Environmental Peacebuilding Association

International

China/Vietnam/South China Sea: Vietnam Seizes Chinese Vessel in South China Sea

Apr 4, 2016 | Oliver Holmes, Guardian

Vietnam has seized a Chinese ship and detained its captain and two sailors, accusing the crew of illegally intruding on its waters, state media said…

Afghanistan: Loan Agreement Worth $6 Million Signed for the Afghan Farmers, Agri Sector

Apr 4, 2016 | Khaama Press

The Afghan farmers and agricultural producers will receive loans following the signing of an agreement worth $6 million between the Afghan government and microfinance institutions.…

DRC: Congo’s Civil War Has Practically Wiped out the World’s Largest Gorilla

Apr 4, 2016 | Maddie Stone, Gizmodo

The largest great apes on Earth have suffered a “catastrophic” population collapse over the past twenty years, according to a report published today by the…

Water Cycle Instability is Here to Stay Posing Major Political and Economic Risks: UN Experts

Apr 4, 2016 | United Nations University

The current instability and unpredictability of the world water cycle is here to stay, making society's adaptation to new risks a vital necessity when formulating…

Sierra Leone: Panama Papers: Flaws in Sierra Leone’s Diamond Trade

Apr 4, 2016 | Khadija Sharife and Silas Gbandia, African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting and International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Dodgy dealings within the Steinmetz Group seems to indicate undervaluing of diamonds, which is costing Sierra Leone tax payments. Sierra Leone is one of Africa’s leading…

DRC: Panama Papers: The DRC’s Gold Standard

Apr 4, 2016 | Khadija Sharife, African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting and International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Despite international laws stipulating disclosure of the origins of gold, a tranche of leaked documents points to unsavoury behaviour by tax havens trading in commodities.…

Myanmar: In Burma’s Wildest Corner, Jade, Drugs and Rebels will Test the New Government

Apr 4, 2016 | Annie Gowen, Washington Post

Burma’s northernmost state is home to 1.2 million people and some of the country’s most intractable problems — including a rapacious jade mining culture, opium cultivation,…

Conflict Minerals: Key Messages from Panel Debate on EU Conflict Minerals Regulation

Apr 4, 2016 | Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité

Key messages from the panel debate organised by CIDSE, Justice & Peace Belgium, EurAc, Misereor and Brot für die Welt. that took place in Brussels…

Iraq: Iraq's PM Orders Probe into Oil Corruption Allegations

Apr 2, 2016 | Sinan Salaheddin, Associated Press

Iraq's prime minister on Saturday ordered an investigation into corruption allegations against senior oil officials following an expose into bribe-taking published in international media outlets.…

Myanmar: Flood Misery Lingers for Many

Apr 2, 2016 | Oliver Slow, Frontier

More than seven months after severe flooding throughout much of Myanmar, many poor communities in rural areas are still facing major food security problems, say…

Zimbabwe: Will Zimbabwe President Mugabe Compensate Farm Owners after Decades of Land Grabs?

Apr 1, 2016 | Elsa Buchanan, International Business Times

After decades of anti-Western rhetoric, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is showing signs of mellowing. Faced with economic wobbles in his drought-stricken nation, the 92-year-old has…

Liberia: Mandingo and Mano Vow to End Land Disputes through Dialogue

Mar 31, 2016 | Arrington Ballah, The Bush Chicken

A group of leaders from the Mandingo and Mano tribes recently held a town hall meeting to resolve a series of land issues involving members…

Myanmar: Report Calls for Logging Moratorium, End to State-Run MTE

Mar 31, 2016 | Moe Myint, The Irrawaddy

International and Burmese environmental organizations this week said Burma’s forest reserves are largely exhausted, calling for a moratorium on commercial logging and the dismantling or…

Angola/Nigeria/South Sudan: Perils of Relying on Oil as the Only Source of Livelihood: Lessons from South Sudan, Nigeria, and Angola

Mar 31, 2016 | Astrid R.N. Haas, Mail & Guardian Africa

Developed off the back of one natural resource is risky for any country. It makes them reliant on external conditions beyond their control, such as global…

South Sudan: Row over SPLA Land Grabbing in Central Equatoria

Mar 30, 2016 | Radio Tamazuj

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reportedly ordered a reversal of construction of settlements by soldiers deployed in South Sudan's Central Equatoria state following complaints…

Israel/Palestine: Palestine Marks 'Land Day' amid Fresh Israeli Land Grabs

Mar 30, 2016 | Anees Bargouthi, Anadolu Agency

Thousands of Palestinians on Wednesday marked "Land Day", which commemorates six Palestinian protesters killed by Israeli troops 40 years ago while demonstrating against the seizure…

Iraq: Iraqis Kept in the Dark about Mosul Dam Emergency Plans

Mar 30, 2016 | Stephen Kalin and Saif Hameed, Reuters

Despite intense U.S. pressure to act to keep Iraq's largest dam from collapsing, Baghdad has done little to prepare Iraqis for the possibility of a…

Conflict Minerals: Apple Says Supply Chain Now 100% Audited for Conflict Minerals

Mar 30, 2016 | Emily Chasan, Bloomberg

Apple Inc. has reached what it’s calling a milestone in supply-chain transparency, saying it’s now auditing 100 percent of its suppliers for the use of…

Conflict Minerals: Edinburgh University Breaks New Ground by Opposing Conflict Minerals

Mar 30, 2016 | Owen Duffy, Guardian

Edinburgh university is to cut the use of so-called conflict minerals in goods it buys, with a promise to search out alternatives if a product…

Myanmar: Plea for Halt to Dams in Myanmar 'Conflict Areas'

Mar 30, 2016 | Shan Human Rights Foundation

A new report launched today by Shan community groups calls for an immediate halt to the Upper Yeywa dam and other planned hydropower dams on…

Myanmar: Power Plant Wastewater Causes Health Problems, Water Shortages in Tikyit

Mar 30, 2016 | Eleven Myanmar

Wastewater from the coal-fired power plant in Tikyit, Pinlaung Township, Pa-O Self-Administered Region, has been identified as the cause of health problems and drinking water…

China/United States/South China Sea: US: No, China, We Won't Recognize These Red Lines You've Drawn All over the South China Sea

Mar 30, 2016 | Reuters

The US has told China it will not recognize an exclusion zone in the South China Sea, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said…

Nigeria/South Sudan: Diversify Your Economy from Oil, Buhari Urges South Sudan

Mar 29, 2016 | Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Leadership

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday urged the South Sudanese government to invest more in agriculture and not to be solely dependent on oil revenues to…

Oil Prices: Hidden Force behind Oil's Rise: Sabotage by Terrorists

Mar 29, 2016 | Matt Egan, CNN

Oil prices have surged on hopes of a freeze in global production. But a more hidden factor is also fueling the price spike: terror attacks…

Myanmar: Myanmar to Introduce Rules, Regulations of Jewelry Law

Mar 26, 2016 | Shanghai Daily

Myanmar will introduce rules and regulations of the country's Jewelry Law, official media reported Saturday. The Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association is working for…

China/Vietnam/South China Sea: South China Sea Controversy: Beijing Urges Vietnam to Deepen Defense Ties amid Territorial Dispute

Mar 26, 2016 | Suman Varandani, International Business Times

China’s defense minister has urged his country’s military to deepen ties with Vietnam amid the ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Chinese Defense…