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The Newsletter of the Central Kentucky Council for Peace and JusticePO Box 363 Lexington KY 40588 (859) 293-2265

Email List: [email protected] Website: http://www.peaceandjusticeky.org

Issue # 209

Printed on recycled paper.

June 2007

IN THIS ISSUE

Are we rea" y in a clash of civi-

lizations?Working less is better for the

planet.Wolfowitz is not the real scandal

at the World Bank. Review of new book by EKU

Professor Robert Topmi"er.Calendar and Quotes.

NOTE: Peaceways is offin July.

The UN: back (or still?) in Iraq years laterby Bill Miller

Support, both domestic and interna-

tional, for the Bush Administrationsunpopular war in Iraq is eroding fasterthan the New Orleans levees under theferocious battering of Hurricane Ka-trina. Interestingly, the United Nations,an organization whose vast majority of192 member states opposed the US-ledinvasion, is actively lending a hand toshore up the political and humanitarianlandscape, as well as the economic andsocial development of that ravagedcountry.

Prior to the war in Iraq, most UNmembers correctly believed that Sad-dam Hussein didNOT have weaponsof mass destruction (WMDs), nor didhe participate in the murderous 9-11attacks. Hussein was NOT an immi-nent threat to the US or Israel anddidNOT have an operational link to

Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.Flashing back to 2002-03 during the

buildup, most Americans probablyhave three vivid memories of interac-tions between the US and the UN: 1)

President Bush was fond of challengingthe UN to be relevant; 2) the UNSecurity Council withheld a resolutionthat the US desperately needed to pro-

vide legal and moral cover for the inva-sion; and, 3) a horrific explosion de-stroyed much of the UN Headquartersin August of 2003 in Iraqthat killedover 20 of the UNs best and brightestinternational public administrators.

What a difference four years make. Today, President Bush, Secretary of

State Condi Rice and Bush Administra-tion heavyweights have apparently

come to the conclusion that the UN isabsolutely crucial to achieve success inIraq, and to confront other hotspotsaround the globe.

After the explosion at the UN head-quarters in Baghdad in August of 2003,the UN took a low profile. So low, infact, that some UN observers com-plained it had abandoned the country.Such was not the case. Predictably, theUS media did little to dispel the aban-donment myth because they were ei-

ther not knowledgeable of the UNsassistance or they did not want to give

the UN any credit. UN bashing talk-show hosts and anti-UN publications,it seems, were quite happy to perpetu-ate the myth and to denounce the UNfor not doing its fair share.

Even though the war was not sanc-tioned by the UN, was a war of choice,and was widely viewed as an illegal in-

vasion of a sovereign country, UNmembers and UN agencies arrived atthe inevitable conclusion that it was

imperative to help innocent Iraqis ad-versely affected by the conflict; re-buildthe countrys physical and human infra-structure; and establish a democratic

government that would govern for thebenefit of the people.

UN agencies have played a majorrole in helping stabilize the situationand improve the quality of life formany Iraqis.

Just a few examples of the UN ac-tivities include:

The UN and Iraq recently launchedan International Compact with Iraq,

which is a partnership with the interna-tional community over the next five

years. The Compact will bring togethercountries and international organiza-tions to help the Iraqi government de-

velop a democracy, a sustainable econ-omy, good governance principles, pro-fessional security forces and a respectfor the rule of law;

The UN has been the keyplayerin planning and implementing the threedemocratic elections held in Iraq and

in developing an equitable nationalconstitution; The UN Childrens Fund (UNI-

CEF) launched one of the largest life-saving drives, with over 8,000 immu-

(Continued on next page)

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Peaceways 2 June 2007

The Central KentuckyCouncil for Peace & Justice

Peacewaysis published ten times a year

by the Central Kentucky Council for Peace

and Justice, PO Box 363, Lexington KY

40588.

Submissions of articles or items in the

Calendar are welcome. Contact the editor,

Michael Fogler, at (859) 299-3074 or

[email protected]. Dead-

line: the first Wednesday of the month.

The views expressed inPeacewaysare

those of the authors, and do not necessar-

ily reflect the views of the Central Ken-

tucky Council for Peace and Justice.

Staff: Michael Fogler, Newsletter Editor and

Mailing Coordinator; Candice Watson, Ad-

ministrative Assistant.

Board of Directors: Jim Embry, Mary Ann

Ghosal, Billie Mallory, Richard Mitchell

(treasurer), Rosie Moosnick (co-chair), KerbyNeill (co-chair), Bill Poole, Mary Alice Pratt,

H.D. Uriel Smith, Cindy Swanson, Ray

Wilke.

