she was born in bangladesh during a time when they were fighting for their independence from pakistan. well, it is my pleasure to be able to introduce to you the general secretary of amnesty international, irene khan. [applause] >> thank you very much. nice to. >> irene khan, it's great to have you here. i know you have a little talk that you have planned for the audience tonight. welcome. >> thank you very much. i thought i would just speak a little bit about the book and through the book about also amnesty's campaign to demand dignity. and i began -- sidey we have to this st because i don't want you to hear that cracking malaise. i begin my book actually at the beginning. in fact with my berth in my grandmother's house, and my mother is actually here in the oddest is it is a particular privilege to acknowledge her. i was at the same time i was born in that house another beebee was also born, and that was a child of my grandmother's made, and if i can read from the book 50 years ago to babies were born around the same time in my grandfather's house. one was a girl, myself, the other

bangladesh is a great example in 1970. the female literacy rate was less than 20%. today it's tripled. two generations later and if you look at a dem grauf -- demographic curve in bangladesh just reaching apex. 2.8 for female. 40 years ago it's 8 births per female and again the main reason for ha is female literacy. the healthcare improves the infant mortality drops socio economic standards increase cig fif can'tly. -- significantly. girls also help their mothers learn how to read and write. boys i guess they don't do that as much. also you'll see people coming home from the marketplace and they have meat or vegetables wrapped in newspaper and the mother very carefully unfolds the newspaper and asks her daughter to read the news to her. and also with relation to politics women are very interested in politics but because they're illiterate. they're not able to ascertain different platforms of the people running for election. so being able to read and write also helps develop more process where people can be informed of their political representatives. also when goes

my fear as a citizen of bangladesh and a human-rights activist tells me discrimination the disney state suppression, corruption, insecurity and violence are defining poverty. they are human rights abuses. to me poverty is the denial of human rights and an affront to human dignity. that is the definition that i use in my book. shortly after i came to amnesty international i had the occasion to visit south africa. i went to a police station with an amnesty researcher and found counselors to help complaints about domestic violence. that is one of the most progressive laws on domestic violence. here was an attempt to assist women, very progressive and the story of rosy. rosy's story is in the same chapter. rosy was a south african woman and mother of 5 who was beaten often by her husband and one day she was beaten so badly that she died. i asked the counselor why rosie had not gone to get a protection order. easy for a woman and simple. pay for the bus fare to take her. the best laws of the land could not protect rosy. you now hear the story of rosy. of course all of us recognize right away

we have to villages in bangladesh that have operated on them. we are now running one on biological modified bugs and to your point, rather than reach the scale of the oil industry, which requires that scale to work, if you guys will help continue to turn waste food and biomass into a format that will be conducive to being a fuel, we are making units that will make electricity we started to do it for the 4 billion people who don't have it but others may find this more convenient. we do not have to make your fuels. why take a 20th-century -- a 21st century fuel and use it the 19th century methods? my fantasy job is what you wanted to solve the problems that will overwhelm us. 23 companies adopted 23 schools. they have had quite a bit of growth last year. we have 43 cities around the united states that run there and then around march. we did our finals last year. >> what will you be focused on the? what problems will the be solving next year? >> we are focused on the crisis and the evolving. although it has been in and out over the course of the ye

if somebody can't just steal that idea and suddenly start making it in indonesia or malaysia or bangladesh with very cheap workers. and one of the problems that we have had is insufficient protection for intellectual property rights. that's true in china; it's true for everything from bootleg dvds to very sophisticated software. and there's nothing wrong with other people using our technologies. we just want to make sure that it's licensed and you're getting paid. so i've given instructions to my trade offices -- and we actually highlight this at the highest levels of foreign policy -- that these are issues that have to be addressed because that's part of the reciprocity of making our markets open. and so when i met with president hu of china, this is a topic that, at dinner, i directly brought up with him. and -- but as you point out, it's got to be sustained, because a lot of times they'll say, yes, yes, yes, but then there's no enforcement on their end. and one of the things that we're also doing is using our export arm of the u. s. government to help work with medium-sized businesses a

