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Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘A beautiful prison': Mohsen Mahdawi seeks solace in rural Vermont as he fends off deportation
'It's amazing,' he said of the view, grinning. Advertisement A Columbia University student who grew up in the occupied West Bank, the 34-year-old Mahdawi US citizen. After 16 days in prison, Mahdawi was freed by a federal judge in Vermont who Advertisement Mahdawi's freedom may be fleeting. The Trump administration, which has called him a threat to national security, continues to seek his detention and, more than likely, deportation. The judge has limited his movements to Vermont and New York. 'What it reminds me of is Palestine, where I was supposed to be in one area and, if I crossed to the other, I don't have rights,' he said. 'But I am grateful that I have this nature. I mean, it's a larger prison, but it's a beautiful prison to be in.' Mahdawi carries himself with confidence and engages others with an intense and absorbing gaze. His expression conveys high spirits, in spite of the turmoil he's faced. But when the prospect of deportation comes up, his ever-present smile fades away. 'It would be similar to a death sentence,' he said. Family members in the West Bank have been targeted by Israelis since Mahdawi became a leader of Columbia's pro-Palestinian movement, he said. Were he to return, he believes, Israeli soldiers or settlers would seek revenge. Mahdawi, though, says there's something he fears even more than death: not being able to continue the peacemaking efforts he's been building in the United States. He sees himself as 'a baby diplomat' who is uniquely poised to bring together Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans to resolve the ancient conflict in the Middle East. He's even written a 68-page peace plan. 'I am going to school in order to make peace — peace and justice,' said Mahdawi, who is slated to begin graduate studies at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in September. 'And if they deport me, they are killing this possibility, this opportunity that I am seeing.' Advertisement Mahdawi bought the West Fairlee property for $51,000 off Facebook Marketplace in October 2020 as a pandemic project of sorts. Clearing trees, digging ponds, and building the cabin also served as a form of therapy, he said, to work through the trauma of a youth spent in violence and hardship within the Far'a refugee camp. 'I said in my head, 'If I die tomorrow, what is the one thing I would want to have in my life?' And it was something that none of my parents had … [for] three generations, which is a piece of land,' he said. Mahdawi named his sanctuary Jannah Ndakinna. Jannah means 'paradise' in his native Arabic, he said, and Ndakinna means 'homeland' in the Indigenous Abenaki language. 'So it's a paradise, in my eyes, but it's a homeland — the homeland for all the Abenaki people who used to be here before,' he said. 'I am just a caretaker.' The cabin is not fancy. It is just 8-by-16 feet, not much bigger than his recently vacated jail cell, he joked. It gives off the vibe of a tiny home crossed with a man-cave. But the view of the verdant countryside from its deck is majestic. 'Isn't it magical?' he said. 'The cabin has helped me, really, to realize that, in order to find joy, you don't need much.' That joy has been sharply tempered by President Trump's campaign to root out protesters of Israel's deadly war in Gaza. Betar US, Advertisement Mahdawi laid low for 23 days, he said, with only three people knowing where he was. He paced constantly, and, as a practicing Buddhist, meditated. When immigration officials notified him his long-awaited citizenship interview would take place April 14 in Vermont, he suspected a trap. After consulting with friends and attorneys and making a list of pros and cons, he decided to show up for the interview. 'I'd rather be detained in Vermont,' he reasoned. 'That's the main pro. If I get detained in Vermont, I have a better chance.' As soon as he completed the test, the person administering it opened a door, Mahdawi said, 'and the officers stormed in — you know, masks covering their faces, hats. … They said, 'You're under arrest.'' When the officers led him away in handcuffs, Mahdawi said, he carefully considered how the moment might be captured by Mahdawi had two goals, he said: to reassure worried loved ones he'd be OK and to avoid projecting fear. 'I wanted to tell people that if you are fighting for something that you believe in, you should not surrender to intimidation or fear: I am not afraid,' he said. 'This is the message I wanted to send: no intimidation.' The officers told Mahdawi they planned to ship him to Louisiana, where other deportation targets have faced a more conservative court system. But the entourage missed its flight by minutes, he said, giving his lawyers time to get a court order keeping him in Vermont. Advertisement 'I looked at [the officers] and I said, 'Congratulations! You're gonna be enjoying the Burlington-Lake Champlain area now, instead of traveling on an airplane,'' he recalled. Mahdawi, however, ended up in 'You lose your basic rights,' he said. A few days into his stay, he was joined by a group of migrant farmworkers 'He doesn't speak English, but he says to me, 'Good.' And they call him 'amigo,'' said Mahdawi, who doesn't speak Spanish. 