Member Organizations: ACLUCentral

Kentucky Chapter, Amnesty International UK

Chapter, Bahis of Lexington, Berea Friends

Meeting, Berea Interfaith Taskforce for

Peace, Catholic Action Center, Central Chris-

tian Church Shalom Congregation, Central

Kentucky Jewish Federation, CentrePeace,

Commission for Peace and JusticeLexing-

ton Catholic Diocese, Franciscan Peace

Center, Gay and Lesbian Services Organiza-

tion, Humanist Forum of Central Kentucky,

Islamic Society of Central Kentucky, Ken-

tucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Pen-

altyCentral Kentucky Chapter, Kentucky

Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration

Reform, Kentucky Disabilities Coalition,

Kentucky Disciples Peace Fellowship, Ken-

tucky Fairness Alliance, Leftist Student Un-

ionUK, Lexington Fair Housing Council,

Lexington Friends Meeting, Lexington

Greens, Lexington Hispanic Association,

Lexington labor Council Jobs With Justice

Committee, Lexington Living Wage Cam-

paign, Newman Center at UK, North East

Lexington Initiative, Peacemaking Commit-

tee of Hunter Presb. Church, Peacemaking

Committee of Maxwell St. Presb. Church,Peacemaking Committee of Second Presb.

Church, Peacemaking Committee of Tran-

sylvania Presbytery, Progress (Transy),

Shambhala Center, Sustainable Communi-

ties Network, Unitarian Universalist Church

of Lexington, United Nations Association

Blue Grass Chapter.

nizers, across Iraq to immunize 3.9 mil-lion Iraqi children from ages one to fiveto avert a potential outbreak of mea-sles, mumps, and rubella. UNICEFsupports other basic services in healthand nutrition, water and environmental

sanitation, and child protection. UNHCR (UN High Commissionfor Refugees) estimated that there are1.9 million displaced Iraqis internallyand over two million living in otherstates, primarily in Jordan, Egypt, andSyria. UNHCR is assisting 50,000 non-Iraqi refugees in Iraq and aiding200,000 Iraqis in neighboring coun-tries.

UNESCO (United Nations Educa-tional, Scientific and Cultural Organi-zation) assists Iraqis in safeguarding

and reconstructing their cultural heri-tage by retrieving looted art treasuresand preventing vandalism of culturalartifacts and sites.

Aldous Huxley, the British author who wrote Brave New World, oncestated that facts do not cease to existbecause they have been ignored. Thefacts are that the US Administrationtotally ignored the findings of Dr. HansBlix, head of the UNs Monitoring,Verification, and Inspection Commis-sion in Iraq, that there wereNO

WMDs. To compound the problem,the US launched a preemptive militarystrike against Iraq which is widely

viewed as illegal (as opposed to pre-emptive action against a foe that isauthorized under international law).

The Bush Administration had alreadydecided to invade Iraq, prior to gettingauthorization from the US Congressand the UN, according to former CIADirector George Tenet in his book, Atthe Center of the Storm.

Tenet confi

rms many lingering suspi-

cions regarding the duplicitous andmendacious process that allowed little,if any, substantive discussion about theactual threat posed by Saddam, such asthe cherry picking of information, areliance on inaccurate sources and in-formation about WMDs, and the lackof ethics and the incompetence of sev-eral Bush Administration policymakers.

What are some of the lessons for thefuture?

The UN in Iraq (continued from page 1)

1) Although the Bush Administrationhas a legacy of misinformation, incom-petence, and disinformation in depict-ing the threat from Islamic radicals andanti- American forces, incredulously itstill has considerable clout and partial

credibility at the UN. The USs leader-ship helped develop the coalition ofresources of UN agencies and countriesto assist the Iraqis;

2) More frequently, the Iraqi invasionis being depicted as the most disastrousforeign policy blunder in US history.

That mistake has fueled the conflictwith Islamic fundamentalists, made theUS government more unpopular (andeven hated) around the world, dimin-ished the USs role as a superpower,

weakened the US military, fomented

more instability in the Arab world,sharply increased the US debt andcracked the veneer of an invincible USmilitary (remember the missile climb-ing a chimney in the First Gulf War).On every front, except a saturationbombing campaign, the USs hands aretied if it tries to deal militarily withNorth Korea and Iran.

3) Recently, the majority of the IraqiParliament, which now is in sync withpublic opinions taken in polls of theIraqi people,signed on toa resolu-

tion declaring that the US is an occupy-ing force and calls for a specific timeta-ble for withdrawal.

