From joanne at gn.apc.org  Thu Feb  6 15:57:33 2003
From: joanne at gn.apc.org (Joanne Doyle)
Date: Wed Feb  1 23:43:29 2006
Subject: [alternet-l] The Alternet News - ISSUE #87
Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.0.20030206155627.009ebaa0@pop.gn.apc.org>

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 87

This issue:

HOT SITES/
NUCLEAR POWER PLANS/
FAIRTRADE FACTS/
DEMOCRATISING COMMUNICATION/
INTERNET HACKERS/
GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS CENSORED?/
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INITIATIVE/
GENDER INITIATIVES/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
JOBS/
DIARY/

*****************************************************************

Please don't send news to the AlterNet address. Send items for inclusion,
including a web link if possible, to actnow@gn.apc.org. Items may need to
be edited. Plain text e-mail is preferred.

Back issues are on-line at:
---> http://www.gn.apc.org/news/alternet/index.asp

*****************************************************************

HOT SITES

Women in Black (WiB) website has just been launched. WiB is a world-wide
network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to
injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence.

-->www.womeninblack.org.uk/

GHGonline is a new website devoted to greenhouse gas related science.
The site contains not only greenhouse gas related news, but also up to date
links to the abstracts of hundreds of greenhouse gas related scientific
papers.

-->www.GHGonline.org

MULTIKULTI is a London Advice Services Alliance website offering
information on immigration and asylum, welfare benefits, employment,
housing, health and debt, in a range of community languages. Information
in Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Gujerati, Somali, Spanish
and Turkish can be found at:

--> www.multikulti.org.uk

STUDENT STOP WAR is a new website, set-up to provide students in the anti-war
movement with the opportunity to participate and contribute to the national
movement more actively and democratically than they can currently.

--> www.studentstopwar.org.uk

*****************************************************************

NUCLEAR POWER PLANS

The European Commission is in discussions with Russia to provide financial
help for the
completion of a nuclear reactor of the same type that caused the 1986
Chernobyl disaster, according to a document obtained this week by Friends
of the Earth. (1) The unfinished Kursk-5 reactor, situated 300km south of
Moscow, has been listed for possible funding under the Euratom Loans
scheme, which the European Commission is proposing to significantly expand.

The Euratom Loans scheme, introduced in 1977 to further promote nuclear
power in line with the Euratom Treaty, allows the European Commission to
facilitate loans for the development of nuclear projects, subject to Member
States agreeing an overall limit.

More:
--> www.foeeurope.org/press/2003/MJ_23_Jan_another_Chernobyl.htm

*****************************************************************

FAIRTRADE FACTS

A recent article in the Observer newspaper, entitled:
"Oxfam bows to market and scraps Fairtrade brand"
had confusing and incorrect claims says Fairtrade.
I contacted Fairtrade to find out more, here is their response to the
Observer article:

"Last Sunday's article was incorrect to claim that Oxfam has abandoned its
commitment to Fairtrade (Oxfam bows to market and scraps Fairtrade brand
19/1). Oxfam continues to promote and sell Fairtrade products through its
shops and continues to support the Fairtrade movement, working closely with
producers, suppliers and allies.

The decision taken by Oxfam more than a year ago was to stop selling its
own
brand Fair Trade goods. The consolidation of specialised companies like
Traidcraft and Cafedirect, who were better placed to deal with the
complexity of the market, meant that Oxfam could focus on supporting
Fairtrade through its campaign work while continuing to sell Fairtrade
products on the High Street.

The Oxfam brand is quite different from the FAIRTRADE Mark, which is
awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation to products that meet internationally
recognised standards of Fairtrade. The FAIRTRADE Mark continues to go from
strength to strength, with sales of Fairtrade foods more than doubling in
the last three years.

This is hardly indicative of the kind of public indifference reported in
your piece. On the contrary, growing consumer demand for Fairtrade foods
has led to them being available in most major supermarkets. In the last six
months the Co-op announced their plan to change all their own brand
chocolate to Fairtrade, while sales of Fairtrade bananas at Sainsburys
alone have reached one million a week.

Surely that's a good news story!

Harriet Lamb,
Executive Director, Fairtrade Foundation

Barbara Stocking
Director, Oxfam"

Read the Observer article here:
--> www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,877781,00.html

*****************************************************************

DEMOCRATISING COMMUNICATION

The World Social Forum is now over. APC was one of nearly 5,000
organisations from 121 countries that attended. APC report on the debates,
panels and workshops that focus on the use of Internet and ICTs for
social justice and development:

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, 01/26/2003 -- "Put simply, civil society is being
marginalized from the World Summit on the Information Society process
while the private sector is getting further and further in," said Sasha
Costanza-Chock, a communications activist from the University of
Pennsylvania, and one of the thirty or so people, many representing
communications organizations and present at two meetings of the CRIS
Campaign (Communication Rights for the Information Society) at the World
Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

More here:
--> www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=9236


Global Media: "It's Time to Create a Fifth Power"

PORTO ALEGRE, Brasil, 01/27/2003 -- "Media for a long time was the
resource of the citizenry, known as the fourth power, the power to
oppose decisions of the government that would have harmful effects on
people. The fourth power no longer has this power," says Ignacio
Ramonet, editor of Le Monde Diplomatique and communications professor at
the University of Paris. Now, rather than protecting the people, the
"fourth power is now exploiting and oppressing them" for commercial
gain, he said. "How can we tackle this when the protector of the people
has transformed into its enemy?"

