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topiarey

The Spirit of Terrorism - 11 views

cryptome.org/baud-terr.htm

shared by topiarey on 16 Nov 15 - No Cached
Kay Bradley liked it
  • topiarey on 16 Nov 15
     
    Something worth thinking about.
  • Kay Bradley on 19 Nov 15
     
    I wish I had time to fully understand all that Baudrillard writes in this piece. I guess he is arguing that the biggest institution of all--globalized anything--is the cause of terrorism. He writes, "In this way it is indeed a World War, not the third one, but the fourth and only truly World War, as it has as stakes globalization itself. The first two World Wars were classic wars. The first ended European supremacy and the colonial era. The second ended Nazism. The third, which did happen, as a dissuasive Cold War, ended communism. From one war to the other, one went further each time toward a unique world order. Today the latter, virtually accomplished, is confronted by antagonistic forces, diffused in the very heart of the global, in all its actual convulsions. . . . . It is a conflict so unfathomable that, from time to time, one must preserve the idea of war through spectacular productions such as the Gulf (production) and today Afghanistan's. But the fourth World War is elsewhere. It is that which haunts every global order, every hegemonic domination; -if Islam dominated the world, terrorism would fight against it. For it is the world itself which resists domination." I think there's a lot more that he says, so I'll have to return to this one. Maybe you can share your read on this in class, Wendell. Thanks!
  • topiarey on 28 Nov 15
     
    Yeah, this article is definitely difficult to understand without an extensive background on his social theory (what he's written about what he calls symbolic exchange, the exclusion of the dead, the procession of the model or simulacra). What he's arguing is definitely that globalization is creating the seeds of its own destruction, but terrorism is but one example of this process. To clarify, when he says "the spirit of terrorism" and "Then let us be immoral ourselves and, if we want to understand something, let us go somewhat beyond Good and Evil. As we have, for once, an event that challenges not only morals, but every interpretation, let us try to have the intelligence of Evil.", he's not trying to advocate for murder or anything but rather is suggesting that the strategy taken by terrorists is something theoretically important. The last things he published were "The Intelligence of Evil" and "The Agony of Power" where he more or less argued that it is impossible to assimilate singular individuals, cultures, and ways of life under a universal (which he refers to as the Good in the article ^) and that attempts at assimilation only make "Evil" more powerful and make it more likely for the Good to collapse in on itself. He thinks this process is occurring across all planes of social existence and is inevitable. He wrote about a possible attack on the twin towers decades in advance and the Spirit of Terrorism was sort of like a "I told you this would happen" to the academy. The thing about Baudrillard is that he takes a very pessimistic outlook on the trajectory of modernity/post-modernity and was probably looking forward to the collapse of globalization/capitalism/the world order. While that's obviously a controversial and morally dubious opinion, he's still definitely very interesting to read about. Andrew Robinson wrote a bunch of articles describing his social theory/what he means for activism and the world today. While they are pretty dense and probably requir
Kay Bradley

COP26: Key Outcomes From the UN Climate Talks in Glasgow  | World Resources I... - 0 views

