Fear of unrest and hunger for profit are sparking massive acquisitions of farmland.
As China and others jockey for land and power, the weight of shifting empires and changing climate is threatening to crush international cooperation on ending hunger. Continue reading
By Thelma Mejía
TEGUCIGALPA, Aug 22, 2011 (IPS)
The first world summit of people of African descent, held in the city of La Ceiba on Honduras’s Caribbean coast, ended with a declaration calling for the fight against racism to be included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Continue reading
by Bill Quigley and Davida Finger
Six years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast. The impact of Katrina and government bungling continue to inflict major pain on the people left behind. It is impossible to understand what happened and what still remains without considering race, gender, and poverty. The following offer some hints of what remains. Continue reading
By DREUX RICHARD
Partners in peace?: A Peace Boat volunteer crew sent to Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, by IBM Corp. clears mud and debris from a residence. DREUX RICHARD PHOTOS
Failed deal between defense firm, antiwar group highlights dilemmas facing NGOs in race for donations
Convinced the recovery in Tohoku will result in the birth of widespread corporate philanthropy in Japan, in the same way the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake prompted the proliferation of volunteerism, Peace Boat director Tatsuya Yoshioka spent a day in June shepherding a busload of businesspeople on a tour of Ishinomaki neighborhoods hit hardest by the March 11 tsunami. They’d travelled north from Tokyo for a weekend of volunteering under the auspices of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, many of whose members share a similar vision for importing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Japan. Continue reading
Workers helping to make South Africa’s renowned wines are subject to unsafe working conditions and poor housing, a report has said. Human Right Watch says workers on wine and fruit farms face exposure to pesticides and are blocked from forming labour unions. The reports also says these workers are some of the worst paid in the country – despite strict labour laws. A trade body for wine producers said the report was unfair. But the head of Wines of South Africa said the study’s claims would be investigated. Continue reading
To effectively combat human trafficking, each of us needs to have a clear “lens” that helps us understand what human trafficking is. When this lens is clouded or biased by certain persistent misconceptions about the definition of trafficking, our ability to respond to the crime is reduced. It is important to learn how to identify and break down commonly-held myths and misconceptions regarding human trafficking and the type of trafficking networks that exist in the United States. Continue reading
Gunter Pauli, gunterpauli.com
The most critical shift that is required today is to change the business model in order to respond to basic needs with what we have. This new paradigm will facilitate the arrival of decentralized production and consumption systems that are now viable in all sectors of the economy. Continue reading
Campaigners say the two-week protest will be the biggest green civil disobedience in a generation
Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
A protest at the White House against a pipeline from the Alberta tar sands is emerging as the biggest green civil disobedience campaign in a generation, organisers said. Approximately 1,500 people signed up to court arrest during the two-week actionoutside the White House, which begins on Saturday morning. Continue reading