What is currently happening in Venezuela is a good case study in which
a peoples' president is being opposed by the media. "Free elections
wiped out the opposition, now the media has become the opposition power,
it is leading the campaign against (President Hugo) Ch?vez," said
Ramonet. "It has become an ideological power which is trying to contain
the power of the people." - IPS

Full report:
--> www.ipsnews.net/fsm2003/27.01.2003/nota26.shtml

Fighting for the Microphone: Alternatives to The Globalization of Media

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, 01/26/2003 -- An international forum on new
directions in the ''democratization of media'' found a cause cel?bre in
the questionable role of multinational broadcasters in the ongoing
crisis in Venezuela, and found consensus in the idea that a democratic
society without democratization of access to mass communications is a
contradiction in terms and practical impossibility.

Find out more:
-->
www.ciranda.net/publique/cgi/public/cgilua.exe/web/templates/htm/2I/view.htm?user=reader&infoid=715&editionsectionid=21

*****************************************************************

INTERNET HACKERS

A Chinese computer hacker group is suspected to be
behind a virus that wreaked havoc last weekend.
Police have found a website the Chinese hacker group allegedly used to
publicise an internet attack program last October and say a variant of this
program could have been used in the latest attack.
Police are stepping up efforts to track down the origin of the so-called
SQL Slammer worm, which caused the most damaging attack on the Internet in
18 months.

Security advisers said the worm was designed to infiltrate networks very
rapidly and that it would continue to do so until servers had sufficient
patches. The worm, which crippled tens of thousands computers worldwide and
congested the network for countless others, even disabling Bank of America
cash machines, took advantage of a vulnerability in some Microsoft Corp
software that had been discovered in July. As the worm infected one
computer, it was programmed to seek other victims by sending out thousands
of probes a second, saturating many Internet data pipelines.

Unlike most viruses and worms, it spread directly through network
connections and did not need e-mail as a carrier. Thus, only network
administrators who run the servers, not end users, could do anything to
remedy the situation. According to Keynote Systems, which measures
Internet reliability and speed, network congestion increased download times at
the largest US web sites by an average of 50 per cent, and some sites were
completely unavailable at times.

Full report:
--> www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/28/1043534058663.html

*****************************************************************

GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS CENSORED?

Paul Mobbs, a GreenNet user and Free Range activist, is asking for support to
lobby over an unjust prohibition caused by Friends of the Earth
of grassroots activists in Wales. The appeal letter states:

"For months, members of an organisation -- which for legal reasons I will
call "The Committee" -- in Wales have been organising a tour of Wales to
promote virtual networking as part of grassroots campaigning in Wales.
This used a mobile Linux-based training system (see
http://www.fraw.org.uk/cltc/) to demonstrate the potential of electronic
networking at 10 workshops, in ten different venues across Wales over two
weeks. In the end, we only managed to do the first in Pontypridd before
Friends of the Earth blocked the tour.

"There had been some problems with Friends of the Earth in relation to
another organisation -- which I must call "The Company" -- we were
associated with which Friends of the Earth are taking legal action against
for infringement of their trademark rights. However, it appears that
Friends of the Earth's solicitors, because they can't be bothered to have
an open dialogue, regard these organisations as the same entity. On the
first day of the tour, Monday 27th January, we received a warning of legal
action over the commencement of the tour. We declined to accept their
terms as we did not consider the name of "The Committee" was in any way
infringing Friends of the Earth's trademark rights. On Tuesday 28th, we
received an injunction preventing the use of a name, or 'anything
colorably similar'. At that stage, we had to abandon the whole two week
tour.

"I am asking for people to lobby Friends of the Earth to stop this
senseless legal action."

General information:
--> www.fraw.org.uk/mobbsey/index.html

Detailed statement:
--> www.fraw.org.uk/mobbsey/statement.html

*****************************************************************

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INITIATIVE

The National Geographic Society's Sustainable Tourism Initiative is a website
dedicated to the increase and dissemination of knowledge about sustainable
tourism and destination stewardship. The Society started this program
because of the increasing importance of tourism impacts, positive and
negative, on destinations around the world.

Some final year students at Leeds Metropolitan University are helping with
the website with the aim of building a broad-based database of relevant
experts to advise and comment on occasional matters that the N.G.S. 
Sustainable
Tourism Initiative expects to address.
"In most cases, this might amount to no more than a vote once or twice a
year on a survey. In a few instances, we may invite you to join in
something a bit heftier, such as commenting on proposed research or
participation on a virtual panel."

