A little PR in ... PR

It's unbelievable to me that Obama is the second president ever to make a trip to Puerto Rico.

Here's NPR's gist on it:

"President Barack Obama made the first official presidential stop in Puerto Rico in a half-century yesterday with a message aimed more at an audience on the U.S. mainland."

Indigenous Rights (a small victory)

Lightning is striking and we're about to shut off the power switch that includes the router, so this will be brief. The Federal Government announced today that the Native American Tribal Card issued by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to its members is as an acceptable form of identity and citizenship for travel in the Western Hemisphere. This is great because it recognizes - in part - a tribe's sovereignty. Tribal identification often is not an acceptable form of identification or citizenship. Thus, because Native Americans do not have U.S. passports, Native Americans have no acceptable form of identification or citizenship and are not able to travel outside U.S borders.

Disturbing

Reports are that 50 women are raped each hour in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Snippet

Things I've thought about or done in the last few days --

Heard Heraldo Munoz speak (U.S. Ambassador to Chile) about inequality in Latin America.

Realized winter is in full force because my leg hair swings in the breeze. Why shave in winter, what with pants and leggings galore?

Had a fantastic hill run that left me breathless and almost too tired to make it back to school.

Sat outside in 72 degree weather.

Had a scrumptious Valentine's Day meal replete with wine, bread, homemade pea pesto, eggplant lasagna, kale, homemade cream puff pastries and - best of all - my favoritest girls, KS and GC. Couldn't have asked for better dates!

Finished reading Hygiene and the Assasin. Not sure I loved this disturbing, morbid tale. Unique, at least. Now I'm reading Little Bee.

Searched 5 grocery stores in Denver for 7-grain mix. To no avail. Date bread will have to wait until I can resume the search. I don't understand, though, because I've made this bread before in Denver ... which means I found the 7-grain mix somewhere. Riddle me this.

Here's heading into the weekend!

Hurried tidbits

I've been wanting to post about a few things. Rather than individual posts, I suppose I'll put them all here. Rushing off for the afternoon to Boulder, so this has to be quick.

RTD Scramble
I saw the best thing when I was riding light rail this week. As I mentioned, I've committed to taking the light rail and bus (public transit and/or walking) as much as possible. It takes more time, but I really want to support and use public transit. Better for me, my community, the environment, etc. Anyway, picture this: three tracks, A - B - C. I'm on train B. Train C is waiting next to me with doors open. Train A pulls up and people rush off to get onto train C. However, my train, B is smack in the way. So, all of a sudden, tons of people scramble up the steps on the left side of B run through my train, scramble down then steps on the right side of B and run straight into train C. The B train shortcut? Tee hee hee. Everyone sort of raised an eyebrow when the stampede passed through our train. The doors closed and we went on our way.

Squeak Carnwath
My new favorite artist. I keep picking up boxes of cards and then realize they are the same artist, Squeak Carnwath. Besides the uber-cool name, she is an America artist (1947), still living, and teaching art in California. Check her out here.



Weather
Crazy Denver -- highs in the 60s today! Are you jealous east coast cold & snow people?

A few other topics that I can't tackle right now... what on earth is going on in the middle east with quasi-soon-to-be-revolution? It's amazing. Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon? Another topic: State of the Union Address. Nerdy me listened to the whole thing. And Paul Ryan's response (baaaaad).

Shabbat Shalom!

New Round-up

Falling... off... the bandwagon... must post immediately!

Seems like the media has been going nuts lately: elections, leaks, holidays, Koreans. I would spend my time reading news reports from all perspectives if I had the time (and internet at home)! My 2 cents --

Elections:
Perhaps not so wise for Egypt to refuse international observers. 80 million people. Tourism the main industry. $1.56 billion in aid each year (from the U.S. alone!). Candidates put in the hospital. Citizens shooting each other. Ran out of ballots.

Haiti's elections? Pretty much a failure before they even took place.

N. Korea bombing S. Korea - showing the new underling how it's done? Exercising a little military might to shake things up a bit? Get a little attention, maybe.

Wiki leaks. I think it's super interesting to compare the British version of the story with the American story. British wouldn't shush up about it. They thought we Americans were conniving for spying on the U.N. They thought the world should know that Saudi Arabia is pressuring the U.S. to attack Iran. Americans, on the other hand, played it down. A lot. Morning news rolled around to the story 20 minutes into the hour. There were maaaaybe a few impolitic things released. No big deal. Some smallish middle eastern countries put a teeny bit of pressure on western countries, perhaps hinting or suggesting the U.S., to maybe stand up to Iran. Right.

I think most of the Wiki leaks, while not wrong were probably released with a tad of malicious revenge in mind. Like a bratty tattle tale who you want to think is annoying, but you have to admit is actually telling the truth. But, there are things in there (of course, it's a quarter of a million correspondences!) that really should be released to the public. I guess, generally, I think Wiki leaks provides a public service, even if they could have a bit more discretion about what's really important for the public to know, not just deliciously entertaining political gossip. The U.S. will play dumb about it for awhile. Countries the already don't like the U.S. will grumble. But structuralists win the day and all will blow over.

