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Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Many Nations Pledge Hurricane Aid
The response by dozens of countries to provide help and resources to the United States because of the Hurricane Katrina disaster is heartening. Even the poorest of the poor and countries our administration considers troublesome are pledging relief, among them Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and Sri Lanka. Venezuela offered 1 million barrels of gasoline and its government-run Citgo pledged $1 million.
Women in Black Honor Sheehan
The Women in Black 13th International Conference was held in Jerusalem in August. The group affirmed its commitment to peace and declared support for Cindy Sheehan. The 750 women from 44 countries expressed their thanks and support “until peace becomes the only choice.” Among other things, they demand an immediate end to the war and occupation of Iraq and call for a “just and sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine.”
Millions Earmarked for Girls in Burkina Faso
The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Threshold Program approved Burkina Faso as the first country to receive up to $12 million for improving performance in girls’ education. The Women’s Edge Coalition and other groups led efforts to include primary education completion rates for girls as one of the indicators used to determine a country’s grant eligibility.
Sustainable Forestry Effort in Guatemala
In Carmelita, Guatemala, loggers in the 5-million acre Maya Biosphere Reserve are harvesting lumber under strict guidelines that encourage responsible management of the world’s forests. The Guatemalan government has given concessions to 56 poor families who work on 130,000 acres in the reserve. The certified lumber is sold to the United States and European countries.
Film Highlights Women in Palestine
A recent film, Pickles, documents the efforts of eight Arab widows in an Israeli village who started a home pickle factory. The film, which aired in August on PBS, is part of a larger trend to explore the challenges faced by Palestinians trying to survive and make a living in Israel. The women break all kinds of traditional rules to get their business running.
Leave My Child Alone Coalition Protects Kids
National Opt-Out Week, September 20-24, was launched to help end the “militarization of our youth.” Mainstreet Moms, Working Assets, and ACORN created the Leave My Child Alone Coalition to make it easy to protect children from unwanted recruiting by getting their names off Pentagon and high school recruiting lists. Along with several other cosponsors, they set up a Web site with an opt-out form.
Peace Concert in Ramallah
Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim led his orchestra in a peace concert in Ramallah in August. He and his friend, Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1998, whose members are young people from Israel and Arab countries. The goal is to “foster dialogue and reconciliation through music.” Barenboim praised the governments involved in the efforts to stage the concert.
Increased Resolve on Global Warming
Governments from around the world are showing stronger resolve to tackle the global warming problem, even though the Bush administration says the United States is still “unconvinced by the consensus science on climate.” Ministers and climate negotiators from 22 countries recently visited Greenland on a fact-finding mission and saw presentations warning that increasing carbon dioxide emissions will melt the Greenland ice sheet and raise global sea levels. They say they look forward to the December UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will meet in Montreal, Canada, to draft a world climate policy.
Republicans Oppose Arctic Drilling
In August, 24 Republican legislators, including the heads of three committees, signed a letter opposing inclusion of language in the budget reconciliation bill that would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The bill cannot be filibustered and would become law if President Bush signs it. It is essential to get a substantial number of Republicans on board in order to prevent drilling in ANWR. |
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© 2005 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete October 2005 Index - click here
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