CONFERENCE GULF TRAFFIC: 10-12 DECEMBER 2007 DUBAI
October 30, 2007 at 8:12 pm | In Arabs, Economics, Financial, Globalization, Middle East, Research | Leave a Comment
The Gulf Traffic
Exhibition and Conference
Fast-Track Entry to Gulf Traffic
2007
Tue 10/30/07
Dear Mr.,
Gulf Traffic 2007 takes place 10 –
12 December at Dubai
International Exhibition Centre.
Pre-register online today to benefit from free, fast-track entry to the exhibition
Gulf Traffic 2007:
Showcases over 250 exhibitors from 33 countries –
the largest number of exhibitors at any such industry event in the region
For the first time, features 5 National Pavilions –
from Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States
Will welcome over 5,000 visitors from more than 50 countries
Introduces free to attend industry seminars
Presents more than 35 industry experts and 3 days of insightful presentations at the Gulf Traffic Conference
“The RTA is fully committed to creating a world class transport infrastructure in Dubai, and to achieve this we are drawing on international best practices. The Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference has an important role to play – not just for Dubai and the UAE, but for the entire Middle East and North Africa Region, as it gives the region’s decision makers the opportunity to meet global experts and to see the latest developments, products and services that can help them address the pressing transportation needs that exist.”
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer
Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority.
Exhibition space at Gulf Traffic 2007 is almost sold out.
The Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference takes place every two years – don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to assess the latest solutions, products and services available to you at this year’s event. For free, fast-track entry to the exhibition register online today
We look forward to welcoming you to Gulf Traffic in December.
Kind regards,
Sarah Woodbridge
Group Director – Exhibitions
IIR Exhibitions
——————————————————————————–
Sarah Woodbridge
Postal address: P.O. Box 28943, Dubai, UAE
Fast-Track Entry to Gulf Traffic 2007
on behalf of Sarah Woodbridge (e-reply@iirme.com)
Tue 10/30/07
DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY
October 30, 2007 at 2:41 am | In Economics, Financial, Globalization, Research, Third World | Leave a Comment
Development Gateway Foundation
September/October Newsletter
Development Gateway Foundation
Mon 10/29/
The Development Gateway Foundation provides Web-based tools to make aid and development efforts more effective. It offers innovative solutions that increase access to critical information, building local capacity and bringing partners together for positive change. The Development Gateway Foundation is a nonprofit organization with activities around the world.
Newsletter
September/October 2007
From the Foundation:
Winner of the Photo Contest
AMP Piloted in Burundi
New dgCommunities Set to Launch
New Coordinator for Asia-Pacific Region
Featured dgCommunities Content Coordinator: Anuradha Bhattacharjee
Who’s Blogging about Development?
Events:
What Does Civil Society Need to Be Effective?
Country Gateway Network News:
Burkina Faso Joins the Network
LAC Regional Coordinator Participates in eLAC 2010 Meeting
LAC Regional Forum in Final Phase
Lebanon Prepares E-commerce Component
——————————————————————————–
FROM THE FOUNDATION
Winner of the Photo Contest
Prashant Bhardwaj of India took this year’s winning photo. The foundation received over 700 entries depicting socio-economic development in developing countries. Visitors to our Web site voted for the best photo among the top ten. According to Mr. Bhardwaj, the photo “represents the freedom from child labor and a hope that there is a bright future ahead…” Read more about the winner.
———————————————————————————
AMP Piloted in Burundi
The pilot phase of the Aid Management Platform (AMP) implementation in Burundi commenced in September with in-country testing and consultations. The pilot follows a technical assessment conducted in May and June, after which a prototype of the platform was developed. This is the first pilot of the platform in French. During this phase, the foundation’s policy and technical specialists will work closely with government technical staff to assess whether additional customizations are needed. Their goal is to ensure that the system fully responds to the country’s challenges and is sustainable.
