South Africans Vote, Likely for Status Quo

The New York Times

Published: April 22, 2009

By BARRY BEARAK

Starting to line up soon after midnight, by 4:30 a.m. the South African voters formed lines of thousand people long. Thomas Baloyi, 49, waited five hours to be finally able to cast his ballot. He said he did not mind the long wait because he felt a sense of involvement when he voted, 15 years ago, for the African National Congress, which led the liberation from apartheid. Mr. Baloyi said, “I am an A.N.C. man until the day I die.” The African National Congress has led the country for the past 15 years.

These huge crowds are considered typical turnouts. A record of 23 million South Africans out of 48.7 million were registered to vote. Numbers so big that many polling places ran out of paper ballots and cardboard boxes in which they get stuffed. This was the fourth national election in the young in the young democracy’s history. It will be the fourth landslide victory for the A.N.C., propelling the controversial Jacob Zuma into presidency although he has been accused of corruption by some people. The A.N.C earned more than 62 percent of the vote out of 1.5 million votes counted. This victory came when the party was facing an international bloodletting that led to diversion of some politicians off the party.

The city of Diepsloot offers evidence of the A.N.C’s continuing hold on most voters. The city is in terrible condition, without basic resources such as electricity, water and sanitation. Poverty has settled deep in the 150,000 people’s lives. Some are fortunate to have government-provided houses although many others live in shacks know as mkhukhu. However, people believe that their life condition has improved thanks to the A.N.C. Elvis Ndou, 32, who lives in the mkhukhu with his wife and children, said, “things are getting better bit by bit, and that’s because of the A.N.C.”

Also, people’s loyalty to those who sacrificed for freedom also explains why the A.N.C has continued winning the election. The A.N.C. remains the political brand who political image represents liberation. Mary Jane Tyutula, an unemployed 28-year-old, said, “I always vote A.N.C. because of Nelson Mandela and all he did for the struggle. I won’t let him down.”

On the other hand, there also were some critics about the domination of A.N.C and people’s imprudent favour for the A.N.C. Former President Thabo Mbeki expressed his concern as people seemed to vote for the A.N.C. only because of the party’s past achievement although the party has been tainted with corruption. He said, “I think the future of the country depends in part on people voting according to their conscience.”

Opinion: First of all, I am impressed how South African people gathered at the polling station at midnight to cast their ballots on the election taking place next morning. Many people here in Canada and in my country Korea seem to be indifferent of thier privilege of suffrage. However, they were in realization of the importance of voting. One of the other articles about this South African election shows an interview with a 20-year-old student. He spoke about making a difference and having their voice heard. I also agree that the right to vote is something that is extremely important and is worth waiting hours to cast my ballot. This is because that is one of many easy ways to have your voice heard and participate in democratic society where people have freedom of speech. Second of all, I think South Africa citizens should now become more thoughtful of their selection rather than voting for the African National Congress party out of thankfulness for the party's past achievement of liberation. Because the party has currently been accused of corruption, people should become more careful. Their wrong decision can easily lead to the country's fall to the political corruption. In this context, I agree with former President Thabo Mbeki that people should vote according to their judgement on conscience. In order to complete the most ideal form of government Abraham Lincoln proposed in his Gettysburg speech, people's active and conscientious participation is critical. "The government of the people, by the people, and for the people" can only be established with people's righteousness and such a government "shall not perish from the earth".

Iranian Calls Israel Racist at Meeting in Geneva

The New York Times

Published: April 20, 2009

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

President of Iran, Mahboud Ahmadinejad, made a speech in the platform of a United Nations conference in Geneva, in which he called Israel as a 'cruel and repressive racist regime'. The disparaging speech prompted delegates from European nations to leave the meeting.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said, "following World War II they(the Allied) resorted to military aggressions to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering. And they sent sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palesine." During his speech, diplomats representing European nations deserted the hall in protest to Ahmadinejad's racist remarks. 

