Peace Talks

7th Annual Reel Work May Day Labor Film Festival

2008-04-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday April 22 I interviewed Jeffrey Smedberg, one of the organizers of the 7th Annual ReelWork 2008 May Day Labor Film Festival.

Listen To The Interview

The Reel Work May Day Labor Film Festival takes place in California's central coast communities in and around Santa Cruz each year during the week of May 1st.

Reel Work presents cultural events, bringing together award-winning documentary film producers, workers, activists, students, and the public with the goal of increasing community awareness of the central role of work in our lives, to discuss economic and global justice issues, and to bring alive the history and culture of the labor movement in the US and abroad. They highlight how workers and community members band together in united effort for mutual benefit to achieve justice and dignity in the streets, fields, and workshops.

Cinematic representations of labor each year include local and international works, world premieres as well as classics. They inspire festival participants to join in the struggle for worker rights locally, nationally and globally to achieve social justice and international solidarity.

Reel Work was founded in 2002. Credit goes to Myrna Cherin and Ginny Hirsch, long-time union activists and members of the Retirees Chapter of SEIU Local 415 in Santa Cruz. To make a little money for their retirees group, they had the idea of showing some movies honoring union organizing, which they mentioned to the then-President of the SEIU Local, who had also been looking for a way for union members to learn their own history. A small group of local union and community members coalesced around the idea. Bernice Belton, another indefatigable activist for social change, introduced the organizing group to the owner of the local independent movie house and sold him on the idea. And Community Television of Santa Cruz County under the direction of Geoffrey Dunn took the labor festival under its wing as fiscal sponsor. Documentary filmmaker John de Graaf, whose work has been presented in more than one festival season, suggested the Reel Work name. It was obvious to everyone involved in the project that most opportune date for such a festival would be May Day, celebrated worldwide as International Workers Day.

Each season, a core group of organizers creates a framework for the festival and invites union and community groups to adopt a date on the schedule and create a program of films, conversations, music, drama and any other appropriate elements consistent with the Reel Work theme. Fundraising and publicity are done in common, while the decentralized nature of other work draws in scores of volunteers and makes possible the production of an extensive program entirely with volunteer effort.

Check Out The Reelwork Website

Massive Seal "Hunt" Continues In Eastern Canada; EU May Vote to Ban Canadian Seal Products

2008-04-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

On April 15, 2008, I interviewed Rebecca Aldworth, the Director of Canadian Wildlife Issues for the Humane Society International-Canada about the 2008 Canadian Seal "Hunt". For the past ten years, she has been a firsthand observer of Canada's commercial seal hunt, escorting over one hundred scientists, parliamentarians and journalists to the ice floes to witness the slaughter.

Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishermen from Canada's East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes (5%) from sealing—primarily from the sale of seal pelts to European fashion markets. The vast majority of the seal meat is left on the ice to rot. With the EU currently considering a ban on all Canadian seal products, this might be the last year that this mass killing (300,000 baby seals this season alone) takes place.

We discussed the reasons for this massive annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals, why it is not sustainable, how the seals are killed, and what actions are being taken to finally end this unimaginably cruel "hunt".

Listen To The Interview

For More Information And To Take Action

Below are a couple of the posts from Rebecca on the HSUS website:

Posted April 14, 9:11 A.M.

Until It's Over
by Rebecca Aldworth

For me, the 2008 seal hunt comes down to three young seal pups huddled together on an ice pan. They lay together, fat and happy in the sun. Without warning, bullets ripped across the ice, striking two of them.

One was shot but not killed, and she began to writhe in agony, lifting her head. Another was shot and—still conscious—she slipped into the ocean, where she thrashed around as the blood poured from her. It took a lifetime for the small boat with two sealers on it to arrive.

They finally got close enough for one of the sealers to get out on the ice. He ran over to the wounded pup, clubbed her on the head, then tossed her onto a pile of dead seals in the boat like garbage. She was quickly sliced open and skinned, her carcass cut out and thrown over the side of the boat.

The wounded seal in the water was still thrashing around, blood coloring everything around her. A sealer leaned over the side of the boat, stabbed her through the flipper with a metal hook, and dragged her close to the boat.

Then he reached down and grabbed her by the flipper, hauled her onto the boat and tossed her onto the pile of dead seals. She was likely still conscious, but he didn't check, and he didn't club her to finish her off. Instead, he flipped her over and cut her from top to bottom.

But for me, the 2008 seal hunt is also about the third seal, the lucky one who got away. He slipped into the water as the bullets flew by, and swam off as fast as he could. He was spared, just like thousands more who will not be killed this year because global markets for seal products are closing.

Because prices for the skin of a baby seal have fallen dramatically, and many sealers are choosing to stay home this year instead of heading for the ice floes. The manager from a top sealskin processor in Canada explained that buyers have been mindful of a potential EU ban on seal products when setting the low prices this year. Just the potential for an EU ban has brought the prices down low enough to stop two thirds of the sealing vessels from leaving port.

If the EU goes through with the ban, millions of animals will be spared a horrible fate. Our campaign is working. But while this hunt goes on, we will be here. Bearing witness to this cruel slaughter, gathering evidence to shut this hunt down for good. Please help pass the ban—sign the petition here.

Posted April 13, 10:10 A.M.

