Archives Archives - Page 552 of 625

Common Ground Clinic in New Orleans: An Example for the Left

Brian Conley March 23, 2006 Brian Conley

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina there was no healthcare infrastructure. The members of the Common Ground Clinic who headed to New Orleans soon after the hurricane struck consisted of a handful of individuals drawn together by a desire to fill this infrastructure gap. Their plan was to provide an ad hoc first aid station and to remain in New Orleans only temporarily until the situation improved and the usual social services were back in place. After organizing this initial first aid station in a mosque in Algiers, they realized they would be in the city much longer than expected.

Acting Locally: Progressive Party Victory in Vermont

Graham Forward, Mike Furze, Benjamin Dangl March 22, 2006 Graham Forward, Mike Furze, Benjamin Dangl

On March 7th, Bob Kiss, a member of the Vermont Progressive Party, defeated a heavily favored Democrat and a Republican to become Mayor of the city of Burlington. The election was the first test of the city's new instant runoff voting system. Mike Furze and Graham Forward worked on his campaign.

Benjamin Dangl: How did the Vermont Progressive party get started?

Nagorno-Karabakh: The Long Shadow of Joseph Stalin

Rene Wadlow March 21, 2006 Rene Wadlow

The president of Azerbaijan, Ilhan Aliyev, son of the long-time president Heydar Aliyev and Robert Kocharian, president of Armenia, met outside Paris, in Rambouillet February 10-11, 2006 to discuss the stalemated conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Rambouillet had also been the scene for the last-chance negotiations on Kosovo just before the NATO bombing of Serbia began in 1999.

Remembering a Valiant Journalist: Atwar Bahjat

Ramzy Baroud March 20, 2006 Ramzy Baroud

A few weeks ago I learned that a journalist who was one of my colleagues was kidnapped, then, five days later, released unharmed with his driver in Baghdad. I was shocked, then relieved. I somehow managed to find some humor in the not-so-humorous event. Prior to his Iraq trip, my colleague, a young British reporter, had asked me if he "could use my name" as a reference should he be kidnapped. Despite the fact that I was unsure how my name - little known in Arabic press that dominated Iraq - would be of any help, I agreed.

Latin America’s Leftist Shift: Hopes and Challenges

Benjamin Dangl March 16, 2006 Benjamin Dangl

Within the last six years in Latin America numerous social movements have gained momentum in the fight for human rights, better living and working conditions and an end to corporate exploitation and military violence. Recently, left of center leaders have been elected in Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile and Venezuela. These political leaders, whose victory in office is due largely to these social movements in the streets, have pledged to fight poverty and prioritize the needs of the people over the interests of Washington and international corporations. This resistance is connected to centuries of organizing among indigenous groups and unions in Latin America. I'd like to discuss some reasons why this leftist shift is happening right now and about a few key moments and events in this movement's recent history.

Corporate Education

Judy Gyenese March 15, 2006 Judy Gyenese

As the negative effects of globalization make their impact, many people are questioning the influence of corporations on society. In terms of education, this has become quite a sensitive subject. In many ways, the uneasy relationship between schools and corporations mirrors the larger debate of corporate influence within society as a whole.