The Orwell Prize 2008 longlist announced
The longlist for the 2008 Orwell Prize
has been announced. 18 authors and 12 journalists are now in the
running for two prizes that reward those who have most successfully
achieved Orwell's aim 'to make political writing into an art'. A record
181 books have been submitted for this year's book Prize, surpassing
both the Man Booker and Samuel Johnson Prizes. These include works by
two Nobel Laureates (Doris Lessing and Orhan Pamuk), and the British
Prime Minister (Gordon Brown). 54 journalists, including some of
Britain's most renowned correspondents, have submitted for this year's
journalism Prize, also a record.
Financing Energy Efficiency: China, India, And Brazil. World Bank
China Energy World Bank India Brazil Trackbacks (0)Financing Energy Efficiency: Lessons from Brazil, China, India, and Beyond,
is a new book recently released by the World Bank. The book focuses on
China, India, and Brazil as three of the globe's top 10 energy
consumers. The three countries hold 40 percent of the world's
population and account for well over half of all energy demand by
developing countries. By 2030, they'll be responsible for 42 percent of
growth in energy demand worldwide. The book draws extensively on the
results of a multiyear, global technical assistance effort known as the
Three Country Energy Efficiency Project,
a joint initiative of the World Bank, the UN Environment Programme's
Denmark-based Risoe Centre (URC), and partners in Brazil, China, and
India. Read more about the publication, including the press release from the website. Permanent Link: Financing Energy Efficiency
UN Pulse
President
Bush’s Africa Trip
Source: Center for Strategic &
International Studies
President Bush’s five-country Africa tour reminds us that presidential travel to Africa has become a new norm, following President Clinton’s visits (in 1998 and 2000) and President Bush’s 2003 trip. It brings to our attention just how much U.S. engagement in Africa has expanded over the past seven-plus years and asks us to ponder what has been gained, what leverage does the United States truly possess, and what more can and should be done to strengthen the U.S. approach to Africa.
When President Bush entered office in 2001, there were low expectations that Africa would merit much if any attention. This month’s tour, near the end of President Bush’s tenure in the White House, highlights four signature policy initiatives that have had significant impact in Africa, changed the pattern of U.S. foreign assistance delivered to the continent, and generally enjoyed broad bipartisan support among Americans. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will have expended over $18.8 billion by the end of September, at the close of its first five year phase, will have put close to 2 million persons on life-sustaining therapies. Some 65 to 70 percent of resources and persons reached are in Africa. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a three-year $1.2 billion program centered in Africa, has brought dramatic gains in several focal countries; in 1997, U.S. malaria programs in Africa were $1 million per year. This year it will be $338 million. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an experiment in forging five year compacts with reasonably well-governed states, the majority in Africa, has substantial programs in 11 Africa countries, accounting for 65 percent of the over $5.5 billion committed worldwide. Liberia, the fourth priority focus of the president’s trip, involved U.S. military support to a regional intervention in 2003, followed by support to a UN peace operation, an electoral transition, and ongoing efforts at postwar reconstruction, including U.S.-led reform of the security sector.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 40 KB) http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/080219_morrison_bush_africa_trip.pdf
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Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis. WHO Report
Tuberculosis Afghanistan World Health Organisation Trackbacks (0)The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new report on Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in the world (full text, pdf, 2.48 MB). The report is based on data collected between 2002 and 2006 on 90 000 TB patients in 81 countries. It found that extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), a virtually untreatable form of the respiratory disease, has been recorded in 45 countries. Read more on the Global Response Plan (full-text, pdf, 493kb) to address the growing problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis.
The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs has issued Highlights of the 2007 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects (full text, pdf, 223 KB). The report contains key findings, and some graphs and tables. The data is available online. Read more in the UN News Story.
UN Office Of The High Commissioner For Human Rights. Publications Web Page
United Nations Human Rights Trackbacks (0)The recently redesigned website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has a Publications page, with links to pages on various kinds of publications available full-text online. In addition to Recent Publications, the main categories are:
Each section has titles in English with links to other language versions of the publications, when available.
