| People
of 2005 As we move ahead into 2006, OneWorld's editors take a look back at the people who made a difference in our world in 2005. Discover their stories, and tell us who you think we should all be talking about.
Female Candidate Lays Out New Vision for a New Liberia  Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state, is a Harvard-trained
former UNDP finance minister and has much credibility with the international
community.From: allAfrica.com Image: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf © allAfrica.com After she won: New President Wants Liberians to See 'Hope in the Future' Chile Poised to Elect First Female President Michelle Bachelet, a medical doctor and divorced mother who was imprisioned and tortured after the 1973 Pinochet military coup, is challenging male-dominance in the political arena, explains openDemocracy. And across Latin America, she's not alone. From: openDemocracy The vote: Bachelet Wins First Round by Wide Margin African Nobel Winner: Protecting Environment Brings Peace, Development  Wangari Maathai--founder of the famous Greenbelt
Movement and the only African woman every to win the Nobel Prize--lay
her wisdom upon the U.S. NGO community in May. "Unless we manage resources
more equitably, we won’t have peace. To do that there has to be democratic
space," she told a Washington, D.C. gathering.From: OneWorld US Image: Wangari Maathai, Photo by Martin Rowe © Women's Edge Coalition Local Initiatives to Address Climate Change Despite lack of leadership at a national level, U.S. state and local governments, businesses, NGOs, and individual citizens are taking the initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards alternative “clean energy” options. From: OneWorld Perspectives Magazine Others in the vanguard:  A Mall
as Big as a City, Using Only Clean Energy U.S. States
Launch Greenhouse Gas Initiative GE Set
to Lead Corporate Green Revolution Book Publisher
Random House Goes Forest Friendly What You
Can Do to Combat Climate ChangeLow-Cost Laptop Could Revolutionize Global Education  The inventors of a
$100 wind-up laptop presented their innovation
at the World Summit on the Information Society in November. Governments,
the U.N., and private companies have expressed interest in making sure
the low-cost computers become available across the globe to all students--even
in the poorest and most remote places.From: Christian Science Monitor Image: Designed for rough treatment and harsh conditions, these laptops would work anywhere in the world. © Christian Science Monitor
Colombian 'Peace Communities' Opt Out of War, But Can They?  In order to return home and protect themselves from attacks,
Colombians are trying to establish neutral "peace settlements," vowing
not to interact with any of the myriad armed groups in the country. Their
commitment to peaceful living has cost them both economic and physical
security, say refugee advocates, calling on the Colombian government and
United Nations to bolster the support network for these courageous communities.From: Refugees International Image: Colombia's Peace Community © Refugees International More on those trying to bring peace to Colombia: Community
Leader's Death Highlights Danger of Resisting Violence in Colombia Americans
Touched by Colombian Delegation's Message of Peace Drumming
Support for Colombia's Forgotten Millions The Hush
of the Humanitarian Crisis in ColombiaJapanese Anti-Nuke Group Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize  "We must try to look with the eyes of the [survivors],"
writes AFSC general secretary Mary Ellen McNish in the nomination letter.
