Dead Silence…

Nothing has happened here for quite a while, and I apologize. Leaving Japan, moving back home, and getting settled has taken some energy and getting used to. And to be honest, since I have returned to Canada I havent felt passionate about my interests the way I did before that could inspire me to really push on with my research. When classes begin again mid-May, I hope that I will get back into the swing of things - so until then! Jeremy AWOL Editor

War v. Justice: Part I

This is part one in a series dealing with questions of constitutional and international justice as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through a case study of Omar Khadr, an enemy combatant currently in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Part I: Introduction The last ten years have raised many important questions not only regarding the legal rules of war, but the application of law and justice at home, too. There are many reasons for this. When you think about it, there are no mor...

Emily in the News – Reporting from Haiti

Our fellow UN Citizen Ambassador Emily Troutman has spent the past several weeks in Haiti offering her help, recording her experiences and photographing the destruction and now the recovery of the nation. Recently she has been featured on AOL News (here) describing some of the medical issues now being faced by thousands. The admirable work of hundreds of doctors and nurses working tirelessly in makeshift hospital camps has already been the focus of numerous international headlines due ...

Looking back on the AIU Symposium

Again, great thanks to Saul Takahashi for taking the time to conference with us last night and for helping shed some light on the real situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Some points from the discussion: UN security agenda has proven itself a tool of most-powerful nations UN's actions have been not to stop Human Rights violations, but to establish accountability following conflict resolutions through Tribunals, the ICC, etc. With Palestine there has been no movement...

Breno’s COP15 submission

The request is to Raise Your Voice and be part of COP15 to contribute to a meaningful discussion about our world’s future. The most popular video submissions are to be aired globally during the COP15 CNN YouTube debate on December 15, and the top two submissions will win a trip to Copenhagen. With only 14 days left and little positive news from world leaders, we have to do our best to not only spread awareness but to encourage all global citizens to raise their voices and tell world l...

EVENT: AIU Lecture Symposium 2009

For those of you in Japan on December 3, 2009, my International Institutions and Law class will be hosting a lecture and discussion regarding Human Rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Lecture Symposium will run for an hour and a half, and will be an excellent opportunity to learn about a conflict situation that has continued to plague the middle east for over fifty years. We will be joined by Saul Takahashi, Deputy Head of Office of the United Nations Office of t...

Is food aid missing the point?

Reading an article in the Globe and Mail (Canada pushes wealthy nations to keep food aid pledges) I came the following reader's response that (although not backed up by any evidence and rather lacking in tact...) really makes me question how we can improve the way aid is offered to the countries that need it the most. Aside from the usual issues relating to corruption or the costs of bureaucracy absorbing our donations - how much damage are our national agricultural subsidies causing to f...

Kirsty on Vancouver’s Urban Rush

This past Friday Kirsty sat down with the hosts of Vancouver's Urban Rush to talk about her experience in New York and her entry in the UN Citizen Ambassador Project. While there she spoke about global citizens working towards the Millennium Development Goals, adjusting our consumerist and materialist cultures, and putting pressure the Canadian government to follow through on the promise by Lester B. Pearson (and recently other developed nations) to contribute 0.7% GNI to foreign aid. What...

The Charter for Compassion

Charter for Compassion.org It is an accumulation of global discourse. Drafts of the text were hosted online, then leaders from the five major religions were brought together to analyze, critique, and synthesize the ideas that for the document. The principle of compassion is the heart of the Charter. At the heart of it is the golden rule - reminding the world that we already share the core principles of compassion. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrtxUX65QA4 The Golden Rule requi...

The Citizen Ambassadors Project Film

The wonderfully talented David Ohana at the UN offices in New York has finalized the Citizen Ambassadors Project Film about our trip to New York in October - so here it is, in all of its glory (and don't worry, its only a few minutes long)! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6nnjDEYve8