aresponsibilityforspreadinghappiness

One possible bad news about generic medicines.

2011-02-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

I could not belive what I have been reading in past weeks.

France, England and Germany are pushing to stop generic medicines from Indian factories.

MSF talks about this in the following link.

I take the chance to remember that around 5 million people´s treatments depend on this Indian production. And as you could guess this 5 million people are mainly Africans that would not be able to afford more expensive treatments.

I just hope that we, the Europeans, can stop this blockage to happen.

Good news about drug patents.

2010-12-05T03:58:00.000-08:00

Not long a go a I came across with this news that cheered me up:

The Guardian 30 September 2010:

The National Institutes of Health in the US announced today that it would license an Aids drug to the new Geneva-based medicines patent pool, so cheap copies can be made for poor countries.

I consider this one of those things that could foster the positve trend towards a better life for the people in economic disadvantage.

One toast for this news!

ONE ACTION for reducing global poverty and adressing climate change.

2010-06-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Although the financial crisis of the last two years was caused by bankers in rich countries, many people in developing countries were badly affected - over 50 million more people were plunged into poverty as a result. Europe's leaders have a chance to redress the balance when they meet this month, when they will discuss how they might raise money from new financial regulations, to pay for any future bail outs governments might give them.

I just signed a petition asking the President of the European Commission to ensure leaders agree to dedicate a substantial percentage of any money raised from financial regulations to go towards reducing global poverty and addressing climate change.

Please join me by taking action here:

Thanks!

You can read more about it from a recent entry in this blog: For a 2010 with less hunger

Good News!! Fewer maternal and child deaths than we thought!!

2010-06-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

Death rates among women in childbirth in developing countries have dropped by a third in the last 28 years.
Read more at the Guardian

Child deaths worldwide seem to have fallen faster than officials thought, as a new study estimates far fewer children are dying every year than previously guessed by the United Nations.
Read more at The Guardian

These two Millennium Development Goals are more achievable.
Read more from the last Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (September 2010)

Access to essential medicines: A very good news!

2010-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

An Indian court has stopped the international pharmaceutical company Bayer’s latest attempt to introduce new measures to prevent generic competition in India. By ruling against Bayer on 9 February 2010, the Delhi High Court has refused to undermine measures in India’s patent laws that help ensure access to more affordable essential medicines for patients in need.

For a 2010 with less hunger.

2010-02-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Lately and for the forthcoming future we are used to receive information about how bad is the financial situation for us, the western people: rising unemployed levels, people not being able to pay the mortgages, banks not giving money to new enterprising that easily...

I would like to draw attention to what I consider the media, and ourselves, are not dealing according with its importance.

The F.A.O. estimates that about 1 billion people in the word are undernourished. They consider hunger has increased because high domestic food prices, lower incomes and increasing unemployment due to the global economic crisis. We can see more hunger statistics as well as an interactive hunger map.

There is also another web page that I consider could help us to make it relative and to make it priority our problems. In it we can easy notice that about 28000 people died daily because of not having enough to eat. At the same time, we can easily realize that more that 100,000 $ are spent daily in U.S.A. in weight loss programs.

The good news, and that should foster us, is that N.G.O. like Action Against Hunger considers that we can eradicate it (1min 35 sec video). At least, it could be addressed and stop the yearly death of 5 million infants.

I consider an enormous step forward the RUFT(Ready-to-use Therapeutic Foods). And these can be locally produced! Even small-scale production is possible, and thus contributing to the economic development of the country!

You can see an UNICEF video about the RUTF saving lives in Ethiopia.

Another important issue is that around 8,000 people die daily in Africa due to easy treatable diseases.

I take this chance to let you know that as from 15th of January 2008 a friend of mine and myself are carrying out a 24h fast. The 3-6 Euros that we save in food are given to a NGO that fights against hunger.

This way we help a bit and we come aware of what hunger could feel and how huge our human capacities are.

Sincerely,

oscgim

P.S. I believe that a 24h monthly fast, with about 100-300 Calories (kilo-calories) coming from sucrose (3-4 sugar sachets), a tinny amount of salt and about 2-5 litres of water is is not a harm for a healthy person.

P.D.2. Read about ONE action related to this issue in a more recent entry.

We, EU, are giving difficulties for the acces to essential drugs.

2009-10-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

EU 'putting drug companies before health'

The European Union is contradicting world trade rules by putting the interests of big drug companies before the 2 billion people in the world who cannot access essential medicines, according to a new report.

This above has been published by OneWorld net.

Oxfam International has published the following:

MSF are already launching a campaign: mailing the farmaceutical companies in order to get some medicines within the patent pool for HIV medicine (that could easy this situation).

In my opinion: the worst is to realize that as Europeans, we are "giving money to the poor" and on the other hand we are "making life difficult" to them.

Africa´s petition tu G20 leaders

2009-09-22T13:01:00.001-07:00

Dear ONE Member,

Presidents and prime ministers are headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania later this week for the G20 Summit—the latest in a series of high-level talks on the global economy, covering everything from international trade to the rules governing financial markets.

But it’s not only what these world leaders talk about that matters. Where they meet is important, too. If an African country is picked next to host an upcoming G20 summit, it would bring new attention to the role Africa can and must play in any successful global economic recovery.

