News archive April 2014

(6) April 2014

Papua oil palm plans may benefit migrants more than local poor — report

Indonesia may miss out on a chance to boost socio-economic benefits for the poor in the eastern province of Papua unless it creates a development plan to address disparities caused by the rapid increase in oil palm plantation investments, according to a new report. (Julie Mollins - CIFOR / Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Indigenous protesters occupy Peru’s biggest Amazon oil field

Around 500 Achuar protesters are demanding the clean-up of decades of contamination from spilled crude oil (Dan Collyns / The Guardian)

Malawi: Without land reform, small farmers become “trespassers”

In Malawi more than 60% of land is customary, meaning that it is mostly untitled and administered by local chiefs on behalf of the government, with local communities merely enjoying user rights.nThe system has led to many abuses, with some government officials and chiefs selling off customary lands and dispossessing smallholder farmers. (IRIN)

The struggle over Sumak Kawsay in Ecuador

I wrote this knowing a friend and activist from Junin is illegally being kept in jail for defending his land, his community, the unique environment of Intag's Cloud Forest, and fundamental human rights. (Carlos Zorrilla / Upside Down World)

Uruguay ratifies international law for indigenous peoples’ rights

Uruguay has pledged to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 169 Convention, the only international law designed to protect tribal and indigenous peoples’ rights. It will be the twenty-third country to ratify the law, following Spain, Holland and Norway in Europe. (Survival)

Indonesia must vote to protect its forests

If President Yudhoyono wants to make good on one of his most prominent pledges, to cut the country’s climate change emissions by up to 41 percent, now is the time to return the forests to those who can care for them best. (Abdon Nababan / Thomson Reuters Foundation)