March/April 2005Volume 30, Number 2

Martyrs call us to reflection, courage and persistence....................................3

LATIN AMERICAU.S.-Latin America policy: Running backwards...........................................4Andean bishops’ statement on free trade agreement................................5Guatemala: Without informed consent........................................................6Bolivia: The long road to stability..........................................................7Peru: Potato agreement.........................................................................8Chile: The Pinochet indictment...............................................................9Dorothy Stang, presente!..........................................................................10Venezuela: U.S. targets “negative force”.................................................11SOA prisoner of conscience, Sr. Lil Mattingly MM.....................................12Haiti: One year after coup, tragedy persists..........................................14

AFRICAKenya: Anti-corruption program threatened.........................................14Zimbabwe: Food security worsens; elections draw near.............................16Sudan: Peace agreements, peacekeepers, war crimes and more tragedy......17S. Africa bishops: Poverty kills like tsunami...........................................19

MIDDLE EAST AND ASIAMidEast: U.S. should commit to Iraqi withdrawal....................................20Church asks U.S. help over taxes in Israel.............................................21Two Koreas: Trade might improve political ties....................................22

Democratizing the World Bank and IMF...............................................23UN: Darfur should be referred to the ICC............................................24U.S. should separate energy, military policies.........................................25Kyoto Protocol in effect; investors call for greater corporate accountability...26

Resources......................................................................................27

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March/April 2005

MARYKNOLL OFFICE FOR GLOBAL CONCERNS:Peace, Social Justice and the Integrity of Creationhttp://www.maryknoll.org/globalconcerns

Maryknoll SistersMaryknoll Lay Missioners

Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers

Marie Dennis — Director.............................................................mdennis@maryknoll.org

Judy Coode...................................................................................jcoode@maryknoll.org

Yamileth Coreas.......................................................................ycoreas@maryknoll.org

Sr. Jean Fallon, MM.........................................................globalconcerns@mksisters.org

Rev. Jim Kofski, MM.....................................................................jkofski@maryknoll.org

Mercedes Roman, MMAF...........................................................mroman@mksisters.org

MOGC WashingtonP.O. Box 29132

Washington, D.C. 20017(202)832-1780 phone

(202)832-5195 faxogc@maryknoll.org

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Maryknoll NY 10545(800)258-5838

orbisbooks@maryknoll.org

TAKE ACTION - Email, call, fax or write

U.S. decisionmakers

President George W. BushThe White HouseWashington, D.C. 20500www.whitehouse.gov

Vice President Dick CheneyThe White HouseWashington, D.C. 20500vice.president@whitehouse.gov

White House Comment Desk(202) 456-1111 phone(202) 456-2461 fax

Condoleezza RiceSecretary of State2201 C Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20520(202) 647-6575 phone(202) 647-2283 faxsecretary@state.govwww.state.gov

Donald RumsfeldSecretary of DefenseThe Pentagon

Washington, D.C. 20301(703) 695-5261 phone(703) 679-9080 fax

National Security CouncilThe White HouseWashington, D.C. 20500(202) 456-1414 phone(202) 456-2883 fax

Alberto GonzalesAttorney GeneralU.S. Department of Justice950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20530-0001(202)353-1555 phoneAskDOJ@usdoj.govwww.justice.gov

U.S. Representative to UN799 United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017

(212) 415-4000 phone

James WolfensohnPresident

World Bank Group1818 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20433www.worldbank.org

Rodrigo de Rato y Figaredo

Managing DirectorInternational Monetary Fund

700 19th Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20431www.imf.org

Due to ongoing security measures, there is a

significant delay in delivery of mail to Con-gressional offices. It is advised that constitu-ents either use email or fax, or send mail toCongresspersons’ home offices, rather than

to the Washington, D.C. office.

Current status of bills:

(202) 225-1772http://thomas.loc.gov

Capitol switchboard:(202) 224-3121

www.senate.gov

www.house.gov

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March/April 2005

Martyrs call us to reflection, courage andpersistence

On March 24, 1980, the archbishopof San Salvador, Oscar Arnulfo Romerowas gunned down as he celebrated Mass.Romero was an untiring and outspokenadvocate for the marginal and oppressedpeople of El Salvador. He was a prophetin the most classical sense, whose inspi-ration was the struggle of the poor them-selves to be faithful, to work for justice,to participate in the transformation ofthe world.

Almost exactly 25 years later, onFebruary 12, 2005 Sister Dorothy Stang,SND was gunned down as she accom-panied the poor of Para, Brazil in theirunflinching efforts to protect therainforest and their lives from the greedof logging firms and ranchers (see page10.) She too was a prophet, whoseinspiration was the struggle of the poorfor justice, but the additional insighther life and death reflected was that thewell-being of the poor and the well-being of the earth are inextricably linked.

“With every forest razed to theground ...,” the first words of lastmonth’s opening reflection on waterecho around us. In an interview imme-diately after Sister Dorothy’s death, Bra-zilian Bishops Tomas Balduino, thepresident of the Pastoral Land Commis-sion (CPT) and Erwin Krõutler of theDiocese of Xingu, Para said, “Landowners, loggers, sojaplanters use the discourse of productivity to take overpublic lands and territories occupied by traditionalpeoples - indigenous, river-side populations, small farm-ers, and many others. They promote the illegal occu-pancy of properties, the devastation of the forests andpastures, the pollution of waters... With the communi-ties of Anapu, Sr. Dorothy was developing a new type ofagrarian society, respecting the land as a source of lifeand helping people live together in society by preservingthe values of solidarity, respect for the environment, andin producing self-sustainable food. However, this formof life-style challenges the economic model adopted byBrazil and is seen as an impediment to those who seek,

Reuters photo

above everything, immediate profits.”The martyrdom of Oscar Romero

25 years ago captured the attention ofthe world. Tens of thousands of othersin El Salvador had already been slaugh-tered for defending life, but due to hisinternational visibility and deeply faith-ful, very public witness, Romero’s deathevoked a global response.

As he found his voice and pro-claimed with increasing clarity andcourage the Word of God on behalf oflife, Archbishop Romero had receivedmany death threats. Aware of them, hepersisted in his prophetic role. “If theykill me,” he said, “I will rise again inthe Salvadoran people.” He did, butthe persecution of the poor continued.Tens of thousands more gave theirlives, including many, many othersknown internationally, like MauraClarke, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel andJean Donovan, who were brutally mur-dered only a few months later.

Outrage over the death of thearchbishop, the four U.S. churchwomen, labor leaders, the Jesuits, thepoor - finally helped end the fightingin El Salvador in 1992, but the war onthe poor and on the rest of creationwent on. Driven by greed and a hunger

for power, it endured in economic exploitation andenvironmental destruction. It is the very same war thatsnuffed out Sister Dorothy’s life and the lives of her“beloveds” in the Brazilian rainforest 25 years later.

Sister Dorothy’s death just weeks ago has recap-tured the attention of the world. This time, may we seethe war with more clarity and respond with greatercourage and persistence. May we see the vast reach of itspower and recognize its threat to the whole communityof life. May we come to understand the role of wastefullifestyles in perpetuating the violence. May there arise inus a passionate response to the death of a colleague inChrist, a deep reflection on our own part in the destruc-tion and a firm commitment to the protection of abun-dant life.

© Australian Picture Library/Corbis

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U.S.-Latin America policy: Running backwards

ment workers - who appeared to support social reform.“All the same, I witnessed countless cases of mili-

tary abuse. The security units ... justified the murder ofcivilian suspects as a necessary defense in the fightagainst ‘terrorists.’ The military acted as judge, jury, andexecutioner. The police worked hand in hand with themilitary. The police investigated community leadersworking for social change during the day, and wouldturn that information over to army hit squads who madethe civilians ‘disappear’ in the middle of the night.”

Maryknoll lay missioner Gigi Gruenke lives now inEl Salvador. In response to this proposal, Gigi wrote,“The people continue to suffer from the cruelty of theU.S.’s strategy to point fingers and assassinate normalcivilian people. That is all this strategy achieved. It didNOTHING to win the war. Those who suffered fromthis strategy of the U.S. do not wish it, ever, uponanyone. They pray constantly for the victims of war inIraq, knowing what it is to be civilians in a war.”

The “Salvador option” may be proposed for aparticular circumstance in Iraq, but the direction itsuggests is an ominous one as U.S. training programs formilitaries and police around the world take a turn in asimilar and wrong direction. From September’s Shadow:Post-9/11 U.S.-Latin American Relations, published bythe Latin America Working Group Education Fund andthe Center for International Policy:

“The number of Latin American personnel trainedby the United States increased by more than 50 percentfrom 2002 to 2003. …The United States continues toencourage military practices, programs and doctrinethat promote a confusion of civilian and military roles,especially the creation of new military missions withincountries’ own borders. This trend raises an increasinglyurgent question: What happened to the line betweencivilian and military roles?

“This is not an academic question. It goes to theheart of democracy—which includes a clear divisionbetween the civilian and military spheres. In most func-tioning democracies, the military—which makes deci-sions through a top-down, hierarchical structure—fo-cuses on external security and leaves politics and devel-opment to elected civilians.

“Blurring this distinction—for instance, by havingthe military carry out crimefighting or other roles thatcivilians can fill—risks politicizing the armed forces,which in turn leads the military to use (or threaten to use)its monopoly of arms whenever it disagrees with the

With the appointment of John Negroponte to beDirector of National Intelligence and Elliot Abrams tobe Deputy National Security Advisor, a “Salvador op-tion” proposal on the table for Iraq, and U.S. trainingprograms around the world that blur the lines betweenthe role of the military and that of civilian police forces,it appears that U.S. foreign policy is running backwardstoward the “bad old days.”

As ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985,Negroponte supported the Contras in Nicaragua andthe brutal military dictatorship of General GustavoAlvarez Martínez in Honduras. According to ForeignPolicy In Focus, “on Negroponte’s watch, diplomatsquipped that the embassy’s annual human rights reportsmade Honduras sound more like Norway than Argen-tina. Former official Rick Chidester, who served underNegroponte, says he was ordered to remove all mentionof torture and executions from the draft of his 1982report on the human rights situation in Honduras. In a1982 letter to The Economist, Negroponte wrote that itwas ‘simply untrue to state that death squads have madetheir appearance in Honduras.’” (www.fpif.org)

Elliott Abrams, a figure from the Reagan-era Iran-Contra scandal, describes himself as a “neo-conserva-tive and neo-Reaganite.” (see Right Web, http://rightweb.irc-online.org) He will oversee theadministration’s promotion of democracy and humanrights while continuing to provide oversight to theNational Security Council’s directorate of Near East andNorth African affairs-including involvement in the Is-raeli/Palestinian conflict.

These two men and many others around them inthe Bush administration know well the implications ofthe “Salvador option,” by which the U.S. would fundand train counterinsurgency forces in Iraq.

In the Jan. 19 edition of SojoMail (http://www.sojo.net/sojomail), David Batstone wrote, “Theplan refers to the secret support of the Reagan adminis-tration in the 1980s for hit squads in El Salvador thattargeted rebel militia and their civilian sympathizers.Many Pentagon conservatives credit these so-called ‘deathsquads’ with turning the tide against a strong revolution-ary movement in El Salvador…Death squads roamedfreely in El Salvador and Guatemala at the time. In thesetwo countries alone, they assassinated or ‘disappeared’more than 150,000 civilians. They targeted anyone -church pastors, literacy teachers, community develop-

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civilian consensus. Utilizing the armed forces in policeroles can lead to excessive use of force. Too often in LatinAmerica, when armies have focused on an internalenemy, the definition of enemies has included politicalopponents of the regime in power, even those workingwithin the political system such as activists, independentjournalists, labor organizers, or opposition political-

party leaders.”

Faith in action:Write to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

expressing your opposition to the “Salvador option” asit was reported in Newsweek magazine in January.

Andean bishops’ statement on free trade agreement

Six South American bishops, representing Catholicconferences in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia,released the following statement in February on theoccasion of their visit to Washington, D.C.

