The seventh annual report, which ranked 197 countries based on 31 different types of human rights violations, found that 34 nations pose an “extreme risk” of human rights violations to their populations — a 70 percent increase over the past six years. Maplecroft attributes the substantial increase to a rise in socio-economic protests, including a continued crackdown on political dissent by security forces. Continue reading »
Filed under Global Politics …
DIALOGUE ON DIPLOMACY | How effective is media’s coverage of U.S. diplomacy abroad?
Nicolas Kralev interviewed P.J. Crowley on a retired Air Force colonel and National Security Council spokesman in the Clinton White House. Crowley now teaches at George Washington University. On Kralev’s program, Crowley talks about how the media covers diplomacy. They also talked about the Arab Spring as a case study of the effectiveness of U.S. diplomacy. Watch the video conversation here. Continue reading »
PRO VS. CON #DUMPSTOLI | How does the boycott of a Latvian vodka change Putin’s anti-gay laws and save lives of Russian LGBT youth?
The #dumpstoli campaign has been a global public-relations success. But have the protests for public awareness of repressive anti-gay laws in Russia been misdirected and unfairly targeted a long-time ally of the LGBT community? Will the Dump Vodka protests actually change the minds of the Russian parliament? Here is my on-the-ground investigation of yesterday’s protest in front of the Russian Consulate in New York. Continue reading »
NAKED DIPLOMACY | 450 naked runners race as part of Free Pussy Riot campaign
The prompt to begin the naked run in the Netherlands was given 14:30 via Skype from Russia by a Pussy Riot member. Runners wearing nothing but helmets and sneakers in the Netherlands show support for Russian punk band Pussy Riot. Continue reading »
CALL FOR ACTION | Artists, intellectuals break into ministry of culture to protest against the Islamization of Egyptian culture
the Egyptian branch of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) has distributed a letter to its international colleagues around the world, which formally asks the help of the international community to oust the controversial minister from his office. ITI is a UNESCO entity with more than 90 centres around the world. Continue reading »
RADIO INTERVIEW | Speaking about politics and world culture on SiriusXM’s “Pia Lindström Presents”
In October 2012, I was invited to be a guest on “Pia Lindström Presents” She asked me to speak about politics, the arts and world theater. She also asked me personal questions. Continue reading »
LITERACY STRATEGY | EU pledges €2.5 billion to fight literacy problems
At least €1.5 billion will go to the future Erasmus for All programme (an academic exchange programme between EU and overseas universities, which has helped pupils improve their education by gaining experience of studying abroad). Continue reading »
INTERVIEW Part 2 | From the Edge: Active Searching & The Value of the Prague Quadrennial
“These events, on a practical level, raise the public’s level of awareness of the importance of good creative design. They affirm the professionalism and creativity of outstanding designers and theater architects. And these events have demonstrated an economic impact to the countries that host them.” Continue reading »
Romania’s Cultural Institute under siege | Politics won. Leaders of Romanian Cultural Institute resign from their posts
The siege is broken. The culture war in Romania is over. National politics won. The leaders of the cultural institution responsible for putting Romanian arts and culture on the world map are stepping down. Continue reading »
Plight of the Roma surfaces in leading Kosovar playwright’s latest political drama
Kosovar playwright Jeton Neziraj describis his play: “This is a political drama about chaotic post-war Kosovo, but, before all, it is a drama about unwanted Roma in Europe. Away from those common stereotypes about Roma, away from that exoticism which usually accompanies Roma topics.” Continue reading »
Ethiopian journalist accepts PEN award in behalf of jailed husband
PEN American Center named Eskinder Nega, one of Ethiopia’s leading advocates for press freedom and freedom of expression, the winner of the 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Continue reading »
Dutch composer JacobTV remixes images of democracy, world leaders, global media into musical “News” commentary
PITTSBURGH: ”The rules of democracy are under pressure,” states the Dutch avant-pop composer JacobTV. “Our government makes decisions without asking the parliament for permission. The Dutch government bailed out corporations and paid too much money. Everything in the world is changing right now. In a way, that has always been the case, but I think we … Continue reading »
Postcards from the Inge interview, Part 2 | Active Searching & The Value of the Prague Quadrennial
The following interview originally appeared in Postcards from the Inge, a blog. It is re-posted here with the kind permission of the author. Interview by AMANDA WHITE THIETJE Here is the second installment of my interview with Randy Gener, curatorial adviser and co-creator of the USA national pavilion “From the Edge,” about the Prague Quadrennial. I’ve included … Continue reading »
Report from Sarajevo: An inspiring international festival rises above a “catastrophic state of culture” in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As confusion over arts funding drags on in Bosnia and Herzegovina, how inspiring it is to discover in Sarajevo an artistically rich international theater festival that serves as another point of light shining over that country’s darkened horizon Continue reading »
Philippine government hosts global summit to inspire Filipinos to help in the country’s future development
Can Filipinos overseas and in the diaspora respond to the future development of their homeland? That is one of the toughest questions we had to struggle with when several of us, Philippine Presidential Awardees, were confronted with this question Continue reading »
At Asia Society in New York, PNoy Aquino III follows footsteps of his late parents, Benigno and Corazon, offering updates on Philippine progress toward free-market democracy
To diffuse the tensions with the rising China, PNoy Aquino III’s administration’s policy clearly aims to navigate those difficult negotiations deliberately through a multi-pronged diplomacy. In effect, the Philippines is engaging with China while tightening its alliances with Washington, D.C., Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. It is instructive that there will be no one-on-one or bilaterial meeting between Obama and Aquino III after the launching of the OGP in New York. Continue reading »
Essay on the state of U.S. theater in “World of Theatre” published in Bangladesh and Paris, with book launch in China
XIAMEN, CHINA and PARIS, FRANCE: The International Theatre Institute (ITI) – the world’s largest organization for the performing arts – is holding its 33rd world congress at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre in Xiamen, China, from Sept. 19 to 24, 2011. Held under the auspices of UNESCO, the congress will have a strong … Continue reading »
UN and human rights groups commemorate International Day of the Disappeared on August 30
On this day, August 30, the international community is commemorating the International Day of the Disappeared. This annual day has been created to draw attention to the fate of the missing and disappeared people throughout the world. Many of these individuals were imprisoned or are being held under poor conditions or have gone missing in … Continue reading »