The Week with IPS 7/17

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	Indigenous People in Brazil’s Amazon – Crushed by the Belo Monte Dam? Mario Osava Ethnocide, the new accusation leveled against the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, brings to light deeper underlying aspects of the conflicts and controversies unleashed by megaprojects in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Federal prosecutor Thais Santi announced that legal action would be taken “in the ... MORE > >
	Civil Society Sceptical Over “Action Agenda” to Finance Development Thalif Deen Despite high expectations, the third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) ended on a predictable note: the United Nations proclaimed it a roaring success while most civil society organisations (CSOs) expressed scepticism over the final outcome. Hours after the conclusion ... MORE > >
	Fear Stalks Students in Northern Pakistan Ashfaq Yusufzai and Kanya D'Almeida It has been seven months since a group of gunmen raided the Army Public School in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, killing 145 people, including 132 students. 3For the most part, the tragedy has faded off international headlines, but for the families of the victims and ... MORE > >
	In Search of Jobs, Cameroonian Women May End Up as Slaves in Middle East Ngala Killian Chimtom Her lips are quavering her hands trembling. Susan (not her real name) struggles to suppress stubborn tears, but the outburst comes, spontaneously, and the tears stream down her cheeks as she sobs profusely. The story of this 28-year-old’s servitude in Kuwait is mind-boggling. Between her sobs, ... MORE > >
	Latin America Has Beaten Down, but not Beaten, HIV/AIDS Álvaro Queiruga The countries of Latin America have partially met the Millennium Development Goal referring to the fight against HIV/AIDS, according to the UNAIDS report on the global epidemic released Tuesday. “The world has achieved the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal 6. The epidemic has been ... MORE > >
	New Census Paints Grim Picture of Inequality in India Neeta Lal Despite being Asia’s third-largest economy, positioning itself as a major geopolitical player under a new nationalist government, India's first ever Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) paints a grim picture of poverty and deprivation despite billions of dollars being funneled into ... MORE > >
	Nuclear Deal Takes U.S.-Iran Ties Out of Deep Freeze – Partly, at Least Jasmin Ramsey A final deal was reached on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme in the early morning hours of July 14 in Vienna, over a decade after talks between Iran and world powers began. “This deal demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring about real and meaningful change -- change that makes our ... MORE > >
	Female Commandos Ready to Take on the Taliban Ashfaq Yusufzai For years, Robina Shah has dreamed of joining the police force. Ever since her father, a police constable, was killed in a 2013 Taliban suicide attack in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, she has longed to carry on his legacy. 3Such a dream was not easily ... MORE > >
	Latin America Has Uneven Record on Environmental Sustainability Diego Arguedas Ortiz Millions of Latin Americans have better access to clean water and decent housing than 25 years ago. But the region still faces serious environmental challenges, such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions - a legacy of the model of development followed in the 20th century. Fifteen years ... MORE > >
	Earthquakes Don’t Kill, Buildings Do – Or Is It Inequity? Robert Stefanicki 70-year-old Chiute Tamang was working in his field when the earth shook on Apr 25. He grabbed a tree. His wife and daughter were inside the house at the time, but managed to run out. In the blink of an eye, the building turned into a heap of stones. They were the lucky ones. “Earthquakes don’t ... MORE > >
	Fishing Families Left High and Dry by Amazon Dams Mario Osava Small-scale fisherpersons were among the first forgotten victims of mega construction projects like the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingú River in the Brazilian Amazon. “I’m a fisherman without a river, who dreams of traveling, who dreams of riding on a boat of hope. Three years ago it ... MORE > >
	South Sudanese Girls Given Away As ‘Blood Money’ Miriam Gathigah So extreme are gender inequalities in South Sudan that a young girl is three times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than to reach the eighth grade – the last grade before high school – according to Plan International, one of the oldest and largest children’s development organisations ... MORE > >