http://yementimes.com/ Updated News from Yemen, brought to you by Yemen Times en-us Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/rss2.xml Yemen Times RSS Creater editor@yementimes.com webmaster@yementimes.com Front http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=front&a=1 SANA’A, June 29 — Security forces at checkpoints on roads leading to Sana’a governorate’s Bani Hushaish district are using a new mechanism to identify potential rebels and control the Houthi influx into the area. Previously, they classified citizens passing through checkpoints according to their birthplace listed on their identity card. However, the problem was that some citizens from neighboring areas, such as Khawlan, had their IDs issued in Bani Hushaish; therefore, their IDs could incriminate them, although they aren’t from the district. Therefore, new updates from the field indicate that security personnel now are employing several local men as “identifiers” to assist police in clarifying the affiliation or loyalty of travelers. These human identifiers must have a good knowledge of the area and its locals. They are chosen from areas adjacent to Bani Hushaish, particularly Khawlan, and from the eastern half of the district, where residents are known to be pro-state and not Houthis. Once an identifier vouches for a traveler, the latter pays YR 500 for this “identification service.” This is the standard fee, even if the vouching includes the declaration that one or more persons aren’t a threat. One to three identifiers from different regions are stationed at each checkpoint to rule out non-suspects, despite what’s on their ID cards. There are three scenarios in this identification process: either the traveler is discovered not to be from Bani Hushaish or he’s released to safely carry his goods home, wherever that may be. If the traveler is from Bani Hushaish but from the eastern part, he pays YR 500 for the identification service and then moves on, sometimes with his goods, but mostly without. However, if a traveler is discovered to be from the western half where Houthis are, he’s automatically taken into custody. This new identification process sometimes takes time. If the identifier doesn’t know the traveler, he’ll ask whom in the area the traveler knows or about certain landmarks. If one is suspect, he’s interrogated until finally proven safe or taken into custody on charges of being Houthi himself or pro-Houthi. “People from eastern Bani Hushaish are known not to be involved with Houthis; hence, they’re able to transport some of their foodstuffs into their villages. They generally travel via Khawlan Road, where many checkpoints use a Khawlani assistant who knows who’s who,” explains Khalid Mohammed, a resident of Al-Sharafah district in eastern Bani Hushaish. He further notes that only Bani Hushaish residents must pay the YR 500 fee, as those at the checkpoints recognize them as locals from the district. On the other hand, security forces have increased their blockade against Bani Hushaish residents to prevent the entry of flour, fruits, vegetables and even animal fodder. “I’m a major in the army and I participated in the first three wars in Sa’ada. However, I’m now surprised that a group of soldiers prevents me from delivering flour to feed my small children and family simply because I’m from Bani Hushaish,” the military official said, requesting anonymity. Several district residents maintain that one village sheikh was forced to dump a bag of flour on the road when soldiers didn’t allow him to take it to his village. “The security forces are going too far, as they’re preventing us from transporting fruit and animal fodder across the checkpoints. Do they think Houthis eat fodder or straw?!” asked one Bani Hushaish resident. Female Houthis According to security officials, Houthis previously have escaped by pretending to be women, disguising themselves under black abayas. Due to social conventions, these “women” would be allowed to pass without question or search. However, nowadays, female police officers are stationed at checkpoints to search women, while male personnel search men. “A Houthi wife once was caught attempting to smuggle out of the area. She was carrying a gun discovered by policewomen, who then questioned her and learned that she was from the Houthi inhabited area,” explained a source, who was present at Bani Hushaish’s western entry point about two weeks ago. He continued, “We took her aside and advised her that it would be better for her and her family if she disclosed her husband’s location or convinced him to surrender himself to the authorities.” He said she was released after the local sheikh guaranteed her compliance. She returned home and actually convinced her husband to surrender, which he did, and he remains in custody to date. According to the same source, numerous Houthi women are behind their husbands’ surrender due to pressure from the government and seeking a safer life for their children. Education and daily life disturbances Schoolteachers from outside the district complain that they have difficulty entering these areas every day on their way to schools in western Bani Hushaish. “Every time there’s a new security official, we must go through the entire process of identifying ourselves again and our business in the district. They fear that every stranger might be a Houthi follower,” complains Mohammed Abdullah, a math teacher working in Bani Hushaish. The problem is compounded by the fact that most teachers in rural areas don’t have professional ID cards proving that they work at a particular school. Because of their situation, students where clashes between Yemeni army troops and Houthi loyalists are occurring were given passing grades without taking exams, particularly as the clashes erupted again in May, which is the end of the academic year and just a month before exams. Electricity and both land and mobile telephones also have been disconnected since the clashes began in early May. Residents’ lives have been greatly disturbed because of this, particularly given that they use electrical pumps for irrigation and to draw drinking water from wells. They now are resorting to retrieving well water manually and only using it for domestic purposes. Due to lack of electricity, refrigerators and water heaters also are inoperable and there are no working televisions, except those powered by generators, but then again, there’s a problem obtaining fuel, as diesel is prohibited from the area, or if found, very expensive.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=front&a=1 View http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=view&a=1 Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2008 just released indicated that many of the critical water problems in the developing world are caused by bad management and corruption more than an issue of a natural resource. Once again, it is not God punishing us; it is we punishing ourselves. Water essential to health, food security, energy, and the ecosystem. It is not shared equally or justly among people and most importantly it is wasted terribly even in countries that suffer from water scarcity such as Yemen. About 70 percent of the agriculture water goes waste because of traditional irrigation techniques. And the way water is stored if at all, is quite inefficient and causes pollution and many times tribal conflicts. Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International explained that many global policy initiatives for environmental sustainability, development, and food and energy security do not address this issue sufficiently. And that this must change. What I understand from his statement is that he is raising a global alert explaining to the rich/ powerful countries that they have to start action immediately because water is a global issue and can not be limited to only one place. And also there is that responsibility that comes with power and wealth, which the strong countries need to act upon. The report indicates that the water crisis is undeniable and the corruption challenge it faces is urgent. More than 1 billion people worldwide have no guaranteed access to water and more than 2 billion are without adequate sanitation, which has devastating consequences for development and poverty reduction. The report also adds that irrigated land helps produce 40 per cent of the world’s food, but corruption in irrigation is rampant. Addressing this risk is fundamental to increasing food production and tackling the global food crisis. “Massive new investments in irrigation have been announced worldwide to help counter the food crisis, yet water shortage means food shortage and if corruption in irrigation is not also addressed, these efforts will fall short,” stated Labelle. Also drinking water and sanitation: the poor carry the greatest burden When corruption occurs, the cost of connecting a household to a water network increases by up to 30 per cent, raising the price tag for achieving the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation by a staggering US$48 billion, according to expert estimates in the report. Nonetheless, as the Global Corruption Report shows, taking action against corruption in the water sector is both timely and feasible. For more on the report and its recommendations, please read the Transparency International report summery on the environment page. And remember water is life, so use it carefully.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=view&a=1 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=1 SA’ADA, June 29 — Bloody clashes between the army and Houthis are taking place in more than one Sa’ada area, most notably around the provincial capital where fighting broke out one week ago, tribal sources from Sa’ada said Sunday. According to the sources, citizens heard the sound of mortar attacks launched by Houthis against 15th Military Infantry Division brigades deployed around Sa’ada city. Houthis are still controlling the Mahdha area despite an army announcement that military troops took over the area. Other tribal sources in the restive governorate said that hundreds of military officers and soldiers, besieged for the sixth week in a row, said they did not rule out a death toll among besieged army members as a result of the lockdown that has entered its sixth week. Yemeni Socialist Party-affiliated Aleshteraki.net quoted witnesses as saying that they saw government fighter jets striking the areas of Saifan, Al-Hamma and Al-Heera on Saturday, adding that a man, four women and a child from the same family were killed in the air strike targeting their house. The Yemeni Army’s 26September.net quoted a Supreme Security Committee’s source as saying last week that the army forces cleared Amran’s Harf Sifyan district and the areas of Mahdha, Mahadhir and Wadi Al-Jabar in Sa’ada of all Houthi gunmen. The source adds that the army sieged the Buqea road that leads to Sa’ada city and that many military and security units are successfully clearing Houthis from the Mirran area. It also said that the military forces arrested many Houthi loyalists and seized control of their arms and explosives. The army’s website reports that the army scored various victories in its fight with Houthi supporters, adding that it launches repeated offensives against Houthis, but did not say anything about the besieged troops. Some Sa’ada residents complained that Sa’ada city has been suffering from frequent night-time blackouts for more than one week now due to lack of diesel supplies after Houthis blocked the Sana’a-Sa’ada Highway, preventing the travel of fuel trucks to the city. In Bani Hushaish area east of Sana’a, residents of northeastern Sana’a suburbs said they heard sounds of mortars, heavy machineguns and katyusha rockets on Saturday and Sunday morning after a week of relative calm. The situation indicates that Houthis are still excessively deployed around Sana’a, contrary to a military announcement that troops have taken over all Sana’a suburbs. In Harf Sifyan, independent and Houthi sources note that fierce fighting between army personnel and Houthi gunmen erupted on Wednesday after the army, backed by fighter jets, tried to seize control of strategic positions along the Sana’a-Sa’ada Highway. Human situation continues worsening According to independent sources from Sa’ada governorate, the Al-Sallam Hospital in the provincial capital, which has been receiving dozens of injured troops everyday since the fifth war broke out, was closed on Wednesday due to lack of energy needed to run the city’s electrical generators. Closure of the hospital, built and operated by Saudi Arabia, may complicate the condition of troops and citizens injured as a result of the continuous fighting. The hospital’s closure followed the Houthis’ blocking of the Sana’a-Sa’ada Highway and preventing entry of fuel products and basic commodities into the city. Human rights groups warned against potential war crimes due to ongoing clashes between the army and Houthis, referring to the mass graves of military troops and civilians in Harf Sifyan. The U.S.-based Rights and Speech Organization said that the discovery of a disfigured corpse of a Houthi relative named Ali Al-Hamzi by the army may be evidence of mistreatment and execution of war prisoners. The Committee of the International Red Cross expressed concern about its inability to perform its humanitarian job well during the Sa’ada fighting, warning against abandoning corpses of soldiers and civilians on the ground without burying them or returning them to relatives. Symposium entitled “Mediation and Peace Options” Several opposition parties and civil society organizations held a symposium on Saturday entitled “Mediation and Peace Option for Sa’ada” in Sana’a. During the seminar, participants confirmed that serious political will is needed to stop the Sa’ada fighting. They added that the fighting stopped more than once as soon as both conflicting sides reached a ceasefire agreement. According to symposium participants, the official media attributed escalating fighting in Sa’ada to efforts exerted by Iran and Libya, which the seminar participants said was not true. They welcomed the Qatari government’s mediation efforts to end the war, pointing out that “the shedding of Yemeni blood is costly” and more reconciliation efforts are needed to stop the fighting. Parliament member Yahya Al-Houthi, currently residing in Germany, urged President Ali Abdullah Saleh to cease the fighting and bring both conflicting sides to the negotiation table according to the advice of the European Union and the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a. In a statement published by Marebpress.net, Al-Houthi said, “We would be grateful if the Qatari government and the European Union moderate a dialogue between conflicting sides in order to reach fair solutions to the crisis. I think that President Saleh trusts the EU.” Al-Houthi said he pays no attention to inauthentic reports published by official media outlets, confirming that armed operations on the ground proceed in favor of Houthis.