Sustainable Good

Now is the Time for Haiti!

We must take advantage of this time of opportunity in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, where illiteracy stands at 48% and unemployment is at 50%.

Outreach International runs 74 schools in Haiti, ten of which have nutrition programs. Altogether, we are providing opportunity through education to 7,000 students.

Health Care--What you don't hear

We have been hearing about health care all over the place recently: from screaming town hall meetings to vigils to facebook. I was reminded of something--strike that--someone, that has been left out of the debate: the global poor. I certainly agree that we need health care reform in the US so that more people are covered with better coverage.

As a matter of fact, for the last few days my facebook status has been: " Stephen Donahoe thinks that no one should die because they can not afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree please post this as your status for the rest of the day....let's get up to speed with the rest of the civilized world and take care of each other!"

Then a friend brought to my attention that the global poor are left out of this conversation.

In the Meantime, Children are Dying

There is legislation in both the US House and Senate to revamp and rewrite the way that the US does foeign assitance, something that we talk about a lot on this blog.  Experts know what is required for international aid to be truly effective, and yet the current international aid process is outdated, inefficient, and often ineffective.  Sometimes Western countries' aid even makes problems worse, as Matt reported in an ealier post.  There is hope that the Foreign Aid Reform bills in the House and the Senate will change this situation.  However, there just isn't the political will-power to move this legislation right now.  And in the meantime, 3 million children die every year because they are undernourished.

Investigate the killing of human rights activists in Chechnya

I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn today of the brutal killing of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov. Ms. Sadulayeva was a tireless campaigner for the welfare of children with disabilities and/or traumatized by war in Chechnya. Though I did not personally know her, we had exchanged a few emails and I was sickened to hear of her death.

“Ms Sadulayeva was a tireless activist who was committed to creating public awareness about the landmine problem in the region and advocating for the rights of landmine survivors and other people with disabilities,” said Ms Kasia Derlicka, Advocacy and Campaign Officer for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, in a press release on their website. “Her death is a huge loss to the mine action community.”

Hillary in Africa

You have probably heard about Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's 11-day trip around Africa. She just completed almost the entire trip, visiting Nigeria today, the 5th of 7 countries scheduled for the trip. Clinton heads home on Sunday. You can follow her trip on this interactive map. Recognizing the importance of this trip, Outreach International joined with other Africa advocacy organizations to send recommendations for issues she should address.

Obama's Going to Africa, Tell Him We Need Change!

Obama is planning a trip to Ghana for July 10-11. This trip shows how high a priority Africa is for the Obama administration because no other president has made a trip to Africa so early in his term. This is a  big step forward in realizing how important relations between the US and the nations of Africa really are. It also demonstrates a real desire to make real change in the region.

Join Obama in recognizing that US policy in Africa needs to change. Exploitation, militarization and ineffective aid have been the paradigm for too long.

Add your name to this petition, organized by a coalition of African advocacy groups. The letter suggests four policy changes that could make a world of difference for the millions living in African nations:

Recession as a Boost for Gender Equality?

We are currently in the grip of one of the worst recessions in modern history.   The U.S. economy has shed 6 million jobs since the beginning of the recession.  The unemployment rate hit 9.4% in May as 345,000 jobs disappeared, marking the 17th straight month of job loss.  But one interesting feature is how the job losses are spread across gender lines.  Male unemployment rose to 10.5% in May, compared to 8% for women.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 82% of the job losses have fallen on men, as male-dominated economic sectors like construction and manufacturing contract faster than female-dominated ones like health care and education.  This will only get worse, as Princeton economist Alan Blinder estimates that between 28 and 42 million more jobs in the U.S. are at risk of outsourcing, once again disproportionately held by men.  What this implies is that women are poised to surpass men for the first time on the nation’s payrolls, which is a remarkable milestone on the journey that started with WWII, when women came out of their homes and joined the labor force to take the places of men who left to fight. 

What Do Vultures Have To Do with International Development?

Many scholars have claimed that the lifestyles we have gotten used to in the United States perpetuate the ongoing poverty in other countries.  Some say that the U.S. (5% of the world's population) takes up 25% of world's resources, which forces poorer countries to make do with less.  Others disagree -- claiming that the world has limitless resources due to technology and ingenuity.   Economists go back and forth on this debate, each side citing different numbers and various graphs to prove their points. 

