This page lists recent changes made to this site. The "Find Out More" links will take you to the changes. If this jumps to the middle of a page, you can easily scroll up to understand the context of the new information a bit further.
Date of Update
Description
July 24, 2000
The G8 Summit in Okinawa again highlights the issue of debt relief. There are more protests demanding debt relief, as there have been at the last few G8 summits. While there were many positive promises made by leaders of many G8 nations in the past year about debt relief, none of them have been carried out. And it does not look like it will be easy for drastic change this year, either. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Trade Related Issues / Geopolitics
The G8 Summit in Okinawa also highlights another aspect of globalization -- militarism. With the debt-related protests there are also numerous protests about the US military presence in north east Asia and the large bases in Okinawa. While the Cold War has ended, the expected reduction in US troops in the area has not accompanied it. Instead, it now serves as an example of military expansion to ensure a form of globalization that favors the US and some of its allies. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Free Trade / Trade Related Issues / Geopolitics
Iraq continues to be bombed almost daily. Over 280,000 sorties have been flown in the past decade and yet the mainstream media in the West fails to mention this. Sanctions have also killed over a million people (half a million are children) and some have even labeled sanctions as a weapon of mass destruction. Basic necessities, such as chlorine for the water or many vaccines for the increasing number of diseases, are often blocked from being imported into Iraq for fears that these could be used for military purposes. And yet, Sadam Hussain remains in power while the people of Iraq continue to suffer. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Geopolitics
Land rights -- or lack of -- is a major cause of hunger. While other reasons are often touted, such as over-population, ownership and control of land, is a large reason why many people around the world are hungry, despite enough food production. Historically, nations have conquered others to plunder their resources. Land control helps determine and influence what is produced. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Human Population / Genetically Engineered Food / Trade Related Issues
Military use of Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) continues. The United States Navy and NATO have been using and testing Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) to detect enemy submarines. Many dolphins and whales who use their own sonar to navigate the oceans have been severely affected. The sound is so loud (over 235dB) that it can and kill and maim whales, dolphins and sea life. LFAS is known to be harmful to humans as well. While protests have ensured that some testing is stopped, research and deployment continues. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Environmental Issues
An additional link to more information on biodiversity and environmental issues has been added. This one is a link to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a US, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. They cover many subject areas. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Biodiversity / Environmental Issues
July 18, 2000
July 20th marks two years of this web site! While I do not have complete statistics and usage logs, from what I have, in the last nine months or so, there have been over one million hits and, on average, over a thousand visitors per day. The site continues to grow without any underwriting and sponsorship, other than what comes out of my pocket! A lot of this is thanks to people like you! Just simply receiving these updates and also letting friends and colleagues know about this site through word of mouth has helped it to grow. Thanks for your support and please continue to tell your friends about the global issues web site. To email a friend or colleague about this site, you can also use this link.
The UN Security Council has imposed a ban on diamond exports from Sierra Leone. Recognizing that diamonds are fueling the conflict, an 18-month ban embargo has been issued. The decade long conflict has seen horrendous human rights violations. While the rebel armed group, the Revolutionary United Front, have accused the government of corruption and mismanagement of the natural resources such as diamonds, the RUF itself has controlled diamond-rich areas to mine and sell it. They have also used the money to purchase weapons and commit human rights violations. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Conflicts in Africa / Geopolitics
A lot of the global economy, as well as many needs of the poor, are derived from biological resources. Biodiversity is crucial for natural abundance, protection, health and continued diversity of an ecosystem. Scientists believe that while species extinction is also a natural phenomena, the rapid rates of extinction being seen today have a human-induced aspect to it as well, while unsustainable development and globalization continues. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Environment Issues / Trade Related Issues
The EU faces the pressure of US and WTO trade threats over genetically engineered foods. Since the end of 1998, as part of a moratorium, no new genetically modified products have been approved. However, the US threatens to take this to the World Trade Organization, and some fear that the EU is going to rush in some new laws concerning the release of such foods into the market. The EU member states have seen stern resistance to the adoption of genetically modified foods and citizens have been demanding their governments to take more cautionary approaches to assure that such foods are safe for consumption. In fact, public reaction all over the world has been along similar lines. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Genetically Engineered Food / Environment Issues / Trade Related Issues
Various additional sources of information on the AIDS crisis have been added. AIDS is causing the deaths of millions of people primarily in poorer nations. The African continent in particular has been hard hit. Root causes include social and cultural norms, as well as the causes of poverty, which prevent affordable measures from being taken. On top of that, pharmaceutical corporations are coming under heavy criticism for being concerned more about their profits. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): AIDS in Africa / Corporations and Medical Research / Pharmaceutical Corporations and AIDS / Diseases -- Ignored Global Killers
July 10, 2000