Undeniably Inhumane
by Rebecca Aldworth

Words cannot describe the cruelty I witnessed yesterday. As I write this, I am finding it hard to see through tears. The boats were everywhere. Sealers clubbed and shot helpless baby seals, every one in sight.

We filmed one boat and noticed a sealer at the front of the vessel holding a rifle. We quickly zoomed ahead to see which seal he was aiming at. As we looked through the monitor, we saw the pup about 50 meters in front of the boat. She raised her head as if sensing danger, when suddenly a bullet slammed into her side.

She cried and cried—clearly in agony—and blood spilled onto the ice. Finally, the sealer arrived. The pup looked up pitifully, as though she hoped this person could offer help.

But instead, he clubbed her once on the head and—without testing to see if she was unconscious—stabbed her through the jaw with a metal hook and dragged her across the ice.

She was just one month old. Above in our helicopter, we watched in horror.

There was blood all across the ice. Trails of it leading back to the boats, massive bloody pools of it the only remains of slaughtered baby seals. In some areas, the ocean near the boats turned red, clearly visible from 1000 feet in the air.

The sealers did not want us to film them abandoning the carcasses—so just as they did last year, they brought them on board the boats. We filmed stockpiles of hundreds of dead seals on the decks, which were awash in blood.

Sealers often didn't even test for unconsciousness before
hooking the pups and dragging them across the ice.

Whenever the sealers thought we were too far to film, they tossed the red, skinned bodies over the side.

The Canadian government has made a concerted effort to convince European decision-makers that this hunt is now somehow humane.

But their carefully crafted PR lines cannot refute the evidence we gathered today. Any human being who watches our footage will understand this slaughter simply has to end—and those who cash in by promoting it should be deeply ashamed.

I grew up in this province, and it has been difficult at times to take the stand I do. But there is a line between right and wrong, and it becomes crystal clear when you observe the slaughter of defenseless seal pups.

"Any human being who watches our footage will understand
this slaughter simply has to end."
I remember a pilot I worked with a few years ago, who was born in Newfoundland and raised in a fishing community.

He reluctantly agreed to fly for us, and he made it clear that he was strongly in favor of the seal hunt. It took one day of filming the slaughter for him to change his mind.

The thing is, once you have seen it you can never support it. And having seen it for ten years, we will not rest until Canada's commercial seal hunt is ended for good

Death Row Inmate Troy Davis Denied A New Trial Despite Evidence Of Innocence

2008-04-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 8, I interviewed Martina Correa, Troy Davis's sister, about his case and the recent 4-3 decision by the Georgia Supreme Court to deny him an evidentiary hearing that may have led to a new trial. Listen

Also on April 8, I interviewed Jason Ewart, Troy Davis's attorney, about his case and the recent court decision. Listen Here

Troy Davis (photo on left) has been on death row in Georgia for 16 years. He was sentenced to death for the murder of an off duty police officer, Mark MacPhail. There was no physical evidence and no weapon ever found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even during the trial. Seven of the nine witnesses that testified at trial have since recanted their testimony and say that Troy was not the killer. Of the other two witnesses, one was not close enough to the scene to identify the killer, and the other is the principal alternative suspect in the crime.

One witness signed a police statement declaring that Davis was the assailant then later said "I did not read it because I cannot read." In another case a witness stated that the police "were telling me that I was an accessory to murder and that I would…go to jail for a long time and I would be lucky if I ever got out, especially because a police officer got killed…I was only sixteen and was so scared of going to jail." There are also several witnesses who have implicated another man in the crime but the police focused their efforts on convicting Troy.

Despite mounting evidence that Davis may in fact be innocent of the crime, appeals to the courts to consider this evidence have been repeatedly denied for procedural reasons.

For Amnesty International's Report On Troy's Case

For Troy's Website

Another Bicyclist Killed At Mission and Bay Streets In Santa Cruz

2008-04-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 8, 2008, around noon, another cyclist, Christopher Evan Rock, was killed at the intersection of Mission and Bay Streets in Santa Cruz. That is two deaths and one major injury within the last 12 months. On Wednesday, April 9, I interviewed Micah Posner of People Power about a protest planned for later that day, cyclists met at the town clock, rode bikes up the right lane of Mission Street and posted signs along the way. Listen Here

After John Myslin's death last summer, People Power worked with the City Council to put up signs on Mission that advise cyclists and drivers that cyclists are encouraged to use the full right lane. This is perfectly legal according to California Vehicle Code (which states that bicyclists can use the full right-hand lane when a lane is too narrow for "a bicycle and vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane") and was approved by the City Council.

Caltrans has refused to put up the signs, stating that they don't think it is safe for cyclists to ride in the lane, even after the Santa Cruz Police, the Traffic Safety Coalition, and others have pointed out that it is not safe to ride to the right of cars and trucks. Caltrans is basically telling cyclists that they have no right to use the street. Mission Street has 3 bike shops and numerous homes and businesses frequented by cyclists. Though cyclists should, and do, avoid Mission whenever possible, riding Mission for short stretches is a often necessary. According to People Power the only safe way to do so is in the middle of the right lane. They say that bicyclists right to exist is not being recognized by Caltrans.

