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17. UN's Empty Declaration on Indigenous Rights 18. Cruelty, Death in Juvenile Detention Centres In September 2007, the United Nations General Assembly In states across the country, child advocates have harshly adopted the Universal Declaration on the Rights of condemned the conditions under which young offenders are Indigenous Peoples. The resolution calls for recognition of | housed—conditions that involve sexual abuse, physical the world's 370 million indigenous peoples' rights to self- abuse and even death. determination and control over their lands and resources. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed lawsuits The adoption of this resolution comes after 22 years of against facilities in 11 states for supervision that is either diplomatic negotiations at the United Nations (UN), abusive or harmfully negligent. While the DoJ lacks the involving its member states, international civil society power to shut down juvenile correction facilities, through groups and representatives of the world's aboriginal _ litigation it can force a state to improve its detention centres communities. and protect the civil rights of jailed youth. The declaration emphasises the rights of indigenous Lack of oversight and nationally accepted standards of peoples to maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures tracking abuse make it difficult to know exactly how many and traditions and to pursue their development in keeping —_ youngsters have been assaulted or neglected. with their own needs and aspirations. The declaration was passed by an overwhelming 143-4 19. Indigenous Herders and Small majority vote. Only the United States, Farmers Fight Livestock Extinctions Canada, Australia and New Zealand The industrial model of livestock voted against the resolution, expressing production is causing the worldwide the view that strong emphasis on rights to destruction of animal diversity. At least indigenous self-determination and one indigenous livestock breed becomes control over lands and resources would extinct each month as a result of hinder economic development and At current rates, overreliance on selected breeds imported undermine "established democratic a marijuana smoker from the United States and Europe, norms". according to a 2007 study, "The State of Three months after the declaration's is arrested every the World's Animal Genetic Resources passage, however, a delegation of | for Food and Agriculture", conducted by indigenous peoples was forcibly barred 38 seconds, with the United Nations Food and Agriculture from entering the UN Framework marijuana arrests Organization. Since research for the Convention on Climate Change sos report began in 1999, 2,000 local breeds (UNFCCC) in Bali in December comprising nearly have been identified as at risk. 2007, despite the fact that the 44 per cent of all The industrial livestock breeding delegation was invited to attend. . and production system that is being drug arrests in the United States. Indigenous peoples from around the imposed on the world requires high world protested the exclusion from levels of investment in technology the climate negotiations. and receives subsidies and other The indigenous delegates went to resources that have distorted the Bali to denounce what they contend market. are false solutions to climate Consequences of the livestock change, such as carbon trading, industry's globalisation include agrifuels and so-called "avoided threats to sustainable development deforestation", proposed by the UN. and global food security, destruction The World Bank initiative, Forest of the livelihoods of over one billion Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), was launched in Bali as people worldwide, small-holder bankruptcies and suicides, part of the discussions on Reducing Emissions from and extinction of some of the world's hardiest breeds of Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), despite indigenous —_ animals. disapproval and the fact that 18-20 per cent of annual global carbon emissions are caused by deforestation. The initiative, 20. Marijuana Arrests Set New Record which allows tropical forests to be included in carbon- For the fourth year in a row, US marijuana arrests set an offsetting schemes, fails to combat climate change, the _ all-time record, according to the 2006 FBI Uniform Crime indigenous groups say, because it allows industrialised | Report. Marijuana arrests in 2006 totalled 829,627, an countries and companies to buy their way out of emissions _ increase from 786,545 in 2005. At current rates, a marijuana reductions. The World Bank, which has a vested interest in smoker is arrested every 38 seconds, with marijuana arrests carbon trading, has a particularly appalling track record in comprising nearly 44 per cent of all drug arrests in the relation to funding deforestation and carbon emissions _ United States. control projects. According to Allen St Pierre, executive director of the In states across the country, child advocates have harshly condemned the conditions under which young offenders are housed—conditions that involve sexual abuse, physical abuse and even death. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed lawsuits against facilities in 11 states for supervision that is either abusive or harmfully negligent. While the DoJ lacks the power to shut down juvenile correction facilities, through litigation it can force a state to improve its detention centres and protect the civil rights of jailed youth. Lack of oversight and nationally accepted standards of tracking abuse make it difficult to know exactly how many youngsters have been assaulted or neglected. is arrested every 38 seconds, with marijuana arrests comprising nearly 44 per cent of all 20. Marijuana Arrests Set New Record For the fourth year in a row, US marijuana arrests set an all-time record, according to the 2006 FBI Uniform Crime Report. Marijuana arrests in 2006 totalled 829,627, an increase from 786,545 in 2005. At current rates, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 38 seconds, with marijuana arrests comprising nearly 44 per cent of all drug arrests in the United States. According to Allen St Pierre, executive director of the NEXUS ¢ 17 18. Cruelty, Death in Juvenile Detention Centres At current rates, a marijuana smoker drug arrests in the United States. DECEMBER 2008 — JANUARY 2009 www.nexusmagazine.com