———————————————————————————
New dgCommunities Set to Launch
Last month, the Development Gateway Foundation a new partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies to establish online communities dedicated to disaster prevention and reconstruction. Providing a virtual space in which participants can share knowledge, best practices, and other relevant information, these portals are part of an initiative to build capacity, strengthen working relationships, and improve development outcomes. Particular emphasis will be placed on bringing together government agencies and international and nongovernmental organizations in developed and developing countries to discuss common challenges. Read more about the Disaster Prevention & Response and Stabilization & Reconstruction dgCommunities.
———————————————————————————
New Coordinator for Asia-Pacific Region
Travis Harvey of Australia is the new program coordinator for the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Harvey will be the Asia-Pacific liaison for the foundation and responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs across all the business lines. He will lead the foundation’s efforts to promote the use of tools such as the Aid Management Platform and dgMarket. Implementation of these tools throughout the region will leverage the foundation’s network of local Country Gateway partners and promote closer ties with the respective national governments. Read more about Travis.
———————————————————————————
Featured dgCommunities Content Coordinator: Anuradha Bhattacharjee
Anuradha Bhattacharjee coordinates content for six dgCommunities. A development communications consultant based in Calcutta, she originally joined dgCommunities in 2003 as a guide. Today, she has built the partnership base of her dgCommunities to a total of almost 200 cooperating organizations. She has recruited volunteer guides for all of them and launched a robust series of online discussions. Membership in these communities has grown considerably. Culture and Development now boasts 13,000 members. Anuradha would like to see more NGOs and civil society organizations from the developing world come on board as partners and members so that, in her words, “they are represented and have a voice.” Private companies that have corporate social responsibility initiatives involved with development can also benefit from becoming a partner with the dgCommunities. “It has been a fulfilling year—and there is so much more we can do!” says Anuradha, whose infectious enthusiasm is reflected in the dynamism of her communities. To read more about Anuradha, go to http://topics.developmentgateway.org/um~user/showGeneralMemberProfile.do~userId=664977.
[Login required]
———————————————————————————
Who’s Blogging about Development?
In his posting on crisscrossed.net, Christian Kreutz made the observation that there are not many blogs about development. While there is a lack of coordinated effort regarding development blogging, there are several individuals who blog about development. Here are a couple of our favorites.
John Daly, an editor of several community pages of the Development Gateway and a director of Americans for UNESCO, blogs about Knowledge and Development for Understanding. http://stconsultant.blogspot.com/2007/10/benchmark-passed.html
Willem van Cotthem is an honorary professor at the University of Ghent, Belgium. He has set up a blog to create awareness for his combat against desertification. http://desertification.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/a-discourse-on-food-security-dgalert
Prashant Bhardwaj is a process architect. One of his photos won the 2007 Development Gateway Foundation photo contest. http://rightmore.blogspot.com/2007/10/writing-future.html
Ideas for Development, an international blog designed to stimulate debate on economic development issues, launched at the World Bank and IMF annual meetings in October. Supachai Panitchpakdi, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank, and Kemal Dervis, administrator of the United Nations Development Program are a few of the prominent people who will be blogging on this site. http://www.ideas4development.org.
Teresa Salazar is a member of the dgCommunity Gender and Development. Her blog, written in Spanish, draws information about gender issues from several sites including this dgCommunity. http://equidadegenero.zoomblog.com
Let us know what your favorite development blogs are.
Contact us at newsletter@dgfoundation.org.
——————————————————————————–
Events
What Does Civil Society Need to Be Effective?
Staff member Charlotte Moser, manager of global online communities, gave the international perspective at a conference in London on September 19. The conference, “Transparency, Civil Society and Effective States in the Information Age” was organized by the GuideStar International. To view her presentation, go to http://www.guidestarinternational.org/events
——————————————————————————–
Country Gateway Network News
Burkina Faso Joins the Network
The Burkina Faso officially joined the Country Gateway program in collaboration with the Yum Pukri Association and our partner, the International Institute for Communication and Development. This program is supported by the Swiss Development Agency which provided the seed funding for the implementation in Burkina Faso.