Permanent Link: OHCHR publications UN Pulse
http://publicreason.net/
Edelman Trust Barometer : Annual Survey Of College Graduates
NGOs and NPOs Parliamentary institutions Business University graduates Media Trackbacks (0)http://www.edelman.co.uk/trustbarometer/
Companion website to a 2007 Independent Lens documentary about consumer activist and politician Ralph Nader. Website features cover Nader's life and career, legislation attributed to Nader's work (such as the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Consumer Product Safety Act, and Whistleblower Protection Act), the state of democracy in the U.S., presidential candidacy, and related material. Includes a large collection of related links. From Independent Television Service (ITVS). Annotation copyright LII.ORG
URL: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/unreasonableman/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25545
URL: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/admin/ev.php?URL_ID=35344&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201
Description:
Website for this 2008 United Nations program "to promote and protect all languages, particularly endangered languages, in all individual and collective contexts." The site provides a list of programs arranged by theme (such as the endangered languages of Hawrami Kurdish and Bakthiari from Iran and intercultural dialog) or by geographical outreach. Also includes articles from a UNESCO publication and related material. From the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Annotation copyright LII.ORG
LSE Government Department: HotSeat Podcast Series
United Kingdom International relations Governance Podcasts Trackbacks (0)http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/government/raw/hotseat/
OneBigTorrent.Org: Information And Resources About Radical Politics
Socialism Anarchism Radical politics Trackbacks (0)OneBigTorrent.org
is a forum which supports the sharing of information
and resources about radical politics, protest movements and social
justice campaigns. It contains email discussion forums, and offers
links to documentary film clips and papers on these topics. It includes
access to interviews and films featuring Noam Chomsky. Topics covered
include: current affairs, globalization, anarchism and anti-capotalist
protest. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the
website.
From Intute.ac.uk
http://onebigtorrent.org/
Foreign Relations Of The United States, 1969-1976: European Security
United States of America International relations Europe Trackbacks (0)Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1976, Vol. XXXIX, European Security
Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs
From press release:
The Department of State released today Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1976, Vol. XXXIX, European Security. This volume documents U.S. efforts to negotiate multilateral agreements with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and the Soviet Bloc, which would allow for greater European security. This volume has a broader scope than most, since it covers the entire span of both the Nixon and Ford administrations, 1969–1976. The volume is centered around two basic questions the U.S. Government faced: how best to achieve security and cooperation in Europe, and how to reduce both NATO and Warsaw Pact forces in Europe. While the general focus is on European security, the specific focus is on two overriding issues that faced the Nixon and Ford administrations: 1) whether to hold a conference on European security attended by the United States and its NATO allies, and the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies; and 2) whether the United States and its European allies would negotiate an agreement with the Soviet Union and its European allies on mutual and balanced force reductions (MBFR) in Europe, which would ensure security but reduce the costs of defending Europe.
Both President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger (Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and, after September 1973, Secretary of State) were skeptical that a conference on European security would achieve very much. They believed that the Europeans were overestimating its potential impact. Kissinger and Nixon were not convinced that proposals for humanitarian improvements and human rights—what came to be called “Basket III”—would compel the Soviets to change their domestic system. The Europeans were more optimistic.
Also covered in the volume are related issues, such as whether to combine the security conference with negotiations on force reductions. In addition, the question of negotiations with the NATO allies looms large in the volume, which includes many memoranda of conversation between U.S. officials and their NATO counterparts. Kissinger carried on parallel negotiations with Soviet officials on both a European security conference and MBFR, which are also documented in this volume.
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Permanent Link: World Food Situation Portal UN Pulse
- Millennium Development Goals Indicators
- FAO Agricultural Statistics,
- UNESCO Education Statistics,
- ILO Employment Statistics,
- UNFCCC Environment Statistics, and
- UNWTO Tourism Statistics
Over time, more databases will be added. There are various options to search and to download the data.
