tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115533502011-04-21T21:40:28.420+02:00"It's not about my politics. Something happened way to quick. A bunch of men who played it sick. They divide and conquer" -- Husker DuWimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.comBlogger1161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-46790506565562496682007-11-13T20:43:00.000+01:002007-11-13T20:44:25.383+01:00

Het nieuws uit de Filippijnen wordt er niet beter op. Na een bomaanslag tegen de Glorietta shopping mall in Makati van enkele weken geleden was het vandaag de beurt aan het parlementsgebouw.Elly, die voor ons in de Filippijnen werkt, schrijft op haar blog: "Vandaag, rond 8 uur lokale tijd is er een zware explosie gebeurd vlak voor het filippijns Congres. Onder de gewonden zijn Luz Ilagan, de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-48739665305828933522007-11-12T21:39:00.000+01:002007-11-12T22:33:34.028+01:00

Last February, when I first wrote about it, Worldmapper was still stuff for nerdy blogs (like mine :-). Today, the site is featured in an academic journal as a tool to visualize inequalities in health.According to an article in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, seeing the world shaped by how many babies are born in a year is a more reliable and rapid way of communicating these

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-72175021475512177642007-11-01T15:49:00.000+01:002007-11-01T15:57:07.527+01:00

This year, 11.11.11 campaigns against the Economic Partnership Agreements. These new free-trade agreements are currently negotiated between the European Union and 75 former European colonies known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific group (ACP). The new TV infomercial seems to cover a preparatory meeting somwehere in the European Commission's headquarters here in Brussels. Funny it is not but

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-82123152977968771062007-10-28T22:13:00.000+01:002007-10-28T22:15:49.741+01:00

Last Tuesday, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council found a solution for the standoff among the three institutions about the issue of Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities. The parliamentary vote clears the way for EU member states to ratify the amendment to the WTO Agreement onTRIPS agreed by the global trade body in December 2005. This

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-26116031368216106642007-10-17T21:49:00.000+02:002007-10-17T23:09:31.733+02:00

When a friend told me some weeks ago that the Bad Brains were coming to Brussels I didn't hesitate to buy a ticket. It would have been unforgivable to forsake this occasion when the Brains are playing just 500 meters from my home. And apparently I was right because last Sunday the Hallen van Schaarbeek were packed with people from all over Europe, as the band played only four concerts this side

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-72022560175996100292007-10-16T22:21:00.000+02:002007-10-16T22:47:53.362+02:00

Anyone who has ever been able to work with Satur Ocampo can understand what an honor it is to welcome him in Brussels. In Philippine activist circles Bayan Muna congressman Ka Satur is an institution. "My life is the struggle and the struggle is my life," he said in an interview he did with Belgian newspaper De Morgen while he was here. And I swear that in the mouth of Ka Satur these words don't

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-55241531412453532832007-10-02T19:20:00.000+02:002007-10-02T19:28:28.898+02:00

Tonyo's blog pointed me to a cool tool that allows you to visualize the places you've visited in the Philippines on a map. Here's my Lakbayan map. Not bad, I guess, for a foreigner.My Lakbayan grade is B-!How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!Created by Eugene Villar.How about you: How much of the Philippines have you visited? Take the quick test today and post the

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-11096565701452879082007-09-30T19:11:00.001+02:002007-10-05T18:05:45.175+02:00

De Amerikaanse mensenrechtenorganisatie Human Rights Watch bracht het eind september aan het licht: De Filippijnse overheid hanteert een zwarte lijst van 504 buitenlanders die niet welkom zijn in het land. Op de lijst staan ook verschillende leden van intal die zich in het verleden kritisch uitgelaten hebben over de regering van Gloria Arroyo, net zoals twee Belgische advocates die bij intal een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-13478851123853033482007-09-27T21:53:00.000+02:002007-09-27T22:25:32.339+02:00

Finally, I can assuage the fears of my foreign friends: We, Belgians, are not on the brink of civil war. Although our politicians are whipping up the contradictions between Flanders and Wallonia, the movement for solidarity is gathering steam. A petition was launched today for solidarity between all Belgians instead of the division and competition that is promoted by the rightist political

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-89140468897716136742007-09-20T22:20:00.000+02:002007-09-20T22:25:20.397+02:00

Joma is free for now, but it's better late than never. Here's Jan's footage of our picket in front of the EC last September 10, when Joma was still in jail. He's free now but I just got worth that the Dutch prosecutors appeal against his release will be heard next week. If they win, he'll be arrested again. The struggle is not over yet!In any case, the video has great quotes from Bruno and PJ!

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-82949068181635270072007-09-14T09:19:00.000+02:002007-09-15T22:19:03.386+02:00

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Take the case of Joma Sison for example. The whole story stinks and the so-called evidence is clearly not reliable. Apparently some Dutch judges came to this same conclusion when they ordered Joma released. Further detention was deemed unnecessary. The case continues, however, but at least Joma is free again while the struggle against his persecution

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1875581723877143732007-09-04T13:33:00.000+02:002007-09-04T13:34:14.575+02:00

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-8322379423893793132007-09-04T09:13:00.000+02:002007-09-04T09:15:27.837+02:00