Read more and see photos of the Wednesday April 9th protest

People Power Santa Cruz

Buffalo Slaughter In Yellowstone Continues; 1,400 Killed So Far This Year

2008-04-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 8th I interviewed Stephany Seay, media coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign about the continuing slaughter of wild buffalo by the National Park Service, the Montana Dept. of Livestock and other state agencies in the Yellowstone area. Listen Here

Stephany and I discuss the reasons given for the slaughter, why those justifications are questionable, and the varied forms of resistance and tactics used by defenders of the wild buffalo. Also discussed, how local bison advocates and landowners are calling for changed management and increased tolerance for bison in a cattle-free zone outside western boundary of Yellowstone National Park, A U.S. Government Accountability Office report made public April 2nd sharply criticizing a slew of federal and state agencies behind the Interagency Bison Management Plan, (the governing document responsible for the slaughter of over 3,300 wild American buffalo in and around Yellowstone National Park), and an upcoming releasing of the buffalo spirits ceremony.

For more info, checkk out the website of the Buffalo Field Campaign

Sea Shepherd and Capt. Of The Farley Mowat On The Canadian Harp Seal Slaughter

2008-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

On April 1, 2008, I interviewed Capt. Cornelissen of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society about the Canadian government sponsored slaughter of 275,000 baby harp seals happening now. Capt. Cornelissen speaks about the efforts of the crew of the Farley Mowat to document the killing of seals and the interference they have encountered from the Canadian Coast Guard.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has sent its ship, the Farley Mowat north into the ice packs off Eastern Canada to defend baby harp seals from the clubs of Canadian sealers. The Sea Shepherd ship, with an international crew of volunteers, is once again acting as shepherds in defense of the harp seal pups in the ice packs of the Gulf of St. Lawrence this year.

Sea Shepherd has been working to remove the markets for seal products as well as mounting dramatic confrontations on the ice to physically save the seals from the cruel clubs of the sealers. The seal hunt survives only because of subsidies doled out to the sealing industry by the government of Canada. It has become a glorified welfare scheme where in return for killing seals for a few weeks the sealers can qualify for unemployment insurance for the rest of the year.

In addition to the hazards of thick ice and nasty weather, the Sea Shepherd crew face the threat of violence from the sealers and the threat of arrest under the Canadian Seal Protection regulations that make it a criminal offense to witness or document the killing of a seal without the permission of the government of Canada. In 2005 eleven Sea Shepherd crew were arrested after being attacked and assaulted by sealers on the ice. Despite being struck by sealing clubs, punched and kicked, not one sealer was arrested for assault. The attack was video-taped and the sealers identified yet the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated there was insufficient evidence to charge the sealers. The Sea Shepherd crew were jailed and fined for approaching within a half a nautical mile of a seal being killed.

Captain Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has been fighting the Canadian seal slaughter all his life. The commercial hunt was shut down in 1984 and resurrected in 1994.
Sea Shepherd has turned its attention to the plight of the seals. From out of the Southern deep freeze of the Antarctic and into the Northern freezer of Eastern Canada, from saving whales to saving seals - the work of the shepherds of the sea continues.

To learn more visit the Sea Shepherds
And The International Fund For Animal Welfare
And The Humane Society of the United States

Robert Bryan, Mumia Abu Jamal's Lead Attorney, On The Recent Ruling In His Case

2008-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

On April 1, 2008, I interviewed Robert Bryan, Mumia's lead attorney about recent developments in his case, including the long awaited ruling by the federal Third Circuit Court Of Appeals released on March 27, 2008.

On March 27, a federal appeals court refused to overturn the conviction of imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal and rejected his call for a new trial. However, the long-awaited ruling said Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for twenty-six years, deserves a new sentencing hearing because of flawed jury instructions. If he is re-sentenced, he will face either death or life in prison without parole.

Read excellent analysis of the ruling by Linn Washington Jr. here
Linn Washington Jr. is a journalist and university professor in Philadelphia who has written extensively about the contentious case since Abu- Jamal’s arrest in December 1981.

Visit this site to download an interview with Mumia's attorney from the March 28 Democracy Now program

Anneke Van Woudenberg Of Human Rights Watch On The Crisis In The Congo

2008-03-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

On March 18th, 2008 I spoke by phone with Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, about the war in the Congo, specifically the situation for women.
The people of the Congo are still struggling after one of the deadliest wars in all history. Millions have died and new conflicts threaten peace every day. Perhaps worse than the loss of life is the staggering numbers of human rights violations. Rape is used as a weapon of war and women in Congo are suffering daily under the conditions there. Listen to find out how you can help.

For more information please go to Women For Women International and Human Rights Watch

For some analysis check out this article

Interview With Israeli Peace Activist Dorothy Naor

2008-03-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

On March 18th, 2008 I interviewed Dorothy Naor about her upcoming talk in Santa Cruz. She is a founding member of New Profile, a pluralist feminist movement which seeks to transform Israel from a militaristic society to a civil one. Listen here

Dorothy Naor spoke in Santa Cruz on Wednesday, March 19th at the Resource Center For Nonviolence on the topic of "The Cost Of Occupation For Israelis And Palestinians".

