A senator and three members of parliament were arrested on January 29, 2015 by Criminal Investigation officials in Nairobi after being required to write detailed accounts regarding a peaceful demonstration that turned ugly when police opened fire, killing at least one person and injuring scores of others in Narok County.
By Glenn Smith
In Taiwan, 'Oppose Meiliwan' has been the battle cry of a wide-ranging coalition of eco-activists, Indigenous rights groups and everyday citizens for more than a decade. Meiliwan, which means 'beautiful bay', comes from the Chinese name for the Miramar Resort Village, a five-star beachside property development at the tiny seaside hamlet of Shanyuan (杉原) ten miles north of Taitung City.
By Stephanie Hon
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reviewed Colombia on January 21, 2015. The Colombian Development Plan for the next four years were structured around the key pillars of peace, equity, and education, and Colombia has increased its investment in children from $1.3 billion in 2011 to $2 billion in 2014. Despite these improvements, Colombia is still challenged with addressing inequalities among regions and groups, particularly in regards to Indigenous Peoples.
The state of Peru is in the process of launching the bidding process for the largest oil concession in the country, Lot 192, which expires this year, while affected Indigenous communities are still waiting for their demands to clean up contaminated areas from the previous 44 years of exploitation.
On January, 5 2015, Guatemala's former president and general, Efrain Rios Montt, appeared before a tribunal where he faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during his dictatorship in 1982-83. In May 2013 Montt was convicted for the massacre of thousands of Indigenous people during his regime.
Impelled to promote a higher ethical standard for the university seven student leaders at Harvard have filed a lawsuit against the university for shirking its responsibilities to its students, to the public, and to future generations.
Taseko Mines, the Canadian mining company who has made two failed attempts to launch a gold and copper mine in Tsilhqot’in First Nation Territory in British Colombia, has been granted an extension of an environmental assessment certificate to build an open-pit mine capable of producing 70,000 tons of ore per day over 20 years.
By Deborah Spears Moorehead
The work of a carpenter can be a treasure, valued for generations to come. This was the case for my grandfather William Elmer Smith in regards to a wooden chest that he built. My grandfather’s wooden chest was made to store family and business documentation. The design of his wooden chest was not very ornate, however, the contents of the chest has proven to be a treasure beyond any of my expectations.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
