Good News n.30

Publishes only news about social, scientific and cultural achievements and progress of humanity.

What if the year 2000 were a new beginning, an opportunity to turn, all together, the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence?
Because the year 2000 must be a new beginning, an opportunity to transform - all together - the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence.
Because this transformation demands the participation of each and every one of us, and must offer young people and future generations the values that can inspire them to shape a world based on justice, solidarity, liberty, dignity, harmony and prosperity for all.
Because the culture of peace can underpin sustainable development, environmental protection and the well-being of each person.
Because the culture of peace can underpin sustainable development, environmental protection and the well-being of each person.
I pledge in my daily life, in my family, my work, my community, my country and my region, to:

* Iceland: Iceland's Hydrogen Economy.
* Black Sea: New Evidence of Great Flood Found.

* New Zeland: Formerly Banned Book Published in New Zealand.
* Guatemala: Mushroom Forest.
* Netherlands: Gay Marriage Legalized in the Netherlands.

* Switzerland: Landmines Denounced.
* Russia: Victory of Astrakhan Workers.
* Slovakia: Hundreds Gather to Protest Racial Hatred.
* Russia: Russia-USA Association to Boost Countries' Bilateral Ties.

* Hong-Kong: Blood but no bags.
* Czech Republic: The Humanists in Prague against the international monetary fund..

Iceland's Hydrogen Economy.
Iceland, September 1, 2000
Grassroots Good News
(By: Juha Uski)
Iceland aims to be the first country to cut its links to fossil fuels.
Analysts say Iceland`s strategy, if adopted worldwide, would banish global warming by the middle of the 21st century.
Leading companies in the fast-growing fuel-cell business-- car-maker Daimler-Chrysler, Shell Oil, Norwegian hydroelectric company, Norsk Hydro, and Canadian fuel-cell designers, Ballard Power Systems --have signed up with Iceland to conduct a country-wide experiment. The new power source will be hydrogen, made by splitting water molecules using the island`s abundant hydropower. The hydrogen will be liquified and fed to fuel cells that will power buses, trucks, cars, even the fishing fleet.

New Evidence of Great Flood Found.
Black Sea, September 12, 2000
AP
(By Juha Uski)
Artifacts found at the bottom of the Black Sea provide new evidence that humans faced a great flood thousands of years ago, the discoverers say. Remnants of human habitation were found below 300 feet of water about 12 miles off the coast of Turkey. Fredrik Hiebert of the University of Pennsylvania, chief archaeologist for the Black Sea project, said from the ship, "This find represents the first concrete evidence of the occupation of the Black Sea coast prior to its flooding."

Formerly Banned Book Published in New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand, August 21, 2000
Source: AP
(By:Juha Uski)
In 1896 an Italian monk wrote a volume called "History of New Zealand and Its Inhabitants". The book contained strong criticism of the British settlers, particularly their treatment of indigenous Maoris of New Zealand. Dom Felice Vaggioli, who came to New Zealand as a missionary in 1879, wrote that the Maoris were "denied justice and have been despicably robbed of their land".
The British government asked Rome to destroy all copies, and only a handful of volumes survived, hidden in monasteries and at the Vatican. The book was almost entirely forgotten until 1994 when Auckland-based academic, John Crockett, started translating it to English. The book was published in Wellington on August 21st.

Mushroom Forest.
Guatemala, September 4, 2000
By Carol Lucas Arauz (Buenas Nuevas Castellano)
mailto:pijula@yahoo.com
San Cristobal Ixchiguan, located 300 kilometers from Guatemala City, is home for the members of the mam ethnic group. These people have lived under conditions of extreme poverty on barely fertile land and have been forced to use their forests for firewood, while dealing with inclement weather at the same time. Faced with such adversity, the community formed an association to reforest and sell their only source of survival--mushrooms that bloom around trees, thereby earning their living and simultaneously teaching their children how to preserve the forest.
This activity was begun by homemakers, who later shared it with their spouses and children. Their mission is to go from tree to tree seeking edible mushrooms that grow on pine trees. Afterwards, they dehydrate them and sell them by the pound. To date, they have 6 nurseries tended by 130 organized members in charge of caring and cultivating the trees that are later planted for reforestation.

Gay Marriage Legalized in the Netherlands.
Den Haag, Netherlands, September 12, 2000
AP
(By Juha Uski)
On September 12, Netherlands lawmakers gave same-sex couples the right to marriage and all the trappings, including adoption and divorce, approving legislation that provides gays rights beyond those offered in any other country.
Lawmakers thumped their desks in approval when the vote passed 109-33 in the lower house, and some of the scores of witnesses in the packed public gallery applauded and embraced. The bill still needs approval by the upper house, considered a formality, and is expected to take effect next year.

Landmines Denounced.
Geneva, Switzerland, August 8, 2000
By: Jesus Sordo
mailto:hum@retemail.es
Buenas Nuevas (Spanish version)
The NGO International Campaign Against Landmines (ICAL) issued a report denouncing the use of these mines in 88 countries and their manufacture in 16 others. Although the Ottawa treaty has minimized their sale and use, ICAL denounced the lack of real interest in ending the use of these weapons.
Human Rights Watch joined the denunciation adding a similar report of its own.

