Development Goals or Home Runs

Amidst abuse of the Earth, Earth Day was recently celebrated with much furor on the social networks, in the press and through celebrated world events.  Rio20+ or the Rio Earth Summit in June is the year's major event at which there is expected to be a binding agreement on Climate Change. This, after the much hyped agreement that should have been formed in Copenhagen and the rushed non-binding agreement that was drafted in Durban, much attention is being given to this event, particularly to the apparently possibility that some climate change goals may be shifted to 2020. Given Canada's stance as a detractor as well as the non-eagerness on the part of others to adapt their policies, the success of the summit is highly questioned.

As described in a recently read article, the term, 'Ecocide' could be adapted as the 5th crime against peace and is described as the committing of actions which lead to resource depletion, that maybe immediately precipitate to war. It was mentioned in a previous post that the Lebanese-Israel border has the potential to cause war based on infringement in demarcated zones.  The perspective of some European countries towards a large percentage of their energy originating from renewables by 2050 shows great promise. Such countries include Scotland and Denmark.  Significant ecological Earth events include; the Popocatepetl volcano awakening in Mexico, the Iceland Volcano spewing ashes over Northern Europe, the many earthquakes including that have occurred in Japan and Indonesia, and the droughts that have occurred in England over the past two years.  Sustainable practices should neither be evidently adapted in order to be anti-business or because abundance tells them not to, but also because it is the right thing to do for the individual's perspective contribution to society.
Link (http://tiny.cc/6cl8cw).

Much of the progress of the developing world (formerly the 3rd world) has rested in ingenious people trying to think of means of adapting global solutions to local situations.  The name Haiti comes from the Taino/Arawak word meaning mountainous. This has created historical difficulty in creating credible infrastructure (due to terrain issues) in Haiti resulting in the 2010 Earthquake.  The fertility of the soil made it a rich multi-culture economy, where there was an abounding amount of agricultural products as well as labour that was steady in amount.  What made it the more interesting was that through the ameliorative proposals of Code Noir, there were attempts at appeasement of the enslaved persons ('should not be called slaves') in the colonies.  Further, the dichotomy that existed between the blacks in the North and the coloured in the South in both racial harmony and wealth served to create an inbred culture of hate.

The Dominican Republic has consistently increased the number of baseball players headed to the United States.  Invented by Alexander Cartwright (and not Abner Doubleday), the sport has expanded to islands that have strong associative ties with the United States.  Particularly, Sammy Sosa who played from 1989-2007, was born in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, took to the sport as a kid. Others from that city included Luis Castillo, Rafael Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano.  Link (http://tiny.cc/n968cw).

A new documentary film call Baseball In The Time Of Cholera 'is the story of Joseph, a young baseball player, and a Haitian Lawyer fighting for compensation for the victims. As the epidemic spreads, the two stories intersect in the struggle for survival and justice'.    Link (http://tinyurl.com/cwv6zrs).

The incidence of diseases like Cholera in Haiti have been a terrible endemic, caused by improper sanitation and non-clean water. The cost of US$1.1 billion to eradicate the endemic allegedly caused by UN soldiers of Nepalese descent is both mortifying and questionable as has the question of allocation of aid and time resources for the commitants to aid in disaster relief.

The film is in English (hence anglophonic) and the concepts of people being appreciated for their humanity and not their statistical contribution could be seen as admirable. 7,000 out of 7 billion are featured as suffering, but as we still speak with high regard about Einstein, Newton, and Gallileo as just three human beings. The 7,000 sick are just as important, each in their own right.  Two years ago, a devastating earthquake shook, homes were destroyed, and food items (including government and foreign rice) rationed.  Films like this highlight a plight that many miss because the concentration of media coverage in places like Haiti often don't peak during non-crises times nor have the origination centralization to command attention to the outside world. Since these people have been historically marginalized in, what is described as dire circumstances, this film brings to light the trials of a representative group of people of the black Haitian population. A widespread vaccination programme is necessary, as well as, the commitment on the part of the representatives and the people to demand more humane conditions.  Link (http://tiny.cc/yc78cw).

Originally: April 24th 2012

Sports and Revolution

Fields of no dreams have destroyed the lives of aspirants to sports that have recently taken on more international character. The story of Cambodian tennis is interesting because sports has served such a significant role in the development of the character of individuals, served to appease the competitive drive and allowed for the display of mastery and discipline simultaneously.  Imagine if all sports were eradicated from a country like the United States with revolution taking the country by storm. Imagine the sudden non-existence of the prized baseball game and American Football.  What of Europe, where the peradventure to sport is significant to the overlay of socialization, business and the integrally cultural need to exercise.  Well, Cambodia experienced this.

