May 20
It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Arab Spring, mostly because it’s not really the “Arab Spring” anymore. Egypt, Syria, Libya, and others, have been struggling for two years now, and there is little hope that the conflict will be resolved any time soon, particularly in Syria. The violence in Syria has …
Apr 22
Regular readers of this blog will know that Myanmar has long been one of my favorite topics. I’ve written many times, often quite hopefully, about what the future may hold for this isolated country as it begins to open up economically and socially. New president Thein Sein has made serious moves towards reforming the military-ruled country, …
Mar 07
There is no doubt that that the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., has heightened the political debate on gun control in the United States. The Obama-backed gun bills are considered a long shot in Congress. This is due to the opposing views on gun control in congress. One group in Congress is standing behind the …
Feb 01
A serious concern to me, and undoubtedly many, is that the words “I can’t find work” or “The Government needs to help us more,” are much too often heard from people living in developing countries like South Africa and Mozambique in Africa and India in Asia, and to lesser extent in developed countries.These words in …
Jan 28
Jordan has largely stayed out of the news since the start of the Arab Spring, as the country has–so far–managed to avoid any major shake-ups or protests. This may be about to change, however. Resentment against King Abdullah II has been building for some time, and these elections were a way for his government to show …
Dec 12
As the year comes to end and holidays are extremely close, social issues such as homelessness, poverty, and hunger are frequently mentioned. Recently in New Jersey, the Mayor of Newark, Cory Booker decided to participate in his own food stamp challenge called the SNAP challenge. The mayor will only spent about $1.40 per meal, which …
Oct 24
There is a huge discrepancy between the message of morality and Christianity that the American Family Association professes and what they practice. Recently in the news Bryan Fischer, an AFA spokesperson, harshly criticized the Southern Poverty Law center (SPL) “mix it up” lunch day program. He stated that the “mix it up” lunch program is …
Oct 19
The increase in teen suicide associated with cases of bullying has resulted in lawsuits being filed against some schools. Messages left behind by suicide victims through social media, or letters chronicling their prolonged and continuous bullying while in the care of school officials, have prompted blame against some schools. Everyday, it is estimated that 160,000 …
Oct 17
Celebrities can create great publicity about an issue because they have the power to persuade people to take action towards a social cause. A few weeks ago, I wrote about Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, celebrities that used an unique opportunity to promote their social good causes. Many celebrities are often happy to use their …
Oct 10
Suicide is the second highest cause of death among college students and the third leading cause of death among young Americans ages 15- 24. Despite the increase in suicide prevention programs across college campuses in the United States, suicide continues to trend upward. A common complaint about college suicide prevention programs is insufficient and overworked …
