I wish you had been there to join us in an exciting exploration of a new way to look at the advancement and empowerment of women. The Demos Women’s Leadership Initiative Forum series sponsored our 10th event, “Gender Equality as an Investment Concept” to look at how and why it is smart business to invest in women as a means to increase performance, profitability and sustainability.

While I am writing this blog posting, the Congress is debating the economic stimulus package--a critically important step but not a sufficient one. The heavy emphasis on creating infrastructure jobs on highways and with bricks and mortar isn’t forward-thinking enough. We can create jobs for women as well as men – good ones – by supporting the growth of women-owned business, by making sure that libraries, schools, hospitals, day care centers and clinics are not forced to lay people off, and by requiring gender equality measures when the money is doled out.

It’s time to focus on the business case for the future: the corporate sector and the economy can benefit enormously from tapping the growth potential of focusing on gender equality. Here’s a thumbnail introduction of the three panelists who shared their views with a diverse audience of 110 people on January 22, 2009:

• Joe Keefe, President and CEO of Pax World Funds runs the oldest socially responsible investment firm including the Women’s Equity Fund. WEF is the first, and so far the only, mutual fund that looks at gender criteria (as well as financial, environmental, social and governance criteria) when investing for long term gains because of a strong belief that companies that tap women’s talents will be both profitable and sustainable. www.paxworld.com

• Anne Black, Vice President of Goldman, Sachs serves as the Program Director for the 10,000 Women Initiative which is a five-year, $100 million investment to provide management and business education for women worldwide in an integrated approach which is now operating with partnerships in 18 countries. Goldman sees supporting women’s advancement as a critical component in global growth. www.10000women.org

• Ritu Sharma, Co-founder and CEO of Women Thrive Worldwide is a powerful advocate on gender and poverty issues in the international arena and on US foreign policy. She is also a co-chair of the Women, Faith and Development Initiative. Women Thrive’s leadership is leading to a change in international development aid toward closing the gender gap and providing women with resources to support their families, create jobs, and reach markets. www.womensedge.org

As I moderated this forum, the facts that these experts presented make a strong case for thinking anew about what can re-start our economy – and it turns on its head the customary belief that roads and bridges are the best answer to grow future economic success. While it is still almost a secret – the key is women. The research is compelling.

• Companies with the most women in management outperform those with the least across five industries: return on equity by 53%, return on sales by 42% and return on invested capital by 66% (Catalyst).

• Closing the male-female employment gap has huge economic implications with the potential to boost the US GDP by 9%. We certainly could use that boost! (Goldman, Sachs).

• There are 1.3 Billion adults in the world living on less than $1.00 per day. Micro-credit programs, although very important, aren’t enough. One woman in a factory supports 8-10 people in the village. Social and economic development go hand-in-hand. For example, in Uganda, investing in potable water and woodlots can free up to 6 months of time for women (900 hours/year) which could then be utilized in the economy. (Women Thrive Worldwide).

As Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman’s CEO said in announcing their 10,000 Women Initiative, “We are disciplined in our investments, and when you get to the topic of trying to invest and create GDP, there is no better or more efficient investment than the investment you make in women.”

Keep tuned for further Demos Women’s Leadership Initiative Forums to shed light on gender equality as an investment concept by bringing you the best experts and opportunities for discussion. As one participant said, “This is about real growth, not some Kumbaya Factor.”

The Demos Women’s Leadership Initiative highlights fresh thinking, research and writing about the importance of women’s advancement and leadership in building a strong democracy and securing economic prosperity.

Demos thanks our panelists and the co-sponsors for this forum: Ms. Foundation for Women, Pax World Mutual Funds, the National Council for Research on Women, Women Thrive Worldwide, The New York Women’s Foundation and the Financial Women’s Association.

• The snow is not the ideal place to keep your beer cold. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

I talked to a lot people at this year’s festival. I exchanged business cards, discussed films, and generally attempted to be sociable. I even made a few new friends who I hope to see again! It was great to have other people to attend screening with, especially when they saved me a seat!

For all the fun, films, and friends, Sundance is also place to be humbled. Before the festival, I mentioned in a purposely nonchalant manner to anyone that would listen that I would be out of town at Sundance – the film festival! People were impressed, or at least feigned enthusiasm. Once I arrived in Park City, I put proudly wore my enormous credentials outside my coat for everyone to see. My first night out on the town I lived it up with free drinks and food. I even received some SWAG, albeit them odd and totally useless things. And I received some emails informing me that I was on the guest list for a number of parities. Oh yes, I was feeling rather good about myself!

