Permaculture in Zimbabwe

Harvesting Water for Food Security By Busani Bafana

Caroline Ndlovu is one of over 100 smallholder farmers practising the water harvesting technique of using earth dams.GWANDA, Zimbabwe, Jun 28, 2011 (IPS) –

Earth mounds running across her field hold back the water that Caroline Ndlovu uses to grow maize, pumpkins, beans and watermelons long after the short rainy season in this arid part of Zimbabwe. Ndlovu, a mother of three who trains other farmers, is one of over 100 smallholder farmers practising the water harvesting technique of using earth dams. The water collected in the field allows farmers to increase their crop yields, which ordinarily are poor in this region.

The secret to water harvesting is hard work and a passion for farming, Ndlovu revealed. “I work hard and put to practise the skills I have learnt on pegging and digging the contours in the most suitable location to ensure that they hold the water after the rains,” said Ndlovu.

Farmers have faced the challenge of not having the tools to dig the contours as well as not having the labour involved in making the contours. So communities in Sizhulube village work together to dig the contours. While older or disabled members look after the children and help prepare food.

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España: ‘Siguen torturando con impunidad’.Amnesty.

El Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos ha condenado en varias ocasiones al Estado español por no investigar de manera adecuada las denuncias de tortura. “En 2010 continuaron estas denuncias”, inciden. De hecho, en lo que va de 2011 una docena de personas han denunciado haber sufrido torturas durante el periodo de incomunicación; los últimos, los hermanos Aitor e Igor Esnaola, de Legorreta, y el vecino de Villabona Lander Etxeberria.

Amnistía Internacional recuerda que Naciones Unidas recomendó al Estado español “la abolición del régimen de incomunicación a personas sospechosas de actividades `terroristas'”, y que el Gobierno volvió a rechazar estas sugerencias. Es más, la organización matiza que “España es el único país de la Unión Europea que conserva un régimen de detención con restricciones tan severas de los derechos de las personas detenidas”. Éstas pueden verse privadas de acceso efectivo a un abogado o a un médico de su elección, y no tienen la posibilidad de informar de su arresto a su familia ni a sus amistades. Asimismo, destaca que el periodo de incomunicación puede imponerse antes o después de que la persona detenida comparezca ante una autoridad judicial y que puede alargarse, incluso, hasta trece días.

AI también considera necesario que se lleven a cabo “investigaciones independientes” sobre las denuncias y que se garantice una reparación plena a las personas que hayan resultado perjudicadas. “Las víctimas, sus familias y la sociedad en su conjunto tienen derecho a conocer la verdad sobre, incluida la identidad de los autores”, enfatiza.

Informe íntegro

http://www.gara.net/agiriak/20110626_informe_ai.pdf

Asambleas 15M Toma la Calle.

Trobada d’assemblees de barri de Barcelona Posted on juny 23, 2011 by acampadabcn| 5 comentaris Pel proper diumenge 26 de Juny a les 17.00H, està convocada a Plaça Catalunya, una trobada de les 23 Assemblees de Barri de la nostra ciutat. Després de la mobilització del 19 de Juny, hem de fer un pas més endavant. Entre totes hem conquerit les places i és entre totes que hem de marcar el camí a seguir. L’objectiu de la Trobada Plenària és poder debatre i reflexionar juntes, per enriquir i enllaçar els debats que estan emergent als diferents barris i també, establir com ens interrelacionarem en el futur i com gestionarem la feina feta fins ara -des de les diferents Assemblees i AcampadaBCN- i la que hem de seguir fent. Fins ara, l’acampada de plaça Catalunya ha estat un espai de confluència, es per aixó que arrel de la proposta de (re)pensar l’espai Plaça Catalunya com a Àgora, ens han sorgit diferents dubtes sobre com fer-ho, que volem compartir amb totes les Assemblees de Barris per tal d’anar-los discutint plegades. A les 15h, hi haurà una trobada oberta prèvia per definir l’Ordre del Dia i repartir les tasques de moderació. Aquí es pot descarregar una proposta d’ordre del dia. → 5 Comentaris Posted in Actes assemblea, Info general

http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com/

EU knew since 80s Roundup causes birth defects

Industry and EU regulators knew as long ago as the 1980s-1990s that Roundup, the world’s best selling herbicide, causes birth defect– but they failed to inform the public. This is the conclusion of a new report, “Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?” co-authored by a group of international scientists and researchers and released yesterday.[1]

The report reveals that industry’s own studies (including one commissioned by Monsanto) showed as long ago as the 1980s that Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate causes birth defects in laboratory animals.

