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Global Outreach 2010
Global_Outreach_10
Enabling and educating local citizens in a global world
To reference the 2007-2009 LWV-LPC activities related to Global Outreach, click on the Global Outreach Archive page to your left.
Upcoming Events.
Great Decisions Series 2010.
US Global Positions.
Global News.
LWV Positions.
La Plata County Outreach.
Correspondance.
Past Events.
Reference Info.
Upcoming Events
Great Decision Series 2010
The LWVLPC Great Decisions series for 2010 has concluded. Thank you for your attendance!
US Global Positions
*5/27/10 Durango Herald: U.S. officials seek to alter use of aid
by E. Eduardo Castillo and Martha Mendoza
MEXICO CITY - The Obama administration wants to shift U.S. aid in Mexico away from high-priced helicopters and airplanes and toward reforming Mexico's corrupt law enforcement, courts and politicians.
Marking a dramatic change from past years, most of the $310 million that the Obama administration seeks for Mexico in its 2011 budget request is aimed at judicial reforms and good governance programs in Mexico.
"We are moving away from big ticket equipment" and toward programs that support "Mexican capacity to sustain adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobsen in testimony prepared for a congressional subcommittee hearing today...
*3/24/10 New York Times:Breakthrough Is Reported in U.S. Arms Pact With Russia By PETER BAKER and ELLEN BARRY
WASHINGTON -- President Obama and his Russian counterpart, President Dmitri A. Medvedev, have broken through a logjam in their arms control negotiations and expect to sign a new treaty in Prague next month that would slash American and Russian nuclear arsenals, officials from both nations said Wednesday. Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev still need to talk once more to finalize the agreement, but officials were optimistic that the deal was nearly done.
The two sides have discussed a signing ceremony in Prague in early April, marking the anniversary of the first meeting between the two presidents and of Mr. Obama's speech outlining his vision for eventually eliminating nuclear weapons...
Global News
*4/8/10 New York Times:Russia and U.S. Sign Nuclear Arms Reduction PactBy PETER BAKER
PRAGUE -- With flourish and fanfare, President Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia signed a nuclear arms control treaty on Thursday and opened what they hoped would be a new era in the tumultuous relationship between two former cold war adversaries...
"When the United States and Russia are not able to work together on big issues, it is not good for either of our nations, nor is it good for the world," Mr. Obama said as his words echoed through a majestic, gilded hall in Prague Castle. "Together we have stopped the drift, and proven the benefits of cooperation. Today is an important milestone for nuclear security and nonproliferation, and for U.S.-Russia relations."
Mr. Medvedev called the treaty signing "a truly historic event" that will "open a new page" in Russian-American relations. "What matters most is this is a win-win situation," he said. "No one stands to lose from this agreement. I believe this is a typical feature of our cooperation. Both parties have won."...
*4/7/10 New York Times:Upheaval in Kyrgyzstan as Leader Flees CLIFFORD J. LEVY
MOSCOW -- Large-scale protests on Wednesday appeared to overthrow the government of Kyrgyzstan, an important American ally in Central Asia. Government officials said at least 41 people had been killed in bloody fighting between riot police and demonstrators in the capital of Bishkek and elsewhere in the country...
The upheaval raised questions about the future of an important American air base that operates in Kyrgyzstan in support of the NATO mission in nearby Afghanistan. American officials said that as of Wednesday evening the base was functioning normally...
*3/31/10 CBC:Serbia apologizes for Srebrenica massacre
Serbia's lawmakers narrowly approved a declaration condemning the 1995 Serb massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica. The declaration that offers sympathy and apology to the victims was passed on Tuesday with a slim majority of 127 votes in the 250-seat parliament. The passage came after a daylong debate that underscored persisting divisions in the country over Serbia's role in the 1990s' conflict.
"The National Assembly of Serbia harshly condemns the crime committed against the Bosniak residents of Srebrenica in July 1995 ... expressing condolences and apology to the victims' families because not all was done to prevent this tragedy," the declaration said...
* 3/11/10 Technorati.com:President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Winnings DistributionAuthor: Dawn Olsen
President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic response to global issues, and, 'cuz he's a cool cat. Along with the prestige of this award comes $1.4 million in prize money to the winner. So what has the President decided to do with that fat stash of cash? Good things of course! A list of charities and the amount they will receive has been made public and it reads like a who's who of diversity and multi-cultural awesomeness...
- $250,000 to Fisher House - a non profit which provides housing assistance to military personnel and their families while they are receiving medical care.
- $200,000 to Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund - the fund put together by Presidents Clinton and Bush to aid in the Haitian earthquake relief effort
- $200,000 to College Summit - non-profit which focuses on preparing graduating high school students to become college ready.
- $125,000 to The Posse Foundation - a foundation which awards scholarships to students who excel in academics and leadership, who might otherwise not be part of the regular college selection process. $125,000 to The United Negro College Fund - college scholarship fund geared toward African American students, that helps thousands of students attend college each year.
