Russian authorities are holding up millions of dollars in international Western aid to Russian human-rights and democracy-building organizations, in what the groups say is another sign of growing Kremlin pressure on civil society.
The government has virtually stopped registering certain categories of foreign grants to Russian nonprofit groups, effectively paralyzing the work of a number of grass-roots organizations.
The U.S. government has brought the issue up with the Russian presidential administration and is watching developments very closely, a U.S. official said. Much of the U.S. government's funding for efforts to promote democracy in Russia, a Bush administration priority, goes through USAID.
"This is political pressure on the donors," said Lilia Shibanova, head of Golos, an electoral watchdog that has been waiting nearly two years for approval of its USAID funding. "The authorities want to tighten control of all foreign grants, especially those for human-rights projects."
A Russian government official denied programs are being deliberately held up, noting that approvals regularly take several months to complete.
Concerns about the delay come with Russia's nongovernmental organizations already bracing for a new law that will significantly expand state control of the country's nonprofit sector. The Kremlin's hardening approach to NGOs reflects a widely held suspicion in Moscow that foreign-funded civil-liberties groups are trying to foment a Ukrainian-style Orange Revolution here. Russian intelligence officials have publicly accused Western spy agencies of using not-for-profit groups as a front for instigating unrest and weakening Russian influence in the former Soviet Union.
[Excerpt of article by Guy Chazan, The Wall Street Journal]
4/13/06
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4/12/06
Assessing AIDS in Africa
Each year, the United Nations releases an update on the state of AIDS, and its statistics are cited around the world in hundreds of reports and articles. In general, the U.N. data have painted a grim picture of the virus's inexorable advance.
But a report last week forces a reexamination of these views. In some parts of Africa, it seems, AIDS has advanced less than the United Nations had suggested.
New studies suggest that in Botswana 34.9 percent of adults (ages 15 to 49) are infected with the HIV virus, slightly less than the 37.3 percent reported by the United Nations.
The proportion infected in South Africa stands at 16.2 percent, considerably lower than the 21.5 percent claimed by the United Nations.
But Rwanda's rate is only 3 percent. Back in the mid-1980s, some researchers were saying that Rwanda might have an infection rate of 30 percent, and the United Nations claimed a rate of 11.2 percent in 2000.
The United Nations' credibility on AIDS will now suffer. [But] the credibility of the United Nations matters less than the reaction of health officials in poor countries and donor agencies. There has long been a concern that AIDS, while underfunded relative to the number of people in need of treatment and education, is arguably overfunded relative to other diseases.
Even Botswana's revised infection rate of 34.9 percent is devastating.
[From Washington Post editorial]
But a report last week forces a reexamination of these views. In some parts of Africa, it seems, AIDS has advanced less than the United Nations had suggested.
New studies suggest that in Botswana 34.9 percent of adults (ages 15 to 49) are infected with the HIV virus, slightly less than the 37.3 percent reported by the United Nations.
The proportion infected in South Africa stands at 16.2 percent, considerably lower than the 21.5 percent claimed by the United Nations.
But Rwanda's rate is only 3 percent. Back in the mid-1980s, some researchers were saying that Rwanda might have an infection rate of 30 percent, and the United Nations claimed a rate of 11.2 percent in 2000.
The United Nations' credibility on AIDS will now suffer. [But] the credibility of the United Nations matters less than the reaction of health officials in poor countries and donor agencies. There has long been a concern that AIDS, while underfunded relative to the number of people in need of treatment and education, is arguably overfunded relative to other diseases.
Even Botswana's revised infection rate of 34.9 percent is devastating.
[From Washington Post editorial]
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4/11/06
Gates Foundation grant targets pneumonia
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is ratcheting up its war on one of the world's top killers with a $75 million grant to help speed development of pneumonia vaccines.
The goal is to provide vaccines for less than $5 a dose in poor countries, where the disease kills about one million children a year.
With the $75 million grant, PATH, a Seattle-based organization that is deeply involved with the foundation's efforts to improve global health, hopes to spur development of vaccines tailored to the pneumonia strains prevalent in the developing world.
