Dear Kitty
Saturday, April 14, 2007
After Wolfowitz' Iraq and nepotism scandals, family planning scandal
After Paul Wolfowitz' Iraq war and nepotism scandals, he now also has a family planning scandal on his hands.
IPS reports:
Emad Mekay
WASHINGTON, Apr 12 (IPS) - Despite denials by World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz Thursday, newly disclosed internal documents indicate that the Bank may have in fact reversed a longstanding policy of promoting family planning on his watch.
The contradictions could further intensify Wolfowitz's troubles at the Bank, where he and his office had made statements denying his personal involvement in two unusually high pay raises given to his girlfriend and fellow Bank worker Shaha Riza.
After initially distancing himself from the decision, Wolfowitz made a humiliating apology on Thursday and admitted engineering the hike. His mea culpa failed to satisfy the 10,000-member Bank Staff Association, however, which has called for Wolfowitz's resignation.
The same day, when asked by U.S. National Public Radio at a press conference opening the spring meetings of the World Bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, whether the Bank has changed its policy on family planning, Wolfowitz denied there had been any changes.
"Absolutely not," he said. "I have seen rumours about that. Let me make it very clear. Our policy hasn't changed."
But according to an internal email made public by the Government Accountability Project, a Washington-based whistleblower protection organisation, Managing Director (MD) Juan José Daboub, an appointee of Wolfowitz and a man known for his conservative stance on family issues, had in fact instructed a team of Bank specialists to delete all references to family planning from the proposed Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for the African nation of Madagascar.Wolfowitz' nepotist appointments of Iraq war backers at the World Bank: here.
After Paul Wolfowitz' Iraq war and nepotism scandals, he now also has a family planning scandal on his hands.
IPS reports:
Wolfowitz Contradicted on Family Planning Claim
Emad Mekay
WASHINGTON, Apr 12 (IPS) - Despite denials by World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz Thursday, newly disclosed internal documents indicate that the Bank may have in fact reversed a longstanding policy of promoting family planning on his watch.
The contradictions could further intensify Wolfowitz's troubles at the Bank, where he and his office had made statements denying his personal involvement in two unusually high pay raises given to his girlfriend and fellow Bank worker Shaha Riza.
After initially distancing himself from the decision, Wolfowitz made a humiliating apology on Thursday and admitted engineering the hike. His mea culpa failed to satisfy the 10,000-member Bank Staff Association, however, which has called for Wolfowitz's resignation.
The same day, when asked by U.S. National Public Radio at a press conference opening the spring meetings of the World Bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, whether the Bank has changed its policy on family planning, Wolfowitz denied there had been any changes.
"Absolutely not," he said. "I have seen rumours about that. Let me make it very clear. Our policy hasn't changed."
But according to an internal email made public by the Government Accountability Project, a Washington-based whistleblower protection organisation, Managing Director (MD) Juan José Daboub, an appointee of Wolfowitz and a man known for his conservative stance on family issues, had in fact instructed a team of Bank specialists to delete all references to family planning from the proposed Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for the African nation of Madagascar.Wolfowitz' nepotist appointments of Iraq war backers at the World Bank: here.
Labels: Economic and social, Women's issues
¶ 11:48 AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
US singer David Rovics interviewed on music, rich, poor, and war
A troubadour for this generation
(Wednesday 10 August 2005)
INTERVIEW: David Rovics
by MIKE CHIVERS
INTERVIEW: DAVID ROVICS talks about the inspirations and ideas behind his progressive folk music.
At a time when grand humanitarian gestures have become indistinguishable from the latest corporate publicity drive, US singer-songwriter David Rovics is a rare and precious find.
Here we have a committed artist who encourages his audience not only to care deeply about the world but to go out and change it themselves - a true anti-capitalist and travelling troubadour for the G8 generation.
I meet Rovics at the Brighton [England] pub the Evening Star.
He enthuses about the performers that he appeared alongside at the previous day's Glastonwick Beer Festival, including Carter USM's JimBob, ex-Adverts front man TV Smith and "keep it spiky" trainspotters Eastfield.
Rovics's own music falls into the acoustic tradition of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger. ...
"My most recent song was directly inspired by the Bush administration.
They appointed Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. That was so poetic, because, at least in the US, there's a real division between the global justice movement, around WTO, G8 and that kind of thing, and the anti-war movement.
"It seems outrageous because it is so obvious that these things are connected. How can you separate US economic policy from US military policy?
They're all part of the same thing.
"Appointing the guy who was in charge of bombing Iraq to the financial institution that's supposed to help develop the Third World?
If that doesn't make the connections between capitalism and imperialism obvious, then what will?"
Read more here.
A troubadour for this generation(Wednesday 10 August 2005)
INTERVIEW: David Rovics
by MIKE CHIVERS
INTERVIEW: DAVID ROVICS talks about the inspirations and ideas behind his progressive folk music.
At a time when grand humanitarian gestures have become indistinguishable from the latest corporate publicity drive, US singer-songwriter David Rovics is a rare and precious find.
Here we have a committed artist who encourages his audience not only to care deeply about the world but to go out and change it themselves - a true anti-capitalist and travelling troubadour for the G8 generation.
I meet Rovics at the Brighton [England] pub the Evening Star.
He enthuses about the performers that he appeared alongside at the previous day's Glastonwick Beer Festival, including Carter USM's JimBob, ex-Adverts front man TV Smith and "keep it spiky" trainspotters Eastfield.
Rovics's own music falls into the acoustic tradition of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger. ...
"My most recent song was directly inspired by the Bush administration.
They appointed Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. That was so poetic, because, at least in the US, there's a real division between the global justice movement, around WTO, G8 and that kind of thing, and the anti-war movement.
