POLITICS: The Mother of All Coalitions November 30th, 2005
The Editor,
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (IPS) - The idea of a “World Coalition Government” has often been portrayed as sinister and authoritarian, but a group of scientists and scholars are trying to revive the concept as a dramatic alternative to the movement to “reform” the United Nations.
This is the best news the world has heard in a long time.
The only people/nations that don’t like the idea are the greedy ones who won’t benefit personally.
A majority vote system will work as it has done for centuries.
POLITICS: The Mother of All Coalitions November 30th, 2005
dear ips, we are currently in the middle of the UN decade for the culture of peace…and most governments are doing little on that concept……. THE MOTHER OF ALL COALITIONS is far too military in design to create peace…. peace, david inkey, the UN poet….
POLITICS-US: Realists Tighten Grip as Talks Open with Iran November 29th, 2005
Your article is very interesting in that you refer to the neocons as to what they really are. The most amazing part of this whole farce is how did they pull it off?
I am still in a state of shock as to how all of the American people would go along with this inhumane act when so many of us knew what transpired.
Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and all their revolving-door group left over from the Reagan-Bush era had a plan and what they had to do was make it happen.
If indeed GW was recruited to be the front for this Empire building plan I would have to say Rove really was the designer.
POLITICS: The Mother of All Coalitions November 29th, 2005
Dear Editor:
Fantastic! I am so happy to see this article.
100% support for peace and understanding, and continued focus on actual growing and all-encompassing solutions rather than free standing problems, in greater and greater detail as it evolves…
Thank you.
POLITICS-US: A Close Call for Al-Jazeera? November 28th, 2005
Dear Sirs,
To add to this story I understand that Blair or his cohorts have issued a threat that anyone publishing the alleged document will be subject to imprisonment, leading one magazine, The Spectator, to issue a statement that the editor Boris Johnson - who also happens to be a Member of Parliament - would be prepared to publish and risk jail.
Hardly seems something wrapped up ‘in a jest ‘- does it?
POLITICS-US: Business Booms for Contract Interrogators November 27th, 2005
Dear Editor:
The reality and mounting horror of what is taking place in between the dress dinners and festivities of Washington reminds me of pre-war Germany.
My friends who were tortured by the Gestapo, who saw their friends tortured to death by the same booted, conscientious, cold-blooded craftsmen who were part of an organization put in place for these specific tasks, carried to their graves the abomination of having been subjected to pure evil.
I never thought my country would stoop so low. If Congress allows this to pass, even to discuss it, to consider official torture brigades, then our American democracy is over. What will be the next step? Camps? Cheney is already speaking of revisionists.
My ancestors, one was at Valley Forge, two others in the 1812 War, three in the Civil War, on both sides, WW2, would not have fought for this.
Stuff the poor into Wal-Mart and leave the rest to us. That is not an America that is worth fighting for. It is [T.S.] Eliot’s “Wasteland,” where the world ends “Not with a bang, but a whimper.”
SOUTH ASIA: Bhutanese Refugees Forgotten in Nepal’s Turmoil November 26th, 2005
Dear Sir,
In regards the so-called refugee problem of Bhutan in Nepal, I would like to inform you that these so-called Bhutanese refugees are actually ethnically Nepalese. Yes they are economic immigrants from Nepal to Bhutan. Most of whom were illegal immigrants and when they were asked to leave they went back to their country of origin in Nepal and then claimed to be refugees from Bhutan.
Now my question is if they are actually from Nepal, then how can they be refugees from Bhutan? The three-tier solution of the UNHCR is a perfect solution. Since they are from Nepal they should be settled in Nepal first. Then if some want to go to the west they they should be allowed. Finally if they want to be settled locally they should be allowed, after all they are from Nepal and speak the language and follow the same social culture and system.
I hope you will research this subject a bit further and find out if what I have said is true or false.
ENVIRONMENT: Climate Change Only Partially to Blame November 25th, 2005
Hi,
The environment needs no global justification, it has been raped in fact for many many decades and no justification evolved in the nations which are [the creators] of pollution irrespective of any form of social structure/govt.
What’s valid is a comprehensive global attitude to ensure [future] generations’ well being.
RIGHTS-THAILAND: Battered Women, No Longer Alone November 24th, 2005
Dear Editor:
I received your story regarding battered women over the internet through a Google alert on Thailand. My wife is from Bangkok. One of the first questions that was put to me when I was going through an interrogation by my wife’s aunt here in the U.S. was regarding physical abuse. I was previously married for 23 years and never even thought of hitting my wife. My Thai wife has been assured that she will be free of any type of abuse when we are together in the US. She has been in two relationships in her life, prior to our marriage. Both ended due to physical and mental abuse.
Best of luck to all of your efforts to end abuse of women in Thailand, world wide preferably. If you do any more articles on this effort, I will surely read them.
