Awake!

If thou regret'st thy youth, why live?

- Lord Byron

Agrotour Europe

http://www.agrotour.net/

Truthiness

Truthiness is a term that U.S. television comedian Stephen Colbert popularized in 2005 when he used it to describe things that a person claims to know intuitively or "from the gut" without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts.

Problems of Centralised Power

At the very beginning of his presidency, Vladimir Putin announced that he was going to consolidate political powers in Russia into the so-called power vertical. However, despite being considered successful by many, this controversial endeavour partially backfired and led to the increasing factionalism within the president's inner circle. Although other institutions now became largely irrelevant, disputes and clashes between Kremlin factions, rather than the president's will, are getting more and more important in determining major policy outcomes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_groups_during_Vladimir_Putin%27s_presidency

This is interesting.

As I understand it, Putin tried to move the political centre of gravity to his kitchen cabinet in order to maximise control. His kitchen cabinet is small and manageable, and close and manageable, appointed by people and manageable, and made up of people loyal to him.

The problem is that he made his cabinet or kitchen cabinet into the central political clearing house: i.e. the place where conflicting interests (and, for the less cynical, ideas) present in any country are resolved, usually with a compromise to some degree, "some degree" meaning the de facto defeat of one and the victory of another.

The effect of this is to attach enormous centrifugal forces to his kitchen cabinet, fragmenting it. One oil giant lobbies one cabinet member, another lobbies another. The "tight-knit"

Quote of the Day

'What's life, really, if we don't leave something good behind us?'

- Saif Aldin, Iraqi journalist for The Washington Post, to the suggestion that his boldness would get him killed. He was shot dead on 14 October 2007.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/10/14/ST2007101401543.html?hpid=topnews

solar-aid.org

"We believe that the two most important threats facing humanity today are climate change and global poverty. SolarAid was launched in 2006 as a response to this.

SolarAid aims to enable the world’s poorest people to have clean, renewable power. Solar power leads to better education, health, safety and income by allowing poor communities to cook, pump water, run fridges, store vaccines, light homes, schools, clinics and businesses, power computers and homes, farm more effectively, and much more.

SolarAid carries out DIY solar projects – training local communities how to build small scale solar devices such as solar powered radios and lanterns – and installs small solar systems for community centres, medical clinics, schools and other such communal infrastructure."

http://solar-aid.org/

China offers surprise hope in climate change fight

http://us.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fafp.google.com%2Farticle%2FALeqM5jZz8YWsNjJOUeh8Y2ovuuTXG7zgQ

How Revolutions Are Betrayed: Eritrea

Enough!: A Critique of Eritrea’s Post-Liberation Politics
Dan Connell
allAfrica.com
02 March 2004

http://africa.oneworld.net/article/view/80505/1/

This is the key part:

I recall that I was taken aback upon my first postwar visit in October 1991 to learn of the dismantling of the entire popular political apparatus as the front transformed itself into a government - the EPLF's Department of Mass Administration with its corps of cadre who lived and worked among the people was folded into an Asmara-bound Ministry of Local Government; the dynamic mass organizations of women, youth, peasants, and workers were at that time either dormant or reduced to service providers; the EPLF itself was virtually absent as a political force until reorganized and renamed the PFDJ in early 1994. I thought this hiatus in grassroots mobilization a mistake, and said so many times, but I was swayed by those who insisted they would revive the bottom-up popular movement once the institutional framework for the new state was in place.

[Bold mine - PH]

Africa's 'Missing Billions' Spent on War

Well done, everyone.

Africa's 'Missing Billions' Spent on War
Katy Gabel
allAfrica.com
Fri., Oct. 12, 2007

A new study shows that conflicts in Africa cost the continent over 300 billion U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2005 – an amount equivalent to all the international aid received by sub-Saharan Africa in the same period.

The results of the study were released Thursday in a report by Oxfam International, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and Saferworld. The report is the first to show, on a large scale, the effect of conflict on Africa's gross domestic product (GDP).

The report, entitled "Africa's Missing Billions: International Arms Flows and the Cost of Conflict", compares the economies of countries at war with those of countries experiencing peace. According to the report, an average "war, civil war, or insurgency shrinks an African economy by 15 percent," and the continent loses about 18 billion U.S. dollars a year to conflict.

In a statement released with the report, Irungu Houghton, a policy advisor with Oxfam, called the results of the study "shocking," noting that the figures were "almost certainly an under-estimate." According to the statement, the methodology used in the study does not measure the cost of influxes of refugees on neighboring countries or the costs of maintaining peace, rebuilding economies and other consequences of conflict.

The report also estimates that more than 95 percent of the Kalashnikov rifles commonly used in African conflicts are brought in from outside the continent.