The program will also work to accelerate clinical testing of the drugs and encourage construction of manufacturing plants in Africa and Asia to produce the vaccine locally.
In the United States and other developed nations, an adult pneumonia vaccine has been widely available for more than a decade and a children's version was introduced about 5 years ago. But at $50 a dose, the drug would be out of reach of impoverished families in Africa and Asia, even if it were available there.
[The Seattle Times]
The goal is to provide vaccines for less than $5 a dose in poor countries, where the disease kills about one million children a year.
With the $75 million grant, PATH, a Seattle-based organization that is deeply involved with the foundation's efforts to improve global health, hopes to spur development of vaccines tailored to the pneumonia strains prevalent in the developing world.
The program will also work to accelerate clinical testing of the drugs and encourage construction of manufacturing plants in Africa and Asia to produce the vaccine locally.
In the United States and other developed nations, an adult pneumonia vaccine has been widely available for more than a decade and a children's version was introduced about 5 years ago. But at $50 a dose, the drug would be out of reach of impoverished families in Africa and Asia, even if it were available there.
[The Seattle Times]
4/10/06
Ted Turner on the Iraq war: 'A big waste of time'
Ted Turner, the outspoken billionaire philanthropist, made the following comments as he was recently being honored for promoting global understanding.
Refering to President Bush, Turner didn't mince words. "We can't afford the war in Iraq," Turner said. "This is a big waste of time.
"I wish we would say, 'We won and we are going home.' We shouldn't be there. Bombing isn't a way of changing people's minds. You do that with education."
Bush lacks a true understanding of the world, Turner said. "We had a president of the United States who had been out of the country but once before he was elected," he said.
On news coverage in America, the former head of CNN said, "There's an awful lot of superfluous news, the pervert of the day and someone that shot seven people at a fraternity party. Who needs it all?"
Refering to President Bush, Turner didn't mince words. "We can't afford the war in Iraq," Turner said. "This is a big waste of time.
"I wish we would say, 'We won and we are going home.' We shouldn't be there. Bombing isn't a way of changing people's minds. You do that with education."
Bush lacks a true understanding of the world, Turner said. "We had a president of the United States who had been out of the country but once before he was elected," he said.
On news coverage in America, the former head of CNN said, "There's an awful lot of superfluous news, the pervert of the day and someone that shot seven people at a fraternity party. Who needs it all?"
4/9/06
Democracy and the Palestinians
President Bush made “the spread of democracy” his Administrations’ primary mission. Let’s dedicate a couple posts to the theme of democracy, starting with the MidEast:
Prior to the January elections in Palestine, the Bush administration used foreign aid money to attempt to increase the popularity of the Palestinian Authority, knowing the PA faced a serious challenge from the Islamic Hamas.
Nevertheless, Hamas beat out the Palestinian Authority, creating two firsts:
1. The first time a regime has changed in the Arab world democratically through elections;
2. The first time an Islamist group has come to power through elections.
Hamas had won hearts through building an effective and affordable social welfare system in Gaza, runnung most of the kindergartens, funding health clinics, and providing welfare checks to widows and orphans.
However because Hamas opposes Isreal, the U.S., Europe and Canada cut its international aid to the Palestinians. Thankfully for the poor, the U.S. is still going to fund some humanitarian needs, such as education, health and food.
Withdrawing aid for the construction of schools and roads, the U.S. has instead pledged to provide Palestine with “increased assistance for democracy promotion”. Besides speculating what that might be, any contradiction of terms in this rhetoric?
Prior to the January elections in Palestine, the Bush administration used foreign aid money to attempt to increase the popularity of the Palestinian Authority, knowing the PA faced a serious challenge from the Islamic Hamas.
Nevertheless, Hamas beat out the Palestinian Authority, creating two firsts:
1. The first time a regime has changed in the Arab world democratically through elections;
2. The first time an Islamist group has come to power through elections.
Hamas had won hearts through building an effective and affordable social welfare system in Gaza, runnung most of the kindergartens, funding health clinics, and providing welfare checks to widows and orphans.
However because Hamas opposes Isreal, the U.S., Europe and Canada cut its international aid to the Palestinians. Thankfully for the poor, the U.S. is still going to fund some humanitarian needs, such as education, health and food.
