Comet-ME: Community Energy Technology in the Middle East
Visit us at: http://www.comet-me.org/
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As you know Comet-ME is among the finalists in the BBC World Challenge Competition. The competition now enters its final stages – voting is open till the 13th of November – and we would like to ask you to vote for the work we do (if you have not done so yet) or help us spread the word so we can get more votes and hopefully win the competition. Winning the competition will allow us to provide renewable energy infrastructure for another community in South Mount Hebron and provide much exposure to the project itself and the dire conditions under which the people of South Mount Hebron live.

Take a minute to watch this short video we produced on one of the aspects of our work – the change electricity brought about in terms of income generation through butter churning.

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wnycradio
9 April 2009

Three-time Grammy-nominated Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa has long been influenced by his African roots. On his latest album, Across the Divide, he explores how popular music was shaped by the tunes that entered two ports during the slavery years: Havana and Chesapeake Bay. He talks to WNYC’s Soundcheck host, John Schaefer, about it and plays live in the studio.

[Listen to the entire interview]

Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, 23 October 2009

If former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had merely been a diplomat or an academic offering a controversial viewpoint, then interrupting his 15 October speech at University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall would certainly have been an attempt to stifle debate (Noah Moskowitz, Meredyth Richards and Lee Solomon, “The importance of open dialogue,” Chicago Maroon, 19 October 2009). Indeed, I experienced exactly such attempts when my own appearance at Mandel Hall last January, with Professor John Mearsheimer and Norman Finkelstein, was constantly interrupted by hecklers.

But confronting a political leader suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity cannot be viewed the same way.

[Read the article]

Common Cause
Corporate Democracy (.pdf)

The impending Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which could be announced as early as Tuesday, Nov. 3, is expected to significantly expand the role of the most powerful special interests in financing American elections. The Court appears poised to turn its back on more than 100 years of law and pave the way for corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on direct campaigns to elect or defeat federal candidates.

[Read more]