U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Conference: It's All About the Economy

by Debie Waggoner

I had the privilege of attending the U.S. Global Leadership Conference last week here in Washington, DC. The take-away: Anyone involved in international development and diplomacy should be paying attention to the Foreign Assistance budget talks. The International Affairs Budget is only 1.4% of the entire federal budget. Even if your organization is not a recipient of federal funds for D and D work, a reduction in these already small-in-comparison budgets could impact some folks at the local level, and most definitely our future status in the world.

U.S. involvement in development and diplomacy abroad helps the American economy at home.

If I heard it once, I heard it all day: the U.S. government and the American people must realize how much the development and diplomacy work going on each and every day impacts not only our foreign perception and foreign policies, but there are loads of examples of how this work directly affects us at the local level. There are currently three trade deals stuck in Congress: South Korea, Panama, and Colombia. These need to be pushed through as they would have a positive effect on the U.S. economy and would undoubtedly create jobs.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, gave her remarks in the morning. She stated, "Everyone needs to take stock of what we can do to help the economy. Foreign Policy be must a force for an economic rebound. Economic strength equates to leadership in the world...I've traveled over 600,000 miles as Secretary and my conclusion is that we as Americans need to Up Our Game."

She went on to mention that her office is hiring more economists and other experts in an effort to boost exports, develop fair trade practices, protect intellectual property rights (particularly in China), support innovation, and of course, support for foreign assistance and development.

Other took the stage through the day to make the case for development and diplomacy and how it ties into the economy. One old, but good example is that the Marshall Plan infused $110 Billion (in today's dollars) into Europe in the 1940s-50s. Our return on investment is that we now export $114 Billion a year to Europe. We should be preparing the grounds of Africa, South East Asia, and the Middle East for the same type of ROI. Can we expect similar results? We won't know if we don't try.


For more information about the conference: www.usglc.org

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World Travel, Inc.'s Summary on the Unrest in the Middle East

Situation Reported by iJet Intelligent Risk Systems

• Algeria: Nationwide protests Feb. 19 were met with overwhelming force by riot police. Several people were injured when anti-government protesters in Algiers clashed with security forces who tried to stop their demonstration at the ministry for higher education. Some leaders of the National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), a coalition of human rights groups, unions, student groups, and opposition parties, have called for weekly Saturday protests. Violent civil unrest has spread throughout Algeria, driven in part by rising food prices, unemployment, and general dissatisfaction with the government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. In an attempt to stem the growing discontent, the government adopted measures Feb. 22 to lift the 19-year state of emergency.
• Bahrain: The security situation in greater Manama is calm, but tense. The violence that erupted between anti-government protesters Feb. 18 at the Pearl Roundabout in north-central Manama has largely subsided. However, protests continue and the situation will likely remain fluid for the near term. On Feb. 22, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters marched from the Bahrain Mall to the Pearl Roundabout. Security forces monitored the rally, but did not intervene, and there were no reports of violence. In an attempt to mollify the protesters, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa released some political prisoners Feb. 22 and called for a dialogue with the opposition.
• Egypt: The situation has largely calmed since the military ousted former President Hosni Mubarak Feb. 11. Although the military-run governing council faces critical challenges as the country rebuilds its political system, widespread civil unrest on the scale of the three-week long popular uprising is unlikely to return. Several prominent labor groups - including government, textile, transport, health, and safety workers - have mounted strikes in pursuit of higher salaries and better working conditions. These labor actions add to the considerable economic losses suffered during the revolution, though they will likely not directly threaten civil order.
• Iraq: Demonstrations demanding economic and political reforms are spreading and becoming more frequent in Iraq, with rallies occurring in Baghdad, Basra, Kut, and Sulaymaniyah. Although rather small compared to the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, the government has taken the demonstrations seriously, recently announcing that it will scrap plans to purchase 18 F-16 fighter jets and instead divert those funds to anti-poverty measures. Internet activists have called for large protests in Baghdad on Feb. 25, but it unknown how large the turnout will be. Tensions are especially high in Sulaymaniyah, located in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), where demonstrators have become enraged at the heavy-handed tactics used by security forces during a Feb. 17 demonstration that left three people dead and more than 40 injured.
• Jordan: Sporadic bouts of civil unrest have occurred in Jordan almost weekly, mostly on Fridays after midday prayers. On Feb. 18, government supporters clashed with pro-reform protesters near the Al-Husseini Mosque in downtown Amman, leaving eight people wounded. The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's largest opposition group, announced Feb. 22 that it would resume protests after determining that the government was not serious enough about political reforms. The IAF's announcement will likely lead to larger demonstrations in an effort to gain additional concessions from the king.
• Kuwait: Bidoons (Stateless Arabs) have staged several protests in Jahra and Sulaibiya, demanding benefits afforded to Kuwaiti nationals. Violent clashes have occurred repeatedly between security forces and the protesters, leaving dozens injured, while police have arrested more than 120 demonstrators. Additional demonstrations by Bidoons will likely occur in the coming days.
• Libya: The situation in Libya Feb. 23 is becoming increasingly unstable as unrest spreads across the country and foreign nationals attempt to flee. Major cities in the east, including Benghazi and Bayda, are reportedly in the hands of the opposition, as is the western city of Misrata. The capital, Tripoli, was relatively quiet following major clashes in previous days, with reports of Gaddafi supporters roaming the otherwise empty streets. Information remains extremely limited due to government restrictions on the Internet, mobile and landline phones, and SMS text messaging services.
• Morocco: The country has witnessed widespread demonstrations, but it is fundamentally more stable than Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, or Egypt. Nationwide protests Feb. 20 were largely peaceful, though there were sporadic reports violence - mostly vandalism and looting - in Al-Hoceima, Tangier, and Marrakesh. There are protests planned for Feb. 25 in Rabat, but the organizers have an inconsistent track record of sticking to their own plans and Moroccan security forces may seek to prevent or limit the size of the demonstrations.
• Tunisia: Conditions have largely calmed across Tunisia, as clashes and mass protests have ended, though groups that were largely absent from the revolution against former President Zine el-Abadine Ben Ali continue to hold smaller sporadic rallies. Tunisians appear to have largely accepted the interim government, which has stabilized. Many businesses, markets, and schools are open; airports are operating with normal flight schedules. Still, the overall situation is tense. Unrest could occur with little notice. Security in greater Tunis and other major cities remains elevated. A state of emergency is still in effect and could last until elections are held later in the year, though both protesters and the security services largely ignore a ban on gatherings of more than three people. So far, no date has been set for the elections.
• Yemen: Anti-government unrest has increased considerably in Sana'a and throughout Yemen as protesters call on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign. Violent protests outside Sana'a University are a regular occurrence, with anti-government protesters clashing with government loyalists and security forces. In the southern city of Taiz, thousands of anti-government protesters remain in Hurriya Square in the city center. Clashes have also occurred in Aden between supporters of the secessionist Southern Movement and security forces. In a sign that the situation may be escalating, there are reports that the Shia' Al-Houthi rebels and some leaders of the Southern Movement have thrown their support behind anti-government protesters and have also called on Saleh to step down.

From Der Spiegel Today: Hungary's Scary New Media Laws

It isn't the government's job to keep the media in check -- it is the media's role to monitor the government. Hungary wants to reverse that.

See more at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,740209,00.html#ref=nlint

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