'So, 'amigo' and 'good.' That's what we shared.' As a key court hearing approached, Mahdawi tried to temper his eternal optimism — what he called his 'strongest muscle.' But the night before he had a dream of his favorite Palestinian dish, mansaf, which he said was a signal he would soon be released. He packed his meager prison belongings and headed to court. After the judge ordered his release, Mahdawi again sought to use his public platform to speak out against what he described as the administration's campaign of intimidation. In impromptu remarks outside the Burlington courthouse, he declared, 'I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you.' His release, however brief it may prove, 'is a major, major signal that the justice system is working,' Mahdawi said. Advertisement On Thursday, After hiking down from the ridgeline, Mahdawi paused at two ponds he had excavated and named 'Harmony' and 'Melody.' Picking up several stones, he tried, with mixed success, to skip them across the water. 'America is the first place I learned how to do that. We didn't have bodies of water,' he said of the refugee camp in which he was raised. 'Most Palestinians won't experience this, this or the sea.' He tossed another rock across the pond. 'This is what we're doing here: You throw a stone, it hits a spot, but the ripple gets through the whole water,' he said. 'My release … it's a rippling going around. A lot of people are feeling more hope nowadays."
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The US doesn't have a climate policy now — until Washington is back at the global table, world environmental progress will be slow: Noah Kaufman
Noah Kaufman is Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Speaking to Srijana Mitra Das, he discusses America's new ecological aims: Q. What is the core of your research? A. I am an economist and focus on energy and climate policy as well as their inter sections with economic policy. For some time now, I've been researching communities around the United States which are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to fund public services and provide jobs. I've been working on viable economic strategies for these communities as the world transitions away from fossil fuels. Q. Can you explain the surprising US turn towards coal though? A. All the rhetoric from the federal government these days is certainly about moving back to fossil fuels — including, as per the recent executive order on this, coal. So far, this is just rhetoric though — actual data in the US shows two decades of declining coal production and use. The biggest reason is economic — we have natural gas and renewables which are much lower-cost and cleaner. This combination — economics with environmental regulations — caused a gradual transition away from coal. There are still cultural drivers though. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People In Telangana Say Goodbye To Mosquitoes With This Revolutionary Solution Mosquito Eliminator Read More Undo In the Appalachian region, whch encompasses West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, etc., there is a long history of coal being central to local economies, jobs, electricity systems and ways of life. However, those are relatively small pockets — around 25 counties in the country produce 75% of the entire coal in the US. Still, this is a cultural issue which also resonates with President Donald Trump 's base — in his first term too, he announced big measures with fanfare and coal miners standing behind him. However, the data thereafter also shows the decline of coal at a similar pace as under Presidents Obama and then Biden. Yet, coal's centrality in some places can't be downplayed — in certain areas, as coal mines close, elementary schools shut down because tax revenue declines. Live Events Q. Why have you written earlier of oil and gas communities being a 'blind spot' in America's climate policies? A. I was talking then of President Biden's administration which had taken strong steps to spur the energy transition in the US. Regarding coal communities, it was acknowledged that if we continue rapidly decarbonising, coal would decline even more, causing further economic issues. So, the Biden administration took measures to address this, including economic deve-lopment grants for these groups. However, oil and gas communities actually face an 'out of sight, out of mind' situation because they are seen as doing much better than coal — oil and gas production are at an all-time high in the US. We are the leading global producers of both fuels and economically, oil and gas-dependent counties have outperformed the national economy. Most politicians aren't looking into the future of a decarbonised world and thinking of these communities. My research was a call to ensure policies are planned now, so these groups don't end up suffering the same fate as coal communities today. Q. How would you define America's climate policies now? A. At the federal level, the US has no climate policy today — we have some incentives left over from previous legislation, like the Inflation Reduction Act. A. The fate of those is yet to be determined. Congress is controlled by Republicans and they may get rid of these. Federal agencies may not be incentivised to implement them. The department of energy is led by Secretary Chris Wright, formerly CEO of an oil and gas company. Many of President Trump's advisors are heavy supporters of fossil fuels. So, currently, we don't have a broad climate policy at the federal level — what we have are subnational actors, states, regions and companies, at work. Q. How could President Trump's tariff war impact the clean energy transition? A. The main effect will be to raise prices and serve as a drag on economies, including the US — that will slow the energy transition as lowered economic growth means pullbacks in investments. We are already seeing a pullback in wind, solar and battery manufacturing plants. If the US enters a recession, those will deepen. Of course, the Biden administration also placed tariffs on some green technologies from China but that was part of a strategy to build a US solar manufacturing base — that doesn't seem like a goal shared by the Trump administration. Q. Experts suggest an obstructionist US exiting global climate agreements could be positive — how do you analyse that? A. The world could make some progress — everything developed in China is at an entirely different scale now while Europe's always been ahead of the US on climate action. However, the amount and pace of progress will be limited if the world's largest economy — and the greatest historical emitter of greenhouse gases — won't act. If other nations see the US abdicating its climate role — in a situation it is most responsible for making — they might not want to make sacrifices either. Until the US is back at the climate table, I'd keep my expectations for global progress in check. Views expressed are personal
