Save Prof. Yunus from the smear campaign

Professor Muhammad Yunus – Bangladesh’s Nobel Peace Laureate who utilised the concept of micro-financing to support the work of women in his country. He was once a man who was a celebrated national hero, earning the love and respect of many across the world. But caught in a political vendetta with Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Yunus is being forced to resign from his own company, the Grameen Group, with Bangladeshi news reporters insisting that the Founder and CEO had been embezzling aid money for personal use. Certainly, this claim was fortified when a Norwegian documentary built upon this allegation. However, Norwegian government officials found no indication that this was done. 

This news was first shared to me by my mother, who in near tears, spoke of how Yunus became a corrupt figure. Money drives people to power, and those with power instantaneously become corrupt. I had met and befriended Prof. Yunus in February 2010, and I found it incredibly hard to believe that a man so soft-spoken, so polite, and so passionate about his work would be stealing money away from the people he had been working tirelessly to help. As someone from Bangladeshi origin, I feel truly passionate about the work Prof. Yunus had started, and fully endorse him and his efforts to anyone that is willing to listen. Naturally, it hurts to see what some are doing to tarnish his image.

With £50 in his pocket, Prof. Yunus started the bank by lending to the country’s poorest and most vulnerable. For once, women were able to seek funds to start up small projects of their own, without permission from their husbands or having to turn to banks that were charging insane amounts of interest. Everyone is now aware of the role of micro-financing in the empowerment of women. The same model has been replicated in countries all over the world with similar positive results, and any tools of female empowerment - I strongly support.

In an effort to stop this smear campaign against Prof. Yunus, I call upon you all to sign the petition below and revive his reputation amongst the Bangladeshi community. We sincerely hope that the Government of Bangladesh and its leaders will take necessary action to stop this smear campaign and give Prof. Yunus the respect he deserves. Show your support and do what you can.

http://www.petitiononline.com/a110115z/petition.html 

Jobseekers: Are you too good for them?

Faithful to my mission, this blog was originally set-up to document the journey into the "real world" straight after graduating from my Bachelors degree. As my followers have witnessed, I kept up with the fast moving pace of politics and international relations by attending international summits, putting my heart into volunteer projects, and establishing fantastic contacts which pushed my career foresight to completing a postgraduate degree in Diplomacy.

Two months since graduating, I can't help but ponder how I managed to establish a brand for myself with great credentials and good professional experience, but still finding it incredibly difficult to compete in the marketplace. Not only was I unlucky to graduate at a time when the economic crisis showed its ugly face in 2008, but one would have thought that two years later, the economy would have picked up just a little bit! This is far from the truth. Unlike the United States which is steadily moving out of high rates of unemployment, the United Kingdom seems to be taking two steps back in pulling itself out from this economic depression. Unless you are a labourer or a senior anything, you're bang out of luck in the UK. Not only is there a recruitment freeze in all government sectors - local and central - but even an unpaid internship is not an option for me. Sourcing from feedback I received from a London-based embassy, my credentials and experience was too strong for an internship because they believed I would not have gained anything remarkably valuable from the experience. Another source told me that my resume was "impressive" and I was an incredibly strong candidate, but there was a "high calibre of excellent candidates that made the mark better". What does this mean exactly? Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered to pay for my postgraduate or UN training if in hindsight I knew I would be turned away for my credentials. Political professions seem to think that I have my "foot in the door" already, but I shake my head vehemently at that remark, living at home and being too afraid to spend what little money I have to my name. 

From my short experience in the hunt, I have one advice for jobseekers: don't sulk! Keep your skills sharp and read up on the area you claim to specialise in, because once you do get your big break, you need to stand out and know what you're saying. As one of my strongest skills, I am still networking, HARD, and have managed to set-up 'informational interviews' with career diplomats and the like as a means to get my name out and establish relationships for future endeavours. Working out is a great way to keep your mind from getting cluttered by a dark stormy cloud, and constant interaction with friends is a great fluff-buster of thoughts that may ordinarily stop you from sleeping due to stress. Here I sit, writing these thought with a cup of McFlurry, and hope that everyone who has a job that they love are thankful every day for it. I know for a fact that if I managed to get my foot into the sector of my choice right now, I would excel in that role at every capacity possible because I would want to prove to teammates that I am extremely glad to be there with them!

Nuclear Energy: Sweet package, deadly content

The last few days have been spent arguing with friends about the dangers of nuclear energy. The most consistent argument for nuclear energy was that it is a better alternate to global warming caused by fossil fuels. The research and development of nuclear energy is already invested by many developed governments with strong corporate lobbyist calling for further investment towards nuclear alternatives. Chernobyl was an extreme case of what a nuclear melt-down looks like. 25 years since that disaster, the world is being reminded again of the risks nuclear energy can bring if the safety features fail. 

Friend and the President of Global Security Institute, Jonathan Granoff wrote a convincing argument about the risks of nuclear energy. As with anything with health risks, if the product is packaged well, we are willing to accept it into our lives:

As the health impact of smoking became better known to Americans, the practice eventually diminished. The cigarette industry decided to look beyond US borders. Huge amounts of money is spent convincing teenagers in the so-called "developing" world that this cancer-causing product defines their entry into adulthood...

Not one new nuclear energy plant has opened in the US since the 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island. Yet despite the environmental and security risks posed by nuclear energy facilities, the US continues to support their development elsewhere. For example, in derogation of a core bargain of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) that, with the exception of the US, China, Russia, UK, and France, only countries renouncing the development of nuclear weapons should gain the so called benefits of nuclear energy, the US government advances the economic interests of the nuclear industry by supporting nuclear energy deals with India, a country which has developed a robust nuclear arsenal and refuses to join the NPT. Not only is this folly, but it is an arrogant folly.

