2008

When thinking about human trafficking, most of us
conjure up exotic images of gangs, flophouses and
forced prostitution. That is part of it, but in today’s day and
age we should be taking a good look at more mundane
activities. In Canada, as in many parts of the world,
human trafficking has also become a phenomenon in
the services and manufacturing sectors.

For a land where Buddhism is constitutionally
designated as the ‘foremost’ religion, peace and
compassion are scarce commodities in Sri Lankan
politics. Monastery bells generally toll prayer times,
but a few in Sri Lanka have come to toll a call to war.

To begin this month’s issue without a few words on the US election would be impossible. Every four years, when the
most powerful country in the world goes to the ballot box, the rest of the world takes notice. Although much ink has
been shed on the end of a unipolar world- including in this very space- the United States is still the world’s economic,
military, cultural, academic, etc, leader. It remains, at the very least, the first among equals. The attention lavished upon
this election from across the globe proves just that.

Despite the fact that Robert Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai signed an agreement to form a government of
national unity, hapless Zimbabweans have, if anything,
seen their country disintegrate further.

Balram tells the story of his life: how he left his native
village for Delhi, where he wants to succeed and make
all of his dreams come true… like killing his boss. In his
first book, which just won the prestigious Booker Prize,
Aravind Adiga brings to life the story of a poor man
looking for wealth.

“Enough of all this bad news, this is good news. It just takes one small company to make a start and then others will
follow. We are not a big multinational, they are not the ones that will make the change. It is the small companies like us,
together, who will do it and make a big impact.” So proclaimed Lorenzo Fasola-Bologna, a small Italian olive and wine
producer from Umbria.

Close to two-thirds of California’s population voted in favour of a proposition requiring that laying hens, pregnant
pigs, and calves raised for veal be kept in larger enclosures. The increased space must be enough to allow the
animals to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs, according to the law.

In times of conflict it is said that the enemy of an enemy
is a friend and the friend of an enemy is an enemy.
While the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan seem
to follow this age-old dictum, the USA obviously does
not - and for obvious reasons.

The ideological struggle between republicanism and
liberal democracy has been undergoing a profound
transformation in favour of the latter ever since the days
of Andrew Jackson, the first of the so-called People’s
Choice candidates. Now that the dust of the longest
campaign in American history has settled and sealed
victory for Barack Obama, the urge of American minds
to find out more about their next president may begin to
wane. If that were to happen it would underscore one
of the fundamental characteristics
of the American political tradition:
American voters tend to leave their
curiosity on the campaign trail and in
the ballot box.

Given that November is a month of
remembrance, we are paying tribute to
one of the most significant figures of
Germany’s post-Second World War
literature and a poignant Anti-War
voice: playwrite, short-story writer and
poet Wolfgang Borchert.

At first glance, the importance of Mauritania in the global chess game appears insignificant. That said, the European Union, led by the likes of Spain and France, are paying close attention to this sandy corner of the world. Geopolitically, Mauritania is strategic. Here, the battle against illegal immigration and the battle for development intertwine.

The Bureau d’Audience Publiques sur l’Environnement has begun consultations on Hydro-Quebec’s planned construction of four dams on the Romaine river in the eastern part of the province. Journalist/filmmaker Alexis de Gheldere belongs to the select few who have navigated the 712km river in its entirety. It took 46 days to complete this voyage along one of the last major rivers of Quebec that has, so far, remained untouched.