May 06, 2009
Human Rights Documentation Manuals on Burma Released
Apologies for the prolonged absence in posting. I've been handling some sensitive information, and at the time, I thought it best to refrain from blogging. For the past year, I've been transitioning from human rights work into more purely environmental and development work, and will be able to write more on the latter soon. Below is information on a few human rights documentation manuals that helped out with.
The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) published the first edition of its Documentation Manual series last November. The series includes 13 manuals, one for each of the following categories of human rights violations. I helped work on the last 7.
1. Killings & Disappearance
2. Arbitrary Arrest & Detention
3. Recruitment & Use of Child Soldiers
4. Forced Relocation
5. Rape & Other Forms of Sexual Violence
6. Torture & Other Forms of Ill-Treatment
7. Forced Labor
8. Obstruction of Freedom of Movement
9. Violations of Property Rights
10. Forced Marriage
11. Forced Prostitution
12. Human Trafficking
13. Obstruction of Freedoms of Expression and Assembly
Continue reading "Human Rights Documentation Manuals on Burma Released"
Posted by social justice at 11:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 28, 2008
Update / Burma's Sham Referendum
Many apologies for the prolonged absence in posting. Security concerns. Let me update you since last entry. At the end of last year, I finished my time editing papers for human rights and environmental activists from all around the Mekong region, and in January, I began working for the only organization that facilitates human rights education trainings for pro-democracy and Burmese groups. My work there focuses on development human rights documentation manuals for some of the major violations that occur in Burma today. They will be used by a consortium of grassroots human rights organizations that work on Burma.
Much of my recent work has been preparing monitoring materials for Burma's upcoming referendum. In essence, a referendum is being held to see whether or not the Burmese population approves the new constitution, which was drafted by the military. Neither the political opposition nor ethnic minorities were involved in the drafting process. Many of Burma's citizens are being threatened and pressured by government sponsored militias and thugs to vote "yes" on May 10. Individuals and groups who have been educating and pushing voters to vote "no" have been harassed and threatened.
In the days leading up to the referendum, many groups expect that the SPDC (moniker of the ruling junta) will further suppress people's freedoms of expression, association, and assembly--much like how it did in the 1988, 1990, and 2007 protests. It has been estimated that the number of Burma's political prisoners surged to 1,864 after the Saffron Revolution. And many fear that arbitrary arrests, torture, and killings will increase leading up to the vote.
If the results show a "yes" for the constitution, it further legitimizes and consolidates the SPDC's grip on power and further postpones a transitional to democracy, peace, and national reconciliation. In addition, some fear that the SPDC will rig the elections. If that is the case, it may very well spark new protests, which will likely be brutally repressed by the ruling regime. If results show an overwhelming vote of "no", the likelihood that the military will cede power to a civilian government is a highly unlikely response. Mass arrests and suppression of political dissidents will probably be the response. It's a lose-lose situation....
Last week, I also began part-timing with an indigenous organization that works jointly on social and environmental issues inside Burma and along the border area. Some of their programs include environmental conservation and education, food security, and traditional medicine.
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November 20, 2007
AVAAZ's call on ASEAN to ACT NOW
***The 19 ONLINE PETITIONS/PLEDGES FOR BURMA HERE.***
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For those in Asia, please help put the pressure on ASEAN to act now!
from AVAAZ:
Asia: Act Now for Myanmar's People
On November 21, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan join the leaders of ASEAN at the East Asia Summit in Singapore. This meeting is crucial. With thousands of monks and democrats still imprisoned in Myanmar, these Asian leaders hold vital levers over the military dictatorship there.
Coordinated Asian pressure could decide whether dialogue between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta is genuine, or just another con-trick. That’s why we're sending a wave of messages from all around Asia, asking leaders to offer practical support to the UN effort, and to take real steps to press the Myanmar junta into freeing the prisoners and opening real dialogue.
Sign HERE.
Posted by social justice at 10:47 AM | TrackBack (0)
November 19, 2007
Burma the Most Corrupt and Worst Government in the World
***The 19 ONLINE PETITIONS FOR BURMA HERE.***
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Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption, puts out an "annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), first released in 1995, is the best known of TI’s tools. It has been widely credited with putting TI and the issue of corruption on the international policy agenda. The CPI ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." Burma is tied for last place with Somalia. You can see the listings HERE
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From Irrawaddy:
In addition to being the most corrupt government, Burma has been ranked ‘zero,’ the worst government in the world according to the amount of freedom citizens have to voice opinions and select a government, according to the latest Worldwide Governance Indicators report.
Countries with the best overall rankings included Denmark, 100; Canada, 94; and Australia, 93.
Countries with the worst overall rankings included Burma 0, China 4 and Vietnam 8.
The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) research project, covering 212 countries and territories, measured six areas of governance between 1996 and 2006 to make its rankings: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption.
In the Voice and Accountability category, Burma has ranked near ‘zero’ since 1996.
Among Burma's neighbors: India ranked 58; Thailand, 32 and China, 4. Laos was ranked 6; Cambodia, 21; Malaysia, 38; Indonesia, 41; Philippines, 44; and Singapore 46.
The Worldwide Governance Indicators are produced by researchers from the World Bank Institute and the World Bank Development Economics Research Group.
The aggregate indicators combine the views of a large number of enterprises, citizens and experts in industrial and developing countries. The individual data sources underlying the aggregate indicators are drawn from a variety of survey institutes, think tanks, non-governmental organizations and international organizations.
Posted by social justice at 04:02 PM | TrackBack (0)
NEED-Burma and the Food Security Crisis in Burma
***The 19 ONLINE PETITIONS/PLEDGES FOR BURMA HERE.***
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Last week, I began helping out part-time with the Network for Environment and Economic Development (NEED-Burma), an NGO that works on training Burmese on sustainable agriculture methods. Because of poor economic policies, rapid natural resource extraction, and the ongoing civil war, the food security and environmental situation in Burma is worsening. In 1960, Burma was the world's #1 rice exporter. Today, 40% of children are malnourished. This particular NGO seeks to train Burmese from all over Burma on how to grow organic and nutritious fruit and produce that does not pollute or degrade the environment.
Yesterday, NEED's Sustainable Agriculture Advisor said to me that most Burma-related empowerment groups concentrate solely on politics and democracy, but not many give environmental and agricultural training to those on the ground. NEED works to ensure that its farming methods can be replicated in any agricultural area in Burma.
