Matthew Lee
Encyclopedia
Matthew Lee is a public interest lawyer
, author
, and founder of two non-profit organizations, Inner City Press and Fair Finance Watch
.
Both are known for their investigations of the banking industry's treatment of low-income communities of color around the world. Lee produces weekly reports on, and advocates concerning, such global banks as HSBC
, Citigroup
, Royal Bank of Scotland
, Mizuho
, and others.
In 2005-2006, Lee was engaged in litigation to deem the "citizens-only" provision of the Freedom of Information Act of Delaware
(and ten other states) to be unconstitutional.
Lee is the author of the non-fiction book Predatory Lending: Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City and the novel Predatory Bender. Lee is also an accredited journalist at the United Nations
.
In mid-2006, Lee's investigative journalism at the UN, published online in Inner City Press uncovered and led to the United Nations Development Programme
halting its disarmament programs in the Karamoja
region of Uganda
in response to human rights abuses exposed in the parallel forcible disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force. For another view, see the Ugandan newspaper The New Vision, which was critical of UNDP's halt of funding.
Lee is also a frequent video discussion guest on BloggingHeads.tv
, discussing things related to United Nations
internal operations.
In 2008, Lee appeared on the ninth episode of the sixth season of the show Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. The show discussed "World Peace" and went on a tour that Lee led most of in the UN building. Besides leading the tour, he also discussed some of the actions that the UN takes which are hypocritical, or make little sense.
In 2009, Lee reported extensively on the conflict in Sri Lanka, including critically covering UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's visit to the internally displaced persons' camps in Vavuniya in May 2009. In early 2010, Lee was invited to speak on the topic of Sri Lanka at the Rebellious Lawyers' conference at Yale Law School.
In 2011, Lee exclusively published the UN's internal plan for post-Gaddafi Libya, speaking about it on BBC, Al Jazeera and elsewhere. The portions of the plan providing for UN military observers, for example, were then rejected by the Libyan National Transitional Council.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and founder of two non-profit organizations, Inner City Press and Fair Finance Watch
Fair Finance Watch
Fair Finance Watch is a non-governmental organization known for its investigations of the banking industry's treatment of low-income communities of color, around the world. It produces weekly reports on, and advocates concerning, such global banks as HSBC, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, Mizuho...
.
Both are known for their investigations of the banking industry's treatment of low-income communities of color around the world. Lee produces weekly reports on, and advocates concerning, such global banks as HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
, Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
, Mizuho
Mizuho
Mizuho may refer to:* Mizuho, Gifu, a city in Gifu* Mizuho, Tokyo, a town in Tokyo* Japanese seaplane carrier Mizuho, a Japanese seaplane carrier* Mizuho , a train service in Japan* Mizuho Station * 2090 Mizuho, an asteroid...
, and others.
In 2005-2006, Lee was engaged in litigation to deem the "citizens-only" provision of the Freedom of Information Act of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
(and ten other states) to be unconstitutional.
Lee is the author of the non-fiction book Predatory Lending: Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City and the novel Predatory Bender. Lee is also an accredited journalist at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
In mid-2006, Lee's investigative journalism at the UN, published online in Inner City Press uncovered and led to the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
halting its disarmament programs in the Karamoja
Karamoja
Karamoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Northern Uganda.-Location:The subregion, is located in northeastern Uganda and comprises the following seven districts:* Abim District* Amudat District* Kaabong District...
region of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in response to human rights abuses exposed in the parallel forcible disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force. For another view, see the Ugandan newspaper The New Vision, which was critical of UNDP's halt of funding.
Lee is also a frequent video discussion guest on BloggingHeads.tv
Bloggingheads.tv
Bloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...
, discussing things related to United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
internal operations.
In 2008, Lee appeared on the ninth episode of the sixth season of the show Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. The show discussed "World Peace" and went on a tour that Lee led most of in the UN building. Besides leading the tour, he also discussed some of the actions that the UN takes which are hypocritical, or make little sense.
In 2009, Lee reported extensively on the conflict in Sri Lanka, including critically covering UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's visit to the internally displaced persons' camps in Vavuniya in May 2009. In early 2010, Lee was invited to speak on the topic of Sri Lanka at the Rebellious Lawyers' conference at Yale Law School.
In 2011, Lee exclusively published the UN's internal plan for post-Gaddafi Libya, speaking about it on BBC, Al Jazeera and elsewhere. The portions of the plan providing for UN military observers, for example, were then rejected by the Libyan National Transitional Council.
External links
- "Talk of the Town Dep't of Foreign Relations: The Beat," The New Yorker, September 26, 2011
- "UN 'plan for post-Gaddafi Libya' leaked," Al Jazeera, August 29, 2011
- "A Citizen of the World, At Home in The Bronx," Washington Post, April 17, 2006
- "HSBC 'overcharging' US troops," The Observer (UK), December 18, 2005
- "Wading through the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Muck," US Banker, November 2005
- Review of Predatory Bender
- Another review of Predatory Bender
- Video discussions/debates involving Matthew Lee on BloggingHeads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...