An interesting panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland:
The G8 and Africa: Rhetoric or Action?
In case you don't have the time to go through the entire 27min video, here are the locations of some important moments in the video.
12:00 min - Bill Gates
"..take the example of things that are working and really get that story out, prove that the money can be very well spent and show the impact that it has.." - Gates
16:00 min - Bono
"I don't think 6,000 Africans dying everyday of a preventable disease like AIDS is a 'cause'. I think it's an emergency. And, I don't think 3,000 Africans dying from a mosquito bite is a cause. I think it's an emergency." - Bono
19:15 min - Bill Clinton
"The President just asked for $80bn for the Iraq war for a year. For a pittance of that we could double America's international assistance in all these areas." - Clinton
"Anybody who says we shouldn't do this because there is corruption or incompetence ought to be put into a closet and not listened to again." - Clinton
23:00 min Bono
"Paint those AIDS drugs red, white and blue if you have to but they are the best advertisements for our ingenuity, our science, our capability.. " - Bono
For more WEF webcasts, go here.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Hindi-Chini bhai bhai
I just discovered a very interesting series of articles on rediff.com - The India-China War, 40 Years On
The articles are on the Indo-China war of 1962 and the articles were published in 2002 but I chanced upon them only tonight. I was reading about India and China in the CIA's "Mapping the Global Future" report and decided to google "india china", when I hit upon the rediff.com series.
The CIA's report that I mentioned above tries to predict the state of world affairs in the year 2020. The report is quite long and so I recommed the executive summary which has sufficient details and is a manageable read. If you are interested, you can also read the predictions for the year 2010 and 2015.
Now, coming back to the rediff.com series, I suggest that any Indian with even an iota of patriotism read at least a few of the articles and get to know India's history better. I strongly recommend the article on "How Nehru let us down". The history lessons we are taught in school talk only about the "greatness" of our leaders and never about their failings. This article takes a look at how a leader's foolhardiness led to animsoity between two great nations and the subsequent humiliation of several hundred million people. Will the seeds of distrust sown by Nehru ever be removed?
The articles are on the Indo-China war of 1962 and the articles were published in 2002 but I chanced upon them only tonight. I was reading about India and China in the CIA's "Mapping the Global Future" report and decided to google "india china", when I hit upon the rediff.com series.
The CIA's report that I mentioned above tries to predict the state of world affairs in the year 2020. The report is quite long and so I recommed the executive summary which has sufficient details and is a manageable read. If you are interested, you can also read the predictions for the year 2010 and 2015.
Now, coming back to the rediff.com series, I suggest that any Indian with even an iota of patriotism read at least a few of the articles and get to know India's history better. I strongly recommend the article on "How Nehru let us down". The history lessons we are taught in school talk only about the "greatness" of our leaders and never about their failings. This article takes a look at how a leader's foolhardiness led to animsoity between two great nations and the subsequent humiliation of several hundred million people. Will the seeds of distrust sown by Nehru ever be removed?
Monday, January 03, 2005
Donate Effectively!
From what I have been reading in the media, it appears to me that aid agencies have been flooded with donations and some of the donations may be going waste due to poor distribution. So, I assume that it might be safe to hold on to your donations for now and wait till the aid agencies get their logistics right.
While I suggest that you don't make any donations right away, I entreat you to decide on the amount of your donations and set aside the money NOW itself while the feeling lasts. Because six months later, when aid agencies run out of funds, when the politicians have got enough publicity and when govts have impressed enough (united) nations, your donations will be needed for the care of thousands of orphaned children and the rehabilitation of tens of thousands of people; your feelings for the afflicted then may not be as intense as they are now.
Remember, your obligation to humanity does not stop at the dotted lines on your checks. It starts there! Please donate wisely and generously, and ensure that your donations make a difference.
While I suggest that you don't make any donations right away, I entreat you to decide on the amount of your donations and set aside the money NOW itself while the feeling lasts. Because six months later, when aid agencies run out of funds, when the politicians have got enough publicity and when govts have impressed enough (united) nations, your donations will be needed for the care of thousands of orphaned children and the rehabilitation of tens of thousands of people; your feelings for the afflicted then may not be as intense as they are now.
Remember, your obligation to humanity does not stop at the dotted lines on your checks. It starts there! Please donate wisely and generously, and ensure that your donations make a difference.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Tsunami Help!!!
If you are looking for a way to help the victims of this great disaster, you can find useful information at the following links:
Go to The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami .If you visit this website using Internet Explorer, you will find links to aid organizations and some statistics on the right-hand side of the page. If you visit this website using any other browser, please scroll down to the bottom of the page for links and statistics.