Click the link below to add your name to our petition asking the G20 to host an upcoming summit in Africa and put that continent’s potential on the political map:

http://www.one.org/international/g20toafrica/o.pl?id=1187-4038914-hma6xwx&t=3

The petition reads:

Dear G20 Leaders,
Please hold an upcoming G20 Summit in Africa, and see for yourselves how its one billion people can be part of the global economic recovery.

The Africa I’ve seen is ready to join the global marketplace and help drive economic growth. And its agricultural resources, if fully developed, could feed the world. In a recent visit to Ethiopia—where malaria deaths have been halved in only two years—I visited the new Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), a first of its kind electronic, international exchange for coffee, grain and other agricultural products. The ECX is entrepreneurialism at its best, helping farmers and traders get fair prices for their goods.

This kind of success is being repeated across Africa. Through smart aid and African-led innovation, poverty and disease are giving way to trade and opportunity. Now, we need the leaders of the G20 nations to go to Africa and see it for themselves.

Click the link below to take action now and send that message. Tell the G20 that one of their upcoming meetings must be in Africa:

http://www.one.org/international/g20toafrica/o.pl?id=1187-4038914-hma6xwx&t=5

Thank you for making a difference,

David Lane
President, ONE.org

A couple of good news

2009-07-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

First good news is that the New Economics Foundation (NEF) has published the new Happy Planet index (HPI). This is not a happy index itself; this index measures the green eficiency that could provide long and happy lifes for every citizen.

The HPI suggests that the path we have been following is, without exception, unable to deliver all three goals: high life satisfaction, high life expectancy and 'one-planet living'," says Saamah Abdallah, NEF researcher and the report's lead author. "Instead we need a new development model that delivers good lives that don't cost the Earth for all."

Latin American nation tops index ranking countries by ecological footprint and happiness of their citizens.
This news by The Guardian.

The second one is that a leading arm of the United Nations working to spread the benefits of information technology today announced the launch of the first ever tuition-free online university.

Since opening enrollment in April, the People has attracted more than 750 applicants spanning 97 countries.

In recognition of this initiative, the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID) hosted a briefing at the United Nations Headquarters to announce our world-renowned Advisory Committee and Chair of the Business Administration Department.

This news by the University of the People website.

This news by the UNESCO website.

A link to nice and thinking pictures.

2009-04-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

I consider Shahidulnews something special.

This link is full of different pictures: you could go over them fast or slow, whatever you do they will tell you something.

http://www.shahidulnews.com/tag/photography/

Asking the IMF to help the poorest countries.

2009-04-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Dear friend, ONE is writing us this:

In this time of crisis when resources are scarce, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is sitting on a pot of gold, a small fraction of which could help the world’s poorest countries stay afloat.

Please take action right now and ask the managing director of IMF to sell some gold reserves to help the poorest countries weather the downturn.
Click here to sign our petition to the IMF and send an email directly to Dominique Strauss-Khan, Managing Director of the IMF:
http://www.one.org/international/gold/o.pl?id=906-4038914-cRBLMqx&t=3

Thankful to you and to ONE Internatinal,

oscgim

No Hunger. Campaign to help end childhood malnutrition.

2009-04-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dear friend,

Last week I came across a surprising an interesting campaign to help end child malnutrition.

You can see a short video about this at http://www.askalgoretomakethismovie.org (1´35") and decide whether you would like to help in achieving this objective.
This link is not working from 16/04/2009; you can check at the Spanish one at: http://www.pideseloaalgore.org

Some 19 million children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition. And this serious, life-threatening form of hunger kills more than 5 million children each year.

It is estimated that 3 billion Euro´s could save their lives.

If you are interested in helping and/or you have any doubts please visit: http://www.askalgoretomakethismovie.org/index_en.php#/desnutricion

Thanks for your interest,

sincerely,
oscgim

Good news! an efford in providing cheap drugs in the developing world.

2009-03-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

GSK, the world's second biggest pharmaceutical company is to radically shift its attitude to providing cheap drugs to millions of people in the developing world. Read this news at The Guardian

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline should be congratulated for breaking industry ranks and taking a major step toward helping poor people in developing countries to get better access to medicines, says international agency Oxfam. Read this at Oxfam International

Is this the begining of a change?

Will other pharmaceutical companies join them?

One.org petition and good news (Food crisis)

2009-03-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

The financial crisis threatens to push 90 million more people into extreme poverty according to a report this month from UK Department for International Development.
For a crisis of this scale, we need a comprehensive global solution.

www.one.org
Last G20 Summit looks as though it made some real progress for the world’s poorest. Integrated into the leader’s agreement is recognition of the need to address extreme poverty as part of the global recovery. Instinct tells me that some of the vague language will take hard work to clarify, but this morning, as I re-read statements and news from yesterday, I have a sense of hope and cautious optimism.

Highlights include:

Resources: The G20 announced US $50 billion for low-income countries—although we are concerned this includes existing funding—and a further US $100 billion in lending for development banks.

Reform: Developing countries will have some greater representation in the international financial institutions, and election to World Bank/IMF leadership will be based on merit.

Regulation: The G20 announced they would take action to regulate of illicit tax havens.
On top of that, all G20 countries re-affirmed their commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and commitments made at the 2005 Gleneagles G8 Summit.

Coming out of this summit, we need to work to ensure that money going to developing countries is given as grants, not loans that trigger another debt crisis. Also, much more needs to be done on the green agenda in the interests of developing countries at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year.

