UN Peacekeeping Day

Today is International Day of UN Peacekeepers, a day to honor the more than 100,000 military and civilian personnel serving in 16 UN peacekeeping missions around the world. From Haiti, to Liberia, to Darfur, to East Timor, UN peacekeepers are restoring peace, protecting civilians and preventing deadly conflict.

The Better World Campaign, one of FCNL's colleague organizations, has set up an email service to thank UN peacekeepers.

But, there is another important way to really thank UN peacekeepers -- make sure they get paid! President Obama has requested $836 million for UN peacekeeping in the war supplemental. These funds would nearly wipe out our debt to the UN.

President Obama has also requested funds to fully meet U.S. obligations for UN peacekeeping and the regular UN budget this year -- which never happened under the Bush Administration.

Check out the State Department's statement on UN peacekeeping day.

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The lost podcast

Ok, so Maggie and I recorded this podcast with Trevor over week ago, and here it finally is. Sorry for the delay! In it we discuss the war supplemental, as well as the pragmatism that is necessary for working with Congress.

The good news is, Congress hasn't taken much action since we recorded it (they have a week off for Memorial Day while the rest of us have one day), so it's still fresh.

Enjoy.

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China has it.

Did you know that last month the International Monetary Fund released its World Economic Outlook report? What am I thinking? Of course you did. I bet you marked on your calendar, as I did, right next to the release of Twilight on dvd.

In this scintillating report, between catastrophic news about Russia, Lativa, Japan, and most of Western Europe, did you notice the bit about China? As this Brooking report points out, India and China are basically the only countries whose economies are still robust amidst the general gloom, and while India is too poor to make itself a real player, China is ready to develop into a strong and independent world leader.

My reaction? Of course it is.

But seriously, though this may not be a shock to many of my generation, who grew up basically knowing that we would have to deal with China (for example, realizing that Mandarin would be way more useful to learn than French, but still taking French anyway), the older folks need to take a look at this report and come to grips with it.

I have one parting question, however, for those analysts over at Brookings: If the price of oil shoots up and we can no longer import cheap goods from the factories of China, what will their (and our) economy look like? Is their domestic market big enough to sustain it? If not, how will their economy change?

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Key House Committee Approves Bill to Prevent War

“Investing resources now to help prevent conflict and failed states is much more cost-effective than providing massive amounts of humanitarian relief, funding peacekeeping operations, or, in the most extreme circumstances, putting U.S. boots on the ground."

~ House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Howard Berman.

Good things are happening on Capitol Hill! The Administration and now a key House Committee understand that it is both cheaper and more effective to invest in tools to help prevent deadly conflict, rather than responding with military force only after violence has erupted.

Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation that would strengthen U.S. civilian foreign policy tools. If passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president, HR 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal year 2010 and 2011 would authorize critical funding boosts for the tools of diplomacy, development and international cooperation.

Specifically the bill would:

• Increase the U.S. diplomatic corps by 1,500 personnel, with an emphasis on sending more diplomats to global hot spots.


• Enable USAID to hire 700 new development professionals.


• Strengthen the training U.S. diplomats receive to help prevent, mitigate and resolve crises.


• Authorize hundreds of millions in new funds for the civilian response corps, a cadre of rapidly deployable civilians with skills to help stabilize war-torn countries.


• Ensure the U.S. pays back dues and meets its financial commitments to the United Nations and other international organizations.


• Require the State Department to outline a government-wide strategy to prevent genocide and mass atrocities, a key recommendation from the Genocide Prevention Task Force.

FCNL strongly supports swift passage of this legislation. The bill must pass out of the full House, the Senate and be signed by the President before it becomes law. Last week, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry (MA), said he hopes to introduce a Senate companion bill soon. We are working with his office and others in the Senate now to ensure a strong Senate bill.

Combined with President Obama's international affairs budget, these legislative efforts are critical steps towards shifting U.S. foreign policy away from military reaction and towards early prevention of deadly conflict.

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Memorial Day Weekend

Hi all, as you may have guessed, the blog won't be updated over the holiday weekend.

Next week we will be posting a new podcast about the war supplemental that passed the Senate yesterday, and which will be passing out of conference committee after the Memorial Day recess.

As you enjoy your grills, parades, and open swimming pools, think about what our work in Congress could do to ensure that we don't add any new wars or any more dead Americans to add to those memorialized on Memorial Day. That would be a much better way to celebrate the beginning of summer.

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Green Schools and Fuel Efficiency...The Earth Wins this Week

In the last few weeks, climate change, energy and the environment have been front-and-center in the news. While the climate change bill that is moving through the House is not as good as it should be, there has been progress on a couple other key related issues.