4) The UN, even with its imperfec-tions, is the go-to international forumto resolve current and future problems.

As former Secretary of State Madeline Albright said about the UN, it isindispensable

Chaos in Iraq is intensifying. It isserving as a recruiting tool for Islamicradicals and is destabilizing many parts

of the Middle East. The chaos willlikely contribute to even more blood-shed and conflict both within and out-side of Iraq. Sixteen UN agencies havebeen providing assistance to the Iraqipeople since 2003. Not only should theUN be thanked profusely, it should alsobe listened to since it has been rightabout almost all the major findingsconcerning Iraq. As former Supreme


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Court Associate Justice Oliver Wen-dell Holmes said in his aphorism, Apage of history is worth a volume oflogic. The UN has the history, theideologues and fanatics have the logic.

Bi" Mi"er, former Chair of the UNAssociation of the USA s Council of Chap-ter and Division Presidents, is the accred-itedWashington Internationaljournalistcovering the UN and is the Producer/Moderator of Global Connections Televi-sion.

UN in Iraq (continued)

UN Report looks at Muslim/Western clashby Dan Murphy

CairoA UN-sponsored groupcalled the Alliance of Civilizations,created last year to find ways to bridgethe growing divide between Muslim

and Western societies, released a firstreport that says the conflict over Israeland the Palestinian territories is thecentral driver in global tensions.Our emphasis on the Israeli -

Palestinian conflict is not meant toimply that it is the overt cause of alltensions between Muslim and Westernsocieties, write the reports authors, a

group of academics and present andformer government officials from 19different countries. Nevertheless, it isour view that the Israeli-Palestinianissue has taken on a symbolic valuethat colors cross cultural and politicalrelationswell beyond its limited geo-

graphic scope.But while the authors hope their

report will invigorate and create cross-cultural dialogue, its tone implies thatit is unlikely to be well received by theUnited States and Israel, focusing as itdoes on allegations of double standardsby those two nations while giving lesstime to the faults of the Palestinians or

specific Muslim governments.Criticism of US policies, though attimes oblique, is a major feature of thedocument and hits on themes thathave angered representatives of theBush administration in the past. Forinstance, in a discussion of Al Qaedasattack on the US on Sept. 11, the re-port states: Later, these attacks werepresented as one of the justifications

for the invasion of Iraq, whose link with them has never been demon-strated, feeding a perception amongMuslim societies of unjust aggressionstemming from the West.

The report is the result of a UN-

sanctioned High Level Group meet-ing of some twentyeminent personali-ties that UN Secretary-General Kofi

Annan appointed last year. The group, which was cosponsored by the PrimeMinisters of Turkey and Spain and in-cluded among its authors Nobel PeacePrize- winner Archbishop Desmond

Tutu and former Iranian president Mo-hammed Khatami, issued the final re-port on Nov. 13 at its final meeting inIstanbul.

To be sure, the report is also framedas a direct challenge to the notion thata Clash of Civilizations is immi-nenta concept first popularized bySamuel Huntingtons 1996 book.

In a statement, Mr. Kofi Annan saidit was clear that religion is not at theroot of current tensions. The problem is not the Koran or

the Torah or the Bible, Mr. Annansaid. The problem is never the faith, itis the faithful and how they behavetowards each other.

That sentiment was echoed in aneditorial published in the HoustonChronicle by three of the reportsauthors, who also said that politicalrepression in the Muslim world con-tributes to extremism.Denying peaceful opposit ion

movements the freedom to expresstheir views and jailing their supporters

generate anger and resentment, en-couraging some to join violent groups,

wrote Mr. Tutu, former Indonesianforeign minister Ali Alatas, and Andri

Azoulay, an advisor to Moroccos KingMuhammed VI.When Western governments lend

their supporttacitly or overtlytoauthoritarian regimes, they becomepart of the problem, the authors

wrote.The overall objective of the paper is

to set out problems between the Mus-lim and the West as a matter of politics,and not of culture, and tends to seeanger and misunderstanding as largely a

problem of inadequate education.For instance, the authors point to a

recent Gallup poll that found 57 per-cent of Americans either respondednothing or I dont know when askedwhat they most admired about Muslim

societies, as evidence for a need foreducation systems in both the West andMuslim countries to provide a basicunderstanding of religious traditionsother than their own.

The authors also point to anotherrecent survey that found 30 percent ofUS government money for cultural ex-changes go to programs with Europe,

while just 6 percent go to programs with the Middle East, arguably theplace where such efforts could do themost good.