Permanent Link: UN Data UN Pulse
Description:
Text of the February 17, 2008, Declaration of
Independence in which Kosovo declares itself to be an independent
nation. Also includes text of the prime minister's accompanying speech,
and related material about the declaration and about the legislative
body in Kosovo. In English, Albanian, and Serbo-Croatian. From the
website of the Republic of Kosovo Assembly
URL: http://www.assembly-kosova.org/?krye=news&newsid=1635〈=en
Website for the "UNMIK [which] was born on 10 June 1999 when the Security Council in resolution 1244 authorized the Secretary-General to establish in the war-ravaged province of Kosovo an interim civilian administration led by the United Nations." Features background about the organization (including a video), maps, press briefings, and text and audio of news updates, such as about the possible recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation in February 2008.
URL: http://www.unmikonline.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25497
Annotations copyright LII.ORG
America.gov: Telling America's Story
"This site delivers information about current U.S. foreign policy and about American life and culture." Topics include foreign policy (such as U.S. recognition of a sovereign Kosovo in February 2008), U.S. politics (such as about the 2008 presidential election), American life, democracy, and science and health. Includes photos, video, podcasts, and links to publications. Available in several languages. Produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs.
URL: http://www.america.gov/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25501
Annotation copyright LII.ORG
http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/
200th Anniversary Of The Abolition Of Slavery In The UK Web Archive
Slaves and slavery Trackbacks (0)http://www.archive-it.org/
Discursos e intervenciones del Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, Presidente del Consejo de Estado de la
Free access to a large collection of transcripts of Speeches made by
Cuban leaders. They include speeches from former Cuban president Fidel
Castro from the period 1959-2008. These include comment on the Cuban
revolution, Cuban missile crisis, communism, relations with the US and
his resifnation. Text is offered in English, French, Spanish and
Portuguese. Materials are maintained by the Granma newspaper.
http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/
Cuba: Washington Post
This site provides free access to news stories and analysis of the
economy and politics of Cuba from the Washington Post. It includes
photographs, timelines and classic video film clips of former Cuban
leader Fidel Castro. The latter include coverage of the Cuban
revolution of 1959 and the Cuban Missile crisis. Also accessible are
the latest headlines from the newspaper, analysis of the post-Castro
situation and relations with the US from an American perspective.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/cuba/cuba.html
Cuban Heritage Collection
The Cuban Heritage Collection is a library and archive collection held
at the University of Miami. Research resources include rare books,
manuscripts, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, prints,
posters, audio-visual materials, newspapers and journals, and other
materials covering all aspects of the social, cultural, economic and
political history of Cuba. Its website provides free access to its
catalogue and a growing number of digitised resources. The latter
include images and historic documents and books. Topics covered
include: the Cuban revoution 1959, US relations with Cuba and Cuban
economic and social history.
http://www.library.miami.edu/chc/
http://www.hrdag.org/about/kosovo.shtml
http://aliveinbaghdad.org/
Cuba after Castro: FT special report
This site was created by the Financial Times to provides free access to
materials relating to Cuban politics and its impact on the world
economy. It contains coverage of the legacy of former leader Fidel
Castro. The latter includes photographs, analysis and discussion of his
policies. Also covered are issues relating to relations betwenn the USA
and Cuba from a British economic perspective.
http://www.ft.com/indepth/cuba
Cuba: Council on Foreign Relations resources
This site is maintained by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
It provides free acess to articles, comments, event transcripts and
full text reports covering Cuba. These encompass a range of topics
including US foreign policy towards Cuba, US sanctions towards Cuba,
analysis of the government of Fidel Castro and discussion of
Post-castro politics and policy. All materials present an American
perspective. Materials are generally from 2007 onwards.
http://www.cfr.org/region/213/cuba.html
Centre for Research on Cuba, University of Nottingham
The Centre for Research on Cuba, University of Nottingham is an
interdisciplinary research group at the University of Nottingham. Its
website contains information on its aims and ongoing work. It also
includes details about the Hennessy Library Collection as well as the
Cuba Research Forum which aims to create as a focal point for British
research on Cuban studies. The Hennessy Collection section provides
free access to its searchable database which indexes over 3,000 books,
and journal articles (mainly published since 2000) on all aspects of
Cuban politics, society and culture. (including many Spanish language
resources). Typical areas include Cuban politics in the Fidel Castro
and post-Castro era; the Cuban economy and foreign relations with the
USA.The Cuban Research Forum section offers a directory of Internet
links and a directory of researchers on Cuba.
