The fourth speaker at the Climate Emergency - No More Business As Usual Conference in Adelaide on the tenth and eleventh of October 2008 was Barry Brook, who is the Director of the Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability, and is co-author of the books Southeast Asian Biodiversity in Crisis and Tropical Conservation Biology.
Could the European Union play a more constructive role in justly resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict than the United States of America has thus far?
Julia Terreu spoke to Ramzy Baroud, who is Editor-In-Chief of Palestine Chronicle.
How should Australia make itself both ecologically and economically sustainable and tackle climate change?
Doctor Mark Diesendorf spoke at the Climate Emergency - No More Business As Usual Conference in Adelaide on the tenth and eleventh of October, 2008. Diesendorf is a senior lecturer at teh Institute Of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales. He formerly was Vice-President of the Australia & New Zealand Society For Ecological Economics, was the Foundation Director of the Institute For Sustainable Futures at the University Of Technology in Sydney, and Adjunct Professor of Sustainability Policy at Murdoch University. He also co-founded and is formerly the Vice-President of the Sustainable Energy Industries Council of Australia. Diesendorf is the author of the book Greenhouse Solutions With Sustainable Energy and is co-editor fo the book Human Economy - Ideas For An Ecologically Sustainable Future.
In December 2007 Peru and the United States of America signed a Free Trade Agreement. This Agreement has been accused of weakining Peruvian environmental and labour standards, and has sparked protests.
Julia Terreu spoke to Mary Tharin, who is a Research Associate for Council Of Hemispheric Affairs.
What is the current situation regarding Palestinians and Israelis? How close are they to a just peace?
Julia Terreu spoke to Sara Roy, who is an Associate at Harvard Univeristy’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
How should Australia deal with the issue of human-caused climate change?
On the tenth and eleventh of October 2008 in Adelaide a public conference was held called Climate Emergency - No More Business As Usual. One of the speakers at the conference was David Spratt. Spratt is a businessperson, climate policy analyst and is a co-founder of Carbon Equity, which is an organisation advocating personal carbon allowances as the fairest means of rapidly combating climate change. He is also, along with Philip Sutton, co-author of the book Climate Code Red - The Case For Emergency Action.
The right to housing is enshrined in the Belgian constitution. However, homelessness remains a continuing problem in Belgium. Why is this so? Also, what can be done about it?
Julia Terreu spoke to Dave Cronin from Inter Press Service.
What kind of government does Cuba have?
Julia Terreu spoke to Marcel Cameron from Direct Action.
In 2003 the United Nations Security Council announced a multinational military presence in Iraq in cooperation with Iraqi forces while Iraq makes the transition to democracy. In 2007 the Iraq government unsuccessfully opposed the extension of this multinational military presence. A Status Of Forces Agreement - or SOFA for short - is an agreement between the United States of America and the countries where American military bases reside. Currently a Status Of Forces Agreement is being negotiated between the American and Iraqi governments to replace the Untied Nations multinational military presence.
Julia Terreu spoke to Frida Berrigan, who is the Senior Program Associate of the Arms & Security Initiative at the New America Foundation.
The neo-liberal free market economic policies that were formulated and encouraged by economists Milton Friedman and a group known as “The Chicago Boys” are now being challenged by a new wave of independent thinkers both in South America and in the West. One famous, Nobel Prize-winning American economist who has criticised neo-liberal free market economics is Joseph Stiglitz. In 2008 newly elected Paraguayan president, the ex-bishop Fernando Lugo, invited Joseph Stiglitz to Paraguay to discuss neo-liberaism, and Stiglitz was able to propose a post-Washington Consensus on economics.
Julia Terreu spoke to Research Fellow at Council Of Hemispheric Affairs Gustavo Setrini\.
The Bangsomoro people are a Muslim community who live in the south of The Philippines. Currently a rebel group calling itself the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is fighting for autonomy for the Bangsomoro.
Julia Terreu spoke to Peter Sales, who is a senior lecturer of History and Politics at the University of Woollongong and is also a Research Associate at the University of The Philippines.
Recently the governments of Bolivia expelled the American ambassador to Bolivia. Not long after that the Venezuelan government expelled the American ambassador to Venezuela. Is this a sign of growing solidarity between Latin American nations?
Julia Terreu spoke to German sociologist Heinz Dietrich, who is based in Mexico and who often contributes to Venezuela Analysis.
Israel has testy relations with its neighbours Lebanon and Syria, and occupies the Shebaa Farms and Golan Heights from them respectively. is there a chance for a just peace between the three nations?
Julia Terreu spoke with Alain Gresh, who is an analyst for Le Monde Diplomatique.
