Dialing for Answers Where Web Can’t Reach

This article can be found here.

October 1, 2009

Question Box is the African version of Google. It's a calling nonprofit service that provides answers to Ugandan citizens that live in remote areas in need of advice. Using the phone, a farmer who is confused on what to fertilize his crops with might call the hotline, who will then provide them with information. Simple enough. Since cell phones are already popular in Uganda, the service should not be difficult to supply. The California based creator, Rose Shuman, received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gaes Foundation, and first explored the program's success in the rural villages of India. Far from dial-up or wi-fi, the program primarily focuses on using cell phone support methods in providing information rather than the internet. Ultimately, Question Box seeks to increase the economic prosperity of the region by removing the obstacles involving lack of access to a technologically advanced world. In India, where cell phones were less pravalent, Question Box was simplified to a literal 'push-to-talk' metal box. It's all about outsourcing. The program connects local rural citizens to operators in cities that do have access to the internet. Of course, not all information can be found on the internet, and the internet is slow even in the Uganda's larger cities; so Question Box has turned to using Appfrica Labs, a database that documents information and all past questions and answers. Because the database is uniquely local, information would be more region specific and less tedious to use than popular American search engines.

Belatedly, Egypt Spots Flaws in Wiping Out Pigs

This article can be found here.

September 30, 2009

Before last spring, pigs were often allowed to stroll the streets of Cairo, Egypt, eating all the discarded organic waste that littered their path. That is, before the country's leading experts advised the mass slaughter of these species in order to slow the spread of a certain sickness called the swine flu. No longer around to provide their waste reduction services, pigs are being replaced by sheep, who have struggled to keep up with the quality of their predecessors' work. Residents are reporting an increased stench in the city, and officials are beginning to wonder if the measures taken will reap any positive results. The author uses this humorous anecdote to lightly introduce the broader issue of an over-reactive and rash Egyptian government. As the article takes a more serious tone, the author Michael Slackman takes a broader prespective by acquainting the reader with Cairo's other service industry issues, like the prevalence of bribes. By supplying them with quotes from Cairo's suffering citizens and qualified experts from that region-- like the chief of the infectious disease department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Sabir Abdel Aziz Galal, who advised against the pig massacre-- Slackman brings the article above the level of a merely entertaining article to one that seriously explores the legitimacy of the Egyptian governement.

No Detail is Overlooked as China Prepares to Celebrate

This article can be found here.

September 29, 2009

When I first saw this article, the first assumptions I made were in assuming the author's choice of the words "China" and "celebration" in her title. Employing this combination would incite simultaneous wonder and fear in her readers. If there's one thing I didn't expect at first glance, it was humor and sarcasm. The opener was gloriously cynical as it mocked the Chinese government's attempt to prohibit the interference of domestic pidgeons in the upcoming parade. But LaFraniere didn't stop there --only the author herself would appreciate such usage of rhyme in an official commentary article-- as she espoused humorous observations of the ridiculous efforts put forth by the Chinese government in ensuring perfection in the celebration of the People's Republic of China's 60th anniversary. Window peeping and balcony watching has been outlawed. Marchers have had mental health professionals assigned to their care. Knife sales have been prohibited-- to downplay all attempts by the Uighur people at rioting as they did during the Beijing Olympic Events. She then turned to citing the ludacris "measures" the ceremonial planners went to in assuring that the marchers were all "grouped according to height , with no variation of six centimenters". Her humor melds perfectly with the absurdity of each regulation. After hearing about the limiting of blinking to once every 40 seconds, or the forbiddance of collapse after 3 hours of standing, it's hard to know what's real and what's false. Her source was Dong Jingbei, the president of the Distric Carrier Pidgeon Association. Pft.

Trading Articles #4

Photo Journal: Portrait of Survival by Alison Wright of National Geographic in the January 2009 edition.