Not to digress too much, but personally, as a trained environmentalist, one of the easiest and most effective ways to take care of the environment and to ensure a future for subsequent generations is to focus on how food is grown. Too much harmful pesticides is used and waste created in the food production methods that most of the world uses today.
In addition to starting a sizeable compost pile out of food waste and leaf litter, we began building an ecological sanitation toilet at NEED's model farm yesterday. It is based on the Indian Kerala system. It's a urine diversion dehydration (UDD) toilet. The urine will be siphoned off as fertilizer, the faeces will go into a drop hole for processing, and the washing water will go to an evapo-transpiration bed, probably for coconuts. To my knowledge, it will be the first of its kind in Thailand. And if this demonstration toilet is a success, and the knowledge can be transferred over to Burma, it can be the start of eco-san in Burma. That's an exciting and hopeful thought.
NEED's explanation on its choice of focusing on Sustainable Agriculture HERE.
Read the February 2007 brief on Burma's Ecological Crisis written by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Myanmar Paulo Sergio Pinheiro HERE.
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AVAAZ's Boycott on Total Oil, Chevron, and Their Subsidiaries
***The 19 ONLINE PETITIONS/PLEDGES FOR BURMA HERE.***
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***The petitions and pledges are now up to 19.***
AVAAZ also is launching a global boycott of Total Oil and Chevron and all their subsidiaries that operate in Burma. You can sign AVAAZ's pledge HERE. By hitting them straight in their bottom line, AVAAZ hopes to press these corporations to either push Burma to democratic reform, or to leave the country entirely.
I will say though, while many Western Burma-related NGOs and advocacy networks believe that a complete pullout of Western companies doing business in Burma is the quickest, surefire way to weaken the junta and bring about political change in the troubled nation, the situation is not as clearcut. While companies operating in Burma can use their leverage to enact political change, company pullout can create a power vacuum, creating the conditions for even more abusive (Chinese or other energy-hungry Asian) companies to fill in the void. Chinese, Malaysian, Korean companies would readily, easily, and quickly answer the call for investment.
I have heard that Burmese on the ground are actually against a pullout of Western companies. The are afraid that if Western companies leave, Asian companies with poorer human rights records will move in. In the historic Doe vs. Unocal Case involving the construction of the Yadana pipeline, the verdict held that Unocal WAS liable for human rights abuses committed by SPDC troops hired by the oil company. Some think a more effective way to uphold human rights in Burma, especially in areas where multinationals invest, is to put pressure on Western companies to operate in a responsible manner. The Corporate Social Responsibility discourse is much more predominant and established in the West than in the East, where many countries are still subject to the "race to the bottom" for development. Hence, advocating for Western companies to observe CSR is a more suitable option on which Western activists can rely. Moreover, I personally doubt that enough companies will pull out in a short timeframe to create serious cash flow problems for the junta.
Journalist and author Ross Gelbspan has put forth the following theory in his book about climate change The Heat is On. If a totalitarian state (like Burma) suffers from severe economic instability (such as one that would occur from a massive investor pullout), the conditions would be ripe for GREATER, not lesser human rights abuses. It's the same old Asian Values argument that says economic considerations and the right to development come before civil and political rights. By supervising companies who invest in Burma and getting them to responsibly operate, the hope is that multinationals can counteract human rights abuses.
Another petition: Sign Earthrights International's petition urging Chevron to use its influence to help stop the crackdown, and to stop investing in Burma HERE.
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November 17, 2007
TAKE ACTION! The Petitions for Burma
For those who care about human rights, please sign the NINETEEN(19) PETITIONS below if you have not done so already. Please take the 5 minutes to do this. It's easy and CAN and WILL bring concrete results to the suffering people of Burma.
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19 ONLINE PETITIONS/PLEDGES
1. AVAAZ is petitioning the UN and Chinese President Hu Jintao HERE.
2. AVAAZ also is launching a global boycott of Total Oil and Chevron and all their subsidiaries that operate in Burma HERE. By hitting them straight in their bottom line, AVAAZ hopes to press these corporations to either push Burma to democratic reform, or to leave the country entirely.
3. Also, please sign the US Campaign for Burma petition calling for China to withdraw support of Burma's military regime HERE.
4. Human Rights First is calling on ASEAN members to put pressure on Burma to stop the bloodshed now. Please sign before the ASEAN meeting on November 17th HERE.
5. The US Campaign for Burma is also calling on the UN Secretary General to help stop the torture, killings, and arrests HERE.
6. Call on Members of United Nations, Members of the European Union, All Political Leaders, All Head of States, and, All Dignitaries for immediate action on Burma HERE.
7. An appeal to the 15 members of the UN Security Council HERE.
8-9. Ask that Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon support the passage of a binding resolution requiring the restoration of democracy to Burma HERE. The Global Campaign for Justice in Burma's petition is asking that the Secretary-General investigate and collect proof of human rights abuses in Burma HERE. You can also email UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon asking for immediate UN intervention at inquiries@un.org.
10. Send a petition calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Burma, including Aung San Suu Kyi, to Senior General Than Shwe. Don't worry if one or two of these emails bounces back-the petition will go to 30 Burmese government ministries and Burmese embassies around the world- it probably means their inbox is already full of appeals. The petition, off musician Damien Rice's actionburma.com site is HERE.
11. Reporters Without Borders has a petition calling for the immediate release of Win Tin, one of Aung San Suu Kyi's mentors. You can sign the petition HERE.
12. Sign Earthrights International's petition urging Chevron to use its influence to help stop the crackdown, and to stop investing in Burma HERE.
13. Sign the Shwe Gas Movement's petition to halt South Korea's Daewoo from extracting gas in Western Burma until human rights are upheld HERE.
14. Amnesty International Canada's petition HERE is calling on Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier and the Canadian government to put pressure on the UN and ASEAN to help bring peace to Burma.
15. Burma Rivers Network's PETITION calls on the Chinese government to closely monitor Chinese companies that invest in hydropower and other extractive industries in Burma (and other countries). Nontransparent operation, poor oversight, and not keeping affect communities informed has led to environmental degradation and human rights abuses in Burma.
16. A petition calling on Canadian PM Steven Harper to act HERE.
17-19. For British citizens, please send the following 3 petitions "Support Burmese", "Democracy Burma," and "Boycott Olympics" to PM Gordon Brown. Get him to act now!
- If you know of any other petitions or pledges, email me at freeburmaactioncenter@gmail.com, and I'll add it ASAP.
