Friday, October 31, 2014
Ten Things You Didn't Know About Libya Under Gaddafi's So-called Dictatorship
Urban Times - 16th May 2014
What do you think of when you hear the name Colonel Gaddafi? Tyrant? Dictator? Terrorist? Well, a national citizen of Libya may disagree but we want you to decide.
Ruling the country for for 41 years until his demise in October 2011, Muammar Gaddafi did some truly amazing things for his country and repeatedly tried to unite and empower the whole of Africa. So despite what you’ve heard on the radio, seen in the media or on the TV Gaddafi did some powerful things that were not very reminiscent of a vicious dictator. Here are ten things Gaddafi did for Libya that you may not know about…
1. In Libya a home is considered a natural human right
2. Education and medical treatment were all free
3. Gaddafi carried out the worlds largest irrigation project
4. It was free to start a farming business.
5. A bursary was given to mothers with newborn babies.
6. Electricity was free.
7. Cheap petrol
8. Gaddafi raised the level of education
9. Libya had It’s own state bank
10. The gold dinar
READ MORE....
What do you think of when you hear the name Colonel Gaddafi? Tyrant? Dictator? Terrorist? Well, a national citizen of Libya may disagree but we want you to decide.
Ruling the country for for 41 years until his demise in October 2011, Muammar Gaddafi did some truly amazing things for his country and repeatedly tried to unite and empower the whole of Africa. So despite what you’ve heard on the radio, seen in the media or on the TV Gaddafi did some powerful things that were not very reminiscent of a vicious dictator. Here are ten things Gaddafi did for Libya that you may not know about…
1. In Libya a home is considered a natural human right
2. Education and medical treatment were all free
3. Gaddafi carried out the worlds largest irrigation project
4. It was free to start a farming business.
5. A bursary was given to mothers with newborn babies.
6. Electricity was free.
7. Cheap petrol
8. Gaddafi raised the level of education
9. Libya had It’s own state bank
10. The gold dinar
READ MORE....
China's obsession with vertical cities
By the end of next year one-in-three of the world’s 100m+ skyscrapers will be in China, as its state-orchestrated urbanisation drive prompts a megacity building bonanza
Nicola Davison in Shanghai
The Guardian - Thursday 30 October 2014
In late September, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat,
a non-profit organisation that keeps the world’s largest database on
skyscrapers, held its annual conference in Shanghai – two years after
its last meeting there. “We’ve never done that before, gone back to the
same city,” says Antony Wood, the council’s executive director. “But
right now, most of the major advances in the typology, in design or in
technical terms, are happening in China.”
As the global population rises and cities become more crowded, the fabric of urban centres is changing. Nowhere is the phenomenon more pronounced than in China, where a state-orchestrated urbanisation drive has prompted a megacity building bonanza characterised by skyscrapers and sprawl. By the end of 2015, one in three of the world’s buildings over 150-metres will be in China. Construction of the world’s second-tallest building, the 632-metre tall Shanghai Tower, is due to be completed next year.
Few people outside China have heard of Suzhou, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu with a population of 1.3 million (China now has over 140 cities of more than one million people; America has nine). Yet if all goes to plan, Suzhou will soon boast the world’s third-tallest building, the 700m Zhongnan Centre. Other Chinese cities joining the upward rush include Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin and Shenyang. By 2020, China is set to be home to six of the world’s 10 tallest buildings, although none will top the globe’s current highest, the 828m Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
READ MORE....
Nicola Davison in Shanghai
The Guardian - Thursday 30 October 2014
As the global population rises and cities become more crowded, the fabric of urban centres is changing. Nowhere is the phenomenon more pronounced than in China, where a state-orchestrated urbanisation drive has prompted a megacity building bonanza characterised by skyscrapers and sprawl. By the end of 2015, one in three of the world’s buildings over 150-metres will be in China. Construction of the world’s second-tallest building, the 632-metre tall Shanghai Tower, is due to be completed next year.
Few people outside China have heard of Suzhou, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu with a population of 1.3 million (China now has over 140 cities of more than one million people; America has nine). Yet if all goes to plan, Suzhou will soon boast the world’s third-tallest building, the 700m Zhongnan Centre. Other Chinese cities joining the upward rush include Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin and Shenyang. By 2020, China is set to be home to six of the world’s 10 tallest buildings, although none will top the globe’s current highest, the 828m Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
READ MORE....
