The system earns, they die

(ES)

The media repeat like a mantra that the UN has declared famine in different regions of Somalia. They talk of drought and rising prices of staple foods such as triggers, and armed conflict as an element that hinders access to humanitarian aid. But this monotonous chant lulls us until lose our sense of reality.

According to the FAO Cereal supply and demand brief published in July 2011, this UN agency indicates that although much improved prospects for cereal production and supply availabilities have exerted considerable downward pressure on international cereal prices, in June the FAO Cereal Price Index is 39 percent above the corresponding period last year.
FAO’s latest forecast for world cereal production in 2011 stands at nearly 2 313 million tones, 3.3 percent higher than in 2010.
World cereal utilization in 2011/12 is forecast to grow by 1.4 percent from 2010/11.
World cereal trade is forecast to remain close to the previous season’s level.
If grain production increases and demand remains almost the same compared to 2010, why the prices are 39% more expensive than a year ago? Would have to ask hedge funds that speculate on the price of grain in futures markets, financial operations that inflates as a bubble the prices of staple foods for the benefit of large institutional investors.

This increase in prices in international commodity markets have a devastating effect on poor countries that must import most of their food. However, companies such as Compact AS (Norway) and Nutriset SAS (France), continue to import products such as peanuts, milk, oil and sugar to produce therapeutic foods (RUTF) that are distributed in areas of famine without escalating basic food prices seem to affect their business.

According to UNICEF, in its Supply Annual Report 2010, the trading volume of nutritional supplies was $ 117 million. Stand out, among other products, 20,700 tons of therapeutic food (RUTF) purchased during the same year. The demand for this type of food has risen from 3 tons in 2000 to 20,700 tons in 2010, an increase of about 700,000%.
In 2010, UNICEF contracted supplies with Nutriset SAS worth of $ 45.8 million and Compact AS for $ 4.4 million.

As reported Nutriset SAS on its Web site, employs 120 workers, with a turnover of 52 million euros in 2009 and a total purchase budget of 25 million euros (milk, peanuts, oil, sugar, cardboard boxes, etc.). Its production capacity of therapeutic food (RUTF) is 31,000 tons (38,120 tons with a network of producers in different emerging countries). And despite the increased demand and rising raw material prices, leading providers of therapeutic food (RUTF) have reduced prices by 11%.

The ownership of land and natural resources is in the hands of large corporations, so local communities have no assets with which to trade, and also their subsistence economies become more vulnerable to adverse weather becoming more frequent. The occupation of productive land usually requires the displacement of communities that have traditionally lived and exploited its resources. The various militias fighting for control of territory are causing the movement of people, who leave their villages in search of safety. According to the EFA (Education For All) Global Monitoring Report, annual military spending of the rich countries is 1.5 billion USD and is 9 times greater than spending on international aid. Precisely the armament industry in these countries is the one that weapon these militias.

The inhabitants of the world's poorest countries have become the hostages of a system that excludes them, that robs them of their wealth, their hopes and opportunities. The system earns, they die. Every $ donated saves lives. Every $ of donor countries creates wealth to their business conglomerates. Every $ lent to poor countries brings benefits to the big banks. A perverse system that is both the cause and solution of the problem, and is designed to benefit economically to the powerful, the big banks and big industry.

It is paradoxical to think that arable land in countries that are starving is in the hands of large multinationals that export their agricultural production to industries in Europe, which process these raw materials into therapeutic food and then sell to UN agencies and NGOs that fight against hunger on the ground.

At the market everything has a price. And those who own nothing, have to pay with the lives of their children.

Saturn devouring one of his sons

Goya y Lucientes, Francisco de
1746 -1828

An asymmetrical world

© Serene Assir/MSF

(ES)

The threat of terrorism, after the attacks of 11-S, has served the governments of East and West to cut civil rights.
The economic crisis of recent years has served the governments, mainly Western, to cut social rights.

The war conflicts of this decade have been the pretext of the supposed war on terror, and the trace of death they have left, is the wick of the terror they want to fight.
The welfare cuts to fight deficit has mainly served to prevent the bankruptcy of big national banks, at the expense of subjecting states to credit pressure whose debt to the big banks barely will be able to afford.
The food crisis, announced in advance, is merely the prelude to what will happen in coming years on a larger scale resulting from the concentration of agricultural and livestock production, in short, the land owned by oligopolies speculating with prices in the market for staples.

