When reading up on global poverty and matters of social justice, it’s easy to find articles that vilify corporations for their detrimental effects on society. While those businesses certainly do exist, there are also many corporations that make a difference by working for the greater good rather than just their shareholders.
Ranging from the omnipotent Coca-Cola Company to the Swedish powerhouse IKEA, here are a list of corporations that make a difference by using their power and influence to shape a more egalitarian society.
Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola
Since 2008, Kent has held the role of Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola. In his tenure, he has committed the company to achieving water neutrality by 2020, in which “total water use after a development does not exceed the total water use before developing.” Meaning, if new businesses were to spring up where none had existed before, the new tenants would need to employ extreme water efficiency to ensure the same amount of water is being used as prior to the development.
For Coca-Cola, this means recycling and reducing the water its facilities use, as well as harvesting rain water to replenish any diminished supply.
They also hope to distribute the Slingshot, a vapor compression water purification machine which purportedly creates 850 liters of safe drinking water from contaminated sources and uses less power than a hairdryer to operate.
As for why they’re doing it, Kent believes that, “when there’s healthy communities, we have a healthy, sustainable business.” While not the most altruistic of intentions, Kent’s argument echoes the belief that helping developing countries will only increase business for the rest of the United States.
Peter Agnefjäll of IKEA
As the most recently appointed CEO of IKEA, Agnefjäll will continue the furniture company’s race toward high levels of sustainability, both as a means of protecting its future as well as gearing up for the millions of people in poverty they hope to help usher into the middle class.
Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard outlined IKEA’s plans to Forbes contributor Peter Kelly-Detwiler, stressing the importance of addressing all areas of sustainability as key to the company’s success.
“We’ve got emissions that have to peak by 2020, and then we need a rapid decline in order to stabilize the climate. And we are building cities like never before “said Howard. “We have resource scarcity and climate change. So you have to say ‘this has to be a transformative agenda.’ Sustainability used to be a ‘nice to do,’ like planting trees, or doing incrementally less bad. It’s about a mindset. If you’re trying to reduce impacts here and there, that won’t do –it’s when you go all in that matters.”
Again, while these may not be extremely altruistic goals, the truly philanthropic branch of the company, the IKEA Foundation, created easily assembled shelters for Syrian refugees. Five people may live in each 17.5 square meter house, which include a solar-powered USB port and built-in lamp.
Michael Kowalski of Tiffany & Co.
Michael Kowalski has been CEO of Tiffany & Co. since 1999. As the leader of an influential and high-end jewelry business for fifteen years, Kowalksi considers the power of the Tiffany brand both an “opportunity and responsibility.”
Some of that responsibility takes place in the store, where Kowalksi believes it’s the brand’s duty to deliver ethically sourced jewelry to its patrons, regardless if theythink to ask about the jewelry’s background.
“That promise begins with an assurance that the materials were sourced and crafted responsibly, including the use of recycled precious metals and a focus on mines that minimize impact on the environment and respect human rights,” said Kowalski to Forbes contributor Rahim Kanani. “It also includes an effort to provide economic opportunities beyond mining in developing countries that host mining operations.”
Among those initiatives include IRMA, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. The project would protect the environment, communities and workers by establishing rigorous standards evaluated by an outside, independent source.
For Kowalksi, Tiffany’s future depends upon a “healthy mining industry.” Like the previous two CEOs, he understands that the continued success of his company and the world depends on greater equality between workers and socially just business practices.
– Emily Bajet
Sources: Forbes, “Muhtar Kent”, Forbes, “IKEA”, Forbes, “CEA of Tiffany & Co.”, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph
Photo: Truist
Education in the Philippines
According to the Department of Budget and Management, The Department of Education in the Philippines (DepED) has recently been granted the primary sum of the Philippines’ social services budget for 2014. The Philippines is facing huge concerns with a lack of teachers, textbooks, classrooms; it also faces an exceptionally high dropout rate.
