Good News Agency – n° 4
Weekly - Year I - Number 4 – 1
September 2000
Editor: Sergio Tripi
Rome
law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Good
News Agency carries positive and constructive news from
all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations,
non governmental organizations, and institutions engaged in improving the
quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. Good News
Agency is distributed through internet to editorial offices of the daily
newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations
with an e-mail address and is available in its web site: http://www.goodnewsagency.org
Good News Agency is a service
activity of Associazione Culturale dei
Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered non-profit
educational organization chartered in Italy in 1979. The Association operates
in support to the Lucis Trust activities, the U.N. University for Peace, Radio
For Peace International and other organizations engaged in the spreading of a
culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective.
Via
Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscalinet.it
Contents:
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Human Rights
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Environment
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International
Legislation
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Scientific Development
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Solidarity
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Health
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Economy
and Development
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Enterprise and Globalization
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Population
Growth
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Manipulating
Life Forms
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(TOP)
On the occasion of
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition,
celebrated on August 23, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has issued
the following message:
"In deciding to proclaim
the 23rd of August of every year International Day for the Remembrance of the
Slave Trade and its Abolition, UNESCO wished to inscribe in the memory of all
peoples a tragedy that has been forgotten and little known and pay tribute to
the slaves' relentless struggle for freedom. The uprising that took place in
the island of Santo Domingo (present day Haiti and Dominican Republic) on the
night of the 22nd to the 23rd of August 1791 shook the foundations of slavery
to the core and marked the start of the process that led to the abolition of
the transatlantic slave trade.
"This celebration, which concerns at once historical truth, development, solidarity and human rights, must mobilise all nations and civil society as a whole".
http://www.unesco.org/opi/eng/unescopress/index.htm
http://www.unifem.undp.org/index.htm
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/
The
march is intended to draw the public opinion’s attention so that the resolution
of international disputes be assumed by a reformed UN system and be carried out
through missions of international police. It aims at gathering support for the
creation of a European Civil Corps of Peace and it opposes the creation of a
new common European army.
Movimento
Nonviolento: azionenonviolenta@sis.it
The report finds that in
post-war Nicaragua many people are struggling with socio-economic hardships,
with 48 per cent of Nicaraguans living below the poverty line and 18 per cent
living in extreme poverty. The country also faces the immediate challenge of
determining how to guarantee the enjoyment of human rights and improved living
conditions and opportunities for youth. Sixty per cent of Nicaragua's
population is under 25 years old. The report was published by UNDP and the
Technical Secretariat of the Presidency (SETEC), with support from the
governments of Spain, the Netherlands and Nicaragua.
http://www.undp.org/dpa/pressrelease/index.html
(TOP)
“All different, all equal”: conference
against racism, Strasbourg, 11 to 13 October
Rules of conduct for corporations
Some 50 multinational corporations and 12 labor and watchdog groups signed a U.N.-sponsored "Global Compact" intended to promote labor, human rights, and environmental standards. The companies -- which include Royal Dutch/Shell, Nike, and DaimlerChrysler -- agreed to incorporate nine loosely worded principles into their missions and each year note progress toward meeting the principles on a U.N. website. The non-corporate partners in the compact, including the World Wildlife Fund and Amnesty International, will be able to respond to the companies claims on the same website. But Greenpeace and other environment and human rights groups criticized the compact because it does not include any monitoring or enforcement, and it could help corporations appear more socially responsible than they really are.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/global/072700un-globalization.html
Debate on PVC becomes tougher
The European Union opened debate on more
restrictions for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, a commonly used but controversial
material. The EU has already banned some baby toys made with PVC because
the chemicals used to soften the plastic may pose health
problems for children. Now the EU is considering cracking down on PVC
products such as pipes, window frames, packaging, and household
appliances. Studies have found that PVC is difficult to recycle and can
release harmful chemicals when buried or incinerated. Greenpeace
is calling for a total ban on the substance. The European Commission, the
EU's executive body, is expected to make recommendations on the issue early
next year.