Joseph Dube, an Africa coordinator with IANSA, called the statement for all African governments and other weapons-producing governments to support a strong and effective Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

"The government whose factory produces the rifle is as responsible as the government who permits its ships to transport them… Without… regulation, the cost and suffering borne by Africans will continue to be immense," he added.

The United Nations General Assembly in October 2006 passed a draft resolution to form a team to study the "scope and feasibility" of an international Arms Trade Treaty. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, which would help mark and trace illicit small arms and light weapons. Twenty-four other countries, including Somalia, Sudan, China and Russia, abstained.

In a foreword to the Oxfam/IANSA report, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appealed to governments to be bold in working for the ATT, calling the treaty "an opportunity to agree tough controls on the arms trade that would significantly help reduce armed violence in Africa and across the world."

Sirleaf emphasized the impact of conflict beyond combat: "In my own country, conflict has led to the squandering of rich mineral, agricultural, and human resources that should have benefited Liberia and its people. Although economic recovery has begun, it will take many years to recover from the destruction of infrastructure, the damage to businesses, and the loss of life and livelihood."

The First Committee of the UN General Assembly is discussing the Arms Trade Treaty this week.

http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/154114/1/3319

Africa's 'Missing Billions' Spent on War

Nice work, everyone, not that it's much of a surprise.

Africa's 'Missing Billions' Spent on WarKaty Gabel
allAfrica.com
Fri., Oct. 12, 2007

A new study shows that conflicts in Africa cost the continent over 300 billion U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2005 – an amount equivalent to all the international aid received by sub-Saharan Africa in the same period.

The results of the study were released Thursday in a report by Oxfam International, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and Saferworld. The report is the first to show, on a large scale, the effect of conflict on Africa's gross domestic product (GDP).

The report, entitled "Africa's Missing Billions: International Arms Flows and the Cost of Conflict", compares the economies of countries at war with those of countries experiencing peace. According to the report, an average "war, civil war, or insurgency shrinks an African economy by 15 percent," and the continent loses about 18 billion U.S. dollars a year to conflict.

In a statement released with the report, Irungu Houghton, a policy advisor with Oxfam, called the results of the study "shocking," noting that the figures were "almost certainly an under-estimate." According to the statement, the methodology used in the study does not measure the cost of influxes of refugees on neighboring countries or the costs of maintaining peace, rebuilding economies and other consequences of conflict.

The report also estimates that more than 95 percent of the Kalashnikov rifles commonly used in African conflicts are brought in from outside the continent.

Joseph Dube, an Africa coordinator with IANSA, called the statement for all African governments and other weapons-producing governments to support a strong and effective Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

"The government whose factory produces the rifle is as responsible as the government who permits its ships to transport them… Without… regulation, the cost and suffering borne by Africans will continue to be immense," he added.

The United Nations General Assembly in October 2006 passed a draft resolution to form a team to study the "scope and feasibility" of an international Arms Trade Treaty. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, which would help mark and trace illicit small arms and light weapons. Twenty-four other countries, including Somalia, Sudan, China and Russia, abstained.

In a foreword to the Oxfam/IANSA report, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appealed to governments to be bold in working for the ATT, calling the treaty "an opportunity to agree tough controls on the arms trade that would significantly help reduce armed violence in Africa and across the world."

Sirleaf emphasized the impact of conflict beyond combat: "In my own country, conflict has led to the squandering of rich mineral, agricultural, and human resources that should have benefited Liberia and its people. Although economic recovery has begun, it will take many years to recover from the destruction of infrastructure, the damage to businesses, and the loss of life and livelihood."

The First Committee of the UN General Assembly is discussing the Arms Trade Treaty this week.

Knowing the Enemy Is Difficult in Iraq

"In a bid to distinguish the recruits from potential militants, the groups have been given vests with reflective stripes, similar to those worn by traffic police in many countries. Others wear brown T-shirts with Iraqi hats similar to those worn by the national army.

Capt. John Newman, 31, of Columbus, Ga., said the soldiers believe they can discern volunteers from the insurgents.

"We've given them their road guard vests," Newman said. "So, he'd better be wearing that vest if I see him carrying an AK-47.""

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_knowing_the_enemy

This is the crux of the matter in war amongst the people: knowing who is who.

Ultimately, the reflective vests won't work - the insurgents will get hold of them.

The tragedy of the shooting of 3 "concerned citizens" could only have been avoided if the soldiers knew their faces.

This is why I advocate taking the surge strategy even further - don't just get the soldiers out amongst the people in small outposts - get them right out amongst the people. Give very junior officers a lot of power and give them budgets. Get them renting houses in the suburbs and eating at local food stalls. Get them working very closely with tribal militias.

