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Photo from cafod.org.uk

Casualties in the Scramble for Congo’s Resources

Maurice Carney & Carrie Crawford December 19, 2007 Maurice Carney & Carrie Crawford

Mining in Congo
Over the past few months a lot of ink has flowed in mainstream publications about the situation in the Congo. In almost all of the articles, the underlying reason for the crisis in the Congo - the scramble for Congo's spectacular natural wealth- has been consistently omitted or underplayed. The front-page article in Thursday, December 13, 2007 New York Times entitled "After Clashes, Fear of War on Congo's Edge" by Lydia Polgreen is no exception. Not only were there key omissions, but also, a glaring factual error said volumes about the manner in which mainstream media covers Congo.

Photo: Orin Langelle/GJEP

After Bali Climate Talks: Toward a People’s Agenda for Climate Justice

Brian Tokar December 18, 2007 Brian Tokar

Bali Protest Photo: Orin Langelle/GJEP
With all the fanfare that usually accompanies such gatherings, delegates to the recent UN climate talks on the Indonesian island of Bali returned to their home countries declaring victory. Despite the continued obstructionism of the US delegation, the negotiators reached a mild consensus for continued negotiations on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and at the very last moment were able to cajole and pressure the US to sign on.

Destruction in Palestine, Indymedia

A Gaza Development Corporation

Rene Wadlow December 18, 2007 Rene Wadlow

Destruction in Palestine
On December 17, 2007, eighty seven states, the United Nations Secretariat, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund met in Paris for a one-day international funding conference for the Palestinian Authority. $7.4 billion was pledged over a three-year period - $3.44 billion for 2008.  The conference, planned well in advance, comes shortly after the Annapolis meeting whose aim was to restart serious Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that would lead to the creation of a sustainable Palestinian state by the end of President Bush's term in 2008. Financing an economic recovery and development program for Palestine is an obvious need for the creation of a state. However, it is often easier to raise funds than to spend them in ways that promote the desired ends.

Photo: Langelle/ GJEP

Indonesia: Protests at United Nations Climate Convention

Global Justice Ecology Project December 12, 2007 Global Justice Ecology Project

Photo: Langelle/ GJEP
On December 11th, a very diverse group of non-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples organizations and social movements staged a protest outside of a press conference where World Bank President and former US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick announced the launch of the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. "This Facility is merely the World Bank up to their old tricks," stated Anne Petermann, Co-Director of Global Justice Ecology Project.