www.wri.org/...comes-un-climate-talks-glasgow

shared by Kay Bradley on 01 Dec 21 - No Cached
  • The world still remains off track to beat back the climate crisis.  
  • ministers from all over the world agreed that countries should come back next year to submit stronger 2030 emissions reduction targets with the aim of closing the gap to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees
  • Ministers also agreed that developed countries should urgently deliver more resources to help climate-vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous and costly consequences of climate change that they are feeling already —
  • ...46 more annotations...
  • curb methane emissions,
  • halt and reverse forest loss,
  • align the finance sector with net-zero by 2050
  • ditch the internal combustion engine
  • accelerate the phase-out of coal,
  • end international financing for fossil fuels,
  • “Not nearly enough” to the first question, “yes” to the second. 
  • 151 countries had submitted new climate plans (known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs)
  • To keep the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C within reach, we need to cut global emissions in half by the end of this decade.
  • these plans, as they stand, put the world on track for 2.5 degrees C of warming by the end of the century.
  • If you take into account countries’ commitments to reach net-zero emissions by around mid-century, analysis shows temperature rise could be kept to around 1.8 or 1.9 degrees C.
  • some major emitters’ 2030 targets are so weak (particularly those from Australia, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Russia) that they don’t offer credible pathways to achieve their net-zero targets.
  • a major “credibility gap”
  • To fix this problem, these countries’ must strengthen their 2030 emissions reduction targets to at least align with their net-zero commitments. 
  • as well as ramping up ambition
  • the pact asks nations to consider further actions to curb potent non-CO2 gases, such as methane, and includes language emphasizing the need to “phase down unabated coal” and “phase-out fossil fuel subsidies.”
  • This marked the first time negotiators have explicitly referenced shifting away from coal and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in COP decision text.  
  • this COP finally recognized the importance of nature for both reducing emissions and building resilience to the impacts of climate change,
  • Did Developing Countries Get the Finance and Support They Need? 
  • In 2009, rich nations committed to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 and through 2025 to support climate efforts in developing countries
  • developed countries failed to meet that goal in 2020 (recent OECD estimates show that total climate finance reached $79.6 billion in 2019).
  • The Adaptation Fund reached unprecedented levels of contributions, with new pledges for $356 million that represent almost three times its mobilization target for 2022. The Least Developed Countries Fund, which supports climate change adaptation in the world’s least developed countries, also received a record $413 million in new contributions.
  • COP26 also took steps to help developing countries access good quality finance options.
  • For example, encouraging multilateral institutions to further consider the links between climate vulnerabilities and the need for concessional financial resources for developing countries — such as securing grants rather than loans to avoid increasing their debt burden. 
  • COP26 finally put the critical issue of loss and damage squarely on the main stage
  • Climate change is already causing devastating losses of lives, land and livelihoods. Some damages are permanent — from communities that are wiped out, to islands disappearing beneath the waves, to water resources that are drying up.
  • Countries also agreed to operationalize and fund the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage, established at COP25 in Madrid, and to catalyze the technical assistance developing countries need to address loss and damage in a robust and effective manner.  
  • International Carbon Markets.
  • negotiators agreed to avoid double-counting, in which more than one country could claim the same emissions reductions as counting toward their own climate commitments.
  • his is critical to make real progress on reducing emissions.
  • Common Time Frames. In Glasgow, countries were encouraged to use common timeframes for their national climate commitments. This means that new NDCs that countries put forward in 2025 should have an end-date of 2035, in 2030 they will put forward commitments with a 2040 end-date, and so on.
  • Transparency. In Glasgow, all countries agreed to submit information about their emissions and financial, technological and capacity-building support using a common and standardized set of formats and tables.
  • 100 high-level announcements during the “World Leaders Summit"
  • including a bold commitment from India to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 that is backed up with near-term targets (including ambitious renewable energy targets for 2030), 109 countries signing up to the Global Methane Pledge to slash emissions by 30% by 2030, and a pledge by 141 countries (as of November 10) to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 (backed by $18 billion in funding, including $1.7 billion dedicated to support indigenous peoples).  
  • Glasgow Breakthroughs, a set of global targets meant to dramatically accelerate the innovation and use of clean technologies in five emissions-heavy sectors:
  • power, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agriculture.
  • 46 countries, including the U.K., Canada, Poland and Vietnam made commitments to phase out domestic coal,
  • 29 countries including the U.K., Canada, Germany and Italy committed to end new direct international public support for unabated fossil fuels by the end of 2022
  • Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, led by Costa Rica and Denmark — with core members France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden and Wales — pledged to end new licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration and production and set an end date that is aligned with Paris Agreement objectives
  • Efforts were also made to scale up solar investment
  • new Solar Investment Action Agenda by WRI, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Bloomberg Philanthropies that identifies high-impact opportunities to speed up investment and reach ISA’s goal of mobilizing $1 trillion in solar investment by 2030.
  • Non-state actors including investors, businesses, cities and subnational regions also joined collective action initiatives aimed at driving economic transformation.
  • Over 400 financial firms which control over $130 trillion in assets committed to aligning their portfolios to net-zero by 2030
  • banks, asset managers and asset owners fully recognize the business case for climate action and the significant risks of investing in the high-carbon, polluting economy of that past.
  • 11 major automakers agreed to work toward selling only zero-emission vehicles globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.  
  • In the year ahead, major emitters need to ramp up their 2030 emissions reduction targets to align with 1.5 degrees C, more robust approaches are needed to hold all actors accountable for the many commitments made in Glasgow, and much more attention is needed on how to meet the urgent needs of climate-vulnerable countries to help them deal with climate impacts and transition to net-zero economies.
milesburton