September 25, 2009

This article was written by a well-known photographer for the National Geographic magazine, Alison Wright. After a recent trip to Laos she felt the urge to write a very short article about her near-death experience on January 2, 2000. In leaving Tibet to go to Laos, Wright's bus took a route through a secluded jungle, when a sudden accident involving a logging truck led to utter destruction, leaving our heroine with "massive internal injuries, collapsed lungs, a shredded arm, a broken back, and multiple other fractures". As proper for a third world country's health care system, it took over 14 hours for Wright to be treated for her injuries. In the following years, she would have to teach herself to walk again and endure more than 20 reconstructive surgeries. She feels grateful to have her life and has discovered an even greater passion for photography and for the Tibetan people, who prize inner strength-- something she needed most in order to overcome her circumstances. Now that she realizes the fine line between life and death, she has found an interest in capturing 'endangered cultures' and their times when they are present on this earth, before they finally fade out. She uses her photography to contribute to her charity, the Faces of Hope Fund, which finances education and health care in the poor communities of Afghanistan and Asia. More than anything, she uses her life to emphasize the interconnections among the world's peoples.

Trading Articles #3

Strongest Dad in the World by Rick Reilly for Sports Illustrated.

September 23, 2009

The author of this article, Rick Reilly, seems to think that all he provides for his own children will never measure up to the amount of devotion Dick Hoyt pours into his disabled son. From the very beginning of the article, Reilly speaks very informally to his audience, joking with them about how his paying for his sons' text messaging or taking them to Sports Illustrated Swim Suit shoots makes him an above-average father. He then, very brusquely, tells his audience that, besides his awesome capability to provide his children with these worldly luxuries through his 'connections', compared to Dick Hoyt, he 'sucks'. This is how you know you're reading an article aimed for an audience of teenage boys and adult men with minds of teenage boys. The awful use of sarcasm-- "And what has Rick done for his father? Not much-- except save his life."-- are so blatantly obvious and elementary they could be coming out of the fingers of an adolescent. I doubt that the doctor set aside the disabled son's family and told them "He'll be a vegetable he rest of his life." Such writing is striving for high ratings and low brows. Any writer who uses the word "porker" to describe a man's physique is not writing a legitimate article, but rather, a blog post!

Trading Articles #2

On Time by Kahlil Gibran

September 22, 2009

Man is constantly trying to control time. He creates seasons and dates to guide it through the hoops that he lays out for it. But he and the universe know it is irrepressible. Man's capacity to love is just as boundless as time and transcends all. It, like time, is in constant motion inside of man. After contemplating this, if you still have the desire to repress the irrepressible into seasons, try to live in the season of the present and reminisce only of the past and future.

Trading Articles #1

September 21, 2009

In this political cartoon found in the editorial section of The Onion --isn't the whole paper one, big editorial?-- illustrator 'Kelly' depicts what he believes to be the different ideologies of today's teens and those of the past. He seems to indicate that news was valued more during the time of the 'newsboy', over 100 years ago in the 1900s. This isn't surprising because even basic necessities, like food, water, and leisure now taken advantage of by today's society were also cherished during these years. Take today's technological advances, opportunities, and higher standard of living and the teens of the past would be rocking out to ragtime music on their ipods, too. To start with, the teen from the past is, no doubt, atypical in any society at any time; and yet, there has always been a brown-nosing, goody-two-shoes like him, no matter the time period. Then, examine the pessimistic, apathetic depiction of the teen of today's society. It's hard to find someone that ignorant in today's society, yet there must have been one of his kind in the 1900s, too. The exaggerations and stereotypes are taken too extreme in this cartoon to even begin to consider the author's underlying intentions, as they can neither be taken seriously, nor relate to the Onion's young adult audience.

Canadian officer charged in killing of insurgent to face court martial

This article can be found here.

September 19, 2009

While on tour in Afghanistan on October 19, 2008, Canadian Captain Robert Semrau shot an "unarmed Taliban insurgent". He is now facing charges of second degree murder in addition to three other charges relating to poor conduct of a military official. The shoot-out was initiated when the Captain and his troops, with the support of the Afghan National Army and the US Air Force, began to fend off Taliban insurgents. When it was apparent that one of the soldiers of the attack that was left behind was not going to survive, the captain shot and killed him. He has had no previous blemishes on his record.

