forget NPR | Monocle Radio is where it's at!

I love listening to the news.  I highly prefer it to reading a physical newspaper (ink fingers!), reading the online news websites (too much catching the eye - what's important?), or watching the news (anchors are far from being experts).

With the London-based Monocle, I get relevant breaking news straight from experts.  The selection of different shows is absolutely huge.  From day to day I can decide if I want to be briefed by any of the following (and these are just the tip of the iceberg!): "Midori House," a one-hour overview from Monocle editors and correspondents all over the world, "The Briefing," which focuses on the day's news in Europe, "The Monocle Daily," which checks in live with reporters from the US and Americas, or the wonderful catch-all "The Curator," which compiles the best of the week into one show.  

You not only get international news; you get expert political analyses and impressive interviews and insight.  And it's all delivered in dulcet British accents, which is an added plus.

And once you've had enough of the news, there are also stations that cover culture, food, music, books, and really everything under the sun!  Monocle Radio has it all!  Not to get off track, but Monocle.com has a million more things to offer outside of their radio stations.  But start here, and see if you don't end up spending the next two hours on the Monocle website: 

http://monocle.com/radio/

The best part is the fact that the live radio streams open in a player at the bottom of the website which allows you to continue browsing and opening new pages while you listen.

A time-sensitive read: Kofi Annan's Interventions

This book has been on my list for some time now, and when Kofi Annan himself came and lectured on my first day of classes at Uppsala University less than a month ago, I was absolutely amazed by this man's combination of candor and composure. I picked up his autobiography of his years as head of UN Peacekeeping Operations (1993-1996) and then as Secretary-General (1997-2006), during which time he was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in tandem with the UN itself. The book, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, is a concise, focused read which dives right at the heart of the multiple international failures of the 1990s and early 2000s: Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq... Kofi gives a blunt, refreshingly-sharp critique of the shortcomings of the United Nations as a cohesive actor in conflict prevention, an issue he has made it his business to remedy over the past twenty years.

I can't speak highly enough of this book. As a Peace and Conflict Studies student with a basic knowledge of the topics and players in major UN debates of my lifetime, my knowledge was completely uprooted by Annan's summation of the conflicts from the perspective of the UN. Not only does he present the issues in an incredibly fluent and concise manner (a testament to his natural ability to zero-in on the root of a conflict, the place where diplomacy must be targeted), he also peels back the complex layers and interactive structures of the UN to easily engage the reader with the interplay of countless nuanced exchanges between many, many actors over endless years of conflict after conflict. In the throes of what was no doubt one of the most challenging jobs in the world, Annan emerges as a lucid, forward-thinking individual, one who was always attune to the bigger picture, even as actors (often the US) barraged the UN to make narrow-minded and thoughtlessly reactionary decisions in the face of global trauma.

This is a book that you can open to any page and find immense wisdom. I would love to quote many, many of his paragraphs, but I would like to mention this one, because it really gets at the heart of why the UN fails to act in the face of crisis. It's not because they don't want to or don't have the ability to; rather, it's the very nature of the organization, i.e. that it is reliant on the whims and decisions of the actors that constitute it. The UN is not an independent force, and this is something that we tend to forget. "The UN" is a term for the consensus (or at least the bargaining table) of every country in the world (except Kosovo, Taiwan, the Vatican, and Palestine).  Failure to act on the part of the UN is merely a failure for the broader international community to act.

"Contrary to what many suspect, the UN has few resources of its own.  For a peace operation, I had to go to the troop-contributing countries and ask for peacekeepers.  For development assistance and humanitarian relief, I had to go to the donor governments." (140)

With events unfolding in Syria, this is a very timely book to read - Kofi Annan leaves off in this memoir with mentions of the escalating tensions in Syria.  I would recommend reading it now before it becomes outdated by a barrage of new developments in the Middle East.

One last point I want to make about this book: he gives a thorough account of the Iraq War from where he sat as Secretary-General while the US chose to commit an illegal act of invading Iraq without the approval of the Security Council.  In light of everything Annan writes up to this point (he saves the Iraq War for last), in light of his descriptions of how painstakingly the UN had to be restructured in order to step out of the Cold War era and into our world of contemporary armed conflict (most of which is actually intrastate in nature), this decision to flout the UN had terrible ramifications that continue to be seen and felt, even a decade later.

