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Noam Chomsky on Power and Latin America – The New World Order Part 2 (1998)

November 30, 1998 www.amazon.com Watch the full lecture: thefilmarchived.blogspot.com The phrase “new world order” was used by some in retrospect when assessing the creation of the post-World War II set of international institutions: the United Nations; the US security alliances such as NATO; the Bretton Woods system of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and even the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were seen as characterizing or comprising this new order. Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, governments, groups and individuals. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism. It refers to individuals and groups that are dedicated to fighting fascism. Most major resistance movements during World War II were anti-fascist. According to an article published by a the Anarchist Federation, a British anarcho-communist organization, militant anti-fascists advocate the use of violence against fascists. Writer Dave Renton argues, however, that “for anti-fascists, violence is not part of their world view”, and calls militants “professional anti-fascists.” Neoliberalism is an ideology based on economic liberalism. The ideology favours economic policies based on neoclassical theories of economics that minimize the role of the state and maximize the private business sector. The term ‘neoliberalism’ has also come into wide use in cultural studies to describe social …

Poppy farmers in Afghanistan are left with no means to feed their families once their poppy crops have been eradicated. There are insufficient alternatives to poppy cultivation in Afghanistan The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) is an international policy think tank with offices in Brussels, Kabul, London, Ottawa, Paris, and Rio. www.icosfilm.net www.icosgroup.net
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Posted on March 18, 2012 by , 38 comments

Volunteering in Ghana, Africa, w/ Cross-Cultural Solutions

Volunteer teaching English in Ghana, Africa with Cross-Cultural Solutions (crossculturalsolutions.org/countries/africa).
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Posted on March 15, 2012 by , 1 comment

Women Making History at the U.S. Supreme Court

Women Making History at the U.S. Supreme Court











Ruth J. Morrison, Founder, What’s The 411? Networks


Brooklyn, New York (PRWEB) March 05, 2012

What’s The 411 Networks, a digital media company (http://www.whatsthe411.com), founded by Ruth J. Morrison recently made history when it launched coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court. What’s The 411 Networks is the first Black-owned media company to receive media credentials to cover the U.S. Supreme Court. Constitutional Law Professor Gloria Browne-Marshall What’s The 411 Networks’ correspondent covering the United States Supreme Court is the first African-American woman journalist to cover the country’s highest court.

With U.S. Supreme Court media credentials, Ms. Browne-Marshall listened to the oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court on February 28, 2012, for the cases Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum and Mohamad v. Palestinian Authority. Both cases focus on corporate immunity; expressly, should corporations be held liable for acts of torture committed under their auspices? What makes these cases especially fascinating is that both cases allege torture by a foreign company on foreign soil.

“My mission is to report on the U.S. Supreme Court in a manner that is accessible to the general public and of assistance to scholars at large, said Gloria Browne-Marshall. “I applaud What’s The 411 Networks for its willingness to cover the actions of the U.S. Supreme Court, as not enough attention is paid to the Third branch of government. The general population knows the least about the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court; yet its rulings become the law of the land.”

“I am delighted to have created a media company that facilitated this momentous occasion, said Ruth J. Morrison. “Decisions from the United States Supreme Court affect the lives of all citizens, immigrants, and in these particular cases, people and corporations beyond our borders. And, truth be told, the U.S. Supreme Court is the most powerful branch of government because all too often, its rulings stand without Congressional intervention.”

“Further, in view of Citizens United, it will be very interesting to see how the Court threads this needle regarding these two cases,” Ms. Morrison continued.

About What’s The 411 Networks

Based in Brooklyn, New York, What’s The 411? Networks is a digital media/news company. Targeting sophisticated multi-cultural audiences, the What’s The 411 Networks’ website (http://www.whatsthe411.com) and television show contain primarily news-oriented original video content produced by the What’s The 411 team.

About Ruth J. Morrison

Ruth J. Morrison is the Founder of What’s The 411 Networks, a digital media/news company. Ms. Morrison is not one to color inside the lines. She is a person of firsts. Ms. Morrison was the first Executive Director of the Brooklyn International Trade Development Center, the first small business development center in New York City whose sole responsibility was to help small businesses export their products and services.

Additionally, Ms. Morrison was the first African-American leased time producer to distribute a weekly television show on WNYC-TV; she also licensed that show to a broadcaster in South Africa. She was a consultant to an American company doing business in Brasil; the first African-American woman beat reporter to cover the NY Knicks and she became a video streaming pioneer in the mid-1990s. Ms. Morrison developed and launched from conception the City of New York’s multi-channel cable television network.

