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R E F L E C T I O N S
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O B S E R V A T I O N S
Meet Jon Stewart
Coordinated approach needed
Why Brazil? The whistleblower Asia Micro Finance Forum
FEBRUARY 2011
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editorial
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Too many leaks
contents Just who is Jon Stewart?
Why Brazil?
The world has had its fair share of drama in the past few years Tsunamis’ flooding in Pakistan Ira and Afghanistan wars / and the financial crashes of and They’re enough to make any peace minded person want to change planets and live a little more peacefully And just when we didn’t know what to expect next comes – you’ve guessed it! –WikiLeaks I thought it might have been the infiltration of the World Wide Web so that a financial and social catastrophe on a worldwide scale took us back to square one and allowed us to tidy up our act and put more care into looking after the planet
The life of a Nobel Peace Prize Winner
What do we make of WikiLeaks? Well its leader Julian Assange is possibly both a hero and a villain He and his followers have orchestrated a deliberate campaign to expose to the world the fallacies of our leaders and our systems Is he a kind of Robin Hood trying to find ways to rid the world of the evil doers by exposing them so much that they are forced to clean up their act? He is also a kind of a Holden Caulfield who doesn’t like the phonies in the world and wants to make it a better place Or is he? But this still isn’t the real story WikiLeaks is going to be like Osama Bin Laden Mention the name WikiLeaks and for years to come it will remind people of the scandalous behavior of Assange and his buddies WikiLeaks will keep people on edge and make us all more cautious as to what we release on the web It is behavior which is both noble and irresponsible For example I don’t want to see the military in Afghanistan put into positions of more danger But I am interested in what he has – what he is going to release on the Bank of America early in
‘Eco’ electricity from dirty useless waste
International call for a co ordinated approach to food reserves
Maybe we are facing a crisis of values
The release of hundreds of thousands of classified documents on the web by WikiLeaks may well be saying “we say too much in emails we need to consider what we say we need to be more responsible And Julian Assange? He is forever lodged in folklore He may be assassinated he may be locked up for years he may be set free And because of WikiLeaks life will never be the same again Reflections and Observations The Mirror is published bi-monthly and offers the Reader reflections and observations on the issues of our times. The Mirror welcomes editorial contributions and encourages readers to share their reflections and views with us. The Mirror uses information provided in good faith. We give no guarantee of accuracy of the information. No liability is accepted for the result of any actions taken or not taken on the basis of this information. Those acting on the information and recommendations do so entirely at their own risk.
the Mirror’s Faces MANAGING EDITOR Doug Green RESEARCH WORDS PRODUCTION & DESIGN Karl Grant ADMINISTRATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Media Hawkes Bay Ltd
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Just who is Jon Stewart? By Doug Green
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Funny you should ask because I’ve been trying to figure it out myself He is a charismatic and intelligent American talk show host who is very good at presenting the issues of the day
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz ) is an American political satirist writer television host actor media critic and stand up comedian Widely known as host of The Daily Show a satirical news program that airs on Comedy Central which he joined in
Stewart has gained acclaim as an acerbic satirical critic of personality driven media shows in particular those of the US media networks CNN Fox News Channel and MSNBC Critics say Stewart benefits from a double standard: he critiques other news shows from the safe removed position of his “fake news” desk Stewart agrees saying that neither his show nor his channel purports to be anything other than satire and comedy In spite of its self professed entertainment mandate The Daily Show has been nominated for news and journalism awards Stewart hosted the th and th Academy Awards He is the co author of America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction which was one of the best selling books in the U S in and Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race released in He has the ability to lead or to at least appear to lead Take for example the recent gathering of people in Washington
who turned up to hear him talk about the way America is going At the Restore Sanity rally He has railed against the ‘dumbing down’ of the people by Fox creating an image of the American people as being victims of media scaremongering of spotlighting extremists and not representing ordinary Americans Watching the gathering he brought forward his best communicating skills and helped create a caring atmosphere for those wanting (more) change to the American way of life Whether those attending were from the Tea Party or the local football club they had one thing in common; they are tired of the war in Afghanistan and the situation in Iraq They are seeing their way of life eroding through sheer weight of numbers Health care employment housing are contributing to a dilemma which more than likely is going to see Barack Obama struggle to be re elected as president Back to Jon Stewart On his highly rated television program The Daily Show Stewart has the ability to make interviewees squirm No doubt about it World leaders wait with trepidation for the next question not knowing for sure what’s going to come out of Stewart’s mouth His is no place for the faint hearted this theatre of intrigue and the ridiculous ❙
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An American political satirist writer television host actor media critic and stand up comedian
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Why Brazil? By Matthew Pike
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I would like to welcome you into my thoughts and walk you through some less obvious reasons for why I find myself here in the Amazon of all places and what possible role I may be able to play in a place in such need This Brazil trip has taken me to many places We have encountered fascinating individuals doing some of the most important work the Amazon can offer we have experienced wonderful and heart warming scenery as well as the stark and complex reminders of destruction deforestation and political bias
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Some less obvious reasons for why I find myself here in the Amazon of all places and what possible role I may be able to play
We have visited indigenous NGO’s rubber tapping organisations WWF branches Agroforestry initiatives and family farms We have met local environmentalists lecturers young people teachers communities indigenous tribe members and local Acreano’s but for me it kept begging the question: “So What?” I am truly gaining a valuable experience: a more comprehensive understanding but where is the benefit or the long term positive impact that I always dreamed my internship could possess As I read and hear of my YIP friends building sustainable schools or going through the first steps in envisioning a much
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Right:
Matthew Pike
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needed community centre these questions come to the surface so I would like to share with you my exploration of some possible answers that are beginning to touch on satisfaction… What I see in this region is a State of much polarity There is the one side that is striving for progress and economic development as fast as possible and another one living with the values of prevention conservation and protection But where can I and my positive impact align with such a place? Many things brought me here; on a personal level it was a book a Blog and a jog While in my hometown of Totnes over Christmas break I stumbled into The Exchange a cosy little store near the top of the high street full of old records books instruments and collectables and various other trinkets I have always liked its scattered and inviting layout and on passing as always found my feet dragging me in On browsing the shelves of books my eye traced back to Murder in the Rain Forest by Alex Shoumatoff a book describing the life and times of Chico Mendes a local environmental hero of Acre I read the first chapter its always how
theEMirrorE I choose whether a book would be of interest Moments later I was at the counter with money in hand Whether it was destiny serendipity karma coincidence or just pure chance that four months later I ended up in the very region described in the book I am unsure of As well as visiting the very place that Chico grew up in and meeting his relatives; one thing is for certain; it happened and it helped bring me here The other force that played such an influential role in my arrival in such bio diverse climes is a Blog After deciding on Acre for my internship I came across a Blog of an American named Lou Gold Now years old he has been living here for the last five years Originally from Oregon he spent most of his life as an environmental activist a storyteller protecting forests and moved here to protect “the most important one of all and tell the stories the world needed to hear” Such insight resonated in me and to now I have met him spoken with him and dreamed with him The third and final magnet that drew me over the Atlantic was a thirty minute run in Sweden
I used to run a lot I liked it it gave me space to think reconnect and feel my body so as all the stress of organising this trip mounted I closed my computer put down my pen and ran I realised then whilst breathing again that my personal place in this internship would be to experience and listen and then to share and tell Something far greater than personal choice brought me here so maybe something greater than personal pleasure can emerge and I think for now I need to help spread the stories that exist here in a region in global need I feel that can be my place but is that enough impact? If through that Oasis finds a place in whatever form or if through that just maybe someone is inspired to consider his or her future actions then who knows? All I can do is place my piece of the puzzle
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Many things brought me here; on a personal level it was a book a Blog and a jog
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The Amazon still has time but it is now on our watch How would you like to treat it? A phrase I have coined (I think) since being here and one I would like to leave you with is this: “The Choices We Make Today Will Echo In The Amazon Tomorrow” ❙
YIP ies at Marcos Agroforestry Farm Amazon
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The life of a Nobel Peace Prize winner
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Liu Xiaobo who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize was born in December is a Chinese literary critic professor and human rights activist who called for democratic reforms and the end of one party rule in China He is currently serving as a political prisoner in China He has served as President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center since
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During the
Tiananmen Square protests he was in the United States but decided to go back to China to join the movement
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On December Liu was detained in response to his participation with Charter He was formally arrested on June on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power and sentenced to eleven years’ imprisonment and two years’ deprivation of political rights on December [ ] During his th prison term he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his long and non violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China ” From to
he was taken by his father to the Horqin Right Front Banner of Inner Mongolia during the Down to the Countryside Movement At the age of it was once again arranged for him to work in a village in Jilin province and later at a construction company He is married to Liu Xia who lives in the couple’s apartment in Beijing In
he studied at Jilin University and obtained a B A degree in literature in and an M A degree in from Beijing Normal University After graduation Liu joined the faculty at Beijing Normal University where he also received a Ph D degree in In the s his most important essays Critique on Choices Dialogue with Li Zehou and Aesthetics and Human Freedom earned him fame in the academic field The first essay criticised the philosophy of a prominent Chinese thinker Li Zehou Between and he was a visiting scholar at several universities outside of China including Columbia University the University of Oslo and the University of Hawaii In a interview with Hong Kong’s Liberation Monthly (now known as Open Magazine) Liu was asked what it would take for China to realize a true historical transformation He replied in this way: “With China being so big of course it would take
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years of colonialism for it to be able to transform into how Hong Kong is today I have my doubts as to whether years would be enough ” Liu admitted in that the response was extemporaneous although he did not intend to take it back The quote was nonetheless used against him He has commented “Even today [in ] patriotic ‘angry youth’ still frequently use these words to paint me with ‘treason ” During the Tiananmen Square protests he was in the United States but decided to go back to China to join the movement He was later named as one of the “Four junzis of Tiananmen Square” for persuading students to leave the square saving hundreds of lives
Human rights activities Liu Xiaobo is a human rights activist who is little known inside China His writing is considered subversive by the Communist Party and his name is censored He has called for democratic elections advocated values of freedom supported separation of powers and urged the governments to be accountable for its wrongdoings From until now he has been sentenced to prison and labour education camp four times for his peaceful political activities beginning with his Continues page
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Continued from page
