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Crisis, speculation, poverty and climate aggravate deforestation
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Photo : Crustmania/Flickr/CC
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New factors in deforestation like the world economic crisis, speculation in markets for basic products and arable land, and worsening poverty and climate change are aggravating the old causes of this phenomenon such as the advance of agricultural frontiers, tree cutting for timber and fuel, and the use of wood as a fuel. This problem is reported and documented in the Social Watch Report 2012.
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Social Watch at the TSF: Inequality is an obstacle in the fight against poverty
“Inequality is the reason why, contradicting all the theories and models, world poverty is not diminishing or is doing so only very slowly even in countries where the economy is growing quickly,” according to Roberto Bissio, the coordinator of Social Watch, speaking at the presentation of the Portuguese edition of the latest annual report by this international network of civil society organizations.
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“Invisible dogs” in Davos: Corporations on the leash
Fifty "invisible" dogs strayed through the streets of Davos last Wednesday, within sight of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The European Coalition for Corporate Justice drew much attention with a rally, calling to put corporations on a short leash – like the invisible dogs. The heads of Greenpeace International and Amnesty International supported the alliances' core demand: corporations should be required by law to comply with human rights and environmental standards.
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Kenya: Grant awarded to SODNET’s Infonet programme
The Indigo Trust, a foundation based in London that funds technology-driven projects to bring about social change in African countries, awarded the Social Development Network (SODNET, focal point of Social Watch in Kenya) a grant of £30,750 that acknowledges its consistent work to improve the lives of ordinary citizens through its Infonet programme.
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Tunisia: Thousands marched against violence and extremism
Thousands of demonstrators chanted “No to violence”, ”No to extremism”, “No Niqab, no to Salafism” and “Universities are free, extremism out,” at a march that took place in Tunis last Saturday, convened by political parties, unions and civil society organizations calling for freedom of expression. Violations and assaults committed by a group of Salafists against residents of Sejnane were confirmed by Abdel Sattar Ben Moussa, President of the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH, one of the national focal points of Social Watch).
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