Grind Away

Over 400 billion cups are consumed each year. The United States alone imports more than $4billion worth of it per year. It begins in life in the “bean belt,” roughly bounded by the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. Among natural commodities, it is surpassed by only oil in monetary value. It comes from countries like Ethiopia, Indonesia, East Timor, Columbia, Guatemala, Cote D’Voire, and Uganda; places many sitting in Starbucks do not know exist. Many of these countries are desperately impoverished.
As our society begins its glacial shift away from hyper-consumerism, we begin to take into account quality over quantity, and with quality, a sense that the people creating the products we consume in our daily lives are getting a “fair trade.” Many factors are contributing to this shift; economic slowdown and the resulting decrease in money to spend is the first obvious one; but many people, (or "consumers" as we are now called) are also realizing that the more “stuff” they buy, the more of an environmental impact and imprint they are leaving on this increasingly fragile planet. Many are simply shifting their mentalities from the belief that more stuff equals more happy, and realizing something larger and more socially responsible in their consciousness.
Where the products we buy comes from is not something that goes through the mind of many consumers as they reach for the shelf, under fluorescent lighting, shopping carts overflowing steel ledges. However, giving a quick thought to this seemingly trivial question before reaching for your wallet could have a lasting impact on the lives of millions. The simplest gesture of humanity, as simple as a 2 second thought, as simple as a gesture of generosity, such as spending an extra $1-2 dollars on a fairly traded product, could impact the lives of millions. Luckily, this fair trade and responsibility movement has been gathering steam, and in every coffee house I enter, when I request 100% fair trade coffee (as you should too-and know that companies are deceptive and will use 1-5% fair trade just to put it on labels--only 100% will do!!!), they smile and nod. People are getting it. People want to care about others, even if its only with their wallets. And this is fine. This is the kind of caring that actually matters at the end of the day.
A wonderful retailer/wholesaler of 100% fairly traded, organic, tasty coffee, is Dean's Beans. Dean personally travels and meets all of the farmers in the developing countries with whom he works, ensuring the right amounts of money is being channeled back to them, and initiates community development schemes in the coffee growing regions where he works. He is a partner in the new trademark license of the regional coffee brand that was agreed to between Starbucks and Ethiopia, with much lobbying by Oxfam, that has already started to pay off for the Ethiopian farmers, with an additional $60million per year going to the people who deserve it most-the ones taking all the risk, and doing all the work. Through this agreement, much higher percentages of final profit will be going to the farmers in Ethiopia, a country which depends of coffee for 60% of its export earnings, and which has 15 million people who directly depend on the trade for their survival. Dean buys from a particular cooperative, the Oromo Group, whose work I have discussed previously.
The main player in the retail field in the US, Starbucks, has built its massive business on being a progressive, socially responsible company; much of this is a marketing falsity. Since the collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989, the price paid to farmers is at a 30 year low. You would not know that looking at the prices at your local Starbucks. There is no decreasing trend there. In fact, since 1990, retail sales from coffee have grown from $30billion to $80billion a year. Where is this disconnect, and who is profiting?

Take an average case: there is 80 cups of coffee in a kilo; each cup has a retail value of $2 (high end); that gives a retail value of one kilo of high end coffee = $160. On average, when using regular international trading mechanisms (middle men, wholesalers, and more wholesalers), the farmers receive 8 cents. How can we consume a product, know this is the case, and not want to change the situation for the farmers?
Take one more case in the regular-coffee-chain (commodity priced in NYC and London): the workers sorting low quality beans (for your average Chock Full of Nuts or Foldgers container) at the main processing plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, work a full 8 hour shift, sorting beans by hand. They make less than 50cents per day. Another unfortunate link in the traditional coffee chain.

Fair trade is starting to answer many of the complex questions involved (I will no delve into the commodities markets at this point), but they are doing it basically by acting as a bridge between farmer's cooperatives and domestic roaster (who sells the end product tot he consumer, ie: Dean's Beans), ensuring the farmer is getting a fair deal for their work and risk, and ensuring the consumer is getting a premium product, fresh from the fields. It is eliminating the commodities traders and middlemen, who continually work for their own profit and welfare, not for the welfare of the poor farmers. Fair trade organizations also establish a price floor for the product, a safety net for the producers, who often invest their entire livelihood in the crop. It is giving a fair price to increase the development of poor, rural communities in the coffee growing regions of the world. These farmers are not desirous of new cars and televisions; they require money to feed their families, access clean water, and be able to send their children to school. Fair trade is ending a decades long process of exploitment in the developing world by major multinational corporations. We all need to be a part of this change, to be the change we wish to see in the world.

Only recently has Starbucks started to respect the growers and farmers who supply their “black gold” from around the developing world. The consumer needs to enact this change; they are the only voice, the voice of the consumer, that is listened to by a large multi-national; next time you go into Starbucks, just ask for 100% Fair Trade Coffee (not the 1% they currently use as a clever, greedy marketing tool...try THAT on for size...rather than actually paying their farmers a fair wage, and creating a responsible business model, SOME of these big multinationals would rather deceive the consumer and reap in yet more profits by advertising fair trade and selling 1% fair traded coffee blended in with the usual, while the farmer get driven further and further into poverty with decreasing market prices!) When you buy coffe, make sure it has the Transfair USA Label, a group that certifies coffee exchange transactions. Also look for the Fair Trade Federation logo; they are a responsible business outfit working in the field. Its that easy to make some positive change, next time you go for your Caramel Mochiato. Deans Beans is truly an inspirational social business model, and the coffee is awesome. He sells in Whole Foods, many smaller shops, and online. And its no more expensive then the zero-% Fair Trade Chock Full of Nuts garbage rotting on the shelf of the local A&P. So, take the smallest step; the most basic deed; ask for fair trade wherever you buy coffee; if they don’t have it, request it; stores will honor the needs of customers. This is business 101. Consumers are the ones who will bring a change.
Please give a damn. It could be a life saver. This is the link for Deans:
www.deansbeans.com
Additionally, I have recently viewed a documentary on this topic; the awareness the is sprouting into the fair trade movement represents a wonderful moment in time; a small shift in a potentially larger paradigm shift of the modern consumer nation. Black Gold details the fair trade coffee movement in startling manner, following Tadesse Meskela, the manager of the Oromia Coffee Growers Union in Ethiopia, a union of over 73,000 growers in the south of the country. In one particularly startling scene, the cameras traveled to Sidana, Ethiopia, where Starbucks's Ethiopian coffee is grown. The cameras were following aid trucks, traveling to the relief feeding center for the region; the area was on the brink of famine for the first time. The scenes were startling; the market price for coffee had collapsed, and the many people who depended on it were not able to feed themselves or their families; they were at the bottom level of the coffee growing chain, completely forgotten. No price floors; no fair deal; no fair trade. Middlemen, wholesalers, and multinationals still making billions; farmers starving. An extreme case, to be sure, but reality, nonetheless.

