Archive for December, 2010

Ivory Coast President Orders U.N. to Leave

President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to step down from his position after he lost the election last month, and now has ordered the U.N. peacekeepers to leave, claiming they are responsible for “serious missteps” and “contempt for Ivory Coast’s institutions.”  The new President, Alassane Ouattara,   has dismissed the demand that U.N. forces leave the […]

A Death Penalty Issue Unfolding: An Innocent Man to be Put to Death?

As we look forward to anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean’s May Day address this year, it is worthwhile to notice this drama unfolding in California.  The link is here. From NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof’s column: “This case is a travesty. It underscores the central pitfall of capital punishment: no system is fail-safe. How can […]

China Establishes Its Own Peace Prize to Rival the Nobel Prize

As part of its campaign to discredit the Nobel committee’s selection of a pro-democracy Chinese dissident as its Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, China has established its own Confucius Peace Prize. The first winner has been chosen. The link is here.

Campaign to Boycott Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Continues

Eighteen countries are heeding the Chinese government’s call to boycott the ceremony. The link is here.

Obama Rallying Support for Pact With Russia

President Obama is gaining support for a new arms control treaty with Russia, but there are some challenges among Republicans who want to focus on domestic issues such as immigration, gay rights, and extending the Bush-era tax cuts due to expire at the end of the month before they even consider any other issue.  Obama […]