Is this progress? Who benefits from the fear and hatred that comes from outside its borders? Who wins when states implement drastic adjustment measures to contain the budget deficit while central banks raise interest rates to contain inflation? When wealth is no longer tied to the means of production who is the greatest beneficiary of this bubble system?

Perhaps the main failing of this system is that the progress of recent decades has not been accompanied by a genuine social progress. West and some countries of the so-called emerging markets have achieved some levels of social and economic development without precedent in history, but forgetting that their wealth is based on an asymmetrical and unjust world. And now that Western prevalence is threatened, both economically and socially, fear makes us insensitive to the increased suffering of others.

When Western countries grew in prosperity, its citizens did not take advantage of the opportunity to move equally in social, demanding their governments greater effort in development cooperation. Now that the decline is unstoppable, fear paralyzes society and slows down any progress in the realm of social and cooperation. The progress has enriched Western and emerging countries at the expense of impoverishing the rest of the planet. Recession impoverishes us all, including the poorest, at the expense of enriching only a few

This social and economic climate makes that a terrible attack on Norway impacts us more than the humanitarian emergency of millions of people due to starvation in a remote part of East Africa. Again, another sign of the asymmetry of this world.
Any violent death is a tragedy, but is not violence a child death because of hunger?
It is in our hands to stop this violence, which will end when this world ceases to be asymmetric. Only social progress will be able to convert such asymmetry into virtue of all peoples.



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700,000 million euros

(ES)

The euro has been subject to speculative attacks on financial markets. The EU has responded in support of countries with debt problems providing a supportive response to strengthen the euro. Now it's about creating a permanent tool to anticipate and resolve possible future crises. It is the European Financial Stability Mechanism.

Finance ministers of the 17 euro-area countries have signed the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). The ESM's initial maximum lending volume is set at €500bn.This amount ensures the best credit rating in the financial markets to raise funds at low interest. Its capital stock of €700bn will ensure that lending can effectively be made up to this amount and consists of €80bn in paid-in shares and €620bn in callable shares.

As the number of hungry rises, more resources will be needed to meet the need for food assistance. WFP estimates that around USD 477 million is needed to address hunger needs in the region through to the end of the year. Currently, it has a 40 percent shortfall in funding, with about USD 190 million still needed.

EUR 700,000 million = USD 990,000 million
EUR 337 million = USD 477 million

The financial stability of Europe is 2,000 times the food needs of the Horn of Africa in the next six months. Or in other words, the necessary funds to protect EU countries from speculative attacks on financial markets, and thus can be financed at low interest, would cover food needs in the Horn of Africa over 1,000 years. Clearly, this simple calculation does not take into account the increase of the displaced population, the duration of the drought, armed conflict or the increase of food prices in the coming years.

The global economic crisis impoverishes us all, including the poorest. And we are now experiencing the consequences: in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya 10 million people, of whom 2 million are children under 5 die of hunger. Drought is not what kills, not the long marches through the desert for weeks with little food and water up to the crowded refugee camps. It is not lack of resources of humanitarian organizations, or inability to act in conflict zones.

They are killed by indifference, forgetfulness, good intentions and minimum actions. Because in the face, repeated over and over again, of the child dying, just skin and bones, we see only the face of one more child of the thousands who die in Africa every day. And it is not one more girl among others, she is Habibo. She is one year old and suffers severe malnutrition and is on the verge of death. His mother's name is Marwa Maalin and pray God to heal her little daughter.

The denunciation of injustice is the origin of the commitment. Photography is the witness of suffering. Both of us produce emotions such as anger, anxiety, compassion, helplessness, shame, despair ... let us convert these feelings into the engine of solidarity action.

Ten million people without food or water, walking weeks in the desert, they see their children die on the road and that are crowded into refugee camps deserve more than compassion. We can all do something to make the face of Africa is that of this girl in a refugee camp in Kenya.

A young girl in an IDP camp in Kenya’s Rift Valley © Jerry Riley/IRIN

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How does it feel when a flame goes out?