Today's meeting is the first meeting on combating racism after the disputes in the very first United Nations conference on the same issue in Durban, South Africa, in 2001. In 2001, the purpose of the conference to address racism was flawed by a few anti-Israel nations' derailment to focussing on maligning Israel rather than on the global problems of discriminations. Expecting only to see the replay of the similar disputes in 2001, the United States and many other nations such as Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia had opposed today's gathering.

As expected and thus boycotted by many nations, the conference on combatting discrimination and racism turned out to be another failure. This, once again, clearly demonstrates the long-standing difference in perspectives of the West and the rest of the world as to view Israel's treatment of the Palestinians under occupation as discrimination or not.

The speech also prompted Security General Ban Ki-moon's uncommon criticism. He said, "I have not experienced this kind of destructive proceedings in an assembly, in a conference, by any one member state." He continued, "I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian president to accuse, divide and even incite."

Many expressed condemnation towards the president's speech. Navi Pillay is the United Nations high commissioner for hunan rights. She was deeply disappointed at President Ahamdinejad's racist speech as she expected some ways to combat discrimination. She said, "this is what I would have expected the president of Iran to come and tell us: how he is addressing racial discrimination and intolerance in his country." Also, Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, the deputy permanent representative for the United States, was critical of the speech. He said, "it shows disregard for the organization to which he is speaking -- the United Nations -- and does a grave injustice to the Iranian nation and the Iranian people."

Opinion: First of all, I think it is not right that President Ahmadinejad called Israel a rascist government at a United Nations conference before diplomats from all different nations. He nelgected the ultimate purpose of the conference and insisted his perspectives by maligning Israel once again after the Durban meeting in 2001. This was an act that overlooked the organization and diplomats who had willingly attended the meeting to come up with some ways to combat discrimination. However, there is one more thing we should not forget, and this helps understand what had made the president of Iran make such a contentious speech. In Iran's perspectives, the world's powers such as the United States purposedly established a racist government after the Second World War in Israel by sending Jewish immigrants. Iran also denounces that the United States and other world's powers are appeasing Zionists' violent movements like the attack on the Gaza Strip. From this realization, I can understand the president's speech although I still believe that he should have taken some other ways to share his perspective. Second of all, I find it very disappointing and sad that the recess for 8 years since the disputes in 2001 still has not narrowed, if not closed, the gap between the perspectives of the West and the rest of the world. I find it pathetic that many world powers who should hold responsibility in global issues boycotted the conference and did not attend the gathering. Also I cannot believe that the diplomats just left the hall without even a try to share ideas with the president. The larger the gap between two different beliefs is, the more they should try to narrow the gap by more communication. I think they are the ones who should step up to make this world a better place for everyone to live. And without their efforts, the gap will lead to violence after violence which would cost more and more lives of people.  

Third-World Stove Soot Is Target in Climate Fight

The New York Times

Published: April 15, 2009

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

It has been discovered that emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main chemical factor that causes the global warming. Carbon dioxide has been accused of trapping heat in the Earth, leading to the increase in temperature. This gas is mainly produced in developed countries where pollutants-causing activities, such as using cars and industrial production, are taking place.

However, scientists have recently discovered that soot is emerging as a runner-up source of global climate change. Soot is also known as black carbon and is mainly produced in developing or undeveloped countries where twigs and dung are burnt into this chemical.

Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan is one of the world's leading climate scientists. He said during his visit to Kohlua, India, "It's hard to believe that this is what's melting the glaciers."

Although there is no change in the fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the No.1 contributor to the global warming, black carbon (soot) is stuided to be a significant contributor to the global issue. Recent studies show that black carbon is responsible for 18 percent of the warming, while carbon dioxide is accountable for 40 percent of the planet's warming.

