The collapse of the World Trade Organization’s latest round of negotiations in Cancun in September was perhaps predictable. Cancun crystallized the fundamental wrongs in the present trading system between rich and poor nations. Opposition from Third World countries, more united and vociferous than ever before, encountered intransigence from a developed world bent on retaining its domestic subsidies. While millions in the poorer nations live on US$1 per day, every cow in the European Union receives a subsidy of US$2 per day (p. 22). This does not mean that the poor nations are fulfilling their own duties to their citizens. Some of them are more preoccupied with the cow than the human: in India, where Hindu fundamentalism has been gaining ground (p. 7), the central government has shown greater enthusiasm to pass legislation to protect the ‘sacred’ cow than to pilot a bill furthering women’s emancipation, which has been languishing in parliament for 3 years. As economic and religious fundamentalisms take root in the world, the first casualty is always human welfare. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The acquittal of Amina Lawal, following massive international pressure, was a great relief. But her acquittal was on technical grounds, and does not constitute recognition of her rights and freedoms. The low status of Nigerian women, enforced by patriarchal religions, leaves them especially vulnerable not only to human rights violations but to AIDS (p. 10). Today, women in many developing countries are victims not only of domestic religious fundamentalism, but of policies driven by religion in rich countries on which they rely for help. The right-wing Christian influence dominating White House policy on reproductive health and population issues is having disastrous consequences for women worldwide (p. 12). This is Bush’s other war indeed!

As the future European Constitution takes shape, several IHEU member groups are coming together to counter Vatican pressure and propose a secular vision for Europe (p. 5). Collaboration between Humanist groups is invaluable, and we are pleased that IHEU’s partnership project is taking off (p. 19). While we plan for better cooperation among Humanist groups, each group must also plan for its future. After 3 years of planning, IHEYO – IHEU’s youth section – has formally been re-established (p. 16). There is new blood in IHEU, and new direction to its growth. So I hope you are all planning to be in Uganda and Nigeria for IHEU’s first, historic GA in Africa next year!

Babu Gogineni