The Week in Indigenous Peoples Rights 8/24/08

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Sunday August 24, 2008 · 2:16 PM PDT

2008/08/24 · 14:16

Good Afternoon Kossacks.

I hope today's post finds you all well. Apologies for not posting "The Week in Indigenous Peoples Rights" last week, I wasted three or four days trying to remember how many homes I own, and just couldn't get around to it (turns out the answer is none; turns out I rent an apartment).

Anyways, this week we'll be looking at what's going on in the Peruvian Amazon and West Papua.

First, an update on the study Oil, Biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples in the Western Amazon, that I wrote about a week ago Wednesday: In the first week since releasing the study, there have been about 200 news stories about it; from South Africa, to London, to Italy, Germany, Poland, Peru, Brazil,... Even Time is covering it! They've got a great interview with my co-author, Dr. Matt Finer, on their podcast.

Now, to this week's news.

Poll

30 votes Show Results

Indigenous Lands in Indigenous Hands, Worldwide, by the Year..

30 votes Vote Now!

Indigenous Lands in Indigenous Hands, Worldwide, by the Year..

2012

16 votes

2015

5 votes

2020

2 votes

2050

7 votes

Indigenous Peoples, Biodiversity, Oil in the Western Amazon

American Zapatista

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Wednesday August 13, 2008 · 11:48 AM PDT

2008/08/13 · 11:48

Good Day Kossacks.
Today a great study has been published on the online scientific journal PLos One (Public Library of Science) that looks in detail at oil development in the Western Amazon, and it's effects on the region's indigenous peoples and biodiversity.

Ok, I may be prejudiced about it being a great study - as I am one of the authors - but read on because, well, it actually is pretty good, and what's going on in the Western Amazon is alarming.

Poll

107 votes Show Results

How should development in the Western Amazon proceed?

107 votes Vote Now!

How should development in the Western Amazon proceed?

Moratorium on new oil activity

40 votes

Drill, Drill, Drill

7 votes

No drilling on indigenous lands

55 votes

other

5 votes

This week in Indigenous Peoples' Rights

American Zapatista

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Sunday August 10, 2008 · 9:21 AM PDT

2008/08/10 · 09:21

Good Morning Kossacks. This is the first in what I hope to be a weekly series. As noted in yesterday's diary by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, yesterday was World Indigenous Peoples Day.

Today's diary will focus on two urgent situations that happened yesterday. One in the Peruvian Amazon, the other in West Papua. Please read on and take action.

American Zapatista

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Thursday September 07, 2006 · 8:35 AM PDT

2006/09/07 · 08:35

This diary covers the unfolding situation of the illegal arrest, torture, continuing detention and fabrication of charges against two human rights defenders, Leitanthem Umakanta Meitei and Yengkokpam Lamgamba Meitei (also known as Thabi). The first diary regarding these two can be found here.

Kossacks responded in force to the first diary. I posted it a little after midnight on the day that Umakanta was arrested. At about 5am I went to catch a couple hours of sleep and when I woke up, to my great surprise, the diary was #1 on the recommended list, where it stayed the whole day. That day the embassy of India was receiving so many calls regarding the two activists that they stopped answering their phone. The diary and Dkos even made the media in India. Alot has happened since then. Read More

The Arrest of Umakanta Meitei (His Holiness) pt 2

American Zapatista

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Friday August 25, 2006 · 1:08 AM PDT

2006/08/25 · 01:08

This is a continuation of a diary that was started early yesterday morning - "His Holiness arrested".

Thanks to all of you who kept it on the recommended list all day. I hope that you all will stay with the story, as today is a critical day.

