North America

Noam Chomsky speaks about the future and predicts difficult situations for China and India. On the other hand he analyzes the appearance of progressiveness in Latin America as very important. For the first time in 500 years, LA is moving towards a degree of independence and a kind of integration and also is beginning to face some of its massive internal problems.

Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan arrived in Martha’s Vineyard to lead a protest near the home where President Obama is vacationing. Sheehan made international headlines four years ago when she led large protests outside President Bush’s home in Crawford, Texas. On Thursday, Sheehan criticized Obama for expanding the war in Afghanistan.

If the world military expenditure were distributed between all the people living at this moment on the planet, each one would receive US$146,40.
Theses numbers will probably attract youngers’ attention but they are not less shocking for adults. Figures as such can be found at the educational booklets created by Margaux Verdier and Henry de Boisseguin, for Montreal students.

Peace proponent Cindy Sheehan calls all peace leaders to come sail with her aboard ‘SS Camp Casey’ anchored in Martha’s Vineyard for a shipboard peace summit from August 27 to 29. Cindy, who is sometimes referred to by the media as “the peace mom” lost her son Casey in the Iraq War when he was killed in action on April 4, 2004.

Today is election day in Afghanistan. A new poll shows growing American opposition to the war in Afghanistan. The Washington Post-ABC News survey found 51 percent of Americans view the war in Afghanistan as not worth fighting. Just one-quarter of respondents say they support President Obama’s escalation of the Afghan war with at least 17,000 additional troops.

In the sixth anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 UN staff, including special envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello, The United Nations is holding its first World Humanitarian Day in an attempt to increase support for relief workers as well as call attention to the growing dangers they face. In 2008, 122 international aid workers were killed.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s Bed-In, the organizing committee of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence held a “Bed-In for Peace and Nonviolence” in Central Park drawing hundreds of people to give peace another chance. People of all ages sat on the bed and expressed their feelings about peace and violence.

The Canadian Punk-Rock group Simple Plan gave a performance at the 1000 Islands Music Fest in Gananoque (Canada) on August 14, 2009.
The group is concerned by teenagers’ problems.
Pressenza met two of their members: Jeff Stinco, guitarist and Chuck Comeau, drummer.
Jeff said he was touched and is inspired by the famous speech of Martin Luther King, “I had a dream”.

(IPS) – When U.S. President Obama presides over a meeting of world leaders in the Security Council on Sep. 24, he will provide a high profile political platform for two of the most sensitive
issues at the UN: nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. Obama is expected to make his maiden appearance at the U.N. when he addresses the global summit on climate change.

In Mexico, 20 prisoners have been released who, were found guilty of the massacre of 45 residents of Acteal, a village in the southern state of Chiapas. The Supreme Court has ruled that their convictions were unsafe.

The 45 villagers, were murdered in 1997. It is said to have involved a local dispute over land and that the Mexican government played no role in it.