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2011
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24 December 2011, by
Leading Canada’s Public Healthcare to the Free-Market Guillotine
National discussion in Canada on the Conservative government’s new healthcare financial ultimatum, a take-it-or-leave-it-style proposal, largely revolves around myths. First that financing alone (...) -
18 December 2011, by
The People Want to Overthrow the Educational System
“The people want to overthrow the regime” is a statement initiated by the youth in the Tahreer Square in Cairo, becoming a slogan for every single individual rejecting oppression and repression in (...) -
30 November 2011, by ,
Project Briefings - December 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Scrapping the Canadian Gun Registry: A Provincial Outcry
The 1989 Montreal Massacre, which saw the deaths of 14 innocent students, has been cited as the precedent for stricter gun laws in Canada, including the implementation of a national gun registry (...) -
30 November 2011, by
The American Militia Movement Resurges
Four Georgia militia members stand accused on Nov 2, 2011 for allegedly plotting a terror attack against government officials, a federal building, and targeted assassination. Fredrick Thomas, (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative
A message to all members of the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative. -
30 November 2011, by
Diamonds: a universal symbol of love, or of oppression?
Diamonds are often esteemed as a universal symbol for luxury and opulence. They are regarded as the ultimate expression of love and devotion throughout the modern world, and as such they are in (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Paying the High Price of Gold
It is no secret that open-pit gold mines wreak havoc on the environment. Less widely known is the incredible amount of power free trade agreements have granted to gold-mining corporations to (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Death Toll Rising: Mexico’s ‘War on Drugs’ An Affront to Human Rights
A man, identity concealed behind a black veil, opens a blank journal and begins his life’s story; in front of him, a camera records. The journal serves as a physical record of his story, a focus (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Food Crisis in the Sahel: A Livelihood Crisis?
The Sahel, a region that has been described as being ’in a state of permanent crisis’, has been brought into the spotlight by the Sahel Working Group, composed of ten international development NGOs (...) -
30 November 2011, by
The New Face of Religious Freedom
Cain’s killing of Abel in Genesis 4:1-8 represents the first act of religious persecution recorded in Judeo-Christian history. Fast-forward to today and acts of violence are still committed in the (...) -
30 November 2011
Belarus turns its back to Europe: A history of human rights violations
Prominent human rights activist Ales Bialiatski was arrested on August 4, 2011, on charges of extensive tax evasion on his personal income. He stood accused by the Belarusian government’s (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Political Gains at a High Cost for Migrants
On June 16th, the Harper Government, formerly known as the government of Canada, introduced Bill C-4, formerly Bill C-49, the so-called "Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Choose Your France
With the Presidential elections in France quickly approaching, Les Jeunes Avec Marine, the youth faction of the Front National (FN) launched its first national campaign poster, « Choose Your (...) -
30 November 2011, by
The Arab Spring, In Diaspora
For many young Arabs, the goal has long been to get out of their home countries and find better opportunities in the west. Now those lucky ones who found work or higher education abroad are (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Oxfam Exposes How Aid Is Used for Political Purposes
In a new report, Oxfam has found that billions of dollars in international aid which could have transformed the lives of many people in some of the poorest countries in the world, was spent on (...) -
30 November 2011, by
UNESCO vote revisited
On October 31, 107 member nations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit Palestine as a member. With only 14 nations, including the United (...) -
30 November 2011, by
Tunisian election: Triumph of the People?
On October 23rd, the world was watched thousands of Tunisian men and women line up to cast their vote. It was an impressive turnout by 60% of the population for the first time following years of (...) -
31 October 2011
Project Briefings November 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
31 October 2011, by
European Immigration: A Colonial Legacy?
Illegal immigrants represent the world’s newest class of criminals: Locked up in detention centers that are equivalent to prisons awaiting their deportation date. And for what? Having the (...) -
31 October 2011, by
Police Brutality in Canada: No Justice, No Peace!
