“A comparison of satellite images reveals that just in 2010, 1,000 hectares of primary forest have been lost in this area,” says chief of the protected area, John Flores Leiva.
Near Peru’s Tambopata, gold rush ravages rainforest
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Freedom first or buisness first?
Article on the opinion page of The New York times
July 1st 2011.
While trying to find an article on current property rights in Cuba I stumbled across this article and found it co compelling, as relative also to this weeks reading that I had to post it.
The article basically debates the current US policy towards two communist countries: Cuba and China.
It states that on the one hand, the US is still refusing to trade or deal with Cuba on accusations of human rights abuses, and enactment on economic and political reforms, while on the other hand has significantly contributed to Chinas’ steady rise in the world economy and politics despite the abysmal human rights record (which the US actually contributed to and still does! thanks to the import of especially textiles made in near slave-like conditions).
The attitude toward Cuba, labelled “freedom first” is is in stark contrast to the attitude toward China “buisness first”.
Despite the fact that this article was extremely biased and leaned heavily on miinformed ideas about the nature of the Cuban government I think it makes two interesting points.
1. It shows the reality of the importance of Human rights, not as an actual tangible concept but as a political tool. It is used in the case of Cuba, not because they have any interest in Cuban welfare (I think 50 years of harsh economic blockades says enough for itself), but because they quite clearly want economic reform in Cuba that would favor US investment.
2. In addition I question the description of the Cuban governmnet as
“a brutal and bankrupt totalitarian dictatorship led by a handful of octogenarians, refuses to acknowledge human rights or to accommodate political or economic reforms.”
Really? I went to Cuba this year, for 6 weeks. Half of the time was for a course studying the sustainable agriculture movement in Cuba (really quite remarkable and unknown,wonder why?) and the other half I was traveling. I have never met such a healthy, well-educated people. The number one priority for Cuba is food-security, the second is education. They even have in their constitution a right to sport! They have a right to own land, for free, if they make it productive. They have property rights, constitutional rights that are upheld. They are relative to that country and that countrys’ history for sure and they are different from the US rights, which themselves are violated constantly (Guantanamo bay..coincidentally comes to mind first).
As for economic reform? The current economic reform being pushed is one that will empower the people, by forming them into co-operatives, taking away the mechanism to allow for the formation of too-powerful company monopolies (Cargill anyone, apropos human rights abuses and exploitation…..). This IS giving power to the people, by letting them own their company. It may not be the most efficient model, or generate the most wealth but it sure as hell is more “democratic” than the current US model…
Rigoberta Menchú gives her support in favor of Death Penalty in Guatemala
As a measure to combat crime and violence in the country, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú is giving her support to the rightist candidate Manuel Baldizón whose promise would be to implement death penalty in Guatemala. She insisted that her compromise is “total” and will help with her (and Guatemala’s) fight against ethnocide, genocide, femicide and human rights violations.
I wonder what you all think of this measure… it’s a very controversial topic but considering the fact that Guatemala encounters ~42 homicides per week (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html), it simply makes me wonder if this will actually help make things better.. thoughts?