———————————————————————————
LAC Regional Coordinator Participates in eLAC 2010 Meeting
On September 12, Cesar Yammal, the Latin American and Caribbean regional coordinator, represented the Development Gateway Foundation in an interagency consultation meeting on eLAC 2010, held in Santiago. Representatives from international organizations active in the region commented on steps to obtain the World Summit on the Information Society’s milestones for 2015. According to the Economic Commission for LAC, the conference organizer and eLAC’s executive secretariat, the meeting was very useful in gathering key inputs for eLAC 2010 documentation. To date, eLAC has proven successful in providing technical assistance in implementing regional action plans to achieve those goals.
———————————————————————————
LAC Regional Forum in Final Phase
The Country Gateway coordination team is in the final phase of the preparation for the Latin America and Caribbean Country Gateways regional forum. The event will be held in El Salvador November 3–6, 2007. All of the Country Gateways in the region will participate. The forum serves as a venue for them to share their knowledge and strengthen their regional collaboration. El Salvador Gateway is managing the logistics of this collaborative effort. Mark Fleeton, CEO of the Development Gateway Foundation, will attend. http://www.developmentgateway.org/cg/country-gateways/country.do~country=sv~iso3=SLV
Lebanon Prepares E-commerce Component
The Lebanon Development Gateway is preparing to add an e-commerce component to its Web site. E-commerce will be closely linked with the economic empowerment program that targets female producers in Lebanon. Other activities include resuming the implementation of ICT training for rural women in an effort to address the question of women’s access to information technology. http://www.developmentgateway.org/cg/country-gateways/country.do~country=lb~iso3=LBN
——————————————————————————–
This is the free newsletter of the Development Gateway Foundation.
Give us feedback:
View past issues of the newsletter:
http://www.dgfoundation.org/news-events/dgf-newsletter.html?intcmp=800
Support our work by making a secure online contribution today at:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=7947
The Development Gateway Foundation provides Web-based tools to make aid and development efforts more effective. It offers innovative solutions that increase access to critical information, building local capacity and bringing partners together for positive change. The Development Gateway Foundation is a nonprofit organization with activities around the world.
Development Gateway Foundation
1889 F Street NW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20006
USA
Tel: +1-202-572-9200
Fax: +1-202-572-9290
Development Gateway Foundation September/October Newsletter
Mon 10/29/07
WORLD BANK RESEARCH
October 29, 2007 at 3:26 pm | In Economics, Financial, Globalization, Research | Leave a Comment
World Bank Econ Rev
Table of Contents for 2007
Vol. 21, No. 3
The World Bank Research
Observer
Mon 10/29/07
Announcement
ISI ranks The World Bank Research Observer 7th in Economics and 1st in Planning & Development! We are pleased to announce that The World Bank Research Observer now ranks in the top ten in Economics and at number one in Planning & Development according to the 2006 ISI impact factor rankings. These results confirm our belief that no institution teaching in these areas should be without a subscription to this prestigious journal. For more information on The World Bank Research Observer please visit the website at www.oxfordjournals.org/page/2902/1.
PS Did you know the World Bank journals now offer PowerPoint Downloads, allowing you to download figures to PowerPoint for use in presentations more efficiently than ever before? Announcement
WBER — Table of Contents Alert A new issue of The World Bank Economic Review has been made available: 2007; Vol. 21, No. 3
http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol21/issue3/index.dtl?etoc
Volatility and Growth: A Symposium————- Macroeconomic Volatility and Welfare in Developing Countries: An IntroductionNorman V. Loayza, Romain Ranciere, Luis Serven, and Jaume Ventura
The Structural Determinants of External Vulnerability
Norman V. Loayza and Claudio Raddatz
World Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 359-387. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/359?etoc
Do Some Forms of Financial Flows Help Protect Against “Sudden Stops”?Andrei A. Levchenko and Paolo Mauro
World Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 389-411. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/389?etoc
Creditor Protection and Credit Response to ShocksArturo Jose Galindo and Alejandro Micco
World Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 413-438. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/413?etoc
Crises, Volatility, and GrowthEnisse Kharroubi
World Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 439-460. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/439?etoc
Articles
Is Land Titling in Sub-Saharan Africa Cost-Effective? Evidence from MadagascarHanan G. Jacoby and Bart MintenWorld Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 461-485. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/461?etoc
Land Tenure, Investment Incentives, and the Choice of Techniques: Evidencefrom NicaraguaOriana Bandiera
World Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 487-508. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/487?etoc
Earnings, Schooling, and Economic Reform: Econometric Evidence From Hungary (1986 2004)Nauro Campos and Dean JolliffeWorld Bank Econ Rev 2007 21: 509-526. http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/509?etoc
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Customer Service 1454 Page Mill Road * Palo Alto, CA 94304 * U.S.A.
