A first in the history of politics around the globe, the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics popularly known as iKnow Politics, was launched at the United Nations. It is a virtual network that links women in politics all over the world. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) work together for this project. This was founded to equip women whatever assistance they need for them to be able to participate meaningfully and make their political mark.
Politics historically was a world only for men. In New Zealand in 1893, women were first allowed to vote since then Women have played an important role in politics. In ancient Rome, the real power behind the throne was traditionally women. In the modern world of global politics, women remain as the movers and shakers in the political arena.
Looking through modern history, women politicians were usually taken for granted because their gender was seen as a weakness. However, many women politicians have proven otherwise. They have been decisive in going to war and they have been diplomatic if the need arise. Setting aside the issue of gender, women have proven themselves as worthy as men in the world of politics.
Source: liveleak.com
Burma, the country laid to waste by Typhoon Nargis is still in battle with itself as the government continues to defy call for more freedom and freedom form the oppressive military rule of it’s generals who have ruled the land. Much of the problems the impoverished country is facing became apparent with the typhoon for most basic services are non-existent and millions were speculated to have died. But with media and other international services heavily screened or non-existent the plight of it’s people remain unknown to much of the world. One voice stands amongst all the others who stand for calls of freedom, Aung San Suu Kyi, the aged woman who has spent the most of her adult life under home arrest. Read the rest of this entry »
The health industry is to get a much needed reform program, should lawmakers finish initial deliberations on the provisions of such an action by the current administration. The US’s health care system is badly in need of reform due mainly to the fact that costs have risen that most hospitals cannot afford to keep prices down leaving more and more Americans without proper health care coverage they so need. Millions are without proper health insurance and with many people losing jobs, out the window goes their work sponsored health care benefits, one of the main attractions to working in many companies according to most employees. The government has already released trillions of dollars to help boost the government and prop up the many ailing industries that have been hit hard by the recession. From GM, the many banks that were hit hard by the housing market crash and many more, all of them getting taxpayer dollars. News of some of those taxpayer dollars ending in the wrong hands is unnerving, making th ejob all the more difficult for President Obama who has been trying his best to get a reform program to overhaul the economy for the future of all Americans.
Many countries all over the globe have been hit hard by the collapse of the US’s financial market and none has been hit harder than the developing countries in Asia that have long been dependent on the US for business and other financial backing. From manufacturing plants, assembly and other business tasks, most are silenced indefinitely as their parent companies in the US trims down operating costs, resulting in lost jobs and lost income for local governments. Manufacturing companies that used to boom, serving the needs of the US economy are also hit hard, areas such as industrial manufacturing and ship building have projects put on hold as their financing run’s dry awaiting more cash or more investors to pour in cash and other resources that would allow them to continue. The recession has taken victims, jobs and lost earnings that should have sent children to school for a better future. This is the cycle of the global economy that works like a wheelm sometimes up and sometimes down.
Most of the African continent is still locked in battle, from civil conflict to tribal wars, they rage just out of the headlines due to more pressing news that matters to most people. From the reliance of the many consumer electronics makers on precious minerals and metals that are abundant in that corner of the world, to the many conflict diamonds that are finding their way into jewelry stores all over the globe fueling wars and sending money for arms and other weapons killing millions, untold and silenced forever. Has the world forgotten of the problems the African People are facing, maybe not, but they surely have taken a back-seat as the world turns attention to their own problems. Millions of people on the continent still die from disease and famine and with Mr. Mandela out of the UN, focus may be shifting from the African continent hopefully not for too long a time.
They threatened to fire nuclear missiles but opted to launch mid-range weapons instead, the war of words continues and the security of the region is at stake. Kim is ill and is reportedly suffering from cancer, with him appointing a little known youngest son raising speculation of the strong man’s health. Maybe they were scolded by the Chinese who, like the West does not like the idea of plying around with nuclear weapons as their threats stated. Or they may simply have had a change of heart that their already closed society, cut off from the rest of the world for many years can grow more isolated should they choose to do so. The security risks involved with such a launch is great, with South Korea, Japan and the US having major battle groups in terms of ships in and around the areas of interest. Embargos have been in place since they last tested nuclear weapons and they are still standing to date, with more coming but the West stands by it’s calls for an end to their reign of fear, using their arsenal to state their status.
North Korea has always been at odds with the West – and the rest of the world – choosing to live in relative seclusion replying on itself and banning and sort of Western influence within its borders.
Talks to disarm North Korea of its nuclear arsenal have proven to be a backward and forward dance between the highly communist hermit country and the UN, with superpowers like the US and Japan backing it’s rival South Korea in calling for the stop of all nuclear weapons development in the country. Less than a year ago, peace talks had seemed to be taking a promising turn, when North Korea blew up a cooling reactor at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility. Now the North Korean government is planning a nuclear missile launch, and seems determined to have its way.
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Much is the fury of American citizens when they find out that companies who have benefited from the many bailout funds have continued to issue bonuses to their top management and staff in spite of their company’s dire needs. Fury is well founded for many of these firms have just brushed off collapse if it were not for the bailout funds the Obama government had released. There have been calls for investigations and hints to these people to return these funds for the taxpayer will not stand for such reckless behavior. President Obama has raised alarm over news that even the law or the bailout measures had work-around’s built into them that allowed such acts to go on right under their noses.
The president has been hard at work to try and fix the economy as it is and with little to go on. He has to convince congress and the senate to pass bills to release funds from the federal reserve to fuel the economy as it tries to recover. Estimates to the amount of budgetary deficits they will incur for the year, a couple of trillion dollars at least and that’s not the end of the story for the recession is far from over.
Image Source : Socialist.net
President Obama has a lot against him entering a problematic financial system and with the whole world in a state of economic turmoil, he has a lot to work for. Change is inevitable, whether he makes a difference or not is for the American public to decide in the years to come in what would come down in history as his presidency.