De Filippijnse revolutionair Jose Maria Sison (of 'Joma') is in Nederland achter de tralies gedraaid. Het voorwendsel: hij zou vanuit Utrecht opdracht hebben gegeven tot moorden in de Filippijnen. De ware reden: Manilla en Washington willen Sison monddood maken en de volksbeweging in de Filippijnen klein krijgen.Stel: De politie nodigt je uit omdat er nieuwe ontwikkelingen zijn in verband met een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-67538688817369819802007-09-03T08:55:00.000+02:002007-09-05T23:01:11.172+02:00

OK, maybe you don't like Joma. Your problem. But at least you can trust Jackie. I met her a couple of months ago. Believe me, you can trust her.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-53100433178998069802007-08-26T22:51:00.000+02:002007-08-28T08:57:29.730+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted some videos from the folks at Common Craft explaining wikis and rss readers in plain English. Even my colleagues understood them. Here's the latest from the same creative team explaining the genius of social bookmarking sites like delicious. I wonder who will be the first to add me to his or her network. Click To Play

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-18793268314258001102007-08-26T11:58:00.000+02:002007-08-27T21:32:15.647+02:00

This country is going to the dogs, if our politicians are to be believed. Two months after the elections they are still trying to figure out how to form the new government. In order to justify their ineptitude they're blaming the deep divisions between French- and Dutch-speaking part of the country. Divide and rule, you know. Well, some people down here in Belgium just had enough of it. Some

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-51641465499696021362007-08-19T20:17:00.000+02:002007-08-20T08:36:47.360+02:00

I prefer to monitor the summer festivals on the radio and the internet. Music festivals are more like a mega-party these days. It's not about the music anymore and that's a pity. Moreover it's expensive. Sure, I missed some nice concerts again at this weekend's Pukkelpop festival. Sonic Youth played Daydream Nation. And there was Cocorosie, one of the most exciting bands around these days. Are

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-31650908075435599062007-08-08T09:06:00.000+02:002007-08-15T20:45:11.561+02:00

Since last month I switched mobile phone operators and chose ello mobile. It's an interesting business model. Ello mobile donates profits from its mobile phone services to selected charities. Recently they also selected a human rights project in the Philippines. Gabriela is now also supported by ello mobile and that convinced me to do the switch. If you happen to live in Belgium and would like to

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-77812755244411246502007-08-02T19:49:00.000+02:002007-08-02T22:51:28.927+02:00

After two weeks in the RD Congo, visiting Lubumbashi and Kinshasa, I'm back in town. It was a heavy schedule and we definitely worked hard with the wonderful team of EDS. They're doing such a great job in the popular neighbourhoods of Kinshasa. We hardly had any time to discover the city but still the atmosphere of Kinshasa gets under your skin. There is probably no better way to pay respect to

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-75519298818745060222007-07-14T12:14:00.000+02:002007-08-26T22:40:37.974+02:00

Exactly twenty years ago I set foot on African soil for the first time in Kinshasa. I was 19 and the confrontation with Mobutu's Zaire broadened my horizon not only geographically but even more politically. Now I'm preparing to go back to Kinshasa for M3M/intal, our NGO, memories from the first trip come back to my mind. The smell, the sound, the taste,... the Congo is really unique. I still

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-9902774544106745992007-07-02T22:19:00.001+02:002007-07-03T21:38:32.349+02:00

I finally took time to read the recent Human Rights Watch report on the Philippines. "Scared Silent: Impunity for Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines" is worth the time, not so much for the analysis, because we've read it already so many times, but for the numerous personal testimonies. The authors interviewed many relatives of the victims. Even if I have read many of them before, and even

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-28070387716895934012007-06-24T19:40:00.000+02:002007-06-24T19:52:56.312+02:00

Yesterday, digitalcongo.net featured EDS, our partner organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This website is one of the leading webzines on the RDC and for a Congolese organization, a long feature article on that site is something to be proud of. Moreover, the article praises EDS as "one of those rare Congolese NGOs that seek to encourage endogenous development in the popular

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-76201116235129195082007-06-17T23:53:00.000+02:002007-06-21T21:26:53.884+02:00

Do you also get desperate because you cannot explain to your office mates and friends why they have to use a wiki or a newsreader or whatever new technology that is just too geeky for them? Maybe this can help you. The guys from Common Craft made two great videos to explain the advantages of newsreaders and wikis in plain English. Moreover, they have a number of translations on dotsub.com.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-50014736355944471452007-06-17T18:49:00.000+02:002007-07-03T21:41:23.930+02:00

Chikoy Pura is one of my favorite Filipino artists. His band, the Jerks, is an institution in Philippine music and they are responsible for some of the classics in Philippine rock history. They never sold out and are respected by musicians and music lovers alike. Chikoy is also not afraid to speak his mind about political issues and I saw him often play in between speeches at protest rallies. His

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-68378756273563816452007-06-06T22:22:00.000+02:002007-06-10T12:33:10.907+02:00

Beltran meer dan een jaar onschuldig gevangen Rebellie? Dat moet inbeelding zijn! Het Filippijnse Hooggerechtshof was niet mals voor de openbare aanklagers die ervoor zorgden dat Crispin Beltran, de populaire Filippijnse vakbondsleider, al 15 maanden gevangen zit. Volgens het Hof waren er geen aanwijzingen dat de man, die ook al zes jaar volksvertegenwoordiger is, een opstand beraamde. Beltran

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-79067172357887639122007-06-03T21:18:00.000+02:002007-06-04T10:44:31.860+02:00

