Child labor and sweatshops still exist. In 2006, it was reported that Ipod factory workers in China worked 15 hour days and slept in dormintories where visitors were not permitted, all to obtain $50 per month. These stories are all too common, but they don't have to be.
Through the clothes we purchase, and the choices we make as consumers and suppliers, we can live in a world where sweatshops cease to exist. Organizations such as Green America provide programs, suggestions and new ideas that allow our voices to be heard, encouraging companies worldwide to come on-board in the fight for fair labor rights.
Kumarian Press' recent release, Advocacy Across Borders focuses on this cause and the role of globally Northern-based NGOs in transnational advocacy networks who aim to provide fair working conditions for everyone. The book includes case studies of four NGOs and highlights their link with the anti-sweatshop network.
Learning about fair trade will educate us and others to do the right thing for labor workers worldwide.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Cambodian NGOs Raise Doubt
Cambodia-based NGOs are under the gun "as the government gears up to pass controversial legislation regulating the country's estimated 2,000 civil society groups" (Asia Times Online) who are part of a foreign donor-funded railway renovation project, costing approximately $141 million that will affect more than 4000 poor families living near the tracks.
On August 4, 2011, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior suspended Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), one of several involved with monitoring the resettlement of residents displaced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and AusAID-funded rail project. At first, talks of suspension were due to inconsistencies in the group's paperwork, but later we found out the truth.
"STT operated and incited people to oppose national development by the government in order to make the development partners suspend or stop the project," the ministry said in an August 14 statement.
Since the suspension of STT, the government has warned NGOs about making "false" claims, such as the death of two children last year.
These NGOs have received criticism that marks them as using a project that will only benefit their career by exploiting others. They stay firm though stating that they are not opposed to national development.
But, since the United Nations "mission of the early 1990s seeded Cambodia with a vibrant civil society sector, NGOs here have had an ambivalent relationship with the government." (Asia Times Online) This, until recently, made Cambodia a safe and welcoming place to hold an NGO.
Some NGOs in Cambodia, such as VBNK- an NGO founded by Kumarian Press author Jenny Pearson - hold no responsibility in this debate, but still have to worry about more government interference. Like many NGOs, they choose to do business in a truthful way that will positively affect those in the country.
However, with the new regulation on the horizon, this may change things for NGOs, favoring more government involvement. If NGOs were honest, and handle their business practices with integrity, there, most likely, would be less government interaction. (Read Chris Corbett's new read to see how to create an honest nonprofit organization.)
These projects must be sustainable and help the people of Cambodia and if the government must intervene in order for this successful transition, then so be it.
Read more about this issue now.
On August 4, 2011, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior suspended Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), one of several involved with monitoring the resettlement of residents displaced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and AusAID-funded rail project. At first, talks of suspension were due to inconsistencies in the group's paperwork, but later we found out the truth.
"STT operated and incited people to oppose national development by the government in order to make the development partners suspend or stop the project," the ministry said in an August 14 statement.
Since the suspension of STT, the government has warned NGOs about making "false" claims, such as the death of two children last year.
These NGOs have received criticism that marks them as using a project that will only benefit their career by exploiting others. They stay firm though stating that they are not opposed to national development.
But, since the United Nations "mission of the early 1990s seeded Cambodia with a vibrant civil society sector, NGOs here have had an ambivalent relationship with the government." (Asia Times Online) This, until recently, made Cambodia a safe and welcoming place to hold an NGO.
Some NGOs in Cambodia, such as VBNK- an NGO founded by Kumarian Press author Jenny Pearson - hold no responsibility in this debate, but still have to worry about more government interference. Like many NGOs, they choose to do business in a truthful way that will positively affect those in the country.
However, with the new regulation on the horizon, this may change things for NGOs, favoring more government involvement. If NGOs were honest, and handle their business practices with integrity, there, most likely, would be less government interaction. (Read Chris Corbett's new read to see how to create an honest nonprofit organization.)
These projects must be sustainable and help the people of Cambodia and if the government must intervene in order for this successful transition, then so be it.
Read more about this issue now.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Ten Years After
I was in Canada attending the CIVICUS World Assembly (http://www.civicusassembly.org/) during the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The assembly, a gathering of NGOs, civil society activists and youth from all over the world, stood in silent prayer and reflection as a mark of respect for those who died on that horrendous day as well as those who have died since as a consequence of the “war on terror.”
A common question during those sad and confusing days following the events of September 11th was “Why do they hate us?” They, being for the most part, a homogenous and poorly conceived Islam with its faceless (especially women “hiding” behind the veil or chador) Muslim adherents. A facile and misleading answer to this question was, “They hate us for our values and our freedoms.”
The dead should be honored and the perpetrators of this crime against humanity need to be brought to justice. I am being deliberately ambiguous here because without doubt those who funded and organized the crime and those who commandeered the planes that day were criminals, but to my mind, so too are the members of the US government who sanctioned and supported a response that has resulted in two wars, countless thousands of deaths and maiming, not to mention the considerable damage to the US as an upholder of democratic and respectful human rights values.
