Focus on Libya
Anti-Gaddafi protesters gathered on Boston’s Copley Square March 12, where Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was compared to the Italian fascist Benito Mussolini.
Interview with Van Jones
Environmental activist Van Jones visited students at Babson College Feb. 23 to discuss Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and how it relates to today’s sustainable business practices. Jones served as a Special Advisor for the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 2009. He is a proponent of a “sustainable, environmentally beneficial economy,” and author of“The Green-Collar Economy; How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems.”
I first read his book two years ago when I was selected to be an Urban Environmental Justice Fellow at the Institute for Justice and Journalism. My project on food as an environmental justice issue in communities of color was partially inspired by his book. It wasn’t until recently people started to make the connection between the food system and the health of humanity and the planet. Thanks to Michelle Obama’s garden and healthy eating initiatives, as well as a plethora of books and films on the topic, food security in vulnerable communities has become a regular topic of discussion throughout the country.
Watch the video interview here
Migrant Workers & the Food System
Global Wire
By Talia Whyte
I went to Costa Del Sol many years ago, and I don’t remember seeing all this sitting on the warm beaches, drinking a virgin daiquiri. The farm owners must know that if migrant workers were more visible, there would be instant condemnation. Unfortunately, exploitation of migrant workers is a global problem and not much is being done about it. The vast majority of these workers have the same story: desperate working conditions, no money to pay for the cost of living and a dream to do better for their families and communities. But many of them regret even immigrating in the first place.
Read the article here
Focus on Education
I spoke with Boston Public Schools superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson Feb. 4 about school closings, the district’s Acceleration Agenda, the budget, student assignments and programs for English Language Learners. Johnson also spoke about the challenges of preparing students to compete in the global economy.