Text – Page 60 – Citizen Reporter

Statehood Doesn’t Pay Bills

Nationalism has long been the cause of alot of pain and broken dreams in the history of the world. Yet nationalism is the force that brings about so many changes in so many places, even in this day and age.

I was working in Portugal several years ago when East Timor formerly declared it’s independence from Indonesia. Needless to say it was a big deal in Lisbon, at some level, as the nation watched a new country set out on the quest for freedom, prosperity… insert lofty goal. And of course, as I watched the ceremony in Dili, I can’t deny a feeling, based on all that I know from world history and the inequality that is the world economy, that East Timor would never really achieve much of a quality of life. For all the beauty and nobility of independence, you could spin the globe, crunch the numbers, and know that the new nation’s odds of a prosperous survival were slim to none.

Now we watch Kosovo. I know, I know, different details, different history, some different problems. But the facts still spell out the same feelings. Independence and freedom from whatever oppression, past or present, that certainly sounds good. No wonder lots of good people out there support the declaration. Yet what chance does it’s people have in this global economy and the political chess game that leaves a majority of the new nation as a bunch of expendable pawns; useful for flag waving news footage, but not worth a serious investment or some serious problem solving strategies. Powerful forces in the world of business and politics might have been salivating at the chance to use the cause and the region for their own goals, but now they can salivate even more as disorganization and internal struggles make it easy to profit.

Now you hear the whispers in different parts of the world get louder; Turkish Cyprus, Abkasia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Palestine, Western Sahara, Aceh… places where the calls for independence grow louder now. And who would dare speak against many of those cases, where people have suffered and hoped for independence for so long.

While I don’t speak against most of these calls, I will add a question to the equation. How will they live? Will there be a way to seriously live without the threat of famine, violence, or some other terrible factor. Do they have some way to stand on their own two feet in a global economy that specializes in picking apart new nations without the luxury of lots of money or some magic resource?

Independence sounds lovely. But when calculating and dreaming of the kind of life people should have, I wish we would factor in what happens once you’ve got that independence. That’s the part that could really help make a better future for all people.

Watchful Eye for Greenwash

Recently I started a job with a sustainable investment conference and consultancy, know as TBLI. Among my responsibilities with them, I’ll be handling alot of their web presence including the TBLI blog which is now listed in the right hand margin under “I also publish”. First let me say it is refreshing to work for a organization that does not look at blogging or ME blogging about work related themes as suspect. Cause for this blogger, being free is essential to my work, and keeping secrets is just lame.

So as you’ll eventually pick up from reading the TBLI blog, the conference is all about sustainable development. A noble goal that more most rational humans makes sense. Bringing people together, large corporations, small entrepeneurs, activists, I’ve seen a pretty good cross section of talent and experience. AND YES, I’ve seen names of corporations that I simply do not like or trust, for their environmental human rights records. But nevertheless, ignoring them isn’t a sure bet for changing anything, so perhaps it is useful that there is place where they too can join the conversation and debate.

One guiding principle that stays with me in all my work, including here on the blog, is to always keep an eye out for greenwashing. Meaning those that would pretend to be ecological, caring for how their company impacts the environment and the future of the earth. It is no secret that being green has become a catch-all, a marketing tool, a smoke screen for conducting business-as-usual.

I mention this because some of the latest items coming from the New Internationalist get into detail about just that; greenwashing. They also tear into the realm of corporations pretending to be socially responsible and the manipulation of the United Nations to that end. I intend to get in touch with some of these reporters for an upcoming podcast. I also recommend you read and beware aware in your daily choices, about who is lying about being responsible.

One more thing tho… just because there are corporations out there, lying about being green. Does not mean people should simply give up trying to be responsible consumers or responsible investors. There are still ways to verify what is or is not ecological… sustainable.. and if people set their minds to it.. we can certainly find out.

Good Postal Ideals

Ever notice all the overnight delivery-parcel company planes at the airport? They’re everywhere. Taking off, landing, filling the sky, spanning the globe.. to get your packages to you fast.

Rarely does anyone talk about the world of express delivery and the ever-growing fleets of planes in that industry, and their effect on our planet. Why even within distances between cities only a few hours away from each other, the fastest way is said to be by plane… so naturally there is yet another plane flying from one city to another, adding some more pollution to an earth that is begging for some relief.

As I think about this, I read the news out of France; TGV trains handling mail! Yes indeed, they called person who proposed this idea crazy at first, but in a country where high speed trains make long distances seem like nothing, with modernized and plentiful connections, France has the right circumstances to provide fast mail transport without having to fill the skies with more planes. And they’re really doing it!

Of course they have their share of problems once they want to go beyond France. Der Spiegel talks about problems that connecting German rail lines aren’t prepared for this plan. I know here in the Netherlands, the high speed rail lines are still few and just barely completed.