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=7618
Uganda: NGO attacks
Members of Parliament on car loans
The Uganda Debt
Network, an NGO advocating for reduced debt levels, has opposed demands by
Members of Uganda Parliament that the Government waives the interest rate of 12%
per annum on the motor vehicle loans they took. The NGO also opposed extension
of the repayment period beyond the life of this parliament. Over 160 MPs signed
a petition demanding that the debate on the national budget be put on hold so
that the House debates the loan scheme. The organisation reminded MPs that
Uganda rely on international donors for 53% of its budget and the demand for
more privileges would simply increase the country's debt burden, undermining at
the same time the public confidence in the national institutions.
udn@infocom.co.ug Website: www.udn.org.ug
(TOP)
This year's conference
provided a forum for representatives of NGOs, the United Nations system and
Governments to explore concrete ways in which civil society can work with the
Organization and Member States to implement the actions plans that were agreed
upon during the major world conferences of the 1990s.
The burgeoning power of NGOs
has led to potent civil society campaigns, such as those banning landmines,
establishing an International Criminal Court, cancelling crippling foreign
debts and addressing the negative aspects of the current global financial
architecture.
The conference looked at
existing campaigns and explored new areas where progress can be made. Some of
the questions raised are: what makes
for successful campaigns; how can they be replicated from country to country;
how are priorities set; and what kind of working relationships between NGOs,
the United Nations and Governments will ensure sustained success?
The number of NGOs associated with the Department of Public Information
is now 1,641. All organizations conform to the principles of the Charter,
operate solely on a non-profit basis and demonstrate a long-standing
involvement with United Nations issues. In addition, they have well developed
information programmes to reach large or specialized audiences, and have
demonstrated the commitment and means to disseminate information about the
Organization. That capacity is a unique criterion for association with the
Department.
How can a voice be given to voiceless
people? An action is urgently needed to create alternative opportunities of
life and of humanity. With a great desire to celebrate, to listen in order to
give back, the institutes and the laymen of the Comboniani order, together with
many associations and groups from all over Italy, will be marching to celebrate
the jubilee of the oppressed people. From 2 to 10 September a convoy of witnesses
from the World South will cross eight Italian cities to speak about land
restitution, debt waiving, sharing of resources, and slavery today. The march
will eventually reach Verona for a conference on September 9 and 10 on these four themes of the jubilee.
http://www.ilcircolino.it/vamos/eventi/senzaesclusi-cs.htm
(TOP)
11th week of education to
globalization – Courmayeur, Italy, 23 to 30 August
The role of Jerusalem in the peace process in the Middle East; the Jubilee 2000 campaign on debt cancellation; the role of WTO in the international trade: these are some of the subjects examined this year at the international meeting of education to globalization that VIS – International Voluntary Service for Development – has held in Courmayeur, Aosta Valley. Also this year the themes discussed have raised fruitful reflections.
http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/index.html
(TOP)
Beyond 1 billion: India is designing a
strategy to curb down population growth
Two months after India became the second nation in the world with a population greater than 1 billion, government leaders are now designing a new strategy for slowing the nation's population growth. Since the birth of India's symbolic billionth baby on May 11, another 3.5 million children have been born in the nation. India is now home to 16 percent of the world's people, and if it continues to grow at its current rate, its population could surpass China's by the middle of this century. After the Indian government launched a mass sterilization program in the mid-1970s, many citizens became highly suspicious and fearful of contraception and sterilization, and the government is still trying to recover and convince people of the benefits of family planning programs.
http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/body/0,1079,500230583-5
(TOP)
http://www.fao.org/forestry/fo/country/nav_world.jsp
INFOTERRA 2000 - Global Conference on Access to Environmental
Information
Organic farming expands in Europe
Organic farming is undergoing a boom in Italy and other southern European countries. Thanks to rising demand and generous European Union subsidies for the conversion of farmland to organic growing, the land area in Italy devoted to organic farming has doubled in the past three years, and organic farming is quickly gaining ground in Spain as well. Egypt and Tunisia are also aiming to meet European demand, with a number of products awaiting organic certification.
