Importance of Relativity

Success! I’ve finally found employment!!! Wooooo0! I’m very excited and as a result, have rewarded myself with doing absolutely nothing! Well,  that’s not exactly true though either, because here I am blogging away – perhaps I’ll slow down later….anyways, what a great time to stop and let the heat of the sunshine drain out all your energy! Thankfully for me, 8 months in the tropics have adjusted my internal temperature so that this is wonderful Don’t get me wrong, I still feel how heavy the air is and yes, it’s hot, but I think I’m coping much better than others. I’ve always  loved the heat though. Remember a few years ago when Europe was suffering from heat waves and people died because of it? That was when I escaped the chill of Ireland to backpack around Spain – most Spaniards, however, had chosen the cool coasts of Barcelona, and there I was – the dumb tourist wandering around the deserted streets of  Madrid at 40 C degree heat at 7pm. Live and learn, or in my case, sweat! And at the end of my trip, back to my studies in Montreal, with arguably the coldest winters in Canada.

Point of the story? People adapt, everything is relative. The other day, we saw South Asians in full out cricket gear playing the under the afternoon sun. This heat must be nothing for South Asians, but for a place that is known for its snow fall, it is out of the ordinary. And so, hot topic of the day is, ironically the heat! And not just in Canada, but in the US as well.

The other day, the national news broadcasted a piece on the suffering of farmers who, with shortages of fresh water, were facing an ailing crop and having to sell cattle before their prime. While droughts are indeed awful, I reminded myself that 1) This is the US and 2) Farmers are not just farmers, but businessmen who control farms the size of small towns and who control the price of corn, much like the way that OPEC controls the price of oil. Silos are stocked to the brim full of supplies in order to control the price, instead of its former use to be dipped in to when supplies were low.  Knowing this, I was disgusted with the news piece to have neglected that point.

I’d like to think that people are good  people and  care about others when a crop dies or business is bad, especially in this economy. I suspect that’s why this news piece aired in the first place – to pull on the heart strings of the average Joe and to highlight the out of the ordinary heat waves.  But believing that Joe is inevitably good, he is not always educated to know that farming has joined the ranks with the rest of corporate America and so will pull up his socks, stop complaining and get back to work. What I find even more disheartening is that this made national news, but the droughts that the rest of the world experiences rarely makes the headlines.

I typed in ‘Somalia Droughts Heat’ in to the google search bar and the first news source, behind research studies, weather reports and alarms was a piece posted by ABC 5 days ago title, “Somalia Drought ‘One of the Largest Humanitarian Crises in Decades.’  Further on down the page, I found the CBC had declared, ‘Somalia drought aid hindered by armed groups.’ This to me, was more a more news worthy subject than farmers in the US.

Admittedly, my knowledge of Somalia and its history is little and I’m very humbled by an Eritrean friend who attempted the topic in her PhD thesis because it’s incredibly complicated and starts dozens of years ago. What I do know is that Somalia hasn’t really had a formal government for 20-30 years and are divided by half that wants independence. More North Americans are more likely to recognize the ‘We are the World’ song in the 80′s that brought Bono, Boy George and many other artists together to raise money for the droughts Somalia was suffering from then. Oddly enough, a remake is in the works!

Mobilizing international food aid is not as easy as it looks – think the forms, red tape and bureaucracy that you have to suffer through when renewing your license and then multiply it by 1000 and throw in a few more countries and disgruntled farmers’ unions that don’t like to part with their stocks. Furthermore, with no formal government, getting food and supplies to people that need them becomes very dangerous and difficult. How to reach the most vulnerable? is likely what is on the minds of most international relief agencies.

As a result, people leave and leave en masse; traveling by (mostly) on foot to neighbouring Ethiopia or Kenya where refugee camps provide an alternative to the already cramped streets of Nairobi or Addis Ababa. Knowing how precarious living standards and conditions can be in a refugee camp, my sympathies are with them. During my grad studies, I was fascinated by environmental changes and what it meant for societies and had written a paper on Environmental Refugees, much like the ones escaping Somalia, only to discover that International Law had yet to include them; to be a refugee, according to the Refugee Convention, doesn’t include the escape of environmental degradation and therefore claimants cannot obtain asylum status or rights in their new country. As a Canadian, I’ll never have to experience this and few Canadians even think of it, but really, what do you do when there is no food or water in your homeland (and therefore no jobs) and  have to migrate to a land that won’t allow you to stay or give you any rights?