Thursday, October 30, 2014
An Interview: Michael Burawoy on Global Social Movements
By Matt Gunther
Office Hours - 10/24/2014
Famed sociologist Michael Burawoy visits to share his thoughts on the common character of social movements happening throughout the world today. Michael is the former president of both the American and International Sociological Associations, and he is widely credited as a master of placing everyday life in the context of global and historical forces. Our own Erik Kojola asks Michael about his vision for the future of social movement research, as well as the mounting problems that face public universities today.
LISTEN THE INTERVIEW.....
Office Hours - 10/24/2014
Famed sociologist Michael Burawoy visits to share his thoughts on the common character of social movements happening throughout the world today. Michael is the former president of both the American and International Sociological Associations, and he is widely credited as a master of placing everyday life in the context of global and historical forces. Our own Erik Kojola asks Michael about his vision for the future of social movement research, as well as the mounting problems that face public universities today.
LISTEN THE INTERVIEW.....
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Fiji PM Criticized For Saying Development Should Primarily Benefit Supporters
Opposition MPs call on Bainimarama to treat everyone equally
By Siteri Sauvakacolo
Pacific Islands Report - Oct. 28, 2014
By Siteri Sauvakacolo
Pacific Islands Report - Oct. 28, 2014
SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Oct.
28, 2014) – Itaukei Affairs Shadow Minister and member of the
Opposition, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, said development funds for Fijians
come from all taxpayers as well as foreign donors and they have equal
rights for their tax dollars to be used for their wellbeing.
He made the statement in response to comments made
by Prime Minister Rear Admiral (Ret) Voreqe Bainimarama that he was a
bit worried about continuing with development projects in the Northern
Division because some voters didn't vote for the FijiFirst party in the
recent general election.
While addressing government officials
and some villagers at Naulumatua House in Nabouwalu, Bua, on Saturday,
Rear Admiral (Ret) Bainimarama said people in some parts of the Northern
Division didn't want developments to take place in their respective
settings, prompting them to vote for SODELPA.
Ratu Naiqama, in a statement yesterday,
called on foreign aid donors to take heed of the stated position of the
Prime Minister and be sure to secure guarantees that the funds they give
to Fiji for the benefit of all people are not used primarily to benefit
only FijiFirst supporters.
The Cakaudrove chief said foreign
countries would do well to tread cautiously when re-establishing
relations with the Government.
READ MORE.....
Living Wages, Rarity for U.S. Fast-Food Workers, Served Up in Denmark
By LIZ ALDERMAN and STEVEN GREENHOUSE
The New York Times - OCT. 27, 2014
READ MORE....
The New York Times - OCT. 27, 2014
COPENHAGEN
— On a recent afternoon, Hampus Elofsson ended his 40-hour workweek at
a Burger King and prepared for a movie and beer with friends. He had
paid his rent and all his bills, stashed away some savings, yet still
had money for nights out.
That
is because he earns the equivalent of $20 an hour — the base wage for
fast-food workers throughout Denmark and two and a half times what many
fast-food workers earn in the United States.
“You can make a decent living here working in fast food,” said Mr. Elofsson, 24. “You don’t have to struggle to get by.”
With
an eye to workers like Mr. Elofsson, some American labor activists and
liberal scholars are posing a provocative question: If Danish chains can
pay $20 an hour, why can’t those in the United States pay the $15 an
hour that many fast-food workers have been clamoring for?
READ MORE....
Sunday, October 26, 2014
World Air traffic in 24 and A Day in the Life of Air Traffic Over the United States
World Air traffic in 24
A Day in the Life of Air Traffic Over the United States
European Roma descended from Indian 'untouchables', genetic study shows
Roma gypsies in Britain and Europe are descended from "dalits" or low caste "untouchables" who migrated from the Indian sub-continent 1,400 years ago, a genetic study has suggested.
By Dean Nelson New Delhi
The Telegraph - 03 Dec 2012
READ MORE....
By Dean Nelson New Delhi
The Telegraph - 03 Dec 2012
Gypsies have long believed they have origins in India, citing common Sanskrit
words in their languages and photographs of darker-skinned ancestors in
South Asian clothes, while earlier research has offered some scientific
support for their suspicions.
Now a study led by Indian and Estonian academics, including Dr Toomas Kivisild
of Cambridge University, has confirmed their origins in the Indian
sub-continent, and even identified the location and social background from
which they emerged.