And then I was smacked down, so to speak. It all started on the first Friday night (i.e. Day 2). Before going to a late screening, I decided that I needed some free food and drinks. I went to one of my favorite sponsored venues, a place that had welcomed me with open arms the night before; I’d even received a velvet bag! I confidently walked up to the door, my credentials very visible, and was promptly asked if I was on the list for such and such event. I was not on the list. But before I could be formally rejected, some guys interrupted asking about the party for Brooklyn’s Finest (a new Richard Gere movie), which was happening upstairs. I quickly hurried away.

I consoled myself with the fact that I was on the guest for parties later that night! I would surely get into those parties, and then bask in the glow of celebrity.

Later Friday night my new friends and I hit Main Street with nothing but the world in front of us. We strolled up to the first party only to find a long line. We waited. I told the bouncer, “I’m on the list.” We waited some more. Finally we (and the 50 other people outside) were told that the venue was at capacity, and we’d have to wait. My friends and I moved on.

A few stops later we ended up at a party where the drinks were not free and the sponsor was unknown. Before leaving we noticed a girl standing topless in the middle of the party having her chest painted (think carnival face painting). The fact that she wasn’t wearing a shirt and being painted was confusing, especially because she was alone in this artistic endeavor. I turned to my friend and said, “At least she’s wearing pants.” My friend replied, “The pants are painted on. She’s naked.” Let me tell you, those were some very detailed oriented pants someone painted on her.

For a moment I felt like Don Draper of Mad Men in the Palm Springs episodes (Mad Men was on my mind after seeing the advertising documentary Art and Copy). I felt like I was going down the rabbit hole, and half expected to see Hugh Hefner hanging out in a nearby grotto. Standing naked in a room full of people staring at you is very degrading – and really bizarre. And it’s definitely not putting the focus on films.

• Revelers wait in line on Saturday night hoping for a good time at Park City’s many Sundance related parties. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

But there’s always Sundance 2010!

The winners of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival were announced this evening! The list of awards makes me wish I could have seen every film at the festival! Hopefully the films that I missed (but really wanted to see!) will be in theaters in the next few months.

I was so happy to see that the following films were honored: The Cove (Audience Award: U.S. Documentary), Afghan Star (World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary and World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary), Paper Heart (Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award), Big River Man (World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary), Good Hair (Special Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary), and Adam (Alfred P. Sloan Prize).

You can see the full list of winners here.

Tomorrow I will post my final blog for Sundance 2009!

Tuesday's Inauguration was the most watched, and talked about, screening – at least for a day. The excitement of President Obama taking office was, unfortunately, tempered by my first day of mediocre films. I started off the day with a lunchtime screening of The Informers. I had read about the film in the New York Times, and the cast/plot sounded interesting. I should have remembered that I don't like Bret Easton Ellis books, or films based on his books. It would have been great if I remembered this before an usher showed me to a seat in the middle of a row very far from the exit. At film festivals, as opposed to theaters I frequent in my everyday life, it is acceptable to walk out of movies because you can just walk right into another (hopefully better) movie; I always try to sit by the aisle near the exit, just in case I want to leave mid-movie. Unfortunately, given my seat, I had to endure the entire disaster that was The Informers. When the film finished, the lady next to me said, "I wanted to leave, but I couldn't find my coat."

• Films aren’t the only way to make it big during Sundance. This young troubadour hopes to find fame, or at least sell some CDs. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

My streak of disappointing films continued with Earth Days, which is a history of Earth Day and the American environmental movement. The documentary was selected as the closing film at this year's festival. The film is not bad, just very boring. And it ends with President Reagan's election to office. I walked out of the theater wondering if nothing of importance has happened to the environmental movement in 28 years. Films about the environment were very popular at this year's festival, and Earth Days was just not as interesting or original as The Cove, The End of the Line (which was the high point of my Tuesday), or No Impact Man.

When I walked out of Earth Days, I saw some of my friends who persuaded me to see Dare. From the film's description in the film guide, I assumed it would be in the vein of the High School Musical franchise. I have not seen any of the HSM films, but I know they are filled with fancy free plot lines – and that was just what I needed! Dare could not be described as whimsical or fun, it's much for more in the vein of Dangerous Liaisons; however, I was too intrigued to even think about leaving the theater. I finished the day with Shrink, which also failed to live up expectations. The film starred Kevin Spacey (who I love, love, love!), and yet it was one of those dramas that is all about strangers whose lives are connected by a totally unrealistic coincidence.