- DONATE: The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), founded and directed by Dr. Cynthia Maung, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, provides free health care for refugees, migrant workers, and other individuals who cross the border from Burma to Thailand. Its origins go back to the student pro-democracy movement in Burma in 1988 and the brutal repression by the Burmese regime of that movement.
You can help the clinic continue its work by either DONATINGor VOLUNTEERING.
- DONATE to Partners Relief and Development's 5 Alive Program. $50 can help keep a family of 5 IDPs alive for one month. Read more HERE.
- Help AVAAZ.org Break the Burmese Blackout HERE. The Burmese military has seen the power of global solidarity for the demonstrators--and has moved to shut down all communications with the outside world. As the images and stories have slowed, global media coverage of the Burmese crisis has lost its urgency.
But people power can beat the blackout. Donate below to send crucial technical support and equipment to Burmese civil society groups, and help return Burma's voice to its people. 100% of funds donated will go to Burmese groups--Avaaz will keep no portion.
- Join the Support the Monks' protest in Burma and the US Campaign for Burma Facebook groups. Check out Burma Watch's website http://www.burma-watch.org.
- You can also call and email the Chinese, Burmese, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Russian, South Korean, Malaysian, US, British,and French embassies. Demand that world leaders put sanctions on Burma until the junta upholds human rights. Call on MNCs to pull out of Burma.
- The Dirty List of companies doing business with Burma's junta, compiled by The Burma Campaign UK.
- The Clean List of companies that have either pulled out of Burma, or made a principled decision not to do business in Burma. It is not comprehensive, but does give a scope of how public outcry has led to corporate social responsibility. The list details the companies' reasons for pulling out or refraining from investing in Burma. Also compiled by the Burma Campaign UK.
Posted by social justice at 11:58 PM | TrackBack (0)
US Citizens, Help get the Block Burmese JADE and the Burmese Democracy Promotion Acts Passed
***The 17 ONLINE PETITIONS FOR BURMA HERE.***
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US Citizens, please help get the Block Burmese JADE (Junta Anti-Democratic Efforts)Act and the Burmese Democracy Promotion Act passed. Put the pressure on your Representatives and Senators for the toughest US Sanctions against Burma yet. These Acts would stop allowing the junta to launder funds, gems, timber, and other products in third countries before they are sold.
from the US Campaign for Burma:
Call Your Representative and Senators!
Make Sure the US is not bankrolling the Burmese Regime's Brutal Actions
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Lantos has introduced the "Block Burmese JADE (Junta Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act" and in the Senate, Senators Biden and McConnell have introduced the "Burmese Democracy Promotion Act". Both of these will tighten sanctions on Burma's military regime and really hit the generals where it hurts. Call in today to demand that your Representative and Senator co-sponsor. Find your Representative's info at www.house.gov and find your Senators' by going to www.senate.gov. Call today and call everyday until you get an answer! Find out more information on the resolutions and what you should do- Click Here to Take Action
The Burmese Democracy Promotion Act of 2007 (Senate) and the Block Burmese JADE (Junti Anti Democratic Efforts) has the power to force the regime to negotiate with Burma's democracy leaders and Ethnic nationalities. We must show the people of Burma that the U.S. is taking action to support their calls for freedom, democracy and human rights. Call your Senator today asking him/her to support the Burmese Democracy Promotion Act! Organize your community to call in as well. Contact details for your Senators are given below.
What the Acts Do:The regime makes hundreds of millions of dollars each year off the sale of gems and timber. More than 90 percent of the world's rubies and fine-quality jade comes from Burma. The new sanctions will crack down on the regime's practice of avoiding U.S. sanctions by laundering gemstones and other products, especially timber, through third countries before they are sold.
This Act also freezes the assets of Burmese political and military leaders, prevents Burma from using U.S. financial institutions via third countries to launder the funds of those leaders or their immediate families, and prohibits Burmese officials involved in the violent suppression of protesters from receiving visas to the United States.
Burma also uses third countries to access the U.S. banking system. These overseas banks process accounts in and through the United States for Burma's rulers, providing the regime with much-needed hard currency. The regime uses these funds to purchase weapons and luxury goods, while the bulk of Burma's population lives in poverty.
Biden and McConnell's legislation tightens existing sanctions to prevent Burma's military rulers from profiting from sales to the United States, and blocks access to the U.S. financial system not just for Burmese human rights violators but also to those who provide the regime with banking services.
The bill also creates a new position of Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma. The Special Representative will work with Burma's neighbors and other interested countries, including the members of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to develop a comprehensive approach to the problem, including sanctions, dialogue, and support for non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian relief to the Burmese people.
These Acts, if passed, would be the strongest action yet that the U.S. takes to pressure Burma's military regime to negotiate with Burma's democracy leaders and ethnic nationalities.
To read the legislation:
House : Block Burmese JADE (Junta Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act
Senate: Burmese Democracy Promotion Act
Contact information:
Call your Senators/ Representative's offices and ask to speak with their foreign policy staffer. If s/he is not there leave a message and ask her/him to call you back. Call today and every day until you get an answer!
Find Your Representative: www.house.gov
Find Your Senator: www.senate.gov
Senate: To add their name as a cosponsor: Let them know that to co-sponsor (Burmese Democracy Promotion Act of 2007 - S.2257)Democrats should contact Frank Jannuzi at the Committee on Foreign Relations at 202-224-4651
Republicans should contact Reb Brownell in Senator McConnell's office at 202-224-2541
House: To add their name as a co-sponsor: Let them know that to co-sponsor they should contact Eric Richardson at the Committee on Foreign Affairs office at eric.richardson@mail.house.gov or 225-5021.
Talking Points for Staffer:
- Tell the staffer you want your Senator to co-sponsor the Burmese Democracy Promotion Act of 2007
- Give her/him proof that this policy works. It cuts off hundreds of millions of dollars to the regime and will specifically target the top generals' finances.
- Mention that the military junta still deserves sanctions. On top of brutally crushing thousands of peaceful demonstrators, including monks, the military regime has destroyed more than 3,000 villages. It has forcibly displaced more than half a million people inside Burma as well as causing a million refugees to flee across the border to neighboring countries and has made no efforts to move toward democracy.
- Let her/him know it is important to send a strong signal to the regime that the US government will continue to keep American money out the hands of the junta.
- This is not the only action being taken against Burma. On top of many diplomatic efforts, the EU has imposed new sanctions, as well as Australia, and even Japan has decreased aid to Burma.
