News that a meeting has been arranged between Presidents Trump and Putin on 16 July was greeted with displeasure in many sectors of the western world, and especially by the military-industrial complex, the cabal of war-profiteering US and European oligarchs whose interests lie solely in maintaining their lucrative arms manufacturing empires. Trade is most important to them — but peace and friendship come way down their page of priorities, because it is enmity and distrust that lead to lucrative sales of weapons. read full story / add a comment

The US Senate voted for Puerto Rico disaster relief in the form of food assistance with the passage of the "Farm Bill." The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, included Senators Marco Rubio and Kirsten Gillibrand's amendment to fund Puerto Rico's Nutritional Assistance Program.  read full story / add a comment

October 20th October 2018 - 28th October 2018
Olive harvest program October 20th 2018 - October 28th October 2018

http://tobe-there.com/en/contact-us

The olive harvest time in Palestine is a wonderful time for a visit. The trees are full of ripe olives and in solidarity with the Palestinian land owners we will be part of this traditional experience. You can either climb a tree or work down on the ground. We collect the olives on the tarps and then in buckets and bags. We will have traditional Palestinian lunch on the fields and we will visit an olive press. Besides volunteering on the land you will have the chance to discover Palestine and travel around with your guide Baha, to understand the reality of the geo-political situation. There are excursions to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Lifta, Hebron and the South Hebron hills, Ramallah (the Arafat Museum) and Nabi Saleh, known for its continuous non violent resistance. read full story / add a comment

DUBLIN DEMONSTRATION SUPPORTING Millions of Chinese, they Are Calling for an End to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival

A Demonstration by Irish Animal Rights activists is supporting other Vegan/Anti animal eating campaigners worldwide , especially Chinese activists who are hoping the Chinese authorities will crack down on the horrors of the notorious Yulin dog and cat eating festival from 21st to 30th june 2018. Officials failed to keep pledges to come down heavily on the appalling scenes of dogs being battered, blow-torched and butchered last year, leaving thousands of animals – many stolen pets – to die horrendously.

https://www.facebook.com/events/270969030137534/
(IRISH LINK)

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European Finance Ministers endorse a new Greece debt agreement that provides financing in exchange for maintaining austerity policies and economic reforms. read full story / add a comment

As part of a worldwide protest, solidarity was shown in Dublin to Julian Assange. Mairead Maguire called on the Irish Government to mediate between Britain and Ecuador to secure his release. Mick Wallace and Clare Daly also spoke. read full story / add a comment

Explains why Irish capitalism is to blame as well as the irish hierarchy of rat crimes against women and children in Ireland. read full story / add a comment

Washington DC - On the first day of the 2018 hurricane season, G7 Finance and Development Ministers are reviewing proposals for debt relief and “innovative financing” when islands are hit by natural disasters. Also focusing on empowering women in the economy, the group meets in Whistler, Canada, through Sunday. These meetings will help prepare outcomes for the upcoming G7 Ministerial meeting that President Trump attends later in June. read full story / add a comment

The European Commission has today outlined new plans to cut down on single-use plastics and reduce marine plastic pollution. The new EU-wide rules proposed by the Commission target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear. This will include an outright ban on the likes of plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers and sticks for balloons where alternatives are readily available and affordable. read full story / add a comment

The Vatican released an official assessment on global economics entitled, "‘Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones" or "Considerations for an ethical discernment regarding some aspects of the present economic-financial system." The document calls for improvements in global finance policies on debt resolution, taxation, financial crisis prevention and transparency.  read full story / add a comment

Ongoing abduction and rape of women and young girls by Turkish ‘Security’ Forces in Afrin, Rojava read full story / add a comment

he IAWM condemns the withdrawal by US President Trump from the Iran nuclear deal and the imposition of fresh sanctions on the country.

The IAWM also condemns Israel’s overnight attacks on alleged Iranian positions in Syria, a deliberate escalation of aggression which was no doubt inspired if not enabled by Trump’s decision.