• Jessica hanging out with her beary buddy. Photograph by a kind stranger. •

The buses of Park City are fantastic! Not only are they completely free, but they run on time! At every stop there is a volunteer who wants to help you arrive at your destination in the most expedient way. When a crowded bus stops, the driver often says (with a very polite tone), “Everybody get friendlier, I need to get five more people on this bus.” Then everyone squishes together with few complaints. Amazing! With the snow and cold everyone wants to stay warm from the collective body heat. And did I mention that the buses are almost always on time?

Among the findings of a new survey, "World Leaders," to be conducted every two months by European countries and media agencies, voted Dalai Lama as the most respected and popular world leader. "The world is yearning for, if not religious, at least a humanistic approach that puts care and concern for one's fellow men at the top of the agenda," said an American strategist, Breant Scowcroft. Today India is being tested like never before. And in the coming months the world, and in particular the global business community, will be watching for the answer to a crucial question: Whether India can overcome its greatest obstacles to advancement, which include both terrorism and India itself. With a series of terror attacks in the past few months, the pertinent question is; whether the leaders of the country will act in such turbulent times.

Says, danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, "We need for India the kind of leader of grit and transparency that Obama is offering to the US. It is not a question merely of age but of the ability to think of India, not of five year terms in power, not of oneself or of scoring points but of a new India in a new world scenario. We have been copiers in recent times. We need to join with the world's intelligence systems and work as a world team fighting terrorists everywhere. Terror, HIV and bird flu, has no boundaries. Till we continue ego games of taking credit and scoring brownie points none of these issues will be solved."

Indians are out on the roads with candles and an indomitable will to fight back. They have found the will to fight back but will India's government show them the way? The changes required in homeland security will be massive. The country, for instance, is reported to have only 3,500 intelligence agents for 1.1 billion people. Compare that with the U.S., where the FBI employs 12,000 agents for 300 million residents. Says world billiards champ Geet Sethi, "We must realise that India is still a very poor country. In order to achieve a massive homeland security, we will need to eliminate corruption from our system. Do you have any idea how pathetically the police force is paid in our country? So how can we expect the same levels of awareness which US showed after the 9/11 attacks? We surely need politicians who are decisive, much more aware and will embody qualities of an aware individual. Dr Manmohan Singh is an able individual but his toughness is an issue." Which means, there is no short cut to building a country's leadership in a place like India, where the leadership needs to be steeped in the culture and country's goals. Youth today have lost faith in 'Gandhigiri'.

Says actor and ex Miss World, Diana Hayden, "After the first attack, we continued to sit like ducks till they attacked us again. You can't offer them your left cheek if they slap you on your right. I think India needs a leader at present who will after some concrete proof take strong action and give it back. Where is all the money that we pay to the government going when innocent people and civilians die fighting with the terrorists? What India is lacking is an infrastructure and "aware" individuals who will retaliate."

In a nation as diverse as ours, it pays to build culturally inclusive leadership which will percolate deep into the minds of every individual. Unfortunately India does not have an environment of trust. Everyone believes in working for their own interest. Says adman and brand consultant Prasoon Joshi, "Our country is completely confused right now, like the way I showed in the film - Rang De Basanti. What we need is an ideological stand. We need a leader like Mahatma Gandhi whose language reached the whole country. Gandhi never said don't make your defence mechanism strong. Our youth right now is directionless. We need thought leadership, which believes and understands that if such things keep happening again and again, how risky it will be to push forward." Agrees music composer Shankar Mahadevan, "I think the country lacks humanitarian qualities."

Freedom is a given in our lives. It was not earlier when our grandparents lived. But that does not deter a group of young IITians forming a political party to save the country. Says the party president, Tanmay Rajpurohit, the national president of the party and B Tech in aerospace from IIT Bombay, "It's a tough job, but we want to follow the order of the day. Its important that the country gets effective aggression because the older politicians are too busy serving their own interests." True that more daunting is the challenge for India—with 22 official languages, dozens of political parties, and a corrupt bureaucracy—to make the changes it needs with due speed but its high time, India invested in leadership to be among the very best!

• The Uptown Fare restaurant. Note the “Open” sign and the “Locals Only Club” banner. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

Multiple times a day I walk by the Uptown Fare restaurant, and I always peak in and wonder if it is ever open. Well, apparently it never is during the festival - except this year. But unless you have a local ID, the bouncer won’t let you in; exceptions are made for festival volunteers. This might be a terrible business model, and yet it is extremely respectable. Not everyone wants Paris Hilton (who is at Sundance for reasons only known to her) patronizing their establishment.

