All countries must join hands
The World Food Day, which was celebrated on Oct 16th, should not just remain an annual event. On this day, we should call on everyone to work together and put an end to hunger all over the world.
As per Food and Agriculture Organization’s report, nearly one billion people all over the world are suffering from food shortage in 2010. This shows that there is need for serious cooperation in this field, especially since climate change and the recent financial crisis have also played a role.
Until all countries join hands and help people in need through the United Nations’ organizations, food shortage will remain a never-ending tragedy and will be source of misery for several children all over the world.
The wealthy countries can help their poorer counterparts by financing and providing technology to develop agricultural field and minimizing food shortage, which is the prime cause for the increase in prices of foodstuffs.
HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s recent announcement regarding the establishment of a 100 million dollar fund to provide food to the needy people in the Islamic world makes Kuwait a leading example and it will no doubt reflect positively on peace and security in the world, especially since all efforts in the east and west are directed towards elimination of poverty and hunger around the world.
Email: Labeed.abdal@gmail.com
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By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney at Law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/161330/reftab/96/t/Put-end-to-food-shortage/Default.aspx
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Kuwait stands to gain a lot from Switzerland
Time to choose the right friends
A LUNCH banquet was held in honor of Micheline Calmy-Rey, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Switzerland (Minister of Foreign Affairs), in the Amiri tent at the Bayan Palace upon her arrival in Kuwait on Nov 7, 2010. In this event, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah made the most important announcement on the future of the country, particularly the vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub in the region.
Several steps have been taken to develop Kuwait and make it a better place to live, including the approval of the development plan for fiscal 2010 to 2014; allocation of $140 billion for the enhancement of infrastructure and establishment of ports, railways and cities; and improvement of public services. These steps are part of a promise to effect positive changes in the country, especially the efforts to raise the standard of education, ensure gender equality, boost the economy and protect political freedom.
It is extremely important for Kuwait in the near future to choose the right friends in the world like Switzerland, which usually extends a helping hand economically and politically, in addition to its willingness to share its positive experiences in democracy, freedom and neutrality.
This is the right time for Kuwait to push the wheels of development forward, because it currently enjoys strong ties with the US, UK, France, Canada and China. Development efforts will be more meaningful this time because the country is on the verge of celebrating the golden jubilee of its independence. Such efforts give people a glimmer hope that the next 50 years will be better, in terms of the quality of life, openness, modernization and national recovery.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
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By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney-at-law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/161330/reftab/96/t/Put-end-to-food-shortage/Default.aspx
A LUNCH banquet was held in honor of Micheline Calmy-Rey, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Switzerland (Minister of Foreign Affairs), in the Amiri tent at the Bayan Palace upon her arrival in Kuwait on Nov 7, 2010. In this event, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah made the most important announcement on the future of the country, particularly the vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub in the region.
Several steps have been taken to develop Kuwait and make it a better place to live, including the approval of the development plan for fiscal 2010 to 2014; allocation of $140 billion for the enhancement of infrastructure and establishment of ports, railways and cities; and improvement of public services. These steps are part of a promise to effect positive changes in the country, especially the efforts to raise the standard of education, ensure gender equality, boost the economy and protect political freedom.
It is extremely important for Kuwait in the near future to choose the right friends in the world like Switzerland, which usually extends a helping hand economically and politically, in addition to its willingness to share its positive experiences in democracy, freedom and neutrality.
