St. Ben’s and Macalester join a nationwide move to ban the eco-unfriendly plastic bottles at schools. Americans currently spend about $12 billion annually on bottled water. When you give up a 12 pack a week you’d save about $75 a year and the savings in natural resources are even more impressive. The College of St. Benedict used to like bottled water enough to affix its logo to the plastic and hand it out at alumni events. Macalester College did the same. Continue reading Students lead move to rid campuses of bottled water→
The implantation of British rule was brutal across the continent, particularly in Kenya. Out of this brutality has emerged a society that is continuously seeking to repair itself and repair Africa. This is the promise and numerous Africans have stepped forward to keep this promise. Kenyans have used many forms of struggle to organise for a new society: Legal, political, intellectual, moral, environmental, economic and spiritual. It is in this process of repair that Kenya has continued to be one of the firm bases for Pan-Africanism and African renewal and for new healthy humans.Continue reading Wangari Maathai: Reclaiming the Earth→
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are urging Congress to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act first passed in 2000.
The agencies teamed up under the Catholics Confront Global Poverty campaign to take their message to advocates across the country in a webcast Sept.28.
Last authorized in 2008, the act expires Sept. 30. But funding for programs aiding trafficking victims is expected to continue under a continuing resolution until a final vote in the both houses of Congress occurs in October. Continue reading Push on to get Trafficking Victims Protection Act reauthorized→
It’s thriving economically and benefits from a state nourishment scheme, but Peru has yet to overcome chronic infant malnutrition. For Dr Carlos Acosta, who has overseen important work on child nutrition in Peru over the past five years, the new government’s motto of “social inclusion” can only be a good thing. Acosta, the director general for people’s health at Peru’s health ministry (Minsa), is convinced the administration that took office in July will “continue the work we’ve been doing and not go backwards”. Continue reading Can Peru’s new government continue to make progress on child nutrition?→
The Church in Nigeria says it will not be cowed by growing insecurity sparked by the Boko Haram sect. “Life continues normally, at least here in Abuja. Let us not be frightened by these threats or warnings. We will continue our usual life, trusting God”, says His Exc. Mgr. John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, where security measures has been beefed up in the wake of threats from the Boko Haram sect to carry out attacks on the anniversary of national independence .Continue reading NIGERIA: We will not be Intimidated, says Archbishop→
Polling looks almost certain to be postponed but President Kabila’s opponents may try to test their support on the street
The 25 November presidential and parliamentary elections were always going to be difficult but the violence has already begun. On 5 September, a crowd of supporters of President Joseph Kabila’s Parti du peuple pour la reconstruction et le développement pelted about 1,000 supporters of Etienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba, outside their party headquarters. Veteran oppositionist Tshisekedi is presidential candidate for his Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social. UDPS militants retaliated by setting fire to the PPRD building and burning seven cars. More
HARARE, 20 September 2011 (IRIN) – Earlier this month Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe was telling MPs in parliament – to loud cheers from both side of the house – that there would be “zero tolerance” of political violence, while outside the building, supporters of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were being severely beaten by Mugabe supporters, as police stood by. Continue reading Impunity rules during Zimbabwe’s “transition”→
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