Charter Cities Attempt to Reduce Poverty by Providing Options
The dominant trend in international development right now is to provide individuals with greater means to climb out of poverty on more or less their own terms. NYU development economist Paul Romer has pioneered what may be the latest, and perhaps craziest, idea in this trend. What if we provide individuals with greater means to … Read more
Meet Our New Author!
I’m really excited to announce that TheMarginalized.com is gaining an author: Michael Castle-Miller! Michael will be writing on law and development from a human rights perspective, which will include urban planning, relevant national and international cases, and more. Anyone who knows Michael knows he’s a great fit for a this site; but in case you … Read more
Desperation in Guantanamo Bay I really appreciated this NPR report and interview on the hunger strikes happening at Guantánamo Bay. Former inmate Omar Deghayes’ recollection of communicating through the walls reminded me of stories from the communist gulags. Listen in to learn more about what’s really going on there, and how the hunger strikes could be … Read more
Bangladesh and What Brings the Guilt Clouds
Last Friday I heard a brief exchange on The Diane Rehm Show’s Friday news roundup about the recent factory collapse/fire in Bangladesh in which at least 381 people have been confirmed killed. Susan Page of US Today stood in for Diane Rehm and interviewed, among others, James Kitfield of National Journal. Page asked Kitfield, “Do … Read more
What We Really Think of First Responders
After the recent tragedies in Boston and West, many of us celebrated the incredible stories of first responders. These were the people who ran back into the fray after the explosions, who searched for bodies in the rubble, who sacrificed their own safety and security to give blood, clothing, medical care, and whatever else was … Read more
Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum – a Blow to Human Rights?
Yesterday the Supreme Court handed down a decision on the case Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum. I was actually in the room when the court heard this case, which involves a group of Nigerians attempting to sue multinational oil companies for human rights abuses in Nigeria. The case involves the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), which … Read more
What Does Australia Think of Our Asia Pivot?
While in Australia back in February I came across the Medical Association for Prevention of War. Curious, I walked into their office and wound up in an interesting dialogue with Nancy Atkin, the Executive Officer. I’ve been wanting to write about our conversation for some time since. It was a real treat to sit with … Read more
Doing Good on Yom HaShoah
Today was Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day. As a Jewish commemoration, it ends in the evening at sundown rather than at midnight. It is a time to reflect and remember, and a chance to refocus our energy on preventing similar atrocities. Unfortunately, the latter half of the 20th century tells a different story than … Read more
Ash on the Reservation
The Reid Gardner Station is a coal plant located outside Las Vegas in Moapa, NV. Owned by NV Energy, it stands adjacent to the Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation. For years, residents have complained of extremely high cancer and asthma rates, which they associate with the 50-year-old plant and its coal ash dump (a landfill … Read more
How to Help Syrian Refugees
As their country enters the third year of a bitter civil war, roughly 4 million Syrians have fled their homes. At least 1 million have crossed into neighboring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey. The rest are displaced within Syria, including a large contingency hiding out in Roman-era caves. And to make the situation … Read more
