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Following what many regard as a disappointment at the recent Rio+20 Earth Summit, the World Bank and several groups have begun implementing new initiatives to "personalise" climate change, in hopes of revitalising the issue among the younger generation.

On Thursday, a World Bank-led programme here in Washington called "Apps for Climate" was held in a bid to bridge the gap between data and actionable results. Its organisers have fostered the creation of applications for mobile phones and the Internet, with the aim of allowing individuals to see their impact on the global environment.

"Rio+20 showed the vital need for sustainability," Caroline Anstey, managing director at the World Bank, headquartered here in Washington, said at the event at the Newsuem. "It demonstrated that climate is too important to leave to negotiators.

"Data collected is just data. But data interpreted and visualised becomes something fundamentally more empowering."

According to a 2011 Yale University study that surveyed U.S. teenagers' understanding of climate change on a letter grade scale (A-F),only 25 percent of teenagers received a grade of C or higher. Comparatively, 54 percent of the adolescents tested received a failing grade.

"Solving the problem of climate change requires behaviour change. People in all walks of life will need to make decisions based on the best available data," Rachel Kyte, vice-president of Sustainable Development at the World Bank, said Thursday.

The Apps for Climate venture brings the systemic issues inherent in dealing with climate change to a younger population by using technology and social media to heighten awareness.

On Thursday, the programme unveiled the results from a contest to help "crowdsource" the project, enlisting eco-activists and software and computer programmers. At stake was 55,000 dollars in prizes for applications that were successful in visualising relatively dry data.

Apps for Climate was originally announced by the World Bank last December at the United Nations COP-17 conference, an environmental symposium in South Africa.

Of 14 finalists, the winner was a software application called Ecofacts, built by an Argentinean software programmer named Andres Martinez Quijano, who claimed a 15,000-dollar prize.

The 33-year-old Quijano, who studied computer science at university and has been programming for 17 years, said he believed his project could have an individualised impact. "It's not about government, it's about people," he told IPS.

Ecofacts, which Quijano built with open-application software, allows users to plug in data to visualise their own carbon footprint and effect on the environment, as well as that of their community.

The application is also open sourced, meaning that it allows users to customise its programming to their own specifications. "Anyone can access the source code for use in their own tools, or create improvements," Quijano said. "I hope that Ecofacts will be useful to other developers and users."

In a gala held Thursday in Washington, Connect4Climate, a climate change campaign by the World Bank, partnered with MTV, the music television channel, to launch a new initiative, "Voice4Climate" that brings together artistic youths to address climate change.

Connect4Climate already had a fairly significant reach, having received over 288,000 "likes" on Facebook and 13,000 followers on Twitter.

The endeavour connects to young people in typical MTV fashion, through photos, videos and music videos. Teens compete to earn a spot at the December 2012 U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Doha, where they will have a chance to voice their opinions on the issue, and to create a music video to be aired on MTV.

"Education and information do not change a lifestyle," John Jackson, an MTV official, said. "People need real choices, before they can make real change."

The programme started in 2011 with an African competition, receiving over 700 photo and video submissions from every country on the continent. The contest awarded prizes to 54 winners from 20 African countries.

Getting the message out to Africa was important for the initiative becauseAfrica's demographic houses a particularly large youth population. According to the United Nations, 70 percent of the African population is under the age of 30.

Further, as a group Africans are relatively less cognisant of global warming issues than the rest of the world. According to a Gallup poll, 44 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa are aware of global warming, compared to a global average of 62 percent.

Juliani, an environmentalist and rapper from Kenya, who performed here Thursday to raise awareness for the issue, says that when it comes to environmentalism, the problem might come down tobringing it to a level everyone can understand.

"When it comes to sustainable development, green economy, those are big words," Juliani said in a statement. "You have to break them down into something people understand - I do it through music."

Last week's summit has confirmed that sustainable development will only be achieved through the political leadership of developing countries.

Two and a half years ago, the Copenhagen climate change conference (COP15) ended in rancorous and highly public disagreement between developed and developing nations on what was needed to prevent furtherglobal warming.

From the beginning of negotiations over the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (dubbed Rio+20), which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last week, it was widely reported that the Brazilian government was desperate to avoid the same fate.

Although Brazil's determination was only one contributory factor, the result was the agreement, by all 188 participating nations, on an outcome document that was filled with aspirations and exhortations about the need for the world to move to a more sustainable path of economic and social development, but lacking any firm commitment to the more painful steps needed to achieve this goal.

Inevitably, this outcome has satisfied virtually no-one engaged in the process (apart from the host country).

But the increased focus that it provided on the political realities on which the Copenhagen meeting foundered - and which Rio+20 ducked - has itself been a significant step forward.

What became clearer than ever at Rio was that the key to global sustainable development does not lie in the logical arguments coming from proponents in the developed world, including its scientific communities, however passionately they are delivered.

Rather, it now lies in the combination of political muscle and imaginative thinking in the developing world, particularly the so-called "emerging economies" of countries such as Brazil, China and India.

In Rio, these countries insisted, quite legitimately, that a global commitment to making the transition to "green economies" is only valid if it includes a transfer of significant financial and technical resources from the North to the South.

Their argument was that such a transfer would compensate for the fact that this transition is necessary because of the consumption patterns of the North.

Furthermore, the emerging economies - and China in particular - are coming to realise that sustainable development is in their own interest.

Their own internal environmental problems, from air pollution to an increase in flooding related to climate change, need to be addressed urgently as the unacceptable by-products of economic growth.

At the same time, a combination of technical ingenuity and low labour costs makes them well placed to become the leading producers of sustainable technologies for the rest of the world - as China has already shown in exporting solar energy technologies to Africa, for example.

The organisers of Rio+20 were keen to emphasise that even as the formal proceedings turned out to be disappointing, this had been partially compensated for by the enormous networking opportunities the meeting provided for sustainable development stakeholders.

In particular, by the end of the meeting, more than 700 pledges - valued at over US$500 billion - had been registered for concrete actions through, for example, individual institutional commitments or partnership agreements.

Each of these was required to commit to quantifiable outcomes within a fixed timeframe. Together they show that a massive global commitment to sustainable development already exists, even without promises of resource transfers from political leaders.

Indeed, this outcome appears to confirm what many have been arguing: that truly sustainable economies can only be built from the grassroots, and with the full inclusion of community groups and other interested stakeholders.

But even if grassroots or voluntary initiatives are a necessary condition for sustainable development, they are not sufficient.

In particular, it ignores the extent to which the key directions and components of economic growth - such as a continued reliance on non-renewable energy sources supported by generous subsidies - are inevitably set at the top, rather than the bottom, of the political pyramid.

Furthermore, without an all-embracing political framework to ensure coherence between individual actions, each stakeholder remains - equally inevitably - motivated primarily by their own self-interest (or that of their stakeholders or shareholders), rather than a commitment to a common good.

For example, many of the 700 individual pledges registered at Rio involved individual commitments from corporations keen to be seen to be "going green".

Ironically, however, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundlandt, head of the Brundlandt Commission, which first coined the phrase "sustainable development" in the 1980s, accused corporate lobbyists of being partly responsible for the disappointing outcome of the formal negotiations.

The scientific meetings held in the run-up to Rio+20 - including both the Planet Under Pressure meeting in London in April, and the International Council for Science and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, held two weeks ago in Rio itself - both underlined the urgency of taking action on many fronts.

Rio+20 opened the door for action on some of these, such as protecting the marine environment or mountain ecosystems. It also endorsed closer interaction between scientific communities and policymakers - another essential element of any future strategy.

But the meeting also highlighted the political challenge of changing the course of a global economy still wedded largely to fossil fuels and non-sustainable patterns of consumption.

It also showed that the developed world lacks the commitment to make the necessary changes and accept the painful consequences, pursuing the familiar maxim that "turkeys don't vote for Christmas".

It is now up to the developing world and its emerging economies to show that they can do better - for example, by taking on a key role in defining the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals - and providing the political muscle to make this happen.

Concerns about embarrassment over possible failure should not stop them from taking the necessary political risks.

Global grain markets are being transformed by extreme heat and dryness in a key U.S. growing region. Fields in the Midwest are baking under relentless sunshine, raising concern over crops in the country's corn belt. Led by corn, grain prices have soared. In July, the bulk of the corn crop will pollinate, a critical phase of growth that leaves the plants highly sensitive to heat. If the weather worsens this month, as forecasts suggest, that could mean prices will rise further in the near term, according to Goldman Sachs. The bank said it could cut its yield estimate from the current 153.5 bushels per acre. The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week raised its estimate for the amount of land on which U.S. farmers planted corn this year to 96.4 million acres. Farmers planted 5% more acres of corn this year than last year, boosting the total to the highest level since 1937, the agency said. However, the USDA's closely watched data on prospective corn yields is widely seen as being out of step with developments on the ground. "Historically it's been pretty good, just not this year as these weather conditions have been unprecedented," said Rabobank analyst Nick Higgins. "They will have to make an adjustment in this month's report," which is due on Monday.

He said, though, that the USDA production-forecasting model relies, in part, on actual temperatures recorded, so its forecasts won't reflect the anticipated July heat until the month ends. As a result, the next yield prediction "won't get near to numbers that the market is talking about." According to Joseph Vaclavik, president of Standard Grain Inc., land accounting for 75% of projected U.S. corn production is now excessively dry at the subsoil level, during the most important part of the growing season. "Agronomists and crop scouts now look for national corn yields near 150 bushels per acre versus the USDA's current estimate of 166 bushels per acre," Mr. Vaclavik said. Wheat is often used as a substitute for corn in feed and industrial use, and European wheat futures are now poised for more gains. Adding to the mix are expectations that production losses in Russia will cut into global wheat output this year.

"The market was looking very well supplied with large acreage in Canada and Australia, but Russian production faltered just as the U.S. drought began to impact," said Rabobank's Mr. Higgins. "The real risk now is if spring wheat conditions in the U.S. turn down and the Russian losses worsen. The USDA is forecasting wheat production in Russia at 53 million tons, while a more reasonable estimate would be 46 to 48 million tons."

The International Grains Council on Monday slashed its forecast for Russian wheat production for the year ending in June 2013 by six million tons to 49 million tons. The London-based body also cut its view on Ukraine's harvest by one million tons to 13 million tons, and said less wheat will be available for export from the Black Sea region, forcing international buyers to find other sources.

Another factor bolstering European wheat is the European Central Bank's decision to drop its key lending rate to 0.75%, a record low, on Thursday, according to Jaime Nolan-Miralles, commodity-risk manager at FCStone Europe. The move should lead to a weaker euro, making wheat from euro-zone countries more competitive on the international market.

European wheat futures have already rallied in recent weeks. Paris milling wheat futures for November delivery increased nearly 13% over eight consecutive sessions starting June 18. Thursday, November wheat closed at €243.75 ($305.35) per ton, up €6.25, or 2.6%.

Abdolreza Abbassian, senior grains analyst at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, said concern over the weather could make prices even more volatile than they have been recently, at least until prospects for production in the U.S. and former Soviet Union become clearer.

In conflict-hit West African countries, husbands often pose a greater threat to women's lives than an armed assailant, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a recent report, but even in more stable countries, violence against women is hard to eradicate. "Domestic violence is like diabetes. It is a disease that kills and causes damage, but which has not been very well documented," said Mariam Kamara, a mobilization officer at the UN Women-West Africa Sub-Regional office.

In post-conflict Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone - where the IRC conducted a study of domestic violence - women suffer cruelty with "shocking frequency", said the report, "Let me not die before my time, Domestic Violence in West Africa", released in May 2012. "Even though the focus of the humanitarian community has often been on armed groups, the primary threat to women in West Africa is not a man with a gun or a stranger - it is their husbands," the report said. The three West African countries are emerging from conflicts that killed thousands of people, displaced hundreds of thousands more, and unleashed widespread lawlessness. Violence against women worsens in times of war and often continues even when conflict has subsided.

In Côte d'Ivoire, 40 percent more cases of violence against women were recorded during the unrest that followed the disputed 2010 presidential elections, the IRC said. Nonetheless, domestic violence is not unique to a particular region or country, and its causes are varied and complex, said Elisabeth Roesch, the author of the IRC report. "It is clear across the globe that women face violence from their partners because they have lower status, and because they face really widespread discrimination enshrined in law, society and cultures," Roesch told IRIN.

In Senegal, which enacted a law against domestic violence in 1999, only a handful of offenders are brought to court, mainly due to the difficulty of obtaining evidence - medical reports are expensive, while prejudice often puts overwhelming societal pressureon women, which prevents them from reporting abuse, experts said.

"In the Senegalese society, it is very important for a woman to be married. If a woman takes her husband to court, it is said that she is not a good wife," said Benjamin Ndeye, the director of a state-run organization that mediates in conflicts. "I have never seen an abusive husband receiving more than a two-month suspended sentence." Women also often face judges who tend to favour family unity, he noted. However, years of sensitization in Senegal seem be paying off. "The police have made a lot of progress - they now tend to refer women to NGOs," said Elisabeth Sidibé, a volunteer at the Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children (CLVF).

The Association of Senegalese Women Jurists (AJS) and other NGOs have also stepped up the fight against domestic violence by conducting radio and TV talk shows, public debates and legal training. The Association offers legal help and has launched a hotline for reporting domestic violence. "We cannot say the issue is not taboo anymore, but more and more women are daring to look for help," said Fatou Bintou Thioune, the CLVF's coordinator. This is not the case in Sierra Leone, Liberia or Côte d'Ivoire, said Roesch. Liberian women are demanding protection from abuse and the IRC cited a woman complaining of police complacence about domestic violence. "Some of the police officers say, 'It's because of your ways that your husband beats you'." Despite a 1981 Ivorian law protecting wives from physical abuse by their husbands, "The fight against this alarming phenomenon is not effective. The law alone is not enough. The whole community needs to get involved in the issue," said Fanta Coulibaly, the head of the national commission against domestic violence on women and children, which is under the Women and Children Ministry.

"I have suffered abuse for three months at the hands of my husband. Whenever he is angry he beats me badly, "said Rokiatou Bamba*. "I have asked that we have a talk, but for him it's a sign of bad upbringing. According to tradition, a woman does not ask her husband for talks.

"I'm doing all I can so that this doesn't affect the children, even when he beats me in front of them, I look for somewhere to hide and cry," she told IRIN. The IRC said conflict "creates a particularly dangerous situation for women that the humanitarian community can no longer ignore."

Ahead of the 19th African Union (AU) Head of State and Governments Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July 9-16, 2012, African civil societies have urged the forum to adequately address issues of international criminal justice in the content. Led by South Africa’s, the over 20 civil society organization has no kind words for efforts by the AU and African states to fight impunity, despite commitment to ending the same. Beyond the AU forum, individual African states have independently reaffirmed their commitments to ending impunity. This includes requests by Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Côte d’Ivoire to International Criminal Court to investigate crimes committed in their countries. Notably, the civil society groups led by Jemima Njeri Kariri from International Crime in Africa Programme (ICAP), say a number of African states have incorporated genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and cooperation with ICC, into their domestic law. For example, Mauritius adopted such legislation in 2012, and other countries—including Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Senegal and South Africa—previously enacted such laws. There is also a growing list of countries—including Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Niger, and Burkina Faso—that have expressly stated that they will arrest individuals subject to arrest warrants for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by ICC if they enter their territory. While some have tried to assert that ICC is biased against Africans, African countries have voluntarily demonstrated their commitment to the ICC delivering justice for crimes committed on their territories. In June 2012, Malawi took a courageous stand by refusing to host AU summit if ICC suspect Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir would attend the event. “While the AU has called for states not to cooperate in arresting President al-Bashir, the request is contrary to fight against impunity and the fulfillment of international legal obligations of African states that are ICC states parties,” says George Kegoro, of International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) – Kenyan chapter chairman. The civil society groups are Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Darfur Consortium, East African Law Society, International Criminal Law Centre, Open University of Tanzania, Open Society Justice Initiative, Pan-African Lawyers Union, Southern Africa Litigation Centre and West African Bar Association.

They remind AU of need to uphold cooperation obligations under ICC Statute. They note concerns raised by AU in respect of requests for deferrals of ICC’s investigation into crimes committed in Darfur and understand that responsibility for resolving this matter rests with both the United Nations Security Council as well as AU. In addition, the Special Court for Sierra Leone—the hybrid criminal court established by agreement between United Nations and Sierra Leone—handed down a judgment in April 2012 against former Liberian President Charles Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in supporting rebels in Sierra Leone that committed heinous crimes.

The groups want AU to proceed with caution on expanding jurisdiction of African Court, noting that the draft protocol for the extension of African Court of Justice and Human Rights (African Court) to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity was approved by African justice ministers and attorneys general in May 2012. They call for a transparent and open process of consultation as the next steps are taken with regard to expansion of the Court.

They also want Senegal to prosecute or extradite to prosecute exiled former Chadian president Hissene Habre for alleged atrocities during his eight-year rule. They say that Senegal has not moved forward with prosecution nor has it extradited him to Belgium, which stands ready to try him.

“We call upon the African Union to ensure that Senegal under the new leadership of President Macky Sall fulfills its pledge to prosecute Habre”, they said.

Six million abortions in 2011; wide spread of practices such as sterilization of women; systematic use of contraception and birth control methods, which promote a program of radical transformation of African societies, directing them towards the destructive ideologies of human life: is the damage and injuries caused by the "Maputo Protocol", approved in July 2003 by the Assembly of the African Union in Maputo, in Mozambique. This is what Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, President of the NGO "Human Life International" (HLI), working all over the world in defense of unborn life says in a note sent to Fides Agency. "This is an anniversary to be remembered but not to celebrated," says the president of HLI. The document entitled, "Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa", "set into motion an agenda that has radically impacted the African continent, and has emboldened population control groups throughout Africa ", notes Fr. Boquet. "Proponents of the Maputo Protocol want us to believe that the primary focus of their document is female genital mutilation (FGM), a heinous crime affecting nearly two million African women annually," he explains. However, FGM is mentioned only once in the document, which focuses mainly on issues such as the legalization of abortion, contraception and sterilization. "The document - continues - promotes a change of the traditional family asking for the elimination of discrimination against women, which is always unjust and immoral. However, the use of this term within the Protocol is aimed at promoting the free exercise of sexual rights of women, i.e. freedom to seek an abortion, contraception and sterilization. " The Protocol asks the free use and distribution of abortifacients and underlines that African states must provide "new educational methods to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of women and men." "This is a radical attempt to reshape and refocus the minds and lives of millions of people, with a propaganda of death that destroys the very foundation of a society and brings into question its future existence," writes Fr. Boquet. "Such policies result in the breakdown of the family, illegitimacy, growth in the number of orphans, fatherless families and promiscuity. The contraceptive mentality and legalized abortion endorsed by the Maputo Protocol, will not lead to fewer abortions, as its supporters would have us believe, but many more abortions," warns the president of HLI. In fact, according to the same organizations that promote population control such as "Planned Parenthood", the number of abortions actually grew in Africa between 2003 and 2008.

HLI, which operates in several African countries, will continue to defend life and to spread a "culture of respect for life, according to Christian values," he concludes.

A reference guide for African nations negotiating the provisions of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York: this is the spirit of a 200 page manual presented yesterday by the Institute of Security Studies (ISS).

The guide, Negotiating an Arms Trade Treaty: a Toolkit for African States, written in English and French, proposes to provide “impartial descriptions and explanations of relevant conventional arms control issues, as well as an objective analysis of the various viewpoints on the key aspects of a future ATT that are applicable to Africa”.

The document contains information on nations exporting arms in Africa and sensitive issues such as corruption, the presence of transnational armed groups, rebel groups and international embargos.

A chapter is dedicated to the impact of violence on Africa’s economic and social development and on control systems to regulate international transfers of conventional weapons.

Each section of the guide includes considerations on African nations and their regional and international obligations. Some make historical references and emphasize the current challenges of arms control.

The works of the UN Conference for an Arms Trade Treaty, which began this week, will conclude on July 27. In these four weeks, representatives of 193 States will negotiate what is considered by the international civil society as a fundamental treaty to control arms trade with clear and mutual regulations. [GB/BO]

With minimal consultation, governments and local authorities are signing away huge tracts of land for lease on the cheap. Now communities are raising their voices in opposition to these projects that bring little local development.

The Nguruman Escarpment is one of global tourism's secrets. Rising from the arid and salty wastes of Lake Magadi as the Rift Valley heads south out of Kenya is a steeply rising expanse of yellow-fever acacia thickets and vast savannah meadows.

At its northern edge, it overlooks the Serengeti plains from a height of 2,000m. It feels as if God installed a private balcony to gaze over creation.

Visits are by invitation. Bill Gates has been here; Kofi Annan stayed here while mediating the Kenya crisis in 2008; and Kenya's prime minister Raila Odinga has used it as a retreat.

In the shadow of the Ngurumans lies a darker reality: the dispossession of a Maasai community to secure this paradise. The Olkiramatian Group Ranch, a community of about 8,000 people, faces eviction following a legal battle with Nguruman Ltd, the company that owns the escarpment property.

