Category Archives: Uncategorized

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Yes, We Are Afghan Children

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Yes, We Are Afghan Children.

We are butterflies concealing our beauty
We are pale flowers locked in our fragrance
We are stars in the sky without the light of the moon
We are clouds darkly holding heaven’s waters
Yes, we are Afghan children
We are deprived of the pleasures of childhood
—the toys, the laughter, the freedom
We are orphaned children longing for family
Some living without mothers, some without fathers
We are orphaned children desiring kisses from parents who have disappeared
Explosions are the music of our lives
We are orphaned children existing inside cold, cramped tents
We are orphaned children working to feed our families
Working with tiny, cold hands
Hands aching during the night
Hands begging to be warm
During every second we breathe, loud voices escape
Shrieking
We want life, happiness
—food, toys, books, school, peace
Yes, we still have hopes
It is never impossible
We will be shiny butterflies
We will be soft flowers spreading our sweet smell
We will be the light in the sky even during the night

By Farahnaz

The Deadly Addiction to Cheap Meat – In These Times

The Deadly Addiction to Cheap Meat – In These Times.

America’s cheap meat habit is costing more than we bargained for. The factory farming of cows, pigs, poultry and fish sucks up 29 million pounds—80 percent—of antibiotics sold in the United States.

Many illness-causing bacteria are now resistant to most or all of the antibiotics that once killed them. While the overuse of antibiotics on humans has contributed to this public health crisis, the most egregious factor in creating antibiotic resistance is the routine, widespread, greed-driven dosing of livestock. About a quarter of U.S. meat and poultry samples contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The Court – Immigration Law – NYTimes.com

The Court – Immigration Law – NYTimes.com.

The one section the court did uphold requires officers to check the immigration status of anyone they stop, arrest or detain on some other legitimate basis — if the officer has a “reasonable suspicion” the person is in the country illegally. Justice Kennedy wrote that until that provision is put into operation, the court could not assume that it would be applied in ways that conflict with federal law.

But the intent of the law is to harass Hispanics and to drive out immigrants by “attrition through enforcement.” That section of the law, as it goes into effect, will promote racial profiling of all Hispanics, including American citizens and legal residents. By mandating verification of immigration status even when it is unlikely the federal government will deport the individual, the provision sows fear that any contact with law enforcement — even for a jaywalking ticket — could result in detention.

IPS – Market Gardens Key to Autonomy for Niger Women | Inter Press Service

IPS – Market Gardens Key to Autonomy for Niger Women | Inter Press ServiceThe three-hectare garden is managed by women from this village and surrounding settlements in the rural district of Torodi.

Lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage; onions and peppers, aubergine, okra, and squash – Aminata Douramane may be 60 years old, but she shows few signs of slowing down as she ticks off the list of vegetables she grows here. Oh: and mango, guava, lemon and orange trees.

“I’ve also been growing moringa for the past three years,” she said, showing off a plot of land adjacent to her lovingly-cared-for vegetables, where she has a stand of 80-odd Moringa oleifera trees.

“The three children that you saw helping me are my grandchildren. The eldest is 13, and the youngest is eight. They’re all going to school, so it’s only when they’re not in class that they come to lend a hand,” Douramane told IPS.

Bibata Garba, another member of Cernafa, told IPS: “When the project started, I would earn 60,000 CFA (around 115 dollars) from the growing season between December and April. But this time around, I got more than 210,000 CFA (405 dollars) over the same period, thanks to a good harvest.”

Despite Drop from 2009 Peak, Agricultural Land Grabs Still Remain Above Pre-2005 Levels | Worldwatch Institute

Despite Drop from 2009 Peak, Agricultural Land Grabs Still Remain Above Pre-2005 Levels | Worldwatch InstituteAfrica has seen the greatest share of land involved in these acquisitions, with 34.3 million hectares sold or leased since 2000. East Africa accounts for the greatest investment, with 310 deals covering 16.8 million hectares. Increased investment in Africa’s agricultural land reflects a decade-long trend of strengthening economic relationships between Africa and the rest of the world, with foreign direct investment to the continent growing 259 percent between 2000 and 2010.

Asia and Latin America come in second and third for most heavily targeted regions, with 27.1 million and 6.6 million hectares of land deals, respectively.

Investor countries, in contrast, are spread more evenly around the globe. Of the 82 listed investor countries in the Land Matrix Project database, Brazil, India, and China account for 16.5 million hectares, or around 24 percent of the total hectares sold or leased worldwide. When the East Asian nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea are included, this group of industrializing countries has been involved in 274 land deals covering 30.5 million hectares.

The United States and the United Kingdom account for a combined 6.4 million hectares of land deals. The oil-rich but arid Gulf states make up the final group of major land investors, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar responsible for 4.6 million hectares.