News
Iraq: EIA: Iraq Oil Production Growth was World’s Second Largest in 2014
Feb 9, 2015
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Oil & Gas 360
According to information released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) today, Iraq’s production growth in 2014 was the second largest in the world, trailing only…
Myanmar: Investors Eye Myanmar's Rich Potential for Rice Growing
Feb 9, 2015
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Petchanet Pratruangkrai, The Nation
Myanmar may go back to being one of the world's major rice exporters in five to 10 years, as many Thai and foreign investors are…
Myanmar: Shell to Explore in Deepwater Offshore Myanmar
Feb 9, 2015
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World Oil
The Hague, Netherlands -- Shell and its partner Mitsui Oil Exploration group (MOECO) have signed exploration and production sharing contracts with Myanma Oil and Gas…
Sierra Leone: Blood Diamonds Prominent as Multi-Billion-Dollar Swiss Leaks Scandal Hits HSBC
Feb 9, 2015
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Greg Klein, Resource Clips
HSBC’s secret Swiss bank accounts facilitated billions of dollars in money laundering, tax evasion, fraud, arms trafficking and possibly terrorism, a team of investigative journalists…
Sustainable Hydropower Pitch for Burma Difficult to Swallow
Feb 8, 2015
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International Rivers
Burma, or Myanmar, has recently become a lucrative destination for foreign investors, ever since the election a couple of years ago. For the hydropower industry,…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Conflicts and Oil Agreements: Baghdad and Erbil's Truly Ambivalent Relationship
Feb 8, 2015
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Al Bawaba
The Kurdish region’s oil supply is a major point of contention in Iraq as it brings up questions of wealth distribution and foreign exports. The…
How Resource Wealth Fuels War
Feb 6, 2015
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Daniel Curwin
Natural resources can serve as an impetus for conflict or cooperation, prolong a bloody conflict and play an essential role in the postconflict process. The…
Iraq: Iraqi Kurdistan Oil Firms Go Domestic Amid Dearth of Export Pay
Feb 6, 2015
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Reuters
Oil producers in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Gulf Keystone Petroleum and Genel, have started ramping up deliveries to the local market at the expense of foreign…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Baghdad Oil Deal With Kurds 'In Danger' of Falling Apart, Lawmaker Warns
Feb 6, 2015
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Assyrian International News Agency
An important agreement between Baghdad and Erbil that resolved long-standing disputes over the budget and oil exports is in danger of falling apart, the deputy…
Kurdistan: Iraq’s Autonomous Kurdistan Government Looking to Borrow Internationally
Feb 6, 2015
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Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is considering borrowing abroad “to strengthen economic infrastructure,” a Kurdish lawmaker told Rudaw.
Izat Sabir, chairman…
Liberia: Liberians Need Legal Rights to Forest, Says Report
Feb 6, 2015
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SciDev.Net
Liberia’s government must do more to award land rights to forest dwellers to protect natural resources from exploitation and encroachment of palm oil plantations, warns…
Afghanistan: Copper Mining Threatens Afghan Site of Ancient Buddhist Past
Feb 6, 2015
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Lynne O'Donnell, Associated Press
Treasures from Afghanistan's largely forgotten Buddhist past are buried beneath sandy hills surrounding the ancient Silk Road town of Mes Aynak - along with enough…
South Sudan: S. Sudan Rebels Dismiss Governor’s Claims on Oil Fields
Feb 6, 2015
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Sudan Tribune
A spokesperson for South Sudanese rebels in Unity state has described as “mere propaganda” allegations that the armed opposition forces planned to attack the oil…
Liberia: Special Report: Illegal Gold Mining in Liberia
Feb 5, 2015
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African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting
A recent report by the United Nations Panel of Experts in Liberia highlighted the ongoing insecurity in the border area between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire,…
Iraq: Pentagon: Oil is No Longer ISIS’ Main Source of Income
Feb 5, 2015
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Al Arabiya
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is no longer relying on oil as its main source of revenue to fund its terrorist activity,…