Our pastoral vision, which is inspired by the Gos-pel and the social teaching of the Church, holds that thehuman person is the focus of all economic activity. In anincreasingly interdependent world, it is imperative thateconomic globalization be humanized by globalizingsolidarity among individuals and peoples. In fact, “Ifglobalization is ruled merely by the laws of the marketapplied to suit the powerful, the consequences cannotbut be negative” (Ecclesia in America, 20).

The overall situation of the [Andean] people ischaracterized by high levels of poverty, social exclusionand a growing gap between rich and poor. In particular,there is a lack of opportunity for small-scale agriculture,small businesses and micro enterprises — sectors thatemploy the majority of people in our countries, as wellas inadequate educational and public health systems,insecurity and violence, the lack of food security andmigration due to limited employment opportunities.

Trade policies need to be fashioned in ways thatwill stimulate economic growth while at the same timecombating poverty and overcoming hunger. ... From ourexperience as pastors among our people we have con-cerns that the free trade agreement currently undernegotiation between the U.S. and the Andean countriesmay fail to reach its potential in increasing opportunitiesfor the poorest and most vulnerable. For the poor toreally benefit from an increase in trade, complementarymeasures need to be adopted that will improve educa-tion and public health, that will include minorities anddisabled persons, and that will strengthen the participa-tion of all concerned.

Given this, in light of the principles and values that

we have stated and the situation of our people, weexpress the following concerns about key points in thenegotiation of the free trade agreement.

Agriculture: The provisions under negotiation couldleave small farmers and their families in our countriesvery vulnerable. ...

Intellectual property: The U.S. proposes patentingseeds and life forms, in addition to exten[ding] theexisting monopoly period that international pharma-ceutical companies enjoy over the sale of medicines.These measures may well endanger farmers’ access tothe resources on which they depend, as well as access tomedicines particularly by the poor and most vulnerable.

Labor: Trade agreements should offer an opportu-nity to strengthen the protection of workers. In theabsence of binding commitments to respect workers’rights, such workers, especially the majority of theworking poor, may not enjoy some of the potentialbenefits of increased trade ...

Environment: ... Without adequate enforceableenvironmental protections, the trade agreement will notlive up to its potential of contributing to the rational,sustainable use of resources such as water and forests,especially given the important role that the Amazonregion plays in these four countries. ...

Citizen participation: Such trade agreements offera unique opportunity for the peoples of the region toexpress and strengthen a sense of participative democ-racy that will lead to greater security for all. ...

Comprehensive agenda: More broadly, any tradeagreement should form part of a comprehensive agendafor sustainable human development that is supported byadequate financial and other resources. The moral mea-sure of any trade agreement should be its positive effecton the life and dignity of families and of poor andvulnerable workers, whose views should receive specialattention in this debate.

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Guatemala: Without informed consent

other metals, which may contaminate the water supply.The water is also threatened from acid mine drainage,which occurs when ore rich in sulfides is exposed to airreleasing water and acid into the environment. Oncesulfur gets into the water, the only way to control it is todump neutralizing chemicals into the water supply. Thisproblem can affect local communities for generations tocome. Additionally, in this area where water is scarce,the Marlin mine will use 66,000 gallons of water perhour.

As a result of these concerns and frustration athaving been left out of the consultation process, indig-enous people in San Marcos and the surrounding areashave resisted the opening of the mine. Protests startedwhen Glamis was transporting equipment to the Marlinmine. Indigenous people in a community miles awayfrom the mining site, who originally thought the equip-ment was destined for their communities, blocked pas-sage of mining equipment at a bridge along thePanAmerican Highway. Workers for the gold companywere dismantling part of a pedestrian bridge to allow theequipment to fit through. The demonstrators blockedthe equipment for over 40 days, until Guatemalan policeand military were sent in to end the blockade. During theclash that ensued, two demonstrators, Raúl CastroBocel and Miguel Tzorín Tuy, were killed. In addition,about 2,000 demonstrators have protested in San Marcos.

Glamis Gold is obliged to pay a one percent royaltyto the central and municipal Guatemalan governments,but this amount is far less than the six percent royalty theGuatemalan government used to require. The mine isexpected to produce about 217,000 ounces of gold eachyear for the next 10 years. Each ounce of gold willproduce about $93 profit. It has been reported recentlythat Guatemalan President Oscar Berger will ask thecorporation to provide economic support to the SanMarcos community in addition to the one percent roy-alty. Berger will ask that Glamis’ local subsidiary, Mon-tana Explorada, pay for two hospitals and invest inprograms that will benefit the local economy. Despiteefforts of the national government and the company to“sell” the project as beneficial to the community, oppo-sition of local people from San Marcos, Sololá,Totonicapán, Quicho, and Huehuetenango is strong.Glamis expects to finish construction and begin produc-tion at the Marlin mine later this year.

In late 2003, the Guatemalan government, underthen-President Alfonso Portillo Cabrera, granted a min-ing license to the U.S./Canadian corporation GlamisGold for use on land in San Marcos. In doing so withoutadequate consultation of the indigenous Mayan peopleswho would be affected by the mine, the governmentviolated the International Labor Organization’s Con-vention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ILO169), to which Guatemala is a signatory. Additionally,they violated Guatemalan law which requires consulta-tion before initiating activities that could have signifi-cant impact on indigenous peoples. The following articlewas written by Jennifer Hojaiban, intern with theMaryknoll Office for Global Concerns.

According to ILO 169, it is the responsibility of theGuatemalan government to consult with indigenous andtribal peoples when decisions are being made that willaffect them directly. This consultation should be carriedout “with the objective of achieving agreement or con-sent to the proposed measures.” While both GlamisGold and the Guatemalan government claim to haveconsulted with the local population, it is clear that manyof the local people did not know about the proposedmine when they sold their land to an agent of the miningcompany.

Additionally, the International Finance Corpora-tion (IFC), the private-sector lending arm of the WorldBank, provided a $45 million loan to Glamis Gold forthe mine in San Marcos, which is called the Marlinproject. IFC regulations also require consultation withlocal populations. Although many Guatemalan andinternational organizations urged the World Bank Groupto delay this loan until proper consultation took place,the loan was approved on schedule.

Many people in the community are concernedabout the potential social and environmental effects ofthe mine. Glamis Gold has already demonstrated prob-lems dealing with environmental issues and communityconcerns. In Honduras, its mine has caused problemswith relocation of local farmers and water contamina-tion. In Nevada, a Glamis mine has released contami-nants that are now moving toward drinking watersupplies.

The mine in San Marcos will create a huge open pitthat will permanently change the landscape of the area.The mining process will use cyanide to leach gold from

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Bolivia: The long road to stability28, 2005) More than 70 percent of Bolivians live on lessthan $2 per day, the gap between the rich and the pooris huge, and the tax base is virtually non-existent.

Steve Judd, MM, continues, “The consequences ofthe privatization policies and schemes that were put intoplace in the 1980s are very much present despite thewholesale disapproval of the general public and mosteconomic analysts, notably the architect of the neo-liberal model in Bolivia, the now repentant JeffreySachs….Studies that show the failure of the modelproliferate but nothing has replaced these failed policies.Bolivia, obedient to a fault, did everything by the book

and the consequences are therefor the whole world tosee…Reactivation of the eco-nomic sector is at a standstill asthe country limps along with noth-ing new or hopeful on the hori-zon. All of this produces moresocial discontent and contributesto the lack of confidence.

“A frequent scene viewed atany one of the country’s airportsis the growing exodus of young

people, mostly from the impoverished rural and urbansocial classes, bound for low paying jobs in Spain andItaly. Remittances from what they earn abroad are animportant source of economic survival and a strategy towithstand the effects of the chronic economic crisis.”

The Democracy Center (www.democracyctr.org)describes well the situation in El Alto, where the watersystem was privatized in 1997 after the World Bankmade water privatization a condition of a loan to theBolivian government. The private company, Aguas delIllimani, is owned by a consortium led by the Frenchwater giant, Suez, the World Bank, and others. Publicprotests against the company charged that it failed toextend water and sewage service to tens of thousands offamilies in the city’s impoverished outskirts and thathook-up costs exceed more than half a year’s income atthe Bolivian minimum wage.

The citywide uprising against water privatizationin El Alto also comes exactly five years after the launchof the revolt against water privatization in Bolivia’s thirdlargest city, Cochabamba. The Cochabamba water re-volt ended with the ouster of a multinational consortiumled by the Bechtel Corporation of San Francisco. Bechtel’scompany later filed a $25 million legal action against

Major strikes in Bolivia during January again un-derscored the fragile nature of the political accord thereand the shaky ground on which President Carlos Mesais standing. According to NotiSur (Jan. 28, 2005), callsfor autonomy from Santa Cruz, the country’s economicengine and home to the oil, sugar, and soy businesses,were fueled by efforts of the central government toeliminate subsidies for gasoline. At the same time, cocagrowers in Los Yungas protested the installation of apolice checkpoint and communities in El Alto demandedouster of the multinational corporation that controls itswater.

Mesa has kept a shaky hold on power sincetaking office in October 2003 after the deadlystreet riots that killed dozens and forced formerpresident Sanchez de Lozada to flee the country.Since then, Mesa, a political independent andformer television news anchor, has struggled topull Bolivia out of a protracted recession amidsimmering social tensions between the country’spoor indigenous majority and the ruling elite.In early January he vowed to resign if there wasa loss of life in the wave of popular protests,strikes and blockades.

Mesa has taken steps to fulfill some of the promiseshe made when he assumed power. A national referen-dum on the sale of Bolivia’s vast natural gas reserves washeld on July 18, 2004. The results of the referendumstopped short of calling for outright nationalization, butgave Mesa a mandate to ensure that a greater share of theprofits from the sale of natural gas would accrue toBolivia. According to Maryknoll Father Steve Judd inCochabamba, many critics believe that the referendumdoesn’t “come close” to addressing the deeper issues ofhow to deal with the country’s chief natural resource.

Another one of Mesa’s promises was fulfilled bythe December 2004 municipal elections when the tradi-tional parties again were repudiated as voters shiftedtheir allegiances to newly found parties or civic move-ments. The only existing party that came out of theelections with a stronger hand was the Movimiento alSocialismo (MAS).

Massive unemployment in Bolivia has contributedto the social unrest throughout the country. More than65 percent of the working-age Bolivian population isjobless or has low-productivity work, according to theInternational Labor Organization (ILO). (NotiSur, Jan.

Photo courtesy of Jim Shultz and theDemocracy Center, located inCochabamba, Bolivia

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Peru: Potato agreement

know it best and can use it for everyone’s benefit. Thenew agreement is a major breakthrough that shouldhave policy implications worldwide for ensuring cultur-ally-appropriate and sustainable development.

“This pioneering agreement opens the way for agreater complementarity between genebank and field-based conservation. It is not a blueprint, but it does showa way forward and proves that solutions can be found ifthe political will exists.”

Policy analysts and civil society campaigners be-lieve the new agreement marks a turning point andprovides a good practice model that can inform similarinitiatives across the globe. They are calling for greateraction at crucial international meetings this year inBangkok and Geneva, but warn that potential progressis being undermined by a lack of political and financialcommitment from the international community, includ-ing the UK, to help build the capacity of civil society tonegotiate effectively at a local and national level.

The London-based International Institute for Envi-ronment and Development (IIED) and the governmentof the Netherlands have been working with and provid-ing support to ANDES for four years.

Dr Michel Pimbert, director of the SustainableAgriculture and Rural Livelihoods Program at IIED,said: “Civil society groups, particularly those led byindigenous peoples, should not be dictated to, but theydo need greater support from the rich countries. Ground-breaking agreements, like this example in Peru, requirenegotiation with all parties on an equal footing, whichmeans boosting the capacity of local indigenous commu-nities to argue their case for access to the geneticresources they helped develop in the first place.”

The new agreement gives practical meaning to theFAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resourcesfor Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Bio-logical Diversity. It also reflects the ideals of the UNMillennium Development Goals to ensure sustainableand culturally-appropriate development of local andindigenous communities.