In juli 2005 kwamen de leiders van de 8 machtigste landen bij elkaar in Gleneagles in Schotland. Op het einde van hun driedaagse top beloofden ze tegen 2010 jaarlijks 50 miljard dollar extra hulp te geven aan de ontwikkelingslanden. Minstens de helft daarvan zou naar Afrika gaan. Ze beloofden ook de schulden kwijt te schelden van bepaalde ontwikkelingslanden aan het IMF en de Wereldbank, en

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-76102886023961695952007-06-01T20:51:00.000+02:002007-06-01T20:58:27.961+02:00

As it turned out Pastor Berlin has been abducted by Philippine soldiers and is held in detention in a police camp. Probably it is the quick reaction and campaign of his friends that convinced his captors to let him live and to surface their detainee. Nevertheless he has been tortured according to this statement that he delivered the other day while he was visited by human rights activists.PRESS

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-38416302717178845292007-05-28T09:22:00.000+02:002007-05-28T22:13:06.553+02:00

Yesterday afternoon, the 20 kilometers through Brussels was fun again. Our G3W-M3M team is growing every year and while we started with less than 20 two years ago we were now more than 50. It took me 2 hours this time because of sore muscles but the ambiance was right, the weather was fine and the beer (afterwards) was cool. What more could I ask for? (Click for the slideshow with our pix.)As

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-61898501188965312812007-05-26T16:04:00.000+02:002007-05-26T16:28:17.915+02:00

De jaarlijkse gezondheidsassemblee, de algemene vergadering van de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie (WHO), is het moment waarop de lidstaten hun stem kunnen laten horen over het beleid van deze organisatie. Ook verschillende ngo's maken ervan gebruik om het recht op gezondheid, en de vele schendingen ervan, onder de aandacht te brengen. Intal en Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld maakten eerder deze

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-60532303757645205552007-05-25T21:26:00.000+02:002007-05-25T22:31:09.584+02:00

Just in case you happen to be in Quezon City, Philippines, and you have some time to spare, you can go to an interesting exhibit in mag:net gallery. Kiri Dalena, whom you might know better from her work with ST Exposure is showing some interesting sculptures. Anyone familiar with Kiri's human rights advocacy as an activist film maker will easily recognize the, apparently unintended, allusions to

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-12471225713026341172007-05-23T21:33:00.000+02:002007-05-25T09:45:25.470+02:00

Sunday we'll be running the 20 km of Brussels again with our team of G3W. I don't think I can run as fast as last year because I was too busy to train well but it's gonna be fun. On google maps it looks like a real challenge!

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-4556113802383854652007-05-12T09:17:00.000+02:002007-05-12T09:18:40.159+02:00

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1562326861407262902007-05-07T22:39:00.000+02:002007-05-08T20:31:39.214+02:00

...in the May 14 elections in the Philippines. The new TV clips of the progressive party-list groups are simple but very powerful. "For Bayan Muna, you come first!" The slogan says it all! But also the "Ako ay anakpawis (I'm a toiler)" from Anakpawis is a great punchline. Moreover, there's a couple of good friends of mine appearing in both videos.Bonus track:

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1659036714963811532007-04-26T13:22:00.000+02:002007-04-26T13:34:41.790+02:00

Election fever has gripped the Philippines and many candidates and parties are campaigning in the streets of Manila. Meanwhile the combination of guns, goons and gold are the ingredients of another messy election campaign. The government deployed the military to certain urban poor areas of the city where they are harassing the campaigners of progressive party-list systems. Clear proof of

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-18738866964951270062007-04-24T13:41:00.000+02:002007-04-26T12:54:15.899+02:00

It has been exactly 10 days now since I arrived in the Philippines for a working visit and I've been quite busy since my arrival. Together with Hans, our local country representative, I had to facilitate two workshops with Philippine partner organizations to draft our planning for the following years. It was intense and not easy but it is always encouraging to discover that we are on the same

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-80034028165603664782007-04-03T21:24:00.000+02:002007-04-03T21:42:49.853+02:00

The human rights crisis in the Philippines has eaten much of my time these past few weeks. First there was the Permanent People's Tribunal second session on the Philippines in The Hague. It was an emotional experience to listen to all these testimonies in the presence of some of the victims. Then, there was the campaign against the detention of Satur Ocampo.Fortunately, our efforts paid off this

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-33415826950961012822007-04-03T21:23:00.000+02:002007-04-03T21:23:54.352+02:00

Brussel, 29 maart 2007 - Een zestigtal demonstranten verzamelden voor het ministerie van buitenlandse zaken in Brussel om de aandacht van minister Karel De Gucht te vragen voor de penibele mensenrechtensituatie in de Filippijnen. Sinds het aantreden van presidente Gloria Arroyo zijn daar al meer dan 800 politieke moorden te betreuren en met de recente arrestatie van volksvertegenwoordiger Satur

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-18263452376878364242007-03-26T21:19:00.000+02:002007-03-26T21:22:01.718+02:00

Het Permanent Volkerentribunaal kwam in Den Haag tot de slotsom dat de Filippijnse presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo en medebeklaagde George W. Bush schuldig zijn aan de drie aanklachten die Filippijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties hadden ingediend. Professor François Houtart, die het tribunaal voorzat, had het over “misdaden tegen de mensheid” als hij het had over de massale golf van politieke

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-14958004863815725512007-03-17T09:50:00.000+01:002007-03-17T09:51:09.269+01:00

