Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Walmart crisis -defendant's say
http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/markets/business/3957-in-defense-of-wal-mart.html
Article in defense of walmart
Ode to Fever
Ode to fever
How have you been my friend? Are you surprised that I refer to you as a friend, when we have been in dispute since the earliest fringes of my memory? But, remember this, my friend; we were born for each other! Just looking at my parents will settle you, I think. When one is born for the other, there is no choice but to accept the simple fact and make the best out of it. Thus, I have made peace with you.
But will you? And if you do, will I be able to bare it?
Doubt clouds me as I recall that you have wounded me of not just body but also of mind. As I strove to drive you out of me, I centered my focus on you when others of my age put focus to toys and games, later on moving to dates and movies. During the laggard combats, one or two friendly spirits would occasionally chance on me, haggard as I was. But, none would come to me willingly as you enveloped all my good will and want of companion. At such times I would weep bitter tears and confine myself to a cellar I had constructed under the deepest of pools in my heart, brooding on the bleak life you presented. Biding my time for revenge, I searched long and hard of what and perhaps, who you are. I started by analyzing what features you let me glimpse during my struggles. I found that you are a shape-shifter fully capable of, but not licensed of, changing into the various forms I fought. Yellow phlegm was one that I despised the most. As it stuck at my throat and refused to budge, I was helpless while my voice was lost and my throat became raw. Then there are the snivel and snot. Of late, you seem to enjoy this form the most. Mark my words, my mother will kill me if she finds out that I made peace with you just for this fact, oh the money she spent on all the tissues! Last of all, there is the thrice damned cough as well. Though you don’t take this form as much as the earlier one, this is the one that really threatens to get me an early coffin. Ah, the sleepless nights! But, don’t worry, I not thinking of making you pay the blood price for all the blood I lost when my lung veins burst, in the near future at least.
Then why try making peace in the first place, do you ask?
Because as much as all the hate and fury gone in to my dispute with you, a strange kind of love always followed, grooming the hurt lands where we struggled. With time, I have come to accept what is you and furthermore have come to respect you as I would a living being, rather than a lifeless disturbance. Thanks to you, I learned care for my neck and its cord with the delicacy that one could not have gained without years of experience. Thanks to you, I have earned the funny nickname, the most efficient water intake in history (all that sniveling equals the amount of liquid I drink), something most wouldn’t ever be able to boast of. Thanks to you, I now understand what my mother went through during pregnancy, as asthma ravaged her lungs. Thanks to you, I have come to value what I have, regardless of its grandeur and quality.
I will be looking forward to increasing the viscosity of our friendship, at least we should equal that of your phlegm!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
FAO resolution at KMUN2012
Committee: FAO
Topic: Proposing new paradigms of aid for the horn of Africa
Signatories: Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Argentina, China, Chile, Switzerland, India, South Sudan, Germany, Sudan, Djibouti, Egypt, Turkey
Deeply concerned that people of the Horn of Africa, with their nationalities of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan, is suffering under successive years of fatal famine,
Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes the rights to standard of living,
Reaffirming this committee’s resolution numbered as FAO-A2, on which the member nations of the FAO have agreed upon working against food price volatility to protect poor households and rural farmers,
Noting with satisfaction the past efforts of various relevant UN bodies, governments of the member nations, and nongovernmental organizations, empowering underdeveloped nations of resilience,
Regretting a recent closure of a MSF(Medicins Sans Frontieres) office in Somalia after its two personnel have victimized by a terrorist attack, and any other frustrations against NGO activities in the region,