This morning I woke up early, bought my obligatory cup of coffee on Main Street, and then took the bus to a morning screening of Afghan Star. The film follows four contestants on the Afghani version of American Idol! I have reviewed a number of documentaries about Afghanistan for The WIP – and Afghan Star was the first film that showed Afghans smiling and happy! The film, which I hope to review, captures the cultural and generational differences that continue to divide Afghanistan, so it’s not all fun and singing. I was so impressed with how organically the documentary evolved, and how courageous the two female contestants were in the face of an oppressive patriarchal society.

When I left the theater, I couldn’t help but shake my booty (something forbidden on the reality show) all the way down the street. The two finalists of Afghan Star are planning international tours, and I can’t wait!

• Bike racks at my number one hang out – the transit center! Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

Serious documentary films have the power to bring attention to important issues – that’s why I love them! During this morning’s [previously mentioned] panel discussion, Samantha Power talked about how films can be a “Trojan horse” to get people interested in serious topics. But seeing too many depressing films in a single day is not a good idea. Trust me.

Having a good time at any film festival requires a balance. You must mix heady documentaries with laugh-out-loud comedies and fictional dramas, if you’re going to have a good time and stay enthused. I am capable of seeing five movies in a single day and staying interested in every single one, but I need some diversity.

• With such fierce competition, some films find original ways to stand out. End of the Line employed a mascot. It worked, at least on me, since I will be seeing the film before I leave Park City. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

I started the festival with the opening night selection: Mary and Max. The Australian claymation animation film is about two very different pen pals (an 8 year old Australian girl and a 44 year old autistic man living in New York) who send letters and chocolate across the globe for 20 years. I have no feelings, positive or negative, regarding claymation; I did like how the twee of claymation was contrasted by a rather serious and mature story. At times I got so caught up in the characters that I completely forgot that I wasn’t watching real people.

Since I review documentaries for The WIP, I have seen at least two a day. While I don’t want to reveal too much about films that I will be reviewing, I will say that biopics about crazy people (or people going crazy) seem to be big this year. Today I saw The Carter about the rapper Lil’ Wayne, who is downright bizarre, and yet surprisingly committed to his art. Big River Man is like a real life version of Werner Herzog’s Aguirre: The Wrath of God, expect this time the protagonist is swimming, not rafting, down the Amazon river. But the insanity part rings very true. An interesting subject doesn’t make for an interesting film, as I learned this evening at When You’re Strange, which makes the madcap life of Jim Morrison relatively dull.

Tonight on the bus ride back to my hotel, I heard some other people saying that they might see Spring Breakdown tomorrow. I quickly interrupted, “You MUST see it! It’s so funny!” The comedy features many Saturday Night Live stars at their best! I know that it is not an award-winning piece of cinema; however, that 90 minutes of fun rejuvenated me for another four documentaries about the world’s worst problems.

• Eager fans, and camera crews, wait outside the Egyptian Theater. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

After the screening, I walked across the street for a bagel, cider, and a copy of Variety at the New York Lounge. There was a new food table with bags of delicious popcorn (you might be sensing a theme at this point – I love free food!), and sitting by the table was none other than Michael Cera! I loved Arrested Development, so I was particularly excited to see him just hanging out not drawing much attention. I later went back for a second look (and for a bag of popcorn…I was too distracted the first time to actually take a bag); I thought about saying something, but I couldn’t think of anything clever enough – and I was suddenly very nervous. Maybe Michael Cera is this year’s Adrian Grenier! I’m even more excited to see Michael Cera’s new film, Paper Heart, later today!

• Crowds follow Denise Richards down Main Street. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

We live in crazy world when Michael Cera sits alone in the New York Lounge near the popcorn table completely unnoticed, and Denise Richards is followed down Main Street by a crowd. Or maybe, it’s all about how well you [willingly and scornfully] court publicity?

• Too many films to see! Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

What makes Sundance, or really film festivals in general (although nothing compares to Sundance), great is that you get to see a film with 1,200 other fans who totally enhance the experience with their energy and enthusiasm. Then, post-screening, you get to see the directors, producers, and stars answer audience questions! I am terrible at spotting celebrities, so unless someone’s name is announced on a microphone, I am oblivious.

• Carlos Cuaron and Gael Garcia Bernal on stage after Rudo y Cursi (note the velvet blazer)! Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

• The 500 Days of Summer gang! Photograph by Jessica Mosby (from the balcony). •

Tomorrow I promise a full report of all the films I’ve seen. Oh, and of course the parties!

I arrived in Park City, Utah late Wednesday night for the annual Sundance Film Festival! This being my second time at the festival, I knew, at least in part, what to expect. Last year I arrived early in the morning on the second day of the festival (the first day of film screenings), and everywhere I turned there were crowds of people and countless celebrities. While I had a fantastic time at the festival, I felt rather overwhelmed by the number of film screening (in hindsight, maybe I didn’t make the best choices when it came to which films to watch), the crowds of people, and the level of celebrity.