The UNs High Level Group reportincludes a set of concrete recommenda-tions for the international community.

Among the recommendations: The international community

should draft a white paper to analyzethe Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

An international conference shouldbe convened to reinvigorate the MiddleEast peace process.

Ruling parties in the Muslim worldshould provide space for the participa-

tion of peaceful political groups. Leaders and shapers of public opin-ion should behave responsibly and workto promote understanding among cul-tures.

The UN should appoint a high rep-resentative to assist in defusing cross-cultural tensions.

The UN should establish a forumfor the alliance of civilizations under itsauspices.

Journalists should receive improvedtraining in intercultural understanding.

Media content should aim to pro-mote intercultural dialogue.

Educational materials and medialiteracy programs in schools should facea critical review.

Governments should increase thenumber of international youth ex-changes and youth-oriented websites.

The international communityshould create media campaigns to com-bat discrimination.

Source: www.unaoc.org

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Working less better for the planetby Dara Colwell

Americans are working harder thanever before. The dogged pursuit of thepaycheck coupled with a 24/7 economyhas thrust many of us onto a never-

ending treadmill. But of workaholismsgrowing wounded, its greatest casualtyhas been practically ignoredtheplanet.We now seem more determined

than ever to work harder and producemore stuff, which creates a bizarreparadox: We are proudly breaking ourbacks to decrease the carrying capacityof the planet, says Conrad Schmidt, aninternationally known social activistand founder of the Work Less Party, a

Vancouver-based initiative aimed atmoving to a 32-hour work weeka

radical departure from what we ve grown accustomed to. Choosing towork less is the biggest environmentalissue no ones talking about.

A backlash against overwork fatigue,the Work Less Party is one of a grow-ing number of initiatives aimed at cut-ting work hours while tackling unem-ployment, environmentally unfriendlybehavior and boosting leisure time.

According to Schmidt, author ofWork-

ers of the World RELAX, which exam-ines the economics of reduced indus-trial work, working less would allow usto produce less, consume less, polluteless andno complaints herelivemore. As a society, were working expo-

nentially hard to decrease sustainabilityand its making us miserablejustlook at how antidepressants are on therise, he says. In order to reduce ourecological footprint, we have to take

working less very seriously.

Americans work more hours thananyone else in the industrialized world.

According to the United Nations In-ternational Labor Organization, we

work 250 hours, or fi ve weeks, morethan the Brits, and a whopping 500hours, or 12 and a half weeks, morethan the Germans. So how does eco-logical damage figure in to the 40-plus

workweek?Do the math: Longer hours plus

labor-saving technology equals ever-

increasing productivity. Without highannual growth to match productivity,theres unemployment. Maintaining

growth means using more energy andresources, both in manpower and raw

materials, which results in increasedwaste and pollution.

Unsurprisingly, the US is the worldslargest polluter. Housing a mere 5 per-cent of the worlds population, it ac-counts for 22 percent of its fossil fuelconsumption, 50 percent of its solid

waste, and, on average, each citizenconsumes 53 times more goods than aperson in China, according to the envi-ronmental nonprofit, Sierra Club.

When people work longer hours,

they rely increasingly on convenienceitems such as fast food, disposable dia-pers, or bottled water. Built-in obsoles-cence has become standard businesspracticejust throw it away and makemoreleaving mountainous landfills inits wake. Earning more often meansspending money in ways that are envi-ronmentally detrimental. Were findingthat to compensate for lack of time,

you actually need more money to workthose extra hours, says Monique Til-ford, acting executive director of the

Centre for a New American Dream, aMaryland group promoting environ-mentally and socially responsible con-sumption. When people are time-starved they dont have enough time tobe conscious consumers. The overarch-ing theme of our organization is toremind Americans that every singledollar they spend has a carbon impact,to make the connection.

If the world started clocking Ameri-can hours, then it would be detrimen-tal to its environmental health. Accord-

ing to a paper issued by the Center forEconomic and Policy Research (CEPR)in Washington, D.C., if Europe movedtowards a U.S.-based economic model,it would consume 15-30 percent moreenergy by 2050. This would impact fuelprices worldwide and boost carbonemissions, resulting in additional

global warming of 1-2 degrees Celsius. Any reductions in greenhouse gasemissions made through conservation,cleaner fuels or green technology

would be overwhelmed by increasedindustrial output.Productivity normally increases

every year, but we havent seen massiveproductivity gains reflected in our

working hours, says Mark Weisbrot,CEPRs co-director, who also authoredthe study Are Shorter Work HoursGood for the Environment? Becausetheres no limit to what we can con-sume, a change of values has to takeplace if the planet stands a chance ofsurvival.