Information breeds activity, activity breeds change. Be the change.




“Sitting there, I felt that all I’d seen and done, and all that I’d been through, was wrapping around me like a cloak, warming me throughout, reshaping me. As a result of being more patient and more perseverent than I had ever been, of trying to follow my path regardless of its difficulties, I had gained a remarkable feeling of strength and clarity and contentment that I had not known before.”
-Kevin Kertscher, Africa Solo

“When you begin to peel away the layers of the onion, when you begin to strip the stuff from the being, the attachments, the distractions, the styles, the manners, remote reasonable norms, the clean and the grit, you start to get a picture of mankind as a universal race, unhindered by difference. Only when these layers are removed can the core be observed; in its raw form, unmolested by accessory, a beating heart, a warm hand outstretched, a white toothy smile. Layers can only serve as a distraction, a distraction which spirals and builds and consumes, reinforcing itself into perpetual differences, distracting the simple truths. Peel, simplify, listen, observe.”
Me

Geopolitical Realities, Geopolitical Similarities

If your interests take you to enough countries around the world, physically or mentally, a pattern will soon start to emerge. With enough spatial divergence, converging trends appear. Failed states and states on the verge of collapse; mineral curses plaguing the poorest of the poor in places where the infrastructure does not exist to distribute gains past the Presidential compound; military rulers with nary a thought for the welfare of the people they "serve," or better yet, the people who are unfortunate enough to be stuck within the borders where their forces roam.
Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Burma, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone....many of the same cast of unfortunate characters keep appearing on stage; some slip behind the curtain, pursuing independent paths of reconciliation and a better day (such as Sirleaf's Liberia); it is clear this requires a transformational leader, foreign intervention (in an appropriate and effective manner) or a situation of such emptiness, such a bottoming out, if you will, that there is truly nowhere too go but up.
One place reaching such depths is Myanmar, or known by its colonial name (which in this case harkens to a much better era), Burma. I was fortunate enough to be present for a panel discussing the current situation in Burma, hosted here in NYC at the Asia Society. Unfortunately, what developed through the talking was a clearly defined sense of hopelessness for the people caught in the quagmire of this repressive military dictatorship. The Undersecretary of State for the Southeast Asian region was present, as well as a government-in-exile leader and an expert in Burmese economics, from Australia, to often reinforce government talking points, though the discussion that ensued after was lively and stimulating.

The undersecretary stressed, again and again, that the US was fully engaged and doing all it can in terms of political and economic pressure on the ruling junta; but the government is simply entrenched, and thus shrug off our sanctions and political pressure through gas deals with the Thais and Chinese, and Security Council pressure by the Chinese and Russians. The formal economy matters little to the generals who run the country; all of the profits from exploiting the country's natural resources are funneled into hard currency, which literally sits in a vault under the ruling general's mansion; so paranoid are they that little trust is given for even the Swiss Banks where the most corrupt of governments hide their wealth.

The question in my mind; where is the sabre rattling that the U.S. seems to have perfected over the last six years? How can we rattle the stick so loudly at Iran (not even mentioning Iraq) and not apply the same standards of human rights to other oppressive regimes with very similar realities on the ground? How can we shrug off to diplomacy and the quagmire of millions of lost souls living in such terrible repression in countries like Sudan and North Korea and Burma, but then apply such a firmer hand, such a more forceful hand, to the rulers of one Islamic Republic. The difference cannot be explained away through natural resources, as the Sudan and Burma have plenty of of their own. Where does the non-uniformity come from? Why are our actions not implemented as an umbrella policy against those who are actively suppressing human rights and actively slaughtering and raping their citizens? Are some lives more valuable than others, is this what we wish the world community to continue considering? Why do we nitpick and gerrymander and slice and dice and choose one special country to be fully engaged on? Do we not have the heart to deal with more than one desperate situation at a time? Should be we not deal with situation based on degree of desperation? Iran would surely fall down the list rather quickly in this case, as while not free and open, their people are surely not being slaughtered by government sponsored rebel groups by the hundreds of thousands or being gang raped and forced into manual labor building roads to new mysterious capital cities built in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The Saffron Revolution, led by the monks of Burma, occurred almost six months ago. Since this time, the country has fallen back off the news radar. But the repression and crackdowns continue, even if our attention spans have moved on to 24 hours a day of Hillary and Obama.
Does it take forceful revolution and bloodshed to get world's attention in all cases? Can world's attention not be focused without actual active revolt? Do we not have room in our hearts and minds for the cruel realities so many of our fellow humans are forced to live in? We need to be engaged all the time, not just when the suffering erupts into fighting.

Burma was the most developed, the most prosperous country in Southeast Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. They are now the least developed and worst off country in the region as we start the 21st. The military regime has been uniform in one capacity; their decimation of all sectors of the economy, both willingly and unwillingly; their corruption, incompetence, and irrationality that has spread into all facets of daily life in Burma. The rulers have recently undertaken a nationwide push for biodiesel , imploring and forcing all citizens to grow a particular variety of nut in fields and even houses, that is to be used to "power the country"; however, they have given no thought to the actual processing facilities needed for this to occur, have planned and built nothing in this regard, a fine example of the irrationality of the military rulers. Burma has the 2nd worst health care system in the world (and think of the competition at the bottom); there is rampant inflation and widespread currency divergence in exchange rates which fuels the enormous black markets; the list of woes goes on and on.
The situation continues under the dark, and all too common cloud of the resource curse. Burma receives about $2billion US per year from gas sales to Thailand; they have another vast field coming on line to supply to the Chinese (who especially now, are not about to speak out on human rights and freedoms) . This will add another $2 billion USD a year to the coffers of the ruling generals. Four billion a year allows for entrenchment; it allows for a complete removal from the duties of a responsible government, and it also allows for continual stagnation in the foreign bodies that matter and could enact change (the UN Security Council is composed of two members, China and Russia, with financial ties to the ruling Junta; they block every single resolution, and this is not likely to change, even under US pressure).

The strongest point here, however, is a uniquely positive one-these economic and social sectors and services did once exist. Again, Burma was the richest country in the region 100 years ago. This is an anomaly in the club of the underdeveloped; Burma was once a thriving place with a thriving economy and thriving institutions; the solution to the current problems has already existed, we just need to trace history, go back to move forward. The uniqueness of this situation lends a bit of light to a dark situation on the ground. At the most basic, the most simple level, are the people involved, the lives not progressing in a world that is moving forward. They have the capacity to recognize their stagnation, and this breeds discontent. A saffron revolution is what occurs when this discontent is not heard; and revolution will continue, resentment will continue to simmer, until another repressive military regime follows history and falls.

What can I do? First, join and support the Saffron Revolution. Heres the site:

saffronrevolutionworldwide.blogspot.com

Second, follow the news; be aware of whats going on; awareness leads to engagement, engagement leads to empowerment; empowerment leads to change.

