One Laptop Per Child: Give One/Get One Project is Back

Photo: OLPC Foundation

On November 17th 2008, the non-profit organization, One Laptop per Child, launched its second campaign for the project Give One/ Get One, encouraging people to donate laptops to children living in the developing world.

This project, initiated by U.S. academics and professionals from the new information and communication technology industry, first planned to develop laptops for less than 100 US$.

Norway Gives a Helping Hand to Liberia.

Credits: easyvoyage.com

On November 14th 2008, Norway announced the cancellation of an important part of Liberia’s debt. The Norwegian government agreed to cancel 35 million USD, making up 90% of the Liberia’s total debt to Norway. This gesture from the Norwegian government is directly in line with the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC Initiative). This program, jointly proposed by the IMF and the World Bank in September 1996, was designed to provide exceptional assistance to eligible countries following sound economic policies to help them reduce their external debt burden to sustainable levels.

Food Sovereignty: Getting to Know a Concept

The 12th annual edition of Quebec’s International Solidarity conference took place this November and ran from the 12th to 23rd. During this event several specialists on agriculture and food supply were present to discuss the problems and potential solutions that currently surround the global food crisis. The central discussion of this conference dealt with the principle of food sovereignty, which is a concept first developed by the Via Campesina, an international farmers movement, at the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996. A former member of Via Campesina, José Bové, was present at Quebec’s International Solidarity Day to further explain the concept and to give recommendations.

Feeling the Weight of Debt

A brief but powerful video portraying the basic essentials of the relationship between lending institution (The World Bank and/or IMF) and their borrowing countries.

To learn more about Third World debt you can visit these websites:

• Social Justice Committee and our activities on debt
• Jubilee USA Network

World Food Day

Each year, since the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945, World Food Day has taken place on October 16^th. This year, the emphasis was on the effects of  climate change as well as the biofuel boom. It was celebrated in more than 150 countries.