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=1 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=2 Sana'a, June 28 — Yemen’s National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical, Biological and Toxic Weapons concluded a three-day workshop Thursday in cooperation with the European Union-affiliated Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW. The training targeted some 30 customs staffers, who were lectured on the OPCW’s agreement, as well as the national committee’s required role in promoting the Customs Authority’s efforts to prevent the entry of chemical and biological weapons into Yemen. The training also discussed the most recent recommendations reached by the World Customs Organization and future amendments due to be made via coordinated efforts. Opening the training, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi stressed the necessity of enhancing cooperation between Yemen and the OPCW to increase awareness about the risks of these weapons and their entry into various countries, including Yemen. Al-Qirbi pointed out that organizing such training for customs staff and increasing their awareness about the potential risks of these weapons is a top priority issue, adding that preventing the entry of chemical weapons into Yemen and other countries requires both regional and international cooperation. According to him, banning the spread of chemical and biological weapons is key to strengthening international security, stability and peace. “The Customs Authority is one of the most important agencies that should play a key role in designing and establishing any national strategy meant to fight smuggling,” Al-Qirbi said, adding that customs staff must use their available capacities to activate oversight and control at all land, sea and air points of entry. The foreign minister expects the training to contribute to strengthening the capacity and effectiveness of Yemeni customs staff, as well as help them perform their required duties. OPCW representative Nunda Danli emphasized the necessity of participants utilizing all of the theoretical lectures given during the training, urging the Yemeni government to provide customs staffers all of the necessary equipment and facilities in order for them to perform well. Gen. Qasim Abdulsalam Al-Shaibani, the national committee’s deputy chairman, noted that the Customs Authority is the legally authorized agency to check and examine goods, equipment and passengers entering or leaving Yemen. He maintains that this training reflects the Yemeni government’s desire to activate the OPCW’s Chemical Weapons Prohibition Agreement and enhance Yemeni authorities’ capacity to handle border crimes. At the end of the workshop, OPCW and national committee representatives discussed the official usage of chemical weapons contained in the three tables attached to the agreement. They also discussed the relationship between an organized system, World Customs Organization recommendations and potential amendments to an organized system. Future activities will discuss general issues faced by import and export licenses and reports, efforts to control consignments and smuggling and the means of chemical weapons transformation. International cooperation programs in this regard and the Yemeni Customs Authority’s role in identifying exported and imported chemical weapons also will be covered in future discussions. Based on the national committee’s recommendations, the Yemeni Customs Authority has dispatched some 270 staffers specialized in chemistry and physics to the nation’s border points to prevent the entry of chemical weapons into Yemen, having realized their potential risks to national peace and security.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=2 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=3 SANA’A, June 26 — (UNICEF-Yemen) As part of Yemen efforts to save children and women from harmful practices, Yemen is formulating a National Action Plan to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C which was enriched in June 24-25, 2008 advocacy workshop that took place in Sana’a. This plan is a result of month long intensive interaction by UNICEF consultant from Sudan, Dr. Samira Amin Ahmed with the key partners’ surveys supported by UNICEF in Yemen as FGM/C practice particularly high in Hodeida (97,3%), Hadhramout (96,6%), Al-Mahara (96,5%), Aden (82,2%) and Al-Amanah (45,5%). This calls for launching a comprehensive plan. 65 concerned participants representing different Ministries, Academic Institutions, NGOs, UN agencies, donors and other development partners as well as participants from the high risk governorates, contributed positively to the draft National Action Plan. All these efforts are led by the Higher Council for Motherhood and Childhood. A WHO study (2006) on link of FGM/C and obstetric outcome in six African countries confirmed that deliveries by female who have undergone FGM/C are significantly more likely to have caesarean section, risk for excessive bleeding, prolonged labor and death. The practice of FGM is prevalent in countries of region such as Djibouti, Sudan, Egypt, Somalia and West Africa which account for 99% of global cases of the FGM/C. UNICEF estimates show that 30 million of girls and women are annually subjected to the harmful practice of FGM/C, the practice often done under harsh and rudimentary poor hygienic condition leaves women with shock, trauma and at risk for increased complications during pregnancy and delivery. UNICEF Representative Aboudou Karimou Adjibade said “We can not let this harmful practice takes more toll on the health and development of girls and women and ready to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C in a generation”. According to UNICEF, some 70 million girls and women in the Middle East and Africa have been victims of FGM/C. The struggle to sway communities away from the gender based violence and violation of the rights of the children and women has been long and arduous. Recent years have seen some major breakthroughs in countries such as Burkina Faso, Sudan, Egypt, Djibouti, and Niger which encourage other countries to follow suit. The abandonment of the practice, UNICEF Representative said, requires action on all fronts ranging from legislation to social mobilization and community support by promoting dialogue among all key partners.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=3 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=4 Sana'a, June 28 — The Arab Agronomists’ Union held a conference entitled "Improving the Economy of Arab Organic Agriculture" on Saturday with the attendance of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation from nineteen Arab countries as well as relevant members from different organizations and universities. The Executive Office member of the Union of Arab Agronomist, Obbad Mohammed Al-A’ansi, stated that the conference’s purposes were to highlight the status of organic agriculture in the Arab world, discuss methods to improve the economy of organic agriculture in Arab states, coordinate with public and official efforts, as well as civil society organizations and the private sector to encourage organic agriculture, and work to achieve food security in the Arab world. Al-A’ansi noted that this conference was the first event in the Arab world to discuss organic agriculture in terms of how to use chemical pesticides. He also described the increasing interest in the rest of the world for organic crops, and its affect on Arab exports. “Interest in organic agriculture has recently increased,” he stated, “to the extent that some European countries stipulate that imported agricultural products must be organic.” The conference, which will conclude on the first of July, is in the process of discussing many topics, including the situation and future of Arab organic agriculture, the impact of organic agriculture on Arab food security, the impact of organic agriculture on yield, product quality, and the environment, the importance of organic agriculture on the export of crops, and the importance of organic agriculture on human health, especially with regard to fertilizers and pesticides.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=4 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=5 SANA’A, June 27 — Forty-four drug cases have been prosecuted between January and the end of this May, which involved 64 local suspects and 73 foreigners, said General Manager of the Anti–Drugs Section of the Ministry of Interior Khalid Motaher Al-Rwadhi. The quantity of confiscated drugs this year is 19 tons more than the last year, when only four tons were confiscated, he noted. "We found out that the best way to smuggle drugs is through the Yemeni coastline because it is 2000 kilometers long," said Al-Rawdhi, "Therefore, it is extremely difficult for us to overtake it. Not only that, but the smugglers use highly developed techniques to achieve their goals, and work with some of their gangs along the coast." All the smugglers prefer to use big ships rather than small boats because they can hide drugs in small places such as oil tanks and under the boat, he added. The chief of the Coast Guard Office, Ali Ahmed Ras'a, briefly mentioned that the Yemeni military's Coast Guards have foiled many attempts of drug smuggling in the last six months. Since the beginning of 2008, twelve tons of drugs have been seized. With regards to the Palestinian boats which smuggle drugs to the Yemeni coast, Ras'a noted that his agency has managed to control smugglers from Palestine, Afghanistan, and Iran, which are considered to be the countries responsible for smuggling the most heroin and other illegal drugs. Yemen has had notable success in curbing trafficking offences and drug smuggling. The country celebrated World Anti-Drugs Day on the 26th of June. This year's theme was "Do drugs manage you and your life?"... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=5 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=6 SANA’A, June 27 — (Yemen Portal)- Efforts to challenge the ban of Yemeni websites at court were welcomed yesterday by many online community members participating in the Global Voices Advocacy Workshop held in Budapest, Hungary, under the theme "Online Free Speech: toward a global anti-censorship movement." The one-day workshop was a prelude to the Global Voices Online Citizen Media Summit 2008, being held from 27 to 28 June and attended by more than 200 bloggers and online activists from around the world. Walid Al-Saqaf, founder and administrator of YemenPortal.net, which is banned in Yemen, announced at the meeting that a number of blocked Yemeni websites have joined forces to lodge a lawsuit against the Ministry of Communication, in a bid to overturn the ban. Al-Saqaf asked participants at the event for their support for the lawsuit, which is unprecedented in the region. Reacting to the participants' positive response, he said: "I am truly grateful for the overwhelming support for our cause in achieving justice for Yemeni websites in their struggle with the Yemeni authorities." Dozens of news and opinion websites in Yemen have been banned without notice or warning by the country's state-owned and dominant Internet Service Provider Yemen Net. The move to take a government to court for banning websites had no precedence in the Arab world, but may not be without risks. "We risk intimidation, harassment, and in fact losing the case due to a biased judiciary. Yet, it is a challenge worth taking as it will reflect this issue more prominently in the mainstream media and highlight our struggle for justice," added Al-Saqaf. During the same workshop and in order to present evidence about the banning of Yemeni websites, Nart Villeneuve, a researcher in Internet filtering working for the Citizen Lab of the University of Toronto in Canada, volunteered to develop a custom-made software to help detect censorship of YemenPortal.net in Yemen so as to support the lawsuit. Villeneuve expressed his willingness to back the cause of the blocked websites and take the government to court as it would resemble a pioneering effort in this field. GV Advocacy encourages the diversification of censorship combating mechanisms ranging from technical, social, and legal, ensuring that no stone is left unturned in promoting freedom of expression online. Al-Saqaf expressed his commitment to sending follow-ups and updates to GV Advocacy on how the legal proceedings in Yemen evolve and whether any of the websites blocked would be unblocked as a result of the legal proceedings.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=6 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=7 SANA’A Yemen, JICA discuss cooperation aspects Deputy Planning Minister Hisham Sharef discussed on Saturday with General Director of Volunteers in Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA ) the aspects of enhancing cooperation between Yemen and Japan and the role of Japanese volunteers to transfer Japanese expertise to organizations working in Yemen. During the meeting, Sharef expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the Japanese partners in many areas, affirming to provide all facilities for Japanese's volunteer during their tasks and keenness to develop this cooperation to serve the interests of the two friendly countries. For his part, JICA official praised the care of Yemeni government for Japanese volunteers working in Yemen. It is worth to mention that the number of Japanese volunteers working in Yemen since re-opening JICA has reached 24 volunteers. Promotional symposiums to be held to attract investments to Yemen The General Investment Authority (GIA) said on Saturday that arrangements are underway to hold a number of promotional symposiums in a number of Gulf and foreign countries to attract investments to Yemen. Head of the GIA Salah al-Attar revealed that two symposiums would be held in Kuwait and Oman in the coming weeks within a plan to revitalize and attract Arab and foreign investments to Yemen. Al-Attar added that preparations are ongoing to hold a promotional symposium in Sana'a for investors from Luxembourg in participation of many companies and businessmen. He affirmed that head of the Chinese Council for Global Trade Promotion had showed readiness to organize in Beijing a promotional symposium on investment opportunities available in Yemen. Shamlan seeks Japanese support to fishery field Minister of Fishery Wealth Mohammad Shamlan discussed on Saturday with Japanese Ambassador to Sana'a Masakazu Toshikage setting up giant investment project in field of aquaculture and fishery growing. During the meeting, Minster Shamlan welcomed setting up the project and directed his ministry's investment sector easing the task of the Japanese company, which would carry out this project. For his part, the ambassador showed his country readiness on providing different kinds of support to Yemeni fishery sector, noting that the company has great experience in field of fish farming. "The project (fish planting) would enhance in supporting Yemeni exports to Japanese markets for Yemeni fisheries' quality," said the Japanese official. UK grants $ 85mln to Yemen British