A quote from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, on the current situation in the country:

Today, says Amnesty International, "torture has become an institution" in Burma. Reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other groups have repeatedly detailed a gruesome litany of abuses, including murder, torture, rape, detention without trial, massive forced relocations, and forced labor Even before 1988, Burma's army faced allegations of serious human rights abuses, especially in its campaigns against ethnic groups along the country's borders. These severe violations continue today, including arbitrary executions and forced labor of villagers as military porters in combat zones. Children have been particularly hard hit, both as direct physical victims of military abuse and as members of affected families. In 2001, conditions in Shan State and Karen State deteriorated as the junta launched wide-scale military operations. Hundreds of thousands of people in those areas have fled their homes to avoid conscription as porters or worse abuses. While some have reached safety in Thailand, most remain internally-displaced persons (IDPs). Only a few who are near the Thai frontier receive even a little external food or medical assistance.

Peacekeeping or Warstarting In Darfur

Much press and attention has fortunately been bestowed upon the forsaken region of Darfur, Western Sudan. The humanitarian situation in this region, which in actuality, extends over about half of the country, is grave; there is mass loss of life, mass suffering, mass exodus, all of the chillingly telltale signs of genocide. There are currently two crisis in Sudan, both as a result of oil and religion; the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum wants the oil found in the south and west, areas dominated by the Black Christians. The central government's lifeline is this oil; they will not allow control over these areas to waver an inch, and thus bombard any regions and villages that they consider to be a threat to their dominance with air to ground missiles, in addition to the janjaweed Arab militias that roam and plunder at will in Black African villages. (There is a historical antecedent to this strife-when the British colonial government pulled out, almost overnight, they created in a vacuum one enormous country out of what should have been at least two, "uniting" an Arab north with a black south into one unstable and volatile federation). There is very much the US could be doing in this region of the world, even in our over extended current state; there is logistics coordination, intelligence coordination, back room stuff that our military can perform masterfully in, without any risk of another "Blackhawk Down," erupting (the main psychological stopping point for another US military adventure in the Horn of Africa remains in the images of US servicemen's charred bodies being dragged through the mud strewn streets of Mogadishu in 1993). There is also the measure of political pressure; the movement created in the U.S., a broad coalition of evangelists, student activists, human rights watchers, soccer moms, and George Clooney fans, has spoken; the White House has listened, to some extent; it is not impossible for them to ignore, much to their chagrin, and much in the method that they were proceeding before awareness was brought to the masses. This is a good example in the people leading the way; rarely, are politicians the ground breakers in any large scale movement, we need to cautiously remember.
The basic point; we could be doing MORE. There is awareness; Bush has called the situation genocide. But where is the real, true effort to stop this genocide? I believe it could be more dangerous to label something and then walk away; complete indifference (such as in Rwanda in 1994) at least can be excused as just that, indifference; but when you speak out against something, as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, and then continue to let masses starve and be killed by roaming bands of militiamen, indifference can no longer be cited. Action needs to be taken, an action that is multifaceted, well-funded, aggressively diplomatic, using both public and back channel means to achieve the only acceptable and reasonable end. In addition, it is the result of a well-informed and proactive public leading the way. We are vastly overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan; our diplomacy is greatly weakened in as this administration blunders and limps its way to the finish line; but our voice, our actions, and our leadership still means something to the rest of the world. We can choose to lead in sabre rattling in Iran, or we can choose to lead in a massive humanitarian intervention to save the lives of millions in danger. Acting in other's interest, this action to sustain life that has no voice could turn back the scales of world opinion.
Concluding the previous point, let me cite Dr. Sachs, in his infinite wisdom. Concluded by pictures that appeared in the NYTimes yesterday; this newspaper has done a masterful job in bringing awareness to this issue. They are doing the job they SHOULD be doing as the mass media in an open society, and that so many others are completely negligent in doing; bringing issues of world importance, of human importance, to those who would otherwise be unaware.

"Great social transformations-the end of slavery, the women's and civil rights movements, the end of colonial rule, the birth of environmentalism-all began with public awareness and engagement. Our political leaders followed rather than led. It was scientists, engineers, churchgoers, and young people who truly led the way." (Time Magazine)

Debunking the Myths

I read a lot. I'm an information junkie. I'm also a snob with my news; I cannot stand to read or hear about the same things that are repeated 98% of the time by the mass media in this country, by our copious and wonderful 24 hour news networks; so this requires a proactive seeking out of alternative news sources, scouring the dark corners of the web (no, not THOSE dark corners) in search of the other 2%. And they can be found. I do continue to have faith that we, the viewers and readers of the world, do want to hear about more than Obama and Clinton and Spitzer. One of the best, already mentioned, is tucked away in a sleepy little corner of the New York Times opinion pages...On The Ground with Nicholas Kristof.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/
Kristof, winner of two Pulitzer prizes, confirmed travel junkie (this is personally comforting, though he went to Harvard first), who could be drawing world attention to anything he chooses, chooses to draw attention to the other 2%, along with his merry band of pranksters, who are constantly writing from the field and from the office on the state of the world, the state of development and the state of inequality, seen through academic, as well as experiential eyes. To understand, and employ this balance is hugely important; the ability to form opinions based on not just what you read and study, but also through first-person experience; I am a strong believer in the power of human contact; so are many others working in the field of international development.
Another face with strong words, also mentioned previously on various occasions due to his fantastic work, both from behind the desk and in the "dirt," is economist (some call him a celebrity economist, but whatever works for you, I'm a fan because he's brilliant, focused, and passionate about something I care deeply about as well) Dr. Jeffrey Sachs.
Rehashing for personal motives (as a constant barrage of negativity encountered about aid, the work of development, etc. slowly works to seep into my mind, along with the Nike and Coke ads), here is a paraphrasing of his arguments (and mine) against the arguments against foreign aid (found in the wonderful work, The End of Poverty)...or, arguments debunked...something to stem the never ending tide of negativity against doing something (or to stem the excuses that people who love excuses love to make). In hopes of dispelling the hopelessness that so often depicts the debate, both internal and external, on the subject, here we go with my very own top five list:
1. "Money Down the Drain"
...Contrary to popular opinion, the amount of aid, or foreign assistance, given to the entire continent of Africa is very small each year. We seem to hide behind the misconception that hundreds of billions, or trillions of dollars, have been misappropriated or wasted. While there has been waste (as is endemic everywhere in the world, even in the "developed" world--think of the $5,000 toilet seats billed by the Pentagon, and on and on), the actual figures are much smaller than most believe. In 2002, the U.S. gave gave $3 per Sub-Saharan African in aid. Taking out the parts for U.S. consultants (who always stay in the best of hotels and travel business class, thank you very much), food and other emergency aid, administrative costs, and debt relief, the aid per African came to the grand total of 6 cents. Think of what you can get for .06$....maybe a stick of gum? A tootsie roll? Certainly not a life changing amount of money; its hardly shocking that many think we have nothing to show for all of our money spent; its hard to get anything for nothing.