Who is who?

"Lynch insisted that every volunteer is nominated by tribal leaders and vetted by Americans with retina scans and fingerprinting. The serial numbers of their AK-47s also are logged."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_knowing_the_enemy

This is the way to go. Nominated by the traditional local authority who knows everyone and their parents, then vetted by the Americans.

This is getting close to the heart of the problem, which is policing, controlling (in the European sense of the word), knowing who is who. Ultimately this is a social problem requiring a social solution. And that's what finally seems to be happening in Iraq.

Standardisation and Hearts & Minds

""Such acts will create a gap between us and the Americans. We are trying to restore security in the area while the Americans are killing us," Nabil Saleh, 37, said as he stood with his AK-47 slung over his shoulder at his post in Abu Lukah."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_knowing_the_enemy

It's not good that he's packing an AK. We want to see them packing NATO weapons.

Of course, it could be argued that NATO has yet to develop anything as functional as an AK...

Concerned Citizens

"Lynch said it's critical to "better coordinate between coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and concerned citizens," as he calls the vigilante-style groups that have sprouted up across the country to fight extremists."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_knowing_the_enemy

And thus democracy was born.

Order is fundamental. When the government can't supply order, then you become the government, and it's up to you.

"A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

- Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

How can combatants be humanitarians?

"How can combatants be humanitarians?" was a frequent refrain among relief workers in Afghanistan referring to Coalition soldiers who went from shooting to fixing schools. Yet, the "blurring of the lines" seems to be part of a larger trend in the humanitarian industry and so perhaps humanitarians need to find better approaches.

http://www.jha.ac/articles/a125.htm

How can they not? In war amongst the people, the new style of war replacing the industrial war classically expressed in World War II, warfare is precisely defending (or attacking) the services of the modern industrial state - roads, electricity, water, justice, and above all the physical security of civilians. It is more about winning hearts and minds in the streets and on TVs than ever.

This is because more and more, civilians are the battlefield. Which means that humanitarians are combatants, and will be treated as such by the enemy, which means that more than ever humanitarians have to be prepared to be maimed and killed.

(Also, combatants will become more and more policemen; but that's another post.)

Shelter Centre

http://www.sheltercentre.org/

IDMC: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

http://www.internal-displacement.org/

Monitoring, advocacy, training.

Refugees International

http://refugeesinternational.org/

**** - Keep pestering them for a job.

Refugees International develops policy and advocacy positions based on our on-the-ground knowledge of key humanitarian emergencies. Our advocates spend weeks in the field to reach populations that are most in need and determine immediate, practical ways to address the humanitarian emergencies they face. By interviewing displaced people, non-governmental organizations and aid agencies, we acquire the most up-to-date information available and identify immediate solutions.

Upon completion of every mission, Refugees International’s advocates write up their recommendations in brief policy bulletins. These recommendations urge powerful governmental and international institutions to respond more effectively to the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons.

We have found that the right recommendation, based on our on-the-ground assessments, to the right person at the right time can generate millions of dollars in lifesaving assistance. This is why Refugees International is a powerful voice for lifesaving action.

About Cancelling the Debt

I was reading something about how Zambia’s foreign debt is so ‘immoral’ etc. and how not cancelling it is so ‘immoral’ blah blah blah, then I got to this part:

Zambia’s rise in external debt is mainly on account of the following reasons:

1. Balance of payment problems of the 1970s due to falling copper prices and rising oil prices. “Over $ 840 million was amassed in the period between 1970 to 1980 to offset this.

2. Zambia's solidarity with countries in liberation struggles such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. This engagement in liberation struggles accounts for over 90 percent of Zambia’s debt in 1999 and it is referred to as apartheid debt.

3. The need to find alternative trade routes to answer to the dilemmas of a landlocked country surrounded by nine countries, five of which were embattled in liberation struggles.

4. Zambia’s self-declared moratorium against austere conditionalities and policies of the IMF and instead opting for home grown policies under the theme "Growth from Own Resources" in1987 to 1989. During this time arrears and penalties amounted to over $3 billion while debt stock to GDP ratio rose to over 200 percent and the debt service to exports ratio rose to over 50 percent.

http://us.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jubileeusa.org%2Fresources%2Fdebt-resources%2Fpolicy-papers%2Fsouthvoicesitali.html

Well, I’m sorry, but your support for wars in neighbouring countries does not give me a moral obligation to cancel your debt.

Supporting a war in a neighbouring country in order to get access to the sea may well be justifiable, but does not automatically mean I have an obligation to fund it for you.

Poor economic choices by you does not give me an obligation to cancel your debt.

This is self-serving twaddle. The appeal to ‘morality’ is weak at best and deeply cynical at worst.