Intro
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs live every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC-Meadville from the campus of Allegheny College, and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. We're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
On today's show...
- We speak with an employee of the East Liberty Shop-n-save store who alleges religious discrimination
- We learn about human trafficking in the US and abroad, and what is being done to stop it
- and we discuss proposed changes to National Forest Service policies with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
but first, these local headlines
Headlines
Local News
[1:30ish] Penn-Trafford Teacher Strike
Teachers in the Penn-Trafford School District, in Westmoreland County, began striking on Monday, October 24, after eleven months of fruitless contract negotiations. As reported by Penn-Trafford student journalists on the Pittsburgh IMC newswire, administrators in the district are paid at a similar rate to those in the surrounding school districts, but teachers' salaries are lower than nearly every nearby district.
In addition to salary concerns, the teachers' union is arguing for better healthcare benefits and for more teachers to be hired, in order to bring down the student-to-teacher ratio in the district, which is higher than those of most neighboring districts. Teachers also are calling for more instructional aides to be hired; Penn-Trafford has one instructional aide for every 1,000 students while the state average is one for every 130 students.
Penn-Trafford's student population has grown rapidly in recent years, but funding from the state has remained unchanged.
High school seniors, who during the strike have been falling behind in Advanced Placement classes and in the college application process, returned to school today, instructed by administrators.
In Pennsylvania, teachers are permitted to strike for 26 days before being forced to return to the job. If the dispute is not resolved, the student body will not return to school until after Thanksgiving.
[:30] Panhandling laws enacted
Pittsburgh enacted new panhandling restrictions this week, after lawmakers added a last minute provision banning asking for change near churches. The law already banned begging near restaurants, theaters, and cafes.
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the president of the Greater Pittsburgh American Civil Liberties Union said she doesn't plan to challenge the ordinance's constitutionality in court now, but she wouldn't rule it out if people complain.
[2:00] Aids Caravan
On Thursday November 3rd community organizers, student activists, religious leaders and others rallied to end AIDS in front of the East liberty Presbyterian church. The event featurered the Campaign to End AIDS caravan who have been traveling cross country, staging rallies and events along the way. The caravan was one of five caravans who began their journey at various west coast citites and then converged on Washington DC on November 5th. In DC they are holding Five Days of Action to End AIDS and are meeting with lawmakers to demand that they
- 1. Fully fund quality treatment and support services for all people living with HIV everywhere.,
- 2. Ramp up HIV prevention at home and abroad, guided by science rather than ideology,
- 3. Increase research to find a cure, more effective treatments and better prevention tools,
- 4. Fight AIDS stigma and protect the civil rights of all people with HIV and AIDS everywhere.
We will now hear from Erica Chowa of the Black Action Society who spoke at the East Liberty Rally.
That was just Erica Chowa speaking about the Campaign to End Aids Caravan. For more information you can go to www.campaigntoends.org
[5:00] Mayoral Election
Tuesday's election will determine the new mayor of Pittsburgh. Conventional wisdom holds that the democratic nominee, in this case Bob O'Connor, will win by a large margin. Rustbelt talked with Green Party mayoral candidate Titus North about why this is the case.
We also asked Titus for his opinion on police brutality in Pittsburgh.
- titus-police-brutality.ogg
Titus also told us about his specific ideas to improve policing.
- titus-community-police.ogg
Wrapup
For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
[ music... ]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to news from other independent media sources around the world.
[0:30] U.S. steps up planning for Cuba coup after Castro's dies
The Financial Times reports that the US government's planning for Cuba's "transition" after the eventual death of Fidel Castro has entered a new stage, with the Pentagon and State Department preparing for the "day after," when Washington will try to back a new government in Havana. The inter-agency effort, which also involves the Defense Department, recognises that the replacement of Cuban politicians in a land where people overwhelmingly support socialism, may not go peacefully and that the US may have to launch a "nation-building exercise."
[3:00] Trial Begins for Salvadoran Commander Nicolas Carranza in Memphis
Last week in Memphis, Tennessee, federal trial began for a former Salvadoran military official charged with torture and human rights abuses over 20 years ago. Colonel Nicolas Carranza, former Vice-Minister of Defense of El Salvador, faced accusations of torture, extrajudicial killing and crimes against humanity from five Salvadoran civilians.
The trial is expected to last about three weeks. This is the first time Carranza has ever had to
answer accusations that he oversaw widespread human rights violations in El Salvador. Carranza
came to the United States in 1985 and settled in Memphis. He became a U.S. citizen in 1991.
