The Week with IPS 4/24

2015/4/24	Click here for the online version of this IPS newsletter
	Talk of Death Squads to Combat New Wave of Gang Violence in El Salvador Edgardo Ayala The resurgence of violent crime in El Salvador is giving rise to a hostile social environment in El Salvador reminiscent of the country’s 12-year civil war, which could compromise the country’s still unsteady democracy. After recent attacks by gangs against police and soldiers, there is talk in ... MORE > >
	Two Years After Rana Plaza Tragedy, Rights Abuses Still Rampant in Bangladesh’s Garment Sector Kanya D'Almeida and Naimul Haq Some say they were beaten with iron bars. Others confess their families have been threatened with death. One pregnant woman was assaulted with metal curtain rods. These are not scenes typically associated with a place of work, but thousands of people employed in garment factories in Bangladesh ... MORE > >
	Saudis Compensate Civilian Killings with 274 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Yemen Thalif Deen Saudi Arabia’s right hand does not know what its left foot is up to, belittles an Asian diplomat, mixing his metaphors to describe the political paradox in the ongoing military conflict in Yemen. The Saudis, who are leading a coalition of Arab states, have been accused of indiscriminate bombings ... MORE > >
	The U.N. at 70: A View from Outer Space Dr. Nandasiri Jasentuliyana When the founding fathers of the United Nations met in San Francisco 70 years ago, an American banker named Beardsley Ruml made a remark: Courtesy of Dr. Nandasiri Jasentuliyana “At the end of five years, you will think the United Nations is the greatest vision ever realized by man. At the ... MORE > >
	Tailings Ponds Pose a Threat to Chilean Communities Marianela Jarroud Chile lives under the constant threat of spillage from tailings ponds, which became even more marked in late March after heavy rains fell in the desert region of Atacama leaving over two dozen people dead and missing and thousands without a home. Copiapó, capital of the region of the same name, ... MORE > >
	From Slavery to Self Reliance: A Story of Dalit Women in South India Stella Paul HuligeAmma, a Dalit woman in her mid-forties, bends over a sewing machine, carefully running the needle over the hem of a shirt. Sitting nearby is Roopa, her 22-year-old daughter, who reads an amusing message on her cell phone and laughs heartily. The pair leads a simple yet contented life – ... MORE > >
	Giving African Artists Their Names A. D. McKenzie Quick now, can you name a famous African sculptor from the 1800s or even the early 20th century? Anyone able to answer positively is part of a select minority – most museum-goers have become used to seeing traditional African carvings without knowing the name of the artist. Artwork by ... MORE > >
	Tribunal Ruling Could Dent “Monster Boat” Trawling in West African Waters Saikou Jammeh It was five in the afternoon and Buba Badjie, a boat captain, had just brought his catch to the shore. He had spent twelve hours at sea off Bakau, a major fish landing site in The Gambia. Inside the trays strewn on the floor bed of his wooden boat were bonga and catfish. Scores of women crowded ... MORE > >
	Women Farmers Rewrite Their History in Chile's Patagonia Region Marianela Jarroud More than 100 women small farmers from Chile’s southern Patagonia region have joined together in a new association aimed at achieving economic autonomy and empowerment, in an area where machismo and gender inequality are the norm. Patricia Mancilla, Nancy Millar and Blanca Molina spoke with IPS ... MORE > >
	Q&A: Iranian Balochistan is a “Hunting Ground” – Nasser Boladai Karlos Zurutuza Nasser Boladai is the spokesperson of the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran (CNFI), an umbrella movement aimed at expanding support for a secular, democratic and federal Iran. IPS spoke with him in Geneva, where he was invited to speak at a recent conference on Human Rights and Global ... MORE > >