2. "Aid Programs Would Fail"
...There are deeply rooted prejudices that Africans are not capable of effectively utilizing aid. The realities on the ground show a different type of reality, a reality that is not dictated by historical prejudice; they show that the people on the ground are hungry for a change, desperate for a chance to break out of the cycle of extreme poverty. People are eager to progress onto the ladder of development, and join the world society-nobody wants to live in total isolation, geographic or economic... (the basic premise of development aid, in my mind, being the giving to people living in poverty the tools and circumstance to advance, and through bringing them up to the lowest rung on the ladder, or bringing the lowest rung of the ladder down to them, enabling empowerment to self-improve). Profound ignorance and prejudice have no place in this modern society-we cannot allow these misconceptions of the past shade the future-all people, regardless of shade, are capable of working hard and implementing important programs.

3. "Corruption is the Culprit"
...Almost all accounts of the situation in Africa, in most of the countries in the region, begin with the same reason-poor governance. This is a narrow minded and ill-informed viewpoint, seeing only one side of a complex equation. We need to balance the equation in this case-understand that poverty and bad governance go hand-in-hand; and need to be tackled hand-in-hand. This is not unique to Africa; it is unique to poverty-stricken countries throughout the developing world. As incomes rise, people become more literate; they are then able to keep the government more honest through an increased ability to act as a watchdog for the government in question. Lets think about this; without an educated middle or upper class in this country, there would be no public dissemination of information, no discussion, no action; would the Boston Tea Party have occurred if the colonialists were illiterate and could not understand the basics of taxation and representation and how these things curtailed their freedoms? Of course not. An educated class is an empowered class; en educated class keeps government honest. This is a vital role of education in modern societies. Second, more income directly invests in better government through tax receipts; the civil service will become better informed, better educated/trained, and more responsive with there is more income and more money in a government's coffers; working in a situation of desperation creates hostility amongst government employees, it creates a mentality of take-it-while-you-can corruption and misuse, as stability in the future of the government is impossible without a constant stream of internalized revenue. Basically, a government that is relying on tax receipts for function, rather than foreign aid, will be held to a much higher standard by its people, who will demand additional accountability if it is "their" money that is being misappropriated. Higher tax revenues also creates opportunity for enhancing all aspects of government service, down to the most low-level civil servant; these public employees become better trained, more professional, more accountable, more stable, and less corrupt.
Africa's governance is poor because Africa is poor. This relationship cannot be ignored for serious analysis and work to occur. Africa shows absolutely no tendency to be more or less corrupt than other countries at the same income and tax generation levels (think, Bangladesh, Haiti, etc.). In fact, looking at the actual data (god forbid!) we can see that there are many above-average African countries in the area of good governance, including Benin, Ghana, Mali,
Malawi, and Senegal.
4. "A Democracy Deficit"
...This is one people, especially Americans, so fond of our democracy and its positive contagious effects around the world, (Shock and Awe!), love to cite. Democracy is the only thing that brings economic possibility; development is impossible without the effects of a free society. While a stern believer in democracy, freedom, and human rights, there is only one word to use in this argument, and that word is, you guessed it, China. China has undergone the most rapid period of economic growth in the history of mankind since Deng Xiaoping declared, "To get rich is glorious!" I won't get into the specific here, but China does not enjoy democracy in any sense of the world, so this pretty much destroys the argument; we can also look at the case of modern Russia, one of the fastest growing economies in the world at the present, which is effectively under one party rule. So there you have two different examples, one a manufacturing economy, one a commodity economy, neither of which has real democratic freedom, both growing at more than quadruple the anemic, almost flat lined, growth of the pillar of Democracy, America. The links between democracy and economic performance are surely weak, even though democracy is surely a boon for human rights and a barrier against large scale killing, torture, and other state abuses.
Additionally debunking this argument is the fact that Africa's share of free and party-free countries, at 66%, actually stands above the average for non-African low-income countries in 2003, at 57%. This has not doubt increased as of late, looking at the political situation in South Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, to name a few.

5. "Lack of Modern Values"
...Many people make the misguided assumption that poverty and wealth are simple a reflection of societal values. Not only is this another fine example of prejudice (in a time that many want to believe we have passed this stage, at least in our own county, that is), but it is very narrowly focused and additionally incorrect from a historically educated perspective. Virtually every society that was once poor (yes, this means ALL societies, even the U.S!) has been criticized for being lazy and unworthy until its citizens become rich, at which point their new wealth is explained through industriousness...think of the U.S., pre-Industrial Revolution, a very few rich landowners, many poor peasants...think of Japan, the modern economic powerhouse, second largest economy in the world, and its progression from a "backward" poor feudal society in the 1800's to economic success...think of China! What are the stereotypes attached to all cases? Those on the outside, looking in through moneyed glasses with a critical eye, blaming laziness and incompetence, and the general superiority of their own work ethic, culture, and values.
These critics rarely understand that low productivity results not from laziness and lack of effort, but from the lack of capital inputs to production. A few have begun to understand this, a few visionaries like Mohammud Yunus, who are bringing that very access to capital to areas not previously served through micro credit programs. Stereotypes that Africans work little and therefor are poor are put to rest immediately by spending a day in a rural village, where backbreaking labor by men and women is the norm.

The Endless Persuit of Unnecessary Things

“Buy less... You don't need 20 T-shirts and 10 pairs of shorts. You just buy one pair of shorts that'll do everything. Then you can afford to pay more for it, and it'll last forever."
-Yvon Chouinard, Treehugger Radio

First, listening to the words of Yvon Chouinard, the visionary founder of Patagonia clothing company (and a personal hero), speaking about buying less; buying quality items, and less of them. Items that last a long time and do not have to be incessantly replaced. Yet, there is a bit of hypocrisy involved when the owner of a clothing and sporting goods manufacturer, responsible for making lots of new stuff all the time, tells us to buy less and be more responsible with our purchases. But sometimes, hypocrisy is better than the rhythmic, robotic motions of lining up at the stores to buy more stuff, because, like, that's what we are supposed to do, right? We are consumers, not citizens; (that was pulled from Chouinard himself); I wonder if we would be counted in the next census if we stopped consuming, dropped off the marketing radar, refused to let the incessant messages permeate our craniums, took a stand for the environment and for ourselves, started to value ourselves as more than consumers, started to focus on other things that matter more than buying that new pair of shoes. I have a personal theory that people buy, go shopping, go through the motions, because it simply gives them something to do; and in our society, we always need to have something "to do." The first thing we ask, "what are you doing?;" the last, "what did you do today?" or the common, "what do you want to do?"...we need to fill our actions, fill our minds, and fill our days, and consumerism is an easy escape from having to answer with anything meaningful. As usual, the easiest way out can also be the most harmful...
Harmful to the environment-look at the documentary Manufactured Landscapes by Mongrel Media...
...look at the impact of our lifestyles on the environment of China, who has assumed the fiscal as well as ecological responsibility for our lifestyle choices, the contaminated water tables, toxic landscapes, exploding cancer rates....I simply ask, for what? For more of the same stuff? For the "new and improved model?" (I think of the lyrics, '..it didn't even exist last year, but now its what we need...')