The ultimate question of this article concerns why the Captain shot the man, as the author does an excellent job in leaving the topic open-ended and unbiased. Did Captain Robert Semrau shoot the man to end the suffering of having to wait for medical support when it was more than likely the man was going to die, or did he do it out of sheer anger? And if it is for the first reason, should the Captain go to prison at all? Some would argue that it is even more ethical and compassionate to put a man out of his sufferings when death is certain. Others would argue that death is never certain and that allowing one man to shoot another, even if the act was not out of malice, but rather compassion, goes against the law and should be punished as an example of being tough on crime in the military. Still others believe that the Captain should be allowed to shoot the insurgent because he was our military enemy, putting all acts of kindness aside.

In the end, no matter the outcome, the Captain's clean record will be splotched. When war has not taken a soldier's life, it has taken a soldier's personal life.

Students Attacked at German School

This article can be found here.

September 17, 2009

It's interesting to see the similarities and differences between the breaking news that occurs at home and abroad; that's the main reason I wanted this blog to focus on international news, and it's articles like this that are most representative of my interest. When we think about the pronunciation of events like the Columbine or Virginia Tech shootings in our our country, we fail to imagine their existance in foreign countries and how devestating those occurrances must be in those regions. For example, the article cites that the German government became very in tune with school safety following the devestating attack of 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer in Winnenden. If you think of the time following the Columbine shooting, you'll remember the measures made -not only by the federal government, but local ones, too- in ensuring tighter security in our schools. And after the Virginia Tech shooting, there were outcries for more strict gun control in our country. Likewise, in Germany after the Winnenden attack, the government made their own gun control law adjustments. Above all, it's most intriguing to see that teen violence is universal, not something that those critical of the United States can cite as strictly an American phenomenon. This boy, armed with an ax and molotov cocktails, had as much motive and planning put into his act of destruction as the boys Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of the Columbine massacre.

In Somalia, a Leader Is Raising Hopes for Stability

This article can be found here.

September 16, 2009

Surely you know of the Somalian pirates and their prominence in the news over the past couple of years. Not unlike the pirates of old, these people off the eastern coast of Africa earned their wealth by holding white tourists hostage, asking for millions in ransom money before freeing them to their native countries. In fact, their methods were quite successful until recently in April, when three US Navy Seals simultaneously shot three of these pirates holding guns to their hostages' heads during one of these negotiations.

More recently, the country is beginning to look deserted, as most of the region has been destroyed by war and the natives have fled for safety elsewhere. A new man has come to power, offering a chance at new beginnings. An ex-highschool teacher with a family background in clerical work and no history of having been in the military, Sharif Sheik Ahmed has provided hope for a more peaceful, diplomatic nation. His 'only' two obstacles are piracy and militant Islamic natives, the Shabab, who were planning on taking over the region to "launch their global jihad". In an effort to fend off this occurence, the US government decided to lend support to Ahmed by shipping him weaponry.

Although times look bleak, Ahmed might have his chance to take the power away from the Shabab while many of the people are becoming tired with the violence of the Islamic practice. Ahmed plans on capitalizing on this opportunity by campaigning his own ideological front. But, until Ahmed gathers enough courage to sever himself from the safety of his palace, all attempts at connecting with the natives will lead to empty results.

An Unnecessary War

This article was originally written in Foreign Policy in 2003, but can be read online here.

September 15, 2009



Written just months preceding the US's declaration of war against Iraq, the following article represented the anti-war realist's international prospective and beliefs concerning this immanent decision. By citing the United State's accommodating relationship with Iraq in the past as contradictory to our present, antagonizing feelings for this nation, the authors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt are trying to emphasize that it is partly the US's fault that Saddam Hussein is as aggressive as he is today. Once believers in supplying Iraq weapons to protect them from the, at the time, worser foe, Iran, Republican politicians like Condoleezza Rice are now advocating war with this same nation. I asked several people their opinions on the major points of the article, curious as to how people feel about this silenced perspective, now that the war has been losing support. Most people agreed fully with the articles, citing the point discounting the American fear of Saddam using WMD (weapons of mass destruction) to blackmail the US. This means that major politicians believe that Iraq will threaten to use these WMD on us, even though we have far more of such weapons in our own stockpiles. "That's just not how blackmail works," one person responded. The article even said that it took Saddam 20 years to gain the few WMDs he did have, making it unlikely for him to threaten to give the weapons to the terrorist group, Al Qaeda. What tickled those questioned most was the fact that during the war between Iraq and Iran, the US helped Iraq create chemical weapons like anthrax.

