As I'm writing this, we're awaiting isolated tornadoes within Hurricane Irene...and we just had an earthquake.  Let's hope the first two ingredients of this meteorological turducken are mild as the third one was.

Whatever happens, New Yorkers are…

CHINA LOCALS EXHIBIT CITY PROTOTYPES

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

China is indubitably the biggest ‘emerging market’ in the global economy. It comprises 1.5 billion people who are getting more concentrated in rapidly growing urban communities.

Eastern China has seen its urbanization treble at dizzying pace since 1980 yet. Development in the coastal regions have already reached maturity-to-overdevelopment (led by Shenzen, Shanghai,…

IRAQ’S ROADMAP TO DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

There’s a good news coming from Iraq, which concerns directing the compass of governance along a decentralized trajectory. Iraq was over-centralized for too long a time since the era yet of the caliphate and onwards to the post-Ba’th Party regime, and so that centralization pattern continues as a legacy of antiquated…

The suicide bomb in a United Nation building in Abuja, Nigeria, claimed 18 lives this week, and the Islamist Boko Haram had claimed responsibility, in a report by bbc here. There have been several bomb attacks in Nigeria since the northern state of Jos declared Islamic Sharia Law some time in 2002. Will Nigeria have stability without splitting? 

Study suggest that Nigeria is divided into…

Besides political pressure due the Palestinians' upcoming bid for statehood at the U.N. in September, Israel is suffering heaviest bombardments since Operation Cast lead in early 2009. Over 150…

"Shrinking government" in American political discourse has, for decades now, meant the following. We enlarge the government's budget through taxation and penalties on working people and through borrowing and printing money. We not only tax the wealthy and corporations less, but we massively subsidize them with public funds. We move away from taxes and fees meant to limit the damage greed can do to the world, and we defund regulation of and law enforcement against the oligarchy. We transfer…

PACIFIC COUNTRIES LAG BEHIND ASIA, CATCH UP!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

A tall order it is for Pacific island countries to catch up with Asian economies. It is a challenge call actually, meant to prop up the resource-rich yet phlegmatic island republics to resonate with the Asian economies most especially the emerging…

HORN OF AFRICA: STARVATION THREATS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Gargantuan social crises brought about by almost ceaseless warring among ethnic communities surely have their tolls on the affected populations. Africa has been the most direly affected by such crises, with the end result of seeing up to around 3 millions of non-combatants needing immediate relief to stave off hunger and death.

There isn’t a single continent that hasn’t…

The prejudices regarding youth :

« The young people doesn't applied themselve properly, they don't work enough, they cannot succeed.»…

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Syria starts feeling the pain of Western sanctions

By James M. Dorsey

Embattled President Bashar al Assad is feeling the pain of Western sanctions for the first time since anti-government protests erupted in Syria five months ago.

Already deprived of $8 billion a year in tourism receipts, Syria was this week forced to halt all US dollar…

I've blogged before about the diversity of professions and personalities amongst New York Peace Institute mediators.  I don't think I mentioned that our mediator pool is predominantly female.  My mediation center comrades at home and abroad report that same is true with them.

Explanations for this phenomenon have…

How can you impose discipline when mostly refuse to participate in any programs of the government.  No matter how we wish to impose it, if there are no actions taken to those who committed offense, then all these programs are not relevant at all. Law enforcement should be strictly imposed.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Soccer players speak out about their ordeal during Bahrain’s brutal crackdown on protesters

By James M. Dorsey

When Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa came out in support of peaceful anti-government protests…

for more information pl. visits www.cshr.org

ADB & SWISS AID ASIA TRADE

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

A Swiss corporate insurance giant had just committed significant funds to aid Asian countries in boosting their trade. The funding will be channeled to the Asian Development Bank or ADB.

This ‘corporate social responsibility’ or CSR initiative by the Swiss Re Group is most welcome. It…

TIMOR LESTE’S INTEGRATION INTO ASIA IS RIPE

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Certain quarters among Asia’s continental stakeholders are of the opinion that it is ripe for Timor Leste to be integrated into the Asian economies. I am in complete agreement with the same stakeholders, even as I am of the opinion that the more prosperous Asian countries should land a greater…

www.augp.webs.com

His Eminence Most Rev. Dr. Madhu Krishan The Founder & Chairman Of Academy Of Universal Global Peace Conferred Doctorate Degree To Datu Camad Ali…

Fresno, CA (PRWEB) August 24, 2011

International Peace Consultant and author Douglas E. Noll has developed procedural and preventative measures for Libya to avoid genocide and civil war. “The Libyan people must put together a new form of self-governance, rebuild their infrastructure, create jobs, and provide basic services as quickly as possible. This is the turning point. If these steps are…

So I emerged from the subway on Tuesday to see the streets jam-packed with people standing still, infused by a vibe I couldn't quite put my finger on...an admixture of low-level panic, consternation, solidarity, and an odd hint of celebration.  It was evocative of a Japanese monster movie streetscene, with choreographed crowds gawking in awe and horror at an enormous…

This article was originally published on Insight on Conflict

In any civil war, there will be victims. How to deliver justice to these victims is of fundamental concern to any efforts being made to advance a war-torn state towards peace.

Can laws be developed in a conflict zone in order to bring about justice and advance the possibility of…