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
80 lakh jobs a year, higher share of manufacturing in GDP is key to becoming a developed nation by 2047
India has to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10-12 years and raise the share of manufacturing in GDP as it strives to achieve the vision of becoming a developed country by 2047, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India V Anantha Nageswaran said. 'We have a vision to achieve a developed India by 2047. The biggest challenge, apart from India's size, is that the external environment is not going to be so benign for the next 10-20 years as one might have had in the last 30 years, starting from 1990 or so,' Nageswaran said here Saturday. 'But within this context – that's a given, you can't choose your external environment beyond a point – we have to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10 to 12 years…And raise the manufacturing share of GDP, in the context of China having achieved such a tremendous manufacturing dominance, especially post-COVID,' he said. Nageswaran was addressing the Columbia India Summit 2025 hosted by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He outlined that artificial intelligence, technology, and robotics are challenges that some of the developed countries of today do not have to face in their developmental journey. 'But India, with its size, has to navigate this huge, complex challenge, and there are no easy answers. If you look at the number of jobs we need to create, it's about 8 million jobs a year. And Artificial Intelligence may have a big role in taking away entry-level jobs, or low IT-enabled services jobs may come under threat,' he said. He added that it is one thing to prepare the population for a world dominated by AI, but it is another thing to ensure that 'we find the right balance between labour-centric policies and technology, because technology at the end of the day is not just a choice to be made by technologists. It has to be made by public policymakers.' As India moves towards achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, the centennial year of its independence, it has to plug Indian businesses into global value chains as well as create a viable small and medium enterprise sector because manufacturing and MSME both go together. 'Countries that became manufacturing powerhouses did not do so without having a viable small and medium enterprise sector,' he said. Nageswaran further said that either investment rates have to rise from where they are or 'we have to make sure that we extract maximum possible juice out of existing investments because global capital flows are also going to be affected by ongoing conflicts between nations.' He said that, therefore, it is not that external trade is not going to matter. 'It will matter and we need to focus on that because external competitiveness is also a way to boost domestic innovation, domestic potential growth.' 'But at the same time, we cannot expect that to contribute the way it did in the first decade, when India averaged 8 to 9 per cent GDP growth between 2003 and 2008. Every year, exports contributed 40% to GDP growth in the first decade, especially pre-crisis. In the second decade, that contribution came down to 20%, and in the third decade it might be even lower,' he said. Nageswaran noted that it is not that India's export competitiveness does not matter. 'It has to be the driving force. One has to get up one's game on quality, R&D and internally on logistics and last-mile connectivity. But from a policy perspective, it will make sense to assume that it will not be so easily possible to extract growth out of exports as we used to do before,' he said. He noted that in the last three years post-COVID, India's growth has averaged more than 8%. 'Obviously, in the current environment, sustaining an 8% growth rate is going to be a very tall order. But if we can maintain growth rates of even 6.5 per cent on a sustainable basis over the next decade or two and look to opportunistically increase it to over 7 per cent by focusing on domestic deregulation, that will be the way to go.' Last week, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had said India is expected to grow by 6.5 per cent in 2025 on the back of continued robust public spending and ongoing monetary easing, even as the world economy is on a recessionary trajectory, driven by escalating trade tensions and persistent uncertainty. The day-long event at Columbia was attended by faculty, students, policy experts and economists and the discussion focused on the future of India's economy, innovation and trade. 'The task ahead for India is quite immense in a difficult and challenging global environment, but I think the policy determination and identification of priorities, as we have done with emphasis on deregulation, can enable us to maintain the growth advantage even in this difficult environment,' Nageswaran said.
