Blog

Ex-slave in Niger wins landmark case

October 28, 2008

The ruling is important because it increases pressure on Niger to take stronger action to stop slavery and forced labor.  It also may encourage other West African nations, like Mali, to follow suit.  It is also exciting to see ECOWAS taking action to stop forced labor.

Romana Cacchiolo, Africa Program Coordinator for Anti-Slavery International, said: "This historic
verdict sets a legal precedent that we can take to neighbouring states where
slavery remains an issue. Niger
now needs to look closely at its customary law courts to ensure that there is
an end to the discrimination of women and to the acceptance of slavery at a
local level."

Inside the SweatFree Dallas Campaign

October 27, 2008

I’m a college student. At the last SweatFree Dallas meeting,
we emphasized the need for endorsements. Other campaign volunteers have
connections with local political and religious groups, but my strongest
affiliation is with my university. I emailed every cultural and religious
student organization at my university to ask for “just five minutes” at their
next meeting. Already many groups have said “yes,” and today I gave my first 5
minute speech, with several more to come in the next week.  I’m not a
terrible public speaker, but I tend to get pretty nervous. At this student
organization meeting, I felt more empowered than nervous. The audience at the

Advice for the Next Administration: Listen

October 24, 2008

Mr. Hakim and Ms. Sweig were among the skeptics of the panel who
addressed the limits to US policy in Latin America and the realities
that have to be dealt with before making general suggestions to the new
president.  Mr. Hakim urged everyone to consider the impact of the
current financial crisis on domestic economies of Latin America and
also on the effect of any policy directed toward these countries.  Many
currencies are falling drastically and, although we cannot know the
full extent of the financial crisis, it is more likely than not that
unemployment across Latin America will rise.  This will stress the
Venezuelan economy as the price of oil drops and, as Ms. Sweig pointed

Dole Pineapples: Economic Growth for Whom?

October 20, 2008

Dole’s continued expansion—while not benefiting farmers, is neither
fostering the development of healthy local markets, critical to
sustainable development.  Instead, its expansion means taking more land
for food export at a time when Filipinos are struggling to feed
themselves.  Where the Philippines used to be a net exporter of its
staple food, rice, the country has become the world’s largest importer
of the now expensive commodity.3
The government has begun to provide subsidized rice to the poor due to
the recently doubled cost of imported rice, causing a swelling deficit.4
Taking over more lands for export crops without dealing with the roots

Shopping with a Conscience

October 16, 2008

Shopping with a conscience is more important now than ever before.
Globalization has led us to value the products we buy that are produced
worldwide, but unfortunately at a cost to many. The situation is
ironic, because it is apparent that sweatshops are completely
unnecessary for further economic development – the global economy can
sustain itself without sacrificing fair and equal standards for
workers. Half of the work is done for you, now all you need to do is go
online and shop!

Trade and the last presidential debate

October 16, 2008

Obama responded by saying, "The history in Colombia right now is that labor leaders have been
targeted for assassination on a fairly consistent basis and there have
not been prosecutions. And what I have said, because the free
trade -- the trade agreement itself does have labor and environmental
protections, but we have to stand for human rights and we have to make
sure that violence isn't being perpetrated against workers who are just
trying to organize for their rights..." 

Sugar cane workers' strike in Colombia

October 15, 2008

Proponents of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement argue that labor standards
have improved dramatically under President Álvaro Uribe, but has the government
responded to support the needs of the sugar cane workers? Of course not. In
what continues to be the world’s most dangerous country to be a union member,
Uribe has decried the strike as a national security threat while meeting with
ASOCANA’s leaders at a national military base. Meanwhile, strikers attempt to
communicate that they can no longer work under the present circumstances, with
salaries as low as 200 dollars a month and work days as long as 14 hours.

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