The people of Ukraine are suffering. But who benefits from the "turning of the tide"? The war is a crime, and Putin bears the responsibility. But Western politicians were not sleepwalkers. An appeal brings the conclusion to the point: Lay down your arms! Peace logic instead of war logic!
Nepal Post Earthquake Aid Falls Short of Goals: No Debt Relief Pledged at Nepal Recovery C (tags)
This week's Nepal donor conference pledged $4.4 billion in aid to Nepal, short of the $6.6 billion Nepal requested for earthquake recovery. About half of the total financing is loans and half is grants. Nepal did not receive any pledges of debt relief while world leaders gathered in Kathmandu. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday Nepal will not qualify for its new emergency debt relief trust fund. "The initial aid pledges are helpful and we can close the $2 billion gap quickly with debt relief," said Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the religious development organization Jubilee USA Network. "One of the quickest ways that the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and governments can deliver rebuilding grants is by canceling debt." Nepal spends $600,000 a day paying its debt, or more than $35 million since the first April earthquake. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank pledged a combined $1.1 billion in new concessional loans and grants. Nepal already owes the World Bank and Asian Development Bank approximately $3 billion. Although the World Bank has not announced plans for a debt relief fund, the IMF created the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust in the wake of the Ebola crisis and cancelled $100 million of West Africa's debt. IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said Thursday Nepal met the first requirement for relief but that the earthquake did not cause enough total economic damage. Rice did not reference whether or not damage to Nepal's "productive capacity" pulled another trigger for the fund to release about $23 million in debt relief.
Nepal Conference Hopes to Raise $6.6 Billion in Post Earthquake Aid Debt Relief Could Be (tags)
Nepal Conference Hopes to Raise $6.6 Billion in Post Earthquake Aid Debt Relief Could Be Part of Nepal Recovery Plan
Devastated Nepal Daily Pays $600,000 on Debt (tags)
Nepal underwent another earthquake on May 12 amid recovery from the April 25 quake. It owes billions of dollars of debt to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and foreign lenders. Anti-poverty organization Jubilee USA Network states that debt relief would aid Nepal's recovery efforts.
Aftershocks Pummel Highly Indebted Nepal: Poor Country Spends 217 Million Annually on Debt (tags)
As Nepal experiences aftershocks from Saturday's earthquake, it may find relief in the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, a fund that cancels the debt of poor countries in crisis.
PHILIPPINES: Rescind the LRT-MRT Fare Hikes (tags)
Metro-Manila: The roughly 100 percent fare increases imposed on users of the Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3 is a great disservice to the riding public.
Debt Payments Dwarf Reconstruction Aid on Philippine's Typhoon Haiyan Anniversary (tags)
Religious, Development and Environmental Groups Petition World Bank for Debt Relief
Asian Socialism Conference in the Philippines (tags)
The Asian Socialism Conference will be held in Manila from November 28 to 29, 2014. The conference will be capped by the participation of guests and delegates to the November 30 rally in Manila to commemorate Bonifacio Day, a national hero who led the armed struggle in the revolution against Spain.
The ‘Asian Century’ and ASEAN integration: contradictions and challenges (tags)
Talk given by Sonny Melencio, Chairperson of Partido Lakas ng Masa-Philippines (PLM), during the Socialist Alliance Conference in Sydney, Australia on June 7, 2014
Philippine Statements on the International Human Rights Day (tags)
1) Akbayan on the Observance of the International Human Rights Day 2) Workers hold Jericho March at San Miguel in celebration of human rights day 3) Pahayag sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Karapatang Pantao 4) Another World is Possible! Reject the Policies of Neoliberalism! Protect the Working Class!
The Marcos’ Legacy of Fraudulent and Illegitimate Debts (tags)
AS THE NATION remembers today the declaration of Martial Law and the imposition of the Marcos fascist dictatorship 40 years ago — we recall not only the crimes and abuses, but the valiant struggles of our people to end the tyrannical regime.
