In Defense Of The Commons

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In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org

 A Development Fairytale Or A Global Land Rush?
By Karine Jacquemart and Anuradha Mittal

http://www.countercurrents.org/mittal120515.htm

Karine Jacquemart, Forest Project Leader for Africa at Greenpeace International, and Anuradha Mittal Executive Director of the Oakland Institute, argue that the land rush unleashed around the world to own and exploit Earth's natural bounty is not only fierce and unfair, but increasingly fatal, with lands, homes and forests bulldozed and cleared for foreign investors and livelihoods shattered


In Defense Of The Commons
By Shalmali Guttal & Mary Ann Manahan

http://www.countercurrents.org/manahan120515.htm

Shared access, reliance, use and governance of natural resources is a common form of tenure in the world, North and South, rural and urban. The specific rules and institutions that govern common property are very diverse, developed by communities groups on their own direct experience and reflecting their priorities. Where well managed, such systems have proven capable of preserving the long term health of the resources and sustained benefits to the community relying on them. Common spaces are under increasing threat – their resources are grabbed for private interests, mined and degraded for short term gains


Water Commons, Water Citizenship And Water Security
By Buenaventura Dargantes, Daniel Moss, Mary Ann Manahan & V. Suresh

http://www.countercurrents.org/suresh120515.htm

The authors of these cases are public sector water operators and policy analysts, community activists and academics. The editors of this compilation are colleagues in the Reclaiming Public Water Network who have been working for some time to bring about greater democratization of water. We offer these cases to shine light on new ways forward as well as to invite your contributions to a growing understanding of how to govern and manage our shared water commons


To Mislead Critics, US Stages Fake "Public Feuds" With Anti-Democratic Partners
By Robert Barsocchini

http://www.countercurrents.org/barsocchini120515.htm

That the US and its collaborators stage fake public feuds demonstrates once again that until specific documents or leaks come out, we really have no idea what games the serial killers in our government (which governs without our consent) are currently playing


The Nakba: Israel's Catastrophe
By Vacy Vlazna

http://www.countercurrents.org/vlazna120515.htm

Today is Nakba Day, as was yesterday and all days back to the 1922 British Mandate with its broken legal obligations to hold Palestine in trust until independence. Daily, the zionist war crimes of illegal demolitions, evictions and squatting in Palestinian homes occur. The imposed torture of fear, stress and loss the Palestinian families is unimaginably cruel


"Farkhunda Is Our Sister" : A "Martyr," A Murder,
And The Making Of A New Afghanistan?
By Ann Jones

http://www.countercurrents.org/jones120515.htm

When Afghans bury their dead, they put a stone on the grave so that an occupant who tries to rise will bump into it and be reminded to keep still. But that Farkhunda, the Sister-Martyr, she will not stay put


Strategizing For Left Resurgence In India:
Keeping left Is Correct, Keeping Right Is Wrong
By S.G.Vombatkere

http://www.countercurrents.org/vombatkere120515.htm

The sub-title certainly describes the motor traffic road rules, but some may say that it could also speak for ordinary people who are denied their constitutional rights of justice, liberty and equality. We therefore need to state what is meant by "Left" and "Right" in the Indian context


"Claims Of Complete Resettlement And Rehabilitation Of Sardar Sarovar Project Oustees Are Far From The Truth" : Central Fact Finding Committee
By National Alliance of People's Movements

http://www.countercurrents.org/napm120515.htm

A central fact finding committee visited over 10 villages in the Narmada Valley which are affected by the Sardar Sarovar project, to find the current and actual ground situation of the project affected families, and extent of resettlement and rehabilitation and found that the government's "Claims Of Complete Resettlement And Rehabilitation Of Sardar Sarovar Project Oustees Are Far From The Truth"