Luckily, I'm not the only one who is thinking about these things, about this "Post-Consumer" lifestyle, as one man I spoke to referred to it. I do find myself constantly "wanting" things that I really don't need; I consciously realize it's the constant barrage of media slowly seeping in; I need to be on constant vigil; take a step back; think, do I really need this? (separating need and want is a good first step) Is it going to make me happier to have this? Is it serving a vital purpose in my life? (so, that obviously excludes food products, clothing products, health care and education, think, Maslow's hierarchy), or is it just going to add more clutter to life, add one more item that will need to be given away or thrown away with I inevitably depart (think: the impermanence of all beings, I'm not being selective here).

This is a very delicate situation, and like all, needs to be examined from multiple perspectives and different human standpoints. The massive uplifting from poverty experienced by hundreds of millions of Chinese, unprecedented in history, is without a doubt, a positive occurrence for mankind; the ability of people to have a chance to improve their lives, I will not argue that this is a wonderful thing; but how this is done, how things are progressing, is simply off track and not sustainable. It is the sad truth for many, that this world cannot sustain 9 billion American-model consumers.
The steamrolling stridency for material superiority, seen through the new era of the Chinese super rich, the factory owners pushing for profits over any spec of environmental concern; the overwhelming push to consume by all the developed nations fueling this drive. It is simply not a sustainable way of progressing, from either end of the argument. It CANNOT be sustained. China is completely devastating their land and water making the never ending chain of products that fuels life in the "west"they are supporting gross human rights violators to secure natural resources needed to continue this production (though developed nations have been doing this for years, this is duly noted); the environmental consequences are already remarkable; it will only continue to get worse. There must be a balance.

Back to the human (more precisely, the American Human first hand perspective), the course of making ever more money, working harder and harder, to be able to consume more and more stuff, cannot continue. Either economic realities (we simply cannot afford things anymore) or environmental realities (the environment cannot sustain the creation of these things), or a human reality (I do not need these things), something has to give. I do believe things are starting to give. By choice or not.

Andrew Revkin (NYTimes op-ed) remarks:
"The conundrum is this: All that stuff creates jobs — making it, promoting it, selling it. It’s literally the stuff of growth. "

The question is; can economic growth be sacrificed in developed nations (I make the clear distinction here between those who have already achieved a sufficient level of "stuff" and those who struggle for survival)? Are we willing to take a step back and recognize that economic growth is not the end-all of human achievement? That growth can be measured in ways other than economic data and GDP forecasts? That growth can be measured in terms of quality of life, which does not necessarily correlate to quality of things? (I harken to Bhutan's Gross National Happiness, chosen over Gross Domestic Product, as a measure of development). I will not naively state that nothing is needed for quality of life and that we can all go live in caves; but I can non-naively state, once our basic needs are met: food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, etc., things becomes less and less important. (somewhat separately, from a development standpoint, its a view of giving people the tools to provide for the basic necessities that are needed as the foundation for life... I am also more than willing to recognize that without the tools of this consumerist/capitalist country and economy, I would not have the luxury to be sitting here typing on my laptop computer, transmit this post through wireless Internet, and listen to NPR while doing it...to note, I am not an opponent of capitalism, I am an ardent supporter of the market-though socialism has many advantages, see, Norway, but that's a whole other rant).

As Revkin states, "...at each end of the development ladder – from not enough to too much – we get into trouble."



"Achieving a sustainable and equitable global solution is clearly incompatible with a worldwide replication of U.S. lifestyles or even the somewhat less damaging ecological impacts of the lifestyles of other industrialized countries. In such a situation, inhabitants of the global North can and should opt for a new economic and social vision based on quality of life, rather than quantity of stuff, with reduced work time and ecological sustainability at its core. Such a vision has the potential to create broad-based pressure for an alternative to the current system of ecologically destructive, inequitable consumer-driven growth. Indeed, the future of the planet increasingly depends on it."
“Sustainable Consumption and Worktime Reduction,” a paper by Juliet Schor, a sociologist at Boston College

Yeah, but like, what can I do about anything?

Helplessness is an understandable, yet simplistic and and fatalistic description of the situation. The Tibetan people, led by their spiritual and political leader in exile, H.H. The Dalai Lama, whoa are now an ethnic minority in their own land, are facing one of the largest, best funded, and best equipped military and political machines in the world. The power of suppression in full view, or partial view, of the world's citizens. We can now see the vast disparities of living in a free land and living in a land controlled by a Central Committee; how a roaring economy not accompanied by individual and group freedoms can turn toxic. I have spent months of my own life living and traveling amongst Tibetans in Nepal and India; I have spent years of my life studying their traditions with relation to the mind. It horrifies me to see the brutality that can be exerted in the name of political control and irrelevant political boundaries. Yeah, but like, what can I do??....here's two.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

