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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 17th, 2008 Raul Castro seeks alternatives to Venezuela. By LUIZ ALBERTO MONIZ BANDEIRA, www.project-syndicate.org) Friday, July 18, 2008, from Brasilia. and posted on The Japan Times. Raul Castro has begun a gradual process of changing Cuba’s economy and international relations. Within Cuba, he hopes to legitimize his government by improving standards of living. Outside of Cuba, he does not want to be held captive by Cuba’s one international supporter: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Castro believes in giving farm workers greater incentives. He has authorized the sale of farm machinery and tools — centralized until now — directly to farmers, as well as handing over idle land to private cooperatives and other organizations that request them. He also canceled the debts of some small producers and raised the prices paid by the state for milk and meat.
This is essential not only in order to build a “better socialism,” as Castro has promised, but especially to legitimize the continuity of the regime established by his brother Fidel’s revolution. For now, Cuba is politically stable. The evolution of its internal situation leaves no doubt about the consolidation of Raul Castro’s authority. There is somewhat greater freedom of expression, with debates and criticism of several aspects of Cuba’s socialist model, such as low salaries and the dual monetary system, which has caused income inequality by favoring those who work in tourism and for foreign companies. But greater political liberalization is unlikely in the short or medium term. Cuba’s government argues that America’s financial and political support for the opposition impedes that. Nevertheless, with Felipe Perez Roque as minister of foreign affairs, Cuba continues to conduct a pragmatic foreign policy. Venezuela and China have become Cuba’s main economic and commercial partners, and may continue to be so. But Raul Castro wants to avoid dependence on one or two countries alone. His objective is to diversify Cuba’s foreign relations and prevent problems that any change in these countries could cause his regime — a constant imperative since the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a result, relations with Latin America’s giants, Brazil and Mexico, are being put on a more normal footing and relations with Spain are being improved. Moreover, negotiations with the European Union have resumed, greater understanding with the Vatican is being fostered, and Castro himself has publicly suggested the possibility of dialogue with the United States.
Moreover, Venezuela has its own economic problems, despite its enormous dollar reserves. Shortages of medicines and basic foodstuffs such as milk, sugar, eggs, beef, and chicken abound as a consequence of price controls and mounting inflation. This reminds Castro of the economic dislocations that led the Soviet Union to slash its aid to Cuba in the years before it collapsed. Venezuela’s problems make collaboration and support from Brazil — the Southern Hemisphere’s largest industrial power — even more important. During President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to Havana in January 2008, Brazil and Cuba signed several economic and commercial agreements. Indeed, Brazil doubled its loans to Cuba for the purchase of foodstuffs and medicines, to $200 million, and has arranged projects to rehabilitate Cuba’s infrastructure with the participation of Brazilian companies. Other agreements include a project in which Brazil’s state energy company, Petrobras, and Cuba’s Cupet will extract oil in the Gulf of Mexico, and another that involves technological aid from the Brazilian company Pessquisa Agropecurria for the development of soya production in Cuba. As these initiatives suggest, rapprochement with Brazil and Mercosur appears to be Cuba’s best international alternative as Raul Castro seeks to avoid falling into America’s economic orbit. Luiz Alberto Moniz Bandeira, a former professor at the University of Brasilia, is the author of more than 20 books. Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 17th, 2008 A new Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) white paper details corporate commitment to supporting the integration of Hispanic immigrants. Drawing from original research and site visits in Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA, the paper highlights the challenges to the integration of recent immigrants, the contributions of Hispanic immigrants to the U.S. economy, and innovative efforts by business to smooth the integration of Hispanic communities and workers into the social and economic fabric of the U.S. About the White Paper: The new AS/COA white paper, U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration: Expanding the Economic Contributions of Immigrants, demonstrates a collective commitment by private sector leaders to integrating immigrant communities and offers best practices for encouraging Hispanic workforce development and community integration. It features case studies of business′ efforts to facilitate and promote integration and highlights Hispanic contributions to the U.S. economy. Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the AS/COA Hispanic Integration Initiative is engaging private-sector leaders in support of initiatives that promote Hispanic integration, through meetings held in New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA. There will be a press conference in Wahington DC on Wednesday, July 23rd, and a main meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday, July 24th. on Wednesday the confirmed speakers are: Myles Gladstone, Vice President, Miller & Long Co, Inc.; on Thursday the main event title is: “U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration” and will be held at: 2359 Rayburn House Office Building (Capitol Hill) Registration: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with confirmed participants: Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) Lourdes Diaz - Senior Director of Diversity Relations, Sodexo, Inc. Peter Johnson - Rockefeller Family and Associates Bob Merchent - Vice President, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Fred Niehaus - Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, The Western Union Company John Ozburn - Vice President of Human Resources, Tecta America Corp. Christopher Sabatini - Senior Director of Policy, Americas Society and Council of the Americas Susan Segal - President and CEO, Americas Society and Council of the Americas. Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the AS/COA Hispanic Integration Initiative is engaging private-sector leaders in support of initiatives that promote Hispanic integration. Through meetings held in New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA, we have brought nationally and locally-operating businesses together with public sector officials and community groups to exchange lessons learned and best practices. A National Business Council—companies at the forefront of integration efforts—anchors and provides guidance to the initiative. Findings document the many major U.S. corporations that already offer (or sponsor) programs that promote integration. Further information: Please contact Jorge Merino at jmerino at as-coa.org or (202) 659-8989. For media inquires: Caitlin Miner-Le Grand, 212-277-8384, cminerlegrand at as-coa.org The Council of the Americas is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council’s membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors, including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation. Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 5th, 2008
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 1st, 2008
Pass the Sugar, Sugar Florida will buy out sugar company to restore Everglades - the immediate beneficiaries are a sugar family of immigrants that escaped Cuba when Fidel Castro took the reigns. Nearly 300 square miles of sugar plantation in the Everglades will once again become marsh, as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced last week that the state will buy the land from U.S. Sugar Corp. If all goes to plan, the $1.75 billion deal may be the largest environmental restoration in the history of the United States. Environmentalists have long lamented the sugar industry’s role in diverting and polluting the Everglades’ water supply; the River of Grass is only half the 11,000 square miles it was in the early 20th century. U.S. Sugar, which has farmed the Everglades for nearly 80 years, plans to go out of business within six years. The deal is, says Kirk Fordham of the Everglades Foundation, “an achievement of breathtaking significance and priceless value.” Sweet. sources: Los Angeles Times, Herald-Tribune, Reuters, CNN, The New York Times, Associated Press Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 11th, 2008 EU moving to scrap Cuba sanctions EU states are nearing a deal to permanently lift sanctions on Cuba despite protests from human rights activists and hundreds of political prisoners remaining in jail. “The time could be right because of changes undertaken by Cuba’s new leadership,” an EU diplomat told Reuters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers on the topic on June 16. “Sanctions could possibly be lifted…we are working on finding the exact formula,” another diplomat said. The EU is seeking ways to work with the new regime in Cuba . The EU froze high-level diplomatic relations with Havana in 2003 after the jailing of 75 dissidents and the execution of three people trying to flee to the US. The EU measures were temporarily suspended in 2005 and are reviewed every six months. The shift in climate comes after president Raoul Castro took over from his brother Fidel in February, lifting restrictions on islanders buying mobile phones and computers and giving more room for political debate. In a sign of the times, leading dissident Hector Palacios on Tuesday told AP that he plans to return from exile to Cuba to resume opposition work as he no longer fears arrest. “Change is going to happen,” Mr Palacios said. The European Commission and Spain are leading the push to end EU sanctions for good to encourage further reforms. But the Czech Republic wants rules obliging future EU delegations to raise human rights concerns and meet opposition groups. Opposition NGO Agenda for Transition in an open letter to Brussels on Tuesday said that a premature sanctions move would “punish” pro-democracy activists, who continue to face beatings and intimidation with over 200 prisoners of conscience still behind bars. A joint message from the EU-US summit in Slovenia on Tuesday saw the two powers “urge the [Cuban] government to…demonstrate its commitment [to civil rights charters] by unconditionally releasing all political prisoners.” EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner also said on the fringe of the Slovenia event that “human rights issues are very important ones and there are still a lot of political detainees there.” But the US, which has enforced a crippling trade embargo on Cuba since 1962, is taking a tougher line by calling for a mass release of the prisoners before relations can improve. “If the Castro administration really is different, the first way to show that difference to the world is to free the political prisoners,” US president George Bush said in his post-summit speech. {The Government of the Czech Republic can be counted upon to represent the interests of the present US Administration at the EU meeting} Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on April 21st, 2008 The 7th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) started today its meetings at the UN in New York. The topic is: CLIMATE CHANGE, BIO-CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOODS: THE STEWARDSHIP ROLE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND NEW CHALLENGES.” We lived in comity with Mother Earth. We must understand that Planet Earth is not a commodity, a business. Some people think only about money - not the future. It is important to think about life and humanity and equality and justice - not to concentration of land in the hand of a few. We will not get away if the environment gets so bad. Let us use the money for saving the land.
