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The Philosophy of Perpetual Revolt

"Freedom only comes through persistent revolt, through persistent agitation, through persistently rising up against the system of evil." - Martin Luther King

Nothing is inevitable, including peace and justice. In fact, history proves that exactly the opposite is the case. War and oppression is inevitable, unlessÂ…. Unless we heed the call for Perpetual Revolt; Perpetual Revolt against war and oppression.

Photo from VOA News

Justice and Genocide in Sudan

Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir
On July 14, 2008, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) presented to a three-judge panel a request for an arrest warrant against Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He is to be charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes related to the war in Darfur. Moreno-Ocampo presented solid evidence of a policy of genocide against the Fur, Massaliet and Zayhawa peoples. This is the first time that a charge of genocide has been made against a Head of State in power.

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Barack Obama: The New Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter, 2008
Since Barack Obama emerged as the Democrat's choice for president, the national mood has frequently been compared to the late 1960s, another time when an unpopular war polarized the nation. A recent ad for Republican candidate John McCain makes this explicit, starting off with clips of 60s protesters and "flower" children before warning that hope can be a slippery slope. But the dynamics in 2008 may have more in common with 1976, when a GOP discredited by Watergate, Richard Nixon's resignation (under the threat of impeachment) and his pardon by Gerald Ford was defeated by a newcomer to national politics, Jimmy Carter.

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Making a Profit Out of The Food Crisis: From A Brave New World Bank to Monsanto

Anti-Hunger Protest in Haiti
In early June, the battle over the world's food supply moved to Rome where the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held an international summit to discuss rising food prices, climate change and biofuels cultivation. There was much coverage of the summit in the world's media, often focusing on the high profile appearance of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe or the Iranian president Mahmud Ahmedinejad, yet few commentators looked into the rotten heart of the exercise.

Photo from the Pulitzer Center

Inside Africa’s PlayStation War

Children Mining Coltan in Congo
In the rugged volcanic mountains of the Congo the conflict known as Africa's World War continues to smolder after ten grueling years. The conflict earned its name because at the height of the war eight African nations and over 25 militias were in the combatant mix. But more recently the conflict was given another name: The PlayStation War. The name came about because of a black metallic ore called coltan, which is used to make cell phones, laptops and other electronics made by SONY. Extensive evidence shows that during the war hundreds of millions of dollars worth of coltan was stolen from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Nonviolent Action & the Road to Independence

Each year, as fireworks celebrate the Declaration of Independence and people discuss how the United States began, the spotlight normally turns to "revolutionary" leaders and the "armed struggle" waged more than two centuries ago. But as usual, the real story is a bit different. The movement toward independence in the "new world" actually began a decade before the "shot heard round the world" and involved thousands of people. By the time things turned violent, substitute governments and firm alliances were operating in nine colonies.