Subject: May Newsletter from Blue Star Strategies
From: "Blue Star Srategies" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 15:21:06 -0400 (EDT)

Having trouble viewing this email?
Click here
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=dgxbm4dab&v=001xfT_1g4eG8yXjnEOovLsQ2wSTltBomLXEbqsfeEpj0o2QuG12l2X6jF8WuJncd5Q9ypqs-YqFCHHf1sSYN5rgxHvQESzAGbecB1cLi4eKGUgWzFa20VKOpKhXH7DuuEZ0mIqmNuYcas%3D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blue Star Strategies [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&et=1105413737221&s=956&e=0011OT4YNBVjq5tTYVmzyP0UTy4ktTS-OaU2S6ISzy-UPR_jgJpubHH4BQfCFnOUKO13PF5yNnZNuzSp87wMxX-q-a3QDicq1rHwYWjOwarypIBvVlMIuhLe8BxevVRPdE-]
is a dynamic interdisciplinary government affairs firm based in Washington, DC and
servicing the world.

IN THIS ISSUE

Real change in the Middle East
Bringing together disparate partners in Washington
The continue growth and development of the Balkans
Next steps in the Peru Presidential Election

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Middle East Countries Settle Down, Progressive Change Arrives

Looking at the Middle East's sweeping changes, visions of freedom and progress dance
in our heads. But deep challenges to democracy present a rocky path forward for 
emerging governments as dictatorial and authoritarian regimes teeter and fall. The
overwhelming similarity between these numerous overthrown governments throughout
 the Middle East is that their common call is for freedom, social justice, an immediate
legitimization of the new state, and a constitutionally driven government that will
create a new equality for all citizens regardless of age, race, gender, religion
 or class.

Though many people were shocked at the revolutions in their home countries, at the
same time, rising food prices intensely magnified the effects of a seemingly impenetrable
and systematic socioeconomic marginalization. In each overthrown country, the majority
of citizens faced deep poverty and the minority of the extremely wealthy rulers 
have been separated not only by riches but also by an invisible wall, with hope 
on one side and despair on the other.

However, the gross mistakes of past and current regimes need not portend a bleak
 future for the region. The International Labor Organization's (ILO) regional director
of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) program, Nada al-Nashif, said that the revolutions
created an impetus for the entire region to address the socioeconomic ills plaguing
the Arab nations, and will truly forge progressive change in the region...

Read the full article here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&et=1105413737221&s=956&e=0011OT4YNBVjq7Gi_fcXbFWhMxJdlI0DfMMfjrwSPf562WAQqCRdSe81UcQZJyn0m6lIX741qArDI6wZtDhqSNeOxiZTvxFZUWfKA_TM7D5NTONh9XeclIeuDVZcRQmY_ffJTBmft50lSwqz_092Fu8nQTBUVxgMN7WRKh-GRlTeF_V1-UiE00RHg==].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uniting Progressives and Budget Conservatives Under the 'Big Green Tent'

What's old is new again, as this April's contentious budget battle contained many
of the plot devices Washington has become used to, with multiple sides not agreeing
about what they are not agreeing about; important policy discussions being muted
 by less altruistic political ones, and a final compromise that no one is really
 happy with.

While lawmakers were able to pass a federal budget and avoid a government shut-down,
they were unable to make any inroads on promises sworn by both Democrats in 2008
 and Republicans in 2010: to move beyond old political paradigms and work towards
a more productive political system and a more efficient government.

While disappointing, this is not unexpected.  Closing a deficit that is measured
 in trillions is a daunting task and will require politicians make good on campaign
promises of post-partisanship and fiscal responsibility while keeping sacred the
 social safety net that millions of Americans depend on.  Luckily, with such a big
budget there are also plenty of great places to start that trim the cost of government
without sacrificing the essential roles that government plays.

One key area ripe for cutting is re-evaluating and phasing out antiquated subsidies
to industries that hurt our environment while not producing a positive return for
taxpayers...

Read the full article here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&et=1105413737221&s=956&e=0011OT4YNBVjq4a-SHHivlOkQawKv8yUsse7BJLhZl3mMlpY4-knlBh5SO6hMnBXAFHWdSd_kCWRez6vCc6IjzaxLnqOg9owlx_Jxj_zK8puaghyTlIKTyS0DgUl32a42itn27ls6vJgtoOoVcPb0Q8o3Q64eta9rR8rxjEa2lu4lg67TlPp_y8Cw==].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ancient History Meets Emerging New Countries in Balkans and Macedonia

On May 21st in Vienna, Austria, leaders, leading academics and business people from
the Balkan countries along with Western allies will sit together and form a dialogue
initiated by the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation.

