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4746 days ago
The colonial origins of the global food market - Raj Patel - English
Raj Patel describes a history of the emergence of global food market which was constitutively tied to colonial expansionism and exploitation. The argument is on the line that India's food deficiency developed its severity - on an unprecedented scale - only after the colonial agricultural reforms and its integration of local economies into the global. The severe famines that we saw were a result of policies and socio-economic dynamics, not production technology per se. In other words, it was a construction of ‘distribution’ mechanism. Later, some invested their hopes in the so-called "Green Revolution", introduced since the 1960s in India. With the pesticides, chemical rich fertilizers, and GM seeds that came with it, the yields did increase, for a while at least. But increasing yields is one thing and food security another. The new technology, policies, and practices accompanying the "Green Revolution" made the Indian farmers even more vulnerable. The problem they now faced was not only that of ‘distribution’ but also of ‘production’. More than a hundred thousand Indian farmers have committed suicide due to increasing vulnerability in the last two decades. The Indian Punjab, which was the epicenter of the "Green Revolution", is in a severe crisis today and, some suggest that, parts of it "could be(come) barren in 10 to 15 years." A closer look at the history of Bt Cotton and Monsanto's monopolozing policies and years of neo-liberal reforms in India should be quite illuminating for anyone interested in this subject.
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4746 days ago
The smell in the air of supermarkets - Raj Patel - English
A related story from LA Times: How businesses coax shoppers into buying.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-shopping-psychology-20101122,0,1283284,full.story
This is a good summary of the tactics that businesses use to coax shoppers into spending. The article also illuminates how the ideology of 'choice' can be illusionary. I may think that I am buying this particular item out of my personal, independent choice, but in reality that choice or preference is conditioned by a number of stimuli, both within the store and from outside (ads, culture, media).
An important question that Raj Patel raises in the full speech is to what extent conscious buying can really help solve the problems of global economy, social justice, and the environment. Raj Patel's full speech:
http://fora.tv/2008/05/16/Raj_Patel_Discusses_Stuffed_and_Starved
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4746 days ago
New York Times Beats Drums for War - The Real News - English
Not many people will go through all the leaked documents. They will mostly hear what the mainstream media and political groups choose to focus on. In this clip Ray McGovern argues that The New York Times ignores intelligence that there is no evidence of Iran nuclear weapons program. --- One should not discount the possibility of a good number of forged and fragmented documents intentionally released to the Wikileaks by government apparatuses. That reason alone is enough to suggest that the Wikileaks cannot be a measure of truth per se, but it is the perspective with which one judges its content, and since there can be multiple perspectives, the truth of these leaks will remain contested. Further, the accuracy of some documents in the leaks should not be taken as a verification of the accuracy of the rest of the documents. On the question of verification, the Wikileaks website itself suggests that, the "simplest and most effective countermeasure is a worldwide community of informed users and editors who can scrutinize and discuss leaked documents.”
Lastly, in any review of these leaks, one should also interrogate the sources used and the background and politics of the people working for the Wikileaks. Because these considerations have a huge impact on what the Wikileaks editors choose to release (and what they do not), their timing, and their targets. Perhaps, their politics and agenda will become clearer with the release of more leaked documents.
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4749 days ago
Kenneth OKeefe on BBCs Hardtalk - Part 3 - English
Kenneth OKeefe talks about the Israeli terrorist attack on the MV Mavi Marmara which killed 9 humanitarian activists. Also see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ and http://www.islamicinsights.com/news/opinion/good-muslim-bad-muslim-cracking-the-media-code.html
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4909 days ago
Kenneth OKeefe on BBCs Hardtalk - Part 2 - English
Kenneth OKeefe talks about the Israeli terrorist attack on the MV Mavi Marmara which killed 9 humanitarian activists. Also see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ and http://www.islamicinsights.com/news/opinion/good-muslim-bad-muslim-cracking-the-media-code.html
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4909 days ago
Kenneth OKeefe on BBCs Hardtalk - Part 1 - English
Kenneth O'Keefe talks about the Israeli terrorist attack on the MV Mavi Marmara which killed 9 humanitarian activists. Also see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ and http://www.islamicinsights.com/news/opinion/good-muslim-bad-muslim-cracking-the-media-code.html
Runtime: 9m:39s
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4909 days ago
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4928 days ago
Gaza in Plain Language - Joe Mowrey - English
The article "Gaza in Plain Language", by Joe Mowrey, was first published by Dissident Voice, http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/01/gaza-in-plain-language/, on Jan 19, 2010. The voice-over appears to be not by the author. For details about the video, see alawson911 on youtube. For more info on Gaza, see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/
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4929 days ago
QnA - The Value of Nothing - Raj Patel - English
Raj Patel Talk on his latest book - The Value of Nothing - at the SDSU Cultivating Food Justice Conference. To read the first chapter, click here: http://bit.ly/1ajaxZ . For more information on both Raj Patel and The Value of Nothing, visit http://www.rajpatel.org .
