Aaron Glantz

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct 26 2006 (IPS) – For the first time since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, active-duty members of the military are asking members of Congress to end the occupation of Iraq and bring U.S. soldiers home.
More than 100 soldiers announced Wednesday that they are seeking protection under the Military Whistle-Blower Protection Act (DOD directive 7050.6) to file a protected communication to Congress without fear of reprisal.

Among them is Navy Seaman Jonathan Hutto, who had to leave his base in the state of Virginia and change into civilian clothes to take part in a morning teleconference.

The discussion needs to shift from whether to stay or get out to how best to get out, he told reporters.

Hutto said he had dou…

Marwaan Macan-Markar

PHUKET, Nov 29 2006 (IPS) – The approaching Christmas has brought a rare sparkle to the eyes of a 45-year-old Thai mother coping with the stigma of being infected with HIV. She smiles as she snips away with a pair of scissors, shaping paper for a decorative ball.
Sitting around a table and engaged in similar activity are three other Thai mothers, also infected with the virus that triggers auto-immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

In all, there are 22 women residing at the Life Home Project, located in the main town of this resort island, churning out Christmas decorations in an effort to engage with the world beyond the one-storey building that serves as their haven. Major hotels along the popular beach at Patong, a 30-minute drive from the town cen…

Stephen Leahy

BROOKLIN, Canada, Jan 9 2007 (IPS) – Widespread use of genetically engineered (GE) crops remains limited worldwide, even as growing weed and pest issues are forcing farmers to use ever greater amounts of pesticides.
More than 70 percent of large-scale GE planting is still limited to the U.S. and Argentina, according to a new report released Tuesday by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI).

No GM (GE) crop on the market today offers benefits to the consumer in terms of quality or price, and to date these crops have done nothing to alleviate hunger or poverty in Africa or elsewhere, said Nnimmo Bassey of Friends of the Earth Africa in Nigeria.

The great majority of GM (GE) crops cultivated today are used as high-priced animal feed to supply r…

Emad Mekay

WASHINGTON, Mar 15 2007 (IPS) – Leaders of indigenous communities in Ecuador are pressing their government to investigate senior executives from U.S. oil giant Chevron for an alleged environmental fraud scheme in the mid-1990s related to a long-running six-billion dollar class action suit in the South American nation.
But the U.S. oil giant vehemently denies the accusations and says it has already been absolved by the local authorities.

Leaders from CONAIE, Ecuador #39s powerful indigenous federation, which represents millions of people, say in a new letter to the Quito government that the U.S. company defrauded the authorities during an environmental clean-up more than nine years ago.

The indigenous leaders named Rodrigo Perez Pallares, Chevron #39…

Mithre J. Sandrasagra

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 18 2007 (IPS) – The protection and well-being of children in Sudan are at a critical juncture, according to a report released Wednesday by Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, a global network of non-governmental organisations.
Despite the 2005 peace agreement that ended 21 years of civil conflict between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People s Liberation Movement, Darfur remains host to one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world: 92 NGOs and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and 14 UN agencies maintain a presence there.

According to the report, Sudan s Children at a Crossroads: An Urgent Need for Protection , Sudanese government restrictions, deteriorating security, poor roads, and limited staffing…

Moyiga Nduru

JOHANNESBURG, May 25 2007 (IPS) – A shortage of health care workers is paralysing the health system in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, and threatens the lives of millions, particularly in rural areas, warns Medecins Sans Frontieres, a global nongovernmental organisation specialising in medical services.
A new report by the organisation, launched in South Africa s commercial hub of Johannesburg yesterday (24 May), shows that only South Africa has met the World Health Organisation (WHO) target for an adequate supply of health care workers: 74.3 doctors, 393 nurses and 468 health providers per 100,000 people.

The minimum WHO requirement is 20 doctors, 100 nurses and 228 health providers per 100,000 people. Even if South Africa meets the WHO tar…