Transnational news - 21 December 2007

Festive greetings to all our readers!

Editor's pick: Articles of the week

	Democracy diary Although Hugo Chavez lost the referendum on constitutional reform, the internal democracy of the Chavista movement itself, with its commitment to pluralism, critical debate and popular autonomy, has been strengthened. Hilary Wainwright reports from Caracas. See also: After the Constitutional Referendum - A hidden victory for President Chavez by Juan Carlos Mondero

Video clip: Is the CIA trying to undermine the White House?
Phyllis Bennis interviewed by Paul Jay
The US intelligence report saying that Iran had halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003 does not rule out a US military attack on Iran, but it may serve to deny the Bush administration enough US public or international diplomatic support to go ahead with it. An in-depth two part interview on US policy towards Iran.
>Part 1 - >Part 2
See also: The NIE Watergates Bush by Saul Landau

	Crop spraying: a déjà vu debate From the Andean strategy to the Afghan strategy TNI Drug Policy Briefing 25 The United States is putting strong pressure on the Afghan government to officially adopt a strategy that has patently failed and caused serious environmental and health problems in the Andes.

Bali Climate Conference

What's missing from the climate talks? Justice!
Many social movements and groups that came together in Bali have agreed to establish a coalition called Climate Justice Now! with the aim of intensifying actions to call for genuine, non-corporate-led solutions to climate change that protect livelihoods and the environment.
See also: Protecting the world's forests needs more than just money

The day after...
Walden Bello
The single-minded focus on getting Washington on board at the UN climate conference in Bali resulted in the lack of firm targets for reducing emissions.
See also: Players and plays in the Bali climate drama

Hoodwinked in Bali on carbon credits
Daphne Wysham
The dangling of wads of cash represented by carbon trading has bought off both countries and NGOs, but it is a false solution, a neo-liberal agenda writ large: it strips governments of their sovereignty and gives their regulatory authority to outside actors.

When pollution means profits
Kevin Smith, a researcher for Carbon Trade Watch, talks about how international climate talks have become more about how to make money from climate change and less about reductions.

www.altereconews.org
Download newsletters and follow analysis by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, indigenous people's organisations and social movements who joined together in Bali to support real solutions to climate change and oppose the false market-based solutions that are being implemented under the Kyoto Protocol.

Live video footage of civil society events, interviews with key activists and overview of the key issues at the Bali UN Climate Conference, and video clip: Act Against Climate Change.

Global outlook stories

Carbon culprits: South is fast catching up
Praful Bidwai
With Indian emissions rising three to four times faster than the world average, it is time to end the government policy of hiding behind the poor to defend elites who enjoy Northern levels of consumption.

How not to handle nuclear security
Zia Mian
If the United States can't secure its own nuclear weapons, nuclear materials and weapons related information, why expect Pakistan with US support to do it any better?

Lawmakers call a halt to Indo-US nuclear deal
Praful Bidwai
After a debate in the Indian parliament, it becomes clear that the ruling United Progressive Alliance remains isolated in its support for the controversial US-India nuclear deal.
See also: Nuclear deal - Vienna has reservations

A draw for Ford but a victory for all
Boris Kagarlitsky
The strike at the Ford factory in Vsevolozhsk raised important questions that will reverberate in the whole society.

Modi's modus operandi failing in Gujarat
Praful Bidwai
After the initial forecasts that Bharatiya Janata Party was set to win the elections in the Indian state of Gujarat, the tide seems to be turning against it.

The great decline
Praful Bidwai
India has a record of creating worthy institutions, only to undermine them. Will the India International Centre remain an exception to this, as it has done so far?

Second letter from Europe
Saul Landau

Version Español

Selección del editor

	Diario de la democracia Aunque Hugo Chávez perdió el referéndum sobre la reforma constitucional, la democracia interna del movimiento chavista en sí mismo -con su compromiso con el pluralismo, el debate crítico y la autonomía popular- se ha reforzado. Hilary Wainwright informa desde Caracas.

	Audio: Sin acuerdo, los fondos no tienen utilidad Entrevista con Mariano Aguirre Los fondos destinados a Palestina en la conferencia de donantes de París no serán útiles ni suficientes si Israel no levanta los obstáculos para la movilidad de las personas y bienes que hacen viable la economía de un país o una región.

