WORLD NOTES
Colombia: Thousands protest trade talks / Canada: UFCW continues to back Wal-Mart workers / Mozambique: Refugees receive identity cards / Vietnam: Peace fund will take up Agent Orange/ Nicaragua: Nicotex unionists rehired
Togolese political crisis spurs regional concerns
The Togolese people are resisting an extra-constitutional power grab initiated by the son of the late president, Gen. Gnassingbe Eyadema, who died of a heart attack on Feb. 5 at the age of 69. Gnassingbe Eyadema led the Togolese Republic for 38 years, making him Africa’s longest ruling leader.
Massive conference boosts world literacy drives
Cuba News A conference titled “Pedagogy 2005” was held in Havana, Cuba, Jan. 31-Feb. 4, in conjunction with the first World Congress on Literacy. Over 5,400 people from 51 nations were on hand, 1,300 of them from Venezuela, to talk about educational goals and methodology for teaching millions of people how to read and write.
Kyoto treaty, spurned by Bush, goes into effect
The Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 international treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, went into effect on Feb. 16 — without the participation of the United States, the world’s main greenhouse gas producer.
Arnold going after our pensions
Workers’ Correspondence California is saddled with Groper Arnie, an incompetent governor. Being a former steroid-using bodybuilder does not qualify a person to run the sixth largest economy in the world.
Saginaw says no to privatization
SAGINAW, Mich. — Eric Friedman walked into a hornet’s nest. The district director for Michigan Republican Congressman Dave Camp was taken aback by the wrath of angry constituents. Calling President Bush’s claim that Social Security is bankrupt “a lie,” they demanded that Camp work to raise the cap on payroll taxes so upper-income people pay their fair share into the Social Security fund.
Parents, unionists demand funding for NYC schools
NEW YORK — Celebrities Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Nixon joined more than a hundred parents, union leaders, education and community activists, and elected officials on the steps of City Hall Feb. 16 to call on Republican Gov. George Pataki to implement a court order requiring the state to increase funding to the city’s schools to over $5 billion per year. Pataki has refused to comply, saying he will appeal.
Philadelphians move to defeat privatization scheme
The PWW recently talked with Pedro Rodriguez, executive director of the Philadelphia branch of the Action Alliance of Senior Citizens. Rodriguez is also executive vice president of the state Alliance for Retired Americans. In these roles, he is currently busy organizing a regional Coalition to Defend Social Security. Ben Sears interviewed Rodriguez for the PWW.
UFPJ: End war, bring troops home now!
ST. LOUIS — “Bring the troops home now!” was the urgent demand to the Bush administration from representatives of hundreds of peace and justice organizations who gathered here for the United for Peace and Justice National Assembly, Feb. 19-21. click here for Spanish text
1,000 new pages document widespread torture
WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union released new Pentagon documents Feb. 18 exposing an even wider pattern of torture and abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.