http://support.savetibet.org/site/PageServer?pagename=How_To_Help_Lhasa_Protests

Iron Ladies of Liberia

Thanks God for PBS....the savior of cable television.
Just finished watching an absolutely wonderful documentary on The Iron Ladies of Liberia, the first and foremost being Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, or "Ma" as most Liberians call her. Sirleaf was elected the first female African head of state in 2005 in the troubled West African nation of Liberia, just emerging from 14 years of brutal civil war. When she was inaugurated, Liberia had an unemployment rate of 85%; the capital, Monrovia, was without running water or electricity for 15 years; illiteracy was at 90%; infamous warlord and former President Charles Taylor was being shuttled to a war crimes trial in The Hague; the country was in absolute and complete ruin. Her determination and drive to improve life in this war torn country were riveting; seeing the challenges that would drive most mortals into inactivity, she pushes forward with an aggressive campaign to rein in endemic corruption and sooth a troubled social society.
I remember following the election in Liberia back in 2005, between Mrs. Sirleaf and former football star George Weah; its hard to express my satisfaction that this woman was elected, was given a chance in a part of the world historically dominated by the "Big Men," and has proceeded to work with integrity to improve the lives of her people, even in the smallest and most seemingly trivial of ways; this is certainly one of the bright spots of the African political scene.
One of the biggest problems facing this nascent country has been the huge foreign debt that was compiled during the last decades of corrupt rule, debt to multi and bilateral agencies and country donors, including the normal suspects (World Bank, IMF), money that went to fund ghost projects which have done nothing to improve the lives of the people of Liberia. I question, what kind of oversight was implemented on these projects?? Could the professional consultants employed by the banks not see that these funds were being misappropriated? Could they not see most of the money going into the pockets, or Swiss accounts, of the ruling mafia? Was there no conscious thought to the fact that the people were suffering, and would continue to suffer under these enormous debt loads for generations to come, debt loads for projects that did nothing but pad the bottom lines of the World Bank quarterly reports? This is very troubling theme that we see throughout the developing world.
Alas, a new "white knight," or more appropriately, a new "red knight," enters the scene; offering zero interest loans and huge grants secured against future mineral rights; offering massive infrastructure assistance; and as in most other areas of the developing world, this dashing red knight rode in on a China Airlines charter jet, and was welcomed with open arms. Even Liberia, a historical ally of the United States, a country that was founded by freed American slaves and even has the same flag (with one star instead of our 50) as the US, is starting to look at a new order in the world. A new order with an insatiable appetite for commodities, and a seemingly never ending supply of money to back up their smiles and demands. And they should. Who could blame nations in need for looking at every possible donor source to help alleviate painful situations. The question is, are we knowingly dropping the ball, or are we knowingly passing the buck, or are we just simply so distracted by our own political quagmire that we are willing to forfeit decades of unparalleled precedence on the world stage, in hopes of crawling into our isolationist shell and letting the world pack up and pass us by? Both isolationism and selectivism in our dealings are not feasible option. We must be bold and dignified in our dealings overseas; we must not lose this "race," or the many other drivers in this race will continue to pass us by, and it will become harder and harder to make up this lost ground.
President Sirleaf has repeatedly stated her commitment to the United States; Bush recently visited the country, to cement their relationship and America's commitment; he committed one million textbooks and other assistance for the country; however, the world order is slowly shifting; seeing it in such a small, undeveloped nation such as Liberia was a sign of how pervasive this shift has become. Sirleaf has pushed repeatedly for debt relief; why should this country be forced to pay the debts of previous warlords who ran the country into the ground?
The country of only 3 million was sitting under a debt burden of over 5 billion dollars; this could never be overcome without donor forgiveness. The interest payments alone would permanently cripple the nations finances.
One of her biggest initiatives has been to provide free, compulsory primary school education for all children, a right taken for granted in most countries, but something that has not occurred in Liberia for generations. I applaud this noble step, this noble woman, and her drive to move this country forward. Additionally, lights were turned on in a section of Monrovia for the first time in 15 years, and 30% of the city now has running water. These are huge steps, but enormous challenges remain. Regardless, Ma is truly an inspiration for the continent of Africa and the greater world.
Another positive update from the news wires on this topic (it will still take years to clear all the bureaucratic hurdles, but for now, Hurray!!!!!!)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The IMF and World Bank on Tuesday cleared Liberia's entry into a global debt relief program, a vital step toward canceling the country's $4.7 billion debts and helping it rebuild from civil war.

The International Monetary Fund's No. 2 official, John Lipsky, said the debt, owed to global institutions, other governments and private-sector creditors, was "simply unpayable and has to be forgiven."

“Across Africa and around the world, we must show that freedom can deliver prosperity and peace,” she said. “Failure to do so will be more costly than we can contemplate and in Liberia that failure could be catastrophic.”

"We have had many governments here in the recent past that have relied upon brute force, instilling fear into people. We say that you can still exercise leadership without repression. As far as I’m concerned, so far in this administration it’s working better than the use of force."

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia

A Nation in Need

A completely devastating report in the International Herald Tribune concerning the situation in the Central African Republic, a nation teetering at the bring of war and famine. I ask, how many Americans even know this nation of 4 million exists? Could they find it on a map? Do they care to look in the first place. Conflicts in Sudan and Chad have been getting a lot of press as of late (which is a wonderful thing, the press, that is); however, there are corners that have been forgotten; do we not have the capacity for more suffering? Is one conflict at a time, one humanitarian disaster at a time, all that we can handle or focus a smattering of attention on? What needs to be done? It may seem insurmountable. The suffering, the misery, the human toll. Heres two. What can "normal" people, who simply care on a human level do? Support one of the agencies that is already there, working on the ground, saving lives...heres some with an in-country presence:
International Rescue Committee (www.theirc.org)
MSF, Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org)
Caritas (www.caritas.org)

And heres a humanitarian agency blog from the CAR: http://hdptcar.net/blog/

Awareness. When people are aware, people begin to care. Most people, luckily, simply to not have the capacity to see scenes of suffering not want to do something, anything, to help a fellow human being. Actors, often naive and led by self-interest, parading in front of Darfurian refugees....while it makes me squirm a bit to think of the excesses in their daily lives, and a bit of hypocrisy in their actions, IT IS WONDERFUL that they are bringing attention. Its a shame that attention needs to be brought by overpaid actors and actresses, but for the people on the ground, affected and afflicted, it is a godsend. How many times this week did I hear stories about Elliot Spitzer; how many news articles are planned detailing the Presidential race, of which the culmination is still almost a YEAR AWAY....how many articles did I see on the humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic....one.....awareness is key, awareness needs to be heightened, this is point one.
Following through on commitments.
Millennium Development Goals. By sticking with money already pledged to ending extreme poverty around the world, programs to finance education, health care and infrastructure could be making a real impact on the lives of these people. Instead, there is a trickle; only a handful of agencies actually deployed in the country, most providing humanitarian relief, and not working on root causes of deep social and economic problems. Programs have been proposed by brilliant people who care deeply; money has been pledged; these things have not been followed through.

Looking additionally at the Human Development Report 2007 published by the United Nations Development Program, here are some startling statistics on this country few in America know exists.

Life expectancy at birth: 43.7 years (170 out of 177 countries)
Combined school enrollment ratio: 29.8% (168 out of 177)
GDP Per Capita: $1,224 (156 out of 177)

Here is a copy of the UN Humanitarian Appeal, 2007, for The Central African Republic.

Violence has now displaced a greater proportion of the population in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR) than in any other country of the world. Torching villages, unknown in CAR until November 2005, has become routine, summary executions reign in a climate of impunity, and rape shatters the dignity and health of the country’s women. This is the reality faced by one million people scattered in small villages or seeking refuge in the bush along the borders with Chad and Sudan. And it comes on top of the world’s most oppressive poverty which has seen almost two thirds of CAR’s population of 4.2 million survive on less than US$ 1 per day.[1]

There is an emergency in CAR. The mortality rate of children under five has gone above the emergency threshold. The crisis is based on a menacing web of politics, insecurity and poverty. Humanitarian action can never resolve these problems, but it can alleviate the terrible suffering of hundreds of thousands of people caught in the cross-fire, chased from their villages, or living in areas where war has destroyed economic activity. Providing succour to our fellow man during times of distress is a responsibility shared by all.

