What We’re Reading 10/9/09
NY Times—In Surprise, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama for Diplomacy
In a surprise selection, the Nobel Committee announced Friday that the annual peace prize was awarded to Barack Obama, just nine months into his presidency, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
AFP—African policy makers meet to discuss development, climate change
African policy makers will meet today to discuss climate change only two months before a critical UN summit where African countries are poised to seek billions in compensation for the effects of global warming. At the forum organized by the government of Burkina Faso together with the United Nations and the African Union, several African heads of state will meet key policy makers to discuss the opportunities climate change could offer for sustainable development. The World Bank estimates that the developing world will suffer about 80 percent of the damage of climate change despite accounting for only around one third of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Reuters—Chinese companies sign $6 billion Congo deal
Chinese companies have signed an amended $6 billion infrastructure and loan deal with Democratic Republic of Congo, China’s ambassador said yesterday, a step seen clearing the way for debt relief for the African nation. The IMF had feared the contract, which uses Congo’s mineral reserves as a guarantee for infrastructure projects, could plunge Congo deeper into debt. The size of the deal was cut in August to $6 billion from an original plan of $9 billion, and Congolese government guarantees connected with the mining aspect of the agreement were taken off the table.
TIME Magazine—10 Questions for Muhammad Yunus
TIME magazine interviews Muhammad Yunus, a man who himself has won a Nobel Prize for his efforts to create and expand microcredit services for the world’s poor. Yunus says extreme poverty can be ended, and the first step is to “make people believe that we can send poverty to museums. When I talk about it, people laugh and say, ‘It’s impossible.’ But when you don’t believe something, you can’t achieve it. You have to imagine and make that imagination achievable.”
Reuters—Impoverished Haiti is stabilizing but still risky
Led by the calls of Bill Clinton, who is serving as Special UN Envoy to Haiti, many private and government officials say impoverished Haiti is showing signs of stabilization. Private investors and NGOs said this week they believe a window of opportunity has opened to put money into a country desperately in need of roads, power and foreign investment. About 70 percent of Haiti’s 9 million people still live on less than $2 a day.
- Previous Post World Bank and IMF keep on keeping on at fall meetings… but is more needed for Africa?
- Next Post 1GOAL
 |
 |
 |
About the Blog
The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