If you are knowledgeable about sustainable tourism issues and would be
interested in being listed in their database, please email:
j.nightingale@lmu.ac.uk

Further information here:
--> www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/

*****************************************************************

GENDER INITIATIVES

The Gender Strategies Working Group are calling for greater participation
in the run up to the second preparatory meeting for the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS).
The WSIS NGO Gender Strategies Working Group (WN-GSWG) considers this a
most opportune time for women to begin sharing and discussing lobbying
points and strategies for the Summit.

The online discussion is already underway, you can join here:
--> www.apcwomen.org/wsis/index_list.shtml

Further information:
--> www.apcwomen.org/wsis/


***NEW Apc-Africa-Women Newsletter***

Pula is a new newsletter of the Association for Progressive
Communications Africa Women (APC-Africa-Women). Pula
aims to promote and profile the work and activities
of women's Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) initiatives in Africa and to act as a
communicative tool to link women to each other and to
initiatives and opportunities.

The development of Pula by APC-Africa-Women (AAW) is
in response to the growing need for a forum to
encourage the cross-fertilization of ideas, stories
and strategies around the use of the Internet by
women in Africa.

They would like contributions to the newsletter in English
and French and are planning to include articles in
Portuguese in the future.

More:
-->www.apcafricawomen.org

You can subscribe online here:
--> www.apcafricawomen.org/pula.htm

*****************************************************************

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to
promote
peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much
that
one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them
have
it."
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

****************************************************************

JOBS

EDINBURGH
World Development Movement (WDM) Scotland has been awarded funding for a 1
year, half-time position to help develop their Active Global Citizens
project. "Project Development Officer" - ?21,182 pro rata. The World
Development Movement (WDM) is a leading campaigning organisations, winning
change for the world's poorest people. They are looking for a creative and
organised worker to join the staff in their Edinburgh office in developing
a new adult education programme bringing global issues to people in Scotland.
Full details at their website. Closing date for applications is 14th
February. Interviews will be held in Edinburgh on 24th February.

Full details:
--> www.wdmscotland.org.uk/

MANCHESTER
Electronic Immigration Network (EIN) is a voluntary sector organisation
specialising in the provision of information on immigration and refugee law
via the Internet. EIN are seeking a Director who will be responsible for
the development and delivery of EIN services, which includes providing the
necessary vision and leadership for EIN and creating a strategy to achieve
that vision. At least 3 years experience in senior management is required.
Based in Machester. Salary: ?32,600 per annum (pro rata) plus 6% pension
contribution.
Closing date for applications: 17th January 2003. Interviews scheduled for
week of 10th March 2003.
For an information pack contact the office via email: admin@ein.org.uk
or phone: 0845 458 4151

More information about EIN here:
--> www.ein.org.uk

More Jobs on GreenNet:
--> www.gn.apc.org/jobs.html

*****************************************************************

DIARY DATES

FEBRUARY:

Turkish Buffet and Social Evening-In aid of Islington Homeless
Thursday 13th February - 8pm
Gem Restaurant, 265 Upper Street, London N1 2UQ
(Nearest Tube ? Highbury & Islington)
Turkish Buffet and Social Evening
Vegetarians welcome
Tickets ?10
For further details:
Tel: 020 8600 9169, or email: islingtonhomelessnessforum@yahoo.co.uk

NATIONAL DEMO
Saturday 15th February 2003, London
Assemble 12 noon at Embankment, London (nearest tube Embankment) to march
at 12:30pm [Resources].
If the UK goes to war we will call a national demonstration IMMEDIATELY;
demonstrate at 6pm in your town centre
(London: Trafalgar Square).

Resources and further information:

--> www.stopwar.org.uk/

***
London 21 Sustainability Network.
Skill share on involving the community in your local project
Tuesday 25 February, 6.00 pm
A free event of the London 21 Sustainability Network

How to keep people motivated and active, and develop the participants'
ownership of the project?

How to involve the wider community and communicate sustainability?
- including reaching out to specific target groups

The evening will be an opportunity to learn about participatory methods,
hear about other community projects working on local sustainability, share
experiences and keep up-to-date with resources and opportunities in
London.

Venue: London 21 office
Groundwork buzzer-2nd Floor 12-20 Baron Street, N1 9LL (Angel Tube)
Please register as places are limited for this free event. Simply send
your contact details and items for the agenda to Vinciane on 0207 239 1392 or
email: vinciane@london21.org.

***
BODHI GARDEN DHARMA CENTRE
7A Ship Street Gardens, Brighton
General enquiries: bodhigarden@btopenworld.com, or Richard: 07796 331167

Friday 21st Feb 7.30 - 9pm: 'Peace, Dharma and the global situation'. Talk
on Engaged Buddhism and the work of Joanna Macy. ?free/donation. Info
07796 331167.