China/Philippines/South China Sea: China Defends Ship’s Actions Against Philippines in South China Sea
Feb 5, 2015
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Malay Mail Online
China today defended the actions of a coast guard vessel in the disputed South China Sea after the Philippines accused it of ramming three fishing…
Khartoum and Juba Oil Dance
Feb 4, 2015
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Alsir Sidahmed
It is official. Juba wants to renegotiate oil-related agreements. Following the dramatic drop in world oil prices to its lowest level in more than five…
How Dodd-Frank Is Failing Congo
Feb 4, 2015
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Lauren Wolfe
Minerals are ruining lives. For several years now, in conversations about conflict and crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this has been a common…
Prosecuting Pillaging May Be Key to Curbing Natural Resource Driven War
Feb 4, 2015
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Carey L. Biron
Governments, lawyers, activists and the broader multilateral system may be missing a key opportunity in the attempt to end war and violence driven by the…
Myanmar: Jade Mines Grind to a Halt in Hpakant
Feb 4, 2015
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Kyaw Hsu Mon, The Irrawaddy
RANGOON — Jade mining operations in northern Burma’s Kachin State have ground to a halt after more fighting between the military and Kachin Independence Army…
Liberia: Who Collected Controversial U.S.$100,000?
Feb 4, 2015
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The News
The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) has made it categorically clear that it never disbursed funds to the House of Representatives for the purpose…
Iraq: Low Oil Prices Force Iraq to Pass Austerity Budget As It Struggles to Pay Soldiers Fighting ISIS
Feb 4, 2015
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Campbell MacDiarmid, National Post
ERBIL, Iraq — Low oil prices have forced an austerity budget on Iraq as it struggles to rebuild its army and rally support across the…
Liberia: Could 2015 Be a Breakthrough Year for Community Land Rights?
Feb 4, 2015
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Astrid Zweynert, Thomson Reuters Foundation
2015 is set to be a pivotal year for the global recognition of land and resource rights if momentum in protecting the world's forests and…
Resource Curse: Study Suggests Oil Factors Hugely Into Foreign Wars
Feb 4, 2015
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Douglas Main, Newsweek
Oil plays an even bigger role in influencing foreign military intervention than is generally acknowledged, according to a new economic analysis, lending support to so-called…
South Sudan: UN Agency Warns of Catastrophic Food Shortages If Conflict Continues
Feb 4, 2015
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UNICEF
The ongoing conflict in South Sudan is sharply reducing food supplies and slowing humanitarian access to people in need, the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF)…
Russia/United States: New Cold War: U.S., Russia Fight Over Energy Future
Feb 4, 2015
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Bradley Klapper and Matthew Lee, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The United States and Russia are once more locked in what could be a generation-defining conflict, and Europe is yet again the…
Conflict Resources: Russia Presses UN Resolution to Prevent Terrorists from Collecting Ransom and Money from Oil
Feb 4, 2015
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Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS – Russia is pressing for adoption of a new U.N. resolution aimed at preventing terrorists from collecting ransom payments or money from the…
Conflict Minerals: Where Apple Gets the Tantalum for Your iPhone
Feb 4, 2015
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Lynnley Browning, Newsweek
Nobody likes to think his or her iPhone was made from minerals derived from a country where warlords and mass rapists profit from the mines.…
Assistant Professor of Community and International Development
Feb 3, 2015
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Eastern Mennonite University Peacebuilding and Development Program
Position: Three-quarter-time Assistant Professor of Community and International Development; two-year faculty position.
Qualifications: Ph.D. preferred (ABD with field experience seriously considered); three to six years of field experience;…
Myanmar: Land Disputes in Myanmar: From Ploughs to Ports
Feb 3, 2015
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Economist
New businesses are opening across Myanmar, literally reshaping its landscape. But some wonder whether the new developments will benefit everyone.