Rio+20: Asian Movements’ Statement on the Green Economy (tags)
We are movements and organizations from Asia, waging struggles on various fronts and arenas to defend our rights, resist policies and projects that cause harm and destruction, and to fight for immediate priorities and demands, as well as profound transformation of our societies. Fight for Our Future! No Price on Nature!
THE ECONOMIC-POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE CORDILLERAS (tags)
A YEAR after the US-Aquino2 regime took power, the miserable situation in the Ilocos-Cordillera region mirrors the dismal state of the nation. From the impoverished tobacco and palay farmers in the Ilocos provinces to the indigenous people plowing hybrid corn fields, vegetable gardens and rice terraces in the Cordillera, the empty promises of the Aquino regime are reflected in the continuing violations and betrayal of the people?s right to land, livelihood and resources. The real boss of the Aquino administration turns out to be not the Filipino people, but US Imperialism as it furiously expands its economic interests as well as large scale corporate mines and geothermal and hydroelectric power projects in Northern Luzon and rams down the nation?s throat its Oplan Bayanihan (OPB), the so-called internal peace and security plan. It is these that exacerbate and continue to heighten the national oppression that reached ethnocidal proportion being suffered by indigenous people of the Cordillera and the Filipino people in general. Indeed, Aquino?s Daang Matuwid turns out to be no different from the substandard Halsema Highway with its erosions and slides, close-open status and serving mainly foreign interests in extracting super profits from the region?s resources. Oplan Bayanihan: Furthering the National Oppression of the Indigenous People Despite it?s deceptive psy-war features, Oplan Bayanihan (OPB) is fast showing up it?s true vicious character compared to its failed predecessor, Oplan Bantay Laya 1 & 2 of the unheralded and despicable US-Arroyo regime. The 5th IDPA and the NOLCOM of the AFP have overzealously applied its age-old imperialist master?s tactics of ?divide and rule? by exploiting indigenous social, economic and political systems in its counter-insurgency operations. They target not only combatants but more so innocent civilians including minors and the elderly. Coining nice sounding contraption to hide the harshness and vileness of Oplan Bayanihan does not succeed in erasing the notoriety of the AFP as armed units of the ruling class. Changing its notorious ?Reengineered Special Operations Teams? to ?Peace and Development Operations Teams?does not do the desired trick. It succeeds though in sowing intrigues and beclouding clear provisions of peace pact pagta where armed units (AFP/PNP and/or NPA) are not covered. Operating troops continue to quarter in schools, day-care centers, barangay halls and clinics, private homes and other public and sacred places contrary to clear provisions of CARHRIHL and Protocols of the Geneva Conventions. In many cases, families are broken up as a result of soldiers? womanizing. Young female students are also vulnerable to abuses especially where detachments are near schools. In one case, the whole tribesmen of a young lass have to be mobilized to demand accountability of the soldier?s tribes mate when a married soldier impregnated a young first year college student. Also drunken soldiers always spark troubles with youngsters even at the flimsiest of reasons.
A Memorandum to the President of the Philippines (tags)
MEMORANDUM FOR President Noynoy Aquino (PNoy) FROM : Your boss, the Filipino people SUBJECT : Your job evaluation and our recommendation
Call for solidarity: Kulon Progo Self-organised Struggle Against Neoliberal Megaproject (tags)
This is the chronology, update and call to solidarity for kulon progo. The people in Kulon Progo are self organized 50.000 families who already under the threat of development moved by the local emperor of Jogjakarta; Sultan HB XI. The people in KP are rejecting NGO, political parties, leftist and any kind of mediation who are coming with their own interest, and only going to weakened their movement. Since now they dont have access anymore to lawyer who stand on their side, we're trying to raise the issue to be international issue.