government granted $ 85 million to Yemen as additional contribution for funding 3rd phase of Social fund for Development project 2004-2010. The meme of the grant was signed on Saturday by deputy premier and minister of planning and international cooperation Abdul-Kareem al-Arhabi and head of office of UK ministry of International Development in Sana'a Sarah White. Al-Arhabi highlighted the assistance offered by the UK government for the development in Yemen. He praised good level of the cooperation between two countries. UNDP to assist Yemen in alleviating poverty United Nations Development Program (UNDP) affirmed Saturday readiness of the UNDP office in Sana'a to provide technical assistance to Yemen in fields of poverty alleviation and achieving the millennium goals. Minister of Finance Noaman al-Suhiabi held talks here with the newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator - UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Pratibha Mehta on the technical assistance presented by the UNDP to implement a strategy of public financial management reform. During the meeting, they focused on aspect of cooperation between Yemen and the Program in alleviating poverty and to realize millennium goals by 2015. French asserts supporting decentralization in Yemen French ambassador to Yemen Gilles Gauthier asserted the European Union and country's support to Yemen for applying decentralization and deep rooting local governance. "We will provide all support to Yemen for promoting and enhancing local authorities in Yemen," said Gauthier in a symposium on presenting "Civil Society, Association and Local Authority in Yemen" book held here on Saturday. The book is one of the outputs of a symposium organized by the French Center in Sana'a for Archeology and Social Sciences in June 2006. The book is composed of five chapters on Yemen civil society's history, civil society and social changes, non-government organization and local authority, journalism in Yemen and local problems and foreign pressures civil society faces. Deputy Minister of Social and Labor Affairs Ali Abdullah, who introduced the book, said that the book is scientific addition to civil society for it discusses different issues concerning the society. Parliament ratifies Trade Companies Law In its session held Saturday, presided over by Speaker Yahya Arraei, the parliament approved amendments project of the clause (a) item (248) of the Trade Companies Law No. 22 for 1997. The amended clause stipulates that the capital of the limited company has to be enough for realizing its aims and that shareholders have to name this capital in the company's establishing contract. On the other hand, the parliament listened to report of its Committee of Freedoms and Human Rights over results of its field visit to central prisons and interim reservation places in Ebb, Dhamar and al-Beidha'a governorates. The committee indicated in the report importance of transforming prisons into qualification institutions working on taking care, training and reforming prisoners as well as having separate prisons to juveniles. 30,000 children work in streets in eight governorates, says study Some 30,000 children in eight governorates are going to streets to work, a modern study of the Supreme Council of Motherhood and Childhood said. Nafisah al-Jaifi, secretary general of the Council said that the study targeted street children in Sana'a capital, Aden, Hodeida, Hajjah, Saada, Dhammar and Hadramout. In a workshop held by the council for trainers in field of children production, al-Jaifi said that the course would discuss outcomes of the study. She wished that the course come out with recommendations that help in tackling issues of these children who choose streets as option to deal with needs of life. The one week course was organized by the ministry of social affairs in cooperation with the council. TAIZ Heavy rains in Taiz kill woman, injuring three children Heavy rains and floods in al-Mafer district here killed Friday a women and injured three children. Director of al-Mafer district Saleh al-Kalali stated to Saba that the heavy rains in Ashauba area caused floods that killed Mesk Qahtan, 45 years, and injured other three children who were rescued by the citizens. "The floods have damaged valleys and agricultural fields in the area and cut the road leading to al-Ahad Market," he said, adding that working teams are working on opening the blocked roads and lifting dust and stones heaps of them. ADEN AFZ, GHC sign understanding memo Aden Free Zone (GFZ) and Gulf Holding Company (GHC) for developing the industrial area, block No (G) singed on Saturday an understanding memo. The memo, which was singed by the AFZ's head Abdul-Jalil al-Shuaibi and the company board chairman Ghaleb bin Hmad al-Sadoun, includes establishment of a business city that will contribute in attracting the foreign investments. Under the agreement, the city will to include hotels, hospitals, universities, companies headquarters and telecommunication institutions. The secretary general of the local council of Aden affirmed the government's support for all the investors, confirming that the government would offer all the facilities.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=7 Local http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=8 Donald Trump brings New York real estate to the UAE On Tuesday, the Trump Organization, one of the world’s leading property developers, launches the sales of penthouses in the Trump Soho Hotel Condominium New York exclusively in the UAE. The Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium project started sales in September last year and this exclusive property is the only luxury hotel condominium in Manhattan’s fashionable SoHo neighbourhood. A hotel condominium provides a unique opportunity to own a unit in a hotel which can be rented out to guests when not occupied by the owner. They are an ideal solution for international buyers who live away from New York but want a familiar place to stay when there. The hotel is due to open next summer. Donald J. Trump, CEO of the Trump Organization, comments: “Last week I had the honour of globally launching Trump International Hotel & Tower Dubai, currently being built on Palm Jumeirah. With The Trump Organization’s continued growth throughout the Middle East, we thought it was only fitting to bring sales of our unique Trump SoHo penthouses to the UAE. Our penthouses are the most desirable places to stay in New York City, and will provide one of the most luxurious hotel experiences available anywhere in the world.” Prodigy International’s President, Rodrigo Niño comments: “There is a great desire among sophisticated Arabic buyers to invest in Manhattan. As they have already a strong participation in the real estate markets of London and other capitals in Europe, they want to consolidate their presence around the world by incorporating New York to their portfolio.” Of the 400 hotel condominium units, there will be 141 deluxe suites, 253 studio suites, five penthouse suites and one Presidential Suite. Some studios and deluxe suites can be combined to create luxurious two bedroom suites. Units will range in size from approximately 422 to 905 square feet with expansive penthouses and the Presidential Suite on the three highest floors. Owners will be able to choose from a range of panoramic views including the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline. Leading global real estate firm, Prodigy International, is the exclusive sales and marketing organization for Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium. Prodigy International has an impressive track record of driving sophisticated international buyers to the most exclusive properties in New York, Miami, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica, through a global network of brokers from locations around the world. Kgia successfully completes its first full year The Khalil Gibran International Academy completed its inaugural year on Thursday, June 26, 2008. Overcoming numerous challenges, including inadequate physical space and constant media scrutiny, the students did well in their first year and results from city-wide acuity tests show a steady increase in student achievement. "No one would deny that there have been some challenges to overcome in the first year, but we're looking forward to next year in a new building with better infrastructure, an auditorium and a gymnasium students can utilize more than once a week," said Lena Alhusseini, Executive Director of the Arab-American Family Support Center, the lead community partner of KGIA. Ms. Alhusseini went on to say: "I'd like to thank all of our community partners for their commitment to KGIA and we look forward to having them more directly involved as the school continues to grow. Thanks to our partners, students have been exposed to drama and theater workshops, Middle Eastern music, creative writing and trips to the Brooklyn Museum." Highlights from the first year: During the School Quality Review, KGIA received a "Made Expected Progress" rating on a three-level scale which is a significant accomplishment for a first year school. Students have access to a library of six different levels of Arabic language books purchased from Scholastic Books. Thanks to a generous donation from the Salaam Club, KGIA's new location at 50 Navy Street will have a fully-equipped media and technology room. When the need arose for Arabic language classes, AAFSC staff stepped in, enabling students to reinforce their Arabic language learning. The school has received more than 100 applications for the 60 seats available in next year's sixth grade class. The Department of Education has re-iterated that KGIA will remain a 6-12 school. Young Arab Leaders (YAL) hold the First Elections in 2008 for their Chapters Executive Boards Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the region’s foremost development platform for business, public sector and civil society leaders, held the first elections in the organization’s history and today announced the results of the new Chapter Executive Boards. YAL is a regional, not-for-profit organization and is a network of members, who are young Arab men and women, with diverse areas of expertise, and with the aim to be the triggers for positive change for the future generations of the Arab World. YAL has members from various Arab countries and currently have YAL Chapters in 6 Arab countries. The elections process was announced on Feb 27th 2008 and communicated to all the members of Chapters where elections were being held. The elections concluded on 23rd May. YAL has announced Election Results for six countries where elections were held. The chapter countries for which results have been announced are Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Lebanon and UAE. Commenting on the first YAL elections, H.E. Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Chairman of the Board of YAL, said, “Our members and our country chapters are the strong foundation for the successful outreach and implementation of all of YAL’s goals, programs and initiatives. The YAL membership base is expanding gradually with the number of chapters increasing consistently. We are committed to bringing international best practices, strengthening our governance framework, a systematic implementation of our programs throughout our region and thus need to provide support to our chapters. This First YAL Elections of 2008, mark a new milestone in YAL’s progress.” He added “We are witnessing immense economic growth in the region and we have to ensure that this growth is sustainable and benefits the entire region. We can achieve this only by enabling and empowering the one solid link that we have with our future – the young people in our region”. Speaking at the announcement of the results of the first YAL elections, Assem O. Kabesh, CEO of YAL, said, “The First YAL elections demonstrate YAL’s pledge to the implementation and execution of principles and policies to strengthen the organization from within. The 2008 elections are a step to ensure that all YAL members have a voice in the decision-making, shaping of future strategies and designs of the various programs of our organization. The introduction of the election process is an affirmation of our commitment to continue to enhance the sustainability of our country chapters and making sure that they are progressing to translate YAL’s vision and mandate throughout the region.” The chapters concluded the entire elections process according to the laws set by the YAL Election Committee. The Chapter Executive Boards have been established to achieve and work towards some of the following goals - planning the appointment & succession, and providing advice and direction for Management team of the chapter; monitoring and evaluating the key non-financial and financial commitments of the chapter; monitoring the chapter’s progress towards its goals; monitoring, reviewing and approving annual, operational and financial results and statements; approve policies and procedures by which Chapter is operated and monitor compliance, etc. Our vision for peace in the Middle East By: Miguel Angel Moratinos Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation I just returned from accompanying HM the King of Spain on his tour of several Gulf countries, and I was recently in Lebanon for the election of its new president. I also just made a brief visit to Syria. The week before, I had travelled to Egypt and also to Israel, where I spoke with the Israelis and the Palestinians. In all of these places, I have been able to confirm my impression that in this spring of 2008, the Middle East has entered a new phase, when, for the first time in a long time, our reasons for hope can prevail over the shadows that—let us not forget—still hang over the peoples of this region. Everything seems to indicate that we are witnessing the birth of a new paradigm. A string of major advances has occurred these days. Lebanon has elected, by consensus, President Michel Suleiman, and I believe that he is a figure capable, with the help of all the other political forces, of bringing the Lebanese people together around a common project. The agreement was reached in Doha, resulting from the successful Arab mediation presided over by Qatar and the Arab League, with a European role, as well, especially on the part of Spain, France, and Italy. Moreover, Syria and Israel have officially confirmed the contacts that they are maintaining through Turkey. Last, but not least, we can see that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for establishing a new Palestinian State are going ahead at a good pace. But in addition to these specific events, the Middle East is experiencing a process of in-depth transformation, both internal and external. The international and regional context is totally different from that of the 1990s, when the Madrid Peace Conference was held, and we were all so full of hope as the peace process moved forward. Today, it is the regional actors themselves who are setting their commitments and the pace of their actions. The United States continues to be an indispensable reference, but it is no longer the only one. All of the parties have understood that each of them should assume its own quota of responsibility. The E.U. is now, thanks to the Treaty of Lisbon, in a very different situation from that of the divided organization which took its seat in Madrid's Oriente Palace in the autumn of 1991. Then, there was not even an authorized Palestinian delegation, and of course, Iran was neither in the room, nor—more importantly—was it on the minds of the organizers. The Arab world has changed, and its public opinion clamours more than ever for a modernity that has yet to be consolidated. Israel now accepts politically the creation of a Palestinian State, but it is still racked with the fear of not having sufficient guarantees to ensure its security. Intra-Palestinian divisions, and Hamas's presence and control over Gaza, act as hindering factors when trying to make this final leap forward towards a definitive reconciliation. The new Middle East is not a product of the collective Western imagination, as Edward Said was always reminding us, but is, rather, a Middle East that wants to be the main protagonist of its own future. The international community's role and intervention should be completely revised. The United States and the E.U. should engage in a true strategic dialogue, and design an action plan different from the one deployed until now. It is necessary to stand by the parties in their efforts, encourage them to make decisions, ensure peace and security, and embolden them to be the ones to adopt the last courageous decisions and commitments. Annapolis marked a beginning for this new approach, but there is still quite a ways to go in doing away with old inclinations and practices. The solution is not in Washington, nor in Brussels, nor in Moscow. The solution needs to start with the commitment of Israelis and Arabs to take advantage of the new scenario that lies before them. Both sides know that their geostrategic interests converge, and that the passing of time and unnecessary delays will not help to definitively resolve the longest, most frustrating, and yet the most important ongoing peace process in international relations today.