Contents newint.org
Agenda Stories making the news this month 08 Church on the rampage in Georgia 08 Eritrea’s robo-liberators 09 Guilt-free cellphone 09 Introducing Nicolás Maduro 09 Condom wars in Kenya 10 We need bats 10 Out of the frying pan in Greece 11 Sexism’s a drag in Iran 11 My hot chilli peppers PLUS: Scratchy Lines by
Simon Kneebone, and Reasons to be Cheerful.
The Big Story – Debt
12 Debt – a global scam The actions of creditors are key to debt crises, argues
Dinyar Godrej.
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Fa c e b o o k l i t y f o rE q u a
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K u r d f r o m p h o t o l o a d e d
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Mixed Media 34 Film reviews: Hot Docs special.
Narco Cultura, Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer; Fatal Assistance; American Commune; and The Kill Team. 36 Music reviews: Droit dans la Gueule du Loup by
Melissmell; and Stand Up, People: Gypsy Pop Songs from Tito’s Yugoslavia by Various Artists. 37 Book reviews: Meet Me in Gaza by Louisa B Waugh; A
Village Awaits Doomsday by Jaideep Hardikar; Johnson’s Dictionary by David Dabydeen; and The Devil’s Workshop by Jachym Topol.
Opinion 30 Argument: Are exams bad for children? Teachers Stephanie Schneider and Matt Christison go head-to-head. PLUS: Open Window with Menekse Cam from Turkey. 33 Mark Engler Obama’s ‘free trade’ voyages are another big mistake. 43 Chris Coltrane Forget One Direction – we need a new direction. PLUS: Polyp’s Big Bad World cartoon.
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17 Let us prey
The funds that feast on countries in trouble. 18 DEBT – THE FACTS 20 It’s Europe’s turn The scourge that hobbled development in the Majority World now infects Europe. By Susan George. 24 All together now! North and South must unite, says campaigner Nick Dearden, now that the debt landscape has widened. 27 Rise up! Action and Resources.
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Feature 38 In the valley of conflict Sofi Lundin on the seldomreported plight of the Pandit minority in Kashmir.
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Front cover: RubberBall / Alamy and Thinkstock. Magazine designed by Alan Hughes and Juha Sorsa. All monetary values are expressed in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
Regulars 6 Letters 7 Letter from Botswana Wame Molefhe finds hope in the country’s traditional community meetings. 28 Country Profile: Equatorial Guinea 42 Making Waves Rin Simpson meets eco-village pioneer Paul Wimbush. 44 Southern Exposure Aleppo before the devastation by Carole Al Farah. 45 Puzzle Page
PLUS: Marc Roberts’ Only Planet cartoon. 46 And Finally Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano on dreams, justice,
football – and his first teacher’s legs.
I’m a New Internationalist
Anthony Manrique Former New Internationalist campaigner I was 24 years old and failing as a charity fundraiser in London when a man approached me, brandishing copies of a magazine that would change the course of my life.
One week later, I was working as a campaigner beside him, on behalf of New Internationalist Publications. I spent hours being ignored and chastized in the dampest corners of apathetic England, and yet would always end up poring over sodden copies of the magazine with perfect strangers who were willing to listen and to learn, to exchange ideas and to act.
I grew up aware of the great unfairness in our world, but back then I knew very little in terms of facts. I had few thoughts about solutions, and so felt helpless and useless.
I live differently now, in Colombia. I left my job as a communications officer in London to come here with the love of my life – a fellow New Internationalist campaigner whom I met on the job. We are travelling the country, learning ways to live co-operatively and sustainably.
I’m now 28 and I still feel that New Internationalist is more than a magazine; it is a brick through the window with which to build something new. ■
Are you a New Internationalist? If you would like to appear in this space email: iloveni@newint.org
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