"Only with that vision might we overcome our denial of the atrocity of
nuclear weapons and demand that governments eliminate rather than develop
and spread them."From: American Friends Service Committee Image: This black stone monolith marks the hypocenter of the atomic bomb that destroyed Nagasaki. At 11:02 a.m., August 9, 1945 'Fat Man' exploded 500 meters above this spot. © Nuclear Age Peace Foundation The movement to end the nuclear threat: Young
Activists Aim to Make Nuclear Policy a Priority [.pdf] From Hiroshima
to Humanity My Future,
by 16-Year-Old Emma Thompsell A More
Secure Nuclear World - Tips from Top U.N. Expert Jimmy
Carter: The World Must Do More to End Nuclear Threat, and the U.S. Must
Lead Indigenous
Islanders Used as Nuclear Guinea Pigs Cry 'No More!' Religious
Communities Called On to Condemn Nuclear Weapons Disinventing
Nuclear Weapons OneWorld
Perspectives Magazine Tackles the Nuclear Weapons DebateIndigenous Movements Prove There Is Another Way  The Nasa people in Colombia demonstrate that a different
path is possible: non-violence in a country enduring civil war, alternative
institutions where the government is mistrusted, and resistence to the
international paradigm of free trade.From: The Nation Magazine Image: Another America Is Possible © Oxfam International Indigenous Groups Lighting Another Path: World
Social Forum: Indigenous Groups to Show World What Is Possible Latin
America's First Indigenous President Elected Indigenous
Filmmakers Give Glimpse into Their World Do People
Who Live in the Rainforest Have the Right to Save It? Community
Leader Takes 'Local' Issue to World Bank Pres. The Resurrection of
the Bushmen Arrests,
then Bushmen win ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ Malaysian
Court Recognises Indigenous Land Ownership U.S.:
Racist Images Canned from College Games A Peace-Building
Initiative Based on Indigenous Values Nepal:
Indigenous Groups Demand Political Equity U.N. Forum
Gives Voice to Indigenous Rights
Tsunami Effort Best-Ever Disaster Response, Says U.N. One year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, most of the close to 2 million people who lost their homes are still living in temporary shelters. While this may be cause for consternation among the millions of ordinary people who contributed to the aid effort, the United Nations says the immediate global response to the tsunami was unprecedented, while acknowledging that the pace of reconstruction has been disappointing. From: Infochange India Some of the many responders: Private,
Foreign Donations for Tsunami Relief Far Eclipse Bush Pledge
Aid Group
Calls For Halt to Tsunami Donations Oxfam
Distributes Boats to Sri Lankan Fishermen Thousands
Gather on Beaches to Mourn Tsunami AnniversaryVast Outpouring of Donations for U.S. Hurricane Victims  Response in the U.S. to Hurricane Katrina may reach a billion
dollars, says a U.S charity, which is the highest amount of donations
ever seen for a natural disaster. Katrina is pegged as one of the deadliest
natural disasters in U.S. history, with over 500,000 people displaced,
and deaths topping the hundreds just days after the storm hit the Gulf
Coast. From: Christian Science Monitor Image: A Mississippi home reduced to rubble by Hurricane Katrina. © Gene Dailey / Christian Science Monitor Aid comes in many forms: Katrina
Victims Get Aid from Nepal Women's Group Comforting
Kids Displaced by Katrina Cuba Offered
Aid, Doctors, But U.S. Refused Wireless
Comes to Rescue Katrina VictimsSouth Asian Quake Donations Pour In, But Much More Needed  Donations have poured in for the victims of October's South
Asian earthquake, but nowhere near the sums that were given to last year's
tsunami victims. A top World Health Organization official has warned that
the vast infrastructure damage and remoteness of so many earthquake-affected
people make this disaster worse than last year's tsunami. From: United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network Image: Pakistani Mother and Child Wait for Medical Help © Greg Bearup / Internews Network, Inc. Others pitching in: On Christmas
Eve, Inter-Faith Airlift to Pakistan Int'l
Mountaineers Bring Relief to High-Altitude Quake Survivors After
Kashmir Quake, Social Entrepreneurs Create Lasting Change Free Flight
for 'Race Against Time' Quake Aid Pakistanis
Raise Funds and Spotlight Quake Devastation in U.S. Easy-Build
Shelter Developed for Earthquake Crisis Pakistan
Quake U.N.'s 'Worst Logistical Nightmare Ever'
Mondays are Milky for Buenos Aires School Kids  They show up for school with their homework in their
bags and...a carton of milk! Milky Mondays is a project conceived and
carried out by children at a Buenos Aires school who are doing their little
bit by providing milk for children at nearby schools who have less than
they do.From: Millennium Campaign Image: © Millennium Campaign Others doing their bit to improve their communities: HIV-Infected
Run Marathon for Life, Dignity and Access to Treatment Kenyan
Woman Combats Community’s AIDS Fears U.S. Kids
Taking Back 9-11Maine to Georgia: U.S. Couple Hikes To Help End World Hunger  Erica Zelfand grew up in Massachusetts and always
wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail--a 2,000 mile footpath through one
of North America’s major mountain ranges. Together with Timothy Crespi,
Zelfand decided to conquer her dream and make the trip more than just
symbolic by hiking to raise awareness and funds for effective anti-hunger
programs. From: Action Against Hunger-USA Image: Zelfand and Crispi on the trail © Action Against Hunger-USA U.S. citizens, global citizens: U.S. Knitters
Spreading Worldwide Warmth U.S. Students
Lobby for Their Peers Around the World Cross-Country
Bikers Teach and Learn Along the Way Five U.S.