The World Bank
World Bank Econ Rev
Table of Contents for 2007
Vol. 21, No. 3
The World Bank Research Observer
oxfordjournals-mailer@alerts.stanford.edu
Mon 10/29/07
IIMA JAPAN
October 29, 2007 at 3:00 am | In Economics, Financial, Globalization, Japan, Research | Leave a Comment
Update of IIMA Web site
Sun 10/28/07
Dear Guests of IIMA,
We are pleased to inform you that our website was updated on October 26, 2007.
The main new contents are as follows.
PUBLICATIONS Newsletter No.13:
“Idea of Regional Settlement Intermediary in Asia–Trends and future of Clearing,
Settlement & Custody in the Asian Region—”
Masato Miyachi, Senior Advisor,
Office of Regional Economic Integration (OREI), Asia Development Bank
Please visit our website to find new useful information.
http://www.iima.or.jp/english.htm
Thank you.
Update of IIMA Web site
admin (admin@iima.or.jp)
Sun 10/28/07
Symposium on May 6, 2007
“Towards Regional Prosperity in Asia” -How can Japan and other Asian countries contribute to enhancing regional financial markets?-
IIMA held a sponsored seminar with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) on May 6th, 2007, at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held in Kyoto, Japan.
In this seminar, prominent panelists discussed the future direction of the regional financial markets and Japan’s contribution to their orderly development and economic prosperity, based on the past regional financial cooperation after the Asian crisis.
Please refer to the program for the details.
The contents of this symposium were published as Occasional Paper No.17 on this website.
——————————————————————————–
Newsletter No.13, 2007
“Idea of Regional Settlement Intermediary in Asi-Trends and future of Clearing, Settlement & Custody in the Asian Region-”
Masato Miyachi, Senior Advisor, Office of Regional Economic Integration (OREI),
Asia Development Bank
Newsletter No.10, 2007
“Moving Towards a Regional Financial Organisation- The Next Step after the CMI”
Hajime Shinohara, Managing Director, IIMA
Newsletter No.3, 2007
“Steps towards a Regional Currency Baskets”
Hajime Shinohara, Advisor, IIMA
Newsletter No. 2, 2007
“Currency Policy to Enhance Regional Cooperation (Part 4)”
Hajime Shinohara, Advisor, IIMA
Dr. Günter Grosche, Special Advisor to the President of Eurogroup
IIMA
INSURANCE SUPERVISORS: BIS
October 28, 2007 at 5:24 pm | In Economics, Financial, Globalization, Research | Leave a Comment
BIS Press & Communications
Two press releases from the
International Association of
Insurance Supervisors
IAIS, Service
Mon 10/22/07
The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) has just released the two attached press releases, entitled:
- IAIS issues key guidance papers on insurance solvency assessment
- Insurance professionals work together to promote financial stability
Regards,
BIS Press & Communications
Two press releases from the International Association of Insurance Supervisors
Press, Service (Press.Service@bis.org)
IAIS, Service (IAIS@bis.org)
Mon 10/22/07
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS REVIEW NOS. 118-116 2007: INDIA
October 28, 2007 at 5:01 pm | In Economics, Financial, Globalization, Research, Third World | Leave a Comment
BIS Review
Bank for International Settlements
Please find BIS Review No 118 attached as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Alternatively, you can access this BIS Review on the Bank for International Settlements’ website by clicking on http://www.bis.org/review/index.htm
What’s included?
