AID News for Apr 20 2004

[aid...@aidindia.org]

AID News for Tue Apr 20 2004

AID News for Tue Apr 20, 2004
-->

AID News for Tue Apr 20, 2004
Today's Headlines
1) NGO News: Story on Adhikar's work in Orissa
2) Bhopal campaigners win Goldman prize
3) Demonstration against coca-cola
4) Himalaya Film Festival 2004
Today's News
1) NGO News: Story on Adhikar's work in Orissa
Money talks, ... and walks
B V Narasimham

March 2004 - Orissa has a long history of supplying substantial numbers of
migrant workers to various parts of India, including the economically
important pockets of Mumbai, Calcutta and Gujarat. Rough estimates put the
figure of migrant Oriya labourers in Gujarat at about 800,000. Of this
number, about 80 per cent work in the power loom and diamond polishing
businesses in and around Surat. The remaining are spread across the state,
working in various factories including plastics, textiles, salt
manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, brick manufacturing, and fertilisers.
Orissa has been a source for such migration for more than a half century.
Some important reasons are frequent cyclones and natural calamities in the
state, a substantial reduction in the availability of forest produce, and
the lack of employment opportunities, all resulting in heavy indebtedness
amongst its peopl. To cope, the poor, mainly from the drought-affected parts
of western Orissa, temporarily migrate to other districts and states -
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in Orissa, Raipur and Bilaspur in Chhatisgarh. They
come back during the monsoons to plant the kharif crop, and later to harvest
it. Migration is more permanent among people from places like Khurda,
Nayagarh and Ganjam. These migrants are generally better off economically,
with some education. They migrate to other states mainly in search of better
employment opportunities, and not so much because of a vulnerability to
drought or famine, like people in western Orissa. They migrate primarily to
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and neighbouring Andhra
Pradesh.
Read more at
http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/mar/eco-savings.htm
2) Bhopal campaigners win key prize
Rashida Bee and Champa Devi have won a prestigious environmental prize for their
battle on behalf of the victims of the Bhopal gas disaster 20 years ago.
Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla won the Goldman Environmental Prize
and will share $125,000.
The women said they would use the money to set up their own award in
India for fighting corporate crime. More than 20,000 people died when
toxic gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant on 3 December, 1984.
The two women and five other activists will be honoured in San Francisco
on Monday. The award, often referred to as the Nobel prize for
environment, is given to each of six regions, each winning $125,000.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3638585.stm
-- Contributed by : a large number of AID volunteers! :)
[AID is among the many supporters of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. For more
information see http://www.bhopal.net - Ed]
3)Demonstration against coca-cola at shareholders meeting
*COCA-COLA:*
*DESTROYING LIVES, DESTROYING LIVELIHOODS & DESTROYING COMMUNITIES*
*WHAT:** _ __DEMONSTRATION AT SHAREHOLDERS MEETING_*
*WHEN:** _ _*_*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2004**, **8:30 AM** (sharp)*_
*WHERE**: _ __DuPont Hotel, 11^th and _*_*Market St.**, **WILMINGTON**,
*Join the struggle by THOUSANDS of people worldwide, from **India** to
**Colombia**, from US to **Europe**, to hold Coca-Cola accountable for
the HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL and LABOR abuses being waged by the
giant multinational.*
*Coca-Cola is Guilty of*
***Complicity in the murder and torture of workers in **Colombia*
***Depriving communities of water, poisoning land and water and
selling poisoned drinks in India*
***Exercising undue influence with the **US** government to get
its way*
Join us in this unique campaign, which brings together human rights,
labor and environmental movements together to hold Coca-Cola accountable.
The struggle against Coca-Cola in India is a key environmental justice
struggle in the world today. A majority of the impacted communities are
Indigenous Peoples, farmers, women and landless laborers. Coca-Cola's
practices have resulted in extreme hardship for the communities,
including severe water shortages, health problems, hunger and a loss of
income from farming. The Coca-Cola company, under the auspices of the
Indian government, receives the water practically for free. The
community led struggle against Coca-Cola seeks to gain control over its
natural resources, in this case water. The struggle against Coca-Cola
in India is a formidable challenge to the forces of globalization that
give increasing powers to multinational corporations, and forces that
privatize the commons. The Indian struggles have joined forces with
workers in Colombia that have been subject to a gruesome cycle of
violence unleashed by Colombian paramilitary forces, in complicity with
Coca-Cola's Colombian bottling subsidiary. The Colombian struggle
challenges the violent nature of corporations that is intrinsic to the
models of development being forced upon the world today.
For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org and www.killercoke.org
-- Contributed by Priya Ranjan
4) Himalaya Film Festival 2004
www.himalayafilmfestival.nl
Aim: The general aim of the Himalayan Film Festival is to promote
documentary cinema and to give credit to films or videos dealing with the
Himalayan region in a wide sense of the term. The festival provides an
opportunity for exchange of films and videos and for seeking ways for
their broader use. The festival is meant to be a chance for authors,
owners and distributors, but also for users to exchange their views at the
screenings and following discussions, as well as at additional specialised
events which may be an integral part of the festival.
Film and documentary makers who wish to have their movie or documentary
viewed on The Himalaya Film Festival 2004 should get in contact with:
Himalaya Archief Nederland P/a: Glenn Mitrasing e-mail: hima...@pagina.nl
----
That's all folks,
Regards,
Arun Sripati
Just Another Quote
Live like there's no tomorrow. Learn like you'll live forever.
-- Mahatma Gandhi
P.S. The AID News archives are available at AID News website
http://www.aidindia.org/hq/publications/aid_news.htm
P.P.S. Please visit the AID News site for more details on addition,
subtraction from the list and also to send in comments or if you
prefer email, the editor's email id is
aid...@aidindia.org
P.P.P.S. Access articles quoted in AID News: AID News Links Page
http://www.aidindia.org/links/
P.P.P.P.S. Disclaimers - The views expressed in AID News, including
disclaimers, are not necessarily those of AID. Chapter, BoD or EB
decisions are sometimes conveyed in AID News. The views of the
editor do not necessarily reflect those of AID and the views
expressed by others do not necessarily reflect those of the editor.
P.S. The AID News archives are available at AID News website
http://www.aidindia.org/hq/publications/aid_news.htm
P.P.S. Please visit the AID News site for more details on addition,
subtraction from the list and also to send in comments or if you
prefer email, the editor's email id is
aid...@aidindia.org
P.P.P.S. Access articles quoted in AID News: AID News Links Page
http://www.aidindia.org/links/
P.P.P.P.S. Disclaimers - The views expressed in AID News, including
disclaimers, are not necessarily those of AID. Chapter, BoD or EB
decisions are sometimes conveyed in AID News. The views of the
editor do not necessarily reflect those of AID and the views
expressed by others do not necessarily reflect those of the editor.

=cut