Even sitting down, Wellington's body is in constant motion. Rubbing his forehead, his gaze darts repeatedly out into the street. The 15-year-old kid furrows his smooth brow, searching for the words to describe his stay in Rio de Janeiro's Padre Severino Young Offenders Institution. His right arm jerks into the air; he opens his mouth, closes it and then, finally, speaks.
As Congress moves to renew and expand the Patriot Act this week, possibly giving the FBI more powers to investigate the personal lives of U.S. citizens without judicial approval, we should ask ourselves - has freedom finally fallen to the fatalistic tandem of fear and security?
GLOBAL
Asian leaders organize for “great game”
ALMATY, Kazakhstan – The leaders of Russia, China and four Central Asian states held a two-day anti-terrorism summit in Kazakhstan last week, amidst criticism of growing U.S. influence in the region. The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) brought together Russia and China, which jointly issued a "21st century world order" communiqué opposing any one state’s "domination of international affairs," and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia had observer status.
Hello -- again. Toward Freedom is back! Not with our magazine, but with a new and expanded Website that will continue the incisive international reporting that TF began 53 years ago. After several months of in depth discussion, the TF board of directors has begun to develop some new approaches, including a decision to strengthen our link to writers, readers, and activists who are working to create a just society.
As a first step, we have engaged journalist Ben Dangl, who has traveled extensively and written about progressive movements in
Looking forward to networking with you in cyberspace,
Robin Lloyd
TF Board co-chair
A note from the new editor:
The launch of our new website takes place at a time of extreme global crisis.The War in Iraq; the creation of a possible free trade block in South America; the centralization of corporate media in the US - the list could go on and on. Yet flashes of hope have sprung up in the midst of these challenges. Labor unions are organizing in
Starting with our July 4th inaugural issue, www.TowardFreedom.com will be publishing articles on a weekly basis on topics ranging from human rights and the environment to youth issues and activism.Our new multimedia site also includes an online bookstore, a blog, radio/audio streaming, a RSS feed, a searchable database and newly organized archives. Video streaming will soon be up and running as well.
I am excited about editing TF's new website and look forward to being a part of this community of readers, writers and activists. We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions as we move ahead. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to write for Toward Freedom, please email me: [email protected]
To sign up for our weekly email newsletter, go here.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned,
Ben Dangl
TF Editor
For archives of all BTL shows, go here
=&0=&=&1=&=&2=& Audio Interviews… . . Scott Harris spoke with Rahul Mahajan, author of the book, "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond;" Melinda Tuhus spoke with Beth Parker, the San Francisco attorney who won the case on behalf of Planned Parenthood; Scott Harris spoke with Robert Jensen who takes a critical look at how the U.S. media has portrayed Ronald Reagan and explains why he feels it is important for Americans to have an objective understanding of both the accomplishments and failures of his administration.
US Weapons Make Colombia Murder Capital
BOGOTA – A RAND Institute report, “Arms Trafficking and Colombia,” concludes that US Plan Colombia is largely responsible for making the South American nation’s murder rate the highest in the world, at 77.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The gun culture has created a cross-border refugee and drug crisis that is destabilizing the region, from Panama to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.
About 85 percent of Colombia’s murders are committed with small arms. The report, released April 23, says that most of them come from the US, either directly through Plan Colombia, or indirectly through old stockpiles of US weapons supplied to El Salvador, Honduras, and the Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980s and 90s.
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