NDTV
22-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
India Must Create 80 Lakh Jobs Per Year To Become Developed Nation: Economic Advisor
New York: India has to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10-12 years and raise the share of manufacturing in GDP as it strives to achieve the vision of becoming a developed country by 2047, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India V Anantha Nageswaran said. "We have a vision to achieve a developed India by 2047. The biggest challenge, apart from India's size, is that the external environment is not going to be so benign for the next 10-20 years as one might have had in the last 30 years, starting from 1990 or so,'Mr Nageswaran said here Saturday. 'But within this context - that's a given, you can't choose your external environment beyond a point - we have to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10 to 12 raise the manufacturing share of GDP, in the context of China having achieved such a tremendous manufacturing dominance, especially post-COVID,' he said. Mr Nageswaran was addressing the Columbia India Summit 2025 hosted by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He outlined that artificial intelligence, technology, and robotics are challenges that some of the developed countries of today do not have to face in their developmental journey. "But India, with its size, has to navigate this huge, complex challenge, and there are no easy answers. If you look at the number of jobs we need to create, it's about 8 million jobs a year. And Artificial Intelligence may have a big role in taking away entry-level jobs, or low IT-enabled services jobs may come under threat,' he said. He added that it is one thing to prepare the population for a world dominated by AI, but it is another thing to ensure that 'we find the right balance between labour-centric policies and technology, because technology at the end of the day is not just a choice to be made by technologists. It has to be made by public policymakers.' As India moves towards achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, the centennial year of its independence, it has to plug Indian businesses into global value chains as well as create a viable small and medium enterprise sector because manufacturing and MSME both go together. 'Countries that became manufacturing powerhouses did not do so without having a viable small and medium enterprise sector,' he said. Mr Nageswaran further said that either investment rates have to rise from where they are or 'we have to make sure that we extract maximum possible juice out of existing investments because global capital flows are also going to be affected by ongoing conflicts between nations." He said that, therefore, it is not that external trade is not going to matter. "It will matter and we need to focus on that because external competitiveness is also a way to boost domestic innovation, domestic potential growth." "But at the same time, we cannot expect that to contribute the way it did in the first decade, when India averaged 8 to 9 per cent GDP growth between 2003 and 2008. Every year, exports contributed 40% to GDP growth in the first decade, especially pre-crisis. In the second decade, that contribution came down to 20%, and in the third decade it might be even lower,' he said. Mr Nageswaran noted that it is not that India's export competitiveness does not matter. "It has to be the driving force. One has to get up one's game on quality, R&D and internally on logistics and last-mile connectivity. But from a policy perspective, it will make sense to assume that it will not be so easily possible to extract growth out of exports as we used to do before,' he said. He noted that in the last three years post-COVID, India's growth has averaged more than 8%. "Obviously, in the current environment, sustaining an 8% growth rate is going to be a very tall order. But if we can maintain growth rates of even 6.5 per cent on a sustainable basis over the next decade or two and look to opportunistically increase it to over 7 per cent by focusing on domestic deregulation, that will be the way to go.' Last week, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had said India is expected to grow by 6.5 per cent in 2025 on the back of continued robust public spending and ongoing monetary easing, even as the world economy is on a recessionary trajectory, driven by escalating trade tensions and persistent uncertainty. The day-long event at Columbia was attended by faculty, students, policy experts and economists and the discussion focused on the future of India's economy, innovation and trade. "The task ahead for India is quite immense in a difficult and challenging global environment, but I think the policy determination and identification of priorities, as we have done with emphasis on deregulation, can enable us to maintain the growth advantage even in this difficult environment,' Mr Nageswaran said.