In 1996, during a severe drought, the community's herders took their livestock up the escarpment. The northern edge of the escarpment has traditionally been used for dry season grazing.

On that occasion, however, they found their access paths blocked. A few days later, they received a court writ accusing them of trespass and charging them with destruction of grassland valued at almost $2m.

Recently, a court in Kericho ruled in favour of Nguruman Ltd and its sole director, Hermanus Phillipus Steyn. The ruling meant that if they were unable to pay the damages, some 3,000 families resident in Olkiramatian Group Ranch and the neighbouring Shompole Group Ranch face eviction from their homes.

The land grab had started in 1986 when Steyn, a South African investor, along with 14 officials of Narok and Olkejuado county councils - the two local authorities under whose jurisdiction the Ngurumans fall - obtained the title deed to a small ranch known as Kamorora, on which the lodge sits. Kamorora had been illegally registered.

However, over the course of the next few years, Steyn quietly bought out his co-directors in Nguruman Ltd. As sole proprietor, he was able to dictate terms, preventing the surrounding communities from accessing the escarpment.

In Kenya, such stories are common. Presidents and their homeboys settle their people in new lands, saving a chunk for themselves.

They are then reluctant to implement land reforms that would secureindividual and communal land rights or deal with historical dispossession. These were some of the underlying issues that led to the bloodletting following the botched 2007 presidential elections.

The tension between a deregulated land regime and claims to territory from marginalised ethnic groups such as the Maasai has defined much of Kenya's politics. It is perhaps because of this raw domestic competition over land that it has escaped relatively unscathed from the bigger phenomenon sweeping Africa: the global land grab.

Over the past decade Africa has experienced unprecedented pressure from foreign investors seeking cheap agricultural land. The figures are imprecise, collated by activist groups without verification from state authorities, but point to the scale of the problem. A review of data from several national reports, together with surveys by the African Union, the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank, suggests Africa has effectively given away some $100bn of land since 2000.

The international market price of land is, of course, subject to huge dispute - not least because of the lack of reliable national valuation systems. Market prices for land sold or leased in Africa vary spectacularly. For example, an acre (0.4ha) of land in Kitengela, just outside Nairobi, sells for a minimum of $10,000 an acre, yet there are reports of land in the Tana Delta, where Qatari companies are planning a rice project, being leased for as little as $3 an acre.

In South Africa, tracts in the Winelands can change hands for as much as R500,000 ($60,000) an acre but sell for as little as R700 in the Karoo. In Ghana, land prices have escalated sharply over the past two decades and plots in the Eastern Region, north of Accra, are sold on long leases for $40,000 an acre. Leases in Nigeria are generally more expensive still. Leases around urban centres such as Lagos and Abuja are among the most expensive in the world.

With growing activism and laws in Africa and beyond constraining the operations of mining and oil conglomerates, the trade in land and agricultural commodities is becoming the last frontier for buccaneer capitalism.

A recent report by the International Development Law Organisation found that, globally, "in 2009 alone, transactions covering at least 56.6m ha were concluded or under negotiation, more than 13 times the average amount of land opened to cultivation annually between 1961 and 2007. Most of the 2009 deals were in Africa, where 39.7m ha changed hands - more than the cultivated areas of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland combined."

Demand for African farmland has boomed since the early 2000s. Global food prices have trebled because of harvest failures and the growth of biofuel production, which has displaced food crops. Reinforcing these pressures, says journalist Fred Pearce in his book The Land Grabbers, was the credit crunch of 2008.

This prompted Wall Street investment banks like Goldman Sachs to shift risk from the sagging sub-prime markets into commodities exchanges. Between 2003 and 2008, notes Pearce, investment in commodity exchanges rose from $13bn to $300bn. At the same time, Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar went looking for cheap farmland in Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Africa too...

Four China Marine Surveillance ships are sent to patrol waters in dispute with Vietnam and the Philippines. For Beijing, the action simply asserts national sovereignty. In Hanoi, hundreds protest in front of the Chinese Embassy. Experts believe Chinese provocations are part of a plan.

Four China Marine Surveillance (CMS) ships conducted a two-and-half hour practice near Yongshu Reef, an area of the South China Sea that is disputed by Vietnam and the Philippines, a government website said, but the operation had to be cut short due to adverse weather. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, anti-Chinese street protests flared up again like those of July and August 2011 when hundreds demonstrated against Chinese imperialism.

The CMS patrol sailed from the south China's coastal city of Sanya (Hainan) on 26 June and reached the disputed area after travelling more than 2,400 nautical miles (4,500 km). For Beijing, the action was a routine operation in the South China Sea to exert national sovereignty. "The determination and will of China's military to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering," Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said.

However, the latest show of force, which follows the recent tenders for oil exploration in an area claimed by Vietnam, sparked a nationalist reaction among Vietnamese opposed to China's "imperialist" policies.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital to protest against the aggression by Chinese ships. Under tight police controls, they gathered in front of the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, shouting slogans, like "Down with China". Police in Ho Chi Minh City stopped a similar demonstration near the Chinese consulate but did not arrest anyone.

For analysts and experts, Beijing's regional "provocations," including the deployment of ships in disputed waters and its oil exploration tenders, are part of a plan to establish Chinese supremacy in the Asia-Pacific region. This is of great concern to the US government, which is interested in maintaining the balance power in a strategic region for world trade.

Among the nations in the Asia-Pacific region involved in the dispute, China has the most extensive claims in the South China Sea. Controlling it would provide a major strategic advantage in terms of trade and access to oil and natural gas.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are opposed to China's expansionism, and can rely on the support of the United States, which has major strategic interests in the area.

In recent months, the area has already seen various incidents involving Navy ships and fishing boats from various countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines, interested in the sea's rich fishing grounds.

For a juvenile court, Ali Hasan is a danger to society and must be re-educated, but does not say what offences he might have committed. Arrested in May, the boy has already spent a month in jail.

A Bahraini juvenile court ruled yesterday that 11-year-old Ali Hasan (pictured), accused of taking part in Arab spring-related anti-government protests on 13 May, will remain on probation because he represents a threat to society and must be re-educated. The case has caused outrage in the small country as well as abroad. Activists accuse the government of using Hasan's case to stifle pro-democracy protests that began in March 2011 with dozens of dead. Hasan was detained in May without specific charges. The court found him innocent and released him on 11 June. Yesterday, his case was reviewed and the judges decided he must be monitored for a year because he was dangerous, having taken part in three sit-ins organised by Shia activists in May. "The decision today condemns him indirectly," said Shahzalan Khamis, Hasan's lawyer. "I am not happy with the decision. This boy is innocent and did not commit a crime." Asked about their judgement, the judges said the charges against the boy had not been dropped; however, they did not say whether he had been formally found guilty of any crime for which he would be monitored for a year. Hasan is but one underage protester arrested during protests and sit-ins. According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, most of them were in the streets with their parents and without them would not have engaged in any action warranting arrest and detention.

Bahrain has a Shia majority, but is governed by a Sunni royal family allied to the Saudi Arabia. For more than a year, people have been calling for constitutional reforms and the removal of Sheikh Khalifah ibn Salman al-Khalifah, head of the government since 1971.

Following the start of the Arab spring, Bahrain's Shia opposition organised a popular uprising. The government responded by calling for Saudi help, which came in the form of special forces authorised to fire on demonstrators. The clashes that ensued left 24 people dead, including four police officers.

Unrest resumed on 18 April 2012 in connection with the Formula One Grand Prize. For days, thousands of demonstrators occupied the streets of the capital and predominantly Shia villages.

The government responded with a crackdown, imposing a curfew and arresting hundreds.

Cost of malnutrition treatment failure $1 billion annually, estimates study

Malnutrition in Bangladesh is costing the government an estimated US$1 billion a year in lost economic productivity, according to two recent US-funded studies. Proponents of intervention say boosting malnutrition treatment and prevention would cost only a fraction of that amount and generate billions of dollars in returns over the next decade.
According to the government, the required cost to overhaul systems to improve nutrition is $4.2 billion per year, some $2 billion more than it receives in foreign aid annually. “Targeted investment in the most effective interventions to reduce malnutrition can make a critical difference in Bangladesh,” said Erica Roy Khetran, country director of Helen Keller International-Bangladesh, who did not participate in conducting the study.

“However,” she adds, “it is important that these investments are based on evidence about what works best, and who to target, and how to implement in a way which reaches the most mothers and children.” Despite the government’s commitment to fight malnutrition through the Sixth Five Year Plan 2011-2015, its policies are ineffective due to limited distribution of nutritional supplements, inadequate growth monitoring and lack of skilled personnel, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). WFP noted supplementary feedings provided to pregnant and lactating women, girls and children have failed to cover these groups’ basic energy needs, while moderate acute malnutrition is not included in the strategy.

Some 41 million people, 27 percent of the population, are malnourished and nearly half of all children under five (7.8 million) are too short for their age, a sign of nutrient shortage, according to 2009 data analysed by WFP. Another two million children are estimated to have acute malnutrition, weighing too little for their height.

The situation was completely different in 1997. Sheikh Hasina was prime minister for the first time in her political career and Awami League had returned to state power under her leadership after 21years since the August 15, 1975 bloody changeover. In the then Hasina government, AL leader Syed Abul Hossain was state minister for LGRD. Abul, also a businessman, had made the mistake of using an ordinary passport instead of his diplomatic one, for a visit to Singapore.

The dubious visit triggered enormous controversy in the political arena. The then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the sensible path and did not waste time to keep her cabinet free from controversy. She forced Abul to resign on August 10, 1997 as the state minister. This time history has not repeated itself. Abul is now a very fortunate man. He was made a cabinet minister this time and was given the portfolio of the communications ministry. His previous bad luck did not hurt him, as this time the prime minister has been kinder and more tolerant.

Allegation of corruption against him by World Bank in the Padma bridge project has already jeopardised the image of Hasina's government as well as the image of Bangladesh abroad. The World Bank asked the Bangladesh government to drop Abul from the cabinet to clear the way for funding in the Padma project. But Hasina did no such thing. Rather, for the last one year, the premier on many occasions criticised the World Bank for its allegations against her cabinet minister.

Even on October 19 last year at a public rally in Lalmonirhat, Hasina pointed to corruption by the last BNP-led government as the reason behind the suspension of World Bank funds for the Padma Bridge project. "I received two documents from the World Bank and both of them are on the corruption of the communications minister of the last BNP-led government," claimed Hasina.

Her claim contradicted public knowledge that on grounds of alleged irregularities on the part of the then Communications Minister Syed Abdul Hossain, the World Bank had suspended funding. Public perception, it seemed, was of no consequence. In any civilised and practicing democratic country, negative public perception is enough to force a minister to step down. In Bangladesh, it is rare for a minister to resign on ethical grounds. But dozens of ministers in UK, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden resigned in 2011 and 2012 on moral and ethical grounds.

They did not hesitate to admit responsibility for their "errors." Negative public perception has sometimes forced ministers to step down in those countries. After the resignation of Nick Smith, climate change, environment and local government minister in New Zealand, in March, 2012, Prime Minister John Key in a statement said: "Dr Smith has been a hard-working and diligent minister, but perceptions do matter and he knows he has let himself down."

Dr Smith resigned over two letters to help a female friend's accident compensation claim. Before Smith, several ministers in the same cabinet lost their portfolios over allegations of misconduct. In Bangladesh, this is beyond imagination. Former railway minister Suranjit Sengupta's APS was caught at midnight in April this year with a sack full of money and public perception was that the staff was taking the money to the minister's home. Suranjit is still in Hasina's cabinet. In face of severe criticism and reported pressure from the World Bank, Hasina did one thing - in December last year, Obaidul Quader was given the charge of the communications ministry. But she did not drop Abul from her cabinet. Rather, she formed a new ministry-Information Technology for Abul which he has been running from December last year.

The government has been dilly dallying about taking action against Abul and some other high officials for their alleged involvement in corruption in the Padma bridge project. And finally, the WB on June 29 cancelled its funding for the project, saying it had "credible evidence corroborated by a variety of sources which points to a high-level corruption conspiracy among the Bangladeshi government officials, SNC-Lavalin executives and private individuals in connection with the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project." In the WB's 68-year-old history, it has never cancelled such a large amount of loan for a single project. The event, predictably, received a lot of international attention. Over a hundred newspapers, news agencies and television channels ran the news.

Once again Bangladesh was branded as corrupt country worldwide for the government's whimsical stance to continuously defend officials allegedly involved with the Padma bridge scam. The WB was supposed to provide $1.2 billion in the $2.9 billion project and ADB, IDB and JICA were supposed to provide the rest of the funds. Following the WB's decision, funding by the others has also become uncertain as they supported the WB's decision.

Even after WB's cancellation of the fund, the government ministers, particularly Finance Minister AMA Muhith has been refuting the WB's allegation of corruption. If Muhith is right, then the Canadian government and court are proved wrong. If there was no corruption, then why is the Canadian court trying two employees of SNC-Lavalin for the offence of giving bribes to Bangladeshi officials?

Finance Minister Muhith in his statement in Parliament on July 2 rightly said the statement of WB cancelling the fund has humiliated the whole nation. But what he did not explain was who would take responsibility for such humiliation, although he left no stone unturned to prove his government innocent by putting the blame on WB. Some people showing sympathy to the government are speaking about irregularities and corruption in the WB. But it will in no way prove the current government's innocence by minimising the negative public perception about the present regime. People's confidence in the current government has been eroding fast due to its non-action against the corrupt and unlawful behaviour of ruling party MPs and men. The role of the Anti-Corruption Commission has also been questioned during the controversy. The anti-graft body has miserably failed to perform independently to investigate the allegations of corruption against Abul and some other government officials.

The WB's cancellation of credit will have an adverse impact on Bangladesh's economy for years to come. Then why is the prime minister so vehemently defending Abul Hossain - is a $2.9 billion question! The Padma bridge project scam has also exposed how the current regime has failed to deliver on its electoral pledges to curb corruption. In the run up to the December 29 of 2008 parliamentary polls, the AL had promised to take multi pronged measures to fight corruption. In his first budget speech in June 2009, the finance minister also stated: "Corruption is one of the major impediments to development. We can never ensure good governance without rooting out corruption. Our government has announced zero-tolerance for corruption."

After three and a half years of the current government regime, the reality looks bleak. The gap between the promise and actions has been increasing fast, diminishing the prospect for good governance. It is usual that the government will deny reality. But denial will in no way improve the fast-deteriorating situation.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said Bangladesh is rapidly advancing towards development with successes in several sectors.

“In overall consideration, Bangladesh is marching towards development in women's empowerment, women's development, unemployment mitigation, employment generation and rural development,” the UN chief said adding that the recent appointment of Bangladeshi citizen Ameerah Haq as the Under-Secretary-General bore the testimony of another success of the South Asian country. He made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a reception accorded to Ameerah Haq at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York, according to a message received here yesterday. Hailing the marked success of Bangladeshi soldiers in UN Peacekeeping Missions across the world, the UN Secretary-General said the training programme of Rajendrapur Peace Building Institute impressed him during his visit to Bangladesh. AK Abdul Momen, the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN, praised Ban for his important role in different fields including climate change, food security, education, women development and disarmament. He also urged the UN to take steps for infrastructure development in the developing countries, including Bangladesh. Ameerah Haq also praised achievements of Bangladesh in various fields. She mentioned the social safety network programme and national guarantee service scheme for employment taken by the Bangladesh government as well as its rapid response to any international activity.

Bangladesh's young population (under 18), comprising 45% of the total population are virtually unnoticed. They are vast untapped wealth that could be turned into effective manpower. Born mostly of poor parents, the male children supplement the meager income of the parents, while most female children in urban areas work as domestic help. A big number of them fall into the clutches of child traffickers and end up in red light areas in the country or outside. Many child domestic help live and work in conditions that are oppressive, exploitative, abusive and worse than adults would accept for the same work. The poignant part is that as they belong to the informal labour sector, thus they are excluded from legal protection, which makes them even more vulnerable. Most horrifyingly, around 22 to 50% of the 2.5 million people forced into labour after being trafficked are children.

According to a baseline survey (BBS and Unicef), other than 7.4 million working in the informal sector, as many as 400,000 children aged between 6-17 years, 80% of them female, work as domestic workers (CDW), and are almost invisible and inaccessible to government surveillance, NGO inspection and even to neighbours. In a report revealed by the Unicef recently, it was pointed out that the plight of the poor urban children is really horrific. They suffer much greater deprivation than those in the countryside.

Slum population has grown rapidly in the cities and towns as the landless poor migrate to these places, driven by poverty and natural disasters. With no money for proper accommodation, it is estimated that around one-third of the urban population in the six large cities now live in slums.

Most of the male children labour in factories and fields until their hands are gnarled and backs bent. Many of them wander homeless in the streets, surviving by begging and even thieving. Sleeping in railway stations or bus stands or on the footpaths, picking through garbage and sifting for food in the municipal dumps! They die every day of easily preventable diseases.

The conferences, meetings or seminars that are often convened by political parties in an effort to care for the vast population remain confined to taking agenda. Recommendations made to the policy makers in National Child Domestic Worker Convention about empowering children economically, as well as arresting exploitation, creating job opportunities for the parents in the rural areas and enacting laws to protect child workers from exploitation and abuse are fine on paper but implementation seems to be a far cry. While there is widespread call for an end to forced child labour, some affluent and educated people have hit headlines because of their cruel treatment of these domestic help. In a report published in a Bangla daily, it was revealed that a domestic worker in the Sabujbagh area of the city died after being subjected to torture for days. Both the husband and wife were arrested by the police later.

Girl children are not also safe in the schools. Much to our concern, teachers in many educational institutions in the country who are supposed to work primarily as educators, more precisely as moral educators, have come out as predators. A report published in Prothom Alo on August 4, 2011 said that in Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazaar, a headmaster of a school was arrested for violating a girl student who became pregnant. The headmaster, who was later arrested, tried to hush up the case by offering Tk.3 lakh to the victim's family. Our failure to delve deep into this issue and grapple with it properly now threatens to explode it into a catastrophe. This will mean turning the country into a snow capped volcano -- pretty and calm at the top but serious problems seething within. Moreover, given the fact that girl children born of poor parents are married off early, the present move by the government to reduce the "children classification" age to 16 years will violate the rights of the children. How can we fight shy of the problem that warrants our attention most? What horrifying drudgery and waste of human energy at the prime of one's life due to lack of economic protection, guidance and motivation? Boys aged between 8 and 12 are engaged in hazardous jobs in most small factories, workshops, brick kilns, etc., and their daily wages range from Tk.50-80 for 12 hours a day.

Juvenile crime in Bangladesh has exploded in recent years along with organised crimes. Arrests are sometimes made but they are released on bail because of the loopholes in the investigation and strong backing by their mentors. Punishment is hardly meted out to the real offenders. These kids are not to blame for the crimes they commit. In most cases they are lured by drug lords and some unscrupulous political masters in the area with cash money to work as couriers of drug and in the process they themselves get addicted to drugs and when the demand for drug is so keen, they can commit any crime, even kill a person. Poor parents sometimes indulge in crimes themselves and encourage their children to work as couriers because it brings them money. Political leaders and the people must wake up to the fact that the time for reckoning has arrived. Drug addiction and drug trafficking among youths are eating into the vitals of the nation. The police chief of the country has time and again made it plain that drug is the biggest enemy of the country and most crimes are drug-fuelled. But one wonders if the law enforcers are really very serious to wipe out this scourge! News of raids in different areas in Dhaka city gets leaked before such raids are conducted and on no occasion could the drug lords be apprehended.

How unfortunate the situation is that the saddest casualties are children in this trade! We have a whole generation of human beings in the country who could be so productive and helpful for the country but are being lost. The drug trade obviously has shown them that in a little time they can make a lot of money, and they have accepted the violence that goes with it. Government effort to curb the daunting problem of drug smuggling, vandalism, and even child trafficking has been far from satisfactory. The looming question is that whether the society and the government can do anything to protect the children from these scourges. What has dismayed the vast majority of the people is the tepid response of the government and the national leaders to this surge of mayhem indulged in by the youngsters. The way the whole country is plunging into chaos because of the apathy and neglect shown towards this vital section of the society, the cream of the whole population, signals a potential calamity for the whole nation. The government must wake up to the stark reality that this vulnerable group of population needs care and sustenance to ward off the disasters facing the nation. Social welfare department may be restructured and their gamut of activities may be re-oriented in the light of the present horrifying state of the social ills creeping into the fabric of the nation.

THE British introduced the rationing system in the subcontinent during the Second World War through the establishment of the civil supply department, to protect urban people from any difficulty for their livelihood arising out of short supply of consumer goods. Ration, which means a fixed quantity or portion of food allotted to a person and has been in wide use in public utterance for more than 50 years, has since got entry as a Bangla word. When the rationing system was first introduced in the subcontinent, urban people were supposed to get supply of rice, wheat, edible oil, sugar, etc in concessional rates. However, it was never made available for all; only civil and military officers and employers were brought under the system. The influential and wealthy residing in the towns could be fortunate owners of ration cards.