The Peruvian potato is helping to drive forwardglobal policy thinking about how to return control ofhomegrown agricultural resources to indigenous popu-lations. A new agreement, the first of its kind in theworld, means that Andean communities can unlock thepotato genebank and repatriate biological diversity tofarming communities and the natural environment forlocal and global benefit. The initiative will be conductedin a conservation “potato park” in southern Peru whereindigenous peoples can access genetic resources andhave a greater say in their management. The followingis from the International Institute for Environment andDevelopment (www.iied.org)

Though excluded and often oppressed today, in-digenous peoples are the traditional custodians ofbiodiversity; this agreement restores these rights whilerecognizing that “the conservation, sustainable use anddevelopment of maximum agrobiodiversity is of vitalimportance in order to improve the nutrition, health andother needs of the growing global population.”

The Association for Nature and Sustainable Devel-opment (ANDES), a Cusco-based civil society group ledby indigenous peoples, helped broker the ground-break-ing agreement with the International Potato Centre, oneof 15 Consultative Group for International AgriculturalResearch centers responsible for the world’s largestagrobiodiversity genebank collections.

The new deal is unique because it will “ensure thatgenetic resources and knowledge remain under the cus-tody of local communities and do not become subject tointellectual property rights in any form.” This bucks thetrend of privatizing genetic resources and indigenousknowledge which has seen seed genebanks swallowedup by unaccountable research bodies and corporations,threatening local livelihoods and cultural ways of life.

Alejandro Argumedo, associate director of ANDES,said, “Biological diversity is best rooted in its naturalenvironment and managed by indigenous peoples who

Bolivia in a closed-door trade court operated by theWorld Bank. Under heavy international pressure Bechtelhas reportedly agreed to drop its action and an end to thecase awaits an equivalent concession from one of Bechtel’sco-investors, the Abengoa Corporation of Spain.

Mounting political pressure led Mesa to rearrangehis cabinet in early February. Now there are three major

tasks facing the “renovated” administration. (NotiSur,Feb. 11, 2005) First is to allow departments to choosetheir own governors, currently appointed by the presi-dent; second, to give way to departmental autonomy,most likely through a popular referendum; and third, toprepare for a Constituent Assembly, which may convenein August.

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Chile: The Pinochet indictmentthe 1976 killing of Chilean foreign minister OrlandoLetelier in Washington, D.C., but who live freely in theU.S. as a result of a 1978 plea bargain, recently spokewith a Chilean investigative judge regarding the assassi-nation of Prats. The information the two men providedto the judge may lead to the conviction of Pinochet.

The third case against Pinochet, while not relatedto human rights abuses, has further tied up his time andhas led to the freezing of many of his assets. In June, aUnited States Senate subcommittee revealed that Pinochetwas holding up to $8 million in secret accounts at Riggs

Bank in Washington, D.C. Furtherinvestigations have shown thatPinochet amassed nearly $16 mil-lion which is held in foreign ac-counts under five different aliases.As a result of these revelations, manyof Pinochet’s strongest supporterswill no longer come to his defense.With his assets frozen and withoutthe support of wealthy friends,Pinochet could not afford to post therequired bond when he was releasedfrom house arrest in January.

In addition to these three pend-ing cases, in early February, a judgerequested that Pinochet be strippedof his immunity and be investigated

for Operation Colombo, an alleged plot by the secretpolice to cover up the killing of 119 dissidents. Addition-ally, lawyers for the family of Charles Horman, a U.S.American journalist who was kidnapped and presum-ably killed in the days after Pinochet’s coup, are consid-ering legal action against Pinochet.

Pinochet was hospitalized for a stroke after JudgeGuzman’s indictment. Despite his health problems, theAppeals Court upheld the indictment in a 3-2 decision.Additionally, faced with Pinochet’s failing health, high-level government officials have confirmed that Pinochetwill not receive official honors at his funeral or anational holiday upon his death.

Recently, Judge Guzman was quoted as saying thathe is receiving pressure from the Chilean government,army, and church to be lenient on Pinochet. Guzmanalso claims that his investigation of the former dictatorhas cost him a promotion to the Supreme Court. TheSupreme Court announced that it will investigateGuzman’s comments.

Despite the fact that Chile’s former dictator AugustoPinochet was released from arrest in Spain in 2000 andthat his 2002 case in Chilean court was suspended,Pinochet has been found to be mentally fit for trial. In anumber of cases where he has been stripped of hisimmunity, Pinochet will face charges of human rightsabuses and embezzlement. Judge Juan Guzman filedcharges and ordered that Pinochet be placed under housearrest on December 13, 2004. The following article waswritten by Jennifer Hojaiban, intern with the MaryknollOffice for Global Concerns.

In 1978, the Chilean military putin place an amnesty law that pre-vented most human rights abusers frombeing tried or imprisoned. Addition-ally, before leaving office, Pinochetgranted himself amnesty and madehimself a senator for life. Despite theseefforts to evade prosecution, Pinochetis now facing charges in three differentcases and there are rumors that he maybe stripped of immunity in two oth-ers.

When Judge Guzman declaredPinochet competent to stand trial, hecharged him with 10 counts of kid-napping and murder that were part of“Operation Condor,” a coordinated effort of six SouthAmerican dictatorships led by Pinochet’s Chile to assas-sinate or kidnap political opponents. Manuel Contreras,the chief of the secret police force that Pinochet createdshortly after seizing power, has already served jail timefor Operation Condor crimes. He recently expressedanger at being made the scapegoat for human rightsabuses committed during the dictatorship, insisting thatPinochet assume responsibility. Contreras may be pre-paring to implicate Pinochet in abuses committed underOperation Condor and other cases.

In a related case, Pinochet is being prosecuted forthe assassination of General Carlos Prats, his predeces-sor as commander of the Chilean Army. The primesuspect for the murder of General Prats and his wife in1974 has always been Pinochet’s secret police force. Infact, Michael Townley, a U.S. American who was anagent in the secret police force, has admitted planting thecar bomb that killed General Prats and his wife. Townleyand Armando Fernandez Larios, who were convicted of

September 1976, Washington, D.C. FormerChilean foreign minister Orlando Letelier andhis colleague Ronni Moffitt are killed in carbombing orchestrated by Pinochet's govern-ment. Moffitt's husband survived the blast.

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Dorothy Stang, presente!the area of gunmen and their sponsors who have beeninvading the homesteads of our people, cutting theAmazon forest and turning it into cattle grazing grass-land. Already in the last 30 years, 25 percent of the virginforest has been destroyed. Our project seeks to preservethe forest and promote sustainable development throughuse of the natural resources such as cacao, pepper,coffee, fruits and dyewoods. We have government titlesfor some of the land.

“The greed of the invaders, loggers who take outthe hardwoods and cattlemen who burn the forest,depletes the already low fertility of the land, causeserosion and temperature rise and lessens the rainfall.When the settlers attempt to defend their land, they areaccused of violence. Their homes have been burned, andin the recent trouble, a group of hooded gunmen paid bythe cattlemen were repelled by the homesteaders, andone was killed. This is the reason I was falsely accused ofsupplying ammunition.

“Before flying to the U.S., I went to say goodbyeand to bless all the homesteaders, encouraging them tokeep up the struggle for the sake of the future of theirchildren. ... I can speak out when others cannot becauseof my relationship with the church, with my interna-tional Congregation and my long years in the area.

“I am grateful to Notre Dame for not asking me toleave. This shows we are aware of the needs of the poor.The sisters have said they are glad I am safe. It is not mysafety but that of the people which matters. All of us asthe Brazil Unit work very closely with our people andwant to be a sign of hope.”

For more information, go to the Sisters of NotreDame’s website, http://www.sndden.org/news/stang.htm

Faith in action:Write a letter to the president of Brazil asking that

1) the Brazilian government conduct a federal investiga-tion of Sr. Dorothy’s murder, assuring that the case willbe judged in Federal Court; 2) the federal governmentguarantee the land reserve for sustainable developmentand give poor farmers in Anapu clear legal title to theland; 3) there is assured, prolonged federal protectionfor poor farmers in Anapu faced with the anger of thepowerful landowners and the loggers; and 4) the federalgovernment work aggressively for land reform in theAmazon.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Palacio doPlanalto, Praca dos Tres Poderes, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.

Sr. Dorothy Stang, SND, a 73-year old U.S. mis-sionary who worked in Brazil for 37 years, was assassi-nated on Saturday, February 12. For decades she hadchampioned the cause of poor farmers in their battleswith ranchers and loggers intent on claiming vast tractsof jungle. Brazil’s rain forest, the world’s largest, hasbeen rapidly diminishing in size as loggers and largelandowners expropriate land and clear huge areas. Lastyear alone, forest territory the size of New Jersey waslost.

Some hope that the tragedy will put pressure onBrazil to take firmer action in a region where weakgovernment has created a bloody power vacuum. Ac-cording to the Amazon Alliance for Indigenous andTraditional Peoples of the Amazon Basin (http://www.amazonalliance.org), the problem is often collu-sion between corrupt local authorities and the ranchersand loggers. More people die from land conflicts in Parathan in any other state, and most cases go unresolved.

Sister Dorothy’s goal was to have the area aroundAnapú, the town where she lived for more than 20 years,declared a sustainable-development reserve. She was onher way to a meeting with local settlers when twogunmen confronted her. Witnesses reported that shetook out her Bible and was reading aloud from it whenthe men shot her. She was buried in Anapú, a small townabout 200 miles southwest of Belem, the state capital. Atleast 2,000 people attended the funeral.

Last June, Sister Dorothy was falsely accused ofinciting violence in Anapú and the surrounding area andof supplying ammunition to the people. At that time, theleadership team of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namurcalled for letters of support from the internationalcommunity in an effort to protect Dorothy and thecommunities she accompanied.

Despite the danger, Dorothy decided to return toBrazil after a visit to the U.S. In response to the manyletters of support she received, Dorothy wrote:

“I want to tell you of my deep gratitude for thetremendous support you sent to me and to the people ofAnapú recently. This is a case where the voice of the poorcannot be heard because of the constant danger ofassassination, but my belonging to an internationalCongregation has made it possible for their voices notonly to be heard but to receive a favorable response.[On] July 7, the federal police, and land and environ-mental agents should arrive in Anapú to begin clearing

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Venezuela: U.S. targets “negative force”Mainstream media coverage of Venezuela has fo-

cused on that country's perceived instability. However,Venezuela’s most marginalized communities, who arethe people with whom Maryknoll missioners live andwork, tend to support the “proceso,” the political move-ment introduced by President Hugo Chavez. The follow-ing article is written by Lisa Sullivan Rodriguez, aMaryknoll lay missioner who has lived in Venezuela forover 20 years.

In recent statements by CIA and State Departmentchiefs, Venezuela is being targeted as a top area ofconcern in Latin America. This focus comes at a timewhen President Chavez has significantly consolidatedinternal support in Venezuela after overcoming threemajor efforts to unseat him. It also comes at a time whenChavez increasingly is being perceived as a key spokes-person for the growing anti-globalization movement inLatin America.

In recent statements, CIA Director Porter Gosscalled Venezuela a “flashpoint for 2005” and a “poten-tial area for instability.” He criticized Chavez, indicat-ing that he is “consolidating his power by using techni-cally legal tactics to target his opponents and meddlingin the region.” Likewise, newly-appointed Deputy Sec-retary of State Robert B. Zoellick, formerly the U.S.’s toptrade negotiator and strong supporter of Free TradeArea of the Americas, called Venezuela’s government a“new breed of authoritarianism.”

Not all U.S. policymakers are comfortable withthese recent attacks on Venezuela by the Bush adminis-tration. When Condoleezza Rice declared at her confir-mation hearings that President Chavez was a “negativeforce in the region” several U.S. senators expressedconcern that this could amount to a position of meddlingwith a democratically elected and popular government.One of them, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), called theremarks “disrespectful” both to Chavez and to theVenezuelan people who have gone to the polls repeat-edly in the past six years to support his administration.