http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2011/09/29/poderes/75153
http://noticias.terra.com/america-latina/guatemala/guatemala-menchu-da-su-apoyo-a-candidato-que-promueve-la-pena-de-muerte,c02efc4f861b2310VgnVCM4000009bf154d0RCRD.html
http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2011/09/29/poderes/75153
In the News: Mexican Court Upholds Anti-Abortion Stance
This week, I read about how the Mexican Supreme Court voted to uphold an amendment to the Baja California constitution which stipulates that life begins at conception, though by a slim margin - 8 votes were needed to overturn this amendment and 7 of the 11 justices deemed it unconstitutional. Though this is being hailed as a pro-life victory for now, it seems to me that given the narrow margin of victory and the number of people opposed to this issue, this is something which will stay on the table for a while yet. As well, many women's groups fear that having abortion outlawed in some states (except for in certain extenuating circumstances, mentioned in the article) and having it be legal up to a certain number of weeks in Mexico City may create a divide between those able to go to Mexico City and those who are not and as such, pursue "clandestine abortions" - of which the health risks involved are monumental.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15104022
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15104022
In the News: Mexican Court Upholds Anti-Abortion Stance
This week, I read about how the Mexican Supreme Court voted to uphold an amendment to the Baja California constitution which stipulates that life begins at conception, though by a slim margin - 8 votes were needed to overturn this amendment and 7 of the 11 justices deemed it unconstitutional. Though this is being hailed as a pro-life victory for now, it seems to me that given the narrow margin of victory and the number of people opposed to this issue, this is something which will stay on the table for a while yet. As well, many women's groups fear that having abortion outlawed in some states (except for in certain extenuating circumstances, mentioned in the article) and having it be legal up to a certain number of weeks in Mexico City may create a divide between those able to go to Mexico City and those who are not and as such, pursue "clandestine abortions" - of which the health risks involved are monumental.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15104022
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15104022
Brazil judge halts work on Belo Monte Amazon dam
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15102520
A victory for indigenous rights in Brazil. This would have devastated the traditional lands of thousands of people all in the name of “progress”. Thankfully this judge has some common sense. Hopefully the ruling is upheld and the project is scrapped.
From the BBC:
A judge in Brazil has ordered a halt to construction of a multi-billion-dollar dam project in the Amazon region.
Judge Carlos Castro Martins barred any work that would interfere with the natural flow of the Xingu river.
He ruled in favour of a fisheries group which argued that the Belo Monte dam would affect local fish stocks and could harm indigenous families who make a living from fishing.
The government says the dam is crucial to meeting growing energy needs.
Judge Martins barred the Norte Energia company behind the project from “building a port, using explosives, installing dikes, building canals and any other infrastructure work that would interfere with the natural flow of the Xingu river, thereby affecting local fish stocks”.
Legal battle
He said the building of canals and dikes could have negative repercussions for river communities living off small-scale fishing.
The judge said building work currently underway on accommodation blocks for the project’s many workers could continue as it would not interfere with the flow of the river.
The consortium behind the project is expected to appeal against the decision.
In June, the Brazilian environment agency backed the construction, dismissing concerns by environmentalists and indigenous groups who argue that it will harm the world’s largest tropical rainforest and displace tens of thousands of people.
The agency, Ibama, said the dam had been subjected to “robust analysis” of its impact on the environment.
The 11,000-megawatt dam would be the third biggest in the world – after the Three Gorges in China and Itaipu, which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay.
Human Rights: Olympe de Gouges
The discussions and readings from last week were extremely fascinating. I especially enjoyed getting informed and reading Olympe de Gouges’ “The declaration of the rights of woman” since it put a clear image of her bravery and her efforts towards having women comprise the same rights as men, especially for the time period. While reading her declaration to the Queen, I found this section really interesting due to her straightforwardness and somehow comedic tone, “ if you were less well informed, Madame, I might fear that your individual interests would outweigh those of your sex. You love glory; think, Madame, the greatest crimes immortalize one as much as the greatest virtues, but what a different fame in the annals of history.”
What I most loved about de Gouges was the way she equally wanted to apply the law. She doesn’t neglect men; instead she acknowledges equality for both sexes. I found Article XI quite hilarious. It talked about how free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of woman since it will assure the recognition of children by their fathers. Even though this might seem quite obvious and a bit funny how she tried to give reasons for the importance, I found it to be more of a pride thing for both parents to be recognized and for the recognition of the term ”mother.”
It really keeps me thinking how this declaration was received (obviously not well) but what were the immediate thoughts of the Queen when she read it.