Knowing the reality of many Somalis and East Africans, makes me think how stupid we are to complain about the heat, when water is in abundance and air conditioners blazing. Agreed, the plight of farmers is an obstacle, but really it’s a small obstacle that will likely vanish in a couple weeks or when stocks are let out and the weather changes. Is it something that we really need to focus our energy on, complain about or generate sympathy? It’s all relative, I suppose.

 

Weighing the Pro’s and Con’s of Afghanistan

I’m hesitant to discuss Afghanistan, knowing full well that it connects much of the world’s security concerns and therefore much of t he world’s attention. I’m hesitant because I haven’t yet made up my mind about it and am not sure what I support. We know scant little to make a valued opinion. We know that it is home to the 9/11 terrorists and that before 2001, the country was a feudal state, run by brutal warlords who called themselves, the Taliban. We know that troops in Afghanistan bears greater justification than in Iraq and is consolidated by a handful of nations that would agree. We also know that this is an initiative that carries a high price tag. Can’t get much simpler than that!

Ok, so what do we do? First we topple the ruling elite, send in troops, dispersing would-be terrorists who subsequently lead and utilize guerrilla styled attacks throughout the country. Meanwhile, brave coalition forces attempt to create stability, form a working army and consolidate a reliable leader. The reorientation of the US foreign policy is comforting as there is safety in numbers, but there are several obstacles that stand in the way of making Afghanistan what the world wants.

Obstacle #1: Does Afghanistan want to be occupied? Answer: Likely not! Who in their right mind wants to be occupied?! But if you’re President Hamid Karzai and you want to consolidate power by creating a standing army and police force that pledges allegiance to your ruling, then the ISAF and US missions are your friend, not enemy. They’re the one’s that are defending your rule, will provide the foreign aid, diplomatic support and investment needed to bring Afghanistan in to the 21st century. That’s not what Karzai seems to care about though – his childish reaction being uninvited to Washington (itself a reaction to Karzai’s scrapping of an independent panel revealing Karzai’s election fraud) was to seek out persona non grata himself, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and invite him for tea and a speech. Someone better teach this man his manners! Really calls in to question Karzai’s vision for the country that is a little less American occupation, and a little more corruption, little less democracy and a little more hate speeches. Makes you think whether we’re supporting the right man? The fact that there was fraud at all in the last election suggests that the rival presented a real challenge to Karzai – if it was fair, would a different President be in power, whose views align more closely with the coalition forces? In any other situation, I’d reject this notion of playing puppeteer to a nation – no nation should have that power, except when it comes to Afghanistan.

Obstacle #2-4 : We’ve agreed that occupation is necessary and if it’s necessary, it’s going to be messy and costly and likely lengthy. Guerrilla type tactics are extremely effective and give the guerrillas an advantage, working on their own doorstep. At the same time though, terrorist displacement throughout Pakistan, Yemen and further to Germany and inside the US makes me think that it’s working. There is no base of operations anymore and organized crime and terrorism is much more difficult when borders divide them and technology can track them. Granted we haven’t succeeded in developing the necessary precautions or tools to prevent this yet and we’re ignorant not to.

The costs are astronomical for all countries involved and it comes at a particularly fragile time when the world’s economies are consistently being gambled with.  No one wants to do it, but no one also wants a concentration of terrorist activity and training grounds. Afghanistan has suffered years of neglect and mismanagement and its principal industry is the drug trade. This isn’t a problem that Afghanistan can conquer alone.  If balancing a budget is more significant to a foreign policy and a re-election campaign than ensuring global security and avoiding endless destruction and loss of life, then by all means it’s time to pack up shop. But these priorities are not clear – either you’re all for it and all the things that it includes, or you’re all against it.

And lastly, Afghanistan will be a lengthy process. Most wars are. Hopefully with increased troops to the region, reconstruction and development can proceed – that’s nation building. There’s no clear recipe for it, but the idea is the same. In a nutshell; demobilize combatants and consolidate rule; create opportunities that provide an alternative to violent extremism; rebuild and reconstruct infrastructure that instills the instruments of the state (especially the judicial, legislative, education and health sectors) and creates jobs – at least that’s the intention.