Australia Is Not as Down Under as Everyone Thinks It Is - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...nental-drift-location-gps.html

Australia Maps GPS

shared by milesburton on 25 Sep 16 - No Cached
  • milesburton on 25 Sep 16
     
    Australia is on one of the fastest moving tectonic plates on the planet, and must therefore update its longitudinal and latitudinal positions on global maps periodically. In the last 50 years four such updates have happened, and another is in the works. The last one, in 1997, moved the country's position by about 650 feet, the upcoming one moves only about 5 feet. These changes may seem minute on the global scale, but will be very important to GPS systems, which will be crucial to industries of the future.
Kay Bradley

Immigration's Role Often Overlooked in Global Economy | FPIF - 0 views

www.fpif.org/...n_overlooked_in_global_economy

Industrialized Democracies Less Developed World: Global South globalization migration Africa France

shared by Kay Bradley on 14 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 14 Oct 12
     
    Comparing immigration issues in two Advanced industrial countries; France and the US
Kay Bradley

Beyond Belief - Clive Crook - The Atlantic - 0 views

www.theatlantic.com/...306172

globalization comparative advantage political economy economics atlantic

shared by Kay Bradley on 24 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • name a single proposition in all social science that was both true and nontrivial. It took a while, but Samuelson finally thought of a good answer: the principle of comparative advantage
  • The doctrine in question, devised by David Ricardo in 1817, makes a strong claim about the gains that accrue from trade.
  • For nearly 200 years, the principle of comparative advantage, and the ideas about economic policy that flowed from it, divided the world into two camps: those with basic economic literacy, and the rest.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Understanding this idea, and advocating it to the world, was part of what it meant to be an economist—especially an American economist.
  • ately things have changed. Some of America’s most eminent economists, including Samuelson himself, have edged away from that earlier consensus.
  • The shift is both momentous and disturbing. Just why it happened is a mystery.
  • what the principle of comparative advantage does not say.
  • trade between two countries will make both better off so long as each is especially good at making something different from the other
  • absolute advantage
  • there are mutual gains from trade even when one country is better at producing everything. All that matters is that its margin of superior efficiency is greater for some products than for others.
  • comparative advantage
  • Kay Bradley on 24 Sep 12
     
    Clive Crook weighs in on the Globalization debate.  
quinnlewis

Discordant Financial Messages From China Spur Global Unease - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...-china-spur-global-unease.html

shared by quinnlewis on 19 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • quinnlewis on 19 Oct 15
     
    China's stock market bailout was a significant setback to its decades-long efforts to build a modern financial system. Its currency devaluation shocked global investors and altered the policy calculus at central banks. Statistics coming from within China seem to contradict each other, calling into question the legitimacy of such statistics.
olivialum