As nations are struggling to implement the much-harder task of curbing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, it is important to buy time. Thus, decreasing emissions of black carbon would be a relatively cheap and simple way to control global warming. Scientists say that simpmly replacing primitive cooking stoves, that are mainly used in undeveloped countries, with modern versions would provide a stopgap in the world's combat against global warming. This simple replacement will definitely slow down the warming because black carbon, compared to carbon dioxide, stays in the atmosphere for far less amount of time. Carbon dioxide(CO2) lingers in the atmosphere for years, whereas black carbon(soot) stays there for only a few weeks. Therefore, the replacement of cookstoves in undeveloped countries would more quickly remove black carbon in the atmosphere than shutting down a coal plant to reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

Dr. Ramanathan said, "It is clear to any person who cares about climate change that this will have a huge impact on the global environment." He is currently working with the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi on a project to provide poor families in undeveloped countries with new stoves of modern version.

Although a swift movemetn to remove the No.2 contributor is necessary, the awareness of black carbon's role in climate change has been so recent that it was not even mentioned as a warming agent in the 2007 summary report by the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change. The dominant idea of black carbon as a contributor has been that the impact of the gas is insignificant  to be considered because it settles in one palce over time, instead of travelling around the globe. However, recent studies found soot from India in the Maldivie Islands and on the Tibetan Plateua, which means black carbon do travel around the globe and can melt the glaciers far away. Thus, the United Nations is trying to figure out how to include black carbon in climate change programs.

Dr. Ramanathan also warned, "in terms of climate change we're diving fast toward a cliff," and was optimistic that "this could buy us time."

Opinion: Global warming is one of the most difficult and demanding task before human. As Dr. Ramanathan warned, we are driving fast forward toward a cliff in terms of climate change. And it is necessary to address this issue as effectively as possible by studying the causes of the warming and making a long-term plan based on the studies to reduce the causes. Thus, I think it is a great accomplsihment that scientists have discovered a new contributor to global warming as we can now take actions to prevent emissions of the gas. As the article says, it is relatively simple and cheapt to reduce the emissions of black carbon (soot). We know the major source of the chemical is undeveloped countries where twigs and dung are burnt to fuel cookstoves. The only problem is that most people in undeveloped countries cannot afford a new modern-version stove. Therefore, I think it is necessary for the international organizations to launch projects to provide undeveloped countries with modern stoves. There is one more reason, beside global warming, why we should find a way to reduce black carbon emissions in the third-world. The reason is that the gas also has devastating health effects in human body. As we learned in Civics class, a global citizen should realize that all peoplese and countries are interconnected. Although it may sound less important for us because it is not currently affecting us, we should realize that global warming is a global issue that we all should fight for our goods.

Madonna to adpot again from Malawi, Officials say

CBC News

Published: March 26, 2009

According to officials in Malawi, Madonna has again started the process of adopting a child from Malawi. Her adoption was in the middle of controversy a few years ago when child advocacy and human rights group charged that government relaxed requirements to give the internationally known celebrity preferential treatment.

In an interview with Malawi paper The Nation last week, Madonna said she was considering another adoption after her first adopting David Banda.

Madonna visited an impoverished Malawi village in October 2006 during which she adopted David Banda. The purpose of the trip was to see the work of her charity. Also, she filmed the documentary I Am Because We Are about how poverty and AIDS are affecting the lives of people in Malawi.

Although her adoption raised controversy from child advocacy and rights groups. They said that the government had approved the adoption only to satisfy the internationally well-known celebrity. However, after the visits to her London home by Malawian officials, the adoption was formally approved in 2008.

Opinion: Madonna's act of charity is truly admirable and thus, influential. Many people are willing to follow the trace of well-known celebrities. And many people would choose to take part in charitable works as Madonna is doing. Her charitable organization in Malawi will help people suffering from AIDS. There currently is 14 percent of the nation's total population of 12 million that is afflicted with HIV. This charitable work can also link back to our YPI project. As Madonna filmed a documentary to encourage people's aid for the Malawians, our documentary films can also help the charity.