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The United States, some European countries, Australia, and a few South American countries recognized Venezuelan self-declared leader Juan Guaidó, the current president of the National Assembly, as interim President of Venezuela while the UN urged dialogue in Venezuela to avoid another Syria, making President Maduro more isolated. Russia, China, Cuba, Mexico, and Turkey, however, showed solidarity with Maduro. Thus, Venezuela has two Presidents, one, chosen by the people, albeit under claims of election fraud, and the other one chosen by other countries. No doubt Venezuela has a big economic crisis; that is why so many people left and continue to leave the country. The economic crisis in Venezuela started with Hugo Chávez, who nationalized the oil and relied too much on high oil revenue to undergird his administration, which kept him in power. But the oil prices dropped, and the country’s problems continue. No doubt Venezuela’s elections were controversial. But, the current situation in Venezuela, calling for early elections, means calling for a civil war in the country. So many countries’ elections were problematic, including the United States with several of President Trump’s aides being indicted for foreign meddling in the Presidential election. In 2017, the Kurds went to the polls in September 2017 to answer  a simple question about whether they wished to remain part of Iraq or to create their own state. “Yes” votes for independence overwhelmingly prevailed at 93 percent. Despite the Kurds being the only minority that did not have its own state, the international community did not support President Barzani. Yet, the United States and Western countries will recognize an individual as a legitimate president just because he has declared himself president without being elected. Continue reading →

Some of the students admit that they wanted to accomplish lots of thing in their lives, but finished very few. That is changing. Most of the senior high school students from Davao City Female Jail received honor certificates from Thompson Christian School. "This is a first step for my future," said one of the students. "I've finally done something good in my life, and that means a lot to me." “This kind of program helps me to discover my potential and believe in myself.” “I don’t think I ever saw potential myself, and this has given me the confidence that there is a potential in us and in me.” “There are other ways to make a living [besides selling drugs or using the drug. College Education Behind Bars has more than 100 inmates enrolled in classes now. I would like to congratulate Davao City City Female Jail warden, Rovie Ann Noe Alcantara, for encouraging inmates to do well in the College Education Behind Bars program. I would also like to congratulate newly installed Davao City Male Warden, Presco Manisan, for his new position and express gratitude for his full support for education of the inmates inside the jail.The Social Entrepreneurship Institute (SEI), by partnering with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and with the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), has initiated a “College Education Behind Bars” project at the Davao City Jail. Continue reading →

In part because America has failed to settle on a coherent, long-term foreign policy strategy in the Middle East. America is far from victory in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan whether against ISIS, Iran, or Al Qaeda. I thought President Trump could save Obama‘s failed American Middle East policy, but he managed to make America less effective in the Middle East than President Obama did. President Obama did not agree with Turkey’s President Erdogan to set up a safe zone for Syrian refugees on the Turkish border, let the Russians run the Syrian and Middle Eastern policy, failed to check Iran’s Middle East leadership ambitions, and sat passively while Syria engaged in a bloody war. President Trump has excelled in this devolution. Donald Trump’s top senior foreign policy advisers, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton were recently in the Middle East trying to explain the American policy, particularly on Syria, while reassuring both the Arabs and the Israelis that the US is not abandoning the region as they leave Syria,  but instead, they are only abandoning the Kurds in Syria. At the same time American military leaders voiced disagreement with and regret for President Trump’s plan to withdraw from Syria.President Trump announced on Twitter that America has defeated ISIS in Syria, which was America’s only reason for being there. Initially America went to Syria not because ISIS was there but because it wanted to remove the Syrian leader Assad because Assad is a bad guy; he was not ruling his country based on democratic rules and was not protecting the rights of minorities, such as Kurds, Alawites, and Greek Orthodox as well as Armenian Christians, so that they wanted to remove him and bring democracy to Syria, But they shifted the focus from toppling Assad to defeating ISIS. Assad is still in power, ISIS is still on its heels, Iran is still ruling Syria with its influence in Syria prevailing. Continue reading →

The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Business Institute (SETBI) College Education Behind Bars sealed its partnership with a Memorandum of agreement signed by Dr. Aland Mizell, President of Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Business Institute (SETBI); Catalino Cuy, Secretary of Dangerous Drug Board (DDB). “ we have commonality on purpose and aspiration for a drug free Philippines.” DDB Chair Cuy Stated.