But before we do, I want to thank you for your part in helping make this happen. Together, in the last few months, we’ve succeeded in encouraging Gordon Brown to invite the African Union to the G20, which sources say made a big difference in the final discussions. We also helped encourage President Obama to show global leadership on poverty. He remarked yesterday: “We are protecting those who don’t always have a voice at the G-20, but who have suffered greatly in this crisis. The United States is ready to lead in this endeavor.”

These are important achievements. I hope you are feeling the same sense of progress as I am, and are encouraged to continue this fight.

I can’t thank you enough,

Roxane Philson, ONE.org

P.S. To share your thoughts on the G20, get more detail on what they are doing for developing countries, and coverage from inside the G20, visit the ONE Blog:http://www.one.org/blog/g20-the-london-summit/?id=894-4038914-k.jhXhx&t=2

P.S.2 I remember that the F.A.O already warned us last year about this alimentary crisis to come. They stimate that 12billion $ should be given to minimize the impact. (only 2 have been given).
A related article: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article511

Kindness is the key to happiness

2009-02-24T23:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I came across these lines that made me smile.

These lines where well explained on The Guardian weekly review. The authors of this reflexion are Adam Phillips (psychoanalyst) and Barbara Taylor (historian, specifically a historian of ideas).
They make the case for putting altruism above individualism.

I could find a shorter review at
The Guardian/ The Observer on line paper.

Between them ( Adam Phillips and Barbara Taylor) they explore the concept of "kindness", its status among human attributes and the value that has been ascribed to it over the years. "Kindness" is a rough equivalent of the Christian non-erotic love, or charity, though it was embraced as a virtue and a source of pleasure by Cicero, for one, and by the Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius, before it was extolled famously by St Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians. Charity, except in the limited context of organisations such as Oxfam or Mind, is not an attribute much favoured today, being thought inimical to equality and the recognition of rights.

The Guardian/ The Observer on line paper.

Nice link to another reflexion on this:
Love is the Answer - Love is the Answer - Love is the Answer
http://heraldoflight.wordpress.com/pensees/

2 billions out of 12 (so far) for the food crisis

2008-12-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Last October Ofman International published that:
"Five months after countries pledged to give more than $12bn (£6.9bn) to address the global food emergency, less than $1bn has been given.... The number of malnourished people in the world rose by 44 million in 2008. Nearly one billion people are now going hungry. When you consider the speed of the world's response to the credit crisis, the delay in acting is shocking."

This news by the Word Bank.

Read more at this link with the news given by The Guardian

But, one good news we can say today is that:
The European Parliament: MEPs adopted a compromise agreement between Parliament, Council and Commission allowing for adoption in first reading of the regulation establishing the 1 billion euro food facility.
The report by Gay MITCHELL (EPP-ED, IE) which says that the Commission's proposal for a 1-billion-euro fund to address the food crisis is a major, and very timely, contribution to meeting this urgent challenge. The report sets out that the total financial reference amount for the implementation of this Regulation over the period 2008-2010 will be €1 billion. The legislative resolution was adopted with 561 votes in favour, 24 against and 34 abstentions.

Read more at the European Parliament web site

Read more at the Oxfam web site

Good News about death penalty! Iran

2008-10-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

According to a statement by Hossein Zabhi, Assistant Attorney General for Judicial Affairs, a recently-issued directive instructs all judicial officials, when passing sentence, to apply the regulations of the Amnesty and Clemency Commission, which would allow the commutation of death sentences of juvenile offenders firstly to life imprisonment, and then in a second stage to 15 years.

In his interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency, Hossein Zabhi referred to all types of crime currently punishable by execution.

Iran was one of last remaining countries in the world that imposes the death penalty on juveniles aged under 18 at the time of the crime.

This news by Amnesty International.

The news by BBC News.

The Guardian October´s report reveals more countries abolishing death penalty
The world is moving closer to the final abolition of the death penalty, according to the latest figures published to coincide with World Day against the Death Penalty yesterday. At present, five countries are responsible for almost all the state executions carried out in the past year.

UN advises people (western people) to eat less meat in order to tackle global warming.

2008-09-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

The UN´s Food and Agriculture Organization (F.A.O.) estimates that 18% of the greenhouse gas production comes from the meat industry. As a comparative data, the transport industry is considered responsible of the 16%.

Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further. Even he went further by saying that people should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change.

On top of that, most health authorities considered, from long a go, that most western people’s health would improve if there were less meat in their diets.

You can read more on this at:
TheGuardian

NaturalNews

Olympic hangover – Self criticism would be seemly for the press

2008-08-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

Press release 25 August 2008

Olympic hangover – Self criticism would be seemly for the press

It is hypocrisy of the worst kind, when the press wonders why there hasn’t been more about the human right in China during the Olympics. The truth is, that the 20,000 sports reporters in Beijing were untamable about the sports performances. They have been acting like a bunch of students from a continuation school on a picnic.

China could not dream of a better coverage of the Olympics. Associations to the media coverage during the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 seem obvious. It must be the media’s duty to inform the millions of people who are interested in the Olympics, partly about the sports results, but also about the Olympics being held in a totalitarian dictatorship with a massive violation of the human rights.
The sports journalists have failed totally – critical questions to athletes, the appearing politicians and the Chinese authorities have been almost absent. Even when Ussain Bolt during his 3 legendary races, was wearing an orange bracelet, which could have been a silent signal that there is something wrong with the human rights in China. Maybe it was a coincidence, but it is remarkable that the journalists avoided asking him. Self censorship seems to be looming large.

