This year’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential election spotlights the important contributions made by women in our society – be they single or married, mothers or not, young or old, rich or poor, from big cities or small towns, in high-powered careers or down-to-earth jobs. The women in this election season are as exciting and controversial as any male candidates have ever been. Each has found her own unique equilibrium between the passion she contributes to her chosen career and the love she bestows on her family.

Of course, the woman who has initiated the most discussion about this balance is Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, 44-year old Governor Sarah Palin. Palin has been combining a political career with motherhood for the past 16 years. Now with five children, her candidacy brings to the forefront the continuing struggles of working mothers.

Those struggles are not just internal but also for acceptance with society as a whole – and women in particular. Sarah Palin symbolizes different things to different women. To some she is the ultimate ceiling breaker, the first woman on a Republican Vice-Presidential ticket. In her acceptance speech at the convention, Palin said of her place on the Republican ticket it proved that, “Every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.” She was poised and comfortable – a natural – as she stepped into the spotlight of history, a woman showing her toughness, yet with a smile. At the same time, she positioned herself as a typical mother acknowledging, “Our family has the same ups and downs as others.”

But, just as a double standard is often applied to them, not all women themselves agree that she is the right choice. For these, she embodies the ultimate contradiction between family values and personal ambition. They wonder out loud if she can adequately mother her children while carrying on the national responsibilities required of a Vice-President. But is this argument anti-feminist? Interestingly, due to Governor Palin’s political beliefs, the rhetoric comes more from liberals – traditionally feminists – than from conservatives.

The position on women’s rights and opportunities seems to have flipped as far as this issue is concerned. Some of the most liberal feminists contend that Sarah Palin should not be on the ticket whereas conservatives declare she can balance her family responsibilities along with one of the most important jobs in the federal executive branch.

These kinds of questions have not been raised when a father of five takes on enormous challenges in his work life, even today when fathers are more involved in the daily lives of their children. Is this a double standard or justified by the reality of family needs? Do women face unique pulls when they become wives and mothers?

What voters need today is not a criticism of her personal story but a discussion of the real policy differences between Sarah Palin and the other candidates. Tina Fey’s impersonation of her on Saturday Night Live brought more viewers to that show than have tuned in for many years. With Fey as Governor Palin and Amy Poehler as Senator Hillary Clinton, the sketch featured the women joining together to attack sexism in the election, even as they demonstrated the dissimilarity in political beliefs and positions.

Sandwiched Boomer women are looking for role models today as they juggle career and family – and wondering what direction the fight for women’s rights will take now and in the future. Governor Palin, an unlikely kind of feminist, has shown that she is willing to get into the trenches and join the fight for herself, her party and her sex. Let’s judge her credentials on their merits and her positions on their credibility – not on her status as a woman.

Popularity: unranked [?]

The property market in North Cyprus is undergoing serious changes at the moment, with the currently low property prices rising – and looking set to continue rising – at an unprecedented rate. In addition, a new type of property development is beginning to appear in the north side of the island – namely, upmarket and luxury apartments – that are clearly designed for people wanting to buy investment properties in this emerging market.

The reason for this change is, simply speaking, the reunification talks between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot delegates that are now striding ahead. International optimism regarding, and support for, a successful resolution – which have snowballed since Demetris Christofias’ election victory this February – is heartening evidence that, after years of hampered talks and deliberate stalling, there is now a genuine and tangible attempt to restore the divided island.

Each week Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Ali Talat are meeting to discuss the exactitudes and workings of a blueprint for reunification. This week, Turkish Cypriot delegates outlined the importance of addressing the historical chronology of the Cyprus problem for the current set of talks to be a success, according to the Cyprus Observer’s website.

‘After this point, both sides should negotiate with full capacity and complete responsibility and, ultimately, introduce an agreement which will be submitted to approval of two peoples,’ the Turkish Cypriot diplomats were quoted as saying.

Talat and Christofias, during their weekly talk, were discussing the issue of power sharing in a reunified state, and Greek Cypriot President Christofias caused somewhat of a stir by announcing that the Greek Cypriot side had granted a concession to the Turkish Cypriot side by accepting the notion of a bizonal federation that was devised by President Makarios in 1977.

Christofias rejected the possibility of forming a new state in the north Cyprus through ‘virgin birth’ and also rejected the possibility of a confederation. The only possibility, Christofias maintains, is a ‘federal solution…a partnership of the two communities.’

Both he and his North Cypriot counterpart, Mehmet Ali Talat, are left-wingers who have made it clear that they desire to bring reunification to the island. Seeing them at joint social events, and the fact that they met five times before the historical September 3rd meetings began, highlights how different North-South relations are under these leaders.