This new wave of criticism towards Chavez on thepart of the Bush administration does not indicate achange of position but of focus and intensity. Previously,efforts by the administration to isolate or remove Chavezfrom power were pursued by quietly acknowledging,supporting and funding Venezuelan opposition forces.Recently declassified CIA documents indicate that theCIA was well aware of the April 2002 coup plans beforethe fact, even though at the time the Bush administration

vigorously denied having any previous knowledge. TheNational Endowment for Democracy channeled mil-lions of dollars to over 20 opposition groups in recentyears. However, after the failed coup, an unsuccessful oilstrike and a stunning defeat in the August referendum,Venezuelan opposition forces have become demoralizedand their leaders have all but disappeared from sight.

The recent statements by members of the adminis-tration seem to indicate that the State Department hasdecided to pick up this battle against Chavez themselves.This new focus includes bringing concerns about Ven-ezuela more intentionally to the forefront, throwingaround words like “authoritarian democracy” and“elected dictatorship” which gain public attention, whileoffering few facts to support their use. Elements of themedia have not been far behind this portrayal of Venezu-ela as a source of concern for U.S. citizens. Just last weekthe Miami Herald used the word “war” for the first timein characterizing tensions between the Bush administra-tion and Chavez, using a subtitle of “Chavez Arms forWar with the U.S” in a recent article. At the same time,Fox news was running a three-part series filled withfactual errors entitled: “The Iron Fist of Hugo Chavez.”

Contrary to this portrait of Chavez as an anti-democratic force in Latin America, his supporters wouldpoint to an opposite reality, citing Venezuela as a modelfor initiating major social reform about via the ballotbox. Over the past six years Chavez has been not onlybeen elected twice by large majorities, but has promotedand won several referendums, including a participativeprocess to draft a new constitution. This document,frequently found in the pockets of ordinary Venezu-elans, led to a series of laws which outlined everythingfrom major land reform to affirmation of state owner-ship of the all-important oil industry. All of theseelections, including the August recall referendum whichChavez won easily with 59 percent of the vote, have beenacknowledged as accurate and transparent by groupssuch as the Carter Center and the OAS.

Meanwhile, the internal situation of Venezuela isat the calmest point in six years. Shortly following therecall victory, Chavez candidates won 21 of 23 gover-norships in October elections. Many people acknowl-edge that the growing internal support for Chavezreflects his ability in the past 18 months to transform hispromises of social reform into concrete programs andresults. Under the title of “missions” and funded by there-vamped oil industry, sweeping educational and healthcare reform has taken place in the poor sectors of the

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country – a sector that comprises 70 percent of thepopulation. Over 17 million Venezuelans have been seenby the 12,000 Cuban doctors who are living and work-ing in the poorest Venezuelan barrios and towns, in anoil-for-doctors program with the Cuban government.

Five nights a week, you can see adults of all agescarrying their pens and notebooks to a local house orcommunity center to participate in Mission Robinson –the basic literacy course which has enticed millions of

SOA prisoner of conscience, Sr. Lil Mattingly MM

it represents in the madness of military rationale that“might makes right.”

How have I come to know U.S. foreign policy asdegraded? Permit me to share with you and the courtsome of my own personal experience. I grew up inLouisville, KY, in a working-class family in the 1940s-50s, in what I now know to have been a shelteredenvironment, unaware of the extremes of militarismused for economic and political advantage.

Even when I joined the Maryknoll Sisters in 1960,what was important in the U.S. was that Russia bedefeated and that we win all the wars out there for ourgood and noble people. ... [M]y first awakening thatsomething wasn’t right with our own government was innursing school in 1970 when I joined most of my classon the streets to protest the war in Vietnam.

Soon after nursing school, I went to my first mis-sion in Bolivia and was delayed because of a bloodytakeover that was happening in August 1971. When wewere allowed in, I learned that the leader of the militarycoup was General Hugo Banzer Suarez. He ruled thecountry; his military chased, grabbed, shot, killed, im-prisoned and tortured thousands during his seven yearsof dictatorship. Not only was he responsible for thosehorrible physical atrocities, but he also received so-called loans from U.S. banks in the millions, which grewinto the billions of dollars that have now enslaved theBolivian people by an unpayable debt.

Judge Faircloth, if you have ever been to the SOA/WHINSEC that we are presently protesting, you mayhave seen General Banzer’s picture there in its Hall ofFame. Can you imagine what an insult that is to thebeautiful people of Bolivia who suffered terribly underhis tyrannical regime?

I was privileged to live for 20 years in Bolivia andto learn from the people there who are oppressed politi-

Maryknoll Sister Lil Mattingly recently “crossedthe line” as part of a solemn procession during theannual School of the Americas (SOA) Watch vigil at Ft.Benning, GA. (The SOA, the U.S. Army’s training facil-ity for Latin American military officers, was renamedthe Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Coopera-tion several years ago.) The vigil is held each Novemberon the anniversary of the 1989 murder of the six Jesuitsand their two female co-workers in El Salvador, amurder orchestrated by graduates of the SOA. Thegathering at Ft. Benning also commemorates all victimsof SOA-inspired murders in Latin America, includingLil’s Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, whowere killed along with Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazeland lay woman Jean Donovan in December, 1980.

For her act of trespassing onto federal property, Lilwas sentenced to six months in jail. Her prison term willbegin in mid-March and will be served at the federalwomen’s prison in Danbury, CT. Following is the state-ment she gave to Judge G. Mallon Faircloth at her trialin Columbus, GA on Jan. 25, 2005.

I am grateful for this opportunity to speak, toexpress what is very deep in my heart. I join a long lineof others who have stood here before you, whose expe-riences and reasons for being accused of breaking afederal law are similar to my own. I value their wordswhich speak to my heart as they cry out for justice, andfor an awakening of our U.S. sense of moral outrage inresponse to a degraded U.S. foreign policy.

I believe that I followed my conscience and mysense of moral outrage by prayerfully and peacefullyprotesting the school known as Western HemisphereInstitute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) at Ft.Benning. I crossed the line because of what the schoolteaches, what many of its students have done, and what

poor Venezuelans to learn to read and write. While theopposition seemed stunned by their defeat, anyone wholives even near a poor community knew why peoplewould go to such great lengths to support this govern-ment. An elderly Mission Robinson graduate from aBarquisimeto barrio recently said, “I’m voting ‘no’because, for the first time in my life, I can read thequestion on the ballot and answer the way I want.”

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cally, militarily, and economically; but still the peopleare committed to peaceful protests. [J]ust recently,84 indigenous people were shot down by the militaryand killed for protesting. Bolivia has sent manyofficers/soldiers to the SOA/WHINSEC, and pres-ently has U.S. military advisors-trainers there now.

In 1980 in El Salvador, protests were also beingrepressed, and two of my Maryknoll sisters whowere helping refugees, were raped and killed alongwith another sister and lay missioner. Hundreds ofthousands died with them in those years when ourU.S. policies funded and trained militaries in CentralAmerica to fight what they called “communism.” Iask the court to note that of the military officials andsoldiers cited for abuses of human rights in reportstime after time, many, if not most, are graduates ofthe SOA/WHINSEC and they continue to operatewith impunity in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,Mexico, Colombia ...

The level of deliberate brutality in massacres whichwe know about where the graduates have practiced theskills learned at this school defies imagination.

In 1987 I lived in Nicaragua. I had gone to accom-pany our sisters and the people during the U.S.-trained,financed, and illegal “contra war.” At that time, theSandinista government was trying to implement much-needed social reforms as the dictator Anastasio Somoza,put in power by the U.S., had stolen most everything inthe country and left the people starving, landless, unedu-cated, and terrorized. I myself came to know manypersons, Marisol Rodriguez is one, who had lost lovedones, ambushed, executed, beheaded by the contras.One of my own sisters was kidnapped.

Can you see, your honor, how this process ofawakening impacted my soul?

The story is long. After being in Nicaragua, Iworked for my community in mission education in theMidwest, but grew increasingly frustrated by the Reagandoctrines and growing suppression of the truth aboutrealities in Central America and beyond. Lies and mediacontrol were becoming commonplace as U.S. foreignpolicy became more aggressive and imperialistic.

Part of my frustration when visiting and speakingin schools, parishes, and with groups, was in realizinghow misled many of our people were about U.S. foreignpolicy. That frustration continues today, but even moreso, as more persons are deprived of the truth.

Not only do most U.S. persons become frightenedand very easily convinced through misinformation ofour “need” to go to war, as in the case of Iraq, but themajority erroneously believes that the U.S. is number

one in helping other countries. Statistics tell us other-wise, that we are one of the last in the order of industri-alized nations in giving foreign aid. These are only twoindications of how our people are misinformed. ...

I could talk about Iraq, my experience there inDecember 2002, and how I have become convinced thatevery U.S. citizen needs to be aware of how greed for oiland power have taken us to terrible extremes leading tothe widespread death and destruction we have causedthere.

And for those of us who know how the SOA/WHINSEC was responsible for the training of militariesto assassinate persons struggling for human rights inLatin America, we are seeing recently how these samestrategies are in the planning to be used against thepeople of Iraq. ... [S]ome believe that death squads, asused in El Salvador, will destroy the resistance. This isthe so-called “Salvador Option,” which means killingthe civilians who will not turn in the insurgents.

What is our country becoming?Can you see, Judge Faircloth, why we continue to

peacefully protest, and put our bodies on the line tobring attention to these injustices? I have tried to followmy convictions, to follow a higher law. I am inspired bya long line of nonviolent resisters. Before taking theaction in November, I spent years writing and callingmembers of Congress to vote to close the SOA/WHINSEC... marching, praying, and fasting so otherswould know what WHINSEC is and does, until I real-ized that very few were listening, and that I needed to dosomething more. I thank all who have supported me.

Your honor, we can only bring about peace throughlove and justice in our world. This is what befits ourgood and noble people. Thank you.

Photo of 2004 SOAW vigil by Rebecca Cutter

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Haiti: One year after coup, tragedy persists

One person was killed on Monday, February 28,when Haitian police opened fire on a crowd of demon-strators protesting last year’s U.S.-supported ouster offormer President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. A few daysearlier, an armed ganged broke into the city’s mainprison and released more than 500 prisoners, includingYvon Neptune, a former Lavalas prime minister, andJocelerme Privert, a former interior minister. Both re-turned to prison that day; they have been in prison formonths without charges. Sean McConnell, an internwith the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, con-tributed to this article.

Aristide was forcedinto exile following in-tense pressure from aunited, U.S.-backed op-position movement andweeks of armed conflictduring which insurgents,including members ofHaiti’s disbanded mili-tary and violent para-military groups, tookover much of northernHaiti. Since then, an in-terim government, led byformer chief justice, nowinterim PresidentBoniface Alexandre andPrime Minister GerardLatortue, has routinely used violence and imprisonmentto repress religious workers, former government offi-cials, members of Aristide’s party, Fanmi Lavalas, laborunions, peasant organizations, and other political activ-ists.

According to the United Nations, the appointmentof Alexandre as interim president followed constitu-tional rules of succession. The Caribbean Communityand Common Market (CARICOM), however, has con-sistently refused to recognize the interim government,and an Organization of American States (OAS) resolu-tion acknowledged that “an unconstitutional alterationof the constitutional regime” had occurred in Haiti.Other sources assert that, even if Aristide did resign andwas not forced out of office as he claims, the interimpresident should have been confirmed by the HaitianParliament. The Parliament has not met since January

2004, when terms of most legislators expired. Further-more, new presidential elections were to have been heldbetween 45 and 90 days after Aristide left office.

Various analyses of the situation in Haiti paintdramatically different pictures of the past and pointtoward very different futures, but recent accounts ofviolent and repressive actions, including by officialforces, speak for themselves.

Brian Concannon, director of the Institute forJustice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), said, “AfterHaiti’s democratic governments struggled for nine yearsto break with the country’s dictatorial, violent past,

today’s power bro-kers embraced theworst chapters ofthat past in oneshort year. Thehated army re-turned and resumedits trademark bru-tality, a presidentialelection deadlinewas ignored, politi-cal prisoners filledthe jails, and the jus-tice system was at-tacked and ignored.Execution returnedas a routine policetactic, rape as [a]means of political

persuasion. Journalists are executed and arrested, radiostations attacked and shut down.”