News writing #3 Alabama house bill 56 against human rights of illegal immigrants
News article in Spanish http://noticias.univision.com/inmigracion/noticias/article/2011-09-28/se-acerca-el-dia-mas
There has been a lot of media covering Arizonans laws that affect a lot of illegal immigrants, now Alabama also wants to implement similar laws
(more info on bill 56http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/08/alabama-house-bill-56-the-immigrant-trespassing-law-explained/). T
These new laws would affect an array of things one thing that struck me the most is that like in Arizona police can ask you your legal status but if you are not able to prove your legal status you can be put in jail unit you can prove it; which make me think that if this is the case you would have to carry your passport everywhere you go, because if not you are at risk of going to jail, also if you give a job to a illegal immigrant you can go to jail and if you transport a illegal immigrant in your car you can go to jail even if you are taking the person to the hospital, which makes me think about the right to life, is being affected in a great way.
This bill has not been passed yet; a decision will be made this Thursday but already rights of illegal immigrants are being affected in the news Article I choose, it talks about how the lives of immigrants are being affected it talks about Jose who is a illegal immigrant who went to the Alabama water commission to get some services to be able to get water and they asked him for ID he said he didn't have ID so they refused to give him service in turn refusing him water, which in my view is a basic human right and this is just the begging since the bill has not passed, if this bill is passed many illegal immigrants will be denied basic human rights.
Leopoldo Lopez launches Venezuela presidential bid
BBC NEWS
Leopoldo Lopez launches Venezuela presidential bid
Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez has launched his campaign to challenge President Hugo Chavez in elections next year.
It comes a week after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ordered Venezuela to allow him to run.
Addressing thousands of supporters in the capital Caracas, Mr Lopez urged President Chavez to accept the ruling.
Mr Lopez had been banned from public office because of corruption allegations.
President Chavez has criticised the IACHR ruling, and Venezuelan election officials say they will wait for a judgement from the supreme court on whether he should be allowed to stand.
Afraid?
At the rally in Caracas, Mr Lopez accused Mr Chavez of “hiding behind” public institutions.
“Is it true what they are saying all over Venezuela, that you are afraid of me?” he asked.
He said his main priorities would be to tackle violent crime and reduce unemployment.
Mr Lopez, 40, is one of several contenders for a primary election in February, when Venezuela’s main opposition alliance will choose a unity candidate to challenge President Chavez on 7 October 2012.
A former mayor of the Chacao district of Caracas, he was banned from public office in 2004 by the comptroller-general’s office over two separate allegations of financial wrongdoing.
He has denied the allegations, and has never been convicted in court.
Challenge
Whoever wins the opposition nomination faces a tough challenge to defeat President Chavez, who has governed Venezuela since 1999, winning repeated election victories.
The left-wing leader has said he is determined to win another term in office, despite having surgery for cancer in June.
He says he is now recovering his health after four courses of chemotherapy.
But secrecy about the exact nature and extent of his cancer has fuelled continuing speculation about whether he will be well enough to campaign.
Parliamentary elections last year showed Venezuelan voters evenly divided between support for Mr Chavez’s socialists and the opposition.
Among the other candidates seeking the opposition nomination in February’s primary are state governors Henrique Capriles Radonski and Pablo Perez.
Cuba ‘Ladies in White’ protest blocked in Havana
BBC NEWS
Cuba ‘Ladies in White’ protest blocked in Havana
Government supporters in Cuba have prevented the “Ladies in White” dissident group from holding a protest march in the capital, Havana.
Shouting insults and slogans, a crowd of hundreds massed outside the home of the group’s leader, Laura Pollan.
The dissidents had been planning to march to church on the Day of Our Lady of Mercy – patron saint of prisoners.
Government security agents looked on but did not intervene as the two groups argued. There was no violence.
Waving Cuban flags, the pro-government demonstrators shouted “Worms!” and “Get out!” at the 35 dissident women inside Laura Pollan’s House.
They also set up a sound system that blared out the Cuban national anthem.
Spontaneous?
Cuba’s small dissident movement often faces harassment from groups of government supporters.
The communist authorities say such demonstrations are spontaneous reactions by ordinary Cubans, but the opposition say they are orchestrated by the government.
The Ladies in White group is made up of wives and daughters of dissidents who were jailed in a 2003 crackdown on opposition activists.
