By agency reporter
Illegal mahogany loggers are plundering the land of uncontacted Indians in the depths of the Peruvian Amazon, according to a new report by the Upper Amazon Conservancy (UAC). Continue reading US demand for mahogany fuels illegal logging in Peru
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Nigerian bishop: Kidnappings could affect credibility of 2011 elections
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) — Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo has warned the Nigerian government that kidnappings across the country could affect the credibility of the 2011 elections. Bishop Badejo, who for years served as the Nigerian bishops’ social communications secretary, spoke July 16, less than a week after four journalists and their driver were kidnapped in southeastern Nigeria’s Abia state. Continue reading Nigerian bishop: Kidnappings could affect credibility of 2011 elections
Kenya torture victims compensated
By MAUREEN NGESA
The Kenya Government will part with almost Sh40 million [$500,000 (£330,000)] as compensation to former detainees.
The 21 ex-detainees were awarded the money by a High Court judge who ruled that they had proved that they had been subjected to torture and deserved to be compensated.
Lady Justice Hannah Okwengu said all the victims had been tortured at the infamous Nyayo torture chambers. Continue reading Kenya torture victims compensated
Referendum: US envoy dismisses Yes funding claims
US has only directed its efforts towards civic education, says Mr Ranneberger.
By BERNARD KWALIA
US ambassador Michael Ranneberger has dismissed claims that his country is funding the Yes group that is backing Kenya’s quest for a new constitution.
The envoy, who was accompanied by Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, said the US has only directed its efforts towards civic education.
“The US Government has not funded any of the Yes or No campaigns as claimed by some ministers opposed to the constitution,” Mr Ranneberger said during a Yes rally in Kitale Wednesday. Continue reading Referendum: US envoy dismisses Yes funding claims
DR Congo children quit school for mines
AFP – Barefoot with water up to his knees, seven-year-old Isaac sifts through sand to extract copper like hundreds of boys in southeast DR Congo, forced by poverty to quit school and work in the mines.
Isaac abandoned his maths and language classes in February, leaving the only school in Kamatanda, a small village in Katanga province, the main mining region in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Continue reading DR Congo children quit school for mines
Brazil Supreme Justice Frees Man Accused of Killing Union Leader
Written by Débora Zampier
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has suspended the trial by jury of a farmer/landowner, José Délcio Barroso Nunes, who is accused of ordering the death of a union leader/activist, José Dutra da Costa, aka Dezinho, in November 2000. Continue reading Brazil Supreme Justice Frees Man Accused of Killing Union Leader
Will a Brazil-Peru Energy Deal Generate Local Controversy?
by Britton Schwartz, Amazon Watch Peru advocate
Q: During a bilateral meeting in Manaus on June 16, Presidents Alan García of Peru and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil praised the signing of a new electricity supply and export agreement, which they called “an instrument of great strategic interest for both countries.” What are the details of the agreement, and what is its significance? Will electricity exports to Brazil create the same kind of domestic controversy in Peru as has the LNG export project? Continue reading Will a Brazil-Peru Energy Deal Generate Local Controversy?
Seduction, Slavery and Sex
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Against all odds, this year’s publishing sensation is a trio of thrillers by a dead Swede relating tangentially to human trafficking and sexual abuse.
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series tops the best-seller lists. More than 150 years ago, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” helped lay the groundwork for the end of slavery. Let’s hope that these novels help build pressure on trafficking as a modern echo of slavery. Continue reading Seduction, Slavery and Sex
Suppliers for tobacco company Philip Morris used child labour
A report that cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc. bought tobacco from farms in Kazakhstan that used forced and child labour has prompted the tobacco company to change its policies. Continue reading Suppliers for tobacco company Philip Morris used child labour
IMBISA Workshop on Human Trafficking
Sent by Biddy Rose Tiernan, SND
Human trafficking in the IMBISA Region is complex and is fueled by a wide range of factors and these include poverty, dysfunctional economies, conflicts and demands for cheap labour. The exact number of people who are lured into trafficking in the IMBISA Region remains unknown because of the non-availability of official statistics on this scourge. The governments are aware of this problem but they seem to give it low priority. Most of the countries of our region do not have enough resources both human and financial to deal with the problem of human trafficking. Weak legislation as well as very porous borders makes it difficult to deal with the problem. This weakness makes our countries sources, destinations and transit routes for human trafficking. Religious groups can play a significant role in raising awareness and acting on this issue with the support of their governments to curb this problem. With the coming of the FIFA World Cup to South Africa, it has been noted that this occasion has become a way of sending people to traffickers. All those people who would like to make some money during the world cup have become vulnerable to trafficking, especially girls who are told that they will be waitresses or tour guides for the visitors. Continue reading IMBISA Workshop on Human Trafficking
