Good News!

by Mary Shepard, WAMM

Even in the midst of the horror of ongoing massacres in the Middle East, there is good news. And when have we needed it more?

Number of Israeli Refuseniks Grows

A growing number of Israeli soldiers are refusing to serve in the ongoing violence against Palestinians. As of April 16, 2002, 427 have declared their intention not to obey when they are called. Thirty-six have already been jailed. (There are also reports that Russians are refusing to serve in Chechnya.)

World Citizens Stand Witness in Israel/Palestine

Hundreds of citizens from around the world-including the U.S. and Europe-have gone to Israel/Palestine to stand between the Israeli guns and the Palestinians in the refugee camps. They are unarmed and carry white flags but are still attacked and beaten. We applaud their courage. When the violence stops, as it surely must eventually, they intend to serve as witnesses of the atrocities taking place that the Israelis are not now allowing the world to see. Meanwhile, huge demonstrations demanding an end to the Israeli occupation are taking place in the U.S. and around the world. According to the Washington Post, police estimate75,000 protesters were in Washington, D.C., on April 20.

Germany Suspends Arms Sales to Israel

Germany has suspended arms sales to Israel. Other European nations are considering an embargo of some sort.

Arab Nations Unite

The Arab nations surrounding Israel have united in rebuking, politely, Colin Powell's invitation to join his efforts against the Palestinians and Saddam Hussein.

Latin American Nations Unite

The failed coup in Venezuela has similarly united Latin American nations. They all condemned the military effort to remove Hugo Chavez, a democratically elected president, and replace him with one pleasing to U.S. corporations. The coup failed, in part, because of defections within the military. They refused to collude in derailing their democracy. The coup also failed because the corporate powers backing the coup badly miscalculated the popularity of the president. The media had so successfully blocked the voices of Chavez's supporters that the level of support for Chavez was underestimated. When the Caracas television station was occupied by the pro-democracy forces, the reporters inside were terrified and begged for mercy because they had enthusiastically promoted the coup and refused to publicize massive pro-Chavez demonstrations. (Would that our own media repented for its immediate and enthusiastic endorsement of the U.S. coup that put an unelected president in power!) So far President Hugo Chavez has promised there will be no reprisals.

Korean Nations Unite

South and North Korea are resuming their rapprochement, ignoring the Bush characterization of North Korea as one of a triumvirate of evil nations. In April and May, there will be reunions of families separated since the Korean war. The reunions have been arranged by the Korean Red Cross.

Carter to Meet Castro

President Carter is leading a small delegation to Cuba and "is looking forward to meeting with Cubans from all walks of life, and to talking with President Castro." For a former U.S. president to open friendly relations with Castro is a real breakthrough.

Bush's Alaskan Drilling Plans Foiled

The attempt to drill oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been defeated despite enormous lobbying by oil companies.

Environmental Coalition Challenges Mercury Dumping

For thirty-three years corporations used the Penobscot River in Maine as a dump for mercury waste-30,000 gallons of it. It is now contaminating the water and the air in the area. Most of the corporations responsible have folded, but one remains: HoltraChem.

Environmental and justice activists formed a coalition to demand a study of the danger, especially to children, and to demand a cleanup. The Superfund, which was to be the federal conduit for such cleanup, has been defunded by Bush so they cannot use that money. Maine legislators have been working to force the U.S. Department of Defense to take the waste to DOD storage facilities, but the department is resisting, particularly because HoltraChem was not in the defense, but the paper industry. It was discovered that a community in India had been chosen as a recipient of the waste via an American corporation, the D.F Goldsmith Chemical & Metal Corporation of Evanston, Illinois.

So what's the good news? The good people of Maine made coalitions of their environmental and justice organizations, including Greenpeace, who alerted the Indians to what was happening. Longshoremen refused to unload the shipments of waste wherever it was sent. The Natural Resources Defense Council took the case to court and has stopped the shipments for now. It stands as a great example of what coalitions can accomplish.

WAMM Members Achieve 20/20 Campaign Goal

Thirty-one WAMM members have pledged to the 20/20 campaign, for a total of $9660, enabling WAMM to increase staff hours for member empowerment work.