Opinions
Ending hunger isn’t what it used to be–neither is fear
(October 23, 2007) The issue of hunger means many things to many people. Most Americans think about starving babies and many even donate to help feed the hungry. This year's "World Food Day" passed with barely a media mention, yet the world wide deaths attributed to malnutrition remain unimaginabl...
Africa’s sudden splash of good news
As someone who has worked in Africa's worst war zones for the past quarter-century, I usually write about atrocities, tyranny and famine. That's what Americans are used to in articles with Africa datelines: grim tales of a hopeless and devastated continent....
Burma–growing darker daily
(September 11, 2007) On August 15th the Burmese government raised the price of fuel 500%. This sparked a series of peaceful demonstrations all over the country, beginning with demonstrations in Rangoon, now called Yangon, the former capital of the country. They have since spread to Pakokku and Mand...
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities–a powerhouse for the poor
You often hear that the poor and working people don't have a voice in Washington, that they invariably lose out to special interests that give big campaign contributions or can mobilize a vast membership....
Trade can play a role in agricultural development
Gawain Kripke is senior policy adviser on international trade issues with Oxfam America. Kripke has authored numerous opinion pieces and briefing papers on trade and development issues, has testified before Congress, and appears frequently on radio and television programs, including Marketplace, CNN...
What should a billionaire give to save human lives–and what should you?
What is a human life worth? You may not want to put a price tag on a it. But if we really had to, most of us would agree that the value of a human life would be in the millions. Consistent with the foundations of our democracy and our frequently professed belief in the inherent dignity of human bein...
Reflections on Pinochet’s death
By now the world has had enough time to reflect on the irony of Gen. Augusto Pinochet's death Sunday, December 10, International Human Rights Day. Now the dictator responsible for the death, torture and disappearance of thousands will never face justice. It's been over 33 years since Pinochet ros...
Inter-American Development Bank debt cancellation for Haiti–just another promise?
(December 7, 2006) Members of the international community got a tongue lashing at a recent donors conference on Haiti, attended by more than 90 delegations of countries and international organizations. After numerous press announcements and pledges of assistance, totaling nearly $1.8 billion over...
DR Congo – Is it a miracle?
When I heard that the losing candidate in the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean Pierre Bemba, had accepted defeat, I realised I would have to eat some words. "It would be a miracle," I reported several times for the BBC on visits to DR Congo during the first and second rounds of v...
The world needs its small farmers
October 25, 2006) World Food Day, commemorated on October 16, has become more of an exercise in expiation of sins than a renewal of a serious commitment to end hunger. Throughout the world, the press decries the latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics: 852 million people lack ad...
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