News Points: Round Two Winners

For our Global Issues/Citizen Voices Contest

Bethany Whitfield, Pulitzer Center

From finding the truth about military dictatorships like Burma to creating a solution for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, the questions of our latest Global Issues/Citizen Voices contest pressed for thought and analysis on some of today’s most complex and difficult global issues. Here’s what our four winners had to say on the topics and how their past experiences and research influenced their answers.

Winner Russell Smith worked for NGOs in Lebanon in the 1990s and during that time witnessed the stark contrast between Lebanon’s lush and rich tourist destinations and the destitution of its Palestinian refugee camps. He was so moved by the stories and experiences of the refugees that after returning to Australia, he became active in international politics to try and forge change on the issue.

In his essay Smith contends there is a “win-win” situation for Lebanon and Palestinian refugees, but only with the help of the international community. He calls for a U.N. sponsored international migration program, “not a forced migration but a focused sponsored humanitarian campaign, emphasizing economic prosperity, equal opportunity, education and security.”

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