The Saffron Revolution

We are all following what is going on in Burma right now. I just got a ”Global call to Action” from IUSY (International Union of Socialist Youth) and the blog they have started in order to follow ”the Saffron Revolution” might prove to be a useful source of information.

If you grew up politically in Social Democratic Students in Sweden (SSF), Burma becomes a part of your political awakening. Since the early 1990s, SSF has done an important work for Burma, thanks to people like Jesper Bengtsson and Åsa Kullgren (for example).

During my time as SSF-president, our activities for Burma intensified, notably thanks to my very good friend Marin Gemzell, and later by efforts by people like Paula Rasmusson, Kristian Brangenfeldt, Frida Perjus, Cattis Ullström, Gunilla Hjalmarson and many many others. I also wrote one of my editorials in SSFs magazine Libertas about Burma (here, in Swedish), and during the last year we have published quite a few articles about the current situation in Burma in Aktuellt i Politiken.

For people who have been working for Burma during many years, these are hectic days. Let us hope that a peaceful change is possible, and let us continue our support whatever happens the coming days and weeks.

Back at work

After a few wonderful days in Paris everything went back to normal; loads of work to do and things to write – and Liverpool cannot score away against Chelski. Anaway, a few shorties:

If you read Swedish; don’t miss all the good stuff in AiP this week (editorial, interview with Mona Sahlin, my article about France, Arvid's article about France).

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ECOSY – Young European Socialist – has started a campaign for freedom in Burma (more info). The European Union has to take a stronger stand towards the regime in Burma that continuous to violate basic human rights, and the European Parliament is about to discuss this issue. Read and sign the petition here.

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Rudy Guiliani, the former New York City Mayor, is accused by Democrats for politicizing September 11th in his 2008 presidential bid. Here’s what he said at a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire:

”If a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001... Never ever again will this country ever be on defense waiting for (terrorists) to attack us if I have anything to say about it. And make no mistake, the Democrats want to put us back on defense!”

That was not nice, smart or true.

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At least the present Mayor of the world’s coolest city – Michael Bloomberg – keeps his mind straight; time for congestion charges in NYC!?