Preventing Project Prevention

After years of working in the United States, an organization that pays female drug users $300 to agree to be sterilized has begun branching out to other parts of the world. Following a lukewarm reception in Britain, Project Prevention has now turned its attention to Kenya, where it plans to start paying women living with HIV to accept long-term contraception.
Project Prevention is headed by Barbara Harris, who started the organization in 1997. It was initially named CRACK (Children Requiring a Caring Kommunity). While her PR has become more sophisticated in recent years, Barbara Harris has famously been quoted as saying, “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.”
In Britain, human rights groups have been working actively to oppose Project Prevention. Initially it hoped to offer drug users money to be sterilized there too, but faced with the British Medical Association’s stringent ethical requirements, it decided to settle for offering payment for long-term contraception instead.
Now Barbara Harris has her sights on Africa, with her first stop in Kenya. There, she claims she has found a doctor who will insert intrauterine devices (IUD) into HIV-positive women for a fee of $7 a time. Not only will Project Prevention cover the cost, Harris also plans to offer women agreeing to this procedure a one-time cash payment of $40.
In a press release, the organization says that in addition to working to “cure” infants of AIDS, there is an urgent need to “prevent future pregnancies that may result in infants born HIV positive who would suffer daily and most will die before age 5.”
Of course, we can all agree that “All this human suffering is preventable.” That is precisely why treatment activists have been pushing for more widespread adoption of measures to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). The best PMTCT regimes currently recommended (which include putting the mother on full antiretroviral treatment) have been shown to make the risk of mother-to-child transmission virtually nonexistent (the WHO guidance on PMTCT suggests a risk of less than 2 percent; other estimates put the risk at less than 1 percent). If Barbara Harris were really concerned about ending suffering, she would be working night and day to ensure all HIV-positive women have access to and benefit from evidence-based HIV treatment and PMTCT services.
But Project Prevention seems to have no knowledge of antiretroviral medications (ARVs) or PMTCT, since they claim that getting HIV-positive women on long term birth control is “the only way” to ensure there are fewer babies born with HIV.
The move to Kenya certainly does not seem like an accident. From its inception, Project Prevention has targeted black women and poor women (read this expose from the Committee on Women, Population, & the Environment). And long-time opponents of Barbara Harris and Project Prevention point out that while she and her organization claim to be concerned about scores of unborn babies, they seem to show no similar compassion towards their mothers.
For example, she makes no mention of any need to offer ARVs or other medical treatment to women living with HIV. Nor is there any indication of medical follow-up for the women accepting the IUDs, or financial assistance should they subsequently want them removed. Furthermore, the ethics of offering financial incentives to influence what should be carefully considered medical choices, are highly questionable. The $40 being offered to Kenyan women represents a large sum in a country with an average per capita GDP of $315.
Right now a group of HIV-positive Namibian women are in court demanding redress and an apology from their government, after they were sterilized against their will and in some cases, without their knowledge—simply because of their HIV status (read the trial blog at endforcedsterilisation.wordpress.com).
On the surface, offering HIV-positive women money to accept long-term contraception may not seem quite as bad as coercive or forced sterilization. But both practices stem from the same root–the belief that certain women, including those with HIV, have no right to have children. This is a pernicious belief that is founded on nothing but ignorance and prejudice. Instead of working to restrict women’s reproductive choices, surely we should be fighting to ensure that all women have access to the medicines and health care they need for themselves and their families.
((Source:Open Society)

Egypt without Mubarak, or Mubarak without Mubarak ?

There is a mixture of change and stasis in the transition to democracy in Egypt today. The dangers of stalling are real, and the EU has an important role to play


President Mubarak has left office for his Sharm al-Shaykh villa, allegedly sick and depressed. His and his family’s personal fortune is under scrutiny while a travel ban temporarily prevents all Mubaraks from leaving the country. Other representatives of the ancien regime are already under investigation for corruption, abuse of power, and the unlawful use of violence against ordinary citizens during the recent demonstrations that led to Mubarak’s departure. Among them are the former ministers of housing, the interior, industry and commerce.

The rigged parliament ‘elected’ last autumn has been dissolved while some independents like the renowned lawyer Yahia al-Gamal and some members of opposition parties have entered the government. A specialist committee composed of politically diverse lawyers appointed by the Supreme Military Council has made recommendations to amend the constitution until a new one will be drafted and voted by a more representative assembly, possibly in no more than six months.

