Working Paper: Obama, The Crisis & The Movements

Systems of food production and consumption have always been socially organized, but their organization has varied historically. In the last few decades, under the impact of neoliberal politics, the logic of capitalism has been imposed upon the ways in which food is produced and consumed (Bello, 2009). [1] - Features / World, Women, Food crisis

In the ongoing Euro-crisis, our political leaders are constantly criticized for ‘playing catch-up' and not being ‘ahead of the curve' (although others might feel that they are completely round the bend). Perhaps, therefore, it is time to look up from the turmoil in the sovereign bond markets and the counsels of the European Union, dust off the crystal ball, and look forward to the next banking crisis. For it is becoming increasingly clear that banks across Europe face a much more serious problem than a 50 percent haircut on their holdings of Greek government bonds; and that problem goes to the heart of what is wrong with the current culture and practices of the financial sector. - IV445 - February 2012

The defence of the earth, the ecosystem and biodiversity is one of the most important topics on the agenda of the social movements in Latin America today and that is precisely what is at stake in the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development Rio +20, which will take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. The thematic Social Forum 'capitalist crises, environmental and social justice', which concluded on Sunday 29 January in Porto Alegre (Brazil), served to establish the basis for mobilisation for this key date. - IV445 - February 2012 / World, Ecology and the Environment, Social Forum