West Papua, a small province in the island of New Guinea, has been under Indonesian administration since its official annexation in 1969. The Indonesian rule has been characterized by violent repression including torture, assassinations, and aerial bombardments. Resistance has been active, but divided between armed and nonviolent groups. In January of 2007, Australian and West Papuan trainers held a workshop to train community leaders in conflict transformation, and explore the possibility of using nonviolent resistance in the West Papuan struggle. Continue Reading »

When someone you care for goes down the wrong path, the most loving thing to do is to bring them back, kindly but firmly. The concept of “tough love” is one that most people (and all parents) can easily appreciate on a personal level. The activists of the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) are applying it on a national scale. Continue Reading »

Columbia News Service
By Deena Guzder

Ed Hedemann has not paid any federal income tax since 1970 and has no intention of starting this April. The avuncular peace activist says he owes the government $70,000–a sum worth several cluster bombs at $14,000 each and dozens of $9 hand grenades. Instead, he donated the money to Global Exchange, American Friends Service Committee and other humanitarian efforts. Continue Reading »

Preah Maha Ghosananda
Mar 22nd 2007
From The Economist

ASIA’S great spiritual leaders tend to build shrines round themselves. There they sit, disciples at their feet, handing down instructions for achieving the perfect life. When Preah Maha Ghosananda, in later years, became associated with Buddhist temples in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, his admirers would expect to find him there. He seldom was. He would be far away, walking. Continue Reading »

FREETOWN, 4 April 2007 (PlusNews) – Thousands of women recently marched against sexual violence in the main streets of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, as part of a new initiative to end all violence against women; girls as young as 10 years took part in the demonstration that blocked traffic in many parts of the city. Continue Reading »