As published the recommendations sound reasonable and meet key demands by the protestors on Tahrir Square and other opposition groups. Thus the term of office of the president would be reduced from six to four years, renewable only once. His powers to declare a state of emergency would be curbed; they would be premised on parliamentary approval, even on a popular referendum if renewed. Nor would the fight against terrorism henceforth allow government to suspend basic rights. The president would also have to appoint a vice-president, something Mubarak only agreed to a few days before his downfall.

The new military leaders also seem to consult more frequently with opposition figures than they did in the early days after assuming power; in the last couple of days they seemed to listen carefully not only to Muhammad al-Baradai but also to the delegates of the young protestors who over weeks filled Tahrir Square.

Stasis
However, at the same time, these former regime representatives are being investigated by a chief prosecutor who was appointed by former president Mubarak and until recently was the chief legal servant of the regime, prosecuting dissidents while protecting acolytes and clients.

The proposed constitutional amendments may exclude Egyptians of dual nationality or married to foreigners from running for president thus disqualifying some contenders. Al-Baradai denies he has taken out citizenship of any other country but has already been accused of doing so, simply because he lived many years abroad.

The government is still headed by Ahmad Shafik, appointed by the outgoing Mubarak and a close friend and collaborator of the former president. It still includes stalwarts of the old regime like the minister of justice Marai. The regime party, the National Democratic Party, has had headquarters on the Nile corniche burnt down but continues to be a formidable if fragmented interest group for those who benefited from the ancien régime. There is talk that the military may want the government to stay on till parliamentary elections are held in a few months from now.
Of course, the military itself was one of the main pillars of the Mubarak regime.
Transition

After thirty years of rule by the same autocratic president and sixty years of authoritarian rule a new and more democratic political order clearly cannot emerge over night. Conscious of the herculean tasks in front of them and the country the young protestors have even demanded a transition period of one year instead of the six months frequently referred to by the officers.

Desiccated by decades of repression and cooptation political parties, for instance, have to be rebuilt from scratch to play a role other than that of ossified debating clubs for small minorities cut off from the larger population or fig leaves for a regime eager to cultivate democratic appearances. Similarly, the announced ‘restructuring’ of the security services will take considerable time and energy if one considers their endemic corruption, complacency and violence.
Still, the question is whether the transition to democracy is in good hands as long as it is largely in the hands of people who were part and parcel of the Mubarak regime. Transitions elsewhere were successful because they involved a more substantial degree of power sharing with the opposition. They never excluded representatives of the old regime, but they reduced their influence more substantially. More key ministries would have to change hands, and more checks and balances would have to be built into the various parts of the government, administration and ‘security’ services.

Compared to the remnants of the Mubarak regime the opposition is perhaps strong in numbers, but still weak in capacity and resources. Coordination mechanisms and bodies have grown out of the spontaneous demonstrations trying to represent hundreds of thousands of activists and concerned citizens. But will they match the combined soft and hard power of the ‘transitory regime’, including hundreds of thousands of trained and equipped troops acting under relatively coherent command?

Continued mobilization in forms acceptable to the majority of Egyptians is necessary to level the playing field to an extent at least. How to achieve this is another question. Moreover, a new constitution, however perfect on paper, will only guarantee liberties and participation if constitutional and legal checks and balances are backed up by strong political competition. Hardly any political force other than the leftovers of the NDP and the Muslim Brothers could at present structure a semblance of such a competition. Even they run the risk of disintegrating into smaller groupings.

If Europe and the United States seriously seek to promote stability in the Southern Mediterranean and other Arab countries they should seize the opportunity of popular upheavals produced by and large by people who just want to be considered as equal human beings and historical actors. Put differently, by people who except for their material conditions and related interests to share far more with the global North than Northerners fearful of the South ever imagined. Europe and America should therefore push for even handed power sharing arrangements in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere that – democratically - take into account numbers, not only the current organizational strength of the different forces. Funds available under the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy could finally be put to good use as encouragement to complete the transition to democracy and later to build economies that unlike current neoliberal recipes have served the interests of the many, not only the few.

(source;OpenDemocracy)

Press release from FGNCS Bangladesh

Libya Crisis: Evacuate Bangladeshis faster: BNP

Libya Crisis: Evacuate Bangladeshis faster: BNP


Dhaka: Accusing the government of its failure to bring back the Bangladeshis stranded in Libya, BNP has demanded quicker steps for their evacuation.

Senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the demand at a human-chain programme in front of the foreign ministry in the city on Thursday.

"I don't think that the government steps taken in this regard are enough," he said.