• Crews putting the finishing touches on Park City’s Main Street. Photograph Jessica Mosby. •

• Jessica modeling her new Sundance water bottle while looking like a marshmallow in her down coat (note the large press pass). Not particularly stylish, but very warm! Photograph by a kind stranger. •

• Robert Redford and Geoff Gilmore at the Opening Day Press Conference. Photograph by Jessica Mosby. •

Just so you don’t think all the glitz of Sundance is gone this year, at yesterday’s New Frontier Press Preview I was offered “Authentic French Absinthe” Le Tourment Vert (an official festival sponsor). Did I mention that it was noon? I declined, and opted for a glass of red wine to accompany my complimentary sandwich and brownie.

As a child I used to spend summers at my grandparents where water wasn’t exactly abundant. Somewhere below the farm there used to be a small well where they went to collect water with a tub tied to a long wooden pole. You needed to be strong to do it, so I wasn’t allowed to play around for fear of falling in. But the well was ever so mysterious and the villagers spoke of it with awe, saying that there lived some kind of Triton. I can still recall the color and taste of the water despite the scientific claims about it being colorless and odorless – the gentle mellow velvety emerald color as it was splashing from side to side of the bucket carried by my grandmother. When I dived my brown eyes in it, I could see far beyond, where little blue water sprites danced around the big fountain. And the taste, that refreshing, soothing taste, quenching my thirst, was peculiar only to that water – I had never ever tasted it before, or later.

Twenty years on, water is still as precious as it used to be back then. Just over a year ago my mother’s water supply suddenly ran dry. It turned her life into a living hell and mine into constant worry about how to solve the problem. First we thought it was only the winter and the pipes froze, but spring came and the pipes refused to cooperate. I’m not sure if anyone can possibly imagine how frustrating it is when you want to wash hands, or pour yourself a glass, and you open the tap which remains silent, not releasing even a gargling sound that normally follows the dry spells. She had to have water delivered by the fire brigade so she could cook, and I took care of her laundry. What a nightmare! So for the next six months she had to make do without, and our lives revolved around it until finally after all our nagging the water authority sorted out her problem with the help of a local patron who literally had to pull a few strings to get things started. What a relief! Our lives were back to normal.

She is extremely fortunate to be living in an urban area whereas there are a great many people buried deep in the Slovenian mountains or living in the middle of nowhere still relying solely on wells for their water supply. In Slovenia one thousand water systems supply over 90% of population. One of the special features is a large number of small wells and waterworks supplying just a small percentage of population. The systems have a lot of drawbacks which affect the quality of drinking water.

According to the statistics, Slovenia is one of the European countries with the richest water sources – 97% of underground water sources cater for all the users, and the remaining 3% come from surface water. There are 10,000 drinking water sources with the quality of water which can be compared to that in the developed countries. We are one of the very few to be able to drink water from the tap therefore we should consider ourselves lucky. All in all, we have nothing to fear. For now! But how long will the stores last? It has been forecast that by 2025 two thirds of world population will be facing water shortages, and as we all know, a man can live one month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water. Is this going to be the end of us?

As far as the water consumption is concerned, fifty-five liters of water are used per person a day in Slovenia to meet various different needs from washing up, laundering, bathing to showering, which is far more than the UN minimum per person – 20 liters a day, and in urban areas the figures soar from approximately 150 liters a day to 250 or 300 liters. And I thought that the British were rather unsparing with 150 liters per person a day, seeing their houses equipped with bathtubs rather than showers, which have been a standard practice in Slovenia for years. In comparison with other European countries we do not lag behind – Spain with 265 liters per person a day is in the lead while Lithuania with only 85 liters per person a day comes last (Source: ARSO).

No matter how rich the country might be with water sources, there are about 400 ecological disasters in Slovenia annually. In most cases the reason for this is the spill of dangerous chemicals that trickle into the underground water, contaminating drinking water. According to some prognostic services, Slovenia is heading for water disaster.

Anton Kamat, an independent researcher, said “Slovenia is about to encounter a serious water stress. Water safety is in great danger and that poses a threat to the national security since it is not possible to imagine normal life and safe future without water. The worst possible scenario: water source Hrastje near the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, supplying 85 thousand inhabitants, might as well be forgotten not only for a while, but for good. The residue left by the solvents is non-degradable.”