No one wants a war. No one wants to be tangled in mess for years that will only drive up a budget and drive down popular support. The obstacles are just a few among many that include Afghani support for the mission, Pakistan, confusion among multi-national intelligence circles, drug trafficking, democratic values and human rights and many, many more. (Note: I purposefully excluded religion from this list as I don’t see religious differences as an obstacle to this mission) I’m tired though of debating the pro’s and con’s of whether we should or whether we shouldn’t be there. Clear priorities have to be drawn and committed to, if anything, to build the confidence of a teetering Afghanistan and show that our support is unwavering and its reliance on corruption, terrorism and illicit ways are things of the past.

Challenges of Development

Would the thought of losing your left hand be enough of a deterrent to not commit a crime? It certainly would be for me! Heck, the thought of a fine or public scrutiny would be enough to keep me at the speed limit! These are the thoughts going through my head when I read about a Nigerian Islamic Court baring a Twitter feed discussing dismemberment for criminal punishment. So not only are the sentences harsh, but the Islamic Court also ruled that discussion of it via Twitter should be silenced – just another sign of a blossoming theocracy!

Sharia law. I think the Iranian’s were the first to instill it during the ’79 Revolution and its institutionalization in several Islamic nations has since been adopted. The intermingling of Islamic tenets and the law dictate the conduct of the citizens. Yet I don’t think Islam and democracy are or should be ever contradictory.  Rather a bizarre interpretation of Islamic preachings are used as a political tool to instill fear, squash dissent and ensure that the ruling elite are never challenged. I’m not an expert, but in my ignorant eyes today, I see Sharia law as a cop out to real leadership and equate it with a police state.

On the other hand, harsh punishments for criminal offenders also take place in other areas of the world – drug traffickers in Thailand, kidnappers in China- though none that I can think of had ever enforced bodily dismemberment as a tool for justice. It reminds me of something out of the Middle Ages, one where human rights, international law and political retribution were obsolete.  These deterrents may be strong deterrents for criminal activity, but one that isn’t humane and life sentences or losing a hand for petty crime is not a solution. Economic development, social services and education may have lead these vagrants on another path away from criminality and a life sentence and towards prosperity and opportunity. Money put towards these goals would be money well worth it in the long run, yet the long run is rarely in the best interests of political leaders in nations such as these. Therein lies the challenges of development.

What do Polls Really Say?

I went for a job interview once at a polling company that constructed polls and analysed the data. I thought it could be interesting, especially when the content was dealing with something interesting. Turned out, it wasn’t. But it did highlight the significance of polls in today’s world; be it for the leading marketer of canned soups, the political party in the lead or or the quality of living of global cities – this one was interesting to read in the 2009 Mercer’s Report, released last April and it really made me wonder what the criteria is to be ranked on the list because apparently Vienna came 1st in quality of living! After living there for about 3 years, I can certainly see why it should be on the report, but first? I’m not so sure. Looking closer, in the Americas I see the top 5 being all Canadian cities?!  Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary – Wow! Again, wondering what the criteria is and how each were judged?

It is entirely different to be an insider, living in a city than those looking in, juding it by the statistics and polls. Vienna is beautiful and clean and safe, with efficient transportation systems, bountious leisure activities, close proximity to travel destinations, good social security – tough to find a fault, really. But looking closer, you’ll find a history that continues to affect every-day life, stereotypes bordering on racial behaviour and hidden truths that never seem to surface. I enjoyed my time there, but it was very difficult to get to know locals (language barrier aside)  and even if I did, they were the ones who either were foreigners themselves or had an international character – one in a million. I would definately go back to see my friends or for vacation, but only to visit.

On the other hand, my own country. Wow – still amazed that 5 Canadian cities topped the North American listings! Seems like all we do is criticize one or another government without really taking stock of our situation in comparison to other nations…Clean cities – (sometimes) check! Good social security – (meh) ok, check! Health Care – (ok) check! Multi-culturalism – (depends where you go) check! If all that adds up to excellent quality of life, then the better we are for it! I guess I just have problems seeing it that way also.

