The Connect4Climate team at the World Bank is interested in moving the needle in new directions when it comes to development communication.  Not content with the standard fare of public service announcements and dry top-down communication, the bank’s innovation for 2013 is asking the world’s youth to speak out about environmentalism and climate change.

Connect4Climate is sponsoring a video challenge for any student (between the ages of 18 and 35) to create a 30-second video message that raises awareness about climate change.  (More details can be found here.)  The top prize is a scholarship valued at 5,000 euros.  Borrowing from the lexicon of the era, they’ve dubbed the competition iChange.

The Connect4Climate team is co-sponsoring this video challenge with Italy’s TVN network and finalists will face off in late May in Milan, Italy to see who wins the top scholarship.  For those who feel producing a video is too much for one person, the rules allow teams of up to five people to compete.

This competition follows on the Connect4Climate concert in Washington, D.C. earlier this spring dubbed “Right Here Right Now.”  At the concert the Connect4Climate team discussed its various international competitions and handed out the team’s new CDs, featuring top international music acts.  By using YouTube, music samplers, and video competitions, the Connect4Climate team is borrowing guerrilla marketing strategies to amplify its messages.  But this team is also using good old-fashioned shoe leather:  the group has been making presentations on college campuses in the U.S. and Europe to build grassroots interest in their competitions and overall message of environmentalism.

(The logo for the iChange competition is from Connect4Climate and is used with permission.)

It is clear that it is difficult for the opposition forces in Egypt to give up fighting for freedom and democracy. Opposition forces like the Kefaya movement and The Independent Trend are calling for massive protests on 25 January 2013 not only to celebrate the second anniversary of the 2011 revolution but to fight again for people’s human, political and economic rights.  Such a call is seen by some as a resistance to the continuous attempt by the Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and his group, the Muslim Brotherhood, to impose their version of power control in the country.

The opposition groups consider the most provocative step made by Morsi to fully grab power is the draft of a new constitution that increases the president’s authority and makes him immune from being questioned. Not to mention that the new constitution overlooks the rights of minorities and different genders. At this point, the confrontation has increased between the opposition and Muslim Brotherhood; especially when Morsi neglected the nationwide opposition to it and went on conducting a referendum on the draft constitution. The outcome of the referendum shows 63 percent of Egyptians voted for the draft constitution out of 33 percent of the total voters who took part in the referendum, while millions boycotted the vote, among them were people of no political affiliation and the revolutionary and opposition forces.

What made it worse is that Morsi currently seeks to pass a new parliamentary elections law, which comes just three months before the parliamentary election. The parliament that is expected to be elected will be entrusted, however, with approving the controversial constitution articles after all opposition forces have discussed them.

The new draft parliamentary election law was adopted by the sixth session of the national dialogue from which the major opposition parties and movements abstained.  Later, the draft was referred to the government for review just before being sent to the Shura Council for final discussion and approval. The opposition objects to the new electoral law, saying it neglects the judiciary supervision as its absence would increase the chances that the parliamentary election could be subject to fraud as it considers the referendum.

Therefore, the battle between the Muslim Brotherhood and the opposition now takes two different tracks. The first track is the call for a massive protest and this is spurred on by the young revolutionaries who are still dreaming of a democratic and free country. The opposition is just following the steps of these young revolutionary people. The second track is to take part in the race for the parliamentary election and not to leave the election theater only to the Muslim Brotherhood and their alliance of Islamic groups, mainly Salafits.

Recently, Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the Constitution party and one of the National Salvation Front’s leaders, called revolutionary and democratic forces to unite with his party and  join the parliamentary elections race as one block. He hopes that this coalition will win enough seats in the next parliament to enable these forces to stand against the new laws and policies the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to pass to allow it to stay in power. Actually, the opposition realizes that it is necessary to be part of the game the Muslim Brotherhood is playing and even to add more elements into the game.  That is why it understands now that having a legitimate and strong presence in the coming parliament will help to prove what kind of a game the Muslim Brotherhood plays. Also with the opposition leaders sitting in Parliament they can unveil the truth the Brotherhood tries to hide using their own media and others they manage to control as well as using the mosques to change facts and manipulate people .