The United States and Turkey have a long history of alliances, partnerships, and cooperation. Today, the relationship between the two countries needs to develop and grow. Through mutual values and shared interests, they need to attend to security and stability in the region, beyond fighting terrorism and extremism, as well to economic collaboration. In recent weeks, however, the United States and Turkey have escalated tensions between the two countries with President Erdogan citing the Turkish police’s arrest of an American Pastor Andrew Brunson on charges of aiding a terrorist organization and the U.S.’s imposing sanctions. President Trump issued these sanction because of Turkey’s refusal to free Brunson, knowing that he is innocent of the charges. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the United States government to exchange the Pennsylvanian based Turkish Imam, Fethullah Gulen, with Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been in jail in Turkey since 2016. According to Erdogan, Turkey has given Washington all the documents necessary for the extradition of Gulen, but the U.S. refuses instead demanding the return of the pastor who is now on house arrest after almost two years of incarceration. On September 28, Erdogan responded, “You have another pastor in your hands. Give us that pastor and we will do what we can in our judiciary system to give you this one.” The United States argues that we have a judiciary protocol not to extradite citizens or permanent residents (with Gulen being the latter) without sufficient proof of the charges, and Turkey retorts that it also has a judiciary process that sentences those charged. In Turkey’s view, the pastor they charged with terrorism who is in their hands is being tried, but the cleric in the U.S’s hands is not being tried. In Erdogan’s line of reasoning, it is easier for America to give Gulen to Ankara since he is not undergoing judicial review or sentencing and, thus, is not entangled in legal proceedings. So who is Turkey’s public enemy number one and what do we know about his organization? Continue reading →

             DCM Klecheski, who visited with the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Secretary Catalino Cuy, was very impressed with the College Education Behind Bars and encouraged Secretary Cuy to open more schools inside prisons saying the government should support the [rogram. Secretary Cuy told us he wanted to see more rehabiliation center like College education behind bars , Secretary Cur is supportive  College education program. Thus, he invited DCM Klecheski to visit College Education Behind Bars on the UN Drug Abuse Day, celebrated annually on June 26 by UN member states as an expression of the global commitment to work towards an international society free of drug abuse. This year’s theme was “LISTEN FIRST,” because “listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe.” The UN program complements the U.S. Embassy’s ongoing efforts to support prevention awareness and to promote the role of youth in combatting substance abuse in the Philippines.

Turkish relations with the U.S .are at a low point over the detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson, who, amazingly, Turkey has accused of being involved in an attempted coup in 2016. Further, President Erdogan has called the ongoing currency crisis an aggressive action against the Turkish economy, which he described as an attack on the Turkish flag and on the Islamic call to prayer. To him, the purpose of the pastor’s arrest and of the financial crisis is not different. It aims to bring Turkey and the Turkish people to their knees. In this declaration, Erdogan indirectly mentions President’ Donald Trump’s warnings of more sanctions if the U.S pastor is not released soon. For the U.S. administration, Turkey’s imprisonment of Brunson has been a problem for a long time. According to Trump in his August 17th statement, “We are not going to take it sitting down,” openly threatening Turkey with more sanctions for the continued detention of the pastor. The Treasure Secretary Steven Munchin supported Trump’s declaration by assuring that Washington had further sanctions ready to implement if Brunson were not released. “We have more that we are planning to do if they don’t release him quickly,” said Munchin. Continue reading →

We believe second Chances, and that prison should be a place of rehabilitation. The best rehabilitation is Education itself. A step to Recovery program is prerequisite for all College Education Behind bars students. Ross McClain and Jimmie taught and trained 13 male students leader about Steps to recovery program. Steps to recovery designed its program to help people overcome hurts, hang-ups and habits. Through steps to recovery programs, we offer incarcerated men and women hope, encouragement, support and tool to be transformed in their restoration Journey. Bringing the program to more prisoners struggling with an addiction is a natural extension of College Education Behind Bars’s goal to see prisoners use their sentences as a time to grow, change and find a new, positive life path while incarcerated. Is a spiritual and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups and habits.