Go to BBC: Asian disaster: How to help for web addresses of some international aid agencies.
Please donate generously and prevent the next immediate disaster - disease.
Help!
Go to The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami .If you visit this website using Internet Explorer, you will find links to aid organizations and some statistics on the right-hand side of the page. If you visit this website using any other browser, please scroll down to the bottom of the page for links and statistics.
Go to BBC: Asian disaster: How to help for web addresses of some international aid agencies.
Please donate generously and prevent the next immediate disaster - disease.
Help!
Friday, December 03, 2004
Hollow Not Halo
That was not such a long break, was it? Anyway, I am back! And in case you are wondering, blogging slipped a little bit from the top of my pirorities list; my wife's trip to India overtook it. Anyway, now that she has reached India safely, I have blogging back at the top of my list. As promised to you earlier, this time I am going to share my thoughts on Halloween.
For the uninitiated, Halloween is celebrated every year on Oct 31. Children of all ages (even 75+ yr olds) across the U.S. dress up in "spooky" costumes and go from door to door tricking and treating. Dressed as Spidermen, Potters and witches, they go around their neighborhoods knocking on doors asking their neighbors to choose between treating them and getting tricked. Of course, almost every neighbor chooses to treat the visitors, not because the visitors know any tricks but because no one wants to be labelled the stingiest guy on the block.
This Halloween, the average American consumer would have spent $43.57 on Halloween-related purchases. Of this, a third would have been spent on candy and a third on costumes. The country as a whole would have spent approximately $3.12 billion dollars. Sugar levels would have gone up adding more children to the ever-growing population of diabetics and waistlines would have become larger adding to a booming obese population. While large quantities of candy would have entered the guts of people, large quantities would also have ended up in trashes, discarded by anxious parents and jaded kids. And, a lot of clothes and fancy outfits would have ended up in the dumpsters the very next day.
I don't mean to be a spoil-sport and I don't say that people should stop having fun or treating themselves. But, it's a shame that half of the world's 6.4bn people subsist on less than $1 a day when 295mn people spent an average of $10 each for fun and festivities on a single day. It's a shame that a nation spent $3.12bn for a single day of fun when the World Food Programme had a shortfall of $0.26bn (as of Oct 11,2004) and could not meet the critical needs of half a million people. It's a shame that people spent $15 on a stupid Spidey or Harry costume when a chronically hungry child could be fed for half a school year.
We don't have to be saints (the Pope has already beatified a record number of them). But, we should not be selfish wastrels, either. Let's show some restraint when we splurge on unhealthy and wasteful treats; let's stop to think of the needs of the millions starving in the rest of the world before we spend the next buck.
Heal the World!
For the uninitiated, Halloween is celebrated every year on Oct 31. Children of all ages (even 75+ yr olds) across the U.S. dress up in "spooky" costumes and go from door to door tricking and treating. Dressed as Spidermen, Potters and witches, they go around their neighborhoods knocking on doors asking their neighbors to choose between treating them and getting tricked. Of course, almost every neighbor chooses to treat the visitors, not because the visitors know any tricks but because no one wants to be labelled the stingiest guy on the block.
This Halloween, the average American consumer would have spent $43.57 on Halloween-related purchases. Of this, a third would have been spent on candy and a third on costumes. The country as a whole would have spent approximately $3.12 billion dollars. Sugar levels would have gone up adding more children to the ever-growing population of diabetics and waistlines would have become larger adding to a booming obese population. While large quantities of candy would have entered the guts of people, large quantities would also have ended up in trashes, discarded by anxious parents and jaded kids. And, a lot of clothes and fancy outfits would have ended up in the dumpsters the very next day.
I don't mean to be a spoil-sport and I don't say that people should stop having fun or treating themselves. But, it's a shame that half of the world's 6.4bn people subsist on less than $1 a day when 295mn people spent an average of $10 each for fun and festivities on a single day. It's a shame that a nation spent $3.12bn for a single day of fun when the World Food Programme had a shortfall of $0.26bn (as of Oct 11,2004) and could not meet the critical needs of half a million people. It's a shame that people spent $15 on a stupid Spidey or Harry costume when a chronically hungry child could be fed for half a school year.
We don't have to be saints (the Pope has already beatified a record number of them). But, we should not be selfish wastrels, either. Let's show some restraint when we splurge on unhealthy and wasteful treats; let's stop to think of the needs of the millions starving in the rest of the world before we spend the next buck.
Heal the World!
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Mixed Feelings
I wanted to share with you some thoughts that occurred to me on Halloween (Oct 31). But, I think I will do that another week because there is something more important to talk about - the recently concluded elections in the U.S.