Withdrawing aid for the construction of schools and roads, the U.S. has instead pledged to provide Palestine with “increased assistance for democracy promotion”. Besides speculating what that might be, any contradiction of terms in this rhetoric?
Democracy In Iraq: Not A Priority in U.S. Budget
President Bush vows to transform Iraq into a beacon of democracy in the Middle East. [Meanwhile] his administration has been scaling back funding for the main organizations trying to build democratic institutions such as political parties and civil society groups.
Some organizations face funding cutoffs this month, while others struggle to stretch resources through the summer. The shortfall threatens projects that teach Iraqis how to create and sustain political parties, think tanks, human rights groups, independent media outlets, trade unions and other elements of democratic society.
Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, an advocacy group that hosted a Bush speech last week, called the situation "a travesty" and said she is "appalled" that more is not being done. "This is the time to show that democracy promotion is more than holding an election.:
"The solution to Iraq lies in the political process, and it's reckless for the White House to cut funds [strengthening] democracy in Iraq at this time," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Officials at the White House, the State Department, the Office of Management and Budget and USAID were contacted for comment in recent days, but none would speak on the record.
[Excerpt of article by Peter Baker, Washington Post]
Some organizations face funding cutoffs this month, while others struggle to stretch resources through the summer. The shortfall threatens projects that teach Iraqis how to create and sustain political parties, think tanks, human rights groups, independent media outlets, trade unions and other elements of democratic society.
Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, an advocacy group that hosted a Bush speech last week, called the situation "a travesty" and said she is "appalled" that more is not being done. "This is the time to show that democracy promotion is more than holding an election.:
"The solution to Iraq lies in the political process, and it's reckless for the White House to cut funds [strengthening] democracy in Iraq at this time," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Officials at the White House, the State Department, the Office of Management and Budget and USAID were contacted for comment in recent days, but none would speak on the record.
[Excerpt of article by Peter Baker, Washington Post]
Democracy In Venezuela: Chávez's Successful Socialism
When the hated despots of nations like Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan loot their countries' treasuries, transfer their oil wealth to personal Swiss bank accounts and use the rest to finance (in the House of Saud's case) terrorist extremists, American politicians praise them as trusted friends and allies.
But when a democratically elected populist president uses Venezuela's oil profits to lift poor people out of poverty, they accuse him of pandering. The socialist economic model espoused by President Hugo Chávez has become wildly popular among Latin Americans tired of watching corrupt right-wing leaders enrich themselves at their expense. (Left-of-center governments have recently won power in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.)
With Venezuela's oil revenues rising 32 percent last year, Chávez's use of oil revenues is directed to helping the poor of his country, schools are sprouting like weeds, and $10 billion per year is banked for future anti-poverty programs. [Not to speak of] eye surgery for poor Mexicans, and even heating fuel for poor families from Maine to the Bronx to Philadelphia.
Please discuss the $1 billion a week we're wasting in Iraq while people die for lack of medical care and schools fall apart right here in America.
Eighty-two percent of Venezuelans think Chávez is doing a good job. That's more than twice the approval rating by Americans of Bush. He roundly defeated an attempt to recall him. So why is Washington lecturing Caracas?
[Excerpts of Ted Rall’s Yahoo Opinion]
But when a democratically elected populist president uses Venezuela's oil profits to lift poor people out of poverty, they accuse him of pandering. The socialist economic model espoused by President Hugo Chávez has become wildly popular among Latin Americans tired of watching corrupt right-wing leaders enrich themselves at their expense. (Left-of-center governments have recently won power in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.)
With Venezuela's oil revenues rising 32 percent last year, Chávez's use of oil revenues is directed to helping the poor of his country, schools are sprouting like weeds, and $10 billion per year is banked for future anti-poverty programs. [Not to speak of] eye surgery for poor Mexicans, and even heating fuel for poor families from Maine to the Bronx to Philadelphia.
Please discuss the $1 billion a week we're wasting in Iraq while people die for lack of medical care and schools fall apart right here in America.