Victory of Astrakhan Workers.
Astrakhan, Russia, September 7, 2000
ISWoR (International Solidarity with Workers in Russia)
(By: Juha Uski)
On September 7, 2000, the 5-day, round-the-clock highway blockade against a huge gas processing plant by over 200 Zaschita trade union workers and several local communities came to a victorious end to the complete victory of the workers.
The plant, in southern Russia, employs 10.000 workers and belongs to the giant Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom. Hundreds of workers and their families who live in the area surrounding the plant have over the years fallen victim to the pollution from the plant, developing cancer, lung diseases and sulphur poisoning.
After discussions with their parliamentary representative, a hundred workers blockaded the highway where trucks carrying sulphur enter the plant. Their demand was simple: the evacuation of settlements closest to the plant and 300 new homes to be built in a safe area.
The workers stopped all transport of chemicals to the plant, but allowed food and other supplies through and had the increasing support of local police. Local radio stations also advised the people of Astrakhan to support the blockade. Messages of support poured in from all over the world.
The pressure was too much for the authorities and Gazprom, who agreed to the demands. The communal tariffs were cut in half and a promise made for the construction of new homes to begin within weeks. Allocation of homes was to be under complete control of the new "community soviets" (grassroot community coordinators of the Zaschita union). There would be no charges, arrests nor wage deductions for any of the actions taken by the workers or anyone else in connection with the blockade. Lastly, if the agreement were to be broken, the new "community soviets" have the right to resume the blockade.
You can read the whole amazing story at: http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/news/astrakgazvic.html (spanish version also available, surf.)

Hundreds Gather to Protest Racial Hatred.
Zilina, Slovakia, August 30, 2000
Radio Free Europe
(By Juha Uski)
A demonstration was held on August 30 in the northern Slovak city of Zilina, where a Romany woman was recently beaten to death, to protest
racism against Roma. Some 300 people, including some Slovak parliamentary deputies, gathered in the downtown area. Police said the protest was peaceful, despite the presence of some skinheads.

Russia-USA Association to Boost Countries' Bilateral Ties.
Moscow, Russia, September 22, 2000
AFP
(By Juha Uski)
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, voicing concern at the deterioration of US-Russia political cooperation, announced on September 22 the creation of a new body aimed at boosting bilateral ties. The association would provide a forum where the hurdles preventing the development of bilateral relations could be discussed.
While US-Russian cooperation has been increasing in the cultural and scientific spheres, "the political sphere should be our first priority because improvements in all other domains depend upon it," Gorbachev said.
He also said that the next US president should reject the "old conceptions"and deal with the new global political set up.

Blood but no bags.
Hong Kong, September 4, 2000
Humanist Association of Hong Kong
mailto:tonyhen@Humanist.ORG.HK.
The Humanist Blood Donation Club of Bagerhat, a town in Khulna District, Bangladesh, did a study on the plastic bags they needed to carry out their mandate under the terms of their activity - getting blood donations for the poor.
They determined that Bangladesh as a whole needs 300,000 special plastic bags for purposes of blood donation every year. The government supplies 50,000 to the whole country.
In the town of Bagerhat where the Humanist Blood Donation Club (Reg.# Bager 228/98) started a couple of years ago, the whole town gets 600 bags. The major portion of those don't get to the public but are sold -as far as can be seen - and about 50 bags reach the poor sector over a year.
Shahed Jamil (Rana), chairman of the Humanist Association of Bagerhat (HAB), says: "The poor who cannot have access to the subsidised bags have to go to the shops and must buy bags on the open market at up to Taka 120 (Korean made) per piece (US$1.0 is Taka 50). The government subsidised bags should be available at Taka 25 - at clinics."
There are 95 members of the blood donation club and there is no charge for the blood. People join and know they are available for blood supply
in emergency. It's a living blood bank. The activity is self funded..."

The Humanists in Prague against the international monetary fund.
Prague, Czech Republic, September 22, 2000
Humanist Party of Czech Republic
mailto:danafem@volny.cz
As part of the protest against the assembly of the IMF in Prague, the Humanist Party of Czech Republic organized on September 22 2000, from 17 to 20 p.m. the Festival of Humanism.
The humanists have been denouncing for many years the unfair policy of robbery carried out by the IMF to the prejudice of the poor countries,
putting the refusal to pay the debt as one of the main proposals of the Humanist Parties. For the humanists the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are among the main culprits of the huge actual unbalances, with the concentration of wealth in the hands of few persons and the growing impoverishment of millions of human beings.
On the occasion of the Festival of Humanism in Prague, the humanists also denounce the heavy atmosphere of intimidation created by the Czech authorities: during the week of the IMF assembly the schools will be closed, the people are invited to leave the city and police controls and abuses are constantly increasing.
Delegations of the European Humanist Parties, the presidency of Humanist International, representatives of the academic world, musical and theatre groups and human rights organizations participated to the Festival of Humanism.

To recieve our issues, send you contributions or request information about how to become a free-lance of the agency write to:
hum@retemail.es (Jesus)
turquet@dada.it (Olivier)

AGENCY STAFF

Free-lances:

ITALY : Olivier Turquet, Founder of the Agency

SPAIN : Jesus Sordo

FINLAND : Juha Uski

Translations:

Clara Winternitz

Rocio del Valle

Writing and correcting:

Spreading:

MUNDO DEL NUEVO HUMANISMO

Olivier Turquet, Buone Nuove