It is easier to rely on technological, military and economic might and reality TV visions of warfare and “shock and awe” than to tackle the complex factors that contributed to 9/11. It is also easier to mask rank opportunism—control of vital oil resources, for example—behind the rhetoric of patriotism and freedom.
Many commentators, Juan Cole (http://www.juancole.com/) and George Packer among them (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/09/12/110912fa_fact_packer), have noted what has been lost since 9/11. As editor for Kumarian Press, I have been fortunate to work with two authors who have also looked sensitively at a society which in many respects seems to have lost its moral compass (and I am not talking about those in the Middle East many of which have shown, through the “Arab Spring” a much firmer grasp of concepts such as democracy, freedom of expression and social change than we in the US have at the moment). Robert Ivie’s brilliant book Dissent from War (http://www.kpbooks.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=187285) addresses how words themselves are weapons of war and offers suggestions for transforming words from swords into ploughshares. Lyn Boyd Judson encourages us to never lose sight of the humanity of our enemies in her passionate examination of the ambiguities of diplomacy and morality in her book Strategic Moral Diplomacy (http://www.kpbooks.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=208807).
Both of these authors hope that their books will help readers of any ideological stripe or religious faith to think about not only who and what they are, but more importantly, who and what they can become, help us to loosen the shackle of despair, fear and hatred and open ourselves to the truly infinite possibilities for good that we intrinsically possess.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Exposing NGOs Through Education
Today, the American Graduate School in Paris, a nonprofit organization of higher education, is starting a Graduate Certificate Program in NGO Management. The classes will be taught entirely in English, and will be co-taught by UNESCO senior program specialist Clinton Robinson and Human Rights Watch France director Jean-Marie Fardeau.
The objective of this two semester-long program is for students and professionals alike to gain a better understanding of NGO management by exploring common principles and practices used by today's leading NGOS.
NGOs, such as VBNK, have made a name for themselves -by building from the ground up with integrity, courage and committment. VBNK, for example, is a well-known, Cambodia-based NGO started by Kumarian Press' Jenny Pearson, author of the new NGO management book Creative Capacity Development. In Creative Capacity Development, Pearson outlines how she started VBNK, and what priniciples she used to build-up her name, now recognized by many in the business.
But, why is it important in today's world to know about NGO Management?
Fardeau says: "NGOs have become key players on the international scene. Growing out of an understanding of democratic action that is rooted in citizens' concerns, they aim to express the values, ideas and commitments of civil society."
To learn more about the Program, read on.
The objective of this two semester-long program is for students and professionals alike to gain a better understanding of NGO management by exploring common principles and practices used by today's leading NGOS.
NGOs, such as VBNK, have made a name for themselves -by building from the ground up with integrity, courage and committment. VBNK, for example, is a well-known, Cambodia-based NGO started by Kumarian Press' Jenny Pearson, author of the new NGO management book Creative Capacity Development. In Creative Capacity Development, Pearson outlines how she started VBNK, and what priniciples she used to build-up her name, now recognized by many in the business.
But, why is it important in today's world to know about NGO Management?
Fardeau says: "NGOs have become key players on the international scene. Growing out of an understanding of democratic action that is rooted in citizens' concerns, they aim to express the values, ideas and commitments of civil society."
To learn more about the Program, read on.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Standing Up For African Security
In the news, yesterday brought along blood-shed and tears in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, between the Muslims and the Christians in Africa, killing at least seven individuals. This attack between the two groups came not long after a clash erupted in the two regions of Nigeria.
"Trouble started when Muslim faithful of the Izala sect in their numbers were trooping to the prayer ground along Rukuba road Jos, to celebrate the Eid el-fitri Sallah and were allegedly challenged by the Christains who accused them of spoiling their Christmas last year by bombing their homes." (Daily Champion)
The situation soon got out of hand, as gun-fire spread. Special military ops took charge and scared away young fighters, leaving at least five dead at the scene.
"It took the combine efforts of members of the STF, members of the state security outfit code name operation rainbow to rescue those trapped at the prayer ground with armoured vehicle as they hurriedly escorted them to safety."
This is not the first time military ops were forced to intervene an out-of-control battle, and it certainly will not be the last. The question to really ask is: Is the military really helping? After all, at least five people were killed.
African Security and the African Command by Kumarian Press discusses this when the editors of the book showcase Bush's AFRICOM project as a way to "better" African security in the midst of war. But, is AFRICOM causing more harm than good? Some would say that placing our troops into Africa has helped Africans, leading toward democracy, freedom and human rights. Others would suggest that the African people are losing their identity and being forced to do things the "American way."
But, like the battle in Nigeria, my opinion stands that without intervention more harm could have been caused. More people could have died, and we need the government to step-in to regulate us. Without the authority, crisis will sweep the nation, and therefore the world.
What do you think we should do to increase national and international security?
