* * * * *Once in a while I get off facebook because what I repost on facebook should actually be permanently archived somewhere I can access it later.
Reposted from Censored News --
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Japan's Radioactive Nightmare Hits Home for Navajos
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.comWASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Japan struggles to contain radioactive contamination, Groundswell is reminding Americans that over a thousand abandoned Cold War-era uranium mines still contaminate the American Southwest. The US Department of Energy will feature The Return of Navajo Boy project as a case study in film, media, public engagement and measurable impacts at its State of Environmental Justice Conference on April 28th and 29th in Washington, DC. This month, the US Environmental Protection Agency began clean up at Skyline Mine, the site featured in the documentary.Since 2000, when the film's cautionary tale stunned Sundance Film Festival audiences, Groundswell Educational Films has brought it and Navajo activists across the country to advocate for a clean up of radioactive waste in the Navajo Nation. The filmmaker, Jeff Spitz, and Navajo participants triggered a federal investigation into uranium houses. Many Navajos, including the grandmother in the film, Elsie Mae Begay, built their homes with uranium rocks from the abandoned mines. The US government failed to warn Navajos about the dangers of radioactive waste.Decades after ceasing operations, the radiation from more than 1,000 abandoned uranium mines continues to impact homes, livestock, land, and water across the 27,000 square mile reservation. The Navajo Nation is home to approximately 200,000 people. It holds the largest uranium deposits in the United States and suffers from the highest cancer rates in the Southwest region.Partially as a response to the Groundswell advocacy campaign, the US Environmental Protection Agency has now begun to clean up the area around the abandoned Skyline Mine, including Elsie Mae Begay's yard spotlighted in the documentary. This month tractors and heavy equipment rolled into Elsie's yard eleven years after the film's debut."Americans have been rightfully horrified by the unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan. But we forget that there is highly dangerous radioactive waste poisoning communities right here in America," said Groundswell co-founder Jeff Spitz, who directed the film. "This clean up of the Skyline Mine and Elsie Begay's yard offers a ray of hope to other families living in remote areas hoping for the same attention. We show how to get it."Groundswell's unique model of film and public awareness campaign empowers Navajos to get attention by equipping them with Flip video cameras, multi-media tools, and opportunities to speak at film events, conferences, on campuses, and in the media nationwide. Navajos upload footage and Groundswell edits short videos that allow thousands of followers to stay engaged in the story unfolding online at www.navajoboy.com/webisodes."Using our own video cameras to document what we are struggling with every day gives us hope that the world has not forgotten about us. It gives us a voice," said Mary Helen Begay, Elsie's daughter in law and creator of two recent webisodes. "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan. We hope that they won't have to live with radioactive waste as we have for more than 50 years now." About Groundswell: Groundswell Educational Films is a nonprofit organization with a mission to collaborate cross-culturally in all facets of documentary filmmaking, transfer media skills into disadvantaged communities, and partner with stakeholders to leverage changes that address the social justice issues raised in our films.
Groundswell Educational Films, NFP
100 N. LaSalle St, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Japan's Radioactive Nightmare Hits Home for Navajos
Friday, April 8, 2011
Women and Climate Change
7 April 2011
Contact person: Nina Somera, nina@gendercc.net, +63 9218122066 http://www.gendercc.net/
http://www.gendercc.net/metanavigation/press.html Still A Frozen Pie:
GenderCC – Women for Climate Justice on the Bangkok Intersessional Meeting 2011 As the Bangkok climate talks are about to end, there are more reasonsfor women to be worried about, not only on substantive issues but the very direction where the talks are heading. Efforts of developed countries in keeping the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan in oblivion are quite apparent while discussion on the Long Term Cooperative Action has been stalled. We fear that we are stuck with a half-baked pie from Copenhagen and Cancun. Moreover, we find the flour hardly sifted as commitments of developed
countries continue to evade their historical responsibility, the heavy
reliance on false and risky solutions and the other pending tasks to
avert the current climate crisis. Mitigation - The level of ambition among developed countries in
cutting down their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is way below what science prescribes. And because most of them are so dependent on the carbon economy, developing countries are likely to account for at least 70 per cent of mitigation pledges to be done by 2020. It is alarming that mitigation efforts include a shift to nuclear
energy that has recently demonstrated its devastating impact that even a very advanced and prepared country like Japan could not control. Despite the dearth of gender differentiated data, some studies have shown that women are more keen towards renewable energy sources rather than nuclear. In two surveys in the 1995 and 1997, more Korean women rejected nuclear power. In 2005, only 22 per cent of women favored the delay of Germany’s nuclear power’s phase out. “Clean energy” likewise still includes large-scale hydropower, despite
