In The News

Double Vision in Beirut

Frances Z. Brown May 12, 2005
In the three months since the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, the Middle Eastern country has seen a remarkable transformation. Large-scale and tenacious street protests resulted in the resignation of the incumbent pro-Syrian prime minister. As Western powers acclaim the "Cedar Revolution" – named after the emblem adorning the Lebanese flag, and...

Spain Grants Amnesty to 700,000 Migrants

Giles Tremlett May 11, 2005
Going against the grain of regional ideology, Spain this week granted political amnesty to nearly 700,000 illegal immigrants living in the country. This is the latest in several blanket amnesties since 1990. During a three-month period in which illegal workers and their employers could file for the necessary papers, thousands of immigrants, from Latin America and around Europe came out from...

Virtual Secretary Puts New Face on Pakistan

Mitra Kalita May 10, 2005
While offshore call centers have become more commonplace, one US company has pushed this booming business to a new level: The Resource Group employs a "virtual receptionist." Though stationed in Pakistan, she receives phone calls, welcomes guests (via front desk flat screen), and places lunch orders for the Washington office. Proud company managers boast, "We're able to...

Public Diplomacy: America Is Job No. 1

Bruce Stokes May 9, 2005
As the Bush administration prepares for another round of international public diplomacy – at least its third campaign since September 11 – it is necessary to first examine the lessons from the past few years. In this National Journal article, Bruce Stokes writes that while the goal for US public diplomacy has been "to convince people overseas of the inherent merit of the US point of view on...

Third World Gets Help to Help Itself

Doreen Carvajal May 6, 2005
A late-1980s campaign to help small coffee growers has blossomed into a US$500 million industry. Fairtrade goods, from bananas to cotton, aim to appeal to Western consumers' consciences by supporting above-market compensation for third-world growers. Though the industry has indeed flourished in the past few years, as the International Hereald Tribune writes, "the business of...

Burying China's Complicity in the Killing Fields

Jehangir S. Pocha May 5, 2005
Only weeks ago, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao uttered the now famous words, "Japan needs to face up to history squarely." China has adamantly demanded that Japan come clean about its past war indiscretions, an issue that has provoked lively public debate. At the same time, Beijing has remained mum regarding its support for Cambodia's Khmer Rouge in the mid- to late-1970s. Today,...

Brazil Spurns US Terms for AIDS Help

Sarah Boseley May 4, 2005
Washington's "global gag" – its refusal to fund any foreign-based organization with links to abortion – has caused a great deal of controversy in the international community. Brazil recently became the first country to publicly refuse to accept US funding for AIDS prevention and treatment programs, on account of the perceived strings attached. "I would like to confirm that...