indigenous and minority rights

Some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Nepal are being excluded from the reconstruction process a year after the earthquakes there that killed 8,700 people, said Oxfam in a new report published today.

Oxfam is deeply concerned about the kidnapping and murder of a local leader who was abducted with three others following a community vote on a mining project owned by San Rafael, SA, a subsidiary of Canada’s Tahoe Resources.

Several organizations expressed their concern for the actions that took place in Guatemala on October 4, when seven members of the indigenous K’iche’ community lost their life as a consequence of the disproportionate response to their protests by State security forces who used firearms against the protesters.

Siriaco Mejia is an optimist. His friend Gloria Gonzalez says he is always smiling, even when he is in trouble. He just has a positive outlook.

At a moment where many look for ways to tackle the global economic crisis, the World Social Forum has set a clear message: “the weight of the crisis cannot fall on the shoulders of the poorest.”