A couple weeks ago, on May 14th, the House passed a "Green Schools" bill to provide $6.4 billion annually for the next five years to fund green school building and renovation projects. The bill passed 275-155; now it is up the Senate to pass a similar bill. To make this even better, the House bill has provisions to make sure that the money is focused especially on schools with low-income students.

I agree with Ben Chandler, a Democrat from Kentucky: "It will give much needed money to our schools struggling with huge budget deficits and deteriorating facilities while encouraging energy efficiency and creating jobs for Americans that cannot be shipped overseas."

Funding education, the environment and jobs with one program--how could anyone oppose it during this time of crisis? Some argue this spending just adds to the deficit. This reminds me of a study by the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities which shows where the U.S.' budget deficit really came from: tax cuts (especially for the rich) and increases in military spending (especially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Check this out in the most recent issue of FCNL's Washington Newsletter.

The good news is that this bill is likely to pass in the Senate, and Obama will most certainly sign it, especially considering that his childhood middle school was named one of the top ten greenest schools in the country in 2007.

To top off this good news, Obama announced tougher fuel efficiency standards on Tuesday, May 19th. The new energy standards will finally match the fuel efficiency standards that California fought with the Bush Administration about for several years. According to NPR: "The new standards would cut greenhouse gas emissions from new cars and light trucks 30 percent by 2016. Cars would have to get 39 mpg, light trucks 30 mpg." It's about time that the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House was more concerned about the environment than corporate interests!

I hope these new initiatives by the Federal Government start a trend of continuing environmental progress.

Lobby your Representative to make sure that this progress continues by improving the climate change bill that is in the House of Representatives.

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Some voices on the new energy bill

A major energy bill is beginning to rumble in committee over at the House of Representatives. To me it seems like a major (and reckless) disappointment, and FCNL says that it needs to be strengthened. Greenpeace has said they can no longer support it.

Here are a couple of more (mainstream) voices on the debate:

• from Paul Krugman (you know, the nobel winning economist)
• from David Sokol (Energy company board chair)

What is your take? Are there other good articles or opinions you've come across?

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Complimentary Words

Last week, I discovered a very favorable review of our report "The Responsibility to Prevent," in the University of Denver's Journal of Human Rights and Human Welfare. The author of the review, Kyle Matthews, is working on a report on mass atrocity prevention with Romeo Dallaire -- the infamous head of the peacekeeping mission in Rwanda just before the genocide. Check out the review.

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Native American issues are interesting and important: Podcast

That's right. A lot of what I learned in my almost two years at FCNL is that the problems facing Native Americans in the United States are pretty ridiculous. Take health care for instance. Or public safety. Basically, in the 19th century, our government committed genocide, and now we're falling back on the weak promise that were made to native american communities. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Maggie and I sat down with our Native American lobbyist, Karyn Wingard Manuel, to talk about her work and the brand new Indian Report. Hear what she has to say:

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Baby Steps in British Columbia

Over the past few weeks I've been ruminating more and more about how I would like to live in another country, one of those socialist ones, where I would have health care paid for (this longing largely sprung out of a struggle to pay for wisdom teeth extraction -- even with health insurance!!), and things like this would happen:

Voters in British Columbia have reelected Gordon Campbell, who promotes carbon tax, as premier of the province. Campbell specifically noted that his election is a vote of support for the carbon tax policy.

Now, why can't we do that in this country? What drives me crazy about the debate over climate change (and health care for that matter), is that somehow supporters of carbon tax (or single payer health care) are made to feel like crazy extreme leftists (or - gasp! - socialists).

How did affairs progress to this state? Can the U.S. begin to behave a bit more like Canada? Or do I need to face the fact that I'm just too progressive for this country and move? Somehow I think, for the good of everyone, that the former should happen.

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Life without a Car

During my post-lunch transition back into planning emails I stumbled across this story in the New York Times about a town in southern Germany that has done away with cars. As someone who doesn't own a car and relies totally on my own feet, the metro, and buses, I would love to see a day when D.C. is car free! Maybe then I wouldn't be too afraid to ride a bike and my fist would hurt so much from all that shaking it does at cars making right hand turns into me.

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All the buses in Tehran will stop (and so will our chances for peace)

Last week Maggie and I sat down with Kate to discuss why a new idea that's circulating around Congress is crazy -- that the U.S. should put a gas embargo on Iran.

I don't know, maybe it is a good idea, and one that will deter Iran's push for nuclear material. But let's see what Kate has to say.