seen for myself what micro lending in women's lives and their families and communities means from bangladesh to costa rica to south are for it to vietnam and dozens of countries in between. -- to south africa to vietnam and dozens of countries in between three you know the proverb -- give the man a fish and he will leave for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will leave for a lifetime. well, if you teach a woman to fish, she will feed the whole village. the united states is taking steps to put women front and center in our development work. we are beginning to disaggregate by gender the data we collect on our programs, to measure how well our work is helping improve women's health, income, and access to education and food. we're starting to design programs with the needs of women in mind by hiring more women as extension workers to reach women farmers, or women health educators to improve outreach to women and girls. and we are training more women in our partner countries to carry aboard the work of development themselves -- for example, through scholarships to women agricultural scientis

so for example, when an airplane comes in, air bangladesh filled with people who are not u.s.e presumption is still that they are u.s. citizens and they're given the same level of protection, because we don't want to accidentally violate someone's rights. when really we should be looking at a much more detailed way for people who fit certain patterns and profiles. obviously i'm not in favor of racial profiling. and look at the more plausible cases. it's ridiculous to search the 88-year-old woman with the walker, and the 6-month-old baby. why don't we focus on the young males who have got known connections to terrorist organizations through phone records, or e-mail contact and that kind of thing. >> mike with the ucla, agree with that? >> well, you know i think that the conversation is a little, even simpler than what was suggested. that before we even get to the privacy question we need to focus on intelligence security. and in this case, you know, in the case of body scanners, we know that al qaeda has already adopted methods that would defeat this body scanner. so, it's givi

if somebody can't just steal that idea and suddenly start making it in indonesia or malaysia or bangladesh with very cheap workers. and one of the problems that we have had is insufficient protection for intellectual property rights. that's true in china; it's true for everything from bootleg dvds to very sophisticated software. and there's nothing wrong with other people using our technologies. we just want to make sure that it's licensed and you're getting paid. so i've given instructions to my trade offices -- and we actually highlight this at the highest levels of foreign policy -- that these are issues that have to be addressed because that's part of the reciprocity of making our markets open. and so when i met with president hu of china, this is a topic that, at dinner, i directly brought up with him. and -- but as you point out, it's got to be sustained, because a lot of times they'll say, yes, yes, yes, but then there's no enforcement on their end. and one of the things that export arm of the u. s. government to help work with medium-sized businesses and small businesses, not just

we have to villages in bangladesh that have operated on them. we are now running one on biological modified bugs and to your point, rather than reach the scale of the oil industry, which requires that scale to work, if you guys will help continue to turn waste food and biomass into a format that will be conducive to being a fuel, we are making units that will make electricity we started to do it for the 4 billion people who don't have it but others may find this more convenient. we do not have to make your fuels. why take a 20th-century -- a 21st century fuel and use it the 19th century methods? my fantasy job is what you wanted to solve the problems that will overwhelm us. 23 companies adopted 23 schools. they have had quite a bit of growth last year. we have 43 cities around the united states that run there and then around march. we did our finals last year. >> what will you be focused on the? what problems will the be solving next year? >> we are focused on the crisis and the evolving. although it has been in and out over the course of the ye

if somebody can't just steal that idea and suddenly start making it in indonesia or malaysia or bangladesh with very cheap workers. and one of the problems that we have had is insufficient protection for intellectual property rights. that's true in china; it's true for everything from bootleg dvds to very sophisticated software. and there's nothing wrong with other people using our technologies. we just want to make sure that it's licensed and you're getting paid. so i've given instructions to my trade offices -- and we actually highlight this at the highest levels of foreign policy -- that these are issues that have to be addressed because that's part of the reciprocity of making our markets open. and so when i met with president hu of china, this is a topic that, at dinner, i directly brought up with him. and -- but as you point out, it's got to be sustained, because a lot of times they'll say, yes, yes, yes, but then there's no enforcement on their end. and one of the things that export arm of the u. s. government to help work with medium-sized businesses and small businesses, not just

lowest common denominator in the most undemocratic places and they found it in china, in mexico, in bangladeshpakistan, guatemala and anyplace where penny wage workers are treated like the expendable pieces of equipment that they work with. in our country, now we need those jobs because people without jobs can't pay mortgages, they can't pay their health insurance, they can't buy cars, they can't plan for their children's future or even get enough food and clothing to meet their families' needs. unemployment also immediate -- means our federal deficits rise as people can't pay their way forward. unemployment and benefits are running out. state funds are depleted. our private charities are overwhelmed. the american people need work and they need good jobs. it's really that simple. we simply can't rest until we get our economy back on track and create jobs for everyone who wants to work. i hope it is to this subject, the economy and job creation, that president obama will direct his address tomorrow night. we know that under president bush we were hemorrhaging 734,000 jobs when he left at the en

