Jess Orlik
PN How does GALZ struggle for equal rights for LGBT people in Zimbabwe?
KG Recently, with the introduction of repressive legislation coupled with rising poverty and unemployment, GALZ has concentrated on assisting its members and embedding itself in the broader human rights movement in Zimbabwe.
We have various services for members: the Women's Scholarship Programmes; Skills for Life, providing vocational training for our members; and Positive Image, an access-to-affordable-…
The Chagos Islanders
The right of Chagos islanders to return to their homeland has been once again thwarted by the British government. On November 6th the government declared that it was going ahead with its decision to appeal to the House of Lords to seek clarification about the status of its overseas territories. The appeal will be heard in 2008.
Darfur
The conflict in Darfur has escalated in recent months with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
The…
Protests were held in Seville, Spain, to coincide with an informal summit held by NATO defence ministers.
Thousands of anti-war demonstrators turned out between 9 and 11 February, angry at NATO plans to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan and Kosovo. The protests culminated with a citywide march on Sunday 11 February with protesters voicing their opposition to imperialist aggression and the creeping militarisation of everyday life.
Against the “war meeting”Another…
On Sunday 2 July , general elections were held in Mexico. The three main parties; the ruling PAN (Party of National Action), the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) and the PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution) are fighting a close battle, but this year they face a fourth opponent which seeks to shake the foundations of the whole political system. Originating “from below and to the left”, it calls itself La Otra Campana (The Other Campaign).
The Other Campaign was conceived by…
Shut Them Down is a collection of reflections on the anti G8 mobilisation which took place in July 2005. It was created by activists whose stated aim was to “harness the energy created in Scotland to move in productive directions”. In the introduction the editors humbly deny speaking for the movement as a whole, and aim only to provide reflection on this particular instance of mobilisation within the wider “movement of movements”.
The book is extremely varied in content,…
On Thursday 2 February, Vancouver City Council voted 6-5 to cut funding for the International Association of Peace Messenger Cities (IAPMC) and Mayors for Peace annual conference, due to be held from 23 to 26 June.
In March 2005, Vancouver had agreed to host the event, to be held alongside the World Peace Forum, and pledged $50,000 to cover the cost. Mayor Sam Sullivan rescinded this decision stating, “We are facing some very tough decisions in the 2006 budget process and I was not…
In December and January activists from environmental groups Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd battled with a Japanese whaling fleet in the ocean off the coast of Antarctica.
Each year Japan carries out its “scientific” whaling programme in the Antarctic and North Pacific. The 100-day hunt for Minke and endangered Fin whales is illegal and violates international conservation regulations.
The 2005/6 hunt began when six Japanese ships reached their destination off the coast of…
The largest traveller dwelling in the UK is under threat following a decision by Basildon Council to evict all 220 caravans from the site.
On Tuesday 26 July during the eviction of an adjacent site, a bulldozer drove through a protected yard at Dale Farm causing extensive damage. Meanwhile notice had been served on the Dale Farm travellers with eviction due to take place on Sunday 31 July. At the last minute solicitor Keith Lomax successfully obtained a further injunction protecting…
On Sunday 15 May exiles from Sudan, along with supporters, gathered in London to demand that the British government take action to halt the genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
The protest was organised by Waging Peace and the Darfur Solidarity Campaign and drew 300 people from across Britain. Protesters gathered outside Downing Street and the Sudanese Embassy and staged a die-in, symbolising the genocide. They held up placards with “Peace keepers into Darfur” and “Sanctions…
On 13 April, activists all over the world held demonstrations to oppose the sale of bulldozers to Israel by the US multinational Caterpillar.
Caterpillar equipment sold to the Israeli army destroys Palestinian homes, schools and agricultural land in the occupied territories. It has also been employed in the construction of the separation wall, which has been declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.
Mainstream criticismThe day of action was called to coincide…
On Monday 21 March, the second anniversary of the war on Iraq, activists all over the world took part in a day of direct action against the arms trade.
Companies that profit from war, death and destruction through the unscrupulous trading of weapons were targeted.
Reed International are the organisers of the world's largest arms fair, Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI). The activist collective Onkruit glued locks and threw paint at Reed's head office in the…
On Monday 15 March a shipment of US weapons grade plutonium fuel (MOX) set out on the first leg of its journey from the Areva plutonium factory in France to the US port of Charleston, South Carolina.
The shipment travelled overland to Normandy where it was repackaged and taken to Cherbourg for onward transport by sea to Charleston. Greenpeace condemned the operation as an extreme safety and security risk, and a major setback to global non-proliferation efforts.
Just the start…US army deserters
The US army is facing strong criticism from within its own ranks over the war in Iraq. Around 5500 soldiers have deserted since coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003 with some seeking refuge in Canada. One of these is Jeremy Hinzman, a soldier in the Elite Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne, who fled to Canada seeking refugee protection after being refused status as a conscientious objector. Hinzman stated, “This is a criminal war and any act of violence in an unjustified…
The fifth ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) opened in Cancun, Mexico on 10 September 2003. The talks collapsed five days later amidst clashes between countries from the developing South and the economic superpowers of the Northern hemisphere.
The main topic on the agenda was trade in agriculture, an issue which is vital to the survival of farmers and indigenous cultures throughout the south. When no agreement was reached on this topic the EU attempted to move…
International Solidarity Movement activists have been taking action with local Palestinians against the ongoing construction of the “apartheid wall”. (ISM point out: “The officially stated reason for building the `security fence' is to prevent the unauthorised passage of Palestinians out of the West Bank. However, the route of the so-called `security fence' does not follow the internationally recognised pre-1967 borders of the State of Israel”.)
The wall has recently gone up around…