Stressing the fact that there should be enhancement of current missions and programs, as well as implementation of new methodologies to resolve the region’s fundamental politic chaos,
1) Promotes the integration of agricultural and industrial aspects(industrialization of agricultural industry) through combining resources in the Horn of Africa with developed nations’ industrial capacity with the partnership with African Union and FAO to;
a) Pursue general good of the Horn of Africa to develop general economy to step out of famine with fairness and transparency with new paradigms suggested,
2) Promoting better transportation in the Horn of Africa for the purpose of better distribution of crops both domestically and internationally by;
a) Receiving aids from developed countries in order to build new railroads and reinforcing currently existing railroads to transport the year’s harvest from arable regions to arid regions, in case where land transportation is promoted
b) Requesting aids from developed countries in order to stabilize river systems to transport the year’s harvest from arable regions to arid regions, in case where river transportation is promoted
3) Urging the developed nations to allow developing countries to take their technologies that consists of;
i) Bio-technologies, which indicates certain positive qualities such as but not limited to;
ii) Limited use of a Genetically Engineering technique which is expected to grant the plants flexibilities towards standing hostile conditions of Africa in support of irrigation system;
iii) Help regional farmers yield their food claiming their ownership upon the produced crops to revive the first level industry presented by agriculture;
iv) Promotion of biodiversity that allows the farmers in the Horn of Africa to diversify the plants they grow ultimately warding off plant-related diseases and reducing the use of pesticide;
v) The establishment of seed data-base for better accessibility of various seeds to ascertain what seed is appropriate for a certain land use
vi) Vaccines for plant-related diseases,
a) Cash crop-related technologies, which will allow the region to independently produce refined-cacao and coffee beans that can be sold in higher price than the crude ones, in order to allow the governments to provide the local farmers with financial aid,
b) Infrastructure-related technologies to pursue for betterment of living condition of people and to allow the region to be free from draught that consists but not limited to:
i) Irrigation technology,
ii) Technology for reviving the arid regions
4) Promotes Feed-in-Tariffs system to encourage developed nations and multinational corporations to share their skills with the developing nations in a mutual contract in order to increase farming land in developing nations and provide financial benefit to the developed nations in vice versa;
5) Requests the United Nations General Assembly to agree upon establishment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation(PKO) in the region as an effort for some areas such as:
a) Coastal countries, to implement peaceful atmosphere within the nation which local military rebel such as Al-Shabab threaten rural farmers and force them to grow money-making crops, instead of main food crops of the region;
b) Newly independent countries, to help its newly founded government to peacefully gain control through all of its territory;
c) Refugee camps, to protect unarmed civilians without any nationality from local military rebels;
6) Urges an implementation of an emergency plan to make farmers be aware of upcoming weather conditions by:
a) collaborate with FEWSNET(Famine Early Warning Systems Network) to locate future weather fluctuations or possible disasters via satellite such as but not limited to:
i)sudden precipitation of lack of precipitation
ii)natural disasters
iii)drought
b) conduct the emergency plan by taking actions such as:
i) making governments to activate their irrigation system when FEWSNET predicts possible drought
ii) making NGOs prepare surplus amount of food before possible drought or natural disasters
iii) dispense telephones to the horn of Africa. In consecutive regions within walking distance
7) Urges governments to introduce a ‘charter to end extreme hunter’ that is designed to:
a) enforce ‘accumulate tax’ on the rich in the Horn of Africa to invest in local food production
b) Request ‘accumulative tax’ on the rich in the Horn of Africa to provide aid to the financially lowest 10%.