Low budgets have made it difficult to extend an education in the Philippines to an increasingly high population of children. A total of 309.43 billion Philippine pesos ($18.6 billion,) or 37 percent, has been allotted to DepED after the country determined the issues with their public education system.
A large portion of the DepED money will now be focused on incorporating technology and alternative learning systems in the classroom in hopes of integrating out-of-school children; the initiative is called the Enhanced Instructional Management for Parents, Community and Teachers (e-IMPACT,) originally established in the fiscal year 2007-2008.
The fund is also comprised of 44.6 billion Philippine pesos ($1.00316 billion) for repairing and constructing new school buildings. The DepED will be building 43,183 new classrooms, fixing 9,502 of the existing classrooms and constructing 1.59 million new schoolroom seats for the Kindergarten through 12th grade programs.
The plan will add 10 new libraries will be added to the 213 current centers; each will be supplied with new books. In hopes of reaching the goal of 1:1 student to textbook ratio, the Department of Education in the Philippines hopes to attain “42 million more textbooks and workbooks.”
e-IMPACT is a technology based alternative method of learning that is fueled by student interactions. Every student is given access to online modules and online guides to learning materials. The modules will open a window into how children are able to learn and communicate with each other and will allow parents and school faculty to become increasingly involved in ensuring that the e-IMPACT positively transforms the community. Everyone in the community will be engaged and learning with the students.
By incorporating e-IMPACT and repairing classrooms, DepED hopes to promote global mainstreaming and expansion of primary education, part of the second Millennium Development Goals. e-IMPACT will attempt to incorporate children who have dropped out of school and seeks to keep children in school who are at risk of dropping out.
– Rebecca Felcon
Photo: Josh Weinstein
Sources: Asia Pacific Future Gov, TaosPuso Foundation, Manila Bulliten
Clean Cookstoves in Kenya Save Millions of Lives
More than seven billion people live in this world. Yet, according to the World Health Organization, more than 3 billion risk experiencing serious respiratory infections and early death simply by cooking food and heating their homes using traditional wood stoves and solid fuels instead of clean biogas cookstoves.
The National Clean Cookstoves and Fuels Conference at Nairobi, Kenya in February was sponsored by the Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves (GACC). The conference drew attention to a simple fact: “Cooking is essential and should not kill,” noted Radha Muthiah, the executive director of GACC.
In Kenya alone, illnesses linked to cookstove smoke claim 15, 700 lives a year. Yet 84 percent of the country continues to uses solid fuels for cooking.
Naturally, the most affected group are mothers – responsible for the bulk of the cooking – and children. Muthiah shared this tragic figure: 8,300 Kenyan children die annually due to respiratory infections attributed to this indoor air pollution.
The solution, though clear, poses a high cost.
Isaac Kalua, chairperson of the Kenya-based Green Africa Foundation, asserted, “We are losing people because of indoor [air] pollution and we therefore need urgent transition from traditional methods of cooking to modern technologies.” He continued by observing that the “affordability of the new technologies is a main challenge to providing clean fuels for all.” Such technologies include reliable, safe biogas cooking stoves, used in conjunction with biogas digesters.
Despite the cost, a number of donors in place who recognize the needless loss of life and are committed to helping Sub-Saharan Africa address this issue. During the February GACC conference, several organizations pledged their continuing financial support. Benefactors include the UN Foundation, which has invested $3 million this year. GACC aims to provide reliable cookstoves and clean fuels globally.
The U.S. government awarded $1 million to three Kenyan organizations. This recent donation continues a lengthy history of support: since 2010, the US has contributed $125 million to GACC.
Though financial support is critical, outreach to those at risk equally addresses the harms of indoor pollution. These education efforts extend to women, as well as farmers. As the popularity of diary farmer grows in Sub-Saharan Africa, sources for biogas are expanding, According to SciDiv.Net, biogas “is a system that converts organic waste from livestock manure into energy for cooking” and heating. This system burns cleanly, because the biogas fuel does not release toxic emissions.
Consequently, biogas offers the opportunity to circumvent the health risks associated with traditional wood burning stoves.
