By a vote of 30-2, the UN Human Rights Council approved a declaration that said indigenous people should be free from discrimination and that they have a right “to consider themselves different and to be respected as such.” Only Canada and Russia voted against it.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Palestinians hit by sonic boom air raids

Some of you may have heard or read about ’sonicbooms’ over Gaza over the last few days. The Guardian had a story on these virtual-explosions last November and it’s worth revisiting.

–We should all be able to communicate freely. Any policy that limits this ability is not in the interests of the people and is regressive, no matter what age group we are supposedly targeting.

The Supreme Court has denied Inco’s appeal, which means that Canada’s largest environmental class action lawsuit to the tune of $750-million filed on behalf of 8000 Port Colborne citizens can go ahead. For more info on Inco and Port Colborne, visit: http://www.incowatch.ca and for more info on Inco around the world (currently under construction but with recent news posted), visit: http://www.jatam.org/english/case/inco/

–The right to exist is one of the catch phrases in the media right now but what happens when we turn the focus around? Hypocrisy comes through loud and clear.

–Workers united in Australia against regressive policy of Howard. The momentum must continue if we are going to actually push progressive reform not just stand up to moves backward.

More on the rallies and marches here. Lots of colour!

–You cannot ‘ban’ poverty. The people of Fredericton need to rally behind the poor and demand that their taxes be spent on helping those really in need instead of being spent on lining corporate quaffers. We have to respond loudly to these reactionary calls and intolerance of the poor if we are going to be heard over the current roar of the conservative media.

Ron Jacobs: Killing a Nation to Rescue a Soldier | Counterpunch

“The arrests of several elected Palestinians leaders on June 28, 2006 proves even further that the independent Palestinian nation we are told exists by Tel Aviv and its mentors in Washington, DC is nothing more than a sham.”

Sure the headline is sensationalist … but selling copies is not likely the only reason why. The continuing degradation of civil liberties is astounding.

Watch Us, Wiretap Us, Search Us, Jail Us … | Counterpunch

One nation … under surveillance

–A new article from the Montly Review on the Weather Underground. We all need to educate ourselves on the history of these types of movements both to see what went wrong and to make sure that the reactionary revisonists are not able to change history.

–An important question to ask in democratic organizations. There is always a fight for “democracy” within larger organizations but one must look more closely and the motives of the poeple involved at the top and their political policies to know if they really mean what they say.

–Always an interesting and ongoing debate around the world on whether the Left should ever engage in boycotts of elections. My answer is almost always No.

–The right wing continues its regressive and reactionary attacks on the people of Venezuela. Here is part of the continuing analysis of these attacks and a reminder not to believe most of what you read from “official” US sources about Venezuela.

–The fight continues against the regressive policies of the provincial and federal governements on education.

–I have been reading this a lot lately in the liberal media sources. There is something inherently flawed (with a hint of racism) in this analysis. Can you spot it?

–There is no reason to think that global warming is going to be dealt with without some massive changes in the US economy… and that is not going to happen with out a change in the system.

–This seems more than a little illegal.

–This report is being denouced by the Conservatives with nothing but rhetoric. The fact that this is a liberal think tank means that things are probably even worse than they are being reported. Bring the troops home now!

–The Cuba embargo continues to stifle communication between those that are engaged in some very interesting and important science and other accademic ventures. Not to mention that collective punishment should be denounced wherever it occurs.

–Not really all that surprising but it really needs to be put out there. The Liberals give out money illegally and the Tories take it. I wonder which is worse.

Anti-FTA Rally Shakes Lima | Prensa Latina

A clear message is being sent to President Garcia … that his presidency is contingent on the terms of trade the country agrees to.

And the violence continues…

“A Canadian corporation looks to make billions as indigenous people fight for their rights in French colonial territory.” The 104 year old Canadian nickel mining company is no more. The American company Phelps Dodge just gobbled up Canadian nickel mining companies Inco and Falconbridge. Inco’s friends over the years have included a number of tyrants that reigned over countries like Hitler, Colonel Arana and other dictators in Guatemala, and General Suharto in Indonesia. Falconbridge took over the Noranda smelter that contaminated properties in the Belledune area. The unions representing Inco and Falcobridge employees in Sudbury, Ontario, are rejecting the takeover bid and it still has to get regulatory clearance. One American-based company may soon be in control of much of the world’s supply of nickel, also known as the war metal.

–A cut by 50%. That is a little more than just cutting fees. The give away of public resources to corporations continues.

“On the evening of Friday June 2nd, Police and Security Forces arrested 17 men in the Greater Toronto Area on terrorism charges. These arrests have ignited a media frenzy and a wave of racism against Muslims. For Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the arrests come at a convenient time when support is slipping for the Canadian intervention in Afghanistan. The corporate media and right-wing politicians are attempting to use the fear of terrorism to erode civil liberties in Canada. This article attempts to point a way forward for workers and youth seeking a world without war or terror.”

–This one would be a nice one to win.

“The International Socialists (IS) was founded at a meeting held in Toronto in February of 1975. In the more than three decades that have followed, the left and the workers’ movement in Canada have experienced many ups and downs, successes and failures. The IS has been a part of that experience, and the period of its modest, early beginnings was a moment of tremendous change for the left.”

This post was brought to us by Duane. Thanks Duane.

I think sexuality is a social construct. Gender attributes could certainly be determined in the womb, but sexuality is a learned identity. I’m not saying someone choses to be gay, it’s just that their life experience leads them to their preference.

Addition by Graham: The whole article is written in the wrong tense and makes it appear that they can predict likelyhood. This is an incorrect assumption. The title should read: Study suggests that increased proportion of youngbrothers self identify as homosexual. The old title and the way that the article is written suggests that the authors of the study have identified a mechanism that predicts gender. This is not the case. The authors have simply carried out a correlation. There is no mechanism tested and there are many things that may or may not correlate with being a ‘younger brother’ that may or may not have an impact on gender identification. The paper does not test or critically describe any analysis into causation or mechanism so anyone that talks of such things within the context of this paper is talking out of their a@# and their motives should be questioned.

Whether it is choice or not there is no rational argument to be made on making a moral judgment about gender or gender identification. Gender as we identify it in Western Society is not the same as people have identified it through history and between cultures. To try to relate some meaning out of correlations such as the one in the article between biological determinism (like the genes that control your eye color) and a social construct like ‘gender identification in (and only in) Western Society’ is absurd, unscientific, and does not stand up to any indepth analysis. I would reject the news article as having any interest other than under the title of “neat correlations between probably unrelated phenomena”.

The Russian revolution produced some important reforms for Russian women durring its early stages.

This might be an interesting read for some. I’m not so sure if the author accurately represents all the different feminisms.

The Toronto-based mineral exploration company Platinex is suing the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation for $10-billion, the expected value of the ore that they anticipate finding. The community is countersuing Platinex for $10-million and have declared their intentions to challenge the constitutionality of the Ontario Mining Act. The reserve has also made a land claim that includes the disputed area.

Platinex also hired a foreign mercenary to provide security for the company after protesters and blockades disrupted their operations.

Victory to the workers! Althought the finer details of Ekati workers first collective agreement are yet to released.

Thoudsands of diplaced Katrina victims will be losing their public housing, unable to return to their cities, refugees in their own country. If socialists and unionists need a foothold in America (which they do), there’s one in every poor neighbourhood around the New Orleans area. Agitate, Organize, Educate!

Some analysis on the up comming presidential elections in Mexico.