Israeli and American Rankings on Violence and Corruption (tags)
Rankings understate reality
Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) October 17, 2010 First One Hundred Days of Failure and Broke (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) calls the 100 days of Benigno S Aquino III, the first one hundred days of failure and broken promises. This is a prelude to the tragic six-years we have to suffer under this new dispensation. Just look at what transpired during his first 100 days:
PLM statement on Philippine President's 100 days in office (tags)
Failure of Leadership Marks P-Noy’s 100 Days in Office President Noynoy Aquino’s first 100 days in office accentuated the problem we will be facing under the six-year term of the new administration: an incompetent leadership that lacks political will to carry through changes in the government and in society at large.
PHILIPPINES: Keeping an eye on Aquino’s commitment to change (tags)
MANILA - The new administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III begins with an extremely high trust rating of 88 percent – higher than any of the post-dictatorship presidents. This is a measure of people’s belief in the commitment of the Aquino administration to reverse the anti-poor policies implemented during the regime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
FDC to G8-funded World Bank: Cancel all illegitimate debts (tags)
MANILA, Philippines. Members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) staged a protest action in front of the World Bank office here today to demand the total and unconditional cancellation of all debts it is claiming from the Philippines and developing nations. The protest action coincided with the opening of the Group of Eight Nations’ (G8) 35th Summit in Italy which sets among its agenda the development of a comprehensive response to the global economic crisis.
Calories on the Table, not in the Tank (tags)
For decades nearly all countries of the third world had to follow the "Washington Consensus"-a strategy of opening to the world market.. Wheat and corn land in the tank, not on the table. All of our dependence on the car appears here most perversely.
Monetary and Fiscal Failure, Fraud, and Fear of What's Next (tags)
looting the treasury continues with militarism ready to confront dissent
CORRUPTION, DEFPRETRATION. LANDSLIDES. DEATH AND MEA CULPA (tags)
“The reasons for the degradation of our forests are corruption and our own shortcomings,” admitted Secretary Lito Atienza of Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a New Year message to his department personnel. A common knowledge among Filipinos, Atienza's admonishment, hardly created a ripple in Manila were ordinary citizens had almost but accepted corruption is an integral part of governance in the island nation.
Joint Statement on the 34th G8 Summit in Tōyako, Hokkaidō, Japan
Oct. 19-21 IMF/WB actions update #3 (tags)
This update provides a quick glimpse into how the organizing for the October 19-21 mobilization against the IMF/World Bank annual meetings is going. Read it to find out about our outreach activities, new endorsers of the mobilization, how to plug in, and more.
Update #1 for Oct. IMF/WB mobilization (tags)
This update provides a quick glimpse into how the organizing for the October 19-21 mobilization against the IMF/World Bank annual meetings is going. Read it to find out about action plans, who has endorsed the mobilization till date, housing and convergence space, and more.
Appeal to Release Gopal Siwakoti “Chintan” and Other Political Detainees in Nepal (tags)
Mr. Gopal Siwakoti “Chintan,” a prominent human rights activist in Nepal, along with a number of other activists, has been detained in very adverse conditions without charges by the increasingly dictatorial monarchy. This is a letter demanding his release – please endorse as well as send a copy to the Embassy of Nepal.
On Tactics and Strategy: How Bush has Misunderstood Military Strategic Doctrine (tags)
You know you never defeated us on the battlefield, said the American colonel. The North Vietnamese colonel pondered this remark a moment. That may be so, he replied, but it is also irrelevant.
World Bank handwashing initiative: Selling soap or saving lives? (tags)
The World Bank's Handwashing Initiative is based on the conviction that the simple practice of washing hands with soap could reduce deaths from diarrhoea by half. But its intentions are being questioned in Kerala, where people say they need safe drinking water, not multinational soap
Cambodia suspends all logging operations (tags)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced the suspension of all logging operations, effective from 1st January 2002.
APC SUMMIT 2001 IN SEATTLE MAY 6-12TH - PROTESTS VS PRIVATIZATION AND BIOTECH (tags)
APC SUMMIT Protests Planned For May 8th
NGO Events in Honolulu 4-11 May (tags)
Honolulu is hosting the 2001 annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Listed are events planned from 4-11 May. For more about the ADB, what we're doing, and housing info, take advantage of the contact information at the bottom of the list.