The problem is, France has alreadybegun following Americas lead by in-creasing the workload. In 2005, Franceeffectively abolished its 35-hour work-

week to counter high unemployment

the highest in the European Union,hovering at roughly 10 percentthough a subsequent InternationalMonetary Fund paper examining theimpact concluded there was no signifi-cant increase. And this May, the newFrench president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy,

whose campaign to work more, earnmore helped win him the presidentialseat, promised to make overtime largelytax-exempt. His goal: strengthen con-sumer purchasing power and galvanize

the economy.Only if Weisbrots research is correct,

Frances increased productivity wouldcreate even larger problems, especiallyconsidering Frances current productiv-ity is greater than Americas, with aGDP (Gross Domestic Product) perhour of $37.01 versus $33.77. Todayspush towards a heavier workload is inmany ways a historical precedent. Inboth the United States and Europe,

work hours declined steadily from thebeginning of the industrial revolution

until World War II, when labor unionswere key in fi ghting for shorter hours After the war, the 40-hour workweek was legally in place, and governmentspromoted economic growth in order tomatch it.

But since the 1970s, with the adventof technological advances and increasedautomation, most European govern-ments have continued shortening work


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hours whereas the United States hasopted instead to let wages fall. In thelate 1960s futurists predicted an Age ofLeisure, hypothesizing that the largestissue facing the country at the end ofthe century would be too much leisure.It was the kind of problem I thought Icould deal within fact, I was look-ing forward to it, says John de Graaf,

producer of the groundbreaking 1997PBS documentary Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic and a frequentspeaker on issues of overwork andoverconsumption. Of course, I didntreason wed put all our productivity

gains into more stuff.Quoting data from his current cam-

paign, Whats the Economy for Any-way? which examines Americas eco-nomic policies in light of quality of lifeissues, de Graaf says the evidence

proves were not better o

ff.Its stag

-

gering. The USA has declined relativeto all other industrial countries in vir-tually every quality of life measuredhealth, equality, savings, sustainability

though thats not so with the GDPand certainly not with the number ofbillionaires, he says. Yet were stillconstantly being told were better off.

Yet suggest alternatives to the statusquo of GDP worship, like shorteningthe work week, and resistance is great.Here, the business communityfiercely

opposes any mandates relating totime, says de Graaf, noting that bycontrolling or regulating time, theymaintain the upper hand. Whatshappened in Europe is people havediscovered its nice to have some timein their lives, and theyve wanted more.Whereas here, business has kept thatdoor completely shut.

But even many overburdened Americans fear change will signal fur-ther sacrificemostly to their pay-checks. But the fact is, were already

sacrificing our time and our lives rightnow, says de Graaf. De Graaf is alsothe national coordinator ofTake BackYour Time Day, an annual eventscheduled for Oct. 24, the date on

which the 40-hour workweek was firstinaugurated in the United States. Anational organization with 10,000members, Take Back Your Time haslaunched a campaign calling for na-tional legislation guaranteeing a mini-mum of three weeks of paid vacation,

an issue it hopes to make part of the2008 presidential campaign.

As it stands, America is the only in-dustrial nation that offers no legal pro-tection for vacations. The average va-cation in the United States is now onlya long weekend, and 25 percent of

American workers have no paid vaca-tion, according to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics. Compare that to Sweden, which mandates 32 vacation days per year. President Bush, however, doesknow the value of vacation time. In2005, he took five weeks offto visit his

Texas ranch, taking the longest presi-dential retreat in at least 36 years.We see overwork as a social, legal

problem that needs political legisla-tion, says de Graaf. We are utterlyunique in our dismissal of the need fortime and the environmental costs; not

to mention, the costs to our health andour families have been enormous.But by shelving time, we continue to

suffer from overload, debt, and anxiety,and are stuck in a fatalistic rat race

generated by heightened consumerism.So what fuels this need to accumulatein the face of time deprivation? Devot-ing his career to what drives material-ism, Tim Kasser, associate professor ofpsychology at Knox College and authorof The High Price of Materialism, hassought scientific explanations, examin-

ing the relationship between material-ism and psychological well-being.Materialism is driven by an underly-

ing sense of insecurity, says Kasser, who conducted a study where subjects were randomly assigned writing aboutdeath or writing about listening tomusic. The former experience an in-creased desire for consumption and