The system continued after the war ended in 1945, and also after India and Pakistan emerged upon the partition of the subcontinent. However, with the advent of market economy in the last stage of the 20th century, the coverage of the rationing system in India and Pakistan was made limited but is still in force for the military and, in some particular cases, non-military government servants and employees.

In 1971, after the creation of Bangladesh through division of Pakistan, the rationing system continued in urban area as before. In the rationing system for the supply of consumer goods to the consumers in concessional rates, the state has to give huge subsidy which is not subscribed by many countries of the present world as follower of market economy. In the market economy price of commodity depends on supply and demand of commodity. If the demand is inadequate in comparison to supply then there would be lower trend in the price. On the contrary, if the demand is more than supply then there would be upward trend in the price of the commodity. This age-old theory of economics is regarded as one of the basic elements of market economy.

In any country of the world, the popularity of the government depends on stability of the price of essential commodities. As market economy does not subscribe to rationing system, so at present if there is any setback in food production of any country, due to natural calamity, then most of the countries for rapid growth of foreign trade in order to face deficit take step to meet the shortage through import. In this respect, the countries whose foreign currency reserve is insufficient are to face difficulty.

Whatever may be the resourcefulness of the country, the purchasing power of the people is always dependant on the rate of inflation. Thus, if the rate of inflation reaches above mid level of one digit after exceeding the tolerable limit, i.e. if it exceeds 4.5, or touches two digits that is goes above 9 then it is seen as a sharp decline in the support of the government elected to vast majority. For this reason in any country of the world the government elected by the people wants inflation to never become cause of public dissatisfaction.

In post-independent Bangladesh different governments in order to meet deficit of revenue and development budget have had to take assistance from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and different development partner and donor agency. The assistance of the World Bank is always subject to tough conditions for the poor states and in this respect Bangladesh has also never been an exception. For the sole influence of the countries of capitalised block, the assistance and prescription of the World Bank could not play effective role for the poor countries to become self-reliant. Almost all the governments of our country have had to accept conditional loan of the World Bank to overcome temporary crisis in spite of being considered harmful for the country. The abolition of the rationing system was part of the World Bank’s conditions for loan. At some stage in post-independent, the rationing system was abolished to get loan from the World Bank.

Currently, other than members of the disciplined forces, such as the army, navy, air force, border guards, coastguards, police, ansars, village defence party, etc, no one has access to the rationing system. Previously, officers of the police and ansars were not included in the rationing scheme; they were brought under the scheme during the tenure of the previous elected government of the four-party alliance.

Members of the armed forces are under the defence ministry while members of the police and ansars are under the home affairs ministry. Although officers of police and ansar forces are members of disciplined forces they are considered as civil servants. When officers of police and ansar forces were brought under the rationing system, a demand was raised from amongst officers and employees of the home ministry as to why they would not be given rationing benefit as well? At present the benefit of ration available to the members of the disciplined forces is not based on any well-proportionate principle. In this respect there is discontent amongst members of different disciplined forces.

The officers and employees of civil departments of the government who are deprived of ration benefit are of the view that the markets wherefrom they purchase fish, meat, chicken, egg, etc. consumer goods the members of disciplined force also purchase such consumer goods from the same markets. Then why in respect of latter some consumer goods such as rice, pulse, wheat, edible oil, sugar, etc. would be given in concessional or nominal price? If World Bank loan or assistance is inevitable for the government in that case as per their prescription there ought to have been full abolition of the rationing system. It is true that in developed and developing countries of the world a discriminatory rationing system like ours is not in force. Bangladesh is currently a least developed country and soon to become a developing country. Developed and developing countries in the matter of providing benefits at all stages of civil and military officers and employees look at them from the same view-point and evaluate them equally in accordance with the level.

The conscious people of the country have the question: if we are in the light of the spirit of the supreme law of the country, i.e. the constitution, are firm to the principles of real democracy, economy and social justice then is there any scope to continue the present discriminatory rationing system? And if there is no such scope then by ignoring prescription of the World Bank, if rationing system could be continued for certain special quarters and in some cases its scope could be widened then where is the harm to bring the urban people and civil officers and employees within the rationing scheme by extending the scope? Even after that there remains a tale: if continuation of rationing system is considered harmful for the economy of the country then its abolition should be effective in respect of all which in turn would ensure equality and justice for all.

The number of extra-judicial killings in the first half of the year, according to a report of Ain Shalish Kendro, a dynamic human rights organisation, stands at 63. Neither numerically, or breakup-wise in terms of the agencies killing them off the situation is any better than in the corresponding period of last year.

Actually, the pattern seems to be consistently extensive: Thirty were killed in 'gunfights' with Rab, nine with police, one with a joint team of Rab and Bangladesh Coastguard. Add to these, police torturing eight persons to death and shooting one to death. Also, seventeen inmates and thirty detainees died in police custody.

The statistics speak louder than comments and explode the myth of improving human rights situation. There are two broad implications of such brazen acts of abuse of power and the custodians of law taking law into their own hands aside from other ramifications. The first is that of higher incidence of crime and the second relates to sliding human rights scenario. In between there is a lurking suspicion whether the real criminals are being caught. This stems from the fact most grisly murder incidents are going unsolved with criminals roaming around in a state complete impunity or being shielded away. An impression has grown that law is not for weak and vulnerable and that the general sense of insecurity of the citizens is on the rise.

The ASK report on human right violations draws on newspaper stories. Ironically but not surprisingly perhaps, the journalists themselves are falling prey to killers' hands. At least three journalists were killed in the period under review and forty-three have faced intimidation and death threats allegedly from ruling party men, government officials and criminals. Equally concerning is the fact that a couple of hundred journalists were tortured and one went missing while returning home from work.

Given the vulnerability of journalists it won't be long before they would need special security arrangements to carry out their duties in sensitive beats. A sense of denial of information is collateral to lack of security.

Law minister calls account of mutiny aftermath 'inaccurate, baseless and motivated'

The government yesterday angrily rejected a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report calling for the suspension of an "unfair and flawed" trial of border guards accused of mutiny three years ago.

The New York-based rights group also called for Dhaka to disband the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a special security force accused of torture.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed responded by saying the report was "inaccurate, baseless and motivated," the Bangladesh News Agency reported.

"We have categorically told them that their report is totally unacceptable," he said. "We have asked them not to publish such reports in future."

He went on to accuse HRW of interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, adding that it was up to the government to determine whether to abolish the RAB.

Published on Wednesday, the report focuses on the aftermath of a February 2009 mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles, now known as the Border Guard Bangladesh, which threatened to overthrow the army as it spread nationwide prompting a wave of violence.

More than 1,000 of those accused of mutiny have been arrested and were either sentenced or await trial. "The government's initial response to the mutiny was proportionate and saved lives by refusing army demands to use overwhelming force in a heavily populated area," said Brad Adams, announcing the release of the report on Wednesday. "But since then it has essentially given a green light to the security forces to exact revenge through physical abuse and mass trials."

The report describes "torture by security forces of people in custody on suspicion of planning the mutiny" with the "notorious RAB" allegedly one of the main perpetrators of abuses.

HRW says it interviewed 60 border guards facing trial, family members of the victims, prosecutors, defense lawyers and journalists in compiling details of the abuses described in the report.

Local human rights groups said they have made repeated and similar accusations in the past but that they were also dismissed by the government.

"No rights group writes a report out of their imagination," said Nasiruddin Ahmed, director of Odhikar, a local rights group. "The [HRW] report is based on credible evidence and information, so it is true, I think."

On Wednesday RAB's director of communications and legal affairs Commander M Sohail dismissed the report as inaccurate while accusing HRW of following an agenda.

"[HRW] is trying to instigate militancy and criminal activities to deteriorate law and order in the country," he said in a televised interview.

For years, hundreds of thousands of migrant Bangladeshis have worked illegally across the world, always struggling for official recognition by their host countries despite their hard work.

After facing the threat of abuse, imprisonment and deportation, an increasing number are finally enjoying their new-found legal status in Malaysia, a major destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, after Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur agreed on a formal legalization process last year.

So far this year, more than 267,000 Bangladeshis often working as laborers, nannies, construction workers and on production lines in Malaysia have been given work permits and in some cases even a valid passport.

"This means their life and job are secure now," said Mosharraf Hoassain, who as the minister of labor, employment and expatriates welfare is the man credited with the progress achieved.

About 400, 000 Bangladeshis are currently employed legally in Malaysia with a further 300,000 expected to head there in the future.

There are more than eight million Bangladeshi migrant workers employed in almost every country in the world, with up to two million more working illegally, according to official figures. Saudi Arabia is the temporary home to the vast majority, employing two million Bangladeshis.

Altogether these migrants remit US$23.71 million back to Bangladesh, said Abdul Latif Khan, an official from the Manpower, Employment and Training Bureau.

Efforts are underway to legalize the millions that remain undocumented and vulnerable abroad, say officials, with many subject to abuse for not holding the appropriate paperwork. Their status also means they are paid poorly and often become the victims of people smugglers.

This has created a vicious cycle in which unskilled workers are attracted to jobs, receiving little in the way of support or training, with conditions rarely improving.

Nazmul Haque, another official at the Manpower, Employment and Training Bureau, said that the government is working to offer skills development training before allowing workers to head overseas.

"During training we also help them learn about culture and the laws of the country they intend to go to, making sure they are not abused or exploited," he said.

Last year, the department trained more than 65,000 people, 60 percent of which have already started sending money home, added Haque.

With some 160 million people in a cramped country, there is no shortage of workers looking to head overseas for wages that are often higher, whether the employment is skilled or unskilled.

Rahima Begum, a Muslim woman from Chittagong in the east of the country, is among the many migrant workers that have left and made money with few qualifications.

"I used to work as a housemaid in Dhaka and earned 1,200 taka ($15) every month," she said. "I've been doing the same job in Kuwait and earn 28,000 taka ($341) per month which was impossible in Bangladesh."

Ananta Yusuf reveals the faults behind recurring disasters in the Chittagong division

In the last ten years, series of torrential rain-triggered landslides have killed at least 250 people in the Chittagong port city. Last month’s death toll from landslides, lightning strikes and drowning were caused by non-stop rainfalls in Chittagong division and claimed 114 lives. Besides death, the train services with Chittagong was cut off as the railway bridge had collapsed at Kumira near Bhatiary and the flight operations at Shah Amanat International Airport also collapsed after the inundation of the runway. Experts blame failure of different governmental offices at stopping the vulnerable situation in the hilly area. In 2007, following the most shocking mudslide in the Chittagong port city that took 127 lives, a divisional Hill Management Committee (HMC) was formed. Since then, every year the committee prepared short-term and long-term plans with a number of recommendations to head such catastrophes. Experts divulge that the recent slide has revealed reluctance of the committee and their lack of enthusiasm to run decisions.

Every year in the beginning of the rainy season, port city comes across the same catastrophe, yet there is no strong database to figure out the tendency of landslide. Architect Zarina Hossain, former national planner of Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan (CMMP), tells Xtra, ‘CMMP strategic plan was finalised in 1995 and approved in 1999. Based on that, the detailed area plan was drawn in 2008. Moreover, one of the major proposals was land readjustment and framing related laws and regulations. However, nothing has been done so far.’

Instead of executing the master plan, in the name of world class urbanisation Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) started building residential area Kolpolok and Ononna, in the two big flood lands of the city. So, as the prime rainwater harvesting areas were filled up, most importantly the canals, the city was drowned by silt water.

Zarina says, ‘This years’ flooding was due to filling of the rivers and other water courses by silt of those cut hills besides back tides. Individual companies had cut the hills under their ownership without reference to other parts of the hills. They did not consider topography and the drainage catchment of the hills when developing so that other areas are not affected.’

Moreover, concerned authorities and the owners of the marked hills have never taken steps to check hill cuttings, tree fallings and shifting human settlements along the 12 concerned hilly areas. The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) mayor M Manjur Alam blamed water logging and the HMC because of its failure to facilitate people receding on hill slopes. However, he is not agreeing that CCC also failed to take effective steps.

He tells Xtra, ‘We are trying heart and soul to solve the problems. Even before the rain began, we tried to convince people to move from danger areas. But no one listened to us,’ also adding that disaster happened because of flood, implying that rain is not the major factor.

However, Xtra found that the annual budget of CCC 2012–2013 didn’t mention any plan to resolve water logging in the city, except routine work. Apart from water logging, the annual budget allocates twenty important sectors. According to the master plan, the city needs five new canals to drain its water but the budget allocates 290 crore takas for a canal from Borai Para to Karnaphuli.

In the past year, the CCC also planned to build a high rise building to accommodate people living in the marked area. Unfortunately the plan still remains unexplored.

Interestingly, former CCC Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury during his tenure cemented most of the part of Chaktai Khal which cost 50 crore takas. Experts are surprised about his decision since a cemented canal cannot keep up increasing pressure of huge population. In the name of development, he also occupied most of the city canals. Xtra found that among 16 canals, more or less all of them have been occupied by the City Corporation and private owners. After the end of his tenure, the new mayor also did not take any steps to free the canals.

Shaidul Alam from Akbar Shah colony alleges that the City Corporation only asked to evacuate the place but they didn’t make any room for them. He tells Xtra, ‘It is illogical, we don’t have any place to go. So before asking to leave they should at least make a shelter for us. No one wants to live in the death-trap laps of the hills. But we are bound to do so as there are no alternatives where we can shift to.’ HMC, chaired by the divisional commissioner Sirajul Islam Khan, once again formed a committee to look after the issue. Experts allege that in reality this sort of committee did nothing but organise meetings.

Since its formation, the hill management committee has never been able to take any preventive measures to help the wretched people from disaster. He also admits their lackings and tells Xtra, ’We have very limited power to play a potential role. The marked dangerous hilly areas are owned by different government offices and because of inefficient and inadequate coordination, each year the recommendations could not work.’

On July 2, according to a news report published in New Age, HMC decided in a meeting to disrupt power, gas and water supply to the residences on the vulnerable hill slopes in the Chittagong city within a week. Alef Uddin, additional divisional commissioner, says that letters will be issued to the authorities concerned immediately to take necessary measure in this regard.

The committee also decided to engage a mobile court to put an end to hill cutting, continuing the efforts to relocate the dwellers from the vulnerable hill slopes, to take measure to avert fresh encroachment of hills and rapid evacuation before any disaster.

Alef Uddin stressed on the need for taking feasible action plans as well as implementing the recommendations made earlier to avert landslides and added that Chittagong Disaster Management Program (CDMP) would extend all-out cooperation in this regard.

Muzammel Hoque, former Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), says, ‘Meetings take place after every incident. A number of recommendations also come out. But they are never fully implemented. Moreover, how effective can a forced eviction be, is also a matter of question,’ he says, adding that implementation of these recommendations were imperative to find a way out of such disasters.

Due to encroachment and arbitrary hill cutting, at least 250 people were killed during landslides in Chittagong in the last decade. However, authorities are yet to learn a lesson from the death toll.

Among all the landslides, the 2007 disaster was the deadliest in the last few decades. Following heavy rain, a massive landslide killed 127 people on June 11. All were buried alive while sleeping in homes in the hilly areas of Kaichchaghona, Lebubagan, Matijhorna and Kusumbagh.

The following year, 11 people again died in the Tanki Pahar hill. After the 2007 tragedy, the then caretaker government formed two committees to identify the proper reasons behind the disaster. The committee submitted the reports on June 24 of the same year in which they identified 28 reasons for landslide in the hills. They also suggested 36 procedures, including shifting of the people from the hill slopes, to avoid further loss of lives, building retaining wall to save the danger marked hills etc. Even after six years, the recommendations are yet to be implemented. People still live in homes built on the slopes of the hills. Muhammed Ali, a local resident, claims that people with 'political blessings' are engaged with the hill cutting. 'They encourage us to cut the hill where we can live. However, after a heavy shower if the hill falls down, they reap the profit by selling the sediments at a high price,' he says. Awami League law maker Saber Hossain Chowdhury shares with Xtra that he had tried to add a constitutional provision to stop hill cutting. 'But unfortunately my proposal was rejected through a voice vote in the parliament,' he says.

Experts point out that the risks are higher for the lower income residents in these hills due to the hill cutting in areas of Chittagong like Matijhorna, Tanki Pahar hill, Kaichchaghona, Lebubagan, Foy's lake and Kusumbagh. Much of the government-owned land is occupied by local goons, who extract soil from these hills for housing projects and brick kilns.

The hill-cutting has also led to ecological concerns. An area resident, Khairul Anam, shares, 'Many years ago there were birds, foxes and monkeys in the surrounding hilly areas. But unfortunately, as the trees were cut down, these beauties of nature have already faded.’

In 2008, the Hill Management committee had selected 27 acres of khas land in Hathazari upazila to rehabilitate people affected by landslide. But, the site fell under the firing range of Bangladesh Army. Later on, the committee selected 5.92 acres of land worth Tk 530 million belonging to Bangladesh Railway at Jahan Ali Hat near Kalurghat Bridge.

It had a plan to set rehabilitation centres there for some 2,400 families. But as this project failed, the people returned from Hathazari to the hills. 'As these people were rehabilitated by force, it was only a matter of time that they would return to their home on the hills,' says Ismail Hossain, Secretary of Hill Management Committee, to Xtra.

'The influx of people to Chittagong city is still on the rise with most of these people erecting makeshift homes on the hills and other dangerous areas,' says Muzammel Hoque, former Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET). 'The government should consider the situation of these people who work in Chittagong city and have no other option but to live on the hills before taking any decisions,’ he concludes.

In 2011, at least 17 people died after a rain triggered wall collapsed in Batali Hill area. At that time, the Hill Management committee found that the giant wall was made without any supporting concrete walls to protect the outer portion. According to experts, usually to discharge the rain water, protection walls are built while placing holes in them at appropriate intervals. However, this wall did not have these holes.

'In bare eyes, anyone can easily find faults in the construction of the protection walls. Last year we had placed this in our recommendation paper and destroyed the weak parts of the walls. But unfortunately people started living in the same place within a year,' says Ehsane Elahi, additional deputy commissioner of Chittagong and convener of the five-member probe committee formed by the district administration in 2011.

He also admits that they have little power to work in the concerned areas, since the 12 marked vulnerable hills are occupied by different government departments and private owners. Moreover, pending cases also create obstacles in the progress of experts’ recommendations.

However, last year on July 7, during a meeting, the Hill Management Committee decided to file cases against the illegal owners of the shanties. The then-Chairperson of the committee and also the Divisional commissioner of Chittagong MD Serajul Huq Khan acknowledged the decision by mentioning that according to the Environment Protection Amendment 2010, any individuals or communities affected by environmental pollution can file cases in the environment court seeking compensation.

'We decided to file cases against the illegal owners and now that has become one of the obstacles to achieve our goals. Then we decided to cut all the illegal connections of electricity, gas and water and thus people will be bound to leave the area. The district office issued an order to the concerned offices,' says Khan to Xtra.

However, he also adds, this year the administration has taken protective actions from the beginning of summer, and not from the beginning of rainy season in order to avoid such tragedies. However, Deputy Secretary of CCC admits, ‘It is our fault that we remain inactive before such accidents occur. We should be concerned about the issue throughout the year.’

Making it harder to marry them off young

The Bangladeshi government is attempting to register birth data online to combat high levels of child marriage. On 8 June in Bangladesh’s western Khustia District, local media reported that 15-year-old Iva Parvin was to be married off by parents hiding her age, but local officials challenged the marriage and demanded proof that she had reached the legal marrying age of 18. When her parents could not provide documentation, the marriage was not approved. “We feel the situation is improving but it is still not acceptable,” said Amy Delneuville, a child protection specialist at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Bangladesh. “In visits by our staff to the field, we are still finding unacceptable numbers of girls being married with the approval of the kazi [a person who conducts the marriage] and parents.” Everyone should “soon” have a birth certificate. Limited birth registration data is already online, with a full roll-out expected by June 2013. “Once it is fully online it will be easy to stop child marriage when parents marry off their daughter hiding her age,” said A K M Saiful Islam Chowdhury, director of the government's Birth and Death Registration Project, which is supported by UNICEF.

The government launched a campaign to reach the estimated 90 percent of the population that did not have birth documentation in 2006. Today, an estimated 114 million of the country’s 150 million inhabitants have birth certificates, according to officials.

The 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey recorded that 66 percent of women aged 20-24, mainly in rural areas, were married before they were 18 years old. Zinnat Afroze, a social development adviser at Plan International, a child rights NGO working in Bangladesh, said it was impossible to end child marriage without addressing its root causes. The Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association noted that almost 90 percent of girls aged 10-18 have experienced what is known locally as “eve-teasing”, where boys intercept girls on the street, shout obscenities, tease them and grab their clothing. “Parents feel insecure… [they fear the] sexual harassment [of their girls] and marry off their girl child,” Afroze said. Local human rights groups have reported girls committing suicide as a result of such harassment. The dowry is another problem, Afroze said. “Many parents believe that they have to give high dowry money if they [wait and] do not marry off their girl at their early age,” she said. The younger the bride, the lower the dowry.