Eighty-two percent of Venezuelans think Chávez is doing a good job. That's more than twice the approval rating by Americans of Bush. He roundly defeated an attempt to recall him. So why is Washington lecturing Caracas?
[Excerpts of Ted Rall’s Yahoo Opinion]
Democracy In Afghanistan: Conundrum of Regime Change
The case of the Afghan man who faced execution for converting to Christianity illustrates the conundrum of "regime change." OK, so your army has just rolled into a foreign capital. You can do whatever you want. However, if you interfere with the internal affairs of a liberated country, and you tell them what to do--you haven't liberated them at all. But if you can't change anything, what's the point?
So while prime minister Hamid Karzai cuts a dashing figure with his green Tajik robe and impeccable English, … U.S.-occupied Afghanistan has a 2004 Constitution that includes a key sentence: "No law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam." There's more paperwork, but nothing new: Sharia is still the law of the land.
[Related to this] article 2(1)(a) of Iraq’s new U.S.-backed constitution reads: "No law may be passed that contradicts the immutable rulings of Islam."
The neoconservative theorists who dreamed up America's regime change policy point to post-World War II Germany and Japan as successful precedents. But we didn't create democracy in Germany from scratch. Liberation works best when you kick a foreign army out of a country that had liberal values before its occupation.
After it came into possession of Afghanistan, with its long history of justice based on brutality and vengeance, the U.S. faced a choice between the harsh totalitarian Soviet and the hands-off "we liberated you, it's all yours" approaches. The Soviets sent girls to school and university, banned the burqa and prohibited the enforcement of Sharia law. We chose laissez-faire liberation, and spread theocracy instead of democracy.
[Excerpts of an editorial by Ted Rall, Yahoo News]
So while prime minister Hamid Karzai cuts a dashing figure with his green Tajik robe and impeccable English, … U.S.-occupied Afghanistan has a 2004 Constitution that includes a key sentence: "No law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam." There's more paperwork, but nothing new: Sharia is still the law of the land.
[Related to this] article 2(1)(a) of Iraq’s new U.S.-backed constitution reads: "No law may be passed that contradicts the immutable rulings of Islam."
The neoconservative theorists who dreamed up America's regime change policy point to post-World War II Germany and Japan as successful precedents. But we didn't create democracy in Germany from scratch. Liberation works best when you kick a foreign army out of a country that had liberal values before its occupation.
After it came into possession of Afghanistan, with its long history of justice based on brutality and vengeance, the U.S. faced a choice between the harsh totalitarian Soviet and the hands-off "we liberated you, it's all yours" approaches. The Soviets sent girls to school and university, banned the burqa and prohibited the enforcement of Sharia law. We chose laissez-faire liberation, and spread theocracy instead of democracy.
[Excerpts of an editorial by Ted Rall, Yahoo News]
4/8/06
U.S. to Redirect Aid for Palestinians
The United States plans to terminate assistance for building projects in Palestinian territories and redirect much of its annual aid to the Palestinians toward basic humanitarian needs, such as education, health and food, as well as increased assistance for democracy promotion.
The shift in aid priorities was set in motion after the unexpected democratic victory by the radical Islamic organization Hamas in January legislative elections. Shortly after Hamas won the elections, the United States and other key bankrollers of the Palestinian Authority said they would end assistance as soon as Hamas took control of the cabinet, unless the organization recognized the right of Israel to exist.
The United States in the past did not provide much direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority -- and immediately demanded the return of nearly $50 million in direct aid -- but officials needed to determine whether indirect assistance, such as road or school construction projects, would also be affected. In the end, officials decided that any project that had a connection with a government ministry would be ended.
[Excerpt of an article by Glenn Kessler, Washington Post]
The shift in aid priorities was set in motion after the unexpected democratic victory by the radical Islamic organization Hamas in January legislative elections. Shortly after Hamas won the elections, the United States and other key bankrollers of the Palestinian Authority said they would end assistance as soon as Hamas took control of the cabinet, unless the organization recognized the right of Israel to exist.
The United States in the past did not provide much direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority -- and immediately demanded the return of nearly $50 million in direct aid -- but officials needed to determine whether indirect assistance, such as road or school construction projects, would also be affected. In the end, officials decided that any project that had a connection with a government ministry would be ended.