Topic: Proposing new paradigms of aid for the horn of Africa
Signatories: Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Argentina, China, Chile, Switzerland, India, South Sudan, Germany, Sudan, Djibouti, Egypt, Turkey
Deeply concerned that people of the Horn of Africa, with their nationalities of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan, is suffering under successive years of fatal famine,
Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes the rights to standard of living,
Reaffirming this committee’s resolution numbered as FAO-A2, on which the member nations of the FAO have agreed upon working against food price volatility to protect poor households and rural farmers,
Noting with satisfaction the past efforts of various relevant UN bodies, governments of the member nations, and nongovernmental organizations, empowering underdeveloped nations of resilience,
Regretting a recent closure of a MSF(Medicins Sans Frontieres) office in Somalia after its two personnel have victimized by a terrorist attack, and any other frustrations against NGO activities in the region,
Stressing the fact that there should be enhancement of current missions and programs, as well as implementation of new methodologies to resolve the region’s fundamental politic chaos,
1) Promotes the integration of agricultural and industrial aspects(industrialization of agricultural industry) through combining resources in the Horn of Africa with developed nations’ industrial capacity with the partnership with African Union and FAO to;
a) Pursue general good of the Horn of Africa to develop general economy to step out of famine with fairness and transparency with new paradigms suggested,
2) Promoting better transportation in the Horn of Africa for the purpose of better distribution of crops both domestically and internationally by;
a) Receiving aids from developed countries in order to build new railroads and reinforcing currently existing railroads to transport the year’s harvest from arable regions to arid regions, in case where land transportation is promoted
b) Requesting aids from developed countries in order to stabilize river systems to transport the year’s harvest from arable regions to arid regions, in case where river transportation is promoted
3) Urging the developed nations to allow developing countries to take their technologies that consists of;
i) Bio-technologies, which indicates certain positive qualities such as but not limited to;
ii) Limited use of a Genetically Engineering technique which is expected to grant the plants flexibilities towards standing hostile conditions of Africa in support of irrigation system;
iii) Help regional farmers yield their food claiming their ownership upon the produced crops to revive the first level industry presented by agriculture;
iv) Promotion of biodiversity that allows the farmers in the Horn of Africa to diversify the plants they grow ultimately warding off plant-related diseases and reducing the use of pesticide;
v) The establishment of seed data-base for better accessibility of various seeds to ascertain what seed is appropriate for a certain land use
vi) Vaccines for plant-related diseases,
a) Cash crop-related technologies, which will allow the region to independently produce refined-cacao and coffee beans that can be sold in higher price than the crude ones, in order to allow the governments to provide the local farmers with financial aid,
b) Infrastructure-related technologies to pursue for betterment of living condition of people and to allow the region to be free from draught that consists but not limited to:
i) Irrigation technology,
ii) Technology for reviving the arid regions
4) Promotes Feed-in-Tariffs system to encourage developed nations and multinational corporations to share their skills with the developing nations in a mutual contract in order to increase farming land in developing nations and provide financial benefit to the developed nations in vice versa;
5) Requests the United Nations General Assembly to agree upon establishment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation(PKO) in the region as an effort for some areas such as:
a) Coastal countries, to implement peaceful atmosphere within the nation which local military rebel such as Al-Shabab threaten rural farmers and force them to grow money-making crops, instead of main food crops of the region;
b) Newly independent countries, to help its newly founded government to peacefully gain control through all of its territory;
c) Refugee camps, to protect unarmed civilians without any nationality from local military rebels;
6) Urges an implementation of an emergency plan to make farmers be aware of upcoming weather conditions by:
a) collaborate with FEWSNET(Famine Early Warning Systems Network) to locate future weather fluctuations or possible disasters via satellite such as but not limited to:
i)sudden precipitation of lack of precipitation
ii)natural disasters
iii)drought
b) conduct the emergency plan by taking actions such as:
i) making governments to activate their irrigation system when FEWSNET predicts possible drought
ii) making NGOs prepare surplus amount of food before possible drought or natural disasters
iii) dispense telephones to the horn of Africa. In consecutive regions within walking distance
7) Urges governments to introduce a ‘charter to end extreme hunter’ that is designed to:
a) enforce ‘accumulate tax’ on the rich in the Horn of Africa to invest in local food production
b) Request ‘accumulative tax’ on the rich in the Horn of Africa to provide aid to the financially lowest 10%.
My Position on Agenda B regarding FAO of KMUN2012
Agenda B: Proposing new paradigms of aid for the horn of Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organization of UN needs to turn its attention to the Horn of Africa and renovate their efforts in combating starvation and other relevant problems in the area. The FAO previously focused on the supply of food resources from other regions. This was because in most countries, starvation is primarily due to lack of edible and nutritional food gained through harvest. However, Kenya suffers from a different type of starvation problem. Kenya’s fertile farms produce enough crops to feed the whole population with crops of rich nutritional value; yet, every day thousands of families cry because they cannot find something to eat.
