Topic: Nobel Peace Prize
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Obama and Myanmar (Burma): 4 points about conflict there
A long-simmering ethnic conflict in Myanmar (Burma) recently broke into American newspapers: At least 89 people have been killed and more than 35,000 displaced in what is being described (not entirely accurately) as Buddhist-Muslim violence. With President Obama as the first US head of state to visit this country, there are four points to bear in mind about this detour from Myanmar’s road to a more open society:
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Six reasons this UN General Assembly is must-see TV
World leaders descend on New York for the annual United Nations gathering, starting Sept. 25. If the recent past is any guide, it can be a memorable, even explosive, occasion. Here are six moments to watch for, to brace for, this time.
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Brazil: 11 books to read before you go
The 11 travel books that The Lonely Planet suggests you read before arriving in Brazil.
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6 famous dissidents in China
The surprising escape of a blind legal activist from house arrest is buoying China's embattled dissident community, even as the government cracks down on those who helped him.
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Myanmar's about-face: 5 recent reforms
Since 1962, Myanmar's dictatorship has jailed the opposition, beat up monks, denied aid to disaster victims, and run scorched-earth campaigns against ethnic minorities. That may be changing, however. Here are five key changes the regime has made in just a matter of months.
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Good Reads: Wangari Maathai lives on – and so will Facebook
Wangari Maathai, Africa's first female Nobel Peace Prize winner, passed on this weekend. But Kenya has many activists who share her fearlessness, energy, and passion for justice.
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The Monitor's View: A climate gadfly’s job
Americans are obsessed with the economy. Gadflies like Al Gore do a service by reminding them that the problem of climate change isn’t going away.
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The Monitor's View: Love in China
A new book by dissident writer Liao Yiwu chronicles the rise of Christianity in China, where even the Communist Party wants to adopt Christian values.
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Retired military general leads in Guatemala presidential election
Otto Perez Molina is the front-runner in the Guatemala presidential election after Sunday's first round, though he did not garner enough votes to avoid a November runoff.
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How 9/11 made Barack Obama a war president
Many expected Barack Obama to be an antiwar president. But he embraced his role as commander in chief of the world's most powerful military, escalating the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
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The Monitor's View: GOP debates open a window on America's global role
Wednesday's debate between Republican presidential candidates revealed big differences on US military intervention abroad. Yet history shows a candidate's words may not predict his actions as president.
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One priest's crusade against sex tourism in the Philippines
Rev. Shay Cullen's campaign against sex tourism epitomizes faltering efforts to combat the problem in the Philippines and throughout Southeast Asia.
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In Pictures: Barack Obama's milestones
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Opinion: After Norway massacre: Will this country ever be the same?
A view from the secretary general of the Council of Europe, a former prime minister of Norway: I am often asked what will happen in Norway now. At first, I answered that it will stay an open society. But we need to become more aware of what terrorism is, where it comes from, and how we speak about it.
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Will Breivik attack change Norway?
Norway's leaders and the public say they are committed to protecting their vaunted 'open society.' But even though attacker Anders Breivik was Norwegian, the immigration issue could heat up.
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Deadly bombing causes damage at Norwegian government offices in Oslo(VIDEO)
Oslo authorities say at least one bomb exploded in or near buildings that house the Norwegian prime minister's and other government offices on Friday, killing at least two and injuring 15.
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The Monitor's View: China buying up Facebook? Which one really needs innovation?
Reports of China's investment arm seeking a chunk of Facebook puts a spotlight on Beijing's long march for home-grown innovation. Real tech breakthroughs, however, require more freedom than China has.
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Wen spreads China's billions in Europe but can't buy goodwill
On tour through Europe, which ended today in Germany, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inked deals worth billions, but also faced questions on human rights abuses.
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The Monitor's View: In Burma, a woman's inner freedom, unbroken by fear
Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi reveals in a BBC lecture the source of her spiritual strength in surviving as an isolated dissident and as a champion of democracy.
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Yelena Bonner: Are there any dissidents like her in Russia today?
Friends and colleagues of Soviet dissident Yelena Bonner, who died in Boston over the weekend, say today it's possible to work within the system – meaning true dissidents are rare.
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Opportunity Fund helps opportunity knock for low-income borrowers
Micro-lending to the poor in the US is quietly growing. But the Opportunity Fund finds that helping people learn how to save is important too.
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The bad – and good – news on microcredit
Making tiny loans to the poor may not create successful new businesses as often as once hoped. But it provides an unexpected benefit by supplying cash for other crucial needs such as schooling, health care – even food.
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Bahrain indifferent to international criticism
In just one example, Bahrain's government failed to respond to a scathing report accusing authorities of detaining wounded protesters rather than allowing them to get treatment.
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The Monitor's View: The killing of Osama bin Laden: Was capture really an option?
Capturing Osama bin Laden was fraught with peril, not only for the SEALs but for the US legal system. Still, might it also have raise America's moral stature with Muslims, and reflected the nonviolence principles of the Arab Spring – as well as Obama?
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Greg Mortenson: when 'do gooders' become celebrities
The truth is still being sifted about Greg Mortenson, best-selling author and philanthropist. But maybe an early warning came when the story became all about him.
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Opinion: Greg Mortenson and our false ideals about social change
Greg Mortenson appears to have made some significant missteps. But further vilification doesn't help him or those who do similar work. Instead, we should look at what this case reveals about the state of fundraising, philanthropy, and the culture of “do gooder celebrity.”
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Five famous jailed dissidents in China: Ai Weiwei to Liu Xiaobo
Chinese authorities have cracked down on dissent in hopes of preventing a popular uprising in China like those that have erupted in the Middle East. Sweeping arrests of prominent dissidents have been part of the campaign and have earned the Chinese government widespread internal and international criticism. Who are some of these activists being put behind bars?
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Micro-lending genius Yunus: Why he was done wrong
The Bangladeshi government's treatment of Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has lifted millions out of poverty with his micro-lending program, is shameful. And it does nothing to help the poor.
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Five ways House Republicans are striking fear in environmentalists
House Republicans are attempting to shape US environmental policy by attaching to their 2011 spending plans so-called "riders" that would target regulations ranging from greenhouse gases to mining. The White House and Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada oppose the riders, making it unlikely they will become law. But they remain in play as the House and Senate negotiate on spending and try to avoid a government shutdown this week.
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American Idol contestants take on Elton John, with no safety net
American Idol contestants performed Elton John songs Wednesday night, knowing that two will be going home tonight. Haley Reinhart proved she's up to the American Idol challenge
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