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Obama International Affairs Request -- Investing in a 21st Century Security Policy

Today is a good day to be working at the State Department. Yesterday, President Obama released a fleshed out version of his international affairs budget, providing detailed program - by - program numbers.

In total, the fiscal year 2010 international affairs budget request is $52 billion -- a 27% increase from $40.9 billion enacted in fiscal year 2009.

If Congress provides President Obama the international affairs budget he has presented, the State Department and U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) will receive a significant boost in funds for diplomacy, conflict resolution focused assistance and international cooperation.

In brief, President Obama's request would:

• Add a total of 1,181 new civilians to the ranks of the Department of State and USAID;


• Provide $323 million to the State Department and USAID to fund the civilian response corps -- teams of civilian experts in rule of law, policing, transitional governance, economics, engineering, and other areas critical to helping rebuild war-torn societies;


• Provide $40 million for a "stabilization bridge fund," which would provide rapid response funds for the State Department to help stabilize a crisis situation;


• Fully meet U.S. obligations to international organizations, including the United Nations;


• Fully meet U.S. obligations to U.N. peacekeeping operations;


• Nearly triple the budget for the Office of Transition Initiatives -- an extremely effective USAID office which provides assistance to help societies transition from a crisis complex emergency to sustainable peace;


• Provide $76 million of the $123 million budget for the Office of Transition Initiatives for a new "Rapid Response Fund," enabling USAID to provide rapid, timely assistance to conflict prone countries; and


• Provide nearly a 50% increase in USAID's operating budget from last year.

In the budget request, President Obama outlines clearly the cost-saving benefits of investing in civilian peace and security tools now to prevent the costly use of force to quell a crisis later. For instance, President Obama notes: "expenditures on diplomacy and development represent an investment which in the long run is less costly in terms of lives and dollars than defense spending that would otherwise be required."

This budget is a serious down payment on tools to help the State Department and USAID respond faster and more appropriately to help stabilize crises, as well as support development and institution building efforts in conflict prone countries. If enacted, this international affairs request would go a long way towards providing U.S. policymakers with the tools to shift U.S. foreign policy away from costly military reaction and towards early prevention of deadly conflict.

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Friday Treat: Bring on the Roquefort!

This update is not really related to anything FCNL works on, though I'm sure we would support cultural exchange of food as one of the building blocks of healthy diplomatic relations between countries.

So three cheers for this announcement that people in the U.S. can once again enjoy Roquefort (not those fake blue cheeses we've been having to eat the past few months).

This development is especially exciting for me, as Roquefort is one of my favorite indulgences. When I spent a summer studying in Avignon, France, my favorite party trick was to amaze my host mother and her friends with my taste for the stuff. They declared that they had never seen an American who could stomach it. All I had to say was... yuuummm.

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DC Off the Hill: Get Some Culture!

Everybody knows that DC is a great place for museums, but not everyone realizes that in addition to the world-class Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, there are tons of fantastic museums all over DC. So, this "DC Off The Hill" is dedicated to the many fine educational and cultural centers that don't happen to reside on the National Mall.

1. The National Zoo. I can't believe that I failed to include this in the "Go Outside" post, because the zoo is one of my favorite outdoor spaces in DC. It's a Smithsonian (AKA: free!) and is a great way to spend a day if you have kids. After you've met Tai Shan, our local celebrity panda, I recommend checking out the Think Tank, an exhibit that introduces you to the innovative work the zoo is doing to understand the ways that animals think. Among other things, you'll be able to see the written language that the folks at the Think Tank are teaching orangutans.
2. The Newseum. I haven't been to this yet, but it's building looks beautiful and it made quite a stir when it opened. This museum celebrates the history of news and journalism and bills itself as "the world's most interactive museum." I have also heard that from the top of it, you can get a great view of the city.
3. The Anacostia Community Museum. Another Smithsonian museum that celebrates African American arts and cultural, as well as the history of DC's historic Anacostia neighborhood. I just went here for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it. Their exhibits change every few months, but if you go now you can see a great exhibition on African American celebrations throughout the year.
4. The National Geographic Museum. Brought to you by those same folks that make the magazine. They have rotating exhibits that can range from Chinese explorers' ships, to maps to North American birds. They also usually have at least one photography exhibit, which is always incredible. The neat picture at the top of this post is of their museum.
   
5. The Spy Museum. Another great kid-friendly space! Learn all about the history, gadgets and intrigue of international espionage. And, if you happen to be in DC on the last Wednesday of the month, you can even go to their free Community Nights!
6. The National Museum of Women in the Arts. Has a diverse collection of art from women artists around the world.