The findings have been welcomed by Britain's Gypsy Council, which said it
would help to promote understanding of Roma people throughout Europe. "We
are Britain's first Non-Resident Indian community," said council
spokesman Joseph Jones.
The study, which was published this month in the journal Nature, examined Y
chromosomes in DNA samples to compare the genetic signatures of European
Roma men with those of thousands of Indians from throughout the
sub-continent.
READ MORE....
Dilma Rousseff is reelected president of Brazil in bitterly fought runoff
By Dom Phillips
The Washington Post - October 26, 2014
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was reelected by a whisker in a second-round head-to-head vote, after one of the closest, most aggressive campaigns in the country’s recent history.
Rousseff, whose left-wing Workers’ Party has governed Brazil since 2003, had 51.6 percent with 99 percent of votes counted. Aécio Neves, the center-right candidate for the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, came second, with 48.4 percent.
Cheers rang out and firecrackers exploded in central Rio as the results came in. The election was the top subject of discussion Sunday, with Workers’ Party activists carrying red flags and both sides setting up camps under awnings on city streets.
Rousseff’s party campaigned hard on its social policies, playing down Brazil’s stumbling economy and emphasizing social programs, which have helped to reduce poverty by 55 percent since 2003.
READ MORE....
The Washington Post - October 26, 2014
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was reelected by a whisker in a second-round head-to-head vote, after one of the closest, most aggressive campaigns in the country’s recent history.
Rousseff, whose left-wing Workers’ Party has governed Brazil since 2003, had 51.6 percent with 99 percent of votes counted. Aécio Neves, the center-right candidate for the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, came second, with 48.4 percent.
Cheers rang out and firecrackers exploded in central Rio as the results came in. The election was the top subject of discussion Sunday, with Workers’ Party activists carrying red flags and both sides setting up camps under awnings on city streets.
Rousseff’s party campaigned hard on its social policies, playing down Brazil’s stumbling economy and emphasizing social programs, which have helped to reduce poverty by 55 percent since 2003.
READ MORE....
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Intermarriage: Can Anything Be Done?
The battle is over; or so we’re told. A half-century after the rate of intermarriage in the US began to skyrocket, the Jewish community appears to have resigned itself to the inevitable. But to declare defeat is preposterous.
Jack Wertheimer
Mosaic Magazine - Sept. 3 2013
The battle is over; or so we’re told. A half-century after the rate of Jewish intermarriage began its rapid ascent in the United States, reaching just under 50 percent by the late 1990s, many communal spokesmen appear to have resigned themselves to the inevitable. Some speak in tones of sorrow and defeat. Encouraging endogamy, they say, has become a fool’s errand; few Jews are receptive to the message, and short of a wholesale retreat into the ghetto, no prophylactic measure will prevent them from marrying non-Jews. For others, the battle is over because it should be over. Not only, they say, are high rates of intermarriage inevitable in an open society, but they constitute glorious proof of just how fully Jews have been accepted in today’s America. The real threat, according to this view, emanates from those who stigmatize intermarried families as somehow deficient; with a less judgmental and more hospitable attitude on the part of communal institutions, many more intermarried families would be casting their lot with the Jewish people.
READ MORE....
Jack Wertheimer
Mosaic Magazine - Sept. 3 2013
The battle is over; or so we’re told. A half-century after the rate of Jewish intermarriage began its rapid ascent in the United States, reaching just under 50 percent by the late 1990s, many communal spokesmen appear to have resigned themselves to the inevitable. Some speak in tones of sorrow and defeat. Encouraging endogamy, they say, has become a fool’s errand; few Jews are receptive to the message, and short of a wholesale retreat into the ghetto, no prophylactic measure will prevent them from marrying non-Jews. For others, the battle is over because it should be over. Not only, they say, are high rates of intermarriage inevitable in an open society, but they constitute glorious proof of just how fully Jews have been accepted in today’s America. The real threat, according to this view, emanates from those who stigmatize intermarried families as somehow deficient; with a less judgmental and more hospitable attitude on the part of communal institutions, many more intermarried families would be casting their lot with the Jewish people.
READ MORE....