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4966 days ago
Book Talk - The Value of Nothing - Raj Patel - Part 2 - English
Raj Patel talks about his latest book - The Value of Nothing - at the SDSU Cultivating Food Justice Conference. To read the first chapter, click here: http://bit.ly/1ajaxZ . For more information on both Raj Patel and The Value of Nothing, visit http://www.rajpatel.org .
Runtime: 14m:5s
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4966 days ago
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4969 days ago
The Problems with a Two-State solution for Palestine - Ali Abunimah - Part 3 - English
Ali Abunimah is the editor of http://electronicintifada.net/. He spoke at the One State for Palestine-Israel Conference in Boston in 2009. For more on the One State solution, see his book "One Country". For a similar perspective, see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ BOTH morally and realistically, the two-state solution was never a viable solution of the situation. In the last 30 or so years, since Camp David, if our different institutions and movements had spent their energies on discrediting Zionism - instead of giving it concessions and in the process legitimizing it - that might have been more fruitful. Over these years, the "peace process" has only facilitated Israel to steal more land and discredit the moral rights of the Palestinians.
Today, effectively, there is already a "One State" in the Palestine-Israel region under Israeli control. Some argue that we are inevitably moving toward formalizing that "One State", and that the resistance struggle may in fact transform into a movement for equal citizenship rights. Or, perhaps it won't take even that long for the dismantlement of the Zionist apartheid state.
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5039 days ago
The Problems with a Two-State solution for Palestine - Ali Abunimah - Part 2 - English
Ali Abunimah is the editor of http://electronicintifada.net/. He spoke at the One State for Palestine-Israel Conference in Boston in 2009. For more on the One State solution, see his book "One Country". For a similar perspective, see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ BOTH morally and realistically, the two-state solution was never a viable solution of the situation. In the last 30 or so years, since Camp David, if our different institutions and movements had spent their energies on discrediting Zionism - instead of giving it concessions and in the process legitimizing it - that might have been more fruitful. Over these years, the "peace process" has only facilitated Israel to steal more land and discredit the moral rights of the Palestinians.
Today, effectively, there is already a "One State" in the Palestine-Israel region under Israeli control. Some argue that we are inevitably moving toward formalizing that "One State", and that the resistance struggle may in fact transform into a movement for equal citizenship rights. Or, perhaps it won't take even that long for the dismantlement of the Zionist apartheid state.
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5039 days ago
The Problems with a Two-State solution for Palestine - Ali Abunimah - Part 1 - English
Ali Abunimah is the editor of http://electronicintifada.net/. He spoke at the One State for Palestine-Israel Conference in Boston in 2009. For more on the One State solution, see his book "One Country". For a similar perspective, see http://gazaawareness.blogspot.com/ BOTH morally and realistically, the two-state solution was never a viable solution of the situation. In the last 30 or so years, since Camp David, if our different institutions and movements had spent their energies on discrediting Zionism - instead of giving it concessions and in the process legitimizing it - that might have been more fruitful. Over these years, the "peace process" has only facilitated Israel to steal more land and discredit the moral rights of the Palestinians.
Today, effectively, there is already a "One State" in the Palestine-Israel region under Israeli control. Some argue that we are inevitably moving toward formalizing that "One State", and that the resistance struggle may in fact transform into a movement for equal citizenship rights. Or, perhaps it won't take even that long for the dismantlement of the Zionist apartheid state.
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5039 days ago
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5121 days ago
Muslim Youth Helpline - English
Hope other communities will take inspiration from this project. We need more of such culturally sensitive, religiously informed, and professionally trained services in our communities addressing issues of youth, women, and families.