But some also found issue with the article. It focused too much on blaming the US entirely for Iraq's aggression that it neglected to emphasize the source of the aggression, Saddam Hussein, or put any such blame on his actions. Instead, his fallacies were pardoned and the US was cited as an instigator. Finally, even democrats, like Hillary Clinton (who is know adamantly against the war), and a majority of the US population was for going into the war in the first place. This wouldn't be a true Democratic nation if the leaders did not appeal to the majority population's interests.

Life Sentence for Taiwan Ex-President

This article can be found here.

September 12, 2009

Akin to the Bernie Madoff controversies, the Taiwan Ex-President, Chen Shui-bian, was arrested in November for corruption charges. In the four month trial beginning in December, investigations turned up enough evidence to convince a three-judge panel that Shui-bian had been pocketing public monies over a period of eight years, beginning in 2000. The plaintiff focused mainly on the evidence of Mr. Chen's $3.15 million embezzlement from the special presidential fund and the $9 million he received in bribe money concerning a government land deal. None of the judges hesitated in charging the president and his wife a $15 million fine and additional guilty verdicts on embezzlement, consenting to bribes, and money laundering, in addition to a life-sentence in prison. An appeal was automatically filed, as is the case with all trials ending with life-sentencing verdicts.

Mr. Chen was the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, hoping to distance Taiwan from the Chinese Government by creating a more democratic state. Chinese leaders were particularly repelled by Shui-bian because they were hoping for a Taiwan reunification. Many DPP supporters believe the scandal to originate from the encouraged "witch hunt" of Ma Ying-jeou, the new president and leader of the Kuomintang, the governmental organization that, instead, pursues close ties with the Chinese government, rather than prizing independence like the DPP. Conspiracy, anyone?

Spain to Send More Troops to Afghanistan

This article can be found here.

September 11, 2009

In an attempt to affirm their allied status with the US, Spain contributed 220 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, totaling to 1,000 total. This was described as the Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega's, effort to create a good starting relationship with the new Obama administration. These extra men were cited to "provide more security for [the men] already there".

It seems that the Spanish governent is trying to reverse the earlier Socialist impression they gave off to the Bush administration, when they withdrew their troops -immediately after the conservative, pro-US Popular Party sent them- because it "endors[ed] what [they] considered an illegal invasion". But, the fact that the soldiers are being described as 'keeping the peace', rather than contributing to a war insinuates that the government's gesture is purely one of political interest, done with some measure of resentment.

Child Mortality Rate Declines Globally

This article can be found here.

September 9, 2009

At last, an article filled with hope and celebration during times of pessimism. Inside the International News section of the paper, sandwiched between an article on war and and article on corruption, is this declaration of triumph. Celia Dugger, as a writer for the New Tork Times, is probably not used to reporting on such encouraging milestones as this, but she provides adequate justice to its resonance. Armed and equipped with dozens of facts and numbers, she pounds out the recent records that were made concerning the lowered child mortality rate. "12.5 million" deaths to "8.8 million", "90 per 1,000" babies dying to "65 per 1,000", "10,000 less children dying per day" she writes, exultantly.

I believe most other journalists would take this opportunity to complain that these numbers are still overly-inflated, which they are, and then choose to focus on the regions where child mortality rates have actually gone up. Dugger writes a 3 sentence paragraph on how one of the most wealthy regions of Africa, South Africa, surprisingly showed an increase in this rate, along with Chad, Congo, and Kenya, and then moves on to describe "the most successful efforts to reduce child mortality". I like how Dugger respects the milestone and also incorporates awareness on those most affected by high child mortality rates, namely those of South Africa, and the common ailnesses that have led to these deaths, (i.e. pneumonia, diahrrea).