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Late in the evening of December two days before the official release of the Charter Liu Xiaobo was taken away from his home by police Another scholar and Charter signatory Zhang Zuhua was also taken away by police at that time
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participation in the Tiananmen Square protests of When he was not in prison he was also constantly the subject of government monitoring and being put under house arrest in sensitive time In June right after the Tiananmen Square protest Liu Xiaobo was detained in the maximum security Qincheng Prison and convicted on charges of “counter revolutionary propaganda and incitement” In October
he was ordered to serve three years of re education through labor on charges of “disturbing public order” for criticizing the Communist Party of China When he was released in
it is reported that the government built a sentry station next to his home and his phone calls and internet connections were tapped In January following the death of former Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang who showed sympathy to protesters of the student demonstration in Liu was immediately put under house arrest for two weeks before realizing the death of Zhao In when he started to write a Human Right Report of China at home his computer letters and documents were confiscated by the government He once said “at Liu Xia (Liu’s wife)’s birthday her best friend brought two bottles of wines to (my home) but was blocked by the police to come I ordered a [birthday] cake and the police also rejected the man who delivered the cake to us I quarreled with them and the police said “it is for the sake of your security It has happened many bomb attacks in these days ” Those measures were loosened until when the Olympic Games were going to be held in China Liu’s human rights work has received international recognition In Reporters Without Borders honored Liu’s human rights work awarding him the Fondation de France Prize as a defender of press freedom In Liu was briefly detained and questioned about articles he wrote which were published online on websites hosted outside Mainland China Liu Xiaobo actively participated in the writing of Charter Along with more than three hundred Chinese citizens he signed Charter a manifesto released on the th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( December ) written in the style of the Czechoslovak Charter
calling for greater freedom of expression human rights and for free elections The Charter has collected over
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signatures from Chinese of various walks of life
Arrest Late in the evening of December two days before the official release of the Charter Liu Xiaobo was taken away from his home by police Another scholar and Charter signatory Zhang Zuhua was also taken away by police at that time According to Zhang the two were detained on suspicion of gathering signatures to the Charter While Liu was detained in solitary confinement [ he was not allowed to meet with his lawyer or family though he was allowed to eat lunch with his wife Liu Xia and two policemen on New Year’s Day On June the Beijing procuratorate approved Liu Xiaobo’s arrest on charges of “suspicion of inciting subversion of state power ” a crime under article of China’s Criminal Law In a Xinhua news release announcing Liu’s arrest the Beijing Public Security Bureau alleged that Liu had incited the subversion of state power and the overturn of the socialist system through methods such as spreading rumors and slander citing almost verbatim Article ; the Beijing PSB also noted that Liu had “fully confessed ”
Trial On December Beijing police transferred Liu’s case to the procuratorate for investigation and processing; on December the procuratorate formally indicted Liu on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and sent his lawyers Shang Baojun and Ding Xikui the indictment document He was tried at Beijing No Intermediate Court on December His wife was not permitted to observe the hearing although his brother in law was present Diplomats from more than a dozen countries – including the U S Britain Canada Sweden Australia and New Zealand were denied access to the court to watch the trial and stood outside the court for its duration Amongst these included Gregory May political officer at the U S Embassy and Nicholas Weeks first secretary of the Swedish Embassy
I have no enemies and no hatred None of the police who have monitored arrested and interrogated me the prosecutors who prosecuted me or the judges who sentence me are my enemies While I’m unable to accept your surveillance arrest prosecution or sentencing I respect your professions and personalities including Zhang Rongge and Pan Xueqing who act for the prosecution at
theEMirrorE present I was aware of your respect and sincerity in your interrogation of me on December For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit instigate brutal life and death struggles destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions and defuse hate with love I do not feel guilty for following my constitutional right to freedom of expression for fulfilling my social responsibility as a Chinese citizen Even if accused of it I would have no complaints – Liu Xiaobo December
On December Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to eleven years’ imprisonment and two years’ deprivation of political rights by the Beijing No Intermediate Court on charges of “inciting subversion of state power ” According to Liu’s family and counsel he plans to appeal the judgment In the verdict Charter was named as part of the evidence supporting his conviction John Pomfret of The Washington Post said Christmas Day was chosen to dump the news because the Chinese government believed
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Westerners were less likely to take notice on a holiday
China’s political reform should be gradual peaceful orderly and controllable and should be interactive from above to below and from below to above This way causes the least cost and leads to the most effective result I know the basic principles of political change that orderly and controllable social change is better than one which is chaotic and out of control The order of a bad government is better than the chaos of anarchy So I oppose systems of government that are dictatorships or monopolies This is not ‘inciting subversion of state power’ Opposition is not equivalent to subversion – Liu Xiaobo Guilty of ‘crime of speaking’
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In an article published in the South China Morning Post Liu argued that his verdict violated China’s constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations He argued that charges against him of ‘spreading rumours slandering and in other ways inciting the subversion of the government and overturning the socialist system’ were contrived as he did not fabricate or create false information nor did he besmirch the good name and character of others by merely expressing a point of view a value judgment
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For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit
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‘Eco’ electricity from dirty, useless waste
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Turning household rubbish into electricity is viable efficient and economical according to a new venture in the bio energy sector
By Angela Singleton
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Using a unique combination of new generation alkaline fuel cells with plasma gasification and other existing proven technologies is the key to increasing efficiency and affordability
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Using a unique combination of new generation alkaline fuel cells with plasma gasification and other existing proven technologies is the key to increasing efficiency and affordability says the company Waste Tricity that is backing the scheme The firm has been launched to bring the latest technology to market with the aim of becoming the most efficient converter of municipal solid waste (MSW) into electricity The conversion of MSW into power has not yet been adopted on a wide scale because of its low efficiency fears over emissions and waste from incineration or from existing gasification systems Waste Tricity is planning to develop community or business scale plants to turn household or commercial waste into a hydrogen rich gas that can be used to Power to the people: a Waste Tricity facility will take in sorted carbon waste and convert it into electrical power The waste will enter a plasma gasification chamber and be turned into syngas by very high temperatures This process has advantages over incineration in that fewer pollutant gases tar and ash are produced And the main by product vitrified slag can be used for road building
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generate electricity on site The company will use new generation fuel cells that will increase the net output of electricity by a minimum of per cent over an internal combustion engine generation system or by per cent over a steam turbine system The fuel cells are designed to be of low cost construction with per cent of all components being made from standard engineering plastic and are low cost to maintain The company estimates that the price of generating electricity can be fewer than three pence per kilowatt hour (kWh) at February prices ( pence equals one pound sterling) The planned process involves a Waste Tricity facility that will take in sorted carbon waste plastics paper cardboard food and other plant material and convert it into electrical power The waste will enter a plasma gasification chamber and be turned into syngas that has per cent the energy density of natural gas
theEMirrorE1 by the application of very high temperatures (more than degrees C) This process has advantages over incineration in that fewer pollutant gases tar ash and fly ash are produced The main by product vitrified slag is inert and can be used as aggregate for road building Waste Tricity’s plans to build its first waste to energy pilot plant were given a boost recently after the company secured an exclusive agreement with AFC Energy an innovative producer of low cost new generation fuel cells targeting waste hydrogen in commercial applications Waste Tricity is in negotiation to secure the agreement of a number of strategic partners to proceed with its first tonne pilot plant representing stage one of its programme combining plasma gasification with internal combustion engines to generate electricity At stage two hydrogen cleaning and alkaline fuel cells will be substituted for the internal combustion engines greatly increasing the efficiency of the system On successful implementation of the pilot plant the system can be replicated and has worldwide potential Waste Tricity says the AFC fuel cell will have a far lower manufacturing carbon
footprint than existing rare earth substrates and stored electricity becomes “portable” without the need for expensive national grid investment The stage one plant could be ready within three years with stage two in operation in four to five years and it is estimated that about homes could be powered by one plant •
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The environmental benefits include: a reduction in landfill and therefore reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane from that source; a potentially more efficient form of electricity generation in terms of reducing carbon emissions; the main by product inert slag can be used as an aggregate; the facilities can be built on existing landfill sites so that existing infrastructure such as roads built for waste transport can be used
There are about million tonnes of biomass sent to landfill in the UK each year of which Waste Tricity believes it could initially process about per cent that would be capable of generating some kWh of electricity from every tonne of waste sent to landfill nextSTEP Visit: http://waste tricity com
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Waste Tricity’s plans to build its first waste to energy pilot plant were given a boost recently after the company secured an exclusive agreement with AFC Energy
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YIP dancers on Europe tour
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Meeting for an hour every day before breakfast YIP ies with minimal dancing back ground have created a stunning performance
participants’ different back grounds and nationalities and the experiences at YIP
By: Mathias Bolt Lesniak
What started out as a morning exercise during the YIP Year ended up as a fully fledged stage show which toured Europe during the northern summer of As the only one with background within modern dance fellow YIP ie Ediane de Lima (Brazil) has directed the group The performance is called The World as a Garden Garden and expresses a story of diversity and culture inspired by the
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International c
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There is an urgent need for rapid and comprehensive action in the establishment of food reserves to end world hunger and help stabilize markets
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon has referred to hunger as “a stain on humanity ” requiring international coordination and leadership at the highest level During the high level conference on World Food Security in then again in L’Aquila Italy and at the World Food Summit in governments recognised the potential of stockholding to deal with humanitarian food emergencies and to limit price volatility calling for a review of this issue as part of the coordinated response to the global food crisis Unfortunately little has been done to realise the potential of these proposals Civil society organisations remain concerned with the lack of activity from governments and institutions in exploring a system of food reserves on the regional or global level Specifically they call upon governments to honor their commitments for a comprehensive review of food reserves incorporating lessons learned and identifying potential models also allocating appropriate resources and setting a firm deadline for varying levels of implementation by the end of this year It is time to take decisive action to address the structural causes of food insecurity and to prevent a repeat of recent food price spikes Food reserves are a valuable tool in improving access and distribution of food They can strengthen the ability of governments to limit excessive price volatility for both farmers and consumers They can support farmers by helping them to predict their markets and by redressing concentrated market power They can contribute to local national and regional markets where resources are lacking Importantly buffer stocks can also compensate for shortfalls in foreign currency offset supply shocks or spikes in demand and facilitate humanitarian response to food emergencies National regional and international food reserves are particularly needed due to the reality of climate change and its impact on food production and supply As the comprehensive review is carried out the below steps can be taken by governments immediately to adopt a multilateral plan: –