in bangladesh, more than 300,000 people have signed up to learn english on their mobile phones.rica, where women on japan doors use the internet to get access to my corporate loans and finance. -- in sub-saharan africa, where women entrepreneurs use the internet. in many cases, mobile phones, the internet, can 24do for economic growth what the green movement did for agriculture. in a typical developing country, a 10% increase in the penetration rate for mobile phones lead to an almost 1% increase in per capita gdp. put this into context, for india that will translate into almost $10 billion a year. a connection to global information networks is like an on ramp to mont finnertmodernit. there are 4 billion cellphone in use today. many of them are in the hands of market offenders, rickshaw drivers, and others, whose historically access. -- many of them are in the hands of market vendors. we should use this to help to lift people out of poverty and give them a freedom from want. we have every reason to be hopeful about what people can beat able to accomplish when they leverage techn

the united states is on the same as bangladesh and we found that this intervention just contravenes so many of the principles that are in the index that they lost score, significantly in financial freedom, in the use of property rights, the key things that are drivers of economic growth. the consequences of this are people should think about it. we found the strong relationship between growing economic freedom and growing economic growth. so countries that are freer tend to have sustained higher growth rates. but the interesting thing is that countries that are freer also do better on environmental measurements. they do better on measurements of equality before the law. so you can go across a whole realm of what we might call quality of life metrics and find that freer societies, freer economies do better on those metrics. so it's no small matter for the united states to drop down from being free to mostly free. and we have to think about the consequences of that. does that mean we're going to be less able to handle job creation? are we going to have a less robust economy to make oppor

seen for myself what micro lending in women's lives and their families and communities means from bangladeshto costa rica to south are for it to vietnam and dozens of countries in between. -- to south africa to vietnam and dozens of countries in between three you know the proverb -- give the man a fish and he will leave for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will leave for a lifetime. well, if you teach a woman to fish, she will feed the whole village. the united states is taking steps to put women front and center in our development work. we are beginning to disaggregate by gender the data we collect on our programs, to measure how well our work is helping improve women's health, income, and access to education and food. we're starting to design programs with the needs of women in mind by hiring more women as extension workers to reach women farmers, or women health educators to improve outreach to women and girls. and we are training more women in our partner countries to carry aboard the work of development themselves -- for example, through scholarships to women agricultural scientist

we have two villages in bangladesh. interestingly, we are now running one on -- derived from a biology logically modified bug and the oil industry, which requires that scale to work, if you guys will help continue to term waste, food and biomass into a form at that will be conducive to being a fuel, we are making small units. we started to do it to the four billion that don't have like that but the two billion people who are worried about their grid and want a smart grid might find these boxes very convenient and we don't have to make your fuels like the oil that's now a fuel because that's -- why take a 21st century fuel and try to modify it to run a 19th century engine. we can burn fuel that you give us and most of all, my fantasy job has convinced the next generation of innovateors that you are going to need to solve the problems that are going to overwhelm us through our first program our not for profit that started 18 years ago with 2 companies that adopted 23 schools to get into a little competition because kids l

the groups were present ported conspiracy to attack the united states embassy in bangladesh would only deepen concern that it could indeed evolve into a genuinely global terrorist threat. very few things worry me as much as as much as the strengthening ambition of lat, a truly present in south asia. we are working closely with allies of the region and elsewhere to reduce the threat from this very dangerous group. a third myth, i should say, has also been dispelled. americans are immune to to al qaeda's ideology. while domestic incidents of radicalizytion are significantly lower than in many western nations, several high-profile cases demonstrate that we must remain vigilant. the recent arrest of five americans in pakistan suggested al qaeda is inspiring u.s. individuals to present violence. similarly, the trickle of individuals who have gone to fight in east africa demonstrates the groups reach into that region. and even if some go for nationalistic purposes, they are still become radicalized later on. the importance of these cases should not be glossed over. the western here is clear.