Experts note that birth certificates are only one tool for preventing such marriages. Since 1982 the Female Secondary School Assistance Programme has used cash incentives paid to families to keep girls in secondary school and out of marriage. Guardians receive a stipend of up to $9 per month, depending on which grade the girl is in at school, on condition that she attends at least 75 percent of her classes, and remains unmarried until she completes her exams. Tuition, books and public exam fees are also covered. Afroze said some guardians have tried to collect the stipend without sending the girls to school. “The government stipend programme for female students should continue, and should be strongly monitored so that the right person gets it.”

The road to promulgation for a generally acceptable education policy has been a long one. Attempts have been made to do so in different decades, none of which made it to enactment: the Hamoodur Commission Report in the '60s, Qudrat-i-Khuda report in the early '70s, education policy in the early '80s during H.M. Ershad's regime all failed for one reason or another. The present government promulgated the Education Policy in 2010. This in itself is a major milestone for the government.

There have been some notable successes. In an effort to break the old system of recruitment of teachers in schools, where money power and influence helped secure lucrative positions, the ministry has established "Teachers' pool" at district level. Interested candidates must qualify as 'pool' teachers - if they can pass the examination. So when the schooling system recruits, these 'pool' teachers will be called upon. The introduction of Primary school certificate (P.S.C.) up to Class V: may not have helped urban school going children who are going to good schools. However, the government is funding 'on paper' hundreds of thousands of primary schools across the country. Thanks to P.S.C., now schools have to come up with real results to protect registration. This will help the government to take stock of the real situation in primary education P.S.C. can serve as a yardstick for evaluation. The overhauling in syllabus, i.e. new text books and changing the way examinations are held. The fact that there will be no question bank to speak of in itself is a major improvement. With more emphasis placed on creativity and analytical ability, it will change the way students are educated in schools. Although the new system has received positive feedback from the bulk of students, even here, there is resistance. Those parents who are wholly committed to attaining the best grades for their children are bound to be unhappy. Teachers too are challenged by the new system that takes away their comfort zone. Teachers' retraining will be a major challenge for the government, but these are being implemented.

However, besides success with the education policy, the ministry of education finds itself in the soup on a number of other fronts. Of late, a number of directives issued by the ministry are being ignored at all levels. Examples can be found ten-a-penny. For instance the ministry's ban on corporal punishment in schools issued in August, 2010 has not been enforced till date. In September of 2010, the 'Private University Act' was passed in parliament that made operating outer campuses of such educational institutions unlawful. That too is being ignored by most institutions. The case of returning unlawful donations parents have had to cough up to the schooling system at the time of enrolling children has run into hot water. Though the ministry issued explicitly instructions to schools to expedite return of these monies, the various schools have not done so. Indeed the list of irregularities does not stop there. The more blatant disregard for rules and regulations comes to light when one is faced with the fact that some of the most reputed primary and secondary schools in the city have not bothered to take permission of the ministry to open one or several branches of their institutions. This is in direct violation of 'The Education Board of Secondary and Intermediate Regulation 1974'. Similarly, government regulation on banning private coaching has been prepared but has not been enforced.

Why is this happening? The answer to the question of 'school development fees' that practically every reputed primary and secondary educational institution is forcing down the collective throats of parents is self-explanatory; the presence of ruling members of parliament on school committees automatically gives those institutions the political leverage needed to withstand any directive of the education ministry. From what has been reported in the press, the ministry's own fact-finding committee constituted after the Monipur School scandal found no less than 24 schools guilty of such illegal revenue generation. Given the severe dearth of good schools in the city, the call to parents not to pay up and report in writing of wrongdoing against any school is not going to work. No parent in his or her right mind will risk exposure and the lame excuse that the ministry cannot act on hearsay merely helps to maintain the status quo.

Though laws have been changed to challenge the entrenched 'coaching' system, eradicating an annual muli-million Taka trade is easier said than done. It is interesting to note that the law has irked both parents and teachers alike. A change in mindset will take time since grades are involved. The present system benefits those who can benefit to make the financial commitment involving thousands of Taka a month spent on buying the services of unscrupulous teachers to get a comparative advantage for their children. It is hugely detrimental to the bulk of students who cannot afford these extra fees and are largely left to their own devices since the lessons that they are entitled to in class do not take place.

DWAIPAYAN BARUA reports from Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, on the fleeing Rohingyas from the Rakhine state of Myanmar who sought refuge in Bangladesh following the sectarian violence there, with a focus on the recent debate over the issue.

The Rohingya issue, which remains a long-term problem for Bangladesh, has again created a tension here. Sectarian violence in the western state of Rakhine in neighbouring Myanmar early last month triggered increasing attempts by the Rohingyas to seek refuge in the bordering area of Teknaf in Bangladesh. The government, however, has not allowed any refugee yet. Bangladesh though welcomed Rohingya refugees twice earlier in late 1970s and early 1990s which led to a huge influx, this time the issue has raised many questions.

The issue has given birth to a debate over the question of strategic reality on one hand and aspect of humanity on the other. The present government is coming up with the argument that the country is already overburdened with over five lakh Rohingya refugees who have been staying in the country for decades causing social, economic and political crisis. Many, on the other hand, have criticised the government's strictness for paying no heed to humanitarian aspects. But there are some other questions that need to be answered. The beauty of the Naff, which flows gracefully between the two countries, serving as the border, enthralls many. It, however, failed to have any impact on the Buddhist and Muslim rioters who got busy in killing each other. So, the question to ask is why the two religious groups are pitted against each other and what stands in their way of peaceful living.

The poor Rohingya mother who was forced to flee with her six-month-old infant, leaving behind her burning house, her beloved three other children in the clash-ridden village Sakkipara in Akiab (also known as Sittwe), travelled through rough sea on a small engine boat for two or three days at a stretch with little food and water. She surely proved how brutally humanity was at stake in Myanmar. When Myanmar is on its way to democracy, it is only expected that communal harmony will be restored in due time.

Being members of a minority group, Rohingyas have long been facing problems in Myanmar regarding their rights including citizenship. It is commonly known that they are not issued the same identity cards usually issued for other Myanmar citizens. Rohingyas have been living in different areas of Myanmar for centuries. They were there even before its independence in 1948. Yet, they have not been treated as Burmese citizens.

Some unwanted incidents led to the recent violence which was triggered by the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman in late May. The incident prompted a series of revenge attacks. On June 3, 10 Muslim pilgrims were reportedly dragged out from a bus and lynched. Then violence erupted at Maungdaw on June 8 as Rohingyas engaged in a clash with Buddhist Rakhines after the Jumma prayer. The situation worsened when the Luntin Armed Police Battalion members allegedly helped Rakhine Buddhists and took part in looting and attacking Rohingyas. The Myanmar government deployed its army on June 11 in those localities having withdrawn the Luntin forces from those areas for their controversial roles. During the last two major influxes, it was known that Myanmar's border security force Nasaka had forced the Rohingyas to trespass into Bangladesh but this time it reportedly sealed its border so that none could leave the country.

So, unlike the previous incidents, this time the Myanmar government took some steps including imposing a state of emergency in the Rakhine state in a bid to stop spread of the clash, which looked very positive. Whatever step it took, the sporadic clash could be checked within a few days that would have saved more lives and properties. Several boats with Myanmar nationals from Akiab started coming through the Naff river since June 11 and continued till June 13 and then resumed again since June 17. But the BGB forces pushed them back each time. In fact, the forces have a different story to tell.

The border forces believe these people mostly were job-searching young men who tried to use the crisis period as a chance for trespassing. Rohingyas crossing over into Bangladesh have become a regular phenomenon. Official records show they pushed back at least 200 Rohingyas every month from January to May this year. According to the locals of Teknaf, incidents of Rohingya entering Teknaf increase during three different times a year: January-February, October-November and before the holy month of Ramadan.

Local farmers cultivate salt in this region in January-February and harvest crops during October-November which is why many day-labourers are needed at the time. Young people of Rohingya communities from Maungdaw and adjoining areas try to come here for work at the two seasons and also come here for work before Ramadan to earn money and return immediately before Eid festivals. Common people of Teknaf and Cox's Bazar despite having usual sympathy for distressed Rohingyas do not want any more arrival of Rohingyas here as a huge number of refugees have already created pressure on land, food and economy and side by side creating social problems. Many of the Rohingyas are engaged in different criminal activities including drug or yaba smuggling and arms peddling. The two registered Rohingya camps accommodate only 26,000 people while a good number of them are living in two unregistered camps and elsewhere in Chittagong. As the Rohingya camps remain quite unprotected due to lack of fencing, people easily can get in and out of these camps opening up scopes for crimes.

Many demand that Rohingya camps could be shifted and located away from the border to discourage regular trespassing. It also becomes difficult for the law enforcers to differentiate the Rohingyas due to similarity of their appearance and accent with the local people. Repatriation process of these Myanmar refugees which stopped in 2005 should be resumed and the respective governments should play their roles in this regard.

The young Rohingyas who have been living here in the camps since their birth are no more willing to carry on a refugee life. They also want rights and amenities required for human beings. They do not believe migration to Bangladesh or any other countries could be a solution to the crisis. Rather, they dream for a perfect democracy to be established in their homeland so that they can return there with honour and security.

Flooding has claimed thousands of properties across the country

Although water levels have receded following devastating floods that killed at least 100 people at the end of last month, many of those affected across the country say they remain stranded without aid.

Authorities said yesterday that more than 50,000 people have been left stranded in the northwestern district of Sirajgonj, one of the country’s most flood-prone areas, after torrential monsoon rains caused the Jamuna River to burst its banks.

“The river has wiped away my home and farm land. I’ve nowhere to go,” said Abdul Khaleque, 54, a farmer.

Rezaul Karim, 25, a college student, said that flooding and river erosion had also hit his family but that relief efforts had not reached them yet.

Aminul Islam, deputy commissione of Sirajgonj, said authorities had distributed 1.3 million taka (US$ 15,854) and 500 tonnes of rice, stressing there were no reports of water-borne diseases so far.

“The flood waters have started receding in our area and 10 camps have been set up to shelter hundreds of flood-stricken people,” he said.

Authorities are yet to make a decision on compensation for farmers hit by the floods, he added.

In Kurigram district on the Indian border to the north, the river remains 32 centimeters above safe levels, said authorities, leaving thousands of people stranded in 350 villages. Reports said two children have died from flooding in the area.

Habibur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Kurigram, said river water levels were down by 90 centimeters in the past three days prompting hope that the situation was returning to normal.

In Manikgonj district further south, river erosion has claimed hundreds of hectares of arable land, according to the authorities and farmers in the area.

Sandhya Rani, 46, said that the Jamuna River had swept away all of her few plots of land.

In Chittagong district in the south, deputy commissioner Foyez Ahmed said that the situation was improving after 35 people died last month.

Floodwater had also started to recede in Sylhet and Sunamgonj districts in the northeast of the country, according to reports, but tens of thousands remained trapped by floodwater in Borga and Jamalpur districts in the northwest.

Suspects in the 2009 mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles border guards (BDR) have been subjected to widespread abuse, torture, and deaths in custody, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The mass trials of nearly 6,000 suspects raise serious fair trial concerns. The 57-page report, "'The Fear Never Leaves Me': Torture, Custodial Deaths, and Unfair Trials After the 2009 Mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles," provides a detailed account of the mutiny and documents serious abuses in the aftermath, including torture by security forces of people in custody on suspicion of planning the mutiny, and of ongoing concerns about fair trial violations in mass trials of hundreds of suspects at a time. The notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has allegedly been involved in many of the abuses.

"Those responsible for the horrific violence that left 74 dead should be brought to justice, but not with torture and unfair trials," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The government's initial response to the mutiny was proportionate and saved lives by refusing army demands to use overwhelming force in a heavily populated area. But since then it has essentially given a green light to the security forces to exact revenge through physical abuse and mass trials."

Human Rights Watch interviewed over 60 people for this report, including family members of the victims, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and journalists.

Human Rights Watch called on the Bangladeshi authorities to establish an independent investigative and prosecutorial task force with sufficient expertise, authority, and resources to rigorously investigate and prosecute allegations of human rights abuses after the mutiny. The mass trials should be halted. During the mutiny, 74 people were killed, including 57 army officers, and a number of army wives were allegedly subjected to sexual violence. The mutiny, believed to be triggered by long-standing grievances of the lower-ranking guards, broke out during the BDR's annual celebrations on February 25, 2009, at its central Dhaka headquarters in Pilkhana Barracks. The newly elected government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chose to negotiate a settlement rather than send in a heavily armed response, as demanded by the army, to quell the mutiny.

After the mutiny ended, though, the army and other security agencies immediately began to round up thousands of suspects. Family members of detainees and the media soon reported allegations of torture and custodial deaths. At least 47 suspects have died in custody. Detainees were subjected to beatings, often on the soles of their feet or palms of their hands, and to electric shock. Some victims described being hung upside down from the ceiling. Many of those who survived the torture suffered long-term physical ailments, including kidney failure and partial paralysis. Several family members told Human Rights Watch that the victims seemed psychologically destroyed and depressed as a result. One man whose father died in custody told Human Rights Watch that his father had been in good health until he was arrested: "My father was trying to hide from me what had happened to him, but I could see he had trouble walking, he was almost staggering, couldn't stand."

Human Rights Watch raised these concerns with the government in Dhaka as early as March 2009, and has raised them frequently since. Human Rights Watch knows of no cases in which the government has ordered investigations into custodial torture or deaths related to the mutiny. Instead, official statements have claimed that many of the accused died of heart attacks, or other natural causes, even in cases in which there is substantial evidence of serious bodily harm while the person was in custody. Torture is routinely used by security forces in Bangladesh, even though it is a state party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Human Rights Watch and others have long documented the systematic use of torture in Bangladesh by its security forces, including the army, the Rapid Action Battalion, and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, the country's main intelligence agency. "The failure of the government to investigate allegations of custodial torture and death makes it appear that it does not care about what happens to victims or about the conduct of government forces," Adams said. "The government talks a good game about human rights and the rule of law, but it has done nothing to end the culture of abuse and impunity among its security forces." Human Rights Watch expressed serious concern about the enormous number of people convicted after mass trials before specially created military tribunals and civilian courts. Most of the accused have not had recourse to adequate counsel, adequate time to prepare a defense, access to the evidence against them, or even made aware of the charges. Although the prosecution has assured Human Rights Watch that testimony obtained under duress would not be used against the accused, defense lawyers told Human Rights Watch that such coerced statements were part of their clients' dossiers. Human Rights Watch is particularly concerned that these trials are being conducted en masse, with as many as more than 800 of the accused being tried at once. About 4,000 people have already been found guilty by military tribunals, all in mass trials. A specially appointed civilian court, established under the Bangladesh Criminal Procedure Code, is hearing a case against 847 people accused of serious criminal conduct such as murder. Some of the charges in this case carry the death penalty as a possible sentence. The Bangladeshi authorities should immediately halt mass trials proceedings. Instead, Bangladeshi authorities shouldestablish an independent investigative and prosecutorial task force with sufficient expertise, authority, and resources to rigorously investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute all allegations of unlawful deaths, torture, and mistreatment of suspects in the mutiny, regardless of the rank or institutional affiliation of the person responsible for the abuse. Until such an independent task force is established, existing prosecutors should investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute allegations of unlawful deaths, torture, and mistreatment of mutiny suspects, regardless of the rank or institutional affiliation of the person responsible. "Families of victims and survivors of the mutiny deserve justice. It is impossible to hold fair trials unless the prosecution prepares a case against each person accused and that person's defense counsel has the time and documentation to prepare a proper defense," Adams said. "Mass trials like these simply cannot provide justice for victims, or real answers about who was responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the mutiny."

the voice of the Bishops against a model that does not consider the native population

"One of the problems currently faced by the peoples of the Amazon is that of the major projects which, besides having a huge impact on the environment, generate profits for some and cause numerous negative social impacts for cities in which they are carried out": this is the main theme of the press conference held on July 3 by the Workshop" St. Pius X," as part of the X Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon, which takes place in Santarém-PA, Brazil. The speakers at the press conference were His Exc. Mgr Jesus Maria Berdonces, Bishop of the Prelature of Cameta, and President of the North Brazilian Region I; His Exc. Mgr. Moses Joao Pontelo, Bishop of Cruzerio do Sul and president of the North-West Region; His Exc. Mgr. Roque Paloschi, Bishop of Roraima, and Msgr. Raymond Possidonio, coordinator of the Pastoral of the Archdiocese of Belém and historian.

Mgr. Jesus Berdonces stressed that the Amazon is still considered today as a colony, where people come, take raw material, get richer, and then leave. "This is a capitalist model, adopted by the government in the region of the Amazon, which does not take into account the people who live there. To them people are just a detail that hinders development, " reads the note sent by the Episcopal Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) to Fides. But there is another model recommended by the Church, whose goal is the people who are in the Amazon: "The Church supports the promotion of family farming, argues that the profits of wealth (both mining and agriculture) should remain in Amazon, and that people should be involved. "Mgr. Roque Paloschi stressed the importance of knowing who is benefitting from the profits of these large projects, as well as having the blessing of the government, are funded with public money. He underlined that people do not have guarantees and their lands are almost always used for some arbitrarily "agribusiness" and by economic groups that arrive in the area. Mgr. Mosé Joao Pontelo denounced that there are problems, and require the intervention and the responsibility of the Pastors, who are the leaders of the Church in this area. He also said that the current meeting of Santarém marks the way to follow in the next five years.

The X Meeting of Bishops will prepare a document as a final conclusion, and three letters, addressed to the rulers of the States of the Amazon, to the People of God and to the Holy Father Benedict XVI.

Gold fever pervades the young people of Burkina Faso in search of an alternative source of livelihood to agriculture, in crisis because of drought. The "yellow" gold has now replaced the "white" cotton, as the first exportation of the Country, says a survey carried out by OCADES Caritas Burkina. If 80% of the local workforce is still employed in agriculture, the mining sector is booming. The industrial production of gold increased from 5,000 kg in 2008 to 11,642 kg in 2009. The mining sector is in the hands of foreign companies (U.S., French, Canadian, Australian). Besides the mining industry there is the hand-crafted industry, where thousands of Burkinabe dedicate themselves to this activity, attracted by the possibility of gain, but whose life is not easy.

It is actually about sifting through the sands of the rivers in search of small amounts of gold: a hard and thankless work, done for hours and hours under the blinding sun. "But those who succeed in finding gold can be counted on the fingers of one's hand," says the survey.

The mayor of Boroum, one of the sites in search of gold, highlights the social harm caused by the arrival of improvised gold diggers: "the phenomenon of the search for gold is very disturbing. When young people fail to get a bit of money, they prefer to dissipate it in large cities instead of using it to help their parents. On research sites all sorts of unhealthy practice are found: drug use, prostitution, robberies and rapes. Some young people go home sick. Even if they have no means, their parents feel obligated deplete all their meager resources in order to treat them. The search for gold is creating serious problems. "The National Executive Secretary of OCADES Caritas Burkina, Fr. Isidore Ouedraogo, says that the phenomenon of gold miners is "one of the main problems on which we have to work.

"This problem is even more important as people have repeatedly rebelled against the mining companies, accused of being interested only in the accumulation of profits and not to build infrastructures and create jobs for the local people. (L.M.)

Beijing's sermon: Vatican "barbarous and irrational" by Bernardo Cervellera

In a statement to undermine the Propaganda Fide Note, the Religious Affairs Bureau criticizes the Holy See of "stifling freedom" and "intolerance." Threats of more "self-elected" and "self-ordained" bishops, without papal mandate. Party lacks a sense of history. But not a sense of "business" and corruption: the control of "religious affairs" fruits bureaucrats about 13 billion Euros.

Note against note; excommunication against excommunication, real pain against false pain; theology against base politics: in response to the note released by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on the ordination without papal mandate to be held in Harbin (Heilongjiang) July 6, the Office of Religious Affairs of China has published a "Note" by an anonymous spokesman.

The fact would almost make one smile at the absurdity of the second-largest world economy, which defends "religious freedom" and "tolerance" and then kidnaps a priest, Fr. Joseph Zhao Hongchun, just because he is faithful to the Holy See.

With a rough and undiplomatic style the State Administration for Religious Affairs (ASAR, the new name of the Religious Affairs Bureau) yesterday through Xinhua, expressed its surprise at the Vatican's attitude, deemed "outrageous," " shocking "," full of threats", "barbaric and irrational. "

The Vatican note points out that in the Catholic Church appointments of bishops are made on the pope's mandate and those who transgress this element of faith lead to "divisions, wounds and tensions within the Catholic community in China." What is happening in Harbin in these days is proof of this, where many priests have gone into hiding in order not to participate in the illegitimate consecration of a bishop, as well as what is taking place in different parts of China, where the excommunicated bishops are deserted by the faithful and priests, who prefer to go underground.