[Excerpt of an article by Glenn Kessler, Washington Post]
4/7/06
Foundation giving
Giving by the largest U.S. funders grew 8.1 percent in 2004, reversing a two-year decline, a new report says. Foundation Giving Trends: An Update on Funding Priorities released by the Foundation Center in New York, analyzed grant information from the 1,200 largest private and community foundations in the U.S.
More to the theme of this blog, international giving reached a new high of $2.8 billion in 2004, with most of those funds benefiting agencies based in the U.S. that work in international aid.
Inflation must be factored into this equation though, both from the standpoint of eroding assets and the value of foundation giving. While giving among foundations reached a record level of $33.6 billion, in inflation-adjusted terms, that was slightly less than the peak amount reported in 2001.
This noted increase in giving is also boosted in part by the presence of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which makes numerous large grants primarily in the area of health.
Children and youth received the largest share of funds among beneficiary groups, while gays, lesbians and AIDS sufferers saw the most growth in funding.
Source
More to the theme of this blog, international giving reached a new high of $2.8 billion in 2004, with most of those funds benefiting agencies based in the U.S. that work in international aid.
Inflation must be factored into this equation though, both from the standpoint of eroding assets and the value of foundation giving. While giving among foundations reached a record level of $33.6 billion, in inflation-adjusted terms, that was slightly less than the peak amount reported in 2001.
This noted increase in giving is also boosted in part by the presence of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which makes numerous large grants primarily in the area of health.
Children and youth received the largest share of funds among beneficiary groups, while gays, lesbians and AIDS sufferers saw the most growth in funding.
Source
4/6/06
International Red Cross criticizes American Red Cross
Two international Red Cross organizations issued scathing criticisms of the American Red Cross's chaotic response to Hurricane Katrina, accusing the charity of approaching the relief effort with a "dangerous combination of ignorance and arrogance."
The reports -- by the British Red Cross and the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross, which sent experts to the Gulf Coast shortly after Katrina struck -- say their American counterpart was ill-prepared for the disaster, relied on inexperienced volunteers in key positions and had an ineffective system for moving supplies to where they were needed.
The reports by the British Red Cross and the ICRC were prepared last September but the American Red Cross didn't release them until yesterday, after The Washington Post asked the British Red Cross for a copy.
[Excerpt of article by Jacqueline L. Salmon, The Washington Post]
The reports -- by the British Red Cross and the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross, which sent experts to the Gulf Coast shortly after Katrina struck -- say their American counterpart was ill-prepared for the disaster, relied on inexperienced volunteers in key positions and had an ineffective system for moving supplies to where they were needed.
The reports by the British Red Cross and the ICRC were prepared last September but the American Red Cross didn't release them until yesterday, after The Washington Post asked the British Red Cross for a copy.
[Excerpt of article by Jacqueline L. Salmon, The Washington Post]
4/5/06
Bill Clinton Urges World to Aid the Poor
Former President Clinton welcomed Heifer International to his neighborhood, dedicating the charity's new world headquarters with a plea for everyone to "give them your hand" and fight hunger.
Clinton's library and school of public service are next door to Heifer International and the region is also home to Winrock International, which runs programs worldwide to help rural residents achieve a balance between food and income while managing natural resources.
"Ordinary people of modest means have the power to change lives half a world away," Clinton said in a two-hour ceremony that featured music and dance from among the 50 countries that Heifer serves.
[Washington Post]
Clinton's library and school of public service are next door to Heifer International and the region is also home to Winrock International, which runs programs worldwide to help rural residents achieve a balance between food and income while managing natural resources.
"Ordinary people of modest means have the power to change lives half a world away," Clinton said in a two-hour ceremony that featured music and dance from among the 50 countries that Heifer serves.
[Washington Post]
4/4/06
Did Exxon Prompt IRS to Audit Greenpeace?
The Wall Street Journal reported that:
Two and a half years ago, a self-described watchdog of nonprofit groups (PIW), wrote to the Internal Revenue Service urging the agency to audit Greenpeace and accusing the environmental group of money laundering and other crimes.