"Doris Hebuye, a thin, sociable woman, listened from a distance one morning as her daughter Fanny, a new mother, cradled her 10-day-old baby. A health worker counseled Fanny Kasipati, 18, on the finer points of breast-feeding, the danger signs of sickness and choices for birth control. As she sat outside their mud hut in the village of Tetheleya, Mrs. Hebuye’s eyes had a sad, faraway look as she described the deaths of two of her seven children — Gustus, at 3, and Margaret, at 1 —from causes she had never really understood. “Malawi is changing for the better,” she said. “In those days, people gave birth without advice. These days, women are assisted in many ways.”"

Lush Land Dries Up, Withering Kenya’s Hopes

This article can be found here.

September 7, 2009
When it comes to conveying the death and desperation of Kenyan drought-stricken lands, Jeffrey Gettleman does it justice. Within his New York Times article, there was a clean, organized combination of factual explanation and reverent story-telling. Those he interviewed contributed riveting, touching stories effectively expressing the utter sadness inflicted on those most affected by the drought conditions, the northern Kenyan people. These outcries were aptly juxtaposed with the brute ignorance of Chaunga Mwachaunga, the acting district officer in Lokori. “Hunger? How do we know they died of hunger?” he said. “I know there’s not enough food for people, but we can be sure that nobody will die of hunger while the Kenyan government is here. Show me the death certificates.” Gettleman then communicates this sense of urgency by further describing the response of other organizations, such as World Vison, the coalition now trying desperately to rally sympathetic countries into funding their effort to distribute food and water. In fact, their UN bid for $576 million is looking rather 'half-empty'. These nations are losing sympathy as the government sells off the last bit of the grain supply and occupies themselves, instead, with upcoming elections and continuing corruption.
Gettleman also investigates the more local effects of famine. The Turkana and Pokot people have initiated an ethnic war during all this struggle, as they try to steal the farming and grazing land from one another.
In this article, one pronounced theme is held close to the author's depiction of Kenyan tragedy: the government. They failed to heed the warning signs of famine and they failed to react in time when famine finally struck.

China Says Five Dead in Latest Xinjiang Unrest

This article can be found here.
September 4, 2009

Based on recent media, it appears that the main source of unrest in Asia stems from the conflict between ethnic differences. In China, one of the many repressed ethic groups is the Han, who have recently led protests in Urumqi to call attention to their own conflict with the Uighurs for taking over their inhabited region in Xinjiang. The Uighurs, a largely Muslim people, were accused of such gruesome measures as stabbing the Han with needles, reportedly infected with HIV. The fighting began in July, where 197 people were killed and 1,721 were left wounded. Meanwhile, the new wave of attacks have already left 5 ne victims in its wake.

Where is the hatred coming from? The reasons given in the article seem ridiculous, really. So ridiculous and simple that one would beg for more detail from its author, Edward Wong, who merely said that the Han found the Uighurs ungrateful for their benevolent leadership while the Uighurs reported discrimination. In my own detailed article of this profound event, I would rather present the audience with a more complex explanation giving reason behind the violent clash to prevent bias. From reading of Han accounts of Uighurs stabbing men with HIV infected needles, Wong is training the reader to sympathize with the them without fully understanding the extent to which the Uighurs were repressed.

China Fails to Prevent Myanmar’s Ethnic Clashes

This article can be found here.

September 3, 2009

Lately, I've been investing a lot of interest in the turmoil currently occurring in Asia. It is a part of the world that I have paid the least amount of attention, but is increasingly becoming a larger part of my life as an American, the peoples most indebted to this region's resources and monetary backing. For instance, I never knew that Myanmar and China shared an alliance because I believed China to be heavily isolated due to its communist government, or that within Myanmar, a 20 year cease fire between ethnic rebels and their national government has just been broken. The United Wa State Army has joined the defeated rebels, the Kokong, and confidently promised the occurrence of a governmental coup.