were greedier, according to Kasser.Death is the ultimate end of time; itsinterpreted as that feeling of not hav-ing enough time. In the last decade

politicians have played offthat insecu-rity. It keeps getting people elected,but it also drives us to think we need to

work harder and harder, he says, not-ing the signs of insecurity around us arenumerous: We dont know our neigh-bors and suffer from high divorce rates;our social safety nets have been dis-mantled; we have no mandatory over-time laws and minimal vacation. Allthese work to create an underlyingsense of insecurity, and we need to

break out of that cycle, he says.Interestingly, Kasser conducted an

empirical study comparing 200 adher-ents of Voluntary Simplicity to a con-trol group of 200 mainstream Ameri-cans and found the Voluntary Simplic-ity group was simultaneously happier

while using fewer resources, and thattheir happiness was derived from less

materialistic, intrinsic goals, such aspersonal growth, family and commu-nity. While the Voluntary Simplicity

group was still awfully far from havinga sustainable ecological footprint,Kasser feels its a positive start. Thecorrelation between the VS group be-ing happy was due to those no -consumeristic, intrinsic values, and thereason theyre living in a more ecologi-cally sustainable fashion is also due tothose values.

Its just those kind of values Schmidthas tried to encourage in his Work Less

Party. Schmidt, a former computerprogrammer, started by getting rid ofhis car and cycling to work, then tookadvantage of the savings by reducinghis workweek, which allowed himenough time to write his book, maketwo documentaries, and organize acommunity theater groupall in thelast three years.People spend so many hours

working they have no idea of how

much creative potential they have, but you get a taste of mental freedom you want more of it. Its an explosion ofcreativity. says Schmidt, quickly add-ing, Im a workaholic, but its the typeof work thats the problem. Our societyis focused on work that makes stuffthat goes directly into landfills. Essen-tial work such as art, music, creativity,community, the kind necessary to cre-ate a healthy society and planet, is be-ing negated in favor of that.

If theres any solution to increasing

our well-being, as well as the planets,Schmidts advice flies counter to ourdriven consumerism. If you want toprotect the environment, you have toconsume less, which means you have toproduce less, and you have to work less.We have to keep the message positive

our standard of living will improvehugely. I think people are starting tomake the connection.

[Dara Colwe"is a eelance writer basedin Amsterdam.]

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The real scandal at the World Bankby Johann Hari

The real scandal at the World Bankis that the Bank is killing thousands ofthe poorest people in the world.

While the worlds press has been

fi xated on the teeny- weeny scandalover whether the World Bank presi-dent Paul Wolfowitz helped to get his

girlfriend a$300,000-a- year gig nextdoor, they have been ignoring the ran-cid stench of a far bigger scandal waft-ing from Wolfies Washington offices.

This slo-mo scandal isnt about ap-parent petty corruption in DC. Itsabout how Wolfowitzs World Bank iskilling thousands of the poorest peoplein the world, and knowingly worseningour worst crisis global warm-ingevery day.

Lets start with the victims. MeetHawa Amadu, 70-something, living inthe muddy slums of Accra, the capitalof Ghana, and trying to raise her

grandkids as best she can. Hawa has aproblema massive problemand theWorld Bank put it there. She cant af-ford water or electricity any more.Why? The World Bank threatened torefuse to lend any more money to her

government, which would effectively

make it a leper to governmental donorsand international business, unless itstopped subsidising the cost of thesenecessities. The subsidies stopped. Thecost doubled. Now Hawa goes thirstyso her grandchildren can drink, and

weeps: Am I supposed to drink air?She is not alone. Half a world away,

in Bolivia, Maxima Cari, a mother, isalso thirsty. The World Bank tookaway my right to clean water, she ex-plains. In 1997 the World Bank de-manded the Bolivian government pri-

vatize the countrys water supply. SoMaxima couldnt afford it any more.Now she has to use dirty water from a

well her villagers dug. This dirty wateris making her children sick, and she issullen. I wash my children weekly,Maxima says. Sometimes theres onlyenough water to wash their hands andfaces, not their whole body This isnot a nice way to live. The newlyelected socialist government of EvoMorales is planning to take the water

backand he is, of course, condemnedand threatened by the World Bank.

Meet some more victims. I have methundreds, from Africa to Latin Amer-ica to the Middle East. Muracin Clair-

cin is a rice farmer in Haitionly hecant grow rice any more. In 1995, theWorld Bank demanded Haiti drop allrestrictions on imports. The country

was immediately flooded with ricefrom the US, which has been lavishlysubsidised by the US government. TheHaitian government barely exists andcant offer rival subsidies anyway: theWorld Bank forbids it. So now Muracinis jobless and his family are starving.

