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GOOD NEWS	
Humanist Electronic Press Agency
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Publishes only news on the social, 
scientific, cultural progress of the human being.

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N.27 - October 1999
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(translation of spanish issue n. 38)

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SUMMARY
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Belgium: Cold Vaccine for Life
Israel: Ecological Filters in Fields
Argentina: Great Nutritional Properties Found in Weeds
Spain: Vindicate Happiness
Dakar-Cartagena: Cultural Exchange
Kosovo: The Role of Culture in the Kosovo Conflict
Colombia: New Hands for Peace
Mexico: Mexican Female Police Force Serves as Weapon Against Corruption
Switzerland: Humanitarian Initiative

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NEWS
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Cold Vaccine for Life
Diario El Mundo, September 30, 1999
Belgium

	A team from Belgium's Gante University has discovered a vaccine that can 
protect for life against the cold virus. 
	The cold virus is characterized by being mutant; therefore, currently, 
vaccines on the market have to be modified each year in order to adapt them 
to the new virus mutations.
	Currently, it has only been tried on mice; however, from now on, efforts 
will concentrate on applying it to humans.

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Ecological Filters in Fields
Agencies, September 29, 1999
Israel

	An innovative system is currently being employed in the fields in Israel.
These are filters that do not contaminate the environment and which 
confuse the natural lines of communication between plants and insects by 
manipulating the optic faculties of the latter.
	According to Daniel Askenazy, author of the report on the subject, for 
over ten years, Israeli farmers have employed special polyethylene covers in 
rose nurseries with the purpose of blocking ultraviolet rays (UV) and 
preventing the petals from wilting due to the strong sunlight. This way, by 
accident, the botanical virologists discovered that the covers could provide 
an efficient method with which to combat plagues such as the white moth, 
aphids and the larvae varieties that carry botanical viruses.
	The key to this technique is the manner in which the insects' eyes 
function. His eyes are made up of photoreceptors, which receive stimuli from 
various wave longitudes, not only from visible light, but also from ultraviolet light 
that humans cannot see. The insects are being attacked from their weakest 
point: the lack of ultraviolet light.

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Great Nutritional Properties Found in Weeds
EFE, September 29, 1999
Argentina

	Weeds contain an unsuspected nutritional wealth. Based on their 
discoveries, a group of Argentine biologists have labeled weeds as "good" 
plants, in contrast to their evil reputation.
	The team from the Ecotono laboratory, which depends on the National Board 
of Scientific and Technical Investigations (CONICET) and is located in 
Bariloche, Argentina, has been studying weeds for 10 years and is still 
amazed both by the virtues discovered and by the disdain with which weeds are 
treated.
	According to the director of the laboratory, Eduardo Rapoport, 72, from the 
three hundred varieties of weeds found in the Patagonian northeast by the 
Ecotono biologists, 90 are edible. "They are very good", commented Rapoport, 
who, along with the rest of the team has tried all the varieties in salads or 
cooked. In the beginning they were apprehensive and even "fearful" but now 
have even put together a group of recipes.
	Many of the weeds and troublesome vegetables, such as the wild thistle, which 
the Ecotono laboratory found edible were considered edible centuries ago, and 
some are even considered delicacies in countries such as Spain.
	Aside from having, in many cases, more nutritional value than lettuce, such 
weeds as thistle, yarrow, borage, red clover and other weeds offer the 
advantage of not needing to be cultivated. That is the reason for the old 
refrain that says, "You can't get rid of bad weed".

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Vindicate Happiness
Diario El Mundo, September 30, 1999
Spain

	The "porter", a Spanish postwar movie with a regional flavor, vindicates 
happiness as an attitude toward life. "If it were up to me", explains its 
director, Suarez,  "to send a message, it would be that no matter what the 
circumstances one is in, even the most painful, one should opt for life 
because life goes on and because, if happiness is possible, then it is a duty.

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Dakar-Cartagena: Cultural Exchange
La 2, Television Channel
September 30, 1999

	Artists from various fields are speaking out about emphasizing the 
positive side of a continent such as Africa, which, although it is 
experiencing internal conflicts, has an enormous positive side to it, as well 
as many cultural contributions to make.
	Cartagena, in Spain, serves as the base for African artists to exhibit 
their culture and folklore.

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The Role of Culture in the Kosovo Conflict
Diario el Mundo, October 1, 1999
Kosovo

	According to the newspaper originating this report, Sabit Gashi has 
joined Kosovo's Provisional Government with "the responsibility to rebuild 
our cultural identity". After such a bloody war, this man faces a huge 
responsibility. Although he is aware of all the difficulties before him, he 
emphasizes the positive aspect of the matter and summarizes his intentions 
and possibilities with the following words:
	"The problem the communities face is political. It is not easy to sit at 
a table with a member of the former regime knowing full well that he has 
taken all basic rights away from you. However, cultural personalities, 
artists and men of letters can establish common meetings that can give way to 
a common coexistence."

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New Hands for Peace
El Espectador, Colombia

	Under the leadership of the ONG Free Youth Corporation, a total of 45 
youths from Bucaramanga graduated yesterday in a single act as "Youthful 
Mediators for Peace". The enthusiastic youths will promote conflict 
resolution through mediation and conciliation in the Santander capital.

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Mexican Female Police Force Serves as Weapon Against Corruption
CNN, August 1999
Mexico

	Police chiefs in Mexico's capital have long felt the need to eradicate 
the old corruption in the charging of traffic fines. Beginning this week, 60 
policewomen, who are part of the so-called Swan Group, will be the only ones 
allowed to issue fines to the three million drivers in Mexico City.

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Humanitarian Initiative
Agencies, August 1999
Switzerland

    Thirty-two non-governmental, Swiss organizations have called on the 
country's government and political forces to promptly finalize an original 
initiative for Solidarity. The purpose is to sell 500 tons of the gold 
reserves in the National Bank to finance the creation of the "Swiss 
Solidarity Foundation".

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