If you are interested in hearing about major issues such as trade, water, health care and peace, check out Maude Barlow's Council of Canadians (she is the National Chairperson of CofC). I am not an expert on all of its positions or campaigns, but I am a huge fan of Maude Barlow's work, so chances are it is an interesting organization at the very least. They believe in peaceful protest. Hollar.

Here is a picture of Elvis, Anelisse, Darian and Angie, with their finished house in Reu, Guatemala!

I hope that they will be happy and healthy there, for a very long time. It was an amazing experience to be in Reu and work with them on their home. 

I received an email from Anelisse - which is funny, because she doesn't speak any english and I speak beginners spanish only. Cross cultural communication! Ha.

I really want to go back to Guatemala and visit them one day. Maybe I can go on another build as well. You never know!

I also miss this family - very much!!!

Cigdem - come back and visit us! We misssss you. I think of, and pray for, you and yours frequently.

Much love ya'll. Angela.

You know any idea bush has isn't his to begin with. He isn't smart enough. Someone dumped this boy on his head when he was a baby and he never got over it, but he makes a good dummy for others. A good mouth-piece and target. It can be handy when you don't want to be the most hated person on the planet in your own country.

From AlterNet.org we have this story on the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP):

Here are 10 reasons why progressives are paying attention to the SPP:

1. No democratic oversight. Although elected officials in all three countries have demanded transparency, they continue to be excluded from the SPP Presidential summits, ministerial meetings and working groups. Legislators have formed a trinational task force to stop the SPP.

2. Secrecy. The SPP excludes civil society organizations and the media from all meetings. During a peaceful demonstration outside the last summit in Canada, the government sent in undercover agents posing as rock-wielding protestors. After being confronted with video footage, authorities fessed up to the scheme.

3. Only big business has a voice. Wal-Mart, Lockheed Martin, and 28 other corporations and business associations are part of an official SPP advisory body called the North American Competitive Council. The council made 51 proposals to SPP negotiators in February 2007 on issues as varied as taxation and patent rights. Six months later, they boasted that "all three of our governments have committed themselves to taking action on many of our recommendations."

The article goes on to talk about increased NAFTA trade agreements, privatizations, pipeline proliferation, border talk and no do, everything that means nothing good for those of us here and better situations for big corporations. There is also some concern on the parts of Mexico and Canada that the USA will try to do an energy grab... But you need to read the article.

Now, we wouldn't be dealing with ANY of this if we had a Congress worth the title. Had they done their jobs and impeached this bastard, and cheney too, there would be no SPP to deal with. But hey, I guess congress figures it can't get too much worse he's almost out. Wonder how many of them daddy bush bought off? Because I can't imagine any other reason for this asshole to still be in office with his history. I can just hear daddy say, "I gave him the toy, now let him play with it a bit longer! His time is almost up."

Are they setting themselves up to be kings? Let's hope not. Maybe we should put these pictures up on wanted posters. Personally I'd want bush alive, so I could make him live out his days poor and at the mercy of his own policies. No finer punishment can I think of for a man of his stellar qualities.

You can go HERE to read about the SPP:

Just don't count on finding out anything. They will only tell you there what they want you to know.

This is how Canadian Citizens were treated when they tried to be heard at the summit there:

YouTube - SPP Protesters deliver petition at Montebello

Maude Barlow and members of the Council of Canadians, the ...

Watch video - 4 min 15 sec

• Maude Barlow, founder of the Blue Planet Project.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.498385&w=425&h=350&fv=ideaid%3D9277%26embedded%3Dtrue%26ideacolor%3D2%26videowidth%3D404%26videoheight%3D303%26loadUrl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigthink.com%2Ffeed%2FplayerInfo.xml]

• Michael Klare, professor and author of Blood and Oil.

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• Robert Bryce, Fellow at the Energy Resource Institute and author of Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of 'Energy Independence'.

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Michael's discussion/refutation of some of Barlow's assertions are compelling and, if nothing else, will dissuade you from arguing with Michael about water unless you are armed with charts, statistics, and an advanced degree in hydrology from a reputable institution of higher learning.

If you're like most of the population and not interested in learning anything potentially depressing and just trolling for a good laugh, head on over to Michael's personal blog, Campanastan, and check out the funniest photo on the internet.

The entire editorial staff of Waterblogged.info would like to thank Campana for providing all the information for today's post, saving us hours of work and allowing us to get back to our day gig before the boss catches us.