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:57 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=local&a=8 Opinion http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=1 “I just do not understand, why this war in Sa’ada and now a couple of other governorates can’t seem to find an end to itself”, said Muflih, as he picked up his Mountain Dew can from the grocery store counter. His brother Ali was ready with an answer that somehow was meant to puzzle Muflih more than to present an answer to his brother’s genuine query: “Wars can never find their own ends; it is people who must reach the end of wars. For all they care, wars wouldn’t mind it if they last for hundreds of years, as long as these sons of Adam relish at the sight of the blood of their own kin. In fact wars think they are an end in themselves, as they are the terminal point of reason, logic and sheer human compassion.” Muflih worked his fingers a bit trying to open his Mountain Dew can, as he had apparently pulled the self opening tab too hard removing the ring that the finger is entered into to pull the opener and then said: “That is technology for you, now how can I open this can without the ring?” as he fiddled the loose ring trying to make some value of it now that it has been made useless for the purpose for which it was intended, continuing “you can’t find a can opener now anywhere in the City of Sana’a, thanks to all these self opening paraphernalia that has overtaken the canned and bottled drink industry”. Ali felt that even wars can have their lighter side: “Well, at least you can thank wars for having no need for can and bottle openers anymore. Even corked bottles can now be opened without a cork screw opener and it is all because of those geniuses who make all the war gadgetry we see being lobbed between two confronting forces on TV now almost daily”. Muflih now breathing a sigh of relief after having found a way to open the drink with a small knife he kept with his keys among other things said: “Brother, you always seem to make a lengthy discourse out of simple questions that just happen to dance at the tip of my tongue from time to time. What are you trying to get at?” “You see when you want to detonate a grenade, don’t you have to pull out a lever or unscrew something before throwing it at the enemy” said Ali. Muflih said: “How would I know? I never threw a grenade at anybody and I hope I never see one, let alone throw one”. “Now, you are not thinking like a real bona fide fighting Yemeni. Why to Yemenis, war is their national pastime. Just read a little bit of the history of Yemen. It has been just an ongoing series of wars and skirmishes, some of them localized, while others saw armies moving from one side of the country to the next in blitzkrieg fashion. Some wars had foreigners embroiled in bloody engagements as punishment meted out by some rulers to their military brass for not fighting well on the other fronts to which their rulers had sent them. Some wars had foreigners who were misled by their naiveté in thinking that Yemen was an easy playground for their generals to play war games in, only to find out with much disdain at the stupidity of their strategists and the military tacticians who goaded them to okay turning the war game button on. Whatever the case may be, the Yemenis were ready willing and simply proud to turn their country into a sustainable open grave for anyone who dares challenge their mastery over those rocks” said Ali contemptuously as he pointed at the majestic towering summit of Jabal (Mount) Nuqum, overlooking the City of Sana’a from the East. “Yeah, but where does the War in Sa’ada and now elsewhere fit in what you say?” asked Muflih. “Then there are those wars that our local war lords and war merchants foster to further their own selfish narrow interests. These wars are the tragedy of the fighting spirit of Yemen. Whenever there is hope that Yemen just might enter into a period of stability and prosperity, these war goons as I call them all of a sudden join forces to convince the authorities that the Yemenis are getting bored for not having a war to fight in, either here or elsewhere. Moreover, it is really time to make use of our stashed weapons before they rust or get eaten by the rats like they ate the Mareb Dam!” Muflih now got entangled in his brother’s crazy logic: “In addition, we have neighbors, who are drowned in wealth and have a hobby for fostering conflict wherever their money can find solid grounds for getting people to lob grenades and other ordnances at each other, or just kill for the hell of it. Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan are all fertile grounds for these war games of the rich. They really believe that this will encourage the producers of the weapons used in all these wars to not bother them while they continue to indulge in an extravagance of blood, which the unholy ‘Jihadist’ culture they have nurtured have spread throughout the world. Yemen is just a small piece of this jigsaw puzzle that has spread throughout the world”. Ali expanded on his brother’s rationalization: “Maybe that is why the Red Cross has turned a blind eye to the unfortunate tragic suffering of the innocent civilians of Sa’ada. This includes ignoring the obliterated sculls of the yet unable to stand up infants who haven’t the faintest idea why they should pay the price for the follies of the grown men that lead their country. An even more tragic picture is that even though the RC and the whole world has seen genuine photographed proof of the tragic outcome of war on the helpless civilians in Sa’ada, not one voice of substance has been heard to call for an end to this madness unfolding in the distant and blockaded to the outside world region of Sa’ada. One can recall a time when the Red Cross had a field hospital in a previous war in the very same war-torn region that is witnessing the tragic consequences of irresponsible leadership today. Indeed, that was a commendable task then. Now, the ICRC seems to find itself a prisoner of a ‘Red Crescent’ society that obviously sees eye to eye with one of the antagonists in this regrettably meaningless prohibitive conflict.” Hassan Al-Haifi has been a Yemeni political economist and journalist for more than 20 years.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=1 Opinion http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=2 It is so difficult for a political analyst to be convinced that both parties of the ongoing war in Sa’ada and other Yemeni governorates are using their own funds and provisions in the fight with each other without any foreign support. All the apparent threads imply that the internal conflict has transferred into a war between two sides battling on behalf of Iran and Saudi Arabia. This conclusion doesn’t originate from vacuum, rather it is based on facts that can be detailed as follows: First: as the Yemeni government is economically vulnerable, it is impossible for it to afford costs of such a lengthy war without receiving foreign assistance. Second: no one may rule out that the regime also receives assistance from Gulf states, other than Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia remains the top beneficiary of the great strategy with regard to preventing Iran from asserting its presence in the back park, located to the south of Saudi Arab, or to be more specific, the northern part of Yemen. Consequently, the flowing funds to leaders of military units battling Houthi loyalists in Sa’ada are believed to be coming from the bordering Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a main donor that enjoys a strong economic capacity as a result of soaring oil prices. Third: with regard to Hourthis, they have expanded their scope of fighting until it turned to be larger than the battleground in Lebanon. They have scored various victories over the republican guards and defeated the First Armored Military Division in several fronts. What the state calls ‘rebels’ have katyusha rockets and rubber band guns (RBG). From where did they obtain these heavy weapons? Moreover, fighting in Yemen doesn’t require foreign forces to provide weapons to the conflicting sides because weapons are available in abundance inside Yemen. The fighting requires more funding. Where the rebels’ funds com from? It seems difficult for one to identify Houthis’ funding sources, particularly as they mobilize provisions as if they are a government force not a rebellious group. Funding is the indispensable factor to ensure continuation of the war. Therefore, Houthis exploited the rampant corruption to purchase heavy weapons even from army depots in Nuqum and Hadid mountains. As funding is more important and vital to the war than weaponry, we must not rule out that Houthi supporters receive funding from foreign donors, mainly as they made the government stunned by their operations and food provisions. Fourth: it is possible for Houthis to have funding sources, other than Iran and Libya, for instance, in order to upset Saudi Arabia or Shia businesspersons in Gulf states. However, Iran remains the topmost beneficiary of the strategy with regard to delivering more funding to Houthis because the Iranians are not stupid so that they may not seize an available opportunity to reach the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Attack-and retreat tactics: The Iranians have realized that Houthis managed to defeat the battling government troops via the use of attack-and-retreat tactics and guerilla wars, and this is the same method applied by Lebanon’s Hezbollah during its fighting with Israel. We must not rule out that some Yemeni students, who received scholarships to study in Iran during the 1990s, have graduated as field leaders and might have been trained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Some people may argue that followers of the Faqeeh Reign in the Jaafari Iran are impossible to back followers of the Zaidi sect in Yemen, who seem to be closer to the Sunna people. The Zaidi sect is intellectually different from the Twelfth Shiite Sect. On can reply to those people by saying political interests overcome the sectarian differences, and therefore Iran supports the Sunni Hamas Movement with money as much as it backs the Faqeeh Reign Party in Lebanon. How one can imagine that Iran doesn’t support youths raising the same slogans of those once raised by the Iranian Khomeini Revolution. If the Iranians invented the idea of Faqeeh Reign in the 20th Century, this would mean that it had been practiced on the ground by Zaidism in Yemen for a thousand years, particularly as Imam in the Zaidi ideology is an executive political ruler, who exercises stronger direct powers than those exercised by an Iranian religious guide. And, if an Iranian religious guide is legally authorized to act on behalf of an absent Imam, a ruler in Zaidism is considered an Imam with full powers, not only appearing on his behalf. Consequently, both are politically closer to Iran irrespective of their being ideologically closer to Sunnis. It is worth noting that currently ongoing military conflict in the northern tip of Yemen broke out after decades of strong competition at the intellectual and ideological levels in Sa’ada between Zaidi and Salafi scholars. Forums of the ‘Faithful Youth Organization’, founded by Mohammed Badraddin Al-Houthi, Mohammed Yahya Ezzan, Saleh Habra and others included up to 15 thousand students, who are currently playing a key role in the fight against the army in Sa’ada and other governorates. Source: Al-Masdar.com... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=2 Opinion http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=3 In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of technology, first there was the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet. We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, traveling and anything else that we have to do. A common person in the city usually wakes up checks the tv news or newspaper, goes to work, makes a few phone calls, eats with their family when possible and makes his decisions based on the information that he has either from their co workers, news, tv, friends, family, financial reports, etc. What we need to be aware is that most of our decisions, beliefs and values are based on what we know for a fact, our assumptions and our own experience. In our work we usually know what we have to do based on our experience and studies, however on our daily lives we rely on the media to get the current news and facts about what is important and what we should be aware of. We have put our trust on the media as an authority to give us news, entertainment and education. However, the influence of mass media on our kids, teenagers and society is so big that we should know how it really works. How mass Media Influence works: Of all the media distribution channels the most influential has been the television, we are constantly exposed to thousands of images of violence, advertising, sex, celebrities and much more, in fact a its known that a child is exposed to about 40,000 ads a year. But who owns the media, which are the companies or people that shape our values, beliefs and decisions? The media is basically dominated by five major companies they are: Timer warner, VIACOM, Vivendi Universal, News Corp and Walt Disney Those 5 companies own 95% of all the media that we get every day. They own the major entertainment theme parks, entertainment movie studios, television and radio broadcast networks and programing, video news and sports entertainment.They also own integrated telecommunications, wireless phones, video games softwares, electronic media, the music industry and more. Years ago there was more diversity in companies, but they have merged so now they are just a few and they have the power to shape the opinion and beliefs of us and our kids. So its important to be aware of what your kids are exposed to every day and you should also try to look at things from different perspectives and not just from the one the media gives you. The media makes billions of dollars with the advertising they sell and that we are exposed to. We buy what we are told to be good, after seeing thousands of advertisings we make our buying decisions based on what we saw on Tv, newspapers or magazines to be a product we can trust and also based on what everyone else that we know is buying and their decision are also base don the media. These are the effects of mass media in teenagers, they buy what they see on Tv, what their favorite celebrity advertise and what is acceptable by society based on the fashion that the media has imposed them.There are some positive and negative influences in young people. Source: Al-Thawranews.net... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=3 Opinion http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=4 Amid structural changes in the international political system, political regimes in the Arab world have changed into a tool for control, organization and management. Evidence on the ground indicates that the status of Arab regimes has deteriorated despite the fact that the level of deterioration varies from a state to another. Had we but attributed this deterioration to the accumulative developments, such increased popular awareness, influence of educated elites, literacy rates in societies and expansion of the middle class, we would have realized that the international environment is the most important factor in restricting political systems. The international environment turned to play a key role in restricting political systems, particularly under the current situation of the new international system following collapse of the Soviet Union and socialist systems. This led many political systems to fail. But on the other hand, it was a victory for the democratic example, which the successive American administrations asserted by instigating the Arab regimes to promote and apply it in their territories. Democratic violations and human rights abuses in the Arab states, as well as the third world countries, exposed governments to harsh criticism, specifically at international conferences. The U.S. President W Bush says, “Foreign policy can not be separated from the moral principles in which the majority of Americans are involved. We can not ignore the style via which the other governments treat their citizens.” The U.S. president was also quoted as saying that openness and political plurality will facilitate the move from violence to conflict settlement, as well as international stability and security. Bush confirmed that democracies are doing a better task in protecting racial and religious minorities while elections may help in settling civil wars that lead to fragmentation of nations. Having a glance at Bush’s words, it has been made apparent that the U.S., which is dominating the monopole, makes out of democracy and human rights an international legitimacy. Many Arab states have dragged after these slogans and applied them due to various motives. The adaptation of democracy and human rights varied from one state to another because of several factors including the economic situation, the degree of security exposition and states’ extreme involvement in international interactions. Democracy has grown in the Arab states via allowing political participation and conducting general elections. On the other hand, the great American scholar Samuel Huntington ascertained in his desertification entitled “collision of civilizations” that the European and American efforts for the sake of expanding and promoting democracy achieved limited success, specifically in the Arab and Muslim nations. During the international conference on human rights in Vienna, the westerners imposed their moral and cosmological concept of human rights, as well as the western hypothesis stating that ‘democratically elected governments will be allies with the westerners and collaborate with them.’ This quoted statement is not true because elections turned to bring to power patriots and fundamentalists, who are hostile with the west. And, after policy makers discovered this, they turned to exert great effort to influence the elections. They are not enthusiastic about defending democracy in non-western communities. Source: Al-Tagheer.com... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=4 Report http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=1 Ever stop to think...and forget to start again? Days go by in gray shades with no change to be foreseen ahead because today was the same as yesterday, and tomorrow most certainly will be alike. You sit there in a superficial Qat-induced trance and hope for a better thing, planning and scheming for hours, just to realize that the harder you thrash about through this quicksand of a situation the deeper you sink, and by the conclusion of the Qat euphoria, you just hit rock bottom. By night time, you toss and turn in your bed with a million thoughts bombarding your head, mostly depressing and suicidal, and think to yourself, shut up brain or I’ll poke you with a Q-tip!! You fumble to hang on to your sanity as nightmares invade your dreams but you are so stressed that you wake up screaming and realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet. The next morning, you struggle your way out of bed, exhausted and beat, with demons dancing in your head setting you up in a hellish mood as you realize you have to make it through another day. And as you think of the day ahead, you conveniently come to terms with the illusion, created by nobody else but yourself and accepting it as a fact, that your war is lost, even before the fighting has begun, and abandon every hope for a change. You then go about your life with a mean demeanor, cursing and complaining about everything that crosses your path starting from the poor begging for money to the president who has all the money. Unconsciously, you start talking to yourself, you daydream and hear voices, and even if the voices aren’t real, they seem to have some good ideas, especially the thought of running over a man with your car when you are stopped at one of the million checkpoints by an AK47 wielding trigger happy baboon in a city where surprisingly the army governs daily civil affairs; you see them everywhere, on the streets, government offices, right under your bed, god forbid should your dreams be invaded by terrorists. I mean come on! Security is one thing and an undeclared state of war and martial law is another. Well anyway, no need to complain here, this seems to be working out somehow, journalists and freedom speakers are safely locked behind bars while extremists and corruption goons ransack the country. People say ‘psycho’ like it’s a bad thing, but that doesn’t bother you; the good thing about schizophrenia is you never run out of people to talk to. Consequently, you have no problems with adopting a new skin for every other day, double or more standards for everything in direct or inverse proportion to what you need or who you meet. No, you don’t suffer from insomniac insanity, you are pretty much enjoying every minute of it. Voilla! Your reality check just bounced - account closed! You have crossed to the other side and now officially a delusional zombie amongst many in a nation so drained, tired, and confused to the point of walking like the dead with no goal ahead nor offer any resistance to what’s becoming unto them, a nation Arab rulers have come to know as ‘Sha3b 3artah’, a populous easy to enslave. And as Hitler put it, what luck for the rulers that men do not think. Welcome to the club of twenty million plus of self-pitying Yemeni’s wandering the land with a sincere directive to make a point of their miserable life known to all, and in the process, ruin everybody else’s. This nauseating apathy fed with blemished logic in addition to livelihood plights thrown in the mix make for a disastrous recipe which will, and already has, put us all in a path spiraling down uncontrollably to catastrophe. Wizen Up! The fact is we have problems, a lot of them actually, especially recently and in the south. Well, in the north too, wait, somewhere in the center if I may add to that. The point is, we have too many of those lately and at multiple fronts, and guess what, they won’t self-resolve anytime soon, the government can’t do it with a swivel of some magical wand,, and your bitching isn’t really helping either. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that we need intellectuals to solve the problems, better yet geniuses who could have prevented them, but your howling is simply exasperating and getting us nowhere but towards the edge. I too, just like you; if I could get a firm grip on reality I’d choke it. But since it is our collective reality and here to stay, let us do something about it and give a helping hand, and I don’t mean rioting and breaking stuff, then gleefully running off to chew Qat and plan for yet another act of anarchy. Well first of all, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, Asimov. Second, believe you me, such actions will get you nowhere, and most importantly, neither the people nor the government likes it. But unfortunately, our state of mind has been twisted over and over so many times, our spirit broken, and our vision clouded enough just to be led by the nose and goaded into believing that we are fighting to restore what is ours when we are actually demolishing all we have built so far. We are all in this together, believe it or not, rulers and leaders would hate to upset their subjects, to a well-gauged certain point that is, as that would simply stir unrest and wreck havoc in the state, stability vis-à-vis current status quoi, and most importantly, their office; a predicament they would avoid at all costs, and so should you. Who in their right mind would push to the brink of civil war, don’t you know that such an affair, just like fire, would consume all indiscriminately. You think I’m exaggerating, then judge by example; Somalia! What do you think will happen here where everybody is armed to the teeth, a hundred leaders with changing agendas heading an exponentially increasing number of factions, Qaeda running free with extremism taking an unprecedented spike, and most are already prepped on verge of explosion in the belief of having been disfranchised and now maybe allowed the chance to unleash vengeance against government and other opponents. Dust won’t even have chance to settle before the fight for prominence and a position of power will follow, look at Iraq. It is granted that the government may suffer from rampant corruption, maybe oppressive, and basically hopeless. But you keep forgetting that many of us if not most, are employed by the same government we have come to despise and blame for everything all the way to global warming. There is an overwhelming sense of ‘we the unwilling, led by the unqualified, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful’. Enough! Don’t you see that the problem is not as much as with the system as it is fundamentally with you? Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s ambition and action, but you chose to wallow in grief because you simply believe the world has somehow decided to conspire against you and now suddenly it’s everybody’s fault that your life stinks. I understand everyone is entitled to be stupid, but you are abusing the privilege. It quite apparent that change needs not be at the top alone, it must be at all levels, staring with ourselves. And as far as government conspiracy theories go, it’s actually not as bad as you think, its worse, and yes, they are out to get you, and what’s ironic is that knowingly or not, you are actually aiding them to do so. But for you to suddenly conclude and decide to wage an all out war against the government is simply ridiculous; what kind of a moron would you be to intimidate a lion into a bare hands fist fight! Such a direct confrontation will only result in your demise, no matter how skillful you think you are. Use your head. Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying in the first place for it is a fool’s errand. Smarten up, plan, and strategize; diplomacy is that art of saying “Nice Doggie”...till you can find a rock. And yes, it is inevitable for you to learn and play the game of politics if you are serious about effecting change. One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors, Plato. To the Opposition, Make me a Believer or Quit Preaching You say you believe in your case, believe you are a majority and shall by the good grace of God topple this tyranny, well, as egotistical as your propaganda may sound, charming yourself for speaking authoritatively in the name of all the people, you also claim to be endowed with superior education, knowledge, and wisdom that shall outdistance the leadership in fixing all the state’s ailments; then why don’t you set forth a plan with clear goals and act upon it already for crying out loud. I have yet to hear a sound plan or an intelligent proposition for how to fix all disorders and crisis the government has led us into and you, never missing a chance, so eloquently outlined and scrutinized. Einstein put forth that any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex, it takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. You take actions or events and convert them to crises, then over-react in the hope it will be acted upon. All you have done so far is managing to pin point cracks in the dam and scream “it’s falling apart! Typhoon is coming!”, without proposing a solution. Instigating panic, fear, and disorder by blaming the masons, architects, and what have you, while the cracks go further and deeper will only accomplish one thing; flood catching us all right in the face with our mouths open from yet to the last second still squabbling over whose fault it was the dam was doomed to fail. After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done, and what is mind-boggling is that you keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I know you THINK you are doing your best, but it is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and THEN do your best. What is ‘The Plan’? A great many problems do not have accurate answers, but do have approximate answers, from which sensible decisions can be made. Don’t you have one for all the vehement critique, opposition and boycotting of government planning. Run for office, maybe? Does that mean I will have to bear with your bickering for yet another full term before I see yet another disappointing melodrama? And please don’t venture something silly, Lincoln’s law of keeping your mouth shut, it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt. It is insulting to my intelligence telling me a more holes in a boat will sink it. Duh! That still doesn’t resolve the quandary of how to get to shore safely and guided through this vast ocean, especially with our limited depleting resources and everybody chaotically paddling upon whim in every other direction. How, how, and more to the point, HOW, is what we all need to know. How to reduce poverty, increase GDP, cut taxes, build accountability, you know, things statesmen usually at least pretend to know about. Yet conversely, you seem to have figured out Conti’s politician and followed the creed by being the actor who doesn’t really believe in his script himself but has the incredible skill to make everyone else believe in it. You pray on my dilemmas and emotions filling my gut with hate and anger up to the point of gargling my heart out in a blazing fire; ‘The government stole your wealth, took away your chances for a living, and in heaven, they already confiscated your lot and leased out your soul’. Enough! You’ve outdone Lucifer himself, don’t you have a better symphony to play upon; how can the government take money that I haven’t yet earned, a chance of living I didn’t strive for. Don’t just tempt my greed for easy undeserved fortunes to be found in the golden city of Eldorado; which you say government has access to and I have to snatch keys for from their dead cold hands. Durant said, the political machine triumphs because it is united minority acting against a divided majority. What are you, the opposition, doing to unite us, the utterly divided majority? My Moment of Zen I get it, you are using Truman’s doctrine, if you can’t convince them, confuse them. Well I’m bloody confused and mighty disturbed as well, happy now! I’m also deeply worried. Frost over the reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. Don’t get me worried; I have too much on my mind, besides being unemployed and hungry. Additionally, aside from being surrounded by incompetence, now the rest have lost any interest in working or contributing and above all caught in a vicious cycle of bigotry holding each other responsible for the current state of affairs. Worst case scenario, well, we can always blame the government. But unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there, it has boiled over to the sum of all fears; we are disintegrating from within, and very rapidly. You walk into a Dewan today for a little social session and you get the sense you are walking into a battle zone. Most of the folks give you a mean look and after an irksome classification fashion you are fired upon with the question in a very interrogative manner, “Min ain ant?”, where are you from?. I’m Zex from planet Jupiter! What kind of a monkey question is that? Do I not look Yemeni enough to you! I later learned that the goal is to determine if you are a southerner or northerner, what village, which tribe, are you one of us, or ‘them’. And ‘them’ is a very broad and loose term used for everybody who is not one of us. The lines have been drawn, and unconsciously an irresponsible murky war declared. To Government & Opposition; Grrrrr! (growling) I noticed you have been smirking and smiling a lot of late, the man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on, Bloch, well of course you have, the usual prime suspects at both ends of the spectrum, the government for all state failures, the opposition for all disorders hence failure, and terrorists for everything else. Fine, have your duels and snicker at each other’s failures, but not using me as ammo. You see, I’ve come to understand politics after all, thanks to Hardman; The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’. The lots of you vampires are feasting on my blood and worse, since you’ve gotten it through my head that I am useless, don’t know what is good or bad for me, what I’m fighting or living for anymore, I might as well just lay still while you enjoy your meal on my back and occasionally be the sack of sand you playfully yet tactically throw out at each other every once in a while. However, both of you are forgetting something here; there are much bigger issues at stake, ones you have been timidly ignoring. And I can’t help but find a great resemblance in your approach to resolve between you and what Churchill once described as an appeaser being the one who feeds a crocodile, and hoping it will eat him last. The problem is, we have way too many crocodiles in many forms and shapes from poverty, corruption, to terrorism and state anarchy. You may feed the people to the crocs for being at the bottom of the food chain, but it will do you good to remember that supply is not infinite and disruption in the chain will eventually lead to your imminent starvation and your name being brought up next on the menu. Pepper rightly stated that the mistake a lot of politicians make is in forgetting they’ve been appointed and thinking they’ve been anointed. Graves are full of those who thought life wouldn’t continue without them. Everything changes but change, nothing is forever. No matter how gullible you think the people are, you should never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups, caught in a moment fueled by fury of accumulated burdens of injustice and hardships of basic livelihood, will unleash an unequivocal backlash. Remember what Twain said, even if the numbers of the people are skewed are a minority, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight that matters; it’s the size of the fight in the dog. Get your act together.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=1 Report http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=2 “The media department is about to collapse,” is the first phrase heard from media studies students at Aden University, followed shortly thereafter by the assertion that the college lacks practical training, has a non-specialized curriculum in dire need of updating and that students frequently are absent for long periods. The building itself reflects the disposition of its students. The media department, which is part of the Faculty of Arts, is located in an unstable facility full of breaches and clefts. The three-story building has approximately 20 classrooms, but only 11 are suitable for studying and so are used by the entire Faculty of Art, not just the media department. Students share broken wooden chairs as teetering ceiling fans circle overhead. According to students, freshman and sophomore classes sometimes study in the same room because so many of the building’s rooms are unusable. While media department head Abdullah Al-Huw refused to comment on the facility’s condition, he did confirm that the building isn’t just used by the media department, as other departments in the Faculty of Arts also use it. Absences hurt the class as a whole So many students are consistently absent that only around 50 young men and women are present in the department on any given day. This affects their studies by slowing down the entire class because they constantly must catch up those who missed previous lessons. It also discourages teachers, as well as those students who do attend regularly, to dedicate themselves. According to Al-Huw, the department’s 300 students attend classes according to a certain timetable, which he believes shows that the students do indeed attend class. Outdated lessons means less work for graduates Students don’t hide their complaints about the lack of attention the college’s administration pays to their department, but they believe the main obstacle to their studies is the absence of practical media teaching methods. Senior journalism student Walia Baggash says that practical activities are considered unimportant. She published a newspaper entitled, “Asda’a Al-Waqi (Echoes of Reality),” which ran for only three issues, but she can’t continue publishing it without her department’s help during exam time. “We never have a chance to do practical lessons because our study is mainly theoretical,” lamented one female student requesting anonymity due to family concerns. Adnan Al-Khader, a senior broadcasting student and a member of the Aden Gulf Drama Group, maintains that his studies consist of inapplicable lessons focusing on theory, not practice. He adds that students are introduced to cameras only via initiative methods, rather than hands-on filming. “When I joined the department, I thought my study would be practical in terms of wording news items and follow-up reports, but some courses have no textbooks and depend only on lecture,” says fellow student Wail Al-Khubati. He continues, “There are no benefits, apart from memorizing important figures in developing information concepts. Even top-ranked students can’t properly phrase a news item unless they’re correspondents for a newspaper.” Al-Khubati notes that students wrote numerous articles for their “University Horizons” newspaper, which stopped due to lack of necessary supplies. However, Shatha Al-Alimi believes the university’s media department has helped her a lot, despite its shortage of funds. She notes that efforts exerted by department professors, and particularly its head, have helped the department develop. But she admits that intensive theoretical lessons still are its main problem; therefore, “I suggest enhancing its practical work, updating the curriculum and making it a separate college,” she proposes. On the other hand, senior television and radio student Sali Khalid criticizes the media department’s academics, maintaining that their experience isn’t in tune with modern trends and has nothing to do with media, despite their participation in numerous training courses. Improving the curriculum However, department head Al-Huw refutes the students’ comments regarding the department’s practical training, admitting that while freshmen and sophomores can’t implement their studies right away, juniors and seniors may practice at a summer training course. He further notes that many activities were held this past year, including educational trips to news agencies and one of Yemen’s national television stations. “There’s constant progress to improve the syllabus,” Al-Huw says, pointing out that a workshop is planned at the university at the end of this month to discuss methods to improve the curriculum. He maintains that Aden University’s media department is no different than the one at Sana’a University, which receives technical aid from international donors. In conclusion, Al-Huw, in turn, criticized students, saying, “They’re judgmental, impatient and may easily verbally attack the professors because they [the students] are losers.”... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=2 Report http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=3 The German technology development organization in Yemen (GTZ) is launching a project to provide rural areas with cheap water filters. According to Micheal Klinger, the GTZ’s Hydrogeologist Team Leader, said that the organization’s Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) promotes the production and distribution of this filter to be used in rural areas where access to safe drinking water is very difficult and water networks are not available yet. The project also aims to promote the rain water harvesting concept as a possible source for drinking water. “We strongly believe that most rural households in Yemen could be safely supplied out of an integrated rain water harvesting concept which is supported by all partners,” he added. “If we want to implement a sustainable water management concept IWRM also has to focus on domestic water supply,” said Klinger, noting that Yemen relies largely on scarce groundwater supplies which are quickly being depleted. Filter units are sold wholesale to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for about YR4,000 (US$20) with a basic receptacle and faucet; more expensive clay receptacles are also available. A replacement filter costs about YR 2,500. For the private sector prices may differ. The filters last for three years, said Ashraf Al-Eryani, Project Coordinator in the GTZ. Abud Al-Karim Al-Arhabi, the Minister of Planning and Director of the Social Fund for Development, insisted on the importance of providing affordable filters in order that everyone can buy and use them. “It will be good if these filters reach poor families in rural areas, where clean drinking water is hard to get,” Al-Arhabi. According to the World Bank, around 75 percent of Yemeni citizens live in rural areas and work in the agriculture field, earning less than two dollars a day. In addition, Only 27 percent of rural citizens have access to safe drinking water, according to the water ministry. Field test for filters successful According to Ashraf Al-Eryani, GTZ project coordinator that the GTZ first tested the filters in Amran six months ago for 200 families in four villages that had a problem with clean drinking water, and about 98 percent of the people there were receptive to them. After testing the filters, research was conducted in order to ensure the filters are good. The research concluded that among children, the percentage of diarrhea decreased from 64 percent to less than 15 percent after only three months of using the filtered water. Diarrhea among adults using the filters also decreased from 25 percent to 17 percent. “So far, only the Red Cross bought 1,000 filters in order to give it to Sa’ada four months ago. Also, we donated about 200 filters to Mahwit, and some to Socotra Island,” Al-Eryani explained. “We hope that the [GTZ] and the private sector will take on this responsibility, and that whoever starts selling these filters will not increase their price. They are for poor people in rural areas and the goal of these filters is to provide clean drinking water for them,” said Al-Eryani. Yemeni kilns improved to produce new ceramic filter Potters for Peace (PFP) in Nicaragua developed the “ready-to-use” ceramic filter, which eliminates almost 100% of all bacteria, including E. coli and Vibrio cholera, as well as giardia and Cryptosporidium. Since then, PFP has helped establish production sites in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Ghana, El Salvador, the Darfur region of Sudan, Myanmar and recently in Yemen. In 2007 the GTZ- IWRM improved Yemeni pottery by enabling the production of high- temperate ceramics using a gas fired kiln, Al-Eryani noted. Building a factory, to manufacture the filters cost the GTZ US$50,000, while staff training cost a further US$25,000. Building the oven for the pottery cost 30,000$ and the test filter for the people and its research cost 15,000$, he added. Tens of thousands of the filters have been distributed worldwide by Organizations such as International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, Plan International, Project Concern International, Oxfam and USAID. Potters for Peace has relied on partner Health Organizations to provide appropriate training and education about filter use. The PFP filter is simple in design, easy for families to use, and performs exceptionally well in laboratory tests. Research underway at the University of North Carolina indicates that with small additions of iron oxide the filter can effectively remove viruses as well. With proper cleaning maintenance and mentoring, the filter can provide potable water for rural families that draw their water from surface-influenced contaminated sources such as springs, rivers, wells, or standing surface water.