Partners in peace?: A Peace Boat volunteer crew sent to Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, by IBM Corp. clears mud and debris from a residence. DREUX RICHARD PHOTOS
Failed deal between defense firm, antiwar group highlights dilemmas facing NGOs in race for donations
Convinced the recovery in Tohoku will result in the birth of widespread corporate philanthropy in Japan, in the same way the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake prompted the proliferation of volunteerism, Peace Boat director Tatsuya Yoshioka spent a day in June shepherding a busload of businesspeople on a tour of Ishinomaki neighborhoods hit hardest by the March 11 tsunami. They’d travelled north from Tokyo for a weekend of volunteering under the auspices of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, many of whose members share a similar vision for importing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Japan.Continue reading Peace Boat-Rolls Royce talks lay bare ethical minefield→
Workers helping to make South Africa’s renowned wines are subject to unsafe working conditions and poor housing, a report has said. Human Right Watch says workers on wine and fruit farms face exposure to pesticides and are blocked from forming labour unions. The reports also says these workers are some of the worst paid in the country – despite strict labour laws. A trade body for wine producers said the report was unfair. But the head of Wines of South Africa said the study’s claims would be investigated. Continue reading South Africa wine grown by ‘abused’ workers→
To effectively combat human trafficking, each of us needs to have a clear “lens” that helps us understand what human trafficking is. When this lens is clouded or biased by certain persistent misconceptions about the definition of trafficking, our ability to respond to the crime is reduced. It is important to learn how to identify and break down commonly-held myths and misconceptions regarding human trafficking and the type of trafficking networks that exist in the United States.Continue reading Myths and Misconceptions→
The most critical shift that is required today is to change the business model in order to respond to basic needs with what we have. This new paradigm will facilitate the arrival of decentralized production and consumption systems that are now viable in all sectors of the economy. Continue reading The End of Globalization→
ABUJA—Nigeria, on Wednesday, launched two observation satellites NigeriaSat2 and NigeriaSat-X into the orbit to be used for disaster management, with clear determination to firm up its drive towards technological advancement. President Goodluck Jonathan described the move as another milestone in his country’s effort to solve national problems through space technology. Continue reading Nigeria: Two Satellites Launched for Disaster Management→
Construction of the giant Belo Monte dam is now underway in the Amazon. But the movement against it continues.
By Gabriel Isaiah Schwartzman
After more than 30 years of international and national opposition to building a massive Amazonian dam, Brazil’s environmental licensing agency gave final approval on June 1 to what could become the world’s third-largest hydroelectric site. But the fight to protect the Amazon is not over.Continue reading Brazil’s Dam Shame→
Immigration authorities — both local police and federal ICE agents — have embarked on a program to seek out “criminal illegal aliens” and, whether they find them or not, have often rounded up entire families for deportation. Continue reading Jailing Undocumented Immigrants Is Big Business (VIDEO)→
WASHINGTON — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett urged U.S. lawmakers Monday to raise taxes on wealthier Americans to cut Washington’s huge budget deficit, saying the move would not dampen investments or jobs. In a New York Times opinion article, the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway proposed a tax increase on Americans who make at least $1 million per year and an additional increase on those making $10 million or more. Continue reading Buffett: Tax Me and My Mega-Rich Friends→
Antinuclear nongovernmental organizations and academics called for the complete abolition of nuclear power plants in Japan on Monday, the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II. Drawing parallels between the nation’s nuclear policy and the Imperial Japanese Army — both of which caused unwarranted grief to the public — University of Tokyo professor Tetsuya Takahashi urged the government to revise the nation’s energy infrastructure. “Having a group of people profit from the sacrifice of the public is wrong,” Takahashi said, stressing that the people in Fukushima have had their lives torn asunder since March 11. Continue reading NGOs, academics call for abolition of nuclear plants→
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