The primary reason why many Kenyan families have problem finding food is the low level of stable transportation. Because transportation between areas with farms yielding more crops than one area can consumes and areas where crops are rare is not stable, farmers cannot sell their crops to starving people even though they want to do so. If the Food and Agriculture Organization will aid Kenya’s efforts at constructing better railroads and water ways, the crisis in Kenya can be elevated by a great degree. This is also beneficial for both Kenya and the donor countries of FAO because if the transportation problem is solved, Kenyans can become independent of food aid brought by FAO and donor countries can put to more efficient use of their donations.
Moreover, the increasing rate of farms growing only cash crops is another fearsome problem in the Horn of Africa. In recent years, horticulture produce and tea have become crops of more value than most staple crops in Kenya. Since then, more farms in the fertile highlands have turned to harvesting cash crops. This is not merely an issue of Kenya because the Kenyan highlands are one of the most fertile lands in Africa and with proper adaptation of stable transportation, can become the main supplier of food for all of the Horn of Africa. Therefore, the FAO need to take measures to stop the decrease of farms growing staple crops. To illustrate, sending FAO agents to help the Kenyan government at forming an education program for farmers can be a way for FAO to help ease the problem.
The current cassava crisis is another problem threatening Kenya and the rest of the horn of Africa. Recently, a deadly virus has been found that attacks cassavas and make them inedible. This epidemic started from Uganda and is spreading into adjacent Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is an especially fearsome problem because the signs of infection are shown only at the roots of the plant and farmers become aware of their failure only when they start their harvest. This virus might just be the cause for the next Irish potato crisis back in the 19th century. This is due to the similar rate of dependence Irish people of that time had on potatoes and East African people have on cassavas. Since cassava grows exceptionally well at places with relatively low rainfall and poor soil, it has become the staple crop of many drought-ridden countries at the horn of Africa. Thus, the FAO needs to organize their scientists and fund them adequately so that they will find a cure before the next crops are planted. Also, FAO can help countries to regulate the distribution of cassavas in the area so that the disease will not spread to the already drought-ridden regions.
To conclude, the Food and Agriculture Organization have to renew their methods of aid in Kenya and the rest of the Horn of Africa in order to properly combat food and agricultural problems in the area. FAO should not limit their aid to merely fields of agriculture and food import, but also focus on the foundations on which food is delivered to the tables of hungry people. FAO needs to be wary of the decreasing proportion of staple crop growing farms in the region and help local governments to maintain a sufficient level of staple crop producing farms. FAO is sorely needed in combating the casaba crisis in East Africa and can make a significant difference to the search for the cure.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of UN needs to turn its attention to the Horn of Africa and renovate their efforts in combating starvation and other relevant problems in the area. The FAO previously focused on the supply of food resources from other regions. This was because in most countries, starvation is primarily due to lack of edible and nutritional food gained through harvest. However, Kenya suffers from a different type of starvation problem. Kenya’s fertile farms produce enough crops to feed the whole population with crops of rich nutritional value; yet, every day thousands of families cry because they cannot find something to eat.
The primary reason why many Kenyan families have problem finding food is the low level of stable transportation. Because transportation between areas with farms yielding more crops than one area can consumes and areas where crops are rare is not stable, farmers cannot sell their crops to starving people even though they want to do so. If the Food and Agriculture Organization will aid Kenya’s efforts at constructing better railroads and water ways, the crisis in Kenya can be elevated by a great degree. This is also beneficial for both Kenya and the donor countries of FAO because if the transportation problem is solved, Kenyans can become independent of food aid brought by FAO and donor countries can put to more efficient use of their donations.
Moreover, the increasing rate of farms growing only cash crops is another fearsome problem in the Horn of Africa. In recent years, horticulture produce and tea have become crops of more value than most staple crops in Kenya. Since then, more farms in the fertile highlands have turned to harvesting cash crops. This is not merely an issue of Kenya because the Kenyan highlands are one of the most fertile lands in Africa and with proper adaptation of stable transportation, can become the main supplier of food for all of the Horn of Africa. Therefore, the FAO need to take measures to stop the decrease of farms growing staple crops. To illustrate, sending FAO agents to help the Kenyan government at forming an education program for farmers can be a way for FAO to help ease the problem.