According to ASAR, it is the exact opposite: it is the attitude of the Vatican, with its "interference and allegations" that "are restricting freedom and intolerance, undermining the healthy development of the Catholic Church in China, and bringing no benefit to the universal Church".

In this profession of love for "freedom" and against "intolerance", ASAR - a government agency! - then moves on to defend the candidate for election, Fr. Joseph Yue Fusheng, whom they describe as "devout in his faith, morally clean, honest."

It must be said that the Vatican considers Yue a good priest, but a little too weak to take on a bishops' responsibility. What the "tolerant" ASAR does not like is that there is someone who has a different opinion than thier own, especially in religious matters!

The point in fact is that the Office for Religious Affairs does not want to merely hold vigil over possible crime of religions, but to act as a sort of "pope" in purely spiritual matters.

As a result ASAR claims that its bishops, chosen by the Party with the method of "self-election" and "self-ordination", are "equal to all other bishops of the world" - as opposed to what the Vatican says - they are "legitimate" and their sacraments "valid". Perhaps someone should explain to these bureaucrats and the Middle Ages and the bishops who received their investiture from the emperor died long ago. It is enough to compare the situation in neighboring countries - Korea, Japan, Singapore, Mongolia and Vietnam even - to see how outdated they are compared to a modern country where church and state are separate and not joined in political power.

But a sense of history is one of the most lacking in the bureaucracy of the Chinese Communist Party.

The proof is in the very Note that ASAR took pains to publish widely, which states that "in the last century, in the 1950s, the threat of excommunication by the Vatican forced the Catholic Church in China to pursue the path of self-election and 'self-ordination".

These bureaucrats do not ask: why did self-election and self-ordination not occur before, in the centuries before Mao Zedong? Do they not even realize that Mao's religious policy is a foreign import, coming from Stalin's Russia?

And why in this new era for China, which seeks to purify the legacy of Mao Zedong, does this disgusting and humiliating legacy for China and for the Church still persist?

The conclusions of the ASAR Note are contradictory: while claiming to be open to dialogue with the Vatican, it demands the "freedom" (a threat) to want to continue with "self-appointed" and "self-ordained" bishops. Apart from the lack of diplomacy manifested in this position, there is a sense of fear. If it were not ordained bishops chosen by the Party bureaucrats, but personalities who are really interested in the Church and society, perhaps many complaints of corruption would come to light such as the theft of property and pocketing of resources destined for the Church and for the people, which have become the foundation of their welfare and their economic power. According to a survey by Holy Spirit Study Centre in Hong Kongunder the guise of communist control, the leaders of the "religious affairs" have pocketed the proceeds for "economic affairs" to the tune of about 130 billion Yuan (about 13 billion euros).

In all of this some worthwhile advice to President Hu Jintao: in your fight against corruption and for greater morality in your Party, give full religious freedom to the Church and religions.

Launched in recent days, the operation involved over 10 thousand agents in 15 provinces. Involved in the traffic: surgeries, clinics and hospitals. Officials lured pregnant women and families, promising up to 8 thousand Euros for the sale of their child. Children older than two years were sold at auction in the provinces with most requests. In case of illness the children were thrown out during the trip and left to die in the street.

With a huge operation in 15 provinces, the Chinese police arrested 802 people involved in illegal trafficking of babies and children below six years. The intervention of the police involved over 10 thousand agents inraids on several hospitals in the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Sichuan, Fujian, Henan and Yunnan, where for several years a veritable "consortium "for the sale of babies to be auctioned had formed. Many of them came from families that had violated the one-child rule, which forces mothers to forced abortions and sterilizations. In total, the agents have rescued 181 children who were to be delivered in the coming days to Chinese and foreign families.

A note from the Ministry of Public Security said that the operation began in December in Henan with the arrest of four people aboard a bus carrying a group of children to be auctioned. Questioned by police, they revealed the names of the bosses of the local trafficking ring. In April, the investigations were extended to 15 other provinces, from the courier firms to clinics and hospitals.

From the information gathered by the agents, the trafficking took place thanks to the complicity of officials who signaled wealthy families of the opportunity to buy a child from women with financial problems. Before agreeing, those interested visited the clinics where they controlled the conditions of the unborn, sex, and in some cases the health of parents. Children under the age of six years were instead sold at auction. To avoid attracting attention while traveling, including several long days, traffickers would forces the infants to take heavy doses of sleeping pills. Those who fell ill during the journey were simply abandoned on the street in the bushes and left to die.

Sun Jinli, head of Public Security Zaozhuanf, Shandong, said doctors pocketed about 700 euros for each child sold. Trafficking bosses got up to 2 thousand Euros. The tariff for the families could reach figures in excess of 8 thousand Euros, especially for boys and in good health.

No to the closure of "bi-national markets" a source of livelihood for thousands of families

The Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic has expressed a negative opinion on the closure of "bi-national markets" that are held every week at different points along the border with Haiti, warning anyone who promotes such a measure, because it does not take into account the damage that it causes to thousands of Haitians and Dominicans who flock to the markets and manage to survive thanks to this kind of trade.

The Church's voice was heard in the editorial titled "Abandoned" (Desamparados), published in the latest issue of the weekly "Camino", in which inter alia states: "Those who support the closure of the bi-national markets show that their heart is far from the border."

Last week, Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe, had proposed to close down the bi-national markets as part of a series of measures aimed at eliminating smuggling and to secure an increase in tax revenue of the country.

The Church knows that if these measures are applied, the Haitian authorities prove to ignoring the real needs of their compatriots, "because this informal trade between the two peoples dates back to the colonial period and was reinforced at the time of the embargo that hit Haiti "decades ago. The Church, therefore, calls on the Haitian government to open its doors to trade" and not to hinder it, otherwise it will mean only increasing misery. If the problem is the lack of revenue into the coffers of the Haitian state, these must be found elsewhere, and not putting the poor on the cross." (CE)

Growing rift between al-Azhar and Muslim Brotherhood for control of Sunni Islam

Islamists want to limit the powers of the Islamic world's most prestigious university and impose their radical vision of the Qur'an. Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam at al-Azhar, walks out of President Morsy's maiden speech because the presidential staff failed to allocate him a seat at the event.

The long-standing tensions between al-Azhar, the world's foremost Sunni university, and the Muslim Brotherhood are now out in the open, dividing Egypt. Local media have given wide coverage to the spat between Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, and President Morsy. For the president's first address to the nation, the presidential staff failed to allocate a seat to the religious leader, who left the venue before the new president started to speak.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is trying its steal the limelight from al-Azhar and impose its radical interpretation of Islam," said Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. "For this reason, the grand imam was not given a seat worthy of his rank during Morsy's address at al-Azhar Islamic University in Cairo."

For the past month, tensions between the two sides have been running high, the priest explained. Before the military dissolved the Islamist-controlled parliament, the latter had passed a law limiting the powers of the university in politics but also religion.

"The Muslim Brotherhood wants to limit the role of al-Azhar, especially its moderate vision of Islam, in government and schools, replacing it with its own and the Salafists' literalist and radical interpretation."

In order to avoid an open conflict among centres of powers, Morsy apologised today to al-Tayeb, claiming that the seating fiasco was due to poor organisation.

In a statement, the university expressed its disappointment over the incident, noting that the grand imam was traditionally seated next to the prime minister.

In recent years, al-Azhar has carried the banner of a more moderate Islam, open to dialogue with other religions, in stark contrast with the extremist positions and literalist interpretations proposed by the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists.

Many lecturers and professors at the university are affiliated with the Brotherhood. For this reason, they are given little leeway in the university and are under the constant watch of academic and religions authorities. (S.C.)

Christians in India, fresh attacks on religious freedom by Nirmala Carvalho

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) denounces anti-Christian attacks in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, perpetrated by the Hindu ultra-nationalists. In both cases, the common element is the complicity of police and authorities with the aggressors.

Attacks against Christians in India continue, perpetrated by the Hindu ultra-nationalists with the complicity of the police. The last few episodes have occurred in chronological order in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), denounces the situation is "no longer tolerable to secular India", where "more and more Christians do not enjoy the constitutional freedom to profess and practice their religion in their places of worship. "

The first episdoe July in Vijayapura (Karnataka) against Rev. Kantharaj Hanumanthappa, pastor of the Pentecostal Church Zion Prarthana Mandira, was leading a prayer service at his home. Suddenly, about 20 activists of the Bajrang Dal (Hindu ultranationalist group) interrupted the gathering, insulting and accusing the faithful present of proselytizing among the Hindus. In order not to escalate the situation, the pastor decided to halt the service. Then, along with some of these he went to the Burmasagar police station to file a complaint, but officers have not yet made any arrests.

A similar situation occurred in the village of Rahika (Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh), during a three day gathering (26-28 June) of a Pentecostal church in the area. Around midnight on the first day, some police raided the home of Pastor Ramgopal, seized his phone and took him to the police station. The officers threatened him: "Either you go away from here and not ever come back, or we will arrest you." The intervention of local officials of the GCIC were fruitless: the police released him only after the pastor signed a statement, promising not to conduct any more prayer service in the area.

"Incidents like these - said Sajan George - are now commonplace, especially in states led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the Hindu ultra-nationalist party, Ed.) Members of the Sangh Parivar attack the vulnerable Christian community, in silence and protection from the authorities. Our appeals to provide security are useless. "

The government has announced a 5.4 billion dollar project. The plan covers only generic drugs. The doctors who will prescribe brand-name medications are likely to incur fines. Big pharmaceutical companies critical: they will sink the market.

More than half of India's population will soon be able to get medical treatment for free. The central government has in fact initiated a 5.4 billion dollar project, which includes the distribution of generic drugs at no cost. The decision has already attracted strong criticism from major foreign pharmaceutical companies, who accuse the authorities of undermining the market to attract consensus in the general election of 2014. However, if it were to remain unchanged, the project promises to change the lives of millions of people, and the face of the entire health system in India.

Whether they work in large urban hospitals or clinics in small rural areas, doctors can prescribe state funded generic medicines to all patients. According to the government plan, if found to prescribe "brand" medicines, the doctor will incur fines of varying extent. However, doctors will be able to spend 5% of their total budget (approximately 50 million dollars per year) in brand-name drugs that have no generic equivalent. The situation of those who work in private clinics and hospitals remains unchanged. The plan is revolutionary, especially in a country like India where health care is still considered a luxury good: private hospitals cost on average four times more than the state hospitals, despite the 40% of the population living with just 1. 25 dollars per day.

According to the government, within five years at least half the Indian population (about 1.2 billion people) will benefit from this service. "The government policy - said LC Goyal, Adjunct Secretary in the Ministry of Health -is to promote greater and more rational use of generic drugs, which meet every standard of quality, but cost much less than the brand." Pharmaceutical companies worldwide - including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck - will be among the most affected by this project. Every year they spend billions of dollars in research, with the aim of promoting a solid brand name drugs in emerging economies (like India), where 90% of drug sales is represented by generic drugs.

In India, the American company Abbott Laboratories and GlaxoSmithKline are the largest distributors of drugs, both brand and generic. In 2010, the first bought an Indian company that produced generic drugs.

When I was young I would often see street children waiting outside ice-cream shops and roadside eateries in what was then Calcutta to lick clean our discarded paper cups and plates. For such nourishment these hungry waifs would often have to squabble among themselves or compete with street dogs. Disgusting as it may seem, we were often reminded of this at home by our mother when we couldn’t finish our meal. “Think of the poor children on the road who don’t have food to eat. Finish up. Don’t waste,” she would say. Over the years, as conditions in India improved, such scenes were all but forgotten till the other day when I was shocked to see two children fighting over a half-eaten sandwich from a garbage can in central Kolkata. Just that morning I had read in the newspapers that India had recorded a bumper grain harvest of 240 million tons and that there was no space to store 12 million tons of it. Inadequate storage facilities already cause around one-third of all food produced in India to go to waste every year. Since then I have seen on television how sacks and sacks of food grain are left in open, football field-sized compounds to be pecked at by crows and spoiled by the monsoons. I have heard how the government spends 26 million rupees (US$472,730) annually to get rid of 600 trillion rupees-worth of grain that has rotted in storage. Yet two children in a major metropolis were fighting over scraps of food. This is symbolic of the situation in India where an estimated 30 percent of people live in an appalling state of malnutrition and quasi-starvation.

National Family Health Survey data shows that 43 percent of Indian children under five are underweight because of malnutrition and that despite the surplus of food production, India has among the worst nutrition indicators in the world. The United Nations World Food Program says 27 percent or more of the world’s undernourished people live in India. I can understand if India did not produce enough food. I belong to a generation that would have to line up at the local bakery, praying that the bread would not run out before I reached the front of the line or pay extra to buy dal, rice and cooking oil on the black market because of scarcity. But today, the government remains the country’s single largest procurer of food grain and has so much of it that it literally leaves it to rot while millions go hungry because they are too poor to buy food. Understandably, the government may not have the money or resources to build adequate storage or have enough grain to feed every hungry mouth. But India cannot be so callous and immoral as to allow a lack of basic necessities to coexist with superabundance and waste. This contradiction must not be allowed to continue.

The Supreme Court, I think, has on more than one occasion directed that no one should die of hunger and that every Indian has a right to food. The government does have ration shops and public distribution schemes, so it really isn’t that callous after all. It even has a National Food Security bill before parliament that is yet to be passed because of a supposed lack of consensus on just who among the 350 million people living below the poverty line is most in need of food. Is it the destitute? Or those chronically malnourished? Is it the starving, homeless, barely alive or constantly hungry?

I am not a Maoist sympathizer but I do see the point in their argument that the government has to meet people’s fundamental right to food and basic necessities. A law to guarantee that all Indians have access to adequate food is one way of doing this. The other way is for the government to do what must be done to curb wastage. Immediately! But any law to be effective has to start with individuals and this reminds me again of my mother telling me not to waste food. Cheeky as I was then, I would always argue as to how eating my food was going to help the hungry street children. Now of course I know better. Recent studies have shown that although hunger hotspots have become direr, about 20 percent of food is wasted even before it is purchased. Double that amount is wasted afterwards. About 20 percent of the food at Indian weddings, parties and social functions as well as in restaurants and hotels is wasted. Our own efforts at curbing wastage, coupled with what the government can do and legislate, I am sure will go a long way in guaranteeing a hungry-free India. After all, common sense says that waste food could go to feed the hungry. So how in conscience can we not do anything, no matter how small, to alleviate the plight of those who go to bed hungry?

I have started to shop for only the things I need, to buy enough food that I can eat or keep at home without it spoiling. I have decided not to over order at restaurants or waste food at functions, taking only as much as I can eat.

Probe demanded into tribal killings. Rights groups and opposition say police operation was manufactured

Human rights activists and opposition leaders in central Chhattisgarh state have called for an official probe into the killings of 19 tribal people – including children – which authorities accused of being Maoist rebels.

Local authorities hailed the June 28 operation by the Central Reserve Police force as a breakthrough in the fight against extremists as critics said it was a “fake encounter” designed to seize land from tribal groups in Baster and Dantewada for the benefit of business interests.

The encounter was “a well-orchestrated genocide of tribal people by the armed forces,” Zulekha Jabeen, who heads a social forum in the state, said today. The tribal areas, Jabeen said, hold mineral deposits and other natural resources which she accused firms of seeking to seize once villagers were removed. Activists said the incident has frightened the villagers who now plan to leave the area permanently. Himanshu Kumar of Vanvasi Chetana Ashram, a tribal forum, said the killings were designed to terrorize the villagers. Asked how six policemen were wounded in the encounter, Kumar said it proved there was indiscriminate firing from all sides. Kumar recalled a similar incident six years ago in which government forces torched houses on behalf of private firms. Social groups later rebuilt these properties for the tribal people. The opposition Congress Party said an 11-member team it sent to the scene of last month’s killings had also concluded the encounter had been manufactured. It demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation in New Delhi. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said it had not been possible to avoid civilian casualties because the Maoists had used villagers as human shields.

Fr Savio de Sales is the new director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Archdiocese of Bombay. The Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, patron saint of India, is a reminder of the Church's priorities in the Year of Faith, namely adult and child catechesis as well as interfaith dialogue.

The 'Year of Faith' "is an immense gift to the Church in India. It is a time of grace for the treasures and wisdom of Holy Mother Church to be heard, celebrated and witnessed," said Fr Savio de Sales, the new director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Archdiocese of Bombay. He spoke to AsiaNews on the occasion of the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle of India about the importance of the Year of Faith for the Church in India and evangelisation.

"Our Church received the gift of faith from the Holy Apostle, St Thomas," Fr de Sales said. He "brought the Good News to the Indian shores, and [was followed] later by St Francis Xavier, patron saint of Missions. Our modern society has seen the faith witnessed through the Blessed Mother Teresa. Such is the inheritance of our faith."

In light of the past year, the year Benedict XVI proclaimed represents a crucial moment. "Our Faith has to be deepened, formed and witnessed. Re-evangelization is an answer to the challenges of secularism," he explained.

Great emphasis will be on adult and child education. "Our students and young adults will be instructed in our Catholic educational institutions," Fr de Sales explained.

The priority will be the promotion in school of "the Holy Childhood Association among children" and adults. The former "is an organisation dedicated to fostering children's awareness of the missionary nature of the Church. It exists to be of service to schools and religious education programmes."

India's religious and cultural pluralism makes interfaith dialogue essential. "Marian shrines are" places "where India's pluralism is celebrated. Tens of thousands of non-Christian flock to Marian shrines, [. . .] especially during the special novenas" when "the Word of God must be proclaimed."

"Christians in India are a mere 2.3 per cent of the population and faith must be shared. Jesus must be made known to others, especially to those who have never heard of him. I know there are a number of people longing and thirsting for the word of God. Perhaps some of them have heard Jesus but they do not know how" to reach him.

Java: Catholic seminarians intern among Muslims to boost dialogue by Mathias Hariyadi

In the name of friendship and tolerance, Fr Robert Suraji Pr organised a vocational programme for 22 future priests in Java. His initiative had the "material and moral" support of the Bishops' Conference. Participants also spent a few days in a Muslim "seminary" to get to know future Muslim leaders better.

Inspired by Indonesia's original pluralistic and multi-confessional national model, a Catholic priest launched a programme to boost the spirit of "friendship and tolerance" among seminarians vis-à-vis their Muslim compatriots. In a country wracked by sectarian violence, with attacks by majority Muslims against minorities, including Christians, Hindus and Ahmadi, Fr Robert Suraji Pr set up a vocational programme for future priests in order to encourage dialogue and exchange. This programme included in-depth studies "to improve understanding" of Islam as well as internship in Muslim santri schools. Twenty-two seminarians from the dioceses and archdioceses of Semarang, Malang, Surabaya, Purwokerto and Bogor, on the island of Java, registered for the programme. For unknown reasons, the Archdiocese of Jakarta did not join the initiative, but it did send its future priests to the meetings. "For six days, between 2 and 6 July, 22 seminarians from five Java dioceses attended the programme to prepare them for dialogue with other communities, especially Muslims," Fr Suraji told AsiaNews. The initiative was organised in cooperation with Fr Heru Prakosa, a Jesuit priest from Yogyakarta, and had the unwavering "material and moral" support of the Interreligious Commission of the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (KWI).

All seminarians were trained to "open their hearts and minds to interfaith dialogue," Fr Suraji said, because "good will" is fundamental for the programme's success. Preparing the seminarians to engage in dialogue included studying the main figures in Islam. Muslim scholar Kiai Hajj Moh Roqhib participated in the event, bringing his "own experience" and stressing "Islam's guidelines and his own vision about dialogue with non-Muslim communities." At the end of the sessions and discussions, seminarians were given an opportunity to spend some time at a Muslim boarding school (santri) in Purwokerto. In Javanese, santri refers to religious schools, similar to Christian seminaries, where future Muslim legal scholars are trained in the world's largest Muslim nation.

"Churches are hit because they are easy targets, but the motivation is political,"...

"I do not think it is a religious problem but a reaction to embarrass the government in Nairobi for what the Kenyan army is doing in Somalia against the Shabaab" says to Fides Agency His Exc. Mgr. Paul Darmanin, Bishop of Garissa, in Kenya, where yesterday, Sunday 1 July, armed men, probably Islamic fundamentalist Somali Shabaab attacked two churches, including the Catholic Cathedral.

Mgr. Darmanin describes the attacks to Fides: "On July 1, around 10:30 am, local time, two hand grenades were thrown at the church of Our Lady of Consolation, only one exploded just in front of the building, not inside, causing some slight injuries. At the African Inland Church the attack was terrible. The assailants, after killing two soldiers who stood guard at the place of worship, threw some hand grenades into the building where the faithful gathered for church service. The aim was to make them escape outside, where they were hit with the AK-47 taken from the soldiers. It was a well organized attack in which at least 16 people died and several were seriously wounded.