Dry earth in the desert plains of the Danakil depression in northern Ethiopia.
© Siegfried Modola/IRIN

(ES)

Suddenly, I had a small flame to look after. Its tender warm comforts me. Its warm light illuminates me. I stare, I can not stop staring at it. Every time it shines and smiles the cold and the dark loneliness is away from me. Its orange heart does not stop moving. Sometimes lengthens and sometimes stays quiet with a smooth sizzle. And the breeze. The air it breathes like a warm breath. I approach and stay quietly feeling it in my face. When the air fuels the flame, it laughs and stretches his arms. Asking nothing in return for its bright colors or its warm tenderness. Only, not to let the flame goes out. And it is not selfish I do not want the flame goes out, but for the generosity and responsibility of one who knows to be blessed with a gift that must be cared for, and that attentive care is gradually becoming the reason for my existence.

I distress thinking some day I will not be able to take care of my little flame. That Its brightness will wane and its warm breath only will be a painful cold breath that freezes my heart forever. It scares me to imagine the bluish light and the plaintive cry of the flame when it goes out. I can not do anything? I would rather die than to let the little flame goes out. But that's something I can not afford, without me, the flame would have no chance to live.

But how does it feel when a flame goes out? Hard to tell, but I guess the closer you've had it, the greater the gap it left. Darkness, cold, loneliness, memories ...

Two million flames are extinguished in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Drought, food shortages and diseases are the cause of two million children under five in need urgent humanitarian assistance. They are in danger of death.

I distress thinking that remoteness of those flames which are extinguished, will only freeze the hearts of their parents, and our hearts frozen for so many disheartening news, will not be able to feel the warm of two million small flames just asking not to let them extinguish. I would rather die than to let the little flames go out. But that's something we can not afford, without us, the flames would have no chance for enlighten us.



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The loneliness of Bikela

(ES)

"A spokeswoman for the agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said about 170 women had been raped in the villages of Nakiele and Abala in South Kivu Province on June 11."

What makes men capable of committing such acts of violence against those poor women?
Is the power they wield weapons?
Is the hatred?
Is the impunity?
Is the recognition of his military commanders because of the control of natural resources, or fear of disobeying an order from their superiors?
Is to have lived with violence since ever?
Is to understand the looting and rape as the sole means of livelihood?
Or is the path with no return of who use violence to survive in an equally violent society?

Without wishing to debate about the immorality or amorality of the following statement, taking into account the time it was done, the answer to all these questions was summarized by a soldier of the Force Publique of the State of Congo to which Mr. Casement, author of the report that bears his name, asked why he had been so many years in the army. His answer was that due to problems with the rubber tax, he could not live in his native village, and laughing, confessed that he preferred to be among the hunters rather than among the hunted. This statement is included in Roger Casement's report dated 1903 that presented to the Marquis of Lansdowne, at that time Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the British government.

The language of the media, despite the mix of horror, anger and sadness that produces us this kind of news, insulates us from the real suffering of the Congolese people.

It is not only one more terrible story of many that come from this country in particular and from the African continent in general. It is the story of a life or a death. And that of millions of men, women and children who have been and are victims of violence.

And my question is: Can we be witnesses to such crimes and do nothing to avoid them?

Surely a considered response to this question leads us to even more questions, to explore alternatives until a combinatorial explosion, to build a world of illusory limitations. But sometimes the answers are not in reason, and it is solely an election. As the soldier would rather be among the hunters than among the hunted, I prefer to be among those who act that among those who mourn. And I'm not going to question the morality of those who act differently than mine.

It is not one more story, is the story of a life, like Bikela's life, whose testimony is contained in the statement to Mr. Casement in Ikoko, in the Free State of Congo, August 12, 1903. Here is a summary of their statements:

"My mother, my grandmother, my sister Nzaibiaka and I had fled to the jungle. The soldiers followed us and ran to where we were hiding. They took my grandmother, my mother, Nzaibiaka and another girl younger than us. Soldiers were discussing by my mother, for they all wanted her as a wife, and finally they decided it was better to kill her. She was shot in the stomach, and she fell to ground. She was pregnant and she had little time to give birth. Also killed my grandmother and they took my sister with them. I saw it all, I wept much, because they had killed my mother and my grandmother and I was alone."

Perhaps my contribution is miniscule in more than a century of violence, but if I have someone else to join me in this cause, my efforts and those of many other will not have been useless, and the loneliness of Bikela will find relief.


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