Three weeks after the tragedy of the tsunami, it continues to send shock waves through the international press. “ The poor countries are the most vulnerable to catastrophes“, is the headline in Le Monde (18/01), which reports on the world congress on natural disasters that opened in Kobé, in Japan, two days ago; it is being attended by hundreds of experts from all over the world. The choice of the Japanese city was due to the 10th anniversary of the terrible earthquake that caused some 6433 deaths recalls Le Monde and still Japan remains on high alert, awaiting the “Big One”, though since then it has installed the most advanced anti-seismic systems. The point however says Le Monde is that “ each year 255 million people are affected by disasters, and the highest tribute is paid by Africa and Asia“. “ It is especially in the poor countries adds the paper that disasters cause the most deaths: 88% of the losses of the period are concentrated in the two African and Asian continents”. For this reason, according to Jeffrey Sachs, special adviser of the UN Secretary General, “ our generation has a unique opportunity to curb poverty between now and 2015. This objective is within our grasp if the rich countries keep their promises“. The French Catholic daily La Croix (18/01) also devotes coverage to the “Sachs Report”, published in New York in recent days, with the title “Investing in Development”. “ We don’t speak of charity explains Sachs to La Croix . What we propose are long-term investments to improve the life of millions of people on the planet“. A similar proposal is made by the economist Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize for Economics, interviewed by Le Monde on the following day (19/01). Sen emphasizes that in the last decade “ a new consciousness has been born“: “ first of all, we live in an undivided world where the rich countries can no longer ignore the problems of the poor ones“. In the second place, “ the developing countries will not remain in their present state forever … as the development of China has clearly demonstrated“. Lastly according to Sen “ we need to say that poverty creates terrorism … this is a clear perception we cannot ignore“. The Catholic Herald , English Catholic weekly, points out (07/01) that in terms of development and natural disasters “ the Catholic Church is making a significant contribution to international aid for the victims of the tsunami“, as shown by the generous collection of funds in English Catholic parishes, which the paper describes. The paper adds that this aid will be put to good use: “ We can give every assurance says a representative of the main aid organization involved that all the money collected will be spent well, supporting the various Catholic networks active in the disaster areas“. The editorial of the same weekly declares that “ this year will be marked by a series of high-profile international summits on the reduction of poverty, but it would be surprising if these meeting were to generate the adoption of concrete measures, instead of the usual hot air“. The Italian Catholic daily Avvenire (19/01) also dedicates coverage to the prospects for development and the role of the UNO, following the visit of Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini to the Vatican, where he met with Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano. “ The representatives of Italian and Vatican foreign policy the spokesman of the Holy See Joaquin Navarro Valls briefed the paper agreed on the need for a reform of the UNO to better respond to the challenges of the Third Millennium“. USA, Iran and Iraq: the relations between these countries are analysed by German commentators. Klaus– Dieter Frankenberger writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (20/1) comments on the second term of Bush: “ He considers himself the executor of a programme of transformations that starts out from the (partial) privatisation of pensions and does not stop at the democratisation of the Near and Middle East. This programme fills many people with dread, also because the new foreign policy line has already led to two wars, sowing division and great mistrust. The theory according to which Bush would return to the ‘status quo ante’ of American world policy under the pressure of the costs of his policy toward Iraq, is devoid of foundation”. Writing in the Frankfurter Rundschau (19/1), Dietmar Osterman asks: “ Will there also be a war in Iran? … The risks of an absolutely isolated conduct at the international level ought to be clear even in Washington. The Bush government cannot expect a success of European diplomacy. But it ought at least to hope for it”. An article in the weekly Der Spiegel (17/1) comments on the use of US forces in Iraq: “ …whereas President Bush declared once again last week that the world is safer without Saddam Hussein, his soldiers and officials seem to be increasingly convinced of the opposite: from a political and strategic, financial and personnel point of view, the American armed forces, which have no rivals in the world, have unexpectedly encountered obstacles difficult to overcome“. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1256 N.ro relativo : 5 Data pubblicazione : 22/01/05