China may find its match in PM Narendra Modi
The Times of India - October 8, 2014
Indrajeet Rai
The timing of the recent 16-day stand-off between the Chinese and the Indian forces in the Ladakh sector was very odd. It started just a few days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India. It outlasted Xi’s India trip. In a quirky situation, both – the Chinese President and the PLA troops — were inside the Indian territory. Various explanations have been offered for the peculiar timing of this stand-off between PLA troops and the Indian Army. The first and foremost is that Chinese President Xi Jinping wanted to put pressure on the Narendra Modi government before embarking on his India tour. Second, China does not like the growing bonhomie between India and Japan and the incursions were the Chinese way of saying that China can put India under mat at any time of its choosing. Third, these intrusions were meant to signal that growing bilateral trade between the two countries has not made China lenient in any way. When it comes to the settlement of the border row, China would be as tough as ever. Finally, India under PM Narendra Modi has become more aggressive at the LAC and, unlike in the past, the Indian Army refused to budge and held its ground.
READ MORE....
Indrajeet Rai
The timing of the recent 16-day stand-off between the Chinese and the Indian forces in the Ladakh sector was very odd. It started just a few days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India. It outlasted Xi’s India trip. In a quirky situation, both – the Chinese President and the PLA troops — were inside the Indian territory. Various explanations have been offered for the peculiar timing of this stand-off between PLA troops and the Indian Army. The first and foremost is that Chinese President Xi Jinping wanted to put pressure on the Narendra Modi government before embarking on his India tour. Second, China does not like the growing bonhomie between India and Japan and the incursions were the Chinese way of saying that China can put India under mat at any time of its choosing. Third, these intrusions were meant to signal that growing bilateral trade between the two countries has not made China lenient in any way. When it comes to the settlement of the border row, China would be as tough as ever. Finally, India under PM Narendra Modi has become more aggressive at the LAC and, unlike in the past, the Indian Army refused to budge and held its ground.
READ MORE....
Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried
The Guardian - Thursday 24 May 2012
A recent report reveals that only 12% of third year female PhD students want a career in academia. Curt Rice looks at the reasons why and warns that universities' survival is at risk
Young women scientists leave academia in far greater numbers than men for three reasons. During their time as PhD candidates, large numbers of women conclude that (i) the characteristics of academic careers are unappealing, (ii) the impediments they will encounter are disproportionate, and (iii) the sacrifices they will have to make are great.
This is the conclusion of The chemistry PhD: the impact on women's retention, a report for the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET and the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this report, the results of a longitudinal study with PhD students in chemistry in the UK are presented.
Men and women show radically different developments regarding their intended future careers. At the beginning of their studies, 72% of women express an intention to pursue careers as researchers, either in industry or academia. Among men, 61% express the same intention.
By the third year, the proportion of men planning careers in research had dropped from 61% to 59%. But for the women, the number had plummeted from 72% in the first year to 37% as they finish their studies.
READ MORE....
A recent report reveals that only 12% of third year female PhD students want a career in academia. Curt Rice looks at the reasons why and warns that universities' survival is at risk
Young women scientists leave academia in far greater numbers than men for three reasons. During their time as PhD candidates, large numbers of women conclude that (i) the characteristics of academic careers are unappealing, (ii) the impediments they will encounter are disproportionate, and (iii) the sacrifices they will have to make are great.
This is the conclusion of The chemistry PhD: the impact on women's retention, a report for the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET and the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this report, the results of a longitudinal study with PhD students in chemistry in the UK are presented.
Men and women show radically different developments regarding their intended future careers. At the beginning of their studies, 72% of women express an intention to pursue careers as researchers, either in industry or academia. Among men, 61% express the same intention.
By the third year, the proportion of men planning careers in research had dropped from 61% to 59%. But for the women, the number had plummeted from 72% in the first year to 37% as they finish their studies.
READ MORE....
Friday, October 24, 2014
Three major nations absent as China launches World Bank rival in Asia
Reuters | Oct 24, 2014
SHANGHAI: Australia, Indonesia and South Korea skipped the launch of a China-backed Asian infrastructure bank on Friday as the United States said it had concerns about the new rival to Western-dominated multilateral lenders.
China's $50 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is seen as a challenge to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, both multilateral lenders that count Washington and its allies as their biggest financial backers.
China, which is keen to extend its influence in the region, has limited voting power over these existing banks despite being the world's second-largest economy.
The AIIB, launched in Beijing at a ceremony attended by Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei and delegates from 21 countries including India, Thailand and Malaysia, aims to give project loans to developing nations. China is set to be its largest shareholder with a stake of up to 50 percent.
Indonesia was not present and neither were South Korea and Australia, according to a pool report.
READ MORE....