"It seems outrageous because it is so obvious that these things are connected. How can you separate US economic policy from US military policy?
They're all part of the same thing.
"Appointing the guy who was in charge of bombing Iraq to the financial institution that's supposed to help develop the Third World?
If that doesn't make the connections between capitalism and imperialism obvious, then what will?"
Read more here.
Labels: Economic and social, Music, Peace and war
¶ 10:16 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
G8 protests Scotland 2-6 July: blogging
2-6 July in Scotland there will be the G8 conference of rich countries' politicians.
And many protests against their policies of making the rich richer and the poor poorer, and of war.
Their sudden decision to have some debt relief is definitely not a panacea.
There will also be the Live 8 concerts then.
Scottish bishop Martin Shaw hopes two million people will come to protest.
Many blogs will report on all this.
Including the Red Pepper special G8 blog.
And including Dear Kitty ModBlog, of course.
If there is downtime or other problems on ModBlog, then the blogging will be here on my backup blog.
MakePovertyHistory Radio: G8 Are You Listening?
On July 2, from OneWorld Radio website you can listen online to Make Poverty History Radio streaming live from the peaceful march in Edinburgh.
For one day only a special radio station will broadcast the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally live to campaigners and Edinburgh city residents on 2 July - bringing them the latest news from The Meadows in Edinburgh, where tens of thousands of people will gather calling for trade justice, more and better aid and debt relief for the world's poorest countries.
Broadcasting on 87.7FM - MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be on the air for twelve hours -- 08.00 - 20.00, packed full of content from the huge range of events on the day, interviews with speakers, event information, debates on the G8 and the campaigns key aims and live links as the huge human white band forms around central Edinburgh.
Throughout the day, a team of reporters, including community radio journalists from Africa, will be in the crowds in The Meadows bringing updates from the different entertainment and action zones as well as a selection of music and speeches from the main stages.
Produced in partnership with the Community Media Association and Edinburgh Telford College community radio station, ETC FM, who kindly offered over their frequency for the day, the station will also be available online at the Make Poverty History website.
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be distributed to number of community radio stations in the UK, Africa and Latin America through the AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) network ( www.amarc.org ).
Project manager Bill Best from Community Media Association said: "This is a fantastic way for all campaigners to keep abreast of what is going on - whether they have made it to Edinburgh in person, or are listening in around the world.
The content will be a mix of the serious and the fun - we want to bring a flavour of the rally atmosphere to the airwaves, and ensure the key messages of Make Poverty History are heard by everybody tuning in."
Glen Tarman from MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY said: "The 2nd of July in Edinburgh will be the day when the people of Britain add their voices to those from Africa, Asia and Latin America to send a loud and clear message to the G8 that now is the time to make poverty history.
Make Poverty History Radio is part of connecting people both in Edinburgh and around the globe as the world calls for justice."
G8 and climate: see here. And here.
Action against Faslane nuclear military base, on 4 July, see here.
More news coverage at Indymedia UK; and Indymedia Scotland.
2-6 July in Scotland there will be the G8 conference of rich countries' politicians.
And many protests against their policies of making the rich richer and the poor poorer, and of war.
Their sudden decision to have some debt relief is definitely not a panacea.
There will also be the Live 8 concerts then.
Scottish bishop Martin Shaw hopes two million people will come to protest.
Many blogs will report on all this.
Including the Red Pepper special G8 blog.
And including Dear Kitty ModBlog, of course.
If there is downtime or other problems on ModBlog, then the blogging will be here on my backup blog.
MakePovertyHistory Radio: G8 Are You Listening?
On July 2, from OneWorld Radio website you can listen online to Make Poverty History Radio streaming live from the peaceful march in Edinburgh.
For one day only a special radio station will broadcast the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally live to campaigners and Edinburgh city residents on 2 July - bringing them the latest news from The Meadows in Edinburgh, where tens of thousands of people will gather calling for trade justice, more and better aid and debt relief for the world's poorest countries.
Broadcasting on 87.7FM - MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be on the air for twelve hours -- 08.00 - 20.00, packed full of content from the huge range of events on the day, interviews with speakers, event information, debates on the G8 and the campaigns key aims and live links as the huge human white band forms around central Edinburgh.
Throughout the day, a team of reporters, including community radio journalists from Africa, will be in the crowds in The Meadows bringing updates from the different entertainment and action zones as well as a selection of music and speeches from the main stages.
Produced in partnership with the Community Media Association and Edinburgh Telford College community radio station, ETC FM, who kindly offered over their frequency for the day, the station will also be available online at the Make Poverty History website.
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be distributed to number of community radio stations in the UK, Africa and Latin America through the AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) network ( www.amarc.org ).
Project manager Bill Best from Community Media Association said: "This is a fantastic way for all campaigners to keep abreast of what is going on - whether they have made it to Edinburgh in person, or are listening in around the world.
The content will be a mix of the serious and the fun - we want to bring a flavour of the rally atmosphere to the airwaves, and ensure the key messages of Make Poverty History are heard by everybody tuning in."
Glen Tarman from MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY said: "The 2nd of July in Edinburgh will be the day when the people of Britain add their voices to those from Africa, Asia and Latin America to send a loud and clear message to the G8 that now is the time to make poverty history.
Make Poverty History Radio is part of connecting people both in Edinburgh and around the globe as the world calls for justice."
G8 and climate: see here. And here.
Action against Faslane nuclear military base, on 4 July, see here.
More news coverage at Indymedia UK; and Indymedia Scotland.
Labels: Economic and social, Politics
¶ 5:15 PM 0 comments
