Alternative News
Articles from non-mainstream as opposed to corporate for profit sources.
GMO Starbucks
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 22:22
- Written by editor
Starbucks has teamed up with Monsanto to sue Vermont, and stop accurate food labeling.
Tell Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee to withdraw support for the lawsuit -- we have a right to know what we put in our mouths.
Starbucks doesn't think you have the right to know what's in your coffee. So it's teamed up with Monsanto to sue the small U.S. state of Vermont to stop you from finding out.
Hiding behind the shadowy "Grocery Manufacturers Association", Starbucks is supporting a lawsuit that's aiming to block a landmark law that requires genetically-modified ingredients be labeled. Amazingly, it claims that the law is an assault on corporations' right to free speech. Even a local Vermont company, Green Mountain Coffee, has joined in.
SumOfUs members have already chipped in to support Vermont's legal defense fund. Now, we need to undermine the Grocery Manufacturers Association's base. Monsanto might not care what we think -- but as a public-facing company, Starbucks does. If we can generate enough attention, we can push Starbucks to withdraw its support for the lawsuit, and then pressure other companies to do the same.
Vermont is a small, entirely rural state with just 600,000 people. It’s a classic David and Goliath fight between Vermont and Monsanto. Considering that Starbucks has been progressive on LGBT and labor issues in the past, it's disappointing that it is working with the biggest villain of them all, Monsanto.
There’s much more at stake here than just whether GMO foods will be labeled in a single U.S. state. Vermont is the very first state in the U.S. to require labeling. Dozens of other states have said that they will follow this path -- in order to encourage this, we need to ensure that Vermont's law stands strong.
That's why Monsanto and its new allies are fighting so hard to kill GMO labeling in Vermont.
But whatever you think of GMOs, corporations should not be using massive lawsuits to overturn legitimate, democratic decisions with strong public backing.
Drawing a Line in the Tar Sands
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 20:44
- Written by editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1053 .... November 10, 2014
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Drawing a Line in the Tar Sands
Adapted from A Line in the Tar Sands: Struggles for Environmental Justice, edited by Toban Black, Stephen D'Arcy, Tony Weis, and Joshua Kahn Russell (Between the Lines, 2014).
Of all possible futures, the least likely is one in which business as usual continues unabated. Peoples’ movements will either succeed in transforming our economic and political systems to build a new world, or we will burn with the old one.
Our title invokes a metaphor of uncompromising resistance because the tar sands are an environmental injustice of the highest order. A ‘Line in the Sand’ means: it has gone this far, but no further. We are confronting an industry that is worth trillions of dollars, and is driven by some...
Harpers surprise election
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 12:22
- Written by editor
Harper could call a spring election and win again because of vote splitting.
Click to build a movement that will vote together to move Canada forward with a strong democracy, fair economy and clean environment. With Mike Duffy going to trial in April for his role in the Senate scandal, Ottawa insiders are saying that Prime Minister Harper could call a surprise election and win before he’s dragged through the mud.Yet despite the Harper Conservatives’ record, the vote could split and they would win again - unless we vote together.
We all know it’s time for change in Ottawa. The majority across Canada want a strong democracy, a fair economy and a clean environment.
Thousands of people in the Leadnow.ca community have contributed to a powerful election plan, and there are already teams of people ready to go across the country.
It comes down to this: if thousands of us agree to vote together we can hold this government accountable at the ballot box and move Canada forward. We can do this, but we have to we have to start building the wave now to be ready for a spring election.
Are you in? Click here to sign the Vote Together pledge and share it with everyone you know.
http://we.leadnow.ca/votetogether
Conservative talking points on child poverty
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 12:22
- Written by editor
In our latest post, we fact-check Employment Minister Jason Kenney's spin. Share on FB and Twitter if you can.
Watch the video:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/jason-kenney-and-child-poverty-report-didnt-quite-say-what-he-says-it-said
Sarah
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Your wilderness, our home
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 12:22
- Written by editor
Survival Tribes News Act Now Donate
Guardians of the natural world
Tribal peoples are being illegally evicted from their ancestral lands in the name of “conservation”. Survival has launched a new campaign “Parks Need People” to fight these abuses. We know tribal peoples are better at looking after their environment than anyone else.Find out more »
Stop evictions from tiger reserves
Tribal people in India are being forced from their homes, their lives destroyed in the name of “tiger conservation”. This is illegal under national and international law. And it won’t save the tiger.