Dorothy Naor was born in San Francisco, CA. in 1932 and grew up in the Bay Area. She met her Israeli husband when he came to study at UC Berkeley in the early 1950's. They and their three children made Israel their home in 1958. Over the past 8 years much of her time has spent in activism against Israel's occupation of Palestine. She is a member of New Profile, a pluralist feminist movement, comprised of both women and men, which seeks to transform Israel from a militaristic one to a civil one. New Profile supports refusal to serve in the military, opposes the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports selective divestment from companies that contribute to maintaining the occupation.

For more information go to New Profile

Update: National Park Service Has slaughtered 715 Wild Buffalo in Yellowstone and Plan to Slaughter 110 more

2008-03-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

Since February 8, 825 individual buffalo have been captured by the Park Service and the Department of Livestock. 715 of these buffalo have already been slaughtered and 110 are currently being held in the Stephen's Creek trap awaiting shipment to the slaughterhouse. Including those killed in this year's hunt and those being held in the trap, 990 bison have been removed from the Yellowstone population since November 15. In the past seven days alone, 164 bison have been captured and 209 sent to slaughter.

Even calves have been sent to slaughter.

For the background info and the latest updates from the field visit The Buffalo Field Campaign Website here: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Also check out the article, "A Sickening Slaughter: Why Is Yellowstone Destroying Its Bison Herd?", by Bob Jackson, a backcountry ranger in Yellowstone Park for 30 years.
http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson03012008.html

Why is our National Park Service slaughtering the last remaining wild buffalo that they are supposed to be protecting? It is to keep the wild buffalo off of grazing lands because the cattle industry views them as competition. Our Park Service should not be doing the bidding of the cattle industry, they should be protecting the park wildlife for future generations. Please take action!!

Please visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org , listen to the audio in the below posts, and then call Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer

* Urge Yellowstone and Montana to Stop Slaughtering Bison!
Please take a moment to contact Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and urge them to stop slaughtering the wild bison under their care.

These two individuals have the power to stop the slaughter. Let them know you demand it.

Suzanne Lewis, Superintendent
Yellowstone National Park
(307) 344-2002
suzanne_lewis@nps.gov

Brian Schweitzer, Governor
State of Montana
(406) 444-3111
brianschweitzer@mt.gov

Joe Torres Of Free Press On Senate Bill That Would Veto FCC's Vote To Relax Media Ownership Rules

2008-03-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

On March 11, 2008, I interviewed Joe Torres, government relations manager for Free Press, about a new Senate bill that would veto the FCC's vote to let Big Media get even bigger.
Listen Here

On December 18, 2007, the FCC approved new rules that could unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The new rules could mean less diversity of voices, local news and investigative journalism. Congress has the power to throw out these rules -- and if hundreds of thousands of people demand it, they'll have to listen.

Senator Dorgan just introduced a bill (SJ Res. 28) to veto the FCC’s big handout to the corporate media, but Congress must act within 60 legislative days. In 2003, nearly 3 million citizens demanded that the Senate overturn the FCC's last attempt to let Big Media get even bigger.

http://www.stopbigmedia.com

Gray Wolves Removed from Endangered Species List, Defenders Of Wildlife Responds

2008-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

On March 4, 2008, I interviewed Mike Leahy, Rocky Mountain Region Director for Defenders Of Wildlife about the Bush administration's recent decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf from the list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The decision could result in an 80% reduction in the gray wolf population of the region, possibly bringing their numbers as low as 300 wolves. Eleven conservation groups have vowed to fight the decision to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered species in federal court and filed the required 60-day notice within hours of the delisting rule's publication in the Federal Register. Efforts to bring gray wolves back to the region are finally making progress which is part of the reason why this decision is so controversial. Listen Here

Press release below:

February 21, 2008

Wolves Lose Protection Under Endangered Species Act
Premature delisting severely threatens continued existence of the northern Rockies gray wolf

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today the Bush administration finalized its controversial decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf from the list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The delisting will take effect 30 days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) publishes the final rule in the Federal Register next week.

The removal of federal protections for the gray wolf puts its continued survival in the northern Rockies at the mercy of the woefully insufficient state management plans developed by Wyoming, Idaho and—to a lesser extent—Montana. These plans call for dramatic reductions in wolf populations in the region.

“We will support delisting of the northern Rockies wolf when the states establish sustainable management plans that ensure viable, interconnected wolf populations throughout the region,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. “Unfortunately, the current state plans seem designed to lead only to the dramatic decline and need for quick relisting of the wolf. That’s not in anyone’s best interest.”

Before a species can be delisted, FWS must determine that it does not face continued threats that could undermine the species’ survival. This criterion is not met under the state management plans which ignore scientific estimates that, for species to remain viable, there should be several thousand individuals, and wolf populations in the northern Rockies must be interconnected with larger wolf populations in Canada. With no federal protections in place, existing state management plans would permit wolf populations in the northern Rockies to be drastically reduced by as much as 70 percent, and eliminate any likelihood of establishing connections with Canadian wolf populations or promoting the establishment of wolf populations in other states such as Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Colorado.

“Given the tremendous public support and resources spent to reintroduce the wolf to the northern Rockies, it makes no sense to allow wholesale killing of wolves in the region and polarize the issue even more deeply with this one-sided plan,” said Suzanne Stone, northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist for Defenders of Wildlife. “Instead we need a balanced solution based on science that also addresses the needs of ranchers, wildlife supporters, and hunters.”