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=report&a=3 Culture http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=culture&a=1 Despite some progress, fine art photography in Yemen still lags behind other art forms such as painting and music. Portraiture and studio photography are the most common forms of photography in Yemen. This type of commercial photography usually involves taking posed pictures of people in a studio or commemorative photos at weddings, graduations and other ceremonies. Only a handful of fine art and commercial photographers can be found in Yemen, a nation with a population of more than 20 million. “There’s no syndicate or union for Yemeni photographers,” notes Iraqi photographer and trainer Salah Haider, who is also spokesperson for the Union of Arab Photographers. “They don’t agree with each other, so they lose out on participation in Arab and international competitions and exhibits.” Another less common form of photography in Yemen is photojournalism, which focuses on capturing people and events in the news for mass media purposes. “Worldwide, publications use photos as essential elements of their news, but we still use the camera randomly, ignoring many of its features,” observes Sadiq Al-Hamadani, a journalist and photographer for the Yemeni Parliament’s web site. For those with a passion for photography, there are obstacles to their ambitions. such as the lack of equipment, lack of training and lack of galleries or exhibition spaces to show their work. “Photographers could join together to form a club or a photographers syndicate where they could exchange ideas, establish standards, help one another in commissioned work, hold group exhibits or classes for learning photography,” suggests Boushra Al-Mutawakel, one of the few recognized art photographers working in Yemen. Aspiring photographers in Yemen can get more information via two forums, the first of which is the Information Ministry’s Media Institute for Training and Qualifying, which offers photojournalism courses. The institute recently launched a two-week workshop in digital photography and photojournalism for nine photographers from around the country. Abdullah Nasser, dean of the institute, says there soon will be an exhibit for the participants to display their photographs. The nine trainees went on specific photojournalistic training trips throughout Yemen, where they shot the country and its people as practice for larger assignments. “The current standard of photography in Yemen isn’t what we’re looking for,” notes Ali Al-Hakimi, head photographer for Al-Jumhuriyya, a Taiz-based government-run newspaper, adding, “Training is very important for us because it helps refresh our photography skills and knowledge.” The other venue for aspiring photographers is a photo club held by Haider, wherein a group of six photographers, including three amateurs, meets at 9 a.m. every Friday near the outdoor theater in the Old City of Sana’a. The group discusses general photography techniques and critiques the photographs they took throughout the morning. The photographers first choose a subject and then photograph it from different angles and perspectives. They then shoot in the Old City, stopping at a small restaurant to breakfast together and review their pictures on their digital cameras while Haider explains technical tips for better photographs. Their journey usually ends at noon, when the group lunches together. Mahdi Karman, a 30-year-old participant in Haider’s photo group, says he practices photography simply for the fun of it, but he sometimes gets to use it in his work as a graphic designer. “Learning, participating in exhibits and competitions and analyzing the works of other successful photographers are all effective ways to improve a photographer’s skills,” he points out. Establishing a reputable Yemeni artistic and commercial photographic community could provide job opportunities, as photographers could help the work of non-governmental organizations such as charities needing to document their projects. Additionally, they could work for the police, doing crime scene photography, or work for any of the numerous media outlets both inside and outside of Yemen. “I have a staff of skilled photographers and their approximate monthly salaries range from YR 30,000 to 60,000 (approximately $150 to $300),” notes Mansour Al-Bahri, owner of a portrait studio in Sana’a, adding, “They all acquired their proficiency through practice.” “We now have commercial photography, which we can see examples of on the large billboards that can’t be missed while walking or driving along Hadda Street,” Al-Mutawakel points out. Haider, who is working on an encyclopedia of Yemeni photography, advises Yemeni photographers to avoid arrogance if they want to succeed because there’s always room for improvement. He further requests Yemen Times readers to help preserve the photo archives of elderly Yemeni photographer Ali Asemah, whose photos are considered a part of Yemeni history. As Al-Mutawakel notes, “Yemen has a rich history and culture that’s gradually changing, with some aspects disappearing completely. Photography can help preserve certain aspects of our rich heritage, in addition to being used as a form of free artistic expression reflecting one’s society.”... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=culture&a=1 Culture http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=culture&a=2 When we talk about the way that Yemeni society looks at women, we notice how the society in all its groups – both men and women- looks down upon women either through dominance of men or through surrender of women. Consequently, the status of a woman was specified in the family and society as a follower performing her duties assigned by prevailing social customs fulfilling the society and man's desires. We get to know the novelists' view towards women in their literary works and the quality of roles that women play in the narration, as well as the impact of these roles on the social status of women within the society presented in the story. We can do that through analyzing works of Yemeni fiction and the storyteller's view toward women through what he presents to the reader through two main themes as follows: Theme 1: The storyteller's view toward women: A literary man is looked at by the society as its examiner for what his works contribute to raising public awareness, pointing the society in the right direction. He writer does this through criticizing situations that the society members-both men and women- live in. The problem consists in this or that writer's lack of wide horizons. The novelist or the writer's view doesn’t reflect society's ambitions but rather it implants in the story what is prevalent. We point out here that literature in general and narration in particular deals with women's issues in a way that doesn't offer any positive effect that may reflect the writer's awareness of those issues. In addition, they don’t elevate the society's public awareness toward achieving justice and equality. Woman has always been a subject of love, sex and courtship though not a subject of reason and knowledge. Her image scattered in the books of poetry and literature implies that she was created as minor and incapable, and that her incapability is inherent in her nature. Her existence is baseless without a man since she is his follower and part of his property. Based on this concept, we seldom find the woman warrior in history but, instead, we find the minor and bewailing woman. For example, poetry and courtship are restricted to men whereas the ideal mode of the righteous woman is confined to making elegies, speeches and housework. In his story "Piles and Flowers," Yahya Al-Eryani, a Yemeni writer, describes the heroine's body in depth when she "comes out with her harmonious height and her decorated cloth opened from below showing her legs that are reddish as a sign of good health." Here we can see how the writer attracts attention to the femininity of the heroine describing her clothes as if he still lives the age of female slavery. This concept is fixed in the core and soul of the Arab culture as a result of the paternal authority that forbids real participation of children in building their future. The alternative, then, for children is to be preoccupied with sex and leisure even through borrowing ideas far away from our age. It can also be noticed how Yemeni narrators in their expressions show woman as if she is only able to recall the different ways that confirm her femininity that appeals to men. Zaid Mutee' Dammaj, a Yemeni writer, for example, in his story "Hostage," describes all women living in the Imam's palace as debauchery-obsessed harlots and they sexually harass in order to attract the man who is held hostage in the palace. Narrating such events and the narrator's place in the story reflects a contradictory social and moral view. It also shows how men are selfish since they don’t recognize women's efforts and contributions in developing the society and maintaining the solidarity of the family. Unless there is development in the narrators' view toward women, all literary works including storytelling will continue to be incapable of expressing the society's real concerns as they present reality in a partial manner. The concept that a woman is merely for sex and serving a man, as illustrated by writers in their stories, will lead us far away from the reality of the life in which we live. Narration expresses the writer's viewpoint toward a woman through dealing with her from small points that don’t reflect the society and its real view toward a woman, which enables her to exercise her rights and participate in the development process. Dealing with women's issues in a narrow manner is [itself] a violation of human rights as she is deprived from her real freedom due to shackles of social traditions. Writers focus on the sexual side of the male-female relationship, paying more attention to the ways a woman should increase a man's sexual desire toward her. Accordingly, male-female relationships are negatively affected, since they focus only on fleeting sexual desire. Hatred comes to the surface as soon as a simple disagreement occurs. This hatred and disagreement between a man and a woman causes psychological problems to children of both sexes and affects their life in future. Mohammed Abdul Weli, a Yemeni writer and novelist, presents a woman in his literary works in a clear image showing her sacrifice and consistent efforts she exerts for her family and society. However, he covers the whole positive image with sex and as a result destroys all of her sacrifice. Theme 2: A woman and her place in the society: When we read narrative works about a woman's place in society and the importance of her role, we expect from the first moment that there is an awareness presented by the writer. Nevertheless, what happens is that storytelling focuses on a certain concept resulting from inclinations on the part of a man toward a woman. This way of narration deepens the prevalent norm in the society and the reader doesn’t receive any information that may help understand the reality of life between the society's two parts: male and female. Take for example the literary works of Mohammed Abdul Weli, who is considered the most famous Yemeni writer and storyteller. His works flourished before he died in the 1970s, during which time immigration was one of the most salient features of Yemeni life. In his story "The land, oh Salma," he presents Salma who suffers as her husband lives abroad as an expatriate. She carries his concerns and worries about difficulty of her husband's life abroad but her friend disagrees with her, telling her that men forget everything when they are far away from their families since they are concerned only with collecting money and entertaining with other women, maintaining that men remember their families only by their coming back home. This concept of women was also illustrated in Abdul Weli's other stories such as "Dying Strangers," in which a woman is preoccupied with her labor, hard work at home and on farm, rather than bringing wood for the sake of her family. So with her struggle and hard work, a woman should be active as lest her family may feel hopeless in the absence of the man. Therefore, a Yemeni woman was depicted as living under stress and instability either as a result of the heavy burden with regard to her work for the family or because she lives under pressure exerted on her by the family male members. In spite of all duties performed by a woman, literary works depict her as inferior, as men exploit her worry about children to seize her freedom and a real position in the society. The sexual view toward her by a man also cancels any recognition of her abilities. In his story "Sana'a: an open city," Abdul Weli shows that the position of a woman in the society is directly associated with her ability to deliver male heirs who inherit their father's wealth in future. Giving birth to female babies is a source of a woman's humiliation and in many cases a reason to get divorced. A woman's sexual habits or establishing relations with people out of the family circle is considered a disgrace and the punishment of such acts is death. Men, on the other hand, have a wide scope of sexual freedom and social traditions don’t consider a man's sexual behavior as a source of shame. On the contrary, Yemeni men feel proud to talk about beautiful women who they meet while working abroad. Yahya Al-Eryani shows a woman in his work as a lowly and submissive person. Her fate is in the man's hands and her opinion is dependent on the man's agreement or rejection. In his story "Piles and flowers", Al-Eryani shows Zamantal as the sole man in the whole story who was able to dominate women whereas women in the story were only obsessed by the means of giving him satisfaction. Further, he depicts a woman as a burden that hinders a man's progress in life. She is dependent on him, and whatever abilities or wealth she has, she keeps on waiting for a man to stand beside her. Without a man she can do nothing. The writer in this story was unable to renounce the society's prevalent norms and as a result he reflected all these norms in his literary work. Yemeni storytellers and writers are not different from each other in dealing with women's issues in their literary works. They fix the reality of women, though they are expected to work toward correcting misconceptions and elevating the awareness of the society to stop the male-female circle of conflict. Instead of highlighting the woman's personality as a mother, a sister and a friend, they viewed her merely as a source for a man's sexual gratification and a subordinate who should cope with him in all cases. This view doesn’t go with spirit of age, in which roles are given to the person who is most competent, regardless of their sex. The way that Yemeni writers follow is still affected by the dark ages in Europe, which made light of a woman and her position in the society and considered her as an incapable human being who was created only to satisfy a man's sexual desire. It can be said that Yemeni writers and storytellers deal with the image of women in this way for two reasons. The first of which is to attract the attention of more readers who admire such physical descriptions of women. The second reason is represented by their intention to show the real situation of Yemeni women as poor financially, morally, and socially.... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:34:58 -0600 http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=culture&a=2 Health http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=health&a=1 Corruption in the water sector puts the lives and livelihoods of billions of people at risk. As the Global Corruption Report 2008 demonstrates, the onset of climate change and the increasing stress on water supply around the world make the fight against corruption in water more urgent than ever. Without increased advocacy to stop corruption in water, there will be high costs to economic and human development, the destruction of vital ecosystems, and the fuelling of social tension or even conflict over this essential resource. This report clearly shows that the corruption challenge needs to be recognized in the many global policy initiatives for environmental sustainability, development and security that relate to water. As the Global Corruption Report 2008 reveals, there are several encouraging initiatives from all over the world that demonstrate success in tackling water corruption. This is the pivotal message that more than twenty experts and practitioners emphasize in this report. In add - ition, the Global Corruption Report 2008 – which is the first report to assess how corruption affects all aspects of water – reflects on what more can be done to ensure that corruption does not continue to destroy this basic and essential resource, one that is so fundamental to the lives of people all over the planet.\ Summery of the Transparency International Global Corruption Report 2008 Water is vital and ha no substitutes. Yet a water crisis that involves corruption engulfs many regions of the world. Nearly 1.2 billion people in the world do not have guaranteed access to water and more than 2.6 billion are without adequate sanitation, with devastating consequences for development and poverty reduction. In the coming decades the competition for water is expected to become more intense. Due to overuse and pollution, water-based ecosystems are considered the world’s most degraded natural resource. Water scarcity already affects local regions on every continent, and by 2025 more than 3 billion people could be living in water-stressed countries. The human consequences of the water crisis, exacerbated by corruption, are devastating and affect the poor and women most of all. In developing countries, about 80 per cent of health problems can be linked back to inadequate water and sanitation, claiming the lives of nearly 1.8 million children every year and leading to the loss of an estimated 443 million school days for the children who suffer from water-related ailments. In Africa, women and girls often walk more than 10 kilometres to gather water for their families in the dry season, and it is estimated that an amount equivalent to about 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) is lost to illness and death caused by dirty water and poor sanitation there, as well. When clean water is denied, the stakes are very high. The Global Corruption Report 2008 argues that the crisis of water is a crisis of water governance, with corruption as one root cause. Corruption in the water sector is widespread and makes water undrinkable, inaccessible and unaffordable. It is evident in the drilling of rural wells in sub-Saharan Africa, the construction of water treatment facilities in Asia’s urban areas, the building of hydroelectric dams in Latin America and the daily abuse and misuse of water resources around the world. The scale and scope of the water and corruption challenge The Global Corruption Report 2008 explores corruption in water through four key sub-sectors. Water resources management (WRM), which involves safeguarding the sustainability and equitable use of a resource that has no substitutes, is shown in this report to be susceptible to capture by powerful elites. Water pollution has often gone unpunished due to bribery, and funds for WRM end up in the pockets of corrupt officials. In China, for example, corruption is reported to thwart the enforcement of environmental regulations and has contributed to a situation in which aquifers in 90 per cent of Chinese cities are polluted and more than 75 per cent of river water flowing through urban areas is considered unsuitable for drinking or fishing. The need to adapt to climate change makes cleaning up corruption in water resources all the more urgent. Changing water flows and more floods may require massive new investment in water infrastructure and the resettlement of 200 million people globally, and demand more frequent emergency relief efforts. All of the above are particularly vulnerable to corruption, as the Global Corruption Report 2008 shows. Where corruption disrupts the equitable sharing of water between countries and communities, it also threatens political stability and regional security. Two in every five people in the world today live in international water basins, and more than fifty countries on five continents have been identified as hotbeds for potential future conflicts over water. Water ‘grabs’, the irresponsible appropriation or diversion of water without consideration for other users, abetted by corruption, may translate tension into open conflict. In drinking water and sanitation services, the second water sub-sector explored in the Global Corruption Report 2008, corruption can be found at every point along the water delivery chain: from policy design and budget allocations to operations and billing systems. Corruption affects both private and public water services and hurts all countries, rich and poor. In wealthier countries, corruption risks are concentrated in the awarding of contracts for building and operating municipal water infrastructure. The stakes are high: this is a market worth an estimated US$210 billion annually in Western Europe, North America and Japan alone. In developing countries, corruption is estimated to raise the price for connecting a household to a water network by as much as 30 per cent. This inflates the overall costs for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation, cornerstones for remedying the global water crisis, by more than US$48 billion. Irrigation in agriculture, the third water sub-sector examined in this report, accounts for 70 per cent of water consumption. In turn, irrigated land helps produce 40 per cent of the world’s food. Yet irrigation systems can be captured by large users. In Mexico, for example, the largest 20 per cent of farmers reap more than 70 per cent of irrigation subsidies. Moreover, corruption in irrigation exacerbates food insecurity and poverty. Irrigation systems that are difficult to monitor and require experts for their maintenance offer multiple entry points for corruption, leading to wasted funding and more expensive and uncertain irrigation for small farmers. One particular problem is the regulation of irrigation with groundwater resources. As a result of weak regulation, large users in places such as India or Mexico can drain groundwater supplies with impunity, depriving smallholders of essential resources for their livelihoods. In India, the total corruption burden on irrigation contracts is estimated to exceed 25 per cent of the contract volume, and is allegedly shared between offi- cials and then funnelled upwards through the political system, making it especially hard to break the cycle of collusion. The fourth water sub-sector to be covered in the Global Corruption Report 2008 is that of hydropower, involving dams. Few other infrastructure projects have a comparable impact on the environment and people. The hydropower sector’s massive investment volumes (estimated at US$50–60 billion annually over the coming decades) and highly complex, customised engineering projects can be a breeding ground for corruption in the design, tendering and execution of large-scale dam projects around the world. The impact of corruption is not confined to inflated project costs, however. Large resettlement funds and compensation programmes that accompany dam projects have been found to be very vulnerable to corruption, adding to the corruption risks in the sector. Corruption in water: a challenge beyond the water sector The importance of water for human development and environmental sustainability is well established and the global water crisis has assumed a central role in the development and environment debate. The Global Corruption Report 2008 highlights that corruption in water is a significant factor in this crisis and therefore also a critical issue for global public policy. The impact of corruption in the water sector on lives, livelihoods, food security and international cooperation also underscores the many linkages to global policy concerns. Corruption in water is a concern not only for the water sector. It also complicates the global challenge to confront climate change, and must be addressed in the building of a governance framework that updates and expands the Kyoto Protocol. Further, corruption in water must feature more prominently in any debate on environmental sustainability. It also matters for a global security agenda that is concerned about the root causes of conflict, extremism and failing states. Finally, corruption needs to be recognised as an obstacle to the global resolve to bring development to all, most prominently articulated in the Millennium Development Goals and related policy initiatives. Water: a high-risk sector for corruption The Global Corruption Report 2008 draws some preliminary conclusions about why water is especially vulnerable to corruption. • Water governance spills across agencies. Water often defies legal and institutional classi- fication, creating a regulatory lacuna and leaving governance dispersed across countries and different agencies with many loopholes to exploit. • Water management is viewed as a largely technical issue in most countries. Managing water is still predominantly approached as an engineering challenge. Consideration for the political and social dimensions of water, including corruption issues and their costs, is limited. • Water involves large flows of public money.Water is more than twice as capital- intensive as other utilities. Large water management, irrigation and dam projects are complex and difficult to standardise, making procurement lucrative and manipulation difficult to detect. • Private investment in water is growing in countries already known to have high risks of corruption. Nine of the ten major growth markets for private sector participation in water and sanitation are in countries with high risks of corruption, posing particular challenges for international investors. • Informal providers, often vulnerable to corruption, continue to play a key role in delivering water to the poor. Informal water providers provide important bridging functions in many developing countries to bring water to the poor. They often operate in a legal grey zone, however, making their operations vulnerable to extortion and bribery. • Corruption in water most affects those with the weakest voice. Corruption in water often affects marginalised communities, the poor or – in the case of its impact on the environment – future generations. These are all stakeholders with a weak voice and limited ability to demand more accountability. • Water is scarce, and becoming more so. Climate change, population growth, changing dietary habits and economic development all exacerbate local water scarcities. The less water there is available, the higher the corruption risks that emerge in control over the water supply. From diagnosis to action: lessons for fighting corruption in the water sector The case studies and experiences presented in the Global Corruption Report 2008 yield a set of four key lessons for fighting corruption in the water sector. • Lesson one: prevent corruption in the water sector, as cleaning up after it is difficult and expensive When corruption leads to contaminated drinking water and destroyed ecosystems, the detrimental consequences are often irreversible. When subsidised water gives rise to powerful agricultural industries and lobbies, refocusing subsidies on the poor becomes more difficult. • Lesson two: understand the local water context, otherwise reforms will fail One size never fits all in fighting corruption, but this is particularly the case in the water sector, where conditions of supply and demand, existing infrastructure and governance systems vary widely. Understanding local conditions and the specific incentive systems that underpin corruption is a prerequisite for devising effective reforms. • Lesson three: cleaning up water corruption should not be at odds with the needs of the poor The costs of corruption in the water sector are disproportionately borne by the poor. Pro-poor anti-corruption efforts should focus on the types of service provision that matter most to them, such as public standpipes or drilling rural wells. Such efforts need to be designed so that they do not undercut peoples’ basic livelihoods: for example, a crackdown on informal service providers may eliminate an important way for the poor to secure reliable access to water. • Lesson four: build pressure for water reform from above and from below Ending corruption in the water sector requires breaking the interlocking interests and relationships that are perpetuating the problem. This is a formidable challenge. Leadership from the top is necessary to create political will and drive institutional reform. Bottom-up approaches are equally important to curbing corruption, by adding checks and balances on those in power that include the monitoring of money flows or benchmarks of utility performance. Stemming the corruption ti