Tag Archives: D.C.

Death in Somalia, Environmentalists in Haiti and Iftars in Washington

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The U.S. condemns a deadly attack in Mogadishu. Aid workers are doing their best to protect the environment as they struggle to resettle Haiti. Unsafe water causes more deaths each year than wars; read what the U.S. and the United Nations are doing about it. There’s a new climate change center taking shape in Indonesia. And, finally, take a look inside Washington D.C.’s diverse Muslim community during the celebration of Ramadan.

An “Outrageous” Attack in Somalia
Obama administration officials condemn an attack on a Mogadishu hotel that reportedly left 30 dead, including six parliament members in Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government. The al-Shabaab militant group claims responsibility for the attack at the Muna Hotel, right. John Brennan, the president’s assistant for counterterrorism and homeland security, says U.S. officials “are saddened today by the loss of life” and said the United States will continue to partner with countries in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere against terrorism and violent extremists.

Considering the Environment as Haiti Resettles
As the U.S. Agency for International Development helps meet the tremendous demand for housing in Haiti after the January 12 earthquake, authorities are seeking resettlement sites that can offer improved living conditions with minimal impact on the environment.

Delivering Safe Drinking Water
The United States has boosted spending to help meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of cutting in half by 2015 the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Droughts and floods affect more people than all other natural disasters combined, and unsafe water causes more deaths than wars, according to the World Health Organization. More than 1.7 million lives are lost each year from the consequences of living without potable water and having no place to dispose of waste.

A Climate Center for Indonesia
A center to help Indonesia meet its pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 26 percent by 2020 is taking shape with initial funding of $7 million from the United States under the U.S.-Indonesian Comprehensive Partnership announced in June.

An Iftar for Everyone
In Washington, D.C., the month of Ramadan is celebrated with evening iftars in homes, restaurants and mosques. The diversity of the area’s Muslim community means that regardless of personal traditions, there is an iftar for everyone. “In D.C., there’s stuff going on every single night,” says Mannal Bakhsh, who has lived in the area her entire life. “You don’t have to go to a mosque. You can go to a friend’s house; you can go to a restaurant.”

I’ll Be Home For Christmas, If Only For A Week

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For me, the month of December has always meant a return to seasonal sweaters of questionable taste, semi-professional over-eating, listening to cheesy holiday music non-stop and, most importantly, three weeks or more of vacation from school. For each of the last two years, in fact, I had more than a month off for winter break and took the opportunity to travel to other parts of the world and meet people I would not otherwise have been lucky enough to encounter.

Not so much this year. This year I have a job (believe me, I am not complaining about that), and I am using every ounce of my vacation time to see my family and hometown friends for a few days.

One of the unique things about living and working in Washington, D.C., is that very few people are actually from here. I am originally from Georgia (the state in the southern U.S., not the eastern European country), and much as I hate the thought of navigating the Atlanta airport so close to Christmas, I am excited to go home. I have co-workers who will be going home to places as far apart as Connecticut and California – very different experiences from Georgia, and from one another – but we have all made our home (at least for now) in D.C.

Most D.C. residents are migrants from other parts of the country. That means it’s a dead-zone for the week between the Federal holidays of Christmas and New Year’s Day when everyone travels to wherever they call home, but it also means they bring back with them the best parts of their distinctive cultural traditions. They also bring their best ideas and specific experiences about the challenges facing different parts of the world. This freedom to move about the country – and the world – talking with people, sharing ideas, asking questions and thinking about things in new ways helps inform and support the work that goes on here the other 51 weeks of the year.

The thing that brings us all to D.C., regardless of political ideology or issue area, is a shared belief in the system of democratic governance that has held the U.S. together for over 200 years, and a desire to be at least a small part of the policy-making process. I know that’s what brought me.

Do you have an example of how sharing different ideas or experiences has enriched your community? Share it in the comments – and happy holidays!