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all for a co-ordinated approach to food reserves
Increase foreign and domestic investment to achieve culturally appropriate local and regional food security reserves As donor governments seek to mobilise investment to strengthen national food security plans food reserves should be a central plank of their foreign assistance and domestic agricultural policy agenda taking special care that food reserve mechanisms do not undermine local food production systems
Lead efforts to establish an international commission on reserves coordinated by the FAO Committee on Food Security to make recommendations on the establishment of a coordinated global food reserve system
With the number of undernourished people in the world surpassing one billion we cannot afford a repeat of past mistakes that led to unprecedented price spikes in important food commodities To address the multifaceted root causes of food insecurity governments and institutions need to put the issue of reserves at the center of their policy considerations
Support multilateral regional and bilateral agricultural trade rules that allow developing countries to invest in the production and infrastructure necessary to support food reserves
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP); Asian Farmers Association (AFA); Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires (CSA); National Farmers Union (NFU) USA; Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comer cializadoras de Productores del Campo (ANEC); National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC); Reseau des Organizations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA)
Renegotiate the Food Aid Convention ensuring that contributions towards food security reserves are counted as eligible to meet commitments in the Convention
nextSTEP Contact: Alexandra Spieldoch at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade aspieldoch@iatp org
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With the number of undernourished people in the world surpassing one billion we cannot afford a repeat of past mistakes
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Asia Microfinance Forum 2010:
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I hope that we have done justice to all the issues that we discussed and I am happy that today we have the opportunity to come together and set the agenda for achieving Asia’s financial inclusion potential
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Maybe we are fac
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The Asia Microfinance Forum gathered more than experts from over countries in October in Colombo Sri Lanka Convened by the Banking With the Poor Network (BWTP) and organised by the Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC) the three day forum brought together industry experts to brainstorm on the role of microfinance in achieving financial inclusion in Asia Over the three day period experts discussed and debated over major issues facing the industry including financial inclusion portfolio risk management social performance regulatory framework financial literacy human resources client protection and investment landscape among others A special Sri Lanka session also saw high attendance and attracted much interest The closing session of the Asia Microfinance Forum is traditionally an opportunity to encapsulate the discussions and emerging issues of the week from the perspective of participants and industry leaders Giving away his concluding remark Mr Craig Wilson Executive Director FDC (The Foundation for Development Corporation) thanked all the participants saying “Over the last three days many interesting ideas and views have emerged and it was a great learning experience for all of us There was a high level of engagement during the sessions and I must say I haven’t seen any of you near the swimming pool during the conference *audience laughter* “I hope that we have done justice to all the issues that we discussed and I am happy that today we have the opportunity to come together and set the agenda for achieving Asia’s financial inclusion potential” Giving audience food for thought Mr Rolando Victoria Executive Director of ASKI said “As we work on microfinance some things are beyond our control and now we are thinking of how we can support members during natural calamities and catastrophe
“We have identified challenges in the governance of MFIs and we have to also www.asiapublishinggroup.com
Chandula Abeywickrema Chairman BWTP Network
think of how we select our management and board of trustees “Even on the issue of human resource there is a lot of discussions on how to prepare a second line “This morning we also had a very good discussion on the youth sector and people with disabilities We have talked of all sorts of crisis but maybe we are facing a crisis of values It is time for us to rethink how to balance profitability and sustainability “I believe the challenge is for all of us attending this conference to think of how we can support one another and the banking with the poor network It is good that we are advocating for changes and maybe BWTP is not only Banking With The Poor perhaps we can say BWTP is Bringing World Transformation to the Poor ” Chandula Abeywickrema Chairman BWTP Network said “In the last few days we have discussed the importance of benchmarking and pragmatic governance and transparency to create accountability
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cing a crisis of values Financial inclusion would also not be complete without financial literacy “We have identified that microfinance industry is an evolving industry and it is in need of evolving regulations and an enabling environment We should learn from history not repeat history bring value and create our new history with benchmarks “We are representing billion people who are at the bottom of the pyramid in Asia and I hope that the last three days of deliberation will leave each of us certain important things to do “I began the conference’s opening address with E’s: Enhance Empower and Enrich the poor And would like to end with D’s: Our pro active Decisions will Determine the Destiny of these billion people ” Suggesting to the gathering that microfinance needs to slow down its growth to rethink about strategies and engage with regulators and policy makers Mr Sanjay Sinha Managing Director of M CRIL said “We are so busy chasing money in order to grow fast that we are not able to take care of policies and regulations “Somehow microfinance has come to an age where it is over achieving and the growth is running beyond the level it ought to be Giving M CRIL India Indices of microfinance he said “India is experiencing exponential growth and doubling almost every year Similarly the growth is more than times the size it was years ago for the entire Asian region” he said However he pointed out that there is a significant upsurge in problems due to lack of internal controls and also because of huge monolithic organisations
As an analogy Sanjay displayed a cartoon featured in The Economic Times in his opening slide The cartoon depicts a huge amount of work going in and very little products coming out He also questioned if the microfinance sector was designing the right products In his opinion MFIs are offering loans that are too small and that loan size could be a contributor to indebtedness “When you give a loan which is not sufficient for meeting the need of poor they take multiple loans and you start to have repayment problems and delinquency crisis such as the one in Andhra Pradesh today ” he said He emphasised on offering right products to the clients based on their needs and added “Vasu said one thing this morning: what is not natural to happen won’t happen and what is natural to happen will happen You can’t expect highly commercial investors to behave in a highly responsible way Similarly if there is money to be made you cannot expect investors to not go for it What has gone wrong in MF is that some MF promoters become impatient and they have promoted the exponential growth which I have shown through the chase for capital Instead of chasing commercial capital we should be chasing regulators to be allowed to accept deposits and serve the needs better”
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Somehow microfinance has come to an age where it is over achieving and the growth is running beyond the level it ought to be
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“All these lessons that we have discussed during the forum will not be learnt by any regulator until a few MFIs go bust It is only a young industry and maybe a few MFIs will collapse and that will make us understand things” he remarked
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? ☛ FLOODS IN PAKISTAN AND QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA ☛ VOLCANOES ERRUPTING IN INDONESIA ☛ THE TALIBAN SITTING TIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN ☛ MICRO FINANCE IN ASIA ☛ WIKILEAKS SPILLING THE BEANS ☛ FOOD SHORTAGES ☛ KEEPING IN CHECK THE WORLD ECONOMY READ ABOUT IT IN THE MIRROR – WHERE ELSE? YOU CAN SEND US YOUR NEWS TO words@xtra co nz
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Internet communities organise to take on global economic crisis
“ S How can we utilise the Internet to help prevent the suffering and hardships experienced in the s?
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Suppose the internet existed in How might the Great Depression have been different? The Internet is a tool of global communication If it had been available in the s the downturn and subsequent restructuring that became the Great Depression could have occurred faster and more efficiently yielding less suffering Eighty years later we are on the brink of such an economic turning point… how can we utilise the Internet to help prevent the suffering and hardships experienced in the s? This is the question being asked on communities all over the internet and it is the inspiration for a new website EconomicTurningPoint com ETP is a nonpartisan global think tank dedicated to utilising the resources available to us to address the current economic crisis and avoid a decade of poverty and warfare and they’re recruiting The theory behind the site inspired by recent research by thinkers like Malcom Gladwell Clay Shirky James Surowiecki and Ray Kurzweil is that a large
international community of intellectually curious individuals utilising modern communications technology and cooperating as a whole can achieve great things Edward Thompson one of the site’s administrators said:”We are facing a dramatic restructuring of our economy The traditional steps for this process involve massive layoffs stock sell offs crumbling consumer confidence reduced spending and then – after many years – a new economy rises from the ashes What if we could sidestep most of that? What if we could avoid much of the hardship – and the potential for war both civil and global – and simply restructure from where we are now? How would YOU do it?” Thompson emphasised the pragmatic nature of the website: “ETP welcomes people from all political persuasions; nonetheless we will not tolerate stubborn ideology All ideas are welcome on our website; partisan politicking and finger pointing are not We are first and foremost solution oriented ” nextSTEP Visit:www economicturningpoint com ❙
Wave of change highlights climate change in the Pacific
O “ While a comprehensive global deal is unrealistic progress must be made on setting up a Global Climate Fund
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Oxfam is launching Wave of Change to highlight climate impacts in our region and inspire decision makers to do more to protect the Pacific The campaign brings together live events videos community engagement a petition and letter writing to raise the voices of people on the front lines of climate change “For the Pacific climate change is not just the spectre of islands disappearing from sea level rise at some point in the future Right now people are struggling with salt poisoning their staple food crops and polluting their drinking water ” said Oxfam’s Climate Change Campaign Coordinator Anne Marie Mujica “Wave of Change is about showing our government that we need concrete action to help these communities adapt to a new climate reality ”
The next round of UN climate negotiations will take place in Cancun at the www.asiapublishinggroup.com
end of November While a comprehensive global deal is unrealistic progress must be made on setting up a Global Climate Fund to start channelling desperately needed resources to vulnerable people in developing countries To date rich countries which have largely caused the climate crisis haven’t lived up to their responsibilities Even the fast start climate finance promised in the Copenhagen Accord is not getting through to those who need it most Oxfam has partnered with AUT Event Production students to put on a range of climate events around Auckland including live music performances “New Zealand may be a small country but we’re a big player in the international climate talks Our negotiators lead or are members of important working groups It’s time to show the government that its citizens want them to do more to protect our Pacific ” said Mujica ❙
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My social responsibility By Alice Taylor
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Obviously it is fantastic to be able to do charity work and get paid for it But what about my personal life? It’s also motivated me to look at how pleasantly self focused life can become
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Working for a communications company like Ideas Shop which actively practises social responsibility through pro bono work for not for profit organisations has seeped into my personal sense of responsibility It’s one of the reasons why I am now in the midst of an incredibly hectic – and rewarding – time as a volunteer service worker (VSW) for Refugee Services New Zealand It’s not just that I’ve done a lot of work with pro bono clients; writing articles and columns on the great benefits of volunteer work charitable giving and philanthropy‌ It’s also because Ideas Shop has a very effective way of encouraging a culture of social responsibility in the workplace Each staff member can give up to five hours a month of paid time to work on communications projects for a charity of our choice Go Ideas Shop Obviously it is fantastic to be able to do charity work and get paid for it But what about my personal life? It’s also motivated me to look at how pleasantly self focused life can become and so I decided to give some of it up to help others – without getting a penny Thus two months ago I signed up for the month contract as a VSW for Refugee Services NZ – the task to help settle a new intake of Burmese refugees After an intensive – and extremely well designed – training programme and a commitment to complete a series of journals