The Jan. 25 protest is tomorrow and it either will be a more sound copy of the 2011 revolution with the young revolutionary people believing that the opposition leaders are not doing enough for the freedom cause and that the Muslim Brotherhood are even worse than Mubarak’s regime, which they revolted against. This may mean that they are back to point zero.

Photo of Tahrir Square taken by Maged Helal, used through a Creative Commons license.

Filed under: Editor's Notes

By Katie Wallace

At a time when the U.K. media is under ever-increasing scrutiny with the ongoing Leveson Inquiry probing  the phone hacking actions of News Corp., the British Broadcasting Corporation (BCC) finds itself awash in scandal with ethical inquisitions coming from both the public and private sectors. The BBC came under fire earlier this year when Miles Goslett, a freelance reporter, broke the story of the sexual abuse of hundreds of teenagers perpetrated by BBC children’s host Jimmy Savile.  The allegations claim that some of the abuse may have taken place on BBC property.  The story, which intensified when a rival television station aired an expose in October, says BBC host Savile preyed on young girls throughout his career in spite of persistent rumors denoting his lascivious behavior.

Initial investigations into a possible cover-up reveal that a Newsnight broadcast on Savile, scheduled to air on in December 2011, had been shelved.  Instead, during the same time frame, broadcast decisions were made to air three tributes on various BBC channels.  BBC Director General George Entwistle said in October that he did not believe management pressure led to the decisions.

To worsen matters for the BBC, the Nov. 2 broadcast of Newsnight aired a false claim stating that an unnamed Conservative politician abused young boys at a children’s home in Wales in the 1970s.   Pressure came to rest on Lord McAlpine as news outlets and Internet sites increasingly inferred that he was the unnamed abuser.  Lord McAlpine responded in a statement calling the allegations “wholly false and seriously defamatory.” BBC later apologized for its allegations, but appears to have done so only after the abuse victim came forward stating that Lord Alpine was not the man he identified to police in the 1990s.

The recent influx of information uncovered in the hacking scandal undertaken by News Corp. has increased public and private sensitivity to media impropriety.   The result of the most recent back-to-back scandals has been a blow to the overall reputation of the British media, which many believe to be at an all-time low.

BBC rival and News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch, who was branded by the U.K.’s House of Commons as “not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company,” took to Twitter to express his thoughts.  “BBC mess gives Cameron golden opportunity [to] properly reorganize great public broadcaster,” Murdoch tweeted Nov. 11. Prime Minister Cameron’s assistance may be unnecessary.  A domino effect of resignations, reorganizations and suspensions has moved swiftly among the top management at BBC.

The real question is whether  these departures will make any difference to the media giant in the long run.  At the moment, the handling of the issues only looks to  further weaken a strong brand and long-trusted media outlet.

Photograph by Tom Loudon under a Creative Commons license.

Model Naomi Campbell walks down the runway at the 2010 Fashion for Relief in Haiti benefit show in New York City. Haiti held its own fashion week event Nov. 8 to 11 in Port-au-Prince, readying the country to compete in the big leagues of the fashion industry.

Haiti isn’t typically seen as a source of high-end fashion, but it may be on a path to success down that avenue in the future. Almost three dozen designers showcased their creations at a four-day “Haiti Fashion Week 2012” event held in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, from Nov. 8 to 11. The event was a significant accomplishment for the country in light of its recovery from the 2010 earthquake and political instability. Is this finally a step to higher ground for Haiti?

Absolutely. While the county continues to gradually rebuild from the earthquake and the most recent devastation from Hurricane Sandy, the event provided an opportunity for the international community to view Haiti as not just an impoverished nation but as a center of influential fashion cultivation. Socrates McKinney, a designer from the Dominican Republic, said Haiti has “a very strong culture, and that in some sense has to be reflected in the fashion.”

In order to aid the country’s reconstruction efforts, organizers of the show hoped it would help revitalize the nation’s fashion and apparel industry while bringing in revenue from international buyers. According to the International Business Times, some of the buyer markets include those in the United States, France, England, Japan, Switzerland, Argentina, and Barbados.

Many designers saw the show as a success for the still-developing country trying to compete in the big leagues. Not only did the event bring fresh attention to the country where corruption, disease and poverty are ubiquitous, but it served as a way for Haitians to have pride in their nation while benefiting from the economic gains that the show’s revenue brought.