"The Bishop believes that the motivation is purely political: "The Shabaab had threatened reprisals for operations carried out since October 2011 by the Kenyan army in Somalia. Now that the army of Nairobi has increased the pressure on Kismayo, their last stronghold in southern Somalia, the Shabaab have increased the threat to strike in Kenyan territory."

"Garissa is not far from the border with Somalia," continues Mgr. Darmanin. "The border is easily crossed even though the government is doing its best to control it.

"We ask the Bishop of Garissa if the reason for these attacks is political why are churches attacked. "The churches are attacked because they are "soft targets ". In addition, the local population is almost entirely Muslim, Christians are Kenyans from other parts of the country, regarded as foreigners by at least a portion of the native population " says Mgr. Darmanin, who concludes by asking everyone to pray for peace in the Country .

"We are greatly concerned by the deadly attacks on innocent Kenyans at the Africa Inland Church and the Catholic Cathedral of Garissa," write the Bishops of Kenya, in a statement sent to Fides Agency, signed by His Eminence Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi and President of the Kenya Episcopal Conference . On Sunday July 1, armed men, presumed to be related to the Somali Shabab, attacked the Catholic Cathedral of Garissa and the local Evangelical Church Africa Inland Church causing at least 17 victims and about fifty wounded. "These unjustifiable acts of violence being continuously meted out on Kenyans including women and children have not only resulted in the loss of innocent lives, but also created a sense of insecurity among Christians and all peace loving Kenyans" the statement said.

The Bishops also state: "While reaffirming our belief that we are not in the presence of a religious war, we are disturbed by the fact that the attacks were carried out in Christian churches. As Kenya Episcopal Conference , we ask all Kenyans to work towards promoting peaceful coexistence."

The message also asks everyone to cooperate with the police to stop the violence and terrorism and refers to the responsibilities of government to conduct research in depth and assess the security situation in the Country.

"The situation is calm. Both Christians and Muslims have condemned the attacks. They all say that there is no religious war but that the attacks on two churches are probably a reaction to the presence of the Kenyan army in Somalia" says to Fides His Exc. Mgr. Joseph Alexander, Coadjutor Bishop of Garissa, in Kenya, where on Sunday July 1, two churches were attacked, including the Catholic Cathedral. "Yesterday there was a meeting with civil and religious authorities of the area in which we participated as a Catholic Church," said Mgr. Alexander, who added: "Bishop, Paul Darmanin, organized a meeting to be held tomorrow with priests, religious men and women to assess the situation. The intention is to increase aid to the Muslims to prove that we have nothing against them. Even now, every month we distribute food even to Muslim families in difficulty because of famine. " The Somali press reported the arrest of some persons allegedly involved in the twin bombings against churches in Garissa. "We have not heard of arrests of people involved in the attacks - said Mgr. Alexander - and it is unknown whether the bombers come from outside or are from the area. It is true that there are some supporters of the Shabaab. Moreover, the popuilation of the area consists of Somali, and it is difficult to distinguish between those who are local and who is from Somalia," concludes Mgr. Alexander.

The worsening humanitarian situation in northern Mali and the destruction of the mausoleums of Timbuktu were the focus of an intervention by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. In a statement released yesterday, Ban reaffirmed its support for efforts to resolve the crisis, led in particular by the African Union and Economic Community of West African countries (ECOWAS - which met Thursday and Friday to address the Malian issue as well as other hotspots in the region). Ban has also expressed regret at the loss of such priceless cultural heritage sites as the mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar Alpha and Moya.

The mausoleums had just been added to the list of World Heritage sites in danger, last week. The decision was taken at the UNESCO (United Nations Organization for Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Committee meeting in St. Petersburg. Although invoked by the government in Bamako, the measure could, however, have had the opposite effect to that intended, pushing Ansar al Din - an armed group that controls the north of Mali - to destroy places of worship and pilgrimage beyond its strict interpretation Islam. In that list ther is the tomb of Askia, in Gao, which is still apparently intact.

In Gao, the Movement for the Uniqueness and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) have meanwhile been consolidating their stranglehold of the city, completely removing any trace of Tuareg influence - as related to the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad (MNLA), which was expelled from Timbuktu as well as Gao and whose whereabouts or new gaols are not yet known.

The recent events have further burdened the humanitarian cost. According to the latest report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are 158,857 internally displaced persons, refugees registered in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger 181,742. To these must be added the thousands who have fled to Algeria, where aid is not coordinated by the international community.

The inclusion of the Nativity in the list of "World Heritage sites" is welcomed by Catholics because the Church is in urgent need of restoration, so far hampered by the Orthodox community. Importance of ensuring its "architectural integrity" to avoid its ruin, similar to that taking place in the Holy Sepulchre with the construction of the Katholicon. Also important to monitor Israeli attempts to place the holy sites in Galilee "under the State protection".

The inclusion of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem among "World Heritage sites" by UNESCO, once again focuses attention on the problems and precariousness of the Holy Places, a result of the often unjust interference of Christian communities themselves and the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. Let us begin with the Church of the Nativity. The Custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Pizzaballa, expressed cautious optimism on the issue. But Christians - especially Catholics - are less cautious, and openly welcome the UNESCO recognition. In this way, in fact, the Palestinian Authority will have the possibility to launch an international campaign to collect much needed funds for the restoration and repair of the roof above the basilica, which needs an urgent intervention.

The Church of the Nativity - with that of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the crypt of the tomb of Mary at the foot of the Mount of Olives - are subject to an international legal norm known as the "status quo". It does not deed the Catholic Church or other Christian communities the title of ownership of the Basilica. Rather, it comprises a complex distribution of rights of possession, use, management, the observance of which is guaranteed by the State. They also have a duty to intervene to enforce the status quo if there is concern over violations; to ensure the soundness and practicability of the buildings where there is no unanimity among the mainline churches present there. These churches are: the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land (which, by papal mandate, represents the Catholic Church), the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Up to now, in fact the Greek-orthodox have thwarted any joint intervention to repair the roof of the Basilica, of which there is an urgent need. If there were a uniform agreement, the three communities would have to fund repairs on the building themselves (as was the case in the recent past in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem). But the lack of agreement and the dangerous state of the roof has forced the Palestinian National Authority to intervene and provide for its restoration. From one point of view, therefore, the Palestine move calling on UNESCO to declare the Basilica of the Nativity as a "world heritage site" will save the holy place and make it easier to find the necessary funding for repairs, which promise to be very expensive. Moreover, the Christian communities who officiate at the Nativity have received the written guarantee that the NPC has no intention of intervening in the use of the Basilica and indeed, will ensure the smooth running of all religious functions according to the "status quo", which is also guaranteed in Article 4 of the 'Basic Agreement' between the Holy See and the PLO (2000).

Among Catholics, there are those who expect something more from UNESCO: the inclusion of the Church of the Nativity in Heritage List should also ensure the architectural integrity of the sanctuary. This is to prevent any future alteration or destruction of the Church of the Nativity similar to what happened in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is a beautiful jewel dating to the period of the Crusades, originally with a circular form. But a few decades ago, the Greek-orthodox built the so-called Katholicon, two walls enclosing the shrine which upset the architectural space of the building. Now, on entering the church you are no longer greeted by the so-called Stone of the Anointing in front of the columns of rotunda and Aedicule which crown the Holy Sepulchre itself, but a simple, bland wall, which destroys the architectural logic of the most important church in Christendom .

Thus, it is vital to guarantee the present and future architectural integrity of all the holy sites not owned by the individual churches. The vast majority of holy places (in fact, all the others, which are not governed by the "status quo") are owned by the individual churches. As private property, they should not be taken over by any state in any way to make any capital, even if they themselves are of global importance. For some time, for example, the Israeli state are pushing for some holy places such as Mount Tabor, Capernaum, and other Catholic shrines in Galilee to be put under the "protection" of the state. The Catholic Church opposes this in principle: they are the private property of ecclesiastical bodies and can not in any way be transferred to others. Moreover, it is not clear what value this "protection" would have: to protect them from whom? If the state wants to protect them, all they need to do is respect them and maybe even some positive actions, without trying to become too involved, risking undue interference. From this point of view, the decision of UNESCO to include the Church of the Nativity in the World Heritage list, while positive, is likely to offer support and a pretext for attempts to nationalize other shrines in Israel and Palestine. This is why, the Catholic Church has been insisting that, for example, the definition of Mount Tabor as a "national park" and other major shrines in Galilee be removed, because they are Catholic shrines and private property.

Making these sanctuaries "national parks" denies the fact there are church property and undermine their sacred character.

From zero to 800 faithful: a booming community, working for the good of society

Sowing the Gospel, committed to the common good, to fight against poverty, contributing to human, cultural, moral and spiritual development: with these criteria, the Church in Mongolia is preparing her future, 20 years since her birth in the country. This is what is said, in a pastoral letter entitled "Celebrating 20 years of Catholic presence in Mongolia," by His Exc. Mgr. Wenceslao Padilla, Apostolic Prefect. The Letter sent to Fides, traces a historical and contemporary picture of the local church in Mongolia.

After the fall of the communist regime in 1991 - recalls the Prefect - there were no Catholics in Mongolia. In 1992, with the new Constitution which recognizes religious freedom, the first "Missino sui iuris" was established and diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Holy See were stricken up. In that year the first three pioneer missionaries arrived in the country, who rebuilt houses of worship and helped the population, renewing the process of evangelization. In 2006 Catholics there were about 600, including 350 native Mongolians. Today's missionaries are 81 from 22 different nationalities and 13 religious institutes or different groups. After 20 years of evangelization, the faithful Catholics who are baptized are now 835 and many others are still preparing for baptism. The country's first vocation was born in 2008 and two young Mongolians are now in one of the most important seminars in South Korea, at the Catholic University in Daejeon, pursuing the path and formation for priesthood.

With the increase of church personnel (missionaries and local collaborators), pastoral, social, developmental, educational, charitable and humanitarian works have flourished. The Catholic mission now has 2 Centers for street children, a home for the elderly, 2 Montessori kindergartens, 2 primary schools, a center for handicapped children, a technical school. It has also created 3 libraries with study rooms and computer facilities, a hostel for university students, equipped with modern facilities, various centers for youth activities. Two farms are in full operation in rural areas, with programs that help rural communities, a doctor’s office and a clinic. Caritas Mongolia, concludes Mgr. Padilla pursues in water supply programs, building homes for the poor, sustainable agriculture, food security, social development, fighting human trafficking. (PA)

It is a young Church, entrusting its future to young people and families: the Catholic community in Mongolia, with over 800 faithful, celebrates 20 years of its presence in the country and does it, as His Exc. Mgr. Wenceslao Padilla, Apostolic Prefect says to Fides, "with the spirit of Mary's Magnificat, recognizing that the Lord has done great things for us," continuiing to "promote the dignity of the human person, the dignity of marriage and family life, the formation of young people."

"The celebration of the 20 years since the birth of the first mission in Mongolia - said the Apostolic Prefect - reminds us that we are called to walk this world with the light of Christ, to live our moral and ethical lives in its fullness, according to the Gospel, seeking to be Light and Good News to one another." Mgr. Padilla continues: "We are called to strengthen our contribution to the social, developmental, educational and spiritual works catering to the needs of the people. As disciples of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, we cannot live without taking into consideration the concrete situation of society, doing works of charity and acts of mercy".

Among the special activities planned for the 20th anniversary, today, July 7, there is the celebration of " Mongolian Youth Day " and tomorrow, July 8, a solemn Mass at the Cathedral of Ulaan Baatar, in the presence of civil and religious authorities, including His Exc. Mgr. Savio Hon Tai Fai, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Mgr. Lazarus You Heung-sik, Bishop of the Diocese of Daejeon, South Korea.

Moreover, during the twentieth anniversary, the parishes in Mongolia will increase from 4 to 5, with the elevation of the Church "Mary Mother of Mercy" to the status of parish, while the Catholic elementary School, that the Church began to build two years ago will be inaugurated. In the coming months, Mgr. Padilla has scheduled special meetings with communities and various sectors of the local Church, to listen to the aspirations and desires of all members of the Church. The celebrations will culminate on October 7, 2012, the day on which all the faithful Mongolian Catholics are invited to plant a tree in memory of the first 20 years of the Church. (PA)

The staff stopped in recent days for "interrogation". The government has not yet provided official responses to their conditions. The NGO has suspended humanitarian activities for safety reasons. The area was the scene of sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims. Tens of thousands of refugees still living in refugee camps.

The Burmese authorities have arrested ten aid workers - including some United Nations personnel - in the western state of Rakhine, Myanmar, where there have been violent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims Arakan Rohingya in recent weeks have causing at least 80 dead and tens of thousands of displaced people. In an official note the UN reports that some people involved in projects to assist the people were detained in recent days for "interrogation" and have not been released yet. The Burmese government, the statement continues, has not answered questions about the conditions of the detainees, among whom are six employees of the NGO Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF).

MSF has also intervened on the matter, saying it has "no detailed information" since last month when the international NGO suspended its activities in Rakhine State and reduced staff to a minimum for security reasons. Even today, tens of thousands of displaced people are living in shelters and refugee camps set up by the Government, with the help of the UN World Food Program (WFP) that provides daily meals for about 100 thousand people. A state of emergency is still in force in the area. According to reports by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Burmese security forces have carried out "mass inspections " and other abuses against the Muslim communities of the area. For activists, local authorities are responsible for acts of "discrimination" against minorities, because they leave the Buddhist Arakan unpunished and assail the Rohingya. In June, the District Court Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State sentenced to death three Muslim, held responsible for the rape and killing in late May of Thida Htwe, a young Arakanese Buddhist, the origin of violent sectarian clashes between Muslims and Buddhists ( cf. AsiaNews 19/06/2012 Rakhine, ethnic violence: three death sentences for the rape-murder of a woman). In the following days, an angry mob, killed 10 Muslims who were travelling on a bus and were totally unconnected with the violence. The spiral of hatred, has resulted in a guerrilla war and caused the deaths of 29 others, including 16 Muslims and 13 Buddhists, as well as 38 wounded. According to official sources at least 2600 homes have been burnt, hundreds of Rohingya have sought refuge on the coasts of Bangladesh, but were rejected by the authorities in Dhaka.

Myanmar is composed of more than 135 ethnic groups, and has always found coexistence difficult. In the past the military junta used an iron fist against the most recalcitrant. Myanmar Muslims constitute about 4% of a population of 60 million people. The UN says there are 750 thousand Rohingyas in the country, concentrated mainly in Rakhine State. Another million or more are scattered in other countries: Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia. The state of emergency is the first under Thein Sein, President for over a year, who is ferrying the country from military dictatorship to an at least minimal democracy.

Given the considerable amount of good that social organizations do in Myanmar, it is perhaps surprising that they face such a hard time gaining acceptance. But then, in a country where government services are limited at best, groups which perform functions in place of the state are often considered a threat by it. The result is a patchwork of about 100 of these organizations including healthcare providers, funeral services and environmental awareness groups which tread a delicate line between state acceptance and illegality. “The more social associations pop up, the more people end up relying on them such as financial help at times of sickness or funeral services,” says Kyaw Yin Myint, a senior journalist at Modern Weekly Journal and a former volunteer at the Byamaso social service in Mandalay. The number of these organizations has increased, driven mainly by necessity, particularly in the wake of Cyclone Nargis which devastated the Irrawaddy Delta in May, 2008. “We feel inspired by people in our surrounding area who can’t afford to pay for medical examination fees and who are even unable to arrange funeral services as the cemetery is far away from town,” said Hla Aung, an administrator at the Chanmyae Thukha social welfare organization.

Still, Kyaw Yin Myint says that “cooperation” between these organizations and society, including the government, is essential if they are to carry out their work more effectively. Things like management and accounting remain largely alien concepts to these grassroots organizations, many of which are little more than informal groups of a few friends providing community services in their spare time.

Without the necessary support, many have started and immediately collapsed, says Kyaw Yin Myint, insisting that networking with seasoned professionals is vital to the survival of these organizations, where those people exist in Myanmar. The key question many social organizations are now asking themselves is: what effect will the new, quasi-civilian government have on these vital support groups? Nyein Chan, chairman of the Sane Yong So environmental focus group, said that the recent rise in the number of social organizations is due to the rapidly increasing openness of the new government after half a century of military rule.

In his speech marking one year in office in March, Myanmar’s new reformist President Thein Sein explicitly acknowledged the role of civil society groups in building a new, democratic Myanmar.

But the reality on the ground remains little different to that under military rule prior to the landmark November, 2010 elections, says Nyein Chan. These social organizations still face difficulties dealing with local authorities and registration. He says that grinding poverty has prompted those with more – particularly young people and business people – to get involved. If only the government would do so too, he adds.

In the Himalayan districts, residents do not benefit from tourism flows managed by foreign companies. Most people live on a few dollars a day and are prone to deadly diseases. NGOs and international agencies fight hunger, but do not consider tourism as an opportunity for development. A women's only trekking agency run by three sisters in the city of Pokhara offers jobs to dozens of young women.

Since the end of Nepal's civil war, large-scale projects promoted by NGOs and international agencies have failed to alleviate the country's problems. Most people in Himalayan districts live on 2 dollars, many dying from dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, dengue in areas visited by thousands of tourists and mountain climbers. For Lucky, Dicky and Nicky Chhetry, founders of the '3 Sisters Adventure Trekking' in Pokhara, no one has yet seen tourism as a way to lift the poor and the marginalised out of their condition.

The word 'development' has now become a buzz word among locals, but few realise its real meaning. In recent years, economists, politicians and international agencies have come up and promoted short-term large-scale projects to feed the population, but they have ignored what tourism can offer to the poor and the marginalised.

The 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking was born 2001. Its goal was to empower women in the villages around Pokhara (Gandaki, western Nepal) by finding a niche in the trekking industry, hitherto dominated by big foreign tourist companies. With the assistance of expert guides, the three sisters organised courses for women to become guides.

At the beginning, "people always laughed at us, and many women were reticent because women in tourism were viewed as sex workers," Dicky Chhetry said. "Despite the criticism, dozens of young women took the courses and became guides, achieving a degree of financial independence that allowed them to study and be free from their families."

After the civil war and the fall of the monarchy, the small company went full throttle. By 2008, it represented 52 per cent of all tourists in the Pokhara region, becoming the leading actor in the sector. Women remain its main customers. "Some female trekkers are uncomfortable with male guides and so turn to ours," the three sisters explained.

According to the 2009 Nepal Tourism Sector Analysis, tourism became the leading industry in Nepal in 1983. However, Nepal still ranks only 112 out of 139 countries analysed in the 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum.

The reason for this low score is the lack of interest by the authorities in the sector, the country's poor infrastructure and the absence of a marketing strategy. What is more, local authorities do not provide incentives to tourism nor security, forcing foreigners to rely on foreign agencies.

Nigeria’s health services halved the maternal mortality rate between 1990 and 2010, but in parts of the predominantly Muslim north, which is less socio-economically advanced, women are 10 times more likely to die in childbirth than in the oil-rich, predominantly Christian south. Maternal health personnel are calling for more appropriate interventions to bridge the gap.

Reasons for the divide mirror those in many West African states: too few referral facilities and health practitioners - especially midwives - and inadequate antenatal equipment; too few clinics and poor roads that make accessing clinics difficult and expensive; poverty and cultural barriers to visiting hospitals. The Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria; Maternal Newborn and Child Health Initiative (PRRINN-MNCH), is a landmark project to track the under-documented maternal population in the four northern Nigerian states of Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, and Zamfara.

“Insufficient health services, issues surrounding northern culture, and the region’s social development challenges all merge into a perfect storm for maternal mortality,” is how Rodion Kraus, deputy programme manager for PRINN-MNCH, summed up the situation. Nigeria’s 40,000 pregnancy-related deaths a year account for approximately 14 percent of the world’s total, according to a 2012 report by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and despite good progress it is unlikely to meet the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing its maternal mortality by three-quarters.

Efforts are being stepped up: in 2007 the government launched a nine-year strategy to bring down maternal, neo-natal and infant mortality, including better immunizations for mothers and babies, nutritional supplements, bed nets, and efforts to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. The strategy is now in phase II, which focuses on training health workers, and giving them better salaries and incentives to work in rural areas.

The country’s primary healthcare agency has been training midwives to work in rural areas for several years. In 2009 it set up the Midwife Service Scheme (MSS), to improve maternal care by sending recently graduated midwives to the north during their mandatory year of national service. By July 2010 more than 2,600 midwives had been sent to serve northern rural health facilities.

“The MSS [graduate scheme] was a very good intervention - it proved very effective,” said Hafsat Sugra Mahmood, a midwife and teacher in northern Nigeria, but a lack of regular payment and poor coordination between local, state and federal authorities, among other problems, led to low retention rates.