AFRICA-PORTUGAL: Three Decades After Last Colonial Empire Came to an End November 24th, 2005
Dear Editor:
Thanks for your article. However I have picked up one important statistic and therefore question the veracity of the rest. I have been involved with the MPLA since 1967 and your erroneous statistic regarding agicultural potential. The CIA has maintainrd for years that Angola could produce food for 250 million people.
Could you please tell how I am wrong.
Jacques R.Roy
ARGENTINA: NGOs Call for Partnership, Not Philanthropy November 23rd, 2005
Dear Editor:
While I was reading this article I couldn’t help but wonder if this organization, that is advocating a paradigm shift with respect to CSR, is familiar at all with the CSR literature. It seems to me that what they are proposing is nothing new, as Simon Zadek is famous for his writings on “third generation corporate citizenship” which entails most, if not all, of what the organization is suggesting. Also, the fact they they identify the most “progessive” definition of CSR to be one that states that “companies should voluntarily donate part of their profits to philanthropic activities” further suggests that the organization has not done its research. In fact, many “progressive” CSR proponents view philanthropy as the very first stage of CSR and advocate for greater integration of CSR into a company’s business strategy. I would agree with the organization that more companies need to approach CSR this way; however, I cannot agree that the organization is introducing a novel approach to CSR.
Sincerely,
Melissa Whellams
M.A. Student, Saint Mary’s University
POLITICS-US: Democrats, NGOs Assail “Crony” Appointees November 23rd, 2005
William Fisher’s story was a timely review of some of the concerns raised by opponents to Ellen Sauerbrey’s nomination for assistant secretary of State for the bureau of population, refugees, and migration.
However, Sauerbrey’s record in global women’s issues deserves careful study. As US Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Sauerbrey has been a powerful advocate for women and children victimized in human trafficking. She has insisted that the United States and the United Nations move to prevent this horrific crime. Her public statements have indicated understanding of the complex societal, economic, and cultural factors–particularly in conflict zones–that contribute to the flourishing of trafficking in persons.
Critics have mininimalized Sauerbrey’s long-time commitment to improving the status of women. Yet she has never faltered in her defense of victims of human trafficking–surely a desireable trait in an assistant secretary of State tasked with migration and refugee issues.
DAVID R. BANNON, Ph.D.
International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol (retired)
Charlotte, North Carolina
USA
DEVELOPMENT: Spreading the Gospel of Microcredit November 23rd, 2005
Dear IPS editor,
I have just glanced at the article on microcredit, as I am preparing for next week’s “week of solidarity in finance� in France.
I must say it sounds mighty optimistic and upbeat about the event and the participation of the UN, Bretton Woods etc… being myself a former World Bank staff, I would hasten to point out that if the formal banking and financial system is failing, which it is, since microfinance is filling that gap, someone is responsible. Those “someones�, in my view, include Bretton Woods (particularly people at the World Bank working on finance and banking over the past twenty years or so), but also the UN, perhaps in its avoidance of capital and credit issues, or other political misapprehensions, and national governments such as the one Sir Nick Stern represents, but particularly the players, private banks!
Surely there is no more organized sector in the global economy, capable of organizing itself, speaking up, making changes, and gaining political (and financial) support!? Why have reforms purportedly worked (of economic policy, finances etc…), and yet capital and credit is not working, where they are most needed?
Yes, let’s look at microfinance, but lets make a choice, condemn what did not work before, and go wholeheartedly with what people use and like, now!!
POLITICS-IRAQ: Reports of Sunni Enthusiasm May Be Premature November 22nd, 2005
Dear Editor:
Please tell me your latest thinking on the anticipated Sunni (meaning majority of all Sunni’s eligible to vote) participation in the upcoming Dec.15 elections. If you expect a Sunni boycott, I am particularly interested to know whether you think there will be violence toward voters, if Sunnis will win seats by default without voting, and whether the country will be able to avoid civil war. It seems that this is our last hope to be able to claim success of the mission in Iraq, so I am keenly interested in your predictions.
POLITICS-US: Cheney Tries to Raise the Stakes November 22nd, 2005
Dear Editor:
With a four to one majority of Kurds & Shias over Sunnis, how will they, or al Queda, rule Iraq? Mr Cheney reminds me of the axiom: Figures don’t lie but liars figure.
RAKendall
ENVIRONMENT: Climate Change Only Partially to Blame November 21st, 2005
Dear Editor:
From your article:
“But are these harrowing scenes of destruction a direct result of the global warming process brought about by human activity, as some observers and environmental groups maintain? ”
“The answer is no.”
That is incorrect. The answer is not “no” it is, we don’t know. Global warming may well have had a hand in making these storms more intense but there is no way to measure if it did so we cannot know for sure.
POLITICS-US: Cheney Tries to Raise the Stakes November 21st, 2005
Dear Editor:
Thank you for the informative article. The big problem I have with the Bush administration’s argument is they, in my estimation, did mislead the nation going into the war and their argument about turning the Iraq government over to an al Qaeda takeover is just more of their spin. There was not much of an Iraq - al Qaeda connection before the war, theree is some al Qaeda in Iraq now but are they in positions of power over the citizens of Iraq? I don’t see it.