"By behaving the way it did, the United States invited the perception among many in the world--including many long-time allies--that it was becoming a greater threat to global security than anything Saddam could muster.  This was a self-inflicted wound of historic proportions--and one that did immense, and possibly lasting, damage to U.S. standing in the world.  Abu Ghraib did not come out of a vacuum, and neither did Guantanamo.  The way they both ran counter to the principles of the rule of law has done incalculable damage to the global struggle for human rights." (366)

The sad fact is that Kofi Annan had been devoting nearly all of his time to engaging in diplomatic processes all over the Middle East -- with Iraq, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Hizbollah, you name it!  And real strides were actually being made!  The US invasion of Iraq put pretty much all of this to a halt, delaying peace in the Middle East by years, if not decades.  This isn't old news; the consequences are apparent today, in the US's less-than-amicable relations with many Middle East leaders.

Buy on Amazon

All-in-all, I was absolutely riveted by this book - it's a remarkable historical artifact, going through all the major conflicts of my lifetime (I'm 22) and discussing the ways in which the UN has adapted for the better (while still pointing out where the organization has still to better itself).

the 2013 academy awards: zab's picks

The day of the Oscars is, to me, more exciting than any other holiday (including the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which is saying a lot). I look forward to this 364 days out of the year, so I cannot explain how excited I am that TODAY is the 85th Academy Awards! This event is monumental every year because it isn't just about film, which on its own is very enjoyable. And it doesn't just define fashion (which is also extremely important!). The selection of the awards each years tells so much about the character of the people and what fascinates and impresses millions. The films that are chosen as the Best Picture, along with the actors and actresses and directors who are awarded: these films are history!! Titanic. The Sound of Music. My Fair Lady. Dozens of others! These films tell us so much about our world and ourselves. They are timeless. That is why I am so excited today. Which of the fantastic films that were created this year (and which of the people who created them) will join the ranks of these invaluable others?

Anyway. Let's get on with it. For years now I've tried my best to watch every film that has been nominated for Best Picture (along with notable others), and this year I finally succeeded. I never felt like I could make a valid judgment on which film was truly the best when I hadn't seen them all, and I was always disappointed (in myself!) when one of the films I hadn't seen received an award. But not this year! I am finally able to pick my favourites with full information. As my boyfriend and I were making our way through these (I think it was during Django Unchained), he turned to me and said, 'These are all such good movies!' And it's true. They are all SO GOOD. It's hard to put any of them down.

One more note: there is certainly a difference between the films and people that I personally think deserve their respective Oscars, and those who the Academy will most likely pick. Oh well.

Best Picture: I truly want Beasts of the Southern Wild to win this award. It would make me so happy. All of the other films nominated are unsurprising picks, churned out of the Hollywood machine with the help of millions upon millions of dollars (Amour is the exception). Though I think there are some others that are comprehensively just as good as Beasts of the Southern Wild (in acting, emotion, message, style, scope) - Argo, Lincoln, and Les Miserables are on the same level - BOTSW is phenomenal when its unique circumstances are considered. First time director. First time actors. Independently produced. Extremely low budget. This little film with a huge, huge heart has made it this far and deserves to be rewarded. The big Hollywood films are very good, but this one is just as good, if not better, and has accomplished more to get to here. A film like this deserves the Oscar.

That being said, I unfortunately have the feeling that Argo is going to win. Argo really is fantastic. It's fantastic as a thriller and as a drama, the acting is fantastic, it's vital to politics and society today... Importantly, it portrays Hollywood and actors in a very good light. So I have a good feeling that Argo will get the award. But I'm still rooting for Beasts.

About the others: Les Miserables is a tremendous epic but lacks something that the Academy looks for... I can't name it. Littleness? Individuality? A personal connection? Les Mis is so grand and well-known that I think that will hurt it in the end. Lincoln was also very good (though I won't lie, kinda boring at times) but I feel like it's not different enough for the Academy. It's a well-done but typical historical drama. Sweeping, light-and-dark, emotional stories like Sound of Music and Titanic are more the Academy's style. Zero Dark Thirty may have a chance because the Hurt Locker won (or maybe that will hurt its chances?) and it is very relevant and well done, but I feel like it still can't compare to some of the others in intimacy and emotion. And then Life of Pi, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, and Amour aren't even on the same level as those (in my opinion). All truly good films, but not on the same level.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Hugh Jackman. If Hugh Jackman wins this award, he will be the first man to win Best Actor for a role in a musical in almost fifty years - since My Fair Lady. This needs to happen.

But Daniel Day-Lewis will probably actually win because he wins any category he's put in. It's not fair. But he's stupidly good.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Quvenzhane Wallis all the way. Are you kidding? This six-year old (as she was when BOTSW was filmed) is better than almost all other Hollywood actors. She's the youngest female to EVER be nominated. Ever! How amazing would it be if she won too? I certainly think she deserves it. It would set a new standard.

