Regional farmers union wants agriculture in COP17 text

The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions, SACAU, says the COP17 discussions in Durban later this month is an opportunity to put agriculture on the climate change map. Tinus de Jager asked Ishmael Sunga, the confederation CEO, what they are pushing for at the end of November.

The Bronx: Portrait of a borough – A documentary by Christian Papesch

The Bronx is one of the poorest Congressional Districts in the United States. In no other county of the 62 in the state of New York is the unemployment rate as high, and the average income as low, as in New York City's fourth-largest borough. Ismael Betancourt Jr. who received his B.S. from Columbia University, his MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business and his MA in Political Science from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, founded the Bronx Transformation Project last year. Its goal is to facilitate cooperation, trade, integration and development among and between the different cultural communities in and beyond the borders of Bronx. For his documentary, “The Bronx“, IPS correspondent Christian Papesch visited Betancourt, his borough and its people. He met a teacher from Puerto Rico, an imam from West Africa and the Catholic editor of an Islamic newspaper. And he portrays a district that is multicultural, self-confident and far from being as pessimistic as its statistics may suggest.

Zambian farmers blame climate change for drought

Zambian farmers say a lack of rain is putting a strain on their crops and they are starting to point their fingers at climate change. Brian Moonga reports from Lusaka.

Zambian farmers blame climate change for drought

Zambian farmers say a lack of rain is putting a strain on their crops and they are starting to point their fingers at climate change. Brian Moonga reports from Lusaka.

117,000 hours of U.N. history caught on tape

African court needs more visibility

Legal experts say that the African Court on Human and People's rights needs to be more visible on the continent. Zukiswa Zimela reports from the Pan African Parliament in Johannesburg that governments and leaders will also have to give up some power to make the court work.

Youth fair helps entrepreneurs to network

The Global Youth Innovation Network, GYIN, recently brought 60 entrepreneurs to Benin to find ways to combat poverty. Sponsors of the event and the participants say the four-day helped the youth to build networks that will help them get closer to reaching this goal. Sam Olukoya reports from Cotonou. [podcast]http://traffic.libsyn.com/ipsaudio/20111024_samagric_olukoya.mp3[/podcast]

Occupy Times Square by Christian Papesch

Oct. 15 marked a "Global Day of Action" called by the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. Organisers say protests took place in 15,000 cities worldwide. From Tel Aviv to Berlin, from Rome to Hong Kong, thousands of demonstrators demanded social justice and criticized banks and capitalism. In New York City, where OWS has occupied Zucotti Park for a month now, tens of thousands participated in diverse marches that converged for a final rally at Times Square. IPS correspondent Christian Papesch caught the ambience as the occupation took over one of New York City's most famous tourist attractions: Times Square.

Wall Street stays occupied by Christian Papesch

NEW YORK CITY, October 14, 2011 (IPS) – The scheduled evacuation of Zucotti Park, where the Occupy Wall Street Movement (OWS) has been camped for almost one month now, was cancelled Friday, due to massive resistance by the protesters. According to OWS, about 3,000 people gathered this morning in and around the park to prevent the police from closing down the occupation. In a letter sent to the movement this morning, New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg cancelled the evacuation that had been requested by the private company that owns the park because “(a)fter weeks of occupation, the conditions at the Park have deteriorated to unsanitary and unsafe levels.” Occupy Wall Street had published the plans of the City Council and the police on their website and received major expressions of support from around the country, including a petition with more than 300,000 signatures. On Saturday, the protesters, who denounce corporate political influence and social injustice, announced an "international day of solidarity against the greed and corruption of the 1%." Demonstrations are supposed to take place in over 951 cities in 82 countries.

Protesters “Occupy Wall Street”

 

Realise your dreams says youth leader

Tinus de Jager speaks to the head of the NGO CINC, Barbara Macon, about her success in bringing together innovators from western Africa and finding money to develop products. Macon says the key is to keep pushing to reach your goals. [podcast]http://africa.ipsterraviva.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111013_cincbarbara_dejager.mp3[/podcast]

Benin Youth Fair

Young people from around the world are meeting in Benin to share ideas on getting the youth to stay in rural farming areas. Zukiswa Zimela compiled this report before the opening of the workshop. [podcast]http://traffic.libsyn.com/ipsaudio/20111009_ifadOPENINIG_Zimela.mp3_Oggetto_audio_mpeg.mp3[/podcast]

High costs push fake medicines in Zambia

A lack of access to medicines due to prohibitive costs is driving some Zambians to use the cheapest remedies they can find and, as Brian Moonga reports, this has some serious health implications:

Africa needs more information on Lupus

A lack of knowledge about the auto-immune disease Lupus, even amongst health professionals, is putting people in Africa at risk. Victims are not being diagnosed and the lucky few cannot access or afford treatment.

Child workers at a handicraft sector at Padagund, Beeru(Kashmir). Courtesy: Excerpt from ‘ The Lost Childhood’, Arooj product

 

Occupy Wall Street – A Citizen’s Movement Spreads Like Wildfire

As the Occupy Wall Street movement gathers momentum, activists, union members and community groups continue to gather every day in downtown Manhattan, as well as in a growing number of cities across the United States. On Oct. 5, more than 10,000 people marched in New York to express their anger at growing economic inequality, focused on the "one percent" who take home 24 percent of national income and own half of the country's stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, but owe only five percent of the nation's personal debt.

Pharmacy to the Developing World May Shut Shop

India’s generic drugs are a lifeline not only for millions of poor people in India, but also to developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. So much so that India is known as the ‘pharmacy to the developing world’.

SA poor needs information on heart disease

South Africa faces an increasing burden of cardiovascular disease among the poor. Experts say awareness needs to be raised among the poor, to ensure they benefit from better tests for heart disease, dietary information and health care.

Legislative powers will make PAP more representative

Members of the Pan African Parliament say legislative powers will help them to better represent the people of the continent. Zukiswa Zimela is at the fifth ordinary session of PAP in Midrand and she filed this report:

Women must be more active in African government

Women should take a more active role in ensuring peace and security on the African continent. Zukiswa Zimela reports from the fifth ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.

Zambia needs to do more on gender equality

Zambia has signed numerous international treaties to help promote gender equality, among them the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on equal pay for work of equal value. But, as Brian Moonga reports, some gender activists feel much more needs to be done to reach gender parity.