Midwives are highly skilled and trained to provide life-saving services during the birth process, and offer counselling and family planning. Even though Mahmood has spent 20 years teaching midwives, many of whom now work in northern communities, she knows these skills will be redundant in many communities. “Midwives encourage women to come to the hospital to deliver but… in the north people prefer to deliver at home,” Kraus said. “Most Muslim women in northern Nigeria are not comfortable being treated by men - most health workers are men.” Other powerful cultural issues that often prevent northern women from accessing professional health services before and during childbirth include early marriage, which can lead to complications such as fistulas when underdeveloped girls give birth. The quality of education, especially for women and girls, means many don’t recognize the danger signs in childbirth. Some communities even see dying in childbirth as immediate access to paradise, community health workers told IRIN. The Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has set up schemes in four northern states to provide better emergency transportation to hospitals, but this does not necessarily persuade women to use them, said Kraus.

Clinics In rural areas are often overworked and under-staffed. There are usually one or two midwives per health centre and on average 10 women give birth every day. Midwives are supposed to attend home births in rural areas, but “that leads to burnout”, Mahmood remarked, so they often do not make it. Instead, women turn to traditional birthing attendants (TBAs). There have been calls for TBAs to be given some level of training so they can detect complications early and encourage women to seek antenatal care, refer them to hospitals and give family planning advice. The danger is that TBAs, if more formally trained, will not recognize their limits and will want to venture into interventions that are really highly technical, so they would need to be closely monitored, say health experts. Informal studies show TBAs have not had much impact on reducing maternal mortality, but there are a few signs of quality work, Mahmood said, and some have monitored women with pregnancy complications and referred them to health authorities. “Whether we like it or not,” TBAs are respected in rural northern communities and women are using them. “We really need to target TBAS with information and basic skills”, so they can help women properly, she said.

Well-trained care at home can be more effective than referral to a hospital - Nigeria’s health services are among the 10 worst in the world, said Kraus, noting that maternal mortality has dropped significantly in Bangladesh, where 75 percent of births take place at home. “It flies against current conventional wisdom, but the successful introduction of skilled home-based care is something we might learn from,” he commented.

Dr Fatima Adamu, a lecturer at Usamanu Dan Fodyo University in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria and community development adviser for maternal health services in the north, said the only approach that will work is to get the community more involved by training village-level health workers to teach women, within their own cultural milieu, to recognize danger signs during pregnancy “It is important to convey that the responsibility of stopping the death is the community’s as a whole, that Islam has given the community that responsibility,” she told IRIN. Adamu is “not optimistic” that Nigeria will be able to meet the MDG by 2015, “but if we continue to push from all angles, maybe we will be able to meet the goal by 2020.”

For Nigerian Muslims, this year's Ramadaan, the one-month fasting period by adherents of the Islamic faith worldwide, will follow a weather beaten path.

As is the practice, the Amir al Mumineen (Commander of the Faithfuls) and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, who is also the President General of Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, based on verifiable information from across the country, will soon announce the sighting of the new of the moon of Ramadaan to signal the commencement of the fasting period.

Expectedly, the announcement by His Eminence, Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar will go unheeded by a significant minority. Many believe that those who will not heed the annual announcement choose that path as their way of protesting the recognition of the Sultan of Sokoto as leader of the Muslim community.

Disagreements over the dates to commence the Ramadaan have, over the years, been the underlying manifestation of a needless acrimony among the Nigerian Muslim community. The façade of unity received a terrible jolt early last year.

In the thick of the 2011 presidential election campaign, prominent Muslim cleric Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi stirred the hornet's nest when he publicly declared that he would have no qualms casting his ballot for a Christian in an election that pits a Christian against a member of theJama'atu Izalatul Bidi'a wa Ikamatu Sunnah, JIBWIS, a Muslim sect that once subscribed to militant campaigns to, as the name suggests, end innovations in Islam and impose undiluted traditions of Prophet Muhammad on society. The red was still in the eyes of members of the Izala sect and apprehension grew among members of the Christian community when the cleric rationalised his position.

His words: 'Christians don't insult me, they don't insult my religious beliefs, they don't insult my respected religious leaders. That, precisely, is what the Izala man does; he calls himself a Muslim but he does not respect my beliefs. He openly insults me, he openly insults my religious and my respected religious leaders. He takes pride in openly referring to me as kafir. Why should I vote for someone who calls himself a Muslim but who publicly calls me kafir instead of a Christian who does not call me a kafir, at least, not in the open?'

Few disputed his claim: Prophet Muhammad, in some of his sayings, spoke vehemently against the use of the term kafir even for non-Muslims, especially Christians, who are recognised in the Holy Qur'an as Ahlil Kitaab or 'People of the Book.'

At the heart of the disunity in the Muslim community is the ragingcontroversy between members of the Ahlil Sunnah, the mainstream Muslim group and Izala, on one hand, and these two rival groups and other more militant groups on the other.

Basically, all the contending religious groups have no fundamental differences; where they differ is how to attain these goals, a situation that has led to so much bloodletting and destruction of property. Strangely, non-Muslims have been often been caught in the crossfire of what should normally be intra-religious confrontations. Another interesting angle to the scenario is the common knowledge that all the new groups, many of them espousing extreme and militant views, sprouted from the mainstream Ahlil Sunnah.

Except for some exceptions, all the contending and constantly feuding groups basically subscribe to the five cardinal pillars of Islam arranged in their order of simplicity: Iman (faith in God), Salat (five daily prayers), Saum (fasting during the month of Ramadaan), Zakat (alms giving) and Hajj (pilgrimage to the Holy Land). Noticeable exceptions surround the acceptance of Prophet Muhammad as the seal of prophets and some new but curious interpretations regarding the five daily prayers which some do not consider as mandatory.

Take, for instance, the Ahmadiyya. To the consternation of the Muslim community, members of the group, which originated in Pakistan, revered its founder, Ghulam Ahmad, to the extent of elevating him to the position of a messiah and prophet.

Since the early 1970s, members of the Ahmadiyya sect have been contending with four out of the five cardinal pillars of Islam on account of their being barred from embarking on the annual Hajj. That decision by the Saudi authorities whipped majority members of the sect worldwide into line as they were forced to moderate their views. Though the Ahmadiyya sect still enjoys some visibility in Nigeria, the immediate reaction of majority of its members, in the aftermath of the decision to bar members of the sect from performing the Hajj, was to change the name of the group to Anwar- al Islam.

Though disagreement within the Muslim community had been simmering, it was basically limited to differences between the Tijjaniya and Quadriyya sects. But the Tijjaniyya and Quadriyya succeeded in managing their crises largely because they belonged to the mainstream Ahlil Sunnah. There is a widely held belief that it was the differences between the Tijjaniyya and Quadriyya that facilitated the emergence of the Izala. Since it came on stage, the perception of members of the Izala group of other Muslims, basically the Ahlil Sunnah, and which in the recent past was the source of constant bloody letting, is one big community of unbelievers because of innovations allegedly introduced into the practice of Islam by the Ahlil Sunnah.

Two of the allegations levelled by the Izala against the Ahlil Sunnah are the annual celebration of Maulud Nabiyyi, or birthday of Prophet Muhammad and, regular songs of praise, zikr, in honour of the prophet.

Aside Maulud and zikr, the Izala are remarkable for frowning at naming ceremonies, ostentatious wedding ceremonies and display of respect for elders through prostrating before them.These, among others, are in the views of the Izala, mere innovationssince they were not practiced in the days of the prophet. Many Muslims still find these developments quite disturbing and those versed in Islamic theology are taken aback by the charges of introduction of 'innovations' into Islam.

For instance, pilgrimage to the Holy Land, at least on once in the life time of a Muslim is prescribed for those with the means. But this cardinal principle is not possible, at least in modern times, without 'innovations': air travel, acquisition of Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, and vaccinations are mandatory for intending pilgrims. Question is: are Muslims to forego this cardinal pillar of Islam simply because they were not in practice in the days of Prophet Muhammad?

Curiously, in their decades of campaigns to end 'innovations' in Islam, members of the Izala sect have yet to revert to the use of camels, end open air preachings through outside broadcasting vans and dismantle loud speakers mounted on their mosques on account of the common knowledge that Prophet Muhammad did not have to do any of these in his time. Disunity within the Muslim community worsened with the emergence increase in the activities of the Maitatsine, the Shia inclined Muslim Brothers and sundry groups.

The Maitatsine crisis which began in Kano in the north west in 1980 before spreading to Bulumkutu in the outskirt of Maiduguri in the north east and other parts of the north was not the first in the north; difference was that, with Maitatsine, the country, for the first time witnessed a band of religious zealots, armed to the hilt, squaring up to the overwhelming military might of the state.

Outside their hazy claims to Jihad, the Maitatsine sect waged their war in predominantly Muslim communities which resulted in high casualty figures. Not unexpectedly, Maitatsine provided a common platform for feuding Muslim groups who united in their condemnation of members of the Maitatsine group.

Since Maitatsine, it is safe to say that Nigeria did not witness any armed insurrection of note in the name of religion but there were clear cases of radical, extremist groups that emerged to challenge the status quo often with dire consequences to human lives and property. It is important to state here that just like Izala before it and sundry groups that emerged after it, Maitatsine was the product of the disdain for western education on one hand and growing frustration arising from the dwindling socio economic fortunes of some people in Muslim communities of the north.

The early 1980's also heralded the emergence of the Muslim Brotherson the stage. Though denied by its leaders, the Muslim Brothers drew inspiration from the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, which knocked off the late Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi from his peacock throne and replaced him with Imam Ayatullah Ruhullah Khomeini.

The Muslim Brothers are associated with World Shi'a Movement, a radical muslim sect with millions of adherents in the Muslim world though they are swift in dismissing it. Its leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, was one of the first set of students who abandoned their studies at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to join an endless gravitation to Iran to receive the blessings of Imam Khomeini.

Upon returning to Nigeria, the group began to espouse revolutionary ideas and never hid their intention to 'purify' Islam. Most of the demonstrations on campuses of tertiary institutions and secondary schools across the north between 1980 and 1982 were allegedly instigated by the young Muslim revolutionaries under the direction of Sheikh El Zakzaky.

That suspicion is rooted in the early history of Islam. Just before the death of Prophet Muhammad, there emerged a group among his followers who saw his cousin, Ali, as the right person to occupy the post of Caliph as there was to be no prophet after Muhammad. Those who took this position pointed to the kinship between the prophet and Ali and the fact that he married Fatima, daughter of the prophet. But the early Muslim community had an example on how to choose its leaders; throughout the mission of Muhammad, which lasted for twenty three years, he laid emphasis more on competence than issue of kinship in appointments.

Indeed, on his death bed, Prophet Muhammad appeared to have named his successor as leader of the Community when he appointed Abubakar to lead the Muslim faithfuls in prayer. On the death of Prophet Muhammad, therefore, Abubakar was the natural successor to the apparent consternation and disaffection of those who rooted for Ali.

The mainstream Ahlul Sunnah believes and recognises the diversity and peculiarities of Nigeria and promotes the idea of Muslims co habiting in peace with non Muslim groups as was the practice in the days of Prophet Muhammad and as the prophet enjoined his followers to do. Prominent clerics of the mainstream Ahlul Sunnah regularly remind their followers of God's clear, direct and specific injunction on tolerating and peacefully co habiting with the Ahlul Kitaab or, People of the Book, God's name for Christians in the Glorious Qur'an as contained in Chapter 5 v 82 of the Muslim Holy Book: 'You will find (time and again) that the most hostile of all people to the Believers (i.e., Muslims) would be the Jews and those who are idol-worshippers or pagans; and nearest among them in love to the Believers would be those who say, 'We are Christians', because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world and, they are not arrogant.

'This injunction and several others have so far been discarded by members of the Jamaat al Ahlul Sunnah wa Lidaawat wa Jihad aka Boko Haram.

Another area of divergence between members of the Jamaat al Ahlul Sunnah wa Lida'awat wa Jihad and the mainstream Ahlul Sunnah revolves round the issue of vengeance. In His bid to regulate societies and restrain individuals or groups from taking laws into their hands, God allows room for vengeance provided it is done according to rules He has laid down even though He admonishes people to forgive those who offend them.

However, in seeking revenge, especially in the case of murder, the main condition laid down is for the murderer to be sought and punished for his crime; none is permitted to visit the sins of a brother on any other member of his family as Islam forbids visiting the crimes of a father on his son.

In essence, what this means is that a Muslim, say in Geidam, is forbidden to kill a non-Muslim resident in the community in the name of avenging the death of a Muslim brother in Warri. In the opinion of prominent Muslim clerics God laid down these and many more injunctions as a warning against man's insatiable appetite to sow the seeds of discord 'because He could have created all mankind to wear the same skin colour, speak one language and profess a common religion.'

Unity! This is the five letter word that is posing the greatest problem to the Muslim community in Nigeria today and which attainment could help bring down the current security challenges and wanton destruction of human lives and property. In trying to tell the story of Islam in Nigeria as one not characterised by militancy, violence and intolerance, several pan Islamic associations and inter faith organisations have sprouted to project Islam in its true and undiluted picture- a religion of peace- by constantly preaching peace, concord and tolerance.

Two of such early Muslim groups were the Jama'atu Nasri li Islam, JNI, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, NSCIA. Since it was created fifty years ago, the JNI, which has the Sultan of Sokoto as its president general, has been working in collaboration with traditional rulers to propagate Islam, preach peaceful existence and promote inter and intra faith understanding.

But even in its early years and, with politics and religion constantly clashing, the JNI did not enjoy the support of all members whose interest it was set up to protect. The death of the First Republic and the coming of the military did not bring much respite as some groups, more as a result of the carry over of the ill feelings of the politics era, continued to attack the JNI for hobnobbing with traditional rulers.

As things stand, the issue now transcends intra Muslim rivalry as many Nigerians do not appear to see an immediate end to the divergent views within the Muslim community. For instance, the role played by politicians in funding private militias and growing poverty especially in northern Nigeria have been cited as some of the factors responsible for growing militant posturings in the name of religion.

If Nigerians were shocked by the 1980 Maitatsine uprising and, today feel even more threatened in prevailing peace time, northern leaders and, by extension, leaders on the national scene learnt nothing from those past events and events from the unfolding scenario.

As was the case with the Maitatsine sect, the military will ultimately bring its might to bear and will eventually succeed in dislodging the Boko Haram, kill or arrest its entire leadership and disperse what remains of its followership. Chillingly, many innocent lives will be lost in the cross fire. Then, as was the case thirty one years ago, it will be time for backslapping and bear hugs.

Big money will be appropriated to organise victory parades across the land and, as to be expected, there will be long, boring and empty speeches to celebrate the end of a nightmare and the return to life on the fast lane. In the euphoria of the victory, nobody will see the need to redress wrong headed social and economic policies that gave rise to Boko Haram. Going by the stiff neck introduction of belt tightening measures this year against the backdrop of cases of mindless treasury looting that go unpunished, government so far has failed to display enough commitment to redressing the conditions that continue to attract frustrated youths to espouse extremist and often divisive views.

More than 1,000 people areestimated to have died in bombings and shootings by Islamist extremists in northern Nigeria since 2009, but an additional casualty has been the jobs and opportunities lost in an already deprived region.

"The economy has been ground down, people are running from the city," said Joshua Bullus, a deputy pastor in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, where Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad), better known as Boko Haram, began. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, bordering the Sahelian countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, was the centre of a thriving livestock-based economy, with an ancient trade network extending as far as Sudan and the Central African Republic. But despite its illustrious past, the region is one of Nigeria's least developed. When Boko Haram declared war on the federal government in 2009, the northeast was already at the bottom of virtually all socio-economic indicators - its marginalization a clue to the violence, according to several analysts. From literacy to child survival, Nigeria's Demographic Health Surveys consistently reflect a region that has been left behind by the rest of the country.

Commercial motorbike taxis, popularly known as `okada', offer one of the few urban job opportunities for young men across Nigeria - typically those with a bit of schooling. `Okada' riders are key to what makes cities work, and in risking Nigeria's formidable traffic and the scorn of car-users, they earn well over the national minimum wage. In July 2011, the state government banned both private and commercial motorbikes from the streets of Maiduguri in response to their use in ride-by shootings by Boko Haram. "The government is not helping the youth," a University of Maiduguri student, who asked not to be named, told IRIN. "The `okada' ban is encouraging the youth to join Boko Haram because they don't have anything." An additional security measure, a 7pm curfew enforced by a federal unit called the Joint Task Force (JTF), has also effectively closed the "night market" - the small kiosks that sold household items and fast food until midnight, serving essentially low-wage earners and an important rung in the informal economy.

"A person can leave his house with 10 naira [6 US cents] in his pocket, struggle for business all day, and then go to the night market to find food for his family," explained a senior state government official. "Now from 6pm everybody is rushing home." With Ramadan approaching later this month, when fasting is broken at sunset, the curfew will become even more burdensome.

The JTF has struggled to contain Boko Haram attacks that have targeted state institutions, churches, and individuals seen as critical of the group. The insecurity has led transporters to increase their costs, which has had a knock-on effect on food prices: according to Bullus, his household food bill is now one third more than last year.

Most traders from the southeast, who cornered the spare-parts market, have shuttered their shops and moved on in response to the violence, adding to Maiduguri's sense of isolation, and denying local land owners valuable rent. The closure of the borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon - to prevent Boko Haram infiltration and escape - has had even more far-reaching consequences for the local economy. "The border trade has virtually stopped, people are suffering, the livestock market has dropped by 50 or 60 percent," said Mohammed Nur Alkali, director of the Centre for Trans-Saharan Studies at the University of Maiduguri. Potiskum in Yobe State, a three-hour drive south through at least 20 security forces road blocks, was until May this year the largest livestock market in Nigeria, and probably West Africa. A gun and grenade attack on the market by what traders say was armed robbers, and the state government claims was Boko Haram, killed at least 34 people, and has scattered business to smaller markets in the region.

Once a week, Potiskum would be packed with trucks and trailers from across Nigeria, especially the southeast, and businessman with cash to spend. Now "the market has halved, even if you bring the cows nobody will buy," one trader said. Cattle prices are a third lower than before the market was attacked; animals now come from nearby villages instead of the international trade of the past.

Back in Maiduguri, the state government official, as with everybody in the city IRIN spoke to, said peace talks had to begin with Boko Haram. "Whether they are terrorists or whatever they are called, people want the government to negotiate because millions of people are suffering." He added that the easing of the state of emergency would be a welcome interim measure. Boko Haram says it is at war with the federal government, and its goal is the imposition of Islamic shariah law across the entire country, including the south where the majority of people are not Muslims. "There is a negotiating position, and then there is the true position of a person," a Maiduguri-based analyst told IRIN. "The group has told the world they want their people released from prison, that is their real concern, not shariah." He added: "If I were the president there would be things I would do behind the scenes. I would work with traditional leaders, as they know the situation. The solution has to be found from inside, rather than imposed from the outside."

Lahore: Sisters of Charity giving a future to children and drug addicts by Jibran Khan

Since their arrival, in 1982, they have emphasized religious education, promoted pastoral care such as a home for the disabled and care for drug addicts. Minimum fees or free education in schools for children of poor families. Regional Superior invites priests to strengthen the teaching of catechism.

Enhancing education among young people, promoting pastoral care, helping addicts and caring for the disabled and marginalized by society. These are just some of the many activities undertaken over the years by the Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide Thouret (Sdc), who first arrived in Pakistan in 1982 under the guidance of Sr. Anna Sammut. The nuns have chosen Lahore (Punjab) as a base, working initially to encourage study and education among the poor children of Shahdara Bagh, a suburb north of the town, on the north bank of the river Ravi. To tell AsiaNews about their work today is Sister Hend Salloum, the first regional superior of Sdc in Pakistan. She arrived in 2001 from Damascus, in Syria, and had previously worked in Lebanon, Egypt, India and the island of Malta.

Through education, said the nun, even children born into poor families can earn their own place in the home and in society. To achieve the goal is important to promote the work of ministry, which encourages the full development of children. After years I parents themselves began to understand the importance of studying and "making every effort" to enable children to study. And in Shahdara, where they founded the first center, the sisters have set up relief and aid centre for families, so all children have access and the right to education.

Sister Hend Salloum explains the work of women religious in Lahore, in the field of pastoral care and education, combined with the management of a center for mentally disabled - a home to women and children - called Dar-ul-Krishma and located in the suburb of Youhanabad. For families who do not have sufficient resources to send their children to school, she adds, we guarantee a free education, or just ask for a minimum fee. "Schools - says Sr Hend - are very helpful for the local Church in Pakistan."

In Faisalabad, however, there is a center for drug addicts where meetings and initiatives for women and girls with drug problems are organized. Some of them are also provided with accommodation and the opportunity to continue their studies, to try to build a better life. At Baji Mariam, the name of the institution founded by a missionary originally from Malta, a hundred girls are cared for - there were originally only twenty - thanks to the dedication of the nuns and their collaborators. Often, police bring the girls to the sisters, not knowing who to entrust them to. And the priests, in case of need, know they can count on the diligent work of the Sisters of Charity.

But the central point, says Sister Hend Salloum, revolves around the religious education of the people, which is why she is launching a call for priests and religious, to become "more passionate" and vigorous in their pastoral work and teaching of the catechism.