Signs, Long Unheeded, Now Point to Risks in U.S. Economy - The New York Times - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...nt-to-risks-in-us-economy.html

shared by olivialum on 29 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • The data points range from the obvious to the obscure, encompassing stock market and credit bubbles in China, the strength of the dollar relative to emerging market currencies, a commodity rout and a sudden halt to global earnings growth.
  • The United States economy would only be able to avoid for so long the deflationary forces that have taken root in China
  • global G.D.P. pie is shrinking
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Suddenly, loans in relatively cheap dollars that financed real estate and consumption booms were no longer available and the ultimate result was always a growth slowdown.
  • What was driving weakness in all these countries was the gradual slowdown in the Chinese economy. As China bought less steel from Brazil, iron ore from Australia (its stock market was down by 22 percent during this time frame) and less mineral fuel and oil from Indonesia, the effect on these economies was immediate.
  • The bottom line though, is that investors in American stocks recognized too late in the game that a global contraction was sneaking up on them.
Harrison Lee

Global Summit on Biodiversity - 2 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

Biodiversity

shared by Harrison Lee on 18 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Harrison Lee on 18 Oct 10
     
    An article about a global summit on biodiversity. It would be interesting to see if countries that disagree politically can set aside their differences to work together on a global problem.
  • Rebecca Heller on 18 Oct 10
     
    Similarly to what Harrison said, it's interesting to see countries that can't seem to agree on much politically starting to come together here. Good!
  • Heather Anderson on 19 Oct 10
     
    It's scary to think that we may need to protect 1/4 of the world's land. I hope that we can make that happen. But at the same time, there are daunting problems facing that possible goal, one of the largest being over population. I clicked on this link in the article (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/17/biodiversity.un.summit.briefing/index.html), and found this excerpt that I thought was great: "The demand for food, energy and clean water is projected to increase sharply, over the next 40 years. The world population is expected to grow from 6.8 to 9 billion people, and disposable incomes will also increase. Agriculture and urbanisation often compete with nature over the same land areas. Under unchanged policy, biodiversity will continue to suffer. If we keep meeting this growing demand, the amount of land used for human activity will expand enormously; not only in the supply of food but also in relation to biofuels. This would mean a further decrease in the space available for natural ecosystems. Biodiversity also reduces as a result of ecosystem overexploitation, disturbance and fragmentation, climate change, soil contamination, and water and air pollution. However, biodiversity is useful and of great importance to humanity, among other things because it stimulates soil fertility, manages water regulation and takes care of essential carbon uptake. In addition, many people feel that preservation of species richness and maintaining valuable nature areas are also our moral obligation." In light of that, I feel even more strongly that people should think hard about how many kids they have and their effect on overpopulation. Maybe each woman should have no more than one child (unless she happens to have twins, triplets, etc.), and strongly consider adopting at least one child. But then population decline means trying to support a proportionally larger elderly generation.... O.o
Ben Mittelberger

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/occupy-wall-street-protests_n_1008539.html - 0 views

This article talks about the huge spreading of occupy wall street. Global leaders are acknowledging its power and relevance in the global economy and Occupy Wall street's are popping up in other co...

Occupy wall street Globalization

started by Ben Mittelberger on 14 Oct 11 no follow-up yet
dredd15

Global Peace Index - 1 views

www.visionofhumanity.org/#page/indexes/global-peace-index/2014/JPN,FRA/OVER

shared by dredd15 on 14 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • dredd15 on 14 Nov 14
     
    Both Japan and France rank in the top 50 for Global Peace Rankings-- Japan 8th and France 48th. The biggest difference in their rankings comes from France's possession of heavy and nuclear weapons. The Japanese have limited possession of heavy and nuclear weapons as a result of the pacifist constitution they were forced to adopt following WWII which limited their ability to arm for war. Furthermore, France is involved in more conflicts and exports more weapons than Japan, which is also heavily related to the restrictions placed on Japan following WWII. However, Japan has a worse record when it comes to relations with neighbors which may be related to actions from WWII and rising tensions between Japan, China, and South Korea. Yet, perhaps unrelated to WWII and relating more to culture of society, France has a higher level of violent demonstrations and internal organized conflict than Japan. Japan has a homogenous population that has a main focus of work and a culture that accepts the social and economic hierarchy, but France has a more heterogeneous population with many disenfranchised groups that were once colonized that continue to face discrimination.
samoshay

Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - 0 views

www.globalpensionindex.com/...sion-Index-2015-Report-Web.pdf

shared by samoshay on 07 Dec 15 - No Cached
  • samoshay on 07 Dec 15
     
    The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index is a composite measurement of the adequacy, sustainability, and integrity of twenty-five of the world's pension systems. It finds an incredible gap between nations: the lowest scoring nation, India, scored a 40.3. The highest scoring nation, Denmark, scored an 81.7. Further, the list was topped by Denmark (81.7), the Netherlands (80.5), and Australia (79.6). The United States, on the other hand, scored a 56.3, which is significantly below the world average of 60.5. The report goes on to detail common challenges and possible solutions for lower-scoring nations.
cole_reynolds

A tale of two pandemics: the true cost of Covid in the global south | Coronavirus | The... - 3 views

www.theguardian.com/...t-of-covid-in-the-global-south

covid

shared by cole_reynolds on 30 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • cole_reynolds on 30 Nov 21
     
    While developed, western countries are trying to eradicate the actual virus, lockdown measures and global trade disruptions is more dangerous to less developed countries
  • Kay Bradley on 02 Dec 21
     
    good find, Cole! I really appreciate that you are looking further than US news outlets!
Kay Bradley

EU Talks Over Russian Oil Price Cap Drag On - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...eu-russia-oil-price-cap.html

Russia Europe oil Ukraine

shared by Kay Bradley on 01 Dec 22 - No Cached
  • Fearing a global oil crunch, the United States championed the price cap policy, which would permit European tankers and insurers to continue facilitating Russian oil exports as long as the oil they are transporting or insuring is sold at or below the capped price.
  • Russian oil, also known as Urals crude
  • trading at a significant discount to other types of oil.
  • Kay Bradley on 01 Dec 22
     
    "A near-total embargo on Russian oil comes into force on Dec. 5 in the European Union. E.U. insurers and tankers - which comprise half the global fleet - would no longer be allowed to offer their services to transport Russian oil. It would not apply to buyers of Russian oil, like China and India, if they ship and insure the cargoes with companies from countries outside of the group imposing the cap."
Robert Giesler

U.S. Suspects Iran Was Behind a Wave of Cyberattacks - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...nd-a-wave-of-cyberattacks.html

Iran cyberattacks

shared by Robert Giesler on 14 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Robert Giesler on 14 Oct 12
     
    This article is about cyberattacks on the various companies, specifically Saudi Aramco, an oil company. Apparently Iran is behind the attacks. I find it interesting how cyber warfare might become an even bigger part of conflicts today. It's also interesting how the US and Israel have both been attacking companies from Iran, which isn't scrutinized, yet as soon as Iran does it, it's a huge issue.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Elizabeth Sundsmo on 15 Oct 12
     
    I also find the difference of who is scrutinized (and who is not) interesting. The dependency on technology and computers in the global economy in light of this article makes me wonder if this is not just becoming a bigger part of conflicts, but perhaps the main conflict in countries fighting for an economic or even global edge. To me it seems a bit reminiscent of the Cold War because countries will race to develop malicious and protective software in order to feel safe, much like the US and Russia did with nuclear warheads to deter the other (although all it would really take is one warhead sent from each country to insure mutual destruction). "...the United States might redefine defense in cyberspace as requiring the capacity to reach forward over computer networks if an attack was detected or anticipated, and take pre-emptive action.... For now, officials have decided to hold back. "The countries who need to know we have it already know," the senior intelligence official said."
  • Adam Pease on 15 Oct 12
     
    I think the relationship between nuclear security and cyber attacks is interesting. The US does not receive much criticism for deploying Stuxnet (designed to damage Iran's nuclear program), but Iran is criticized for deploying computer viruses aimed at other elements of US defense. This raises interesting questions about whether or not Western states have a right to deny non-Western states nuclear acquisition.
  • Kay Bradley on 15 Oct 12
     
