CNN reported last week that in Afghanistan police are looking for a man accused of killing his wife after she gave birth to his third child. The reason he killed her was because she had already given him two daughters and this third child was also a girl. Sher Mohammed blamed his wife for not …
February 2012 archive
Feb 07
Is a “Burmese Spring” Happening?
“What about Burma?” Since the beginning of the Arab Spring I have found myself thinking this often. Burma has been torn apart by civil war for over 60 years in what is currently the longest running war in the world. Even today, in a time where Burma seems to be heading more and more towards …
Feb 07
An Unlikely Election
Last year a province in China called Guangdong made headlines as the residents rioted over a land dispute with the local officials in December 2011. The village residents of Wukan were upset that local officials were taking their farmlands and selling them to large companies for profit. The month long protests led to the corrupt …
Feb 06
Support Beyond the Classroom
Khalil, a six year old in first grade, attends elementary school in Southeast D.C. We just finished reading The Little Engine That Could, and began discussing what it means to overcome obstacles and believe in oneself. Khalil is one of the sweetest kids I know, with overwhelming positivity and optimism for the future. He always …
Feb 06
Women aren’t the only ones- Gay Honor Killings
Most people think of women when the words “honor killing” are brought up. As I wrote in a previous post, women around the world are being murdered, typically by their relatives, due to the fact that they have somehow brought shame upon their family. In this post, though, I want to talk about victims of …
Feb 03
Prosecution of Human Trafficking Offenders in the United States
Prosecuting human trafficking offenders in the United States is a difficult task at best as public policy does not always support the criminal justice system. Over the past ten years the United States implemented strong public policy measures to address human trafficking and implemented sentencing guidelines to punish traffickers. Prosecution is what I would call …
Feb 03
Sistema alimentario en peligro
La seguridad alimentaria es un tema que ha siempre interesado y preocupado a economistas, agrónomos y políticos. Desde 1800, algunos economistas predijeron la escasez alimentaria (la teoría de Malthus), que causaría hambrunas y muertes ya que la producción agrícola no sería suficiente. Aunque la teoría resultó ser equivocada, hoy en día es importante reconsiderar la …
Feb 02
A Corny Problem
You might not think it, but I bet that almost everyone reading this will make use of corn today. I’m not necessarily talking about chowing down on a buttered corn on the cob. Corn is a component of about 25% of groceries from the supermarket. It is also a major component in almost all fast …
Feb 02
Egypt’s Soccer Riots Create Uncertainty
Two weeks ago I wrote about a burgeoning responsible tourism initiative in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and how it could benefit the Bedouin community and Egypt as a whole. Today, while I was on the elliptical (which I do about once every month or so… I like to stay healthy.) I happened to flip to CNN …
Feb 02
What Kind of “Change” Are Companies Really Trying to Make?
Imagine today you woke up and decided, “I’m going to start a business.” Whether you have an MBA or half a year of college under your belt, there are certain steps you realize you’ll need to take to see your vision come to life. First, you’ll need a business proposal, a financial plan, investors, permits …