Speaking after he addressed the issue of confederation between North Cyprus and South Cyprus, Christofias addressed his counterpart as ‘my comrade and friend Mehmet-Ali’ before adding that ‘the time has come for us to take joint action and to respond to the call of history, to realize the vision of a reunified homeland.’

The new political will that is epitomised by Christofias and Talat is already causing property prices in North Cyprus – where prices are far lower than they are in the South – to shift upwards. With Turkey’s EU membership talks restarting next year, it can be expected that Ankara will be keen to be seen to be assisting the talks, which is another reason for being optimistic about the immediate future of this ancient, idyllic island.

Stay up to date with the reunification of North Cyprus at www.whiterocksbafra.com

Popularity: unranked [?]

You’ll never find a presidential candidate without a large ego. It takes a big ego to be a world leader. Look at the great figures in history, be they heroes or villains, they are larger than life. But the truly great leaders, while possessing big egos, also know the value of humility. They recognize the dangers of ego and have learned how to manage their own.

There are a host of big problems waiting for the next occupant of the White House-– war, economic uncertainty at home, and a tarnished image around the world. This president will need extraordinary relationship-building skills, particularly when dealing with ego-maniacal leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-il and others. Challenging times lay ahead of us and at the feet of the next Commander in Chief.

Political policies aside, in a perfect world we’d have a president with just enough ego, who is truly genuine, remarkably courageous and determined, and at the same time, deeply humble. Nelson Mandela is the ultimate example of leading with courage. He was driven by a noble cause and endured terrible suffering to find a way to achieve freedom for his people.

How are the current presidential candidates managing their egos?

Barrack Obama is a great orator and clearly thrives on large crowds and applause. He inspires people with his message of hope and the promise of change. He also seems to be buying into his own press that he’s a savior-of-sorts and the next JFK.

Early on in the campaign, Obama’s speeches had an air of genuineness and humility. You could see it in his body language and hear it in his voice. It felt real. After all these months and playing to huge, adoring international audiences is it possible that his humility has shrunk? Today he appears to swagger onto the stage and seems to be speaking more from his head than from his heart. It raises questions as to whether there is true alignment between who he really is and what he says.

John McCain, on the other hand, appears more authentic and less ego-driven. But is this true? It would be important for us to know. His body language is stiff and awkward-– is this because of his war injuries or is it a sign of humility? Or both? Over many months, his stage presence has remained unchanged. He’s focused, has no airs and graces, and enjoys a joke. His style may be less inspiring than Obama’s, but is it because he’s less interested in bells and whistles? Is it that his life experience gives him a different kind of quiet confidence, one that comes from years as a prisoner of war and a man who’s lived a full life? Or is he just simply uninspiring?

We know that McCain has an ego problem– his temper. He’s spoken openly about it and seems to be aware that he needs to manage it. But can he? Once again, these are things we need to think seriously about.

The entire election season has been filled with examples of ego gone awry. Hillary Clinton’s ego got in the way of her achieving the Democratic nomination. Her message was all about “I, me, and mine.” Then there’s her husband Bill, whose ego hurt his own image during her campaign. John Edwards publicly blamed his ego when his affair with a campaign photographer was recently revealed.

So will it be political policies that decide the election in November? Age? Race? I truly believe the candidate who shows the most genuine display of personal authenticity, will be the one who wins. People are smart -– they know when someone is not authentic. They know pseudo realness from genuine realness. And guess what the word for that is? Humility! We want -– and need -– a president who is a visionary, who is confident, courageous and bold. And one who mixes that with a strong dose of integrity and humility.

We absolutely cannot afford a leader whose ego will become involved in the enormous decisions that have to be made and the critical relationships that have to be forged. It’s up to the American public to watch and listen for the signs of ego and the signs of authenticity and vote accordingly.

Sandy Gluckman, Ph.D., teaches

Popularity: unranked [?]

All the way back in January 2004 Sir David A. King, the Government’s then chief scientific adviser, described global warming, and the climate change that it drives, as a greater threat to the world than international terrorism. King, who caused quite a stir with his comments, said that industrialized countries had a commitment to place a serious effort into developing sustainable and carbon capture technologies.

Now, over four years on, the momentum that King called for has not materialized anywhere but in the showboating embroidery from our politicians and in the cynical green-washing from our captains of industry. The Kyoto agreement – which was widely seen as a last ditch attempt to press the greed and stupidity that drive climate change every just as much as the pollutants themselves – failed. Bush, in his enlightened wisdom, decided that further research into climate change was needed before carbon taxes could be introduced. Thus, 4% of the world’s population – America – continued to account for over one fifth of the world’s carbon emissions.

