[alternet-l] ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 79

[Adrian Harris]

THE ALTERNET NEWS - ISSUE # 79
This issue:

HOT SITES/
EARTH SUMMIT ACTION/
PRESS CUTTING ARCHIVE/
U.S. SUPPORT GREEN FUND/
FORESTS ACTION/
COMMUNITY COMPUTING/
'NO EVIDENCE' AGAINST IRAQ/
FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL/
TURKEY HUMAN RIGHTS REFORM/
SONAR 'KILLS WHALES'/
QUOTE/UNQUOTE/
DIARY/

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HOT SITES

The Road Alert website has been created to provide a forum for those
interested in a direct action response to the resurrection of the
Government road building program. Though now mainly decentralised to the
county level, this multi-billion pound program will devastate our
environment putting thousands of acres under concrete:
--> www.roadalert.org.uk

The new War On Want site is now online. Includes campaigns on factories &
sweatshops, women, Colombia, Western Sahara and Tobin Tax:
--> www.waronwant.org/

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EARTH SUMMIT ACTION

Friends of the Earth will be at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg pressing
world leaders for change. They want governments to make multinationals
accountable for their actions.

Short of jumping on a plane to Johannesburg - What can you do?

Join the FoE campaign:
--> www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/corporates/press_for_change/earth_summit/

Join the Global Day of Action against a Corporate UN FoE on August 31:
Stop big corporations and their lobby groups from influencing the World
Summit in Johannesburg. Join the day of action and organise something locally:
--> www.aseed.net

Meanwhile...four frazzled and sunburned cyclists have rolled into
Johannesburg after pedalling nearly 13 000 kilometres from London to focus
attention on poor countries' urgent need for clean water ahead of the World
Summit on Sustainable Development:
-->

www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=14art_id=qw1028563740827B222&set_id=1

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PRESS CUTTING ARCHIVE

THIRD WORLD : EEC have a large selection of press cuttings covering a whole
range of issues on developed and developing countries. Most of this is not
on newspaper databases, which only started in the late 80s to mid 90s.

There are also some 100 video VHS video recordings of broadcast TV
programmes touching many of these areas.

THIRD WORLD : EEC are based in central London.
Contact Pete O'Neill: tweecsisbyt at gn.apc.org

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U.S. SUPPORT GREEN FUND
The Bush Administration have pledged $500 million over the next 
four years to the Global Environment Facility, which emerged
from the 1992 Earth Summit. The United States was one of
32 donor nations that agreed to pour in a total of $2.92
billion over the next four years.

Source: Reuters
--> http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/08/08082002/reu_48079.asp


The Global Environment Facility:
--> www.gefweb.org/

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FORESTS ACTION

Joan Walley, MP has presented the GreenPeace Save or Delete petition to
Parliament. The petition declares (in part): 

"that since the Rio Earth Summit ten years ago an area of ancient
forest bigger than France or Spain has disappeared; that today we are
losing an area of ancient forest the size of a football pitch every two
seconds; that as this destruction continues thousands of plants, animals
and indigenous communities will be put at risk; and that 49,000 individuals
have contacted the Prime Minister expressing their concern about the
destruction of ancient forests and asking him to take action to save them."

Add your name:
--> www.saveordelete.com

Save or Delete children's site:
--> www.saveordelete.com/children/

Save or Delete live @ CARGO - Wednesday August 14th 2002 - See DIARY.

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COMMUNITY COMPUTING

Paul Mobbs, a long term GreenNet user, is setting up a Community/Linux
Training Centre. He aims to develop a mobile computer network for teaching
computer skills without an Internet connection. 

The system will be to used to teach computer skills to civil society groups
and to demonstrate the GNU/Linux operating system. 

For more information and to find out about training, email Paul,
mobbsey at gn.apc.org. 
More:
--> www.fraw.org.uk/cltc/

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'NO EVIDENCE' AGAINST IRAQ

Bush's claims that Iraq was complicit in the Sept. 11 disaster have never
been backed up by any real evidence. The existence of an alleged,
unrecorded encounter between one of the 9/11 terrorists and an Iraqi
official in Prague has been debunked. 

What of Iraq threat of unleashing weapons of mass destruction? Scott
Ritter, the ex-Marine who conducted on-site U.N. inspections in Iraq, has
testified that the current alarm is politically motivated and not supported
by facts on the ground.

Richard G. Lugar, a Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
questioned the lack of evidence supporting the war push after last week's
Senate hearings: "We're all saying today that we haven't found the
evidence, but somebody has to ask, 'Why not?' "

The consensus of experts expressed before the Senate is that there is no
hard evidence that Iraq has a nuclear weapon and that its biological and
chemical arsenal would be of only local military application.

Bush prepares for war:
--> www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,769066,00.html

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FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL

The European Social Forum Mobilising Committee for Kent are holding a free
Music Festival on Sat 31st August. This festival is to mobilise for the
European Social Forum in Florence November 7-10th. 

The festival will feature acoustic, rock, jazz music, poetry and a
childrens play area. 

There will be a global village for campaigning groups and traders and
speakers form organisations Christian Aid, Globalise Resistance,
Columbia Solidarity Campaign, Green Party and lots more.


This festival is promoting the idea that 'Another world is possible'.

For more info on the festival please contact 07950 610257 or 07753 822424
Venue: Tankerton Slopes, Whitstable,1-9PM

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TURKEY HUMAN RIGHTS REFORM

New laws in Turkey will abolish the death penalty and establish language
rights for the Kurdish minority, keeping alive the countries bid to join
the European Union.