Jessica Chastain did a really fantastic job too. There's a good chance she'll win. Jennifer Lawrence was stunning but her role really didn't stretch her as an actress that much. There were certain scenes where her acting really impressed me but not the whole time. And I'm sorry, but Emmanuelle Riva was semi-conscious for the majority of Amour.

Actor in a Supporting Role: I'm going to go with Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained. His character was amazing. He had more of a central role than Django and was so unique, intriguing, and inspiring. Jamie Foxx just acted like a badass and shot stuff.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway. If you've seen Les Mis and know what I'm talking about, there is absolutely no question whatsoever. No question.

Animated Feature Film: This one's hard but I think Wreck-It Ralph. Brave was great too so I'm not sure. But I truly enjoyed Wreck-It Ralph: it surprised me in a lot of ways.

Cinematography: I'm going to say Anna Karenina just because it was so unique and has never been done before (at least as far as I've seen). But this is kind of a toss up because all of these films are so beautifully and skillfully - but differently - filmed.

Costume Design: Anna Karenina. Keira's costumes were fantastic. All the gorgeous period Russian costumes - love love love. And so well fitted to the film. Les Mis was very unique and kind of fun. The costume design for Lincoln was pretty much just black dress coats.

Directing: I really want to say Beasts of the Southern Wild again. It is beautifully directed. It has that clarity, focus, and freshness of a first-time independent director. Lincoln gets an honourable mention because it's Steven Damn Spielberg.

Documentary Feature: The Invisible War because it's the only one I saw but also incredibly moving and important to see. It makes you rethink the goodness of an institution as prestigious and esteemed as the US military. And people need to start doing that.

Documentary Short: I didn't have the chance to see any of these, so I can't judge.

Film Editing: Argo. This tremendous story, with overwhelming amounts of information from all sides, was put together so well. It kept me on the edge of my seat - literally shaking - for hours. It covers a lot of ground, a lot of people, very skillfully.

Foreign Language Film: Amour because it's the only one I saw and because it really was good. Disturbing, but good.

Makeup and Hairstyling: I'll say the Hobbit because the work that Peter Jackson has done in creating Middle Earth and its peoples is unparalleled. This is far more true for the Lord of the Rings series but the Hobbit wasn't bad.

Music (Original Score): Anna Karenina. Dario Marianelli has created a number of gorgeous scores (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) that fit these films so well. He did a good job here too. And honestly, none of the other scores stood out to me. HOWEVER, I can't put into words how disappointed I am that Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer's score for Beasts of the Southern Wild wasn't even nominated. It's maybe my favourite soundtrack of all time. I've lost some of my faith in the Academy forever.

Music (Original Song): 'Suddenly' was the worst song in Les Mis. I can't remember any of the others standing out except 'Skyfall', so we'll go with that. It also won in the Golden Globes, which may be a good indicator.

Production Design: This is difficult! Les Miserables or Lincoln... Les Mis was grand and beautiful but Lincoln was strikingly realistic in every way. I was amazed by the sets.

Short Film (Animated): Again, can't pass judgement. Didn't see any of these either.

Short Film (Live Action): Same here.

Sound Editing: I'm not an expert at this by any means so I'll just pick one. Skyfall.

Soung Mixing: Oh damn. What's the difference between this and sound editing? [Insert quick Google search here] I'll say Argo because I never really paid attention to this during the film...

Visual Effects: Ooh. I didn't see Prometheus but even from the trailers it looked really impressive. Life of Pi might be the winner but, though it was heralded as the next Avatar, I really didn't get that feeling. Oh wait. The tiger wasn't real. Yeah, Life of Pi might get this one.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Probably Argo because it incorporates so much.

Writing (Original Screenplay): I want to say Zero Dark Thirty (for the same reason as Argo) but there were a bunch of lines that seemed very cheesy or out of place, as if they were trying to make the characters more realistic with light-hearted or quickly-spoken lines. We're going to go with Amour instead. This story was truly very realistic and heart-wrenching.

That's it! As I already said, these films are all fantastic and it's so difficult to choose for many of these awards. We'll see what happens tomorrow night!

the invisible war: rape prevalent in U.S. military

More than 20 percent of active-duty servicewomen are sexually assaulted.

Since 2006, more than 95,000 service members have been sexually assaulted in the U.S. military.

More than 86% of service members do not report their assault.

Less than five percent of all sexual assaults are put forward for prosecution, and less than a third of those cases result in imprisonment.

We highly recommend watching this documentary, The Invisible War, which was released in October of this year. Directed by Kirby Dick, it shines light on the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military, letting actual victims tell their stories. The lack of concern that these women were shown after they were raped is shocking. When each and every one came forward to report the crimes, they faced "a second assault": commanding officers who either don't believe them or who refuse to do anything about the crime.