Tradition, however, is formidable opponent. Mary Njoki, a rural Kenyan mother of five, shared this observation: “Biogas is good because it cooks fast but I still use wood fuel when it is the cold season to warm the house and cook food, since during this period, the heat produced by biogas is not sufficient.” Organizations world wide are committed to changing not only Mary Njoki’s mind – but the habits of millions of families heating their homes and cooking food for their children.
As Radha Muthiah observes, “using clean, efficient, and safe cookstoves” reduces fuel consumption, exposure to toxins and deforestation. And, most importantly, save millions of lives.
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: SciDevNet, Sci Dev Net, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Photo: Burn Design Lab
Hunger in South Africa
South Africa is one of the few countries able to provide its entire population with food. Each individual is able to receive approximately 600 grams of starch, 300 grams of fruit and vegetables, and 150 grams of meat or fish, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, hunger in South Africa continues to be a prevalent issue.
Causes of Hunger in South Africa
Thus, 11 million South Africans are unsure where their next meal will come from, a concept known as “food insecure.” A quarter of the South African population is currently struggling from malnourishment and hunger. The rural areas are where hunger hits the hardest, and the majority of South Africa’s poor are living in the rural parts of the country.
The reasoning for this is because natural resources are being wasted and are not being put to appropriate use. The cost of food is rising, and many South Africans are finding it increasingly difficult to afford or access nutrient dense foods at an affordable price.
Dr. Gerhard Backebery, Executive Manager of the South African Water Research Commission states, “Although not conclusive, it seems that most poor people are buying and not growing the food that they are eating. At the same time it is of major concern that available natural resources (such as water, soil and plants) are under-utilized.”
Devastating Health Outcomes of Hunger in South Africa
People are not merely dying of hunger in South Africa, but more specifically, they are dying from the side effects of lacking proper nutrients. What people are able to eat is directly stemmed from what they are able to afford. Children, in particular, are suffering from undernourishment and malnourishment; a study in the Eastern Cape shows that some children are only ingesting meat one time per month, therefore they are severely lacking in minerals such as zinc and iron.
One in five children are reportedly stunted from lack of necessary nutrients and minerals. Their nutrient deficiencies can have a lasting effect on their growth process, causing significant impairment to their physical health and mental development.
For example, iron deficiencies can cause poor attention spans and fatigue, making brain activity slower and learning more difficult.
Food fortification is one of the main methods to help reduce malnutrition and deprivation of nutrients.
Wheat flour, sugar, and maize flour now include essential vitamins and minerals. The addition of fortification in food has led to a reduction in birth defects. Children who are not breastfed, or who have been improperly breastfed, present elevated levels of malnourishment, growth defects, diarrhea, and are at greater risk of HIV and AIDS.
Other factors such as access to clean water, sanitization and health care can have a large impact on resolving hunger in South Africa. They influence health and can lead to maintaining essential nutrients that may otherwise be lost due to diarrhea and dehydration.
– Rebecca Felcon
Sources: UNICEF, Food Bank, Mail and Guardian
Photo: Telegraph
Female Genital Mutilation and Poverty
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) ruins countless lives every day. FGM is a humiliating torturous cutting of the female genitalia carried out by various groups of the community, including health practitioners, elderly people and female relatives. According to the World Health Organization (WHO,) four types of FGM procedures exist:
Clitoridectomy
The partial or complete removal of the clitoris.
Excision
Involves removal or partial removal of clitoris, as well as labia.
Infibulation
Narrowing of the vaginal opening.
Other
This includes other forms of FGM not classified above, such as, burning, piercing or scraping. Any one of these types of FGMs is carried out on a female at any time in her life.
Millions of cases of FGM are reported each year. According to the WHO, over 100 million women and girls have had their human rights violated.
FGM is considered a human rights violation because it inflicts unnecessary pain and harm to unwilling women and girls. Laws against FGM practices have been created in 18 African countries. If caught sentences from three months up to life in prison are given.
There are also 12 industrialized nations that have passed laws criminalizing FGM.