An arms trade fair, named the Asia Pacific Defense & Security Exhibition, was scheduled to be held in Adelaide from the eleventh to the thirteenth of November 2008. However, it was cancelled due to protests.
Julia Terreu spoke to comedian/musician/singer/songwriter/activist Soursob Bob, who was one of the people opposed to the Asia Pacific Defense & Security Exhibition.
Recently the Argentine government introduced tax reform legislation intended to distribute resources more equitably.
Julia Terreu spoke with Michael Cohen, who is Professor of International Affairs at The New School and is Director of its Observatory on Latin America.
The nation of Armenia became independent after the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics collapsed in 1991. What is the situation in Armenia today? Also, what are Armenia’s relations like with other countries?
Julia Terreu spoke with Muriel Mirak-Weissbach, who is an analyst and a frequent contributor to Global Research.
There is a growing unrest among workers’ in China, who are thus organising for their rights, even though there is only one union that is legal in China. How effective are these industrial actions? How effective can they be? What challenges do they face?
Julia Terreu spoke with retired American air transport union President Carl Finamore.
In 2008 Argentine President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner attempted to bring reforms to the way resources are distributed in Argentina. Thus, she angered wealthy Argentine land-owners, who halted the reform process.
Julia Terreu spoke with Michael Cohen, who is Professor of International Affairs at The New School and is the Director of its Observatory on Latin America.
What is the background of the recent war between Georgia and Russia over the Georgian province of Ossetia? Has the Western media’s portrayal of it been accurate and fair?
Julia Terreu spoke with Michael Klare, who is a Professor of Peace & World Security Studies at Hampshire College. He is also a columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus, and author of the book Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy.
The Indian province of Kashmir has been the scene of lethal violence over many years. What is the latest situation regarding this conflict? What effects could it have?
Angana Chatterji is the Associate Professor of Social & Cultural Anthroplogy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She also works for the International Peoples’ Tribunal for Human Rights and Justice in Indian-Administered Kashmir.
The recent release of hostages held by the Colombian rebel group FARC received widespread media coverage, and was a publicity victory for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
What kind of government does Alvaro Uribe lead? What does he stand for? What are his policies?
Julia Terreu spoke to Rodrigo Acuna, who is a Research Assistant in Spanish Studies at MacQuarie University in Sydney, Australia.
On Sunday the tenth of August 2008 the people of Boliva held a referendum. A victory for the “yes” vote would mean the democratically-elected President of Bolivia Evo Morales would be allowed to continue his term in office. A victory for the “no” vote would mean Bolivia would call another Presidential election and Evo Morales would have to run as a candidate again if he wanted to be President. The “yes” vote was victorious, winning 63.5 per cent of the votes.
What do Evo Morales and his party stand for? What have their policies been so far? What problems do they face?
JuliaTerreu spoke to Chris Sweeney, who is a Research Assistant for Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
While the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe has received condemnation from Western governments for its human rights violations, other African dictatorships receive less or no condemnation from those same Western governments.
Julia Terreu spoke with Stephen Zunes, who is a professor of Politics and International Studies at San Francisco University, the author of the book Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy & The Roots Of Terrorism and the editor of the book Nonviolent Social Movements.
What are the causes of world hunger today?
Julia Terreu spoke with Anup Shah from Global Issues.
The Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children is a charitable organisation that educates children in Afghanistan in performing arts. Mark Lavis, a Canberra University student, recently unicycled from Canberra to Adelaide to reaise money for the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children.
Julia Terreu spoke to Mark Lavis.
Recently the East Timorese/Indonesian Truth & Friendship Commission released its report on the human rights violations in 1999 in East Timor during the run-up to the independence referendum. What does this report reveal? What was Australia’s role in the 1999 violence?
Julia Terreu spoke to Bruce Haigh, who is a retired Australian diplomat and the author of the books The Great Australian Blight and Pillars Of Fear.
Is the U.S.A. government’s strategy in Iraq effective in enabling safety and security?
Julia Terreu spoke to editor of Political Affairs magazine Joel Wendland.
In 2006 a group of Northern Irish peace activists disrupted the operations of military contractor Raytheon by breaking into one of its offices and destroying some equipment. The activists, who came to be known collectively as the Raytheon 9, were tried and found not guilty, the court finding that they had acted legally by preventing war crimes.
Julia Terreu spoke with one of the Raytheon 9, Colm Bryce.
The G8 Summit was held recently in Hokkaido, Japan, where the richest nations of the world discussed possible solutions to the problem of climate change. How do the solutions recommended at the G8 Summit compared with those recommended by the United Nations?
Julia Terreu spoke with Waldon Bello, who is a columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus, a senior analyst at Focus On The Global South and a professor of sociology at the University of the Philippines.