The IRS began a months-long audit of the U.S. arm of Greenpeace, known for steering its boats in the way of oil tankers. Greenpeace says it [recently] received notice from the IRS that the group "continues to qualify for exemption from federal income tax" as a nonprofit entity.
Greenpeace says an IRS auditor said the PIW letter triggered the audit. The IRS won't say how it decided to audit Greenpeace.
What is clear is where PIW has gotten a lot of its funding: Exxon Mobil Corp., the giant oil company that has long been a target of Greenpeace protests.
"I believe organizations should be scrutinized and audited, but I just don't believe you should get targeted because ... you're a critic of Exxon Mobil," said the executive director of Greenpeace USA.
Oh yes, and this in a year that CNN reports that Exxon Mobil hauled in nearly $1 billion a day in sales last year, making it the biggest company in the United States according to the latest Fortune 500.
And Exxon Mobil‘s revenue and profit were the biggest ever for a U.S. company as a result of soaring oil prices. Once again proving that not everyone loses in wartime and rising fuel prices. Of course, this huge profit is not only due to Americans lining up at the pumps, but also because of furious growth in China and India, as well as the long-awaited recovery in Japan.
The point is that Exxon and the other four largest oil companies gained 28 percent of the combined revenue of the 25 largest companies -- making 2005 a year for Big Oil to remember. And there’s no question about their ability to bully if they want.
Two and a half years ago, a self-described watchdog of nonprofit groups (PIW), wrote to the Internal Revenue Service urging the agency to audit Greenpeace and accusing the environmental group of money laundering and other crimes.
The IRS began a months-long audit of the U.S. arm of Greenpeace, known for steering its boats in the way of oil tankers. Greenpeace says it [recently] received notice from the IRS that the group "continues to qualify for exemption from federal income tax" as a nonprofit entity.
Greenpeace says an IRS auditor said the PIW letter triggered the audit. The IRS won't say how it decided to audit Greenpeace.
What is clear is where PIW has gotten a lot of its funding: Exxon Mobil Corp., the giant oil company that has long been a target of Greenpeace protests.
"I believe organizations should be scrutinized and audited, but I just don't believe you should get targeted because ... you're a critic of Exxon Mobil," said the executive director of Greenpeace USA.
Oh yes, and this in a year that CNN reports that Exxon Mobil hauled in nearly $1 billion a day in sales last year, making it the biggest company in the United States according to the latest Fortune 500.
And Exxon Mobil‘s revenue and profit were the biggest ever for a U.S. company as a result of soaring oil prices. Once again proving that not everyone loses in wartime and rising fuel prices. Of course, this huge profit is not only due to Americans lining up at the pumps, but also because of furious growth in China and India, as well as the long-awaited recovery in Japan.
The point is that Exxon and the other four largest oil companies gained 28 percent of the combined revenue of the 25 largest companies -- making 2005 a year for Big Oil to remember. And there’s no question about their ability to bully if they want.
4/3/06
Donor Fatigue and Silent Crises
While massive crises such as that in Sudan's Darfur region attract media and donor attention, the grinding poverty that is a fact of daily life for many in Africa's poorest countries goes largely unnoticed.
The Sahel -- a band of arid savannah which stretches across the southern fringe of the Sahara -- suffers from perpetual food insecurity and last-minute emergency aid only helps alleviate the problem in the short term.
Longer-term commitments from donor nations are harder to secure, particularly in the case of what aid workers call "silent crises" such as that in the Sahel, where there is no constant diet of shocking images to prick donor consciences.
"We can't expect immediate results," said Herve Ludovic de Lys, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in West Africa. "The projects that need to be put in place to correct the structural causes (of this crisis) will take years. But in the meantime, we have an obligation to save lives," he said.
Source: Reuters
The Sahel -- a band of arid savannah which stretches across the southern fringe of the Sahara -- suffers from perpetual food insecurity and last-minute emergency aid only helps alleviate the problem in the short term.
Longer-term commitments from donor nations are harder to secure, particularly in the case of what aid workers call "silent crises" such as that in the Sahel, where there is no constant diet of shocking images to prick donor consciences.