SHANGHAI: Australia, Indonesia and South Korea skipped the launch of a China-backed Asian infrastructure bank on Friday as the United States said it had concerns about the new rival to Western-dominated multilateral lenders.
China's $50 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is seen as a challenge to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, both multilateral lenders that count Washington and its allies as their biggest financial backers.
China, which is keen to extend its influence in the region, has limited voting power over these existing banks despite being the world's second-largest economy.
The AIIB, launched in Beijing at a ceremony attended by Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei and delegates from 21 countries including India, Thailand and Malaysia, aims to give project loans to developing nations. China is set to be its largest shareholder with a stake of up to 50 percent.
Indonesia was not present and neither were South Korea and Australia, according to a pool report.
READ MORE....
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Analytical Paper - Introduction to International Studies, Fall 2014
Tugrul Keskin
Introduction to International Studies
Fall 2014 – Monday and Wednesday 2:00 – 3:50 PM
Introduction to International Studies
Fall 2014 – Monday and Wednesday 2:00 – 3:50 PM
Analytical Paper: In this requirement, you will
select a book written by a famous international novelist, and will review
(summarize and critique) the novel based on our textbooks. This paper should be
at least 1500 words in length. You will find a list of recommended novelists below or D2L. You must provide a word count at the end of your paper.
The paper is due on Saturday November 30th. Some recommended
well-known novelists include John Steinbeck, Orhan Pamuk, Leo Tolstoy, Gabriel
Garcia Marquez, Milan Kundera, Naguib Mahfouz, Azar Nafisi, Chinua Achebe,
Arundhati Roy, and etc. Everyone will select a different novel. No one will read the same novel. Your
selection must be approved and registered by a teaching assistant, Rosie David rosa (at) pdx.edu; therefore you must contact her
directly regarding your selection. The deadline for selecting/registering your
novel with teaching assistant, Rosie Davis is Sunday, October 27. The deadline
for submitting your review is Sunday November 30. Late submissions will not be
accepted.
You will follow the same format:
Analytical Paper Format
Introduction to International Studies Fall 2014
Title of the Novel
Author
Reviewed by a name of the student
Contents:
- Summary of the novel (At least 700 words)
- Critique/review of the novel (at least 400 words)
- Connection between your book and our class subject/s, such as food, human rights, ethnic and religious conflict, poverty, inequality, imperialism, colonialism, racism, employment, urbanization, health, neoliberalism etc. You will only select one or two topics to write about it. You will need to make a connection between your novel and our class topic/s. (at least 400 words)
If you choose a novel different
than ones shown in the list below, I will need to approve your selection.
For this paper, you will use
our sample format, which is posted on D2L. Please follow the same structure.
Please check the list below,
select a book from this list, and then send Rosie David
(Graduate Teaching Assistant) an e-mail rosa (at) pdx.edu specifying on which book you would like to write your
review.
Teaching Assistant: Rosie David
Email: rosa (at) pdx.edu
Office: East Hall 330
Office Hours: Wednesday 4-6 PM or by appointment
Recommended
Novels
Arabs-Turks-Iranians-Jewish
1.
The
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolqasem Ferdowsi
5.
The
Committee by Sun' Allah Ibrahim
9.
Snow
by Orhan Pamuk
11. My name is Red by Orhan
Pamuk
13. Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk
19.
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
20.
Arabian Nights and Days
by Naguib Mahfouz
21.
The Book Saladin by
Tariq Ali
24.
A Sultan in Palermo by
Tariq Ali
27.
Children of the Alley by
Naguib Mahfouz
29.
The Man who lost his
shadow Fathy Ghanem and Desmond Stewart
30.
Karnak Café by Naguib
Mahfouz
31.
Dreams by Naguib Mahfouz
32.
Cairo Modern by Naguib
Mahfouz
35.
Maryam's Maze by
Mansoura Ez-Eldin
China
3.
Love in a Fallen
City by
Eileen Chang
Latin and Central America
Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo
The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
The Goodbye Kiss by Massimo Carlotto
34. I, the
Supreme by Augusto Antonio Roa Bastos
The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior:
An … by Tepilit Ole Saitoti
Ake: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka
Sozaboy by Ken Saro-Wiwa
A Walk in the Night and Other
Stories by Alex La Guma
52.
Comes the Voyager at Last: A Tale of Return to Africa by
Kofi Awoonor
53.
This Earth, My Brother by Kofi Awoonor This Earth, My Brother by Kofi Awoonor
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