Different cities approach the problem of urban poverty in different ways. And within these cities some plans come from the political authorities and others from the people, each with different focuses and different effects... What happens, however, when one considers the national outlook? Is urban poverty a domestic issue of top priority? Are there anti-poverty plans that treat the problem as a

Climate talks in Barcelona were interrupted yesterday by a series of protests from African nations. The African delegates  expressed their frustration with the current climate talks and policies.

[Continues from Part 1] 

…Ok, I feel a lot better after that Margherita, and the ‘espresso’ was nice too…

Yeah. Postmodern irony-schmirony…

So, anyway, the first article: “Whosoever acquires, receives or hides anything involved in any offence or otherwise becomes involved in making others buy, receive or conceal [such things] in order to accrue a profit to themselves or to others shall be

 The fall premiere of PBS' Masterpiece Contemporary Theatre this past week was a film entitled Endgame. It outlines the secret negotiations between the white minority led apartheid regime and the ANC (African National Congress). The discussions begin thanks to a British business executive, Michael Young, who is concerned with losing assets in a diamond company. Young enlists deputy representative, Thabo Mbeki to the president of the ANC, Oliver Tambo, to be the voice for the ANC. Finding people to take with Mbeki was Young's challenge as the ANC was being depicted as violent and dangerous at this time, which is arguably true. Fortunately, Young is able to find voices to speak for the whites, among them Professor Willie Esterhuyse.

It appears that those who responded skeptically to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, insisting it would never amount to much, are slowly being forced to eat their words.  Since I began writing this series on BDS, the movement has celebrated a number of significant victories in its struggle to mobilize ordinary citizens and key sectors of civil society in opposition to Israeli policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians.  In this fourth installment on the BDS movement, I will provide a brief overview of some of the movement's recent successes, including the creation of an ongoing campaign to free activist Mohammad Othman (pictured at left - image courtesy of Free Mohammad Othman) from Israeli custody. 

To refer back to the Cornel West quote from my last post, it's not easy to be a war president under "the pressure of peace."  As NATO moves to commit more troops to Afghanistan, Obama is still weighing his options on adding more US troops to the Afghan war effort .  Either way, the pressure of peace and the pressure of war are dividing opponents and supporters of Obama around the world and

Just this past week, the remains of bodies from the Rwandan Genocide were unearthed in the northern part of Tanzania. During the genocide bodies were thrown into tributaries of the grand Lake Victoria in Rwanda, which eventually enter into Tanzania. It has been reported that upwards of nine hundred and seventeen bodies were thrown into rivers and ended up in Tanzania.

Tanzanian nationals, mainly local farmers, took responsibility for taking care of the remnants. However, now that the bodies have been re-discovered, Rwanda and Tanzania are seeking how to appropriately deal with the bodies that did not receive a proper burial. There is discussion that perhaps a memorial might be the best solution. Whatever is done, it is just another reminder for a region that has had to deal with violence as a part of everyday life. 

Israel/Palestine.  Everyone knows it's one of the world's perpetual "hotspots," a place of seemingly endless violence carried out by the Israeli state and, to a lesser but still significant extent, Palestinians seeking to rid themselves of Israeli domination.  Over the years, this deadly dance has come to be known, almost universally, as "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."  Most journalists,