The measures also relax prohibitions on public meetings and criticism of
the powerful military and other state institutions.

Official reactions in Europe were cautious, with governments describing the
reforms as "positive steps in the right direction."

The major change is for Turkey's 12 million ethnic Kurds, whose desire to
keep alive their own language has been equated with militant efforts to
create a separate state.

It was not so long ago that a minibus driver was convicted of supporting
terrorists after an army sergeant objected to Kurdish music being played to
his passengers.

Mehmet Ali Birand, a leading columnist, called the vote "very, very
significant. You accept the Kurdish reality. For the first time."

The new laws also promise greater freedom to NGO's working in Turkey,
scrapping restrictions imposed on their work.

Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli is opposing the reforms,
described them as harmful to Turkey's "national unity and existence" 

Much of the population remains opposed to Kurdish rights. A recent opinion
poll shows that 52 percent of Turks are against providing education in
Kurdish.

More:
--> www.rferl.org/nca/features/2002/08/06082002144600.asp


Unofficial Translation of EU Reform Laws:
--> www.byegm.gov.tr/on-sayfa/uyum/uyum-ing-3.htm

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SONAR 'KILLS WHALES'

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the US Navy from using a
powerful new sonar system for detecting enemy submarines, saying the
intense underwater sounds can harm whales and dolphins.

The Navy claim the $300 million system is safe. Environmentalist point out
that within hours of the Navy deploying a powerful sonar during a exercise
in 2000, at least 16 whales and two dolphins beached themselves. Scientists
found hemorrhaging around the brain and ear bones - injuries consistent
with exposure to extremely loud sounds. Eight whales died.

Source: Associated Press
--> http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/08/08082002/ap_48083.asp

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QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"The rational mind is a faithful servant; the intuitive mind a sacred gift.
The paradox of modern life is that we have begun to worship the servant and
defile the Divine."

A. Einstein

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DIARY DATES

ONGOING EVENTS:

Every Thursday:
Cafe Ramallah at The Lido, London Fields, Hackney.
Benefit for the International Solidarity Movement to send internationals to
Palestine in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Food 8pm-ish.
Contact: emjpal at yahoo.com. 


Free yoga classes - Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 at 62 Feildgate st. E-mail:
radicalyoga at clara.co.uk

Radical Dairy Social Centre, 47 Kynaston Road, Stoke Newington, London N16.
Tel: 020 7249 6996
Events 16/06 - 22/06
Sunday: 2.00pm DJ's + Food[BBQ]+ Drink 
Monday: 3.30pm - 5.00pm Yoga, 7.00pm Cafe, 8.00pm Political Discussion Group
Tuesday: 7.30pm Meeting of the Social Centres Network
Wednesday: 4.00pm Aromatherapy Massages, 8.00pm Women's Caff and cabaret 
Thursday: 8.00pm Radical Dairy meeting
Friday: 8.00pm Cafe + Acoustic Music [Bring instruments]
Saturday: Social   

Walk in Peace for Peace
Every first Sunday of the month. Meet at Speakers’ Corner (by Park Café),
Hyde Park 10.45am for 11am. The walk will take about an hour.
If you arrive a bit late don’t worry, you'll see the Walk on ‘Broad Walk’
going south from Speakers’ Corner.
Enquiries: Clare Brunt 020 8755 0353

The Campaign for Co-operative Socialism Campaign meet at The Global Cafe in
London's Golden Square every Wednesday from 11-1:
--> www.cooperative-socialism.org/

AUGUST:

10th to 11th:
Eden Festival - CANCELLED. http://www.edenfestival.org.uk/

13th:
INJUSTICE - A  film about the struggles for justice by the families of
black people that have died in police custody in England.
"one of the most  powerful films ever made in this country". The Guardian
Venue: London Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate Street, London, E1
(Whitechapel or Aldgate East tubes)
7.00pm screening followed by Q&A with families and film maker.
For details of other screenings: 
--> www.injusticefilm.co.uk

14th:
Save or Delete live @ CARGO
SAVE OR DELETE and Cargo have joined up to throw a party celebrating life,
music and beauty to raise money and awareness while having a damn good
time! £5 Before 9, £7 after.
More info:  --> www.saveordelete.com/active_clubbing.html
Tickets: --> www.ticketweb.co.uk

15th:
Real Nappy Network North East launch event. Campaigning to encourage the use
of 'Real' nappies. 6-8pm, Newcastle Healthy City Project, 14 Great North
Rd. More
info from Anne Pedlar 0191 2854519.
--> www.wen.org.uk/nappies/nappies.htm

22nd to 26th:
Northern Green Gathering. West Yorkshire. 
--> www.ngg.org.uk/

24th:
DRUID 2002 conference in the West Midlands. 
Admission on the day £11
--> www.geocities.com/the_druid_forum

29th, 30th & 31st:
Eastern Green Gathering 
Near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

29th-31st:
Peace camp outside Sellafield. The camp will be mixed with a women's space.
For further info - Jenny 0773 2928780

31st:
Global Day of Action against a Corporate UN;
--> www.aseed.net

Free Music Festival, Whitstable - See above.

SEPTEMBER

14th: 
The Miracle of Endorphin Healing with William Bloom.
One-Day Workshop in Dorset 
Booking: info at joyousisle.fsnet.co.uk 
Details: --> /www.williambloom.com

More Diary Dates on GreenNet:

--> webboard.gn.apc.org:8086/default/

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---> www.gn.apc.org

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