Tag Archives: Point/Counterpoint

The Untold Story … Horne of Africa

12/13/2011 Nativegrl77

The recent images of men, women and children starving in the Horn of Africa tell a painful story of famine and suffering. How does a nation recover from a devastating food crisis? To find out, Chip Duncan and Salim Amin returned to a Ethiopia, to a place where famine caused a massive death toll over 25 years ago. What they discovered was surprising and hopeful. In partnership with One, they created a documentary showing the contrast between 1984 and present-day Tigray. Read their words below, view a preview and watch their powerful short film. << click on link for VIDEO

In Somalia, innocent people are dying needless deaths due to a famine driven by politics and war. Those who are dying need our help and our voice.

Drought is a challenge faced by people around the world. Climate change is now making droughts more common and less predictable. But drought shouldn’t equal famine. Famine is the outcome of poor infrastructure, corrupt governments and warring factions who choose to use food as a weapon.

During our recent work in Ethiopia, we had a chance to revisit the site of the 1984 famine. Our film uses footage and stills from that famine to remind us of the suffering and of its causes. Our story also chronicles the policies and infrastructure put in place during the last two decades to build sustainable agriculture. Water retention systems, irrigation, improved transportation systems, terraced farming, training programs, improved seeds and fertilizers – this is the new legacy in Tigray Province. It’s a story worth sharing so people everywhere can promote small scale agriculture while motivating governments to make similar investments in the future.

Chip Duncan
Director, “The Untold Story”

I made a journey following the footsteps of my father from 25 years ago. When Mohamed Amin made that journey a quarter of a century ago, he never imagined it was one that would change his life forever. He had covered every major story in Africa over four decades, but nothing prepared him for what he saw in Korem in October 1984.

A famine of biblical proportions, with more than 5 million people on the verge of starvation. A famine that was, to a large extent, man-made. The ruler of Ethiopia at the time, Colonel Haile Mariam Mengistu, was using the famine as a tool to suppress the rebel movement that was rising against his brutal regime from the north of the country. He didn’t want the world to know this famine existed.

The pictures that my father shot on the plains of Korem changed his life and changed the world. They prompted the greatest single act of charity of the 20th century and saved the lives of millions of Ethiopians. After this story, he changed the way he looked at news coverage. He cared for the first time in his life and did everything he could to keep the story in the headlines. Those images were amongst the most powerful and iconic images in television history.

I was expecting to see Korem still reeling from the effects of that massive famine. It takes generations to repair that kind of damage, but I was in for a shock. I went in with the best TV production team I had ever worked with, and what we saw stunned us all! A massive drought is taking hold of the Horn of Africa once again, but Korem and Tigray Province is an oasis of crops. Irrigation schemes that have been put in place over the last decade. There’s also a new awareness of the types of crops to grow and how to market and sell them for the best prices; and new resilient seeds have all transformed a community from being “takers” to being “providers”.

The farmers of Tigray Province have proved that drought doesn’t have to equal famine, and smart aid can work.

Salim Amin
Chairman Camerapix/A24 Media

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support ThinkProgress.org … Help keep up the fight for truth

12/09/2011 Nativegrl77

Hey Friend, just wanted to give you a quick update. In just 2 days, we are more than halfway towards our fundraising goal for ThinkProgress. Thank you!

We don’t have any mugs, ball caps, or tote bags to offer. But we’ll promise to keep fighting for the truth — something that’s going to be much harder to come by in 2012.

Can you pitch in $5 right now and help us get over the finish line?

As always, feel free to email me with any questions or comments.

— Faiz

On Tues, Dec 6, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Faiz Shakir (faiz@thinkprogress.org) wrote:

Dear Friend,

In 2012, Karl Rove, the Koch Brothers and others on the far-right are planning to spend nearly half a billion dollars to influence the political debate. Their goal is to make sure that the national dialogue protects their own deep pockets at the expense of the rest of the nation.

ThinkProgress is working around the clock to fight back with the truth. This past year, we traveled around the country to confront the right-wing with tough questions. We exposed their underhanded tactics, and crunched the numbers behind their radical policy schemes.

Next year, there is even more at stake and we need to work even harder. But we can’t do it without your help. We need to raise $25,000 this week to help fund our reporting for the coming year.

Please click here to pitch in $5 and help us bring the facts to the 99%.