Saturday 22nd Feb 10am - 4pm: 'The Great Turning'. Day workshop
based on the work of Joanna Macy. Bring veg lunch to share. ?Donation.
Info 07796 331167.

Sunday 23rd Feb:
Either 10am - 4.30pm: Day retreat and Dharma teaching led by
Dharmasala-based Tibetan monk Tenzin Josh (the inspiration for the
Bodhi Garden!) Bring veg lunch to share and a cushion. ?Donation. Info
07796 331167.

Or 10am - 4pm: 'Open Dharma Day'. Meditation sessions (sitting &
walking, unguided) plus taped Dharma teachings from different teachers.
Door open only at certain times - drop in or stay for the day, your
choice. If coming/staying for lunch, please bring veggie food to share.

***
ICAR (the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK) is
organising a series of seminars on refugee communities in the UK.
The seminars will take place in the Menzies Room at the Institute of
Commonwealth Studies, 28 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DS.

11 February
Working with refugee communities - the realities of community
development

25 February
The mobilisation and participation of refugee communities in
post-conflict reconstruction.

MARCH:

4 March
Ethiopian and Tamil communities in the UK: the experience of exile

11 March
New identities in the diaspora: Somalis and Kurds in London, comparative
issues

18 March
Bosnian refugees in the UK: questioning community

For more information please telephone Beth Crosland on 020 7848 2731 or
email: beth.crosland@kcl.ac.uk.

***
ASIAN WOMEN'S MOVEMENT CONFERENCE
Friday 7th March/Saturday 8th March /Sunday 9th March
Dreams, Questions and Struggles, Sapne Sawal aur Larai, - 25 years of
the Asian Womens Movement, a conference by and about Asian women On:

What is our history?
Where do we stand today?
What does feminism mean to us?
What kind of a future do we want?

and, or on Saturday 8th March
Celebrate International Women's Day with poetry, songs and music from
Razia Aziz, Kulwinder, Seni, DJ Ritu and many others.

For more details (eg Transport, Cr?che, Stalls, Programme) on both events,
phone: 0207 424 9535, or email:londec@hotmail.com

***
DESIGN FOR LIFE: PERMACULTURE, BIOMIMICRY AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING
March 9-28, 2003 at Schumacher College, Devon, UK
With Max Lindegger, Morag Gamble & Janine Benyus. Drawing on their
experiences working at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, Max and Morag
will discuss how we can, in a participatory and holistic way, design
human-scale settlements and food systems based on permaculture principles
that promote a healthy environment and create opportunities for meaningful
work.

For more information, please contact the Administrator, Schumacher College,
The Old Postern, Dartington, Devon TQ9 6EA, Tel: 01803 865 934
Email: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
-->www.schumachercollege.org.uk

***
QUESTIONNING SECURITY TERRORISM IN A GLOBALISED WORLD
Thursday March 6, 6pm for 6.30pm
Venue: Demos, The Mezzanine, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London SE1 7YY
(Elizabeth House is adjacent to Waterloo Station and buses 76, 77, 211,
341, 381 and 507 pass the door).

Resurgence & Demos jointly invite you to an evening of conversation with
John Gray Professor of European Thought at the LSE, author of "Straw Dogs
Thoughts on Humans & Other Animals" &
Caroline Lucas, Green Party Member of the European Parliament
With Satish Kumar, Editor of Resurgence & Director of Programmes at the
Schumacher College

Admission: ?5.00 with wine
Enquires and bookings on: 01237 441293, or email: peterlang@resurgence.org

***
Capitalwoman 2003 conference, the London conference for women
Saturday 8th March
Venue: the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in SW1,
It is hosted by Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron and Diane Abbott MP. For details
or to register, contact 020 7983 4302 or
email: capitalwoman@london.gov.uk.

***
DESIGNED BY NATURE
Friday March 28, 6.15pm for 6.45pm
Venue: The Princes Foundation, 19 22 Charlotte Road, Old Street, London
EC2A 3SG (Exit 3 from Old Street Station, wheelchair accessible)

Resurgence Magazine & The Temenos Academy jointly present
With: Janine Benyus, Life sciences writer and author of "Biomimicry
Innovation Inspired by Nature", Rupert Sheldrake, Author of "Dogs that know
when their owners are coming home - and other unexplained powers of
animals", and Satish Kumar, Editor of Resurgence & Director of Programmes
at the Schumacher College.