The show was coordinated by both the Haitian Support Center for the Promotion of Enterprise (Centre Haïtien d’Appui et de Promotion d’Entreprise – COPE) and the Haitian Network of Designers (HAND). It also included support from the European Union and the Haitian Ministry of Culture’s European Programme of Support to Strengthen Culture and Art for the Economic and Social Development of Haiti (ARCADES).

The event brought members of the Haitian community together and provided a platform for networking in the industry. Haitian singers Emeline Michel and James Germain performed while designers such as Maguy Durcé, David André, Phelicia Dell, Fahimy Hakim, and Miko Guillaume participated.

Haiti already boasts a few prominent designers. Native-born brothers Patrick and Fabrice Tardieu created Bogosse in 2004, an apparel line that worked its way up to become a leading global brand name in high-end menswear. If the fashion week event is re-created each year and continues to be a success, the residual effects could advance Haiti’s economy and cultural presence tenfold in years to come. The country’s fashion industry could expand and grow, serving as a source for infrastructure rebuilding and organization. Much like the mobile money initiative that is currently aiding the country’s financial sector, fashion might serve as the end to deficiency and distress in Haiti.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Anna Fischer through a Creative Commons license.

It is clear that Adel Al-Jubeir, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States,  was on a fast track to a successful political career from the start.  He explained in a recent interview that after a short childhood in Saudi Arabia, Al-Jubeir began attending schools around the world in Germany, Yemen, Lebanon, and the United States. In 1982, he received a degree in political science and economics with honors from the University of North Texas. After that, he earned his master’s degree in international relations from Georgetown University in 1984 thus beginning his political career in Saudi Arabia, which would lead to him becoming the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States.

Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir between King Abdullah Al-Saud and former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates

In 1987, Adel Al-Jubeir became the special assistant to then Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan at the Royal Embassy in Washington, D.C. He did this for four years until the Gulf War started, and Al-Jubeir became the world spokesman for the Saudi government. This important moment was Al-Jubeir’s first media appearance to the world as a representative of the Saudi Arabian government.

After the Gulf War, Al-Jubeir became one of the Saudi Arabian delegates for the United Nations. This position allowed him to become well acquainted with the ways of Capitol Hill,  the political media, and international relations paving the way for him  to become the Saudi Arabian Ambassador. Al-Jubeir was appointed in late 2000 as the Foreign Affairs Adviser in the Crown Prince’s court.

After the Sept. 11  attacks on the United States,  Adel Al-Jubeir rose to the task of answering any questions or criticisms that the world had for Saudi Arabia. In this way, via television, newspapers and radio, Al-Jubeir became the voice of Saudi Arabia. He was the one man representing the entire country, and the world’s view of the country rested on his shoulders.

Then, in 2006, Al-Jubeir reached what is thus far his political climax. In December of 2006, Saudi Arabia informed the U. S. Department of State that Adel Al-Jubeir would be the Ambassador for Saudi Arabia in the United States, and in January of 2007 by royal decree, Adel Al-Jubeir was appointed as the Ambassador for Saudi Arabia with ministerial rank at the Foreign Ministry.

During his tenure as the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir has focused on improving the building of a strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States and to improving the living situations of Saudi Arabians that are living in America. He also sought to continue to maintain the U.S.-Saudi strategic dialogue that was instituted by King Abdullah and President Bush, which seeks to coordinate strategic, political and economic issues.

Adel Al-Jubeir has accomplished the building of a strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. He has also helped attain reciprocal visa policies. And he has been instrumental in helping to start the Joint Task Force between the two countries. This task force seeks to not only fight against terrorism but to prohibit and stop financing to terrorist organizations. This task force has brought a great deal of cooperation between the two countries.

The strength of the current relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States is unprecedented, and a great deal of that credit goes to Adel Al-Jubeir. Without his policies to bring Saudi Arabia into a close friendship with the United States, the world still might have looked on Saudi Arabia as just another Middle Eastern country unfriendly to the United States. Even President Obama has declared that Saudi Arabia is indispensable to the American fight against terrorism and that it is still the cradle of Islam.

From the very beginning, Adel Al-Jubeir knew that he wanted to help improve the world, and with a lot of hard work, he has done  just that.

Image from www.zimbio.com