One of the top tennis players of the 1970's recounted the massacring of the top players in the country at a time when tennis was becoming more and more open with winners such as Arthur Ashe and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley. Having to quit the game and work in the fields while taking up football was an interesting tactic. The Khmer Rouge's ascension in 1975 prompted the desolution and destruction of anything Western, including changing concepts of agricultural practice and dismantling of certain structures.  The killing of minorities including the Cham Muslims featured as the heaviest human desecration. Intellectualism was seen as evil and associated symbols eradicated. Many ethnic Chinese were driven out.  The recent ascension to the Davis Cup through participation in a 'tie' and the possession of a ranked player on the ATP tour are signs that Cambodia is attempting to challenge their fighting spirit through clean and clear competition. The business class and younger Cambodians (including internet users) have taken to speaking English because of the large influx of English speaking tourists. With the rising star of Bun Kenny it is hoped that Cambodia's tennis fortunes can rise from the Ashes. (http://tinyurl.com/c2ou8zs).

Many African countries have had events cancelled and teams pulled out of competition because of revolutionary factions. Togo had to pull out due to a bus attack, which resulted in the deaths of the goal keeper, assistant coach and press officer. Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, was on the bus and as a contracted member of a top English Premier League Football Club, much investment had been placed in him that had serious potential financial consequences for a club that is situated in a slow-growth area that featured prominently in the 2011 riots (http://tinyurl.com/6w2bjrp).

For what reason would a gentleman jump into the Thames in order the protest prompting officials to take a deeper look at security for the upcoming Olympics?  The after-thought by one spectator was that the interruption left the race unfinished. This was after an excellent media campaign particularly on the part of Oxford to show how difficult it is to be dedicated to such a dynastic battle.  The quieter in outside publicity, the better, I think.  As the London 2012 Olympics approach, where the escalated budget has been juxtaposed with readiness of many facilities and resumption of practice by national and international athletes well before the start of the games, security is obviously a concern.  The influx of visitors who are not used to the old-world charm remains a challenge to be seen and hopefully, protests will be made in the planning boardroom and not in the streets.  The protest against elitism from an LSE graduate named Oldfield is interesting, although one name Oldguard would have been better, especially as one rower described it as the culmination of his career.  A case of tiny revolution against the aristocracy, which he names at length in his blog, caused unusual headlines about a prestigious competition sometimes sleepily-perceived outside of the United Kingdom (http://tinyurl.com/csyzc9a).  

Simply put, sporting events can be the highlight of one's week in a world that can be filled be stresses of expectation, a need to drive growth and commerce as well as consequential and needfully repetitious example of the will to win.  The masses need alliances. In a world which is not overtly characterized by 'phased wars', the battlefield is sports and may the best man/woman/team win.


101 days to go to the next Revolution July 27-August 12!


Side Note:
Congrats to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, named 12th President of the World Bank on the 16th of April 2012. Hefty mathematics for someone who has dealt with youth as former president of Darthmouth College. (16-4=12 & 16+4 = 20  - nice nerdy appointment math). The sport of fencing applies in this case as the students of Darthmouth took to breakdancing to say to the medical doctor (not economist doctor) 'Let the force be with you!'

Validating Work and Human Rights

One of the most difficult concepts when working is to try to validate the effect of one's work. We often try to speak in terms of equity and fairness and this argument sometimes feels like it falls short. One of the business lessons that I have learned is the concept of identifying an opportunity and getting in first (1st-mover advantage). This results in market domination by the primary entrant, which at times may give the primary entrant the need to lead autocratically, sometimes resulting in problems associated with a certain amount of lack of leverage. One person in church on Sunday spoke about his right to analyze and criticize something, which is important in a world where many suffer an inability to do so based on pre-conceived notions. The issue of use of technology to validate work is interesting because the physical effort is not what our parents say when they think about 'work'. We often hear old folks talking about the need to 'shovel that walkway' as a means of teaching good old discipline. 'I used to walk in 4 feet of snow to get to school, after having de-iced my father's car and scraping out the gutters on the roof'. Things are easier now because of technology and innovation. The inequity between those who have access to resources such as computers and telephony devices can be prohibitive. The choice such resources to have them should be available under meritocratic circumstances. 'Work' under the guise of risk and quality are sometimes difficult to measure under the best of assessments.


My thoughts of folk with many children is the need to subdue a place so that they work can be done for a collective feeling of comfort. I say this carefully, as I have also been told that people have many children because they have sex without protection (for religious or non-religious reasons). Some were never taught family planning and have to adjust for their needs. The presence of a large number of persons has made the presence of technology contentious, as it has been said to cut jobs. The adjustment of population to technology seems like an interesting concept to study. The change in the range of population between 5 billion and 9 billion by 2050 could be affected by the advent of technology. There is also the issue of responsibility when it comes to technology, but this can't always be perfect. This is a major challenge that youth in the 21 century face. How do you use technology to achieve work, and what are the laws governing this? Do I just want my website to get a certain number of hits and then say I have worked, or is this a service that people actually need?