The International Crisis group says, “… there areno clear signs of either political reconciliation or eco-nomic reconstruction. Violence — criminal, score set-tling and political — is still extremely high. The initiativefor a national dialogue jointly endorsed by the transi-tional government and the international community ishindered by political polarization, human rights abuses(some by rogue elements of the Haitian National Police,HNP), and illegal detentions of Aristide supporters.”

Elections planned for late 2005 are unlikely toproduce the legitimate government the country needswithout significant improvements in security, a pluralis-tic national dialogue that establishes some commonobjectives for the next government and a measure ofsocial justice.

Photo by Victor Schymeinsky, courtesy of Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers

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Kenya: Anti-corruption program threatened

One year ago Transparency International (TI) gavea very positive assessment of Kenya’s efforts to curtailcorruption. Their 2004 report said, “The overall resultsprovide strong indication that the government’s cam-paign against corruption has had a significant positiveimpact on the vulnerability of ordinary citizens to cor-ruption, and petty bribery in particular ... It is importantto note however, that the survey does not adequatelycapture corruption at the higher levels.”

The recent resignation of respected anti-corruptioncampaigner John Githongo from the Kenyan govern-ment underscored that concern.

AfricaFocus Bulletin (Feb. 11, 2005) wrote, “In aspeech in May 2000, Githongo, who was the head of theKenyan branch of Transparency International (TI), be-fore joining the new government in early 2003, distin-guished between the petty corruption of bribery amongminor officials, grand corruption at senior ranks, and‘looting’ - scams of such a scale that they have macroeco-nomic impact.”

The U.S. suspended assistance to Kenya’s anti-corruption program after Githongo’s resignation, andother donors issued strong statements. Foreign MinisterChirau Ali Mwakwere and Justice Minister KiraituMurungi vociferously denounced the criticism as for-eign lies. But several other cabinet members, includingHealth Minister Charity Ngilu and Planning MinisterPeter Anyang’ Nyong’o, joined civil society critics indemanding that top officials involved in corruptionshould resign. The February 8 statement from Kenyancivil society follows:

We, the undersigned civil society and private sectorassociations and organisations would like to express ouranger and outrage at the implications of the resignationof John Githongo from the position of Permanent Secre-tary for Governance and Ethics under the Office of thePresident.

As the founder of the Kenyan chapter of Transpar-ency International (TI), Githongo brought to the gov-ernment ethical credibility and legitimacy whose finan-cial benefits can only be said to be indisputable. Thus hisresignation, despite already being framed by the govern-ment as being the result of “professional opportunism”sounds the death knell on this government’s purportedanti-corruption effort.

The implications of his resignation are many, how-ever much this government may try to dispute them:

First, his resignation makes it clear that the influ-ence of reform-minded civil society actors in govern-ment with respect to accountability is over. We areparticularly concerned about the fate of other formercivil society actors in anti-corruption initiatives as wellas in the Law Reform Commission and Kenya NationalHuman Rights Commission (KNHRC);

Second, his resignation makes it clear that of thetwo parallel imperatives within this government -- thefirst being ethical and reform-minded and the secondbeing corrupt and politically-expedient -- the latter iswinning. We are especially concerned about the futureof the so-called ‘war against corruption’ in this dynamic;

Third, his resignation makes it clear that the plethoraof so-called anti-corruption initiatives needharmonisation and legal standing. We no longer believein this government’s commitment to hold individualsand institutions accountable for corruption. The Attor-ney General’s office ... has failed to use its Constitutionalpowers and has become an accomplice to corruption;

Fourth, Githongo’s resignation from the positionof advisor to the President on matters of ethics andgovernance, makes its clear that the President has lostinterest in the anti-corruption effort in this country. Weno longer have faith that the President’s personal com-mitment to anti-corruption exists.

We therefore demand that:1. The President immediately dismisses all Cabinet

ministers and suspends all senior government officialsagainst whom substantive allegations of corruptionhave been made;

2. The President immediately re-constitute his gov-ernment on the basis of competence and integrity ... ;

3. Parliament consider a vote of no confidence inthis government in the absence of Presidential action onthe above;

4. Parliament insist on the right to freedom ofinformation and demand to subject to public scrutinythe budget for anti-corruption initiatives ... ;

5. Civil society organisations, including the privatesector, re-consider its engagement in smokescreen re-form efforts ... until such accountability measures aretaken;

6. Citizens, local businesses and other civil societyorganisations halt the payment of all taxes until suchaccountability measures are taken.

In addition, we demand that the President and therest of the Executive guarantee the safety of Githongo ...

For more information see www@africafocus.org.

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Zimbabwe: Food security worsens; electionsdraw near

aid, continues to proclaim record harvests. The nextmaize grain harvest is May/June 2006.

At the same time the nation is preparing for parlia-mentary elections at the end of March.

In early February the GoZ announced large one-time cash payments – along with increased educationaland health benefits – for “war veterans.” Cash paymentswould amount to $1,650 per eligible person. Indepen-dent sources estimate the total program cost to be asmuch as $41 million. Gideon Gono, governor of the

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ),warned that a large payout would bea serious detriment to its efforts tofight severe inflation. Economist andmember of the RBZ’s advisory board,Eric Bloch, said the payouts mademore political than economic sense,with parliamentary elections due onMarch 31. “That is blatantly an act ofvote buying ahead of elections in

March, and that will have a negative impact on thegovernment’s deficit, as it will have to resort to moreborrowing. The decision will counteract the bank’s ef-forts to fight inflation.” In 1997, the government madea large unbudgeted payout to war veterans, which re-sulted in severe inflation and a fall in the value of theZimbabwe dollar. This latter effect reduces the ability ofGoZ to purchase grains from neighboring countries suchas South Africa and Zambia.

In early February, the government also raised theallowances and salaries of chiefs and village heads by 150percent.

At a mission center in rural Zimbabwe (names andlocation withheld by request), the experience of a com-munity of religious men is not atypical. After the 2004grain harvest, they sold part of the harvest to the GMB,retained part in storage and for seed production, alloweda portion of the fields to be harvested by the local peoplefor their own needs, and then used the remaining forcattle grazing.

In Zimbabwe, the term “war vets” is used to covera wide variety of people, some of whom have no connec-tion to the war for independence. In some parts ofZimbabwe, the “war vets” are really youth brigadessupported and funded by the leading political party. Agroup of such “war vets” came to the mission center anddemanded the grain in storage. The leader of the religious

Zimbabwean parliamentary elections are sched-uled for March 31, 2005. Zimbabwean and internalcoalitions have been and are continuing to question theelectoral environment being established by the Govern-ment of Zimbabwe (GoZ). Food security continues tobe an issue and is worsening. In late January, the FamineEarly Warning System (FEWS) upgraded the status ofZimbabwean food security from a “warning” to “emer-gency.” The following article was written by GeorgeCorrigan, OFM, an intern with the Maryknoll Officefor Global Concerns.

In November 2004, 2.2 mil-lion rural people needed foodassistance; the World Food Pro-gram (WFP) and its NGO part-ners assisted 1.6 million people.FEWS last week said 5.8 millionZimbabweans - almost half thepopulation - were in need of foodaid as of January 2005 – a figure the GoZ disputes.

The steadily increasing need for basic assistance isdue to a combination of factors, including inadequatecommercial and household crop production, and shrink-ing income options. While urban dwellers are affected,people in the rural areas are affected more because in theface of inadequate household crop production, they donot possess the income to “compete” on the openmarket for grains. The rise in maize grain prices faroutstrips the people’s ability to acquire maize fromeither the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) or fromprivate sources.

Even in the grain surplus areas in the north centralpart of the country a bucket of grain (18 kg) which soldfor US$1.45 in May, sold for $2.72 in October and hascontinued to rise, passing $3.63 at the end of the year.This increase has significantly affected the monthly costof “basic goods and services” for a family of six, nowestimated at $253 – in the face of a minimum wage of$79/month. In the perennially drought-affected prov-inces of Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland North andMatebeleland South, grain prices are even higher. Manyproducers have kept the reduced local production forprivate sale, leading to a situation where the GMB onlyhas 16 percent of the needed maize grain supplies inreserve. Meanwhile the government, previously havingdecided not to renew an appeal for international food

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community negotiated with those making the demandsso that only a portion of the grain was taken. The nextday, the community made arrangements to distributethe remaining grain to local people and other groups inneed – knowing that the “war vet” would return. Whenthe “war vets” returned and realized the grain had beengiven away, they took the mission’s cows.

This mission center is part of a religious foundationwith international connections, allowing it the possibil-ity of replacing the grain seed and livestock. But the samethings are happening to individual farmers and otherrural people – especially those suspected of not support-

ing the current in-power political party. These people donot have the means or possibility of replacing their losses– natural or man-made.

These are the same people who will not be able tovote without producing new written proof that theyreside in the community where they are registered. Thisnew requirement was instituted in January. Critics donot believe the requirement is necessary and many ruralvoters will not discover the requirement until electionday. Voters in rural areas are required to producewritten confirmation from their chiefs and village heads.What can the people of Zimbabwe do?

Faith in action:Zimbabwe is one of several African countries which suffer from emergency food conditions. Visit the Catholic

Relief Services website (www.catholicrelief.org) to learn more about the status of the U.S.’s response and how youcan initiate contact with members of Congress and the White House to 1) encourage an immediate release of moreresources from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT), a food reserve intended for unanticipated foodshortages in poor countries, and 2) advocate that the FY2006 budget includes robust funding for food aid.

Sudan: Peace agreements, peacekeepers, warcrimes and more tragedy

During the month of January, significant stepswere made in the progress toward peace with the formalsigning and approval of the southern Sudan peace agree-ment. The UN called for a 10,000-member Africa Union(AU) peacekeeper contingent to monitor the nascentpeace in the south. Meanwhile, the AU monitors inSudan’s Darfur region continued to be understaffedwhile the violence, fueled by the janjaweed militia, theGovernment of Sudan (GoS) and rebel forces, spreadfurther. On January 31, UN Secretary-General KofiAnnan made his official remarks on the report of theUN’s International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur.The following article is written by George Corrigan,OFM, an intern with the Maryknoll Office for GlobalConcerns.

January 9, 2005 was a touchstone moment in thehistory of modern Sudan as a formal peace agreementwas signed between the GoS and the Southern SudaneseSPLM/A rebels. The agreement establishes a window ofopportunity for the people of southern Sudan to fulfilltheir quest for self-identity. The opportunity exists for ameaningful peace to be fashioned after 20 years ofviolence that has claimed the lives of over two millionpeople and made refugees of an equal number. But a host

of other events threaten the fragile peace, including:• The return of hundreds of thousands of refugeesfrom Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as othercountries;• The return of hundreds of thousands of internallydisplaced persons (IDPs) from northern and easternSudan;• The need for humanitarian relief to support so manypeople returning to southern Sudan;• Land and property disputes among those returningand those who stayed; as well as emerging issues as socialand political expectations encounter the reality of acomplex peace arrangement

The scope of the humanitarian problem is indicatedby the World Food Programme (WFP) challenge to itsdonors to support the southern Sudan peace. WFPappealed for $302 million to fund emergency food relieffor 3.2 million people in the south during 2005.

The complexity of returning people is indicated byone example: There are 240,000 Sudanese refugeesliving in camps in northern Uganda who are reluctant toconsider repatriation for a variety of reasons, includingthe lack of basic civil society facilities in southern Sudan.Many of the refugees in Uganda are neither SPLM/A

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sympathizers nor Dinkas, the ethnic community fromwhich the SPLM/A gets its core support. They areconcerned for their reintegration into southern Sudanwhose peace was signed withouttheir input or representation.

Clearly there needs to be suf-ficient international commitmentto what will be an ongoing process.To that end, the United Nationshas asked that the AU provide10,000 soldiers and 1,100 police-men to form a peace monitoringgroup for southern Sudan. To date,the AU has been unable to field thefull complement of peace monitorsfor its Darfur operations.

