Israeli settlements in the West Bank are an obstacle to peace in the Middle East. They are illegal under international law and many world leaders have previously spoken out against them. However, Israel continues to ignore such condemnation and this has uncovered the genuine lack of conviction behind the hollow words of such world leaders.
But today, a small yet important step has been taken. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Britain has announced a voluntary labelling scheme that will provide key distinctions on foods stocked in UK supermarkets. Products could now have labels attached that specify 'Palestinian produce' or 'Israeli settlement produce'. This gives consumers the opportunity to know the true origin of the products they purchase, contribute to the economic viability of Palestinian farmers and express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
It has been stressed that the move is not tantamount to a boycott but it remains to be seen whether such a result could occur regardless of intention.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Britain should be commended for the action it has taken on this matter. Now multiple copycat actions around the world are needed.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Maintain the Focus
Unfortunately, as world leaders meet in Copenhagen, the focus of the world's media is still distracted by the climate science scandal.
Yes, computers in the University of East Anglia (which is a well known climate research centre) were illegally hacked into and the personal correspondence of climate researchers distributed to try and discredit the science of climate change. But, the emails were cheery picked from a decade of correspondence, have yet to produce evidence of any conspiracy among climate researchers and are attributed to only a small number of scientists. This changes nothing.
So, instead of wasting any more time debating this minor debacle, it is time to re-focus attention on world leaders in Copenhagen. A good start, would be to take Avaaz's action and call Europe
Yes, computers in the University of East Anglia (which is a well known climate research centre) were illegally hacked into and the personal correspondence of climate researchers distributed to try and discredit the science of climate change. But, the emails were cheery picked from a decade of correspondence, have yet to produce evidence of any conspiracy among climate researchers and are attributed to only a small number of scientists. This changes nothing.
So, instead of wasting any more time debating this minor debacle, it is time to re-focus attention on world leaders in Copenhagen. A good start, would be to take Avaaz's action and call Europe
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Population Control
On Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of listening to Mary Robinson deliver a key note address entitled 'Copenhagen: Delivering Climate Justice'. The event was organised by Oxfam Ireland in association with TIDI.
The audience who were lucky enough to be in attendance took the rare opportunity to pose some tough questions about the science of climate change, its proposed link to future conflicts over natural resources, the need for a perpetual recession and the current thorn in the side of development education and practice - population control.
Climate change has been recently targeted by commentators who believe that the current and projected future growth in the populations of the developing world is what stands in the way of true development. Indeed, the UN Population Fund recently pointed the finger at the projected rise in the population of the developing world by 2050 as a reason for why climate change could worsen dramatically.
These commentators refuse to take concepts such as consumption into account. If they did they would have a hard time excusing countries whose population growth is considerably less than many nations in the developing world but yet have ridiculously higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. They also fail to appreciate that education leads to greater family planning within communities and that the provision of education and the creation of the appropriate structures to facilitate this is a long process that should not be replaced by some quick fix condemnation.
It is both dangerous and alarmist to link climate change or indeed poverty to population control. It is disgraceful to essentially propose enforced population control and is an affront to human rights norms. Change will happen from within. This internal change should be facilitated, not prescribed.
However, NGOs and others in the development sector better start addressing the growing obsession with the notion of population control and start putting forward a strong case to counter some of the fallacies that we are currently being forced to listen to.
The audience who were lucky enough to be in attendance took the rare opportunity to pose some tough questions about the science of climate change, its proposed link to future conflicts over natural resources, the need for a perpetual recession and the current thorn in the side of development education and practice - population control.
Climate change has been recently targeted by commentators who believe that the current and projected future growth in the populations of the developing world is what stands in the way of true development. Indeed, the UN Population Fund recently pointed the finger at the projected rise in the population of the developing world by 2050 as a reason for why climate change could worsen dramatically.
These commentators refuse to take concepts such as consumption into account. If they did they would have a hard time excusing countries whose population growth is considerably less than many nations in the developing world but yet have ridiculously higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. They also fail to appreciate that education leads to greater family planning within communities and that the provision of education and the creation of the appropriate structures to facilitate this is a long process that should not be replaced by some quick fix condemnation.
It is both dangerous and alarmist to link climate change or indeed poverty to population control. It is disgraceful to essentially propose enforced population control and is an affront to human rights norms. Change will happen from within. This internal change should be facilitated, not prescribed.
However, NGOs and others in the development sector better start addressing the growing obsession with the notion of population control and start putting forward a strong case to counter some of the fallacies that we are currently being forced to listen to.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Poor and Unemployed? Then Go to Iraq
I was reading a BBC News article this week about the prevalence of Ugandan security guards in Iraq since 2007. I couldn't help but be disturbed for a number of reasons.
Iraq is currently a war zone where roughly 100,000 cilivian deaths have occurred since the 2003 invasion (according to Iraq Body Count). The mainstream media report suicide bombings and kidnappings on a daily basis and we are all too aware of the numerous accusations of torture and murder committed by foreign troops. Iraq is in a state of occupation, civil war and general disarray. It is not the first country that would come to mind when considering career prospects.
So why have more than 10,000 Ugandans already gone to work there as security guards? Seth Katerema Mwesigye, who was interviewed by the BBC, claims that the money he made in Iraq made him wealthy by Ugandan standards and that Iraq has proved quite lucrative for many Ugandan security firms. Unfortunately, for many Ugandans facing poverty and unemployment, it is seen as an opportunity to escape. But at what cost - death, mutilation, psychological scarring? It is disgraceful that people have to risk their very lives to simply have a livelihood.