Almost three times as many people, most of them in tropical countries of the developing nations, die of preventable, curable diseases as die of AIDS. Yet, most of the coverage of such issues are nonexistent. What is also alarming, is that even though many of these diseases are preventable, the pharmaceutical industry prefers to concentrate on treatments for illnesses that will bring them profits. While there is an enormous "market", the people are too poor to pay for such drugs. At the same time, the governments of affected nations are cutting back on health and other social provisions as part of austerity prescriptions from the IMF and World Bank's own forms of cures to the economic "illness" of not allowing western corporations access to the resources and the potential disease of self development. This is an example of a number of inter-related global issues affecting millions of people. A new section on this issue has been started. It is by no means complete though! Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Corporations and Medical Research / AIDS around the World
The AIDS epidemic around the world and the political and economic issues surrounding it reflects the situation of disease emergencies in general. With AIDS as well, it is only a concern for western countries if they are directly threatened. However, there are many reasons why they should be concerned about other nations as well. There is also corporate interest in the profits that can be made. AIDS, like the other diseases, largely affect the poor. Given all this, there is still the local stigmatization of a disease such as AIDS and the various cultural issues and barriers to overcome to help spread the awareness and provide treatments and, equally important, introduce preventative measures. A new section has also been added on this issue. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Corporations and Medical Research / Diseases -- Ignored Global Killers / AIDS in Africa
What is neoliberalism? Global trading that allows all nations to prosper and develop fairly and equitably is probably what most people would like to see. Neoliberalism is touted as the mechanism for this and forms a backbone of the current form of globalization. Margaret Thatcher's TINA acronym suggested that There Is No Alternative. But what is neoliberalism, anyway? A new section has been added to provide a primer into this ideology that is so prevalent today. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Free Trade / Trade Related Issues
International news coverage is declining. Reports about developing countries from many western mainstream media outlets are becoming limited to sensational stories of disasters and disease. Television reports are often non-existent or even fail to qualify as sound bites. One effect of this then, is that the local population can become ignorant of many other nations and cultures, resulting in stereotyping and institutionalized racism. That in turn adds to the hardship that millions of immigrants in developed countries are already facing, in terms of being accepted, of being allowed to live in dignity within a different society but still maintaining their own cultural identities. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Racism / Human Rights Issues
July 3, 2000
A conflict in Africa that had largely been ignored until recently is that of AIDS. Since AIDS has been described as a national security to some western nations, it is now an urgent priority for them as well. Yet, it is still a combination of other issues such as poverty and economic policies that further exacerbate the situation. Treatments are still expensive and more people in Africa in the past year have died of AIDS than all the other conflicts combined. A new section has been added to start looking at this issue and to provide more information and links to other resources over time. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Conflicts in Africa / Pharmaceutical Companies and AIDS / Trade Related Issues
A chronology of the struggle for human rights around the world has been added. This is taken from the Human Development Report 2000, from the United Nations Development Program. It shows that while there is still a long way to go, some important progress has already been made as a step towards realizing the universality of human rights and human development. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Human Rights Issues
Multinational corporations are being increasingly scrutinized for human rights accountability. As the world globalizes, it introduces sources of influence other then nation states. That includes multinational companies, some of which are larger than entire countries. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Corporations and Fair Trade / Trade Related Issues / Human Rights Issues
US efforts to undermine the International Criminal Court for now has been unsuccessful. The US is trying to exempt its troops for being accountable abroad and does not want an external body to try its personnel for possible crimes against humanity. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Geopolitics / Human Rights Issues
Growth with equity is good for the poor. In many nations, economic figures show that the country is doing well. However, it does not mean much when the gaps between rich and poor are increasing at the same time. Reducing income inequalities while achieving economic growth is key to alleviating poverty. The healthiest nations are not the wealthiest; it is those with least disparities between the marginalized and the privelaged. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Causes of Poverty / Trade Related Issues
The combined wealth of the world's 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion. There are a number of other disturbing facts and trends of poverty, disparities and human rights conditions that have been added, from the UN Human Development Report 2000, and other sources. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Causes of Poverty / Trade Related Issues
Global Issues
Almost three times as many people, most of them in tropical countries of the developing nations, die of preventable, curable diseases as die of AIDS. Yet, most of the coverage of such issues are nonexistent. What is also alarming, is that even though many of these diseases are preventable, the pharmaceutical industry prefers to concentrate on treatments for illnesses that will bring them profits. While there is an enormous "market", the people are too poor to pay for such drugs. At the same time, the governments of affected nations are cutting back on health and other social provisions as part of austerity prescriptions from the IMF and World Bank's own forms of cures to the economic "illness" of not allowing western corporations access to the resources and the potential disease of self development. This is an example of a number of inter-related global issues affecting millions of people. A new section on this issue has been started. It is by no means complete though!