I urge ALL Canadians who care about our democracy and sovereignty to watch this outstanding video. All it takes is 10 minutes of your time.

10 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp5HOLvKn2I&eurl=http://iam.bmezine.com/?agnostic

Also at http://www.canadiansnanaimo.org/

Could be subtitled "Giving Away Canada's Sovereignty"

1. catatonic
2. dead
3. Jack Bauer

Oh wait, you may also be Jeff Siegal. [After being terrified by the trailers, check out our page of web resources on water privatization from our slowly-but-surely growing Getting Serious with Waterblogged.info series.]

From the documentary's site:

With an unflinching focus on politics, pollution and human rights, FLOW: For Love of Water ensures that the precarious relationship between humanity and water can no longer be ignored. While specifics of locality and issue may differ, the message is the same; water, and our future as a species, is quickly drying up.

Below are two video segments about the documentary from Pacifica Radio's essential Democracy Now. Each features clips from the movie and commentary by water expert/activist extraordinaire, Maude Barlow. Barlow, a Canadian—who was probably moved to action by the water profligacy of her fellow citizens (see Waterblogged.info's Canada: Water hogs of the planet)—is the co-author of the water privatization exposé, Blue Gold, and has recently published The Blue Covenant, described by its publishers as

". . .a powerful response to this trend [privatization] : the emergence of an international, grassroots-led movement to have water declared a basic human right, something that can't be bought or sold for profit.

(Here is a link to a pdf bluegold2.pdf, a 67-page, very readable white paper with a bibliography, which appears to be a summary of the book's arguments.)

Water is the new "oil" crisis, so to speak. Water shortage, privatization and and corporate control is already effecting millions of people. Like many issues, this crisis is impacting developing nations very harshly, and even in wealthy nations like the United States, the poor are having to "steal" water as prices rise (and even though their water is shut off because they cannot pay their utility bills, they receive notices after the fact for monies owing, worth thousands of dollars. weird.) 

It is awful that people do not have access to the most basic of necessities. It is sad. This is robbery of the poor.

In this area in particular, I am anti-corporate - unashamedly, decidedly anti-corporate. 

Think of it this way: public utilities are often difficult to manage and expensive to maintain. The infrastructure is costly to create and the upkeep is painstaking. It is the sort of political investment that is not very glamorous. Water pipes and sewage ways aren't exactly pretty; and you don't visit water treatment "monuments" or "galleries". Then we have the World Bank promoting privatization as a sort of international theology. But there is a problem with resigning public goods - control of the most basic necessities of life - to corporate control for the purpose of garnering profits.  

We do not elect corporations. Companies are not democratically responsible to us - citizens, the electorate - and this means that if they botch the quality, destroy the quantity, and institute the commodification of our water - we can do very little about it.When our governments are held responsible for our resources, they answer to us in a very direct fashion.

Government oversight of resources is not perfect - but it is democratic. If we are going to believe that something as elemental as water is a human right - not a corporate commodity - it must be administered, conserved, and protected by the people, for the people.

I feel strongly about this issue. There are great organizations and protests and movements happening all around the world, in Bolivia and India and right here in Toronto, in an effort to turn the tide on the water crisis (one shameless cheesy metaphor). 

Access to clean water - and the benefits that derive from it - is a blessing. I don't want to take it for granted...

PLEASE SEE CHRISTA'S SITE TO VIEW THE FULL VIDEO!!! 

टोनी क्लार्क - लोकतांत्रिक समाज परिवर्तन के संघर्ष हेतु जन आन्दोलनों को प्रशिक्षित करने वाली संस्था पोलारिस इन्स्टीट्यूट के निदेशक.वैश्वीकरण विरोधी आन्दोलन के नेता. ]

  स्कूल में हमें पढाया जाता है कि पृथ्वी का जल-चक्र एक बन्द प्रणाली है . अर्थात वर्षा और वाष्पीकरण द्वारा सतत रूप बदलता पानी पृथ्वी के वातावरण में जस का तस बना हुआ है. न सिर्फ़ पृथ्वी के निर्माण के समय हमारे ग्रह पर जितना पानी था वह बरकरार है अपितु यह यह पानी वह ही है. जब कभी आप बरसात में टहल रहे हों तब कुछ रुककर कल्पना कीजिए - बूंदें जो आप पर गिर रही हैं कभी डिनासार के खून के साथ बहती होंगी अथवा हजारों बरस पहले के बच्चों के आंसुओं में शामिल रही होंगी.