- Finally ask the staffer to call you back when your Senator has co-sponsored the Burmese Democracy Promotion Act. Important: Leave your phone number!
Let him/her know that his/her constituents care about Burma!
Check up to see if they cosponsor:
It's easy to check and see if they follow through and agree to cosponsor. THOMAS, the Library of Congress' congressional records database updates a list of all information on legislation. Click HERE to find out who has signed as cosponsors in the House, and Click HERE to see who has signed as cosponsors in the Senate.
Please let me know when you have contacted your Senator and how it went - thelma@uscampaignforburma.org. These new sanctions will hit the regime where it hurts.
Posted by social justice at 11:46 PM | TrackBack (0)
October 23, 2007
Please Help Stop the Bloodshed in Burma
The 12 petitions for Burma HERE.
Posted by social justice at 10:59 PM | TrackBack (0)
October 12, 2007
Tell the EU: SQUEEZE THE BURMESE JUNTA
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_squeeze_the_junta/tf.php?cl_tf_sign=1
the European Union will decide this Monday, October 15, whether to adopt stronger sanctions and incentives to press the repressive Burmese military junta into dialogue with the opposition. Avaaz.org is mobilizing citizens of every EU country to send messages to their foreign ministers urging them to take action. These sanctions won't hurt ordinary people--but they will strengthen the democracy movement in Burma.
SIGN HERE http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_squeeze_the_junta/tf.php?cl_tf_sign=1
The other 10 petitions for Burma HERE.
Posted by social justice at 11:13 PM | TrackBack (0)
October 09, 2007
Update
http://freeburmaactioncenter.blogspot.com/
Posted by social justice at 12:22 PM
October 07, 2007
The Oil and Gas Industry is the Junta's Lifeline
*****Again, the NINE (9) online PETITIONS HERE, including a new petition against the Shwe Gas Project, and one calling for Chevron to divest.*****
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American company Chevron, France's Total SA, South Korea's Daewoo, and the Gas Authority of India are some of the major investors in Burma's oil and gas resources. The Yadana, Yetagun, and Shwe Gas Projects have exploited the voiceless, caused human rights abuses, destroyed the environment, and propped up the military dictatorship. From the Shwe Gas Project alone, it is estimated that the junta will pocket more than $2 billion annually. In developing these resources, the junta forcibly relocates villages and uses villagers as slave labor.
Soldiers, contracted by investors to protect project sites, have been implicated in killings, beatings, and arrests, and sexual violence against women is commonplace, perpetuating the cycle of human rights abuses.Also, rather than benefitting local communities, who largely depend on wood for fuel, the SPDC exports its energy resources--not just oil and gas, but hydroelectric power as well--out of the country. This creates a vicious positive feedback loop, as reliance on wood causes increased deforestation and environmental degradation. The revenue from these "conflict resources" benefits only the junta and gives the SPDC purchasing power for arms, which are used to further control and suppress the population. You can read more on Burma's complete lack of corporate social responsibility HERE.
More news links and further information:
Trade and Security Trump Democracy in Burma. Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
Earthrights International's campaign to call on the oil and gas industry to help stop the violence in Burma
"An Industry Blind to People's Tears. The Bangkok Post. Sept 15, 2007
Firms Seek Access to Myanmar Oil Fields. Associated Press. Sept. 29, 2007
Myanmar's Resources Provide Leverage. The New York Times. Oct. 1, 2007
Pipeline Politics. The Irrawaddy. Oct. 5, 2007
SHWE GAS
The Shwe Gas Movement's website.
Sign the Shwe Gas Movement's petition to halt South Korea's Daewoo from extracting gas in Western Burma until human rights are upheld HERE.
CHEVRON
Chevron's Pipeline is the Burmese Regime's Lifeline. Truthdig. Oct. 2, 2007
Chevron's links to Burma stir critics to demand it pull out. San Francisco Chronicle. Oct. 4, 2007
Information for the Protest of Chevron corporation for their involvement with oil and gas projects in Burma. Chevron Protester. Oct. 2, 2007
Burma Watch's Global Day of Protest Against Chevron, Oct. 9. Burma Watch.
Sign Earthrights International's petition urging Chevron to use its influence to help stop the crackdown, and to stop investing in Burma HERE.
TOTAL SA
Boycott Total Oil's website.
For Total, pulling out of Myanmar not the answer.International Herald Tribune. Sept. 27, 2007
Total's response to allegations of human rights abuses HERE. Total SA website.
The Dirty List of companies doing business with Burma's junta, compiled by The Burma Campaign UK.
The Clean List of companies that have either pulled out of Burma, or made a principled decision not to do business in Burma. It is not comprehensive, but does give a scope of how public outcry has led to corporate social responsibily. The list details the companies' reasons for pulling out or refraining from investing in Burma. Also compiled by the Burma Campaign UK.
10/7/07 - Civic Party-led March for Democracy in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Demonstrators presented a wide range of interests, from universal suffrage, to mininum wage, Taiwanese independence, and migrant rights. Out of the 3,000 - 5,000 strong crowd, I was lucky enough to have spotted these 3 members of the Alliance for Progressive Labor who were calling for democracy in Burma.
Posted by social justice at 12:09 PM | TrackBack (0)
October 06, 2007
The First Blow and The "Revolution of the Spirit"
**As of now, there are a total of 9 ONLINE PETITIONS calling for collective action on the parts of the UN Security Council, the UN General Body, China, and Myanmar. Please consider signing HERE.
(This entry's going to be a bit more personal)
Today I got the most shocking of rude awakenings. I just came back from the Global Day of Protest for Burma event in Hong Kong that was held tonight. Sponsored by various religious organizations in Hong Kong, it took the form of an interfaith prayer gathering. Catholic, Protestants, Muslims, and Buddhist religious leaders attended and led the 150 or so participants in prayer. It was one of many global events whose idea was sparked by Burma Watch, the website complement to the enormously popular 'Support the Monks' protest in Burma' Facebook group (The website has good news round ups and lists other actions / protests. The next one is Oct. 9 against Chevron).
After prayers, the event organizers opened the floor to members of the audience who wished to speak, and of course, I went up to take the microphone. I spoke about 4 minutes on the background of the situation in Burma and actions that attendants could take, namely signing online petitions, calling / emailing / visiting Myanmar's embassies and consulates and those of countries that sponsor Burma's military regime.