Take action →
Here are 3 proposals that beat the TPP
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 12:22
- Written by editor
Your team at OpenMedia has led the fight to stop the TPP’s extreme censorship -- we engaged over 300,000 people in 155 countries around the world as part of creating a positive alternative to the TPP, the Our Digital Future report.
Take Action!Paov,
Your OpenMedia team has discovered that in just a few days, leaders of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries will be meeting in Beijing.1
The U.S. continues to push the most aggressive parts of the TPP’s Internet censorship plan, with President Obama saying he’s determined to announce an agreement in the coming weeks.2
Despite continued opposition from over 3.1 million Internet users3 decision-makers will be trying to secretly lock in the framework for the extreme and binding TPP, including far-reaching new Internet censorship provisions that will affect us all.4
This is a fight we can win by showing our numbers -- we know the more people understand what's at risk in the TPP, the harder it will be for political leaders to advance it.
Decision-makers are working to duck the consequences at home and shield themselves from their own citizens by holding the meeting in China - a country not even involved in the TPP!
This time, we’ll need to step up our efforts.
Luckily we have a new tool at our disposal -- a powerful video that exposes TPP censorship, and champions a positive agenda for free expression online.
The Maidan Uprising and Civil War in the Ukraine
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- Published on Saturday, 08 November 2014 20:44
- Written by editor
LeftStreamed — Recorded in Toronto, 2 November 2014
The Maidan Uprising and Civil War in the Ukraine
Questions for the Left with Volodymyr Ishchenko
Last year's events marked not only a turning point in Ukraine's history. It also posed a number of difficult questions for progressive movements and left critical theory. Volodymyr Ishchenko, a sociologist and leftist commentator, presents his perspective on the Ukrainian Maidan and the ongoing civil war. This presentation raises questions of revolution, nationalism, fascism, imperialism and the strategy which has been raised in political and academic discussions in and around the Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ishchenko is a sociologist studying social protests in Ukraine. He is the deputy director of the Center for Social and Labor Research, a member of the editorial board of Commons: Journal for Social Criticism and LeftEast web-magazine,...
Unions Push for Tax Responsibility in Pension Funds - ITUC OnLine
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 13:44
- Written by editor
INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION
Unions Push for Tax Responsibility in Pension Funds
Brussels, 9 November 2014 (ITUC OnLine): Trade unions have unveiled a new initiative to tackle global tax evasion by integrating tax risks into responsible investment policies in pension funds worth over $20trillion where unions and their trustees are involved in fund governance. A statement http://www.ituc-csi.org/global-union-call-for-action-for signed by 45 union bodies from 19 countries to launch the initiative also supports rule changes for fair and responsible tax practices as envisioned by the G20 OECD Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary said “Attempts to increase short-term returns through aggressive tax planning undermine the sustainability of our economies. As the stewards of workers’ capital, pension funds should to take reasonable steps to address tax risk in their investment portfolios”.
The...
Read more: Unions Push for Tax Responsibility in Pension Funds - ITUC OnLine
The "Consultation" in Catalonia
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 20:22
- Written by editor
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1052 .... November 6, 2014
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The Spanish political crisis is advancing slowly but inexorably. In the last five or six months we have witnessed a series of events that have exacerbated the process of decomposition: the turbulence produced by the European elections, the succession to the throne, the most serious corruption scandals to surface for generations, and the conflict between the central government and Catalonia. The right-wing government of [Prime Minister] Mariano Rajoy has sought relief in macroeceonomic data, but the optimism expressed is groundless: no figures are available to show a solid recovery, with the exception of the fall in unemployment, which is explicable on the basis of a seasonally favourable situation in the services sector. The period to come will be very difficult for the government, even decisive in different areas of conflict.
Regarding the burning question of the moment, the Catalan independence referendum, in January 2013 the Catalan parliament had approved a declaration of sovereignty. The government in Madrid appealed against this and the act was suspended by the Constitutional Court, the supreme judicial authority in the country. Then, this past September, the Catalan government of Artur Mas passed a so-called "consultation decree" that was meant to be the legal basis of the referendum on the relationship between Catalonia and the rest of the Spanish state.