Alot is happening now. A recap of the situation and new news follows in the extended body.
Read More

His Holiness arrested (UPDATED)

American Zapatista

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Thursday August 24, 2006 · 12:34 AM PDT

2006/08/24 · 00:34

My friend Meitei has been arrested by police in Manipur, India. He was taken from his home at approximately 4am. this morning. He is in custody he has been beaten and tortured. Read More

Day of Indigenous Peoples

American Zapatista

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Wednesday August 09, 2006 · 3:34 PM PDT

2006/08/09 · 15:34

A few years ago the United Nations proclaimed August 9th as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Today, around the world, it is being celebrated. Read More

Open Letter to Al Gore

American Zapatista

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Saturday May 06, 2006 · 10:43 PM PDT

2006/05/06 · 22:43

Dear Al,

First, I'd like to thank you for the work that you are doing to raise awareness and address the issue of global climate change. You are doing us all a great service.

As you may have noticed, rumors have been swirling around here at Dkos that you might take another run at the Presidency. There is also a movement afoot to get you a post as United Nations Ambassador for the Global Environment. Both are intriguing possibilities. I have just one question. Read More

Bushman wins Alternative Nobel Prize

American Zapatista

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Friday December 09, 2005 · 10:12 AM PST

2005/12/09 · 10:12

Roy Sesana, a representative of the Gana Bushmen who live in the Kalahari just won the Right Livelihood Award. The Bushmen are an amazing group of people and are in danger of being wiped off the face of the earth as they are being forced off of their lands by the government of Botswana. Following is the moving and heartfelt speech given by Mr. Sesana upon receiving the award. Read More

Help a Kossack who's in the trenches - For the Holidays

American Zapatista

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Friday December 02, 2005 · 10:11 AM PST

2005/12/02 · 10:11

About three years ago I heard about this crazy American guy who was living with the Akha people in the hills of Thailand. His wife was Akha, his kids were Akha and he, after thirteen years, was now pretty much Akha. He would ride around the hills in a beat up old pick-up truck - "Missionaries Suck" written on the sides in English and Akha - traveling from village to village, solving problems. If someone was sick, or injured in an accident, he would take them to a hospital. He would hand out homemade protein bars to malnourished kids and give bags of rice to hungry elders. If someone had been kidnapped by the military he would find out where they had been taken and go directly to the base to confront the commanders and, dead or alive, bring the missing person back to their village. His problem solving was dangerous work. Life is cheap in the hills of Thailand. His ass was on the line every, single day.
Read More

Huaorani Call for Ten-Year Oil Moratorium

American Zapatista

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Friday July 15, 2005 · 5:27 PM PDT

2005/07/15 · 17:27

This past Sunday, at about four in the morning, the first of four buses filled with Huaorani men, women and children arrived in Quito, Ecuador. They had come from deep in the Amazon. To reach the buses they traveled for days by canoe and on foot. 150 Huaorani men, women and children made their way through the forest and took buses into the mountains because they wanted to speak with the government of Ecuador.

One by one they filed off of the bus into the chilly Andean morning. Representatives of 29 communities, coming to tell the government that they are fed up with the oil companies that work in their territory. They came to call for a ten year moratorium on all new petroleum activity on indigenous lands in Ecuador, and they came to the city to tell Lula, the President of Brazil, to get his state's oil company, Petrobras, off of their land.

Continued...
Read More

The Place Where Life Begins - Senate to vote on ANWR drilling.

American Zapatista

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Sunday March 06, 2005 · 11:49 AM PST

2005/03/06 · 11:49

I just got off the phone with Gwich'in elder Sarah James. She's in Washington D.C., lobbying against plans to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Senate is going to vote very soon on whether or not to allow drilling there. The Bush Administration is chomping at the bit, eager to begin. They have even put it in the budget. Despite being told by the American public, eight times since 1988, that there should be no drilling there.

Where they want to drill is called "Izhit Gwatsan Gwandaii Goodlit" in the Gwich'in language. "The Place Where Life Begins". It's the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It's the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, whom the Gwich'in have a spiritual and physical connection with that goes back to the beginning.

"That's a birthing place", Sarah told me, "and it's sacred. It should never be disturbed"

continued after the fold... Read More

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