Levi’s urges youth to conquer Native Americans again

Interesting post by William Easterly on AID Watch today…

Levi’s has a new ad campaign that suggests American liberty is still a work in progress. One of its new videos has a voiceover reciting the Walt Whitman poem “O Pioneers” with youths dancing around a fire wearing Levi’s. [Watch video here: Levi’s Commercial.] The recitation includes lines like get your weapons ready;  Have you your pistols? … We, the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend… Fresh and strong the world we seize.

Against whom are our weapons supposed to be used? Whose world are we seizing? Any 3rd grader could tell you:  Whitman is referring to the war against Native Americans by westward-bound settlers and the US army.

Does Levi’s want to celebrate that? Well, try to see it from Levi’s point of view: their company wouldn’t even exist if we hadn’t wiped out the Indians.

OK, trying to be a little more serious, Levi’s running this ad shows how we still don’t take seriously enough our Euro-American historical crimes. I know many people are tired of this topic. This is also a constant bone of contention between the Left and the Right, with the Right blaming the Left for apologizing too much and overlooking the great accomplishments of Western Civilization, like Individual Rights.

There is a middle ground: those of us of Euro-American heritage would be a lot more convincing on Individual Rights by acknowledging that we have had as much trouble applying them as anybody else. We were pioneers in applying them to our own ethnic group, but we kept handing out free passes to kill other people’s rights.

So no more holier-than-thou preaching about individual rights. At least, we have made progress on eroding some Double Standards: Jew and Gentile, White and Black, Man and Woman. Probably the worst Double Standard left is between rich and poor societies – we believe in Democracy in the former but not in the latter.  So let’s acknowledge how hard it has been, but keep striving for Liberty for All.

Excellent Coverage of COP15 on Democracy Now!

In case you’ve been busy studying (as I know many of you are) Democracy Now! offers incredibly articulate coverage of the tension over proposals at the COP15 in Copenhagen this week.

Interviews with Bolivian and Uruguayan negotiators, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, 15 year old climate ambassadors from the Maldives and more!  Check it out!

http://www.democracynow.org/

Human Rights Day 2009: Focus on Non- Discrimination

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and human rights.” – UN Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

Thursday, International Human Rights Day, Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) hosted a special screening of The 800 Mile Wall.  The film highlights the impact of new walls along the U.S.-Mexico border on migrants trying to cross into the U.S. and the communities that receive them.

The Tohono O’odham Nation, for example, has seen an unprecedented number of bodies recovered on their tribal territory in Arizona.  The wall funnels migrants directly onto the reservation.  Tohono O’odham Tribal Members, Mike Wilson and David Garcia, have spent the past year filling water stations for those who crossing the desert.  Though Tohono O’odham tribal leaders have approved water trucks for horses and cows in the same area, they have prohibited Mike and David’s water stations.

In California’s Imperial Valley, hundreds drown in the current of the All American Canal.  Despite repeated appeals for improved safety features on the canal, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors ignored the human coast and focused instead on relocating the canal’s carp and bass.

Then, there’s the mistreatment and human rights abuses committed by U.S. border patrol during apprehension, at processing centers, and during the repatriation process.

University of Missouri Talks About Sex

It was the beginning of my fifth and final year at the University of Missouri, I had just tacked on a new major, and the majority of my friends had graduated and moved away. How was I going to take an active role in my new department; how was I going to fill this new void in my social calendar; and importantly, how was I going to get a better grip on what I wanted to do after graduation (because this time around I planned to actually do so)? I could… launch a ‘zine. A sexy ‘zine. Yeah! A ‘zine on sexuality and reproductive health, if executed well, would be a seemingly perfect way to engage my peers in a collaborative project that was interesting, meaningful and activating. It would also allow me to explore my interest of sexual and reproductive health. And even better: I may even build a new friendship or two (or thirty).

So, that’s what I did. Last month, I launched an e-zine called BODYTALK at the University of Missouri. BODYTALK is a completely student produced publication that focuses on issues of sexuality, bodies, and reproductive health and is rooted in the belief that cooperative, judgment-free discussion of our own experiences is key to achieving equality and freedom.