After I left the stage, one of the attendees came up to me and told me he thought the content of what I said was inappropriate for a religious event like this one. He said he felt lectured to. My response was, "They said it was ok for people to say what they wanted to say. I'm sorry you feel that way." I understand that this was hosted by religious institutions, but the situation is a political one that centers on human rights and democracy. The man, I think an American or Canadian, said that for the other attendants, they relied on faith, not on politics.
Then he said point blank. "I've done more than Burma than you have. I gave up my career and my family." Or something like that. Not to mention a curse word or two.
Then he said, "What have you done for Burma?" and stormed off.
Continue reading "The First Blow and The "Revolution of the Spirit""
Posted by social justice at 11:03 PM | TrackBack (0)
October 05, 2007
Myanmar sets conditions for meeting Suu Kyi / Sanctions Analysis / Lack of Human Rights Discourse in China
from AP
Hoping to deflect outrage over images of soldiers gunning down protesters, Myanmar's hard-line leader announced Thursday he is willing to talk with detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi -- but only if she stops calling for international sanctions.
Senior General Than Shwe also insists Suu Kyi give up urging her countrymen to confront the military regime, state television and radio said in reporting on the conditions set by the junta leader during a meeting this week with a special U.N. envoy.
The surprise move is aimed at staving off the possibility of economic sanctions and keeping Myanmar's bountiful natural resources on world markets, while also pleasing giant neighbor China, which worries the unrest could cause problems for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The rest of the report at CNN HERE.
Posted by social justice at 10:37 AM | TrackBack (0)
For Burma: National Campus Day of Action Oct 5 /Global Day of Action Oct 6
!!!!!!!!!!A Global Day of Action is currently being organized. Get involved. Show that you care.!!!!!!!!!!
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Chinese Support for Myanmar's Junta Sparks Olympics Boycott Epoch Times Article
- from the US Campaign for Burma
We are writing this urgent email to call for global demonstrations on Burma this coming Saturday, October 6th to demand the UN Security Council take action on Burma and to call for a global boycott of the 2008 Olympics. We are working together with a huge coalition of international organizations to put together this incredible day of action and we need you to make it happen.
This is one day after a day of student demonstrations across the Unted States on October 5th.
Continue reading "For Burma: National Campus Day of Action Oct 5 /Global Day of Action Oct 6"
Posted by social justice at 01:31 AM | TrackBack (0)
October 04, 2007
Burma in Crisis: 1988 Part 2
Download file">Download an article I just wrote for newspapers entitled Burma in Crisis: 1988 Part 2.
If you can, please forward it to your school and city newspaper editors, and tell them to edit and publish it, to use it however they can. I don't care about payment. Let's do all we can to get the word out!
It's below in text:
Continue reading "Burma in Crisis: 1988 Part 2"
Posted by social justice at 09:21 PM | TrackBack (0)
September 14, 2007
TOTAL DENIAL SCREENING @ BROWN 9/16
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is having a screening of the film TOTAL DENIAL this Sunday (9/16) from 6-8 pm in Salomon 001.
Total Denial- a film by Milena Kaneva - and winner of the 2006 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Award is a dramatic and moving documentary which chronicles the personal and political journeys of the groundbreaking human rights lawsuit, Doe v. Unocal, brought by EarthRights International and villagers from Burma against oil giant Unocal. The documentary tells about how 15 indigenous people of Burma came out victorious over a leading corporation in a US court.
There will be an information session starting at 5:00 pm led by the US Campaign for Burma at Brown.
TOTAL DENIAL
ONE MAN, wanted by the law both in Burma and in Thailand - KA HSAW WA.
SLAVE LABOR, a common practice in BURMA, a country
now called Myanmar, controlled by a military dictatorship.
Two WESTERN CORPORATIONS making business deals with
a junta infamous for HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
This is the story of the construction of the UNOCAL/TOTAL oil pipeline in Burma.
An unprecedented legal battle will unfold in a US courtroom, shocking
the world with its revelations.
Fifteen plaintiffs who've never left the Burmese jungle
will battle head-to-head with two corporate giants.
The outcome of this struggle will profoundly affect the actions
of corporations worldwide.
Some good links:
http://www.totaldenialfilm.com/
http://www.earthrights.org/pr/totaldenial.html
http://www.party2win.com/totaldenial/themes/index.cfm?Fuseaction=themehome151&themeid=151
http://totalitarian-oil.blogspot.com/
Continue reading "TOTAL DENIAL SCREENING @ BROWN 9/16"
Posted by social justice at 11:09 AM | TrackBack (0)
China's Support of Burma's Oppressive Military Junta
This is not an ad, this is a plea for humanity. Ever since I saw Burmese migrant worker shantytowns in Thailand and the grinding poverty in Burma 2 years ago, the situation in Burma is currently deteriorating. I have cut and pasted information on US Campaign for Burma's latest campaign. Please read.
FACTS ABOUT CHINA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH BURMA'S MILITARY REGIME
We are writing to you to launch a new campaign effort -- something we have never done before. As many of you know, for the past four years we have worked to try and get the United Nations to broker peaceful talks in Burma between Burma's military regime, the democracy movement led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, and Burma's ethnic groups. Since the UN Secretary General's efforts have so far failed, we worked on an effort to get the UN Security Council to address the situation in Burma.
- The United Nations General Assembly has smartly endorsed this approach, believing that only through negotiations can change come to Burma.
- The UN Secretary General is calling for the release, of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma.
- Additionally, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- or ASEAN -- is calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma
We know that the UN Secretary General and ASEAN have not done enough -- they can do a lot more and we believe they have made some mistakes. Our new campaign is not designed in any way to absolve them of their responsibilities under the UN Charter.
However, the primary obstacle making United Nations' efforts on Burma difficult is one country: China. China has repeatedly undermined the UN Secretary General, the UN system, and ASEAN by refusing to back the call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma. China has also refused to call for peaceful tri-partite dialogue in Burma, again undermining UN efforts.
Providing billions for Burma's regime
Economically, China is exploiting the situation by signing deals left and right that essentially steal the natural resources of Burma out from under the Burmese people. According to the Shwe Gas Movement, China's new gas deal with the military regime is worth a staggering $40 billion dollars.
Selling billions in military arms
Militarily, China has sold billions in arms to Burma's military regime. These sales include tanks and armored personnel carriers, jet attack aircraft, small arms and light weapons, logistical and transportation equipment, and coastal patrol ships. These arms sales continue to this day.