Defenders of Wildlife recently joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council in petitioning FWS to develop a national recovery plan for wolves in the United States, with regional recovery goals aimed at supporting sustainable populations of wolves in the northern Rockies, the northeast and the southwest.
Background:

More than 200,000 gray wolves (Canis lupus) once lived throughout the United States. Aggressive wildlife killing campaigns led to wolf eradication from most of the country by the mid-1930s. Gray wolves have been listed as endangered since 1974, and were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho in 1995 and 1996.

Wolves are native to the northern Rockies and have begun once again to restore natural balance to the areas they are reoccupying, by culling weak and diseased elk, deer, and other prey, and dispersing elk more widely across their habitat and away from sensitive wetlands and meadows that suffer from overbrowsing. Elk populations still remain high, (more than 400,000 elk are present today in the region) and hunter harvest success remains as high as it was prior to the return of wolves. Ranchers are also successfully learning to reduce the limited wolf predation on livestock to manageable levels and are compensated for most known losses that do occur by Defenders or state compensation programs. Wolf-related tourism in the Yellowstone region has generated more than $35 million annually for local communities.

Learn more about Defenders' efforts to protect the northern Rockies wolf.

Read FWS final delisting rule from FWS.

Petition to FWS to Develop a National Recovery Plan for Wolves

http://www.defenders.org

Prof Stephen Zunes addresses Kosovo Declaration of Independence & US reaction

2008-02-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

On February 26, 2008, I interviewed Professor Stephen Zunes about Kosovo's recent declaration of independence and the reaction of the US government. Listen Here

Kosovo's Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia with Western backing on February 17. Serbs in the north reject the secession, fueling fears that the country is destined for partition, and may trigger a Serb secession from Bosnia.

Stephen Zunes is a professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus (http://www.fpif.org). From 1996 to 1999, he served as chair of the board of Peaceworkers, a U.S.-based group supporting the nonviolent struggle of the Kosovar Albanians and other nonviolent movements and peacemakers in areas of conflict.

His article "Kosovo and The Politics Of Recognition" can be found at http://www.stephenzunes.org or http://www.fpif.org

Farm Sanctuary responds to Biggest Beef Recall in US History

2008-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

On February 19, 2008, I interviewed Tricia Barry, communications director for Farm Sanctuary, about the recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef by a Chino, CA slaughterhouse. It is the biggest beef recall in US History. The recall came after the Humane Society of the United States accused Westland/Hallmark of abusing downed cattle, releasing video that showed workers kicking cows, jabbing them near their eyes, ramming them with a forklift and shooting high-intensity water up their noses in an effort to force them to their feet for slaughter. Federal inspectors halted operations at the plant earlier this month after finding "clear violations" of USDA regulations. California prosecutors on Friday announced animal cruelty charges against two former employees of the plant. Listen Here

Press Release Below

In Light of Largest Beef Recall in US History, Farm Sanctuary Asks, "Why not pork?"

No Downers Campaign Documents More Than 20 Years of Abuse; Urges Federal Legislation to End Marketing of All Downed Animals

WASHINGTON, DC - February 18, 2008 - The largest meat recall in U.S. history (143 million pounds of beef from the Hallmark/Westland slaughter plant) has awakened national concerns over food safety, while shedding light on an ongoing practice of the meat packing industry - downed animals, those too sick, diseased or weak to stand, are entering the human food supply. No laws or government agency policies currently prevent downed pigs, sheep, goats or other livestock from going to slaughter for human consumption.

For more than 20 years, through its No Downers Campaign, Farm Sanctuary has documented abuse of non-ambulatory animals and worked for passage of the first laws in this country to end the marketing of downed cattle. Today, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization is reiterating its call for the passage of The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (HR 661 S 394) which would ban the slaughter of all downed animals, including pigs, sheep and other livestock. Farm Sanctuary is also calling on the USDA to close the current loophole that allows some downed cattle to continue to go to slaughter, and to prevent diseased animals from being used for human food.

Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, who has investigated stockyards and slaughterhouses documenting violations of USDA policy, the federal Methods of Humane Slaughter Act and state anti-cruelty laws for 22 years, stated, "We've had scores, if not hundreds, of phone calls, letters and emails with the USDA over the years related specifically to downed animal concerns and their reaction is about as predictable as the cruelty witnessed at Hallmark/Westland."

Julie Janovsky, Farm Sanctuary's director of campaigns, stated, "If it takes a recall of 143 million pounds of beef to change policy, then so be it, but the USDA hasn't protected our nation's children who already ate the burgers, and who continue to eat other downed animal products. We can only hope that Congress' reaction to public outrage is swift and thorough. Legislation is in play with the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act. It's time to enact it."

Farm Sanctuary has rescued 226 cattle since its inception (146 through the New York shelter and 80 through the California shelter.) Of these, 79 were downed animals rescued during investigations at stockyards and slaughterhouses throughout the U.S.

Jeff Lydon, executive director at Farm Sanctuary added, "I wish we were as shocked as the USDA claims to be by these blatant acts of animal cruelty inflicted at the Chino slaughterhouse, but our experience with these facilities suggests that continued violations under the current system are inevitable."