I am having mixed feelings about the results of the elections - I am happy, sad, amused and disgusted that Bush won.
I am happy
....because I expect more unilateral actions by the U.S. that (I hope) will alienate it further from the rest of the world paving the way for some much-needed shifts in geopolitical alliances.
....because greedy Corporations will thrive and contiue outsourcing America to developing nations like Brazil, India and China improving the lives of millions of people.
....because people all over the world will continue to have someone they can despise and ridicule (a good stress reliever).
I am sad
....that Uncle Sam will continue to bully weaker nations prompting more nations to acquire or develop nuclear deterrents and leading to nuclear proliferation.
....that America's aggressive behavior will continue to fan the flames of extremism throughout the world making the world more dangerous.
....that the world's bigger polluter will continue to stay out of international efforts to make this world a better place for you and me.
I am amused
....that Bush was re-elected for his moral values when America is tuned into Wife Swap on prime-time television.
....that the world's second largest democracy has only a choice of two (before your jaws drop and your eyes pop out, here's a disclaimer. Disclaimer: the following words are NOT mine and belong to one of America's greatest film directors) "stupid white men". Americans can either go left or right but not straight. (no wonder America always sees the world as "US vs them")
But, I am definitely not amused by this.
I have to stop here. I am already sick of the current state of affairs and writing about it is making me even more sick.
God bless the World!
Vanakkam
I am having mixed feelings about the results of the elections - I am happy, sad, amused and disgusted that Bush won.
I am happy
....because I expect more unilateral actions by the U.S. that (I hope) will alienate it further from the rest of the world paving the way for some much-needed shifts in geopolitical alliances.
....because greedy Corporations will thrive and contiue outsourcing America to developing nations like Brazil, India and China improving the lives of millions of people.
....because people all over the world will continue to have someone they can despise and ridicule (a good stress reliever).
I am sad
....that Uncle Sam will continue to bully weaker nations prompting more nations to acquire or develop nuclear deterrents and leading to nuclear proliferation.
....that America's aggressive behavior will continue to fan the flames of extremism throughout the world making the world more dangerous.
....that the world's bigger polluter will continue to stay out of international efforts to make this world a better place for you and me.
I am amused
....that Bush was re-elected for his moral values when America is tuned into Wife Swap on prime-time television.
....that the world's second largest democracy has only a choice of two (before your jaws drop and your eyes pop out, here's a disclaimer. Disclaimer: the following words are NOT mine and belong to one of America's greatest film directors) "stupid white men". Americans can either go left or right but not straight. (no wonder America always sees the world as "US vs them")
But, I am definitely not amused by this.
I have to stop here. I am already sick of the current state of affairs and writing about it is making me even more sick.
God bless the World!
Vanakkam
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Hello and Welcome!
Finally! I made it to blogworld. I have wanted to blog for a long time now but always thought I didn't 'have' enough time. As I started visiting more and more blogs, I began to realize that if so many busy (and successful) people including the executive I admire the most, Jonathan Schwartz had the time to maintain a blog, there was something wrong with the priority I had set for blogging. I decided to move blogging to the top of my 'to do' list and here I am with my very first posting.
What will you find in my blog? You are going to find me ranting and raving on a whole bunch of issues. I will share my thoughts and opinions on politics, technology, culture, personalities, management, religion and, the most important of all, humanity (which is why we are on this planet). But, I must warn you that some of my views may anger you. Though, you are more than welcome to punch me at victoryforblog at yahoo dot com.
Who am I? I am still trying to figure that out.
What do I do? For now, I'll just say I build software as an engineer for a silicon valley company (sorry! not allowed to say which one). I will give you more details about myself in future posts. After all, this is just the beginning of our conversation.
I expect to post on a weekly basis. So, until next week, take care and see you! If you want to catch me before that, I am at victoryforblog at yahoo dot com.
Vanakkam
(Tamil for Goodbye)
What will you find in my blog? You are going to find me ranting and raving on a whole bunch of issues. I will share my thoughts and opinions on politics, technology, culture, personalities, management, religion and, the most important of all, humanity (which is why we are on this planet). But, I must warn you that some of my views may anger you. Though, you are more than welcome to punch me at victoryforblog at yahoo dot com.
Who am I? I am still trying to figure that out.
What do I do? For now, I'll just say I build software as an engineer for a silicon valley company (sorry! not allowed to say which one). I will give you more details about myself in future posts. After all, this is just the beginning of our conversation.
I expect to post on a weekly basis. So, until next week, take care and see you! If you want to catch me before that, I am at victoryforblog at yahoo dot com.
Vanakkam
(Tamil for Goodbye)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)