Active Citizens

The Other Side of the Coin in Spain

By Inés Benítez
Wholemeal rye bread, lettuce and chard are some of the products on offer from the El Caminito urban vegetable garden at the small organic produce market in this southern Spanish city, with prices set in "comunes", one of more than 30 social currencies circulating in the country.

Incomplete Justice in Killings of Amazon Activists

By Fabíola Ortiz
Peasants and human rights defenders in Brazil are indignant over the acquittal of the man accused of ordering the May 2011 murders of two prominent Amazon activists, José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife Maria do Espírito Santo.

Arab Spring Shifts Focus of World Social Forum

By Alberto Pradilla
The World Social Forum’s traditional focus on economic, political and social injustice caused by globalisation shifted towards the revolts and unrest of the Arab Spring, in the current edition of the global gathering in Tunisia.

Torture Victims in El Salvador Speak Out

By Edgardo Ayala
A report containing the testimonies of victims of torture during El Salvador’s 1980-1992 civil war will be published 27 years after it was written, to help Salvadorans today learn more about that chapter in the country’s history.

Native Women Bring Solar Energy to Chile’s Atacama Desert

By Marianela Jarroud
Three indigenous communities from the Chilean highlands have just received solar panels, which will be set up and maintained by unlikely solar engineers: five native women who travelled halfway around the world to India and overcame language and other barriers to bring photovoltaic energy to their villages.

Immigrant Groups Say Spanish Hospitality in Danger

By Inés Benítez
“We used to be seen as really useful, and now we’re a pain in the neck,” said Roberto Suárez, an Ecuadorian who was complaining about proposed fines or prison sentences that could target Spanish citizens who help undocumented immigrants.

Protests in Portugal Get Creative

By Mario Queiroz
Indignation in Portugal over rampant joblessness and cuts in wages, pensions and unemployment benefits, together with a growing tax burden, has given rise to innovative forms of protest capable of drawing large crowds.

Latin America Hosts Artists-in-Residence

By Marcela Valente
Artists-in-residence, once found only in the industrialised North, can now be found throughout Latin America, which is hosting artists from different parts of the world to produce and exhibit their work. There are also opportunities for visiting artists simply to seek inspiration.

Community Water Management Stuck in Legal Limbo*

By Emilio Godoy
Community-based water supply systems, which serve thousands of rural communities in Mexico, are seeking official recognition under the new federal legal framework currently under development.

More Killings in Brazil Than in Some War-Torn Countries

By Fabíola Ortiz
Human rights activists in Brazil mobilised Wednesday to draw attention to the fact that half a million people have been murdered in this South American country in the past 10 years.

A Storm Brews in Doha

By Stephen Leahy
While the Philippines copes with the aftermath of powerful super-typhoon Bopha, which killed more than 300 people this week, tempers flared at the U.N. climate summit here.

Deaf Ear Turned to Local Opposition to Mines in Guatemala

By Danilo Valladares
As the mining industry booms in Guatemala, local communities are increasingly opposed to the operations of the mainly foreign companies because of the potential negative effects on the environment and on their villages.

Q&A: A Missionary Who Preaches Gender Equality

By Ivet González
Midiam Lobaina describes herself as a “Christian militant” who takes a feminist reading of the Bible to workshops and religious services around Cuba, to discuss gender equality and a culture of peace.

A Memorial of White Scarves Protests Calderón’s Legacy

By Daniela Pastrana
Each scarf represents a life cut short. Each stitch, a tear. Each thread, a cry of frustration about death and impunity.

Citizens’ Tribunal Brings Charges Against Mexican President

By Emilio Godoy
Conservative outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderón is to face a ballot again - not to compete for public office but to receive the verdict of a citizens' trial that is accusing him of violating the constitution.

Soup Kitchens Overwhelmed in Crisis-Ridden Spain

By Inés Benítez
A huge pot of rice steams on the stove at the soup kitchen run by Emaús in the municipality of Torremolinos, on the outskirts of this southern Spanish city. This morning, like every other, Pepi, Adriana and Diego are cooking for over a hundred people who can no longer afford to feed themselves.

Greening Havana

By Ivet González
Sandra Ribalta is no longer satisfied with getting more and more people involved in the task of greening the neighbourhood of Las Cañas in the Cuban capital. She is now working to raise awareness of "climate change, as the key reason for reforestation."

Towns in Argentina Unite to Confront Climate Change

By Marcela Valente
Over 30 small and medium-sized municipalities in Argentina are jointly developing policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The idea is to raise awareness and work together to help these communities cope with a global problem, say the promoters of the initiative.

Defying Foreclosures in Spain

By Inés Benítez
Shouting slogans against bank foreclosures, dozens of protesters in this southern Spanish city gathered Wednesday to prevent the eviction of a Moroccan family who couldn’t afford to meet their mortgage payments.

Argentine Locals Want Power Transformers Out of Neighborhoods

By Marcela Valente
Scientific uncertainty about the health impacts of electromagnetic fields is fueling worries among people in the Argentine capital who are demanding that energy power transformers be located far from their neighborhoods.

Jeju Island Base Divides Korean, International Green Groups

By Jon Letman
As construction of a hotly contested naval base on South Korea’s Jeju Island advances, there’s a showdown underway.
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