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org

Over 130 Wild Buffalo Slaughtered in Yellowstone: up to 275 total wil be sent to slaughter

2008-02-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

Over 130 wild buffalo have been slaughtered by the National Park Service in Yellowstone. They have captured a total of 275 and plan to slaughter all of them. On February 19, 2008, I spoke with Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign about the real reasons behind the slaughter, what they are doing to fight this and how people can get involved. Listen Here

Press Release Below

ADVOCATES TO HOLD WEEK OF ACTION AS YELLOWSTONE BISON SLAUGHTER CONTINUES
For Immediate Release: February 14, 2008
Contact: Buffalo Field Campaign, Stephany Seay, 646-0070

GARDINER & WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT: Wild bison advocates, including Buffalo Field Campaign, plan a Week of Action from February 14 through February 21. The Week of Action will draw national attention to the role of Yellowstone National Park and Montana in the harassment, capture, and slaughter of the last wild population of American bison remaining in the United States. There are fewer than 4,500 wild, genetically intact American bison living in the United States. Wild bison are ecologically extinct everywhere outside of Yellowstone National Park.

Since Friday, February 8, 169 American bison (or buffalo) have been captured from within Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service, under pressure from Montana's livestock industry, has been running the capture operations at the Stephens Creek bison trap located inside Yellowstone's boundaries.

View video of Yellowstone bison in the Stephens Creek Capture Facility: www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/videoaudio/Gardiner2004.mov

"Yellowstone National Park is doing the bidding of Montana's livestock industry at the expense of the bison," said Stephany Seay of Buffalo Field Campaign. "These bison are our national heritage, a keystone species critical to the ecological health of native grasslands and sacred to First Nations. The American people want the slaughter to stop now."

On Friday, the Park Service captured 54 bison; on Sunday, 41 bison; on Tuesday 44 bison; and on Wednesday, they captured 30 bison. All will be shipped to slaughterhouses. According to Yellowstone officials, the 17 calves that were originally going to be sent to the Corwin Springs research facility are now instead being sent to slaughter. 44 bison were shipped to slaughter facilities from Yellowstone this morning.

These actions are being taken to appease Montana's cattle interests, who claim they fear the spread of brucellosis from wild bison to cattle. There has never been a documented case of wild bison transmitting the livestock disease brucellosis to cattle.

"Originally the U.S. Calvary was sent here to protect the last remaining bison found in Yellowstone," said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign. "How sadly ironic that millions of U.S. tax dollars are now being spent to kill them."

The bison were captured for following their natural migratory instincts and walking onto or near habitat that is privately owned by the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). CUT land hosts fewer than 250 head of cattle. Wild bison are also denied access to publicly owned Gallatin National Forest lands adjacent to Yellowstone National Park and CUT property. Gallatin National Forest lands were originally set aside by Congress in the early 20th century as wildlife winter habitat, as legislators realized Yellowstone did not provide the winter forage needed by ungulates such as bison and elk. In the winter months, grasslands in the Park are obscured by deep snow and bison and other wild ungulates venture to lower-elevation habitat where they find critical forage necessary for survival. Wild bison are the only wildlife confined to Yellowstone's boundaries.

"The Park Service needs to realize that they are responsible for protecting wildlife, not cattle," said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign.

Federal and State actions serving Montana's cattle interests are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of wild bison this year and the death toll is likely to rise significantly.

This season's harsh winter is starting to take a toll on wild bison, who are finding it more difficult and sometimes impossible to crater through the snow to get to critical forage for survival. Snowbanks from highway plowing in the West Yellowstone area are making the bison's migration extremely difficult. Bison are getting trapped along highway 191 and are being hit and killed by vehicles.

2,299 wild American bison have been killed or otherwise removed from the remaining wild population since 2000 under actions carried out by the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. The IBMP is a joint state-federal plan that prohibits wild bison from migrating to lands outside of Yellowstone's boundaries. Wild American bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park.

Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be allowed to naturally and fully recover throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands.

http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

53 Wild Buffalo Captured in Yellowstone and Facing Slaughter

2008-02-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Yellowstone National Park officials captured 53 of America's last wild buffalo Friday morning 2/8/08.
National Park officials intend to slaughter without testing; calves may be slaughtered or sent to experimental quarantine facility.

On Saturday, February 9, 2008, I interviewed Mike Meese, co-founder and campaign coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign. Listen here

Press Release below:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK CAPTURES 53 OF AMERICA'S LAST WILD BISON
Park Intends to Slaughter Without Testing;
Calves May Be Sent to Experimental Quarantine Facility
For Immediate Release, February 8, 2008
Contact: Buffalo Field Campaign, Stephany Seay 406-646-0070

GARDINER, MONTANA - Yellowstone National Park officials captured 53 wild American bison this morning inside the Stephens Creek bison trap located within Yellowstone National Park's borders. The captured bison are members of the last wild, genetically intact population existing in the United States, and number fewer than 4,600. Most, if not all, will be sent to slaughter without being tested for brucellosis antibodies.

"The National Park Service is caving in to the unreasonable demands of Montana's livestock industry at the expense of an American icon, our national heritage," said Stephany Seay, media coordinator for Buffalo Field Campaign.

The bison were captured for following their natural migratory instincts and walking onto habitat that is privately owned by the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). CUT land hosts fewer than 250 head of cattle. Wild bison are also refused access to publicly owned Gallatin National Forest lands adjacent to Yellowstone National Park and CUT property. In the winter months, grasslands in the Park are obscured by deep snow and bison and other wild ungulates venture to lower-elevation habitat where they find critical forage necessary for survival.

