“Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.” — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon I heartily agree with the Secretary-General. Indeed, I believe that if we are to develop the culture of international co-operation that will be necessary
Continue readingTag: United Nations
RedBedHead: Arab Dictatorships Want To Kill Syrian Revolution
The first thing that has to be said is that the Syrian people are bravely resisting and suffering under – first and foremost – the brutal Syrian regime. But the second thing that must be added is that they are suffering a second misery, which is to be the pawns
Continue readingPeacekeeping—"Canada can and should do more"
Sometimes a graph is worth a thousand words. A good example is a graph depicting Canada’s contribution to U.N. peacekeeping that appeared in the December 2011 edition of Mondial, the newsletter of The World Federalist Movement. The graph, attached, shows Canada hovering around number one in the early 90s and
Continue readingHellberta: The Great Oil War [Chapter 2] : Iran
In chapter 1 of what now may be considered the beginnings of a World-War III we discussed what was then the active military action against Libya. We covered economic hitmen and the typical approach taken by western nations to overthrow or at least get nations to play along with their game. Of
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: BREAKING: Canada Pulls Out of Kyoto Protocol
TarSandsLeaf.jpg Canada is pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol, the cornerstone of international climate negotiations, in the wake of the failed COP17 climate talks in Durban. Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent announced Canada's bail-out of Kyoto as he returned from Durban. The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by Canada in 2002, when
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Youth Delegate Anjali Appadurai Speaks Truth to Power at Conclusion of COP17 in Durban
Perhaps the most powerful speech made in all of COP17 at Durban came at the very end, a statement by Anjali Appadurai, a student at the College of the Atlantic in Maine, who addressed the conference on behalf of the youth delegates. Her scornful depiction of the utter failure of the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Congressmembers Implicated in Insider Stock Trading on TransCanada, Keystone XL Pipeline
shutterstock_89794186.jpg When it comes to TransCanada Corporation's Keystone XL pipeline approval process, corruption has been rampant, as well covered by DeSmogBlog as it unfolded. The Keystone XL pipeline, currently in limbo, would carry tar sands crude — a thick and dirty fossil fuel called bitumen — from the Alberta tar sands through
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Fracking Ohio’s Utica Shale to "Boost Local Economy"? A "Total" Sham
Total Energy Logo.jpg It is a well-known fact that the unconventional gas industry is involved in an inherently toxic business, particularly through hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), which the EPA just confirmed today has contaminated groundwater in Wyoming. The documentary "Gasland," DeSmogBlog's report "Fracking the Future: How Unconventional Gas Threatens our Water, Health,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Climate Denier Marc Morano Praises "George W. Obama" at COP17
marc-morano.jpg If the jury was still out on President Barack Obama's climate policy accolades (a huge "if"), consider the verdict now in, and from a surprising character at that: Marc Morano. Morano jubilantly referred to the President as "George W. Obama" in an interview with Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman at COP17, stating: They [the Obama
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Are First Nation Complaints All Part of a Commie Plot?
At the root of the Conservative movement on both sides of the border, is the fear of Communism. In the U.S. they rallied around Joseph McCarthy, and Ronald Reagan became the poster boy for the anti-communist movement. I read yesterday that Canada’s First Nation chiefs are taking their case to
Continue readingEdwin Current: Sending praise to Hilary Clinton for her Gay Rights Speech to UN
I just finished watching this video of United States Secretary Hilary Clinton’s speech. Clinton is addressing the United Nations, regarding gay rights. I praise her for a doing such a great job and sending a beautiful, important and positiv…
Continue readingEdwin Current: Sending praise to Hilary Clinton for her Gay Rights Speech to UN
I just finished watching this video of United States Secretary Hilary Clinton’s speech. Clinton is addressing the United Nations, regarding gay rights. I praise her for a doing such a great job and sending a beautiful, important and positive message around the world. This must be shared. Free and Equal
Continue readingEdwin Current: Sending praise to Hilary Clinton for her Gay Rights Speech to UN
I just finished watching this video of United States Secretary Hilary Clinton’s speech. Clinton is addressing the United Nations, regarding gay rights. I praise her for a doing such a great job and sending a beautiful, important and positive message around the world. This must be shared. Free and Equal
Continue readinggay persons of color: Video: Hillary Clinton delivers historic speech to the U.N.
Acknowledging America’s own imperfect record on equality, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on nations around the world to recognize that: “Like being a woman, like being a racial religious tribal or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are
Continue readingLest we forget: today is The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, a United Nations sponsored event, has been observed every year on November 29th since 1977, 30 years to the day after the partition of Palestine. The UN General Assembly has requested that the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights
Continue readingThe Happy Wanderer: So Many Flotilla’s to Gaza!
Just Friday another flotilla to Gaza was stopped. The protesters don’t like the idea of a blockade and the so called “human right violations” of Israel being done in Gaza. My question is why do these protesters expand there horizon?
T…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: US, Israel and Canada’s response to Palestine’s UNESCO membership
When Palestine overwhelmingly got approved to be a member state in UNESCO, a long standing congressional trigger was activated which entirely defunds the US contribution to UNESCO (about a fifth of its total contributions). This comes on the back of f…
Continue readingthe reeves report: United Nations close to finalizing a ban on Western e-waste exports
At a recent United Nations environmental conference in Cartagena, Colombia, attended by over 170 represented countries, 50 nations have ratified an amendment to the 1989 Basel Convention which will restrict the export of electronic waste to the developing world. Only 17 nations needed to ratify the amendment in order to see it introduced, but the … Continue reading »
Cowboys for Social Responsibility: While the NDP was enabling the gun lobby
The gun lobby was fighting to make it easier to arm criminals, terrorists and child soldiers.Thanks Nathan.
Continue readingThe Wandering Joe: Oh yeah, torture…
I’m not sure why this wasn’t more of a story during the election, but the Afghan Detainee issue has once again made the papers. Afghanistan’s internal security service and police use torture and other abusive methods to extract confessions from suspected insurgents held in a number of detention centres around
Continue reading