International

A town of about 200,000 Daraya is notable mainly for its grapes — and, truth be told, for its lack of social diversity. If Damascus is too full of people of different faiths, military sorts, and Baathist Party members, you beat a retreat to Daraya, where a calm coexistence has traditionally existed among only Christian Arabs, and the town’s majority: Sunni Arab Muslims.

In the middle of Argentina 3.000 people gathered, at the summit of a lost mountain.
Summoned by three local gurus, the flock anxiously awaited for the miraculous hour, 11:11
of the 11th date of the 11th month of year 2011, the moment when the 11th portal of cosmic
energy would open. It is a new beginning, so they claim.

“Another Iraq is Possible with Peace and Human Rights,”
agree 250 representatives of civil society organizations who met October 8-9 in Erbil, Iraq.

A final declaration from their work together has been just released in Arabic, French, Italian,
and English and lays out a vision for social activists working to promote national sovereignty
of Iraqi people.

Bali – UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon challenged the Asia and Pacific region “to assume global leadership on issues of international concern, including climate change, sustainable development, access to food and energy, human rights and the empowerment of women.”

Cairo – The four-decade-long bid to liberate the Middle East from all weapons of mass destruction (WMD) starting with nukes, will move next year to Helsinki as Finland surprisingly decided to host an international conference on the establishment of a Middle East nuclear-free zone.

Brasilia- Brazil and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a new initiative to help developing countries run their own national school meal programmes to advance the nutrition and education of children.

Paris – The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will temporarily halt some activities owing to the $65 million budget shortfall resulting from the U.S. decision to withhold its dues.

Impassioned critic of neo-imperialism, military occupations, and violent models of economic ‘development’, Arundhati Roy speaks at the People’s University in Washington Square, New York during the Student Week of Action in support of #Occupy. As this young movement continues to inspire the inspiring more voices converge from all corners of the world demanding change

The World Bank has launched a new partnership with global corporations including Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Veolia. Housed at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), the new venture aspires to “transform the water sector” by inserting the corporate sector into what has historically been a public service.

New York – Liberty Plaza (or Park or Square) looks an awful lot like Zuccotti Park again—aside from the damaged flower beds and a broken plastic peace sign lying in the gutter. At 1 in the morning, hundreds of police in riot gear stormed the plaza, shining floodlights and tearing down tents.