Unilaterally blocking all UN and regional diplomatic efforts
Diplomatically, China is undermining diplomatic efforts by ASEAN and the United Nations. Three diplomatic missions to Burma to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi by leading Southeast Asian senior statesmen Indonesian Ali Alatas, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid, and Filippino Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo all failed, mainly because China did not endorse these efforts. China went even further to protect the Burmese military regime by vetoing the one and only United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma. The resolution would have given the power the UN Secretary General that he needs to effectively negotiate with the military regime in Burma. China completely blocked it.
In addition to China's neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: the European Union, the United States, Japan, Australia, 14 United Nations Special Rapportuers, One Dozen Nobel Peace Prize recipients, and 59 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from around the world have called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
China has the leverage to support change in Burma
Yet, despite this overwhelming support for Burma's military regime, human rights activists and Burmese people around the world have never once organized a concerted campaign to pressure China to make modifications to its policy on Burma. That is because Burmese people don't want to see Chinas an enemy but as a friend. But China doesn't seem to be listening. Even though the National League for Democracy, 88 Generation Students, and others inside Burma have NEVER ONCE CRITICIZED CHINA's POLICY ON BURMA, China doesn't seem to care. They just continue to ignore the goodwill of Burma's democracy movement and ethnic minorities while undermining each and every international diplomatic effort.
It's time for all of us to say "enough is enough". The simple and undeniable fact is that if China tells the Burmese military regime it must participate in negotiations -- as the UN has repeatedly called for -- the regime will have no choice but to say yes. China does have the leverage -- they just haven't used it at all.
If this were a simple matter of negotiating or not, China's position would be understandable. But the situation in Burma is much much different and extremely grave. The military regime has destroyed 3,000 villages in eastern Burma (twice as many as in Darfur, Sudan) and continues its scorched earth campaign to this day. Mothers, children, and innocent civilians are being slaughtered or forced from their homes. The regime has recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world. The regime's soldiers are raping innocent women as a war tactic. Over 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars. Just as the UN was paralyzed and acted far too late on Rwanda, Sudan, and elsewhere, now China is paralyzing the UN into action on Burma.
We urge you to join with us in launching a new, organized, high-level campaign to convince China to modify its policy on Burma. Specifically, we want them to:
1) Stop undermining the UN Secretary General and call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma
2) Insist publicly that Burma's military regime participate in tri-partite dialogue with Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy and Burma's ethnic groups.
3) Stop blocking the UN Security Council from doing its job -- by publicly indicating China will no longer veto peaceful, nonviolent UN Security Council resolutions.
As a very first step, we are asking you to join with us in organizing demonstrations around the world at embassies and consulates of China's government. There are people interested in Burma and human rights all over the world, so lets do this at as many embassies as possible. We are organizing this action on September 18th because it is the anniversary of the take-over of Burma's military regime in 1988. At that time, Burma's regime was solely responsible for the atrocities it inflicted on its own people. Now, however, the responsibility has become China's as well. By blocking every single peaceful avenue toward change, the blood of Burma's regime is also on China's hands.
This is just the first step. There are going to be many more actions and ways for you to join in the campaign.
Please write to us at: info@uscampaignforburma.org if you can organize a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy or consulate in your city/country on September 18th. We will keep a list of all actions and help you with media attention for that day. It's just ludicrous that they've gotten away with their indefensible, unilateral position for so long and it's time to call them to account.
Support 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma.
Posted by social justice at 10:55 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
September 13, 2007
R-E-F-O-C-U-S
As my time in China draws to an end, I have decided to shift my focus and transform this blog mainly into an advocacy mouthpiece for social change, democracy, and human rights in Burma. The issue is multilayered and complex. Basically, the country is a police state run by a totalitarian military dictatorship that rules with an iron fist. It disregarded the results of the 1990 general election, when the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, won 82% of the parliamentary seats. To consolidate their power, the military has closed the country from communication with the outside world and has drastically limited the free-flow of information and ideas. Free use of the internet is restricted, and media censorship is common--everyone is under surveillance.
The state is fractured, with dozens of political and military opposition groups clamoring for a Free Burma. To suppress dissidents and consolidate their power, the junta has destroyed over 3,000 villages in Eastern Burma and has carried out a campaign of rape, wrongful imprisonment, killings, forced labor, forced relocation, and torture. As a result, there are 2 to 4 million internally displaced peoples within Burma, and more than 1 million refugees in neighboring Thailand.
Please visit www.khrg.org/background_on_burma.htmlfor a more in-depth background of issues in Burma.
True, there are a number of social justice issues and campaigns that I am greatly interested in and that I think are of monumental importance in our quest in revisioning a new society based on the principles of equality and sustainability, but the Burma issue has pulled at my heart, mind, and soul for the past few years. Every time I read about another government crackdown on peaceful demonstrators or see pictures of burned villages and corpses, I can't help but wonder how the international community has allowed the junta to stay in power with immunity.
According to the Campaign to Liberate Freedom, "Freedom is the most sacred human value we know." I agree.
I urge all those who care about peace, democracy, and human rights to better acquaint themselves with the situation in Burma if they haven't already. Some good places to start:
http://www.uscampaignforburma.org
http://www.earthrights.org
http://www.khrg.org
http://www.irrawaddy.org
Posted by social justice at 03:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
September 12, 2007
Climate Change and the Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Recently, I have been reevaluating my values and how they influence my environmental impact. I've just come back from a trip to both Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, where the Chinese and Mongolian officials are using seabuckthorn as their main weapon against desertification and sandstorms that plague the area. The message of climate change was hammered home, as I finally finished reading Ross Gelbspan's' The Heat is On. (He came to speak at Brown my freshman year for the Northeast Environmental Conference, and from it came forth a short-lived Climate Change Campaign that the Brown Environmental Action Network did). The effects of climate change are very real--destruction of croplands, spread of infectious diseases, loss of species, flooding out of coastal areas, rising sea levels, and greater incidences of natural disasters. I strongly urge you guys to read the book.
This begs the question, "Is the way we live SUSTAINABLE?"
While Climate Change is perhaps the greatest environmental peril the world has ever known, there are also a plethora of other environmental issues, like resource consumption, waste management, and water ownership. For those we really do care on how their lives impact the world that their children and grandchildren will live in, Duane Elgin's Voluntary Simplicity and Richard Griegg's pamphlet of the same name are good reads. They help connect life with a sense of purpose and responsibility, and show readers how to be spiritually and mentally content by taking physically and materially less from this world. Truly, for a more just and equitable world, we must raise our environmental and social consciousness. We all know that 1/5 of the world's population control 4/5 of the world's resources and contribute the lion's share of global pollution....hence, the North-South Gap. For those at Brown, the Rock has both books.
