I just had the privileged to meet Israeli journalist and world traveler Ido Liven. Ido are working within the fields of environmental journalism and foreign news.
- The newspapers in Israel are not focusing on international or environmental issues.

We talked about the views in the European media, the middle east are so much more then a conflict, but it´s rarely showed in the newspapers, tv and radio.

I got inspiration talking to him, and maybe we´re going to meet up again in Amman, Jordan in a few weeks time.

Read more about Ido at his website.

A few months ago me and a friend met some american girls. We where going on a train from Istanbul to Thessaloniki and they had just arrived from Israel. As they told us about their trip I became more and more sad. Nothing about the ocupation or the terrible situation in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. Nothing about the wall or the IDF presens. They only talked about partying and having fun.

And today I walk out in the city to get an answer to the question how much you feel about the tensions in Tel Aviv, around one hours drive from the West Bank. And the answer is, as I thought, not much.

The security are pretty tight, but not by far as I imagine before. No army at the airport, no extra screening of my luggage. I´ve been uncomfeble with the situation two times today, the first one where at the airport when a security guart spotted me and asked questions about why I was in Israel. So after 10 seconds on Israeli soil, I had to lie to a guard. The second time was when the station manager at a small subway-station searched my bags.

Walking along the shore in the sunset, I could be in Barcelona, Cape Town or Thessaloniki. And you can´t feel anything of the pressent situation. It´s only about party and having fun. Very strange.

I think it will change tomorrow when I go to Jerusalem and into the West Bank.

I´ve arrived in Tel Aviv this morning and got my first problem. I got a Israeli stamp in my passport. The guard did´t mind that I asked two times that she would not stamp it. This means that I will not be able to get into Syria or Lebanon because they will not let anyone in with proof that they´ve been in Israel.

Otherwise I have a nice time, I´m at a café, drinking mint lemonade. In two hours I will meet up with Israeli journalist and activist Ido Liven. More on that tonight.

Im at the airport in Stockholm waiting for my flight to Zurich, with a 45 minute stop over and then I´m back in the air towards Tel Aviv and my trip in the Middle East region. During three weeks I will try to meet interesting people, visit interesting projects and be able to tell about the change going on and the people behind it.

During this week I will meet some people, visit two NGOs and try to make a plan for my trip. I´ll get back to you soon.

In 48 hours my plane will leave towards Tel Aviv. I will spend the next three weeks traveling abround in Israel, Palestine, Joran, Syria and Lebanon.

The goals are to learn more about the region and collect stories from articles and lectures when I´m back. The Swedish aid organization Diakonia have ordered three articles from their projects in the region and I´ve got some more contacts of other travels.

And, I will tell stories here at the blog, I will bring equitment for text, images, radio and video. See you soon!

It´s very late here in Sweden, 06.01am and I just started to listen to Barack Obamas victory speech. The feelings are overwelming. I´m very very happy.

The work for a better America, and a better world starts today.

Good night George W Bush and good morning Barack Obama.

I will follow the call for action to the blogs of the world to endorse a candidate in the US presidential election. My choice are, and have always been, senator Barack Obama. I think he´s political ideas and concrete work have showed his ability to lead the worlds largest economy into the new time.

The US will face new challenges and can´t respond with more wars, they need to start talking to the rest of the world and be a part of building something better for all people. And I think this is one of the few opportunities in our time to get a US president that can make this happened.

So my hopes will be on Obama, it´s 19 hours and 45 minutes left until the voting begins.

I just received a e-mail from the poverty campaign One.org. They listed different policies from the two candidates around global poverty.

Here´s some examples:

Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis
MCCAIN: I believe that many nations will not reach their true potential without outside help to combat the entrenched problem of HIV/AIDS, which afflicts poorer nations more severely. It’s critical that we face this crisis head-on, which is why I was a co-sponsor of the reauthorization of PEPFAR that will provide $48 billion for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria funding by 2013.

OBAMA: I’ll double annual foreign assistance from $25b to $50b by 2012. I was a co-sponsor of the Lantos-Hyde Act that authorized $48 billion by 2013 for HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. I support lifting the 33% cap on US contributions to the Global Fund, ensuring at least 4.5 million people are on ARV treatment by 2013, and preventing 12 million new infections.

Achieving Universal Primary Education
MCCAIN: Among the most important determinants of economic well-being is educational attainment. The statistics are undeniable; if you can get a decent education, you can free yourself from the threat of poverty. This is why we all should agree that a quality education is the right of every child.

OBAMA: Worldwide, an estimated 100 million children - including nearly 60 million girls - are not attending school. By 2010, getting these children into school could cost $10b annually. To meet our share of that sum, I look forward to signing the Education for All Act and will request the funding levels needed to carry it out.

Additional commitments for the world’s poor
MCCAIN: I would pursue policies that enable entrepreneurs in the developing world to increase their access to international markets - which is critical to lifting nations out of poverty. The US should lift trade restrictions and phase out agricultural subsidies that choke off opportunities for poor farmers abroad. The US should also be at the forefront of a Green Revolution in Africa. These and other efforts would assist poorer nations in enabling their citizens to achieve their potential. I would also press nations on the critical importance on good governance and economic and legal reform, because no amount of assistance can succeed when governments fail their people. Finally, America must lead an effort to prevent disease and developmental disabilities among children by providing nutrients and food security.

OBAMA: I’ll make the Millennium Development Goals American policy. By the end of my first term I expect to see progress to meeting the MDGs, including reducing by half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and suffering from hunger, and reversing the number of new HIV infections and malaria cases.

Read the whole report at One.org.

Currently I´m working hard with two large events here in Sweden. Last weekend 150 young people gathered and next weekend around 450 young people will gather, so it´s pretty crazy with work for the moment and I can´t prioritize the blog. But I will be back tomorrow for some postings around the US presidential election and then I will start my trip to the Middle East next Tuesday.

Racism are one of the most ugly faces of the Swedish society. And I´ve been talking a lot with young people from cities where racist and neo-nazi organizations operate. Today I got an SMS from a friend from the city of Nyköping, that it´s been a riot in the city center. The media now reports that around 100 people where fighting and that the police now have the situation under control.

I fear we will see more of this towards the Swedish election two years from now. I think that racist parties will get into the parliament. And I think that the neo nazi activist will grow stronger if we don´t do anything.

The good news are that these forces can be pushed back, we did it in the mid-90s and we can do it again now. But we need to work together for make it. The struggle need to make some changes:
* No platform for racist groups
* Show who they are, make the racist leaders visible
* Stand up against racism every time, everywhere

Sweden can do it, just like we did 15 year ago, the time is now.