operation fix Syria

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/world/middleeast/in-moment-of-unity-security-council-endorses-plan-to-halt-syria-conflict.html?ref=world

So.. finally some good news? After months of back and forth, the UN Security Council is finally going to try and end the Syria conflict, aid the victims, and have a political transition towards democracy. Mostly it took forever because Russia and China would not back the plan.

Kofi Annan, former secretary general, had come up with the plan that would “facilitate a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations or ethnicities or beliefs, including through commencing a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition.”

The statement is not entirely figured out and set in stone, and has caused some disagreements between Western and Arab countries, against Russia. Russia had been a major supporter of the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, but lately has been growing impatient with him due to his many mistakes and refusal of negotiation. So now, the security council can take a “pragmatic look” at the situation and reach some sort of conclusion, because Russia and China are more on board.

How long do you think it will be until Syria reaches some sort of democracy? Will it work?

mexican art project to stop crime

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/world/americas/mexican-art-project-puts-faces-on-crimes-toll.html?ref=world

In this article I found, in Ecatepec, Mexico, the Murrieta Foundation has been putting up giant photographic portraits of crime victims on the concrete walls in the community. Their goal is “putting a face on the statistics” and showing people the serious victimhood and crime that goes on in Mexico.

Although the group is frustrated with the lack of transparency in their government and insecurity, they’re mostly trying to speak out to their own neighbors and people of the town that don’t understand the damage that all the crime is doing.

The leader of the organization, Marco Hernandez Murrieta, said it was an effort to crime prevention, to open people’s eyes to the real issues in Mexico. “he hoped the images would cause people thinking of committing a crime to reconsider, while also provoking Mexicans to challenge friends or relatives involved in gangs or drug trafficking.”

Crime problems in Mexico are partially due to lack of transparency in the judiciary, and that reform is the only good solution, but Mexicans are used to just trying to stabilize instead of really changing anything.

Do you think this kind of photography and visual display will ever help crime at all, at least in this community? (It hasn’t shown to make any improvements yet) What would slow the crime? Is it enough to speak out to the government?

"U.S. Seeking Use of Funds to Aid Russian Democracy"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/europe/to-aid-russian-democracy-us-seeking-use-of-funds.html?ref=europe

For over a year now the Obama administration has been planning to put $50 million in aid in order to promote democracy and civil society in Russia. It is said to be used as an effort to "advance rule of law, to advance accountable government and to strengthen civil society."

Vladamir Putin had accused  the American officials of attempting to cause unrest in Russia, causing conspirac rumors about what the money is supposed to do. Many people became fearful of the US interference in Russia's private sector, while others thought the money would be welcomed.

This kind of investment of "enterprise funds" are not new, ie. the SEED Act in 1989 and the US-Russia Investment Fund. They have proven to have impacted development in  the private sector as will as positively influenced the Russian civil society. They're also evidence in addressing human right concerns.

The US officials have claimed that they have nothing to hide in terms of where the funding  for Russia is going."

"Abuses in Burma Despite Reforms"

 

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2109481,00.html

Now I don’t know anything about Burma, but I saw this article and it seemed pretty crazy. So until last year, Burma had been a military-run nation, and now it has a president named Thein Sein that has attempted (and failed) to make and implement reforms.

“A feared army attacking civilians indiscriminately, razing homes and raping women while the government prevents international aid from reaching tens of thousands of displaced survivors.”

To me, that sounds like there are some obvious problems that need to be worked out. The government is also preventing UN agencies to help, as well as any other aid groups to send food or supplies to the starving civilians. Children, all the way up to elderly people are being abducted and forced to do labor or become soldiers. Women are taken to become sex slaves.

The reforms are looking to have no immediate effect on civilians, and won’t benefit people for a long time.

I don’t have much background on Burma, why is all of this going on?

"Hong Kong's non-election.."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2109397,00.html

Since we’re learning about China, I chose an article I found about…. Yes, China.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s biggest financial cities, tied up with the US as the leader in business. It is held back from becoming a greater democracy, by Beijing. The people cannot directly vote for their chief executives, which gives Beijing and the 1200 member Election Committee all of the power.

Both candidates have committed some sort of offense, making neither of them a good choice for China. Henry Tang, “59, a former local cabinet member and the wealthy scion of a Shanghai-born industrialist” admitted to committing adultery. While the other candidate, “57-year-old C.Y. Leung, a professional surveyor who has long had close ties with the mainland” is being accused of actually being a closeted communist that plans to take away Hong Kong’s freedoms.

The widest wealth gap among developed societies lays within Hong Kong, where one-fifth fall below the poverty line. “Other hot-button issues include pollution and more and better schools and hospitals, areas in which the government has shown little leadership even though it has plenty of money to throw at the problems”.

Beijing says that in 2017 there will be a direct election for chief executive, but the people are still skeptic and waiting for real political change. Beijing fears that Hong Kong will take it to streets and riot.

How can China improve tighten the wealth gap? If democracy doesn’t work (there’s way too many people for that anyways), then what will work?