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What We're Reading | March 23, 2012

Slavery’s Last Stronghold: This week CNN has highlighted, in a series of articles including this compilation piece, the ongoing practice of...

Slavery’s Last Stronghold: This week CNN has highlighted, in a series of articles including this compilation piece, the ongoing practice of slavery in Mauritania. While the practice of slavery was abolished in the country in 1981, it was not a crime until 2007 and very few slave owners have ever been prosecuted. The Bush Institute's Human Freedom initiative strives to to extend the reach of freedom around the world and this article highlights a place in the world where people are not only not free, but are continually enslaved. (CNN, John D. Sutter) Condoleezza Rice Task Force Says Problem Schools Hurt Nation’s Security: Earlier this week, Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein (Council on Foreign Relations) released a report on the connection between education reform and our nation’s security.  The task force “warns the nation’s security is at risk if America’s schools don’t improve” saying that “ill-prepared students affect national security because the U.S. depends on human capital to compete globally.” Click here to read the full report.  (CFR.org, Joel I. Klein & Condoleezza Rice) Women Entrepreneurs for Peace in Afghanistan: This week, as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s council, the political relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan continued to deteriorate.  Politics aside, “the language of business is a common one.  Stronger business (coupled with innovation) is a powerful driver for peace.”  Female entrepreneurs could be a key part to driving that success and could become a “powerful force for growth and stability” in Afghanistan. (HBR Blog, Susan McPherson)