The plaintiffs allege that, as Vice-Minister of Defense, Colonel Carranza exercised command and control over the three units of El Salvador's Security Forces. During his command in 1980, say plaintiffs, death squad members murdered both parents of Ana Patricia Chavez and the father of Francisco Calderon for their membership in the teachers' union. Both survivors are plaintiffs in the case, along with two others who were abducted and tortured for participating in the Salvadoran pre-democracy movement at that time.
One man who was tortured, Daniel Alvarado, said he was hung blindfolded from a ceiling, repeatedly beaten and shocked with electrical wires attached to his body. He testified through an interpreter, "I felt like my arms were being torn off. Even to this day, my shoulders hurt all the time."
The fifth plaintiff is the wife of an assassinated pro-democracy leader. Such assassinations by the Salvadoran military led directly to a full-scale civil war - a conflict that claimed an estimated 75,000 lives in the 1980s. The plaintiffs say that as many as 12,000 civilians were assassinated in 1980 alone, when Carranza was in charge of the security forces.
Carranza says he had no authority to stop abuses while he was Vice-Minister of Defense. While serving in high-level Salvadoran posts, Carranza was an informant for the CIA before moving to the United States.
The case was brought by the Center for Justice and Accountability, a San Francisco non-profit which has successfully sued other Salvadoran officials for torture. Federal law gives U.S. courts jurisdiction over claims for damages because of human-rights abuses abroad. Carranza is being sued for unspecified monetary damages, but he has Amnesty protection from criminal charges for war crimes.
[1:30] Thousands converge in opposition to Bush in Argentina
The Argentine beach town of Mar del Plata became a symbolic site of the historical struggle between neo-liberalism and social movements in Latin America last week, when President Bush and the 34 other presidents in the hemisphere participated in the Fourth Summit of the Americas. They were met by hordes of protestors against Bush and his free trade agenda. As Argentine President Nestor Kirchner hosted the official Summit of the Americas behind miles of fences, the Peoples´ Summit Against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas brought together social movements, labor unionists, piqueteros, non-profits, and community groups from Argentina and the across the Americas to create a more just and humane form of Latin American political, economic and social integration.
The Peoples´ Summit provided the space for dialogue on how to build an anti-imperialist hemispheric movement. Reproductive, indigenous, and human rights, alternative production models, challenging imperialism, youth movements, genetically modified crops and building autonomy were some of the main themes of the event.
There was also a growing divide evident at the summit over what role the progressive and leftist governments in the region will have in building alternatives to the neo-liberal model. Many social movements, especially the autonomous-oriented piquetero groups from Argentina, do not believe that the progressive leaders of Latin America truly represent their interests. Other groups, mainly the political parties that are aligned with Kircher, see hope in an alliance with Lula, Chavez, Castro, Vazquez of Uruguay, and Evo Morales, if he wins the upcoming Bolivian elections.
this report adapted from Upside Down World, online latin american magazine.
Wrapup
You can read more independent global news stories by visting indymedia: I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.
Bad Cop No Donut
Now it's time for our regular update on police brutality and misconduct in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio from Ron Anicich. (AN - uh - sich)
- optional taser update (1:32)
Features
Intro
Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
[6:20] West Virginia Monongahela National Forest proposals
The National Forest Service is currently collecting public comment on its proposals for the Monongahela National Forest. Buff Rodman, a member of the board of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, was interviewed by Gwendolyn Schmidt about this matter.
[buff-interview 6:05]
Again, the links to go to for more information are www.wvwild.org and www.wvhighlands.org. Comments are due by Monday November 14th.
[13:00] Human Trafficking
The International Labor Organization estimates that 2.4 million people are trafficked into forced labor or enslavement each year. The trafficking industry is highly profitable with estimates of up to 10 billion dollars in annual income.
Trafficking has emerged as a major issue affecting women around the world. It has grown dramatically with the increase in globalization and improved international travel. It is a multi-faceted issue that involves crime, economics, migration, labor, health, and victim’s assistance for victims of violent crime.
In the United States, there have been reports of trafficking in at least 20 states, with many cases occurring in California, New York, and Florida. Many women and girls trafficked into the US are from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea, Malaysia, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Brazil and Honduras. They often enter through airports in major US cities, or are brought in through Canada. The statistics regarding the numbers of people trafficked into the US are unreliable. Some sources say every year 50,000 women and children are brought into the country by suspicious and fraudulent means. Across international borders, the numbers range from 800,000 to 2 million women, according to UN reports.