Students Honored for Fighting Global Poverty Young
Leaders Putting Poverty, Environment on U.S. Agenda U.S. Students
Build Global Bridges, Help NGOs over Summer Break A Fair
Trade Journey to Thailand and BackInt'l Doctors Team Up to Treat Fistula in Nigeria Obstetric fistula, a treatable and preventable childbirth injury that often leads to the ostacization of women by their husbands and communities, may affect as many as 800,000 Nigerians. A group of U.K. and U.S. doctors has teamed up with local surgeons to treat unprecedented numbers of sufferers over two weeks. From: Communications Consortium Media Center Going the extra mile: Cycling
the World's Longest Road for HIV/AIDS New York
Marathon Winner Promotes U.N. Food Aid Programs Project
Thin Ice: Explorers Cross North Pole to Fight Global Warming A Long
Walk for Rights, Truth, and Justice MADRE
Celebrates Young Women Inspiring Change
Coca-Cola Faces Mounting Pressure over Abusive Practices Worldwide  At the close of 2005, the multinational soft drink giant
Coca-Cola is facing the wrath of rights advocacy groups in the United
States and abroad for refusing to take responsibility for abusive practices
at its bottling plants.From: OneWorld US Image: Protesters Outside Coca-Cola's Annual Shareholders Meeting in Wilmington, Delaware © Amit Srivastava / India Resource Center Some of the anti-Coke events in 2005: January:
With Mouths Shut and Hands Tied, Indians Protest Coke Plant March:
Speakers in U.S. to Highlight Coke's Alleged Crimes in India, Colombia August:
Indian State Halts Coca-Cola Production November:
Major Protest Planned Against Coke in India December:
New York University Joins Anti-Coke Campaign At Events Across U.S., Thousands Take Issue with Wal-Mart  Some 400 non-governmental groups rallied in November to
oppose practices by the world's most profitable corporation, Wal-Mart,
which may be feeling the effects of a mounting opposition.From: OneWorld US Image: Wal-Mart felt the heat from activists in 2005 © In These Times Many corporations faced protests over their global practices: Supermodel
Dumps De Beers over Bushmen Evictions Tire Giant
Firestone Hit with Lawsuit over Slave-Like Conditions at Rubber Plantation Battle
of the Bog: Irish Villagers Stand Up to Shell Shell
Ordered to Stop Wasteful, Poisonous 'Gas Flaring' in Nigeria People
Power: Parched Bolivians Kick out Water Barons Indigenous
Russians Unite to Take on Oil Companies Indigenous
Guatemalans Successfully Protest Privatization Taco Bell
Heeds Call to Stand Up for Workers' Rights Workers Take Their Case
on the Road in 'Taco Bell Truth Tour' Argentina: Worker-Managed
Factories Under AttackWitness to War Crimes: Racism Fuels Hatred, Reports U.S. Soldier  "I want to let the American people know what they’re signing
on for when they say they support the war," says U.S. Army reservist Aiden
Delgado, who spent a year in Iraq fixing humvees and working at Abu Ghraib
prison. He makes new revelations about war crimes and graphically depicts
atrocities undertaken by U.S. soldiers who have been instilled with an
unwavering and unquestioned hatred for Muslims, whom they call "ragheads"
or "hajjis."From: In Motion Magazine Image: Aidan Delgado © In These Times Many U.S. soldiers stood up for their values: Iraq Veteran
Spreads Truth at High School Recruiting Day Pablo
Paredes: 'Higher Duty' Forced Him to Oppose an Illegal War Female
GI Faces Deployment Despite Objecting to War U.S. Soldiers
Caught Between War Crimes and War ResistanceMeet the People Behind the Signs  Ever wonder what it's like inside a massive peace protest?