This is the right time for Kuwait to push the wheels of development forward, because it currently enjoys strong ties with the US, UK, France, Canada and China. Development efforts will be more meaningful this time because the country is on the verge of celebrating the golden jubilee of its independence. Such efforts give people a glimmer hope that the next 50 years will be better, in terms of the quality of life, openness, modernization and national recovery.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney-at-law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/161330/reftab/96/t/Put-end-to-food-shortage/Default.aspx
Sunday 14 November 2010
Shift from virtual to natural world
Vital to regulate contents of video games
MANY researchers have warned that those who spend hours browsing social networking sites might suffer from various health problems like depression, loneliness, anxiety, traumatic stress, lethargy and sleep disorders. People are considered Internet addicts if they spend 1.5 hours or more on online activities.Different behavior modification techniques are required to cure anyone of Internet addiction but most importantly we need an effective prevention system to protect the young generation from immoral sites, which may influence social behavior and the law, particularly the online games (short fight, war clips and lyrics). These games may lead to the spread of violence and aggression that have a negative impact on our private and public lives. The youth might imitate the criminal acts in these games and use the online ways of solving problems in real life. Online games have become a source of aggression and innocent individuals have fallen victim to this violence. We can cite as an example the random stabbing incidents on the streets in many countries, some of which have escalated to organized crimes.In the Internet world, it is necessary to regulate the contents of games and establish a legal government body to protect the whole society, especially the youth. Efforts to prevent the spread of crimes have become futile due to our inability to control the virtual crimes, which lead to a new society ready to engage in criminal acts in the real world.Kuwait and the entire world must not completely rely on the Internet. They should encourage face-to-face communication for people to live in the natural and real world, instead of spending most of their time in the virtual world. We should stop regarding online fear and insecurity as part of the reality.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal
MANY researchers have warned that those who spend hours browsing social networking sites might suffer from various health problems like depression, loneliness, anxiety, traumatic stress, lethargy and sleep disorders. People are considered Internet addicts if they spend 1.5 hours or more on online activities.Different behavior modification techniques are required to cure anyone of Internet addiction but most importantly we need an effective prevention system to protect the young generation from immoral sites, which may influence social behavior and the law, particularly the online games (short fight, war clips and lyrics). These games may lead to the spread of violence and aggression that have a negative impact on our private and public lives. The youth might imitate the criminal acts in these games and use the online ways of solving problems in real life. Online games have become a source of aggression and innocent individuals have fallen victim to this violence. We can cite as an example the random stabbing incidents on the streets in many countries, some of which have escalated to organized crimes.In the Internet world, it is necessary to regulate the contents of games and establish a legal government body to protect the whole society, especially the youth. Efforts to prevent the spread of crimes have become futile due to our inability to control the virtual crimes, which lead to a new society ready to engage in criminal acts in the real world.Kuwait and the entire world must not completely rely on the Internet. They should encourage face-to-face communication for people to live in the natural and real world, instead of spending most of their time in the virtual world. We should stop regarding online fear and insecurity as part of the reality.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Council’s decision on church a victory for rule of law
CANCELLATION of the Municipal Council’s decision on rejecting a request for the construction of a Catholic church in Mahboula is considered a victory for the rule of law and it will have a positive impact on the Constitution of Kuwait.Legally speaking, there was no majority at Al-Ahmadi Committee when the council rejected the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allocate land for the construction of a new church in Mahboula. Article 35 of the Constitution also states that freedom of belief is absolute. Kuwait protects people’s freedom to practice their own religion in accordance with the customs and provided they do not violate public policies or morals.On the practical level, Kuwait needs to clearly define the range of religious freedom. There should be a stable understanding in the society and public bodies for freedom of belief or to practice one’s own religion within the limits of the universal understanding of basic human rights and international conventions.The government, National Assembly and Municipal Council should prioritize the rights of non-Muslims, especially when their population is growing. Churches must be considered worship places in Kuwait and should be managed in a responsible way because religion influences the activities of thousands of expatriates in this country. We cannot claim to be protectors of the freedom of belief and religion without allowing the people to build their own worship places or churches. Kuwait has been regarded a country of abundance and freedom since its inception 300 years ago, particularly after 1899 when the country became a protectorate of the British Empire by signing the protection agreement with Sheikh Mubarak as its representative. It has opened its doors to immigrants from surrounding areas like Mesopotamia, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon.In coordination with our wise leaders and following in the footsteps of our forefathers, we have to preserve our history and adopt the changes to be in line with the modern times, especially when most newcomers abide by the law and rules of the country.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney-at-Law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/RSS/tabid/69/smid/414/ArticleID/161026/t/Laws-needed-to-protect-people-from-Net-abuses/Default.aspx