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5122 days ago
The Cosmos Within You - Amazing Cell Animation - See Description - All Languages
Courtesty nucleusanimation and Phelan8508 youtube. Animation by Harvard University. "In this clip Nuclei, proteins and lipids move with bug-like authority, slithering, gliding and twisting through 3D space. Each of the things in the animation are going on in every one of your cells in your body all the time. There are some surprising things. For instance, in the animation there's a motor protein that's sort of walking along a line, carrying this round sphere of lipids. It really does look like its out for a stroll, like a character in a science fiction film or animation. But based on all the data, it's pretty accurate rendering." FOLLOWING is a quote attributed to Imam Ali. Perhaps this clip may be considered as a material interpretation of that quote. The spiritual possibilities from within are said to be even greater and limitless -- "YOUR remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it. You presume you are a small entity, but within you is enfolded the entire Universe. You are indeed the Evident Book, by whose alphabet the Hidden becomes Manifest. Therefore you have no need to look beyond yourself. What you seek is within you, if only you reflect." -- For technical description of what is going on in this video search with LIVING CELL on this site for another video with commentary. More of these kind of videos are available on youtube. Search with nucleusanimation
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5128 days ago
The Truth about the 1967 Arab-Israel War - P.2 - Norman Finkelstein - English
Truth about the 1967 Arab-Israel War - P.2 - Norman Finkelstein. Delivered on April 7, 2009. On the circumstances surrounding the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Norman Finkelstein writes:
“Preserving its deterrence capacity has always loomed large in Israeli strategic doctrine. Indeed, it was the main impetus behind Israel's first-strike against Egypt in June 1967 that resulted in Israel's occupation of Gaza (and the West Bank). … After Israel threatened and laid plans to attack Syria, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser declared the Straits of Tiran closed to Israeli shipping, but Israel made almost no use of the Straits (apart from the passage of oil, of which Israel then had ample stocks) and, anyhow, Nasser did not in practice enforce the blockade, vessels passing freely through the Straits within days of his announcement. In addition, multiple U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that the Egyptians did not intend to attack Israel and that, in the improbable case that they did, alone or in concert with other Arab countries, Israel would -- in President Lyndon Johnson's words -- "whip the hell out of them." … The predicament for Israel was rather the growing perception in the Arab world, spurred by Nasser's radical nationalism and climaxing in his defiant gestures in May 1967, that it would no longer have to follow Israeli orders. Thus, Divisional Commander Ariel Sharon admonished those in the Israeli cabinet hesitant to launch a first-strike that Israel was losing its "deterrence capability...our main weapon -- the fear of us."[8] Israel unleashed the June 1967 war "to restore the credibility of Israeli deterrence" (Israeli strategic analyst Zeev Maoz).[9]” [Italicized in the original]
See the full text: “Foiling Another Palestinian “Peace Offensive”: Behind the Bloodbath in Gaza.” Norman Finkelstein. Jan 19, 2009. http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=2542
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5149 days ago
The Truth about the 1967 Arab-Israel War - P.1 - Norman Finkelstein - English
Truth about the 1967 Arab-Israel War - P.1 - Norman Finkelstein. Delivered on April 7, 2009. On the circumstances surrounding the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Norman Finkelstein writes:
“Preserving its deterrence capacity has always loomed large in Israeli strategic doctrine. Indeed, it was the main impetus behind Israel's first-strike against Egypt in June 1967 that resulted in Israel's occupation of Gaza (and the West Bank). … After Israel threatened and laid plans to attack Syria, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser declared the Straits of Tiran closed to Israeli shipping, but Israel made almost no use of the Straits (apart from the passage of oil, of which Israel then had ample stocks) and, anyhow, Nasser did not in practice enforce the blockade, vessels passing freely through the Straits within days of his announcement. In addition, multiple U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that the Egyptians did not intend to attack Israel and that, in the improbable case that they did, alone or in concert with other Arab countries, Israel would -- in President Lyndon Johnson's words -- "whip the hell out of them." … The predicament for Israel was rather the growing perception in the Arab world, spurred by Nasser's radical nationalism and climaxing in his defiant gestures in May 1967, that it would no longer have to follow Israeli orders. Thus, Divisional Commander Ariel Sharon admonished those in the Israeli cabinet hesitant to launch a first-strike that Israel was losing its "deterrence capability...our main weapon -- the fear of us."[8] Israel unleashed the June 1967 war "to restore the credibility of Israeli deterrence" (Israeli strategic analyst Zeev Maoz).[9]” [Italicized in the original]
See the full text: “Foiling Another Palestinian “Peace Offensive”: Behind the Bloodbath in Gaza.” Norman Finkelstein. Jan 19, 2009. http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=2542
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5149 days ago
Islamic Revolution in the Making - Jan-Feb 1979 footage - English
This appears to be from Jan-Feb of 1979 in Tehran. Shah has already fled and Imam Khomeini is enthusiastically awaited in Iran. The air is filled with euphoria. In what became a signature activity or gesture of the Iranian revolutionary movement, the demonstrators are handing flowers to the soldiers. Before departing the Shah appointed Shapour Bakhtiar as the Prime Minister. Bakhtiar was from one of the opposition parties. Shah wanted this to be seen as a conciliatory gesture to forestall the revolution. However Bakhtiar\'s tenure lasted for no more than 36 days. He failed to rally support from the members of his own party- the National Front. This footage was aired by CBC.
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5169 days ago
Professor Hamid Algar on Obama-s Iran Policies - English
This lecture took place on 11 February 2009 at UC Berkeley on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Hamid Algar has been a member of the University of California-Berkeley faculty since 1965. He is the biographer of Ayatollah Khomeini and ranks among world's leading historians of Islam. He teaches courses on Persian literature the history of Islam and Shiism and Sufism. He has written books and articles on each of these subjects including more than 100 articles in the Encyclopaedia Iranica.