The IAWM has long since condemned all foreign and local military action in Syria, including that of Iran, that has killed and maimed so many Syrians. We have called on numerous occasions for a complete and lasting ceasefire and for massive humanitarian aid to help rebuild the country. read full story / add a comment

At a meeting in Bonn during the UN climate talks, Climate Case Ireland is launching a website to seek support from members of the public. The website includes a one minute video explaining the legal challenge Friends of the Irish Environment has brought against the Irish Government’s failure to take the action needed to avert dangerous climate change read full story / add a comment

Since Rodrigo Duterte began his term as the 16th president of the Philippines in 30 June 2016, Filipinos and the international community have watched in horror at accounts of dead bodies found nightly in the country’s streets, linked to extra-judicial killings (EJKs).

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After dozens were killed and hundreds injured in the Friday demonstrations in Gaza, it appears inevitable that there will be further such killings and mutilations tomorrow as the protests continue. The following letter to the Israeli Ambassador in Ireland expresses fears that Israel will continue their unjust use of violence. read full story / add a comment

Officials from governments, the IMF, World Bank, the private sector and NGOs meet this week at the United Nations for the Financing for Development (FFD) Forum. read full story / add a comment

While the Irish media focus only Macron bombing Syria and making speeches in praise of the EU French workers and students are in full scale revolt against the French President’s neo-liberal policies.

The past few weeks have seen an explosion of resistance to Macron’s proposed anti-worker Labour Laws, his plans to cut 120,000 jobs in the public sector and introduce individualised “payment by results” for workers, along with his attacks on free higher education. Rail workers led the way but many other sectors have followed suit in mass strikes across the country. read full story / add a comment

Posted belatedly
Today (17th April), on the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners, more than 150 European trade unions, political parties, human rights organizations and faith groups from over 16 European countries issued a call urging the EU to uphold its legal responsibilities and exclude Israeli military companies from EU Framework Programs.

This call – accompanied by an explainer video – comes at a time when at least 35 unarmed Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli snipers during three weeks of protests at Gaza’s border with Israel. read full story / add a comment

(On 28 March the new Ecuadorian government and its President cut off all use of the internet from Julian and forbade him all future visitors. His friends have rallied and are asking all who care to protest and work on his behalf. The letter below explains itself) read full story / add a comment

Lets be clear the chemical attack last week was not done by Syria. It would make absolutely no sense. They have already more or less beaten the US/Uk/France (via Saudi proxies) backed ISIS terrorist group with the great help of Russia. Besides Syria destroyed all their chemical weapons a few years back under the watchful eyes of international agencies. So why on Earth would they bring the wrath of the world upon themselves. They are not that stupid. No this chemical attack like the other ones, is done via the terrorist cells (-trained, financed and armed by Western powers through local proxies) - against the "moderate terrorists" and ultimately arranged by their sponsors which is as US, UK & France, the very same states crying crocodile tears about human rights when they regularly bomb countries and people for "human rights". Even now as they screech in unison about this staged attack by them blaming it on the Syrians they have absolutely zero interests in the lives of the people in question. Even the most unobservable person can see it is used merely as a pretext to their agenda. That agenda however is not just to take action and drop bombs as always but something bigger and it is brilliantly outlined in the article written back before this latest fiasco where intelligence had already revealed that the US/UK were planning this latest attack. In short the agenda is to link the clumsy chemical poisoning of Skripal with the Syria chemical attack. The plan was simple. Russia is a monster for using chemical poisoning (except they didn't) and so is Syria too (except they didn't) and they are friends. Therefore Russia should be expelled from the 5 member UN security council and if that could be pulled off then the US/UK & France could safely ignore China and the "Western Free World" would have a free hand to bomb and intimidate who they like. You see the problem is the USA is in debt and technically should be insolvent but because the dollar is the global reserve currency backed by threat of US military, special forces and colour revolutions no-one dares challenge it except of course the Russia-China axis. Nevertheless USA had it's day in the sun and their power is declining. The UK think they can re-establish their colonial relationship and presumably they would be the dominant partner and need to hang on the coat tails of the USA to achieve their aims. Even though the USA is clearly the bigger of the two, the UK are much better at this game than the US could ever hope to be, hence the confidence they can successfully use them. read full story / add a comment