In the last months, we have a Parliament that is closed for the season, we’ve earned a negligible human rights record abroad, we’ve degraded the environment for an oil source and we’ve a government that is out of control, all at a time when the biggest sporting event in the world is taking place in Vacouver. It’s a wonder why the PM was replaced by the Governor General at the Opening Ceremonies?

I am a proud Canadian, especially when Canadians are on that podium, but I haven’t been lately in regards to our own government and conduct abroad. I’m also very much a liberal, which perhaps is where my views with the present government’s view collide. I’m wondering though if Canadian cities were amongst the top cities last year, where they’ll stand this year? A lot has happened. But if we’re at the top of the list for ‘quality of life,’ what does that say about people around the world and how they treat each other and how well we’re taking care of our environment?

It’s sad. We have summit after summit, all highlighting a global issue; environment, security, health, economies, all claiming to be working together to reach a common goal. But really, is this what we’re doing or are leaders just using these meetings to critisize and place blame on each other for not adhering to given rules. It seems childish and one that is further complicated by political struggles or troubled economies. But if each of our countries can’t face facts and promote openly their global initiatives, it’s a fat chance that any other country would follow suit. This is what is going through my mind as the G8 approaches.

Fundraising at its Best

I’m truly amazed and a little shocked that funds are still being  raised for Haitian relief. First, the out pour of contributions from regular Joe’s, then the telethons and concerts and now, a cover of ‘We Are the World’ being released. It’s wonderful that so many people have rallied behind a cause and done something great for other people in the world for no other reason than helping out. I’m shocked for three reasons; first, because news never stays new for long and what’s hot today will be gone at the latest by the end of the next week. So the fact that stories continue to hit the press about Haiti and the fundraising continues to rise, is phenomenal. And second, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wide-scale fundraising effort generate so much success. The Canadian government matched donated funds on the first week – out of the ordinary, but a positive step. And third, a good chunk of the funds are coming from the public, independent of development aid and disaster relief funds that governments have in their stocks.  Fantastic, get everybody involved!

The only thing that I don’t seem to get is why Haiti is special? I don’t mean that they don’t deserve it, but rather, Haiti was a devastation before the Earthquake; rampant crime, scores of trafficking victims, poor rule of law, devastated economy, but the news barely covered it, Hollywood was ignorant and I’m sure ordinary citizens didn’t even know where it was on a map. Does it take a disaster to get people to wake up and act?  And if that were the case, why doesn’t widescale action happen for every catastrope, issue or devastation that takes place in the world?

Did ordinary citizens, business tycoons and Hollywood starlets lend their efforts to raise funds for victims of the tsunami, an earthquake in Sumatra (which occured just a few months before Port-au-Prince) or for victims  of genocide etc. Are earthquakes easier to understand? I just see so many causes that could benefit from similar fundraising efforts, but no one seems to acknowledge that there is a need for it – at least not in the mainstream press.

So as the Haitian funds continue to flow and provide aid to those that need it, I hope that donor’s, both governmental and private sphere, become a little more aware of the world around them and spread their awareness and funds around to other parts of the globe that could use similar assistance. A simple good deed goes a long way.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

China, China, China. What can I say, it’s a walking contradiction. How can a society, in some ways, have developed thousands of years in advance of the Western World but fall behind in others – way behind? After all, it was the Chinese who avoided the Plague by implementing hygenic measures; and it was the Chinese who invented gun powder. They should be more economically advanced with the best insitutions and scientific discovery. I guess that’s what a Civil war, a World war and dabbling in Maoist socialism gives you.

I think now though, they’ve finally gotten a hold of capitalism and is taking it for a ride. It’s been reported that China is leading the world in investments in alternative energies – but arent’ they the one of the world’s greatest emitters? Something that the US is aiming for and Canada has feebly given up. It’s ironic too that China would invest so heavily in wind and solar energies, knowing the long history that it’s had in striking up oil deals with auspicious leaders around the globe, notably Sudan , which others wouldn’t touch with a stick.