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-51499632548044893862007-03-15T17:25:00.000+01:002007-03-15T17:31:51.537+01:00

Satur Ocampo, who still has a pending warrant of arrest, was able to give his testimony on the human rights situation in the Philippines in time for the US Senate hearing yesterday. No, he didn't sneak out. He just posted it on YouTube.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-80430283905507038402007-03-12T21:31:00.000+01:002007-03-12T21:46:34.936+01:00

With hundreds of Philippine activists killed since 2001 it is inevitable that I sometimes encounter familiar names and faces among the victims. Renato "ka Atong" Pacaide is one of them. I will always remember the goofy, tall peasant leader from Digos who brought me to Kamukhaan, a village that was poisoned by the aerial spraying of the nearby banana plantation. My friend Dr. Romy Quijano paid for

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-89609456341719358792007-03-09T21:49:00.000+01:002007-03-09T21:50:31.130+01:00

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-68697531495815504512007-03-08T17:41:00.000+01:002007-03-08T17:59:22.510+01:00

Yesterday a judge issued an arrest warrant against congressman Satur Ocampo. Obvioulsy, the charges are baseless. First of all, the case rests solely on the testimonies of the alleged perpetrators of the crime who are now working for the military. Moreover, Satur was in detention during the time the alleged crime took place, more than 20 years ago. There is no doubt that this is a political

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-86099464741094704952007-03-06T21:18:00.000+01:002007-03-07T21:24:08.205+01:00

I've been to Madrid for a meeting over the weekend. We've had two days of intense discussions with health activists from the People's Health Movement and REDS, a European network for the right to health.On Sunday afternoon I had some time to kill before my return flight. Fortunately Thomas, a German activist, had prepared his visit to Madrid better than me and came with a plan. He proposed to

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-60244693288748747902007-02-22T12:15:00.000+01:002007-02-22T15:20:47.252+01:00

VN Rapporteur besluit zijn onderzoek naar standrechtelijke executies in de FilippijnenDe Filippijnen stond al lang hoog op zijn lijstje. Voor een Speciaal Rapporteur van de Verenigde Naties over standrechtelijke executies is een onderzoeksmissie in een land waar de laatste jaren honderden politieke moorden gebeurden een prioriteit. Onder druk van het toenemende international protest moest de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-30796539957570748252007-02-21T10:28:00.000+01:002007-02-23T08:48:44.179+01:00

Here's some footage of today's press conference by UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Philip Alston. His statement is quite strong and made a big impact in the media. Read this front page article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer for example. The government's reaction was pathetic, if not utterly silly. Or should we call this anything else but disgusting?

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-21514396912899093042007-02-18T12:08:00.000+01:002007-02-27T20:55:39.079+01:00

I wish I were in San Francisco for the Stop the killings benefit show. It's a wonderful idea to generate interest for the campaign among the youth. Moreover, they have some really great bands out there.Did you know that some of the most exciting hip hop is made by Filipino-Americans? They still have the attitude, amazing beats and powerful lyrics, unlike many of those mainstream hip hop wannabes.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-90964072530086616872007-02-14T20:59:00.000+01:002007-02-14T21:05:37.484+01:00

The arbitrary terrorist listing of some dissidents by the US and the EU was an issue on the popular Dutch TV channel RTL4. They used the example of Jose Maria Sison, a Philippine revolutionary who is living in the Netherlands, to illustrate the consequences of these policies.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-62040377649230341862007-02-07T15:45:00.000+01:002007-02-07T17:49:31.000+01:00

Dani Beltran, of our Philippine partner organization the Council for Health Development (CHD), testified in a newspaper article about the state of the people's health in Mindanao. According to him, the health status worsened not only because of government neglect but also because of “militarization” in many parts of the island. This was apparent in the research conducted by CHD in 38 communities

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-34361525583450458982007-02-06T21:14:00.000+01:002007-02-06T21:24:52.758+01:00

When Bicol, in the southern part of Luzon (Philippines), was devastated by typhoon Reming late last year, we in MATW immediately started to raise funds for the relief operations. Two weeks ago we were already able to post some updates on our site. Now there's even an animated slide show on youtube that documents relief operations by progressive networks.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-38649450335884120302007-02-04T09:22:00.000+01:002007-02-04T09:24:02.816+01:00

Een commissie, voorgezeten door ex voorzitter van het Filippijns hooggerechtshof Jose Melo, oordeelde vorige week dat militairen verantwoordelijk zijn voor honderden politieke moorden die plaatsgrepen sedert het aantreden van presidente Arroyo in 2001. Slachtoffers zijn geen gewapend verzet, laat staan verdachten van terrorisme, maar mensen uit de bloeiende Filippijnse volksbeweging.Een interview

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-59521316285296190252007-02-03T15:56:00.000+01:002007-02-06T21:23:19.487+01:00

While we're at it with graphs and statistics: here's an older site that visualizes global health and development statistics. Gapminder provides a fascinating interactive presentation of the 2005 human development report's statistical data. Google also hosts a version of this tool.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-89958917503075773672007-02-01T17:38:00.000+01:002007-02-03T15:56:41.830+01:00

Did you ever wonder what the world would look like if countries' surface area would be proportionate to their wealth? To their population's alcohol consumption or unemployment? Maybe it doesn't seem to be very useful but still it makes you think about global inequities and inequalities. You can find tens of these interesting maps on worldmapper.com.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-59086761070225808272007-01-29T22:48:00.000+01:002007-01-29T22:50:20.578+01:00