Nuclear energy plants, like nuclear weapons systems, do not forgive mistakes of judgment, of mechanical error, or simple human negligence. Still, in the face of dire warnings to the dangers of nuclear power, humans continue to build nuclear energy plants and nuclear weapon systems, convinced that no mistakes will be made. How easily we forget a truism when greed and the quest for power intoxicate our reason: systems are only as foolproof as the humans that create them.

The crisis in Japan is just the most recent tragedy to befall the nuclear age. There is perhaps no other country with more sophisticated nuclear facilities, with more safety checks and backup systems in place. Yet mistakes were made. Hearts all over the world reach out in sympathy for the suffering of the people of Japan. The extent of the catastrophe in Japan is not yet known, nor will it be known for quite some time, as radioactive isotopes could linger in the air, water and soil long after the reactors finally cool. However, the cost is already too dear.

Reality demonstrates that it is supreme arrogance to think that we will not make mistakes of judgment, that machines will not err or that human negligence can be avoided. In fact, only God does not make mistakes. Acting as if we were God is nothing short of blasphemy.

The tragedy in Japan is a strong and deplorable wake-up call to stop this arrogant nuclear folly. Should the warnings of nuclear weapons opponents be as crassly ignored as those from nuclear power opponents, the consequences could be unthinkable. There have already been far too many computer and human errors nearly triggering nuclear exchanges for any informed person to rest easy. President Obama has wisely advocated that the US should lead in global efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.

We are not perfect and all that we create reflects our imperfections. We thus must not make imperfect devices that can destroy so much precious life. That is wisdom that we can be proud to export.

(published: Huffington Post, March 16 2011)

Japan: Say "NO" to nuclear anything

In response to the nuclear reactor blasts in Fukushima soon after the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, I wanted to share this sentiment sent from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) to the dangers of nuclear energy as a failing solution to inhabit our modern lifestyle.

“As radiation releases from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility have daily increased, so too has our profound concern for future generations. Radiation is long lasting and has inter-generational effects, as the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki know only too well. It is a terrible tragedy that the very nation that sustained and survived an attack with nuclear weapons is today sustaining radiation exposure and contamination.

Recently a statement was made by a group of Hibakusha – A-Bomb Survivors from Japan who have been appointed by the Japanese Prime Minister as “Special Communicators”. They asserted that radiation, whatever its source, is a major threat to humanity and the environment and called for phasing out all sources of radiation—from uranium mining, nuclear reactors, nuclear accidents, nuclear weapons development and testing, and nuclear waste—and for investment in renewable, clean energy for a sustainable future.

This is the most expensive and most dangerous way to boil water to turn a turbine, and because the potential for catastrophe inherent in nuclear energy has always been apparent, WILPF has always opposed nuclear energy. The devastating situation in Japan should not have been necessary to wake people and governments up to the truth about radiation and the truth about the dangers inherent in nuclear energy. We must also face the economic truth. Nuclear power is not cheap. The nuclear industry has received enormous government subsidies -- paid for by the taxpayer -- for underwriting of construction, liability caps and insurance for clean-up and health costs. By providing massive direct and indirect public funding, the nuclear industry has taken what could have been invested in renewable and clean energy.

The value of uranium stocks has plummeted by more than 1.5 billion USD in response to Fukushima. Anti-nuclear rallies have erupted in Germany and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised to inspect the country’s reactors and hold a special nuclear summit with other European leaders. In the United States, senators have called for a moratorium on the construction and licensing of new nuclear power facilities. The EU energy chief Günther Oettinger has said that Europe should consider whether it can meet its energy needs without nuclear power. In fact the whole world must meet its energy needs without nuclear.

ACTION POINT: WILPF urges all governments to cease plans to construct new nuclear power reactors; to stop mining uranium; to phase-out nuclear power in their energy mixes; and to refrain from promoting nuclear power as a means to combat climate change. Governments should accelerate and enlarge their support for the development of renewable and non-carbon emitting sources of energy and for energy conservation. They should join the International Renewable Energy Agency to work towards a rapid transition to the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy worldwide.”

Libya: To kill, or to be killed – that is the question?

Since the grassroots revolution to overthrow dictators in North Africa, it seems that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya is less willing to be toppled by his people like Zine El Abidine Ben Ali or Hosni Mubarak. Referring to Wikileaks and Twitter as the ‘Kleenex Revolution’ that holds no force, Gaddafi is determined to maintain territory via the use of military strength alone. While the world speculates on how long Gaddafi can carry on shooting his people down, my concern is mainly focused on the weapons that the Libyan army is carrying as the Western demise.

Arms trade is a source of deep-rooted capitalism and security, and unfortunately, Western countries like the United Kingdom rely heavily on the arms industry as a form of national income. Sourced from an article in the Guardian newspapers, the United Kingdom was responsible for gaining an armed export license worth €58.9m from Libya, soon after the Libyan arms embargo was lifted in October 2004. While our government is urging Gaddafi to leave quietly, I shake my head at Western countries that preach justice and democracy whilst hungrily exchanging arms contract with autocratic regimes. Italy is noted as Libya’s top arms exporter, having secured an income of €276.7m over the last five years with France and the UK following second and third.

One of the major global issues that have become part and parcel of everyday diplomatic discourse is the concern over human rights. The pressure of international opinion reinforces the pressures within individual countries for safeguarding human rights and the respect for the individual. As emphasised by United Nations doctrines, the respect, promotion and endorsement for human rights is the hallmark of a democratic society, placing special responsibility on democratic nations to uphold human rights domestically and abroad. Yet the willingness to trade arms forfeits the responsibility to protect, and avoiding the commitment to guarantee that British weapons will not be used against repressing local civilians is not a legitimate excuse to act 'innocent' against the atrocities that is befalling the Libyan people today.