Latin America: Facing the Challenge of Productivity to Sustain Progress

        This post is a summary of an article published at http://www.worldbank.org/  on May,11,2012 and was written by Hasan Tuluy, Vice-President for Latin America. The title is above.

       There is a growing pragmatism in the region, anchored in the fact that sound economic policies, coupled with socially inclusive investments, have demonstrated that they work and that together generate a virtuous cycle. Macroeconomic and financial stability, built on fiscal discipline, and strong financial institutions, proved their strenght during the global crisis. Inflation rates have been maintained in single digits.

       Latin America is also less poor with an expanding middle class, today almost one in three citizens are middle class. L. A. has also experienced gains in gender equality. In L.A. today, there are more girls than boys in secondary and tertiary education. And it is also a growing region, in the past decade the average growth rate was close to 4% with on average GDP per capita increased by almost 25% in the past decade, with the top six countries with greater GDP growth: Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, seeing an increase of more than 40%.

       Despite these impressive outcomes, important challenges remain. In a nutshell, the challenge is to preserve stability, consolidate social gains, continue to reduce inequality and increase productivity and competitiveness to make growth sustainable.

       Crime and violence poses a critical development challenge with potential destabilization effects in these countries. A real challenge to citizen security and a development problem. Homicide rates in Central America are among the highest in the world. The aggregate cost of crime in this region is estimated as 8% of GDP.

       L.A. countries, except Brazil, have light tax burdens, less than 4% of state revenue comes from personal income taxes, as compared to 27% in industrialized nations. The key challenge will be to tackle its low levels of productivity and competitiveness. Dependence on natural resouces, the region advantage, is still significant. The issue is how to build on this wealth, and break the reliance on "high volume, low value-added" production and move to higher value-added chains.

       Low productivity is the root cause of L.A. chronic low growth, not just in manufacturing but also in construction, information tech, and logistics. But this can be changed. Addressing the logistics and infrastructure gaps, today the cost of logistics in L.A. are 2 to 4 times higher the average in OECD countries. L.A. installed electricity capacity was about 17% below that of the Asian tigers in the 1980s. Now it is almost 50%. Yet demand is projected to grow at nearly twice the GDP growth.

       Low productivity reflects under-investment in innovation, Brazilian firms, for example, spend around 4% in R&D compared to 13% in the UK, USA and Japan. Growing spend in R&D will make L.A. more productive and competitive. Human capital is another important constraint to the region. The percentage of population with tertiary education rose from 9% in 1990 to 14.2% in 2009 in L.A. While in the Asian tigers grew from 10% to 20% in the same period. And the quality of education needs to be dramatically improved.

       There is need to mobilize additional investment. Average investment during the past decade was 20% of GDP, compared to 29% in East Asia. We can not count on public investment alone, domestic and foreign investment plays an important role to also attract know-how and spur innovation. In an environment of expanding inclusivity and democracy, future progress toward productivity and competitiveness is bound to stick and be more sustainable in the long run.

      Nutshell - in fewest possible words.

      Burden - a heavy load.

      Tackle - an effort to deal with a difficult task.

      Spur - an encouragement.

      Bound - leaping movement towards over something.

      Constraint - limitation or restriction.

XLVI - Science, a Force for Freedom and Human Rights

     This post is a summary of a article published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ on April,20 2012 with the title above. Was written by Shawn Lawrence Otto, co-founder of Sciencedebate.org, and  the other text has the title of " Frequently asked questions on human rights." published at http://humanrights.gov.au/

         The Chinese astrophysicist Fang Lizhi died on April, 6 2012, at the ageof 76. That a Chinese astrophysicist passing is noted in a prestigious American journal is a testament to how Fang crossed boundaries between the two cultures and was loved, in both. Fang was a frequent contributor to the NYtimes review of books, which also says a lot about the man. Most readers will not know who he was, but they will resonate with those ideas. They are important ideas. Fang wrote about science as a force for human rights. Like democracy, science is inherently antiauthoritarian, it opposes authoritarianism because it takes nothing on faith. It says "show me the evidence, and I will judge for myself." This tends to be politically inconvenient for kings, popes, dictators and ideologues, who want to assert their views without having to provide evidence. Science is always political, because creates new knowledge and new knowledge always challenges vested interests. That happened a lot in China during the called cultural revolution of Mao in the late 1960s. Mao liked to celebrate his peasant roots, much like some people celebrate their anti-intellectualism today. Mao was suspicious of scientists and academics, and viewed them as "dangerous and antirevolutionaries". They were banished to work camps to be reeducated, or they were jailed or shot. Mao closed the universities to all but a select few for decades. He ignored the advice of scientists and as a result, he brought on the worst famine in human history. Fang was one of those scientists and academics, he was persecuted and confined to a coal mine. Fang stood up against authoritarians in the Deng Xiaoping government that followed, he used satire to mock them in his physics classes. They fired him, after the Tiananmen Square student uprising in 1989, Fang and his wife took refuge in the U.S. embassy, where they stayed for more than a year, until go to U.S. and become a professor of physics at the University of Arizona.