This is a podcast about the October 22nd, 2011 March and Vigil for the Victims of Police Killings held in Montreal. To listen, click here . -
30 October 2011, by
Montreal’s Occupiers
It’s been a little over two weeks since Montreal’s Square Victoria was transformed into a tent city under the banner of Occupy Montreal, an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street in New York City which (...) -
30 October 2011, by
What is Occupy Wall Street Actually About?
The Tea Party has been protesting against the United States government overstepping its boundaries and Occupy Wall Street seems to be the left-wing response to the a common frustration. For the (...) -
30 October 2011, by
Reconsidering Capital Punishment
“I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the (...) -
30 October 2011
Selective Justice in the Tymoshenko Trial
On October 11, 2011, former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, was found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. The Kiev court ruled against Tymoshenko’s (...) -
30 October 2011, by
Bangladesh to Host This Year’s South Asia Social Forum
This year’s South Asia Social Forum (SASF) will kick-start on November 18 in Dhaka, Bangladesh for 5 days of meetings and workshops revolving around the issue of democracy. The SASF is a part (...) -
30 October 2011, by
Syria Extends its Repression to Citizens Overseas
Following the debatable successes of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the popular demand across the Arab world was: More rights and freedoms! Thousands of Syrians followed suit and have (...) -
30 October 2011, by
From Fossil Fuels to Ecosystem Services: Feeding a growing population
With the current global economic crisis, the associated hike in food prices, and the imminent reality of one billion people facing food insecurity, how can we ensure the provision of a long-term (...) -
30 October 2011, by
Breaking Boundaries: Women and the Noble Peace Prize
From the limitations of the kitchen’s four cloistering walls to the boundless expanse of politics, women have come a long way from their domestic culinary constrictions. From the limitations of (...) -
21 October 2011, by
The Son of Africa Claims a Continent’s Crown Jewels
October 19, 2011 — On 14 October, President Barack Obama announced he was sending United States special forces troops to Uganda to join the civil war there. In the next few months, US combat (...) -
2 October 2011, by ,
Alternatives International Project Briefing – October 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Symbolic Or Not, Palestine Deserves It
Palestinians have found themselves propelled onto the world stage in the past month as Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas seeks United Nations recognition of an independent state. (...) -
2 October 2011, by
A Voice From Within Palestine
“We are not ready for another intifada, we are ready for a Palestinian Spring,” - Rifaat Sabbah -
2 October 2011, by
Till Death Do Us Part: Re-thinking a US- Israeli Relationship
On September 23rd, the United Nations General Assembly was set to vote on the resolution that would recognize the Palestinian occupied territories as a state, and give it full observer status in (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Why the Middle East Will Never be the Same Again?
The Palestinians won’t get a state this week. But they will prove – if they get enough votes in the General Assembly and if Mahmoud Abbas does not succumb to his characteristic grovelling in the (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Turkey’s Back in Town!
On May 31st 2010, nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos in what would become famously known as The Flotilla Incident. The details of what happened that night on the aid ship (...) -
2 October 2011, by
September 11: Lessons for Humanity
When we think about September 11, what first comes to mind is images of the two planes crashing into the twin towers and the collapse of the World Trade Center. But there were other images too. (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Free Trade and Military Aid: Is Colombia the Israel of the Andes?
Canada beat the U.S. to it—the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) entered into force on August 15, 2011 despite widespread concerns over the morality and transparency of the agreement. (...) -
2 October 2011, by
How trustworthy is Anna Hazare?
Anna Hazare, Arundhati Roy, and other Indian activists hold a common factor in their diverse diagnoses of India’s main problem - corruption. The source of this corruption and how to treat it is (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Somalia: Failing Responses to a Failed State
Somalis have once again found themselves fleeing starvation, drought, and conflict. Thousands of Somalis with washed-out ribs and blown-up empty bellies roam their country in search of aid. (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Are GMOs the road to food security in Kenya?
In the face of a drought that has recurred over the past 25 years, and has led to continuing food insecurity as well as multitudes of lost lives, African countries including Kenya have been (...) -
2 October 2011, by
EITI: A Democratic Tool for Populations to Benefit from the Extractive Industry?