	La batalla final en Bolivia Roger Burbach Evo Morales, el primer presidente indígena, está produciendo un enfrentamiento con la oligarquía y el ala de partidos políticos de derecha que han bloqueado los esfuerzos para elaborar una nueva constitución que transformará la nación.

Conferencia sobre el clima en Bali

Bali: El día después
Walden Bello
El objetivo único de conseguir la participación de Washington se tradujo en los escasos acuerdos en la reunión respecto a obligaciones firmes.

¿Qué falta en las negociaciones sobre el clima? ¡Justicia!
Muchos movimientos sociales y grupos reunidos en Bali han acordado crear una plataforma llamada Climate Justice Now! para situar en el centro del debate los temas de justicia, sustentos y soluciones populares -no dirigidas por las corporaciones responsables de la crisis- para evitar y afrontar el cambio climático.

Altereconews.org
Descargar los boletines y seguir los análisis de una coalición de organizaciones no gubernamentales, organizaciones indígenas y movimientos sociales que se reunieron en Bali para apoyar soluciones reales al cambio climático y oponerse a falsas soluciones mercantilistas que ya se están implementando con el Protocolo de Kyoto.

Perspectiva global

Los doce mitos de Annapolis
Phyllis Bennis
La reunión de Annapolis, la última escenificación de los "procesos de paz" controlados por los Estados Unidos, no ha augurado en ningún momento una paz justa, duradera ni completa.

El NIE le hace el Watergate a Bush
Saul Landau
El informe de inteligencia (NIE) sirvió para desacreditar a Bush, lo cual reduce la probabilidad de una guerra inminente con Irán, pero no se engañen - no cambia en nada la política fundamental norteamericana.

Venezuela: lecciones para los bolivarianos
Tariq Ali
La derrota por los pelos de Hugo Chávez en el referéndum fue el resultado de una gran abstención de sus partidarios, porque o no entendieron o no aceptaron la necesidad del referéndum.

Venezuela, Bolívia, Equador: quem tem medo da democracia?
Marcos Arruda
O "demos" de hoje são os explorados e os excluídos, homens, mulheres e jovens que vivem do seu trabalho e não de rendas do capital. Quem tem medo de incluí-los no conceito moderno de Democracia, o Poder Popular?

Más guerra menos desarrollo
Amira Armenta
Comentario a propósito del Plan Colombia II, de la “Estrategia de cooperación internacional” propuesta por el gobierno colombiano, y de la cooperación europea.

Sobredosis de conexión
Joan Subirats
La omnipresencia de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación empieza a ser preocupante. Conectamos, pero no vinculamos. Estamos informados, pero no nos sentimos ligados. Ése es nuestro problema.

Segunda carta desde Europa
Saul Landau
El turismo ha crecido hasta convertirse en una moda para ir de compras en el extranjero. Hace menos de 200 años, la gente pensaba en los viajes como una manera de ampliar la educación. ¿Consideraría alguien que Byron era un turista en Grecia, o que Alexis de Tocqueville fue de compras a EEUU en el siglo XIX?

New from our network

Bali Conference forest outcomes trample indigenous peoples' & local communities' rights
World Rainforest Movement >>

Bali: una Hoja de Ruta sin las cifras
Ecologistas en Acción >>

Movements and social organizations from Latin American and the world release open letter on the creation of the South Bank
CADTM >>

Movimientos y organizaciones sociales de América Latina y el mundo se pronuncian sobre la creación del Banco del Sur
CADTM >>

From the archives

Donde los árboles son desierto
Historias de la tierra
Carbon Trade Watch
Noviembre de 2003

Where the trees are a desert
Stories from the ground
Carbon Trade Watch
November 2003

Events

10 January •
Towards sustainable and solidarity economy
Tilburg, The Netherlands

7 - 8 January •
Alternatives to privatisation and commercialisation of water delivery in Europe
Brussels, Belgium

In the media

Activista diz que solidariedade vai ser «mais difícil»
Diario Digital, 8 deciembre

'Strike' a Chavez?
Semana.com 8 November

Activistas reclamam uma sólida aliança
Jornal de Notícias, 9 deciembre

Venezuela después del 2/12
Eric Toussaint, La Gente, 19 deciembre

More of TNI in the news>>

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