  पानी की कुल मात्रा बरकरार रहेगी फिर भी यह मुमकिन है कि इन्सान उसे भविष्य में अपने और पृथ्वी के उपयोग के लायक न छोडे.पीने के पानी के संकट की कई वजह हैं.पानी की खपत हर बीसवें साल में प्रति व्यक्ति दुगुनी हो जा रही है तथा आबादी बढने की तेज रफ़्तार से यह दुगुनी है. अमीर औद्योगिक देशों की तकनीकी तथा आधुनिक स्वच्छता प्रणाली ने जरूरत से कहीं ज्यादा पानी के उपयोग को बढावा दिया है.व्यक्तिगत स्तर पर पानी के उपयोग की इस बढोतरी के बावजूद घर - गृहस्थी तथा नगरपालिकाओं में मात्र दस फ़ीसदी पानी की खपत होती है.

  दुनिया के कुल ताजे पानी की आपूर्ति का २० से २५ प्रतिशत उद्योगों द्वारा इस्तेमाल होता है.उद्योगों की मांग भी लगातार बढ रही है.सर्वाधिक तेजी से बढ रहे कई उद्योग पानी की सघन खपत करते हैं.मसलन सिर्फ़ अमरीकी कम्प्यूटर उद्योग द्वारा सालाना ३९६ अरब लीटर पानी का उपयोग किया जाएगा.

  सर्वाधिक पानी की खपत सिंचाई में होती है.मानव द्वारा प्रयुक्त कुल पानी का ६५ से ७० फ़ीसदी हिस्सा सिंचाई का है.औद्योगिक खेती (कम्पनियों द्वारा खेती) में निरन्तर अधिकाधिक पानी की खपत के तौर-तरीके अपनाए जा रहे हैं.कम्पनियों द्वारा सघन सिंचाई वाली खेती के लिए सरकारों तथा करदाताओं द्वारा भारी अनुदान भी दिया जाता है . अनुदान आदि मिलने के कारण ही कम सिंचाई के तौर-तरीके के प्रति इन कम्पनियों को कोई आकर्षण नही नही होता.

  जनसंख्या वृद्धि तथा पानी की प्रति व्यक्ति खपत में वृद्धि के साथ - साथ भूतल जल-प्रणालियों के भीषण प्रदूषण के कारण शेष बचे स्वच्छ और ताजे पानी की आपूर्ति पर भारी दबाव बढ जाता है.दुनिया भर में जंगलोंका विनाश , कीटनाशकों और रासायनिक उर्वरकों से प्रदूषण तथा ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के सम्मिलित प्रभाव से पृथ्वी की नाजुक जल प्रणाली पर हमला हो रहा है.

  दुनिया में ताजे पानी की कमी हो गयी है.वर्ष २०२५ में विश्व की आबादी आज से से २.६ अरब अधिक हो जाएगी.इस आबादी के दो-तिहाई लोगों के समक्ष पानी का गंभीर संकट होगा तथा एक तिहाई के समक्ष पूर्ण अभाव की स्थिति होगी.तब पानी की उपलब्धता से ५६ फ़ीसदी ज्यादा की मांग होगी.

  दिनोंदिन बढती मांग और संकुचित हो रही आपूर्ति के कारण बडी बहुराष्ट्रीय कम्पनियों की रुचि इस क्षेत्र में जागृत हुई है जो  पानी से मुनाफ़ा कमाना चाहती हैं.विश्व-बैंक द्वारा पानी-उद्योग को एक खरब डॊलर के उद्योग के रूप में माना जा रहा है तथा बढावा दिया जा रहा है.विश्व बैंक द्वारा सरकारों पर दबाव है कि वे जल-आपूर्ति की सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था निजी हाथों में सौंप दें.पानी इक्कीसवीं सदी का ‘नीला सोना’ बन गया है.

  उदारीकरण ,निजीकरण,विनिवेश आदि दुनिया के आर्थिक दर्शन पर हावी हैं.यह नीतियां ‘वाशिंगटन सहमति’ के नाम से जानी जाती हैं. पानी का निजीकरण इन नीतियों से मेल खाता है.यह दर्शन सरकारों को सामाजिक कार्यक्रमों की जिम्मेदारी तथा संसाधनों के प्रबन्धन से मुंह मोड लेने की सलाह देता है ताकि निजी क्षेत्र उनका स्थान ले लें.इस मामले में यह ‘सबके लिए पानी’ की प्राचीन सोच पर सीधा हमला है.