Mining dependent economies and countries endowed with natural resources have led to highly variable economic performances. A total of 50 countries are defined as being largely dependant on (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Activists rally to put the kibosh on the Keystone pipeline
The phone call to organizers was a bittersweet confirmation that the story was being carried around the continent. It came from activist Tim DeChristopher — new folk hero and symbol of the (...) -
2 October 2011, by
Media Governance; A New Direction for Development
Media governance is an aspect of development studies that is largely ignored in a technological world where it should be a key issue. The history of electronic communication worldwide can (...) -
7 September 2011, by
The Chilean Student Movement Against Neoliberalism
Perhaps the greatest challenge for the radical left today is to articulate a politics that decisively breaks with the disastrous experiences of many 20th century socialisms. This is a difficult (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Alternatives’ Days Report and Alternatives’ 2011 Declaration
Last month, Alternatives held its seventeenth annual Alternatives’ Days held in Camp Papillon de St-Alphonse de Rodriguez in the Laurentiens. The weekend was attended by over 300 people, in (...) -
1 September 2011, by ,
Alternatives International Project Briefing – September 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Taking away the abstraction from beheadings in Saudi Arabia
The condemned, regardless of gender, is given a tranquilizer and taken into what is usually a public square after a daily midday prayer. The prisoner cannot see anything, only imagine the (...) -
1 September 2011, by
The Uncertainty of China’s Political and Economic Future
At first glance, the Chinese developmental model appears to be moving forward, with China recently surpassing Japan for the title of the world’s second largest economy. Chinese business certainly (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Displacement and inequality in the name of ‘development’ – the case of Brazil
“Between now and the 2014 World Cup, 1.5 million families will be removed from their homes across the whole of Brazil” (Zirin, 2011)1. The 2014 World Cup represents a joyous occasion celebrated (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Canada Clamps Down on Criticism of Israel
Nearly two years after the first hearings were held in Ottawa, the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism (CPCCA) released a detailed report on July 7 that found that (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Past, Present and Future: An Overview of South Sudan
The Republic of South Sudan has endured a difficult coming of age. Its future remains uncertain as this young nation in Africa takes its first steps towards adulthood. Optimism towards its new (...) -
1 September 2011, by
What next: A Sunni bomb?
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands at the threshold to the bomb. In 2010 it had more than enough low-enriched uranium (some 2,152 kilograms) to make its first bomb’s worth of weapons-grade (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Climate Justice and Canada
The Climate Justice Movement gives me more hope than anything I’ve seen since the end of Apartheid and struggle for free access to AIDS medicines. Even when things looked bad for these struggles (...) -
1 September 2011, by
REDD: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Forest governance, land ownership and management are critical issues for millions of indigenous peoples and forest dweller all around the world whose subsistence and cultural identity is rooted (...) -
1 September 2011, by
Refugees as human rights defenders: Can they protect or do they need protecting?
A panel discussion at the recently held International Association for the Study of Forced Migration conference tackled the often precarious position of refugee human rights defenders. Katie (...) -
31 August 2011, by
The Hosni Mubarak Trial
After the uprising earlier this year in Egypt, former President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down. He now faces justice in the Egyptian court with charges of corruption and ordering the (...) -
29 August 2011, by
I’d rather not be Anna
If what we’re watching on TV is indeed a revolution, then it has to be one of the more embarrassing and unintelligible ones of recent times. For now, whatever questions you may have about the Jan (...) -
29 August 2011, by
The Political War
The economic warfare waged by the advanced nations is also the other face of of the globalized militarism that reserves to itself the right to unilateral military invasion and intervention. (...) -
26 August 2011, by
Million Arab Lives, Small Price For Freedom
Just in case you did not know, Muammar Qaddafi and Bashar Assad are victims of a media war, relentless, no holds barred. I am making this observation with a degree of authority because I (...) -
26 August 2011, by
The Upcoming Palestinian Uprising
If conditions do not change quickly by the time of the U.S.-promised veto of Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly on September 20, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict could explode into (...) -
2 August 2011, by
New Countries on the Block
The year 2011 saw the creation of the world’s newest nation, South Sudan. The country has been officially recognized by the UN as its 193rd member following its independence from the Sudan in (...) -
2 August 2011, by ,
Alternatives International Project Briefing – August 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Last Call for Alternatives’ Days Registration
Since 1994, Alternatives Montreal has focused Canadian interest in social and political activism through an annual event called Alternatives’ Days. Both an opportunity for Canadian camaraderie (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Quebecor’s Crusade against Public Financing
“Do as I say, not as I do”: it is basically the message that the different entities of Quebecor Media have been sending us recently about the use of provincial and federal funding. The recent (...) -
2 August 2011, by
67 Minutes: A successful example of social cohesion
"It is ordinary people...that make the world a special place," - Nelson Mandela, 2008 July 18th not only marks the birthday of the great Nelson Mandela, but also marks a recently (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Interventions in Africa: Help or Hindrance?
