The nWeek with IPS 8/28

	Opinion: A Farewell to Arms that Fuel Atrocities is Within Our Grasp Marek Marczynski The recent explosions that apparently destroyed a 2,000-year-old temple in the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria were yet another grim example of how the armed group calling itself the Islamic State (IS) uses conventional weapons to further its agenda. But what has fuelled the growing IS ... MORE > >
	Water, Climate, Energy Intertwined with Fight Against Poverty in Central America Diego Arguedas Ortiz Central America’s toolbox to pull 23 million people – almost half of the population – out of poverty must include three indispensable tools: universal access to water, a sustainable power supply, and adaptation to climate change. “These are the minimum, basic, necessary preconditions for ... MORE > >
	Winning Women a Greater Say in Somaliland’s Policy-Making Katie Riordan Bar Seed is the only female member in Somaliland’s 82-person Parliament, but activists hope upcoming national elections may end her isolation. Gender equality advocates in the self-declared nation are currently renewing a push for a quota for women in government that has been over a decade in ... MORE > >
	Plant in Chile Opens South America’s Doors to Geothermal Energy Marianela Jarroud Chile, a land of volcanoes and geysers, has started building South America’s first geothermal plant, which would open a door to this kind of renewable energy in this country that depends largely on fossil fuels. The Cerro Pabellón geothermal project is “immensely important for the Chilean state, ... MORE > >
	Poverty and Slavery Often Go Hand-in-Hand for Africa’s Children Jeffrey Moyo “Poverty has become part of me,” says 13-year-old Aminata Kabangele from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “I have learned to live with the reality that nobody cares for me.” Aminata, who fled her war-torn country after the rest of her family was killed by armed rebels and now lives as a as a ... MORE > >
	Alternative Destinations Emerge as Cuba Gets Ready for Tourism Boom Ivet González Along the road to the Viñales valley, travelled by thousands of tourists to Cuba, lies the home of self-taught artist Miguel Antonio Remedios, which he has turned into a sort of museum to show visitors a wooden home typical of this mountainous area in the west of the country. “It would be a big ... MORE > >
	Shifting Sands: How Rural Women in India Took Mining into their Own Hands Stella Paul Thirty-seven-year-old Kode Sujatha stands in front of a hut with a palm-thatched roof, surrounded by a group of men shouting angrily and jostling one another for a spot at the front of the crowd. 3Each of the boatmen, who carry sand mined from a nearby river to the shore every day, wants to be ... MORE > >
	Opinion: Children of the World – We are Standing Watch for You Oscar Arias Sanchez Twenty-eight years ago this month, an indigenous woman stood in the plaza in Guatemala City, watching as the presidents of Central America walked out into the street after signing the Peace Accords that would end the civil wars in our region. When I reached her, she took both my hands in hers and ... MORE > >
	Breaking the Media Blackout in Western Sahara Karlos Zurutuza Ahmed Ettanji is looking for a flat in downtown Laayoune, a city 1,100 km south of Rabat. He only wants it for one day but it must have a rooftop terrace overlooking the square that will host the next pro-Sahrawi demonstration. "Rooftop terraces are essential for us as they are the only places ... MORE > >
	Climate Change Shrinking Uganda’s Lakes and Fish Wambi Michael Climate change is reducing the size of several species of fish on lakes in Uganda and its neighbouring East African countries, with a negative impact on the livelihoods of millions people who depend on fishing for food and income. Studies conducted on inland lakes in Uganda, including Lake ... MORE > >
	China’s Economy Has Sounded the Alert; Will Latin America Listen? Diego Arguedas Ortiz For years, Latin America has exported its raw materials to China’s voracious factories, fuelling economic growth. But now that the Asian giant is putting a priority on domestic consumption over industrial production, how will this region react? China’s dizzying growth gave a boost to the ... MORE > >
	U.S. Provides Cover for Use of Banned Weapons in Yemen Thalif Deen The United States is providing a thinly-veiled cover virtually legitimising the use of cluster bombs – banned by an international convention – by Saudi Arabia and its allies in their heavy fighting against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Asked if cluster bombs are legitimate weapons of war, “if used ... MORE > >