Poverty is endemic in Africa despite the involvement of numerous international organisations to eradicate it. Who and what is responsible for the the continuation of poverty in Africa?
Julia Terreu spoke to Sameer Dossani, who is a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus and is a director of 50 Years Is Enough.
There is mounting pressure on Japan to change its constitution and become part of increasingly Militarised US allies.
Julia Terreu spoke with Gavan McCormack a coordinator of Japan Focus and the writer of Client State: Japan in the American Embrace.
What are we likely to see from the Australian Rudd Goverment when engaging the new USA president, be it Barack Obama or John McCain?
Julia Terreu spoke with Michael Fullilove the director of the Global Issues Program at the Lowy Institute, currently he is a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute based in Washington DC.
On the eighteenth of June, 2008 the Egyptian government brokered a truce between the Israeli government and Hamas. How is this truce holding up? And what has been the situation in Gaza since the truce was called?
Julia Terreu spoke to journalist and International Womens’ Peace Service member Kim Bullimore, who is currently stationed in Gaza.
How do different Christian demoninations in the United States of America relate to the nation of Israel?
Julia Terreu spoke to Ramzy Baroud from Palestine Chronicle.
The American government is conducting a massive surveillance operation called “Maincorp”, which targets American civilians.
Julia Terreu spoke with freelance journalist Christopher Ketcham.
Julia Terreu spoke with Chris Carlson a constributer to Venezuela Analysis about the Interpol report and its findings.
Julia Terreu and Paris Dean spoke with Murial Mirak-Weissbach, a frequent contributer to Global Research
Guantanamo Bay is a U.S.A. military base currently being used as a gaol for people the U.S.A. considers terrorism suspects and enemy combatants. How did the U.S.A. acquire this territory? What is the history behind it?
Julia Terreu and Paris Dean spoke to Freeda Berringer, the senior program associate at the Arms and Security Project of the New America Foundation and is a columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus.
The bio-tech industry, which engineers genetically-modified foods, is promoting itself as an industry combatting climate change. Julia Terreu spoke to Hope Shand, who is a research director for the ETC Group.
“The Erased” are the eighteen thousand residents of Slovenia whom in 1992 the Slovenian government stripped of their citizenship. Julia Terreu spoke to John Feffer from Foreign Policy In Focus.
In February, 2008 Pakistan held its first elections after protests and political unrest followed the sacking of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice Iftinkar Chaudery. The election resulted in a coalition between the Pakistani Peoples’ Party and the Pakistani Muslim League. Many Pakistanis believed the coalition would bring more democracy, stability and the reinstatement of Chaudery as Chief Justice. But has the Pakistani government done these things?
Julia Terreu and Paris Dean spoke to Farooq Tariq from the Labor Party of Pakistan.
A debate is under way in the United States of America as to whether the Iraqi or American government should pay for the reconstruction of Iraq. We spoke to Erik Leaver, who is the Outreach Director for Foreign Policy In Focus.
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the African palm oil tree (Elaeis guineensis). It is an ingredient in many products and can be used as a feedstock for biofuel. However, in South East Asia, to make way for palm oil plantations, rainforests are being cleared and indigenous people are being forcibly evicted from their lands. Also, toxic, pollutive pesticides are used on the palm oil crops. We spoke to Martin Pritchard from Palm Oil Action Group and Friends Of The Earth.
The war on Iraq has seen the displacement of thousands of Iraqi citizens into to the surrounding countries. Women are particularly vulnerable and The United Nations High Commissioner has seen a pattern of Iraqi women turning to prostitution.
Julia Terreu spoke to freelance journalist Rana Al Aube, who focused on the issue of Iraqi refugees in Syria.
ECPAT is an organisation dedicated to combatting the commercial sexual exploitation of children, such as child pornography, child sex tourism, child prostitution and child sex slavery. The Australian branch of ECPAT is also known as Childwise.
Matt Buckley spoke to Bernadette McEnamin, the founder and CEO of Childwise.
Luis Posada Carriles is wanted in Venezuela and Cuba for terrorism. However, currently he is living in the United States of America, and the U.S.A. government refuses to extradite him.
We spoke to Carol Williams, the Caribbean bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times.
The Israeli public housing company Amidar is attempting to evict 497 Palestinian Arab Israelis from their homes.
We spoke to Muhammed Zeidan from the Arab Association for Human Rights
The Howard govenrment’s intervention into Australian Aboriginal communities in the Northern Terretory marks as yet another intervention which has failed the Aboriginal inhabitants of this nation. The Northern Terretory intervention has been inherited by the new Federal Government in office , headed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Are we likely to see new developments?