Admission: ?5.00 with wine
Enquires and bookings on: 01237 441293, or email: peterlang@resurgence.org

More Diary Dates on GreenNet:
--> www.gn.apc.org/calendar/calindex.shtml

Please add your events to the calendar here:
--> www.gn.apc.org/calendar/add.shtml

*****************************************************************
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---> www.gn.apc.org

Please note that opinions expressed in AlterNet are those of the
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the GreenNet
Collective.
To subscribe or unsubscribe see:

http://news.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/alternet-l
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From joanne at gn.apc.org  Fri Feb 21 18:34:26 2003
From: joanne at gn.apc.org (Joanne Doyle)
Date: Wed Feb  1 23:43:29 2006
Subject: [alternet-l] The Alternet News #88
Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.0.20030221183013.009e6140@pop.gn.apc.org>

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 88

This issue:

HOT SITES/
MARCH FOR PEACE/
Nodo 50 CAMPAIGN/
NET FILTERING PROBLEMS/
WSIS PrepCom/
MEXICO WORKERS APPEAL/
FoE CRITICISES WWF/
GM CROPS/
JOBS & VOLUNTEERING/
AWARDS/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
DIARY/

********************************************************************

Please don't send news to the AlterNet address. Send items for inclusion, 
including a web link if possible, to actnow@gn.apc.org. Items may need to 
be edited. Plain text e-mail is preferred.

Back issues are on-line at:
---> http://www.gn.apc.org/news/alternet/index.asp

*****************************************************************

HOT SITES

To ensure that children?s views and opinions will also influence
discussions on the Future of Europe, Euronet, The European Children's
Network, have engaged in a Children?s
Participation Project around the European Convention and lanched their new 
site,
including a discussion forum for children and young people on the Future of 
Europe:

-->www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/interaction/welcome.htm

Ricky Gervais of BBC's 'The Office', is promoting Jobability, a new
jobsite for people with disabilities:

--> www.jobability.com


*****************************************************************

MARCH FOR PEACE

Talk abounds as to why so many people took to the streets last weekend, 
marching for peace. Never before have so many people demonstrated worldwide 
for a common cause. In Britain, it seems that many joined the march because 
as one person put it, they were on a roller coaster that they couldn't get 
off. Even those who would support a war backed by the UN took to the 
streets in the hope of regaining some control over our supposed democratic 
system.

But what control do we ever have?

In a recent article, George Monbiot comments: "Our marches were 
unprecedented, but they have, so far, been unsuccessful." He goes on to 
say: "Strategic thinkers in the US have been planning this next stage of 
expansion for years. "

--> www.monbiot.com/dsp_article.cfm?article_id=562

Now as Blair is pushing the moral case for war, Tariq Ali speaks to the 
Gaurdian about why a war on Iraq war is immoral and unjust, with or without 
UN backing:

--> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9115,900090,00.html

Perhaps it is debateable that the demonstrations will have their intended 
impact, but
I'm sure there will be unintended impacts, at this stage its best to let 
the pictures speak rather than words...

Indymedia reports:
--> www.indymedia.org/archive/features/2003/02/2003-02.html#7355

Stop the War Coalition links to sites , each covering their contributions 
to the largest
worldwide demonstration on record (you have to scroll down their home page):
--> www.stopthewar.co.uk/

 From a GreenNet member:
--> http://mathaba.net/news/news1/peace/15feb03fotos.shtml

And a personal collection of images sent in to us:
--> www.hyperreal.org/~dana/

*****************************************************************

Nodo 50 CAMPAIGN

GreenNet's sister organisation Nodo 50, based in Spain, is calling for 
support to
drop charges against Santiago Botana, a full time staff member of Nodo 50.

Nodo 50 reports:
On November 17th 1995, Santiago Botana was taken to hospital due to 
injuries caused by a detonation that took place at his home address.
The explosion was caused when he was handling home-made flares that he used 
for spelunking, a sport he has practiced since 1987. This event was quickly 
picked up by
the newspapers and made the headlines. The version printed by the
newspapers was based on police sources without the benefit of a doubt: the
closeness to November 20th, which is a fascist-antifascist mobilizations
date and his "ultra-leftist activist" profile turned the event into
"something arranged by marginal groups from extreme left-wing".
The press reported that Santiago was preparing a bomb for the demonstration 
that upcoming weekend.

It is impossible to establish that Santiago is guilty in just four hours of 
investigation. And we find that there is an official report of what 
happened without any
proof to support it. To support these charges the district attorney and the 
police use the different objects found in Santiago's house as "supporting 
evidence".
Things like the ikurrina and a poster supporting the insubordination
against the military, a placard supporting EZLN reveals his revolutionary
ideas, a placard with the music group Negu Gorriak that supports ETA, the
tools and extra parts to repair motorcycles (when three of the people
living in this house work as delivery boys and used motorcycles). Other
things like a bag of cat litter was supposedly going to be used as
splinter for the bombs, a broken flashlight and a pager suddenly became
"electric applicants to manufacture a bomb.

This pressure from the mainstream media and manipulated
"evidences" has ended up in a hard sentence of 4 years in prison.

Nodo 50 ask that you send a letter of support to the Spanish Embassy or 
Consulate in your city and country.

More:
--> http://www.nodo50.org/indulto/dossier-en.php

*****************************************************************

NET FILTERING PROBLEMS

Government efforts to block offensive Web sites are technically
problematic and legally worrisome, a new study says.