There have been many actions in Beijing by activists, who have tried to hang up banners etc. They have all been arrested and sent out of the country. Also these actions have only been mentioned sporadically. Many have used orange as a signal color, we don’t know how many, because the journalists, who were supposed to keep an eye on this, have just been interested in sports, and according to IOC rules it’s not allowed to display political symbols, and therefore they can’t tell why they wear orange.

TheColorOrange.net group in Denmark has applied the Chinese authorities for permission to demonstrate in the ‘permitted’ areas. Even though we have sent 10 reminders and personally went to the Chinese Embassy in Copenhagen, they won’t respond to our request for a visa and the permission to legal demonstration. The authorities say that 77 have applied, and 77 have been denied. But it is probably only the top of the iceberg. How many have they ignored totally like us? Why aren’t there any questions about that?
All media have apparently sent one or two journalists to cover the critical part of the Olympics, and that has – of course, triggered some critical on-the-spot reports, but they have been few and sporadic.

Operation successful – the Patient Died. We have to admit that our ambitions to get the athletes and others to use the color orange in front of the cameras to focus on the human rights in China, has only partially succeeded. Even though some athletes, including Ussain Bolt, have been wearing an orange bracelet, the interest from the press has been nearly gone. It is at this point, that we from TheColorOrange.net group have made a mistake. We thought that the sports journalists were interested in other things beside sport, and that they would catch every opportunity to bring a story about athletes, who may have been criticizing China. This confidence in the journalists has appeared to be an Achilles’ heel to our project about using the color orange during the Olympics 2008.
On the other hand, we, the grassroots all over the world have managed to put human rights on the agenda ahead of the Olympics, where most of the articles have had a focus critical to China.

TheColorOrange campaign has been very successful, besides the 16 days where the frenzies Olympic fever was going out of control. All over the world local groups have carried out Orange activities. There have been 270,000 hits on our website, and the Orange project has been mentioned in more than 20,000 media.

“Maybe in the future the color orange will be used as a symbol in defense of human rights, both inside and outside China. So in the end we are satisfied with the project”, says the initiator of the Color Orange, Jens Galschiot, and concludes: “We shut down the project now, but we will leave our website www.TheColorOrange.net in function, so it can be used as inspiration to others, who want to use the color orange as a symbolic color.”

Shahidulnews: Another View‏

2008-07-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

It was a grand opening. The 'Who's Who' of development in Britain was there, championing the noble cause – the Millennium Development Goals, making poverty history.

The Bob Geldof circus could perhaps be pardoned. Geldof is neither a development worker nor someone particularly knowledgeable about the subject. But for the organizers of the 'bash' at the OXO Tower on London's South Bank to produce such a culturally insensitive event was revealing.

Apart from parading a few young black people from Africa, who extolled the virtues of 'development', there was little contribution from the Majority World. The key speakers, typically white Western development workers, spoke of the role that they were playing in saving the poor of the Global South. The token dark-skinned people, having played their part, were soon
forgotten.

The centrepiece of this celebration was an exhibition entitled Eight Ways to Change the World. All the photographs were taken by white Western photographers. No-one questioned the implication of such an exercise. When I confronted one of the organizers he explained that the curator – a director of a Western photographic agency – had decided not to use Majority World photographers because they ‘didn’t have the eye’. The sophisticated visual language possessed by the Western audience was presumably beyond the capacity of a photographer from the South to comprehend, let alone engage with at a creative level.

Full article at: http://shahidul.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/another-viewanother-view-- Shahidul Alamhttp://shahidul.wordpress.com www.majorityworld.com www.drik.net

An interesting article about the way the news and photographic images are shown in western countries

2008-06-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have read and done a resume about what I have considered interesting from the following web page:
http://www.today.ucla.edu/people/070719_majority-world_voice/

Majority world finds its voice in photos
By Ajay Singh

According to one recent study, Alam said, more than 90% of the photographic images about the majority world are taken by non-indigenous photographers, including those working for development organizations and charities raising money from the Western public. Far too many of these images tend to either romanticize the non-Western world or depict it as a hopelessly poor and violent region, said Alam.

Western images either romantic or hopelessly poor.

It's no secret that most humans live in the "majority world," a relatively recent term that refers to the developing world. Acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam has long been concerned that most photographic images of this vast region are taken not by locals but by Western photographers.

A noted human rights activist, Alam is the first Asian to win the prestigious Mother Jones Award, famously given to individuals who "fight like hell for the living." His photographs have been exhibited in some of the world's leading venues, including New York's Museum of Modern Art.

"I have no problem with white, Western photographers working in my country, but it is their exclusivity that worries me," said Alam, who is a major figure in Bangladesh's public, intellectual and cultural life. He added: "I want people to look at the things I look at."

Alam, who has the distinction of first introducing e-mail to Bangladesh, has worked tirelessly to present local realities in the media. In 1989, he launched Drik, a photo agency in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, devoted to showcasing the works of what he calls "invisible photographers ignored by the mainstream world but who can often sense important stories before they are broken by the mainstream media."

Alam's agency, which has a host of major international clients, including United Nations organizations, regularly organizes mobile photo exhibitions in public on such themes as social exclusion, inequality and people's movements. Among Alam's latest initiatives is a Website, majorityworld.com, that champions the cause of indigenous photographers from the majority world.

