Biodiversity and Sustainability Are Closely Linked to Language and Culture
An unprecedented study of global biological and cultural diversity paints a dire picture of the state of our species. Like the amphibians that climb to ever tinier areas at higher altitudes to avoid being extinguished by global warming, most of the world’s species currently huddle in a tiny fraction of the Earth’s surface, and most […]
Mountains Behind Haiti’s Protests
Haitian proverb: “Dèyè mòn, genyen mòn.” (Behind mountains hide more mountains.) Haiti’s most populous cities erupted in marches, sit-ins, strikes, and barricades throughout September 2012. This revolt began with the teachers during the first week of the month. By Monday, September 10, the country’s educators were protesting, not only in Port-au-Prince, but also in Jeremie, […]
Colonialism of the Mind – Part II
Of all the campaigns to undermine Haitian culture, the one to discredit restavek adoption — in which a biological parent collaborates with a respected adult to care for a child — enjoys the most zealous support from the west’s non-governmental organizations (NGO) and alternative press. This campaign reached fever pitch after Haiti’s Prime Minister […]
Colonialism of the Mind – Part I
“Les intellectuels ont toujours été des courtisans. Ils ont toujours vécu dans le palais.” | “Intellectuals have always been courtesans. They have always lived in the palace.” – Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) Western journalists increasingly assume the voices of subjugated countries’ natives while muzzling them by denying them access to the press. In the United […]
Data Mining: The Price to Pay for Our “Free Parking” in Cyberspace
I can hear him now: “Come one, come all. Enter my parking lot and spend as much time as you want and it is free.” So says the P.T. Barnum of cyberspace. Welcome to the biggest parking lot in the world. At one time that parking lot grew so big it threatened to eat itself. […]