Democracy however isn’t important to China, money is. Loosening its grip on Tibetans or Taiwanese is unlikely to come any time soon, despite the support that the US may lend to them. At the same time, the tides of democracy are hard to quell in a growing and globalized world. Why else would Google have reported a major cyber attack and “also said hackers had infiltrated the private Gmail accounts of human rights activists, suggesting the effort might have been more than just mischief“. Using the internet to squash opposition, what kind of government does that? Kudos to Google for not packing up shop and leaving, but rather creating Goojje - Google’s little sister.

China has entered the 21st century with a bang, and to the bank I might add, but it hasn’t gone far enough. Coming to terms with the past would be a first step in identifying exactly who they, what their goals are and how they will go about in achieving it. No more claiming to be one thing and doing another. Next, identifying niche markets has worked fantastically and is likely to continue, along with the further development of the provinces, which is sure to reduce the number of poverty stricken families – imagine what a billion productive workers could do for the economy? I don’t dare think that minimum wage would rise soon as it’s cause for heavy investment from abroad. But one can only hope that with greater investment, the spread of web technologies and raising of living standards, a middle class will emerge to threaten the status quo. Something happend like that in 18th Century France, no?

Whatever may happen in the future, China will always be a major player in the world’s economy. But altering attitudes, behaviour and policy of the ruling elites to respect democratic values is another task entirely. We may just have to wait until the elders die out and a younger generation replaces them a la Democratic House. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t still advocate for change or get rid of sanctions or stop critisizing. It just means patience is necessary.

Foreign Correspondence

I’ve  thought of a career in journalism.  I like being able to express myself in ways that the spoken word couldn’t. But what has made me shy away from the practice as a career avenue, was it’s lack of analysis that it provides its readers.  True enough, good journalists with years of experience are able to provide insight to their readers that the regular desk reporter wouldn’t, but it rarely did anything more than inform the public, but even that was subject to the biases of the newspapers or corporate politics.  I found it discouraging to write a piece that you were so passionate about, hoping to spark debate, a public outcry or promote change, only to find reader’s indifferent. I wanted to be part of the group of people that made those changes, not simply uncovered them. I respect journalists, for the work that they do and the lengths that they go to to uncover a story. But for me, a story is never just a story. I would tend to invest myself in it and would want to see things through, work towards change and spread awareness.  It took me a long time to figure that out and even now, I cannot pretend that writing isn’t a part of me, my blog can attest to that. And so, I’m writing today to express just how affected I was this morning by all the reports coming out of Haiti.

Being abroad, far away from chaos, it’s easy to keep these events at an arm’s length. Life has been tough, dealing with my own problems, worrying about family and friends, job prospects and those nagging 10lbs that just won’t go away. And knowing myself and the extent that issues affect me, I just change the channel or avoid the links on the webpages, send my best wishes and wait until the news becomes less new and is replaced by a new story.  But today, it was unavoidable. I was reading yesterday’s paper (I was working yesterday morning) and found more than 10 articles dedicated to Haiti, with documented photos alongside. The headlines were striking, ‘surgeons conduct amputations without anesthetic,’ ‘gang executions of looters,’ ‘foreign aid slow to come.’ I was bombarded with emotion, tears brimming my eyes. I can almost imagine the chaos that is echoing out of the country.

If I can just see myself trying to report these types of things and bubbling through a reportage, trying to take in the children around me who are drinking dirty water, which in itself could be infested with countless unknown diseases. But I’m thankful that I did have that shock this morning. It’s prompted me to internalize this, and write about it here. I’ll be surfing the aid agencies tonight, trying to find the best one to donate to. I have little funds and am working 3 jobs and living with my parents, but I would sleep better tonight knowing that I can contribute. And it’s because of those journalists.

It’s at a time like this that I’m proud of our government – never thought I’d say that, – for its quick action to assist -  lower ing immigration standards for claimants from Haiti, delivering aid and surgical equipment, for welcoming Canadians into the Haitian Embassy. Perhaps the Governor General and her  Haitian heritage had something to do with it. Regardless, it almost makes up for the fact the PM basically closed Parliament for a few months and reaffirms what Canada is all about.

Divine Intervention

I’m not a particularly religious person.  I’d consider myself a Christian and was brought up going to church occasionally and on the holidays.  I know the basics and have tremendous respect for religious practices.  So sometimes when there is no explicable answer to things, I turn to God and ask blindly, what the deal is.  Such is the case when I read the newspaper and think when things could have gone so differently. You know, God could have stepped in years ago, changed things around or even looked into the future to see problems arising (I think he has that power) and said ‘oh, I think I can change that around, save those humans down there a lot of grief!’

