. to discuss conservation issues concerning the two countries. The event marked the first bilateral environmental affairs meeting between the two countries and focused on the following key points:

  • Environmental Protection
  • Forest Governance
  • Biodiversity Conservation

To address these issues, the officials discussed the creation of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, that would effectively combat the occurrence of the environmental damages. The topic of forest governance included tactics of how to decrease deforestation, which accounts for nearly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions according to a study by the U.N.’s Economic and Social Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The meeting also resulted in the creation of the Environmental Affairs Council under the Environmental Chapter of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (USPTPA). During the meeting the government officials discussed the conception and implementation of environmental policy in regards to interactions between the two nations. The State Department said that, “The bilateral meeting provided an opportunity for the public to raise issues and ask questions on implementation procedures as well as provide suggestions on improving environmental protection in both countries.”

As active economic partners, the policies formulated between the U.S. and Peru will help establish a strong basis on which to continue forward with both the continuance of economic benefits as well as the preservation and protection of the environment.

More environmental pictures here