An 8-year-old girl from Djibouti died from the effects of FGM. She was held down by friends and neighbors while a “practitioner” subjected her to FGM. Her clitoris, labia minora and labia majora, all external genitalia, was cut away causing uncontrollable bleeding.
After the procedure was done the girl’s legs were tied shut to promote “healing” and she was refused water because the need to pass urine was thought to introduce bacteria to the wounds. The young helpless girl continued to bleed throughout the evening and sob uncontrollably due to pain.
Eventually the girl was taken to the hospital and given a blood transfusion. Sadly, it was too late to save her life.
FGM has been reported in 28 African countries and various Asian countries.
According to data from the WHO, seven countries: Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Somalia and Sudan have a FGM prevalence rate affecting 85 percent or more women. Other African countries have only slightly lower prevalence rates; a large portion of the African continent has not received FGM rates.
FGM is most likely performed in lower class poverty-stricken communities. This is due in part to the fact women and girls do not know FGM is against the law. Most believe that it is there duty as a woman to have FGM performed and if they refuse, they will be harshly criticized and shamed. These are the ones who are not held down and forced against their will.
Several campaigns to eradicate FGM from the world are underway. One government organization, the United Nations, has been tackling it as one of the world’s Millennium Development Goals. Also, Women against Female Genital Mutilation leads campaigns to increase awareness of FGM laws and harmful health and psychological effects of FGM on females.
The continuation of advocacy for women and girls suffering from Female Genital Mutilation needs to last until FGM prevalence is zero. People should continue to call their congressmen, write their legislature, and advocate for worlds helpless.
Hopefully, through the increased awareness, global campaigns, and laws FGM will become a thing of the past and no female will have to endure torturous inhumane pain ever again.
– Amy Robinson
Sources: World Health Organization, All Africa, WHO, UNICEF, Center for Reproductive Rights
Photo: International Business Times
Is Global Governance Undermining Global Health?
On February 11, The Lancet and the University of Oslo issued a joint commission calling for a political commitment to reform the current system of global governance in favor of one that prioritizes human health over wealth. The Commission of Global Governance for Health brought together 18 leaders of research and policy-making, drawn from a number of different backgrounds, to draft the report.
Data was gathered for two years on how socioeconomic inequality between nations is exacerbated by a system of global governance run by a handful of the wealthiest nations. This imbalance of political power between nations is exactly what the commission is trying to fight.
The main agenda it promotes is that health equity should be a top priority of all political, economic and social sectors.
Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, notes, “Economic growth alone will not deliver good health to the most vulnerable sectors of society without addressing the intertwined global factors that challenge or destroy health lives.”
The commission identifies seven areas where political and economic injustice affects population health:
Within these areas, there are five key “dysfunctions” that are preventing improvements in health outcomes. They are:
So where does this leave people?
The Commission makes it quite clear that all of these challenges can only be addressed by moving beyond the health sector. In order to promote human health and address global inequities, they argue that people need to reform their current system of global governance in a number of ways:
1. Create a multi-stakeholder platform on governance for health (“a place for deliberation and debate to strengthen accountability for health”)
2. Form an independent scientific monitoring panel (“to measure and track progress in overcoming the political, economic, and social determinants of adverse health outcomes”)
3. Organize health equity impact assessments of all policies and practices
4. Strengthen existing mechanisms to protect health and build commitment to global solidarity and shared responsibility
It is the hope of the Commission of Global Governance for Health that this report will bring health inequities between nations to the forefront of global policy.
– Mollie O’Brien
Sources: Medical News Today, The Hindu
Photo: Masafumi Matsumoto
Become a Volunteer for an NGO
Becoming a volunteer for an NGO is enticing for many reasons.
It is a way to give back to your community or support a cause you care about. It is also a great way to meet new people, learn new skills or gain experience in a field you might like to work in. For people interested in a career in global health, international development or humanitarian aid, becoming a volunteer for an NGO is especially attractive.
Many jobs and graduate programs in these fields require previous work experience and volunteering is a great way to gain this knowledge and see whether the field is a good fit for your. Here are some tips for becoming a volunteer for an NGO.