for a final NZQA certificate; I’m now three weeks into helping settle a family of Burmese refugees in Porirua It’s been busy I’ve become a taxi service and a guide for my family of three from the province of Kachin I’ve got a baby seat installed in my car my smile muscles have grown and I’ve become adept at sign language I’ve taken them shopping and signed them up with their health clinic Telecom and power worked with Work and Income NZ on accessing their resettlement grant so they can buy a washing machine‌the tasks are many and ongoing But it’s a thrill and sometimes when I drop them off at their house in Cannons Creek I have to pinch myself because it’s all so new And I’m not even slightly interested in self praise because it’s all so humbling One of the biggest realisations has been how very very lucky we are to live in New Zealand; freedom of thought and speech and a democratic system with social support services So I was downright angry when I discovered that the voting turn out for Porirua’s local body elections was around Why do so few of us get it? Burma is a military dictatorship with limited electricity infrastructure poorly maintained roads and no social support People generally live through bribery Or they flee the country for Singapore of Malaysia apply for refugee status and wait and wait and wait‌ To be a refugee under the United Nations definition they must have a “well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race religion nationality membership of a particular social group or political opinion â€? So while I have no idea what the family I am helping has been through to get here – that is confidential they may tell me one day if the want – it must have been traumatic There is still so much to do and to learn; and I am looking forward to getting to know these people better and them knowing me It’s a truly symbiotic relationship So after all that PR work writing and pitching around how great personal benefits result from of volunteering I know now it is not just spin! â?™
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An Opportunity Creating a New M
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This is the story of one mans dream that was inspired by the ‘political’ teachings of his father brewed in the ferment of the universities of the late sixties (the Vietnam era) and ‘hardened’ on the ‘anvil of experience’ over the last years Bob Corker was a founder of the Koanga Institute and is now a director environmental consultant and occasional writer
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The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do
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Steve Jobs
Over the last years the Koanga Institute (www koanga org nz) has been focussed mainly on the saving of heritage fruit trees and seeds and more recently bio intensive gardening and nutrient dense food production All important aspects of the need to build resilience and self reliance into our lives As important as these all are Bob has decided that he is dedicating the rest of his life and most of his energy within the Koanga Institute to supporting the creation of new economic structures that allow and encourage wholistic living particularly with regard to land use natural resources energy finance and community self reliance In the past our communities were bound together largely by patterns imposed by their environment The industrial revolution changed all that and new patterns emerged ‘fired’ by fossil fuels We have been wrapped in a bubble of ‘progress’ for many generations now and the patterns of settlement land use energy use and community structures that have arisen from this period are increasingly the problem and are taking us down a ‘dead end’
As a society we are faced with bringing in a new paradigm A re design based on optimism and the ‘ecological revolution’ We urgently need to explore new models that create the conditions for a humane sustainable society The good news is that most of the strategies we need to implement have already been thought through and in many places implemented in part if not whole It is not that we are faced with large gaps in our knowledge it is mainly large gaps in our will www.asiapublishinggroup.com
For Bob it has always been abundantly clear that you can’t do this ‘embedded’ as an individual within a capitalist industrial society we need to find new ways of doing things as a community that supports individual expression within the larger supportive ‘vision’ All over the world this need has been recognised and new models are coming forward to meet the challenge Over the last few years Bob has been reviewing these new models and the lessons of his personal experience in intentional communities and has decided it is time for more action… to use the skills and experience he has gathered and take the next step in bringing forward an individual working model that can inspire more to come Briefly the Koanga Institute will be developing : ) A small village of families who will predominantly make their living from: • biological small farming (crofting) • value added cottage industries • entrepreneurial ventures allied with our vision and ethics • supporting services within the community ) A permanent home for the Koanga Institute including space for seed gardens and heritage orchard collections ) An education and research centre for regenerative agriculture and sustainable living which will host residential interns and apprentices as well as provide a full complement of workshops and diploma courses The vision is detailed further www communitylandtrusts co nz
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Now they have a core team of settlers and investors who are ready to move into action once they purchase suitable land (Bob is currently negotiating the purchase of a property near Wairoa) They also have over a dozen intern and apprentice applicants keen to join up This is an invitation to those who align with their vision to consider becoming actively involved with bringing it into reality Models like this will take us into the next stage of evolution on earth one that is guided
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To Participate in Model for the Future by ‘care of our environment’ ‘peace’ and ‘working together in community’ We all have different skills and resources to bring to this kaupapa The Institute and its personnel have a wide range of skills that they have accumulated over the last years and the new settlers will bring more skills and more diversity Just as importantly we need financial support in what is secure investment in real resources the strength of which will not disappear within Wall Street’s’ ‘fantasies’ The strength of our achievements will be determined by the diversity of those involved and how well we can work together This is a big dream to benefit all… we believe the time is here… The River has its Destination (Hopi Elders’ Prophecy Oraibi Arizona June )
growth and journey come to a halt The time of the one wolf is over Gather yourselves! Banish the word ‘struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration ‘We are the ones we’ve been waiting for’
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE VISION Settlers This is an amazing opportunity to create a future for your family within an optimistic well resourced intentional community
You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour And there are things to be considered… Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water?
Investors We will require investors both for bridging finance before we have our full complement of settlers and also to support those who don’t have sufficient capital to complete the purchase of their lease The terms and conditions to be negotiated and could include active involvement and benefit sharing we are open to many possibilities) We are trusting that this project will come to fruition without mortgages from banks but through networks of people who are keen to support this initiative
Know your garden It is time to speak your truth Create your community Be good to each other And do not look outside yourself for your leader
Donors The Koanga Institute will be purchasing a long term lease which will have an existing farm house This will enable it to play its part in the wider vision immediately We are particularly keen to find donors who wish to support the Institute with this All donations are able to be tax deductable
Then he clasped his hands together smiled and said “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid They will try to hold on to the shore They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly Know the river has its destination The elders say we must let go of the shore push off into the middle of the river keep our eyes open and our heads above the water And I say see who is in there with you and celebrate At this time in history we are to take nothing personally least of all ourselves For the moment that we do our spiritual
Interns and Apprenticeships We have developed a comprehensive program for sharing our knowledge and the experience of implementing our vision so that these people can either join us or go out into the world and become activists for change who have a strong base upon which to promote real change Developers – Are you interested in a similar development in another district or with your land We have learnt much in our journey which we are happy to share with others to support them Most importantly share your thoughts and start a conversation (info@communitylandtrusts co nz) and come along to a hui nextSTEP Visit: www communitylandtrust co nz
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An entrepreneur’s story: Wellnessecity
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As of May last year I took a six month sabbatical to handle some health issues where I created my own “Amena University: Understanding the World of Wellness”
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Amena Lee Schlaikjer has been involved in new enterprises in China for some time previously describing herself as an “entrepreneurialist” as she’s always launched businesses for others But she’s just launched her own initiative Wellnessecity a Shanghai based operation aiming to create ways to live healthier in cities She spoke about conceiving and developing her own enterprise – and about getting close to consumers
How long have you been in China? Can you tell us something about your experience in China? If you add up all the years of living in Greater China including Hong Kong and Taiwan I’ve been out here for about years My father was an American diplomat so I spent much of my schooling years in major cities in China – Shangahi Beijing Guangzhou – along with Hong Kong and Taiwan where my mother is native American I went to University in the States (Columbia and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York); then worked for a few years before coming out to Shanghai where I’ve now lived for almost seven years
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My adult working years out here have included working in the fashion/cosmetic/ lifestyle industries on start up initiatives: researching for Vogue’s beauty section Zagat Restaurant Guide branding for CiCiGirl Cosmetics launching of the M A C counters and then helping start up ?WhatIf! Innovation At ?WhatIf! I wore many hats throughout the businesses but mostly worked on building and promoting the office and team alerting interest groups doing projects and managing the business with our directors
What inspired you to start your own business? As of May last year I took a six month sabbatical to handle some health issues where I created my own “Amena University: Understanding the World of Wellness” in which I also worked on some self development through an intensive Yoga Teacher’s Trainer’s Course It was after this break (during which I also married my husband) that I came back to Shanghai with a mission to innovate in wellness Wellnessecity is an initiative that I started to help others create ways to live healthier in cities For now it includes independent projects in wellness around three things: first coming up with business ideas for entrepreneurs; second research for corporations around the LOHAS consumer; and thirdly wellness events to educate the
theEMirrorE2 community We held our first fair “The Wellness Works” in the Spring It was all about taking old dilapidated factories and rejuvenating them with ideas and people passionate about living well and I’ve already had a couple of projects in hospitality green living and philanthropic fashion
Why did you choose to focus on wellness? Like anything the industry of wellness is really just a means for businesses to make the right decisions Wellness as a value set tends to be an easier place to do this but essentially I am fascinated by consumers who start making behavioural changes in life that are motivated by love rather than fear That’s a really powerful place to innovate with the right intentions not taking advantage of human frailty like many other industries do and find a way to empower consumers and business owners to act consciously when it comes to their actions purchases or ideas When I say ‘act consciously’ this is all about not spending consuming or creating beyond our means regarding health and sustainability I also think it’s an area that Chinese consumers are going to relate to more as a platform for personal responsibility as distinct from Corporate Social Responsibility and the Green movement which can be very intimidating arenas for many people Essentially we only have control over our immediate lives and taking our conscious decision making to our bodies – our health – and our households – sustainable and green living – is going to be much more comprehensible and actionable at the end of the day
You have been to so many cities in China why did you choose Shanghai for this initiative? Mostly because I am in Shanghai now and have spent the last seven years building a life here It’s also a great place for fostering entrepreneurship new ideas experimentation and innovation And it probably has the most people in China suffering from “Affluenza” What better place for enlightened business practices than in the seat of the world where the economy is growing in double digits people are gaining wealth (but not health) every day and all eyes of the world are on?