Sub-Saharan Africa withstands an almost constant onset of civil wars, ethnic conflicts, and failed states. When these tragedies occur, there is an attitude within the international community that (...) -
2 August 2011, by
The Arab Spring: to live with the dignities of human rights or die trying
“They are saying death or dignity. Yes, it has come down to this…Do not make a mistake; this is not a religious revolution. This is not an ideological revolution. This is a human rights (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Madagascar’s Land Distribution – what is left for the Malagasy?
In Madagascar, a diverse set of needs as well as the factions representing them battle to find a way to fulfill their interests, often leading to turmoil. Madagascar’s policies of land (...) -
2 August 2011, by
High and Dry
In the past few months, a vicious drought has plagued East Africa. Regarded as the worst drought in sixty years, the region is witnessing a natural disaster that has destroyed livelihoods, (...) -
2 August 2011, by
March of the Penguins
Ranked number forty-five on the United Nations Human Development Index, Chile finds itself ahead of all of its Latin American counterparts, and understandably so. The two decades since the end (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Sisterhood of the Sluts
On January 24th, 2011, Constable Michael Sanguinetti, spoke at a crime prevention conference at a Toronto law school. He dared to say, “…women should avoid dressing like sluts to avoid being (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Food Crisis in the Horn of Africa : Beyond food aid and cash transfers
Recent headlines are dominated by what has been described as ’the worse drought the Horn of Africa has suffered in sixty years’. This comes as no surprise. Amid the droughts that gravely impacted (...) -
2 August 2011, by
Climate Meetings are Conferences of Polluters
Judging by what transpired at the global climate negotiations in the former West German capital, Bonn, it appears certain that in just over five months’ time, the South African port city of Durban (...) -
1 July 2011, by
Keeping Hope Afloat: Freedom Flotilla II
Last month, an international fleet of ships embarked for Gaza as the sequel to the 2010 Freedom Flotilla which triggered the relaxation of Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip. This territory is on (...) -
1 July 2011, by ,
Alternatives International Project Briefing - July 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...) -
1 July 2011, by
Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights
On the surface, reproductive rights do not seem particularly pressing. More often than not, they are swept under the rug, and rarely are they equated with human rights. I argue however that the (...) -
1 July 2011, by
Gendercide in India: the patriarchy of birth
Gendercide, as coined by Mary Ann Warren in her1985 book, is viewed as a product of poverty or ignorance. This article will help demonstrate that the issue of gendercide is not class or education (...) -
1 July 2011, by
Moroccan Monarchy in the Arab Spring
Like many Arab revolutionaries before him, including Mohammad Bouazizi of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, Oussama Khlefi is young, highly educated, and unable to find work. He has a dual degree in (...) -
1 July 2011, by
Hope for an HIV/AIDS Vaccine
Around the world, HIV/AIDS is a pandemic that is identified as having a devastating effect on all aspects of life, from entire populations to individuals. June 2011 marks the thirtieth (...) -
1 July 2011, by
The Brazilian Surge for Hydroelectricity at Belo Monte: A Beautiful Mountain of Trouble
Thirty years ago, a Brazilian indigenous group, the Kayapo, burst onto the world stage in full colour, with feather headdresses, painted faces, disked upper lips and the singer Sting by their (...) -
30 June 2011, by
Decentralizing the Effects of the Earthquake in Japan
While natural disasters are intrinsically unavoidable, the aftermath of such catastrophes is, to an extent, predetermined by a country’s stage of development. As far as the unofficial hierarchy (...) -
30 June 2011, by
Like Fish Out of Water: India’s Landless Farmers
The Kondh area of central-southwest Orissa and neighbouring states is one of the most abundant areas in high quality bauxite. This has fueled a new wave of mining and metal factory based (...) -
30 June 2011, by
A Lesson to Be Learned from India’s Failing Microfinance