A successor to Kyoto is due to be thrashed out in 2009 amidst the lushly upholstered suites and complimentary coffee lined tables of Copenhagen’s most suitable venue: the greenhouse-like Copenhagen Congress Centre. The centre will, in a completely non-symbolic gesture, be powered by its very own wind turbine. So this time, you know they mean business.

The reassurance of a windmill and some serious political hyperbole and media speculation have not been enough to persuade the UN Secretary, General Ban Ki-moon, to let the international community rest upon their…well, success would be too strong a word, but the little bit that they have managed to achieve, until the Copenhagen climate deal.

General Ban Ki-moon, talking to the diplomats gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the UN climate panel, said that the politicians should aim to make some serious headway before then this December in Poznan, Poland.

The Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012, has been largely seen as a complete failure in terms of reducing carbon emissions. 37 countries, all developed, signed the protocol, but there are some rather serious holes in the thing. For one, America and China have completely failed to impose any limits under Kyoto. For two, the carbon balance sheets ignore certain, little things. Like shipping and air travel. Whoops.

The fear caused by the knowledge that climate change is already affecting us has resulting in an increased impetus in the battle between action and continued inaction. The one hundred months campaign (http://www.onehundredmonths.org) for example, reckons that “We have 100 months to save the planet”, because after that we “could be beyond the climate’s ‘tipping point, the point of no return.’

Talking to Reuters, Ban Ki-moon suggested that the Poland meeting should serve as a “very successful bridge” for the later meetings in Copenhagen. It is encouraging that climate change has stopped being seen as a long term issue, and hopefully the immediacy of its effects will bring about a mature, effectual political response to the problem.

Matt Gammie is a writer for ecoswitch

Popularity: unranked [?]

Let me offer you a non-american perspective on this year’s US election race between Barack Obama and John McCain. In this short article I want to explain to you – especially you, dear readers and friends from the US – why many Europeans such as me (and many other non-americans too) feel that Barack Obama would be a much better option for the US president than John McCain.

As I offer this perspective, I want you to have in mind that I have never lived in the US, I don’t feel the economic problems of US personally (however interdependent the world has become, this has not influenced my life in any significant way yet), I am enjoying a universal health care (currently, in England) and I am not writing this particular piece out of my sympathy for many Americans who suffer problems because of bad US economy or the high costs of health care.

What I want to talk about is the image of US in the world and how electing Barack Obama would help to correct that image. It is very clear that, during the last decade, this image eroded to its lowest point (possibly in the whole history of US!) all over the world. America has never before been perceived in such an unfavorable light. Several American friends of mine have a hard time to even grasp how unloved their beloved country has become. Majority of the world has a grim picture of the US, said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) when he was commenting the large international poll for BBC. “Negative feelings about Bush are high and are generalizing to the American people who re-elected him”, worries Kull.

Of course, this perception is much worse in the Muslim world than in Europe, and it produces a deep motivation to fight against US and its allies. But I am not the only European who feels that the behavior of US leadership in last decade has been really bad and has made the world more dangerous place. Unwise moves and oil-hunger-driven wars, a great lack of understanding of the mindset of the people whom US operations were supposed to help (like Iraqis or Afgans etc.) and turning a blind eye towards the regimes like Saudi Arabian or Pakistani, who happen to suit America’s interests – all this has undermined the fair amount of trust US have once enjoyed, also in Europe.

The situation has left the world hoping for a significant change in the White House. Those who speculate and make theories out of Barack Obama’s middle name never seem to get it: this Muslim-sounding name could actually reduce the number of the terrorist threats to USA, although all “Muslim theories” about this name are complete nonsense. And another seemingly superficial thing is significant as well: If Barack Obama will become president, the color of the president’s skin will speak to many around the world about the victory over racism in USA (whether it would be true or not).

Remember: public perception of the president (at home but very much so also around the world) is hugely important factor for the success of his country on many fronts, even if he makes mistakes. Kennedy was – at his beginning at least – very popular in Europe and around the World also because of his youth and charming personality. And there can be no serious discussion about public perceptions of Barack Obama vs. John McCain in the world: Barack is doing much better! Even in Israel , he “leads” the republican candidate by a big margin. This alone is hugely important even if Barack Obama’s political program would be up for grabs. But it isn’t.

Gorazd Andrejc is a postgraduate at Cambridge University. He writes on religion, ethics, philosophy and social issues. His Eco Friendly Lifestyle blog is for “ordinary people” (not necessarily activists) who want to change their lifestyle to live increasingly more environmentally friendly.

Popularity: unranked [?]