This Week in the Americas
Some Good News, For a Change
By Laura Carlsen
Happy New Year to one and all! 2007 holds promise for the Americas, perhaps more than any other year in recent history.
Maybe it's because the year contains a seven, a sacred number in Mayan mythology.
Or maybe it's because social movements have matured and deepened throughout the continent, forcing governments to respond to the long-deferred demands of the poor and disenfranchised. Or that the U.S. Congress has been wrested from the control of conservative Republicans, or that progressive governments are clearing new paths across the continent.
Whatever the source of the optimism, mystical or material, the year will be filled with decisive events and challenges. Before launching in on those, we join with some of our partner organizations and collaborators in the IRC Americas Program to note the small and not-so-small victories of the year:
1. Building hope among the poor: Evo Morales' blow to racist colonial rule in Bolivia, Rafael Correa's victory over banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, the success of worker-run factories against all odds, the Zapatista's grassroots challenge to corrupt political power and economic injustice—hope not only springs eternal, it sometimes wins elections and changes lives.
2. Release of Haitian political prisoners: IRC partner organization the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti reports that their efforts in 2006 led to the release and hospitalization of Father Gerry, a political prisoner suffering from leukemia. Father Gerry writes today: “A year ago, I was dying in jail. At Heaven's gate, your marches, prayers, singing, e-mails, and phone calls were echoing so much, St. Peter received the order to send me back. Now, I am free, in fair health, and full of hope.” The IJDH also reports the freeing of singer/activist Annette Auguste and former prime minister Yvon Neptune, all as a result of popular pressure.
3. Halt on genetically modified corn cultivation in Mexico: Mexico's Defense of Corn movement, which seeks to protect native corn from contamination by genetically modified varieties, scored a point when the Mexican government refused a petition to allow commercial planting of GM corn. The victory against the multi-million dollar campaign by Monsanto and other GM seed producers may be temporary, but at least it's a finger in the dike. With the recent rise in the price of tortillas, activists will have to be on the alert to make sure that genetically modified corn is not proffered as the solution to a problem that really has to do with free trade, monopolistic practices among processors, and the lack of integrated rural and food policies. (See upcoming article in our new section “Globalization and the Food We Eat”).
4. Hazardous waste inventory: Mexican environmental advocates won a long battle for a hazardous waste inventory when it finally became law on August 18. The law will still need citizen involvement to assure company compliance but it constitutes an important tool in the hands of communities seeking to protect their health and environment and a victory for the environmental right to know movement.
5. Freedom of expression—journalists vindicated: 2007 was a terrible year for journalists in the region but Mexico—the most lethal nation for truth-seeking journalism—and Chile registered two small triumphs. Lydia Cacho—whose book on a pedophile ring stretching from Cancun to Arizona won her an international audience and the enmity of the men involved—was arrested and narrowly escaped a planned prison rape. Thanks in part to national and international coverage, she was recently acquitted of all charges of libel. In Chile, 20 years after the assassination of journalist José Carrasco and three others, a court sentenced the military men guilty of the crime and ordered compensation to the families.
These are just a sample of achievements over the year. No doubt, a similar list could be made of setbacks and defeats. It would include deaths, disappearances, torture, corruption, repression. It would be dark and ominous and equally accurate.
But while we will continue to inform and warn of the dark side, our articles—and particularly the Citizen Action Profiles—also testify to our hopes by documenting progress in moving toward greater social and economic justice throughout the hemisphere.
At a time when good news is hard to come by, the Americas region has provided more than its share. The IRC Americas Program has passed it on through the virtual pages of our website.
So at the dawn of the new year, we'll save the negative list for another day, and take the triumphs as an inspiration to redouble efforts, both North and South, for a more just and peaceful hemisphere.
In planning to do that though, we are forced to temper our optimism with realism. The IRC Americas Program can't make it through this year—offering analysis of the advances, challenges, and obstacles in the region—without more help from you: our readers. As you plan the year, consider a donation to the IRC Americas Program. We know how to make a little go a long way, but we need the little first, and it's important for the project that everyone involved—readers, writers, and activists—feel invested in the program. Click here to make a donation. Click here to subscribe to free ezines.
Laura Carlsen is director of the IRC Americas Program in Mexico City, where she has worked as a writer and political analyst for the past two decades. The Americas Program is online at http://americas.irc-online.org/.
New from the IRC Americas Program:
The Ciudad Juarez Declaration and the New Wave of Border Activism
By Kent Patterson
Nearly 1,000 people gathered in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Oct. 12-15, 2006 at the first ever Border Social Forum (BSF). Modeled after the massive World Social Forum that draws tens of thousands of people every year, the Ciudad Juarez gathering featured dozens of workshops, a border “reality tour,” and street demonstrations against the Bush administration's planned series of new border walls and the North American Free Trade Agreement. At the conclusion of the BSF, delegates from U.S. and Mexican non-governmental organizations issued a 23-point declaration that calls for sweeping changes in immigration, human rights, labor, economic, and environmental policies on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Like other social forums, the Ciudad Juarez forum aimed to bring together a broad spectrum of people working in social movements to discuss, debate, and ultimately formulate an alternative political agenda under the slogan “Another World Is Possible.”
Kent Paterson is a freelance journalist based in Albuquerque, NM, and a frequent contributor to the IRC Americas Program (online at www.americaspolicy.org).
See full article online at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/amcit/3911
U.S. Congress Should Make New Year’s Resolution for Haiti
By Brian Concannon, Jr.
This New Year presents a particularly good opportunity for the U.S. Congress to finally resolve to take positive steps toward helping our oldest neighbor in the Americas, by promoting stability, prosperity, and peace in troubled Haiti.
Ousted president Aristide has accused the Bush administration of playing a key role in his overthrow in 2004. Mr. Aristide's claim has been echoed by members of the U.S. Congress, the 73 countries of the Africa Union and the Caribbean Community, and millions of Mr. Aristide's supporters in Haiti. The claim is also supported by reports from human rights groups, documents filed in lawsuits, and by media investigations.
If these charges are true, the Bush administration's actions directly contradict the fundamental U.S. commitment to democracy, both here and abroad. A thorough investigation of Haiti's coup d'etat by the U.S. Congress is the best way to clear up doubts.
Human Rights lawyer Brian Concannon Jr. is an analyst with the IRC America's Program, and directs the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, www.HaitiJustice.org.
See full article online at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/3894
Argentina-Uruguay: The Militarization of the Pulp Mill Conflict
By Raúl Zibechi
On November 29, the conflict between Argentina and Uruguay over the construction of cellulose mills on the shore of the shared Río Uruguay took a spectacular turn. The media reported that the Uruguayan government had decided to send armed forces to guard the mill, owned by the Finnish multinational Botnia, opening the door for the militarization of the binational conflict. Although three weeks later the Uruguayan government retired its guards, the conflict continues at a standstill and bilateral relations are tense.
Raúl Zibechi, a member of the editorial board of the weekly Brecha de Montevideo, is a professor and researcher on social movements at the Multiversidad Franciscana de America Latina and adviser to several grassroots organizations. He is a monthly contributor to the IRC Americas Program (www.americaspolicy.org).
See full article online at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/3871