Do your research
What kind of organization you want to work for- a large national or international NGO or a small non-profit? Do you want to work in the field or in an office? Volunteer positions vary greatly and some may require going to live for a year or more in a developing country, while others may require you to work at an office headquarters in a major US city.
Know what kind of work you want to do. Do you want help with marketing or fundraising for do you want to build houses?
Be competitive
Many people assume that finding a volunteer position will be easy but in fact it is a very competitive market. Be prepared to be up against a lot of experienced and highly educated applicants.
Many organizations prefer applications to be graduates from international development, medical, environmental science and social work programs. Prepare a strong application with a resume and a cover letter stating why you want to work for the organization. You need to demonstrate your passion and your ability to work under pressure and tough working conditions.
Be realistic
Volunteer positions are unpaid. Some organizations (such as the United Nations) may cover living expenses, but most do not. Consider how much time you can afford to volunteer. The United Nations Volunteer program requires that participants commit for one year or longer.
Are you emotionally and physically prepared for the commitment? Many volunteers are not prepared for the amount of work they will be doing and how different the culture and living environment will be from their own.
While volunteering is a good stepping-stone to a career with an NGO, do not expect to be hired by the organization you are working for. It is not a fast track to a career. You need patience, expect to volunteer for 1-2 years before looking for paid positions.
Where to look
Here are some useful links to begin your search:
https://borgenproject.org/volunteer-opportunities/
https://www.unv.org/
https://www.idealist.org/
https://www.hrw.org/about/
https://www.redcross.org/
https://www.ngojobsonline.com/
Any large NGO should have a section on their website about whether they take volunteers, the application process, and any prerequisites. There are also websites that list volunteer and job opportunities in the non-profit sector.
– Elizabeth Brown
Sources: InterNations, Idealist, United Nations
PhotoCareer Resources and Information Central
What the F-35 Lightning II Budget Could do for the Poor
The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most expensive weapons programs the United States Military has ever conceived. The Lightning is a nearly $400 billion program and is the subject of much controversy in Washington. It is years behind schedule and 70 percent over budget, according to the Washington Post. There are a myriad of other issues present with the plane as well. The producers of the plane Lockheed Martin spread the development over 45 states, making the reduction of its budget almost impossible.
The amount of that is being spent on the project that is being primarily created to match up against potential enemies such as Iran, China and host of others who may possess anti-aircraft defense capabilities. According to the Washington Post, the country’s 2013 military budget is expected to be around $716 billion; due to budget cuts, that is down from $729 billion.
In contrast, the U.S. foreign aid budget was around $53.3 billion in 2012, according to Reuters. This is an astronomically small number in comparison to the budget for the F-35. A United Nations report from 2008 indicates that solving the problem of world hunger would cost around $30 billion per year, given that the budget for the F-35 Lightning could pay for the world’s hunger problem for over 30 years.
Oxfam recently put out a statement indicating the world’s richest 100 billionaire’s net income of $240 billion could end world poverty four times over. That means the cost of ending global poverty is about $60 billion. Given this startling and hopeful statistic, the cost of the F-35 Lightning II could end world poverty almost seven times over.
The F-35 program is also not being utilized in any current conflict around the world; it is being designed for potential enemies and conflicts. The fight against world hunger and poverty is just as important and has been noted as such by Robert Gates and a host of other defense officials.
The F-35 is a startling technical achievement and is going to be another price of America’s vast arsenal of weapons that perhaps may never be utilized in actual combat. The amount of money that the U.S. government is paying to create this astounding plane however has a host of other and immediate uses that could also make the world a startlingly better place in a very short amount of time.
The Admiral of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said he would be happy to hand over part of his budget to the State Department, “U.S. foreign policy is still too dominated by the military, too dependent on the generals and admirals who lead our major overseas commands and not enough on the State Department.” Admiral Mullen makes a fantastic point and one can only hope that those in Washington here him.