Also, I do not like the idea of foreign security guards, from any country, operating in Iraq. The word mercenary jumps to mind! Though I have no reason to believe that the thousands of Ugandans who worked in Iraq operated in any fashion other than professionally, Mr Mwesigye himself acknowledged that other security firms were now offering similar services for close to half the price. Price undercutting could lead to the lowering of standards and very soon the calibre of individual being sent to fill these posts (which surely could be filled by the local population) could seriously be in question.
It is a dangerous career path which people are turning to out of desperation and one that I fear will not benefit the already suffering Iraqi population.
Iraq is currently a war zone where roughly 100,000 cilivian deaths have occurred since the 2003 invasion (according to Iraq Body Count). The mainstream media report suicide bombings and kidnappings on a daily basis and we are all too aware of the numerous accusations of torture and murder committed by foreign troops. Iraq is in a state of occupation, civil war and general disarray. It is not the first country that would come to mind when considering career prospects.
So why have more than 10,000 Ugandans already gone to work there as security guards? Seth Katerema Mwesigye, who was interviewed by the BBC, claims that the money he made in Iraq made him wealthy by Ugandan standards and that Iraq has proved quite lucrative for many Ugandan security firms. Unfortunately, for many Ugandans facing poverty and unemployment, it is seen as an opportunity to escape. But at what cost - death, mutilation, psychological scarring? It is disgraceful that people have to risk their very lives to simply have a livelihood.
Also, I do not like the idea of foreign security guards, from any country, operating in Iraq. The word mercenary jumps to mind! Though I have no reason to believe that the thousands of Ugandans who worked in Iraq operated in any fashion other than professionally, Mr Mwesigye himself acknowledged that other security firms were now offering similar services for close to half the price. Price undercutting could lead to the lowering of standards and very soon the calibre of individual being sent to fill these posts (which surely could be filled by the local population) could seriously be in question.
It is a dangerous career path which people are turning to out of desperation and one that I fear will not benefit the already suffering Iraqi population.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Update: Cuban Embargo - 47 Years and Counting
The UN General Assembly has once again overwhelmingly condemnded the US economic embargo against Cuba.
This week, the assembly voted 187-3 in opposition to the 47 year old embargo. The only countries to side with the US were Israel (no surprises there) and the Pacific Island nation of Palau (a former United Nations Trusteeship administered by the US until 1994).
With all the positive steps that President Obama has taken to improve relations with Cuba, the question now stands as to whether he will take the ultimate step forward and end a policy that is no more than a cold war relic?
This week, the assembly voted 187-3 in opposition to the 47 year old embargo. The only countries to side with the US were Israel (no surprises there) and the Pacific Island nation of Palau (a former United Nations Trusteeship administered by the US until 1994).
With all the positive steps that President Obama has taken to improve relations with Cuba, the question now stands as to whether he will take the ultimate step forward and end a policy that is no more than a cold war relic?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Oxfam Shake Up Aid System
Oxfam has released a new report, Band Aids and Beyond: Tackling disasters in Ethiopia 25 years after the famine, which calls for a “radical shake-up” of the aid system in order to break the cycle of hunger that exists in Ethiopia.
Rather than simply waiting for disasters to strike and then responding, the report calls for the more sustainable and dignified approach of tackling the risk of those disasters, by employing Disaster Risk Management (DRM). According to the report, DRM works by:
• Identifying all potential threats to lives and livelihoods and people’s vulnerabilities to such threats,
• Building their resilience, i.e. their ability to withstand shocks without jeopardising their ways of working and living.
DRM can operate in many ways, such as by providing micro-insurance for farmers, giving communities cash in exchange for work (examples of which are documented in the report) and by establishing early warning systems to help ensure a timely response to impending food shortages and other disasters.
With regard to Ethiopia specifically, Oxfam points out that the US Government is the source of 70 per cent of humanitarian assistance but that last year, 92% of the amount spent went on in-kind food aid. Although it is without doubt required at times, food aid does not address the fundamental causes of disasters and therefore thus does not prevent them from happening again or even limit their severity. In addition, food aid supports industries within donor countries rather than local producers. A shift in approach is required.
Knee jerk reactions are never long term solutions and Oxfam’s latest report examines one potential solution. It’s well worth a read.
Rather than simply waiting for disasters to strike and then responding, the report calls for the more sustainable and dignified approach of tackling the risk of those disasters, by employing Disaster Risk Management (DRM). According to the report, DRM works by:
• Identifying all potential threats to lives and livelihoods and people’s vulnerabilities to such threats,
• Building their resilience, i.e. their ability to withstand shocks without jeopardising their ways of working and living.
DRM can operate in many ways, such as by providing micro-insurance for farmers, giving communities cash in exchange for work (examples of which are documented in the report) and by establishing early warning systems to help ensure a timely response to impending food shortages and other disasters.
With regard to Ethiopia specifically, Oxfam points out that the US Government is the source of 70 per cent of humanitarian assistance but that last year, 92% of the amount spent went on in-kind food aid. Although it is without doubt required at times, food aid does not address the fundamental causes of disasters and therefore thus does not prevent them from happening again or even limit their severity. In addition, food aid supports industries within donor countries rather than local producers. A shift in approach is required.
Knee jerk reactions are never long term solutions and Oxfam’s latest report examines one potential solution. It’s well worth a read.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Blog Action Day
Today is Blog Action Day and the chosen topic is climate change.
So I think it is important to bring attention once again to Oxfam Ireland's campaign Climate Change Destroys Lives. Let's Face It.
Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity and Oxfam is calling on world leaders to ensure that a fair and safe deal is reached at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December.
Please add your voice and help make the call louder, stronger and impossible to ignore.
So I think it is important to bring attention once again to Oxfam Ireland's campaign Climate Change Destroys Lives. Let's Face It.
Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity and Oxfam is calling on world leaders to ensure that a fair and safe deal is reached at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December.
Please add your voice and help make the call louder, stronger and impossible to ignore.
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