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

Environment

Mexico City's Water Woes

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Drought and leaky pipes are causing unusual water shortages in Mexico City, reports the Latin American Herald Tribune. A lack of planning, and poorly maintained pipelines that lose as much as 40 percent of the water they transport, have exacerbated unprecedented lows in the city’s reservoir system, causing millions of people to lose some or all of their water supplies over Easter weekend. Experts say that if droughts persist as expected, and despite planned repairs on pipelines, water shortages will only increase. –Brittany Owens/Newsdesk.org
Source:
“Depleted Reservoirs Threaten Mexico City’s Water Supply”
Latin American Herald Tribune, April 10, 2009

World

Tech-Savvy Targets for British Army Ads

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A new British Army ad campaign seeks to recruit tech savvy youth, reports The Independent. The Internet-based ads create an interactive environment in which participants can test their mettle in simulated online missions. Their hope is to reel in teenage boys who have grown up playing video games, and have valuable high-tech skills. The British Army is already stretched thin, and needs 16,000 new recruits per year. Yet their target audience is a hard sell.

Economy

Bartering Begets Business in Difficult Times

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From Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo to Chicago and Seattle, bartering and swap meets are back in style, as businesses and individuals look for new ways to get what they want in a cash-strapped world. In Argentina, bartering is a 14-year-old custom, an outgrowth of another time when the peso went bust, according to a report in Inter Press Service. Argentines have formed 500 barter clubs, where people go to exchange everything from home-cooked meals and home repairs to a medical or dental exam. Corporate giant Bayer AG is taking a different approach in neighboring Brazil, where it is accepting coffee, corn, cotton and soy from farmers in lieu of cash as payment for agrochemicals. A company spokesman told Reuters that Bayer considers bartering “a good way” of doing business in uncertain economic times.

Economy

Climate Change's First Toll: Women

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Officials say women in developing countries are taking the brunt of the hardships created by climate change. Speaking at the Aspen Environment Forum in Colorado, government officials from Africa, the Middle East and South America described a variety of problems, reports the Aspen Daily News. In Nicaragua, droughts have forced women, who traditionally gather water and firewood accompanied by their daughters, to travel farther from home, keeping young women from school. Mozambique’s coastline is eroding and turning to desert, sending women farther to find fresh water, sometimes in competition with wild animals such as elephants. Advocates hope renewable energy projects and education will both help improve conditions, the newspaper reports.

Economy

Rocky Road for Andean Free Trade Pact

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Peru, Colombia and Ecuador are holding a second round of free-trade talks with the European Union, after but without the support of neighboring Bolivia. Latin American Press, a nonprofit outlet with a focus on human rights, reports that Bolivia left the talks in November, along with Ecuador, which rejoined negotiations in January. Critics said that E.U. wants patent and intellectual property rules that would favor European pharmaceutical companies, raising prices for drugs and increasing the wait for generic drugs to hit the market. –Julia Hengst/Newsdesk.org
“Trade pact threatens integration”
Latin American Press, April 1, 2009