The “Week of advocacy on policies and issues of cooperation and partnership between the European Union and Arab countries”, arranged by the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) in cooperation with Eurostep and CNCD-11.11.11, will engage civil society organizations from both regions. The meetings between 17 to 21 Sept in Brussels are to see exchanges also between Arab representatives and European policy makers on issues of common concern.

Nabeel Rajab. (Photo: Avaaz)

A petition was launched at the Avaaz web site to call on the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations to demand the dropping of all the politically motivated charges against activist Nabeel Rajab and his immediate release from prison in Bahrain.

Soy beans cultivation. (Photo: Leonora Enking/Flickr/CC)

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) decision to give a green light to cultivation of Monsanto’s herbicide-tolerant soybean have been challenged by the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER), the research firm Testbiotech, the Society for Ecological Research, Sambucus, the foundation Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection and the Foundation on Future Farming. These groups argue that EFSA didn’t carry out risk assessments as legally required.

Tetteh Hormeku of TWN-A. (Photo: Transnational Institute/Flickr/CC)

The Economic Justice Network (EJN), a Ghanaian coalition of civil society organizations working for socio-economic justice and equitable national development, was re-launched to deal with new policy threats affecting livelihoods, reported Ghana News Agency and AllAfrica news portal.

James Maina Mugo, a local member of Social Watch, sent this letter to the Kenyan authorities

Kenyan police did not pay due attention to the disappearance on March 31 of Agnes Wanjiru-Wanjiku, a 21-years old woman from a hotel in the town of Nanyuki. Her body was found on June 5 by a cleaner in a septic tank behind the hotel. Despite the pressure by relatives and civil society organizations headed by Social Watch, the authorities are responding very slowly to the growing clamor from the grassroots that accuse British soldiers and fiercely criticize military cooperation agreements between Nairobi and London.