Ms. Morrison was a Communications Fellow at the Annenberg Washington Program of Northwestern University; and a Communications Director for a member of the U.S. Congress. She earned a master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunications from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and she completed her coursework towards a Ph.D. in Political Science at Columbia University.

Ms. Morrison is a contender for the Robert McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program.

About Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a Constitutional Law Professor at John Jay College of the City University of New York. She is also the author of Race, Law and American Society 1607 – Present, and The U.S. Constitution: An African American Context. As the Director and Founder of The Law and Policy Group, a think tank for the community, she oversees the publication of The Report on the Status of Black Women and Girls(R) which is the only ongoing national report on the state of Black females in America.

Additionally, Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is an award-winning playwright, free-lance journalist, and recipient of the 2009 Ida B. Wells-Barnett Justice Award. As a journalist, she traveled to Oslo, Norway, to cover President Barack Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. She speaks nationally and internationally on criminal justice, civil rights, gender equality, human rights, and child advocacy issues. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and several civic organizations. Gloria J. Browne-Marshall writes books, essays, and legal articles on issues of racial justice, which specifically relate to the role of women.

Ruth J. Morrison and Gloria Browne-Marshall are available for interviews.

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Posted on March 12, 2012 by , Reply

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an international rides a donkey #2
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Stones and fire in Kufr Qallil – yet the olive harvest continues
October 7th, 2006

by ISM Nablus, report filed October 5th

Omar Suleiman from Kufr Qallil walked through his 10 dunums of olive trees on Saturday the 30th of September, occasionally grabbing hold of a tree trunk and nimbly climbing up to inspect the higher clusters of fruit. He shook his head and gestured toward the empty branches here and there. Nestled on a slope between Berakhya colony and Huwarra checkpoint and military base, his olive grove is frequently invaded by Israeli colonists. They beat the trees to make the ripest olives fall to the ground in order to steal them, and also sabotage the harvest in other ways. About two months ago, they set fire to a 16 dunum large plot of land below the olive grove. Haj Suleiman’s family now have to trudge up a slope of desolate scorched earth in order to reach their land – an ugly reminder of the threat that the Israeli colonists of Berakhya present to their Palestinian neighbours.

Two years ago, the family was attacked by a group of Israeli colonists armed with machineguns. Haj Suleiman bears scars on his chin and scalp from big rocks thrown at him in unprovoked outbursts of colonist violence. When he attempted to defend himself by physically restraining his attackers, the Israeli military retaliated by forcing him and his family out of their house at two o’clock in the morning for five nights in a row – threatening the family members with violence and randomly breaking parts of their furniture. The family is now afraid to go to harvest their olives from the land closest to the colony. After having kept silent and submissive for a few years, the family have now had enough, and therefore decided to request international and Israeli accompaniment this year.

The first three days of harvesting in Kufr Qallil were relatively quiet, apart from an incident of theft from land on the south side of the road leading up to Berakhya colony. Israeli colonists were spending the eve of Yom Kippur bathing at a holy mountain spring adjacent to the road, some of them also having brought bags to fill with Palestinian figs and pomegranates. (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/10/07/settlers-steal-fruit/)

On the fourth day of harvesting (Tuesday October the 3rd), an armored jeep full of soldiers arrived at the scene, shouting and motioning at the olive pickers to cease their work. They told the group – Haj Suleiman, his family and volunteers from IWPS and ISM – to pack up and leave as they had not obtained permission from the DCO (District Coordination Office) and were therefore not allowed to work the land on that particular day. Although the group argued that this order was unlawful and requested that the soldiers consult their higher commanders and the DCO before chasing them off the land, the soldiers insisted and threateningly escorted everyone back to the village. Afraid of retaliation, the family did not wish to directly resist the order but after hours of phone calls to the International Committee of the Red Cross and various levels of command at the DCO, it was ascertained that the order given by the soldiers was actually contrary to Israeli law and military policy, in light of recent judicial developments.

On 26 June 2006, the Israeli High Court of Justice issued a ruling in response to a petition regarding the right of Palestinian farmers, who are residents of the West Bank, to gain access to their land (H.C.J. 9593/04 Rashad Morar v. The IDF Commander for Judea and Samaria). In short, the court decision means that Palestinian farmers have a right to enter and work their land, with or without DCO permission, and that the military commander in the area must defend this right. In the past, Israeli military have often opted for attempting to stifle any violence on the part of Israeli colonists by declaring land a “closed military zone.” They have justified this by saying that the law is aimed to protect the Palestinian residents, but has in reality saved them from any real confrontation with Israeli colonists. The court ruling stipulates that this is no longer allowed and that territorial closure is subject to a number of strict preconditions.