BIS Review No 118 (23 October 2007)
Ben S Bernanke: Monetary policy under uncertainty
Y V Reddy: Some perspectives on the Indian economy
Emsley D Tromp: Small and medium-sized enterprises in Curaçao – challenges and opportunities
Savenaca Narube: Launch of a modern payments system in Fiji
Frederic S Mishkin: Headline versus core inflation in the conduct of monetary policy
________________________________
please e-mail press.service@bis.org
Please find BIS Review No 117 attached as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Alternatively, you can access this BIS Review on the Bank for International Settlements’ website by clicking on http://www.bis.org/review/index.htm
What’s included?
BIS Review No 117 (22 October 2007)
Mario Draghi: Fact-finding preliminary to the examination of the budget documents for the period 2008-10
David Dodge: Monetary policy report update
Y V Reddy: India at 60 in a changing world – the next 20 years
John Hurley: Prospects for the Irish economy and banking sector
Radovan Jelašic: Educating consumers of financial services in Serbia
Radovan Jelašic: Serbia’s economy – on the right track
________________________________
please e-mail press.service@bis.org
Please find BIS Review No 116 attached as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Alternatively, you can access this BIS Review on the Bank for International Settlements’ website by clicking on http://www.bis.org/review/index.htm
What’s included?
BIS Review No 116 (19 October 2007)
Ben S Bernanke: The recent financial turmoil and its economic and policy consequences
Nout Wellink: The labour market in 2040 – greyer but full of vitality
Jean-Claude Trichet: Interview with Izvestia
Savenaca Narube: Reserve management in Fiji
Derick Latibeaudiere: Maintaining healthy banking and financial systems
Donald L Kohn: John Taylor rules
________________________________
please e-mail press.service@bis.org
BIS Review No 116 available
Press, Service (Press.Service@bis.org)
Publications, Service (Publications@bis.org)
Fri 10/19/07
OIL & GAS: RUSSIA/CASPIAN
October 26, 2007 at 11:20 pm | In Oil & Gas, Research, Russia | Leave a Comment
Energy Volatility:
the Russian/Caspian Element
Russian/Caspian Special Projects
Russian and Caspian oil and gas
Wed, 24 Oct 2007
Russian/Caspian Special Projects Division
Strategic Intelligence on the Russian/Caspian Energy Sector
russianpetroleum@wtexecutive.com
Dear,
Rapidly changing developments in Russian and Caspian oil and gas are decisively affecting market moves in hydrocarbon/energy project development, product structuring, finance, and energy trading, regardless of regional or market emphasis. The impact is felt both within the region and worldwide. This trend is intensifying and is the source of significant new opportunities.
Through its market-leading publications, Russian Petroleum Investor and Caspian Investor, WorldTrade Executive, Inc. has been following for some time these recent trends. Our Russian & Caspian Special Projects Division is now applying its considerable in-market expertise to provide targeted support allowing clients to benefit from such developments.
Examples of the many developments WTE has already identified and analyzed for clients through targeted advisories, are:
Russian gas exports are about to set European energy prices
The service sector plays in the Russian and Caspian markets
Russian LNG will gain a major position in Asian and North American markets
Within the next five years, project developments and extraction rates on the Caspian basin shelf will fundamentally alter benchmark pricing
New oil exchanges in St. Petersburg in Tehran, along with a major push for new approaches to heavy and sour oil rates, will change pricing dynamics
The rationale and impact of rising pipeline politics
The background negotiations on Russian, Iranian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Persian Gulf participation in a new OPEC-like association for natural gas
The Russian move to separate natural gas pricing from crude oil
The actual debate over Russian field reserve determinations
The increasing crisis over Iranian field sustainability, oil ministry politics and NIOC management
Kazakh changes in oil/gas field operations
Russian moves to redefine strategic fields and foreign access to them
The new arbitrage terrain
Developments in holding strategies and offshore financing products
About Us
WorldTrade Executive, Inc. through its Russian/Caspian Basin Special Projects Division, has pioneered a focused, rapid-response approach to providing clients with the strategic intelligence required in this vital region. Utilizing its in-region network of experts and world-leading analysts, WTE tailors client advisories, specialized publications and updates to provide timely, accurate and usable market insight. Regularly utilized to supplement or replace more expensive in-house client staff, WTE is a market leader in providing rapid-turnaround consulting on specific projects, trends, market developments and political/economic/fiscal/regulatory risk assessment.