This year is the 20th anniversary since the Western Balkan countries began to separate
from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and created sovereign independent
nations with democratic rights. Conferences in such type are very important as politicians
and businessman from different nations can discuss together the consideration of
 ethical values and virtues like honesty, credibility, responsibility, transparency
as most important factors in initiating a sustainable change.

The topic is The Western Balkans - A Model for Stability in Culturally and Religiously
Diversified Regions, where politicians including the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bakir Izetbegovic, Deputy Prime Minister of Albania Edmond Haxhinasto, Ministers
 of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and Serbia, Samuel Zbogar and Vuk Jeremic, former
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Miomir Zuzul, U.S. General Wesley Clark, 
and former Secretary General of European Council Dr. Walter Schwimmer along with
 leading academic and business executives will discuss the importance of good governance
and regional stability as prerequisites for a sustainable economic growth. Opening
remarks will be given by the former President of Bulgaria Petar Stoyanov, and a 
closing keynote speech will be delivered by the former President of the United States
Bill Clinton...

Read the full article here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&et=1105413737221&s=956&e=0011OT4YNBVjq40mZrMUpLcSFhhI5iS7Deq-iy1OxhD1SnTJf2bDwkEVEghxSNSag17z7CoOK_ym7FVE53mMoMyUHCNvYUZ0mmoGan0zS_2cqWvtznSwYYGZr9gUVmGE8JvEdebpUpVBv8jfsUTvG8gV609YpK48MqBv_f-4R6c8P1YEdzni97-xg==].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is Ollanta Humala Closing in on Electoral Victory in Peru?

April 10's first round presidential election results reflect the great contradiction
facing Peru today: although the country has experienced tremendous growth in the
 last decade, millions of people have still not reaped the benefits of such economic
expansion.

Of the five candidates in the election, three were moderates, yet the two top vote-getters
were Ollanta Humala (31.7 percent), a former Army officer perceived as a left-wing
radical who has tried to moderate his image, and Keiko Fujimori (23.5 percent), 
the populist congresswoman and daughter of right-wing former president Alberto Fujimori,
who is in prison serving time for human rights abuses during his administration.

Though the three moderate candidates would have provided continuity to the economic
policies of the last decade, none could distinguish himself from the others in voters'
minds. Both Ollanta and Fujimori exploited this opening as well as used to their
 advantage the fact that countless citizens have not benefitted from Peru's economic
growth and were looking for change. Humala's base of support is the poor, who comprise
30 percent of the population and view his nationalist rhetoric as a way for them
 to finally gain from Peru's economic development. Fujimori's base was those on 
the right who still laud her father's government for destroying the left-wing guerilla
insurgency, the Shining Path...

Read the full article here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&et=1105413737221&s=956&e=0011OT4YNBVjq52hJM6om3NGZF4cR5y5egPJtdEVLbDgl2xTZW7sOUAC52LBAqSLBV8UttEcYifd-BPxluuoOI9tCzCNEg9UOiXCYY-1XQLAJMA2_EyXKholtIf9mGKnaJ-gAADFhIL5UAXsJ_rvZpqSztlNNtqnvG-AFDjYOl6m_0EqFn2Vz_aQQ==].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward email
http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=dgxbm4dab&m=1103785680067&ea=[email-masked]&a=1105413737221

This email was sent to [email-masked] by [email-masked].

Update Profile/Email Address
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001_H6K579osKj_yRNtuJZjJQ%3D%3D&se=001xM8yrvDhFPg%3D&t=001IY4OzVMOnJ-NlAafR1_-2A%3D%3D&llr=dgxbm4dab

Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM)
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001_H6K579osKj_yRNtuJZjJQ%3D%3D&se=001xM8yrvDhFPg%3D&t=001IY4OzVMOnJ-NlAafR1_-2A%3D%3D&llr=dgxbm4dab

Privacy Policy:
http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp

Online Marketing by
Constant Contact(R)
www.constantcontact.com

BLUE STAR | 888 17th Street, NW Suite 800, | WASHINGTON | DC | 200