This decision is crucial to many Palestinian farmers in providing them with a legal weapon to use in fighting for their rights to their land. Apart from land in “red zones,” which are not subject to such rapid status changes as “closed military zones,” and can be checked on military maps, all farmers should in theory be unhindered and protected in working their land and harvesting their olives this season. Tuesday’s events, however, clearly illustrate how this new policy, whether due to misinformation or malice, is not being implemented by soldiers on the ground.

It seems that the more senior and legally conscious echelons of the Israeli military are reluctant to inform foot-soldiers about the changes unless faced with farmers or volunteers who know the law and can argue their case. This was made apparent yesterday, as the DCO tried to dissuade Haj Suleiman from harvesting his olives on the day he wanted, instead suggesting a later date more suitable to them. Despite this, the family continued harvesting, their numbers boosted by international and Israeli volunteers, the latter from Rabbis for Human Rights and other anti-occupation organizations. The Israeli military were also present, although this time as protection from Israeli colonists.

Despite manipulation and lies from the Israeli military and the DCO, the olive harvest continues. We urge all internationals to do their utmost to come to Palestine in solidarity with farmers who have been denied safe and unconditional access to their land. Harvesting is resisting.

Footnote: Wednesday night, more violence befell the village of Kufr Qallil, when 40 year old Nasir Hasan Mansur was shot by Israeli military. Mansur was sitting in front of his home when the soldiers fired north from Beit Ur checkpoint, hitting him in the left foot.

For another account of the fourth day of the picking (October 3rd), see this report on the IWPS site. (http://www.iwps-pal.org/en/articles/article.php?id=973)

A reporter from The Times in London joined ISM, IWPS and Rabbis for Human Rights volunteers for one of these picking days. His report, focusing on the Rabbis, is published on the Times website. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2394974,00.html)

The “Programme” for Steve Prefontaine’s first race in London, during his first international track meet tour, a 5000 “Metres” race in which he came in 4th, White City Stadium, London, August 13, 1969
International development policy

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The "Programme" for Steve Prefontaine’s first race in London, a 5000 "Metres" race in which he came in 4th, White City Stadium, London, August 13, 1969. Pre’s event is the page to the right, Frank Shorter and Kenny Moore ran the 10,000m on the page to the left–Kenny came in 2nd and Frank 4th. Marty Liquori was slated to enter the 1500m, but he was a no-show.

The venerable White City Stadium served as the venue for the 1908 London Olympic Games. In 1931, a 440yd running track was installed for the Amateur Athletic Association Championships, held there from 1932 to 1970. The stadium was torn down for new development in 1985 after serving various uses, including greyhound racing, rugby and soccer league play, a motor speedway, the 1934 British Empire Games, and a match of the 1966 World Cup.

This was the fourth international meet in Pre’s first international tour the summer after he graduated from Marshfield High School. Because he was not yet enrolled in the University of Oregon, he ran this meet with the AAU’s US Team as being from Coos Bay, Oregon, his home town.

This was the first of Pre’s three meets in London–the other two were at the Coca-Cola Meet on September 15, 1972, six days after he placed fourth in the 5000m of the Munich Olympics; and the Coca-Cola Meet on September 13, 1974, which was the only race he never completed, due to injury.

This London meet was a two-day track and field meet, with the 5000m as the 9th event of the second day. The 5000m event page above from the program displays a photo of Washington State University Runner Gerry Lindgren, the featured US runner for this event–Pre was still little known outside Oregon, and especially not known in Europe.

To see a brief clip of Pre in this race, go to the link below and go fullscreen with the video–Pre’s race shows up about 44 seconds into the clip, first showing the two Brits, followed by Gerry Lindgren, then Pre. www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46140

Pre had graduated from high school in the spring of 1969 and qualified for the AAU’s US Team by placing fourth in the AAU Championship 3-mile event on June 29th in Miami, Florida—the only high school runner in the race. He was picked up from the AAU Team alternates list and ran the 5000 meter events in Los Angeles (5th//US-USSR-Commonwealth meet), Stuttgart (3rd//US-Europe meet), Augsburg (2nd//US-W. Germany meet), and London (4th//US-Great Britain meet). His London race was his last before enrolling in the University of Oregon in the fall.

