International

There is something quite unique about the Middle East’s “Resistance Axis” which includes Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas and a smattering of smaller groups opposed to western imperialism and zionism. It is the only major grouping or alliance in the region that includes 1) Arab and Iranian, 2) Sunni and Shia, 3) Islamist and Secularist.

The campaign against a war between Israel and Iran has moved from the social networks to the streets. About a thousand Israelis participated in a peaceful march. Tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv have been increasing due to disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme and Israeli society is divided about a possible war with Tehran.

Tomas Hirsch, former presidential candidate for the Chilean Humanist Party was invited by the Truman Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to talk about the present situation in Latin America. He focussed mainly on Chile as it is best known to him but also because it is a good example of the paradigm of installation of the neoliberal model and the fall of that myth.

Hong Kong chooses a new representative today – a Chief Executive as different from the British titled: Governor of Hong Kong – and the city’s elites will pick from two pro-Beijing candidates for the top job after weeks of campaigning infected by poor taste jibs. The ‘other’, a people’s man, democrat Albert Ho, is reckoned as a ‘no choicer’ and is in it for asemblance of choice.

During our visit to Israel to disseminate Silo’s Message and Universalist Humanism, we met with Councilman Meir Margalit of Jerusalem. Meir is known for his struggle for human rights, the defence of Palestinian people, his campaigns to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes, and his confrontation with institutions to prevent abuses of power.

A massive vaccination campaign, launched by the UN, is under way in Yemen, where a new outbreak of measles has killed at least 126 children under the age of five.

After 20 years, Kenyan officials are talking of closing down the world’s largest refugee camp, but to those who call it home, would repatriation be another form of exile?

While at least fifteen people fasted against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and thousands protested, the work at the plant returned to normal Tuesday, 20 March. This was a day after the Tamil Nadu government gave the go-ahead to restart work on the stalled Indo-Russian project, with officials saying the first unit would be commissioned, ‘as soon as possible.’

The video of the campaign to stop Joseph Kony, the leader of a guerrilla group in Uganda
responsible for the abduction of thousands of children, then forced to become soldiers, in just
3 weeks was viewed online by 100 million people around the world. It received endorsements
by many American politicians and celebrities and generated widespread discussion on blogs and
forums

In recent weeks, there has been a notable shuffle in the positions of key external players in the Syrian crisis. Momentum has quite suddenly shifted from an all-out onslaught against the Assad government to a quiet investigation of exit strategies. The clashes between government forces and opposition militias in Baba Amr were a clear tipping point for these players…