latin american princesa {LAP}

Via TakingITGlobal:

I just learned about a digital dialogue initiative from Queen Rania on YouTube. This is a women who defies stereotypes through her very existence and actions. Now she is using cyberspace to help bring down some of the stereotypes about Arabs and especially Arab women. She’s like the Barack Obama of Arab women.

Obama has shown us that while he understands that we have a lot of work to do still in terms of equality and opportunity, this country has already come a long way. Some say that his “Change” message is superficial. How much change can he really bring about? What does that mean exactly? But his campaign alone has already changed so much. Dialogue is the first step and he has instigated a serious level of dialogue. He has made people think. And think again.

Queen Rania is attempting the same. She’s a brilliant woman. I’ll be following the initiative this summer. I hope you’ll check it out too. Let’s see if some stereotypes come down on both sides.

Source: Washington Post

HUMAN Vs. VEHICLE

The grain required to fill a 25-gallon sport-utility vehicle tank with ethanol could feed one person for a year, the World Bank said.

Just think about this. I mean really think. I just can’t even begin to describe how mind boggling it is. How many times a week does a person with the average commute in such a vehicle fill up every week??? And yet human beings die every day from hunger and malnutrition.

Oh, oh, oh now Bill Richardson meeting with Chavez is a very very interesting twist. I’m sure Bill will be berated for meeting with the monster, but all I can say is “it’s about time!“. Seriously how does this country expect to resolve any problems if the government refuses to talk to anybody or negotiate with anyone. Sticking your head in the sand just doesn’t work. Procrastinating and ignoring doesn’t make things disappear.

Hmm, how about Bill replacing Condi? Somehow I just couldn’t see him as Prez and apparently many others felt the same way. But Secretary of State. Yeah. Seems like a good fit. He has the diplomatic, international and peace mediation experience.

We all live in this world together. I just don’t see how barreling through it, forcing your own way is the right path to peace and democracy for all.

Phew!! Thank Buddha I’m not traveling back to The Netherlands this weekend. A travel warning has been issued on the US Consulate website due to a major soccer match. The Dutchies might get rowdy. Oh my!!!

American citizens are advised to avoid the area around the Stadhuisplein, Coolsingel and surrounding areas in central Rotterdam on April 27-28, and to exercise caution, avoiding groups of people.

My stars!!! Avoid “groups of people”. Let’s see in a busy urban environment…how do you do that? Hmmmmmmm. Oh I know!! You grab your omafiets and skee-daddle yourself out to the Dutch countryside to hang with the cows.

“Avoiding groups of people” indeed!!!! Next the U.S. government will be telling us to just “avoid people”. Ha!

All I can say is “sigh!!!!”

3 Detectives Acquitted in Bell Shooting

Oxfam calls the bluff of le président americain Sarkozy. In a press release, (in French) Sébastien Fourmy, spokesperson for Oxfam France, calls Sarkozy’s pledge to double food aid “manufactured” and France’s development policies, at best “incoherent”, at worst, “hypocritical”. He points to France’s unclear support of the EU’s unfair trade agreements (EPAs) with Africa and Caribbean nations, quasi-imposed by the European Commission, and to the drop in aid in 2007 as a percentage of gross national income (0.4%).

For the latest on the EPAs see TRADE-MALAWI: ”If EPAs Are So Good, Why Force Us to Sign?”:

Mutharika went as far as to accuse the EU of “imperialism”.

He was critical of the EU’s stance that EPA signatories will be assisted with money from the European Development Fund (EDF).

“This is imperialism by the EU which we must fight against because the EDF funding has nothing to do with EPA conditionalities. They are doing this in order to punish those that who are not signing their agreements. Now, if the agreement is so good, why do they have to force people to sign?’” asked Mutharika.

• EUROPE: Trade Policy Backs Western Firms [IPS]
• RIGHTS: Development Financing Still Gender-Blind [IPS]

Be warned, the following documentary is painful to watch and depressing. We think things are getting better in the world. I mean there has been progress in poverty reduction and minority rights. Every day wonderful people are out there fighting for a better world. But I don’t want this video to serve as discouragement. Rather it should serve as a warning that we can’t let down our guard.

Do we really want people to suffer so we can eat chocolate? Is it worth such a price? Can we allow international organizations to let their employees get away with abuse of domestic workers on our own soil? Diplomacy and cultural relativism aside-I know I argue a lot about understanding the context BUT-enslaving another human just isn’t justifiable. PERIOD.

via rumproast:

It was such a pleasure to watch this priest “bitch-slap” one of Bill O’Reilly’s idiots:

And if you are interested in learning more about MLK the man and his criticisms of this country’s policies (domestic and foreign) check out this podcast from The Brian Lehrer Show interviewing the Michael Eric Dyson, author of a new book April 4 1968.

Als je twee verschillende nationaliteiten hebt, space and intimacy take on a new meaning. Afstand is jou vijand en Skype is jouw beste vriend.

Applying for a PhD is going way to sloooooooowwww. Sigh.