The prisoners have all been released over the past year under a deal brokered by the Roman Catholic Church, and some have gone into exile in Spain.
But the Ladies in White have continued to campaign for the release of around 50 other prisoners convicted of violent crimes such as hijacking which they say are political.
The Catholic Church says the authorities have stepped up a campaign of low-level harassment of dissidents in recent months.
The Cuban government generally refer to dissidents as mercenaries paid by the US to destabilise the communist system.
Bolivia minister quits in growing row over road protest
BBC NEWS
Bolivia minister quits in growing row over road protest
Bolivian Defence Minister Cecilia Chacon has resigned in protest at the government’s decision to deploy police to break up an anti-road march.
Her resignation came amid growing public anger at the police action which saw some 500 officers fire tear gas and round up indigenous demonstrators.
The protesters had been marching since mid-August against plans to build a road through a rainforest reserve.
President Evo Morales says the road is essential for Bolivia’s development. However, on Sunday he offered to put the issue to a regional referendum.
Demonstrators blocked a landing strip on Monday to prevent police flying detainees out.
Hours later, police wielding batons moved to clear the demonstrators from their camp outside the town of Yucomo, where they were stopped last week.
Protest leaders said dozens of people had been put on buses and driven away. Local police chief Oscar Munoz said they were being taken back to their hometowns.
The Bolivian ombudsman, Rolando Villena, criticised what he said was excessive use of force by the police.
“Injured children, disappeared mothers who didn’t want to separate from their children – this does not talk well about our democracy. This is not democracy,” he said.
And on Monday, trade unions, indigenous associations and opposition parties all condemned the police action.
In a letter to President Morales, Ms Chacon gave notice of her “irrevocable” resignation.
“I do not agree with the decision to intervene in the march and I cannot defend or justify the measure when other alternatives existed,” her letter said.
Also on Monday, people seized the landing strip in the Amazon town of Rurrenabaque to prevent police from flying detained protesters out of the area.
Hundreds of people set off last month from Trinidad to walk 500km (310 miles) to Bolivia’s main city, La Paz, but were stopped at Yucomo, with about half the journey covered.
On Saturday, they briefly detained the foreign minister, David Choquehuanca, forcing him to walk with them.
Mr Choquehuanca, who had come to negotiate with the protesters, said the fact that he was freed showed “they want to resolve matters through dialogue”.
Plans for a road through the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory and National Park – known by its Spanish acronym Tipnis – have divided opinion in Bolivia.
Indigenous people who live in the reserve say the highway would encourage illegal settlement and deforestation in their ancestral Amazon homeland.
But others, including Mr Morales, say the road would help bring basic services to isolated communities, and also boost the local economy by giving farmers better access to markets.
The road, which would link the highland city of Cochabamba with San Ignacio de Moxos in the Amazon lowlands, is being funded by Brazil and built by a Brazilian company.
The march is the latest in a series of challenges Mr Morales is facing from the indigenous groups and social movements that helped make him Bolivia’s first indigenous president.
Calderón making moves toward a police state
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/09/23/index.php?section=politica&article=005n1pol
This is in Castilian, so maybe not be accessible to all. The gist is that the current administration in power in Mexico under President Calderon is implementing security measures that increase the rights of law enforcement officers. The measures are very reminiscent of the Bush Era Patriot act, for example proceeding with investigations without judicial approval, but it also deals with a new power of police and military to detain people “in urgent situations” and search homes and people without warrants. The language of the PAN (National Action Party) is that there are exceptions to the rights of citizens and privacy rights in order to infiltrate Mexican drug cartels, and that skipping certain steps in the judiciary will enable a more swift process of justice.
Human Rights Themes
De Gouges “Rights of Women” interestingly tries to capitalize on the heated emotions of the time towards monarchical rule. In Article IV, de Gouges touts keywords used by males in their resistance to the monarchy and imperial rule, such as “liberty and justice”, “natural rights” of women being limited by the perpetuation of tyranny by males as opposed to monarchies or empires, and solvable through “laws of nature and reason.”