Yellowstone National Park officials said they will send the adult bison to slaughter without first testing them for exposure to brucellosis.

Bison calves may be tested for brucellosis antibodies. If testing occurs, those testing negative for antibodies will be sent to a state-federal quarantine feasibility study facility, while the rest will be slaughtered. More than half of the calves previously captured and quarantined by the government have been slaughtered, while the rest are being raised in pens like livestock.
Cattle interests claim such actions are necessary to prevent the spread of brucellosis, a livestock disease introduced to native wildlife in the early 20th century, from wild bison to cattle. However, there has never been a documented case of wild bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle.

"In one day the National Park Service is sending more than half as many bison to slaughter as have been killed during Montana's entire three-month bison hunt," said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign. "When will the Park Service understand that they are in charge of protecting our wildlife, not protecting cattle interests?"

2,120 wild American bison have been killed or otherwise removed from the remaining wild population since 2000 under actions carried out by the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. The IBMP is a joint state-federal plan that prohibits wild bison from migrating to lands outside of Yellowstone's boundaries.

Wild American bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park.
Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be allowed to naturally and fully recover themselves throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands.

Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their native habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. Buffalo Field Campaign has proposed real alternatives to the current mismanagement of American bison that can be viewed at
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions.html. For more information, video clips and photos visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org.

USF Professor of Politics Stephen Zunes on Palestine/Israel Peace Talks

2008-01-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

On January 24, 2008, I interviewed Professor Stephen Zunes about current Palestinian/Israeli peace negotiations. Listen here

Dr. Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco, where he has taught since 1995. He serves as an advisory committee member and Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project and as an associate editor of Peace Review.
Professor Zunes is the author of scores of articles for scholarly and general readership on Middle Eastern politics, U.S. foreign policy, international terrorism, social movements, and human rights. He is the principal editor of "Nonviolent Social Movements" and the author of the highly-acclaimed "Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism" and the forthcoming "Western Sahara: Nationalism and Conflict in Northwest Africa".
Dr. Zunes has made frequent visits to the Middle East and other conflict regions, where he has met with top government officials, academics, journalists and opposition leaders.

http://www.stephenzunes.org

This Winter: More Attacks Being Planned Against Wild Buffalo of Yellowstone National Park

2007-12-19T14:34:00.000-08:00

In early December, members of the Buffalo Field Campaign met with Yellowstone National Park administrators and also attended the Interagency Bison Management Plan open house. At both meetings the news from the agencies wasn't good. BFC was told that it will likely be a very bad winter the buffalo.
On December 18, 2007, I interviewed Stephanie Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign about the latest news on wild buffalo in Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Listen here

From a recent BFC update, "One of the reasons given by the government agencies is the increased paranoia instilled in Montana's cattle producers since brucellosis was detected in a Montana cattle herd last spring. While it is widely known that wild buffalo were not responsible for this transmission, and while there is no substantial evidence that the source wasn't domestic cattle, the cattle industry is looking to blame Yellowstone wildlife, in particular the elk and buffalo. The industry fails to take responsibility for bringing brucellosis to this continent and infecting native wildlife.

The agencies are also prepared to heavily haze, capture and slaughter buffalo this year based on Yellowstone's estimate of 4,700 individuals. Though Yellowstone biologists have stated time and again that the Park could sustain well over 5,000 buffalo, the Interagency Bison misManagement Plan's politically derived population cap for wild buffalo living in Yellowstone is 3,000. Based on this, the agencies could capture and kill upwards of 1,700 buffalo. It is a sad day when a sacred keystone species that once numbered in the tens of millions and has been reduced to an island population of fewer than 5,000 is deemed "overpopulated." It is an even sadder day when the agencies who are responsible for conserving and protecting wildlife cow-tow to the economic interests of the cattle industry and sacrifice native wildlife in the process.
Yellowstone National Park, the Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have all made it perfectly clear that once the buffalo hunt is over on February 15, hazing, capture and slaughter will begin in earnest. It is very difficult to have such a warning of impending doom.

One positive thing these agencies could do, at least on the western boundary of Yellowstone, is to let the wild buffalo have the Horse Butte Peninsula. Horse Butte is now completely cattle-free, and there is absolutely no excuse for the agencies to insist on capturing and killing wild buffalo for accessing this land. These agencies base decisions on the assumption that cattle-based economics outweigh the interests and integrity of wildlife and wild places. We must raise our voices and let them know they are wrong!"

http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

FCC Vote Will Further Consolidate Media

2007-12-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, the FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to approve new rules that will unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The new rules will further consolidate local media markets -- taking away independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism.
I interviewed Joe Torres, government relations manager for Free Press on Tuesday, December 18, about these new rules and what impact they are likely to have. Listen here

http://www.freepress.net

"Not at Home for the Holidays" Protest at Capitola Military Recruitment Center

2007-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, peace activists gathered for a "Not at Home for the Holidays" protest and vigil in front of the Military Recruiting Center in Capitola, CA.
I interviewed several of the participants, Army representatives, counter-demonstrators and observers for Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 FM.
Download this 22 minute piece here.