While Pre had a spectacular high school racing history, he was not yet a headliner in the international or collegiate running community. The big news for the London 5000m race was the slated competition between US runners Gerry Lindgren, formerly of Washington State University, Tracy Smith, formerly of Oregon State University, and the British runners Ian Stewart and Dick Taylor. Pre had been slated for the US Team 3000m event but was added to the 5000m race instead when Tracy Smith decided not to enter (see Smith’s name crossed out above and Pre listed as a "reserve" runner).

Dick Taylor went on to win the race, setting the fastest time of the year in the 5000m in 13:29.0 and a new British record:

Finishing times–there were only four runners competing:

1. Dick Taylor (Britain) 13:29.0
2. Ian Stewart (Britain) 13:36.4
3. Gerry Lindgren (So. Lake Tahoe) 14:16.8
4. Pre (Coos Bay, OR) 14:38.4

Oregon athletes gained points with Neal Steinhauser winning the shot put in 64-3, and Kenny Moore placing second with 29:08.8 in the 10,000m behind the UK’s Ron Hill and his 29:03.8. Frank Shorter placed 4th in the same event in 29:16.4. US athletes also won other events: the women’s 100 meters by Iris Davis of Nashville, the Women’s 400 meters by Kathy Hammond of Sacramento, the men’s 200 meters by Ben Vaughn of Atlanta, the discus throw by Tim Volmer of Oregon State, and the high jump by Otis Burrell of Los Angeles. The US men won the meet 131-90, the women’s title went to Britain 67-66.

Pre wore an AAU team singlet–Pre’s combat against AAU treatment of athletes was to be a signature part of his running career in the future. This European tour would be his baptism. Most members of the US track team returned to the US carrying a letter of protest to President Nixon after a European tour full of dissension and some disappointment.

The trouble blew up in Germany where the athletes complained of poor accommodations. When the US athletes arrived in London they formed a committee which drew up the letter to Nixon, listing what they considered are essential changes which should be made in AAU policy. At one stage the athletes threatened to pull out of the London meet. They cabled a copy of the letter to the White House.

The info above was derived from the August 13 & 14, 1969 issues of the Eugene Register-Guard.

Posted on March 9, 2012 by , Reply

WindFloat Technologies and the Future of Offshore Wind

About the Speaker: Alla Weinstein is the CEO of Principle Power Inc., a technology development company based in Seattle and focused on the deep-water offshore wind energy market. Ms. Weinstein was the co-founder and CEO of AquaEnergy Group (AEG), a company that successfully developed a wave energy conversion technology that was acquired by Finavera Renewables Inc., a TSXV listed Renewable Energy company, where she was the General Manager and a Director. Alla brings over 30 years of industry experience, building global engineering projects for companies like Honeywell and Boeing. She is a frequent speaker in the US and Europe on the development of Renewable Energy and has served as the first President of the European Ocean Energy Association. Alla holds a BE in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management. About the Speech: In recent years there have been two significant trends in the wind industry: developers seeking higher quality wind resources and the development of larger turbines. Floating wind turbines is a significant innovation in the renewable energy sector as it provides developers with better access to offshore resources unconstrained by water depth. In her presentation, Ms. Weinstein examined the policy basis for the development of renewable energy and offshore wind energy in particular, in Europe. She elaborated on Principle Power’s pilot project, the first full-scale …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Posted on March 6, 2012 by , Reply

Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers New Year address

Via China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television, President Hu Jintao has delivered his annual New Year speech. This year’s offering is titled “Make Joint Efforts to Build a Bright Future of World Peace and Development”. Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends, The New Year’s bell is about to ring, and 2010 will soon begin. At this beautiful moment of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, via China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television, I’m delighted to extend New Year greetings to Chinese of all ethnic groups, to compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan, to overseas Chinese and to friends all over the world! The year 2009 has been a very important one in the history of the People’s Republic of China. Chinese people of all ethnic groups have celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, feeling extremely proud of our country’s development, and determined to promote the socialist course with Chinese characteristics at a new starting point. Under the circumstances of the global financial crisis, people of all ethnic groups in China have been resolute in confidence and braved hardships and difficulties. With millions of people united as one, we put the maintenance of a stable and comparatively fast economic growth as the primary task in our economic work. We made overall plans and efforts to guarantee economic growth, value people’s …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Eric Schmidt speaks at the Ronald Reagan and International Trade Center on November 18, 2008 in Washington, DC about technology, economic growth and open government.