On February 1, Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported onthe UN International Commissionof Inquiry on Darfur. “The Com-mission has established that theGovernment of Sudan and thejanjaweed are responsible for crimesunder international law. It alsofound that attacks on villages, killing of civilians, rape,pillaging and forced displacement have continued evenwhile it was conducting its inquiry.” It was reported thatjanjaweed, GoS and rebel forces are responsible forserious violations which may amount to war crimes,including murder of civilians and pillage. The reportconcluded that the GoS “has not pursued a policy ofgenocide” although it adds that “the crimes againsthumanity and war crimes that have been committed inDarfur may be no less serious and heinous than geno-cide.” The findings of the commission, working fromThe Convention on the Prevention and Punishment ofthe Crime of Genocide in effect since January 1951,which (in article 2) defines genocide as acts committedwith intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,ethnic, racial or religious group, as such, “deliberatelyinflicting on the group conditions of life calculated tobring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”The Commission did not find sufficient intent for geno-cide, rather laid the actions at the feet of tribal, politicaland land-based issues.

At the same time the world is slowly coming to theunderstanding that the UN-reported 70,000 deaths inDarfur is a serious underestimate. On February 8, boththe New York Times and Washington Post reported onthe work of Dr. Jan Coebergh who, in the influential

British publication Parliamentary Brief, detailed that atleast 300,000 people have died in Darfur. His workcombines the findings of a variety of non-Sudanese

governmental and NGO agencies. Moretroubling is the report of monthly mortal-ity rate estimates of 10,000 to 35,000.Unchecked, the numbers of death couldapproach the totals of the Rwandan mas-sacres.

The tragedy of Darfur in many wayshas had unprecedented press coverage inthe United States especially through thework of the newspapers already cited, aswell as untiring individual advocates. Bothhouses of the U.S. Congress have passedresolutions condemning the violence andnaming the tragedy as genocide. The U.S.is by far the largest monetary contributorto aid and relief to Darfur, yet, the securityconditions in Darfur are only degradingsince the end of 2004 causing more NGOsand aid agencies to curtail or stop reliefoperations inside Sudan. Without increasedinternational action, to prevent what the

GoS has not, or will not, stop, the war crimes willcontinue. People will die in Darfur and other govern-ments will understand the blueprint of how to accom-plish its objectives short of “genocide.”

Faith in action:The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 100

faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organiza-tions whose mission is to raise public awareness and tomobilize an effective unified response to the atrocitiesthat threaten the lives of people in the Darfur region. TheCoalition’s unity statement was signed by more than100 organizations and had its beginnings July 14, 2004when the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Ameri-can Jewish World Service organized a Darfur EmergencySummit at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattanfeaturing Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel. Wiesel inspired the group with hisimpassioned remarks about the suffering being inflictedon Darfurians: “How can I hope to move people fromindifference if I remain indifferent to the plight ofothers? I cannot stand idly by or all my endeavors will beunworthy.”

Go to the “Take Action Now” page on theirwebsite which contains practical and simple steps forindividuals and communities: www.savedarfur.org

Two children at a refugee camp inDarfur; UN photo #NICA 14568 byEskinder Debebe

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S. Africa bishops: Poverty kills like tsunami

The following media statement was released by theSouthern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC)on February 2. For more information on the SACBC, goto its website at http://www.sacbc.org.za/.

The recent devastating tsunami in South East Asiahas shown that when the citizens of the world demandit, political leaders can act. However, poverty kills theequivalent of a tsunami every week throughout theworld, a situation that is completely unacceptable andwhich requires the same political will if it is to beovercome.

Reflecting on South Africa’s strong role in engagingwith world leaders on international development issues,the SACBC said that overcoming poverty remains notonly South and Southern Africa’s, but the world’s great-est challenge. The SACBC also noted recent debatesabout a debt moratorium for tsunami-hit countries andthe deliberations of the British Prime Minister’s AfricaCommission.

However, greater advances must be made on theseinitiatives through the forthcoming series of interna-tional summit meetings which will take place through-out 2005. In fact, concerted international action isrequired to deliver results on the Millennium Develop-ment Goals (MDGs) through real debt cancellation,trade justice, and better international development aid.

Multilateral debt cancellationThe first step on the road to overcoming poverty

must be decisive debt cancellation for poor countries.With the many promises of debt relief made before byworld leaders, people can be forgiven for believing thatthe debt burden has been lifted from the poor of theworld. However, poor countries continue to pay $100million dollars a day in debt repayments. This is bothunsustainable and unjust if anti-poverty programmesare to be prioritised.

We believe that the G7 Finance Ministers meetingin London during the first week of February 2005 can actto deal decisively with this situation. We urge them toreach agreement on working towards 100 per centmultilateral debt cancellation for poor African coun-tries. Recent proposals are welcome but more decisiveaction should be taken to include more countries thatrequire debt cancellation, and to introduce a fair andtransparent international procedure for debt cancella-tion.

Trade justiceThe present international trading system is very

unjust. More attention must therefore be given to build-ing a more equitable international trading system that atonce offers preferential trading opportunities to produc-ers from poor countries, protects the jobs and liveli-hoods of vulnerable communities, and guarantees theprovision of affordable public services to the poor.

International development aidAt the same time, rich countries must honour their

long-standing commitment to increase internationaldevelopment aid levels to at least 0.7 percent of theirGDP. However, such sustained development aid grantsmust not be traded off against debt cancellation.

Political leadership in under-developed countries

Correspondingly, political leaders in under-devel-oped countries in Africa must introduce developmentprogrammes, practices of good governance and anti-corruption measures, to support the efforts of commu-nities to lift themselves out of the poverty trap. Commu-nities must also take responsibility to build their socialinstitutions and take action to participate in effortsaimed at overcoming poverty. Some initiatives under-taken through the New Partnership for Africa’s Devel-opment (NEPAD), such as the African Peer ReviewMechanism (APRM), represent a promising start in thisregard.

ConclusionThe year 2005 offers a unique opportunity for rich

and poor countries to act together to end world poverty.The SACBC recommits itself to the extensive anti-

poverty programmes that it undertakes through itsvarious agencies, and to expanded partnerships withdifferent role-players, both national and international,in overcoming poverty.

It is possible, in this generation, to relegate extremepoverty to the archives of South African and worldhistory, the SACBC said. However, this requires strongpolitical will, the inclusion of all state and civil societyrole-players, ownership by communities, and theprioritisation of resources towards achieving the Millen-nium Development Goals.

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MidEast: U.S. should commit to Iraqi withdrawalunder international law to restore security, supportreconstruction, and return sovereignty to Iraqis. In-stead, the occupation has been mired in a long list ofmissteps, scandals, and abuses. Moreover, any progressmade toward a new political order in Iraq has beeneclipsed by the surging violence and swelling resentmentof many Iraqis. ...

In February, the White House (sent) Congress afourth war “supplemental” spending request, adding(nearly $82 billion) to the more than $187 billionalready appropriated. The war has cost far more andlasted far longer than the administration estimated in2003.

The human costs of the war now include [1,500]U.S. troops killed and some [10,000] wounded; anestimated 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths from war andoccupation; as many as 100,000 returning U.S. troops inneed of mental health care; billions of dollars in Iraqirevenue and reconstruction funds lost due to violence,war-profiteering, and mismanagement of funds by U.S.authorities; and rising anti-U.S. sentiment globally.

…(L)egislators should condition any further fund-ing on the U.S. taking clear steps toward the withdrawalof all its troops and bases from Iraq and support forIraqi-led reconstruction.

Meeting U.S. moral and legal obligations to restoresecurity and rebuild Iraq requires the removal – notbuild-up – of U.S. forces. FCNL calls on the administra-tion and Congress to:• Cease fire: Halt U.S. military actions immediately;

• Declare withdrawal policy: Congress should pass a“leave no bases behind” resolution, declaring that U.S.policy is to withdraw all U.S. forces and bases from Iraq;• End the occupation: Withdraw immediately U.S.forces from major population centers to remote tempo-rary bases and shift to a limited role of providing bordercontrol and assuring Iraq’s territorial integrity untilother security forces can take over;• Support Iraqi sovereignty: Fund Iraqi efforts to re-employ ministry staff, train new police and securityforces;• Nationalize reconstruction: Give Iraqis control overreconstruction funds, terminate contracts with U.S. con-tractors and turn projects over to Iraqis, and providetransparent accounting of all U.S. contracts;• Stabilize Iraq: Commit to long-term U.S. financialsupport for Iraqi-led reconstruction.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation(FCNL) has urged Congress to declare the U.S. intentionto completely withdraw from Iraq, and to give Iraqis fullcontrol over funds for national reconstruction. Thecomplete FCNL statement, from which the following istaken, can be found at www.fcnl.org.

The war policies of President Bush present Con-gress with a paradox: It is unthinkable for the U.S. toleave Iraq as a failed state, yet a continuing U.S. militarypresence in Iraq may well lead to a failed state.

…(W)ill Congress “stay the course” and fund thesame failed war policies of the past two years, or will itcondition funding on the U.S. implementing new poli-cies to de-escalate the violent conflict, to end the occu-pation, and to return Iraq to Iraqis?

To “stay the course” means confronting insurgentviolence with greater U.S. violence. The temptation tostay the course stems partly from a denial of the realitythat the U.S. preventive war and nation-building experi-ment in Iraq have failed. “Success” for the U.S. in Iraqis no longer an option, if it ever was. War is not theanswer.

Some argue that U.S. responsibility under interna-tional law to restore security and protect civilians de-mands that the U.S. military remain and help stabilizeIraq. In fact, the presence and offensive operations ofU.S. troops have become the greatest threats to Iraq’sfuture. U.S. operations, including aerial bombings, citysieges (witness Fallujah), and neighborhood sweeps,foster resentment among Iraqis, fuel the insurgency, andthreaten lives. Iraqi security forces are attacked moreoften when U.S. troops are present, and the Green Zone– a barricaded neighborhood housing the interim Iraqigovernment alongside the U.S. embassy – has become aprime target for suicide bombings and mortar attacks.

Arguably, sufficient military force could overcomethe insurgency with time. “Sufficient” might mean a U.S.troop strength of a quarter million or more staying fora decade. That will not happen and, because of theinevitable civilian casualties, it would not be recom-mendable. To fulfill the moral and legal obligations ithas incurred to help rebuild Iraq, the U.S. must nowaccept its responsibility and withdraw.

The Bush administration continues to claim itsexperiment in building democracy through war is ontrack. In fact, since the invasion and occupation nearlytwo years ago, the U.S. has failed to meet its obligations

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Church asks U.S. help over taxes in IsraelMembers of a Vatican delegation expressed frus-

tration in December when, at the last minute, the Israeligovernment canceled a meeting aimed at finalizing taxa-tion issues for Church entities. The on-again, off-againtalks had been revived in July 2004 due to strong U.S.encouragement, but things did not run smoothly.

“(W)e have been told the Israeli negotiators havenot had full empowerment to conduct talks with thedegree of seriousness they need,” Bishop Skylstad wrote.“The failure to enact and implement the FundamentalAgreement, including the lack of progress in negotia-tions on economic matters, raises serious questionsabout the basic commitments made by the Israeli gov-ernment.”

“U.S. intervention in this matter is critical. We askyou to urge the government of Israel to renew itsnegotiations with the Holy See without further delays,”he told Secretary Rice. “Resolving these matters is vitalto the mission and life of the Catholic Church as well asother Christian communities in the Holy Land. A justresolution of these serious concerns is also critical tointerreligious relations in the wider region and theworld.”

The USCCB sent a similar letter on Jan. 10 toDaniel Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., urgingIsrael to move the negotiations forward “expeditiouslyand effectively.”

Israeli and Vatican representatives were reportedlypreparing to resume negotiations in mid-February overthe issues of taxation of Church properties and the rightof due process in Israeli courts.

On another issue, a Vatican spokesperson toldCatholic News Service that only limited progress hasbeen made over delays in granting Israeli visas to foreignChurch personnel. The source said visas are now expe-dited for most Church applicants, but delays persist forapplicants from Arab countries. (See “Visa delays ham-per Church ministry” in May-June 2004 NewsNotes.)

Faith in action:In the 1993 Fundamental Agreement, Israel recog-

nized the right of the Catholic Church to maintain itsown institutions in order to carry out its religious,moral, educational and charitable functions. Write tothe Israeli Embassy and urge Israel to dialogue in goodfaith with the Holy See over outstanding issues. Ambas-sador Daniel Ayalon, Embassy of Israel, 3514 Interna-tional Drive, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008.

