In The News

Susilo Wants Asia, Africa to Lead Energy Revolution

Leony Aurora April 19, 2005
Speaking before the upcoming Asian-African Summit, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on leaders from the two continents to initiate increased use of renewable energy. High investment costs and limited incentives make renewable energy a tough sell across the region. Yet as conventional energy resources decline, nations are increasingly engaged in conflict over resource-rich...

Nike Lists Abuses at Asian Factories

David Teather April 15, 2005
Multinational apparel companies like Nike have long been accused of running their factories abroad as sweatshops, milking the desperation of poor workers in the name of the bottom line. In a report released by the company itself, Nike further substantiates the allegations of abuse. The report details the terrible working conditions in many of Nike's factories across East Asia and other...

Shipments of Children

Carlos H. Conde April 8, 2005
According to recent UNICEF estimates, human trafficking worldwide is now a US$10 billion industry. Most trafficked persons tend to be children. Filipino officials and NGO-workers are witnessing a disturbing rise in child trafficking within and through the Philippines. Smugglers lure young girls from the impoverished provinces to Manila by promising lucrative jobs in the capital. Once brought to...

International Bodies, Government Seek Ways to Deter Corruption in Aid

Tony Hotland April 7, 2005
Newspapers are reporting that the Indonesian government may have used tsunami relief money to purchase an eight million dollar villa for their ambassador to Switzerland. The report has prompted an uproar from Indonesians and international donors, who fear further misuse of relief money. Given the scope of reconstruction projects, say donors, well-connected officials in any affected country could...

The Spirit of Bandung

Josef Purnama Widyatmadja April 6, 2005
In 1955, epresentatives from nations across two continents convened at the first ever Asia-Africa conference, held in Bandung, Indonesia. That first summit was a statement of principle – world regions, under the constraints of imperialist or colonial powers, could indeed assert themselves on a global stage outside the sphere of Western influence. In the midst of a global ideological struggle,...

Opponents of Wal-Mart to Coordinate Efforts

Steven Greenhouse April 5, 2005
Is Wal-Mart bad for workers? The global retailing giant says that consumers benefit from its consistently low prices. Critics, however, contend that those low prices are built on poverty-level wages and minimal benefits. In the United States, a newly formed alliance of labor unions, environmentalists, community organizations, and students will pressure Wal-Mart to change the way it does business...

Poverty – Not Ideology – Must be World Bank's Focus

David Dickson March 24, 2005
When Bush administration-favorite Paul Wolfowitz was nominated last week to head the World Bank, much of the international community recoiled in shock. Many critics fear Wolfowitz's lack of economics credentials and his ideologically charged reputation make the neo-conservative unfit to head the World Bank. Yet David Dickson argues that Wolfowitz can prove the world wrong for crying, "...