- $125,000 to The Hispanic Scholarship Fund - college scholarship fund geared toward Hispanics students that helps thousands of students attend college each year.
- $125,000 to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation - college scholarship fund that helps students from Appalachia thousands of students attend college each year.
- $125,000 to the American Indian College Fund - college scholarship fund that helps thousands of American Indian students attend college and "accredited tribal colleges" and encourages cultural awareness within the American Indian community.
- $100,000 to AfriCare - provides aid to impoverished nations of Africa, focusing on sub-Saharan region, including resources for AIDS/HIV education, health, clean water and agriculture.
- $100,000 to the Central Asia Institute - a literacy and education based group which helps to provide education for those areas hit by war and poverty, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a focus on making education accessible for girls.
* 2/28/10 Wall Street Journal: 8.8-Magnitude Quake Hits Chile By ANTHONY ESPOSITO, CAROLINA PICA and JEFF FICK
TALCA, Chile--Chilean rescuers searched collapsed buildings for survivors a day after one of history's most powerful earthquakes shook the South American nation, killing at least 300 and sending a pulse of potentially dangerous waves across the Pacific basin.
The 8.8 magnitude quake--the fifth biggest ever measured--struck around 3:30 a.m. local time Saturday, toppling buildings, contorting roadways and cutting power and communications. At least ten aftershocks hit, prompting some wary survivors to sleep outside the following night...
* 2/24/10 Durango Herald: Sudan and Darfur rebels sign truce
by Sarah El Deeb
CAIRO - Darfur's most powerful rebel group and the Sudanese government on Tuesday signed a truce after a year of internationally sponsored negotiations, raising hopes the bloody seven-year conflict could draw to a close. Rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement announced the cease-fire would begin that night as the international sponsors of the talks announced a $1 billion development fund for the war-ravaged region...
*2/18/10 Wall Street Journal:Iran Enriches Nuclear Fuel, Says IAEA By DAVID CRAWFORD And JONATHAN WEISMAN
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said it has information suggesting Iran may be working to build a nuclear warhead, an assessment that could escalate the U.S. and other Western governments' confrontation with Iran over its nuclear activities. 'The information available to the agency...raises concerns about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile,'IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano wrote in the report...
* 2/14/10 Durango Herald video: Click Haiti's devastation
One month after the earthquake
*American Red Cross International Services: Haiti Talking point
Top Line Messages:
In just the first week of the Haiti response effort, the American Red Cross already has spent or committed $34 million (approximately 25 percent of what has been pledged or received) as of Thursday, January 21...
We have raised $13, 283.00 locally (Durango, CO) for Haiti relief !!!
*1/12/10 NY Times: Fierce Quake Devastates Haitian Capital By SIMON ROMERO and MARC LACEY
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- A fierce earthquake struck Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, causing a crowded hospital to collapse, leveling countless shantytown dwellings and bringing even more suffering to a nation that was already the hemisphere's poorest and most disaster-prone. The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, left the country in a shambles. As night fell in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, fires burned near the shoreline downtown, but otherwise the city fell into darkness. The electricity was out, telephones were not working and relief workers struggled to make their way through streets blocked by rubble....
Organizations Accepting Donations to Help Haiti
LWV Positions
*2/28/10 LWVUS:Arms Control Background Papers
La Plata County Outreach
*8/11/10 Durango Herald: Scope of Grams' life comes into focus for friends
Dentist killed by Taliban chose good over risk
by Dale Rodebaugh
Tom Grams, the former Durango dentist who was slain Thursday on a medical aid mission in Afghanistan, had so many interests that probably no one was familiar with more than a few of them, a friend said Tuesday.
"Tom's existence was an iceberg, and we were exposed to only the tip of it," Ken Freudenberg, a Durango patent attorney said. "The whole picture is only now coming into focus."
Bridget Irish, assistant dean of writing and first-year experience at Fort Lewis College, knew Grams as a dentist, friend and colleague. "He had a presence," Irish said Tuesday. "He was loving, gentle and compassionate, but he was steely in his resolve to help the world." The terrorist attack of Sept. 11 was the impetus for Grams' work in Third World countries, Irish said. Grams' approach wasn't to react to terrorism but to provide education and health care to the poor...
*1/29/10 Durango Herald: Durangoans open checkbooks to help Haiti
Since earthquake residents have donated $16,000 to Red Cross chapter
by Katie Burford
Herald Staff Writer
Local residents have been stepping up for disaster-stricken Haiti. In the three weeks since the Caribbean country was hit with a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake, residents have donated $16,000 to the local Red Cross chapter for aid.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church has received about $23,000 in donations, including one check for $10,000, the Rev. Andrew Cooley said. Some of it was eligible for matching funds, which leaves the church with $36,000 to put toward aid for the country. 'I'm grateful that we're going to be able to make a little bit of a difference,' Cooley said..