We spoke with Jon Altman, the director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University.
The private contracting of intelligence work is now firlmy entrenched in the hands of various private contractors based in the US. L-3/Titan is one of those companies that is involved in Intelligence service to the US Military establishment.
We spoke with Pratab Chaterjee from corp-watch, who has completed a mojor report on L-3/Titan.
The National Womens Working Centre in Australia has been threatened by the Federal Government cutting back its funding, which would mean the closing down of the National body.
Catherine Zengerer, a Radio Adelaide Journalist spoke to Sandra Dann, the director of the South Australian wing of the Womens Working centre.
Western Sahara is a territory on the north-west coast of Africa that has been annexed by Morocco since 1975. We spoke to Kamal Fadel from the Australia Western Sahara Association.
The growing population of undocumented immigrants in the USA is astonishing, the consequences of this has meant that many immigrants face exploitation and discrimination.
We spoke with Ana Avendaño an Associate general Council and Director, Immigrant Worker program of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Oranisations (AFL-CIO).
Tibet is a country that has been annexed by China since 1951. The Chinese Government has transmigrated members of its own population to Tibet and has suppressed Tibetan culture, language and dissent.
We spoke with Matt Wade, Dharamsala correspondent with several Australian newspapers.
The Headscarf has become a polorising issue for all political parties in Turkey and is proving to be a divisive instrument of both the right and the left of the political spectrum.
To talk to us about the debates in Turkey is professor of global and international studies at the University of California-Santa Barbara, she also writes for Middle East Report.
China is the world’s most populous nation with the world’s fastest-growing economy. Is the growth of the Chinese economy having a positive effect on the Chinese population and environment?
We spoke with Professor Mobo Gao, who is Chair of Chinese Studies and Director of the Confucius Institute at the Centre for Asian Studies at the University of Adelaide.
Diego Garcia is one of the Chagos Islands, and is the site of a strategically-located United States military base. In order to establish the base, the Chagos Islanders were forcibly expelled by the British Government and have since been struggling for the right to return.
We spoke the American University’s Assistant Professor of Anthropology David Vine, who is working on a book - Island Of Shame: The Secret History Of Exile And Empire On Diego Garcia. The book is due out in March/April 2009.
With an impending election in 2009, the Bachelet govenrment is facing a population which has become disillusioned with the progress of its social policy and its shift to the right.
We spoke with Rodrigo Acuna, a freelance journalist based in Sydney who epecialises in Latin American politics.
Drew Hutton is a long time social activist. He began protesting the Vietnam War during the Bjelke-Peterson years in Queensland and has maintained his activisim since. Now, he’s most heavily involved in environmental issues and is a member of both the State and Federal Green Party.
We spoke with him on his recent visit to Adelaide.
Cuba has been classified by the World Wild Life fund as the only sustainable nation in the world, since the fall of the soviet union Cuba had to instigate radical change in order to meet the needs of their population. How did Cuba become the only current sustainbale nation in the world?
With spoke with Roberto Perez a Cuban biologist and Permaculturalist who is one of the leaders of the Cuban Example.
Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero, the leader of the Spanish SocialistWorkers Party (PSOE) was returned to power in the elections held 9th of march 2008. However neither the Socialist party of Zapatero nor the opposition Popular Party (PP) were able to win a clear majority. What was the platform the socialist party took to Spanish citizens? and what is likely to face the Zapatero government in the coming years?
To give us context on the Spanish elections we spoke with Pablo Ouziel who is an activist, freelance writer and sociologist based in Spain. He has written for diverse media including Znet, Palestine Chronicle, Thomas Paine¹s Corner and Atlantic Free Press.
Hugo Chavez has dramatically impacted the population in Venezuala through his program ‘Socialism in the 21st Century’ and his criticism of neo-liberalism and US foreign policy in Latin America.
We spoke with Frederico Fuentes, an Australian journalist who writes for the Green Left Weekly and Venezuala Analysis.
The recent Colombian military incursion into
We spoke to Robert Naiman, a Senior Policy Analyst and National Coordinator at Just Foreign Policy. Naiman has worked as a policy analyst and researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch. He has masters degrees in economics and mathematics from the
Kim Bullemoore is a volunteer for the International Womens Peace Service and a journalist for Green Left Weekly. Here, she speaks to the Backstory team about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
60 years ago the state of
We spoke to Paul Heywood-Smith who is chairperson of the Friends of Palestine Association about why he thinks the speech was both unnecessary and insensitive.
Kosovars just voted for independence from Serbia. But, not everyone thinks that’s a good idea.
We spoke with Kim Bytyci and George Szamuely.
