Living Like a Refugee Is Not Easy

I had the luck to catch the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars band last night in Manhattan. They formed in the refugee camps during the civil war of the 1990s, using their musical talents to stay alive and keep spirits high. They have since toured all over the world spreading their bright positive sound, which draws on a mix of influences from reggae to Nigerian high-life and American rap.

A pair of documentary filmmakers captured their story, and the band today leverages its success to help Sierra Leone recover and develop. When times are tough you have to dance, dance, dance.

The People's Choice: Carnegie Council Top Ten 2009

2009 was a hard year on many fronts and this feeling was reflected in the Carnegie Council audience favorites. Concerns include making sense of the financial crisis; predicting future risks; and coming up with new strategies for the 21st century.

No. 7 on the list, "Top Risks and Ethical Decisions, 2009," was so popular that on January 13 a similar panel will predict their "Top Risks" for 2010 (with live webcast).

1. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
Niall Ferguson, Harvard University (video, audio, transcript)
The economies of China and America are so entwined that neither can afford to let the other fail.

2. The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century
George Friedman, Strategic Forecasting, Inc. (video, audio, transcript)
Which nations will be the winners and losers? These predictions may surprise you.

3. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery
Siddharth Kara, Free the Slaves (video, audio, transcript)
The biggest illegal business after drugs, sex slaves generated profits of $35.7 billion in 2007.

4. On Promoting Democracy
Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study (article)
States are not the only, or even the most important, agents of regime change.

5. Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa
Dambisa Moyo, Economic specialist, Sub-Saharan Africa (video, audio, transcript)
Decades of international aid have only made things worse in Africa.

6. The Balance between Risk and Return Is Everybody's Business
Ann Rutledge, R&R Consulting (article)
Risk has shifted from corporations to individuals, and many ordinary Americans got burned.

7. Top Risks and Ethical Decisions, 2009
Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group; Art Kleiner, Booz & Company; Michele Wucker, World Policy Institute; Thomas Stewart, Booz & Company (video, audio, transcript)
This expert panel predicts risks for what they agree will be a very tough year.

8. The Crisis of Islamic Civilization
Ali A. Allawi, former Iraq government official (video, audio, transcript)
What caused the decline of Islamic civilization and how can it be revived?

9. The Crisis of American Foreign Policy: Wilsonianism in the Twenty-First Century
Anne-Marie Slaughter, U.S. State Department (video, audio, transcript)
Who's right, the neocons or the liberal internationalists?

10. Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Michael Sandel, Harvard University (video, audio, transcript)
A lively debate with the audience on what we owe to society.

Zim's One Man Election Runoff

As you may know, today is runoff election day in Zimbabwe. While the situation is fluid and clear results are unlikely in the near term, I have compiled some links that shed much needed light on what is a catastrophic crisis for the people of Zimbabwe.

Early reports from inside Zimbabwe indicate that MDC supporters are staying away from the polls, though many worry that as the day wears on, ZANU-PF will begin forcing people to vote.

The AP confirms that this is indeed the case.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who announced he would not contest the runoff against Robert Mugabe, is urging his supporters to vote for the president's party rather than risk their personal safety.

This in contrast to the official state newspaper, The Herald, which is predicting "Massive Voter Turnout" as "ZANU-PF Gears for Victory."

Here the Zimbabwe police force claims to have caught MDC arsonists at work sabotaging polling sites. Though not in Mugabe's neighborhood, apparently.

Finally, have a look at Mugabe's calling card - a 20 minute video featuring hidden camera interviews with MDC activists and victims of torture (contains some graphic images). This is the most complete accounting of the brutality and violence perpetrated by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's enforcers.

photo of Morgan Tsvangirai campaign poster by frontlineblogger

New Survey Sends Mixed Messages on Globalization

According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center, Western attitudes toward globalization are hardening even as the developing world is eager for more.

In the US and Europe, faith in free markets remains strong but respondents expressed growing skepticism about unrestricted free trade. However, among the publics of China, India and many African nations, support for globalization is nearly universal. Some countries with over 90% of the population holding positive views of free trade: Senegal (95%), Ivory Coast (94%), Kenya (93%), Ukraine (91%), Malaysia (91%), China (91%), Bangladesh (90%).

A rare glimmer of hope for the development-through-trade crowd? Or do the findings suggest that globalization's winners are looking to close the door behind them?