In The News

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...

‘Food Should Be Left Off the Free Trade Table’ - José Bové

April 6, 2005
At the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, Bové attended a workshop with prominent Yale scholars and others in the university community to discuss the status of the global peasant movement and the core issues in his work. A full transcript follows. – YaleGlobal

‘Food Should Be Left Off the Free Trade Table’

April 6, 2005
Many economists believe that trade liberalization is the main driving force that created today's dynamic international market. The increasing exchange of goods and services produced and sold around the world have far-reaching implications for different localities – for better and for worse. One important area of world trade concerning this local and global relationship is agriculture, which...

Web Petition Stokes Anti-Japan Passions

Hamish McDonald March 30, 2005
In the last week, over 19 million people, mainly Chinese, have signed an online petition against Japanese inclusion in the ranks of permanent members on the United Nations Security Council. Kofi Annan's recently announced plans for reform in the UN has led Japan, along with Germany, India, and Brazil, to step up efforts to gain permanent status alongside the five current seatholders, which...

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, "...

Off to Algeria

Dina Ezzat March 22, 2005
The Arab League will convene in Algeria this week to mark its sixtieth anniversary and develop a common stance on the Syria-Lebanon conflict and other regional problems. Or so the organizers hope. In fact, representatives from the 22 member states disagree on a number of key issues, making consensus unlikely. Although Arab nations are united in supporting Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, each has...

For Tehran, Nuclear Program Is a Matter of National Pride

George Perkovich March 21, 2005
The development of nuclear technologies has become a matter of nationalistic pride for Iranians from all walks of life. The government of Iran has had a hand in cultivating this trend, but the mobilization of public sentiment is mostly due to the popular perception of the United States as an antagonist, writes George Perkovich. By calling Iran dangerous and casting it in the role of an aggressor...