An extreme example of exploitation, however is when companies buy international debt, for pennies on the dollar.  If the U.S. cancels the debt, these companies sue the developing countries for the whole debt plus interest.  These funds are called "vulture funds", and rightly so.  They allow companies to sit and wait for the perfect time to attack, when countries are at their most vulnerable state.

Many countries whose debt is just canceled are now made to pay these companies the money that could have gone to help reduce the AIDS epidemic, build new schools, or anything else that would promote well-being and economic recovery.

This is so awful, that Representative Maxine Waters recently introduced a bill to outlaw such funds.

"The act would protect impoverished countries from the predatory practices of vulture funds and allow these countries to use their limited resources to meet the needs of their people," said Waters. "I am proud of my work in Congress to cancel poor countries' debts. We cannot allow vulture funds to erode the progress that has enabled many of the world's most impoverished nations to reduce poverty."

Will the Proposed Climate Change Legislation Create Change?

The other day, I helped out with a briefing that was cosponsored by the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends of the Earth and MoveOn.org. The briefing was about ways to improve the Climate Change bill that is currently moving through the House of Representatives that was proposed by Reps. Markey and Waxman. The bill is an attempt to slow and eventually halt climate change. But will it actually do that??? Probably not say many environmental groups.

Iran, Democracy and Development

The recent election dispute in Iran and the seemingly likely vote-rigging in that election make me realize again how important free and fair elections are. While I try to respect other forms of government different from democracy and recognize that there are benefits and drawbacks in every form of government, I truly believe in the power of participation. I believe that every person has the right to participate in their government. This right should be protected by the government and it should be treasured by the people. And it is essential to development.

Toward Conflict-Free Electronics

Campaigns highlighting the links between diamonds and conflict, knitwear and sweatshops and coffee and exploitative working conditions have done much to raise consumers' awareness of the hidden human cost to seemingly ordinary products.

But did you know that your cellphone, your laptop or digital camera could be fueling the world's most deadly contemporary war, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)? For instance, a recent report found that the batteries from Nokia, LG, Motorola, Samsung and possibly Sony Ericsson mobile phones contain cobalt mined in the DRC.

Green Schools and Fuel Efficiency...The Earth Wins

In the last few weeks, climate change, energy and the environment have been front-and-center in the news. While the climate change bill that is moving through the House is not as good as it should be, there has been progress on a couple other key related issues.

A couple weeks ago, on May 14th, the House passed a "Green Schools" bill to provide $6.4 billion annually for the next five years to fund green school building and renovation projects. The bill passed 275-155; now it is up the Senate to pass a similar bill. To make this even better, the House bill has provisions to make sure that the money is focused especially on schools with low-income students.

Amnesty International Calls for Action on Sri Lanka

The human rights group Amnesty International warned yesterday that "An all-out massacre is about to take place in Sri Lanka any day now" if the international community did not intervene rapidly to save civilians in the war zone.

Obama's Budget: How is it for the poor?

For those of us who don't follow politics every day (I was one of those people for a long time), it may seem from the headlines that Obama's budget has passed and that we are done worrying about the budget this year. Unfortunately, we are far from that point. 

What passed in early April, was the top line numbers for the budget, the upper limits for accounts that include a wide range of programs. On this blog we were concerned mostly about the International Affairs Budget, which includes funding for a lot of development programs. We were successful in lobbying for an increase of the International Affairs Budget--It was increased by over $4 Billion!

Now Obama has submitted his specific requests for each program and it is time to lobby again. As you can see from the chart above, there are some very important programs that are underfunded in this budget.

Five Good Non-Fiction Books on Africa

1. “Africa: A Biography of the Continent,” by John Reader. A wide-reaching and sweeping look at trends and broader explanations for the way things are, covering history, geography, anthropology, biology and politics. While it is a thick tome (some 700 pages) it manages to be engaging, interesting and easy to read. This would be a good place to start for the interested newcomer to African issues.

2. “Africa Works: Disorder as a Political Instrument,” by Patrick Chabal and Jean-Pascal Daloz. A lucid and theoretically-rich exposition of African politics. Describing how systems of patronage operate within the context of modern states, Chabal and Daloz provide powerful explanations for conflict, corruption and poor economic development. It also introduces English-speakers to the rich seam of francophone research and literature about Africa.

Call to Action: War-torn families escape and ask for help

The civil war in Sri Lanka is coming to a climax, trapping as many as 100,000 people in the cross-fire. You’ve probably seen it in the media.

Only half have escaped so far, and according to the United Nations, many more remain trapped, looking to escape. With newly escaped groups likely to reach safe districts in as soon as 48 hours (according to UN reports), your support is needed most urgently!