          Fang said something about science, tolerance and freedom in a essay at 1996. The words could be applied to antiscience authoritarians in America today. He said, "science begin with doubt. Science stresses independence of judgment, not conformity to the judgment of others. Science is egalitarian. Science need a free flow of information. Science truths, like human rights principles, are universal." Science is a humanitarian force, Fang lived it. His clarion voice will be missed.

          In recent decades there has been a tremendous growth in how we think about and apply human rights ideas. This has had many positive results, knowledge can empower individuals and offer solutions. Putting human rights ideas into practice can helps us create the society we want to live in. When people better understand human rights it will be easier for them to promote justice and the well-being of society. Human rights of people can not be taken away. This does not mean that abuses and violations do not occur. However, they are essential legal principles. Many nations incorporated these principles into their own laws, this provide an opportunity for individuals to have a complaint settled by a court in their own country, may also be able to take a complaint of violations to a United Nations committee.

        I had my motorcycle stolen yesterday, GYF 4939 CG 125 Titan and its color is gray with the only rear wheel in aluminum, if you see, send an email to: yourtch@hotmail.com

   

XLV - Deaths of journalists in Brazil III

      This post is a summary of two reports published at http://cpj.org/ The first with the title "CPJ`s 2012 impunity index spotlight countries where journalists are slain and killers go free." in April,17 2012. The other with the title, "CPJ risk list: where press freedom suffered." And written by Karen Phillips.

      Deadly, unpunished violence against the press rose sharply in Pakistan and Mexico. The Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) has found in its newly updated impunity index. The global index, which calculates unsolved journalists murders as a percentage of each country`s population has shown. "Impunity is the oxygen for attacks against the press and the engine of those who seek to silence the media," said Javier Garza, deputy editor of an Mexican daily.

      The release of CPJ`s index follows two significant developments that take the fight against impunity. In March, the Mexican senate aproved a constitutional amendment that will federalize anti-press crimes. But the  same month, UNESCO`s 28th biennial session failed to endorse a plan to strengthen international efforts to fight impunity after the proposal drew objections from Pakistan, India and Brazil, that have high rates of deadly, anti-press violence. The U.N. plan would strengthen the office of the special rapporteur for free expression and assist member states in developing laws to prosecute the killers of journalists. Several countries` ratings remained largely static, underscoring how entrenched the culture of impunity can be. The death toll grew in the end of 2011. Brazil has seen a similar pattern, recent journalist murders have kept the country on the index.     

                 1º ) Iraq                            5º ) Colombia                      9º ) Russia

                 2º ) Somalia                      6º ) Nepal                           10º) Pakistan

                 3º ) Philippines                  7º ) Afghanistan                   11º) Brazil

                 4º ) Sri Lanka                   8º ) Mexico                          12º) India

      The CPJ risk list identifies the 10 countries where press freedom suffered the most in 2012, they are: Syria and Somalia,which are racked by conflict, along with Iran, Vietnam and Ethiopia, nations that are ruled with an authoritarian grip. But half of the nations on the list; Brazil, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia and Ecuador; practice some form of democracy and exert significant influence on a regional stage. In determining the list, CPJ staff examined six press freedom indicators: fatalities, imprisonments, restrictive legislation, state censorship, impunity in anti-press attacks and journalists driven into exile. Countries named to the risk list are not necessarily the world`s worst places for journalists. Instead, the risk list identifies the top 10 places where CPJ documented the most significant downward trends in 2012.

       Setbacks in Brazil are particularly alarming, given its status as a regional leader and home to a diverse array of news media. But a spike in journalist murders, a failure to address impunity, and a pattern of judicial censorship have put Brazil´s press freedom at risk. Judicial censorship remains a problem in Brazil, where businessmen, politicians and public officials have filed hundreds of lawsuits claiming the journalists have offended their honor or invaded their privacy. Brazil also failed to support press freedom on the global stage. In March, objections raised by Brazil and others nations nearly thwarted U.N. plan to improve journalist security and combat impunity.

      

XLIV - Direct Democracy: The Right to Referendum

       This post is a summary of five texts: 1) The title above published at http://wethecitizens.ie/ 2)"Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum." at  http://aceproject.org/ 3)"Initiatives and referendums in the U.S.A." at En.Wikipedia.org  4)"The ballot initiative process" at http://usgovinfo.org/   5)"UK politics - Elections, referendums and democracy." at http://www.markedbyteachers.com/

        The extent of our democratic voice is to vote once every few years for people from a very narrow range of backgrounds who have to think in the short-term problems in order to be re-elected, even though their jobs is to legislate for long-term problems. An idea proposed was to enact a system of direct democracy like they have in Switzerland. It is a form of a large proportion of the population sign a petition for a particular issue, it can automatically trigger a referendum, this can be to veto government legislation, remove a corrupt official or even propose legislation.