ABC News says: as terrible as the rape was, the repercussions were almost as horrendous -- women were accused of adultery (if the perpetrator happened to be married) or "conduct unbecoming an officer." They lost rank, they were accused of having "set up the men." When one of the women reported a rape -- the third that week in one particular unit -- she was asked, "You girls think this is a game; are you all in cahoots?"

Many of our closet NATO allies no longer allow commanders to determine the prosecution of sexual assault crimes, yet within the U.S. military, where rape has become so prevalent that a female soldier is now more likely to be raped by one of her fellow soldiers than killed in combat, many women are finding themselves trapped because the person in the chain of command to whom they should report the crime is either a friend of the rapist (in 33% of case) or the rapist himself (in 25% of cases).

The most horrifying account which comes to light in this film is the story of Kori Cioca, who is still dealing with a major jaw injury inflicted when her rapist hit her in the face.

In February 2011, seventeen United States veterans filed suit against the Pentagon and defense secretary Robert Gates and former secretary Donald Rumsfeld, alleging that they allowed a culture in the military where rape was unevenly reported and punished. In several of the plaintiffs' cases, the victim was forced to work with the accused rapist after reporting them for sexual assault. Unit commanders often have heavy influence over military rape cases, and less than one in five cases are prosecuted (from Wikipedia). In December 2011, the Court dismissed the survivors' lawsuit ruling that rape is an occupational hazard of military service. An appeal has been filed.

Invisible No More is a non-partisan coalition working to end sexual assault within the U.S. military and to help survivors of Military Sexual Assault heal.. You can visit their website to learn more and get involved.

Also check out some of these related news articles: "Sexual assaults in military bring shame, not action" in USA Today and "Sexual Violence and the Military" in the NY Times.

raven + lily: empowering women worldwide

I just discovered a jewelry and accessories company called Raven + Lily, which sells some very beautiful, interesting pieces. The more interesting part of this company is how they operate: they employ marginalized women, providing them with sustainable economic opportunities, and their proceeds also fund healthcare and literacy programs for women and children in this community.

A lot of their jewelry is made in Ethiopia from melted bullet casings and recycled metals such as copper and brass. The women who handmake these pieces are HIV-positive women, a very marginalized group in Ethiopia. Due to its unique nature, much of the jewelry will antique over time.

Definitely check out their blog, which details their travels to the localities in which they've established all of these fantastic cooperatives.

They have clothing items as well - scarves and t-shirts. They also have accessories likes bags and journals. Their Uzma Travel Journals are handmade 100% recycled cotton paper and textiles by marginalized women in Northern India. Proceeds from this collection go to fund literacy programs for the women artisans and children in the community. They're absolutely beautiful, I've already nabbed a couple for Christmas gifts. I love fair trade shopping, and I love knowing that there's a story behind an item. Empowering women in poorer nations is a cause that remains particularly close to my heart. I truly believe that greater equality for women will mean a more peaceful planet; in fact, I recently wrote a paper for a class I'm taking (Cross-Cultural Psychology) in which I found a number of studies that illustrate how societies with strictly-enforced gender roles and sexism tend to have higher levels of male aggression and are more likely to dissolve into war.

Currently, the three regions in which R+L operates are northern India, Ethiopia, and Cambodia. They're a member of another organization I've never heard of, the Ethical Fashion Forum’s 500 Fellows around the globe, which is apparently "an exclusive group of 500 of the world’s foremost innovators and leaders in the fashion sector."

must-see documentary on global warming - chasing ice

I hadn't heard of this film until I read about it in Elle's December issue, but I'm determined to go and see it now! This film charts the spring 2005 mission that environmental photographer James Balog went on to document the changing climate of the Arctic. On assignment from National Geographic, he managed to gather "undeniable evidence of our changing planet." Chasing Ice is the chronicle of what Balog found when he and a band of young adventurers set out to document climate change with the use of 25 cameras which took pictures every hour for three years in various locations around the Arctic. Using these "revolutionary time-lapse cameras... to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers."

"I never imagined that you could see glaciers this big disappearing in such a short time," Balog says.

This is from the website:

As the debate polarizes America and the intensity of natural disasters ramps up globally, Balog finds himself at the end of his tether. Battling untested technology in subzero conditions, he comes face to face with his own mortality. It takes years for Balog to see the fruits of his labor. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Chasing Ice depicts a photographer trying to deliver evidence and hope to our carbon-powered planet.

A cool sidenote on this film: the documentary score is complimented by a hauntingly beautiful song, "Before My Time" by J. Ralph, which Scarlett Johansson sings over the credits (see video below). It's an eerie addition to the frightening images of entire sheets of ice vanishing in a matter of months.