You can also read more interesting articles at Shahidul Wordpress at: (this link brings you to one of the latest news, that I have also found thrilling and interesting)
http://shahidul.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/dancing-amidst-the-baobabs/

Orange Press Release: The Dutch Olympic Committee fears

2008-05-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

TheColorOrange Press Release 13 May

The Dutch Olympic Committee fears that The Netherlands will be taken as Orange hostage in Beijing 2008. In a letter to the Dutch NOC, the initiator of TheColorOrange.net campaign Danish artist Jens Galschiot claims that the Dutch should be proud. As the only ones, they have the opportunity to support the human rights in China without risking being expelled from the stadium. So the artist emphasizes that his campaign by no means is an attack against the Dutch athletes.

Bad news about death penalty

2008-05-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. executions are all but sure to resume soon after a nationwide halt, cleared Wednesday by a splintered Supreme Court that approved the most widely used method of lethal injection.
The Guardian; 17th of April

Executions in the USA have been suspended since late September 2007 as states waited for the Supreme Court's decision. A majority of the 36 death penalty states, and the federal government, use the same three-drug combination as Kentucky to anesthetize, paralyze and kill the condemned prisoner.
Amnesty International; 18th of April

At least 1,200 people were executed in 2007 and many more were killed by the state, in secret, in countries including China, Mongolia and Viet Nam.

The figures come from Amnesty International's yearly statistics, Death Sentences and Executions in 2007, issued on Tuesday, which say that at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries and at least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. Up to 27,500 people are estimated to be on death row across the world.

The figures also show an increase in executions in a number of countries. Iran executed at least 317 people, Saudi Arabia 143 and Pakistan 135 – in comparison to 177, 39 and 82 executions respectively in 2006.

Eighty-eight per cent of all known executions took place in five countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the USA. Saudi Arabia had the highest number of executions per capita, followed by Iran and Libya. Amnesty International has been able to confirm at least 470 executions by China – the highest overall figure. However, the organization has said that the true figure for China is undoubtedly much higher.

China, which the report refers to as the world's top executioner, classifies the death penalty as a state secret. As the world and Olympic guests are left guessing, only the Chinese authorities know exactly how many people have been killed with state authorization.
Ammnesty International; 15th of April

Abolish the Death Penalty
The death penalty is the ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights. By working towards the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, Amnesty International USA's Death Penalty Abolition Campaign looks to end the cycle of violence created by a system riddled with economic and racial bias and tainted by human error

Published here on the 19th of November 2007: GOOD NEWS AGAINST DEATH PENALTY!

Latest news: Orange group denied entrance to HK

2008-04-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Jens Galschiot and the Orange group have been denied entrance to Hong Kong. They are returning to Denmark and will arrive at the airport of Copenhagen Sunday 27th 9.55 am, BA812 from Heathrow. More detailed information about this at:

http://www.thecolororange.net/uk/page147

WashingtonPost: 3 human rights activists barred from Hong Kong

FOX NEWS (27/4): 3 human rights activists barred from Hong Kong

A survey on money, happiness and giving

2008-04-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Dunn (University of B.C. psychologist, Vancouver) together with Laura Aknin and Michael Norton (from Harvard Bussines School), designed and conducted a survey on money, happiness and giving. They found greater happiness among people who give money to charity and buy gifts for friends, regardless of income.

Money may not buy you love but it might buy you happiness if you spend it in the right way, US researchers say. In studies they found that the old adage "it's better to give than to receive" is correct: spending money on others or giving to charity puts a bigger smile on your face than buying things for yourself.
The Guardian

It doesn't surprise me at all that people find giving money away very rewarding," said Aaron Ahuvia, associate professor of marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, who was not involved in the current study.
LiveScience

"It was a remarkably strong effect," said Ms. Dunn. "So strong that we had other people analyze the data again just to make sure."
NationalPost Canada

More secure but more fearful.

2008-04-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

I came across with this article recently and I have considered interesting just to show you a couple of paragraphs and the link to the whole one. I hope you find it interesting too.

Humanity has never had it so good. Most people around the world are better off and will live longer than their ancestors. If we could hold on to that perspective, we would all be much more relaxed. But we aren't relaxed. We are anxious and stressed. We are scared that bad things will happen to us: nuclear war, cancer, child abduction. As for keeping things in perspective, Homo sapiens just isn't cut out for it, as Dan Gardner explains in Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear

Gardner elegantly summarises the results of psychological research proving that people's visceral 'fight-or-flight' reactions always elbow their rational calculations out of the way. Crucially, this happens even when the subjects are instructed to ignore their emotional responses. It happens to everyone, including psychology professors. So - clever clogs - if you think you don't believe everything you see on TV, it doesn't matter. Your Stone Age brain has processed the images and is using them to shape your opinions whether you like it or not.

Sunday March 9, 2008
The Observer

The ColorOrange News2

2008-03-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Press release Friday 28th March 17.20 pm

Greek police ban orange clothes
during Olympic Torch Relay

Danish activists stopped by the Greek police.

10 orange activists have been forbidden to follow the Olympic Torch in Greece. They were stopped already 70 kilometres from the city of Larissa, where they had planned to be a peaceful part of the Torch Relay.