What kind of difficulties have you encountered starting something new in China? There’s always the initial “How do you make this into a scalable business what’s your executive summary?” I have one in my
back pocket but the truth is businesses change all the time in China (that’s why most of them fail because they don’t change fast enough and invested too much from the start) I’m actually more of a self starter creating a vision a set of intentions and values building a selection of case studies that proves this works That’s why I’m also calling this an “initiative” for now; building awareness and studying the consumer’s desire to live well I am also the Shanghai manager for Asia Pacific LOHAS Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability where we do research for large corporations to cater to this group Along the way I’ll have some projects under my belt a few events and hopefully an inspired team to hire or join It depends on who finds whom first This is about change not about maximizing profit margins unintelligently – though of course we all need to make a decent living and balance spreadsheets with sufficient funds to keep people motivated
How has your time in China affected your business/career? It’s probably made me difficult to market anywhere else in the world! I think it’s given me lots of perspective on how to thrive in a difficult environment How really being on top of your consumer and your market is going to be the key to success How going with the status quo without believing in a certain value set is going to be a stifling experience How business will always be about tough decisions but they should be geared towards doing the right thing the right way with the right people otherwise it’s not really worth it you’re just running after money and not inspiring others
What kind of advice do you have for expats who want to start their own initiative or business in China?
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I am fascinated by consumers who start making behavioural changes in life that are motivated by love rather than fear That’s a really powerful place to innovate with the right intentions
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During my first year here to better understand the cosmetics industry I used my brief stint as a professional make up artist and worked my weekends twelve hours a day (standing in heels mind you!) at cosmetics counters putting make up on consumers understanding their preferences – and practicing my Chinese! Try something a little less painful but you get the idea: do field research learn the culture get close to your consumer and don’t be afraid to experiment or act out of character to get to the right idea NewxtSTEP Visit www wellnessecity com and www lohas asia org/about us ❙
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New partnerships to enhance soc By Farhat Abbas Shah
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So what happened was quite natural The extended cash was mostly misused because of the subjects’ most urgent needs which resulted in the late night recoveries and the registration of cases in the police stations against the delinquent borrowers in the countries like Pakistan
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Despite colossal efforts poverty has emerged as the single problem in the contemporary world
Recovery in this way is even more than
percent Secondly it also helped the individuals through their economic uplift
Microfinance has been one of the major tools to fight it but it still needs restructuring particularly in the wake of the worst recessions in the history of prevalent economic structures This situation also requires us once again to look at all the efforts done thus far and to achieve the noble goal of reducing poverty to the possible extent by reaching the ultra poor
What made a real difference was that through the process of social performance considering the borrowers as external staff of the organisation a general assessment of the person was also ascertained regarding his capability to become a productive member of the Farz Foundation
Before dwelling with what is needed to be done to fight poverty one must analyse the methods applied hitherto in this field What goes without saying is that despite all the good intentions the sought after results could not be had through microfinance One needs to look at the sub prime loan crisis in the most developed economies to understand this dilemma even in the underdeveloped world Simply lending money without understanding the milieu in which an individual is placed has kept us away from the desired goals The person who is lent money through microfinance is far more handicapped than those in the developed world If the method adopted to extend credit in the advanced world couldn’t work how could it bear results where the subject was far more vulnerable? So what happened was quite natural The extended cash was mostly misused because of the subjects’ most urgent needs which resulted in the late night recoveries and the registration of cases in the police stations against the delinquent borrowers in the countries like Pakistan Naturally one could not retrieve money from somebody’s expenditures or losses Having gone through this experience a new concept known as Farz Methodology was adopted which simultaneously aims at social performance through the provision of necessary education health facilities and finally the provision of income generating and productive assets (MURABAHA) instead of extending cash
The repayment was further made easy as it comes out of the profit instead of interests Interest may work pretty well in some instances but here we need to give the sense of participation as well through the social performance as a trust building tool www.asiapublishinggroup.com
Secondly the recovery is made through very easy installments For instance one person who was given a cart is making Rs per day and he only pays back Rs twice a month which is not at all a bad bargain for him This is one incidence out of many Another important factor was the transparency with which the whole exercise was launched It also gave confidence to the borrowers to stay forever with the organisation because a kind of cold relationship with the borrower cannot inspire him and a lack of guidance results in the wastage of the amount extended Resultantly an inspiration engendered a hope and a wish to come out of the misery of poverty Another thing that served as a lag was the peculiar conditions that exist in the third world Usually any activity to alleviate poverty was taken with a certain amount of suspicion from the borrowers The workshops and training sessions held with the borrowers gave them confidence through the Farz Methodology Another confidence building measure was the health camps for Home Based Micro Entrepreneurs Those with eyesight impairment were provided for instance with glasses to see well This may look like a small step but by removing their impairment we witnessed a huge change in the borrower’s attitude towards microfinance To inculcate a sense of harmony a traditional system of saving known as the committee was also introduced through which each member contributes to a common fund which is given to one member each time with a draw It not only knits them into one community but it also helps them save money It is quite obvious that the whole world of finance is going through one of the most
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cial performance in microfinance critical periods in history In the recent scenario it has become far more imperative to fight the menace of poverty Hard times always require innovative and creative solutions and definitely new partnerships with ground breaking mechanism At both the macro and micro both levels the times demand joint and concerted efforts on the part of various world institutions In other words the need of the hour is to bridge traditional as well as modern methods to create a possibly balanced financial world To put it more concretely Islamic and modern finance should be brought together The best of both experiences should keenly be analysed and incorporated to have greater success in this very vital field What goes without saying is the fact that we are fast running out of time All the means available should be put together The methodology recommended here could hugely contribute towards the goal of poverty alleviation through the integrated approach of Farz Methodology The future of all the liberties achieved through the market economy hinge upon how successfully we are in tackling this issue It is claimed by critics of the prevalent economic structures that the world of finance in general is in uncharted waters This may partially be true but as far as poverty is concerned it could be drastically reduced through the kind of participation and togetherness that Farz Methodology offers Farz Methodology also suggests a partnership between the microfinance industry and the development sector This partnership can work miraculous in achieving an ever illusive poverty free world New partnerships are inevitable to begin a new era of global economy However there is a question of continuity of previous partners which could not achieve the mutually agreed targets As Dominique Lesaffre said responding to my previous article under the same name as part “ I personally believe poverty is the major outcome of (economical if not political) injustice not only a matter of lack of access to (financial) services For example in my own country a supposedly ‘rich’ one France a recent survey has shown that nearly of the population has gone through poverty over the last years !! In the meantime the same investigation by “Le Monde�
mentions that the richer ones have never been as rich as now and the ‘crisis’ actually did not affect them I mention that as “microfinance for the poor� is no longer a mere instrument of “poverty alleviation tool for developing countries� it has become by default one of the global answers to compensate the effects of structural injustice Even in France microcredit has come high in the public agendas as a policy and instrument for ‘poverty alleviation’ meaning that the welfare state is no longer able to bring about the requested social compensations The point here is not to judge whether good or not but to take act of it � I may disagree with “Le Monde� coat However we will have to accept that the microfinance instrument could not provide the expected results during the last two or three decades If I see the players working in Pakistan they are not finding any healthy partnerships particularly at the bottom level MFIs never think that the poor can be their partners at any level As far as top level partnerships are concerned there is again a first come first go policy which seems to be making faces of us In Pakistan MFPs seem to be compelled to work constantly in sustained institutions for unknown reasons They neither try to build the trust between each another nor to fulfill the responsibility to meet the objective of poverty alleviation from their hearts Monitoring and evaluating claims and exercises have failed Partnerships remained limited within the files papers business plans so called capacity building and fake audits I still have a strong belief about microfinance as an effective instrument to alleviate poverty but not just micro credit According to my observations people sitting in the institutions make their efforts not with commitment and enthusiasm required by the donors and investors which agreed to spent a handsome part of their investments for Best practices and capacity building as well
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What goes without saying is the fact that we are fast running out of time All the means available should be put together The methodology recommended here could hugely contribute towards the goal of poverty alleviation through the integrated approach of Farz Methodology
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It is encouraging stride to find out the ways of new partnerships but if the faces remain the same at evaluation level the successes will again remain doubtful â?™
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Pakistan funding dries up
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As winter approaches seven million people are still without adequate shelter
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Three months after floods devastated Pakistan cases of disease are increasing and in the worst hit region the southern province of Sindh large areas remain underwater At the same time warned the international aid agency Oxfam funds for the UN flood appeal are drying up and threatening the aid and reconstruction effort
victims there was a chance of seeing substantial aid being delivered But as the worst of the flood waters have receded so has the promise of significant funding ” said Neva Khan Oxfam’s director in Pakistan “The UN emergency appeal is less than per cent funded Many of the world’s richest countries are failing the flood victims who are amongst the poorest and most vulnerable in the world ”
As winter approaches seven million people are still without adequate shelter Oxfam called on the donor community to fund Pakistan generously in its time of need help the emergency response in the south as well as recovery work across all flood affected areas
Food shelter and nutrition are of particular concern
In the most affected region Sindh more than a million people are displaced their homes damaged or destroyed Tens of thousands of families who had sheltered in schools and other buildings are now being newly displaced as schools re open Large areas of land are still under water and some communities remain surrounded by flood waters Many farmers will not be able to plant winter crops Government officials say some of the worst affected areas could take up to six months to dry out “The crisis is far from over Parts of southern Sindh the worst hit area still remain a disaster zone When the world’s attention was focused on Pakistan’s flood
According to the United Nations million people are in need of immediate food assistance The funding shortfall is so serious that existing regular food rations to million people could be in jeopardy Across the country nearly two million homes are damaged or destroyed and seven million people do not have adequate shelter With winter a few weeks away there are fears that malnutrition rates pneumonia and other respiratory infections will sharply increase There have already been
confirmed cases of cholera since the start of the floods and cases of polio were reported this month up per cent from last year – a dramatic increase when the disease is close to eradication worldwide Oxfam says the initial aid effort has helped to save lives and begun to address urgent needs But the agency warns that gains made could be undermined because of the funding crisis While the response from some donors and the public has been generous the UN’s Pakistan flood appeal for just over US billion is only per cent funded In some flood hit areas Oxfam has already started early recovery work to help communities rebuild their lives and homes But emergency work is still taking place in Sindh where families may not be able to move back home for several months Oxfam and its partners are currently helping more than million people in Pakistan providing water and sanitation distributing hygiene and shelter kits and cash vouchers so that families can purchase basic food items Early recovery work includes cash for work schemes to help people begin to earn a living and clean up their damaged homes and communities; and distributing seeds and fertilisers in areas where farmers can replant ❙
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Making the impossible possible By Caleb Buchbinder Canada
It always seems impossible until it is done
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Every week in a little far out community in southern Sweden young individuals from different countries are taught by a lecturer from a different place in the world Together they are attending something called YIP [the Youth Initiative Program) At some point it must have seemed impossible that a group of people from five different continents such a diversity of culture could come together to live in Sweden and learn from the most forward thinking individuals in the world But YIP was not started by a rich corporation a government or a big NGO It was started by a few inspired people who shared some believes about education Through some strong creative energy or miracles whatever you want to call it they have made the impossible possible I by no means mean to say that these people started YIP all by themselves: they merely brought the idea into the world and pulled it forward bringing many people and groups on board
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How could an idea that seems so far from what has been done before be created so successfully so fast?