However, the point is that here we have a great solution for a problem that few nations are willing to talk about or seriously try to solve. Cut down on unecessary flights, including those dedicated to postal delivery. France wasn’t just born with this infrastructure… they planned rail transport properly some 50+ years ago .. and now not only can their businesses benefit, but so can our environment, with less emissions coming from rail transport. With the new AGV trains, we’re talking EVEN less emissions.

Just because some countries, be it here in Europe, or anywhere in the world, don’t currently have the infrastructure to do this.. doesn’t mean this is the time to simply give up. Investments should be made, elected officials should be working for such innovations, and citizens should demand this kind of solution.

My Valentine in West Africa

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day I tried my first yoga class with my friend Gabe B of xolo.tv. Unfortunately I never pay attention to holidays, especially corporate ones, so I forgot that being Valentine’s day, the man would be off with his partner, somewhere romantic. No yoga action for me. Naturally no valentines crap either, but I do have someone I want to say nice things about.

I may be a journalist, but I’ve never been able to live directly from the type of journalism I do on this site. Sure there are indirect ways that I do very much make a living thanks this work, but still, I won’t pretend there isn’t something lacking in my journalistic career…. there is.

That is when I look to Pauline. I think I’ve only read a few of her print articles, shamefully. But I’ve read every one of her blog posts since her now famous blog ( hate awards but if someone deserves some credit.. its her), West Africa Wins Always, began. I read and I learn. I read and I’m inspired. I read and I travel with her, I’m a fly on the wall during one of her famous conversations that gets recounted in the most engaging way on her blog. And tomorrow being this thing people call Valentine’s day, I understand one of those classic issues – “Slave Labor Chocolate” somewhat better because of Pauline’s scathing answer to all those articles that get rolled out at this time of year from all kinds of journalists out there.

So if nothing else, you could say my Valentine’s wish (if there is such a thing), is that this wonderful blog gets even more recognition. I hope you read not just one her posts… read lots of’em. Dare I say it, subscribe to her RSS feed. Look at great photos and read the work of one very dedicated and well-informed reporter.

The F Word

Remind me to visit the staff of Radio Netherlands and buy everyone at The State We’re In a drink. Week in and week out the crew produces excellent audio programs on topics related to human rights and human wrongs.

In their latest program they hit yet another homerun with a segment that just reached out and grabbed me; forgiveness.

While I was raised in a fairly religious family, I myself don’t have a religion, nor do I want one. But one of those lessons many religions seem to try to teach people, is the importance of forgiveness. Throughout the world there are so many terrible conflicts… and when these conflicts end… if they are really to end.. forgiveness seems to me a very essential stage. Yet after many conflicts you don’t often see that many truth and reconciliation processes.

In their latest program, The State We’re In speaks with someone from the Forgiveness Project, which is all about understanding and inspiring forgiveness. And later in the program they go to a park in South Africa, know as Freedom Park, which is dedicated to the idea of forgiveness; a place where people (victim or perpetrator) can tell their stories and make amends.

I highly recommend you listen to this segment, and the program in general. If there’s one thing the world could use more of, it is forgiveness.

A Look in the Mirror

On this blog I try not to spend time talking about popculture or other trash that the mainstream media shoves down our throats hoping we won’t ask them to cover the more difficult topics including why our world is in such a state and who made it this way. That means I also don’t talk about television or film unless it is something I feel worth talking about and directly related to the aforementioned troubled world we’ve somehow created. But here comes one of those times where I MUST talk television.

The greatest television show, for me, is probably the show the fewest people have heard about or watched. It is called the Wire, and I call tell you that from what I’ve seen – it is the single most important television show to have ever been beamed into people’s homes.

By important.. I mean just what I say.. this is important. This program deserves to be studied.. discussed.. replayed.. and revered. How can that be? Because The Wire is about a dying city; like many cities in this world. It is about people; possibly-good, corrupt, and lost; like many people in this world.

The Wire encompasses a never ending list of the problems we have as a society. A society with institutions that are supposed to serve people but that actually serve themselves, or maybe serve nothing. A society that doesn’t value human life equally, where some people count more than others. Whether they’re showing you the day-to-day life if a low level drug dealer, a drug kingpin, a beat-cop, a chief of police, a mayor, a school teacher, a dock worker, a junkie, an ex-convict, a child… The Wire is like one big mirror being held over people, places, and relationships that we are often unable or unwilling to really look at… and see all that is wrong with our world and what we make of it.

I watch The Wire… I dream about The Wire. Instead of being a television show that helps you forget reality, this program wraps you in reality once and for all. I’ve even heard from friends who say they can’t watch it too much because it is “too real”.

That is what I call a show that everyone should be watching if they care about anything at all. A show that is.. too real. Forget every other program you once loved, put to the side your preconceptions about police dramas or mafia-dramas or any other incling you get that this show is not of your concern. If you live on this earth, what goes on in the Wire, goes on where you are in some way, shape, or form. And if more people were to watch and truely think about it… I shutter to think people might even start changing a thing or too in their own communities.

Watch this show. Nevermind not having HBO or a television. There are plenty of ways to get episodes of the Wire from your millions of friends on the internet.