And then on BIOFUELS: “A very serious Impact.” At the conference of MarcoSul I lstened to what some were saying. So What do they mean by “BIOFUELS?” THEY TOLD ME IT IS AGRO-FUELS. For who? These are agricultural products - if mother earth is to feed engines? Cars come ahead of people? The machines are more important then life-form? For us it is clear - life is first. But these policies already have negative imputs. The price of wheat, internationally has caused inflation in our country. This is extremely serious These policies are very harmful to poor people - even in the US. BASIC PROBLEMS OF JUSTICE AND LIFE AEW THE CONCENTRATION OF MONEY IN THE HANDS OF A FEW - PRESIDENT MORALES SAID.
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 21st, 2008 The Second ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE The International Sugar Organization (ISO), the only world forum designed to exchange of different points of view among the main producers and consumers countries at governmental level, in partnership with DATAGRO, one of the chief world consulting companies on sugar and ethanol, has the pleasure to invite you to the II ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE, to take place at The Rainbow Room - Rockfeller Center, in New York City - USA, on May, 7th 2008. In the last edition, the I ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE had gathered more than 300 participants from 20 countries, being a landmark as well as a technical reference to partakers of the New York Sugar Dinner. The New York Sugar Dinner will happen in parallel with the Conference, being one of the most prestigious social and business events of the world sugar calendar, joining the most relevant agents in the acting areas of the business - beet and sugar cane growers, industries, refiners, brokers and traders of all continents. This event represents a unique opportunity to debate topical issues, such as:
For further information, please access the website www.datagro.com.br, or send an e-mail to conferencia at datagro.com.br - Phone (0XX11) 4195-7774. II ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE A Organização Internacional de Açúcar (ISO), o único fórum mundial para a troca de diferentes pontos de vista entre os principais produtores, consumidores e países, a nível governamental, em parceria com a DATAGRO, uma das principais empresas mundiais de consultoria em açúcar e etanol tem o prazer em convidá-lo para II ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE a ser realizada no The Rainbow Room - Rockfeller Center na cidade de Nova York - EUA no dia 7 de maio de 2008. Na edição passada a I ISO/DATAGRO NEW YORK SUGAR CONFERENCE reuniu mais de 300 participantes de 20 países, tendo sido um marco e referência técnica para participantes do Sugar Dinner Nova Iorque. O Sugar Dinner Nova Iorque estará acontecendo em paralelo com a Conferência, sendo um dos eventos sociais e empresariais mais prestigiados no calendário mundial de açúcar, reunindo agentes das mais relevantes áreas de atuação do negócio - fornecedores de beterraba e de cana, processadores, refinadores, corretores e comerciantes de todos os continentes. Este evento representa uma oportunidade única para debater assuntos cruciais que incluem:
Para maiores informações acesse o site www.datagro.com.br ou envie um email para conferencia at datagro.com.br - Telefone (0XX11) 4195-7774. There is hope for change in US attitude - Speedy contacts: DATAGRO Ltd. ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 21st, 2008 Fidel Castro’s step down after 49 years as Cuba’s leader may have implications for biofuels in the country. Castro was outspokenly critical of U.S. biofuel policy, and blocked a proposed expansion by agriculture giant Archer-Daniels- Midland into Cuba in the 1990s. But Fidel’s brother Raul, who will assume leadership of Cuba, is a biofuels supporter. Industry analysts have projected that Cuba has the potential to produce up to 3.2 billion gallons of sugar-cane ethanol per year, and the country recently began overhauling its 17 ethanol refineries. Some see a Brazil — with less internal demand for biofuels, and thus more export capacity — in the making. sources: see also, in Grist: Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 21st, 2008 Anya Landau French Editorial TOM TOLES
Toles v. Toles: A Full Cartoon and a Sketch Past Toles Cartoons and Sketches Robert Kagan From The Washington Post of February 20, 2008 Permalink | |