The current cassava crisis is another problem threatening Kenya and the rest of the horn of Africa. Recently, a deadly virus has been found that attacks cassavas and make them inedible. This epidemic started from Uganda and is spreading into adjacent Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is an especially fearsome problem because the signs of infection are shown only at the roots of the plant and farmers become aware of their failure only when they start their harvest. This virus might just be the cause for the next Irish potato crisis back in the 19th century. This is due to the similar rate of dependence Irish people of that time had on potatoes and East African people have on cassavas. Since cassava grows exceptionally well at places with relatively low rainfall and poor soil, it has become the staple crop of many drought-ridden countries at the horn of Africa. Thus, the FAO needs to organize their scientists and fund them adequately so that they will find a cure before the next crops are planted. Also, FAO can help countries to regulate the distribution of cassavas in the area so that the disease will not spread to the already drought-ridden regions.
To conclude, the Food and Agriculture Organization have to renew their methods of aid in Kenya and the rest of the Horn of Africa in order to properly combat food and agricultural problems in the area. FAO should not limit their aid to merely fields of agriculture and food import, but also focus on the foundations on which food is delivered to the tables of hungry people. FAO needs to be wary of the decreasing proportion of staple crop growing farms in the region and help local governments to maintain a sufficient level of staple crop producing farms. FAO is sorely needed in combating the casaba crisis in East Africa and can make a significant difference to the search for the cure.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Sunday, 1 January 2012
My position on entering KMUN2012
Model United Nations is a chance for me to test my skills as a debater, negotiator, and a global leader. From past experiences of competing at such competitions, I learned that I am capable of debating on several international issues and that I potentials of becoming a leader that persuades others with different views through discussion and compromise. I hope to test such skills again by participating at the Korea Model United Nations 2012.
My participation as a delegate of the UNHCR is an important process in the path to my goal as a global leader with a view on current issues. This is because of my background as a child among war refugees. A few years before I entered my teenage hood, I was living among refugees who lost their homes fleeing from this bloodhound called war. Around me, boys with strange names who couldn’t pronounce them well themselves swarmed. As I began calling them friends and as they started coming over to my house for lunch, I learned more about each boy’s family and their hellish escape from war. Now, I sit in front of my SENS laptop and recall the winters and springs I spent with them. I earn for a chance to share these memories with other delegates and help them understand the dire need of war refugees.
I have decided to represent Sudan at the UNHCR based on my future goals. From my research on UNHCR’s Korea branch, it seems clear that refugees of Sudan’s civil war need the most care and attention from the world. As the delegate of Sudan, I wish to present the perilous situation of Sudan’s war refugees and persuade them that Sudan needs immediate attention from the UNHCR. My experience among war refugees will benefit me in this.
My participation as a delegate of the UNHCR is an important process in the path to my goal as a global leader with a view on current issues. This is because of my background as a child among war refugees. A few years before I entered my teenage hood, I was living among refugees who lost their homes fleeing from this bloodhound called war. Around me, boys with strange names who couldn’t pronounce them well themselves swarmed. As I began calling them friends and as they started coming over to my house for lunch, I learned more about each boy’s family and their hellish escape from war. Now, I sit in front of my SENS laptop and recall the winters and springs I spent with them. I earn for a chance to share these memories with other delegates and help them understand the dire need of war refugees.
I have decided to represent Sudan at the UNHCR based on my future goals. From my research on UNHCR’s Korea branch, it seems clear that refugees of Sudan’s civil war need the most care and attention from the world. As the delegate of Sudan, I wish to present the perilous situation of Sudan’s war refugees and persuade them that Sudan needs immediate attention from the UNHCR. My experience among war refugees will benefit me in this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)