The study from Harvard University's Berkman Centre highlights how
modern Web standards have permitted thousands of domain names to share
one Internet address. It concludes that instead of precisely targeting
only objectionable sites, attempts to restrict Internet addresses with
pornographic, political or gambling-related content inevitably make
legitimate sites unreachable too.

"The numbers are staggeringly high," said Ben Edelman, a student
fellow at the Berkman Centre and author of the report. "According to
my results, two-thirds of sites are hosted on Web servers with 50 or
  more domain names."

Find out more, see:
--> http://news.com.com/2100-1023-985216.html

This was also recently highlighted when an email filtering system introduced
into the Houses of Parliament, designed to protect MPs from obscene, acted 
to stifle debate.
A Liberal Democrat parliamentary affairs spokesman, Paul Tyler, said:
"Blocking filth is one thing, but stifling
debate and cutting MPs off from their constituents is not helpful
for democracy." The system is currently under review.

More:
--> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/commons/story/0,9061,891060,00.html

*****************************************************************

WSIS PrepCom

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) PrepCom is currently
underway in Geneva.

The Transnational Radical Party presented a contribution to the works of the
second meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS), drawing delegates' attention to the relations 
between three issues that link digital technology to democracy, namely data 
retention, e-democracy and cyber-nonviolence.

  Declaration of Gianluca Eramo, Transnational Radical Party representative at
  the WSIS:

"Political activism on the Net is a phenomenon that has changed the face of
  politics in the last few years. At this stage it is urgent to analyze the
  present situation and evaluate which actions could be taken in order to
  secure the use of the new technologies as tools of peace, freedom and
  democracy. After the 11th of September, fear is generating a negative
  influence on political decision related to the Information Society. Many
  Governments are appealing for the inclusion of generalized and massive
  surveillance laws to control citizens; moreover, the lack of democracy and
  political and civil rights represent a big menace for the development of a
  free and democratic cyberspace. What is needed is a general strategy that
  should combine the utilization of the new instruments of technology to allow
  the existence of an effective e-democracy, that means legislative and
  infrastructural condition to strengthen and expand individual rights and
  liberties and open access to all the public documents of the International
  Institution and UN member states."

  --> www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/03/wsispc2/c/S03-WSISPC2-C-0051!!PDF-E.pdf

Related links:
--> www.itu.int/wsis/index.html

Watch and listen to roundtables and workshops being webcast here:
--> www.itu.int/ibs/WSIS/pc2/

*****************************************************************

MEXICO WORKERS APPEAL

Not long ago, workers at Matamoros Garments, a factory in Puebla,
Mexico, struck over wages and conditions and the right to form a union.
The factory responded by intimidating and threatening the workers -- and
by drafting in a 'company' union to police them.

Puma have responded by pulling out of Matamoros and leaving the workers
to take the heat.
In response to complaints from activists Puma claimed that they
inspected the factory, respected freedom of association and pulled out
for purely economic reasons.
The workers at Matamoros are, naturally, furious.
They are appealing to trade unionists all over the world to send a loud
and clear message to Puma's management in Germany:

* Puma must meet with representatives of the Centro de Apoyo al
Trabajador (CAT) and the Clean Clothes Campaign to urgently address the
situation.
* Puma must resume production at Matamoros and ensure that their code
and internationally recognised labour standards are respected.
* Puma needs to set up a system for independently verifying compliance
with these standards -- a system which includes workers and their
organisations, such as the CAT.
* Puma must insist on free trade unions and a living wage in all their
factories.

Under pressure from all over the world, Puma have provisionally agreed to 
meet the CAT
(workers' support centre) and the Clean Clothes Campaign in Germany next week.
The workers at Matamoros are asking Puma not to turn its back on them.
They are asking you to send thousands of email messages to the Puma
management in the next several days, in anticipation of the possible
meeting next week.

Join the campaign:
--> www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=10

More information:
--> www.nosweat.org.uk

*****************************************************************

FoE CRITICISES WWF

WWF is being criticised for an intended ?3m partnership deal with a French 
company
seeking to build a massive quarry on the island of Harris.
The quarry is opposed by most of the islanders, many British WWF
supporters, and the Scottish executive.
Lafarge, the ?7.2bn cement and aggregates company, wants to quarry up to
600m tonnes of rock from Roineabhal mountain at Lingerbay, to export
largely for road building and other infrastructural projects in England.

British branches of WWF oppose the "superquarry", which would destroy
most of the mountain. WWF International, its parent body based in Geneva,
has made Lafarge a conservation partner and accepted its money on the
basis that it will work with the company to advise it and improve the
ways it works.

Lafarge was last year found guilty by the European Commission of
operating a price -fixing cartel in Europe and had a ?250m (?156m) fine
imposed. Under the terms of the five year contract with WWF, Lafarge can
display the WWF's widely recognised panda logo and benefit from the
conservation group's international reputation.

Full report:
-->www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,890655,00.html

Friends of the Earth, the world's largest grassroots environment organisation,
formally backed calls for international conservation group, WWF 
International to end its
?3.5 million partnership with French multinational, Lafarge Aggregates.