De farmaceutische multinational Novartis daagt de Indische overheid voor de rechter om delen van de Indische patentwetgeving te laten schrappen die het recht op gezondheid beschermen. Een kwart miljoen mensen hebben daar al protest tegen aangetekend en de wereldwijde verontwaardiging neemt toe. Novartis is één van de grootste farmaceutische firma's ter wereld en bouwde de laatste jaren al een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-87715655598784024482007-01-28T10:10:00.000+01:002007-01-28T21:07:17.559+01:00

Former British Minster for International Development, Clare Short, launched a report about destructive mining practices in the Philippines. She said that she was “deeply shocked by the negative impact of mining in the Philippines,” and feels that “the Government of the Philippines and the mining companies have failed to comply with national law and international standards”. The complete report

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-53733957283026254062007-01-21T21:10:00.000+01:002007-01-22T10:34:08.696+01:00

Tang and Sung left after a visit of 3 days in Brussels. They're both Taiwanese activists who are active in the labor movement. I met Tang first in the Philippines in 2002 when we were room mates during a fact-finding mission. He invited me to Taipei one year later and I spent a wonderful week in that city, integrating with the activist community of China's breakaway province--a place where

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1168676692079243202007-01-13T09:24:00.000+01:002007-01-22T10:33:14.771+01:00

Bush is sending 21,500 extra troops to Iraq. He'll probably need more money for his war machine. Look what he's up to:And here's the anti-flag's answer:I like this chorus:Protest!... Against!... Injustice!... State terror!...On the streets of the world for the disempowered!Apparently the old slogan still holds true: Punx not dead!

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1168544511258831532007-01-11T20:41:00.000+01:002007-01-23T17:13:19.800+01:00

So the US bombed Somalia? It hardly gets a mention in the newspaper. Another year, another war, another salvo of US air strikes on a sovereign country. Aren't we getting used to it too easily? Fortunately, some people, like Mohamed Hassan, who knows the region like the palm of his hand, provide some background. Read an interview on globalresearch.ca.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1166868466699056642006-12-23T11:07:00.000+01:002007-02-18T15:02:16.982+01:00

Galaxie 500 is one of my favorite bands ever and their first LP "Today" is still on heavy rotation. Somebody pointed me to their video of Tugboat, one of the songs on that album. It's an intriguing video for a timeless song with great guitars.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1166821027342654192006-12-22T21:39:00.000+01:002006-12-22T21:58:44.920+01:00

Whose assistance framework?This afternoon I attended a meeting at our ministry of foreign affairs on the assistance to the health sector in Congo. I left with mixed feelings. Sure, Congo's health system needs aid, large amounts of it. Moreover, the focus on 'horizontal', primary care is definitely a positive aspect of the plan. But then, accessibility-or 'health for all'-doesn't seem to be

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1166046393799267282006-12-13T22:40:00.000+01:002006-12-13T22:46:43.266+01:00

1000 x Stop the killingsWe targeted 750. We were 1000 last Monday to say "Stop the political killings in the Philippines" in front of the Philippine embassy in Brussels.There's plenty of pictures on our website as well as on indymedia.be: 1, 2, 3

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1165786807448342592006-12-10T22:28:00.000+01:002006-12-10T22:40:07.923+01:00

Stop the killings in the CordilleraOur "stop the killings in the Philippines" campaign is in full swing now. Tomorrow is the big day as we're expecting almost 800 people to represent every victim of political killings since 2001. I hope it will be adequately covered by the media because we've been working very hard these past few weeks.Meanwhile we had some build-up activities, including an

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1163953331104982302006-11-19T16:45:00.000+01:002006-11-24T22:25:29.716+01:00

Rainy Sunday afternoonNothing can bring me to tears, except music on a rainy Sunday. When I went to buy bread this morning in the drizzle I was looking forward to try that out again with the new Joanna Newsom album. I was in for another teary-eyed afternoon.Joanna Newsom is different. She grew up in a family of musicians that counted Terry Riley as a neighbour and became a harpist. When she sings

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1163752871607375892006-11-17T09:41:00.000+01:002006-11-18T09:13:09.926+01:00

Remembering Hacienda Luisita MassacreTwo years after the Hacienda Luisita massacre it is fit to commemorate the martyrs with this video made by LA-based Phil-Ams.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1163522046170802992006-11-14T17:34:00.000+01:002006-11-18T09:12:05.893+01:00

Anniversary of Martial Law

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1160164214425406132006-10-06T21:46:00.000+02:002006-10-06T21:50:15.146+02:00

Er waait een nieuwe wind achter de muurHWC zorgt voor gezondheid en sociale mobilisatie in Palestina Bij ons recent bezoek aan Palestina bracht onze partnerorganisatie, de Health Work Committees (HWC), ons naar de streek van Qalqilya. Dat is in het noorden van de Westelijke Jordaanoever en de dorpen liggen er letterlijk in de schaduw van de muur die Israël bouwde om de bezette gebieden af te

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1159618715968287732006-09-30T14:16:00.000+02:002006-09-30T14:22:20.940+02:00