Correspondance from our Members
*1/19/10 Durango Herald:Author goes inside U.S. intelligence
Navy's first African-American woman in that role reveals personal journey
by Leslie Doran
Special to the Herald
A Woman's War, The Professional and Personal Journey of the Navy's First African American Female Intelligence Officer, by Durangoan Gail Harris with Pam McLaughlin, is a revealing look at the inner workings of the United States Intelligence community. Spurred on by a childhood dream inspired by watching the film "Wing and a Prayer," 5-year-old Harris vowed to become a Navy intelligence officer. It didn't matter to her that no woman or African-American ever had filled that role; Harris was determined to succeed, and her father supported her goal...
Gail Harris is a member of th LEague of Women Voters of La Plata County
Past Events
*6/9/10 Welcome to Southwest Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days
June 9-11 2010 in Mancos, Colorado.
Please join us in Mancos, Colorado, located "Between Mesa Verde and the Mountains," for Southwest Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days + Grow Partnerships and Harvest Success, a powerful opportunity for Southwest Colorado non-profits and public agencies to interact with foundations, government agencies and other funders from the Denver and Colorado Springs area.
*LWV-LPC will again host the Great Decision Series for 2010. We invite the public to join us for impartial and thought-provoking discussions on eight issues of concern to US policymakers and citizens covering topics to include
- Special Envoys
- Kenya & R2P (Responsibility to Protect)
- Global Crime
- U.S. - China Security Relations
- Global Financial Crisis
- Russia and its Neighbors
- The Persian Gulf
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
*The series will begin January 19, 2010 and conclude April 29, 2010 with two sessions held bi-weekly. All sessions will be held in the new Durango Public Library, 1900 East 3rd Ave. Tuesday sessions will be held from 11:45am to 1:45pm and Thursday sessions will be held from 12:30pm to 2:30pm.
Sessions will be moderated by local volunteers on each topic. Discussion among the attendees is strongly encouraged. Briefing books may be ordered before December 28, by submitting $20 and the form attached to the Great Decisions 2010 flier.
*1/16/10 Fort Lewis College is launching the Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration
DURANGO + In light of the devastation in Haiti from the recent earthquake, Fort Lewis College is launching a campaign to raise funds for the stricken nation. The College's Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign will coincide with the Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. celebration activities that begin at FLC on Monday, January 18, 2010.
The College will be working with the American Red Cross and the Partners in Health (PIH) organization. The Partners in Health partnership is especially appropriate for Fort Lewis College as the co-founder of PIH, Dr. Paul Farmer, was the subject of FLC's 2007-08 Common Reading Experience selection, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World.
'With the legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left for all of us,' says Mitch Davis, Fort Lewis College spokesperson, 'we believe that the Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign is the perfect complement to the College's week of activities honoring Dr. King.'
Though the Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign won't officially begin until Monday, January 18, donations are already being accepted at the FLC Women's and Men's Basketball games.
Kicking off the College's fundraising effort in a big way is a $10,000 donation from George Boedecker, the founder of Crocs, Inc. Mr. Boedecker is a friend and supporter of Fort Lewis College, especially the College's Peace Initiative and basketball teams. His generosity will be acknowledged during the FLC basketball games on Tuesday, January 19.
Opportunities for the campus and community to give will be offered at all of the MLK events at Fort Lewis College, which are free and open to the public and run through Thursday, January 21.
During the United in Song event on January 18 at 12:45 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom, donation stations, complete with laptops and Internet access, will be set up for those wishing to make donations to the Red Cross and/or the Partners in Health websites. The stations will be in the Ballroom that evening from 7 -9 p.m. for the special guest speaker, Dr. Harold Bailey, and the performance by the FLC Men's Choir.
On Tuesday, January 19, the donation stations will be located in the Student Union Senate Room for Dr. Jennifer Stollman's discussion, "Bodies & Minds: How to Achieve Racial Reconciliation," which begins at 12:15 p.m.
Cash and checks will also be accepted for the Red Cross, while checks will be accepted for Partners in Health.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is sponsored by the FLC School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the FLC Office of Student Affairs and the Ballantine Family Fund. For more information, contact Dean Linda Schott at 970-247-7582.
For a complete schedule of the MLK events, visit http://www.fortlewis.edu/academics/arts_hum_socsci/public_events.aspx.
For more information on donating to the Red Cross visit http://www.redcross.org. Information on Partners in Health can be found at http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti.
Reference Information
*2/26/10 LWVUS 2009 UN Wrap-Up - A Summary of 2009 at the United Nations
Report by Doris R. Schapira LWVUS UN Observer
*Greg Mortenson's new book Stones Into Schools is now available from your local or online bookseller
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Last revised: August 13, 2010 15:47 PDT.
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