  पानी के व्यवसाय से जुडी बहुराष्ट्रीय कम्पनियों के हाथ में सबसे जरूरी औजार विश्व व्यापार समझौते मुहैय्या कराते हैं.विश्व व्यापार संगठन और नाफ्टा (उत्तर अमेरिकी मुक्त व्यापार सन्धि) जैसे बहुराष्ट्रीय प्रबन्ध निकाय पानी को व्यापार की वस्तु के रूप में परिभाषित करते हैं.नतीजन जो नियम पेट्रोल और प्राकृतिक गैस के अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय व्यापार को संचालित करते हैं वे पानी पर भी लागू हो गये हैं.इन अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय नियमों के तहत कोई भी देश पानी के निर्यात पर यदि प्रतिबन्ध लगाता है अथवा उसे सीमित करता है तो वह देश विश्वव्यापार संगठन की नाराजगी और निन्दा का भागी होगा . पानी के आयात से इन्कार किया जाना भी प्रतिबन्धित होगा.नाफ्टा सन्धि की एक धारा के तहत यदि कोई देश अपने प्राकृतिक संसाधनों का निर्यात शुरु करता है तो वह उस पर तब तक रोक नहीं लगा सकता जब तक वह संसाधन समाप्त न हो जाए.

x-posted @ Comments From Left Field

"The Defence Department is so desperate to validate this broken process that they will disregard just about any concern of judicial economy or fairness to the accused... .

"They write a rule giving Omar a right to appeal, they tell Omar he has a right to appeal, and when he appeals, they claim he doesn't have a right to appeal — Alice in Wonderland really is the only way to describe it."

- Lt.-Cmdr. Bill Kuebler, lead military lawyer for Omar Khadr, commenting on U.S. military judge Peter Brownback's order that Khadr's trial "proceed in a "judicious manner," in spite of a court appeal from Khadr's lawyers questioning whether the young Canadian can legally be tried at all."

CP further quotes Kuebler:

The U.S. would never tolerate this kind of treatment for an American, yet the Canadian government continues to agree with the U.S. view that it's good enough for a Canadian.

In an op-ed published this past June, Maude Barlow, Alex Neve and Roch Tasse noted that:

Despite the controversy surrounding Mr. Khadr and his family, who are well-known for terrorist connections and anti-western rhetoric, there is no justification for the Canadian government's failure to demand forcefully and publicly, as other U.S. allies have, that his human rights be fully protected, including the right to a fair trial. Our government's failure to make this public request, and its failure to demand that Guantanamo Bay be shut down immediately, sends a very worrying message to the rest of world about where Canada stands on human rights and international law. And it speaks volumes about the Canadian government's tendency over these past five years to fail to put human rights at the centre of its relationship with the United States. [emph and link mine]

More from CanWest News on how "Canada is the only western country that has given the U.S. the benefit of the doubt in its treatment of "enemy combatants" being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba... ."

Background: 2006 Rolling Stone profile of Omar Khadr, who has been in Gitmo limbo since 2002 after being captured in Afghanistan at the age of 15; Human Rights Watch: The Omar Khadr Case: A Teenager Imprisoned at Guantanamo.

Recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers

As the Council of Canadians website states, on October 16, 2007, a new book will be available by Maude Barlow, acclaimed water activist, scholar, and chair of the Council of Canadians.

Her new book is called:

Blue Covenant
The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water

Excerpts from the book include:

Imagine a world in twenty years, in which no substantive progress has been made to provide basic wastewater service in the Third World, or to force industry and industrial agriculture production to stop polluting water systems, or to curb the mass movement of water by pipeline, tanker and other diversion, which will have created huge new swaths of desert.

Desalination plants will ring the world’s oceans, many of them run by nuclear power; corporate nanotechnology will clean up sewage water and sell it to private utilities who will sell it back to us at a huge profit; the rich will drink only bottled water found in the few remote parts of the world left or sucked from the clouds by machines, while the poor die in increasing numbers. This is not science fiction. This is where the world is headed unless we change course.

-Maude Barlow (from Blue Covenant)

Maude Barlow will also be touring Canada to promote this book from October 17 to November 22. Please see the Council of Canadians website for more information about the exact locations of her tour schedule.