        Arguments in favour of direct democracy.

- Government decisions can be put to vote for veto if enough people are unhappy.

- It is would make politicians more accountable.

- Citizens are directly involved.

- Any citizen or group can campaign for a cause they believe.

- People feel empowered and are thus happier.

        Arguments against direct democracy.

- It can lead to emotional, misinformed decision by citizens.

- It can reduce complex legislative decisions to a yes/no choice.

- Sometimes government need to pass laws that are unpopular.

        Supporters of the use of referendum argue that, in the context of voter disenchantment with traditional forms of democracy, referendums can help to re-engage voters with politics and democracy. Another argument in favour of referendum is that can be used to resolve political problems. They can help reach a solution on some difficult issue. There are also arguments against the use of referendum. One is that it weakens representative democracy. Another is that voters do not always have the capacity or enough information to make decisions and may make decisions based on partial knowledge and unrelated factors.

        In the politics of the United States, initiatives and referendum is a process that allow citizens of many states to place new legislation on a popular ballot and vote on it. It is written into several state constitutions. It is was one of reforms aimed at breaking the concentration of power. A way in which average persons could become directly involved in the political process. Initiatives and referendums, also known as "ballot measures" or "propositions," allow citizens to vote directly on legislation. Popular referendum requires a predetermined number of signatures to qualify as a ballot measure.

        This is a form of direct democracy, through which citizens exercise the power to place measures on ballots for a public vote. Successful ballot initiative can create, change or repeal state and local laws. There is no ballot initiative at the national level in the U.S.

        A referendum is a form of direct democracy, it is a strategy which enables the electorates to participate in political decisions. Elections may not necessarily increase democracy, whereas referendums are one of the most adequate types of the purest form of democracy. Also, referendums can be held more often than elections.

XLIII - Literature as an Art Form

     This post is a summary of four texts: 1) "Literature." in En.Wikipedia.org - 2) The title above in JournalPulp.com - 3)"Literature is the mirror of society." in GulfNews.com - 4) "Importance of literature." in Classiclit.about.com

     Literature is the art of written work. The word 'literature' literally means "things made from letters." Is commonly classified as having two major forms: fiction and non-fiction and two major techniques: poetry and  prose. Literature may consist of texts based on factual information, as well as on original imagination.

     Literature is the art-form of language, and words are its tools. As a painter uses paint, as a musician use musical instruments, as a sculptor uses stone-and-chisel, so a writer uses words, what philosopher call abstractions. Abstractions are the human method of grasping things in nature. Our brains work by means of abstractions, which are, in essence, words. Art by definition is communication between the artist and the audience. If it is not communicable, it is not art. If in your literature you reject the notion that language is definite, you will not know the meaning of the things you are trying to communicate.

      Literature has had a major impact on the development of society. It has shaped civilizations, changed political systems and exposed injustice. Literature gives us a preview of human experiences allowing us to connect on basic levels of desire and emotion. While most students agree that literature is crucial for the advancement of society, many could not name a book they recently read. "By reading narratives, we can empathise and understand others," said Judith Caesar, English professor at the American University of Sharjah(AUS). "Literature teaches us to analyse a character, what shapes his or her beliefs and how one related to others. We can only analyse once we understand and look beyond the obvious," said Saad Faroogi, an English literature major at AUS. So the significance of literature has been confirmed, both over time and human understanding. However, despite student awareness of the importance of literature, is today`s youth seeking that deeper level of knowledge? "We are at an age of 'videoacy' rather 'literacy'. It does not matter how they deliver their messages, people need different channels to express themselves," said William Haney, head of the English department at AUS. While a book may take a month to finish, a movie could convey the same message in just two hours. However, what students do not see is that 'quick fixes' may not be providing them with the full and accurate message. "One of main qualities of literature is that it is open to interpretation. People will not stop reading because they are watching films, both satisfy the need for a narrative. The two rather overlap." Said Judith Caesar.

       It is curious and prevalent opinion that literature, like all art, is a mere play of imagination, pleasing enough, like a new novel, but without any serious or practical importance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Literature preserves the ideals of a people, and ideals ( love, faith, friendship, freedom, etc) are part of human life most worthy of preservation. It was simply the ideals of the Greeks, Hebrews and Romans, preserved in their literature,which made them what they were and which determine their values to future generations. In a word, our whole civilization, our freedom, our progress, our homes, our religions, rest solidly upon ideals for their foundations. Nothing but an ideal ever endures upon earth. It is therefore impossible to estimate the practical importance of literature, which preserves these ideals from fathers to sons. Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty, it is the written record of the spirit of man, of his thoughts, it is the history, and the only history of the human soul.