It is a digital world and we had better get going. A government minister spoke about the world changing to digital and her thoughts were featured in an editorial which sought to speak on the issues of the digital switchover to high definition channels (HDTV), the purchase and regulation of equipment and appliances, the disposal of old equipment and appliances and the effect on the environment.
Link (http://tinyurl.com/d8eccvw)


One famous delivery services company has been accused of discriminating against job seekers including men and women of Hispanic, Asian, African-American, Caucasian and Native American 'ethnic' background. They have decided to settle with the Labor Department in order to avoid costly litigation fees but having allegedly discriminated against 21,000 qualified personnel for 1,703 positions and entry-level work handling packages at 23 facilities in 15 states. The $3 million dollar settlement was agreed based on technology, where statistical analysis was done of computer and seemed to prove that qualified applicants were possibly not considered based on their race. Link (http://tinyurl.com/d7jvxxk)


I was reading an article published by a Saudi princess who appeared to give great thought to her people. She spoke on a number of issues pertaining to human rights.

1) The importance of civil law where all men and women are treated on the same footing before the law. Basic human rights are protected regardless of sex, status or sect. An adaptation of law not so strictly western, but one that inculcates our religious principles.

2)Stopping abusive divorce laws. The manipulation of them in favour of the men is something she actively speaks out against. (In some western cultures, they are heavily skewed towards the women).

3) Stripping of what she calls inherently abusive ideologies that are ingrained in the education system based on possible misinterpretation of her religion sometimes decrees as the absolute position of a woman in that culture. Particularly, she does not want her people to so shield themselves that they then lack innovative-ness and a spirit of contribution. The focus on texts in her faith that are focused on origins that are deemed to be uncertain rather than other books seems to be of great importance to her.

4) Adequate social services are to be provided to women who seek refuge, especially in the case where her aggressors are more powerful and sometimes abusive. She wishes that for those kind of women, the shame that comes with seeking refuge would not be so great because of the circumstances.

5) Address the issue of non-chaperoned freedom of movement where the presence of pirates in times past prevented the woman's freedom of movement.

6) Considering the right of the woman to drive but only when there has been sufficient education and promulgation of laws to prevent potential abuse of women drivers.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/7f9z99n)

The country that I was born in has a way of allowing folk to voice issues, hopefully under the guise of sincerity and transparency. The existence of talk radio, as monotonous and non-contributory as it has been sometimes branded to be, has always led me to believe that there is an avenue for issues to be resolved. There is a room of thought that there should be a balance between transparency and privacy because of the train of thought that everyone can't handle everything. I am usually up for transparency because everyone won't understand all the information that is placed before them.

I read an article about the importance of water as a basic human right, particularly in regions such as the border between south Lebanon and Israel where three tributaries form a great source of contention between the people. The installing of a pump in one (the Hasbani) nearly caused civil war. Lebanon gets 1% instead of 15% under conditions of equity. It must be important for cultures to co-exist peacefully, but the basic right to life is often an important step in assuring that peace. UN World Water Day passed on 22nd March 2012 and an article discussed the importance of water simply as the human need for 2-4 litres per day, the use of 1,500 litres of water per kg of wheat produced and 15,000 litres of water per kg of beef produced. Clearly, the need for water for human, plant and animal consumption are contributory reasons why water is so crucial to the economy of a state and especially that of one where access is limited.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/cp9dczy) & Link (http://tinyurl.com/642yzev)

Doctors in the United States often face malpractice suits which force them to subject patients to a number of tests, up to 45 diagnostic tests in some cases. Recently, they have decided to call for an end to so much testing. The issue is contentious because insurers want to ensure that they are not scammed out of money through numerous settlements, because doctors are wary because they are in the middle of powerful insurers and because the issue of obeying the Hippocratic oath which speaks about the patients right to life and also earning money, and a patient who hopefully just wants to maximize their health to be able to increase the quality of their life.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/7y8ef49) & Link (http://tinyurl.com/7az4vg4)

The balance for human rights is difficult in a world of good and evil. Who gets to decide who is good and not good? The premise of basic human rights seems to come from the premise of dedication to God rather than one's own beliefs and that although human beings look, sound and believe differently they all have purpose and place on an Earth that has given way to their existence. One of the people that makes me proud is the Attorney General from California who has been pushing for laws which govern technology including those of online dating sites, privacy laws and copyright laws. This does not apply to everyone as only 35% of 7 billion people have access to the internet up from 18% of the 6.5 billion people in 2006.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/79u3ohw)

http://tinyurl.com/cevkj3n