Naturally, health inspectors try to reassure everybody, saying that water in the wider Ljubljana area is suitable for drinking, pointing at Prekmurje in the northeastern Slovenia, where apparently water is most contaminated due to intensive farming. Of course, the state is trying to convince the skeptics with promises of solid plans to eliminate the causes of contamination, but people will not be fooled.

According to Anton Kamat, we are handling water as a company in liquidation, and the dispersed competence, typical of this domain is telling us that the decision-making aptitude of the government and politics is questionable. The Ministry of the Environment is, of course, denying everything claiming that most of its time is dedicated to water.

A spokesperson for the Slovenian Consumer Society, Jana Peterman, corroborated Mr. Kamat’s findings, saying ”It is true that it was found with the monitoring in 2003 that 43% of Slovenian population is supplied with water from unsuitable water sources which need to be sanitized, so the government is trying to have us think they really know what they’re doing.” But for every positive response there’s a negative one. So who to believe?

The provision regulating the quality of drinking water in Slovenia is the Drinking Water Regulations which is in compliance with the European Union Directive. In 2000 the European Union adopted the directive which gives member states legal and professional starting points for common approach to managing water. The main objective of the “water directive” is achieving good chemical and ecological state of water by 2015, a state without any adverse effects on humans. In article 8, this directive calls for a program of monitoring of surface and underground water sources, one of the key assignments of Slovenian Agency for the Environment. In Slovenia monitoring has a long tradition, but in 2007 it was carried out for the first time in accordance with the requirements of the “water directive”. The first results of evaluation will be issued in 2009, by which time one third of the population might have been affected by poor or contaminated drinking water. Fortunately, the Slovenes are not great drinkers of water – they drink beer and wine to quench their thirst, so perhaps they are in less danger of contamination.

How can we solve the problem of water consumption in Slovenia? The answer is rainwater – food for thought for future generations. If we start using it, it is possible to supply 50% of clean drinking water in households (45 liters excluding bathing, washing up and drinking). I believe that Slovenian people in general are still unaware of how serious the situation is since in the constant quest for money, it is far more important to be well provided with consumer goods. Still, people do believe that the secret of youth can be theirs, not with the help of plastic surgery, but by drinking water, so the awareness that has been raised about the issue in the past few years has finally borne fruit – people are prepared to contribute their share to water preservation.

(Copied from my blog: http://mayas-corner.blogspot.com/2009/01/police-brutally-disperse-peaceful.html)

On Jan. 14, between 2000 and 3000 people attended an anti-government protest in front of the National Assembly (the Bulgarian Parliament) in Sofia. Protesters were students demanding order and safety in the campus, conservationists objecting against a proposed change in the Forest Act allowing easy destruction of forests, farmers demanding the subsidies they are entitled to under EU legislation, and many other people united by their strong disapproval of current Bulgarian government. Among the thousands of peaceful protesters, a group of fewer than 50 young men attacked police and broke some windows, including one of the Parliament building. Police didn't make a serious try to control them.

However, anyone who thought that police wouldn't be active was soon to be proven wrong. Let me quote the BBC report "Protesters fight police in Sofia" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7828709.stm): "When an anonymous bomb threat was received, the Deputy Mayor of Sofia, Yulya Nenkova, issued an order to break up the rally, local media reported. The police then used force to disperse the protesters, who were demanding the resignation of the Socialist-led government."

So much about the brutal and indiscriminate use of police force against a peaceful, allowed protest in a EU member state. The two other foreign media reports about the rally that I managed to find, by AFP (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gybrdsLUh379OpZb9WpSAJlhrkHA) and Reuters (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LE473019.htm), don't mention that turn of the events at all. Among non-government activists, only French conservationist David Morrand expressed support for the protesters.

Bulgaria media, despite giving undue weight to the mild and isolated acts of vandalism that accompanied the rally, did their job better. E.g. Dnevnik paper published a report titled "Provocations and police force destroyed the protest". I am translating its initial part:

"Only an hour after its beginning, the united protest of students, conservationists and farmers was banned by the Municipality of Sofia after a demand by the police. Another hour later police dispersed by force the 2000 or more demonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament and started chasing them over the streets of Sofia."

Participants and eye-witnesses say that protesters were given absolutely no order or warning, that they were beaten indiscriminately, including children, women, elderly people and people already lying on the ground, that police chased people to closed streets and alleys, presumably to prevent them from escaping unhurt. (This description fits the well-known pattern of behaviour that has been shown by Bulgarian police on many earlier occasions.) Questions are asked how can a rally be first allowed and then banned while taking place and why, if there had been indeed a call so conviniently delivering a bomb threat, police dispersed only the protesters and didn't evacuate the Parliament building. Opposition leader Martin Dimitrov claimed that his colleague Borislav Borislavov was injured while trying to protect old ladies.