Dr. Regina Burchem, International President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, whose headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, works with the United Nations on the issue of Human Trafficking. She recently spoke in Pittsburgh and provided examples to describe what trafficking is exactly.
Trafficking can be high in certain locations, such as Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Burchem explained the factors that make certain places more susceptible to human trafficking.
In a country like Afghanistan, there may be reluctance to report a trafficking crime, because the victim may be seen as a shame to the family. This is especially true when people are sold into prostitution. Other factors which increase the ability to traffic humans in this country include weak border patrols and police complicity. In the year 2002, the Afghani Office on Migration conducted a research study into the trafficking that was taking place in the country. Dr. Burchem shared the results:
Despite these human rights abuses, the US government has given preferential treatment to Afghanistan. Dr. Burchem explains:
CEDAW, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, is a UN convention that is working to stop trafficking. Article 6 of the convention obligates state parties to (quote ) “take all measures, including legislation, to suppress the traffic in women and exploitation or prostitution of women.” Once a country ratifies CEDAW, they can be held accountable for their practices and must present reports to the UN.
The US, along with 10 other countries including Sudan, Somalia, Iran, and Qatar are the only remaining countries who have yet to ratify this convention, which has been in place since 1979. Included in the convention regarding children is a provision on age limits for military recruitment and service. This is believed to be one reason the US has signed but not ratified the convention. The US may consider age limits for the military a threat to national security. Dr. Burchem suggested there is movement on this issue, and hopefully the US will ratify it.
The US government views the negative effects of trafficking in terms of immigration and national security, not so much as a human rights issue. From reviewing cases of human trafficking brought into the criminal justice system, it can be seen that sentences are relatively light, compared to penalties for drug dealing. They do not reflect the array of human rights abuses perpetrated against the individual. Maximum penalties for selling someone into involuntary servitude are often no higher than 20 years, whereas selling 10 grams of LSD can get you life in prison.
Because human trafficking is an elusive crime, it has not been brought to the forefront of international dialogue until recently. Dr. Burchem stated that education and awareness building are critical to fight trafficking. She also explained what else can be done to address this issue:
Other positive initiatives in the fight against human trafficking can be seen in legislation in countries such as Cambodia, where social intervention and skills training is being provided to young victims of commercial sex. Internationally, women’s groups are raising consciousness in women of their human rights, and NGOs are directing their energies toward programs for girls with a focus on recovery, repatriation, and reintegration.
To check the human trafficking statistics on individual countries, go to www.un . org /womenwatch/
And for more information on trafficking, log on to peacewomen . org
[ Break? ]
You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.
[14:00] Shop N Save Discrimination Case
We now have an interview with Sister Dana, an employee at the East Liberty Shop-n-save store, and Saleh Wazirudin, chair of the anti-discrimination committee of the Islamic Council of Greater Pittsburgh, regarding a case of alleged employment discrimination at the shop-n-save store. Shop-n-save corporate management did not return phone calls.
[13:45]
Ending
[m:ss] Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
- Wednesday November 9th, at 7pm, Dr. Mary Burke, of Carlow University will be speaking on Human Trafficking and the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children. This event will be held at Chatham College, PCW Room in the Mellon Center. For more information Contact: pghpath @ hotmail. com or Sr. Jean Murin at 412-578-6304
- Thursday the 10th,The University of Pittsburgh Center on Race and Social Problems will present a public screening of "Race: The Power of an Illusion, Part 3: The House We Live In" . This film will be screened from 12 to 2 pm in room 2017 Cathedral of Learning. For more information contact: mnewman @ pitt .edu
- Also Thursday the 10th, Jack Spadaro, mine safety & health and environmental expert, will be speaking on the history and impacts of mountaintop removal and longwall mining on our health and environment, and on his experience as a whistleblower in the federal government. 6pm at Carnegie Mellon University, Margaret Morrison Building room A14.
- The Pittsburgh Palestinian Film Fest continues this upcoming weekend with the film Fronties and Dreams shown on Friday Night and Arna's Children on Sunday night. Locations vary, for more information contact www. psc-pgh. org
Outro
[ Outro music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville and WVJW Benwood.
Our hosts this week are Jessica McPherson and Andalusia Knoll with additional contributions from Gwen Schmidt, Carlin Christy, Matt Toups, Abie Flaxman. This week's show was produced by Matt Toups. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To reach us about volunteering, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG.
All of our shows are available for download or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
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