AEFJN-Information No.45 – February 2011
- Detalles
- Categoría: Actualidad en inglés
- Publicado el Miércoles, 16 Febrero 2011 14:57
ood Sovereignty
Food Price Volatility Dominates Farm Ministers’ Summit
High and volatile food prices dominated discussions at a G-20 farm ministers’ summit on trade and food security in Berlin this weekend. However, while participants reached broad agreement on the problem, they disagreed over its causes and preferred solutions. The role played by financial market speculation proving particularly controversial. http://ictsd.org/i/news/bridgesweekly/99595/
Trade
COMESA, EAC and SADC sign Memorandum of Understanding
Ghana, top ECOWAS pupil
Professor Lambert N’Galadio Bamba, commissioner for the macro-economic policies of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, cites Ghana as an example of economic success. http://www.lesafriques.com/actualite/le-ghana-meilleur-eleve-de-la-cedeao.html?Itemid=89?articleid=27434 (French)
What role for the World Health Organisation?
http://seroposition.canalblog.com/archives/2011/01/04/20038840.html (French)
The greed of laboratories kills – Pressure on doctors, lobbying against generic medicines
http://www.actupparis.org/spip.php?article4286 (French)
Climate Change
Climate Change and the coming Health Crisis
Indirect impacts of climate change—large-scale alterations to Earth’s natural systems—pose the greatest risk to human health. Indirect effects of global climate change threaten the health of hundreds of millions of people. These changes are curtailing access to water and to food and are undermining the very concept of stable homes, yet have received scant attention in the literature, including the report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/57882/#ixzz1CcPENwMn
180 Million Dollars invested in biofuels in Ethiopia
http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24838&Ite
Water
At last, the Bushmen of Kalahari have had their justice as the country’s Supreme Court of Appeal has granted them rights to access water on their ancestral land. The government of Botswana banned them from using water from the borehole in a bid to force them to abandon their way of living. http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6925
Small Arms
Reports by AEFJN
AEFJN has recently published two reports on arms and Africa. You can find them on AEFJN’s website:
1.AEFJN Report - Arms Exports and Transfers from AFRICA to AFRICA, country by country
2.AEFJN Report - Arms exports and Transfers from EUROPE to AFRICA
West Africa: ECOWAS adopts Common Position on the ATT
On December 15th, members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted a Common Position on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to promote the interests of the region in ATT negotiations. The West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) participated in the process to ensure the voices of civil society were heard. http://bit.ly/dF8t6w
New report on the Lord’s Resistance Army
A new report on the Lord’s Resistance Army, ‘Ghosts of Christmas Past’ has been launched. It lists a number of recommendations on information sharing and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), among other topics. Find the report at: http://bit.ly/igoi7H
The fight against the proliferation of small arms in Africa
RECSA is the Secretariat of the Nairobi Declaration that later became the Nairobi Protocol. Its aim is to coordinate the joint effort by National Focal Points in the 14 Member States to prevent, combat and eradicate stockpiling and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa. AEFJN maintains communication with the RECSA Secretariat and supports its work. http://www.aefjn.org/index.php/363/articles/id-1102-fight-against-the-proliferation-of-small-arms-in-africa.html
Corporate Social Responsibility
Conflict Minerals Company Rankings
http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/conflict-minerals-company-rankings
Tanzanian Gold Mining: People and Livestock Poisoned
In May 2009, toxic waste from a gold mine located in North Mara, Tanzania, spilled into River Thigithe. Reports from the surrounding villages alleged that 20 people and from 700 to 1,000 head of livestock died from the contaminated water. The company that operates the mine, African Barrick, denied that the spillage led to the deaths of villagers, and Barrick's spokesperson said recently that there are no more problems with the river. But villagers living in Tarime district claim they are still experiencing health-related illnesses from the water. There are also reports that a number of people have been killed by security forces belonging to the company. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/70445
Rwanda begins tagging minerals
http://www.itri.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_NEWSART/view.asp?Q=BF_NEWSART_322170
Assets of fallen dictators seized in European banks