Over the years working on nuclear weapons issues, I’ve always tried to make time to read as much as I can. Sometimes though the reading list you pick for your summer holiday isn’t as pleasant as the usual beach-book. For example, the Plutonium Files by Eileen Welsome. By Susi Snyder
On 30 June Colombian partners of PAX presented the report ‘The Dark Side of Coal’ to minister Ploumen for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the Netherlands. The Spanish version of the report is out now.
Turns out I’m not the only person fascinated by weapon names. The War is Boring blog recently pointed out how the US military often uses Native American names for its weaponry – Tomahawks, Apaches and the like. Glad to be not alone. By Wilbert van der Zeijden
Image credit: Christiaan Triebert Syria’s ongoing civil war has already resulted in over hundred-and-fifty thousand casualties and has brought enormous destruction in cities and towns all over the country. Apart from the direct impact of the armed conflict on the lives and livelihoods of Syrian citizens, health and environmental impacts are emerging as problems that […]
The former Dutchbat headquarters in Potocari (Srebrenica, Bosnia and Hercegovina) are to be thoroughly renovated, turned into a museum and opened up to the public.
PAX is calling on five Dutch European power companies to stop buying Colombian ‘blood coal’ from the mining companies Drummond and Prodeco. These mining companies must first contribute to the acknowledgment and compensation of the thousands of victims of paramilitary violence around their mines in the 1996-2006 period, and actively oppose the current human rights abuses.
At the end of June PAX, jointly with Community Building Mitrovica and Center for Community Development (both based in Mitrovica) and with support of Forum for Ethnic Relations (based in Belgrade), presented views on the future of North Kosovo in Mitrovica and in Brussels.
A report by Dutch peace organisation PAX has found that the lack of obligations on Coalition Forces to help clean-up after using depleted uranium (DU) weapons has resulted in Iraqi civilians and workers continuing to be exposed to the radioactive and toxic heavy metal years after the war.
Peace requires courage and often a stubborn persistence in order to cut through the cynicism in our own environment. By participating in campaigns to appeal to politicians and government decisions, or to the ethical behaviour of companies for example.
The controversial American coal company Drummond was the main guest at a meeting organised yesterday by the Dutch Foreign Office concerning abuses in the Columbian coal sector. Drummond is being taken to task about serious breaches of human rights in relation to their coal mines in the north east of Colombia. During the meeting, it transpired once again that Drummond is not planning to start a credible process in relation to compensating victims.
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