Demonstranten tegen Arroyo: "Stop the killings in the Philippines!"BRUSSEL -- Het bezoek van de Filippijnse presidente Arroyo aan op 12 september ging niet ongemerkt voorbij. Vertegenwoordigers van ngos, vakbondsmilitanten en mensenrechtenactivisten vonden het de ideale gelegenheid om hun bezorgdheid over de mensenrechtensituatie in de Filippijnen kenbaar te maken. Daarbij schoven ze een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1156450171595038982006-08-24T22:06:00.000+02:002006-08-24T22:11:26.380+02:00

“Ik ben nummer 15 op de dodenlijst”In de Filippijnen telt men al meer dan 700 politieke moorden sinds de huidige presidente, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo aan de macht kwam in 2001. Doodseskaders hebben het vooral gemunt op progressieve activisten en leiders van volksorganisaties. Ook gezondheidswerkers worden geviseerd. Een Filippijnse medewerkster van één van de partnerorganisaties van Geneeskunde

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1153301564923339852006-07-19T11:30:00.000+02:002006-07-19T11:32:46.183+02:00

Israel attacks Lebanon

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1149108189201542982006-05-31T22:03:00.000+02:002007-05-11T17:15:45.833+02:00

Voor de tweede keer namen we met een ploeg van Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld mee aan de 20 kilometer door Brussel. Ook voor mij was het de tweede deelname maar toch was ik weer flink zenuwachtig toen we om kwart na één op kantoor verzamelden om samen naar het Jubelpark te trekken. Onderweg worden we al opgebeld door Rob die ons maar niet kan vinden in het park en als we uiteindelijk op de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1145973867318077232006-04-25T15:59:00.000+02:002006-05-04T08:24:12.950+02:00

Interview met Ka PaengHet Filippijnse Department of Justice diende een aanklacht in wegens "rebellie" tegen 49 opposanten. Daaronder zijn ook de 6 progressieve volksvertegenwoordigers. Vijf van hen houden zich al bijna twee maanden dag en nacht op in het parlementsgebouw om aan arrestatie te ontsnappen. Het gaat overduidelijk om politieke vervolging. De Luxemburgese ngo ASTM plaatste intussen een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1145950849618555882006-04-25T09:37:00.000+02:002006-04-25T15:35:17.063+02:00

"Boerke" lanceert solidariteitscampagne met Filippijnse boerenOp 23 april werd tijdens de wekelijkse markt in Ledeberg (Gent) het startschot gegeven voor de campagne ”Land is leven! De Filippijnse boeren hongeren naar gerechtigheid”. Deze campagne vraagt aandacht voor de problematiek van voedselzekerheid in de Filippijnen. Een aantal ontwikkelingsorganisaties en solidariteitscomités steunen er in

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1144051311092575232006-04-03T09:57:00.000+02:002006-04-03T10:01:51.386+02:00

Vakbonden, parlementairen en ngo's in de bres voor democratie in de FilippijnenBrussel, 30 maart 2006 -- Een zeventigtal vakbondsmilitanten en Derde Wereldactivisten verzamelden voor de Filippijnse ambassade in Brussel om hun ongenoegen te uiten over de inbreuken tegen de democratie en de vrije meningsuiting in het land. Het intiatief ging uit van ACV-Brussel, 11.11.11 en Filippijnengroepen

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1142154210629890542006-03-12T09:44:00.000+01:002006-03-12T10:03:30.860+01:00

Amnesty concerned about human rights in the PhilippinesAmnesty International has not been very vocal about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines but recently they have issued a strong statement that accurately describes the situation since the crackdown on dissenters in the military, the media, and mainstream politics. The human rights watchdog sees "political motives behind

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1141307247167905762006-03-02T14:41:00.000+01:002006-03-02T14:47:27.426+01:00

Briefschrijfactie tegen noodtoestand en repressie in de FilipijnenDe Vlaamse Noord-Zuidbeweging is erg bezorgd over de politieke situatie in de Filipijnen en roept iedereen op om actief mee de mensenrechten te verdedigen. Stuur een brief naar Minister van buitenlandse zaken Karel De Gucht. De Belgische regering moet alles doen wat in haar macht ligt om de Filipijnse regering tot rede aan te

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1140976191842801952006-02-26T18:48:00.000+01:002006-02-26T18:49:55.776+01:00

Filippijnse 'noodtoestand' richt zich tegen progressieve oppositie: Vakbondsleider gearresteerdDe Filippijnse volksvertegenwoordiger en vakbondsleider Crispin Beltran werd op zaterdag 25 februari gearresteerd, bijna 24 uur nadat presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo de noodtoestand uitriep. Zijn arrestatie en aanhoudende detentie toont aan dat het uitroepen van de noodtoestand voor Arroyo een

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1140788751682940212006-02-24T14:45:00.000+01:002006-02-24T14:45:51.906+01:00

Filippijnengroepen België klaagt noodtoestand in de Filippijnen aan Filippijnengroepen België, het netwerk van solidariteitsgroepen met de volksbeweging in de Filippijnen klaagt het uitroepen van de noodtoestand in de Filippijnen aan en roept op tot solidariteit met de protesterende volksbeweging.Dag op dag twintig jaar nadat dictator Marcos werd verdreven, kondigde de Filippijnse presidente

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1138529499687526612006-01-29T10:59:00.000+01:002006-01-29T11:14:42.886+01:00

Corporate responsibility?I've never believed in corporate responsibility but maybe I'll have to change my mind. Some companies do have a heart and can make a difference for social change. No, I'm not talking about Red, Bono's collaboration with the rich and infamous but about Fighters and Lovers, a young Danish company that warns its customers might experience legal problems because of US or EU "

