Tag Archives: malaysia

Recapping the U.S. Election / Clinton’s Day in Asia / A Month to Honor American Indians

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The Republicans make big gains in U.S. midterm elections and President Obama offers his assessment. Secretary Clinton’s Asian travels take her to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Catch up with Brad Pitt and his effort to bring green housing to New Orleans. Learn about ArtsLink, a program that brings artists from around the world to the United States. Tajikistan is getting an energy boost. A 1,000-year-old Iranian poem is the inspiration for some awesome illustrations. And, it’s American Indian Heritage Month in America.

Election Gains for Republicans
Republicans gain at least 60 seats in the House of Representatives in U.S. elections November 2, more than enough to wrest control of the chamber from the Democrats. This means a divided government for at least the next two years, as Democratic President Obama shares power with Republicans in the House. Democrats retain control of the Senate, but with a reduced majority.

Obama: The Economy Hurt Democrats
The American electorate demonstrated its frustration with the state of the economy when it stripped Democrats of their majority in the House of Representatives and trimmed their majority in the Senate, President Obama says.

Clinton Praises Malaysia’s Religious Tolerance
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is praising Malaysia’s commitment to religious tolerance during her visit to the Muslim-majority country. “Extremism is not a path to building sustainable prosperity, peace, stability or democracy – it only promotes conflicts and hardens hearts,” she says. 

Human Rights in Papua New Guinea
During a visit to Papua New Guinea, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton encouraged the country to address its human rights conditions and to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. Clinton also offered to help the government set up a sovereign wealth fund to manage resource revenue from oil and natural gas fields, in order to translate “natural resources into widespread prosperity.”

Green Homes Make it Right
Make It Right, a foundation created by actor and film producer Brad Pitt, builds energy-efficient, green homes to replace housing destroyed in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. In three years, the foundation has completed 50 homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Another 30 are under construction.

ArtsLink Fellows Come to America
Visual artists, photographers, filmmakers and arts managers from 14 countries are currently enjoying five-week residencies in the United States under awards offered by U.S.-based international arts organization, CEC ArtsLink.

Green Energy for Tajikistan
The U.S. embassy in Dushanbe, Tajik government agencies and international partners, are working together to bring alternative energy solutions to Central Asia. The projects include the use of solar, water and wind power to provide energy to remote locations.

Shahnameh on Display
The Smithsonian Institution is celebrating the Shahnameh’s 1,000 years with an exhibition of some of the best illustrations ever created for Iran’s greatest epic poem. The Shahnameh’s stories cover the reigns of 50 kings, real and imagined, from the creation of the world up to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century.

American Indian Heritage Month
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which celebrates the heritage and contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives — the first Americans — to the history and culture of the United States. Right, members of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe from Livingston, Texas, wait to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April 2010.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations / More on the Coming U.S. Elections / Ikats of Central Asia

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The U.S. supports Malaysia’s participation in upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Also in Malaysia, women entrepreneurs teach others how to “bootstrap their startups.” The U.S. midterm elections are next week; find out how the youth vote and the members of the tea party might influence them. And, finally, learn about the ikats of Central Asia.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations
The United States supports the addition of Malaysia, its 16th-largest trading partner, to negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and will continue to deepen its strong economic partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region, says U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Kirk, pictured at left with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, says that Malaysia’s inclusion in the negotiations will contribute “to the development of the high standard, 21st-century, regional trade agreement we are seeking.”

Bootstrap Startups in Malaysia
Entrepreneurial women are sharing their experiences, best practices and creative problem-solving techniques to build more successful businesses in a forum created by Warisan Global and the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia.

Rocking the Youth Vote
Young American voters registered in numbers higher than expected to vote in the November midterm elections, continuing a trend of increased political participation by young U.S. citizens.

Election 2010, Is it Tea Time?
The tea party movement is a small but enthusiastic group of American voters who share a frustration over U.S. economic policies. Though it makes up only a small fraction of the U.S. electorate, the tea party is playing an influential role in the 2010 midterm elections.

Republicans to Gain House Seats
Republicans and Democrats are campaigning feverishly in the final days before the nationwide congressional elections November 2 and most experts expect the Republican Party will gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is uncertain whether these gains will be enough to turn the House majority from Democratic to Republican.

An Exhibit of Asian Ikats
The spectacular patterns and vivid colors of the ikat fabrics, a status symbol of 19th-century Central Asia, are on display at the Textile Museum’s newly opened exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats. The word “ikat” derives from a Malay term meaning “to tie.” Sumru Belger Krody, right, the curator of the exhibition, says ikats were “a glue in many spheres of life, from political to economic to social” and that one reason for the prestige of the fabrics is the difficult of making them.

Blogs self-regulate to stay credible

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One important lesson politicians can learn from Malaysia’s March 8 election is that candidates can’t rely on just traditional media like television, newspapers and radio to deliver their messages to voters. As more people get access to the Internet, often privately and conveniently in their own homes, they are using a lot of different news sources.

The Internet also is changing journalism. Anyone can start a blog, and posting items online – easily and anonymously – allows free expression without risking punishment or unwanted government attention. But anonymity can open the door to false or misleading postings by bloggers who don’t have to worry about personal repercussions when the truth comes out.

However, as a blog’s readership increases, so will the level of scrutiny. Inaccuracies are more likely to get noticed and called out. Much of a blog’s popularity relies not just on topics and political viewpoint but also on credibility, so a blogger has a vested interest in building and maintaining a credible platform for discussion. That interest keeps most bloggers honest with their readers.

Find out more about blogs and elections in “Malaysia’s Alternative Media Become Decisive Political Factor.”

Do you have any questions or comments about the growing importance of blogs in politics? Send them here.