WorldTrade Executive, Inc. publishes Russia Petroleum Investor, Caspian Investor, Russia/Eurasia Executive Guide and many other international reports covering worldwide developments. To learn more about WorldTrade Executive, Inc. go to: http://www.wtexecutive.com.
Dr. Kent Moors directs the WTE Russian/Caspian Basin Special Projects Division, as well as serving as contributing editor to WTE’s Russian Petroleum Investor and Caspian Investor. He is an internationally recognized expert in oil/natural gas policy and finance, global risk management, cross-border capital flows, emerging market economic and fiscal development as well as new techniques in energy risk management. He has been an advisor to the US, Russian, Kazakh, Bahamian, Iraqi and Kurdish governments, a consultant to private companies, financial institutions and law firms in 21 countries and has appeared over 900 times as a featured television and radio commentator in North America, Europe and Russia-including ABC, BBC, Bloomberg TV, CBC (Canada), CBS, CNN, NBC and Russian RTV.
His clients have included six of the world’s top ten oil companies as well as leading oil and natural gas producers throughout Russia, the Caspian Basin, the Persian Gulf and North Africa, Asea Brown Boveri, AT&T, the Bank of England, the Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust, Citicorp, Control Data, Deutsche Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the Russian Central Bank and Westinghouse, along with major transnational banks, investment firms and holding companies. Dr. Moors has 29 years experience in international consulting.
To Learn More:
Submit an E-Mail Request: Simply send an email to jay@wtexec.com with your needs outlined, and our Special Projects Director will get back to you to schedule a consultation. Call Today: Call Jay Stanley, today at 978-287-0301.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: russianpetroleum@wtexecutive.com
phone: 978.287.0301
web: http://www.wtexecutive.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
russianpetroleum@wtexecutive.com
WorldTrade Executive | 2250 Main St. | Suite 100 | Concord | MA | 01742
Energy Volatility: the Russian/Caspian Element
russianpetroleum@wtexecutive.com
Russian/Caspian Special Projects russianpetroleum@wtexecutive.com
Wed, 24 Oct 2007
Science Berkeley
October 26, 2007 at 7:43 pm | In Research, Science & Technology, USA | Leave a Comment
A new issue of Science@Berkeley
Lab
Fri 10/26/07
The October issue of Science@Berkeley Lab is now available at:
Paul Preuss
Communications Department
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(510) 486-6249
paul_preuss@lbl.gov
A new issue of Science@Berkeley Lab
lbl-news-request@lbl.gov on behalf of Paul Preuss (paul_preuss@lbl.gov)
The October issue of Science@Berkeley Lab is now available at
Fri 10/26/07
JERUSALEM DEMOGRAPHY
October 26, 2007 at 6:12 pm | In Arabs, Globalization, Israel, Judaica, Middle East, Zionism | Leave a Comment
THE JERUSALEM ROADMAP:
EXPAND, DO NOT SHRINK!
Fri, 26 Oct 2007
Shalom Merv and the bcc-ed folks,
Enclosed you’ll find the English edition of my latest OpEd, which was published by Ynet (Yedioth Achronot), Israel’s leading Internet daily.
The OpEd presents a vision for Jerusalem, based on an integrated analysis of the Demography-Geography-Infrastructure.