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By simply being bold enough to believe and by investing their energy the creators of YIP have brought students together from all over during a period of three years It changed the lives of all of those students It created new networks brought energy in the community that hosts YIP and gives the forward thinkers that teach at YIP a platform to share their ideas with curious youth
A construct of the past How could an idea that seems so far from what has been done before be created so successfully so fast? Two contributors at YIP by the names Orland Bishop and Nicanor Perlas have spoken to how the transformation from the impossible to the possible sometimes happens at an extraordinary pace First at birth we are infinite potential All parents are sure their child is the next Einstein But for an infant the world as such is impossible to live in It is impossible to walk or eat solid food But with the help of our parents nature conspires to allow us to do the impossible In childhood we follow an urge to walk and eat and so we do it
At some point around adolescence then we no longer have these clear obstacles to overcome and we are no longer confronted by impossible quests We start to have an awareness about our past which tells us what is possible and what isn’t www.asiapublishinggroup.com
So as we get slightly older and we grapple with the question of what our task is we have two choices: we can follow what seems to already exist accepting answers that are given from our past or our societies past Or we can realize that we are able to create the impossible As Nicanor Perlas put it: “what is impossible is a construct of the past” It is merely impossible in that it did not exist in our past As such we can take control of our past and see how it influences us in its restrictions and benefits If we can live in the present moment with knowledge of our past we become forced to question the moment and how we should truly react to it instead of following the possible actions that we know from the past In traditional education we are not taught to question the very root of what is taking place around This question arises only when we try to consciously meet the moment If we really strive to work with it through playfulness and contemplation we can find creative ideas come out of this meeting with the moment Consciously or not everyone has had these moments: we experience it when we enter into that very spontaneous creative moment that is so mysterious and powerful In fact many an artist has been driven mad by existing in it for too long The Ancient Greeks knew how powerful this creative energy is: they did not believe that it was the artist who was responsible for creation but a ‘genius’ or ghost working through the artist The act of creation was too great for it to be a human creation alone It has been seen again and again that when we bring down an impossible creative idea the creative force that helped spawn the idea seems to push it forward as well
Creating what the world is asking for The impossible idea that was YIP was created by so much more force than that of the original people who thought it up It seemed to just flow forward And you can call it whatever you want: creativity miracles the superconscious; but when we choose to meet the world in a new way we can tap into the force and energy of the world if we choose to create in the direction the world really needs If we can agree that the world is constantly coming into being and if we choose to try and enter into being with it we can move be part of the very creation of the world We can create any possibility We can move completely beyond the impossible and bring new possibilities into being with the whole force of the world seemingly behind it ❙
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Burma: sanctions won’t help
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The easy response to all this is to dismiss the election as a blatant attempt to legitimise military rule in an altered form that fooled no one
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The election in Burma the first in years was never going to create radical change But how we in the West respond to it matters We know the voting was neither free nor fair and was marred by intimidation vote buying ballot stuffing and other serious irregularities In any case the constitution and electoral laws were rigged in favour of the country’s military regime: a quarter of parliamentary seats were reserved for military officials Burma’s commander in chief retains wide ranging veto powers and the authority to resume direct rule guaranteeing the army’s grip over the state regardless of who wins Several opposition parties including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) the most popular party in the last elections held in
boycotted the elections in protest Other parties were excluded from participation through exorbitant registration fees unreasonable deadlines and other measures As a result anti regime parties were only able to field about candidates to contest the seats in the national and regional parliaments while pro regime parties fielded over between them The conduct of the campaign as well as the poll itself was marked by widespread coercion and fraud Opposition parties faced severe restrictions on their freedom of expression and movement and harassment from pro regime thugs Media reporting was censored The junta’s handpicked Election
Commission placed arbitrary restrictions on opposition parties and cancelled voting in restive areas of the country disenfranchising million voters In contrast the military regime’s front organisation the Union Solidarity and Development Party operated freely using state resources and was able to extort or buy votes with impunity The easy response to all this is to dismiss the election as a blatant attempt to legitimise military rule in an altered form that fooled no one Many western politicians and activists forecast that it would be a “sham” and will feel vindicated In particular the Obama administration will claim that its “hand of friendship” has been rudely rebuffed We will hear intensified calls for harsher international sanctions and more “action” through the UN to compel the regime to negotiate with the opposition and for a commission of inquiry into war crimes in Burma This is the easy solution because it plays to our own sense of moral outrage and political superiority and allows political leaders to avoid difficult arguments with campaign groups who call for condemnation But it exaggerates our ability to bring about decisive political change in Burma through external pressure For it is unclear what more sanctions or a commission of inquiry could achieve Twenty years of escalating western pressure on the junta has yielded virtually no concessions If anything it has reinforced the military’s siege mentality Burma has been torn by serious ethnic separatist insurgencies since decolonisation and the army views itself as the only force capable of holding the country together Ironically its brutal tactics have given ethnic minorities little stake in Burma’s cohesion Nevertheless the army sees genuine democratisation as risking the country’s dissolution Holding all the cards it will always insist on a slow transition to “disciplined” democracy But condemning any moves towards political liberalisation however slight as a “sham” provides no incentive for the military (or similar regimes elsewhere) to relax their grip at all – quite the reverse Foreign intervention may even have encouraged Suu Kyi’s NLD to adopt an inflexible stance in negotiations with the junta despite its weak position External pressure may have contributed to the deadlock in Burma Western policy towards Burma needs tempering with a new sense of realism Given the massive power imbalance between the
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theEMirrorE3 regime and its opponents expecting any election to transform Burma into a liberal democracy would be unrealistic The fact that parties contested the elections shows there is no coherent anti regime opposition capable of seizing power: the opposition is fragmented politically and ethnically and has been forcibly disorganised by decades of one party military rule As in many Asian states the Burmese political economy involves deep inequalities in wealth and resources which work against the consolidation of genuinely democratic and progressive social movements The struggle for democracy in such conditions will be a lengthy arduous process: it could not have been brought about by a single election even one far freer than the one just held Many Burmese understand this better than some in the West While several key parties and individuals boycotted the election others chose to fight This included many NLD activists frustrated with Suu Kyi’s boycott decision who broke away to form the National Democratic Force Many ethnic minority parties also contested the election and early reports suggested that turnout in some minority areas like Pa an the capital of Karen state was high These groups did not contest the election out of a naïve sense that they would be free and fair: they did so out of political realism They appreciated the massive constraints they faced and also their inability to change them but were determined to struggle nonetheless to widen the political space and promote their own interests as best they could Their hope was to gain at least some official political representation participate in dialogue and fight to gradually ease restrictions on democratic freedom Pro democracy campaigners outside Burma have dismissed this effort countering that even if oppositionists had managed to capture every seat in parliament the military would still exercise veto power by virtue of the quarter of seats it allotted itself by amending the constitution and the commander in chief’s power to suspend democratic rule With such restrictions the fight for democracy is far from easy But this does not mean it is impossible or pointless or that the Burmese people should abandon their efforts to liberate themselves and instead look to the international community to rescue them This strategy has served the opposition poorly for two decades now Western governments’ sanctions and blandishments have had little effect Even if they were willing to escalate their involvement by intervening militarily against the junta (which thankfully they are not) western states could not simply install
democracy in Burma – a lesson learned from Afghanistan and Iraq Burma’s neighbours particularly India Bangladesh China and Thailand are also not going to take decisive action They would rather ensure stability in Burma fearing for their economic and security interests should the regime cease to cooperate with them or worse should the state collapse as it did in precipitating military rule International pressure may cajole prod or threaten but cannot solve the fundamental problem in Burma – the weakness and profound fragmentation of anti junta groups compared with the powerful cohesive alliance of forces headed by the army This does not mean that foreign governments should resign themselves to perpetual military rule in Burma But it does mean they should adopt the same political realism demonstrated by the courageous opposition groups who were willing to struggle for freedom despite the odds rather than wishing the odds were different This might mean registering disappointment with the election but committing to work with a government of elected representatives on issues such as human rights humanitarian assistance economic development health care education counter narcotics etc Or helping Burmese non governmental organisations to work with western agencies to deliver aid and development assistance on the ground (Burma is one of the poorest countries in the world but receives virtually no international development assistance ) It might mean supporting the work of opposition parties and trade unions to encourage them to engage in grassroots organising democratic internal development and coalition building across regional and ethnic divides
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The struggle for democracy in such conditions will be a lengthy arduous process: it could not have been brought about by a single election even one far freer than the one just held
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None of this will be easy Much would have to be done with our eyes wide open and teeth firmly gritted But we already do this with other dubious regimes including Burma’s neighbours China Laos and Vietnam are one party dictatorships that are nowhere near holding multi party elections yet we enjoy far warmer relations with them than with Burma Despite its formal democratic trappings Cambodia is ruled by a dominant party that retains power through a combination of corruption patronage and violence: yet last year overseas aid totalled m When Indonesia held its first democratic elections in
legislative seats were reserved for the military but we kept faith with those striving for deeper reforms Singling out Burma as a pariah may salve consciences in the West but is it helping those who really matter the Burmese people? ❙
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The Whistleblower