Tom Engelhardt and Tam Turse bring you the words and images of some of
the tens of thousands who demonstrated for peace outside the White House
in September, including the New Orleans evacuee; the mothers, fathers,
daughters, and sons; the "Republican for Impeachment"; and many, many
more.From: Antiwar.com Image: ''It's the outrage of mothers--and fathers too--to see children sacrificed for these lies. We have to start getting angry and that's why I'm here,'' said Robbie from New York. © Tam Turse / Antiwar.com Others who fought for peace: From London
to Washington, Los Angeles, and Beyond, Protestors Call for End of War Grannies
Rage Against the War Machine Kitchen
Table Group Wins Battle Against U.S. Army Women
Peace Activists Discuss Building A Just Society At Iraqi
Border, U.S. Military Families, 9/11 Relatives Call for End to War 300 Events
to Call for Bush's Impeachment over 'Downing Street' Allegations No Place
for a Poet at White House Banquet of ShameStanding Up for 'Real News'  "Real news is the news you and I need to keep our freedoms,"
correspondent and historian Richard Reeves once told a student. Public
broadcasting's number one news anchor, Bill Moyers, stands up to those
who, with metallic flags on their lapels, are attempting to muzzle the
few in American society who are reporting the news rather than the spin.From: In These Times Image: "I'm in hot water because my colleagues and I at 'NOW' didn't play by the conventional rules of Beltway journalism," said Moyers. © In These Times Offering Alternative Perspectives: CNN, BBC
Get Competition in Latin America Prestigous
Award for U.S. Channel Broadcasting Other Side of Middle EastSome of America's Richest Say 'No, Thanks' to Bush Tax Cuts  Some of America's wealthiest individuals have declined
billions of dollars in tax cuts bestowed upon them by President George
W. Bush's administration and have urged others among the country's richest
and most famous to donate their federal tax cuts to campaigns against
the Bush package, often described as ''tax breaks for the rich.''From: OneWorld US U.S. Students Secure Wage Hike for U. Employees, End Hunger Strike  University officials have agreed to almost all of the demands
by 22 Georgetown students staging a hunger strike since early last week
calling for "living wages" for those who work at the university. The strikers
have gained the support of major labor and religious organizations during
the course of their campaign.From: Independent Media Center Image: Georgetown hunger striker demanding living wages for university employees. © Indep. Media Center Background: U.S. Students Hunger Strike Demanding Living Wages for U. Employees
War Takes Activist Working to Protect Innocent Iraqis On April 16, 28-year-old Marla Ruzicka of California was killed when a car bomb exploded on the streets of Baghdad. Marla, a long-time activist, had worked with refugees in Palestine, campesinos in Nicaragua, and AIDS victims in Zimbabwe. She was in Baghdad working for the humanitarian organization she founded, the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC), which documents cases of innocent civilians hurt by war. From: Global Exchange Prominent Congolese Human Rights Activist Murdered  Pascal Kabungulu Kibembi, who uncompromisingly reported
abuses by Congolese political and military authorities, was murdered in
his home last Sunday. Threats against human rights campaigners in eastern
Congo have been on the rise, and some activists have had to flee the country
fearing for their lives, say NGOs.From: Christian Aid Image: © Christian Aid Colombian Peace Activist Murdered  An activist who asserted the right of Colombian citizens
to live free from conflict was found dead last week, despite national
and international attention following his disappearance at the hands of
Colombian paramilitary troops on October 15.From: Lutheran World Relief Image: Orlando Valencia was a comunity leader and peace activist. © Lutheran World Relief Somali Peace Activist Murdered Abdulkadir Yahya Ali, a prominent and highly respected Somali peace activist working to rebuild his country, was assassinated at his home on Monday by unknown gunmen. While the reasons behind his murder are also unknown, political analysts say the crime underscores the growth of lawlessness in Somalia, which has been shattered by fighting and hunger for 14 years. From: Radio Netherlands Wereldomroep U.N. Reaction: Murder of Somali Activist Undermines Peace Iran Executes Gay Teens  While exact details of the case remain somewhat unclear,