The very day on which he signed the decree for the holding of the referendum, Catalonia President Artur Mas went on Catalan public television to assert that he felt dutybound to respect the Spanish and Catalan legal framework, but that he was certain Madrid would oppose the move; he pleaded for the faith of the people, with assurances that, with a bit of ingenuity, the Catalan people would be able to vote on its destiny. In a matter of hours, the Spanish council of ministers appealed for the quashing of the decree. The next day the Constitutional Court suspended the decree.
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Recognizing our common bond and supporting peace
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 11:44
- Written by editor
r33
November, 2014
Peace starts within each of us, and our relationships in our communities.Makoso Dede has been building peace in his neighbourhood of Ngaliema, in Kinshasa, DR Congo, for 12 years. In 2002, Makoso took a CFSC-supported training program offered by Kinshasa Quakers. The program equips volunteers to work together, in groups of five, to resolve and prevent disputes among neighbours and to offer practical peace education workshops on everything from how elections work to dealing with trauma.
Makoso Dede (centre) took Project Muinda’s peace training "First for myself, and secondly for others. I'm more patient today." He sees positive impacts in his family life, and the conflicts that his local “peace cell” has helped resolve. Photo credit: Matthew Legge
We share a common commitment with Kinshasa Quakers to end violence – in communities and between nations. With your support, people, like Makoso, respond to requests for help in conflicts between family members or landlords and tenants, keeping disputes out of dysfunctional courts and preventing them from escalating.
This is just one of the stories we are pleased to share with you this year about how your donations to CFSC are creating a more just and peaceful world.
Find out more in our Annual Appeal 2014
The first step to Stop Energy East:
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 10:00
- Written by editor
Friends,
Last week, TransCanada filed its proposal to the National Energy Board to build the largest tar sands pipeline ever — Energy East. This means the clock is now ticking on the review for Energy East, and we’re getting ready to take the next steps to stop it.
Here’s what we’re going to do:
- We're going to deliver tens of thousands of messages to the National Energy Board calling for a climate review of Energy East. This will be a high profile action to deliver tens of thousands messages gathered through Phase 1 of the People’s Intervention campaign directly to the National Energy Board. Over 50,000 Canadians from across the country have already added their message -- if you haven't sent yours yet, you can do it here.
- We’re going to build a cross-Canada Energy East Action Network to organize community actions to stop this project. This network will be the anti-Energy...
Burkina Faso: Trade Unions Call for Civilian Transition - ITUC OnLine
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- Published on Sunday, 09 November 2014 13:44
- Written by editor
Read more: Burkina Faso: Trade Unions Call for Civilian Transition - ITUC OnLine
ITUC Newsletter 52: OHS, Climate change, ILO.. Latest News from the ITUC
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 05:44
- Written by editor
Read more: ITUC Newsletter 52: OHS, Climate change, ILO.. Latest News from the ITUC
What tax experts say about the Conservatives' income splitting scheme
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 13:00
- Written by editor
This fight over income splitting and the ability of the federal govt to have fiscal capacity to build programs, such as child care, isn't going away.
Here is our latest on why income splitting is the wrong choice:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/wealthy-husbands-will-cash-big-time-stephen-harpers-income-splitting-scheme
Please share. It can be a great educational tool with members.
Sarah
Bees and Lowe's
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 11:44
- Written by editor
Right now, I'm standing with dozens of people who are about to swarm a Lowe's store in New York. Across the US and Canada, this is happening at more than 10 other Lowe's stores.
Our demand to Lowe's is clear: Stop selling bee-killing pesticides!
This is a crucial moment to pressure Lowe's to take harmful bee-killing pesticides off its shelves for good. We're making noise on the streets, and if we make noise on social media too, Lowe's will really feel the heat.
Can you join the virtual swarm?
Click here to Tweet at Lowe's to ask it to stop selling bee-killing pesticides (this has the biggest impact).OR
Weekly Indigenous news on rabble.ca
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 11:22
- Written by editor
s17 r18.
rabble.ca weekly e-news for October 31st, 2014
This is your daily dose of our Editor top picks! For more new rabble content, visit www.rabble.ca-->Indigenous This week's top news and analysis about the struggles of indigenous peoples for rights and sovereignty. For more on indigenous issues visit our topic page: http://rabble.ca/indigenous
Musqueam leader Audrey Siegl on Indigenous matrilineal society, women's leadership, and Idle No More October 31, 2014 | By Andrew Sayo, | By Charlene Sayo, | By Eirene Cloma The outspoken Musqueam warrior and Vancouver city councillor candidate discusses women's leadership, homelessness, and "swinging the pendulum" against the legacies of colonialism. Dear Ryan: Don't vote for Bill S-6 October 31, 2014 | By Linda Leon
This week @ rabble.ca: rabble exclusive on privacy, security and journalism in Canada
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 11:22
- Written by editor
s17 r18.