its long history of forcibly evicting communities in the Mekong and
other areas, and degrading river flows and biodiversity, regardless of
the “safeguards” funding agencies particularly the multilateral
development banks have adopted. And however important to integrate gender in the carbon markets and
REDD Plus, the latter are still false solutions which can lead to a
poisonous scramble for resources and engender danger, displacement and disempowerment. Technology Transfer - There are also no signs of the “intellectual
property” regime of being tempered at the very least, making the more
appropriate and strategic technologies available and affordable to
communities whose climate resiliency needs to be built and
strengthened. The same regime saw on many occasions, seeds and plant varieties grown for generations by women and their communities have been taken by companies, if not destroyed by the genetically-modified ones. Adaptation - We welcome some countries’ call for gender balance in the adaptation committee. However, there is still no clarity on whether
gender will remain as a criterion in the selection of adaptation
initiatives. There is also no assurance yet whether 50 per cent of the
funds will go to adaptation. Even the very constitution of the Green
Climate Fund (GCF) remains unclear. We ask for at least 30 per cent
allocation of the GCF and so-called innovative sources for women and gender-focused adaptation initiatives. Finance - But we are not merely asking for a share of the pie:
Financial resources for the GCF must be additional, scaled-up, public, grant-based, directly accessible, adequate and predictable. Also developing countries must have a huge stake in the governance and operationalization of the Fund. With the outcome of Bangkok, we feel that many opportunities were
missed. We therefore urge governments particularly developed countries especially the United States to move forward in a way that respects a multilateral process and act on the interest of women and communities.
###
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NEW FIGURES: POOR COUNTRIES LEAD RICH COUNTRIES IN REDUCING EMISSIONS
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | SAN JOSE LGBT IMMIGRATION FORUM
RSVP to: ben_deguzman@nqapia.org
PRESS ADVISORY:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ben de Guzman, NQAPIA
Phone: 202-422-4909; E-mail: ben_deguzman@nqapia.org
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and
The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice present an
SAN JOSE LGBT IMMIGRATION FORUM
WHAT: Join Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) and a distinguished panel for a special discussion about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) immigrants’ rights. Panelists will provide an update on developments from both the federal level in Washington, D.C. as well as in San Jose; how immigration reform may affect LGBTQ individuals, and how the audience can get involved.
Cost is FREE! Light refreshments will be provided.
WHEN: Saturday, April 9, 2011
Reception and Networking: 1:30 PM, Program starts at 2:00 PM
WHERE: Asian Americans for Community Involvement
2400 Moorpark Avenue
San Jose, CA
WHO: SPECIAL GUEST: Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Ben de Guzman, NQAPIA Co-Director
Chris Punongbayan, Asian Law Caucus
Marta Donayre, Love Sees No Borders
Amos Lim, Out4Immigration
Activist and Author Judy Rickard will also be invited to talk about her book, Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law.
HOW: To RSVP:
ben_deguzman@nqapia.org (e-mail)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191621290876261 (facebook)
Co-Sponsors:
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Asian American Justice Center (AAJC)
Asian Law Caucus (ALC)
South Bay Queer and Asian (SBQA)
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
RSVP to ben_deguzman@nqapia.org
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
G77+China and ALBA Back Bolivia in Climate Change Negotiations in Bangkok
(Español abajo)
Communiqué
April 5, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand
G77+China and ALBA Back Bolivia in Climate Change Negotiations in Bangkok
“We would like to express our profound worry due to the fact that two decisions were adopted in the framework of the Cancun climate negotiations despite the formal and explicit objection made by a Member State. We consider this a dangerous precedent that should not be repeated under the Framework Convention on Climate Change,” said Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela in the name of the regional group ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our Americas) at United Nations climate talks in Bangkok today. The countries emphasized that “these illegal practices are affecting the Plurinational State of Bolivia, a country that has the same rights as all others, and tomorrow, any other country present here could be affected.”
During the inaugural session of the climate talks, the G77 and China, a group comprising 131 developing countries, said that “as we move toward Durban [for the next annual climate change conference], the path should be to ensure a multilateral process that is transparent, open, and driven by the Member States, and also brings us toward consensus.” The statement alluded to the fact that the adoption of decisions without consensus in Cancun should not be repeated.