The first issue was entitled The Virgin Issue and aimed to start near the beginning of students’ sexual narratives with their first sexual experiences (whether they have had one or not). The next issue, The Medical Issue, is scheduled to release this week and encompasses experiences in which sexuality/sexual bodies and medicine intersect.

Iran and the Bomb – Nearing the Point of No Return

With the December 6 news that it plans to build twenty new uranium enrichment facilities, Iran has dealt a serious blow to hopes of peacefully resolving its nuclear standoff with the West. After months of courtship by the international community, Iran’s announcement appears to be both a rejection of the West’s advances and a signal of its intent to step up its pursuit of a nuclear program. With the US running out of cards to play, many fear that the two countries are on a collision course to military confrontation.

Much like North Korea, the consequences of an Iranian possession of nuclear bomb are dire. The Obama administration has sought to right the wrong of American Cold War policy, when the US provided its then-ally Iran with nuclear reactors in an attempt to curry favor. Preventing proliferation is a priority for the Obama administration and confirmation that Iran has a nuclear bomb would trigger an arms race in the Middle East, with heavyweights such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia seeking to counter Iranian domination in the region. An Iranian nuclear bomb would also bring Israel and Iran closer to war. Iran’s anti-Semitic leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has publicised his hatred of Israel so often that Israeli leaders deem a nuclear-armed Iran an existential threat. Just last year an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites was narrowly averted after George W. Bush refused to give Ehud Olmert the green light. The Obama administration has since tried to convince the Israelis of the virtues of diplomacy with Iran, but the latest setback means that hawks in Israel and the US will be circling Iran with greater intensity.

Join the Copenhagen Rapid Response Team

Want to have an impact on the Copenhagen climate negotiations (but still study for finals?)  Join the Copenhagen Rapid Response Team!

Dec. 7-19, the Energy Action Coalition, its partners, and youth delegates in Copenhagen will be coordinating rapid response team of hundreds of people so that on a moments notice we can generate thousands of phone calls, get our message out to the media, and effectively mobilize together.

The goal of this rapid response team is no small task: to affect the U.S. negotiation position. But if enough of us engage in a timely way together, we can do just that by:

– Using the media to paint a picture of Copenhagen and our expectations for the negotiations and the Obama Administration
– Demonstrating grassroots support for bold action

To find out more and to sign up, visit: http://www.powershift09.org/rapidresponse

Also, if you’re looking for the latest youth generated media around the negotiations, check out the following blogs:

http://www.sustainus.org/

http://www.willstegerfoundation.org/

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/

http://adoptanegotiator.org/

http://copenhagenperspective.wordpress.com/

And OneWorld.net is broadcasting live! Check out their site and web portal here: http://us.oneworld.net/

Obama’s Plan and the Future of Afghanistan

Post by Amanda Young, American University ’13

Last Tuesday, President Obama unveiled his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan at West Point Military Academy. During his speech he announced plans to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. These troops will have the task of securing major cities and populations so the United States can then begin turning over responsibility to the Afghan forces in 18 months. Finally, there is a light at the end of an eight year long tunnel that cost millions of dollars and hundreds of American and Afghan lives.

As we draw closer to the end of American military presence in Afghanistan, I have to wonder, was it a success? Only time will tell, but if nothing is done to build and strengthen Afghanistan’s infrastructure you can bet these eight years will have been in vain. History has seen it before with World War I. Germany had a huge debt, lacked infrastructure, and had few to no jobs. In such a climate people turned toward extremism and twenty years after the Treaty of Versailles the world would once again find its self amidst a World War. The United States and her allies may have won World War I, but we did not keep the peace. The same idea lies behind Afghanistan. After decades of war and a poor standard of living the people have looked to the only paying jobs; the drug trade and al Qaeda. We were able to stop this vicious cycle in Europe after World War II by rebuilding Europe, creating infrastructures and jobs with the Marshall Plan. Logic tells us that the same thing needs to be done to ensure successful peace in Afghanistan.

On the White House website there are a few lines on“…implementing a civilian-military agriculture redevelopment strategy to restore Afghanistan’s once vibrant agriculture sector”. The White House must implement plans like this immediately after securing the area, so as to give hope and a future to the Afghan people. It is extremely important that the American public and international community stay active and aware even after all the troops are gone. Only then will Afghanistan continue to grow; ensuring lasting peace and we do not find ourselves fighting the same war again in twenty years.