This idea came to me after reading about the new blood diamonds – the old one’s being the precious stones that fueled civil war and subsequently the subject of a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio – the new ones are rubies; emerals and precious metals that continue to fall into the hands of military juntas, rebels, questionable dictators and corrupt governments.   You know, how hard could it have been for Him to re-arrange where people were put, how a river flowed or where shiny little stones spat up all over the earth.  It certainly would have helped to avoid the chaos that has followed.

Why couldn’t these stones and metals have been found in more peaceful nations, like Lichtenstein or Belize? Perhaps it is actually the riches that they bring that causes the problems.  I find it an intersting topic to explore and I did so in my graduate thesis, but after months of studying, I still turn to the heavens for answers.  And it’s not just stones and metals, it’s oil, it’s endangered species – all that are bountiful in countries that either have social unrest, unaccountable leaders or indifferent populations that just don’t care.

Granted when it was exposed that the world’s elite were financing civil war through diamond sales, inquiries and exposee’s ensued and resulted in a grand scheme that notorized the origin of diamonds, but even that has been criticized as it is very difficult to pinpoint exactly where the stones originated and at what time.  Will the same process be put in place for every other stone out there? with the same ambiguity?

On the other hand, how can you thwart the sale of oil to hostile nations, when oil is exactly that has created the world we live in.  Will we have to succumb to another Iraq? I am a strong supporter of alternative energies, for the benefits that it will bring to nature and the people living on the planet, but also to avoid making ourselves vulnerable to other nations, particularly those rentier states (those that are rich due to the natural resources they employ) that have less than perfect democratic histories.

When thinking just how globalized our world has become; that the pickles on my sandwich come from India; the chips in my computer from China and the clothes on my back from Mexico, picking and choosing who your trading partners are based on their internal politics drastically limits the quantities and types of goods that are available. It’s a crazy world, but fine line’s have to be drawn somewhere.  Either that or we could all just stop what we’re doing and look up and hope that He’s listening.

Security on the Playing Field

As Olympic buzz starts to buzz louder as the opening ceremonies approach, I have flashbacks to the film, “Cool Runnings” – not for its cinematic genius or compelling script, but rather its demonstration of national pride and perseverence that the atheletes carry with them on their journey to the Olympics.  It’s perhaps national pride that I can even remember the film, starring John Candy and taking place in Calgary – the film itself found a washed-out Candy on the shores of Jamaica, training washed-out track athletes to use their talents on the bobsled track, landing themselves in the middle of the Calgary Games.  It’s truly a cute and funny film, but it exemplified exactly what the Games were about; competition, national pride, hard work, teamwork, equality, and many other exemplary qualities which make it perfect for kids and adults alike to enjoy.

Turning to the athletes of the national teams, who have the rare opportunity to represent their country which has, for better or worse, given them the chance to go to the world stage and show the world exactly what they and their nation is about, be it, drug enhancing performances, judges who sell out or the dignified tumble that is talked about for years to come. It should be an honor and to some, it may be life-altering.  Such is what I’m sure the Togo football team must have been thinking on their way to the Africa Cup in Angola or the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in Pakistan, or even the Israelis in Munich. I doubt that any would have thought they were risking their lives in doing so.

Pride and competition drive international games, but it’s the ugly cousins; animosity and violence, who accompany it, particularly when tension exists between and among communities, nations, cultures and religions, that turn a harmless athletic event into a deadly riot.  Make no mistake, these attacks on national teams are terrorist acts and it is just as symbolic to an attack on a national monument, but too often we brush the incidents aside into the pile of sports fanatic behavior.

And so, as we countdown to the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver and as security beefs up at the airports, harbors, borders, tramways, subways, train stations and pedestrian avenues and knowing that the complaints are sure to muffle the sounds of exited spectators,  we must remind ourselves that it is done in the name of security and maintaining a peaceful and competitive spirit to the Games, where politics and personal grudges are left at the sidelines and the sport can be enjoyed for what it is, a sport.