In its speech, ALBA backed the positions of Bolivia, saying: “We do not consider the results of Cancun a step forward for the Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol, but rather, a step backward.”
On behalf of the Bolivian delegation, Ambassador Pablo Solón thanked countries for their support and offered the following analogy: “If we compare global warming to a wildfire, we would say that the process of negotiation in Cancun resembled a long meeting of firemen who decided to throw a single bucket of water onto the fire, while declaring, ‘one bucket is better than nothing,’ ‘ the perfect is the enemy of the good,’ and ‘this is just the first bucket’ – then held a press conference to announce that gradual progress was being made, and that they had ‘saved the process of negotiation among the firemen’ while the flames engulfed a town. Solón concluded: “Cancun saved the firemen and their bosses, and now in Durban we have to save the climate and humanity.”
In order for Durban to be a success, and to avoid a catastrophic rise in global temperature of 4° to 5° Celsius during this century, developed countries must make real, domestic emission reduction commitments of 40 to 50%.
##
G77+China y ALBA respaldan a Bolivia
en negociaciones de cambio climático en Bangkok
(Abril 5, Bangkok, Tailandia) “Queremos expresar nuestra más profunda preocupación por el hecho de que dos decisiones fueron adoptadas en el marco de las negociaciones de Cancún, sobrepasando la objeción formal, expresa y explicita de un Estado Parte. Nosotros consideramos que esto es un precedente peligroso que no debe repetirse dentro la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático” manifestaron Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, y Venezuela a nombre del ALBA, quienes enfatizaron que “estas prácticas ilegales afectan hoy al Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, un país que tiene los mismos derechos que todos los demás. Mañana puede afectar a cualquiera de los países aquí presentes.”
Así mismo, en la sesión inaugural de la reunión de negociación sobre cambio climático el G77+China que agrupa a 131 países en vías de desarrollo, señaló que “mientras avanzamos hacia Durban (donde será la próxima Conferencia de Cambio Climático) el camino debe asegurar un proceso multilateral transparente, abierto, dirigido por los Estados Parte e inclusivo que nos lleve al consenso”… en alusión a que no se debía repetir lo ocurrido en Cancún con la adopción sin consenso de estas dos decisiones.
El ALBA en su discurso respaldó las posiciones de Bolivia y señaló que: “Nosotros no consideramos que los resultados de Cancún fuesen un paso hacia adelante en el Grupo de Trabajo de Protocolo de Kioto, sino mas bien un paso hacia atrás.”
Por su parte la delegación de Bolivia agradeció el respaldo y dijo que “Si comparamos el calentamiento global con una pradera en llamas que amenaza con arrasar un poblado, diríamos que el proceso de negociación en Cancún fue la culminación de una larga reunión de bomberos que decidió echarle un solo balde de agua al incendio mientras decían: "un balde de agua es mejor que nada", "lo perfecto es enemigo de lo posible", "este es el primer balde". Y mientras hacían una conferencia de prensa para anunciar que avanzaban gradualmente y que habían "salvado el proceso de negociación de los bomberos"... las llamas del incendio se acercaban al poblado.” Y el Embajador Pablo Solón a nombre de la delegación de Bolivia concluyó: “Cancún salvo a los bomberos y a los anfitriones, ahora en Durban nos toca salvar al clima y a la humanidad.”
Para que Durban sea un éxito se necesitan compromisos de reducción de emisiones de los países desarrollados de un 40% a 50% de manera real y domestica. Solo así se podrá evitar un incremento catastrófico de 4° C a 5° C en la temperatura en este siglo.
