Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.

- Nelson Mandela

The End of Poverty? is a daring, thought-provoking and very timely documentary film by award-winning filmmaker, Philippe Diaz, revealing that poverty is not an accident. Poverty began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor. Today, global poverty has reached daring new levels due to unfair debt, forced privatization, economic colonialism, trade and tax policies -- in other words, wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries.

Watch Democracy Now's Amy Goodman interview filmmaker, Philippe Diaz. Read more »

"That's why when they want to pressure us to maintain their military base in our country, a foreign base that they don't pay anything for either, and they accuse us of being extremists because we don't want the base. If there's no problem having foreign military bases in a country, we set a simple condition, we would keep the North American Base in Manta, provided they let us put a military base in Miami. If there's no problem with foreign bases then we should be able to have one over there."

- President Rafael Correa, Ecuador

 
President Rafael Correa, Ecuador

Change is coming. There is a movement against imperialism, unchecked capitalism, and eliteist rule. A movement where human rights, freedom, and liberty for all - including the poor - are supported and considered in public policy and new democracy initiatives. A movement where nations are ruled by citizens motivated by passion and principles rather than money and rich elitists. But that change is not being led by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or other western states. Instead, that change is happening in Latin America and Asia, where there are strong movements away from western engagement and fresh new approaches to government. Read more »

A recent New York Times/CBS poll provided a detailed look at the profile and attitudes of Tea Party supporters. 

Boasting a fierce animosity toward Washington, and president Obama in particular, Tea Party anger is rooted in deep pessimism about the direction of the country and strong solipsistic views. These views include a belief that the policies of the Obama administration are disproportionately and improperly directed at helping the poor rather than the middle class or the rich - interestingly the same two socio-economic groups that comprise the majority of Tea Party supporters.

A majority of Tea Party supporters describe their personal financial situation as fairly good or very good. But 55 percent believe someone in their household will lose a job in the next year. They represent just 18 percent of Americans, and describe themselves as very conservative. Their top domestic priorities are the economy and jobs, like most Americans. Yet while a majority of Americans blame the Bush Administration or Wall Street for the current state of the economy, Tea Party supporters blame Congress.

So responsible journalists covering the Tea Party as a "movement" without clearly highlighting just how fringe and extreme they are going forward will represent malicious and misleading coverage at best. In a democratic society, dependent on mass media for news and information, it grossly distorts opinions to portray the interests of a faction in the same light as those of the general public. Read more »

Yesterday president Obama reconstituted his presidential campaign team to centralize control over Democratic party strategy and respond to the Republican win by Scott Brown in the Massachusetts special Senate election; growing public anger over unresponsive government and insufficient 'change', and Republican challenges in the coming midterm elections. This move by the president represents a response to the failure of his initial strategies for reform.

While the criticism being purported now by many conservatives that the president ignored the jobs issue is not supported by the facts, the presidents economic initiatives have not delivered as promised or met the expectations of many. The interests of citizens have always been in dire conflict with those of business and the wealthy elite, but what's new here is the appearance that the president is considering (or being forced to) shift the governments policy positions to directly side with citizens interests. "Instead of a government that works for the entitled and special interests, a government that looks out for Wall Street, they wanted a government that works better for them, a government that plays the role it should to help foster the security of the middle class.", said former Obama campaign chief David Plouffe in his recent Washington Post column where he characterizes the change voters demanded in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Amidst a sea of anger and rabid partisanship that has undermined every major initiative, it appears the president may now look to new courses to live up to that promise. Read more »

Hati has a way of highlighting the work we need to do to be a truly civilized and humane society.

With each incidence of disaster in Hati the world has a new opportunity to display its compassion. I am grateful for the hundreds of volunteers from around the world who are giving of themselves and making a difference. for the nations that sponsor them and have contributed aid and resources. For the millions who have made donations despite facing economic challenges at home. There is truth in the saying "I am my brothers keeper." When we see ourselves in others we are connected to the only real source of security we have. When we care for each other we can count on one another, and we are then never alone. The benefits of brotherhood are perpetual.

But the selfish, self-interest based way in which we typically choose to live leaves us with small circles of support. Support that is then contingent on a negotiated exchange of benefits, and only available when it serves the interests of others. Reading about a group of doctors who elected to leave critically wounded survivors to secure their own safety, and took the medicine and supplies at hand with them, is a perfect exemplification of the selfish, misguided, and ultimately cruel beliefs we hold that prevent us from achieving real peace and security. Read more »

May peace be upon us…

May we love ourselves richly…
with bold thoughts,
thoughtful and measured steps,
fearless actions,
and faithful vision.

May we love our children…
with principled direction,
compassionate interaction,
loving responsiveness,
and unconditional acceptance.

May our labors enrich the world…
with passionate initiative,
respectful and attentive collaboration,
and open and receptive issue resolution.

May love fill our souls… Read more »