BBC video: Greek police ban the colour orange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92fGP-SEVM

More information about the project on the website www.TheColorOrange.net

Aur Appeal in Greek: http://www.thecolororange.net/uk/page21_gr

Previous news announcements and photos about the Danish activists:
www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page104

TheColorOrange

2008-03-26T03:54:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

In January I received Jens Galschiot´s e-mail. He is, in my opinion, a true artist whom has acted both conscientiously and succesfully in numerous humane actions. He operates within the framwork of AIDOH (Art In Defense Of Humanization). For example:

- In 2001 AIDOH acted against certain pharmaceutical companies whose actions would have otherwise left some groups of people in South Africa without essential drugs. Link to that campaign

- In 2007 they also launched a strong campain against the fundamentalist branch of the Christian church that does not believe in contraception and sexual education. Link to that campaign

Inkeeping with this, in January of 2008, Jens Galschiot launched a world wide campaign that proposes people to bear/wear something orange during the Beijing Olympic Games 2008: “We will use the colour orange and make it a symbol of the protest against the human rights violations in China”

I hold the belief that this world wide campaign is an important chance for us to bring attention to one of the big irresposibilities in the world today.

Below you will find details of TheColorOrange appeal. I will leave it up to you to decide on whether to assist the campaign.

NGOs and Philanthropy

2008-01-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

I would have like to write a resume of an article I read about the potential risks of big NGOs could be if they hold big responsibilities.

I read information about the “lack of philanthropy” of organiztions like Bill & Melinda Gates. On top of that, while the Bill & Melinda Gates fundation? Increased the capital for the developement of economically poor countries, the USA government frooze their help to these countries.

Said that I am not saying that we should be against the big NGOs and fundations, I just only wanted to rise our attention on to the risk that could appear by depending on the philanthropy of big capitals.

After discussing this matter with friends I felt I should try to make this point and take the chance to offer some information about small, medium and big NGOs that could be of interest in order to let us join them in a more familiar and active way.

Since the 90´s, internet also offers us the oportunity of participate actively in opinion/preassure campaigns as well as creating our own opinion after reading NGOs and other independents information sources.

CARE2

The premise of Care2 is simple: One person can make a difference.
Whether you are passionate about green living, health, human rights or protecting the environment, Care2 puts the tools for change in your hands.
Over 7 million wonderful people discover, share and take action on Care2 and Care2's The Petition Site. It is the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference.

OXFAM INTERNATIONAL

Oxfam International seeks increased worldwide public understanding that economic and social justice are crucial to sustainable development. We strive to be a global campaigning force promoting the awareness and motivation that comes with global citizenship while seeking to shift public opinion in order to make equity the same priority as economic growth.

RADIOAMATEURS WITHOUT FRONTIERS

They are a not governmental organization (NGO) , without spirit of profit, created by conscious volunteers of the importance of the radio communications in any project of solidarity between groups of cooperating geographically distant.

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.

PEACE BRIGADES

This is an international NGO that has been promoting nonviolence and protecting human rights since 1981. The founders of PBI shared a profound conviction that ordinary people can take action to stop war and human rights violations even when their governments cannot or will not.

GOOD NEWS AGAINST DEATH PENALTY!

2007-11-19T00:13:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough UN resolution on global moratorium on executions!!

"This historic resolution is a major step torwards worldwide abolition of the death penalty," said Irene Khan, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.A call was made for a global moratorium on executions by the UN General Assembly's Third Committee. The General Assembly is expected to endorse the decision in a plenary session in December.

Read more on this news at this link with Amnesty International

GOOD NEWS!

2007-08-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

Novartis has lost its case against the Indian law and has said will not probably appeal that decision!!

Indian Court Ruling in Novartis Case Protects India as the 'Pharmacy of the Developing World'

Draft strategy and action plan on how to boost affordable drug discovery, development and delivery for diseases, mainly those affecting the poor.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and support.

Lattets: Apparently Novartis has withdrawn all its R&D investments in India and moved them out to China. MSF considers it is a punishment to India for not following Novartis´ rules.

Link in spanish

Lets share some more information

2007-06-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have got the impression that more information should be shared concerning the conflict arose between Novartis and the Indian government.

Under the terms of the World Trade Organisation's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, all developing countries are obliged to introduce strict patent protection along the lines of that found in the West. The aim of this, patent protection, should surely be weighed in the balance alongside other rights, such as access to health care. For this reason, a certain amount of leeway is built into TRIPS. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that this room for manoeuvre must be included in national legislation. One of the problems is that pharmaceutical corporations are thwarting such initiatives.

It is in this context that Novartis appealed India patent office's decision. Novartis also challenges Section 3(d) of the Indian Patents Acts in a direct challenge to India's right to interpret the TRIPS agreement to protect public health. If Novartis is successful, it could jeopardise India's generic export industry.

By producing cheaper generic versions of drugs that were patented in other countries, India became, years a go, the world's leading supplier of inexpensive generic medicines to developing countries, with approximately 67 per cent of its exports going to developing countries, a key source of affordable essential medicines. Therefore, at present, millions of people in developing countries rely on India for affordable medicines.

Economic analysts said that Novartis could be considered “the hottest” drug giant in 2007.

I know all these is just information, and we all could consider that interests behind all this can fog the truth.

This is the moment when I bring up the opinion of some “experts” and representative leaders.

The WHO has considered that India has applied the TRIPS agreement properly.

Dr. Unni Karunakara, Medical Director of MSF's Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, at a press briefing in New Delhi said "Novartis is trying to shut down the pharmacy of the developing world,".

Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “If Novartis wins this case, countless medicines previously available cheaply to poor people will be patented and priced out of reach. The medicine cabinet will be firmly locked, and only companies like Novartis will hold the keys."

