Month: January 2009

Image

Firing The Boss: An Interview with Chicago Factory Occupation Organizer

Benjamin Dangl January 15, 2009 Benjamin Dangl

Occupation of Republic Plant
In this interview Mark Meinster, the International Representative for the United Electrical Workers (UE) - the union the Republic workers belong to - talks about his role as the coordinator for the December 2008 factory occupation in Chicago, connections between the struggle of the Republic workers and workers struggles and tactics in South America, the fight to re-open the plant, and what the Republic workers' strategies say about social change in an economic downturn.

Image

Southern Natural Disasters: Climate Change or Man-Made Calamities?

Mike Fox January 14, 2009 Mike Fox

Mudslide in Florianopolis, Brazil
Nowadays, the only thing as unpredictable as the market is the weather. At least, that's what South America's Southern Cone has been feeling lately. In just one week in late November, torrential downpours in Brazil's Southern state, Santa Catarina caused "the worst climatic disaster" of Lula's (Luis Inacio de Silvia) presidency, with more than 150 dead, 100,000 homeless, and 1.5 million affected.

Image

Anti-War Groups Unite Against Israel’s Assault on Gaza

Jeff Nall January 9, 2009 Jeff Nall

Leading organizations and activists in the anti-war movement have issued unified condemnation of the Israeli assault on Gaza that has left more than 750 killed, including numerous children, and thousands seriously injured. While U.S. politicians have nearly unanimously endorsed Israel's assault, abstaining from a successful UN resolution demanding a ceasefire, anti-war groups have taken swift action to pressure politicians to endorse a ceasefire.

Image

Corruption in India Undermining Human Rights and Development

Priyanka Bhardwaj January 8, 2009 Priyanka Bhardwaj

As the world observed the International Anti-Corruption day on December 9, 2008, India slipped further in the global corruption perception index released annually by corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI). In India corruption is widely seen as contributing to poverty, stifling economic growth, debasing democracy, a midwife to terrorism, trafficking of women and threat to human security.