The U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB)has asked the U.S. Secretary of State to help work outtaxation and property disputes between Israel and theVatican, saying their resolution is key for the religiousliberty of Christian communities in Israel. In their appealJan. 13 to Condoleezza Rice, the bishops made nodistinction between the state of Israel and the occupiedPalestinian territories, where many Church properties,including popular pilgrim destinations, are found.

“Among the most critical issues facing the Churchin Israel is its ability to maintain its rights to Churchproperties,” the bishops wrote. “Maintaining these prop-erties is key to the mission and ministry of the Church inthe Holy Land and thus its religious freedom.”

Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, WA, USCCBpresident, said Israel’s taxation of Church properties, aswell as a lack of access to Israeli courts to settle propertydisputes, violate international law.

In 2002 Israel began taxing religious propertiesthat up to that point had been exempt. The Vaticanargues that this violates UN Resolution 181 of 1947,which in effect created Israel and which specified thatreligious properties that had previously been exemptfrom taxation should remain so. Officials also say thetax burden would force many monasteries and conventsto close.

With respect to due process, Israel maintains thatunder a 1924 law from the British mandate era, disputesconcerning Church property are considered outside thejurisdiction of Israeli courts and should be decided by thegovernment. The Vatican insists that religious propertyowners should be able to turn to the courts to resolvedisputes.

The USCCB welcomed the Fundamental Agree-ment of 1993 between the Holy See and the State ofIsrael, in which the Vatican formally recognized andestablished diplomatic ties with Israel, Bishop Skylstadwrote. He said other issues were left to be resolved basedon the Church’s rights acquired before UN Resolution181. “These rights were reaffirmed in the UN mandateestablishing the state of Israel and in the Israeli declara-tion of independence,” he added.

“Our concerns do not minimize the suffering ofJews and Muslims, but the issues between the govern-ment of Israel and the Holy See are also of greatimportance for religious liberty, not only for the Catho-lic Church but for the vitality of all the Christiancommunities within Israel,” he said.

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Two Koreas: Trade might improve political tiesA special economic zone in North Korea three

miles north of the Demilitarized Zone employs NorthKorean workers in South Korean factories. The combi-nation of North Korean labor with South Korean capitaland technology offers a glimpse of potential benefits andchallenges that would face a united Korea.

The Gaeseong Industrial Complex opened in De-cember with two factories employing 340 workers. Thetwo are among 15 South Korean firms chosen from 230applicants to participate in the project’s initial phase.

The complex is projected to be fully developed by2012. More than 2,000 companies are expected toemploy one million workers – 280,000 South Koreansand 720,000 North Koreans – who will produce $20billion in goods annually. While South Korean compa-nies will benefit from low production costs, NorthKorea will earn an estimated $600 million a year fromtaxes on wages and corporate profits.

The zone’s first output, 2,000 cooking pots fromLivingart, a Seoul-based kitchenware manufacturer, soldout in a Seoul department store in two days. “We planto export 70 percent of the products from Gaeseong toEuropean countries, as those countries do not place hightariffs on kitchenware made in North Korea,” saidChang Jung-gil, a director of Livingart. “We expect $3million in exports monthly if the factory in Gaeseongmanufactures products as good as South Koreans make.”

The second company at the complex, SJ Tech,makes rubber components for automobiles and plasticcomponents for computers. It completed a factory andan office building at the park in December. Lim Hwang-ryong, a director of SJ Tech, said a quarter of theproducts from Gaeseong will be destined for export toChina, Germany, Mexico, Sweden and the Middle East.

Hyun Chung-eun, chairwoman of Hyundai Group,said she hopes Gaeseong will become an economicpowerhouse once goods can be transported by rail toChina and Russia, and after a new highway is built toconnect Gaeseong to Inchon’s international airport andcity harbor.

The arrangement at Gaeseong benefits both coun-tries. A typical wage in the industrial park is $57.50 amonth, compared with the $1,000 that South Koreansdemand. At North Korea’s official exchange rate, thelower salary is still three times as much as the averageNorth Korean worker makes, and 19 times more ifcalculated at the market rate.

The complex is managed by Hyundai Asan Corp.,the South Korean company leading the project, and theKorea Land Corp., South Korea’s state-run land devel-oper. ”This month we will complete a power distribu-tion grid which will be connected from Paju, SouthKorea, to the complex,” according to Song Yong-kwonof Hyundai Asan. He added that Hyundai Asan plannedto lay 100 telephone lines by February. He also said a 2million-kilowatt thermal plant would be built by 2009to provide power for the project’s second stage ofdevelopment.

Nonetheless, the industrial complex could fail earlyunless the companies make a profit. Many expertspredict that export controls for strategic materials willbe a major obstacle in building production facilities, andimport restrictions will be a primary barrier in sellingproducts manufactured at the complex. The South Ko-rean government has not approved the moving of pro-duction equipment requested by two companies becauseof defense-related export restrictions.

The U.S. government also has regulations govern-ing the export or re-export of U.S.- or foreign-madegoods containing U.S. technology to certain countriesincluding North Korea. In addition, North Koreanexports are virtually banned in the U.S., and some NorthKorean products face high import barriers in Europe andJapan.

North Korea’s nuclear policies and the response ofother nations could also affect the outcome of theGaeseong enterprise. North Korea has established dip-lomatic, economic and cultural ties with many Westernnations. By contrast, the U.S. threatens to ask the UNSecurity Council for economic sanctions against NorthKorea over its nuclear weapons program. On Feb. 10North Korea claimed again to possess nuclear weapons.If the nuclear issue is not settled by the latter part of 2006when large numbers of South Korean companies beginto move into the complex, it could threaten the successof the project.

Faith in action:Write to President Bush. Point out that U.S. pres-

sure alone is unlikely to change North Korea’s nuclearpolicy and could impede relations between North Koreaand South Korea. The U.S. should continue negotiationswith North Korea through six-party talks without set-ting preconditions, which undercut North Korea's sta-tus as an equal negotiating partner and weakens itsposition in the region.

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Democratizing the World Bank and IMF

expenditures to the role of the private sector. Yet, theIFIs are stuck in a 19th century model, with a few verypowerful people operating as the ultimate authorities by“unwritten agreement.” In the 21st century, peopledemand transparency and accountability. Only by re-shaping our global institutions can we accomplish theseobjectives.

We support the spirit of some recent governancereform proposals at the IFIs, although we recognize thatthey do not advocate the kinds of systemic changes thatwe find necessary. In 2000 broad-based public criticismof the undemocratic selection of Horst Köhler as theIMF managing director compelled the World Bank andIMF to establish a joint panel of board members torecommend guidelines for the next succession. How-ever, even this limited reform proposal, presented to theIFIs’ boards in 2001, was ignored in the 2004 selectionprocess of Rodrigo Rato as the new IMF managingdirector. The closed-door process prompted unprec-

edented criticism from within the institu-tions as 11 IMF board members (represent-ing well over 100 countries) issued a publicstatement calling for a more open processwithout geographical restrictions. Similarly,recent proposals to improve the “voice andvote” of developing countries on the ex-ecutive boards of the World Bank and IMF

have also not been adopted. While these proposedinitiatives would still fall far short of the structuralchanges required, we support their spirit of reform tobring outdated governance structures of IFIs up tomodern democratic standards.

We strongly affirm the need for the public in bothborrowing countries, whose citizens are affected by theiroperations, and rich countries, whose governments ex-ercise disproportionate influence at IFIs, to have a fargreater degree of input into the decision making pro-cesses than currently exists. As a starting point, we callon the establishment of a transparent and accountableprocess for the selection of the next World Bank presi-dent. The process should provide for the selection on thebasis of explicit criteria, including the commitment to agenuine democratization of the institution, and be opento candidates from all countries. Furthermore, we callon the IFIs themselves to support such a process. Thistime around, IFIs will have to demonstrate that they arethe appropriate channels for development resources,and one part of proving that is accepting responsibilityfor their own governance.

The following statement, written by the IFI (Inter-national Financial Institutions) Democracy Coalition,anticipates the debate about selection of a World Bankpresident to succeed James Wolfensohn, who will retirewithin the next year. It was prepared by a group of non-governmental organizations who are committed to im-proving governance of the IFIs. The statement wasendorsed by 49 organizations from many different coun-tries. Traditionally, the United States has named theWorld Bank president and European countries haveselected the managing director of the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF). Efforts failed last year to initiatea more democratic process for selection of the IMFmanaging director.

As James Wolfensohn’s term as World Bank presi-dent nears its end, we alert the public that world leadersare preparing to appoint the head of a major interna-tional financial institution behind closed doors for thesecond time within a year. Just as wecondemned the overtly undemocraticselection of the IMF managing director,we now warn that the same is likely tohappen again at the World Bank. Recog-nizing that these institutions remainrooted in an outmoded model of gover-nance, we call on the member govern-ments and the institutions themselves to take responsi-bility for creating and following a process that is consis-tent with contemporary standards of democracy.

After World War II, it was widely consideredacceptable for technocrats to make foreign aid anddevelopment policies in secrecy. But today citizens andcivil society recognize an urgent need for greater demo-cratic involvement in and improved governance of glo-bal institutions. This demands processes that provide formore transparency, direct civic input, and public ac-countability. We interpret the fact that over 50 countrieshave adopted freedom of information laws, with half ofthem doing so over the last decade, as a sure sign thatcitizens and civil society organizations are able inter-locutors with full intent of meeting the responsibility ofactive democratic participation.

But it is widely recognized that democratic institu-tions at the national level alone will not solve the modern“democratic deficit.” Today, international financial in-stitutions (IFIs) wield tremendous power over the econo-mies of developing countries in matters ranging fromtrade policy to the level and composition of public

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UN: Darfur should be referred to the ICC

African Union and the international community to

secure a ceasefire in Darfur, protect innocent civilians,

ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance and seek

a negotiated settlement.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs has called for

UN intervention into “the dire situation in Darfur where

mass murder, forced starvation, slavery and the rape of

women and children continues to go unchecked.”

Statements such as these were adopted in addition

to entreaties from the Save Darfur Coalition, comprising

more than 70 faith-based, humanitarian and human

rights organizations.

At the direction of the UN Security Council, Secre-

tary General Kofi Annan established a Commission of

Inquiry last October to investigate the ongoing tragedy

in Darfur. The commission has concluded that serious

violations of international law up to and possibly includ-

ing crimes against humanity and genocide have been

committed, and “strongly recommend[ed]” that the

Security Council “immediately refer the situation of

Darfur to the International Criminal Court.”

Although we represent different faith communities

and might differ about the ICC, we all agree that

something must be done to end the atrocities in

Darfur. The ICC is the only credible route to holding

individuals accountable for the commission of war

crimes and crimes against humanity. The alternatives,

including the creation of a new ad hoc tribunal or the

expansion of the Rwandan tribunal, are too complicated

and time-consuming. The ICC is the only organization

ready to begin its work now. Consequently, we urge the

U.S. to support a referral of the situation in Darfur to the

ICC.

Faith in action:Write to President Bush, urging the U.S. to support

a Security Council resolution to refer Darfur to the ICC.This would speed an investigation and possible indict-ment of alleged leaders in the conflict, including those ofthe Janjaweed. A UN Commission of Inquiry foundevidence of serious violations of international law andcalled the ICC “the only credible way of bringing allegedperpetrators to justice.”

For more information, go to the official ICC website:www.un.org/law/icc/ or visit www.usaforicc.org/

Members and leaders of 72 faith-based groups

have urged President Bush to support a UN Security

Council resolution to refer the Darfur crisis to the

International Criminal Court (ICC).

The conflict in western Sudan has claimed morethan 70,000 lives. In September, then-Secretary of StateColin Powell called the violence in Darfur “genocide.”However, only the Security Council can refer the Darfursituation to the ICC for investigation and possibleprosecution of the leaders responsible.

