Revolution in the Arab World: Why We Can’t Just Stand Aside

Rhapsody playlist: Democratic Revolutions in the Middle East

Here’s a little play list I put together inspired by the wave of democratic revolutions sweeping the Arab world. The play list includes songs celebrating people power and a small sampling of songs from the region. Today, on receiving news from Libya, I added a few songs that go some way, insofar as anything can, to expressing the pure horror and sadness I felt on seeing images of death in the streets of Libya. The images have been shocking, the ruthlessness of the regime truly appalling. This music expresses the pure sadness and outrage I feel.

It is amazing and inspiring to watch these demonstrations! It has been horrifying and shocking to watch the response of the Libyan regime!

It is considered naive to suggest that foreign policy should be based on principle. We are told it is necessary to be Machiavellian in safeguarding our national interest, and in the realm of foreign policy, realpolitik often trumps principle. I disagree. Perhaps I am, indeed, naive, but I believe that democracy, with protection for the rights of the minorities, is a principle that trumps almost all, and our policy ought to reflect that.

In the current wave of peaceful democratic revolutions sweeping the Arab world, US support of the citizen demonstrators has been slow and tepid. This in spite of the fact that sticking to our principles and unequivocally supporting the pro-democracy demonstrators is what is in our best economic and strategic interest. To do otherwise is a risky strategy, a strategy that, should it not go the way proponents believe, will have grave consequences.

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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 12-18, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

AAUP Proposes New Protections for Politically Controversial Academics
Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/18

Allow extremist speech in universities, report advises
Jeevan Vasagar, The Guardian, 2/18

Protests Over Anti-Union Moves in Wisconsin and Ohio
Inside Higher Ed, 2/18

In Puerto Rico, Protests End Short Peace at University
Tamar Lewin, The New York Times, 2/17
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Judge Paid to Send Kids Away!

The Associated Press reported today:

A former juvenile court judge defiantly insisted he never accepted money for sending large numbers of children to detention centers even after he was convicted of racketeering for taking a $1 million kickback from the builder of the for-profit lockups.

Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella was allowed to remain free pending sentencing following his conviction Friday in what prosecutors said was a “kids for cash” scheme that ranks among the biggest courtroom frauds in U.S. history.

As the judge left the courthouse today, he was confronted by the mother of one of the boys he had sentenced to a detention facility on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. The boy had committed suicide, an act his mother attributes to the trauma of his detention. The video of that confrontation got a lot of airplay today, and the judge was demonized.

The judges actions were inexcusable and the mother’s reactions completely understandable. He deserves the harshest sentence possible. Such scandals are inevitable in a system in which the government turns the means of administering justice over to private entities.
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 5 – 11, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Universities must safeguard intellectual vitality
Andreas Hess, Irish Times, 2/10

Presidential duress: fears for Belarusian academic freedom
Colin Graham, Times Higher Education, 2/10

Travel Ban Extends to Family
Mihray Abdilim and Joshua Lipes, Radio Free Asia, 2/10

Faculty Group at U. of Puerto Rico Joins Students on Strike
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10

The Beck-Piven Controversy
Peter Wood, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10

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Egypt Decides! Let’s Stand Back for a While

Saturday, 12 February 2011, Day 1 Freedom - Victory Tahrir Square, Photo by Darla Hueske, Creative Commons license, Some rights reserved

These are exciting times! The citizens revolution in Tunisia started a tidal wave of pro-democracy protests across the Arab world, and the resignation of Hosni Mubarak form the Presidency in Egypt proves there is no stopping it.

Fortunately, this wave has not caused the death and destruction tidal waves usually do, because it is the people themselves who are the wave, and it is the elite who are being swept away, not in a bloody coup, but through real people power. Final costs have yet to be assessed. People were jailed and others killed, but violence and destruction to property have been minimal. The police were brutal and ruthless and far too many were killed, but protests continued and the police disappeared quickly. After that, the one significant effort of Mubarak loyalist to crack heads, backfired terribly.

Most Americans are excited by this wave of democracy and have an innate tendency to support it. Others got very nervous when the wave hit Egypt. What happens if the Muslim brotherhood takes over? There are even voices who get far to much airplay in the media and too much ink in the press who say that people in the region are incapable of self governance and need strong arm leadership. The most looney voice has to be Glenn Beck who fears Mubarak’s fall will open the door to a Islamist Caliphate that will spread until it meets and joins forces with a Chinese-led “red” wave on a quest for world domination.
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Academic Freedom Media Review, January 29 – February 4

Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Scholars at Risk would like to draw special attention to a country that has not recently received extensive coverage in the weekly media review, Venezuela. Recent attempts to enact significant reforms regarding higher education raise questions about academic freedom and university values in the region. We would like to highlight the following two articles written by a professor of sociology at a university in Venezuela.

VENEZUELA: Academic freedom under threat
Orlando Albornoz, University World News, 1/30

University Values Bulletin, January 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Managerial era ‘threatens’ academic freedom
Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 2/3

Scientist’s Criticisms of Colleague’s Research Held to Be Protected Speech
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/3
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Academic Freedom Media Review, January 15 – 21, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Protecting academic freedom seen as key
Jimmy Walsh, Irish Times, 1/21

U.S. Bishops Begin 10-Year Review of ‘Ex Corde’
Beckie Supiano, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/21

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iranian legal scholar sentenced to 11 years in prison
Scholars at Risk, 1/19

And freedom for all includes undergraduates
Bruce Macfarlane, The Australian, 1/19
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Academic Freedom Media Review, January 1-7 2011

This review is compiled by Scholars at Risk and I re-post it regularly. If you are not familiar with the organization. Please visit their site. SAR is a international network of universities and colleges that defends academic freedom and responds to attacks on scholars and teachers, often by rescuing them from their situation, at least until the situation has improved. Their site is an interesting source of information on the status of academic freedom around the globe. Here now, is the review.

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Students and lecturer remain in prison following presidential elections
NEAR, 1/7

Economists’ Group Forms Panel to Consider Ethical Standards
David Glenn, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/7

Proposed university changes labeled “outrageous”
Pamela Duncan, Irish Times, 1/7
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Academic Freedom Media Review, November 20 – December 3, 2010

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here.
The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

Russian prisoner of conscience: Amnesty letters were ‘connection to freedom’
Amnesty International, 12/3

ITALY: University reform bill passes amid protests
Lee Adendorff, University World News, 12/2

UK as a whole will suffer if a big mistake is made on student visas, v-c warns
John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 12/2

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World AIDS Day 2010

Today is World AIDS Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease, commemorate those who have passed on, to celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services, and to push for further advances in all these areas.   The theme is Universal Access and Human Rights, and it is being marked by a Light for Rights Campaign.

(The) campaign strives to underscore this year’s focus on HIV and human rights by encouraging people in cities around the world to dim the lights on key landmarks to remember the devastating affect AIDS has had on us all, and to turn back on the lights to illuminate the fundamental rights we all share.

One website, The Body, an online HIV/AIDS Resource, sponsored a contest, challenging folks to create and submit public service announcements.  The submissions can be seen here.
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