Microcredit, microfinance, and microlending are synonymously used to describe the trend policy makers attribute to significant reductions in poverty. Essentially, microfinance programs use (...) -
30 June 2011, by
India’s Stake in Africa’s Future
A spectre is haunting Europe and America, home to the colonialists and cold warriors of yesterday, the spectre of an Africa—which they ruled and exploited for a century-and-a-half—now coming under (...) -
30 June 2011, by
Gaza: A View From the Ground A South African Perspective
Here in Palestine, disgust expressed by civil society reformers about Barack Obama’s May 19 policy speech on the Middle East and North Africa confirms that political reconciliation between (...) -
30 June 2011, by
Activists in Israel Reject German Party’s Position
The German left-wing party Die Linke issued a shocking statement on 7 June 2011, stating that “We will not participate in initiatives on the Middle East conflict which call for a one-state (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Panama’s Open-Pit Crisis: The Indigenous Struggle Against Mining
Dawn cracks with the swift motion of clouds cresting over the peaks of Panama’s rolling cordillera. It is six am; the roosters are already crowing and the children, already crying in the (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Gender Mainstreaming in the South African Public Service
In 1995, the mainstreaming of gender was identified as a key process for instituting change to the new South African democracy. South Africa ratified the Beijing Platform for Action, an agenda (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Environmental Health in China: Poised in Ambiguity
A rapidly industrializing nation, the Peoples Republic of China is simultaneously lagging and leading in the field of environmental health, which specifically addresses the physical, chemical, (...) -
1 June 2011, by
The Controversy of Land Acquisition in the Developing World
Global food prices soared dramatically between 2006 and 2008 and again in 2010, which signals a new era of uncertainty and rivalry in the field of global arable land. Lack of arable land and (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Drugs & Justice
In the last couple of weeks the outcry aimed at the war on drugs in Mexico has been massive, with tens of thousands descending upon the streets of Mexico City in protest. The desire amongst the (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Anti-homosexuality and Africa
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill came to life in 2009. Since then, campaigns for the passage of the bill and against homosexuality have occurred throughout Uganda as have protests against the (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Death of Democracy in India, Birth of Censorship
“What are we, Saudi Arabia?” asks Pushkar Raj, the general secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties in India. He adds, “We don’t expect this from India. This is something very serious.” (...) -
1 June 2011, by
The Fate of Montreal’s Community Gardens
The survival of the community garden known as Faubourg Saint-Laurent is at risk and the city of Montreal has a choice to make: preserve the garden or turn the land over to high-rise residential (...) -
1 June 2011, by
How to Evaluate Progress in Bolivia
Six years after Bolivians elected their first Indigenous-led government, their ongoing struggle for national and social liberation remains a subject of debate and disagreement among socialists (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Agricultural Livelihoods in Rwanda
Land is the resource upon which many Rwandans rely for their livelihood. The stakeholders in modern day agriculture are numerous. Farmers, co-operatives, NGOs, corporations and governments all (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Palestinian Reconciliation: Conditions Required for Success
The signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement is just the beginning of the internal reconciliation process on the national, political, strategic and tactical levels. Nassar Ibrahim (...) -
1 June 2011, by
Structural Adjustment at the IMF. Literally.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 member countries. The purpose of the fund is to promote the macroeconomic stability of the world economy by lending resources to (...) -
1 June 2011, by ,
Alternatives International Project Briefing – June 2011
Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their (...)