Some 5,000 miles away, Charles Avaala in Ghana is watching his toma-toes rot. He used to grow them for a

government-owned community tomatocannery that provided employment forhis entire community. The World Bankordered his government to close itdown, and to open the countrys mar-kets to international competition. Nowhe cant compete with the subsidy-fattened tomatoes from Europe. He,too, is starving.

How would Hawa and Maxima andMuracin and Charles feel if you told

them none of this is considered a scan-

dal, but business as usual?These victims are not merely an an-

ecdote soup; they are an accuratesummary of the World Banks effect onthe poor. Dont take my word for it.

The World Banks own IndependentEvaluation Group just found thatbarely one in ten of its borrowers expe-rienced persistent growth between1995 and 2005a much smaller pro-portion than those who stagnated orslid deeper into poverty. The bank s

own former chief economist, NobelPrize- winner Joseph Stiglitz, says thisapproach has condemned people todeath They dont care if people liveor die.

Why? Why would a body that claimsto help the poor actually thrash them?Because its mission to end poverty hasalways been mythical. As George Mon-biot explains in his book The Age ofConsent, the World Bank was created inthe 1940s by US economist Henry

Dexter White to be a further projec-tion of US power. The banks head isinvariably American, the bank is basedin Washington, and the US has a per-manent veto on policies. It does not

promote a sensible mix of markets andstate actionthe real path to develop-ment. No: the World Bank pursues theinterests of US corporations over thepoor, every time.

The banks staff salve their con-sciences by pickling themselves in anideologyneoliberalismthat saysthere is never a conflict between busi-ness rights and human rights. If its

good for Shell, it must be good for poorpeople, right?

This ideology also backfires on us inthe rich world. In 2000, the WorldBank was finally forced to undertake areview of its energy policies. It did itsbest to rig it, putting the former energyminister of the corporation-licking In-donesian dictator General Suharto incharge. Emil Salim was even serving onthe board of a coal company at the timehe was appointed. Butto everyonesastonishmentSalim concluded by op-posing the carbon-pumping oil and gasprojects that make up 94 per cent of all

the banks energy projects. He said theyshould be stopped altogether by 2008.

The banks response? It ignored itsown report and carried on warming.

The business climate, it seems, trumpsthe actual climate. Feel the heat.

While the elites huffand puffaboutWolfowitzs alleged small corruptionand ignore his organizations provenimmense corruption, there is some-thing we ordinary citizens can do. Inthe summer of 2001, at the global jus-tice protests in Genoa, I met Dennis

Brutus, a former inmate of Robben Is-land prison alongside Nelson Mandela.He had been repelled by the banks ac-tions in South Africa, and started hisprotests against them by asking a verybasic question: who owns the WorldBank? It turns out we do. Ordinarypeople in the Westthrough theirtrade unions, churches, town councils,universit ies and private invest-

(Continued on back page)

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1st Wed. of the month,7:30 pm

CKCPJ Board Meeting, Friends Meeting House, 649 Price Avenue. All welcome.

Kerby Neill, 293-2265

Every Sunday6:00 pm

Sustainable Communities Network, Third Street Stuff, onN.Limestone near the corner of Third St. www.SustainLex.org

Jim Embry, 312-7024

1st Wed. of the month,4:00 - 6:30 pm

Franciscan Peace Center, 3389 Squire Oak. Pat Griffin 230-1986

Events at a GlanceDate/Time Event Description Contact

1st Monday of the month,12:00 noon - 1:30 pm

Kentucky Migrant Network, Cooperative Extention Building,1141 Red Mile Place.

Andrea Tapia, 268-3353

4th Thursday of themonth,

Central Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty,Central Librrary, downtown.

Will Warner, 278-9232

1st Tuesday of the month,7:30 pm

Bluegrass Fairness Steering Committee, KCCJ office, 112 NUpper St.

Paul Brown, Chair,[email protected]

New meeting scheduleTBA soon.

Lexington Living Wage Campaign, Community ActionCouncil, Georgetown St., Lexington.

3rd Thursday of themonth,

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC), EpiscopalDiocese Mission House, corner of 4th St. and Martin Luther

Janet Tucker, 389-8575

2nd Wed. of the month,7:00 - 8:30 pm

Humanist Forum of Central Kentucky(AHA), UnitarianUniverisalist Church, 3564 Clays Mill Rd.