"We can't expect immediate results," said Herve Ludovic de Lys, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in West Africa. "The projects that need to be put in place to correct the structural causes (of this crisis) will take years. But in the meantime, we have an obligation to save lives," he said.
Source: Reuters
4/2/06
Legislators have critical eye on Red Cross
The American Red Cross plans this week to turn over the results of its investigation into allegations of fraud and waste for possible criminal prosecution.
After Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross did not respond quickly enough in low-income areas, did not reach remote Gulf Coast communities, could not manage its overwhelmed phone lines for storm victims, failed to cooperate with local organizations and was unclear in telling donors how their gifts would be spent.
The American Red Cross has faced the toughest challenge of its century-old special relationship with Congress. Lawmakers have called for a reconsideration of the Red Cross' official designation as the charity the government relies on first after national disasters.
Senator Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tax-exempt organizations such as the Red Cross, expressed concerns about the structure and effectiveness of the 125-year-old organization, which has had three presidents resign since 1999.
Fraud was predictable as both the Red Cross and FEMA were, in effect, giving away cash, and they were doing so because the public was clamoring for them to do so.
The giant charity has now launched its biggest overhaul in decades after complaints about how it reacted to the epic hurricane season, criticism of its treatment of minority evacuees and unhappiness from Congress about how it governs itself.
After Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross did not respond quickly enough in low-income areas, did not reach remote Gulf Coast communities, could not manage its overwhelmed phone lines for storm victims, failed to cooperate with local organizations and was unclear in telling donors how their gifts would be spent.
The American Red Cross has faced the toughest challenge of its century-old special relationship with Congress. Lawmakers have called for a reconsideration of the Red Cross' official designation as the charity the government relies on first after national disasters.
Senator Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tax-exempt organizations such as the Red Cross, expressed concerns about the structure and effectiveness of the 125-year-old organization, which has had three presidents resign since 1999.
Fraud was predictable as both the Red Cross and FEMA were, in effect, giving away cash, and they were doing so because the public was clamoring for them to do so.
The giant charity has now launched its biggest overhaul in decades after complaints about how it reacted to the epic hurricane season, criticism of its treatment of minority evacuees and unhappiness from Congress about how it governs itself.
4/1/06
Bono on Charity, Justice and Equality
- From Bono's Speech to the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC
Americans, like the Irish, are good at [charity]. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.
But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.
Sixty-five hundred Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about justice and equality.
…It's annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren't they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain. Yeah, “equal,” that's what it says here in this book [The Bible]. We're “all made in the image of God."
Americans, like the Irish, are good at [charity]. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.
But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.
Sixty-five hundred Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about justice and equality.
…It's annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren't they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain. Yeah, “equal,” that's what it says here in this book [The Bible]. We're “all made in the image of God."
3/31/06
Experts: Africa facing "persistent famine"
The United Nations just reported that hunger will kill more than 300,000 children in West Africa this year if donor nations fail to stump up enough money to provide international food aid.Drought is striking Africa harder and more often, presenting new challenges to those providing emergency international aid and those struggling to find long-term solutions for an impoverished continent.
James Morris, executive director of the World Food Program that feeds 20 million people affected by the drought, says, "I'm not a scientist, but there is a change in the world's weather pattern that disproportionately affects Africa. The rain cycle has been in a steady downward trend."
"I would argue that we are now entering a time of persistent famine" in Africa, concludes Calestous Juma, a development expert at Harvard University.
Disasters have struck elsewhere in the world, from the Asian tsunami to the Pakistani earthquake to flooding in Latin America to today's earthquake in Iran, "but the toughest issues are in Africa, there's no question," Morris said. "We've been stretched to our capacity. Overwhelmed."
As we read new articles like this, one can’t help but reflect on passages like the following from the Gospel of Matthew:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered: “…Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. … Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold …
“For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now.”
3/30/06
Why Hamas is so popular in Palestine
On the day Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his 24-member Cabinet were sworn in to take the Palestinian helm, the United States and Canada formally cut ties with the government, thereby cutting off international aid.Hamas has so far refused to give up their stubborn stance against Israel, whom they consider an oppressive occupier. But why is Hamas so popular to the Palestinians who voted for them enmasse?