Posted on March 3, 2012 by , 19 comments

Jeff Greason ISDC 2011 Keynote Address – A Settlement Strategy for NASA (42 min.)

Jeff Greason, President of XCOR Aerospace and member of the Augustine Committee (Review of US Human Space Flight Plans Committee) established by the White House in 2009. The Committee concluded that “the ultimate goal of human exploration is to chart a path for human expansion into the solar system.” Greason’s Awards Banquet Address at the 2011 National Space Society International Space Development Conference is widely regarded as a major statement in the field of space policy. This talk was given on May 21, 2011. 42-minute video. For a transcript of this talk and for more 2011 ISDC videos see www.nss.org

Posted on February 29, 2012 by , 23 comments

Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi) Leads the Way in Remote Data Collection

Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi) Leads the Way in Remote Data Collection











Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi)


Nashville, TN (PRWEB) February 16, 2012

As the volume of data continues to escalate, law firms and corporations are constantly looking for ways to save money and streamline processes. Fortunately, as the electronic discovery industry matures, certain companies – like Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi) – are putting their considerable experience and technical expertise to work in creating solutions for their clients.

DSi, a leading e-discovery and digital forensics company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., has introduced DSi Remote Governance and Collections platform (RGC): a proprietary method that easily identifies, collects, verifies, filters and transfers data in a timely, secure and cost-effective manner.

“I know the term ‘remote collection’ is used a lot in our industry and can be applied to a myriad of devices and types of technology. This is not software on a memory stick,” said Tom Turner, DSi president and co-founder. “RGC is an exclusive combination of tested hardware and systems that allows e-discovery to be handled more efficiently and flexibly than ever before, no matter the number of devices or locations involved.”

RGC is configured by DSi’s technicians according to the client company’s requirements and seamlessly integrated behind the company’s firewall. Maintaining strict standards for data integrity and security, the platform can defensibly gather data from any accessible device on the network, including computers, servers, smartphones, tablets and other devices. Various filters can be applied either during or after collections to remove non-relevant or duplicative files, saving time and money during subsequent processing or storage.

Additionally, collection can happen at any time, day or night, without disturbing the end user in any way and with minimal demand on internal IT resources. In fact, collection can be done covertly without informing custodians, so they are not aware the collection is even taking place.

“DSi’s programming team has created a quick and easy-to-use collection tool that saves the costs and hassles of having technicians do on-site collections,” said John Burchfield, DSi vice president of business development. “But increasingly we are seeing RGC used as part of a corporation’s overall Information Management policy.”

Burchfield explained that the platform earned the name “Remote Governance and Collections” because its uses have already evolved beyond something that simply collects data to managing it.

“Businesses see the benefit in utilizing RGC’s bank of services – such as data mapping, data backups, security and automated deletion points – to smoothly implement effective internal information governance policies,” said Burchfield.

RGC’s functions also include recovering deleted files and/or emails, malware analysis, password cracking and forensic analysis.

“I’ve always heard it said that for anything you want, there are three options: ‘fast turnaround, high quality or low cost’ and that you can only choose two of the three. But we’ve created an offering that meets and surpasses all three of those ideals,” said Turner. “The real question is, ‘Why isn’t everyone using this already?’”

About Document Solutions, Inc.

Serving law firms and corporate legal departments nationwide, Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi) is a litigation support services company that provides a wide range of traditional and technology-driven services, including Electronic Discovery, Digital Forensics, Data Recovery, Early Case Assessment, Web Review, Consulting, Hosting, Near De-Duplication, Photocopying, Printing, Trial Boards, Document Management, Document Scanning, Imaging, Optical Character Recognition and more. Founded with an intimate knowledge of the legal community’s essential need for unimpeachable quality under rigid time constraints, our staff of highly trained specialists will help you harness today’s most current technology to gain a competitive advantage. DSi is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. and also has offices in Knoxville, Tenn. and Cincinnati, Ohio. http://www.dsi.co.