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5169 days ago
Saddam-s atrocities in Northern Kurdish Region 1987-8 - English
The biological weapons given to Saddam by the Western powers to fight the resilient Iranians were also used on the Kurds of the North. During the late stages of the Iran–Iraq War Saddam's proconsul Ali Hassan - aka Chemical Ali - is said to have used Mustard Gas, Sarin, Tabun, and VX against Kurdish targets. The first such attacks occurred as early as April 1987 and continued into 1988 culminating in the notorious attack on Halabja in which over 5000 people were killed. With Kurdish resistance continuing Ali Hassan decided to break the back of the rebellion by eradicating the civilian population of the Kurdish regions. His forces embarked on a systematic campaign of mass killings property destruction and forced population displacement in which thousands of Kurdish villages were razed and their inhabitants either killed or deported to the south of Iraq. For more on chemical and biological weapon sale to Saddam by the West, see http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0908-08.htm
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5176 days ago
Why Storytelling - Part II - English
You may not agree with some specific examples or points. Like words are essential for thinking - Many scholars may argue to the contrary. But the overall message of these two videos is worth considering and implementing in our class rooms. What I find most attractive in storytelling as a technique of teaching is that more than just learning pre-determined knowledge they allow creative and imaginative construction of knowledge itself in the process. Moreover, compared to the traditional techniques in which the teacher is more or less at the center, in the storytelling technique the child is at the center of learning process. Storytelling fosters reasoning and communication skills. It encourages the development of reading habit, social interaction skills, and even problem solving skills (using both rational and emotional reasoning methods). All these are in addition to moral values and knowledge that can be conveyed in the play-out at a deeper level. See "A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play" by Vivian Gussin Paley.
Runtime: 8m:46s
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5181 days ago
Why Storytelling - Part I - English
What I find most attractive in storytelling as a technique of teaching is that more than just learning pre-determined knowledge they allow creative and imaginative construction of knowledge itself in the process. Moreover, compared to the traditional techniques in which the teacher is more or less at the center, in the storytelling technique the child is at the center of learning process. Storytelling fosters reasoning and communication skills. It encourages the development of reading habit, social interaction skills, and even problem solving skills (using both rational and emotional reasoning methods). All these are in addition to moral values and knowledge that can be conveyed in the play-out at a deeper level. See "A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play" by Vivian Gussin Paley.
Runtime: 9m:56s
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5181 days ago
Teaching Story Telling in Class Rooms - English
What I find most attractive in storytelling as a technique of teaching is that more than just learning pre-determined knowledge they allow creative and imaginative construction of knowledge itself in the process. Moreover, compared to the traditional techniques in which the teacher is more or less at the center, in the storytelling technique the child is at the center of learning process. Storytelling fosters reasoning and communication skills. It encourages the development of reading habit, social interaction skills, and even problem solving skills (using both rational and emotional reasoning methods). All these are in addition to moral values and knowledge that can be conveyed in the play-out at a deeper level. Also see "A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play" by Vivian Gussin Paley.
Runtime: 4m:30s
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5181 days ago
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5181 days ago
Would you buy a diamond if ... - English
More regulations on the diamond trade - specifically, to purchase only certified diamonds - would only reinforce the monopoly of De Beers and its likes.
Human beings are exploited on both ends of the diamond trade. From the poor miners in Africa to those people who are made to believe that their love could only proven by diamond. They probably do not know how much blood is on that diamond. And some, despite knowing, have simply become indifferent and cold (and therefore, in-human).
We need to re-think if we need diamonds at all to feel happy about ourselves or express our love toward others?
A related question to consider is that Are diamonds really that rare. Is diamond scarcity real or artificial? See another clip on this site by the title "The Diamond Empire"
Even if somehow we manage to address the problem of "scarcity" by dismembering the diamond cartels and etc., would that solve the problem? If today we address diamond scarcity somehow, tomorrow the hearts-with-illness will desire for some other “precious” metal or material. Instead of De Beers, you will have some other unscrupulous, profit-hungry business doing similar exploitation.
People should definitely engage in political activism, pressuring politicians and companies through protests and boycotts. But just that doing that won’t be enough. What is needed is a deep cultural shift in how people think and desire and somehow re-orient the focus away from the rat race for bigger, better, faster, and more, that you see in almost all segments of society around the world - those in the middle and upper classes that can afford such luxuries and those among the working and poor classes who can't afford but their hearts long for these luxuries, and if tomorrow they become rich, they would probably join the rat race with similar enthusiasm.
Change has to start from within ourselves, from transforming our hearts, from changing our standards of beauty and value. More than just sympathy we need to get angry at our complacency and at the exploitation of people and environment and turn our passivity into concrete action.
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5184 days ago