All around the world today people are coming together to call for international action against climate change. The focus has been on the number 350, which is the parts-per-million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that scientists, including the UN's top climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, believe we need to stay below in order to avert disaster. 350.org has organized a series of events around the world calling attention to the target, and they're giving visitors and participants alike some real time gratification through Twitter feeds and Flickr slideshows. We've blogged about Maldivian officials holding a cabinet meeting underwater to raise awareness of rising oceans, and now the Divers Association of the Maldives is hosting an underwater rally with the goal of having 350 divers stay underwater in teams for 24 hours. You can find out what's going on near you at 350.org.

At Link TV we've been exploring how climate change is already having an impact in the US and elsewhere through a series of short videos called Climate Change Hits Home.

For World Food Day 2009 (which is tomorrow, October 16th!), Link TV is helping to promote a campaign called Stand Up, Take Action, a movement now four years in the running. As part of the framework for the UN Millennium Development Goals adopted by global leaders in the year 2000, worldwide hunger and poverty must be eradicated by the year 2015. A lofty endeavor, you say? Maybe. But millions of global citizens are demanding that this promise be kept, or at the very least, kept a priority. Each year, through events organized by Stand Up, Take Action, attention is called to this ongoing issue, and the movement is growing. Last year, it broke its own Guinness World Record for the largest mobilization around a single cause in recorded history. Click here for events taking place this weekend in your area.

Watch this video and join the countdown to World Food Day!



Link TV has a lot of great food and hunger related programming, that can be found on our ISSUE: Food page, like a new Michael Pollan special called “Deep Agriculture”, and more. Also, learn about the coffee industry and Fair Trade practices that are effecting small farmers in poor countries around the world from Dean Cycon, Founder and CEO of Dean’s Beans.

The execution of seventeen recovering addicts in last week's shooting in Juarez struck me as one of the most perverse crimes I have ever heard of in my life. Despite having read about a wide variety of atrocities in war -- the killing of pregnant women and children in Rwanda, or the dragging of charred American bodies through Fallujah -- this act struck me as something so cold as to be sub-human. Yet it was the not first time either. Fifteen others have been killed previously in this exact way in Juarez in the last two years.
 
The violence in Juarez seems to be ignored by most of the media, yet this is truly one of the world's prime war zones right now. A recent New York Times video report stated that in 2008 a civilian was more likely to be killed in Ciudad Juarez than in Baghdad.

Wednesday's attack came on the same day that at least twenty-three others were killed around Mexico, including the number two security official in President Felipe Calderon's home state of Michoacan. It also came just a week or two after Mexico officially decriminalized personal use of many formerly illicit drugs. The new orders for police are that they are to refer addicts to treatment clinics rather than take them into police custody. After Wednesday's attack though, that option may no longer seem so safe.

It seems clear that we Americans share some of the blame for this violence; though perhaps there have been good intentions in criminalizing marijuana, cocaine and other substances, when our prohibitions are combined with our high demand, we have ended up giving these cartels incentive for their work. And now apparently, the weapons that have come through our borders have allowed them to create carnage in their country.

This is a war many of us can can shut our eyes to on a daily basis, because we are not losing anyone there in Mexico. Yet this war is so close to us at the same time: the war zone of Juarez stands a few miles across the border from the relatively safe city of El Paso, Texas.

We can try to keep this violence and chaos out though militarizing the border, and perhaps that will allow us to continue turning a blind eye to this bloodshed. However, it will not absolve us of the responsibility and obligation to help search for an end to this conflict. Some cartels may be brought down, and the centers of violence may move from one city to another, as they seem to be moving now towards Central America. However, as long as the economic incentive exists for these cartels' work, can we really expect to see an end to this violence?

This August, Latin American countries showed their will to dissent from U.S. drug policy, as both Mexico and Argentina decriminalized possession of marijuana and other illicit drugs. 

The decision in Argentina came after a Supreme Court ruling that the arrest of eight men in 2006 for possession of marijuana cigarettes was unconstitutional.  In its ruling, the court concentrated on the defendants' rights to privacy.  As Supreme Court President Ricardo Lorenzetti said, "Behavior in private is legal, as long as it doesn't constitute clear danger."

