Europe

Paris – Youth are hit disproportionately hard by the recession. In the first quarter of 2011, the unemployment rate for young people (aged 15 to 24) was 17.4% in the OECD rich, industrialised countries, compared with 7% for adults (aged 25 and over).

The House of Lords appeared to create some hope that the Bill aimed at dropping the British National Health Service on the laps of private providers so that they can make profits with the health of the population could be defeated. But the vote was lost and the Bill continues its process towards final approval and implementation.

Noam Chomsky spoke at the RMC (Rebellious Media Conference) opening session about the #Occupy Wall Street events taking place in the last few weeks and his views on how this movement could become more efficient, more radical, more permanent and more focused on obtainable goals. He left no doubt of his support to this “end of apathy” as the most important thing happening today.

The system of debt continues to devastate the lives of people around the world. People in the South face the daily impacts and consequences of the financial indebtedness of their countries, which far from having been “relieved” is growing in step with the crisis and the pursuit of extraordinary profits by the most concentrated forms of capital.

Starting the 7 p.m. hikes of the Indignant movement arrived like planned at the park Elisabeth in Brussels. Hundreds were waiting for them in the park next to circa ten international media representatives. The highlight was when the hikers arrived close to the park and received a welcome, collective hug from those who were waiting.

The British National Health Service is facing the biggest onslaught since its creation as a model of extremely cost effective universal health cover free at the point of delivery. UK Uncut occupied Westminster Bridge to defend it, as the Bill to privatise it goes to the House of Lords on Tuesday. Meanwhile in Manchester protesters begin the occupation of the Town Centre.

We publish here the press release that has circulated today from the Indignates’Media Center in Brussels.

NOTA DE PRENSA – PRESS RELEASE – NOTE DE PRESSE

3h30 – 8 Oct 2011

AGORA BRUSSELS – LAST NEWS

MEDIA CENTER BRUXELLES

They now total 700 million people. By 2050 they will be about two billion or over 20 per cent of the world’s population. Many of them are still vibrant and essential contributors to the development and stability. Yet, they are largely excluded from the wider global and national development agendas.They are the elderly–our parents and grandparents.

On the eve of the 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty, Reporters Without Borders and the Paris-based NGO Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) would like to point out that being a journalist, editing a website or keeping a blog can still expose a person to the possibility of the death penalty in some countries.

There are people who claim that humanity, since its origins, can only be interpreted in terms of war: we have always killed each other. We kill each other to steal; we kill each other to occupy a particular space, a cave or a piece of fertile land. We also kill each other to be the leader, out of envy, due to jealousy or sadism.