Snowy Monday

This weekend was great - had dinner at a professor's house on Friday night. Saturday I worked on my book review all day until I went to the Tiesto concert at night. So fun! I love love love Tiesto. The concert wasn't sold out or anything, but there were a ton of people there. For some reason, a bunch of girls befriended me (a girl, alone at a concert). Nice people, I felt like I had to have my guard up a little, though, what with the dark/crowded/drugs. But generally, I felt really relaxed and "ser" happy during the concert. That music really puts me in a weird trance (I swear, no drugs!). I can only compare it to cruising in "the zone" I get somewhere around mile 24 in the marathon. Pretty great concert!

Sunday I got up early, finished my book review, worked out, and then spent the rest of the afternoon working on a project for mining. I'm going to present tomorrow on Foreign Investment Climate/Risks in Colombia. It's super interesting, but I have much to do! I also have another presentation on CAFTA and the current trade dispute between Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. They're fighting over these nylon bags and plastic cord of string -- I'm going to argue there are deeper non-trade political reasons behind the dispute.

OH! And, Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest. A good day for Burma!

It's snowing this morning - I love it!

Thought I'd share

I was walking down the street today and saw a white gay couple holding hands with a little black girl. When I walked by them she was bopping along full of energy, saying excitedly, "Poppa, poppa..."

How cool that two white men can raise and love a little black girl as the center of their universe, defining their own meaning of family.

Who wouldn't want to let that little girl be loved?

On a related note, for those who don't keep tabs on Latin American news as I do, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage. Congratulations!

Next stop...

In Nashville, stay tuned for more. One thing I have noticed, I see the U.S. Census people ev-er-y-where! I think that's pretty cool. Solidarity. Jobs for the people by the people. On the ground mobilization, organizing, and communities getting to know each other. I like it. So far I've seen them in Denver, D.C., Philly, and now in Nashville. Same little U.S. Census briefcase bags and groups of people working with pencils and bubble sheets.

Bear with me

Hi, there!

I am tossing around an idea for a short (12-15 pg) paper. The class is International Development with Cross-Cultural Perspectives. The professor is an Anthropologist and focuses on the Andes (como yo!). In hopes of clarifying what I want to do, I'm testing it out in writing. Right here. For the first time. For you. Lucky you.

What's the deal? I want to write about incorporating culture into legal frameworks, national policy/procedure, and official government documents. For example, last year, Bolivia had a referendum to amend its constitution. A referendum is a direct electoral vote (one person, one vote) to determine whatever issues are brought up. In that election, the people voted to amend the definition of "property." Rejecting the old notion of property as a right held by an individual, Bolivia's constitution now defines property as a right to land held communal or by a collective group. Felicitaciones!

What does that mean for indigenous peoples of Bolivia? It means that indigenous people feel like their constitution represents them. Their government - finally - recognizes their way of living, their connection to the land, and the way they use the land as legitimate. Not only is there acknowledgment and understanding of the way indigenous peoples have lived for hundreds of years, there is an enforceable, legal mechanisms for indigenous people to continue living as they want in relation to their land. That is pretty darn cool.

What does that mean for Bolivia, the nation as a whole? It means good things and also opens up an unknown that could be potentially good or bad. The good is that there is democratic representation. It's good that by a democratic, majority vote, the people are getting what they want. It's good that there is greater unity in Bolivia - at least nominally - in that indigenous people feel included, acknowledged and represented by their government's guiding official document, legal mechanisms and official decree of the nation. It is also good that indigenous people can live the way that they want to and have lived previously for hundreds of years. Equally, just as people may exercise their right to hold property right individually, now people are also free to hold property rights collectively. Perhaps there is true unity in that each is allowed to live her life as she would like.

The unknown/bad: Perhaps unity is only a farce because the new definition inevitably affects more than just indigenous people. National policy and law affects a nation, even if some are affected on indirectly. Perhaps, in practice, collective property becomes an impossible mess. Look at what happened to American Indians who share parts/plots/the whole of reservations. Present possession and future interests get ridiculously difficult to determine and parse out. Even worse, the economic and material interests connected to land are quite complex when they are communally owned. Consider the added complication that much indigenous land is on natural resources like oil. Consider the added complication that oil and gas industries were seized by the Bolivian government -- nationalized -- in 2006. Opa. Problems abound or am I being too pessimistic?

What does it mean for other indigenous groups or people who want their culture to be reflected in the national definition of property? This decision may not much or set a precedent for other indigenous groups looking to get legal right and recognition to collective property. Here are some reasons I think this: Bolivia has indigenous president. The indigenous group (unlike most places) actually makes up the majority of the country, not the minority. In conjunction with the way the referendum was set up, this meant majority actually had the chance to put forth its agenda. But, not all democracies have constitutional amendment by referendum. In the U.S., for example, we don't hold a popular vote. The Constitution can only be amended in one of three ways:

• The new amendment may be approved by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then sent to the states for approval.
• Two-thirds of the state legislatures may apply to Congress for a constitutional convention to consider amendments, which are then sent to the states for approval.
• Congress may require ratification by special convention

The point is, lots of things had to fall into place at the same time in order to integrate the indigenous culture into the mainstream government policy, written documents, and law. It's not likely that these factors will all come together for other indigenous groups.