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Business Standard
21-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India to generate 8 mn jobs per year for next 10-12 years: CEA Nageswaran
India has to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10-12 years and raise the share of manufacturing in GDP as it strives to achieve the vision of becoming a developed country by 2047, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India V Anantha Nageswaran said. "We have a vision to achieve a developed India by 2047. The biggest challenge, apart from India's size, is that the external environment is not going to be so benign for the next 10-20 years as one might have had in the last 30 years, starting from 1990 or so, Nageswaran said here Saturday. But within this context - that's a given, you can't choose your external environment beyond a point - we have to generate 8 million jobs per year at least for the next 10 to 12 raise the manufacturing share of GDP, in the context of China having achieved such a tremendous manufacturing dominance, especially post-COVID, he said. Nageswaran was addressing the Columbia India Summit 2025 hosted by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He outlined that artificial intelligence, technology, and robotics are challenges that some of the developed countries of today do not have to face in their developmental journey. "But India, with its size, has to navigate this huge, complex challenge, and there are no easy answers. If you look at the number of jobs we need to create, it's about 8 million jobs a year. And Artificial Intelligence may have a big role in taking away entry-level jobs, or low IT-enabled services jobs may come under threat, he said. He added that it is one thing to prepare the population for a world dominated by AI, but it is another thing to ensure that we find the right balance between labour-centric policies and technology, because technology at the end of the day is not just a choice to be made by technologists. It has to be made by public policymakers. As India moves towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat' by 2047, the centennial year of its independence, it has to plug Indian businesses into global value chains as well as create a viable small and medium enterprise sector because manufacturing and MSME both go together. Countries that became manufacturing powerhouses did not do so without having a viable small and medium enterprise sector, he said. Nageswaran further said that either investment rates have to rise from where they are or we have to make sure that we extract maximum possible juice out of existing investments because global capital flows are also going to be affected by ongoing conflicts between nations." He said that, therefore, it is not that external trade is not going to matter. "It will matter and we need to focus on that because external competitiveness is also a way to boost domestic innovation, domestic potential growth." "But at the same time, we cannot expect that to contribute the way it did in the first decade, when India averaged 8 to 9 per cent GDP growth between 2003 and 2008. Every year, exports contributed 40% to GDP growth in the first decade, especially pre-crisis. In the second decade, that contribution came down to 20%, and in the third decade it might be even lower, he said. Nageswaran noted that it is not that India's export competitiveness does not matter. "It has to be the driving force. One has to get up one's game on quality, R&D and internally on logistics and last-mile connectivity. But from a policy perspective, it will make sense to assume that it will not be so easily possible to extract growth out of exports as we used to do before, he said. He noted that in the last three years post-Covid, India's growth has averaged more than 8%. "Obviously, in the current environment, sustaining an 8% growth rate is going to be a very tall order. But if we can maintain growth rates of even 6.5 per cent on a sustainable basis over the next decade or two and look to opportunistically increase it to over 7 per cent by focusing on domestic deregulation, that will be the way to go. Last week, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had said India is expected to grow by 6.5 per cent in 2025 on the back of continued robust public spending and ongoing monetary easing, even as the world economy is on a recessionary trajectory, driven by escalating trade tensions and persistent uncertainty. The day-long event at Columbia was attended by faculty, students, policy experts and economists and the discussion focused on the future of India's economy, innovation and trade. "The task ahead for India is quite immense in a difficult and challenging global environment, but I think the policy determination and identification of priorities, as we have done with emphasis on deregulation, can enable us to maintain the growth advantage even in this difficult environment, Nageswaran said.