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In these times it is commendable to know of people who are attempting to bring forward the facts on such sticky situations as the war in Afghanistan and the (prior but on going) war in Iraq
Assange was Very recently Wikileaks released the winner of another documents on top of the prior documents which deal the
primarily with Iraq and Afghanistan Amnesty resulting in serious implications for US and International British foreign policy Just what has gone on Media Award in the name of national security and how real are the grave concerns about the way people (New Media) are being treated in these two theatres of war awarded for Being a whistleblower organisation must exposing take a lot of guts or a foolhardy sense of extrajudicial wanting to be the focus of attention on the assassinations world stage Julian Assange at present in Kenya with cannot be judged for his and his organisation Wiki Leaks’ actions the So much inhumane suffering has investigation occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan is so obscene it warrants cleaning up account The Cry of and responsibility taken for the Blood – Extra ability supposed actions Judicial Meet Julian Assage Killings and Julian Assange is an Australian internet Disappearances activist best known for his involvement with
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Wikileaks a whistleblower website Assange was a physics and mathematics student a hacker and a computer programmer before taking on his current role as Wikileaks’ spokesperson and editor in chief He has been described as being largely self taught and widely read on science and mathematics From to Assange studied physics and mathematics at the University of Melbourne but does not claim a degree On his personal web page Assange described how he represented his University at the Australian National Physics Competition around He has also studied philosophy and neuroscience
In the late s he was a member of a hacker group named “International Subversives ” possibly going by the handle “Mendax” (derived from a phrase of Horace: “splendide mendax ” or “nobly untruthful”) He was the subject of a
raid of his Melbourne home by the Australian Federal www.asiapublishinggroup.com
Police He was reported to have accessed various computers belonging to an Australian university Canadian telecommunications company Nortel and other organisations via modem to test their security flaws In
he pleaded guilty to charges of hacking and was released on bond for good conduct after being fined AU In Assange started living with his girlfriend and soon they had a son She separated from him after the
police raid and took their son They engaged in a lengthy custody struggle
Career as computer programmer Starting in
Assange lived in Melbourne as a programmer and a developer of free software In
he wrote Strobe the first free and open source port scanner He contributed several patches to the PostgreSQL project in
He helped to write the
book Underground: Tales of Hacking Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier which credits him as researcher and reports his history with International Subversives Starting around
he co
theEMirrorE3 invented the Rubberhose deniable encryption system a cryptographic concept made into a software package for Linux designed to provide plausible deniability against rubber hose cryptanalysis which he originally intended “as a tool for human rights workers who needed to protect sensitive data in the field ” Other free software that he has authored or co authored includes the Usenet caching software NNTPCacheand Surfraw a command line interface for web based search engines In
Assange registered the domain leaks org; “but ” he says “then I didn’t do anything with it ”
WikiLeaks Wikileaks was founded in Assange now sits on its nine member advisory board and is a prominent media spokesman on its behalf While newspapers have described him as a “director “or “founder “of Wikileaks Assange has said “I don’t call myself a founder ” but he does describe himself as the editor in chief of Wikileaks and has stated that he has the final decision in the process of vetting documents submitted to the site Like all others working for the site Assange is an unpaid volunteer
Awards Assange was the winner of the
Amnesty International Media Award (New Media) awarded for exposing extrajudicial assassinations in Kenya with the investigation The Cry of Blood – Extra Judicial Killings and Disappearances In accepting the award he said: “It is a reflection of the courage and strength of Kenyan civil society that this injustice was documented Through the tremendous work of organizations such as the Oscar foundation the KNHCR Mars Group Kenya and others we had the primary support we needed to expose these murders to the world ” He also won the Economist Index on Censorship Award Assange says that Wikileaks has released more classified documents than the rest of the world press combined: “That’s not something I say as a way of saying how successful we are – rather that shows you the parlous state of the rest of the media How is it that a team of five people has managed to release to the public more suppressed information at that level than the rest of the world press combined? It’s disgraceful ” In September Julian Assange was voted as number among the “The World’s Most Influential Figures " by the British magazine New Statesman In their
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November/December issue Utne Reader magazine named Assange as one of the “ Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World ”
Public appearances Assange has said he is constantly on the move living in airports He has lived for periods in Australia Kenya and Tanzania and began renting a house in Iceland on March from which he and other activists including Birgitta Jónsdóttir worked on the ‘Collateral Murder’ video He has appeared at media conferences such as New Media Days ’ in Copenhagen the Logan Symposium in Investigative Reporting at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and at hacker conferences notably the th and th Chaos Communication Congress In the first half of he appeared on Al Jazeera English MSNBC Democracy Now! RT and The Colbert Report to discuss the release of the July Baghdad airstrike video by Wikileaks
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Assange was the winner of the
Amnesty International Media Award (New Media) awarded for exposing extrajudicial assassinations in Kenya
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On June he appeared via video conferencing at the Personal Democracy Forum conference with Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg told MSNBC “the explanation he [Assange] used” for not appearing in person in the USA was that “it was not safe for him to come to this country ” On June he was to appear on a Showcase Panel at the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in Las Vegas but there are reports that he cancelled several days prior On June it was reported that Pentagon officials were trying to determine his whereabouts Based on this there have been reports that U S officials want to apprehend Assange Ellsberg said that the arrest of Bradley Manning and subsequent speculation by U S officials about what Assange may be about to publish “puts his well being his physical life in some danger now ” In The Atlantic Marc Ambinder called Ellsberg’s concerns “ridiculous ” and said that “Assange’s tendency to believe that he is one step away from being thrown into a black hole hinders and to some extent discredits his work ” In Salon com Glenn Greenwald questioned “screeching media reports” that there was a “manhunt” on Assange underway arguing that they were only based on comments by “anonymous government officials” and might even serve a campaign by the U S government by intimidating possible whistleblowers
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3 4 EtheEMirror On June Assange took part in a ➼ hearing in Brussels Belgium appearing in
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Using an example involving The Guardian he also explained how newspapers are altering their online archives sometimes by removing entire articles
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public for the first time in nearly a month He was a member on a panel that discussed Internet censorship and expressed his worries over the recent filtering in countries such as Australia He also talked about secret gag orders preventing newspapers from publishing information about specific subjects and even divulging the fact that they are being gagged Using an example involving The Guardian he also explained how newspapers are altering their online archives sometimes by removing entire articles He told The Guardian that he does not fear for his safety but is on permanent alert and will avoid travel to America saying “[U S ] public statements have all been reasonable But some statements made in private are a bit more questionable ” He said “politically it would be a great error for them to act I feel perfectly safe but I have been advised by my lawyers not to travel to the U S during this period ” On July Jacob Appelbaum spoke on behalf of WikiLeaks at the Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference in New York City replacing Assange due to the presence of federal agents at the conference He announced that the WikiLeaks submission system was again up and running after it had been temporarily suspended Assange was a surprise speaker at a TED conference on July in Oxford and confirmed that WikiLeaks was now accepting submissions again On July after the release of the Afghan War Diary Assange appeared at the Frontline Club for a press conference Assange advocates a “transparent” and “scientific” approach to journalism saying that “you can’t publish a paper on physics without the full experimental data and results; that should be the standard in journalism ” In CounterPunch called him Australia’s most infamous former computer hacker ” The Age has called him
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“one of the most intriguing people in the world” and “internet’s freedom fighter ” Assange has called himself “extremely cynical ” The Personal Democracy Forum said that as a teenager he was “Australia’s most famous ethical computer hacker ” He has been described as thriving on intellectual battle Pentagon Papers whistle blower Daniel Ellsberg said that Assange “is serving our [American] democracy and serving our rule of law precisely by challenging the secrecy regulations which are not laws in most cases in this country ” On the issue of national security considerations for the U S Ellsberg added that “any serious risk to that national security is extremely low There may be diplomatic cables It’s very hard to think of any of that which could be plausibly described as a national security risk Will it embarrass diplomatic relationships? Sure very likely—all to the good of our democratic functioning ” Against this Daniel Yates a former British military intelligence officer believes Assange has jeopardised the lives of Afghan civilians: “The logs contain detailed personal information regarding Afghan civilians who have approached NATO soldiers with information It is inevitable that the Taliban will now seek violent retribution on those who have co operated with NATO Their families and tribes will also be in danger ” to the criticism Assange said in August that documents are still being reviewed “line by line ” and that the names of “innocent parties who are under reasonable threat” will be removed This was in response to a letter from a White House spokesman Assange replied to the request through Eric Schmitt a New York Times editor This reply is what Assange claimed to be an offer to the White House to vet any harmful documents however Schmitt told the Associated Press that “I certainly didn’t consider this a serious and realistic offer to the White House to vet any of the documents before they were to be posted and I think it’s ridiculous that Assange is portraying it that way now ” ❙
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Climate funds bypass hardest hit The poorest people who need the most help to adapt to a changing climate are largely being bypassed by the small amount of climate funds now being disbursed says a new Oxfam report published at the UN climate change talks in Tianjin China
running on a treadmill ” said Dent “Setting up a Global Climate Fund that gives a voice and support to those facing the harshest climate impacts is one of the things that can get the talks moving this year ”
The report shows that negotiators must create a Global Climate Fund that vulnerable populations in poor countries can access so that they are not left behind in proposed climate solutions
“For many people around the world has been a year from sheer hell We’ve seen floods droughts fires storms and other extreme weather events that will only get worse as climate change intensifies Some of the poorest people in the world have seen their crops wiped out and livelihoods destroyed – but we still haven’t caught on to their needs ” said Dent “Will we sow the seeds of resilience now or pay the price of failure later?”