The U.S. has condemned the violence in Darfur, butit seems likely to suggest an alternative to an ICCreferral, such as setting up a new ad hoc internationalcourt. The U.S. is adamantly opposed to the ICC,claiming that it could subject U.S. citizens to spurious,politically motivated charges.

In fact, it is highly unlikely that a U.S. citizen wouldever stand trial at the ICC. Created under the RomeStatute of 1998, the ICC steps in only if a nation’s courtsare unwilling or unable to make a good faith effort toinvestigate or prosecute an alleged crime. PresidentClinton signed the statute in December 2000, but Presi-dent Bush “nullified” the U.S. signature in May 2002.

Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times writes,“Reasonable people can differ about the court, but forMr. Bush to put his ideological opposition to it over thewelfare of the 10,000 people still dying every month inDarfur – that’s just madness.”

The full text of the religious leaders’ Feb. 4 letter toPresident Bush follows:

As representatives of religious organizations and

faith-based groups, we urge the United States to support

a United Nations Security Council resolution to refer the

Darfur crisis to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The conflict in western Sudan is estimated to have

claimed more than 70,000 lives and displaced millions

of people – acts which former Secretary of State Colin

Powell termed genocide. The ICC was established pre-

cisely to prosecute acts of genocide, war crimes and

crimes against humanity.

Pope Paul VI said, “If you want peace, work for

justice.” U.S. churches have decried the violence in

Darfur and called for peace, but the world’s response has

been woefully inadequate. The U.S. Catholic Confer-

ence of Bishops has called on the U.S., the UN, the

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U.S. should separate energy, military policies

Critical U.S. goals in Iraq rely on increasing oilproduction, which in turn could require an augmentedmilitary effort, the report says. However, it also says thelong-term military presence required to protect the oilinfrastructure in Iraq could provoke more resentmentand hostility toward coalition forces or the U.S. itself.

Iraq’s proven oil reserves are second only to SaudiArabia’s holdings. U.S. officials had hoped that by theend of 2004, Iraq would produce three million barrelsper day. Instead, attacks have reduced the output below2.5 million barrels per day, less than the pre-war output.

Besides Iraq, the U.S.’s largest oil suppliers areAlgeria, Angola, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway,Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. Onlya few are considered stable democracies. Part of theproblem is clear from a 1988 comment by Dick Cheney,then CEO of Halliburton: “The problem is that the goodLord didn’t see fit to put oil and gas reserves where thereare stable governments.”

“As the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil increasesin the coming decades, so will its military support forU.S.-friendly governments, regardless of standards ofdemocracy and human rights,” the report says.

PSR makes three primary recommendations:• The U.S. should raise fuel efficiency standards for newcars and trucks. For example, improved fuel efficiency of3.25 miles per gallon of the 2000 light vehicle fleetwould have cut its gasoline consumption by an esti-mated 14 percent.• The federal government should encourage research anddevelopment in transportation technology, includingalternative fuels such as clean biomass. Congress shouldalso shift subsidies away from mature energy industriessuch as oil and gas, and instead provide incentives forenergy-efficient technologies and renewable energy in-dustries.• The U.S. should invest more in public transportation.If the U.S. increased its use of public transportation toapproximately 10 percent of daily travel needs, it isestimated that oil imports would fall by up to 40 percent.

Faith in action:Write to your lawmakers. Express your concern

over rising U.S. oil consumption and the country’s heavydependence on oil imports, with its potential for futuremilitary conflict. Urge lawmakers to promote reducedoil consumption in the U.S. and greater investment inrenewable energy technologies.

For more than 50 years, protection of oil supplieshas been central to U.S. national security interests,vigorously defended with military and diplomatic pres-sure. However, it is time for the U.S. to separate itsenergy policy from its military policy, Physicians forSocial Responsibility (PSR) says.

The U.S. imports more than half of the oil itconsumes, and might import two-thirds of its oil needsby 2020, according to the medical- and public health-oriented public policy organization. (With only threepercent of proven reserves, the U.S. consumes a quarterof the world’s oil.) With growing competition for oilamong the world’s burgeoning economies, especiallyChina – the world’s second largest oil consumer – theU.S. runs the risk of future conflicts with other oil-importing states.

For national and global security, the U.S. shouldfocus on reducing its energy consumption and investingin renewable energy technologies, PSR says in its report“Powering Foreign Policy: The Role of Oil in Diplomacyand Conflict.” The full report can be found at http://www.psrenergysecurity.org/PoweringForeignPolicy.pdf.

U.S. policymakers have focused on diversifying oilsources and augmenting oil supplies rather than diversi-fying energy sources and managing oil demand, PSRsays. To protect access to inexpensive petroleum involatile oil-producing regions, the U.S. supports un-democratic regimes that protect stability and provideaccess to oil. This support can take many forms, includ-ing arms transfer agreements, International MilitaryEducation and Training (IMET) funds and the presenceof U.S. military advisors. “As long as oil is a primaryenergy source in the United States, military troops willremain overextended and global security will be com-promised,” PSR warns.

As early as 1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt,recognizing the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia,declared that “the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to thedefense of the United States.” The George W. Bushadministration’s National Energy Policy continued toview access to global oil as a vital national interest. Witha focus on protecting foreign oil supplies and expandingthe development of oil production capabilities abroad,however, “American foreign policy will continue topromote these objectives in the Persian Gulf and otheremerging oil-producing regions, ultimately undermin-ing regional and global security,” PSR says.

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Kyoto Protocol in effect; investors call forgreater corporate accountability

Tesoro; Unocal; Corp. Vintage Petroleum; XTOEnergy• Manufacturers: Allergan; Avery Dennison; AnalogDevices; Corning; Dow Chemical; NewellRubbermaid• Real estate sector: Centex; Health Care PropertyInvestors; Lennar Corp.; Liberty Property Trust;Ryland Group; Simon Property Group• Financial services sector: J.P. Morgan Chase;Wachovia; Wells Fargo

Many of the resolutions seek greater disclosure onhow the companies are responding to and preparing forrising regulatory and competitive pressures to reducegreenhouse gas emissions. ExxonMobil, which gener-ates more than a third of its revenues in Kyoto Protocol-participating countries, and the manufacturers, havereceived resolutions that focus specifically on under-standing how the companies plan to meet Kyoto green-house gas reductions targets.

The resolutions come at a time of growing investordemand for information on how energy-intensive sec-tors are planning for coming constraints on carbonemissions. The electric power sector, which generates 39percent of the CO2 emission in the U.S. and 10 percentglobally, has received many of the resolutions in the past.Last year, American Electric Power, Cinergy, TXU andSouthern all agreed to shareholder requests by promis-ing climate risk reports. Those reports have all beencompleted except for Southern’s.

Oil and gas companies, electric power producers,real estate firms, manufacturers, financial institutionsand automakers face a record number of global warmingresolutions that have been filed by shareholders for the2005 proxy season. The following article is written byCathy Rowan, consultant on corporate responsibilityissues for the Maryknoll Sisters.

Religious groups (including the Maryknoll Sisters),state and city pension funds, labor, foundations, andother institutional shareholders have filed 31 resolu-tions requesting financial risk disclosure and plans toreduce greenhouse gas emissions with nine oil and gascompanies, six manufacturers, three electric power pro-viders and two automakers. The companies are amongthe largest greenhouse gas emitters in the country,making them especially vulnerable to the risks of likelyregulatory- and market-based limits on carbon dioxideemissions worldwide. In addition to the 31 resolutions,shareholders are also involved in negotiations withseveral dozen other companies aimed at improving thosecompanies’ disclosure and action on climate risk.

On February 16, the Kyoto Protocol, which re-quires dozens of industrialized countries around theworld to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by aboutfive percent below 1990 levels by 2012, went into effect.The United States did not ratify the protocol, but manyof the U.S. companies targeted by shareholder resolu-tions will need to reduce emissions in Europe, Canada,Japan and other countries.

The 31 filings easily surpass the 22 global warmingshareholder resolutions filed last year. Many of lastyear’s resolutions received the highest voting supportever, particularly in the oil and gas sector where supportlevels were as high as 37 percent. Filers withdrew sevenresolutions last year after companies agreed to under-take climate risk assessments and committed to specificgreenhouse reduction targets.

One or more resolutions have been filed with eachof the following U.S. companies:

• Auto sector: Ford Motor Co.; General Motors

• Electric power sector: Dominion Resources; FirstEnergy; Progress Energy• Oil and gas sector: Anadarko Petroleum.; ApacheCorp.; ChevronTexaco; ExxonMobil; Marathon Oil

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March/April 2005

Resourcestells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, andthe U.S. that are asking these fundamental questions,as water becomes the most valuable global resourceof the 21st century. A character-driven documentarywith no narration, “Thirst” reveals how the debateover water rights between communities and corpo-rations can serve as a catalyst for explosive andsteadfast resistance to globalization. 62 minutes.(DVD version available with many extra features.)Grade level: 10-12, college, adult. ISBN (VHS): 1-59458-039-1; ISBN (DVD): 1-58458-112-6. Bull-

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4) ¡Cochabamba! Water War in Bolivia: This book byOscar Olivera, in collaboration with Tom Lewis,tells the story of the Water War, the first greatvictory against corporate globalization in LatinAmerica. Olivera reflects on themes that emerged asa result of the war over water: the fear and isolationwhich Cochabambinos overcame through a spirit ofsolidarity; the new practices of popular democracyrealized during the struggle; the challenges of oper-ating the city’s water service in a community basedmanner; and the impact of the Water War on subse-quent struggles. ISBN (paperback) 0-89608-702-6,$16; ISBN (hardback) 0-89608-703-4, $40. Formore information, contact South End Press atwww.southendpress.org, or call 800-533-8478.

5) September’s Shadow: Post-9/11 U.S.-Latin Ameri-can Relations: This new publication examines howthe U.S. response to 9/11 has affected U.S.-LatinAmerican relations. Using polls, op-eds, aid trends,and case studies of Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Bo-livia and Cuba, the report details the fallout of theBush administration’s foreign policy as well as LatinAmerican governments’ cooperation on practicalcounterterrorism measures. $5. Available from theLatin America Working Group, 202-546-7010.Order online or download the PDF version fromhttp://www.lawg.org/Misc/Publications.htm

1) Thou Shall Think and Do! Adventures with theSocial Teachings of the Catholic Church: Written byMaryknoll Fr. Eugene Thalman, this four-volumeseries of lessons was composed over the course of athree-year program with the social concerns groupat Fr. Thalman’s parish in Hong Kong. Each volumecontains ten exercises intended to raise awarenessand understanding of the Church’s social teachings.Each exercise is three-part: anecdote and reflection;church teaching; and activity. Materials are avail-able on the website of the Asian Center for theProgress of Peoples (ACPP), www.acpp.org; stu-dents’ books and facilitators’ notes for each volumeare available from ACPP, 1/F 52 Princess MargaretRoad, Kowloon, Hong Kong; hotline@acpp.org

2) Peacemaking and the Powers — Promoting Justice& Peace in Post-9/11 America: A 6-Session Programfor Churches, Youth, & Religious Communities onRacism, Materialism & Militarism: This new pro-gram from the Institute for Peace & Justice offersBiblical inspiration and prayer, challenging readingsand worksheets, and practical action suggestions forresponding to Jesus plea to do the things that makefor peace, to Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to con-front the giant triplets of racism, materialism, andmilitarism, and to Walter Wink’s unmasking of thepowers of domination. Ideal as a parish or congrega-tion Lenten program or as part of a college or highschool course on justice and peace, this 155-pagebinder provides detailed options and directions forleaders and the worksheets and optional backgroundreadings for participants for each of the six sessions Supplementary resources include a calendar of peaceand justice days and seasons, additional reflectivepassages, music and videos, and books and websiteson these issues For Catholic groups, there is anadditional supplement on Catholic Social Teachingon these issues. Cost: $29.95, plus shipping; orderonline at www.ipj-ppj.org, or call toll-free 1-800-833-0245.

3) “Thirst”: This presentation from Bullfrog Films is apiercing look at the global corporate drive to controland profit from our water — from bottles to tap. Iswater part of a shared “commons”, a human rightfor all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought,sold, and traded in a global marketplace? “Thirst”