December 2002 Archive 

New dawn in Brazil By electing Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with a huge majority, the Brazilian people have overwhelmingly rejected the "Washington consensus" and given a huge boost to Latin America’s burgeoning emancipatory movement.

Mexico City to pilot radical Climate Action Programme The capital of Mexico, whose air is one of the smoggiest in the world, is set to become the first city with its own climate action programme. The ambitious 2002-2010 Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area Air Quality Improvement Programme, nicknamed Poraire III, will set a global precedent if it succeeds in its aim to reduce health expenditures through air quality management.

Guns, threats and exploitation behind the banana trade Jan Goodey interviews Guillermo Touma, the leading Ecuadorian trade unionist and human rights activist, exclusively for Red Pepper Online

The War against Reason There’s an old story about Oliver Cromwell. After he had taken the Irish town of Drogheda the citizens were brought to the main square. Cromwell announced to his lieutenants: "Right! Kill all the women and rape all the men." One of his aides said: "Excuse me, general. Isn’t it the other way around?" A voice from the crowd called out: "Mr Cromwell knows what he’s doing."