Nexus - 1001 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

small percentage of protesters who acted violently, but that the coverage lacks context. The message that protesters are trying to get across is that they want more democratic control (and less corporate control) over the rules that affect the environment and labour conditions around the world. This includes more democratic control over suprana- tional organisations such as the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization, whose un-elected leaders, the protest- ers argue, override democratically determined laws and regula- tions in the name of "development" and "free trade". (Sources: Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2001; The New York Times, February 5, 2002) small percentage of protesters who acted violently, but that the The DRC is mineral-rich with millions of tons of diamonds, coverage lacks context. copper, cobalt, zinc, manganese, uranium, niobium and tantalum The message that protesters are trying to get across is that they (also known as coltan). Coltan has become an increasingly valu- want more democratic control (and less corporate control) over able resource to American corporations; it is used to make mobile the rules that affect the environment and labour conditions around —_ phones, night vision goggles, fibre optics, and capacitors used to the world. This includes more democratic control over suprana- maintain the electrical charge in computer chips. In December tional organisations such as the World Bank, the IMF and the 2000, the shortage of coltan was the main reason that the popular World Trade Organization, whose un-elected leaders, the protest- sale of the Sony Play Station 2 video game came to an abrupt halt. ers argue, override democratically determined laws and regula- The DRC holds 80 per cent of the world's coltan reserves, more tions in the name of "development" and "free trade". than 60 per cent of the world's cobalt, and is the world's largest (Sources: Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2001; supplier of high-grade copper. With these minerals playing a The New York Times, February 5, 2002) major part in maintaining US military dominance and economic growth, minerals in the Congo are deemed vital US interests. 18: World's Coral Reefs Dying Historically, the US government identified sources of materials Orr of all coral reefs have been destroyed by pollution, in Third World countries and then encouraged US corporations to sedimentation, overfishing and rapid global climate change. invest in and facilitate their production. Dating back to the mid- Coral reefs have survived enormous changes in our planet's past, 1960s, the US government literally installed the dictatorship of ut today they are experiencing challenges from a multitude of Mobutu Sese Seko, which gave US corporations access to the new fronts. Remaining reefs are in such Congo's minerals for more than 30 years. eril that governments are preparing for the However, over the years Mobutu began to contingency that millions of island residents limit access by Western corporations, and to will need to be relocated. Under assault control the distribution of resources. In from pollution, coastal development, agri- 1998, US military-trained leaders of Rwanda cultural runoff, overpopulation and overfish- and Uganda invaded the mineral-rich areas ing, the world's reefs are exhibiting their of the Congo. The invaders installed illegal vulnerability in many ways. colonial-style governments that continue to In the last two decades worldwide coral One-quarter of receive millions of dollars in arms and mili- leaching events associated with higher sea- all coral reefs tary training from the United States. The US water temperatures have destroyed reefs government and a US$5 million Citibank throughout entire ocean basins. The have been destroyed loan maintains the rebel presence in the 1997-98 El Niiio killed 70 per cent of all by pollution, Congo. Their control of mineral-rich areas corals in the Indian Ocean from Africa to India, and the reefs of the Galapagos Islands have yet to show signs of recovery from the bleaching event 17 years ago. Increases in ultraviolet rays entering the atmosphere have con- tributed to the bleaching effect in coral reefs worldwide. The worldwide trade in aquarium fishing, currently worth US$200 mil- lion per year, is another source of coral reef destruction. The collection meth- ods for exotic fish include using poi- sons, primarily sodium cyanide, which destroy entire ecosystems in order to Endangers Plant Life capture the few remaining fish on the Sciemists working for Swiss food perimeter. Blast fishery, also common in such places as The giant Novartis have developed and Philippines, is a practice whereby fish for local consumption are patented a method for "switching off" the immune systems of collected with explosives, killing the fish at the epicentre and plants—to the outrage of environmentalists and Third World char- incapacitating those on the perimeters. The blasts reduce the reefs ities who believe the new technology to be the most dangerous allows Western corporations, such as American Mineral Fields (AMF), to mine illegally. Rwandan and Ugandan control over this area is beneficial for both governments and for the corpora- tions that continue to exploit the Congo's natural wealth. (Sources: CovertAction Quarterly , Summer 2000; Voice, Pioneer Valley, MA, March/April 2001; Dollars and Sense, July/August 2001; The Voice News, Winstead, CT, January 4, 2002) sedimentation, overfishing and rapid global climate change. 20: Novartis's Gene Research to rubble, from which they may never recover. use so far of gene modification. (Source: Harper's, January 2001) Patents filed by Novartis, manufacturers of Ovaltine, reveal that its scientists expect to be able to use the radical biotechnology for 19: American Companies Exploit the Congo almost every crop on Earth. Novartis claims that the new use of estern multinational corporations’ attempts to cash inon the —_ genetic modification (GM) will give farmers greater control over wealth of the Congo's resources have resulted in what many disease and boost production. But critics insist that it will make have called "Africa's first world war", claiming the lives of over Third World farmers dependent on buying the company's chemi- three million people. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) cals each year to produce healthy harvests. has been labelled "the richest patch of earth on the planet". The Environmentalists fear the new technology could have a disas- valuable abundance of minerals and resources in the DRC has trous ecological impact if crops with suppressed immune systems made it the target of attacks from US-supported neighbouring are allowed to cross-pollinate with surrounding plant life. The African countries Uganda and Rwanda. use of GM technology which uses chemicals to activate genetic all coral reefs by pollution, sedimentation, overfishing and rapid global climate change. 19: American Companies Exploit the Congo estern multinational corporations’ attempts to cash in on the wealth of the Congo's resources have resulted in what many have called "Africa's first world war", claiming the lives of over three million people. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been labelled "the richest patch of earth on the planet". The valuable abundance of minerals and resources in the DRC has made it the target of attacks from US-supported neighbouring African countries Uganda and Rwanda. NEXUS + 17 One-quarter of have been destroyed DECEMBER 2002 — JANUARY 2003 www.nexusmagazi ne.com