National Youth Forum and International Migration Foundation organised the programme to push for their demand that the Bangladeshis who are stranded in Libya due to anti-government protests be brought back home faster.

The BNP leader expressed his party's solidarity with the two organisations and urged the government to take quicker and more effective steps in this regard.

The popular uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, who has been at the helm of Libya for over four-decades, has turned into an international crisis. The people of the North African country have been agitating since Feb 16, demanding resignation of Gaddafi.

Over 50,000 Bangladeshi expatriates live in Libya, including 3,000 in the raging Benghazi city alone.

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In 48 hours, nearly half the British mass media could be bought by one of the world's worst media moguls. /9 Grameen Bank directors challenge Yunus re

In 48 hours, nearly half the British mass media could be bought by one of the world's worst media moguls.

Rupert Murdoch has exploited his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, spread resentment of muslims and immigrants, and block global action on climate change.

Getting a lock on British media will massively boost Murdoch's power, affecting virtually every issue we care about, from human rights to the environment. The UK is up in arms over the Murdoch bid, and even the government, elected with Murdoch's help, is split down the middle as it makes a decision this week. Global solidarity bolstered Egypt's pro-democracy protesters -- it can help Britain's. Let's build an urgent global outcry to stop Rupert Murdoch. Sign the petition to UK decision-makers:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdoch_3/?vl

Murdoch undermines democratic government across the world by threatening elected leaders with viciously biased media coverage unless they do his bidding. He has manipulated US, British and Australian democracy for years, but now he wants more complete control. In the US, most of the likely Republican presidential candidates are actually paid employees of Murdoch! When his Fox News Network was shunned by Barack Obama as a mere propaganda mouthpiece, it spawned the far right "tea party" and broadcast constant, often hate-filled attacks against Obama and his healthcare and peace agenda -- resulting in a huge win for Republicans in the 2010 congressional elections.

We can turn the tide on this powerful threat to democracy. Last year, Murdoch had lunch with the Canadian Prime Minister, who sent his chief aide to set up a murdoch-style political propaganda TV network in Canada. A mass outcry from Canadian Avaaz members prevented this network from being funded by taxpayer money, and just last week, another mass campaign from Avaaz prevented the Canadian government from removing the journalistic standards that would prevent this new network from spreading lies to the public. This week the battleground is the UK. The fight against Murdoch has just begun, but already we've begun to win. Click below to keep up the pressure:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdoch_3/?vl

The power of Avaaz and of this moment in our world's history, is the power of unity. Across the Arab world and beyond, people are coming together in common cause across all boundaries. Murdoch's power is the ability to divide. His networks use fear and misinformation to divide left from right, citizens from foreigners, muslim from western, immigrants from non-immigrants, etc. Murdoch knows that democracy must be divided before it can be conquered. This week, let's show him what unity looks like.

With hope,

Ricken, Alex, Emma, Sam, Milena, Alice, Iain, Morgan, Maria Paz and the whole Avaaz team Sources:

Murdoch close to deal with regulators over Sky
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a40fc482-4060-11e0-9140-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1FHWHwqJE

What's at stake with Murdoch's bid for BSkyB

(Rickel Patel-Avaaz.com

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9 Grameen Bank directors challenge Yunus removal, Is correct expression for a national Nobel prize winner!!!


Dhaka: Nine directors of Grameen Bank have filed a writ petition challenging the legality of a Bangladesh Bank decision removing its founding managing director Muhammad Yunus.

The directors on Thursday filed the petition with the bench of justices Md. Momtaz Uddin Ahmed and Govinda Chandra Thakur, counsel of the directors Mostafizur Rahman Khan told bdnews24.com.

The same bench is hearing the petition filed by the Nobel laureate against the decision.

Bangladesh Bank in an order on Wednesday removed Yunus claiming that his re-appointment as managing director of Grameen Bank was not done with prior approval from the central bank.

However, claiming that GB had been properly following recruitment rules, Grameen Bank general manager (information and media) Jannat-E-Quanine told a press conference, "According to the bank's legal experts, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is continuing in his office."

But the GB chairman later told bdnews24.com, "Recruitment of managing director is done by the board of directors. But Bangladesh Bank's approval is necessary in this regard. The directive was not followed in his last reappointment."

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Bbangladesh Primary Teachers SommitteePrivate

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Federation of the Global Society and Environment

Bangala Boi Mela :Amar Ekushay 2011

Press release from Jatiyo Party:Importnace of Jatiyo Party in MOHAZOTT' GOVT. IN BAMGLADESH