Below is a list of ways to live more sustainable and how to better love your mother--Mother Earth. I'll take Dan Millman's title...living the Way of the Peaceful Warrior...
Continue reading "Climate Change and the Way of the Peaceful Warrior"
Posted by social justice at 03:10 PM | TrackBack (0)
August 24, 2007
Smoke and Mirrors
What does this title mean? In the development sector, It alludes to the phenomenon called "selective targeting." When NGOs, governmental bodies, and other relief agencies identify "favorable" groups to help, in essence, choose areas where it is relatively easier to meet a certain quota. Let me be more clear...their donors, supervisors, and supporters' view of success is how many people have been helped. But, the emphasis is on quantity, not quality. The effective indicator is "outputs" and not tangible, measurable impacts and benefits of a project.
Prefabricated bandaid solutions are made. Community participants are not given choices suitable for them or of their own choosing. Just coming back from our southernmost program county, Xixang, my supervisor asked one villager why did she construct a sanitary latrine if she had no intention of using it? "Because the government officials forced me," she said.
In this rubric, people are reduced from unique individuals with unique needs to mere numbers on pages or on pie graphs.
Continue reading "Smoke and Mirrors"
Posted by social justice at 03:59 PM | TrackBack (0)
August 15, 2007
Images of Poverty
..one...
As he reaches down into the trash can, I think about telling him that there's nothing to be had. Two or three other scavengers have already picked the trashcan clean of any and all valuable refuse able to be recycled in the past few minutes that I have been standing alongside it waiting for the bus. Anything reusable or saleable, even for a few jiao , or fractions of a cent, will not last long unattended. Scavengers run from dawn to dusk, trash can to trash can, pile to pile. Living essentially off other's discards. One person's trash truly is another's treasure.
However, I soon learn he isn't looking for recyclables. He very calmly lifts a partially-filled, discarded plastic cup of melted, luke warm fruit berry smoothie drink to his lips. He is not in the slighest worried about the trash can's bacteria getting him sick, only about craving his probably insatiable thirst. In this heat, I wonder when it was last quenched. The thought of having to endure hunger and thirst in a world that produces more than enough to feed all is quite incomprehensible. The inequalities of the world exist not because of some natural immutable Darwinian law of the survival of the fittest, but because we live in a self-centered ethos based society. It's not about production, but about distribution and proper resource allocation. 3 billion of the global poor suffer not because of what they have or have not done, but simply because of where they are born
...two...
Is there no place else for him to sleep on other than this hard slab of wood on the sidewalk? Without a home, where does he go? What does he do? His dirty, calloused feet tell of a life marked by arduous labor. When was the last time his head was cradled in the soft folds of a pillow? When did he last know the familiar comfort of a bed he could call his own?
...three...
These girls always have a blank stare. They peek out of the store window, not out of interest, but more likely out of sheer boredom. This clearly isn't a typical barber shop / massage parlor. With the neon lights flashing, it's probably one of those "happy ending" massage parlors. They couldn't have been much older than me at most. Probably younger than me.
....four....
The back of his jacket is a battlefield of mismatched patchwork. His hardened facial expressions unabashedly display a life history of toil and very few luxuries. At his side is a small bag full of belongings. In front a small can for handouts. While my policy is to never hand out money, I wonder how much good the few bananas I buy for him will actually do. And as I walk home, I curse myself, wishing I could do more.
These are victims in every sense of the word. Victims of what? Of poverty. And the poverty that grips them is best defined as a lack of choices. A lLack of work and educational opportunities, a lack of social services. And, probably, worse of all, a lack of sympathy.
These images are but a small glimpse of everyday reality in urban China. It's truly a testament of the clash of fast paced economic growth and stagnated human development, leaving the seemingly chimeric dream of social equality by the wayside.
Posted by social justice at 05:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
August 01, 2007
Not as Easy as I Thought
As an outsider coming in to do development work, it's very easy to see the flaws in the clogs of the system. However, it's also very easy to assume and misunderstand why the situation is so. Take the following for example, "Why can't this community solve their water supply issues? If they were smart, they would just dig a well."
I would be so easy to reach this conclusion, however, it is too simplistic. This past week, I was finally able to jump out of my insulated thinking and start considering local and other factors. ie. 1.) Local groundwater is high in flouride, drinking this water will lead to eventual tooth decay, bone brittleness, and poor posture as a result of bone degeneration. 2.) Soil conditions - it may not be possible to dig or too expensive to drill in hard soil or rock, 3.) The money or technical expertise is lacking
While I'm just starting, I'm beginning to try to see things from a wholistic perspective and to understand the situation from a local perspective.
This past week, I engaged in a series of health surveys for households and schools. I evaluated Plan program and non program villages and schools on their hygiene habits, waste disposal facilities or lack thereof, and general environmental conditions, like road drainage and maintenance.
Continue reading "Not as Easy as I Thought"
Posted by social justice at 04:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
July 19, 2007
Getting Things Moving
For the past couple of weeks, I've had a bit of displeasure at the slow pace of work. Sometimes I'd have nothing to do, so I would read books or websites on development (sand filters, microfinance), or worse, get sucked in by the Communications and PR dept to do editing for them. Ugh! I know they need help, so I do it, but I didn't sign up to be an editor. It's draining work. The English doesn't make sense, so often times I have to rewrite the whole report. Sometimes the Chinese doesn't even make sense!
I'm here to improve the living conditions of rural Chinese, not help write memos that are probably not even going to get read! But at least through reading these reports, I can get a better understanding of Plan China's mindset towards its work. I think a lot of our work suffers from of lack of motivation from most coworkers, especially those at the county level, which translates into a poor work ethic. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it has something to do with the culture. There's the Chinese expression Tie Fan Wan, which means "Steel Bowl," "bowl" referring one's job, through which one eats. "Steel" means that one's bowl is strong or secure, referring to job security. So if one feels that he or she has job security and won't be fired, he or she won't have the motivation to do a good job, and do just enough to get by.
I guess that's my problem. I'm hardcore romantically idealistic. For me, working in the development and humanitarian relief sector is a passion. However, for most here, it's just a job.
Not saying that they're bad people, but in my opinion, it lends to a low output and poor morale, which is discouraging. Ok, I'll admit, there's only a limit to how much I can criticize, as I'm a newbie, but all of my intentions and goodwill are there. It'll just take time for me to figure out how to have these qualities manifest themselves into strong social works.