The Bishops: violence cannot be a means to achieve the development of peoples

"In the face of painful episodes on Tuesday, July 3, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP) launched a new appeal to all protagonists of the conflict, so that they put aside the speeches that incite to violence, to assess the force used to control the fighting, to reflect together on common solutions, and in particular renounce violence as a means to achieve the objectives of a community or people." In the statement entitled "Violence cannot be a means to achieve the development of peoples", sent to Fides Agency, the Episcopal Conference goes back to the serious incidents that took place on July 3 in the region of Cajamarca (in the north of Peru), where the people demonstrated against the construction of the Conga mining project, which caused deaths and injuries In the statement the Bishops also recall that human life is a supreme value and must be protected and privileged by all. The Bishops are saddened by the violent death of the people involved in this conflict and ask the parties to "resume dialogue as the only way to resolve conflicts peacefully and rationally." At the end of the text, the Church offers to mediate and bring back calm, because "the Church proclaims the value of life and respect for fundamental human rights, promotes the attitude of respect for nature and promotes a culture of peace and dialogue."

The statement is signed by the President of the CEP, his Exc. Mgr. Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ayacucho.

A new clash between police and protesters contrary to the Conga mining project occurred on July 4 in the city of Cajamarca, although this is in one of three provinces in the region where a state of emergency was declared. According to information provided by Catholic Radio Onda Azul to Fides, the new clash occurred yesterday, July 4, about nine o'clock in the morning, when police tried to disperse a group of people who had gathered outside the cathedral of the city of Cajamarca. The police had to use tear gas to disperse the protesters, who responded by throwing objects such as glass bottles. It should be noted that, due to the state of emergency in the area, some constitutional guarantees related to personal liberty and security have been suspended: the inviolability of housebreaking (the police can enter homes), freedom of meeting and transit.

The government of the Philippines is aiming to save its "failed" national family planning programme and drastically cut maternal deaths by spending 500 million pesos (almost US$12 million) on contraceptives in 2012, a move bitterly opposed by the influential Roman Catholic Church.

The Department of Health has said it will use the money to purchase "family planning commodities and supplies" - an official euphemism for condoms, intra-uterine devices (IUDs), birth control pills and other contraceptives - and distribute them on a large scale for the first time in largely underfunded community centres across the country. It is a controversial decision that even public health officials and family planning advocates admit may not be carried out by local officials wary of angering the Church or losing the votes of Catholic supporters. The Church frowns on contraceptives and discourages Filipinos from using them, so government support for family planning programmes has usually been limited. Earlier attempts to boost family planning services failed when strict congressional vetting scrapped any programme that involved paying for and distributing contraceptives. The money for the new family planning initiative will have to come from 2012 general budget allocations of $990 million. Health department officials say the move is aimed at cutting maternal mortality rates, which went from just 162 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006 to 221 in 2011 - a rise of 35 percent - according to the government's 2011 Family Health Survey.

Health officials say at this pace the Philippines will likely miss the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing the 1990 maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by three-quarters by 2015.

"The Philippines started its family planning programme in the 1970s, when we had a similar population to Thailand of around 40 million. But now our population is roughly 95 million, while Thailand only has 65 million," said Esmeraldo Ilem, head of the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the national maternity facility in the capital, Manila. "This difference... is attributed to Thailand's very successful [family planning] programme," he said. "In other words, ours has been unsuccessful." The hospital's dark hallways and perpetually overcrowded maternity wards could symbolize the country's inadequate health sector management. A reproductive health bill that includes allocating funds for contraceptives and introducing sex education for primary school children has been bitterly debated in Congress for the past two years, but there is little sign of it being passed anytime soon.

Foreign governments and NGOs have so far filled the gap, but the global financial crisis and changing geopolitical priorities have forced them to cut back on aid, say Philippine government officials. In 2005 donors provided $4.4 million for contraceptives, with the US government contributing most of the money, according to the public-private Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, which tracks shipments of reproductive health supplies. Funding for contraception was half that amount in 2011. The International Planned Parenthood Federation, Marie Stopes International - a global reproductive health NGO - and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) together provided $2.2 million for contraceptives, with $836,000 coming from UNFPA.

As a result, some six million Filipina women reported an "unmet need" for modern family planning services, according to the health department. "These are women who are too old or too young to give birth, or those who already have too many [children], yet still come here and bear babies because they do not have proper access to health services," Ilem said as he made the rounds in Fabella's crowded wards. The city government of Manila hosts the national headquarters of the Catholic Church in a country where more than 80 percent of the people identify themselves as members. "In Manila, there is no health centre where you can find free contraceptives." The city banned contraceptives in government health centres about a decade ago. President Benigno Aquino, elected in 2010 on a promise to end poverty, initially voiced support for the reproductive health bill, but intense lobbying by Church officials, whose views on key issues often shape public opinion, has softened that position.

"We will not meet the MDG [Millennium Development Goal] on maternal health," Ilem said. "But at the very least the purpose of this spending is to help save our family planning programme by... mak[ing] contraceptives available to the public." The statistics and acronyms mean little to women like Irish Gili, 31, a mother of eight who had just delivered her latest baby at Fabella. She has never had access to family planning advice, much less free contraceptives. She nearly died while delivering her seventh child, but found herself pregnant again, barely a month after giving birth.

"I have been advised to have a [tubal] ligation already," she said. "I suppose I need to that now. I have so many mouths to feed, and my body can no longer handle another childbirth."

An indigenous people's group today condemned the arrest of a Church worker who was taken into custody on Wednesday while having a meeting with a congressman in the northern city of Tuguegarao. Police arrested Agnes Mesina, a lay worker from the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, on suspicion of manslaughter during a meeting with Congressman Antonio Tinio, a teachers' representative. She was released yesterday after posting bail.

"This is clear political harassment," said Piya Macliing Malayao, spokesperson of the National Federation of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines.

The arrest "smells of harassment, something which many other activists have experienced," she said.

Malayao said Mesina is a long-time advocate of indigenous peoples' rights and is actively involved in campaigns against large-scale mining, logging and other environmental causes.

"This is the state's attempt to cut short [Mesina]'s contributions to the people's movement, whom she has served for many years," Malayao said, calling for any charges against her to be dropped.

In a phone conversation with ucanews.com, Kakay Tolentino, secretary-general of the Katribu Party, said authorities has not released any information on Mesina's case, and in particular who the victim of the alleged manslaughter was.

The Katribu Party is a party-list group representing the country's indigenous peoples.

Congressman Tinio said Mesina's arrest was carried out by elements of a police intelligence unit.

"[Mesina's] arrest bears all the hallmarks of the harassment tactics employed by the national security establishment, which seeks to hinder and repress the activities of activists identified with the left by charging them with common crimes such as murder, arson, kidnapping, armed robbery and the like," Tinio said in a statement yesterday.

Transition moves through security and development as well as respect for minors

The respect of deadlines and the stabilization of the regions that have fallen into government control will indicate the measure of success or failure at the summit of the International Contact Group on Somalia. Held over the past two days at the Italian Foreign Ministry, in Rome, the meeting has come just weeks after the end of the road map and timetable, which should lead, by next August 20th, to the dissolution of the Transitional Federal Institutions and all 'approval of a new Constitution.

In the final communiqué, the International Contact Group emphasizes that the dates to be noted are the opening (July 12) and closing (July 20) of the National Constituent Assembly, the selection of a new federal parliament (20 July) the election of a Speaker of Parliament (August 4) and a head of state (August 20).

In the closing notes, the meeting touched on other points such as security, stability, justice and international coordination. On the first point, the strengthening of the African Union mission was noted as was the progression of the federal government in armed conflict with Al-Shabaab. A fact that has allowed the government in Mogadishu to restore territory and for which it is now necessary to stabilize its gains through effective regional development. The Contact Group has also warned of the need to develop an independent sector for the management of justice in Somalia, which is based on both formal and informal systems in compliance with international principles.

The optimism in Somalia has come through thanks to the recurrence of several international conferences from the one in London, in February, to those of Istanbul and Dubai. The International Contact Group will meet at the beginning of 2013 and the summit could be held in South Africa, a country that has offered to host the participants during the Rome summit.

On the fringes of summit, the Somali transitional government has signed an action plan to end the recruitment of children into armed forces. The plan, backed by the UN, provides for the involvement of representatives of the United Nations in support of efforts to restore peace and security. It also provides for the inclusion of children in special courses, the adoption of specific laws that criminalize the practice of child recruitment and ensuring that the UN gain access to military facilities to verify compliance with the agreement.

Religion in Korean culture has increasingly led to division and strife, sometimes through deviation from tradition, and sometimes from structural weaknesses.

Though many religious institutions and people have called for a rejuvenation of their respective faiths, they continue to muddle along, plagued by the imperfections of their all too human adherents.

In response to the corruption of Christianity in his day, the philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) said: "The corruption of the best is the worst of all."

Hume was responding to intolerance, moral insensitivity and superstition, which he deemed to be endemic. His words are no less relevant in our time and to all faiths in the country.

Believers and non-believers alike would agree that the highest spiritual values for all religions are self-emptying love and mercy.

But we see that among the country's many religions, service to the faithful is perceived as a family right and passed down from generation to generation.

It becomes, in effect, an inherited office rather than a work based on passion and faith. What greater proof of this secularization of faith than modern religions' failure to successfully oppose social injustices. Love and mercy do not reside only in fanum (a sacred place). They reside everywhere, and they should be practiced everywhere - incarnated, if you will, and shared with others who suffer.

Religious people who desperately cling to their own interests and compete for power in collusion with politicians, all the while ignoring the victims of injustice, have willfully renounced their social responsibility.

Korea may indeed be a paradise for religions, but society is in greater need of what I call "purified religiousness." Just as the measure of true faith is the fruit it produces, the measure of purified religiousness is religion's good effect on society.

Therefore, true and pure religion must fulfill its social duties, must stand with victims of injustice and shed the self-interest of worldly spirituality.

If religion fails to purify itself, how can it expect to purify an impure world?

This is the challenge that people of faith in Korea must confront. Religion must be true and effective and relevant. If it fails in this, it is a dead thing - capable only of division and discord instead of love and mercy. Father Thomas Lee Jong-jin SJ is professor of philosophy in the Jesuit-run Sogang University and dean of the Graduate School of Theology

Donor assistance is waning in northern Sri Lanka, where the critical priorities of food, shelter, protection and nutrition are not being covered, and many displaced people still need outside assistance more than three years after a decades-long civil war ended.

"We're now at a critical juncture in time," Vincent Lelei, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) told IRIN in the capital, Colombo. "It's imperative that donors remain engaged if we are to ensure the valuable gains that have already been achieved." Of the US$147 million requested under the Joint Plan for Assistance(JPA) for Northern Province 2012, launched by the UN and its humanitarian partners on 21 January, just 17.5 percent had been funded by 6 July - a gap of nearly $122 million. Those in need have yet to realize durable solutions and will continue to need assistance, the UN warned. According to the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS), a global, real-time database that records all reported international humanitarian aid (including that of NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid, and private donations), significant gaps exist in the areas of shelter, livelihoods and demining.

"Some areas have not received any funding at all," Lelei noted. Of the $5 million requested for water and sanitation (WASH), and $29 million requested for mine action, donors have yet to come forward, while a request of almost $40 million for shelter and permanent housing assistance faces a shortfall of more than 70 percent. "Despite strong commitment from Aus Aid, the European Union, and India, there... [are] huge outstanding shelter needs in the north," said David Evans, chief technical advisor at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing assistance to some 300,000 men, women and children in the north, but "WFP is facing significant funding constraints, which means that hard decisions will have to be made in terms of operational downsizing," Paulette Jones, a spokeswoman for the agency, warned. "Serious pipeline breaks of pulses, sugar, oil and fortified cereals are anticipated shortly, with similar pipeline breaks for rice also anticipated. As a regrettable measure of last resort, WFP may even have to reduce rations to our beneficiaries, unless urgent donor funding is forthcoming," Jones said.

Most UN agencies told IRIN they had already begun scaling back their operations and consolidating their field offices - a trend likely to continue through 2013. The World Bank now refers to Sri Lanka as a "middle income country at peace", and donors are looking to spend their money on what they regard as more pressing humanitarian emergencies.

The situation for the 32 international NGOs working in the north is even more dire. "There really is no funding available - it's drying up at the source and we're all suffering," said Jose Ravano, the country director of Save the Children in Sri Lanka. "What funding is coming in is directed to the UN, so for us it's even harder." Aid workers confirmed that many NGOs have already had to reduce programme activities and the number of internationally recruited staff. Funding constraints forced an international demining NGO in Jaffna to lay off 200 local deminers in May, but according to the UN Development Programme, 122 square kilometres of land remain contaminated, including 18 months of priority mine clearance, which prevents many displaced from returning to their homes to restart their livelihoods. NGOs also continue to face a number of administrative challenges, including the renewal of visas and the approval of projects - a problem many feel is a result of the government's long-standing suspicion of NGOs during the war years. International NGOs have the highest presence in areas where internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned most recently, clearly showing that they are still engaged in humanitarian response priorities. According to the UN, more than 445,000 people displaced by the conflict have returned to Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern provinces. This includes some 229,227 people displaced after April 2008, when renewed fighting broke out, and 215,985 persons displaced before April 2008. Some 6,000 IDPs who fled after April 2008 are in camps - the vast majority in Menik Farm outside the northern town of Vavuniya - awaiting return to their areas of origin. An additional 7,300 from the protracted caseload (displaced before April 2008), remain in government welfare centres in Jaffna and Vavuniya districts.

"It's vital the international community stays the course," OCHA's Lelei urged. "So that those affected by the conflict and war witness first hand the benefits of promotion of reconciliation and peace."

Schoolchildren and troops have joined forces in a massive nationwide clean-up, as part of National Dengue Control Month. In the campaign to beat the dengue virus, the children have been tasked with targeting places where mosquitoes breed and thrive. Over 9,000 schools are involved in the initiative, cleaning and disinfecting the places where mosquitoes typically gather, both at their own school premises and in public places. “The children have been removing any garbage piles and cleaning out blocked drains,” said Jacintha Wickramsinghe, a teacher at St. Lawrence Convent School in Colombo, “and we’re continuing the clean-up operation every day.”

More than 10,000 military officers have joined them in their efforts by draining large pools of stagnating water. Nalini Subasinghe, a social worker in Colombo, added that raising awareness was also a vital part of the campaign. “We are using posters, hoardings and leaflets to inform the public in almost every part of the country,” she said.

She has a particular motivation for being involved in the project. “My neighbor’s 11-year-old girl died last week due to dengue haemorrhagic fever,” she said. “She was a brilliant scholar, but now the little girl has passed away and her parents have lost their only child to dengue.” Children are especially vulnerable to the disease, which has been growing rapidly around the world since the 1960s. Sri Lankan government figures show that, of the 15,500 people infected with dengue in the first five months of this year – which proved fatal in 75 cases – many were children. The government itself has contributed to the effort by strengthening the Mosquito Control Act. “People who violate the Act will be subjected to fines ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 rupees,” said the Health Minister, Maithripala Sirisena. “Violators could also face a prison sentence of up to six months.”

The World Health Organization classifies Sri Lanka as a “Category A” country for dengue fever, which denotes that the disease is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children; there are cyclical epidemics in urban areas; and the virus is a major public health concern.

Three other Southeast Asian countries share this classification: Thailand, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.

Catholics targeted by thugs and authorities. Dozens of faithful injured by Nguyen Hun

A group linked to the Patriotic Front targets the Catholics of Con Cuong while celebrating mass. A woman has fractures to her head and is hospitalized. The authorities pay authors of the raid up to 25 dollars as "compensation" for their "work". Protest of the faithful: violation of religious freedom and the laws of the country.

A group of thugs linked to the Vietnam Patriotic Front, instigated by local authorities, targeted the faithful gathered in a house of prayer in Con Cuong district - Nghe An province, Vinh Diocese- as they gathered to celebrate Mass Sunday. The attack against the Catholic community took place on the evening of July 1 and is just the latest in a series of incidents of persecution that have targeted Christian communities in the area since November of last year (see AsiaNews 29/12 / Young Vinh Catholic kidnapped by police on Christmas Eve). Anonymous sources interviewed by AsiaNews also reported that the so-called "local authority" gave up to 25 dollars "compensation" to the thugs who beat priests and lay people who only wanted to gather to celebrate the Eucharist. On the evening of July 1, as every Sunday, Fr. J.B. Nguy?n Ðình Thuc met with faithful in a chapel of Con Cuong, to celebrate mass. Suddenly, a group of thugs - probably close to an extremist nationalist movement - disrupted the function targeting those present. Instigated by local authorities, who pay these groups to attack Catholic communities, the mob struck with force and brutality, injuring dozens of people. One of them, Mrs. Maria Ngo Thi Thanh, suffered a skull fracture and was hospitalized in intensive care. In recent weeks, officials of Con Cuong have patrolled the streets of the district on board a jeep, broadcasting slogans and warnings against Catholics - lay and clergy - guilty of "illegally celebrating of the Mass". Some families confirm that "local authorities do not know" or pretend not to know the "laws governing religious freedom in Vietnam." Police and security agents threaten Christians and force the faithful to promise not to participate in functions or ceremonies in the future. "They are violating the laws of Vietnam - comment members of the community - as well as basic human rights." However, in spite of threats and persecution, which continued for a year and a half Fr. B. Nguy?n Ðình Thuc celebrated Sunday Mass and rites associated with major feast days. In response, the local government has strengthened its enforcement policy "by mobilizing hundreds of people including police, undercover agents and groups of thugs" who throw stones at the faithful, and make arrests. A source, anonymous for security reasons, tells AsiaNews that the perpetrators of the violence "are rewarded with 25 dollars each" for their actions against peaceful believers.

In response to yet another attack, the parishioners have protested outside the offices of the district Con Cuong People's Committee, asking the local party secretary to put an end to violations and respect the principle of freedom of religious profession. But leaders continue to ignore these requests and allocate police to harass the faithful. In recent weeks, the traffic control officers have closed access to the churches, making it increasingly difficult to participate in mass and services. The faithful expect a strong and resolute stance of the Bishop of Vinh, in defense of religious freedom.

Authorities increasing repression on practice of religion. The government wants to "wipe out" any trace of faith, but the people are seeing a spiritual rebirth. The fierce opposition of the priest and the faithful of Con Cuong and military assault by organized thugs. Local priest: to die on the altar "a blessing".

The crackdown on the free profession of religion in Vietnam is becoming more pronounced. The last episode of violation of religious freedom in the communist country - also a right recognized by state law - took place on July 1 last in a Missionary Chapel in Con Cuong, a rural area of ??the province of Nghe An, in the northern diocese of Vinh; in raids on local Catholics combat troops and "thugs" in the pay of the authorities to target minorities or repress dissent were also used in Vinh: Catholics targeted by thugs and authorities. Dozens of faithful injured during Mass). Local sources speak of a real campaign of "religious cleansing" aimed at "wiping out" any trace of faith and worship; in particular in the rural or remote areas of Vietnam, where there is a strong revival of religious sensibility and Christianity in particular, after decades of indoctrination and atheistic communism.

The Con Cuong district authorities are increasingly willing to punish the practice of worship and spiritual needs of the local population, after having several times - in the past - hired criminal gangs and thugs to threaten and terrorize the faithful gathered in the chapel to pray . On one occasion, they also tried to blow up the little place of prayer, but all attempts proved futile.

The last incident took place on Sunday, July 1. Witnesses told AsiaNews that dozens of thugs and plainclothes officers tried to prevent Fr. JB Nguyen Dinh Thuc from entering the chapel to celebrate mass. The priest opposed the fierce resistance, trying to break through the gang, in response, the officers beat him brutally punishing the faithful who came to his rescue. Among them is Mrs. Maria Thi Than Ngho whose skull was fractured in the struggle and remains hospitalized in conditions described as "critical" in Viet Duc hospital in Hanoi. Many others were arrested and locked up in jail.

The determination of the priest and the entire Catholic community to celebrate Sunday Mass has sparked the crackdown of government officials, who requested the intervention of a military department in support of the bands of thugs. In addition to attacking the faithful with brutality, they have also wrecked havoc with the symbols of Christian faith, overturning and destroying a statue of Our Lady (pictured) in front of the stunned and frightened faithful, while hurling insults and abuse. Thanks to the cooperation of four other parishes in the area, some Christians faced and surrounded a dozen of these "thugs" who confessed to receiving about 25 dollars as "compensation" for their misdeeds.

In an attempt to respond to the violence, the faithful of Con Cuong have held demonstrations outside the police station in the district: they demanded the release of the arrested Catholics, and an investigation into the incident, the involvement of the authorities and the violence committed by criminals. The local community does not intend to give in to pressures and demands the right to free practice of religion. A struggle for religious freedom, following the example and words of their pastor: "To die on the altar - said Fr. JB Nguyen Dinh Thuc - would be such a blessing to me."