Should you wish to examine previous OpEds, as well as newsletters on national security and overseas investments, please visit http://yoramettinger.newsnet.co.il.
Shabbat Shalom and may we heed the “3 Hs” legacy of Abraham the Patriarch, per this week portion of the Torah, “Vayera”: Hospitality, Humility and… Heed thy wife’s advise(!),
Yoram
Ynet, October 15, 2007
THE JERUSALEM ROADMAP: EXPAND, DO NOT SHRINK!
The willingness, of some Israeli politicians, to disengage from some Arab neighborhoods, in order to – supposedly – secure a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, reflects weakness of the mind and the spine. At a time of robust demographic Jewish momentum, disengagement would wreck the 66% Jewish majority, would severely undermine the personal security of Jerusalem’s Jewish population and would doom the Jewish capital to a deepening crisis.
THE JEWISH DEMOGRAPHIC MOMENTUM
The presumption that disengagement would be a quick-fix to demographic problems, ignores a solid, long-term Jewish demographic momentum: An impressive increase of the Jewish fertility rate and a quicker-than-expected plunge in the Arab fertility rate, in Jerusalem and between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
The American-Israel Demographic Research Group (AIDRG), which has exposed gross errors committed by Israel’s demographic establishment (e.g. inflating the number of Arabs in Judea & Samaria by 70%), has documented a convergence, for the first time since 1948, of Jewish and Arab fertility rates in Jerusalem: 3.9 children per woman in 2006, compared with 4.5 children per Arab woman in 2004. Moreover, the Jewish fertility rate in Greater Jerusalem is higher than the Arab rate: 4.0 in Jerusalem’s Western Suburbs and 4.7 beyond the “Green Line”. The Arab fertility rate has declined, also, due to urbanization and the substantial decrease in Arab teen-pregnancy.
While modern-orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews sustain a high fertility rate with minimal correlation to level of education and income, Arabs converge swiftly toward the average Jewish fertility rate, as their education and income levels rise. Jerusalem Jews are growing relatively-younger as Arabs are becoming relatively-older, while the demographic momentum affects the secular Jewish sector, including the Soviet Olim. In addition, the Arab death rate is approaching the Jewish rate (0.3 and 0.5 respectively), following a 40 year substantial rise in Arab life expectancy – enabled by Israel’s healthcare – which has expanded the ranks of elderly Arabs.
Demography constitutes a strategic asset and not a liability, enhancing Israel’s capabilities to overcome demographic, territorial and political challenges, in Jerusalem, toward 2025 and beyond. However, one should recognize that migration of Arabs and Jews to/from the city – and not birth rate – constitutes the single most potent threat to the Jewish majority in Jerusalem.
THE MIGRATION CHALLENGE
Those who have urged the Jewish State to disengage from Arab neighborhoods, have unwittingly accelerated Arab immigration to Jerusalem and to the “Green Line”. For instance, the “Separation” and “Wall/Fence” policies – which were supposed to improve security and protect Jewish demography, triggered the immigration TO Jerusalem (from Judea & Samaria) by over 50,000 Arabs bearing Israeli ID cards, as well as a larger number of illegal migrants. Minimizing the area of Jerusalem, facilitates increased Arab immigration and dims Jerusalem’s prospects for growth. Further “disengagements” would disengage the city from land reserves, which are essential for long-term urban development and for the safeguarding and expansion of the Jewish majority.
Migration – and not natural increase – has been the most critical factor, determining the Jewish-Arab demographic balance in Jerusalem, as well as between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Jewish emigration and Arab immigration have eroded the Jewish majority in Jerusalem. Without the internal migration factor – 0.4% Arab immigration and 0.7% Jewish emigration – there is a virtual tie between Jewish and Arab natural population increase (2.0%:2.5% respectively), including the Aliya factor (0.7%), which would sustain a 66% Jewish majority. Jerusalem’s Jewish majority would be bolstered by the expansion of the current low-scale annual 3,000 person Aliya to the Jewish capital. Furthermore, the transformation of net-Jewish-emigration into net-Jewish-immigration, via government policy, would appreciably enhance Jerusalem’s Jewish majority.