It isn't quite clear how the arrested protesters were dealt with. The next day (Jan. 15), opposition MP Ivan Kostov announced in the Parliament that police had arrested minors and forced them to sign forms that they didn't want attorneys. The same day, BTV channel reported that detained people were tried using the short procedure and quoted a mother claiming that her son had been arrested in the street without having attended the protest at all.

After this rather impersonal description where I am trying to pose as an amateur reporter, because professional reporters don't seem to be doing their job, let me share my own thoughts.

The Jan. 14 events don't surprise me at all and so don't trouble me too much, because this is the Bulgarian reality as I know it. What is worrying me is the silence in foreign media and the indifference of international (esp. European) public opinion. In small, weak countries like Bulgaria, foreign criticism is a very important regulator of domestic policy. While I am staying aside of the current protests, I have taken part in many similar ones in the past. Generally, these rallies were better reported and the presence of cameras not only helped the achievement of good things in some cases but also served to guarantee, to some extent, the rights and safety of citizens in a country where police is regarded by the authorities mainly as a tool to quash dissent.

The situation has worsened much since Bulgaria joined EU in early 2007. Indeed, some media have done an excellent job to report the outrageous plight of our institutionalized disabled children. However, what Westerners don't seem to realize is that non-disabled, non-institutionalized adults in a formally democratic EU member state also can have very little control over their fate and be stripped of most basic rights. The only aspect of the situation in Bulgaria that is properly reported in European media is the rampant corruption. This makes sense, because this aspect of the Bulgarian situation directly empties the pockets of European taxpayers. However, people who love democracy should also think of the nascent civil society in Bulgaria which is struggling to survive. It needs help and after this help costs so little (just to spread the word), I don't see why it isn't being given.

In conclusion, while I had doubts about the wisdom of the Jan. 14 protest (for reasons that I don't wish to discuss here), it achieved something very important: it proved beyond any reasonable doubt that in Bulgaria the right to public protest, similarly to freedom of speech, exists only until somebody tries to use it.

WIP Contributor Pilirani Semu-Banda was given an award by The Elders, a club of influential world figures, for her story on child labor. The award ceremony was held in Paris in the presence of former US President Jimmy Carter, former Irish President Mary Robinson, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other members of The Elders.

Speaking during the ceremony, Robinson said, "Journalists are an incredible way of carrying the message."

The awards were held in conjunction with the year long 'Every Human Has Rights' campaign, which was inspired by The Elders as a way of raising global awareness on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Read full article here.

Congratulations, Pilirani. We are very proud of you!

The number 7 holds a special place because it is said by many to be a lucky number and the number of completion.

I was too busy to wish everyone a happy New Year on the 1st so decided to hold off till today, the 7th day of the New Year. When I thought about it, I was like, wow! Is it the 7th already?

This goes to show that this year will be fast moving one. This is not the year to take life as it comes, we must grab it by the horns.

I hope all my hard working sisters out there have started it with a big bang, charging forward to accomplish all dreams and desires.

However, if some of us have not, well all is not lost. There is still plenty of time to fall off the wagon and get back on. As long as we keep moving forward we will be just fine.

Remember that success is a journey not a destination, so enjoy the 2009 part of your life’s journey.

Have a great year everyone!

When I was about seven years old, on my first trip to Haiti, I remember seeing skinny, dark-skinned girls sweeping front paths, carrying buckets of water on their heads and hoisting heavy bins, while other children their age walked to school in crisply pressed uniforms.

I recall taking an interest in these girls because they were barely older than I was yet something in their faces disturbed me; they were young but they had weary expressions that belonged to tired old women.

I didn't know the name for these children until I was older and picked up a book called Restavec, by Jean-Robert Cadet. When I asked my parents more about it they said it was a shame but true, it was their country's dirty little secret.

The term restavec (or restavek in Creole) means "stay with" and refers to poor children taken in by families as servants. The children are supposedly given food, clothing, and even schooling in exchange for work. But the majority are not sent to school or allowed to play. They are essentially child slaves. Reports on the topic, from former restavecs and children's organizations have shown that restavecs, mainly girls, are beaten, left to sleep on floors, poorly nourished and given raggedly clothes to dress in. That's why it was so easy for me to recognize their status when I was only seven, they are at the bottom of the Haitian caste system.

It is a tragic irony, because Haiti was the first country to abolish slavery (see my post from 1/2/09). Yet today, there are still restavecs in Haiti despite the international attention that has been focused on the situation. In fact, we only have boys in the Clermont Center for Homeless Adolescents because the girls have usually been snatched away to be restavecs.