The German government has known about these findings since at least the 1990s, when as the “rapporteur” member state for glyphosate, it reviewed industry’s studies for the EU approval of the herbicide. The European Commission has known since at least 2002, when it signed off on glyphosate’s approval.

But this information was not made public. On the contrary, regulators have consistently misled the public about glyphosate’s safety. As recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, BVL, told the Commission there was “no evidence of teratogenicity” (ability to cause birth defects) for glyphosate.

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http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/regulators-knew-roundup-causes-birth-defects-lied-to-public/

Setting Sail for Gaza: Open the prison!

Setting Sail for Gaza, Armed with Love Letters and a Missive from Dr. King

by Medea Benjamin / June 22nd, 2011

“I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him,” said Dr. Martin Luther King as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. These words will guide me and other passengers aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, a fleet of nine boats scheduled to set sail for Gaza on June 25 from various Mediterranean ports. While the Israelis try to label us provocateurs, terrorists and Hamas supporters, we are simply nonviolent advocates following the teachings of Dr. King. We refuse to sit at the docks of history and watch the people of Gaza suffer.

The U.S. boat, which will carry 50 Americans, is called The Audacity of Hope. It is named after Obama’s bestselling political autobiography in which he lauds our collective audacity of striving to become a better nation. But I prefer to think of our boat as part of Dr. King’s legacy. He, too, talked about audacity, about his audacious faith in the future. “I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him,” Dr. King said.

Our intrepid group has its moral compass aimed at the way things ought to be. Our cargo is not humanitarian aid, as some of the other ships are carrying, but thousands of letters from the U.S. people, letters of compassion, solidarity and hope written to people living in the Gaza Strip. We travel with what Dr. King called “unarmed truth and unconditional love.”

We focus on Gaza because since 2007 the Israeli government has enforced a crippling blockade on its 1.5 million residents. Inflicting collective punishment on civilians is morally wrong and is a gross violation of international humanitarian law under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Yet the world’s democracies do nothing to stop Israel’s extraordinarily cruel behavior, and, in fact, did nothing for 22 days in 2009 while the Israel military unleashed a tidal wave of carnage that left 1,400 Palestinians dead. They continue to sit by while the people of Gaza remain isolated and unable to secure access to building materials and basic living supplies, and while Israeli soldiers shoot at Gaza’s farmers trying to till their land along the border and attack fisherman trying to make a living in waters off their shore. And in the case of the United States, our government is not simply sitting by, but supporting the Israeli military with $3 billion in military aid a year.

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Congo war on civilians.UN fails to protect.

Abau Adua has been homeless since the LRA descended on his village a year ago. ‘We were out on the river when the LRA attacked,’ he explains. ‘We heard the screams and the shouting. I saw 16 corpses, people beaten and stabbed to death. Two of my close family – my cousin and my nephew – were among them.’

‘Communities continue to live under daily threat of attack,’ says Marcel Stoessel, head of Oxfam in DRC. ‘The UN’s primary role is to protect civilians and to support the national army to become a stronger, more accountable force.’

One of the worst human rights offenders is the government army, which is poorly paid and ill-disciplined. In July 2009, the DRC government said there would be zero tolerance for soldiers who abused civilians, but elements of the army still prey on local people rather than protecting them.

Another year’s renewal of the mission is expected. However, despite this being the world’s largest peacekeeping force (some 18,500-strong), the first quarter of this year has seen a spike in LRA violence. As the UN reviews its mandate, it needs to move faster and more effectively to provide protection to people like Abau Adua.

Anna Ridout nin.tl/iWPf3G read more HERE