Commenting, Friends of the Earth International's Chair, Ricardo Navarro, said:

"Friends of the Earth International feels that such partnerships between 
industry and
non-governmental organisations are entirely inappropriate. In this 
particular case,
the agreement between Lafarge and WWF undermines the efforts of local 
opposition to the companys plans and weakens the environmental 
organisations like Friends of the Earth Scotland which support efforts to 
safeguard the environment and secure sustainable livelihoods.

More:
--> www.foe-scotland.org.uk/nation/pp200202.html

*****************************************************************

GM CROPS

The issue of GM crops, although overshadowed lately in the news, has not 
gone without comment.
In an interview with 'The Ecologist' magazine, Michael Meacher, UK?s 
environment
minister, expressed strong doubts on the safety of GM foods, and describes 
GM as "not necessary?. He goes on to say "we have to rely upon the bio-tech 
companies themselves to tells us if they discover any other problems, such 
as, for example, health risks." He poses the question: "can we trust the 
companies and be sure that they are telling us all they know?"

Full story:
--> www.theecologist.org/article.html?article=371

In a previous interview in the Guardian, the environment minister had 
committed the government to consider changes in current legislation which 
would take account of the impacts of cross pollination on conventional and 
organic farmers from GM crops.

--> http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,893663,00.html

The government have extended the period for a public debate on genetically 
modified crops for another three months. However, this may not be all its 
cracked up to be. The general feeling is that public attitudes are changing 
towards GM.

Full report here:
--> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,899160,00.html

Have your say about the GM debate online with Genewatch UK. GeneWatch UK is 
a public interest group which aims to ensure that genetic technologies are 
developed and used in the public interest and in a way which promotes human 
health,
protects the environment and respects human rights and the interests of 
animals, here:
--> www.genewatch.org/Debate/Debate.htm

*****************************************************************

JOBS & VOLUNTEERING

*Press Archive Officer needed for human rights organisation
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign needs a voluteer to maintain its
specialist press archive on human rights.
This is a good opportunity to gain valuable experience with a well-established
non-governmental organisation and to get involved in human rights work.
TAPOL needs someone to commit themselves to volunteering one day a week -
ideally for a minimum of four months.  Travel expenses and lunch provided.
Full training will be given.

For more information, contact Danny Bates at tapol@gn.apc.org, tel: 020 8771
2904, 111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8HW.
--> http://tapol.gn.apc.org

*Envolve works in partnership with organisations and individuals to achieve 
a more sustainable lifestyle.  These posts are in partnership with Somer 
Community Housing Trust and Bath City Farm.

Children and young people's involvement officer
?18-20,000 F/T
You will develop play and youth work with children and young people in the 
Foxhill area of Bath, and will also have a more strategic role which 
involves consulting and representing the needs of children and young people 
in other specific estates in Bath and North East Somerset.

Environmental youth and play worker
?16 - 18,000 pro rata P/T
You will consult with children and young people in the Bath City Farm area, 
to enable them to develop action plans to improve their local environment 
and enhance play opportunities.

Further details:
--> www.envolve.co.uk

*CAFOD VACANCIES - INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER
?24,890 to ?27,540 p.a. pro rata - 28hrs per week

CAFOD (one of the UK?s leading development and relief agencies)
needs an experienced professional to improve the use and management
of information ? how it is accessed, stored and communicated
throughout a busy diverse organisation. Principal tasks are to:
- Respond creatively to staff and organisational information and
communication needs;
- Improve the effectiveness of CAFOD's networked system for storing
and sharing documents;
- Develop the sharing and distribution of information about CAFOD?s
work;
- Manage a small specialist staff library and information service.

To obtain an application pack please go to our website
www.cafod.org.uk/jobs/ or email jobs@cafod.org.uk, quoting ref ISM,
or tel. 020 7326 5601. Closes 28 February 2003.

*****************************************************************

AWARDS

The IFJ is now calling for entries for the 2003 Natali Prize for journalism.
The Natali Prize for Journalism: Excellence in Reporting Human Rights, 
Democracy and
Development was established in 1992 by the the European Commission and is 
administered by the International Federation of Journalists.

The 2003 Natali Prize is open to print and on-line journalists employed by 
the local media in the five regions listed above. Eligible journalists 
should have written reports, which focus on human rights, democracy and 
development. Each applicant or group of applicants must submit ONE article 
(or a series of articles on ONE subject) published between 1 January 2002 
and 31 December 2002.

It is easy to enter. Simply fill in the Application Form and mail or fax it 
along with a
copy of your article to one of the addresses listed below. Please read the 
Rules of the
Competition before submitting your entry. The deadline for entries is 31 
May 2003. There is no entry fee.

More information and rules to the competition here:
--> www.ifj.org/hrights/lorenzo/inpr.html

*****************************************************************

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the 
nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those 
conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse 
to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince 
himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he 
enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception."

