Arcadia Foundation

On June 24, 2011, Niko Resources Ltd., a Calgary-based oil and gas exploration and production company, entered a guilty plea under Canada’s Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (“CFPOA”) with respect to charges of bribing a public official in Bangladesh. Niko, which operates in a number of countries around the world, had been notified by Canadian authorities in January 2009 that it was being investigated over allegations that it had provided the Energy Minister of Bangladesh with a $190,000 vehicle for personal use as well as with trips to Calgary and New York. These gifts had been made at the time when the Minister was assessing how much compensation was owed to Bangladeshi villagers for water contamination and other environmental concerns caused by explosions at a Niko operation.

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As the Canadian Newswire reports, Canada will finally pass the Canadian Human Rights Act, restoring rights of the Aboriginal people long since lost. The new act will grant Aboriginals along with First Nations equality with their fellow Canadians.

A legislative gap long seen as a black mark on Canada’s human rights record will finally be closed onJune 18, 2011 when, for the first time in more than 30 years, First Nations and other Aboriginal people will have the same human rights protections as everyone else in Canada.

This means they will be able to take action against First Nations governments as well as the Government of Canada when they experience discrimination in decisions affecting their daily lives. Read Full Paper

As the United States and Russia look to improve their equivocal relationship, there is still great hesitation as to what the future may hold for the two powerhouses. The Moscow Times reports that both sides are eager to come to a common agreement on how they can best serve each other, but with corruption and government fragmentation still plaguing the Eastern country, the U.S. recognizes the importance of patience during coalition discussions.

What’s next for the U.S.-Russian reset? Having already succeeded in ramming the ambitious New START arms control treaty through a reluctant Senate late last year, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is now eyeing the next step in its reboot of relations with Moscow: integrating Russia into the world economy. Read Full Paper

Irene Khan was the Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001-2009, and is now a Board member of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Below, as excerpted from the Daily Star and referencing Arcadia Foundation President Betty Bigombe, she discusses the invaluable role of women in peacekeeping and the pertinent issue of increasing their presence.

Five months ago, Nepal’s fragile peace was on the brink of disintegrating. After ten years of civil war, a newly elected assembly was tasked with writing a constitution that would keep the peace, but was about to dissolve because the country’s politicians could not agree on the terms of an extension. Women learned bitter lessons from their exclusion from the peace talks and mobilised. Read Full Paper

Amateur filmmakers from around the globe are encouraged to participate in the “1 minute to save the world” competition which closes in two months. The winning entry will be screened at COP16 in Mexico.

The international film competition is open to all ages and is free to enter; budding filmmakers must submit a short film (roughly one minute in length) about climate change. The films will be judged by professionals in the film and environmental industries, including Ben Kott of Google Europe Environmental Operations. The deadline for entries is December 17; entries from filmmakers under 18 in the Best Youth Film category must be submitted by November 12.

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If you’re like most people, having a coffee or tea, taking a shower and brushing your teeth are all part of your morning routine. You probably don’t even think twice about it. But while Canadians, as an example,use an average of 326 litres of water every day, more than one-third of the world’s population has no access to it.

“I’ve always been baffled as to how people can live without water,” Guy Futi said. “Having water is something we don’t even think about, but in so many communities they struggle with that reality every day.”

So after working as a financial manager at one of Canada’s largest banks, the Gabon native decided to quit and along with the aid of Arcadia Foundation President Betty Bigombe, make water his mission.

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Opinion Editorial by Anne Frances Durfee, Princeton University

(The views expressed in our submissions are independent and do not necessarily reflect those of the Arcadia Foundation)

Soon after Somalian pirates release their occasional Western hostage unharmed, Somalia drifts back to the unknown sea of hidden world politics. American media quickly reverts its attention to the hunt for Islamic terrorists and the expediency for human justice.

Quietly, the American government has captured and incarcerated Islamic terrorist suspects and their associates in secretly contracted prisons with the help of Ethiopia. Through contracting local Ethiopian warlords, the government is able to keep suspects in these prisons where they are interrogated by both U.S. and foreign officials. Many times, prisoners await transfer to the Guantanamo Bay detainment facility. Read Full Paper