– Arthur Fuller
Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, Washington Post, Washington Post, The Borgen Project, CBS News, New York Times
Photo: Wikimedia
Corporations that Make a Difference
When reading up on global poverty and matters of social justice, it’s easy to find articles that vilify corporations for their detrimental effects on society. While those businesses certainly do exist, there are also many corporations that make a difference by working for the greater good rather than just their shareholders.
Ranging from the omnipotent Coca-Cola Company to the Swedish powerhouse IKEA, here are a list of corporations that make a difference by using their power and influence to shape a more egalitarian society.
Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola
Since 2008, Kent has held the role of Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola. In his tenure, he has committed the company to achieving water neutrality by 2020, in which “total water use after a development does not exceed the total water use before developing.” Meaning, if new businesses were to spring up where none had existed before, the new tenants would need to employ extreme water efficiency to ensure the same amount of water is being used as prior to the development.
For Coca-Cola, this means recycling and reducing the water its facilities use, as well as harvesting rain water to replenish any diminished supply.
They also hope to distribute the Slingshot, a vapor compression water purification machine which purportedly creates 850 liters of safe drinking water from contaminated sources and uses less power than a hairdryer to operate.
As for why they’re doing it, Kent believes that, “when there’s healthy communities, we have a healthy, sustainable business.” While not the most altruistic of intentions, Kent’s argument echoes the belief that helping developing countries will only increase business for the rest of the United States.
Peter Agnefjäll of IKEA
As the most recently appointed CEO of IKEA, Agnefjäll will continue the furniture company’s race toward high levels of sustainability, both as a means of protecting its future as well as gearing up for the millions of people in poverty they hope to help usher into the middle class.
Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard outlined IKEA’s plans to Forbes contributor Peter Kelly-Detwiler, stressing the importance of addressing all areas of sustainability as key to the company’s success.
“We’ve got emissions that have to peak by 2020, and then we need a rapid decline in order to stabilize the climate. And we are building cities like never before “said Howard. “We have resource scarcity and climate change. So you have to say ‘this has to be a transformative agenda.’ Sustainability used to be a ‘nice to do,’ like planting trees, or doing incrementally less bad. It’s about a mindset. If you’re trying to reduce impacts here and there, that won’t do –it’s when you go all in that matters.”
Again, while these may not be extremely altruistic goals, the truly philanthropic branch of the company, the IKEA Foundation, created easily assembled shelters for Syrian refugees. Five people may live in each 17.5 square meter house, which include a solar-powered USB port and built-in lamp.
Michael Kowalski of Tiffany & Co.
Michael Kowalski has been CEO of Tiffany & Co. since 1999. As the leader of an influential and high-end jewelry business for fifteen years, Kowalksi considers the power of the Tiffany brand both an “opportunity and responsibility.”
Some of that responsibility takes place in the store, where Kowalksi believes it’s the brand’s duty to deliver ethically sourced jewelry to its patrons, regardless if theythink to ask about the jewelry’s background.
“That promise begins with an assurance that the materials were sourced and crafted responsibly, including the use of recycled precious metals and a focus on mines that minimize impact on the environment and respect human rights,” said Kowalski to Forbes contributor Rahim Kanani. “It also includes an effort to provide economic opportunities beyond mining in developing countries that host mining operations.”
Among those initiatives include IRMA, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. The project would protect the environment, communities and workers by establishing rigorous standards evaluated by an outside, independent source.
For Kowalksi, Tiffany’s future depends upon a “healthy mining industry.” Like the previous two CEOs, he understands that the continued success of his company and the world depends on greater equality between workers and socially just business practices.
– Emily Bajet
Sources: Forbes, “Muhtar Kent”, Forbes, “IKEA”, Forbes, “CEA of Tiffany & Co.”, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph
Photo: Truist
Will Obama’s Riyadh Trip Improve Saudi Relations?
Amidst deteriorating popularity in the Middle East and the Arab world, United States President Barack plans to meet with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh next month. The March visit will be Obama’s first to the Saudi capital since the outbreak of the Arab Spring in late 2010 and early 2011.