To this end, I'm trying to self-educate on the principles of development and relief...the basic frameworks and approaches. The Oxfam Handbook of Development and Relief is my Bible. Granted, I'm only on page 21, but I can tell, it's going to be one heck of a good read. Right now, I'm reading a section on participation, which criticizes many well-intentioned NGOs on the fallacy of head-counting, which left a strong impression on me:
There are two further difficulties in adopting a 'head count' approach to measuring participation. Firstly, the danger of equating quantity with quality. For example, to the people concerned, it may matter less how many times they attended a training programme, than whether they found it worthwhile, and felt they had a fair say in how it was organised [sic]. SImply to note that 75 per cent of the adult population attended says nothing about whether their participation improved their lives. (Vol. I, p 16, 1998)
What I am intrigued about development work is not providing the hardware (agriculture equipment, housing structures, technology, etc.), but the software (trainings on problem identification, community mobilization, operation and maintenance skills, and financial management) that can change communities from within.
I'm no expert--I just happened to have read up a lot on poop and its uses-- and I'm not battle-tested, but I will forever subscribe to the idea that one individual who is well-intentioned and takes every step possible to ignite ACTIVE participation from all community members, especially women and children, can transform lives for the better.I'll admit, I'm still in the twilight zone of post graduation and feeling that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind too. I tell any like-minded readers to not lose hope, even in the face of dissuasion. There are so many problems in this world. And at least for me, I could not turn my back on them. While I can't address every possible catastrophe, I hope to do what I can. (I will say that my heart is more and more pulled to work with Burmese refugees and IDPs--their situation is truly one of abject desperation and quintessential human suffering, and it's difficult to think that I still have another 5 months before I can go back to Southeast Asia, but in my heart I know that the organizational skills that I learn know will make me a more effective aid worker in the future. But nonetheless, it's a difficult bullet to bite). I left my heart in Southeast Asia two years ago and can't wait to get back.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
But back to work. As I mentioned in my earlier entry, I am not down with inefficiency and down time. Why is that?
I am not a patient guy. And when something can be done better, and done faster, with better results, I'll usually say something.
And that's exactly what went down today. Our WES program suffers from chronic inefficiency and poor management support. Everything's planned well in our offices, but this often times does not translate into timely or tangible results in the field. In a meeting with my team, I pushed for leading an initiative which will calculate each household's cost-benefit analysis of using some form of composting toilet and/or biogas system. Indicators will vary from environmental and health aspects like a reduction in disability adjusted life years (or sick days), to savings from substituting artificial fertilizers with recycled human and animal excreta.
This will be done in a target village, where I will ideally live to get a better idea of their hygiene habits and to develop rapport with community members. In addition, I plan to start grant writing also! While our WES program has enough funding, it is fixed for each village. I plan to apply for a grant from our UK National Office. Any project meant to address directly or indirectly the issue of climate change is eligible. It's for $15,000-$50,000 a year, renewable, I think. This money would be great, as we could use in to supplement our WES program and address other environmental issues that the villagers themselves have identified. So besides offering basic services in sanitation and water supply, I hope this will give us an opportunity to expand to reforestation, drip irrigation, rain harvesting, drainage (vector control), and erosion control in a target area
$15,000 can do a lot to improve the conditions in any village.If the pieces fall together (getting assigned to a group of households, winning the grant, and putting in new Indian biogas technology, I'm going to be very busy in the next coming weeks / months.
Posted by social justice at 04:57 PM | TrackBack (0)
July 12, 2007
The Bureaucracy and Politics of Working in a Large INGO
The Bureaucracy of working in a large INGO can be suffocating...endless and somewhat pointless meetings, paperwork, and more paperwork...It's difficult to accept that this is how things work in NGO circles. More frustrating is the fact that a leading way of how an NGO's work gets support is if issues get politicized and commodified into the phenomenon of how supporters can benefit, either from a publicity or a political standpoint. But, the sad thing is that that's how a great proportion of the big bucks trickle down into education, microfinance, and health programs. What happened to altruism? I guess from time immemorial, it's always been about "What's in it for me?"But still, the thought of sensationalizing human suffering and humanitarian issues is a turn off. It is definitely NOT sexy.But perhaps I am being too idealistic. When working for others, you got to be practical, too.
However, I just can't help but wonder that there must be a more effective working method that efficiency addresses community members needs and wants at the grassroots level.THAT'S where I want to be.My rants aren't against any organization in particular, just general thoughts on the dark side of the humanitarian relief world. My problem here at work is that there is not enough staff or expertise at Plan's county program unit offices.
Everything seems top down instead of bottom up. Without adopting the latter political ecology approach, schemes and plans are often disconnected at the ground level, and seem more dictated from above than chosen from below.
Continue reading "The Bureaucracy and Politics of Working in a Large INGO"
Posted by social justice at 12:14 PM | TrackBack (0)
July 06, 2007
Solutions to Rural Energy Demands and Global Waste Disposal Dilemmas
For those interested...here is my research paper from Viet Nam on the promises of nutrient recycling and how it can solve much of today's waste disposal and environmental problems, both in the context of rural third world development and developed countries. It explains the madness of the current triple assault on land, air, and water...landfilling, incinerating, and discharging our wastes, 80% of which is recyclable / compostable organics. Western notions of civilization, sanitation, and refuse disposal are far from sustainable or reasonable. Why is it that developed countries are the world's biggest polluters? This paper sheds insight. (download links included)
Continue reading "Solutions to Rural Energy Demands and Global Waste Disposal Dilemmas"
Posted by social justice at 10:52 AM | TrackBack (0)
July 01, 2007
First Visit to the Chinese Countryside
One of my co-workers convinced me to go with him hiking on a mountain range southwest of Xian, and of course, wanting to get out of the city, I agreed. Our plans weren't really set, and, to be honest, we had no idea of where we were really going. But we ended up in the small city of Bao Ji, then took a combination bus/taxi, eventually ending up in Diao Yu Tai, or "Fishing Terrace," where a famous Chinese king supposedly fished way back when.
. The area has been made into a park with hiking trails. After climbing over a dam and hiking over rickety bridges crossing streams and cut into hillsides, we eventually came upon a small section of a village, here I'll call it Pei Jia.
We were the first foreigners to ever come to this village of closely nestled mud-bricked houses terraced into a hillside.
Continue reading "First Visit to the Chinese Countryside"
Posted by social justice at 02:23 PM | TrackBack (0)
