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The Importance of Being EU

As I walk by Georgian Parliament on my way to the nearby café in the morning, I notice two flags always flying out front: The Georgian ride and white flag, and the European Union navy blue with yellow stars flag (Georgia is a part of the Council of Europe among other institutions). When I discuss the position of Georgia in the world, although bordered by nations like Russia and Armenia (to name 2) it is widely proclaimed that Georgia is part of Europe. Like numerous nations located even closer to the heart of the European Union, the goal here is very much to one day be part of the European Union. Why? Although I don’t usually get a specific answer, the implied answer is a sense of belonging. Perhaps also the goal of achieving the quality of life similar to that which it is thought members of the EU enjoy. Or to make it even more basic, one major reason is to further distance this place from Russia, a nation that is – to put it mildly- disliked. As part of not liking Russia, there is the goal to make sure the world knows (as well as Russia itself) that Georgia is very much with those guys over there on the other side of the Black sea. No longer a victim of their occupation but standing on its own two feet with its European friends.

Now compare this sentiment with that in Southern Europe these days, where people are enraged and disillusioned; not exactly with the European Union, but with their own governments who of course are members of the EU and have presided over, if not played a role in, a massive economic collapse and policy failure. While some nations in the EU curse their governments for not representing them in what is financially a very troubled union, here we find those outside wishing to get in. With what seems like very different goals, at least when it comes to the symbolic desire to be EU… maybe Georgians would find more happiness in being a member state, even if the economy looks pretty bad.

In the coming days here in Tbilisi, I’ll of course hear more about this bid to be part of the EU and the primary reasons for it. I’ll report back with what I learn.

Headed to the Rep of Georgia

I’m on my way to Tblisi, Georgia, the jewel of the Caucuses. Nestled next to the Black Sea, under the more infamous regions of Russia, and next door to the lovely nations of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. My focus in Georgia will be digital activism, a topic near and dear to my heart, and of interest to many people in that nation. As I conduct workshops I shall also be learning about the country from people I meet, specifically what is working and what is not working for Georgian citizens today. So stay tuned for podcasts, writing, and surely some video entries! See you in Tblisi!

EU Sanctioned Torture in Libya

While people continue to die in Libya as part of the battle to oust Gaddafi, NATO continues to drop bombs on what are known as “strategic targets”. While their governments talk tough about liberating the people of Libya from tyranny, up in Europe, France and Italy are panicing about the increase in migrants arriving from Africa on their shores. Despite long being part of the Schengen treaty that ensures free travel between EU states, they have now openly taken action to check and limit such travelling. A decision that is causing alot of concern and frustration to those that believe in respecting agreements and free travel within the EU.

But in fact, long before the uprising in Libya or the adoption of the no-fly zone, a far greater crime was being committed on Libyan soil with the help of European Union money. For more than a decade, Italy has funded and equipped immigrant detention centers hosted and run by the Libyan government. Detention centers where migrants from all over Africa were held, extorted and tortured. While humanitarian and legal limits prevented Italy from running such centers on their own soil, nothing and no one prevented them from doing so.. including the EU which was completely aware of their existence.

After years of living under the most horrific circumstances, the Libyan state seems to be falling apart and migrants are making the dangerous journey towards Europe in search of work and a better life. EU states cry foul and claim they have no choice but to tighten border controls and turn migrants away. They act as victims after having long been engaged in the inhumane and torturous detention of migrants.

Our Gadgets, Our Planet

This week I will meet up with David Kousemaker of TechTravels to interview him about his work on the issue of where our old gadgets end up. More specifically we will delve into a topic that the mainstream world only occasionally alludes to when they mention how “somewhere in China” our old computers and phones are painstakingly recycled in the most horrendous of conditions. Amazingly such an alarming statement is taken as almost cliché when you look at how rarely media outlets get deeper into this issue.

But over the past few years, David Kousemaker has done just that. In fact, he has gone beyond what most any other newspaper or reporter has ever uncovered in places like China, Indonesia, and Brazil, delving into not only what gets recycled but who does the recycling, how they live, where different phases of the process take place and so on. His findings have been documented in text and photos on his website, Techtravels.

The idea behind meeting David, besides learning first hand details about these people, places, and activities, is to also get a better picture of the global game of electronics disposal. With all the devices we have gone through and will go through as we upgrade, replace, and go for the next thing, what happens to all these gadgets? What impact are we who buy these devices and later get rid of them, having on society and the planet? This week, we get more answers to these and other questions…

Judge Rules for Plesner, For art!

My work on this site is not normally focused on breaking news, but this one just came out an hour ago and it involves the Plesner v. Louis Vuitton case we’ve been discussing over the past weeks. The judge in the Hague ruled today in favor of Plesner’s right to continue to show her painting, Darfurnica, and that her use of the image of a Louis Vuitton bag is both “functional and proportional.”

No word yet from either Nadia or the Vuitton side, but as a newfound voice for Darfur and freedom of expression, she will surely return to the podcast in the future. Click here for the initial report by Radio Netherlands regarding the court ruling.

Getting to know Fairphone

Showing copper — Showing Copper after cleaning

For the past few months I have been watching online and listening to conversations offline about the initiative by a group of people here in Amsterdam which looks at how mobile phones are made and how their production effects people and the environment around the world. It is one of those difficult to address issues, because we are talking about a device that is so essential and so present in everyone’s life in almost every corner of the planet. And while we can be critical, perhaps, of the companies that produce them, we still need the device so sometimes the questions aren’t asked and the practices aren’t closely scrutinized.

Until now.

The concerned group of people involved in Fairphone have decided to build the world’s first ethically produced phone, as they explain it:

Our aim of fairness is simple: to not harm man or nature in creating our phone. Not in transporting or producing it. And not in acquiring the raw materials for it.

As their first step in researching and beginning on the production process of the phone, they recently went to Congo (DRC) to meet with artisanal miners and learn about their working conditions, as well as what they would want in terms of fair treatment and payment as the source of the raw materials that eventually make the devices function. In the process they also purchased raw cobalt and brought it back to the Netherlands to be used in their first prototype phones. Thus completing the very basic but very little known step one of building our mobile phones, the mining of raw materials.

After having learned all about their initial efforts to both build a phone and shed light on an issue with global impact, I decided to get involved as a journalist and a concerned citizen/phone user. My aim is to follow this process and pass on information to the public, to stimulate conversations that could help on the road to more ethical production of the devices we love and use so much.

More information and reporting to come. This was only my own journalistic step 1 towards getting to know fairphone and an industry that could use a good kick in the pants.