THE RESPONSE TO THE MIGRATION CHALLENGE
A prerequisite to the growth of the current Jewish majority, in Jerusalem, is the substantial growth of Jewish immigration, stimulated by significant employment and housing opportunities, which requires a dramatic expansion of infrastructures, which means more – and not less – land. Disengagement from Arab neighborhoods – which are surrounded by large sparse areas – would deny Jerusalem its land reserves, which are critical to the upgrading of its infrastructures and to the enhancement of the Jewish majority. The smaller the area of Jerusalem, the larger the Jewish emigration!
In 1950, Prime Minister Ben Gurion established Jewish neighborhoods on Jerusalem’s cease fire lines, in order to provide the city with development and security depth for the coming generations. He did it in defiance of brutal US pressure to internationalize Jerusalem, and thus he eliminated Jerusalem from the negotiation table! In 1967, Prime Minister Eshkol adopted Ben Gurion’s statesmanship, establishing Jerusalem’s satellite Jewish neighborhoods beyond the “Green Line”, while absorbing 80,000 Arabs and a relatively small area.
In 2007, in order to attract, to Jerusalem, business entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, educators and artists from Israel and throughout the globe, Israel should immediately initiate fast-track dramatic improvement of transportation infrastructures (international airport, fast train, fast roads internally and externally, completion of the “Begin Loop”), traditional and high tech industrial parks, telecommunications, electricity, water, education and housing infrastructures.
The implementation of such a crucial initiative necessitates a dramatic expansion of Jerusalem’s municipal lines. Expanding westward – or toward the inner city – would be grossly inadequate, due to topographic and geographic constraints. The eastward option – toward the largely sparse/empty area – is most suitable according to professional (transportation, employment, housing, migration) requirements.
The potential for Jerusalem’s expansion extends from east of Ma’aleh Adoumim to the Te’qoa’-Herodion bloc in the southeast, to the outskirts of Ofra and Beit El in the northeast, to Modi’in-Kiryat Sefer through Highway 443 in the northwest and Gush Etzion and Beitar Ilit in the southwest. The farther the Jewish neighborhoods from the inner city, the higher the Jewish fertility rate.
The geographic extension of Jerusalem – buttressed by the Jewish demographic momentum – would enable Jerusalem to absorb the 90,000-100,000 Arabs, whose fertility rate is gradually Israelized. Expanding Jerusalem would provide a land-platform to reduce Jewish emigration and maximize Jewish domestic immigration and Aliya, which would bolster the Jewish majority.
Engagement with – and not disengagement from – the relatively vast and sparsely-populated geography outside Jerusalem, would enable the Jewish capital to transform itself from a city of Jewish emigration, job shortage and economic stagnation into a capital of immigration, job creation and economic growth.
Disengagement from a large area in Jerusalem ignores the consequences of the “Gaza Disengagement” and the “Separation Policy.” Thus, it poses the most lethal security and demographic threat to Jerusalem since 1967!
Yoram Ettinger yoramtex@netvision.net.il
Mervyn Schwedt mschwedt@verizon.net
THE JERUSALEM ROADMAP: EXPAND, DO NOT SHRINK!
http://yoramettinger.newsnet.co.il
Fri, 26 Oct 2007
INTERNATIONAL BANKING STATISTICS
October 25, 2007 at 11:56 am | In Arabs, Financial, Globalization, Research | Leave a Comment
BIS releases provisional
international banking statistics
Bank for International Settlements
(BIS)
Thu 10/25/07
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has today released provisional international banking statistics as of end-June 2007. These statistics, with a commentary pointing out some highlights of the data, are now available on the BIS website at http://www.bis.org/statistics/rppb0710.htm.
Regards,
BIS Press & Communications
BIS releases provisional international banking statistics
Press, Service (Press.Service@bis.org)
Publications, Service (Publications@bis.org)
Thu 10/25/07
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