We have made a huge impact this year. A few examples:

After Herman Cain told us in an interview he would not be comfortable with a Muslim in his cabinet, we began a campaign to fight back against Islamophobia in the conservative movement.
We attended congressional town halls conducted by at least 20 different members of Congress, and broke the news that Paul Ryan got booed for saying the rich were taxed enough.
In early October, we launched a new page on ThinkProgress that was solely devoted to reporting on the nationwide Occupy protests, branding it The 99 Percent Movement.

Our influence is scaring many on the right. The powerful corporate front group ALEC kicked our reporters out of a conference, and the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity launched a smear campaign against one of our writers.

We need your support now, more than ever, to keep up the fight in 2012.

Best,

Faiz Shakir
Editor, ThinkProgress.org

P.S. We never stop. Please pitch in $5 and it’ll be the hardest working $5 you’ve ever spent.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Banks, Guns, Children And Coats

12/06/2011 Nativegrl77

Hello! Here are the three hottest progressive videos and graphics that we found on the web today, December 06, 2011.

The Difference Between A Bank And A Gun

There are a lot of kids like Jonah in the world that need to see this. Please share!

What If This Were Your Child?

Looking for good deals on holiday shopping?

Does Anybody Really Want A Coat This Cheap?

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Payroll Tax Cut: Putting Money Back in the Pockets of Middles Class Washington Families

12/06/2011 Nativegrl77

Payroll Tax Cut: Putting Money Back in the Pockets of Middles Class Washington Families

This week I will continue fighting for the Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011, a bill that would extend and expand the payroll tax cut for middle class workers. I was disappointed that Republicans blocked this important legislation last week, but I will not give up. I feel very strongly that at a time when so many middle class families are struggling, we owe it to them to extend and expand a provision that puts money back into their pocket – particularly as the holiday season approaches.

Last week, I launched an interactive map on my website to highlight the potential impact on Washington state families if Congress fails to extend the payroll tax cut into next year. The median Washington family has a yearly income of $56,479. Under the current 2% payroll tax cut – that I am fighting to extend – that family is saving approximately $1,130 per year on their tax bill. If the current tax cut expires, their yearly tax bill will go up by that amount. If the payroll tax cut is expanded to 3.1%, as proposed in this bill, that family’s savings will increase to $1,751 per year.

Unacceptable Wait Times for VA Mental Health Care

Last week, I chaired a hearing focused on the long wait for mental health care at some VA facilities across the country – the second hearing on this topic I’ve held this year. At the first hearing, on July 14th of this year, the Committee heard the first-hand stories of two service members, who even after attempting to take their own lives, had mental health care appointments postponed and difficulties cutting through the red tape in order to get care. At last week’s hearing, the Committee heard from a VA psychologist and mental health care coordinator who testified about delays in providing mental health care treatment, including care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). That hearing also raised questions on whether VA providers were using techniques to ensure initial mental health care appointments fall within the VA’s required 14 day window, without providing true access to care at those appointments.

Following last week’s hearing, I called on the VA’s Inspector General to launch an investigation into wait times for mental health care at VA facilities.

“Senators tell VA to speed up mental health help for veterans” – The Seattle Times

A Huge Victory for Aerospace in Washington

Last week, I applauded the announcement by Boeing and the International Association of Machinists that a tentative agreement had been reached over contract negotiations and production of the 737 MAX in Washington state. This is a monumental announcement for the future of aerospace in Washington state. There is no better news for our region’s economy than a contract agreement between Boeing and the Machinists, and confirmation that Renton will remain home to the 737 line. The ramifications of this news will be felt in businesses large and small, around kitchen tables, and in communities throughout the Puget Sound for years to come. I commend the leadership of both IAM and Boeing for coming to the table, negotiating in good faith, and putting the needs of our region and its workers first. Our state has the skilled workforce, infrastructure, and education resources to continue to be the world’s leader in aerospace. But it’s up to us to ensure that leaders across our state continue to work hand-in-hand to maximize all of our resources. When Boeing and IAM work together, our region wins. I look forward to continued cooperation between both sides as they build on the trust and achievements forged in these negotiations.

“A substantial accomplishment for Boeing, Machinists and the state”
– The Seattle Times

“Big win, huge opportunity”
– The Everett Herald