Bali talks aim to jumpstart climate change fight

Talks begin to design a roadmap to reduce greenhouse emissions and to replace the Kyoto treaty, with all represented nations on board.

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How America Lost the War on Drugs

An interesting article done by Rolling Stones outlining how America Lost the War on Drugs.

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Slate Magazine - Smartest Drug Story of the Year

A brief review of "How America Lost the War on Drugs" by Ben Wallace-Wells' lengthy article in Rolling Stone. If you don't read the longer article, this one still has some thought-proving information.

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Big Brother is watching us all

this does not look good...I feel less safe now than I did before all the increased security measures. This might only perpetuate greater fear than most feel already. Would it actually make us safer, would people being able to see into our homes, through the walls, without our knowledge, make us safer?

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Sudan rubs salt in Darfur's wounds

A man indicted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court has been appointed to co-chair a committe, intended to investigate human rights abuses filed by victims of the genocide in Darfur. Not exactly a step in the right direction...

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"AIDS & African Americans" from ABS World News Tonight: July 7, 202

This is totally shocking! In 2002, according to this news clip, Washington, D.C. had as high a rate of HIV infections as the countries of Nigeria or Uganda!

What do you know about 21st century slavery?

Did you know that last year approximately 700,000-1,000,000 people were trafficked throughout the world? That doesn't include the number of people already held as slaves against their will. It's estimated that 25,000-50,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year. Believe it or not, there may even be slaves living in your neighborhood. Do you know why or where trafficking happens? This essay, "Trafficking, Slaves on the Move," found on the iAbolish web-site, is extremely informational and fairly short. Please read it!

Slavery in the 21st Century

An interview on PBS, On Point, with Gloria Steinem, who wrote the forward to "Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery." She's involved with the organization
iAbolish, headquartered in Boston, MA. Slavery is very much alive, and I believe it is almost as profitable as the drug trade (will check and cite source!).

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In this interview she mentions the movie "Trade," coming out in the US on September 21, 2007. PLEASE SEE THIS MOVIE AND TELL OTHERS ABOUT IT!!! Written by Jose Rivera, who wrote the screenplay for "Motorycle Diaries."

ABC News: Evangelicals Go Green

Looking beyond traditional litmus test issues such as abortion or gay marriage, some young Christians say they are no longer calling themselves Republican. Many Evangelicals are awakening to the call to be stewards of God's creation, which some Evangelicals have been calling others to for decades.

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Also watch Bill Moyers' PBS report "Is God Green?"

Aceh peace threatened by untreated trauma - report

A little known side of disaster recovery-lack of mental health response. An article about a report published by the Ministry of Health of Indonesia, the World Bank, and the Harvard Department of Social Medicine on mental health relief needed for war-torn Aceh. A Psychological Needs Assement of Communities in 14 Conflict-Affected Districts in Aceh



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From the BBC News-"Undercover in SE Asia's Brothels"

Another must-read about modern slavery/forced prostution/human trade, this time from the BBC

Enslaved in the USA-an article by Donna Hughes

Dr. Donna Hughes, professor of women's studies at the University of Rhode Island and researcher on international and domestic sex trafficking (read: forced prostitution/slavery), writes another interesting article about trafficking in the US, something most of us know very little. The statistics are astounding. Check out the article here.

Forgotten Communities, Unmet Promises

The areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still need our support and assistance. Pray, donate time and money, support legislation, whatever you can do to help our fellow Americans regain their lives.





Oxfam America
When the Levees Broke - an HBO doc. by Spike Lee

200th Anniversary of Abolition of Slave Trade: Slavery is Not Dead

Anti-Slavery advocates throughout the US are signing this petition asking Congress to sign into law te Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act. While this will not free all 27 million slaves throughout the world, it will help those in slavery in Sudan.

“Sudan is the only place where chattel slavery is not just surviving but experiencing a great revival. This renascence of the slave trade began in the mid-1980s... (John Eibner, “My Career Redeeming Slaves” from the Middle East Quarterly, December 1999).

