GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana will take over chairmanship of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in 2010 President Bharrat Jagdeo announced on Saturday after returning from the 3rd Heads of Government Conference of UNASUR in Quito, Equador.

Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo. AFP PHOTO
Jagdeo told a gathering here on Saturday that this opportunity will allow Guyana to contribute to policy decisions that will impact the region.

“Next year we will take over the leadership and all, the Latin Leaders are within UNASUR and we are trying to create greater opportunity for our people within this region in addition to being part of Caricom so that e don’t have to take policy direction from the north or the developed countries of the world which always felt that they have a monopoly over where countries and what should go and what decisions they should make… and I think being at the helm of the body next year we will be able to make a positive impact in the decision making process of this body and we will make our contribution accordingly ” Jagdeo told a recent Congress of a trade union here

The Caricom chairman noted that Guyana will not be engaged in be engaged in the “speechifying” of progression by Latin American countries but rather be going head on with concrete position to push the integration of South America “we have to avoid the rhetoric without action, we have to clear with whatever we say we match it with action, if not we will forever be speaking about problems without resolving them” Jagdeo said

President Jagdeo who is also chairman of Caricom says member countries should recommit to integration as they grapple with unprecedented global challenges.

This decision was taken during the UNASUR heads meeting where the 12 south American heads signed the Quito declaration o vowing to strengthen regional integration.

The declaration addresses cooperation issues such as energy, the economy, health and education and called on UNASUR energy council to map out an energy strategy, an action plan and an integration project.

Tashieka Mair, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Showers of blessings literally poured down on Sherwood Content, Trelawny, yesterday, as the community’s hero, Usain Bolt, powered to record win in the 100m finals at the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

Bolt’s mom and dad were at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, but proud and excited residents of the rural district converged at Sharon Lawrence’s shop to witness the 9.58-second run by the Olympic champion and world record holder.

Dark clouds had already gathered, signalling that rain would soon fall. The heavens opened up immediately after Bolt crossed the finish line.

Bolt’s win was déjà vu as it was a year to the day since they gathered in similar fashion to watch the wunderkind create history at the Beijing Summer Games in China. No one doubted that Bolt would win, as they declared him an unbeatable force in track and field.

Full Story: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090817/lead/lead2.html

Ocean acidification is a potentially large problem directly related to climate change resulting from ocean waters reacting with more carbon dioxide. Amongst other things, it seems to negatively affect certain plankton that help in absorbing carbon dioxide. Some of the affected sea creatures are also crucial to the food chain, so the implications could be big. Some further information, including a couple of short videos, have been added to explain this.

Originally from http://www.globalissues.org/

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. This update includes additional illustrations and notes on these aspects, including an illustration of the nitrogen cycle and updates on the declining bee population and their importance to agriculture.

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Almost 40 years ago, rich country governments agreed to give 0.7% of their GNI (Gross National Income) as official aid to poor countries for development assistance. The average aid delivered each year has actually been between 0.2 to 0.4%. The shortfall has therefore accumulated to over $3.6 trillion dollars at 2007 prices, while total aid delivered in that same time frame has reached $2.7 trillion. This update includes updated charts and graphs that look into this further.

Originally from

Biodiversity loss and species extinction is on the increase. It is generally understood that the high species loss rate is in large part due to human activity. This update includes notes on whaling and its impacts on ocean biodiversity (such as reducing fish populations, rather than increasing them for fishermen) and a video looking at the link between human rights and environmental rights.

Originally from http://www.globalissues.org/

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) recently published new preliminary figures for aid in 2008. It showed official development assistance (ODA) aid from wealthy governments had increased to $119.8 billion, the highest ever. This is roughly 0.3% of GNI of the donor nations. Yet, almost 40 years ago nations promised to reach 0.7% of their GNI. While each year the amount of aid falls quite short of that 0.7% target, the quality and effectiveness of that aid is often questionable, sometimes benefiting the donor more than the recipient due to the types of conditions attached to this aid. This update includes a number of new and updated charts and graphs.

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The conservation organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), notes that rhino poaching worldwide is poised to hit a 15-year-high driven by Asian demand for horns. The update to this page describes this further.

Originally from http://www.globalissues.org/

A handful of fruit companies dominate the global banana trade. Combined with supermarkets on the consumer side, both end up squeezing workers who are often exploited or work under terrible conditions. Fair trade offers promise of some relief, but an entire region such as the Caribbean has had an almost unhealthy reliance and dependency on banana exports. This update provides some additional background information and links.

http://www.globalissues.org/

The global financial crisis section has been updated to include more information about how Asian and African nations are faring and includes a new part on human rights and the effect this crisis has had on rights around the world. Such a crisis may also be an opportunity for reform, though those who benefit from the current system have typically resisted more fundamental reforms in the past. Brief updates have also been added to the sections that look at this aspect further.

Originally from http://www.globalissues.org/