You can find an in-depth break down of his strategy at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/way-forward-afghanistan and the full transcript of the West Point speech at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-address-nation-way-forward-afghanistan-and-pakistan

Obama’s Latin American Policy: Failure at the First Attempt

The election of Porfirio Lobo on November 29 represents a giant leap backwards for Honduras and Latin America as a whole. After months of protracted negotiations, the U.S. government suddenly threw its weight behind the illegitimate coup government of Roberto Micheletti and supported elections under its authority. The shameful episode damages Obama’s credibility in Latin America and sets a dangerous precedent in a region with a chequered past.

Last June, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted from power at gunpoint by armed soldiers, and the speaker of Congress Roberto Micheletti was installed as interim leader. Zelaya’s “crime” was to plan a public consultation on moves to change the constitution. The coup was roundly condemned by world leaders, with President Obama calling the coup “illegal”. Yet five months later, the U.S. government has changed tack, backing coup-sponsored elections and grossly damaging the democratic process in Latin America.

The role of the U.S. in the Honduras crisis has been pivotal since day one. Obama’s initial condemnation of the coup was welcomed by many pundits, especially since the U.S. has a history of backing right-wing coups in Latin America. The Obama administration’s early strategy focused on returning President Zelaya to power and restoring democracy, while the coup government’s strategy was to hold onto power until it held elections for a new president. The U.S. responded by cutting aid to Honduras and threatened the military-backed regime with continued international isolation until it negotiated a plan that would enable Zelaya to return to the presidency.

Blogging from Copenhagen

This December, I’ll be one of a handful of students from Iowa who’ll be attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.  World leaders will attempt to put together a climate change agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, and I’ll be there to observe and report on the proceedings. In Copenhagen I’ll join thousands of young people from all across the world who’ll form the first officially recognized youth delegation – youth who will be advocating for an effective international climate change treaty.

I decided to create The Road to Copenhagen blog as a way to chronicle and share my experiences, but also to open up the process to the widest audience possible.  The Road to Copenhagen, will follow the most recent developments leading up to Copenhagen and highlight perspectives that often get overlooked in the media—those of youth, delegates from developing countries (who disproportionately suffer the worst effects from global warming), and other activists.

The COP15 might possibly be the most important and the most challenging international gathering of our or any other generation.  Despite efforts to undermine the scientific consensus behind global warming, the facts are clear; the earth’s temperature is rising and human activity is driving it.  While most leaders acknowledge that fact, we still aren’t sure what type of agreement Copenhagen will produce.

World leaders and delegates of 192 nations will be in attendance, but what happens in Copenhagen—its successes or failures—will impact the world’s six billion people.

Power concedes nothing without demand.  While blogs alone won’t solve the world’s problems, they offer spaces for people-generated media.  So keep an eye on what’s happening, join the conversation, post a comment and, if interested, author a post.

It’s time to shed the dirty energy economy of the past.  It’s a new day, and long past due.  Let’s get to work!

I hope to hear from you soon!

More on World AIDS Day Rally in DC – “Act up. Fight back.”

Article by Candace Y. A. Montague, The Examiner

“OBAMA! FENTY! CAN’T YOU SEE? FUND THE FIGHT! STOP HIV!” — They were young, loud, bodacious, and angry. A collective body of AIDS activists in conjunction with DC Fight Back, Act Up Philadelphia, The Campaign to End AIDS, Health GAP and a plethora of other non-profit organizations electrified the streets of downtown DC on Tuesday. The DC Fights Back rally and protest was held between two main statues of power in DC, the White House and the John Wilson Building (city hall). On lookers were stunned to see more than 150 protesters, advocates, and activists holding up traffic while making their message known.

“WHAT DO WE WANT? HOUSING! WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW!!” — The message was more than just a plea for housing. It was a wakeup call for President Obama to keep his campaign promise of providing funding for HIV patients and to Mayor Fenty to fix a “broken system”.

It began as a mock funeral to symbolize the funerals of the 5,500 people who will die from AIDS in a day.