2007-12-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

On December 4, 2007, I interviewed Dr. Paul Larudee, co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement, about plans to set sail from Cyprus to Gaza in May of 2008.

The Free Gaza Movement's mission is to break the siege of Gaza. They want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation. They want to uphold Palestine's right to welcome internationals as visitors, human rights observers, humanitarian aid workers, journalists, or otherwise.

Dr. Paul Larudee is Co-Founder of the Free Gaza Movement. He is a former Ford Foundation supervisor in Lebanon, a Fulbright-Hays lecturer to Lebanon, and a former contracted US government advisor to Saudi Arabia. He participates in Palestinian nonviolent resistance with the International Solidarity Movement.

Gaza Photo by Joe Carr

Download Audio HERE

2007-11-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

On November 27, 2007, I interviewed Joe Torres of Free Press about FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's proposal to relax the ban on cross ownership rules in major markets.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing that a company that owns a newspaper in one of the 20 largest cities in the country should be permitted to purchase a broadcast TV or radio station in the same market. But a newspaper should be prohibited from buying one of the top four TV stations in its community.

Also check out Stop Big Media

Listen to the interview HERE

Tree-Sit Continues at UCSC

2007-11-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

At UC Santa Cruz, plans are in place to significantly expand the campus by 2020, with the addition of new buildings, new roads, and nearly 5,000 more students.

Already approved by the UC Regents, the University's Long Range Development Plan (-the LRDP-) includes a 90-thousand square-foot biomedical sciences facility, a 50-thousand square-foot social sciences building, student housing, faculty housing, and a new road creating an additional campus entrance on Empire Grade. The LRDP also calls for 4,500 new students, increasing total enrollment to 19,500.

Opponents of the plan cite numerous concerns, including: impacts upon local housing and traffic; water shortages; animal testing and experimentation; toxic, infectious, and radioactive
substances; as well as the clearing of 120 acres of forest habitat.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 7, several people climbed into threatened redwoods at the site of the proposed biomedical sciences building. High up in the trees, they installed platforms and began a treesit as part of ongoing efforts to increase awareness of, and opposition to, the LRDP. Later that morning, 300 students and community members held a rally and marched across campus to the site of the treesit. UCSC police had the trees surrounded, preventing protestors from reaching the treesitters. When the protestors pushed past the police line to reach the treesitters with food and water, they were pepper sprayed and some were hit with batons. Despite this, they managed to get past police lines and provide needed supplies.

On Tuesday, November 13, I interviewed Jennifer Charles, spokesperson for the Science Hill Treesit, about resistance to UCSC's LRDP (Long Range Development Plan).
LISTEN HERE

As of today, Nov. 29, the treesit continues. To learn more go to www.lrdpresistance.org

More Photos at Santa Cruz Indymedia

Bush Imposes New, Harsher Sanctions on Iran

2007-11-05T17:46:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, Oct. 30, I interviewed Stephen Shalom, professor of political science at William Paterson University in New Jersey, about the Bush administration's new sanctions against Iran announced on October 25. Stephen is also the author of several books, including the text, "Which Side Are You On? An Intro To Politics". And he is a frequent contributor to Z magazine and ZNet.

Download audio (25m58s, 23.8MB)
HERE.

FCC Chair Moves to Relax Media Ownership Rules

2007-11-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Oct 30, I interviewed Joseph Torres, government relations manager at Free Press, about recent moves by FCC chairman Kevin Martin to relax media ownership rules.

Download audio (25m40s, 23.5MB)

HERE.

A project of Free Press, the StopBigMedia.com Coalition is made up of groups that have banded together to stop the FCC from allowing a handful of giant corporations to dominate America's media system.
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/

Interview with Jill Freidberg about the teachers strike in Oaxaca and Freidberg's 2005 film "Granito De Arena"

2006-09-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

Download audio: mp3, 24.0 mb, 20:57

I interviewed award winning Seattle filmmaker Jill Freidberg about the teachers strike in Oaxaca and Freidberg's 2005 film "Granito De Arena". Freidberg has been going back and forth to Oaxaca all summer and just returned from there last week. Her film is the story of the popular resistance in Mexico to the global economic forces that have been dismantling public education for over 20 years. It is the story of hundreds of thousands of public schoolteachers whose grassroots, non-violent movement took Mexico by surprise, and who have endured brutal repression in their 25 year struggle for social and economic justice in Mexico's public schools. Jill Freidberg spent two years in southern Mexico documenting the efforts of over 100,000 teachers, parents, and students fighting to defend the country's public education system from the devastating impacts of economic globalization. Freidberg combines footage of strikes and direct actions with 25 years worth of archival images to deliver a compelling and unsettling story of resistance, repression, commitment, and solidarity.

Jill Freidberg produced the award-winning documentary This is What Democracy Looks Like (2000),which won numerous festival awards,screened in over 50 countries,and received national,prime-time television broadcasts in Canada and Mexico.

Freidberg was a founding member of the Seattle Independent Media Center and works with several independent media collectives and indigenous community radio stations in Mexico,and with community radio station KBCS, in Seattle,WA. She founded Corrugated Films in 2002, which works to build solidarity and understanding between communities of action through the grassroots production and distribution of video, radio, and other forms of independent media.

relevant website: http://www.corrugate.org

http://freakradio.org/