Democracy & Civics

Save the (Native) Humans

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Last Saturday marked the U.N. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples — and international media took little notice. Yet a few stories emerged from advocacy sources that tell of threatened natives cultures around the globe. The Pan American Health Organization, in a statement on its Web site, chided mass media for its extensive coverage of endangered animals such as the polar bear, while continuing to neglect the stories of indigenous people, such as the Zapara of Ecuador and Peru. That said, the World Wildlife Fund, better known for working to help endangered animals, put out a call last week for “Saving Sumatra’s Endangered Peoples.” On the WWF’s Web site, the organization called attention to the plight of the Orang Rimba people, a nomadic culture that has lived for centuries in the Indonesian island’s forests.

Democracy & Civics

Immigrants Seek Assimilation under the Surgeon's Knife

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Plastic surgery that alters ethnic features to align with Western beauty conventions is on the rise, according to new reports. Madrid’s El Pais newspaper reports that more immigrants to Spain are undergoing cosmetic surgery than ever before. South Americans there show the most willingness to go under the knife and erase features common to their ethnic roots. Rhinoplasty is the most common procedures, although chin implants are also popular for Central American women with rounder faces. The newspaper also noted that specialized clinics in the United States and Australia are opening to meet demand by Chinese and Japanese immigrants for rounder eyes and creased lids.

Democracy & Civics

How Green is My Wal-Mart?

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Wal-Mart may be investing in environmental initiatives to become recognized as a “green” company, but it has also been lobbying against clarification of the carbon-offset standards published in the Federal Trade Commission’s “Green Guides.” The FTC guidelines are used to determine what products and services a company can label environmentally friendly. The FTC hopes to clarify what companies can say about carbon offsets and renewable-energy credits, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The credit system enables companies, and their customers, to “offset” their own globe-warming carbon dioxide emissions by supporting projects that reduce emissions by the same amount. Several certification agencies offer these credits, but currently there are no uniform standards that define the offsets clearly.

Democracy & Civics

Women Claim Space at AIDS Conference

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Circumcision, female condoms and sex work grabbed attention at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City last week. Researchers at the conference said circumcision in African men can minimize rates of HIV transmission by up to 60 percent, the United Nations news service reported. But despite assurances that women’s infection rates will concurrently decline, Marge Berer, editor of Reproductive Health Matters, was skeptical. “From a public health perspective, we are told that 60 percent protection [for circumcised men] is far better than nothing,” Berer said. “But is male circumcision good enough for women?”

Democracy & Civics

California may Sue Nestle over Water Plan

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Nestle’s plans to build a water-bottling plant in northern California may uncork a lawsuit against the whole operation. State Attorney General Jerry Brown threatened to sue the company unless it addresses problems he found in the project’s environmental impact report. Nestle hopes to divert close to 200 million gallons of water per year from the McCloud River in Siskyou County, according to CBS13 in Sacramento. “Nestle will face swift legal challenge if it does not fully evaluate the environmental impact of diverting millions of gallons of spring water from the McCloud River into billions of plastic water bottles,” Brown said. Nestle, which already downsized its original project by half, agreed to conduct further studies on the local watershed and their plastic bottle production to prevent negative environmental impacts.

Democracy & Civics

Did U.S. Taxpayers pay for Burma Junta's Satellite?

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A U.S. government-backed satellite company tested its products in Burma, despite longstanding U.S. sanctions against doing business with that nation’s repressive military regime, a Thai court case reveals. The revelations grow out of one of several corruption cases under way against former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to the Hong Kong’s Asia Times newspaper. Thaksin’s wife, Pojaman, was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison for tax evasion in a separate case. In the U.S.-Burma case, prosecutors say the former prime minister arranged for a Thai state loan to the Burmese junta of $119 million to purchase satellite services that were sold by his family’s company. Burma, dubbed Myanmar by its ruling junta, later allegedly used some of the loan money in a deal whereby it allowed a company called iPStar to test its satellite-phone services in the nation before launching the products throughout much of Asia.

Democracy & Civics

China sets up protests during Olympics

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In a bid to placate rights activists, China will set aside three protest zones in Beijing during the Olympics in August. According to the Los Angeles Times, protesters have to get permission from the government a week before demonstrating, giving the names of organizers, the topic of protest and number of participants. The protest areas, all located in public parks, are out of the view of sports venues. According to Olympic security director Liu Shaowu, “Chinese law guarantees the legal rights of demonstration and assembly.”
Human rights activists disagree, arguing that protests “harmful to national unity or social stability” will result in arrest. — Julia Hengst/Newsdesk.org
“China to allow limited protests during Olympics”
Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2008

Democracy & Civics

Low-caste Indian woman rising up through politics

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Kumari Mayawati, a low-caste Indian woman and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, led an electoral charge in late July to topple India’s government and lost only by a handful of votes. According to The Age in Australia, Mayawati demonstrated considerable political clout in swaying votes against the Congress Party-led Parliament, and her actions resulted in the formation of a “third party” in the Indian political system. Her ambition has led many to believe Mayawati could be India’s first “untouchable” prime minister from the Dalit caste. Mayawati’s intentions are under scrutiny: She is chief minister of an enormous state that is home to 10 percent of the world’s poor, but her personal assets last year were valued at $12.3 million — gifts from her supporters, according to The Age. Nonetheless, the newspaper reports that her dalit constituency loves her, and her popularity seems to be growing beyond caste lines.

Democracy & Civics

Real Estate Slump Good for Conservationists

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The mortgage crisis and real estate slump are affecting just about everyone these days, but some conservationists are not complaining. According to the British real estate Web site Property Wire, environmental and preservation groups in the United States are landing great deals on properties with scenic and historic value. The site quoted Keith Fountain, director of land acquisition for the Nature Conservancy’s Florida chapter, as saying: “Just a few years ago conservationists couldn’t compete. It was very tough to buy anything. Now it exceeds anything I’ve seen in my 16 years with the conservancy.”

Democracy & Civics

Racial Profiling in the Great White North?

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Racial minorities in Canada are more likely to have a police record than their white counterparts even if they don’t get convicted, the Toronto Star reports. The Star examined the criminal histories of almost three million people in Canada’s national crime database. According to the Canadian Police Information Centre, minorities were less likely to be convicted of a crime, but spend longer periods in pre-trial detention. DNA sampling, required by Canadian law for violent crimes, also showed a skew. Almost twice as many minorities — 10.5 percent — gave samples for violent crimes, as compared to 6 percent of all Caucasian offenders.