Veteran CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, who has covered her share of political conflicts, offers this insight:
You would think that after more than 50 years of one of the most intimately chronicled conflicts in human history -- Israelis vs. Palestinians -- there would be nothing new to say, no surprises.
You would be wrong.Hamas, the radical Islamic movement that has launched suicide attacks in Israel, won the Palestinian elections in January, thereby creating two firsts:
1. The first time a regime has changed in the Arab world democratically through elections;
2. The first time an Islamist group has come to power through elections.
Hamas gained support in Palestine through two decades of building an effective and affordable social welfare system in Gaza. It runs most of the kindergartens, funds health clinics, and provides welfare checks to widows and orphans.
During this year's election, Palestinians fed up with the rampant corruption and lawlessness of the late Yasser Arafat's government turned to the only alternative, Hamas.
So when people ask: "Why did the Palestinian people elect a terrorist group?" The answer is because they see them as a lifeline.
Each time I go to the Palestinian territory of Gaza, I am shocked by the reality on the ground. On a recent visit, I passed through a short tunnel from the First World in Israel and emerged into the Third World that is Gaza. The poverty there is among the worst in the world.
Hamas officials told me they did not expect to win the election as overwhelmingly as they did. They say their main priority now is to meet the demands of the people for a better life.
But that may be impossible, because Israel and the United States refuse to deal with Hamas and have already cut funding to the new Palestinian government.
Posted By Christiane Amanpour
3/29/06
God Blesses Helping the Poor
- From Bono's Speech to the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Jesus says that [in the New Testament, Luke 6:31].
“Righteousness is this: that one should...give away wealth out of love for him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives.” The Koran says that (2.177).
Thus sayeth the Lord: 'Bring the homeless poor into the house, when you see the naked, cover him, then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring fourth, then your Lord will be your rear guard.' The Jewish scripture says that [in the Old Testament, Isaiah 58].
That is a powerful incentive: “The Lord will watch your back.”
Sounds like a good deal to me.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Jesus says that [in the New Testament, Luke 6:31].
“Righteousness is this: that one should...give away wealth out of love for him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives.” The Koran says that (2.177).
Thus sayeth the Lord: 'Bring the homeless poor into the house, when you see the naked, cover him, then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring fourth, then your Lord will be your rear guard.' The Jewish scripture says that [in the Old Testament, Isaiah 58].
That is a powerful incentive: “The Lord will watch your back.”
Sounds like a good deal to me.
3/28/06
Making it illegal to do the right thing
Over the past week, protesters organized by immigrant supporters have rallied in cities across the country, loudly objecting to legislation that would require churches to check the legal status of parishioners before helping them, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, not to speak of making it a felony for them to be in the U.S. illegally.Fortunately, an amendment being considered would protect church and charitable groups, as well as individuals, from criminal prosecution for providing food, shelter, medical care and counseling to undocumented immigrants. (Last December the House voted to make offers of such aid a felony!)
Shouldn’t charitable organizations be able to provide humanitarian assistance to immigrants without fearing prosecution? This excerpt from a Washington Post article examines the human and moral side:
When Tim Holt spotted Maria Rabanales of El Salvador lying still in the Arizona desert, he believed he had a God-given duty to save her. He forced water through the woman's swollen jaws and poured ice down her shirt. Border Patrol agents later took Rabanales to a hospital, where she was revived.
This action was praised by some, but his actions might soon be considered a crime, punishable by up to five years in prison or property forfeiture.
"The overriding Biblical mandate is to care for the stranger or the alien because that stranger or alien might very well be God," said Joan Maruskin, the Washington representative for the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program.
In Arizona, where immigrants cross the desert each year by the thousands and die in the hundreds, groups such as No More Deaths try to save some. About the penalties for helping, Stuart Taylor [a pastor and founding member of No More Deaths] said, "We think such legislation would be a very dangerous precedent, a government trying to make it illegal to do the right thing."
"People of faith and conscience will continue . . . because that is the nature of our faith and our moral duty," Taylor said.
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