Nonviolence Finally Gets Some Action on American TV

The most important interview on any global affairs issue the Daily Show has ever had happened last night with the appearance of Mustafa Barghouti and Anna Beltzer, both advocates for a nonviolent solution in the Israel Palestine conflict. There are so many great sound bytes in the unedited version that appears on the Daily Show [...]

Sri Lankan Clash of Identities

As per my resolution to cover a wide breadth of topics, I’ve delved myself into the conflict in Sri Lanka. And yes, most of my reasons for doing so also have to do with my idolization of Sri Lankan-British rapper and popstar extraordinaire MIA. I suppose I’ve also been inspired to learn more by the [...]

Unsigned Truce Leaves Palestinians the Victims Twice Over

The truce that had been signed between the militant Palestinian group Hamas and the Israeli government in Gaza will not be renewed.
Israel maintains that it would like to renew the truth, but the Islamist militant group has claimed that Israel broke the terms of the truce over its six month span. Israel has also [...]

Gaza Crisis: Some Aid Allowed, Some Prisoners Freed

The negotiations and the negotiators are by no means “perfect”, but like I’ve said before, good acts must be recognized if there is any hope of them existing in the future.
The Israeli army has allowed supply trucks into Gaza after blocking all aid, journalists, and diplomats from entering the territory. PM Olmert has also announced [...]

Gaza Crisis: The Block Continues

The UN is running out of humanitarian supplies for the residents of Gaza. Not only has Israel blocked the supply of food and fuel, but has also blocked journalists and diplomats from entering Gaza. The government continues to claim the reason for blocking all access in or out is due to the rockets that Palestinian [...]

DR Congo Update: What May Be Working

The Economist article about the conflict in DR Congo begins with a fantastic metaphor for Africa: “When elephants fight, the grass suffers”. If I take anything away from this article, it’ll be that.
But no, I won’t focus this entire post on a clever saying. Rather, I want to focus on what the article says about [...]

Gaza Crisis: A Threat to Israeli National Character

Since I’ve been posting about humanitarian crises and the Arab-Israeli conflict has proven to be a hot topic, I’m going to post more about Israel-Palestine.
A fuel crisis has struck the Gaza Strip due to border clashes. The Israeli government has closed all border crossings in response to a rocket that launched across the border, though [...]

DR Congo Update: Africa’s First World War

Yesterday, I wrote that nothing happens in  a vacuum in Africa. Today I discovered another article which echoed that statement. The situation in DR Congo and Rwanda, which has had massive spill over effects is being called “Africa’s First World War”. UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon has also warned that the current crisis could engulf [...]

DR Congo Update: The Need for Security

As I read the latest news headlines about DR Congo, two things become apparent. The first is that the humanitarian situation there is still very grim and could become even worse. We talk about Darfur becoming another Rwanda, well DR Congo is pretty much the continuation of the Rwandan conflict but with new victims. General [...]

DR Congo Update: More Aid Promised

The situation in DR Congo is still pretty grim, BBC’s Peter Greste reports. The city of Goma is effectively cut off from the rest of the country, with the Rwandan border to the east, Lake Kivu in the south, the north and west roads under the control of Tutsi rebel General Nkunda, and the only [...]