Outreach International benefits over 150,000 people in communities in Sri Lanka. We are already on the ground and ready to help the displaced victims forced to flee south from livelihoods, homes and families as the conflict intensifies.

Outreach International needs your support to help the refugees that will soon arrive in our communities, desperately hoping for assistance. 

They need help and they need it right away.

Harishke Samaranayake, a member of our Sri Lankan team commented, “Water and sanitation is one of the biggest issues here.” An International Red Cross spokeswoman also said recently, “The humanitarian conditions in the conflict area are very grim.” The next 48 hours are critical to meet the needs of displaced families.

Please help the displaced families seeking refuge, safety and security by sending your donation today.

Our Sri Lankan team has already started collecting dry food and health care items, ensuring that food supplies, clean water and sanitation are supplied for the refugees. Sadly, the needs of women and children are especially great.

Please donate. A gift of $25 or more will help victims not only today in our relief effort, but also in the long term commitment of Sustainable Good around the world.

Thank you for sending immediate assistance to the families in Sri Lanka.


Sincerely,
Matthew C. Naylor, President
Outreach International

Why I am in Favor of Taxation

It might be a politically unpopular thing to say, but I believe taxation is underrated. That doesn’t mean I believe in crushing, oppressive and unsustainable taxes – when taxes are too high or unfair, they can be quite destructive. But a well-designed system of public finances is crucial to democratic governance.

I believe taxes are so important because I have lived and worked in countries where tax systems, even government, have collapsed or almost nonexistent.The result? Unaccountable political authorities, ineffective justice systems, crumbling infrastructure and inadequate social safety nets for the poor and vulnerable.

It's A Good Era for Foreign Aid and Human Rights...and more

There have been so many good things happening in the news recently (lots of bad too...but let's be optimistic, shall we?) that I thought I would do a short "What's in the News" post. Here are some of the great things going on in the world:

The US is Joining the U.N. Human Rights Council

The Senate Restored $4 Billion in Funding for the Foreign Affairs Account (although the House didn't restore it, so we will see what happens when they go to conference and compromise).

Obama Committed to Working Toward a World Free of Nucs (see page three of the speech)
    Urge your Senators to Join Obama in Seeking this World

Obama's Budget Passed. At least the top-line numbers passed in both the House and the Senate. Now they have to compromise between the two versions. Obama is going to submit more specific budget details in early May. This budget will have some absolutely transformative effects on health care, the environment, and social programs.

What have you seen in the news recently that gives you hope?

-Stephen Donahoe

Now It's Getting Personal

I truly believe Karyn's post the other day that relationships are the main factor in giving, because through relationships we truly understand the depth of a problem. This has happened to me just in the last few days. I have been sympathetic to those that have been affected by the global financial crisis since the beginning (except for the giant corporate CEO's and Madoff's of the crisis). I hate to hear on the news the stories about people being laid off, companies going bankrupt, towns in financial meltdown.

However, the depth of the pain of this crisis didn't hit me until the other day when my mom told me that she had been laid off. After 28 years working at the same company, she doesn't have a job, and won't for the next 4-6 months.

US National Cluster Munitions Call-In Day

Cluster munitions campaigners in the US are urging Americans to call their senators on 30 March 2009 and ask them to support the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act, S. 416.

This legislation would prohibit the US from using cluster munitions that have more than a 1% failure rate or in civilian areas.  This would help prevent the deadly contamination of conflict zones with dangerous unexploded ‘dud’ bomblets that act like de facto landmines.

Sudanese Government Goes on Offensive against NGOs

In retaliation for the International Criminal Court's indictment of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur, the Sudanese government has revoked the registration of over a dozen humanitarian agencies operating in the country.  Some of the groups affected include Oxfam GB, CARE, Save the Children UK, the Norwegian Refugee Council, MSF-Netherlands, the International Rescue Committee, Action Against Hunger, CHF International, Mercy Corps and Solidarites.

Millions of Sudanese, especially in the Darfur region, rely on humanitarian assistance, such as food and medical care, from such groups.  Many have been displaced by the fighting in Darfur which the US government has called a genocide.  The decision will also affect over 6000 humanitarian workers.

For reactions from aid workers in Sudan, read this excellent article from AlertNet.

It is still unclear what consequences the indictment will have on the people of Sudan. The International Crisis Group called it a "a welcome and crucial step towards challenging the impunity that has worsened conflict in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan."  However, they also acknowledge that the Sudanese government could use this as an opportunity to "direct, or encourage, violence against the millions of displaced Darfuris living in camps in the war-torn region."