At this point they have lost a lot of credibility with their arguments. They need to be very specific about what they say and be able to back it up with facts.
Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me.
POLITICS-NIGERIA: A Season of Ethnic Discontent November 20th, 2005
Dear Editor,
The demographic data given in this article is without reliable scientific foundation. The Yoruba ethnic group with a preponderant concentration in south-western Nigeria could not be larger the Igbos. Besides an equally preponderant concentration of the Igbos in south eastern Nigeria, this ethnic group has also migrated in very significant demographic volumes to other parts of Nigeria . A credible national census, which takes congnizance of ethnic headcount would be needed in order to accurately determine the population of each ethnic group of Nigeria.
WSIS: Internet Can Create, Not Crush, Culture November 19th, 2005
Hi:
I love to give feedback, negative or positive…I am a 56 year old Aboriginal female who belongs to the Nisga’a Nation in Canada. We signed our Treaty in 2000 and I am very upset about what is going on now.
On the positive side of my submission, I want to stress the value and the impact that technology plays on our remote living. Our reserve is small and 90 miles away from the nearest shopping centre, Terrace, British Colombia. In this day and age, I would die slowly without computer and Internet access. I have two grandsons now who fight over computer use and they watch the latest movies when they do searches using Google. I created several alerts under Google and they all deal with Aboriginal issues, Human Rights issues… you name it. I receive plenty to read, even on the week-end. There really is not much to do to pass the time in the winter months living in Greenville, but summer months, I am doing gardening, picking berries, smoking fish, planting flowers…winter months, online learning. To date, since 2002, I have received my Business Technology-Office Assistant certificate plus the Business Technology-Accounting Certificate and several business online courses with British Columbia Institute of Technology. To date, I completed close to 30 courses online and would have it no other way, as I do them from the comfort of my own home and don’t have to leave my family.
I say, Technology is here to stay…long live the awesome way of life now…I meet a lot of friends, from Kuwait, Sweden, America, Saudi Arabia, London… and I exchange my culture with them… a very valuable learning experience. I love diversity, makes the world more exciting.
MEDIA: South Seeks News “For Us and By Us” November 19th, 2005
Dear Editor:
This is a great idea. I hope it is successful. We certainly need a paper that will focus on Southern World News and also allow writers to send in articles that concern that region of the world that for instance cannot be published in a country in that region. It may eventually make the Asians assume more responsibility for economic and political stability in the region. For instance, the economic expansion of India and China - how will it impact the region? What opportunities are there for Asian countries to benefit from India’s and China’s knowledge base? Can there be better regional cooperation for social development, etc.
U.S.: The Politics of Pushback November 19th, 2005
Dear Editor:
I just want to say thanks. You brought the players onto a single page, a clearly focused my attention on a concert being played in the media around me.
I appreciate the effort.
AFGHANISTAN: The Next Quagmire? November 18th, 2005
Dear Editor:
For more information on how to turn Afghanistan into another Vietnam, visit the Democratic Party web-site or Party headquarters at MoveOn.org. In the meanwhile, remember to use either the term “quagmire” or “another Vietnam” every chance you get. They say the average person must hear something seven times before it is committed to memory.
RIGHTS: The Harsh Education of an Iraqi Feminist November 18th, 2005
Dear Editor:
My name is Dr. Sunni Rumsey Amatullah, I am a delegate to the United Nations on Gender and Health Issues for the al-Khoei Foundation based in London. I want to thank you for this important article on further educating the world on the topic . I was born in the USA, converted to Shia Islam as an adult and was the first woman chosen by this organization to represent them at the UN. I am also a regular writer for their magazine called Dialogue and last year, wrote a major paper on rape and sexual assault being used as weapon against women, especially Muslim women by other Muslim men. I will be honored to assist your organization get their message out to a wider audience anyway I can. Thank you.
IPS reports are helpful, but more care needed in proof-reading November 18th, 2005
Dear Editors
Seasons Greetings!
I read the reports from IPS with great interest and find them very helpful in understanding the situation worldwide. They provide a different insight that is often missing in the TV news one watches. You do a great job and please convey compliments to your team!
However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are printer devils. They creep in now and then and you may have to excercise a little more care (…) A little more care in proof-reading would make it great reading.
Looking forward to more interesting and people-centred reporting. Wishing you all success in your endeavour to keep the people informed of events and concerns that do not easily get into mainstream media
With Warm Regards
bharath bhushan
centre for action research & people’s development,
Telangana, India
AFGHANISTAN: The Next Quagmire November 17th, 2005
Dear Editor:
My understanding is that the Taliban had effectively eradicated opium production before the US invasion. A cynic might conclude that the US invaded in order to re-establish the crop as a source of black money as it used in Iran-Contra. Drugs are big money like oil. Illegal drugs are untraceable money (that’s why they remain illegal), ask Donald Rumsfeld…he knows.
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