it appears that Mahmoud Asgari, 16, and Ayaz Marhoni, 18, were hanged
in Iran earlier this month for being gay. Rights groups have vowed to
pursue the case to the highest international levels.From: United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network Image: Asgari and Marhoni were executed July 17 for the ''crime'' of being gay. © Iranian Student's News Agency / United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network Gang Leader Turned Peace Activist Executed in California  The Transnational Foundation takes a look back at the life
and work of Tookie Williams; from gang member and death row convict to
peace activist, author, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Williams became
an inspiring practitioner of nonviolence and a symbol of personal reform.
He was executed by the State of California on December 13.From: Transnational Foundation Image: Tookie Williams, who was 19 when he co-founded the Crips, maintains he did not commit the murders for which he was sentenced to death. © Transnational Foundation More on Williams and the Death Penalty: Amnesty
International on Williams' Case and Commutation of U.S. Death Sentences Too Little
Too Late?: Character Reform on Death Row Human Rights Education Associates:
Right to Life Study Guide Take Action: Amnesty Campaign
to Abolish the Death PenaltyJohn Garang: His Legacy, Sudan's Future  The man who started one of the longest and most deadly conflicts
since WWII was also a unifier and a staunch proponent of equal rights
for all. His death leaves a massive hole in Sudan's fragile political
fabric, says NGO expert Abdelbagi Jibril, explaining that the country's
chances for peace all depend on what happens next.From: Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice Image: Dr. John Garang: what will his legacy be? © United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network Effects beyond Sudan: Garang's Death a Blow for Uganda's Peace Hopes? The Man Who Made Human Rights a Cause for Everyone Peter Benenson did not invent the cause of human rights. What he did in a stroke of genius was to popularize it and give it a political impact it had never possessed before, says political commentator Jonathan Power. The idea of Amnesty International was the simplest of all ideas. From: Transnational Foundation Fred Korematsu, Who Fought Japanese Internment During WWII  When 120,000 U.S. residents of Japanese ancestry were put
in camps during World War II, Fred Korematsu refused to go. Forty years
later U.S. courts agreed that the internment of Japanese-Americans was
not a matter of military necessity, but was based on "race prejudice,
war hysteria and a failure of political leadership." In 2004, Korematsu
spoke out against detaining foreign nationals without legal process at
Guantanamo Bay, calling it "all too familiar." He died last week, at age
86. From: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights/Leadership Conference Education Fund Image: Fred Korematsu was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 © Leadership Conference on Civil Rights/Leadership Conference Education Fund Background: More on Korematsu's Struggle and the Civil Rights Movement Rosa Parks Dies The "mother of the civil rights movement" passed away in her Detroit home in October at the age of 92. From: Feminist Majority Foundation Never Again: Women of Srebrenica Raise Awareness in U.S.  Two leading weavers from Srebrenica traveled to the U.S.
to mark the 10th anniversary of the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica,
when over 7,000 Muslim boys and men were killed in ethnic cleansing by
the Bosnian Serb army. As survivors of the atrocity, the two women shared
their experiences and showed the carpets, gloves, and other products they
weave as a way to rebuild their broken lives.From: Advocacy Project Image: Weavers of Bosfam |
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