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1136037121920346592005-12-31T14:48:00.000+01:002005-12-31T14:52:06.153+01:00

Interview with Edre Olalia on radio 1This morning, radio 1 broadcast an interview with Filipino human rights lawyer Edre Olalia. It's a good situationer and assessment of the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines during the past year. You can download the interview here.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135415818275250432005-12-18T10:14:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:18:54.000+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: betoging 18 decemberHongkong, 18 december – De afsluitende betoging van de protestweek tegen de WTO verliep vreedzaam. Zevenduizend betogers trokken naar de kade voor het congrescentrum waar de ministerconferentie van de Wereldhandelsorganisatie (WTO) de allerlaatste debatten houdt. Zij maakten nogmaals hun oppositie tegen de WTO kenbaar en hun solidariteit met hun

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135415469611171152005-12-18T10:09:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:11:10.266+01:00

Bericht uit Hong Kong: Solidariteit en diversiteit onder de paraplu van de Hong Kong People’s AllianceHong Kong, 18 december – De protestactiviteiten van de voorbije dagen in en rond het Victoria Park waren georganiseerd door de Hong Kong People’s Alliance (HKPA), een coalitie van 33 lokale organisaties waaronder vakbonden, studentenorganisaties, vrouwenorganisaties en andere

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135415649450189062005-12-17T10:11:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:14:09.523+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: Wijk rond het congrescentrum volledig afgeslotenHongkong, 17 december – Na de incidenten met de Koreaanse boeren is de wijk rond het congrescentrum volledig afgesloten voor alle verkeer. Een poging om voedsel en water naar de ingesloten betogers te brengen mislukt maar de steun van de lokale bevolking is groot.De doorbraak van de protesterende boeren doorheen de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135415278022162782005-12-17T10:04:00.001+01:002005-12-24T10:07:58.166+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: Het geduld van de boeren is opHong Kong, 17 december – Nu in de voorbije dagen nogmaals bleek dat de ministers van de rijke landen tot geen enkele toegeving bereid zijn, is de maat vol voor de boeren. Aangevoerd door de Koreanen wisten ze vandaag door het politiecordon te breken en op te rukken naar het congrescentrum waar de ministerconferentie van de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135415074614348102005-12-17T10:04:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:17:46.393+01:00

Foto's uit Hongkong: Thai boxingHong Kong, 17 december – Arme boeren hielden vandaag een wedstrijd Thai boksen waarbij één van hen het symbolisch opnam tegen de WTO. Hoewel het een ongelijke strijd was beet de wereldhandelsorganisatie uiteindelijk in het stof.Het wereldwijde netwerk van kleine boeren, La Via Campesina, organiseerde deze morgen een partijtje Thai boksen. Twee boksers traden in het

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414920650387382005-12-16T10:00:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:02:00.733+01:00

Eilandengroep Tonga wordt 150ste lid van WTO en moet meteen gezondheidszorg liberaliserenHongkong, 16 december – Tonga werd gisteren het 150e lid van de WTO. De voorwaarden die aan het eilandstaatje werden opgelegd zijn strenger dan ooit. Vooral het feit dat ook de gezondheidszorg moest geliberaliseerd worden is verontrustend.Nu ook Tonga lid geworden is zijn ze officiëel met 150, de club van WTO

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414811677814652005-12-16T09:58:00.000+01:002005-12-24T10:00:11.766+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: Vive les femmesHong Kong, 16 december – Een vrouwenmars trachtte vanavond de grieven van de vrouwen tot in het congrescentrum te brengen waar de WTO-ministerconferentie doorgaat. Daarbij stuitten ze echter op het politiecordon dat onvermurwbaar de toegang bewaakt.Na de boeren gisteren was het vandaag de beurt aan de vrouwen om de WTO voor een tribunaal te brengen. Tijdens

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414642434633132005-12-15T09:55:00.000+01:002005-12-24T09:57:51.166+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: Boerentribunaal veroordeelt WTO tot onmiddellijke ontbindingHongkong, 15 december – In het Victoria Park, vlakbij het congrescentrum waar momenteel de ministerconferentie van de WTO doorgaat, werd vandaag een internationaal tribunaal gehouden tegen de organisatie. Op basis van getuigenissen van arme boeren werd de WTO schuldig bevonden en veroordeeld tot de onmiddellijke

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414433418335312005-12-14T09:53:00.000+01:002005-12-29T13:25:26.540+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: "Als we verenigd zijn is niets onvermijdelijk"Hong Kong 14 december – Na de grote betoging van gisteren namen de tegenstanders van de WTO tijd voor reflectie en discussie in en rond het Victoria Park. Sommigen konden het echter niet laten en nu en dan trok een mini-betoging langsheen de verschillende conferenties en workshops.Het grote podium op de sportterreinen van het

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414365464357772005-12-13T09:48:00.000+01:002005-12-24T09:55:01.570+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: "Koreaanse boeren zwemmen naar WTO-top"Hong Kong, 13 december -- Duizenden demonstranten van over de hele wereld trokken vandaag in een protestbetoging naar het congrescentrum waar de ministerconferentie van de Wereldhandelsorganisatie (WTO) van start ging. “Junk WTO” was de meest gehoorde slogan: “Weg met de WTO”.Deze ochtend verzamelden de verschillende delegaties van de ‘

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1135414090925276662005-12-13T09:45:00.000+01:002005-12-24T09:48:10.936+01:00