The larger point, though, is that in theory it sounds good to integrate the indigenous culture into the national constitution. But, I think we need to be wary. I only hope that in practice, the economic and social consequences are positive for both the indigenous groups and the non-indigenous Bolivians. I suppose only time will tell -- I'll be watching.

Como uno quiere a su bandera...

After the Iranian revolution, roughly 1980, the country put together a new flag to symbolize a new, reunited country. The new Iranian flag was Green, White and Red. Green symbolizes fertility and (ironically?) Islam. White symbolizes purity and peace. Red symbolizes the martyrs' blood. In the center, a red emblem symbolized various parts of Islamic life: Allah, the Book, the Sword, the five principles of Islam, balance, unity, neutrality, and the universal government of the downtrodden. So, we have a flag for 30 years that signifies an Iran moving toward strong democracy, unified social people, and modern integration of religion into civil society.

June 2009: Iran holds elections that are, arguably, a farce. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared himself the winner and Candidate Mirhossein Mousavi appealed the election. The young, educated Iranian community and the international community (not the U.S.) stands behind Mousavi. Demonstrations and rallies emerge around the world. Green - from the stripe of the flag - was the chosen symbol of the opposition to Ahmadinejad. Mousavi drops the charge, accepts Ahmadinejad's reelection. The U.S. is happy that there is a continued pillar of "democracy" in the Middle East. The world moves on.

January 2010: President Ahmadinejad holds a run-of-the-mill official ceremony. The flag behind him is Blue, White and Red. Or, shall we say, Red, White and Blue (oh wait, isn't the U.S. of A. flag Red, White and Blue?).

Does erasing the green mean that Iran erased the opposition, or wants to, anyway? Ironically, didn't the green in the flag also symbolize Islam? Did Iran erase Islam, too? Flags symbolize so much to so many people: love for one's nation, fellow compatriots, and own happiness in life. Can a president just 'decide' to change the nation's flag on his own whim? How old are we anyway? It reminds me of how I used to change my shirt if my sister happened to be wearing a shirt with the same color -- or a color even remotely close on the spectrum -- for school that day.

At the very least, I think it's clear that Iran is less than stable these days. I believe: if we don't get to the root of the problem before moving on to fix it and rebuild on top of it, the problem will surface again. Is it possible that the time it takes The Problem to get to The Surface is about ... 30 years?

IN it

That's right, I'm IN it. Grad classes end Friday. Law school classes start Monday. This is seriously the end of the summer I never had. I am very much in the thick of it - 2 papers, 1 take-home exam, advance assignments for the first day of law school, scrambling around to rearrange my class schedule and hoping to get at least 1 day off without school work. Oh yeah, and finishing up with internship stuff. Hah!

One paper is drafted. It's on the recent trend of Latin American constitutional reforms of presidential term limits.

Another paper I am working on as we speak. It's on ethics of health development with a case-study of a non-profit doing work in Haiti.

Back to it ...

The Clintons

The day after Bill Clinton makes a private "humanitarian mission" to North Korea, his wife, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, takes credit for the freeing of two American Journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want them to be released. But, strange, no?

A few points on the issue:

Is Bill doing Hillary's work as, essentially, the highest foreign affairs diplomat? Is it okay for "private" citizens to meddle into foreign affairs? Okay, Bill is hardly a private citizen, but that is completely stepping on the toes of the Obama administration.

Why did Hillary refuse any other collaboration with North Korea based on the lives of 2 people? Should 2 American's lives take precedent of, say, almost 24 million North Koreans? And, if she's really going to do things "on principle" then why bargain 1 Bill visit for 2 released journalists. I thought she was taking a stand on North Korea's human rights violations, not reaching into her personal pocket.

Why was there such great, high-level US foreign policy involvement in the release of these 2 American journalists -- who were doing at least some things wrong -- when the US stayed out of the situation of 1 (Iranian-) American journalist, Roxana Saberi, who was arrested, jailed and sentenced for doing nothing wrong? It's so strange to me that the US government reacted so differently to almost mirror situations: journalists, women, American + [ethnicity of region in which they were arrested], doing inconsequentially to nothing wrong, harsh sentence, etc. Why would the journalist in the Middle East result in a purely "general public outcry," whereas the journalists in Northeast Asia receive the attention of the highest-ranking cabinet member and chief advisor to the president on foreign affairs. I mean, really, don't both Iran and North Korea already have nuclear weapons?

When was the last time you even saw Hillary and Bill in the same country at the same time? Talk about a marriage of convenience [or, business partnership]. Every photo of them, ever, looks like an awkward farce to show personal affection for each other. Hands on shoulders. Gripping arms as if pushing each other way. Weird, people. Weird.