September 2009
3 posts
3 tags
Obama’s historic UN meeting: A giant step for...
Today President Obama chaired a historic session of the UN Security Council solely focused on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The meeting affirmed President Obama’s commitment and agenda as he announced it on April 5, 2009 in Prague “to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”. For an expert’s views on the meeting see Jonathan Granoff’s blog post...
The Daily Talk - Liberia's blackboard blogger →
Voice Project- livestreaming video powered by... →
July 2009
5 posts
John Stewart: How A Bill Becomes a Horribly... →
a pretty good introduction to the US legislative system…
First Consensus on an Arms Trade Treaty at the UN
A long week at the United Nations is over. The morning was spent in the back of the conference room listening to the diplomats adjusting typos and commas and unsuccessfully seeking substantive changes to the chair’s final report of the meeting. Again, the representative from Nigeria described the feeling in the room the best when he said that the report was being adopted by all with “even...
7 tags
Momentum builds for the elephant baby…
The “Open Minded Working Group” was a slip of the tongue one country delegate made in his opening statement at this week’s talks on the Arms Trade Treaty (formally known as the Open Ended Working Group.) If only, was the feeling of my NGO colleagues and I listening from the back of the room. The talks began slowly, and we heard a number of negative interventions from States not yet convinced...
2 tags
Drawing Fire in the UN
As part of an international team of NGO representatives I have set up camp for the week in the smoky basement of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In this distinct 1950s atmosphere of international wheeling and dealing the world’s diplomats have come together to discuss the future and content of a global arms trade treaty. People around the world - through the Control Arms...
Legofesto →
More powerful lego blogging from Legofesto. This time the focus is the use of weapons to committ human rights abuses in Burma and Sudan. Check it out!
June 2009
6 posts
“Confused about when the UN General Assembly takes place, look no further than to...”
–
View from Zimbabwe - arms in the wrong hands can... →
Powerful blog from Grace Mutandwa about the need for a strong arms trade treaty. Take action now on www.controlarms.org/en/obama
“I.F. Stone quote I love: “The only kinds of fights worth fighting are...”
– Humanitarian Relief - Change.org
“Purchasing Power of Peace:
“The economic bonus of peace - or the removal...”
– BBC NEWS | Business | The purchasing power of peace
BBC NEWS | Business | Military spending sets new... →
Despite financial crisis and public spending budget crunch around the world the arms trade is booming… The Permanent Five members of the Security Council lead the way as the world’s biggest military spenders. Accounting for a combined spending spree of $881.59 bn in 2008.
Britain sold weapons to help Sri Lankan army... →
Another reason why we need a global arms trade treaty
May 2009
4 posts
MoveOn.org Political Action: Help get the word out... →
Dick Cheney was right after all… who would have thought
Legofesto →
One of the most creative ways of doing political commentary I’ve ever seen. Bring it on Legofesto!
10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger - Reports -... →
Not much to say really, beyond read it… weird to think that something (read: blogging) that for so many is just a fun past time activity for others is a matter of telling the truth and risking their freedom. Food for thought about how we best use this powerful tool.
It's Better In Somalia →
Finally the gun lobby finds the golden example they have been looking for!
April 2009
1 post
Ambassador Stages Coup At UN, Issues Long List of... →
March 2009
4 posts
Come on, NGOs, raise your game! →
This is piece worth reading for everyone involved in NGO coalition work. We have to stop getting caught up in our own internal bs and start focusing on what should be our role - staking out new bold agendas for a better world!
MoveOn.org Political Action: Stop the AIG Bonuses →
I can’t remember last time I forwarded an e-action… but this one caught my eye. AIG - the insurer of banks and insurance companies - who has received Government bailout money to the tune of $175 billion, and is commonly known to be one of the reasons why the economy is in as bad a shape as it is has decided to reward its financial products managers with $450 million in bonuses. This...
Israeli arms dealer's Bollywood sales pitch →
Wow, even the arms dealers of the world are finding inspiration in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. At a resent arms fair in India an Israeli company - Rafael Advanced Defense Systems – rocked up with a Bollywood style music video to woe its potential Indian buyers. Pretty breath taking stuff and nothing like anything I’ve ever seen. The arms trade is out of the control. We don’t need more Bollywood-style...