Earlier this week, there were confrontations between police officers and indigenous People in Panama who are opposed to the development of a hydroelectric dam on the Cobre River. On Saturday, about 250 demonstrators closed the Pan-American highway, but were suppressed half an hour later and attacked with tear gas by the National Police.

This was to-be-expected, but as Larrissa Duarte, a spokesperson from the Movement in Defense of the Cobre River, said to La Prensa, they have been carrying out peaceful protests for the past five years, and a …

Sweet Crude, a documentary now in post-production, tells the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta and the struggle of the People in the region. For 50 years, the people in the region known as the ’south-south’ have lived a life of hopelessness and desperation as they watch the land become devastated, and their own lives become unsustainable—not just because of the 6,000 reported oil spills (less than 50% of which are cleaned) rampant gas flaring (2.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day) and several major pipeline explosions that …

There was an important gathering in Caracas last week—Indigenous People from all over Venezuela came together for the First Meeting of Indigenous and Socialist Indigenous Warriors.

The focus of the gathering was to build a movement of people who hold a “Revolutionary Conscience and Spirit of Real Solidarity.”

Among many attendants, was Nicia Maldonado, the Minister of “People’s Power for Indigenous Peoples” who explained in an interview that indigenous communities have begun creating groups called “seed” indigenous warriors– young people between the ages of 7 and 15 years old. These groups must …

On the weekend, several social, cultural and environmental organizations met in Chile to draw out an initiative to create a unified movement in Chile, who will explicitly work to change the current system towards one that is respectful to “natural resources, social justice and cultural diversity.”

From Real World Radio - Representatives from the Student Federation of the University of Chile in Santiago, from the National Confederation of Artisanal Fishermen of Chile, from the Confederation of Sea Workers, from the Council in Defense of Valley de Huasco and from …

On October 31, 2006, more than 1,000 Campesinos and activists from the lowlands of southeastern Bolivia began marching one thousand kilometers (620 miles) from Santa Cruz to La Paz. They hoped to rally support for modifications to the National Institute for Agrarian Reform (INRA), originally passed in 1996, which legitimized the possession of illegally-obtained land in Bolivia, a particular gem for large landowners.

On November 28, 2006, everyone arrived in La Paz. Later that same day, the Senate—minus boycotting opposition party members—passed the reform bill… This video is a short documentary of the march leading up to bill’s reform.
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After participating in the United Nations Permanent Forum, a delegation of 6 people from Taiwan came to feel that it is time for the indigenous of Taiwan to do more to protect their rights.

From the Taipei Times: “Although we’re a minority, Aboriginals in Taiwan and in Japan are actually better off than indigenous peoples in many other countries,” Kao Ching-yi (???) said. “We should therefore join others in their struggle for rights.” (source)

In related news, people from the Tao Tribe recently held a gathering on Orchid Island (just off …

“We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our birth. These are concepts which the Black Consciousness approach wishes to eradicate from the black man’s mind before our society is driven to chaos by irresponsible people from Coca-cola and hamburger cultural backgrounds.” Steve Biko, 1978

From South Africa’s 9/12, a Tribute to Steve Biko
On 12 September 1977, Stephen Bantu Biko, aged 30, died of brain damage from severe beating sustain while in police custody. Steve Biko was a co-founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, …

The following is around the first half of a recent article, titled Social Change and Building the Ties That Bind, by Raul Zibechi. I highly recommend you read the full article

“The question of power is not resolved by taking the government palace, which is easy and has been done many times, but rather by the building of new social relations,” said João Pedro Stedile, coordinator of Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST), at the 2005 World Social Forum. His comment reflects a new vision of social change, one that until recently was almost exclusively promoted by the Zapatistas of …

As promised a couple days ago, here’s the first of a number of writings I’ve found that offer critical insights, analysis, and alternatives to conventional organization and activism.

This one in particular, is an excerpt from a paper written by Paula X. Rojas, titled “Are the Cops in Our Heads and Hearts?” You can read the full version at the Zapagringo blog, or find it in the new book The revolution will not be funded.

Challenges to the Non-Profit System
These new organizing models pose some important challenges to the …

I just posted the following over at my blog on gnn.tv, and thought I’d also share it here. As a side note, I’m also working on several writings focusing on what I briefly mention here, and I found a few good ones from others too. If that sounds good, please stay tuned.

Some under-reported Indigenous Struggles
and our need to be aware of them

In my day to day research I encounter many stories about different actions and events around the world which seem to go largely unnoticed.. I think it’s important that we are aware of them, particularly so we …