Bericht uit Hongkong: "Beter geen WTO-akkoord dan een slecht akkoord"Hong Kong 13 december – De stad maakt zich op voor de zesde ministerconferentie van de Wereldhandeslorganisatie (WTO). Vanaf vandaag starten ook de parallelle activiteiten. In het Victoria Park verzamelen de sociale bewegingen en ngo’s voor de protestactiviteiten.Wanneer ik gisteren de luchthaven van Hong Kong uitliep kwam ik

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1134118269756761042005-12-06T09:49:00.000+01:002005-12-09T09:51:09.773+01:00

Ministerconferentie WTO in Hong Kong: Lidstaten moeten slecht voorstel over geneesmiddelen verwerpenIntal en Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld scharen zich achter een internationale oproep aan de leden van de Wereldhandelsorganisatie (WTO) om geen slecht akkoord af te sluiten in verband met patenten op medicijnen. Spijtig genoeg hebben de rijke landen er al voor gezorgd dat er maar één voorstel op

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1133125140611361512005-11-22T21:53:00.000+01:002005-11-27T22:00:34.693+01:00

Filipino's wijken niet voor toenemende repressieMoordpartijen en repressie tegen progressieven: het blijft rommelen in de Filipijnen, een Zuidoost-Aziatisch land dat bijna tien keer zo groot is als België. De volksbeweging laat zich echter niet intimideren en de positie van de Filipijnse presidente Arroyo, goede maatjes met de Verenigde Staten, staat onder zware druk.Vakbondsmilitanten riskeren

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1132174419922065502005-11-16T21:50:00.000+01:002005-11-16T21:54:06.310+01:00

Protestactie ACV-Brussel tegen moorden op Filippijnse vakbondsleidersEen delegatie van ACV Brussel bracht een bezoek aan de Filippijnse ambassade om haar ongerustheid te uiten over de schendingen van vakbondsrechten in de Filippijnen. De Brusselse vakbondsmilitanten zijn ronduit geschokt door het recente geweld tegen vakbondsleiders, boeren en arbeiders die opkomen voor hun rechten.Precies één

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1131393801397753512005-11-07T20:59:00.000+01:002005-11-11T22:19:33.746+01:00

Grote belangstelling voor fototentoonstelling “Land is leven! De millenniumdoelstellingen in de praktijk”Op vrijdagavond 4 november werd in Gent de fototentoontstelling “Land is leven! De millenniumdoelstellingen in de praktijk.” geopend. Meer dan 120 belangstellenden maakten er kennis met de manier waarop de volksbeweging in de Filippijnen, ondanks armoede en repressie, de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1130221888975304222005-10-23T08:27:00.000+02:002005-10-25T08:34:01.400+02:00

Campaign weekend 11.11.11This weekend was the campaign weekend of 11.11.11, an annual campaign of the Flemish North-South movement. We had some fun with the white ribbons that had to remind the politicians about their promises to achieve the MDGs. Here in Schaarbeek, we sought out some colonial statues. The message was clear: our government has the choice between continuing the (neo-)colonial

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1129818574333715322005-10-20T16:25:00.000+02:002005-10-20T16:29:34.346+02:00

Jo reports about International Solidarity MissionAtty. Jo Dereymaeker was interviewed this morning on VRT, Flemish radio about the International Solidarity Mission last August in the Philippines. We're also finalizing her report about the mission (in Dutch) and might upload some of the stuff on some website. Meanwhile, here is the mp3 of the interview.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1128892027822628052005-10-09T22:56:00.000+02:002005-10-10T09:33:35.480+02:00

Straight Outta ComptonI discovered Nina Gordon's kick-ass version of Straight Outta Compton, an NWA song I used to play over and over again some 15 years ago. This must be the cover of the year! While surfing the net I discovered also some other curiosities related to this song. It's worthwhile to re-read the lyrics and listen to the 'explicit lyrics only' version of the song. Gee, somebody even

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1128929808912875722005-10-07T09:33:00.000+02:002005-10-10T09:36:48.913+02:00

General strikeToday there was a general strike in Belgium. We went around Brussels on our bicycles to interview strikers. Ikuko also shot some pictures and a selection is on Indymedia. Check it out here and here.

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1127749162107266832005-09-26T17:35:00.000+02:002005-09-26T17:40:54.276+02:00

Vakbondsleider Nestlé vermoord in de FilippijnenIn de Filippijnen werd alweer een activist vermoord. Dit keer gaat het over Diosdado Fortuna, een leider van de Nestlé staking in Cabuyao waar de arbeiders al drie jaar in staking zijn. Met Filippijnengroepen België zijn we meteen in actie geschoten ens chreven we protesbrieven. Via een vriendin van een Zwitserse NGO kregen we zelfs het adres van de

Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17777705397836599570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11553350.post-1127123129094804002005-09-19T11:39:00.000+02:002005-09-19T11:45:29.106+02:00

Terug uit de FilippijnenZelf ben ik al maanden niet naar de Filippijnen geweest maar ik heb wel meegewerkt met groepen die er deze zomer op inleefreis gingen. Zo was er een groep jongeren van intal en een groep vakbondsmensen van LBC. Dit weekend hoorde ik van beide hun aangrijpend reisverslag. Enerzijds zijn ze geschokt door de onvoorstelbare wantoestanden maar anderzijds zijn ze er aangestoken

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