    Great point in your post about emphasis of investigations, Robert
Stuart Suplick

Striking Syria: Mixed messages | The Economist - 2 views

www.economist.com/...striking-syria

syria syrian-people rebels regime economist

shared by Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13 - No Cached
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Interesting how the division may also be socio-economic: the wealthy in non-rebel held areas may not like Assad, but don't want to "take one for the team" (or perhaps they just want to avoid becoming collateral damage). Other Syrians (more middle class(?)) in rebel-held areas are more sympathetic to the rebel cause.
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Have news agencies been focusing too much on America's indecisiveness, and what it means for its PR? Shouldn't they focus more on how a strike can or will be a turning point, for better or worse, in the Syrian Civil War? Wouldn't such a discussion better help the general public and government officials make more informed and holistic decisions? Wouldn't it be ideal to have a greater emphasis on such a discussion by the help of the news agencies?
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      The U.S. is indeed the "global cop" when the UN is powerless (in Syria's case, virtually powerless b/c of Russia's veto power). For every dollar spent on global defense/security by the world's countries, 42 cents of it was spent by the U.S. (NPR).
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Heard it this morning, can't recall what year.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Some wealthy Damascenes say that though they are keen to see the back of Mr Assad, they would rather America not strike because they fear the potential consequences. Syrians living in rebel-held areas, who have less to lose, seem more supportive of intervention.
  • many criticise America for not asking them which targets to hit
  • many are annoyed that the conversation about strikes revolves around America’s credibility and deterring other regimes, rather than putting an end to Syria’s war or Mr Assad’s rule.
  • Some Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, urge action in private, but keep quiet publicly, lest they be seen to be seeking Western help
  • One thing many Syrians do agree on, however, is their contempt for Mr Obama's indecisiveness: "Obama, you ass, are you going to hit us or not?" asks a young Damascene on Facebook.
  • Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
  • olivialucas on 13 Sep 13
     
    I find it very interesting that the Damascenes' opinions on U.S. intervention seem to differ based on socio-economic status, but yet the majority of them all agree that Obama should be more decisive about his plans for or against invasion. In general, this article surfaces a lot of interesting points to ponder surrounding the conflict in Syria.
  • kian vafai on 13 Sep 13
     
    The article makes a very important point. U.S. engagement is not aimed at overthrowing Assad and establishing a new political government or regime, rather American involvement is serving as a deterrent for the prevention of chemical weapon usage by other countries. Such reasoning undercuts the moral virtue of American involvement in Syria and will serve to fuel greater anti-American sentiments in the region.
quinnlewis

China's economy is stumbling, but by how much? - BBC News - 5 views

www.bbc.com/...business-34340936

shared by quinnlewis on 28 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • quinnlewis on 28 Sep 15
     
    After the devaluing of the Chinese currency we now see exactly how much the Chinese economy has faltered- and who this effects.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • topiarey on 29 Sep 15
     
    Definitely really interesting, article could likely make clearer predictions as to what would happen if China's economy went into a recession
  • anishakaul on 29 Sep 15
     
    The idea that their economy's slowed growth is considered a positive thing and is considered "more stable" by the IMF is very interesting and not exactly something people say about many economies. While I had not considered it before, it is entirely logical that China should (almost intentionally) slow down in preparation for the work force to shrink and avoid a financial crash.
  • jacquelinec56 on 29 Sep 15
     
    I think that the article bring up the interesting point that even if China enters a recession, it may not be a bad event especially if the growth is more stable.
  • samoshay on 29 Sep 15
     
    I think the boom that was attributed to China's huge population has reached its near endpoint; the marginal output from each new worker is now so low (not contributing much) or negative (reducing productivity) that China's huge historic growth rate can only be further sustained by greater education and an increase in the human capital aspect.
  • Kako Ito on 29 Sep 15
     
    It's interesting to look at China as a case study of a country of super rapid development and growth that has the ability to affect the global economy. The fact that China's growth is slowing down and stabilizing means that it is catching up to its earlier developed counterparts. Having read the cap and trade article first, I wonder how the policies of that sector (and the sector itself) will affect China's overall economy and to a more general extent the global economy. Will China's become like Germany? Who can say.
olivialum

