24 April 2019 (UN Women)* — Durga Sob is a Nepalese activist who founded the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) in 1994, just ahead of the adoption of the visionary Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. She is among the 500 activists meeting in Tunisia from 24-26 April for the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality to take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, nearly 25 years on.
Durga Sob. Photo: UN Women/Emad Karim
“Over a journey of 25 years, we have seen many peaks and plains…
The status of women in Nepal used to be very low. Child marriage was rampant; women were limited to household chores, deprived of education, health and employment opportunities, among others.
There was very limited representation and participation of women in politics.
Worldwide, over 12 million hectares — roughly the surface area of Nicaragua — disappeared during 2018, the WRI said.
An aerial view shows illegal deforestation close to the Amazonia National Park in Brazil May 25, 2012. | Photo: Reuters | Photo from teleSUR.
26 April 2019 (teleSUR)* — Over 12 million hectares — roughly the surface area of Nicaragua — disappeared during 2018, the World Resources Institute (WRI) stated this week, adding that 3.64 million hectares were occupied by virgin forests, fundamental for climate and biodiversity.
Aden, 26 April 2019 (IOM)*– Authorities have rounded up and arbitrarily detained over 2,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Ethiopian nationals, in Aden, Yemen, since Sunday, creating an acute humanitarian situation, to which aid organizations are rapidly responding.
26 April 2019 (Wall Street International)* — Class oppression is as pervasive and deep a cultural phenomenon as racism in American society. The 2016 election of Donald Trump as President widened the class chasm and brought bubbling to the surface like a raging volcano the anger and ills of “the other” Americans. In this case, “the other” does not refer to blacks, browns, or yellows but rather working class and poor whites.
The Democratic Party – the Party of the People – because of a creeping establishment disdain for working class and poor whites did not fully understand or address their needs to feel worthy, upwardly mobile recipients of the American Dream.
26 April 2019 (teleSUR)* — The Amazonian Waorani community in Ecuador celebrated a significant legal victory Friday. A court in the Pastaza region ruled that the government had violated their rights when it sought to drill for oil on their land.
“Today, the courts recognize that the Waorani people, and all Indigenous peoples, have rights over our territories that must be respected,” was how the Coordinating Council of the Waorani Nationality of Ecuador Pastaza (CONCONAWEP) summed up the verdict.
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 26 2019 (IPS)* – When US political leaders urged the Trump administration to either reduce or cut off arms supplies to Saudi Arabia – largely as a punishment for its indiscriminate bombings of civilians in the four-year old military conflict in Yemen—President Trump provided a predictable response: “If we don’t sell arms to Saudi Arabia, the Chinese and the Russians will.”
Perhaps in theory it’s plausible, but in practice it’s a long shot primarily because switching weapons systems from Western to Chinese and Russian arms— particularly in the middle of a devastating war– could be a long drawn out process since it involves maintenance, servicing, training, military advice and uninterrupted supplies of spares.
The critical needs of 1.2 million mostly Rohingya refugees in south-eastern Bangladesh were top of the agenda for a fact-finding mission to the region by three senior United Nations officials, who called for continuing support on Friday [26 April 2019] for them from the international community.
At the end of a joint visit to the country, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, head of UN migration agency (IOM) António Vitorino, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, reiterated their commitment to find safe and sustainable solutions for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as well as helping them to make a safe and dignified return home.
25 April 2019 — After more than a decade of steady advances in fighting malaria, progress has leveled off, which is why this World Malaria Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting a grassroots campaign to emphasize country ownership and community empowerment to improve malaria prevention and care.
WHO/Mark Nieuwenhof | A woman cares for her child who has malaria at a hospital in Malawi (April 2019)
“Every two minutes a child dies from this preventable and treatable disease”, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
USPANTÁN, Guatemala, Apr 23 2019 (IPS)* — In the stifling heat, Diego Matom takes the bread trays out of the oven and carefully places them on wooden shelves, happy that his business has prospered since his village in northwest Guatemala began to generate its own electricity. | En español
Diego Matom, a member of the Ixil indigenous community, poses happily with his family, surrounded by fresh loaves of bread which were baked thanks to community electricity generation, which has given his business a big boost, in the 31 de Mayo village in the mountainous ecoregion of Zona Reina, in northwestern Guatemala. Credit: Edgardo Ayala/IPS
And it managed to do so against all odds, facing down big business and the local authorities.
The ‘Free Land Camp’ is gathering thousands to protest against neoliberalism and racism.
Kayapo men dance to defend indigenous land and cultural rights in Brasilia, Brazil, April 24, 2019. | Photo: Reuters | Photo from teleSUR.
24 April 2019 (teleSUR)* — Indigenous peoples from all over Brazil occupied Wednesday the ‘Ministries Esplanade’ in the capital Brazilia, the square where most ministries are located, to stage the 15th edition of the Free Land Camp (ATL), a meeting called this year to fight President Jair Bolsonaro’s policies.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 