More than 350,000 people have voiced their concern about Novartis's actions, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman, several EU Parliamentarians, incoming Global Fund Director Michel Kazatchkine, former Swiss president and chair of the 2004-06 WHO Commission on Intellectual Property Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH) Ruth Dreifuss, German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, former UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis and author John le Carré. Patients groups and NGOs across the world have also raised their voices.

I hope at least I could have helped clearing some of this fog.

In my opinion, Novartis attitude is reprobable, and that should make us think about the dimensions of the problem arose.

Yours faithfully,

oscgim

MSF´s "drop the case" petition

Billions and billions

2007-04-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Billions of tons of CO2

Every we produce 7000 million tons of CO2 per year; slightly more than 1 ton per person (as there are about 6100 million people in the World).

-Resume of pages 93-192 of Carl Sagan’s posthumous “Billions and billions”-

In this section of Carl Sagan´s book he describes a small, complicated and fragile ecosystem where tiny crustaceous are the main living part. Then he compares this with the big (and small), complex and weak ecosystem that represents the Earth.

Afterwards he begins talking about this Earth ecosystem, where he brings special attention to the history of life. Thanks to the species that have lived and co-operated on this planet, ones that have not done so have become extinct, and new species have been able to move in.

He called us, the humans, as the new neighbours not having great experience in voluntary co-operation between species (not even between humans). We have focussed on short-term needs and rarely think in the long term.

He shows us the indivisible aspect of our planet and the interdependency of the countries: in the USA people breathe oxygen that has been produced in Brazil, the acid rain produced in the USA industries damages Canada, the charcoal burned in China rises Argentinean temperatures …. Like it or not, human beings are linked to the rest of the human race, as well as plants and animals in the rest of the World. Our lives are connected (entrelazadas). Because we are not granted with an instinctive knowledge about who should deal with our technological World and make it safe and balanced, we need to discover a way of achieving this.
Probably it is an excessively optimistic posture by trusting some sort of Big Guardian of the Ecosystem coming from the sky in order to fix our mistakes.
It is our responsibility to fix it.

Later he describes our wonderful technological achievments:
We have created machines that cross the skies. We are that accustomed and used to their presence that frequently we fail to recognise how mythical an achievement it is. These flights are a symbol of the powers we have got. But with the big powers the big responsibilities come in place. Our technology has become that powerful that we are becoming a risk to ourselves. Science and technology has saved thousands of millions of lives, it has improved the health of many, and has steadily transformed the planet in a anastomosic union, but at the same time the planet has changed that much that people do not feel comfortable in it. We have created kinds of new devils: difficult to be seen, difficult to be understood, not easily solved problems (and for sure not without confrontation with those in power).

He also talks about how satisfying it is to see human beings, also able to reach a consensus such the one achieved in September 1987, when leaders of many CFC producing countries gathered in Montreal and formed a project on the reduction of CFC’s. Montreal protocol is important not only in the amplitude of the changes agreed, but mainly for its direction.

Carl Sagan easily explains the relationship between CFC’s and global warming. But he uses many pages in order to warn the reader about the grave negative effects, middle and long term, of global warming. He describes the contributory effects of the burning of fossil energy, clouds, Vulcanic eruptions etc. Moreover makes the point that fossil energy is not an economic consequence (as expense is made on protection of the producing countries, and on oil leaking disasters etc. …).

He hopes that new solar technology, wind farms (turbines eólicas), biomass conversion and hydrogen as sources of energy are introduced regularly. At the same time, more efficient use of fossil energy should be made. Nobody suggests not using it at all though. It is very unlikely that big industries, such as the steel and alluminium industries, are to be nourished by solar or wind energy. But if we are able to halve our needs to fossil energy we would have to fuel a great deal of it.

He also mentions that we could ask ourselves whether there is a way of getting rid of the CO2 produced. The only way of doing that it is to grow trees. When they grow they consume CO2. But by burning them later we would destroy the good part that has been done. Those trees could be used to build houses and furniture, or they could just be buried when they die. However, the part of the planet’s surface we should grow on in order to create significative benefit should be the USA. This would only be possible if the whole of humankind works on it. On the contrary, it destroys half a hectare of trees every second. Everyone can grow trees: individuals, countries and corporations; but mainly the latter. Arlington Applied Energy Services Company has built a central termica, but it is also growing enough trees in Guatemala in order to absorve more CO2 than the termic plant itself will produce. We should plant fast growing trees especially.
What is to be said to the charcoal industries, car factories, and oil plants? Could they not ask every industry that expels CO2 to also be in charge of getting rid of it?
Should it be done by citizens themselves? Why not grow trees at Christmas, anniversaries and weddings?

All these actions will impact positively on other aspects such as: cleaner air, minimizing oil disasters, new technologies, more people working, more benefits. This energy independency will allow the USA and other petrol dependent countries to make their children free of the danger. On the other hand, a percentage of the military expenses could come back to social benefits.

Even with the reticence of the industries linked to petrol, one big sector that has begun to worry about global warming is insurance companies. German and Swiss insurance companies have launched sensitisation campaigns for more responsible use of fossil energy. In many companies there is a new interest, at least a theoretical one, in a responsible treatment of nature.

The Japanese government has said “Global warming is a serious problem that is probably jeopardizing the roots of human life itself”.
Sweden announced that by 2010 its nuclear energy will halve, and CO2 production will be reduced in 30% by using the energy more efficiently and by using new sources of green energy. And this process will be economically positive.

