Two-weeks after the historic presidential election in the U.S., in which President-Elect Barack Obama became the first man of African descent to be elected to the office, Germany had a historic moment of its own. Derek Scally became the first ethnic Turk to be elected to the head of a political party. As leader of Germany’s Greens Party, he is a beacon of hope and symbolic change for the largest ethnic group in Germany, where Turks make up 3.3% of the nation’s population. Scally contends that he wants a society in which people of all ethnic backgrounds are working together for one Germany. After the election, party officials were said to be distributing “Yes We Cem” badges to the nation’s citizens. Scally was born to two immigrant Turkish parents in southern Germany.

Barack Obama said, “There is something happening in America…” and if people are following global politics, there seems to be a political, social and economic shift taking place all over the world. This is not an assertion that America began a global movement for justice, but the fact that America was, and many would argue still is, a racially obsessed society, and was able to elected a president of African descent democratically, suggests that there is hope for all marginalized people across the globe. America and Germany made history in 2008 and it will be interesting to watch which other countries follow suit.

Olorunbunmi Hambolu

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Turkey is one of the many countries being hit by the global recession. The crisis has no borders and has left no corner of the globe untouched. Many other countries in the Middle East may follow suit in an economic downward spiral.

Olorunbunmi Hambolu

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As a result, many countries are stepping in to facilitate. More specifically, the Italian government contributed 5 million Euros to launch operations that will help feed over one million people in Yemen. The Italian Ambassador to Yemen describes the contribution as “yet another illustration of the excellent level of cooperation with WFP.” Italy’s contribution is the second largest direct donation to WFP’s fund to help end Yemen’s food crisis. (In August 2008, Germany donated 10 million Euros to WFP to address food security and nutrition in Yemen). Mohamed el-Kouhene, WFP’s Representative in Yemen stated the importance of this global initiative: “This new operation, along with ongoing development and humanitarian relief activities in the country, will raise WFP’s portfolio to above $120 million, providing food assistance to over 1.5 million people, an unprecedented level of support to vulnerable families in Yemen.”

This initiative is an interesting example of looking at a global issue (the international food crisis) and zeroing in on how one country, such as Yemen, has been particularly affected. Moreover, it’s important to look beyond Yemen’s borders to understand how the international community facilitates help. What are the motivations behind the country’s actions? Why was have Germany and Italy made the largest contributions? What other factors are operating in this situation?

Jenna Hootstein

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