For background on the history of the conflicts in Sudan, see the AlertNet briefing or read the in-depth reports from International Crisis Group. To read an interesting blog about the current crisis, click here.

-Matthew Bolton

Darfur: It's Not Over; We Can't Forget

I realized something tragic the other day. I am a typical American in a lot of ways. What made me realize that was that I had totally forgotten about Darfur. Because I hadn't heard about the war there for a while, I just figured everything was better. Then I saw the headline "Refugees Flood Into Darfur Camp After Fighting" and I was appalled to learn that the war that has displaced 2.7 million people and killed over 300,000 is still going on. Actually recent news is that 26,000 people were displaced in the last few weeks, one of the largest flights of people in the last year.

Slumdog Millionaire and social justice?

Tonight I finally went to see the Academy Award all-star Slumdog Millionaire. I wanted to love it, and did. I also wanted to believe that it would inspire many more people around the world to care about the poorest of the poor in India, like Jamal in the movie; but I am not convinced of that. It was mostly a love story, not a call for economic justice.

One part that I thought was especially powerful and insightful was when Jamal was leading two Americans down toward a river to see where women washed their clothes. While they were gone, other children stripped their car of everything. When Jamal brought the couple back, the driver blamed Jamal for the theft and started beating him up. Jamal exclaimed that he "just wanted to give them a taste of the real India." The couple stopped the driver and the woman said, "and here's a taste of the real America" and gave him $100. At first it was sad for me to think that to her America was money, then I looked at it at a deeper level.

The Fight Against Poverty Takes a Backseat at the World Economic Forum

The 2009 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum ended yesterday having come up with few solutions to the global economic crisis. One thing mos t everyone seemed to agree on was an urgent plea to resist responding to the crisis with protectionism. The problem is that the poorest people in the world are not being protected by globalization, so the logical response for these people and their governments is protectionism.

Inauguration Speech on POVERTY!

During the last moments of Barack's Inauguration yesterday, I picked up one of the flags that had been given out and dusted it off. This was a powerful symbol for how I feel about these amazing times. I feel like we have a tremendous opportunity to take Barack's challenge and dust ourselves and this nation off--wiping away years of hopelessness and bad policy. I am excited to wipe away exploitive foreign aid and trade policies that have helped create the global poverty crisis. And I am thrilled that Obama made poverty a priority in his Inauguration speech!

Nobel Peace Laureate Faces Iranian Govt Persecution

 

Human Rights Watch reports that the Iranian government has escalated its campaign of persecution against Nobel Peace Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, who runs the Iranian local NGOs, the Center for Participation in Clearing Mined Areas and the Defenders of Human Rights Center. 

Gaza Crisis: A Human Rights Disaster!

"I’ve just come from the Congressional briefing by representatives of Israeli human rights organizations sponsored by Americans for Peace Now, Churches for Middle East Peace and other groups.

These groups are doing invaluable work to provide a clear picture of what’s happening in Gaza and to preserve human ties between Israelis and Palestinians.

The organizations have joined to provide information at the blog site: http://www.gazaeng.blogspot.com

Their current summary of the dead and injured:

Gaza: at least 700 killed, of them at least 240 children and 100 women. More than half those killed since the ground incursion began (313) are women and children. Over 3,100 injured, of them over 350 severely injured. Israel: 10 killed, of them 1 woman and 7 soldiers. Over 68 civilians injured, of them 4 severely injured, not including those treated for shock, and 60 soldiers injured, of them one in critical condition."

The Continuing Israel/Gaza Conflict

It seems as though all three of my new year's hopes have been summarily dashed by the Israel/Gaza conflict.  

The Washington Post reports that about 625 Palestinians have been killed and almost 3,000 injured in Gaza.  The UN states that about a third of these have been women and children. This comes on top of an already tough situation because of the Israeli blockades of basic essentials like food, oil, and medicines.  Simply speaking, the humanitarian crisis is quite dire.

Today, Israel implemented a three hour cease-fire so that humanitarian aid can reach some of the Palestinians who are desperately hanging on to their lives.  But many did not feel safe enough to retrieve the sacks of flour and packages of medicines from the UN Relief and Works Agency.

Poverty and the Impact of the Economic Crisis

Spending Christmastime with my in-laws in Michigan really opened my eyes to the depth of the economic crisis. I heard many people talking about their fear of slowdown and layoffs in the auto industry and the surprising number of small businesses that have gone under.  I spoke with the owner of a small independent bookshop that has struggled to make ends meet as people have cut back on spending.