"Trouble started when Muslim faithful of the Izala sect in their numbers were trooping to the prayer ground along Rukuba road Jos, to celebrate the Eid el-fitri Sallah and were allegedly challenged by the Christains who accused them of spoiling their Christmas last year by bombing their homes." (Daily Champion)
The situation soon got out of hand, as gun-fire spread. Special military ops took charge and scared away young fighters, leaving at least five dead at the scene.
"It took the combine efforts of members of the STF, members of the state security outfit code name operation rainbow to rescue those trapped at the prayer ground with armoured vehicle as they hurriedly escorted them to safety."
This is not the first time military ops were forced to intervene an out-of-control battle, and it certainly will not be the last. The question to really ask is: Is the military really helping? After all, at least five people were killed.
African Security and the African Command by Kumarian Press discusses this when the editors of the book showcase Bush's AFRICOM project as a way to "better" African security in the midst of war. But, is AFRICOM causing more harm than good? Some would say that placing our troops into Africa has helped Africans, leading toward democracy, freedom and human rights. Others would suggest that the African people are losing their identity and being forced to do things the "American way."
But, like the battle in Nigeria, my opinion stands that without intervention more harm could have been caused. More people could have died, and we need the government to step-in to regulate us. Without the authority, crisis will sweep the nation, and therefore the world.
What do you think we should do to increase national and international security?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Defend the Reputation of Microfinance
Microfinance has taken flight over the last two decades bringing in new development policies and many reasons to celebrate (especially if you are a woman). However, NGOs and small business owners, such as SKS, in India are far from celebrating. Andhra Pradesh, India's microfinance-meca hit crisis today after state legislators passed a law that would regulate microfinance firms.
Critics say that the new law regulation in India could cripple microfinance firms, stating that the collection of dues has already fallen around 10%; but to "backers of the law, it's an attempt to rein back the worst excesses of an industry, which it is claimed, is charging exorbiant interest and is responsible for an increasing number of suicides because of heavy-handed debt collection methods."(Poverty Matters Blog: "Development Panacea or Exorbiant, Ineffective PovertyTrap?")
So, is microfinance really helping community development?
The idea of microfinance, to many, sounded promising as a savior to poor communities looking for poverty reduction, bringing in savings and loans. But, although microfinance (and microcredit) brings in huge support and praise, it also comes with an arsenal of critics who argue that it is being used as a measure of poverty reduction rather than poverty transformation. Some critics even state that small loans are only used for new businesses and not used for poor people themselves who need the money for healthcare and education expenses. (Critics of microfinance would love Milford Bateman's upcoming release Confronting Microfinance.)
This isn't the most pleasant news for small busines owners looking to self-regulate their own business. And, for authors like Chris Corbett who just released his new title Advancing Nonprofit Stewardship Through Self-Regulation - which highlights Independent Sector's 33 Principles of Self-Regulation in an effort to help these small firm owners reach success through integrity and genuine practices - this news couldn't have come at a more inopportune time.
India's news even struck a nerve with Father of Microfinance, Mohammad Yunus who stated that small companies are "misusing" and "abusing" his concepts.
Being a lover or a hater of microfinance has depended on evidence of individual lives who have played a part in this dramatic play.
Do you think microfinance is good for community development? If not, how would you control the rise of poverty?
Critics say that the new law regulation in India could cripple microfinance firms, stating that the collection of dues has already fallen around 10%; but to "backers of the law, it's an attempt to rein back the worst excesses of an industry, which it is claimed, is charging exorbiant interest and is responsible for an increasing number of suicides because of heavy-handed debt collection methods."(Poverty Matters Blog: "Development Panacea or Exorbiant, Ineffective PovertyTrap?")
So, is microfinance really helping community development?
The idea of microfinance, to many, sounded promising as a savior to poor communities looking for poverty reduction, bringing in savings and loans. But, although microfinance (and microcredit) brings in huge support and praise, it also comes with an arsenal of critics who argue that it is being used as a measure of poverty reduction rather than poverty transformation. Some critics even state that small loans are only used for new businesses and not used for poor people themselves who need the money for healthcare and education expenses. (Critics of microfinance would love Milford Bateman's upcoming release Confronting Microfinance.)
This isn't the most pleasant news for small busines owners looking to self-regulate their own business. And, for authors like Chris Corbett who just released his new title Advancing Nonprofit Stewardship Through Self-Regulation - which highlights Independent Sector's 33 Principles of Self-Regulation in an effort to help these small firm owners reach success through integrity and genuine practices - this news couldn't have come at a more inopportune time.
India's news even struck a nerve with Father of Microfinance, Mohammad Yunus who stated that small companies are "misusing" and "abusing" his concepts.
Being a lover or a hater of microfinance has depended on evidence of individual lives who have played a part in this dramatic play.
Do you think microfinance is good for community development? If not, how would you control the rise of poverty?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Read Charles Buxton's Interview on Central Asia Newswire
Recently, Charles Buxton spoke with Jackie Jacobsen from Central Asia Newswire regarding his new title The Struggle for Civil Society in Central Asia. Read Buxton's Interview from Newswire now.
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