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/hispanic/research/centre_research_cuba.php
Pakistan: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs resources
The Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs is an
independent organisation founded in 1914 which seeks to promote the
discussion of all aspects of ethics and international relations. This
includes coverage of human rights and international relations, global
justice, ethics and world politics, ethics and conflict, the politics
of reconciliation and peace making/peace keeping initiatives.This
section of its website provides access to a collection of resources
relating to Pakistan politics and international relations since
approximately 2003. These include articles, interviews, event
transcripts, video films and audio files. Topics covered include:
international security and foreign policy; the war against terrorism;
islam and politics, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto; and nuclear
weapons in Siuth Asia.
http://www.cceia.org/search_out?argtypes=sa_Countries&sa_Countries=Pakistan
Pakistan: Observer Research Foundation resources
The Observer Research Foundation is an Indian based non-profit think
tank which discusses issues relating to foreign policy, economic policy
and social policy from an Indian perspective. This section of its
website provides free access to its statements, reports and papers on
Pakistan. Topics covered include security; terrorism; the impact of
islam on politics; elections; political parties and the assassination
of Benazir Bhutto.
http://www.observerindia.com/
http://www.dawn.com/events/election08/election08.htm
Colombian Paramilitaries and the United States: “Unraveling the Pepes Tangled Web”
Source: National Security Archive
U.S. espionage operations targeting top Colombian government officials in 1993 provided key evidence linking the U.S.-Colombia task force charged with tracking down fugitive drug lord Pablo Escobar to one of Colombia’s most notorious paramilitary chiefs, according to a new collection of declassified documents published today by the National Security Archive. The affair sparked a special CIA investigation into whether U.S. intelligence was shared with Colombian terrorists and narcotraffickers every bit as dangerous as Escobar himself.
The new documents, released under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, are the most definitive declassified evidence to date linking the U.S. to a Colombian paramilitary group and are the subject of an investigation published today in Colombia’s Semana magazine.
Documents in PDF.
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http://www.electoralgeography.com/
http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/baghdad/
http://www.de-gaulle-edu.net/
2008 American Presidential Elections, A Foreign Policy Perspective
Elections United States of America Trackbacks (0)http://www.csis.org/decision2008
http://1968ineurope.sneakpeek.de/index.php/contact
Kosovo: CNN resources
This site is maintained by US news service CNN. It provides free access
to news headlines, analysis, photographs and video footage relating to
the politics and economics of Kosovo. They include coverage of the
Balkans conflict, relations with Serbia, post Balkans war
reconstruction and the declaration of independence in 2008. Generally
materials date from about 1990 onwards. Technical and copyright
material os displayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/kosovo#aCurrentPage
EU and Kosovo
This site is maintained by Council of the European Union to provide
information on the relations of the EU with Kosovo. It offers free
access to official statements, press releases, photographs, full text
reports and audio visual materials. Topics covered include the EU
mission in Kosovo following the end of the Balkans conflict, the EU
role in the reconstruction of the region following independence in
2008. Materials generally date from 2005 onwards.
From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=1352〈=en
Kosovo: Balkan Investigative Network resources
The Balkan Investigative Network (BIRN) aims to promote an independent
high standard of media and journalism in Kosovo. Its website provides
free access to news, examples of investigations and articles about its
programmes. They include coverage of the state of democracy in the
region, economic and political construction, civil liberties and human
rights. There is also coverage of issues relating to Kosovo
independence.