Oxfam’s report ‘Righting Two Wrongs: Making a New Global Climate Fund Work for Poor People’ brings together evidence which shows that in recent years: ➟ Less than a tenth of climate funds disbursed to date are estimated to have been for adaptation to help poor people in developing countries who are bearing the brunt of climate impacts ➟ The world’s poorest countries have received about one eighth – US million out of US billion – of funding from the Global Environment Facility ➟ Only US million has been donated to fund adaptation plans (known as NAPAs) in the Least Developed Countries – just one tenth of the US billion estimated total plan costs “Vulnerable populations in poor countries have been completely shut out the process so it’s no surprise that they are being overlooked when the checks are written ” said Kelly Dent Senior Climate Change Advisor for Oxfam “Negotiators need to learn from past mistakes and set up a new Global Climate Fund that is fairly governed accountable and accessible to the groups including women who are on the front lines of climate change ” Oxfam is calling for a new Global Climate Fund to be set up at the UN climate summit in Cancun in December to govern public funds pledged by developed nations under the Copenhagen Accord This fund must help address the failure to get adequate climate investments to poor people who bear the brunt of climate change’s impacts Progress on this fund is a key item for discussion in Tianjin and one of the essential ingredients for progress towards a binding climate deal “This is a race against time but we are
‘Righting Two Wrongs’ calls for a new Global Climate Fund and broader finance system that is seen as legitimate by both developed and developing countries and that is representative equitable accountable accessible transparent and efficient Poor governments must be able to directly access the fund and at least half of the money should be spent helping poor and vulnerable people adapt to a changing climate In addition a number of accountability measures are recommended including ensuring that poor countries and women have an equal say in how the fund is managed and spent and that the fund is transparent as to where the money is going “The devil is in the detail but this is no small decision ” said Dent “We need to see some clear options on the climate fund coming out of Tianjin to get to a decision in Cancun The funds needed are on the same order of magnitude as current annual aid figures of around US billion a year Getting it right is literally a question of life and death ”
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‘Righting Two Wrongs’ calls for a new Global Climate Fund and broader finance system that is seen as legitimate by both developed and developing countries and that is representative equitable accountable accessible transparent and efficient
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nextSTEP Visit the following: www climatefundsupdate org/graphs statistics/areas of focus www thegef org/gef/LDCF The report ‘Righting Two Wrongs: Making a New Global Climate Fund Work for Poor People’ is available on the Oxfam website: www oxfam org nz/resources/onlinereports/ righting_two_wrongs_ _bn pdf ❙
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The pros and cons of Globalisation By Kevin Pederson
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Pros of Globalisation: One of the most positive effects of globalisation beginning after WWII is its impact on trade With an increase in free trade the prosperity and wealth of nations as well as their inter dependence on one another has increased
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The definition of globalisation has changed and evolved over the years Today it is used to describe a continuous process wherein societies cultures and economies are integrated by means of global communication and exchange network The term is also often used to represent changes in political technological and sociocultural environments Since globalization has had such a widespread impact it is but natural that people have perceived it in many different ways Specifically there are those who vouch for its long term positive effects and then there are those who underline its negative influence Pros of Globalisation: One of the most positive effects of globalisation beginning after WWII is its impact on trade With an increase in free trade the prosperity and wealth of nations as well as their interdependence on one another has increased This in turn has considerably reduced the chances of war speaking specifically from an economic point of view Some of the direct effects of free trade include the establishment of free trade zones (these zones levy minimal or no tariffs) reduction in transportation costs elimination or at least reduction in capital controls establishment of subsidiaries by global corporations and standardization and universal recognition of intellectual property laws On a cultural front globalisation has lead to what is referred to as homogenisation With developments in information and communication technology the world has become a smaller place As a result traditional diversity is reduced and a new multicultural identity is born This has further lead to the creation of what is known as ‘world culture ’ With all boundaries lost access to other cultures is easier and people believe that this can help in the promotion of peace and harmony among different cultures and ethnicities Globalisation has also helped in promoting international tourism
Further there has been a standardisation of not only cultural identity but also cultural likes and dislikes with entertainment and pop culture being freely accessible to anyone anywhere Socially globalization has helped non governmental organisations www.asiapublishinggroup.com
by improving their reach into different nations Globalisation has also impacted legal and human rights Last but not least globalisation has had a positive influence on the industrial sector political climate information and communication sector and the environment Cons of Globalisation: Globalisation has resulted in the formation of several anti globalisation bodies seeking to bring about awareness regarding its negative effects Globalisation has resulted in the spread of infectious diseases With advancements in travel and transportation people are no longer restricted in their worldwide movement Another concern is that while globalisation has helped the economies of developing countries by increasing competitions and production in worldwide markets it has unfortunately had a negative effect not only on the environment but also on prices and demand especially for oil Economically critics argue that globalisation is a disadvantage for poorer nations While globalisation does encourage free trade it negatively affects national markets Also the exploitation of cheaper foreign labor has been widely criticised Moreover apart from the initial problem of exploited foreign workers the shift in outsourcing has also resulted in the loss of employment among those in the domestic manufacturing sector In addition the weakening of labor unions and lowering of wages has also been regarded as a negative impact
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Oxfam Doubles Cholera Response in Haiti PORT AU PRINCE – International agency Oxfam has doubled its cholera response since the first cases were confirmed in October in Haiti Oxfam’s water sanitation and hygiene education programmes are now reaching over people in the capital Port au Prince Artibonite in central Haiti and Cap Haitien in northern Haiti “We are still coming across small villages where people are begging us to help stop this disease There is not a single toilet or latrine in many of these rural villages People are desperate to learn the basic hygiene measures that will keep their families safe ” said Paula Brennan cholera response manager for Oxfam in Artibonite Haiti “This national spread of this outbreak is a direct result of the abysmal sanitation infrastructure throughout Haiti that was a serious problem long before January’s earthquake If all of us – the government of Haiti aid agencies donors – do not take this crucial opportunity to work together to truly ‘build back better’ people will continue to die from preventable water
borne diseases ” said Roland Van Hauwermeiren country director for Oxfam in Haiti In response to the January earthquake Oxfam has provided people with clean water latrines and hygiene education to prevent the spread of disease plastic sheeting for shelter and grants for small businesses to help people restore their incomes With the outbreak of cholera outside of the earthquake affected zone of Port au Prince Oxfam is now running two simultaneous emergency response programmes – one for earthquake victims and one for people affected by cholera Oxfam’s most recent cholera response programme in northern Cap Haitien for people has temporarily ceased operation due to violent protests that have blocked movement in the city Oxfam staff are on standby to resume operations as soon as possible
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This national spread of this outbreak is a direct result of the abysmal sanitation infrastructure
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nextSTEP Visit www oxfam org nz
MEET DISCUSS EVALUATE DECIDE ACT POSITIVELY!
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The world needs more trees Planting trees brings prosperity in Nagaland
The remarkable transition in land use practices and resource management flows from the work of NEPED funded by the government of Nagaland IDRC and the Canadian International Development Agency from
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cover in Nagaland is much more than what it used to be � reports NEPED project administrator Vengota Nakro NEPED deputy team leader Raj Verma says that the economic incentive local people now have to preserve the forest was key to this success
In India’s remote mountainous Nagaland region food security was boosted and the health of threatened forests restored With new cash crops many residents from the region’s villages report increases in income up to a five fold rise For the first time women have purchased land and established tree nurseries Increased prosperity has led to better nutrition improved homes and education for children
Researchers and farmers worked together to find the best means of planting Soil conservation efforts — using traditional knowledge and methods — accompanied the planting Later shade dependent cash crops such as ginger and cardamom were introduced to give farmers a more immediate source of cash In effect the research provided the missing link between the traditional farming systems and the modern cash oriented systems
The remarkable transition in land use practices and resource management flows from the work of NEPED — the Nagaland Environmental Protection and Economic Development project — funded by the government of Nagaland IDRC and the Canadian International Development Agency from
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Women have been active participants first planting their own test plots then establishing nurseries to supply trees on a commercial scale “Earlier we used to wonder why they always insisted on women coming to meetings now we understand the importance If we allow women to progress they are very hard working and sincere – maybe better than us men!� said one Naga village elder
Old agricultural ways under threat For generations Naga farmers practiced subsistence agriculture under jhum—a sophisticated form of slash and burn agriculture clearing plots to plant rice intermixed with dozens of other crops After two or three seasons the farmers would leave the land fallow for or more years That way “the soil would be rested and its nutrients replenished � explains Merle Faminow now program leader with IDRC’s Agriculture and Food Security program But with rapid population growth and greater demands for food the fallow period grew shorter Erosion increased forest cover and biodiversity declined soil quality diminished – factors that could have an impact on food security
New income streams lead to sustainability The NEPED team argued that jhum could be made sustainable and food security assured if farmers had a way to earn an income Their strategy was simple Since farmers already planted a variety of crops why not ask them to plant another perennial crop — commercially viable trees such as alder which also fixes nitrogen in the soil This they thought would provide an economic incentive to not clear the land until the trees matured More than million trees were planted in the first six years The environmental impact is clear “It’s obvious to any observer that tree www.asiapublishinggroup.com
Environmental and economic benefits And women have benefited When Verma asked women vendors at a simple roadside stand how the new products have changed their lives “one said to me ‘I have a better house ’ And another told me ‘in the evening I am very tired but I [and six others] can hire a taxi to go back to the village ’� Taxi rides saved many women from a walk of up to km up and down mountainous terrain after working all day and often carrying a kg head load of firewood or crops home NEPED gave this economic development component an extra push by implementing a micro credit program managed by village councils The repayment rate of is one of the highest in the country Now renamed Nagaland Empowerment for People through Economic Development NEPED continues its work as an autonomous agency financed by the Government of India It has recently moved onto another frontier to provide power to Nagaland villages through small locally developed portable hydropower units Verma believes IDRC’s biggest contributions include its development of “farmer led� processes that stress traditional knowledge and the creation of a non hierarchical team that allows ideas to filter up from the ground This approach continues and is being replicated in several new agencies in Nagaland
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