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The F-22 is not a job creation program

The Washington Post printed an article last week on how ending the F-22 raptor program, as proposed by Defense Secretary Gates, will put nearly 100,000 people out of work. This is a concern that needs be addressed, yet this article does not tell the whole story. First of all, Gates has not proposed cutting the F-22 tomorrow. His military budget calls for ending production of the F-22 AFTER 187 more have been produced. So F-22 manufactures will still have jobs for a good period of time, hopefully until the economy picks up. Secondly, weapons manufacturing should not be considered a job-creation program. If the Secretary of Defense thinks we don't need a weapon, we probably don't need it and we shouldn't waste energy and extreme amounts of money manufacturing it. The F-22 is indeed a modern marvel, but it is not needed for the kind of warfare we're engaged in or are likely to engage in in the near future.

The F-22 has never been flown in Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, because these countries don't have air combat capabilities. The hundreds of F-22s we already have can be used if we do face air combat in the near future--a very unlikely possibility. The F-22 is simply not needed and making its production--and jobs tied to its production--unsustainable. These jobs need to be transitioned into areas that offer long-term employment. A 2007 study by the Political Economy Research Institute suggests that investing in other areas creates substantially more jobs. Spending $1 billion on the military creates 8,555 jobs. Spending the same amount on the health care creates 10,779 job, 17,687 jobs in education, 19,795 mass transit jobs or 12,804 construction jobs. These are all industries that have more long-term employment need than manufacturing a weapon the Pentagon has decided it doesn’t need. As those final 187 F-22s are being produced, the military should invest in job retraining programs to help workers transition to more sustainable careers.

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Barack Obama makes me feel: a) very happy b) happy

There have been many many articles written about how ordinary Americans look up to the Obamas in a way that they haven't looked up to a first family in a long while. In my humble opinion they are perfect role models -- educated and successful, yet down to earth, healthy and fashionable, but not unattainably so.

Last week in the E-news FCNL asked that people take a survey reflecting the president's first 100 days in office. Overwhelmingly, people said that they were happy with the beginning to the presidency. I concur with that assesment! Why? Because I'm happy that our country has good role models to look up to, to consider as our neighbors and countrymen of course! This is is reiterated in a story about high school students in New York state who use the term "baracking" as a synonym for doing well. Now that's inspiring.

So, cheers to the first family -- may they continue to hold up under the strain of the most challenging moment to be in power we've seen in a while!!

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Where in the world is the Security Council?

After months of violent conflict, tens of thousands of civilians still remain trapped inside an ever-smaller conflict zone in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government has rejected calls for a cease-fire, claiming to be within days of securing a military victory. The Sri Lankan government has said it will consider amnesty for some of the Tamil Tigers (the rebel group fighting the government) who surrender, but not for senior leaders of the movement.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council, which remains "remains mired in debates," has failed in its' "responsibility to protect," says Gareth Evans, president of the International Crisis Group and one of the chief architects of R2P.

Both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers have violated the laws of war. As such, the responsibility to protect civilians in Sri Lanka is in the hands of the U.N. Security Council, which despite its flaws, is the authoritative body on global peace and security issues.

As the Sri Lankan government continues shelling civilian populated areas - clearly in violation of the laws of war - with little condemnation from the Security Council, one has to wonder whether they are up to the job. As Evans notes, "Its relative silence is a matter for growing shame with each passing day."

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Admiral Mullen: Some Sense on Afghanistan

This morning, in an amazing feat of post-Bachleorette party strength (It takes a lot of stamina to celebrate your friends important life moments, doesn't it?), I read this article in the Post.

And boy was I glad I did.

In it, Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pointed out what FCNL has been contending all along - more guns and war will not help Afghanistan thrive:

"Combat operations are not the answer here," Mullen told a group of about three dozen U.S. troops after his meeting with the governor last week. "The answer is development so that people have a way to sustain themselves."

This is great stuff. But the article also points out that people with specific skills like engineering and infrastructure development don't want to work in Afghanistan right now. (Be honest, would you?) Perhaps we should start thinking about how we can remedy this problem. Why is it that only the military can seem to get people in the region? Is it because we think of the mess we created in Afghanistan as solely a military problem?

Perhaps we should begin to think about our commitment and responsibility to Afghanistan outside of the military box. Don't civilian Americans who have skills that could help the foundering nation owe just as much as members of the military do? The mistakes in Afghanistan were made on behalf of all of us. And they will continue to be made if don't rethink the situation.

If we agree that war isn't the answer in Afghanistan, we have to offer an alternate solution.

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