the country ranked 146th out of 177, lower than bangladesh and even the sudan on this nution united nationsast two years, haiti has been devastated by a triple blow of rising food and energy prices, the succession of hurricanes, tropical storms and the economic downturn. in may, 2008, former chair of the congressional black caucus and i led a congressional delegation to haiti to examine the conditions on the ground. we were joined then by 10 members of the congressional black caucus and one member of the congressional hispanic caucus. later that month, the house passed an emergency supplemental that included funding for international food aid and also other food security initiatives. as a member of the appropriations committee, we worked to ensure that haiti's needs were addressed in the context of the global food crisis. thanks in large part to the leadership of many members in the congressional black caucus, in september of 2008, president bush signed h.r. 2638 into law which amended the department of homeland security act to include $100 million in additional disaster relief to the carib

in bangladesh, where more than 300,000 people have signed up to learn english on their mobile phones.ernet to get access to microcredit loans and connect themselves to global markets. these examples of progress can be replicated in the lives of the billion people at the bottom of the world's economic ladder. in many cases, the internet, mobile phones and other connection technologies can do for economic growth what the green revolution did for agriculture. you can now generate significant yields from very modest inputs. and one world bank study found that in a typical developing country, a 10% increase in the penetration rate for mobile phones lead to an almost 1% increase in per-capita gdp. to put this into context, for india, that would translate into almost $10 billion a year. a connection to global information networks is like an on ramp to modernity. in the year the years of these technologies, many believed that they would divide the world between haves and have-nots. but that has not happened. there are 4 billion self phones in use today. many of them are and hands of market ve

seen for myself what micro lending in women's lives and their family and communities means from bangladesh to vietnam and sdo seps of countries in between. you know the pro verb. give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day or teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. if you teach a women to fish, she'll feed the whole village. today the united states is taking steps to put women front and center in our develop meant work. we're disaggregating by gender to measure how well our work is helping to improve women's work and access to education and. we're designing programs with the needs of women in mind by hiring more women to reach women farmers where women health educators to improve outreach to women and girls and we're training more women to carry forward the work of development themselves for example of scholarships to woman, agriculture scientists in kenya. this is not just an issue of the strategic united states and it's a personal meaning to me and one i've worked on for almost four decades. i will not accept words without deeds to women's progress. i'll hold agency as countable

financing, help them to figure out how you license prod fucts you want to sell them in hugary or bangladesh or nigeria or france how to help them get through the rules an deal with all kinds of companies that larger companies have a staff to do, smaller companies need a partnership with their government. that's what that meeting was about. that's what the president understands, we need to unfreeze credit. we need to do direct spending for infrastructure to prepare for future and we need to export more. those are some of the keys to job creation. the president, when he speaks down the hall in the joint session of congress tomorrow night for the state of the union will address a lot of those issues. it's time that the obstruction in this chamber stopped and we can move forward and begin to do those things we need to do. mr. president, i thank you again. i yield the floor and i suggest the -- i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order the senate stands in recess until the hour of >> host: columbia, south carolina, you're up first. independent caller named jack. what do

we have to villages in bangladesh -- if you guys will help turn it into a format that will be conducive on a distributed basis. we started to do it for the 4 billion people who do not have electricity around the world, but the 2 billion people who are worried about their bread might find these boxes very convenient -- fotheir grid. why take a 21st century fuel and try to modify it to a 19th century engine? we can burn any fuel you give us, just about. most of all, my fantasy job is convincing the next generation of innovators that they will need to solve the problems that will overwhelm us in one way or another. kids love the competition. it is robotics. it has had quite a good growth. yes -- last year, we have 14,000 schools volunteering their time to work with kids. we have 43 cities run their events throughout march. we did our final last year in the georgia dome. we hope to be substantially larger than sure. >> what are you going to be focused on? >> we are focused on the innovation process itself. although it has been in and out over the course of years, the world is really galvani

the group's more recent sordid conspiracy to attack the guy stays in the sea and bangladesh would only deepen concern that an intake could involve a global terrorist threat. very few things worry me as much as the strength and ambition of led. a truly malign presence in south asia. we are working closely with allies in the region and elsewhere to reduce the threat from this very dangerous group. a third myth i should say has also been dispelled. and americans are immune to al qaeda's ideology. by domestic incidents of radicalization are significantly lower than in many western nations, several high profile cases demonstrate that we must remain vigilant. the recent arrest of five americans in pakistan suggest that al qaeda is inspiring you as individuals to presume violence. similarly, the trickle of individuals who have gone to east africa demonstrate the groups reach into that region. and even in some purposes they are still becoming radicalized later on. the importance of these cases should not be glossed over. the lesson here is clear. in a long struggle such as the one we're in, th