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=7524
(TOP)
Reactions in USA to genetically
modified crops
A coalition of U.S. consumer and environment groups started a big campaign to pressure major food companies to abandon the use of genetically modified (GM) crops. Its first targets will be the Campbell Soup Co. and Kellogg's. The activists hope to encourage tens of thousands of consumers to call directly on companies to end the use of GM foods in their products, or at the very least label products that contain GM ingredients. They argue that some companies have begun to eliminate GM ingredients in foods they sell in Europe but refuse to do so in the U.S. The campaign is also aimed at raising public concern before the September release of new Clinton administration rules on genetic engineering, which activists say are likely to be far too weak. The coalition could spend $1 million or more, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the $50 million that a group of biotech companies have committed to spend over the coming years to tout biotechnology.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/072000sci-gm-food.html
Church Ethics Group in UK refuses
genetically modified food
Ethical advisors to the Church of England have recommended a ban on genetically modified crops amid concerns about the ‘corruption of nature’. The Church ethics group said, “Until further research has been conducted into the ecological risks, new agricultural leases should contain a clause excluding the planting of GM crops on Church land.” This comes as a blow to the biotechnology industry and Government plans for trials they believe will prove the benefits of the controversial produce.
The Church of England is the country’s biggest owner of farmland, with 128,000 acres under cultivation. It joins the country’s second-biggest farmer, the Cooperative Wholesale Society which has already pulled out of the Government-backed trials.
Positive News, Summer 2000, www.positivenews.org.uk
Fuel cells: Daimler-Chrysler and Ford
ready by 2004
After humble beginnings in a derelict former motel in Arizona, Ballard Power Systems has become the world's leader in fuel-cell technology, which many believe will be core to a clean-energy future. Ballard has teamed up with DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Co. and pledged to have fuel-cell cars on the road by 2004. But people may encounter fuel cells even sooner in other products, including stationery off-the-grid systems that can provide uninterrupted power to hospitals and computer centers, small generators that can power lawnmowers and camping lights, and cell phones, camcorders, and computers that are powered by micro fuel cells instead of batteries.
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/books/books063000.stm
Solar power for the Olympics in
Australia
The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, which will begin on Sept. 15, are expected to be the greenest ever. Most of the events will take place in Homebush Bay, once the polluted site of a slaughterhouse but now transformed by a big environmental cleanup. The Olympic Village, where 15,000 athletes and officials will live during the games, is being called the world's largest solar-powered suburb. Food waste generated during the games will be composted by worms, and extensive recycling plans are in place.
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/07/18/f-p12s1.shtml
Bangladesh Goes Solar
Grameen’s rural power programme Grameen Shakti, an affiliate of the Grameen Bank, is planning to install 5,000 solar home systems in Bangladesh over the next three years.
USAID has contributed $4 million to help the not-for-profit company electrify rural villages. The Grameen Bank pioneered microcredit in Bangladesh, an idea which has spread worldwide.
Positive News, Summer 2000, www.positivenews.org.uk
(TOP)
In the continuing search for an
effective therapy for cocaine addiction, acupuncture, an ancient Chinese
therapy, combined with modern Western treatments, may hold promise.
In the August 14/28 issue of
the Archives of Internal Medicine,
researchers report that cocaine dependent patients who received a course of
auricular acupuncture (acupuncture needles inserted into four specific points
in the outer ear) were more likely to be free of cocaine during treatment than
those not receiving acupuncture.
"This study shows that there may be merit in using acupuncture in combination with other therapies as a treatment for cocaine addiction," said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health, the principal biomedical and behavioural research agency of the US government.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDAHome.html
http://www.wfp.org/prelease/home00.html
(TOP)
Hundreds of young
entrepreneurs between the ages of 21 and 35 who own and operate small and
medium-sized enterprises in 100 countries travelled to New York City at the end
of August for the 7th World Summit of Young Entrepreneurs. Thousands more
participated via private and public access on the internet in their homelands.