To learn more about restavecs, check out Fondasyon Limyè Lavi an organization dedicated to ending the restavec situation in Haiti.

Tonight's episode of Law and Order deals with a child slave trade ring between Haiti and New York, (NBC 10pm/9 Central). American Current readers, do let me know what you think of the episode, as I'll only be able to see it later and online.

Thanks for reading this and do pass it on!

This post is from my blog: http://currentsbetweenshores.blogspot.com

I have never been to Israel or to Palestine, and I have no ancestral connection to those lands. Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, I have never known anyone who overtly associated themselves with Judaism or Islam. You could say that I have no stake in the resolution of this conflict. You could say that I have no right to an opinion.

In fact, my opinion will anger many Americans, because I question our nation's unwavering support for the Israeli State. I see a disturbing pattern, set in motion over the past seventy years, whereby our "special relationship" with Israel has covered all manner of horrible sins committed by (and in the name of) our ally.

I see that the combination of fundamentalist Christianity, guilt over the Holocaust, general hostility towards the Arab World, and a very vocal pro-Israel lobby in Congress have converged to give a feeling of endurance and inevitability to perpetual American support for Israel. So ingrained is this reality that most Americans cannot - or refuse to- think critically on this policy and its serious ramifications.

The dust has not yet settled on this conflict, and with Israel denying access to reporters who wish to enter Gaza, it is very difficult to get a handle on the facts. So, I cannot comment on who started what this time around. What I can say with certainty is that it is entirely justified to question Israel and to hold them to the same international standards that the world would hold China, Australia, Germany and Russia to in a similar conflict. Certainly, Hamas must accept its share of the blame. But the underlying problem is at least as much a matter of inequality and a degraded quality of life as it is a problem of Hamas militancy.

If we look at the situation with clear eyes, we see that the power relationship is fundamentally unequal. Which society has lived in refugee camps for multiple generations? Which society lacks access to its traditional farm lands, to quality medical care, to bomb shelters? Which society has inflicted an embargo on whom, has rammed humanitarian relief ships so that they cannot reach the other? Which has the authority to ban the entrance of journalists into the lands of the other? Which has the support of the greatest global military? Israel has all of the power; Palestinians consistently suffer disproportionately.

I am reminded of the American Civil Rights Movement, which angered many White Americans at the time. The thinking by those in power was that Blacks had been liberated from slavery and that they had no right to push for more. Equality was White America's to give and to take away. The same disenfranchisement exists today, the same power differential is at the heart of this and all conflicts between Israel and Palestine.

Obviously, there are flaws in this analogy, but it is nonetheless instructive. Palestinians must fight, because their current status is untenable. And whether Israel likes it or not, the Palestinian situation is largely a result of the State of Israel being established. As much as Israel hates its reality, it is stuck with Palestine as a neighbor. As the stronger power, it needs to take the first step to resolving - not enflaming- the conflict.

These past few days, I have been wishing everyone “A Very Happy New Year” and receiving similar wishes. I do hope that the coming year is a happy one for my friends and colleagues, but having just put down the New York Times and The Guardian, the “Happy” part of my usual New Year wish sounds so insensitive to me! Am I saying that I hope you and I will be “happy” while the world around us is in tears - witnessing death, illness, rape, violence and war? No, this wish doesn't sound right. And to say I wish 2009 would be happy for the whole world is again, unrealistic and insensitive.

How can those who are being plummeted by rockets in Gaza, facing guns in Somalia or Sudan, being raped in the Congo, burying their malnourished children in Zimbabwe, displaced from their homes in northern Sri Lanka or living in the fear and under the threat of a random attack from one group or another in almost every country of the world, suddenly find 2009 a happy year?

While we are at it, let's not forget the crumbling economy – those who have lost their businesses, their jobs, their homes, all their savings and some even their lives…the world today, is indeed more bleak than it has ever been. So, my plea to all is, let's try not to seek that “happiness” in 2009 or even wish each other that “happiness.”

Let us wish that we get anxious, restless and even angry. Let us seek that discomfort for ourselves. It will help us wake up, develop the ability to feel the pain of another, speak up, take some action - however small, and prevent us from drowning in our personal greed and selfishness. May we become more sensitized, more aware and more energetic. Maybe then, we can start thinking of our own happiness and happiness for all.

Let us allow all those living in war, violence, poverty and through every kind of suffering, to feel pain, to grieve and to mourn. Let us not ask them to forget and move on. Let us try to feel their pain. And, when they are ready to move on, let us walk with them.

This, my dear friends and family, is my wish for you and me for the New Year.