Author: WHES

Trade ministers from around the world are concluding a contentious week of negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha Development Round. Thus far, there is no indication that Pope Francis, when he was in Nairobi three weeks earlier, blessed the Kenyatta International Convention Center where the summit will take place.

It didn’t take long for the spin masters to begin working their magic on the latest dismal World Trade Organisation summit in Nairobi. WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo waxed eloquent about the “historic” agreement, stating in a post-meeting press conference that the agreement “will improve the lives of those who most need to benefit from trade, especially those in Africa”.

Throughout the constancy of Haiti’s oppression and suffering runs a lesser-known and awe-inspiring constant. That is of a highly organized grassroots movement continuing the battle its enslaved ancestors began more than 200 years ago, when they revolted to create the first independent Black republic in the world. The movement is composed of organized women, peasants, clergy and laity, workers, and others. Organizing, protests, and advocacy have brought down dictators, blocked transnational companies from exploiting the land, and staved off some of the worst economic policies.

Throughout the constancy of Haiti’s oppression and suffering runs a lesser-known and awe-inspiring constant. That is of a highly organized grassroots movement continuing the battle its enslaved ancestors began more than 200 years ago, when they revolted to create the first independent Black republic in the world. The movement is composed of organized women, peasants, clergy and laity, workers, and others. Organizing, protests, and advocacy have brought down dictators, blocked transnational companies from exploiting the land, and staved off some of the worst economic policies.

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ROME, Nov 19 2015 (IPS) – At the end of 2014, an estimated 795 million people – one in nine people worldwide – were estimated to be chronically hungry. All but 15 million of the world’s hungry live in developing countries, i.e., 780 million are in developing countries, where the share of the hungry has declined by less than half – from 23.4 per cent in 1991 to 12.9 per cent.

Mariam is the founder and director of the African Centre for Biodiversity in South Africa.

This is the first in a two-part article with Mariam Mayet. Please check back later in this series for further discussion on how the African Centre for Biodiversity is fighting back effectively to keep seeds in the hands of farmers and out of the multinational corporations’.

The first few primary debates of the presidential election season are in. We can see where the economic policy discussion is going.

The majority of genetically modified (GM) crops are now cultivated in the developing world. In 2014, around 53% of the 182m hectares (nearly two million square kilometres) of GM crops were grown in these countries.

Angola is celebrating 40 years of independence on 11 November. Now, however, people are no longer just asking for peace, democracy and bread, but also freedom.