The Obama administration’s support for Egypt’s overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and subsequent rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power; this is in addition to other policy positions during the series of Arab Spring revolts and uprisings that contributed to the rift that formed in U.S.-Saudi relations.
The meeting with King Abdullah will follow Obama’s attendance at the third Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands, a summit meeting in Brussels and a discussion on income inequality with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The sequence of visits serves to highlight the President’s commitment to global security in a religiously charged world.
Discussion topics between President Obama and King Abdullah will inevitably concentrate on peace in the Middle East; the primary focus will be the conflict in Syria. The horrific civil war that began three years ago threatens security in the region as extremism grows an incubator of hopelessness and strife. If either country wishes to play a helpful role in the situation and not leave Syria to the bidding of Russia and Iran, both will need to acknowledge past mistakes and work together for an improved future.
In addition to improving U.S.-Saudi relations, analysts have speculated that the trip to Riyadh may have to do with the question of the Arab Israeli conflict. With Iran and Saudi Arabia competing for ultimate power in the region, Obama recognizes that Saudi Arabia maintains the potential to facilitate the Arab initiative for peace with Israel. By addressing King Abdullah’s stated commitment to Arab Israeli peace, Obama hopes to earn favor in the region for normalization with Israel.
The Arab world in recent years has experienced a surge of civil and political upheaval. Obama’s visit to Riyadh in March could create a reactionary current of improved leverage and relations throughout the region.
– Jaclyn Stutz
Sources: Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, Washington Post
Photo: Outside the Beltway
Vietnam Convicts Human Rights Lawyer Le Quoc Quan
Prominent human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan was recently convicted for tax evasion in Vietnam in another example of Vietnam’s arbitrary detention practices aimed at those criticizing the Communist Party.
This is not the first time Le Quoc Quan has run afoul with the Vietnamese authorities.
In 2007, Quon returned to his home country after spending several months researching civil society and economic development in Washington, D.C., at which time he was promptly arrested on trumped up charges of subversion. After much public anger over his arrest he was released, but the authorities kept close watch of his activities.
His most recent run-in with the law came in December 2013, when he criticized Article 4 in the Vietnam constitution, which enshrines the superiority of the Communist Party.
The court convicted him of tax evasion, a common charge for those who are considered political dissidents by the Communist party. He is currently imprisoned in Hanoi.
Despite the seeming hopelessness of his situation, Le Quoc Quan has not lost his vigorous penchant for dissent. As of February, he is currently on a hunger strike within prison.
His situation has garnered international attention, specifically from the United Nations, who has called for his immediate release or for an independent court to conduct his trial.
Unfortunately, Quan’s predicament seems to be too common of an occurrence in a country that rests in the firm grip of the Communist Party; the only legal party in Vietnam.
The list of episodes exhibiting Vietnam’s unwillingness to support basic human rights enjoyed in more developed nations is quite lengthy. For instance, no independent media is permitted; freedom of assembly, expression and religion are extremely restricted.
Also, workers who toil away in factories are not allowed to speak out against the harsh working conditions they endure. In 2010, several factory workers were convicted and imprisoned with sentences ranging from seven years to nine years simply for organizing their fellow workers in the shoe factory that employed them.
Le Quoc Quan’s future seems uncertain, but not without a glimmer of hope. The appellate division of the Hanoi Supreme People’s Court will hear his case on February 18.
The international attention Quan has gained could tip the court’s ruling in his favor. But despite the possibility of a small victory, Vietnam has significant steps to take before their human rights situation improves.
In a brazen display of hypocrisy, the Vietnamese government announced several lofty goals at its Universal Periodic Review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council. The country’s representative stated that protecting human rights through judicial reform is a chief government concern.
Several of the measures stated such, as the right to a fair trial, providing independent judges to serve on courts and allowing lawyers to freely defend their clients would be a welcome change. But many nations remain skeptical of the government’s alleged enthusiasm for initiating these much needed reforms.
– Zachary Lindberg
Sources: Human Rights Watch, The Diplomat
Photo: Front-line Defenders