The Summit's goal is to expose
young women and men to the new opportunities emerging from development and
globalization. Participants from all regions of the world have the chance to
network with peers and corporate CEO's, initiate international joint venture
projects, and participate in a global virtual trade show. Awards will also be
presented to select young men and women for their outstanding entrepreneurial
achievements and for promoting socially responsible businesses.
http://www.unifem.undp.org/index.htm
(TOP)
Most people will have heard of DNA, which is a molecule found in every
cell of any organism, whether human, animal or plant. The DNA can be regarded
as containing the complete set of instructions on how to build an organism. It
therefore stands to reason that the DNA of different organisms is different,
simply because the set of instructions for creating a frog must clearly be
different from the set for creating an apple. Similarly, many readers will have
some idea that genes and DNA are related. In fact, genes are short stretches of
the DNA molecule, which is very large – so much so that thousands of genes can
be found along it. Each individual gene is one instruction to produce
particular chemicals within a living cell, an instruction which is carried out by
other parts of the cell. Depending upon the chemicals produced, so the nature
of the cell, and consequently the organism, may be altered.
Changing the genes
Hence if you change one or more of the genes of an organism – by either
inserting a new gene or by altering a gene already present – you change the set
of instructions for how it is to be built, and therefore you change the
organism. This, in a nutshell, is what genetic engineering means. However, the
change which is produced in the organism is not always entirely predictable.
This is because the chemicals which an individual gene produces may affect the
ability of other genes to produce the chemicals for which they are responsible.
In other words, as recent research suggests, the sum-total of all of the genes
of a particular organism – called the genome – can be regarded as an
interacting network. It is therefore quite understandable that inserting a gene
from say, one plant into another won’t necessarily produce the change you want
simply and neatly – for you are inserting the gene into a new network of
relationships which may affect how it reacts in unexpected ways. An example of
this occurred when scientists took a gene for red colouring in maize and
inserted it into petunia flowers. Although the petunias did go red, they also
displayed lower fertility and more leaves and shoots. Another factor to bear in
mind is that there is not always a simple one-to-one relationship between a
gene and a trait (such as height, colour, resistance to a specific disease,
etc. etc.) of an organism: one gene may affect several different traits, and
conversely, many separate genes may combine to produce one trait. And finally,
there is the factor of the environment of an organism to take into account:
particularly in the case of complex psychological traits, for example
musicality, genes only pre-dispose to their expression, and unless the organism
is in an environment which tends to draw out that trait, it may remain
unexpressed. Thus if a person with genes for musicality never had the
opportunity to play an instrument, they might never discover their gift.
So it is evident that genetic engineering is not simply a matter of
deciding exactly what trait you wish an organism to express, finding another
organism with that trait, and then “transplanting” the trait. To suggest an
analogy, if we were to move an animal from one ecosystem to another, we would
need some understanding not just of the animal, but of both ecosystems, to be
able to predict with any certainty what its effects in the new ecosystem might
be. Similarly, it may be that to predict the effect of a gene in a new genome,
both the context of that genome and the genome from which it is coming require
consideration.
The possible and the permissible
Because all living organisms have genes, it is theoretically possible
for the gene from any organism to be transplanted into the genome of any other
organism. So genes from a human may be inserted into an animal; genes from an
animal may be inserted into a plant; and plant genes may of course be inserted
into animals or humans. It is perhaps these examples of genes being transferred
between the different kingdoms of nature which give most pause for thought,
particularly when human genes are involved. Because there is no obvious way in
which this could happen naturally, our instinctive reaction is one of unease;
and our intellect struggles to find guidance in a situation which has only now
become possible. The British activist, academic and ecologist George Monbiot
has said, “Not everything that is possible should also be permissible.” But
what can guide us as to what is and is not permissible?
Perhaps the only way to judge such a difficult matter is to seek out the
true motive and purpose of the specific genetic alteration, and then to see
whether it is consonant with the highest principles with which our hearts
intuitively resonate. This means that there is no general rule which we can
apply to every case, as motives and purposes are manifold. Can we assign a
general motive and purpose to genetic engineering as a whole? Certainly, there
is some evidence which may help guide us in this. For example, one factor which
a number of projects have in common is the concern for human health. Sheep have
been engineered to produce a human protein in their milk which may be used to
treat cystic fibrosis; and human genes have been inserted into pigs in order to
try to make their organs more suitable for transplantation into humans. Another
factor which many projects have in common is the “improvement” of plant and
animal varieties, which may help in the alleviation of world hunger.