Gaza Crisis: Little Food, Rocket Attacks, Israel Strikes = Even Less Food, Even More Violence

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is extremely complex and is rooted in the last 60 years of failed policy. However, I think that one of the main causes of the most recent outbreak in violence is the blockade that Israel is placed on Palestine that has made the situation there absolutely horrible. There was a shortage of everything--food, water, medical supplies--even before the Israeli attack started four days ago.

A six month truce between Israel and Palestine that resulted in a severe reduction in violence during that period ended less than a week ago. And now look what is happening. During the truce, Israel still wasn't letting adequate supplies into Gaza.

Is it any wonder that Hamas is shooting rockets at Israel? When people are struggling for the simple necessities of life, they do desperate things.

Keep Children Off the Battlefield

This video, which in the satirical tradition of Swift's 'A Modest Proposal', calls on people to help child soldiers fight, is rather shocking.  But rather than seeing it as bad taste, it forced me to think about how my complacency actually allows the phenomenon of child soldiers to continue unchallenged -- almost as if I was sending them weapons myself.

No one has thrown shoes at Outreach International

It is my firm belief that the kind of work Outreach International is involved in provides more than just health care, education, economic security, and nutrition.  It devlops more than self-esteem and an ability to voice struggles to those in power.

Outreach International  prevents shoes being thrown at presidents. 

You may or may not sympatize with Muntader al-Zaidi, the journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush, but that's beside the point.

Far too often, wars begin because there is a fight over limited resources.  Economic insecurity breeds political insecurity which breeds conflict.  Of course wars, and in particular the Iraq war, cannot be described in such simplistic terms.  But I can't help but think about Outreach's philosphy -- building community, and then supporting that community in solving their own problems -- and wonder if States adopted this way of working out problems, there would be as many international conflicts as there are these days.  Bush claimed that American soldiers were going to come to Iraq as liberators.  Cue the images of Iraquis showering us with flowers and praise.

fashion expertise from sustainable good

I was listening to NPR the other day and there was a show that featured a panel on Michelle Obama's fashion and style.  Fashion experts and historians were talking about the many critics of the Michelle's choice of election night attire (the cardigan was apparently a disaster!) and the fact that she steers away from the pantsuits that Hillary Clinton made famous.  Every once in a while these talking heads claimed that they weren't just chatting about fluff -- that talking about what Michelle wears has consequences, determines the direction of the nation in some ways.  

It's just an election -- what could happen?

Today is a big day.  Lines of people are weaving in an out of polling places.  "I voted" stickers are the newest fashion accessory of the day.  Radio stations, news channels, and blogs are all talking about the election non-stop.  Websites like www.fivethirtyeight.com obsessively count and recount the polls and are predicting the winners of the various campaigns throughout the country. This is a pretty big deal (understatement of the year.)  

I was watching the Daily Show the other night and Bill Kristol, conservative op-ed writer for the New York Times, muttered (jokingly?) “It’s just an election”.  Jon Stewart looked flabbergasted and replied, “Yeah, it’s just an election, what could happen?”  Truth is, the person in the White House for the next four years will have a lot of power. And yes Bill Kristol, a lot can happen.

While you're trying to keep what's left of your money, think about giving some away

Are you getting sick of hearing about the failing economy? Me too.

At least this time, we're not being told to "Shop! Shop! Shop!" in order to heal this crisis. That's the last thing we need to do right now. Although, I must urge you to give some of your money away. I know this sounds crazy but our situation right now in this world is ripe with opportunity for systemic change and organizations like Outreach International need you now more than ever.

Take some time as you watch your stocks fall to think about ways you can change your life to live more simply and give something to organizations that can really make a difference in the next few months.

-Karyn Wingard-Manuel

Ceremony Highlights Plight of Children in War

Today my wife and I attended a very moving ceremony at St. Mary's school in Aboke, northern Uganda, commemorating the twelfth anniversary of the abduction of 139 girls by rebel troops, many of them younger than their victims.

In an act of incredible bravery, two teachers, John Bosco and Sister Rachelle Fassera, had pursued and tracked down the rebel unit and negotiated the release of 109 girls. However, most of the remaining 30 were forced to become 'wives' for top commanders of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).  The parents of the abductees formed a local pressure group, the Concerned Parents Association, to push for the children's release and advocate for peace.

