Annie Leonard’s videos on “Story of . . . “
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
International Literacy Day - September 8
Literacy is a cause for celebration since there are now
close to four billion literate people in the world. However, literacy for all
– children, youth and adults - is still an unaccomplished goal and an ever
moving target. A combination of ambitious goals, insufficient and parallel
efforts, inadequate resources and strategies, and continued underestimation
of the magnitude and complexity of the task accounts for this unmet goal.
Lessons learnt over recent decades show that meeting the goal of universal literacy
calls not only for more effective efforts but also for renewed political will
and for doing things differently at all levels - locally, nationally and
internationally.
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Ending illiteracy could
also mean ending poverty, hopelessness
An estimated 775 million adults and 122 million children are unable to read or write, missing out on the positives of globalization while disproportionately bearing its negatives, write Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, and Laura Bush, an honorary ambassador with the UN agency, in recognition of International Literacy Day last week. While most of the world's illiterate live in developing countries, many adults remain functionally illiterate in the developed world, too. Houston Chronicle (9/7) The Hill/Congress Blog (9/7)
An estimated 775 million adults and 122 million children are unable to read or write, missing out on the positives of globalization while disproportionately bearing its negatives, write Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, and Laura Bush, an honorary ambassador with the UN agency, in recognition of International Literacy Day last week. While most of the world's illiterate live in developing countries, many adults remain functionally illiterate in the developed world, too. Houston Chronicle (9/7) The Hill/Congress Blog (9/7)
Monday, September 10, 2012
Is the "The Green Economy" just another "Green Revolution"? (Part 2)
Part of a series on
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Concepts[show]
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Policies[show]
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Dynamics[show]
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Carbon related[show]
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The green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Green economy is an economy or economic development model based on sustainable development and a knowledge of ecological economics.[1]
This question does take some study that you might wish to pursue. The reality is that financial institutions and transactions are necessary in any development program. The column on the right introduce some of these issues.
Another consideration is: Why do indigenous people, given their life experiences, not believe that a 'Green E conomy' will benefit their lives?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Please consider: Is the "The Green Economy" just another "Green Revolution"? (Part 1)
“Green
Economy” has undergone extensive discussion in the preparation and
aftermath of the Rio+20 Conference. For developing countries
and the indigenous peoples, the ‘green’
label has a very disagreeable connotation.
The “Green Revolution” of the 1970’s promised to end hunger; ultimately it
resulted in land degradation due to dependency on fertilizer and single crop
planting. Guess who ultimately profited?
The
Rio+20 People's Summit developed their own definition of
the “Green Economy”.
“The
Green Economy
is
a perverse attempt
by
corporation, extractive industries, and governments
to
cash in on Creation
by
privatizing, commodifying and selling off
the
Sacred and all forms of life and sky ,
including
the air we breathe, the water we drink
and
all the genes, plants, traditional seeds, trees, animals, fish,
biological
and cultural diversity,
ecosystems
and traditional knowledge
that
make life on Earth possible and enjoyable.”
(This statement was
signed by 500 indigenous leaders in a ritual ceremony at the Peoples’ Summit in
June.)
Another
definition from Tom Goldtooth, Director of the Indigenous Environmental
Network: “the difference between money-centered Western views and the
life-centered indigenous worldview based on the sacred female creation
principal of
Mother
Earth.”
Jeff Conant, Yes Magazine,
Fall, 2012, Issue 63
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
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