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Reuters reported today that the US is on the verge of striking a $7 billion missile deal with the UAE, pending Congress's approval. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is believed to be sought by the UAE in order to prepare for a potential Iranian missile attack that may come in retaliation to […]

  Perhaps reflecting on her impressive career and the historic candidacy of Barack Obama, Secretary Rice is questioning why the State Department isn't more representative of the U.S. population (AFP – Rice laments lack of black diplomats): “I want to see a Foreign Service that looks as if black Americans are part of this great […]

To commemorate the 9/11 attacks on the United States, al-Qaeda has released a 90-minute video featuring their No. 2 man, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri.  The tape, released to al Jazeera in Qatar, references the crisis in South Ossetia as well as other current events, dating the recording of the statement to some point in mid august. […]

photo – nikolaj nielsen Three years ago I attended the Make Poverty History month in Edinburgh, Scotland.  I distinctly remember the chain of people forming a circle, hand in hand, united against the struggle of poverty afflicting many of Africa's poorest.  I also remember being rather disappointed about the extravaganza as the partying seemed detached […]

I’m fascinated by international philanthropy – and the differences in culture, tax laws, and legal structures that create philanthropic sectors in various countries.  This article sums up, in a very clear fashion, what I’ve been hoping to comment on regarding differences (or similarities) between Canada and the U.S. 

I came across some news from a few months ago in the International Herald Tribune (titled: Integrating Islam into the West) about the Archbishop of Canterbury and his suggestion in a lecture that Britain should adopt certain aspects of Shariah law. This controversy has been making the rounds throughout Europe and North America over the […]

Over the last year I have received a number of e-mails from children and young adults, asking me what they, or their groups, can do to help other children across the world. Therefore I am writing this post just for you, and for all the other young people out there who want to find more […]

I’m having a busy Monday, so I’m reaching deep into the archives for this article (Business Week – Who Will Rule The 21st Century?) about why the U.S. need not fear an ascendant China or India in the 21st Century. The report is from July ’07, so it will be interesting to read your thoughts […]

I wrote recently here about the (really) enormous carbon sequestration potential of the terra preta approach to soil enrichment for agriculture.  Well, you wouldn't be surprised to know that the earth already has sequestered many billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane over time.  The bad news is that as the world warms, the […]

People ask me all the time about why ‘my cause’ is modern slavery when there are so many other causes to choose from. Funny enough last night a group of fellow abolitionists' and I had the same discussion about how to promote the cause in a city full of worthy causes, many whose numbers cry […]

Lebanese MP Saad Hariri, the head of the country's Future Movement and leader of the March 14 coalition, is in Tripoli this weekend meeting with local officials and representatives in an effort to diffuse the ongoing violence between Sunni (Bab al-Tabaneh) and Alawite (Jabal Mohsen) neighborhoods of the city. A special report published yesterday by […]

Following up on my recent post investigating Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience, the Washington Post reports the Republican vice presidential candidate is getting some training from her fellow GOP, and Independent colleagues: “Lieberman, who was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee but is now an independent, has helped introduce Palin to officials of the American […]