Because the main purpose of these and other projects is to benefit
humans, they reinforce the assumption that only human beings are of major
value, and that all other forms of life can be subordinated to human ends. This
is an assumption which a growing number of people are questioning, proposing
that every creature within the great web of life is intrinsically valuable. If
we accept this premise, then every relationship which humans enter into with
other creatures becomes morally important, and should be characterised by
goodwill. At the very least this would call for national and international
regulatory processes to govern genetic engineering experiments. These should
involve all interested parties, including the public, and should proceed
cautiously and according to stringent safeguards. Education would form a
necessary part of these processes, as without an understanding of the issues
and access to all of the relevant information people could not be expected to
participate fully. (…)
Regrettably, there are other factors involved which tend to act against
caution and freedom of information. Because there is the potential to make
large profits, those companies which are engaged in research are keen to press
ahead. And because in this area information is so important to obtain a
commercial advantage, commercial confidentiality is also invoked. But surely a
matter with such unpredictable and potentially vast consequences should not be
decided by the values of the market place? A wise and compassionate caution
should be the keynote of work in this field, which can change the face of
Nature itself. Until we know much more about genes and genomes and the environments
into which genetically altered creatures may be released, the long-term
consequences will remain uncertain. Therefore it is simply common sense to
suggest that the human family should collectively take a long, hard look at all
of the ramifications of genetic engineering before we proceed. (…)
Cloning and evolution
Cloning raises the possibility of “mass-producing” organisms with the
same genetic make-up: so if a set of desirable traits has been carefully
engineered into a particular organism, there would no longer be the prospect of
the dilution or loss of those traits through the normal processes of sexual
reproduction. This process of cloning seems to go against one of the main
trends in evolution, the creation of genetic diversity. Indeed, diversity seems
to be the rule not only within the gene pool of individual species, but also
within ecosystems, from the smallest right up to the planet itself – as
suggested by James Lovelock with his concept of Gaia. Given the complexity of
the diverse interlocking relations between organisms thoughout the Earth, can
it be wise to begin trying to reverse the trend towards diversity in the animal
kingdom? If, as many believe, evolution itself is an expression of a deeper
underlying divine purpose, do we have the right to interfere in this way with
something which we do not yet understand?
The same considerations apply to the possibility of cloning humans, with
the added dimension of the importance of cultural diversity. It might be argued
that cloning yourself, or someone you love, should be permitted on the grounds
of reproductive freedom. But it should be remembered that because of
environmental factors, the personality of the clone would differ from the
original person. Also, many who believe that the human psyche is not purely the
result of material factors would suggest that the soul of the clone would not
be identical, leading to further differences of character. Given that the
personality, the factor which is most essential in our relationship to others,
would be different, and yet would be housed in a physical body identical to the
original, the prospects for psychologically healthy relationships between the
clone and the person(s) who sought its creation look unpromising. Surely the
need to ensure the psychological well-being of the infant should caution
against this mode of reproduction.
Unanswered questions
Finally, what changes are likely to occur in the vegetable kingdom?
Already, crops have been created which have genes that provide resistance to
specific herbicides; others produce an insecticide in their leaves; and it has
been proposed that the production of a vaccine could be engineered into
bananas. Many other examples of alterations already in place or in preparation
could be given, as plants are more readily manipulable than animals. There are
a number of major concerns about this rapidly expanding field of genetically
“enhanced” agriculture. Will it lead to increased use of potent agrichemicals,
thus posing a threat to the environment and human health? Will the purchase of
these chemicals and the payment of royalties on engineered seeds prove
prohibitively expensive for farmers? Are the effects on human health of
consuming foods made from engineered crops sufficiently understood? It is
disquieting that these questions remain unanswered while these crops are
becoming more and more widespread, and clear labelling schemes for foods are
not yet in place.
In this area, as in the human and animal kingdom, we should be
endeavouring to seek a more harmonious relationship with all living things.
This requires of us the courage to transcend our urge to mould nature for our
own short-sighted purposes, and instead to have the patience and sensitivity to
attend to nature’s intricate and delicate web of relationships, recognising our
place within this sacred whole. We can be sure that if we adopt this attitude,
we will gradually learn to identify the times and the ways in which it is
lawful for us to intervene, so that all the kingdoms of nature may benefit.
From World Goodwill Newsletter n.4, 1997.
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Good News Agency’s next issue:
September 15.