Dick Renfro, 255-7029

Every Thursday,5:30 - 6:00 pm

Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Peace, Triangle Park in downtownLexington.

You can become an activist for peace and justice!CKCPJ Orientation for new Board members. KerbyNeills home: 3767 Winchester Road. Want to become a newBoard member at the start of a new activist year? Come to thismeeting.

CKCPJ Annual Planning Retreat. For all Board membersand anyone interested in working for peace and justice. Place

TBA

Thursday, August 167:30 pm

Some time in SeptemberTBA

Rosie Moosnick, 268-5260

Rosie Moosnick, 268-5260

The day that hunger is eradicated from the earth there

will be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever

known. Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burstinto the world on the day of that great revolution.

Federico Garcia Lorca

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The Central Kentucky Councilfor Peace and JusticePO Box 363Lexington KY 40588

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTEDPlease recycle this paper. Thanks!

MOVING SOON??Please send us your new address in advance.

Bits and Peaces

Were losing eight children and teenagers a day to

gun violence. As far as young people are concerned,

we lose the equivalent of the massacre at Virginia

Tech about every four days.

Marian Wright Edelman

Non Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDLexington KYPermit No. 351

New book by EKU

Professor TopmillerReview by Mike Archer

Few people are more intimatelyacquainted with the horror of warthan Navy corpsmen serving withU.S. Marine units in combat. It isupon that terrible and grisly stagethat these corpsmen perform theirduties, and become heroes to Ma-rines, by risking their lives to helpothers: bandaging wounds, easingpain, comforting the dying, and la-menting (sometimes forever) theloss of those they could not save.

In 1968, at age 19, Bob Topmillerfound himself in just such a situa-tion, amidst of the longest andbloodiest battle of the Vietnam War-- at a place called Khe Sanh. Sur-rounded by as many as 30,000 ofNorth Vietnams best troops, who

were supported by artillery, tanks,anti-aircraft guns and rocket units,6,000 outnumbered and outgunned

American troops successfully heldthe majority of their defensive posi-tions despite fierce ground attacksand endless artillery bombardment.Young Bob Topmiller was among ahandful of corpsmen who, at greatperil to their own lives, forayed outeach day under intense enemyfire toassist the nearly 3,000 Marines who

would be killed or wounded duringthe three-month long battle. Top-miller was himself wounded in the

process.

In Red Clay on My Boots: Encounterswith Khe Sanh 1968-2005, nowProfessorBob Topmiller combines chilling per-sonal recollections with his expertise asa distinguished scholar of Vietnamesehistory to create a unique and powerfulaccount of the Vietnam War -- and thedisturbing human toll it continues toexact. Topmillers courage during thefierce and bloody battle for Khe Sanh

would later serve him well in his tire-less 37 year-long quest for reconcilia-tion and inner peace; eventually leadinghim to rediscover a level of compassionhe thought lost decades before amidthe carnage and ubiquitous red clay ofKhe Sanh. In a sublime act of personalredemption, Topmiller has been per-sonally responsible for dramaticallyimproving the lives of untold Vietnam-ese children deformed at birth due toan environment still poisoned from the

war. Terrifying, heartbreaking, enlighten-

ing and, above all, honest, Red Clay on

My Boots is a story hard to forget.

mentsown it. The bank raises nearlyall its funds by issuing bonds on theprivate market. They are often held bysocially minded institutions, the kind

who signed up to Make Poverty History.So, Brutus realized, we have a simplepower: to sell the bonds and bankrupt

The real World Bank scandal(continued from page 6)

the World Bank. We need to break

the power of the World Bank overdeveloping countries just as the disin-

vestment movement helped break thepower of the apartheid regime inSouth Africa, he explained.

The campaign to make World Bankbonds as untouchable as apartheid-erainvestments has already begun. Thecities of San Francisco, Boulder, Oak-land and Berkeley have sold theirs.Several US unions have also joined.Even this small ripple has caused anxi-ety within the bank about the threatto its AAA bond rating.

In the Genoa sun, as tear gas firedby the Italian police hissed in thebackground, Brutus told me: I livedto see the death of political apartheid.Now I want to live to see the end of

global financial apartheid.This is the fight we should join. Not

some petty squabble over whichWashington technocrat is morallypure enough to lead the forces ofsubsidy-slashing and starvation.

The whole aim of practical poli-

tics is to keep the populace

alarmed (and hence clamorous

to be led to safety) by menacing

it with an endless series of

hobgoblins, all of them imagi-

nary.

H.L. Mencken

Peace Ways 0706

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