From Intute.ac.uk
http://kosovo.birn.eu.com/
http://www.brookings.edu/topics/cuba.aspx?emc=lm&m=212751&l=42&v=15395
The Hoover Institution has placed a wide array of multimedia content online for over a decade, and recently they created a site for their "Uncommon Knowledge" program. Hosted by Hoover fellow Peter Robinson, the program features interviews with political leaders, distinguished scholars, and leading journalists. First-time visitors to the site can browse the archives by topic, date, or guest. Currently, the online archive contains programs from 1997 to 2005, along with webcasts from 2006 to the present. Recent conversations added to the site include a discussion with Shelby Steele and a talk with Michael Barone about tax reform and various health-care proposals. [KMG] http://www.hoover.org/multimedia/uk/
U.S. 2008 Presidential Campaign From Alternative Weekly Newspapers, And Other Web Sites
Elections United States of America Trackbacks (0)AltWeeklies.com: 2008 Presidential Campaign
URL: http://www.altweeklies.com/alternative/AltWeeklies/hotTopic?queryTerm=%2A2008elect%2A
Description:
Compilation of news stories and commentary
concerning the 2008 U.S. presidential election, from more than 100
alternative U.S. and Canadian newsweeklies. Entries include headline,
brief story summary, author, publication, and option to email the
stories. Also includes links to the full stories. Listed
chronologically. From the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies.
This satirical publication's coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential election features "news" stories, humorous candidate profiles and candidate statements on key issues, videos, and a creative description of the election process. From the Onion, which "is not intended for readers under 18 years of age."
URL: http://www.theonion.com/content/whitehousewar
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25415
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PolitiFact.com
This website was created "to help voters separate fact from falsehood in the 2008 presidential campaign. Journalists and researchers from the [St. Petersburg] Times and CQ [Congressional Quarterly] will fact-check the accuracy of speeches, TV ads, interviews and other campaign communications." Searchable; or browse the site's "Truth-O-Meter" by candidate, subject, political party, and other factors. Includes related articles and in-depth features.
URL: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25416
Annotations copyright LII.ORG
http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/iraq/
UN Pulse Permanent Link: Indigenous languages: expert group report
http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=588
This site provides free access to a blog covering the 2008 American
presidential elections which was created by independent political
current affairs journal The Nation. It includes discussion, analysis
and news stories about the campaigns and candidates from Nation
political correspondents. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters
Harvard Project On The Soviet Social System (HPSSS Online)
Russia, including the Soviet Union Trackbacks (0)Harvard Project on the Soviet Social System
The Harvard Project on the Soviet Social System (HPSSS Online) is a
collection of over 700 English language oral history interviews
conducted with refugees from the USSR collected during the Cold war.
They offer an unparalleled insight into the social, economic and
political history of Russia (USSR) during the period 1917-
approximately 1940. Topics covered include: economics, family,
government, stratification, nationalities, the German occupation during
World War II, partisan movements and professions. They include
materials relating to Communism, the Russian political system, opinions
on political leaders such as Stalin, Trotsky and Lenin.The website
offers a searchable database plus manuals and supporting materials to
guide usage.
From Intute.ac.uk
http://hcl.harvard.edu/collections/hpsss/index.html
A useful website maintained by the Center for American Women and
Politics (CAWP) , a specialist research instutute based at Eagleton
Institute of Politics, Rutger University. It provides free access to
information about the involvement of women in American elections . It
includes articles, analysis and statistics relating to Hillary
Clinton's 2008 American presidential election campaign. Also available
are fact sheets on gender gap voting in previous elections; historical
summaries of the outcome of women candidates in previous elections.
From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/Facts3.html
200th Anniversary Of The Abolition Of Slavery In The UK, A Digital Archive Collection
Slaves and slavery Trackbacks (0)The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 was the start of a successful process that outlawed the African slave trade worldwide. After centuries of suffering, millions of African slaves were eventually freed and millions of lives saved. Those who worked so hard in the 18th and 19th century to abolish slavery would be shocked to find that there was still so much work to be done 200 years later. On this 200th anniversary slavery has changed but it has not been eradicated. The sites you see archived here attempt to catalog the anniversary and the programs created to educate the public.
From: Resourceshelf
Putin-3
Source: Russian Outlook (American Enterprise Institute)
In the past nine years, Russian foreign policy has been examined several times in these pages. At no other time, however, has its direction been as troubling as it is today. To understand the causes of this disturbing evolution and to gauge its future course, the changes have to be examined in the context of the regime’s ideological and political transformation since 2000, when Vladimir Putin was elected president.
Also available as PDF.
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