World
from the February 24, 2004 edition

Reporters on the Job

More Than Women's Work: Reporter Ben Lynfield says that the Machsom Watch group credits their ability to monitor Israeli troops ( see story) to the fact that they are women and are perceived as less of a threat by the mostly male troops. But Ben noticed some other characteristics that may contribute to their success. "Many are in their 50s and 60s, and many have children or grandchildren in the Israeli army. To have three or four gray-haired women with clipboards standing near a checkpoint is a soft, unthreatening picture. I wouldn't even describe them as activists; they're more mainstream than most activists here," he says.

Get all the Monitor's headlines by e-mail.
Subscribe for free.
E-mail this story
Write a letter to the Editor
Printer-friendly version

Taste of India: Reporter Dan Morrison has witnessed the decline of the tea-drinker and the rise of the coffee-drinker in India ( see story). While there are no Starbucks outlets, "any city of any size will have a coffee shop - or 10 - filled with students and young adults who work in the hotels or call centers, making more money than their parents do," says Dan. Barista and Cafe Coffee Bay are the big chains. The newest competitor is Java Green. "It's a telecommunications conglomerate that has shops where you pay for your cellphone card, surf the Net, drink coffee."

Dan freely admits his own quaffing bias. "I've drunk tea for 15 years," he says. His brand: "Taj Mahal," a fairly common blend of Assam and Nilgiri teas.

David Clark Scott
World editor

Cultural snapshot

(Photograph) ART FOR THE MASSES: German model Claudia Schiffer paints the lips on a reproduction of "Portrait of a Girl," a piece by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. This week the public is invited to similarly recreate works from London's Tate Galleries by completing paint-by-number canvases set up at central locations around London.
DAVID BEBBER/REUTERS

Let us hear from you.

Mail to: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 via e-mail: World editor




Get Monitor stories by e-mail:
(Your e-mail address will be protected by csmonitor.com's tough privacy policy.)
(Mary Knox Merrill/Staff)
EDITOR'S PICK Five cities that will rise in the New Economy
From Seattle to Huntsville, Ala., five cities are poised to prosper in the New Economy because of exports, innovation, clean technology, and healthcare.

In Pictures:
Get ready for gridlock
POLITICS Patchwork Nation
The American voter beyond red and blue

Daily podcast

Monitor Reports

Discussions with Monitor reporters from around the world


Today

Peter Grier

The Monitor's Peter Grier talks with reporter Ron Scherer about how Black Friday will effect the economy this year.




Making a difference
Making a Difference

What happens when ordinary people decide to pay it forward? Extraordinary change. See how individuals are making a difference, finding solutions, overcoming adversity, and giving back globally.

Batdorj Gongor convinces residents to set up savings groups as a way of teaching them the power they gain by banding together in neighborhoods.

Lee Lawrence

People making a difference: Batdorj Gongor

In Mongolia, he shows former nomads how working together benefits everyone.