Alex HILL

Le journal de Doites et Démocratie

This year, marching against war in Iraq was likely the best way to commemorate the International Day of Water (March 22). Few took notice of Water Day events, or noted that Iraq’s substantial supply of fresh water may be as much a motivation for the war as its oil.

Des élections législatives se dérouleront le 5 avril en Indonésie. Un peu plus tard cette année, la population élira son président pour la toute première fois. Mais la stabilité politique et démocratique du pays est loin d’être gagnée. Alors que le terrorisme est souvent présenté comme étant l’un des principaux problèmes auxquels est confrontée l’Indonésie, ce serait plutôt le jeu des puissances militaires et des intérêts commerciaux étrangers qui représenteraient les plus grandes menaces à la stabilité du pays, selon plusieurs observateurs locaux.

On April 5, Indonesia will hold the first of three votes to elect its parliamentary representatives and president. These elections will be Indonesians’ first chance to elect their president directly. But political stability is far from being assured in this the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Despite frequent references in the western press to Indonesia’s problems with terrorism, it is the military and foreign companies that appear to play a more important role in this year’s election.

Today the mighty Indus river has all but ceased flowing to the sea, as upstream dams and irrigation withdrawals have reduced it to less than one-half-a-percent of its flow at the start of the 20th century.

What do a winter parka produced in a worker-friendly factory, 100% post-consumer printer paper, and a soccer ball that is not stitched by young children all have in common? They can all be found on ethiquette.ca, a new way to shop for socially responsible products in Quebec.

Waiting in the lobby of Jakarta’s World Trade Centre (WTC - pronounced Way-Tay-Say in Jakarta), the building that houses the Canadian Embassy to Indonesia, I heard jeers and chanting outside the front doors. A small but vocal group of protesters from rural villages on the island of Sulawesi and members of environmental NGOs had gathered to protest the actions of Canadian nickel mining giant INCO.

The Jets (the Rooftop Garden discussion group) invites you to join us on Thursday, November 17 at 6pm for an evening of discussion concerning the links between Climate Change and Food.

A recent study by the British government shows that the use of genetically modified (GM) crops seriously degrade biodiversity on and around farms over a short period of time. In response, scientists, farmers and environmentalists across Canada are concerned that current the Canadian approval process is not taking these negative effects of GM crops into consideration, due to the minimal health and environmental testing performed before governmental approval.

Strong winds greeted us in Ibrahim Hyderi, a coastal village of fisherfolks on the outskirts of Karachi. This was the second day when the fisherfolks had been advised not to go out in the sea for threats of a possible cyclone.

The Jets (the Rooftop Garden discussion group) invites you to join us on Thursday, November 17 at 6pm for an evening of discussion concerning the links between Climate Change and Food.

Alternatives travaille avec la société civile et les groupes autochtones pour trouver des solutions pacifiques au conflit en Papouasie (anciennement Irian Jaya), la province la plus à l’est de l’Indonésie.

Alternatives est heureux d’annoncer que Yan Christian (Chris) Warinussy, partenaire de longue date, est récipiendaire du prix John Humphrey Freedom pour l’année 2005. Chris a joué un rôle de premier plan pour la protection des droits humains en Papouasie occidentale, en appuyant la lutte de son peuple contre l’oppression militaire et des corporations sur leur territoire. Nous sommes honorés d’accueillir Chris au Canada du 28 novembre au 10 décembre 2005, dans le cadre de la remise du prix des droits de la personne le plus prestigieux au pays. Son travail acharné, son expérience et son engagement social font de Chris un lauréat des plus désignés.

PENDANT près de 40 ans, le monde a détourné les yeux tandis que la Papouasie (Papouasie occidentale ou Irian Jaya) était ravagée par les militaires indonésiens dans le cadre d’un programme de répression. Mais cela commence à changer.

For over 40 years the world has looked the other way while Papua (the eastern-most province of Indonesia, formerly called Irian Jaya) has been ravaged in a program of repression by the Indonesian military. But that is starting to change.

Une récente étude du gouvernement britannique démontre que l’utilisation de semences génétiquement modifiées (GM) engendre une sérieuse dégradation de la biodiversité. Un peu partout au Canada, des scientifiques, agriculteurs et groupes écologiques reprochent au gouvernement fédéral d’approuver leur utilisation, alors qu’aucune étude sérieuse n’a été menée sur les conséquences d’une telle pratique pour l’environnement.

Alternatives is proud to announce that Yan Christian (Chris) Warinussy, a long time partner of ours, is this year’s John Humphrey Freedom Award laureate. Chris has played a major role in protecting human rights in West Papua and helping the Papuan peoples struggle against military and corporate oppression in their own land. We are honoured to welcome Chris to Canada from November 28 to December 10, 2005 to accept the most prestigious human rights award in Canada. His hard work, expertise and commitment make him a most deserving recipient.