The author, Michael Wines, writes of increased differences between these two Asian allies, contributed to the "hostile attitude Burma has". Instead, I believe the Communist Chinese Government is reacting to the fact that Myanmar is turning into a Democratic nation and are holding their first elections after the past 20 years of conflict. In fact, "the Chinese gave money and arms to ethnic groups, including the Wa and Kokang rebels, on Myanmar’s side of the border that were allied with the Burmese Communist Party." The only thing holding these two nations together, for now, are their trade agreements. Since the Chinese are still open to trade with the ethnic rebel groups, a lot of their people are escaping the conflict to China's border.

Korea Investigates Atrocities in Race Against Time

This article can be found here.

September 3, 2009

Remember the Korean War? It was that little thing that happened 59 years ago, occupying a meager 3 pages of your history book because it was such a devastating US military failure. Today, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is investigating the crimes of this war, with a particular interest in an event in Kwangamri where the Northern guerrillas and South Korean Army clashed for two days. The part of most suspect was that in the end, the South Korean Army lost 3 men and recorded 1,005 dead; and of these were mostly their own citizens, caught in between the fighting. As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission searches out survivors of these massacres, men like Lee Byong-soon are left feeling the echos of this 59-year-old earthquake.

Survivors are harder to come by nowadays and the communist-influenced government has only just now begun to allow these investigations to take place-- budget cuts are already hinting that they might be cut. Is time running out for justice?

This is a question aptly posed by the author of this article, Choe Sang-Hun. Sang-Hun uses this theme of 'running out of time' throughout the piece; and it's done very well. A criticism I would have is how he decided to integrate the history of the Korean War into the individual story of the survivor, Lee Byong-soon. The general story seemed rather choppy in the end, as facts about the evolving Korean government and their recent lack of funds were repeatedly inserted within the supremely more interesting account at Kwangamri, where Korean troops shot at their own citizens and survivors were forced to play dead for two whole days.

U.N. Guide for Sex Ed Generates Opposition

This article can be found here.

September 2, 2009

When recalling old childhood memories of elementrary school, one would often think of the fun, motivational posters that donned the classroom walls --imagine a picture of a kitten suspended from a branch with the subscript 'Hang In There' or a light-hearted and humorous Garfield pun. What one wouldn't expect are posters outlining tips on how to get an abortion or practicing safe sex. With the new guidelines the UN has distributed advocating a more direct approach when teaching sexual education in schools, such measures are not far from the imagination.

Fear is the driving force behind this legislation. The rapid spread of HIV throughout the last few decades has encouraged leaders of all countries to place acts of prevention such as this at the top of their agendas.

Outraged conservatives are honing in on the creators and supporters of this act, intimidating many contributors into asking for their names to be removed from the list of project sponsors. While the fears that more direct methods of informing children of sexuality might lead to a corrupt generation seem outdated and over reactionary, I believe Unesco-- the UN group charged with the creation of this document-- has gone too far. The article introduces that there was once a "suggested discussion of masturbation with children as young as 5" and a way of hinting that there are many different ways to be sexually "abstinent". Such measures overstep the bounds of entire governments, let alone the small educational institutions forced into acting as constituents of the policy. Even if the more modest members of the UN were to comply, the outrage of America's powerful conservative political and relgious groups will ultimately lead to its failure.

While I find most of the encouraged discussions to be much too suggestive to the point of encouragement in sexual activity, other topics-- such as the "recommended discussions of homosexuality"-- seem to fit nicely into the times without being outright inappopriate. Actual intimate conversation about the specfic acts of alternative sex is where I would draw the line. The point of more direct sexual education should be to ease the confusion and ignorance of our youth on the topic of sex, not to arouse them by making them comfortable with it. It appears that the comon belief of Unesco writers was that repeated discussion mean desensitization; but it's highly unlikely that the hormones of a growing pubescent will ever allot for such.

I found this article to be outlined perfectly. I appreciate how Stephen Erlanger, the author of this article, introduced all the interesting facts of this proposal up front --like the tid-bit on how discussions on masterbation are being planned for those as young as 5-- and delving further into them as the piece develops. There was an even balance between both sides of the debate and no bias was detectable. Even when admitting conservative groups' intimidation on the matter, he backed their opinions up with direct quotes.