The worst violence continues in the northwest, in particular near the borders with Cameroon and Chad. This is where a volunteer with Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Elsa Serfass, lost her life on 11 June. In the northeast, the threat of violence spilling in from Darfur is ever-present. During the first week of June, armed militia on horseback and camels attacked a non-governmental organisation (NGO) helping local communities with desperately needed water and sanitation.

There is hope, and action to translate it into meaningful respite. On the political front, two agreements between the Government and militant groups have calmed tensions and led to a tangible decline in violence. The rate of displacement in some areas (for example around Kaga-Bandoro) has abated and there are clear signs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their villages. This sign of hope is not the only one: the United Nations has witnessed Government forces and Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR[2]) militants working hand-in-hand to provide safe haven to almost 3,000 refugees arriving in the north-eastern hamlet of Sam Ouandja. War brings out the worst and best in man, and Central Africans are only too willing to help themselves provided they receive the appropriate support from the international community.

Two types of support are needed: humanitarian action and development cooperation. The Mid-Year Review (MYR) focuses on the former, but cannot ignore the latter. Humanitarian and development agencies strive to integrate the two strands of assistance in CAR. The name of the Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team, and merging of cluster groups with development thematic groups, tell of efforts to ensure a holistic approach to aid, hence the name of this CAP: Coordinated Aid Programme. Sharing information between partners inside and outside the country is a key priority, and the Information Management System has been entirely overhauled during the past six months. The purpose is to increase efficiency, speed, and quality of information sharing. With new NGOs arriving, and the United Nations extending their humanitarian operations, the aid community is approaching its basic objective of keeping people alive and providing urgently needed assistance.

Trailers

Since I have finally figured out how to imbed videos from YouTube, its like a whole new window of blog posting has opened up. The glorious possibilities! Anyways, here are two video trailers from the two most powerful/inspirational films I've seen in the last few years...A Walk to Beautiful and God Grew Tired of Us. Please see them both. It's hard to remain unchanged afterwards.

Magnum in Motion

Magnum Photos Agency, based in NYC, who represent some of the best names in photography, including my favorite artist Steve McCurry, has started an "In Motion" series, a multimedia project examining certain events. Slate magazine featured "Rwanda on Trial," a photo essay commemorating the mass trials that began 10 years ago for the perpetrators of the mass genocide that rocked the country. Today, Rwanda is prosperous, stable, and setting a model for progress on the continent; ten years ago the story was drastically different. Here are a few of these haunting photos, courtesy of Zena Koo at Magnum in Motion.
Related, I read Samantha Power's wonderful book, A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, some time back, which delved into this conflict with wonderful clarity. Seeing that she was back in the news recently for her Hillary Clinton comments, heres a clip from her book about the genocide in Rwanda (with a few of my own comments). She has a new book out as well, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World, which is on my shortlist for reading, once I get through Jared Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel.

Rwanda: Mostly in a Listening Mode
…the Rwandan genocide would prove to be fastest, most efficient killing spree of the twentieth century. In 100 days, 800,000 Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were murdered. The United States did almost nothing to try to stop it. Ahead of the April 6 plane crash (which killed the President and started the violence) the United States ignored extensive early warnings about immanent mass violence. It denied Belgian requests to reinforce the peacekeeping mission. When the massacres started, not only did the Clinton administration not send troops to Rwanda to contest the slaughter, but it refused countless other options (radio jamming, humanitarian aid, airlifts, any type of intervention at all). President Clinton did not convene a single meeting of his senior foreign policy advisors to discuss US options for Rwanda. His top aides rarely condemned the slaughter. The US did not deploy its technical assets to jam Rwanda hate radio (which was the gasoline for the violence—this equipment was not sent because of cost! $8500/hour!!), it did not lobby to have genocidal Rwanda government’s ambassador expelled from the United Nations…Washington demanded the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Rwanda and then refused to authorize the deployment of UN reinforcements….Clinton knew…there were no costs to avoiding Rwanda all together. Thus, the United States again stood on the sidelines…
…Romeo Dallaire (Head of the UN peacekeeping force)…says: “when the plane went down (President's plane, that is), we actually expected around 50,000 plus dead. Can you imagine having that expectation in Europe? Racism slips in so it changed our expectations”

Sustainability, Educational Development, Agricultural Development

The Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU)

Ethiopia?s Oromia Coffee Farmer?s Cooperative Union (OCFCU) aims to help small-scale coffee farmers take advantage of the Fair Trade coffee market, the viable alternative trade strategy. OCFCU was established in 1999 in order to help the 100,000 farmer families working in Oromia cooperatives to get through the difficult price crisis. OCFCU comprises 34 cooperatives, cultivates 86,487 acres and has an average annual production of 16,507 tons, is known for its high quality coffee, all of which is heirloom, forest-grown, organic, bird friendly and smallholder produced. In only its third year, the OCFCU is already starting to return 70 percent of its gross profits back to the Fair Trade cooperatives, in order to help coop members.

Coffee farmers would prefer to work their own way out of the current crisis, which is deepening each day. According to Tadesse, ?There are communities that are growing coffee that have never bought clothes for the past three years?. Malnutrition is seen in coffee areas? We have a plan to establish societies to help them save, then to use the money for when they are short of cash to buy food [during the growing season] when there is no harvest.?

Another essential way to fight poverty everywhere in the world is education. Tadesse pointed out: ?The farmers cannot afford to buy [school] uniforms for children, cannot afford to pay even a small amount of contribution to the schools, they cannot afford to pay for food for when they stay in school, because it is 10 to 20 kilometers from their house.? Part of the sales of OCFCU?s Fair Trade coffee is going back to the communities to be used to build schools, which will help to address the problems in the impoverished communities in a country where only about a quarter of the school-aged children attend school.

Fair Trade coffee helps to provide living wages to the farmers, and up to three times as much income as the average coffee producer. This income will help farmers provide for their families, increase their quality of life and allow them to continue working on their farms.

By helping the Ethiopian coffee farmers economically, Fair Trade also provides the farmers with access to greater political power. Furthermore, the farmers learn about the democratic process through the democratically run cooperatives. Decisions connected to development are not dictated from above; instead, Fair Trade represents a ?bottom-up? approach, respecting the rights of people to make their own decisions and thus respecting their dignity and cultural traditions.