CANCELLATION of the Municipal Council’s decision on rejecting a request for the construction of a Catholic church in Mahboula is considered a victory for the rule of law and it will have a positive impact on the Constitution of Kuwait.Legally speaking, there was no majority at Al-Ahmadi Committee when the council rejected the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allocate land for the construction of a new church in Mahboula. Article 35 of the Constitution also states that freedom of belief is absolute. Kuwait protects people’s freedom to practice their own religion in accordance with the customs and provided they do not violate public policies or morals.On the practical level, Kuwait needs to clearly define the range of religious freedom. There should be a stable understanding in the society and public bodies for freedom of belief or to practice one’s own religion within the limits of the universal understanding of basic human rights and international conventions.The government, National Assembly and Municipal Council should prioritize the rights of non-Muslims, especially when their population is growing. Churches must be considered worship places in Kuwait and should be managed in a responsible way because religion influences the activities of thousands of expatriates in this country. We cannot claim to be protectors of the freedom of belief and religion without allowing the people to build their own worship places or churches. Kuwait has been regarded a country of abundance and freedom since its inception 300 years ago, particularly after 1899 when the country became a protectorate of the British Empire by signing the protection agreement with Sheikh Mubarak as its representative. It has opened its doors to immigrants from surrounding areas like Mesopotamia, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon.In coordination with our wise leaders and following in the footsteps of our forefathers, we have to preserve our history and adopt the changes to be in line with the modern times, especially when most newcomers abide by the law and rules of the country.
Email: labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney-at-Law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/RSS/tabid/69/smid/414/ArticleID/161026/t/Laws-needed-to-protect-people-from-Net-abuses/Default.aspx
Laws needed to protect people from Net abuses
Kuwait should take decisive steps and sign int’l agreements
Google, Youtube, Facebook, iPod, iPhone and iPad have become a vital part of our life. They are playing the role of mother and father in guiding us and in helping us make the right choices. The Time Magazine, in its May 2010 issue, stated that there are over 500 million Facebook users, and added that if Facebook were a state, it would have been the third most populous country in the world.President Barack Obama can be called the first e-president. He used the Internet extensively, especially Google, Youtube, Wikipedia and his website ‘Change’ in his presidential campaign. The first signs of e-war were noticed during the conflict between Russia and Georgia, where the latter’s air defenses were hacked and crippled from doing their role. Georgia lost the war as a result.Everyone has the right to have unlimited knowledge and there are no restrictions on how to use this information. However, we must maintain some limits to ensure privacy.In Kuwait, we need to e-reevaluate our legislation as we still do not have well structured laws to protect individuals from Internet abuses, fraud, threats, embezzlement, copy right infringements etc. Kuwait should take decisive steps and sign international agreements to provide right protection to its e-government projects and its data. It will also help in maintaining citizens and expatriates’ security, rights and freedoms.
Labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney at Law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/RSS/tabid/69/smid/414/ArticleID/161026/t/Laws-needed-to-protect-people-from-Net-abuses/Default.aspx
Google, Youtube, Facebook, iPod, iPhone and iPad have become a vital part of our life. They are playing the role of mother and father in guiding us and in helping us make the right choices. The Time Magazine, in its May 2010 issue, stated that there are over 500 million Facebook users, and added that if Facebook were a state, it would have been the third most populous country in the world.President Barack Obama can be called the first e-president. He used the Internet extensively, especially Google, Youtube, Wikipedia and his website ‘Change’ in his presidential campaign. The first signs of e-war were noticed during the conflict between Russia and Georgia, where the latter’s air defenses were hacked and crippled from doing their role. Georgia lost the war as a result.Everyone has the right to have unlimited knowledge and there are no restrictions on how to use this information. However, we must maintain some limits to ensure privacy.In Kuwait, we need to e-reevaluate our legislation as we still do not have well structured laws to protect individuals from Internet abuses, fraud, threats, embezzlement, copy right infringements etc. Kuwait should take decisive steps and sign international agreements to provide right protection to its e-government projects and its data. It will also help in maintaining citizens and expatriates’ security, rights and freedoms.
Labeed.abdal@gmail.com
By: Labeed Abdal - Attorney at Law
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/RSS/tabid/69/smid/414/ArticleID/161026/t/Laws-needed-to-protect-people-from-Net-abuses/Default.aspx
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