The 'Aboke Girls' are among the over 30,000 children who have been abducted by the LRA since 1986. Since the LRA has had little support among the civilian population, they turned to forced recruitment of children to fill their ranks. According to some estimates, over 80 percent of the LRA's ranks are abductees.

The Game of Disarmament: The Arms Trade Treaty

Back during the Cold War, a Swedish government minister talked of the ‘game of disarmament’ played by the US and USSR.  But Control Arms, a coalition campaigning for a new Arms Trade Treaty, have created a very different kind of disarmament game — an interactive online game to raise awareness of conventional arms proliferation.

“We need a global, effective, Arms Trade Treaty,” says British Foreign Minister David Miliband yesterday, urging support of the proposed convention.  ”It is bizarre that while treaties and conventions have existed for several decades to control the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, there is no equivalent global arrangement to stop weapons flooding into conflict zones.”

Where do you get your news?

I had goose bumps last night. When Hillary Clinton said at her DNC debut that her mother was born before women were allowed to vote and her daughter was able to vote for her mom for president she showed us how much has changed in the last few decades – not only for women’s rights but for the rights of all of us who are not white, non-disabled, heterosexual men. While we have much work to do, the democratic presidential races of both Clinton and Obama have spurred me to choose to see the glass half full.

The Impact of Cluster Bombs on the Poor

Human rights groups have strongly condemned Russia's alleged use of cluster bombs in the fighting in Georgia.  These weapons, which target whole areas and often create de facto minefields, are considered illegitimate by much of the international community -- 107 countries have signed on to a new cluster munition ban treaty.  The US is not a signator -- contact your elected officials and ask them to support the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act. 

Make American Aid Better

While the amount of aid that the US provides each year is a small proportion of our annual budget, it is no small figure. However, is that aid being used effectively? That is the question that will be asked at a conference  this September 2-4 in Ghana.

You have the opportunity to tell policy leaders to improve international aid. To me, this represents one of the most powerful things we in the Western world can do: join with poor people all over the world by advocating for better aid.

 

Smog at the Olympics and in Our World

Have you been keeping up with the Olympics in Beijing?  Having lived in southwestern China for almost two years, I find myself glued to the TV – not necessarily during the gymnastics competitions or the swimming races but the B-roll of the vast landscape, the sea of bikes, the glistening food.  These images bring me back to those two years – I can almost taste the lotus root and fish-smelling eggplant right now (I promise it’s amazing.)  Unfortunately, I also taste the grime on my tongue and in my nose from a long bike ride in the smog.  While Beijing has dramatically cut the smog for the Olympics, the athletes and visitors can still see those dirty molecules in the air and feel it in their lungs.  I remember the claustrophobia I felt almost every time I walked outside to enjoy the day.

Questioning the War on Drugs

I'm 5 feet away from Uribe, the president of Colombia, but I can't help but question the way the billions of dollars the US provides to fight drugs in Colombia is being used.

Sending the Right Signal

Have you ever made a phone call to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)?  Chances are, probably not.  But your phone may be more involved in the DR Congo conflict than you think. A recent report found that the batteries from Nokia, LG, Motorola, Samsung and possibly Sony Ericsson mobile phones contain cobalt mined in the DR Congo, that may help finance the warring factions. Indeed, the voracious global demand for many of DR Congo's rich mineral resources -- potentially a resource for development and economic growth -- has unfortunately profited the wrong sort of people.

Small Victory for Justice in Former Yugoslavia

After 13 years of evading justice, Radovan Karadzic (pronounced Kara-jich), a key mastermind of brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns in the Bosnian war was arrested in Serbia's capital this week.  He will be extradited to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, where he faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. 

Reading of his capture was a cathartic experience for me.  Living in Bosnia, I was constantly surrounded by the reminders of the crimes of Karadzic and his henchmen.  Bullet holes in the side of an apartment building, where civilians had been executed. The remains of a mosque, exploded to deny people a sense of history and belonging.  The rows and rows of graves covering parks and empty spaces all over Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo (see photo). I had long despaired that Karadzic would ever be caught or face justice for his crimes.

The new pro-European government in Serbia, which faces nationalist resistance following Kosovo's declaration of independence, was very brave to make this leap towards ending impunity.  While Serbia's pro-democracy movement has had an uphill struggle, even after deposing the authoritarian leader Slobadan Milosevic, they have won a small but important victory for peace and justice in the Former Yugoslavia.

To read more about the difficulties faced by development agencies in building peace after conflict, click here.

-Matthew Bolton