Mental Health Care in West Africa Is Often a Product of Luck - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...s-often-a-product-of-luck.html

shared by olivialum on 12 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • A growing number of innovative groups have begun experimenting with a similar approach in Africa and Asia: providing therapy without clinics or doctors, relying instead on mobile nurses, cheap generic drugs and community support systems.
  • In impoverished parts of the world where psychiatry is virtually nonexistent, they say, it is the only way to begin reaching the millions of people in need.
  • “Here, if we had to wait for a psychiatrist, the people who desperately need treatment would never get it,”
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • slash rates of premature death from mental disorders by a third by 2030.
  • By one analysis, which includes Western countries and developing regions like West Africa, depression, drug abuse and schizophrenia are on track to be the three leading causes of lost economic output by 2030.
  • Among the successes have been group therapy for rape victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo, family and individual counseling for survivors of torture in Myanmar, and talk therapy and medication for people with depression in rural India.
  • But without reliable support, follow-up and medical supplies — particularly psychiatric drugs when needed — interventions can quickly lose traction, no matter how well trained and devoted the workers are.
  • One moment, she was dozing off during a rest period; the next, she felt the presence of strange men coming after her. She screamed at them to stop. “My shouting didn’t stop the men; they kept coming for me,” she said. “So, what did I do? I ripped off my school uniform and ran.”
  • The medical staff had little training in how to handle a psychotic break: the hallucinations and delusions characteristic of schizophrenia. They sent her home, where the sensation of being hunted seeped back into her thoughts.
  • Sometimes, she ran out onto the open savanna to escape the demons pursuing her.
  • Family members took turns keeping watch and exhausted traditional methods of healing. Precious animals were sacrificed to drive away the spirits disturbing her. Healers administered herbal powders, and one applied a pale dye to her face and body in an effort to purge demons.
  • Mental illness is a source of shame here, as in most of the world, and families do not advertise its presence. Yet each community has a chief or subchief responsible for keeping an eye out for the sick.
  • One is known as task sharing.
  • The second is community self-help.
  • The third is raising awareness
  • The evidence that a combination of these services can lead to lasting improvement for people with severe mental illnesses is thin, but a foundation is being laid.
  • “The key thing is that it’s not simply home-based care for people with schizophrenia,” Laura Asher, who is running the study, said by email. “It also involves awareness raising and community mobilization.”
  • the cost of these programs is minute compared with the cost of standard psychiatry
  • $8 per client per month on average, according to Peter Yaro, its executive director. In the United States, it costs $200 to $700 for a single appointment with a psychiatrist, depending on the provider, the type of care and the location.
  • In global cost-benefit terms, economists typically rate health care programs by the amount of disability they reduce per dollar. Historically, mental health interventions have scored poorly compared with efforts that save young lives, like neonatal care or treatment of diarrhea. A new analysis of mental health strategies in Ethiopia, for instance, found that treating schizophrenia with generic medications was about as cost-effective as treating heart disease with a combination of drugs, like aspirin and a statin — and much less cost-effective than treating depression or epilepsy. The findings, though preliminary, suggest that treating psychosis is relatively costly.
  • the studies do not take into account the effect of chronic psychosis on an entire family. “The person with psychosis becomes a full-time job for someone else in the family, and depending on how aggressive the person is, maybe more than one person,” said Dr. Simliwa Kolou Valentin Dassa, a psychiatrist in neighboring Togo
  • And if the disorder is seen as a result of a curse on the family, carried down through generations — a common interpretation here — the entire clan comes under suspicion.
Kay Bradley

Link to Crisis in Pakistan Article - 1 views

www.headroyce.org/page.cfm

Pakistan

shared by Kay Bradley on 30 Aug 10 - Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 30 Aug 10
     
    "Crisis in Pakistan," December 2008, CQ Global Researcher
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