News Roundup

From the Christian Science Monitor:

First bicyclist union in Canada.

"Borrow a Muslim" from a living library.

Environmentally conscious reason to "Just Say No".

From the Gaurdian:

Genetically modified crops will not solve food crisis.

From Ode Magazine:

Former nun takes on Ecuadorian gang and wins.

Carbon farming fights global warming.

From Mother Jones:

Can greed be green?

The Power of Signatures

Beautiful animation from Amnesty International...



Thanks Diego!

Spotted in San Francisco part II: Indians Welcome

As part of my recent trip to San Francisco I visited the infamous Alcatraz Island. I was afraid it would be a cheesy tourist destination, but instead the designated National Park was fascinating on many levels. Aside from its history as a military and federal prison I was surprised the island was also an integral part of the Native American rights movement. A documentary on the island explained the graffiti we spotted right after we got off the boat (shown left). In 1969, several years after the Alcatraz prison was closed for good, the island, which had been left dormant, was seized by Native American activists and claimed once again as "Indian Land". The occupation lasted until 1972 at which point in fighting and fatigue had dwindled their numbers from the 100+ that were initially there to just a handful, who were ousted by a variety of law enforcement officials. The occupation is now considered one of the key moments in the fight for Native American self-determination.

A detailed account of this history can be found HERE.

San Diego Mayor on Gay Marriage

Footage from a recent press conference where San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders explains his decision to support marriage equality...



via StayFree!

Tearing down Guantanamo...one pixel at a time.

Amnesty International is collecting signatures for a petition urging the closing Guantanmo Bay using an interface that allows an image of the prison to be dismantled on pixel at a time (for a total of 500,000 pixels. Find out more and remove your own pixel at: TearItDown.org.

Spotted In Istanbul part I: Human Rights Library

I ran into this lovely sign for a human rights library walking through the Beyoglu District in Istanbul. Sadly the place, which was apparently an offshoot of the Human Rights Association of Turkey, seems to now be defunct. Anyone with more details feel free to share.