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Posted on February 26, 2012 by , Reply

Who Rules America? (Part 2)

July 1986 www.amazon.com Watch the full interview: thefilmarchived.blogspot.com Bohemian Grove is a 2700-acre (1100 ha) campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men’s art club known as the Bohemian Club. In mid-July each year, Bohemian Grove hosts a three-week encampment of some of the most powerful men in the world. Chase is the consumer and commercial banking division of JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with JPMorgan in 2000. Chase Manhattan Bank was formed by the merger of the Chase National Bank and the Bank of the Manhattan Company in 1955. The bank is headquartered in Chicago. The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan think tank based in Washington, DC. Its membership consists of some 200 senior corporate executives and university leaders. According to its mission statement, the organization is “dedicated to policy research on the major economic and social issues of our time and the implementation of its recommendations by the public and private sectors.” CED’s goal is to advance sound public policies that promote long-term and broad-based economic growth and opportunity for all Americans. Major policy issues that CED deals with include education reform, campaign finance reform, international trade and development, Social Security, economic and fiscal policy, workforce development, health care, legal and …

Posted on February 23, 2012 by , 17 comments

Manhattan College To Receive Fair Trade College Status on Feb. 16

Manhattan College To Receive Fair Trade College Status on Feb. 16












RIVERDALE, N.Y. (PRWEB) February 10, 2012

For the last five years, Manhattan College has worked to expand fair trade to campus as part of the College’s commitment to social responsibility, and as a result, will be the first college in New York City to receive Fair Trade College status. On Thursday, Feb. 16, a steering committee from Fair Trade Colleges and Universities in partnership with Fair Trade USA will honor Manhattan College with a certificate of achievement at a gathering on campus at 3:30 p.m. in Café 1853.

“Campus ministry and social action, along with the student group JustPeace have been raising awareness about fair trade since 2007,” said Gwendolyn A. Tedeschi, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics. “But this year, working with a great and diverse group of people across campus, including Gourmet Dining and the eFollett Bookstore, we’ve brought our fair trade campaign to a new level.”

The Manhattan College community is dedicated to globally reducing poverty and building sustainable businesses by carrying fair trade products within all campus dining halls, restaurants, cafes and the bookstore. The majority of fair trade-certified products in the United States are monitored by Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization that manages transactions between U.S. companies and international suppliers. Through a regimented process, Fair Trade USA ensures farmers and workers receive fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, and provide tools, training and resources to help a community thrive.

“Fair trade practices respect human dignity and are committed to social justice, important elements of our mission,” said Lois Harr, director of campus ministry and social action and adjunct instructor of religious studies. “As a Fair Trade College, we can put our values into action everyday in clear and concrete ways.”

In order to educate students and employees further on the importance of fair trade, the College has also made a conscientious effort to schedule lectures, guest speakers, film screenings and tastings of fair trade products throughout campus. For example, the College’s campus ministry and social action department hosted two presentations on fair trade coffee farming in El Salvador and Mexico. In addition, professors have also added the subject of fair trade in the classroom and led discussions on fair trade within international studies, sociology, economics and M.B.A. courses. In particular, one student conducted a research project on marketing fair trade products at the College, and three M.B.A. students won second place in a national competition for a case study on Equal Exchange: Trading Fairly and Making a Profit.

Along with making students aware of fair trade, the College hosted a faculty development session on the topic in October. As a whole, the College has conveyed the message of fair trade through several channels, such as the student-run newspaper, the alumni e-newsletter and social media channels.

“Catholic Relief Services (CRS) congratulates Manhattan College in its achievement of Fair Trade College status, and we at CRS have been gratified to witness the deepening commitments the College has made to fair trade principles as a demonstration of Lasallian tradition and engagement with CRS programming,” said Jackie DeCarlo, manger of CRS domestic programs. “By involving students, administrators and faculty in a series of awareness-building and learning activities, as well as working steadfastly on procurement policies that focus on farmers, the College has distinguished itself both as a Catholic educational institution and important CRS ally.”

As part of the Feb. 16 Fair Trade Colleges status event, Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president of Manhattan College, will accept the certificate on behalf of the College. He will also make a few remarks on the importance of the College’s longstanding mission to social justice through promoting fair trade all over campus and the local community.

Members of the media who would like to cover the event should call Liz Connolly Bauman, assistant director of communications at Manhattan College, at (718) 862-7232 or email public_relations(at)manhattan(dot)edu.

About Manhattan College:

Manhattan College is located at West 242nd Street near Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line and accessible by MTA subway line No. 1. For directions to the campus, visit http://www.manhattan.edu.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Lasallian Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with continuing and professional studies, and a graduate division. For more information about Manhattan College, visit http://www.manhattan.edu.

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Posted on February 20, 2012 by , Reply
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