Mark Twain (as quoted by Tariq Ali, reported in the Guardian)
*****************************************************************

DIARY DATES

FEBRUARY:

* Sunday 23rd February. NO BASIS FOR WAR, NO BASES FOR WAR.
A day of protest and action at USAF Fairford, home of the B2 bomber.
Assemble Fairford Town Centre at 12 noon. See www.gwi.org.uk for more
information.
[Accommodation and training available in London on 22nd February + transport
from London on the Sunday morning. Contact 07817 061 183 or e-mail
fairfordcoachlondon@hotmail.com for more information. Please book in
advance.]

* Monday 24th February. TRIAL OF 'WARZONE WHITEHALL' DEFENDANTS.
Please come along and support them if you can! See
http://www.j-n-v.org/ARCHIVE/warzonewhitehall.htm for more info. on the
'Warzone Whitehall' action.
Where: Horseferry Magistrates' Court, London (nearest tube Covent Garden)
When: from 10am.
Contact voices uk for more details (voices@viwuk.freeserve.co.uk)

MARCH:

* Saturday March 1st. PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE GATHERING.
A day of workshops (on nonviolent action, the law, prison and presswork) and
discussion for all those interested in taking nonviolent action against the
war.
Where: 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES (nearest tube Aldgate East). When:
10.30am - 5pm.
Organised by ARROW and voices in the wilderness uk. See www.j-n-v.org or
contact 0845 458 2564.

*ASIAN WOMEN'S MOVEMENT CONFERENCE
Friday 7th March/Saturday 8th March /Sunday 9th March
Dreams, Questions and Struggles, Sapne Sawal aur Larai, - 25 years of
the Asian Womens Movement, a conference by and about Asian women On:

What is our history?
Where do we stand today?
What does feminism mean to us?
What kind of a future do we want?

and, or on Saturday 8th March
Celebrate International Women's Day with poetry, songs and music from
Razia Aziz, Kulwinder, Seni, DJ Ritu and many others.

For more details (eg Transport, Cr?che, Stalls, Programme) on both events, 
phone: 0207 424 9535, or email:londec@hotmail.com

*OUR LIFE IN PIECES
Objects and Stories from Iraqis in Exile
An exhibition at the DIORAMA GALLERY, London
8 - 28th of March 2003
   34 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 020 7916 5467
tube: Regents Park/ Great Portland Street
10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday

*One year on REMEMBER GUJARAT
2000 lives lost 200,000 made homeless Still no justice!
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
Monday 3 March 2003
4.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Outside the Charity Commission, Harmsworth House, Bouverie Street EC4. 
Underground: Blackfriars

*Capitalwoman 2003 conference, the London conference for women
Saturday 8th March
Venue: the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in SW1,
It is hosted by Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron and Diane Abbott MP. For details 
or to register, contact 020 7983 4302 or
email: capitalwoman@london.gov.uk.

*Why, For God's Sake?
Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 6pm
An LSE Public Lecture by Professor Eileen Barker
CHAIR: Professor ANTHONY GIDDENS

'Why do people believe such incredible things
and perform such irrational acts? How do we react to such alien
worldviews? Such questions raise issues that are more than 'merely
academic'.

The Old Theatre, London School of Economics
HOUGHTON STREET, LONDON, WC2A 2AE
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a 
first come,
first serve basis.
For further information please email:
--> events@lse.ac.uk or phone 020 7955 6043.

*FoE PROTEST MARCH, March 25th
meet in London at midday

BP wants to build a huge new oil pipeline through Asia and Turkey.  More
oil means more climate change. The project will increase the risk of
conflict and human rights abuses in the region, may impact severely on the
local environment, and lead to more corruption and distorted local
economies, with very questionable benefits for local people.   And BP
wants UK taxpayers to help pay for it!

Email alexp@foe.co.uk for more details

For more information on BP's proposed pipeline, visit:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/baku_ceyhan/index.html

*DESIGNED BY NATURE
Friday March 28, 6.15pm for 6.45pm
Venue: The Princes Foundation, 19 22 Charlotte Road, Old Street, London 
EC2A 3SG (Exit 3 from Old Street Station, wheelchair accessible)

Resurgence Magazine & The Temenos Academy jointly present
With: Janine Benyus, Life sciences writer and author of "Biomimicry 
Innovation Inspired by Nature",
Rupert Sheldrake, Author of "Dogs that know when their owners are coming 
home - and other unexplained powers of animals",
and Satish Kumar, Editor of Resurgence & Director of Programmes at the 
Schumacher College.

Admission: ?5.00 with wine
Enquires and bookings on: 01237 441293, or email: peterlang@resurgence.org

More Diary Dates on GreenNet:
--> www.gn.apc.org/calendar/calindex.shtml

Please add your events to the calendar here:
--> www.gn.apc.org/calendar/add.shtml

****************************************************************

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---> www.gn.apc.org

Please note that opinions expressed in AlterNet are those of the
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