On the contrary, OPEP countries remain reluctant to reduce their CO2 production as it will supposedly lower incomes. Russia and many developing countries are opposed to CO2 reduction as it will not allow them to have the industrialization boom that other countries had.
The USA is the only industrialized country that has not adopted significative measures to reduce CO2 production; while other countries act, this government designates commissions and voluntarily asks industries to decrease their CO2 production by having short term economic losses.

This time will be more difficult to act as in Montreal previously; affected industries are much more powerful, and do not have an amazing consequence as the ozone hole made by CFC. This time citizens should be the ones educating governments and industries.

I strongly recommend the reader to dive in to this book, which is full of scientific descriptions of frequent and important problems that the human race faces. Once a serious description of the problem is made, it can find a way of actuation, and globally approached, it will be able to solve or minimize the consequences.

His optimistic way of living allowed him to co-operate with NASA, be an active part in numerous international and multicultural meetings… (Please use this link to get more information on Carl Sagan´s life).

"Living on thin ice" The Observer Magazine´s article

AEGEE´s Flagship Project `08/`09

SUSTAINING OUR FUTURE
As a major interdisciplinary European student association we think that care for our living environment and sustainability should involve more the young people living in Europe.

Personal decision. Novartis Vs India News

2007-01-31T03:04:00.000-08:00

14th of March 2007

I am writing to make you aware of a personal decision that I have decided to carry out due to the current obstination from Novartis’s behalf against the Indian legislation about medical patents, I have decided to carry out a 24hr fast, every 15th day of the calendar months.

This personal action will end once a solution can be find that will allow to continue providing medical supplies to the “less favourable” countries.

Some close friends have decided to join me in this voluntary fasting.

Thus, I will continue providing you with all the information I can obtain regarding this subject.

This is in connection with the support we are providing to campaigns, obtaining signatures and the boycott against Novartis pharmaceutical company.

Sincerely,

oscgim

Novartis is suing the Indian Government

TIMELINE — Some key dates on the Indian Patent Act and the Novartis Case.

1994/1995 - Creation of the World Trade Organization & entry into force of the TRIPS Agreement, which obliges developing countries to grant patents on medicines no later than 2005.

2003 - Novartis launches Gleevec in the US at $2,600 per patient per month. Generic versions of Gleevec soon become available in India for under $200 per patient per month. April 2005 - Amendment of India's Patents Act: medicines can now be patented in India. However, the law stipulates that only true medical innovations will be protected by patents. Section 3(d) specifies that new forms of known substances do not deserve patents.

Jan. 2006 - Novartis' patent application on Gleevec rejected by Indian patent office, on the grounds that it is simply a new form of a known substance.

May 2006 - Novartis appeals patent office's decision in High Court in India. Novartis also challenges Section 3(d) of the Indian Patents Acts.

September 2006 - First hearing of the appeal and challenge. No decision made, but broader hearing set for later date. 29 Jan. 2007 - Last scheduled hearing in Chennai High Court in India was March 23 rd.

MSF´s video

MSF: Campaign for Acces to Essential Medicines (April 2007)

MSF urges Novartis shareholders to join the call on CEO Vasella to 'Drop te Case' against the Indian government (5/03/07)

Novartis attempts to deflect attention away

CHURCH LEADERS CALL ON NOVARTIS TO DROP LEGAL CASE IN INDIA(16/02/07)

FORMER SWISS PRESIDENT JOINS CALL FOR NOVARTIS TO DROP ITS CASE IN INDIA (16/02/07)

INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT: US CONGRESSMAN HENRY WAXMAN LETTER TO NOVARTIS (pdf file)

BBC News February 15th

Doctors Without Borders USA: Access to medicines.

Novartis - US Congressman Henry Waxman

MSF PRESS RELEASE Jan.29

Herald Tribune January 29

Novartis is suing the Indian Government

2007-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

I would like to draw your attention to a problem that has arisen between Novartis Pharmaceutical company and the Indian Government: Novartis is suing the Government for not respecting a specific pharmaceutical patent.

Intermon-Oxfam warns that if Novartis wins its case, thousands of people in poor countries could die. Indeed, the WHO (World Health Organization) advises, indirectly, the Indian Government not to follow what Novartis urges. In view of the stance of the WHO in this matter, I have decided not to buy any Novartis medicines until this dispute is resolved.

I refer you to the bottom of this page, where the names of some of the most commonly-used Novartis products are listed.
Please seek the advice of your doctor and/or pharmacist.

Details of reader’s opinion on this issue are invited.

Novartis most commonly-used products:

Nicotinell,
Voltarol,

Calcium-Sandoz,
Anturan,
Apresoline,
Afergot,
Co-Diovan,
Deseril,
Diovan,
Elidel,
Famvir,
Foradil,
Glivec,
Hygroton,
Hypotears,
Lamisil,
Lescol,
Livostin,
Lopresor,
Miacalcic,
Nyogel,
Oculotect,
Prescal,
Symmetrel,
Sintrome,
Sanomigran,
Sandimmun,
Tofranil,
Trasidrex,
Trileptal
...

OXFAM LINK: more information

MSF drop the case petition

WHO report (Dec. ´07): DRUG MONOPOLY

Pharmalive.com (Jan. 24, 07): more information

Lancet editorial: "grave implications" for Novartis India suit.

SP INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Jan´07)