World

Children Still Soldiers in Global Battlefields

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Up to 200,000 children have been forced into armed service by government troops and rebel groups in 20 countries throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, according to news reports. This ranges from conscription of teenage boys into the Peruvian army, as reported in LivinginPeru.com, to grim stories of children used in terrorist operations. In one such incident, Inter Press Service reports that Iraqi insurgents placed explosives on a young girl and detonated her by remote control. The worst abuses are found in Myanmar, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo; insurgent fighters in Afghanistan, Burundi, Nepal, the Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Colombia also habitually conscript child soldiers. The Daily Star of Lebanon also reported various Palestinian groups are still using children as soldiers.

Economy

China Comes Calling in Latin America

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China’s search for natural resources is taking it to Latin America, and bringing considerable economic clout at a time when U.S. trade with the region is steadily declining. In Peru, China has locked in control of copper production with its multibillion-dollar purchase of a mountain that holds most of Peru’s copper reserves, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Venezuela, meanwhile, has sealed a new agreement that will increase crude oil exports to China to one million barrels daily by 2012, reports Portworld.com. Other Chinese investments in Latin America include $1 billion for a hydroelectric plant in Ecuador and a $10 billion loan to Brazil’s national oil company, The New York Times reports. China is now Latin America’s second largest trading partner, with trade increasing by almost 40 percent in 2008, up to $140 billion, according to China Daily, while a Foreign Policy magazine essay states that China is signing currency swap agreements worth more than $100 billion.

Democracy & Civics

After a Thaw, East Bloc Democracies Face New Freeze

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The fledgling democracies of Moldova and Ukraine are struggling with new political and economic challenges. In Moldova, young protesters stormed the national parliament building in a show of anger over April 5 elections they believe were rigged in favor of the ruling Communist Party, the BBC reports. President Vladimir Voronin dismissed the protestors as “fascists,” and election observers said the vote was fair. Yet doubts remain among students and opposition parties. Communists have ruled the nation since Mr. Voronin was elected in 2001 by older Moldovans disillusioned by post-Soviet reforms, creating a schism between young voters seeking quicker change and reform, reports the Associated Press.

Democracy & Civics

UPDATE: Fiji Called a South Pacific 'Burma'

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The deepening military control of the island of Fiji has prompted fears of dictatorship. The New Zealand Herald reports that Commodore Frank Bainimarama, head of Fiji’s armed forces, was named Prime Minister just days after an April 9 court ruling declared that his government was illegal under the nation’s constitution. Bainimarama seized power in a 2006 coup, and has been in charge ever since. After the court ruling, Fiji’s president, who is considered a “puppet” by critics, suspended the constitution, had the judges fired, and gave Bainimarama a promotion to head of state. Democratic elections are on hold, press freedom and dissent have been “crushed,” the country’s 800,000 inhabitants are facing international isolation and economic destitution.

Environment

A (Relatively) Steady Breeze Lifts Wind Power Worldwide

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From the American heartland to China and Latin America, wind energy is becoming an increasing popular alternative energy source — though questions remain about environmental impacts. The Fort Worth Business Press reports that Texas outranks all other states in the number of wind farms it operates. Iowa, where President Barack Obama made a symbolic visit April 22 to commemorate Earth Day, ranks second. In Ohio, the municipality of Avon Lake is the latest in the region to consider local initiatives to harness the breezes coming off nearby Lake Eerie. The American Wind Energy Association said U.S. wind-power capacity increased by 50 percent in 2008, edging out Germany as the world leader in the field.

Economy

'Blood Minerals' Taint Electronic Gadgets

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A new report by a Washington-based advocacy group links sexual violence in Africa and electronics manufacturing. Tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold are mined in illegal operations, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then sent abroad to be used in electronic gadgets such as iPods, cell phones and laptops. Local rebel factions in the DRC trade these “conflict minerals” for weapons, and routinely terrorize residents in contested regions, according to the Enough Project’s findings. This includes looting, burning of property and ever-increasing sexual violence against women and girls. According to the study, more than 1,000 rapes are reported in the DRC monthly — the highest rate in the world.

Democracy & Civics

Bolivia Universities Go Native

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Three universities for indigenous people will be established in Bolivia, according to reports. The schools will provide curriculums targeted to indigenous cultures and communities, and will also focus on political movements in step with the leftist agenda of President Evo Morales. Prensa Latina reports that the schools will offer classes in the Aymara, Quecha and Guarani languages, and are part of an effort to “decolonize” Bolivia’s culture. –Brittany Owens/Newsdesk.org
Sources:
“Bolivia Opens University for Indians”
Latin American Herald Tribune, April 12, 2009
“Bolivia to Open Indigenous Universities”
Prensa Latina, April 6, 2009

Environment

Clinton Adviser Fears Population Crunch

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Speaking on a BBC radio talk show, an adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that there are “probably already too many people on the planet” than the Earth’s ecosystem can sustain. Dr. Nina Federoff, an adviser to Clinton as well as her predecessor, Condoleeza Rice, said that with a population of almost seven billion, humans will need to better manage water and “wild lands.” She also said genetically modified agriculture would be required to sustain large populations. –Brittany Owens/Newsdesk.org
Source:

“Earth population ‘exceeds limits'”
BBC News/March 31, 2009

Democracy & Civics

Guerrilla Girls Go Mainstream — Again

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Famous for wearing gorilla masks in fine-art settings, the arts-activism group Guerrilla Girls has decided to archive its work at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, reports The Independent. Forty boxes containing photos, fan (and hate) mail, sketches and other memorabilia will be kept at the decidedly mainstream Getty facility. The Guerrilla Girls got started in 1985, putting up vivid posters around New York City and elsewhere that charged mainstream art figures and institutions of racism and sexism. A decade later they began targeting politicians, sexual harassment and the religious right. Although their underground status has been parlayed into exhibitions in major art institutions, one anonymous Geurrilla Girl told the newspaper that “none of the organization’s members will directly profit from the sale of the archives.”

Nation

Pigs Used in Roadside Bomb Tests

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The Pentagon used live pigs and rats to test body armor used against roadside bomb attacks, reports USA Today. The tests included almost 200 blasts, and measured brain and body trauma. Animals that weren’t wearing body armor died in about two days; those with armor survived “significantly higher blasts,” according to a spokesperson for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Pentagon officials noted some similarities between pigs and humans, but critics said the two were not comparable, and called for an end to the testing. According to the newspaper, roadside bombs are “the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.”