31 Oct 2014
Hey rabble readers,
Happy Hallowe'en! Last Saturday award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald spoke in Ottawa about some scary issues for Canadians: security, privacy and Canada's role in changes to civil liberties. rabble.ca was there to cover the event and speak with him beforehand. Read Greenwald's take on Harper's terror agenda, government surveillance and ethical, courageous journalism in an exclusive rabble.ca interview. And if you missed the talk, you can watch a rebroadcast of it here!
In the wake of last week's events, the Conservatives are planning to bring in legislation giving the police and the spy agency more power to combat terrorism. Our Parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg asks: does the actual threat justify that plan? If rabble.ca Hill Dispatches are important to you, help ensure that we have a top-notch team of independent and ethical journalists to challenge Harper's agenda. Support our Parliamentary team with a donation today.
Canada is often cast as a liberal counterpoint to aggressive U.S. immigration enforcement tactics. But, the U.S. has actually pointed to Canada as the model to implement for U.S. migration policy. Read our special, in-depth feature on Canada's "managed migration" by Harsha Walia, part of a Media Consortium collaboration on immigration reform.
We're excited to announce the launch of our new health column by health, patient and disability activist Julie Devaney! "Health Breakdown" is an accessible, jargon-free take on the politics behind current health-care stories. You can find the first column right here.
This Saturday, find rabble at Broken Pencil's Canzine 2014 in Toronto. With engaging panels, unique vendors and hundreds of zines, don't miss out on this festival of underground culture. Find out more!
Join rabble.ca and THIS Magazine as we celebrate Media Democracy Day with a panel discussion moderated by Judy Rebick (activist and author of Occupy This!) Nov. 4 in Toronto. Join the Facebook event here.
The Canadian Association of Labour Media is hosting a day-long media training conference on Nov. 8 for the labour movement and friends. Register today!
This week's top news
Sexual assault in progressive spaces: Thinking about the Jian Ghomeshi allegations
After the Jian Ghomeshi allegations, let's think about how we handle sexual assault allegations in progressive spaces.
By Mathieu Murphy-Perron
Read more: This week @ rabble.ca: rabble exclusive on privacy, security and journalism in Canada
Do you remember Haiyan?
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 09:22
- Written by editor
Dear friend,
It's been almost a year since Typhoon Haiyan left a path of destruction and tragedy in the Philippines. It’s hard for many of us to comprehend the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan but for the 15,000 people still living in tent cities, the impact of these storms are all too real.
Even in the face of such devastation, I have seen the collective spirit of the survivors as they responded with courage, resilience and heroism. They have shown the courage to continue, the resilience to rise up despite terrible loss, and the heroism to fight for justice.
As the people of the Philippines struggle to rebuild their lives it’s easy to understand why many people think the world has forgotten them. But we want them to know that we won’t abandon them; we will continue to fight for climate justice and support the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.
SOS Alternatives to Capitalism
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- Published on Tuesday, 04 November 2014 05:44
- Written by editor
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1051 .... November 4, 2014
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SOS Alternatives to Capitalism:
A discussion with Richard Swift
Montreal Serai had the opportunity to discuss SOS: Alternative to Capitalism -- a handy, slim compendium of vital, essential thoughts and discussions on the concept of an alternative economy and society -- with Richard Swift. His new book has been brought out by BTL (Between the Lines) and New Internationalist Publications and has been excellently received in various circles, both academic and activist. He was interviewed by Rana Bose, co-editor of Montreal Serai where it was first published.
Rana Bose (RB): Capitalism re-invents itself often. Even if the world dies, capitalism makes it through in some other metaform. Capitalism has never really been on its death bed. Imperialism has been and is. I recently heard Ron...
[coalalert] COMPLIANCE RAVEN COAL REVISED APPLICATION SUBMISSION UPDATE
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- Published on Sunday, 02 November 2014 23:00
- Written by editor
John Snyder
CoalWatch Comox Valley Society
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