One step closer to a United Europe

In many ways the European Union has been a wildly successful experiment in supranationalism, but it's attempts at a common foreign policy have floundered in the past. Steps to right these failures began with the passage of the Lisbon Treaty and have continued at a slow and steady pace since. Another step in that process took place yesterday when the EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton appointed 28 ambassadors for Europe. They will be members of the new European External Action Service (EEAS) and will represent no individual state but instead the whole of the EU. They are drawn both from foreign services and from the EU's existing supranational bodies. They are the latest step in making sure that Europe speaks with one voice.

This is definitely a step in the right direction but there are still many more to take and success is still far from assured. There are a number of posts that still need filling, including important ambassadorships like those to Brazil and Iraq, plus many lower ranking positions. The biggest immediate threat to the EEAS is that it still hasn't been funded yet and that may prove a high hurtle to overcome at a time when everyone's trying to slim budgets. In the longer term the question of whether EU member states will see it as representative or whether their own foreign policies will run in parallel has yet to be answered.

The list of European Ambassadors can be found Here .

Time's Running Out

No, not for a Palestinian/Israeli peace but for this: The World Trade Organization's poetry contest! Only 3 days left!

Those of you artistically inclined should take this opportunity to express your feelings about this most vibrant of Keynesian Institutions. Will you compare the evolution of the GATT into the WTO to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar? Will you reminisce over your misspent youth rioting in Seattle? Will you pine passionately for the completion of the Doha Round as you would for a lost lover? These decisions are in your hands! Go forth and poetrify your love of international institutions!

Hero of the Week: CAIR

This week's hero is CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations. They deserve praise for their recent series of PSAs "9/11 happened to us all" and other efforts to fight the recent wave of anti-Muslim bigotry that's been sweeping the United States. These public service announcements highlight the stories of Muslim first responders to the September 11th terrorist attacks and draw attention to the fact that it was a crime committed against Muslims as much as it was by Muslims. The idea, and I hope it's successful, is to remind people that Muslims are fellow citizens and not some alien force; if you pick us do we not bleed and all that.




The civil rights of US citizens is a moral issue; protecting the right for Muslims to build a Mosque anywhere (or in this case a community center) is the only way I can make sure that Christians can build Churches anywhere they want and Jews can build Synagogues where they choose. And the controversy over the planned community center in Manhattan is just one outgrowth of intolerance; there's been stabbing, arson , and the reprehensible Burn a Koran day. Disgusting.




This is also a foreign policy issue and the image of so many Americans protesting their fellows civil rights is not one that will play well around the world, it confirms many people's worst fears about America's relationship with Islam. For both these reasons and many more it is vitally important that the US comes to terms with it's fastest growing religion and this latest campaign by CAIR is helping do just that. By dispelling the otherness of Islam and reminding us that it's adherents are our friends and neighbors these PSAs are striking a blow against xenophobia and intolerance.




The battle for hearts and minds is far from over, both at home and abroad. I hope CAIR keeps these PSAs up.