Looking at the coffee "supply chain..." Many hands have to touch this coffee before it comes into our Starbucks or Whole Foods, and thus, into our mugs on these cold spring mornings. In the fair trade system, basically, instead of the farmer selling directly to wholesalers or in village/city markets, the farmer will sell his beans to the Fair Trade Cooperative, where they are a member. The cooperative will then take care of packaging the coffee and distributing the coffee on the world market, through a system of alternative channels; this establishes minimum prices and price floors, which will help the farmers and coops to weather downturns in markets or in production, due mainly to crop failure/environmental degredation.
Fair trade is cutting out many levels of wholesalers and middlemen, the people who get very rich, while the farmers stay very poor. I have always been a believer that the person who is doing most of the work, who has the most to lose, should also be the one to have the most to gain; the middlemen are a virus; cutting them out of the equation is a virtue! I'm also a believer that people are willing to pay a bit more for a cup of coffee or a bag of beans that is labeled "Fair Trade." I also am a believer in what I like to call the "Its the least I can do" philosophy of consuming; even if I wasn't interested in helping others, and I just wanted the best cup of coffee for my money, everyone needs to have a BIT of compassion in their hearts and minds. Whats the very least you can do, without interrupting your daily machinery of life? I think (or hope) that we have attained a level of social consciousness that allows us to both want to feel good about ourselves (sometimes selfishness is a virtue) and feel good about helping others through this practice. This is a fine example of sustainable, fair, and virtuous economic development. What can you/I do? Simply, ask for fair trade coffee when at the coffee shop (as if they don't already carry it...maybe in Fargo or Barrow)..and let market forces work their magic.


"In seven brief years, we will have squandered more in the so-called "war on terror" than all the world has ever given in all of its aid to all of Africa for all time...
Too many economists spend far too much time debating grand principles rather than facts and evidence. For years I've been trying to stay practical and focused with regard to global poverty. My position—more aid directly targeted at specific needs—was widely dismissed at the start and has been an object of mirth among some mainstream economists. Three billion dollars per year for AIDS? A global fund to fight pandemic diseases? A 100 percent cancellation of many Third World debts? A mass distribution of anti-malaria bed nets? A fund for an African Green Revolution? All of these are now in development. And sooner rather than later we will begin to invest massively in demonstrating carbon capture and sequestration and other renewable-energy technologies (Japan just posted $10 billion for that purpose for developing countries). Sooner rather than later we will have a fund to avoid deforestation (Norway just put up $600 million for that objective). Let's turn to the "numbers" to discuss whether these things will work, at what cost, and in which institutional manner...
We are at a time when ideas will count—technical ideas to be sure, but also ideas about cooperation and conflict. The frames of reference of our political leaders will matter greatly. If they view the world as us versus them, we will indeed live in a world of growing conflict. If they view the world as facing a science-and-technology-based transition at a global scale, we can achieve spreading prosperity and sustainability. And in the end, interestingly, the politicians will be listening and responding to the world public. Perhaps as in all ages, our fate is truly in our hands."
--Jeffrey Sachs....clips cut from his letters to Martin Wolf, Editor, Financial Times, from Slate Magazine

Desert Blues-Habib Koite and Bamada

Desert Blues Part One: Desert Blues, a music project with Habib Koité, Afel Bocoum and the Tuareg-Women-Ensemble Tartit from Timbuktu.
All of these musicians are magicians...their sound and passion is unmistakable and unmistakably moving. I've heard music all over the world, but nothing has gotten into my bones like that which comes out of West Africa. These are truly an extraordinary people. Please check out this video, its mighty fine.





Desert Blues Part Two: Truly desert blues....more magic from Habib Koite and friend, Mali, West Africa.

Bobby Kennedy

"It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Robert Kennedy

Green is the new Red, White, and Blue

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/thomaslfriedman/index.html

Tom Friedman, NY Times OpEd Guru Extraordinaire, World Flattener, Intellectual Inspiration to Many, Future President of the United States of America??

New Book: Green is the Next Red, White and Blue; due April 19

This is a man who, when speaking, even captured via third party low quality podcast, gives me goosebumps. His oratorical as well as written words are unparalleled in their clarity and focus; he is a true inspiration in the area of foreign affairs and cutting edge policy discussion. His last book, The World is Flat, detailed the "flattening" of the world, the trashing of the old world order, insourcing outsourcing, offshoring, and the new era of global competition. I can't wait for his new work; it will without a question bring important new insight and focus into the green revolution. Other than Nicholas Kristof, my favorite writer at the best newspaper on the planet (with The Onion a close runner-up).

Heres a clip from his NY Times article of the same title, a glimpse of what the book will soon bring to the intellectual table:

The biggest threat to America and its values today is not communism, authoritarianism or Islamism. It's petrolism. Petrolism is my term for the corrupting, antidemocratic governing practices - in oil states from Russia to Nigeria and Iran - that result from a long run of $60-a-barrel oil. Petrolism is the politics of using oil income to buy off one's citizens with subsidies and government jobs, using oil and gas exports to intimidate or buy off one's enemies, and using oil profits to build up one's internal security forces and army to keep oneself ensconced in power, without any transparency or checks and balances.

When a nation's leaders can practice petrolism, they never have to tap their people's energy and creativity; they simply have to tap an oil well. And therefore politics in a petrolist state is not about building a society or an educational system that maximizes its people's ability to innovate, export and compete. It is simply about who controls the oil tap.

In petrolist states like Russia, Iran, Venezuela and Sudan, people get rich by being in government and sucking the treasury dry - so they never want to cede power. In non-petrolist states, like Taiwan, Singapore and Korea, people get rich by staying outside government and building real businesses.

Our energy gluttony fosters and strengthens various kinds of petrolist regimes. It emboldens authoritarian petrolism in Russia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Sudan and Central Asia. It empowers Islamist petrolism in Sudan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. It even helps sustain communism in Castro's Cuba, which survives today in part thanks to cheap oil from Venezuela. Most of these petrolist regimes would have collapsed long ago, having proved utterly incapable of delivering a modern future for their people, but they have been saved by our energy excesses.

(Not only is Tom Friedman a master writer, but also a master at making up new words! "Petrolism?" Why not!
Here he is discussing the repricussions of $60 a barrel oil...this is a bit dated....I am very curious as to how exponentially these problems compound when the real cost of a barrel of the sweet stuff has more than doubled. A whole other area of discussion in itself (speculators, hedge funds, soverign wealth funds....you will face your day of reckoning for reaking this havok on the world). I will be preordering his book, not on Amazon, but with the New York Public Library. I am a library nerd. Confirmed.)

Otherwise, heres a bit of "creative" writing I did at 12am last nite, thoughts pulsing in my feeble mind.

The urbaneness of urbane chatter fills me with a longing to mentally float out of the window with the steam melting off the hot iron furnace.
My mind wanders as if it thinks its time for sitting meditation, snapping and coming back to Earth,
an unalert student called to the board,
unaware of the lesson at hand.
A lesson in humility, futility, longing, striving,
living the best way we understand,
a product of our environment,
the whole a sum of the parts.
Or do we all feel, somewhere deep inside,
as I feel?
Have we suppressed this feel for lack of a rational translation, afraid of meeting the translator,
pushed back in the cabinet behind the J Crew cable neck sweaters and Hanes pantyhose?
No translator necessary to step outside ourselves,
open our eyes and feel,
like a blind man searching for a light switch in the middle of a bright, sunny day,
open our eyes to something else,
question something else,
a dog not chasing the bone, saying,
Fuck the bone, I'm going to get a steak.



The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. -- Albert Einstein

A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe"; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security. --Albert Einstein