Go to the American Anti-Slavery Group and sign this petition:

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade; and yet, an estimated 12,000 southern Sudanese remain enslaved in northern Sudan, victims of a 23-year civil war that pre-dates the current conflict in Darfur.

Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey is preparing to re-introduce the Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act. I am writing to ask you to help ensure that this bill becomes law by signing on as a co-sponsor and voting for it when it reaches the floor. Honor this bicentennial year by taking meaningful action on modern-day slavery.

If passed, the Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act will create a commission charged with the following:

(1) identifying the location of slaves in Sudan and ensuring their freedom;

(2) ensure safe passage of freed slaves and family reunification;

(3) documenting existing cases of slavery and working to prevent new cases from occurring;

(4) ensuring that former slaves have access to basic education and skill training, as well as medical, social, and psychological support needed for their effective rehabilitation and reintegration into society; and

(5) ensuring that those individuals responsible for slavery are brought to justice.Passing resolutions honoring the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade are meaningless if they are not accompanied by concrete action. Please help to ensure that basic human right, freedom, can be a reality for everyone at last.

Signed by:
[Your name]
[Your address]

Resources:
2007 Trafficking in Persons Report
The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
The International Justice Mission

Seeking Justice in Africa: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com

An interesting interview with Suliman Baldo of the International Center for Transitional Justice on recovery and stability in war-torn African nations.

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Insurance Companies Reactions to Sicko

A very interesting article which shows the reactions from the pharmaceutical and insurance companies regarding Sicko.

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Myths and falsehoods about global warming

Since the release of the film An Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics, May 2006) featuring former Vice President Al Gore, the issue of global warming has received increased attention in the popular media. Yet numerous media figures have distorted the scientific studies they cite...read on to learn more!



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Once a slave in the US, still fighting for her freedom | csmonitor.com

María Suárez survived life as a sex slave for five years in Los Angeles. There are thousands more like her. This is an important issue, reality occuring in thousands of people's lives each day, which few people know very much about.



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Study cites lack of terrorism-linked deportation

U.S. immigration agencies say anti-terrorism is their primary mission, but they tried to deport only 12 people on terrorism-related charges from 2004 through 2006, according to a private research study released Sunday. Apparently there's a quota to meet.



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Thoughts on Immigration Raids: Take 1

I've been thinking about Illegal Immigration a lot these days, for several hours a day, since I'm doing a huge project one of my grad classes on the subject. I'm still unsure where I stand as far as policy recommendations. There are a few things I do know, though:

Lots of people are really passionate about the subject but are passionate because of what other people have told them, not because they've sought out the facts themselves. This pertains to people on any side of the issue.

"Illegals" and "aliens" are degrading terms that dehumanize illegal immigrants. They make us forget that they're people who were created (in my view) by God, just as we were. It allows us to separate from them, causes us to view them as "enemies" rather than trying to understand why they would risk their very lives to enter here illegally only to work as a slave. That brings me to this quote:

"'At some point we have to say they are moral agents and they have to be accountable for their decisions,' says Mark Krikorian, head of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington. 'They knowingly put their children in that position, and I find it hard to describe that as anything other than child abuse.'" (Christian Science Monitor, March 16, 2007, "After New Bedford immigration raid, voices call for mercy and justice," by Alexandra Marks and Christian Lupsa)

Could it then be called child abuse for parents to not leave a dangerous, crime-ridden, drug-ridden, impoverished nation where the children would likely starve, be murdered, beaten, abused, and have no hope for the future except to see their children go through the same? Which is more abusive?

And another…"Supporters of illegal immigrants agree that compliance with the law is important. But they also note that there are millions of jobs Americans will not do, which is why the immigrants come." (Christian Science Monitor, March 16, 2007, "After New Bedford immigration raid, voices call for mercy and justice," by Alexandra Marks and Christian Lupsa)

They do jobs Americans would not do because Americans wouldn't stand to be slaves in their own nation. I've even heard myself use this article, but it's unacceptable that we should be okay with illegal immigration because they're willing to work in sweat-shops and we are not.

That's it for now. I just had to get that out.