De Gouges draws upon the American colonial arguments and language often. Article VI is reminiscent of the American grievances and language directed at the British Empire only 20-30 years earlier. De Gouges’ citing equality of male and female citizens before the law is akin to the American cry for equal treatment under the law for colonial subjects to their homeland counterparts – colonists felt treated as second class citizens much the way de Gouges implies women were being treated. Article XIII also draws upon American colonist complaints against Britain
Clearly, de Gouges articles of declaration for rights of women drew upon the recently successful American Revolution and the social ideas that had grown in popularity with it. De Gouges, like many other human rights declarations or charters, past and present, was appealing to popular sentiment at the time such as the 1960s human rights initiative from last week’s reading that was very much in tune with the human rights declaration in the late 1940s – such human rights declarations and charters are truly a product of their time expressing a certain groups desires and criticisms.
Silence or Death in Mexico’s Press
Silence or Death in Mexico's Press :
A special report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2010 on the effect that drug trafficking has had on freedom of the press in Mexico.
“Violence against the press has swept the nation and destroyed Mexicans’ right to freedom of expression. This national crisis demands a full-scale federal response.”
It delves into the popular saying “plomo o planta” - take our money or die. A saying that has become a powerful silencing/censoring mechanism in the country.
It outlines the situation in Mexico, offers a few case studies and concludes with a call to the Federal Government and recommendations for further action.
The begining of human rights
In this weeks reading I found many interesting things. Starting with Olympe de gouges “the declaration of the rights of woman, I was very surprised how advanced Olympe de Gouges was for her time, and I was especially surprised how specific and how many aspects she covered, one aspect that stood out to me is what she mentioners in Article 17 where she mentions that “property belongs to both sexes whether united or separate” she also later mentions this same aspect under “form for social contact between man and woman” where she mentions “we likewise obligate ourselves in case of separation to divide our wealth and to set aside in advance the portion the law indicates for our children” I find these to aspects to be very advance for her time, taking mind that separation was not common in her time and she was including things like child and spousal support. This is surprising because even now in our time there are some countries where the woman still does not have right to the family wealth.
In another reading by Thomas Hobbes i found very interesting that “covenants extorted by fear are valid” I find this very surprising because it mentions that is you pay a ransom for you life and you are set free you are obligate to pay and you are bond by the contract made where you promise to pay in exchange for your life, this is also the case for prisoners of war, I found this to be irrational because it means that fear can be used to make you agree to anything and you have to oblige to it. I imagine if this was the case today, there would be a lot more violence.
In this reading i also found interesting that Hobbes second law of nature is very similar to the golden rule and he mentioners this he calls it the law of the gospels and he quotes it fro the bible directly in Latin, i found this interesting because it shows that this basic rule has been present for a long time and it is still very active in different religions today.
Thomas Paine Right of man also mentions a lot in regards to creation, and i found interesting that he brings out some important aspects about creation that no matter what account, they have some similarities one “the unity of men” ,secondly that “all men are born equal and with equal human rights” and that all men “derived it's existence from God”. In creation there are no differences between men only difference he mentioners is between sexes and good and bad are also distinctions, so there are not many differences. I believe that with this point of view natural rights are more easily implemented to all.
In the book the social contract I found chapter 5 very interesting which is the right of life and death, here it is mentioned that “men have the right to risk their own life to preserve it” here in this chapter it mentioners that the same way we would kill others to preserve our life sometimes we have to give our life to preserver the life of others, Rousseau uses this argument to explain the death penalty saying the a murderer should give his life to protect the life of those he might kill in the future, i think this aspect is very controversial because who can really predict future killings, also would a person really agree to be killed or “give his life” in order to preserve the life of others, when he uses the example that a person might kill to preserve his life, the one being killed is not sacrificing his life he is not agreeing to die just to let you live instead this is a struggle to see who lives. in general i found all these reading very interested.