###
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Syphilis and Forced Sterilization: Righteous Anger and teaching adult BA classrooms about the legacies of an intersectional, institutional racism and sexism
I recently brought up the idea of righteous anger (bell hooks, among others) in the context of talking about the forced sterilization of women in Central America, in the South, of Puerto Ricans and Nicaraguans, of African and Native American women, especially during the rise of the eugenics period and Jim Crow and scientific racism, to a class of entering students at the small private B.A-finishing university where I teach. the students were shocked! And I keep rolling back what I assume they might know, or at least some of them might know. So I have to do a little background research .. but here is a recent article that describes a new development in the legal treatment of these cases:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/03/15/guatemala.syphilis.lawsuit/
Asians aim for 'Ya es hora'-style citizenship push
Asians aim for 'Ya es hora'-style citizenship push By Amy Taxinm Associated Press San Jose Mercury News (March 19, 2011) LOS ANGELES-Inspired by a highly publicized Latino naturalization drive, Asian Americans are fanning out to help immigrants across California-and eventually the country-become U.S. citizens. Asian American advocates say getting more immigrants to naturalize is crucial to flex the political muscle of the state's fastest-growing ethnic group and give the community a louder voice. And it has become even more pressing since the country ramped up immigration enforcement, making citizenship a requirement to get more government contracts and to avoid deportation if convicted of a crime. The task is daunting. In California-home to a third of the country's Asian population-dozens of languages are spoken, in addition to dozens of dialects, and myriad often-competing Asian-language media outlets reach diverse segments. "Everything we have to do is multiple in terms of the amount of resources and effort," said Karin Wang, vice president of programs at the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific American Legal Center, which is spearheading the drive. The campaign-which starts next week with a workshop in the San Gabriel Valley's sizable Chinese and Vietnamese communities- is modeled after the "Ya es hora" citizenship campaign launched by a close-knit partnership between community groups, Spanish-language media giant Univision and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. That program, which consists of in-person workshops broadcast on television, has helped nearly 40,000 people fill out their naturalization applications and nearly 100,000 get their citizenship questions answered via a bilingual hotline since 2007. Since then, Wang said she has often fielded questions about why Asian-American advocates can't mount a similar campaign, which led her group to draft a plan to create a naturalization network. Under the program, Asian-American advocates will host six large-scale workshops across California to offer free assistance in multiple languages filling out naturalization forms. The goal is to initially help several hundred immigrants apply for citizenship, and have local community organizations help hundreds more after getting training from immigration lawyers on how to process the paperwork, said Connie Choi, an attorney with APALC's immigrant rights project. California is home to about 5 million Asians who account for about 13 percent of the state's population. Advocates hope to eventually expand the effort to other states with large Asian communities such as Texas, Georgia, Nevada and Ohio, said Karen Narasaki, president of the Washington-based Asian American Justice Center, an APALC affiliate. Asian immigrants are already more likely to naturalize than Latinos and more than 60 percent become U.S. citizens within a decade of getting a green card, according to 2005 statistics from the Department of Homeland Security. But advocates say many still need help with forms that are closely scrutinized by immigration officials, especially older immigrants who may have difficulty with English. Peggy Santis, a 59-year-old Thai immigrant who became a citizen last month, said having someone help fill out the paperwork makes a big difference. The insurance agent from Anaheim applied to naturalize last year after living in this country for decades when she realized she felt like an American. "It is better to become a citizen," said Santis, who got help filling out the paperwork through a local citizenship program. "You work and you pay taxes and then you don't have a right to vote." Janelle Wong, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, said once Asian immigrants naturalize, they are relatively high-propensity voters. They are also more likely to get involved in politics in other ways, for example, by contacting their elected officials. One of the challenges to getting a naturalization or civic engagement campaign off the ground in the Asian-American community is that immigrants often identify more closely with their distinct ethnic background, and often care about different issues, she said. "The more ground work that is done, the more of a voice they will have in future elections," Wong said. "The only issue is: what will that voice be saying? ... there's not necessarily a shared political agenda across every community." Advocates say the children and grandchildren of Asian immigrants who arrived after immigration rules were relaxed in the 1960s have a stronger tie to the community beyond their ethnic group since they grew up here and many have married across immigrant groups. Many immigrants, from all countries, are reluctant to apply to become citizens, fearing their English isn't good enough. Others are thrown off by the $680 expense-often more if they seek help from a lawyer. Narasaki said Asian-Americans have led naturalization campaigns in the past. In the 1990s, advocates ran a program to help people naturalize when the country scaled back the public benefits available to immigrants. But they didn't follow up to see what happened after people naturalized. In the California drive-which is funded by $250,000 in private donations-advocates plan to follow up with new U.S. citizens to make sure they are registered to vote. Asian immigrants have shown a strong interest in learning how to become citizens, though many are skeptical about asking questions of the U.S. government. That's one of the reasons federal authorities rely on community organizations trusted by immigrant communities to help promote naturalization, said Jane Arellano, district director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Los Angeles area. "That is how we reach our ethnic communities," she said. "They trust their leadership." # # #