While Argentina's move is historic, Mexico's decision is far wider in scope. On Friday August 21st, the Mexican government decriminalized "personal and immediate use" of illicit drugs including heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines, LSD and cocaine.  For each of these drugs, the government set legal limits for personal possession.  One can now possess the equivalent of four joints of marijuana, 4 lines' worth of cocaine, .015 milligrams of LSD, 50 milligrams of heroin, or 40 milligrams of methamphetamines. However, the government remains cautious in its spin on the decision.  Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the Mexican attorney general's office said, "This is not legalization.  This is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty."

Instead of arrests, people caught with these small amounts will be told of available clinics and encouraged to enter a rehabilitation program.  One wonders if there will be a Miranda rights-like speech created for this type of encounter.  Rehab will be mandatory when a user is caught a third time.

Mexico became the second Latin American country after Portugal to decriminalize possession of these drugs.  Reactions to the decision have been varied, especially as drug use remains a volatile issue in Mexico.  One recent government survey put the number of Mexico's addicts at 460,000, which was 50 percent larger than the addict population in 2002. Meanwhile, drug use can lead to other public health issues: 67 percent of intravenous drug users in Tijuana, for example, have tested positive for tuberculosis.

Some hope that the decision will lead to a greater focus on drug treatment rather than prosecution, and will help the government focus on the cartels rather than the users.  As Alberto Islas, a security consultant in Mexico City said to the Wall Street Journal, "It helps the government focus on the bad guys and lets state and local governments get involved in drug abuse as a public health issue."

Efforts at fighting drug use through arrests have been unsuccessful in the past.  Since Felipe Calderon took office in 2006, there have been approximately 95,000 people detained for small-scale drug-dealing and possession, but out of those detainees, only 12 to 15 percent have ever been charged with anything.  Many times police officers used the illegality of the drugs to shake down casual users for bribes in order to avoid arrests. 

While the change may make for more focused law enforcement, Javier Oliva, a political scientist at Mexico's Autonomous University, said the law could pose a contradiction for the government's larger anti-drug efforts. "If they decriminalize drugs, it could lead the army, which has been given the task of combating this, to say, 'What are we doing?'"

Julie Myers Wood, former head of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement under President G.W. Bush, said she also had doubts about Mexico's decision. "I'm sympathetic with the Mexicans that they need to find a more effective way to deal with the cartels," she said. "But just giving up, in terms of small amounts of drugs like cocaine and heroin, does not seem to me to be the most sensible approach."

Some Mexican law enforcement and drug treatment agencies also expressed doubt about the change. "You're inviting the young generation to use drugs," said San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez to an online news source.  Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said, "It's street-level use that's destroying society."

The NY Times interviewed a Tijuana drug counselor who said, "With everything that's happening, we need to distance ourselves from the drugs.  Imagine if I told people in here that it was legal for them to have a little.  No way." One of the more interesting opinions came from a Christian Science Monitor forum on the issue.  "Lawrence" wrote, "The Mexican drug laws are not what's causing the cartels to gain power and money-- it is the American drug laws."

There's some support for that notion: FBI figures from 2007 showed more arrests in the U.S. for drug violations than any other crime.  Of the country's 1.8 million drug arrests that year, 82 percent were for possession, not dealing, and of that figure, 42 percent, or 872,721 people, were arrested for marijuana possession.  That figure was a record high for the country, likely indicating record sales for the drug cartels.  The Obama administration's reaction to Mexico's decision has been low-key.  When US drug czar Gil Kerlikowske visited Mexico in July, he said that he would take a "wait-and-see" approach if the law passed.

As for now, there's no telling whether the new law will help clean the streets of Tijuana, but it will hopefully lead more addicts to treatment rather than police custody.

Written by John Hamilton

These are dangerous times to be a journalist. According to Reporters Without Borders, 60 journalists were killed in the line of duty last year. 673 others were arrested, more than 900 were assaulted and 29 journalists were kidnapped. Unfortunately, this year isn’t shaping up to be any better.

In the past few weeks, Link TV has highlighted several incidents in which reporters have faced censorship, imprisonment, and even death—all for doing their jobs.

Link TV’s original series Latin Pulse presented the special program, Stories that Kill, looking at the dangers faced by investigative journalists caught in the crossfire of a long-simmering civil war between leftist guerillas and government forces.

The award-winning Democracy Now! covered the case of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American reporters sentenced by North Korean authorities to twelve years of hard labor after inadvertently crossing into the country from China.

Mosaic: World News from the Middle East brought news that Al Jazeera has been banned from the occupied West Bank by the Palestinian Authority.

Our newest addition to Link’s news lineup, Al Jazeera English World News, reported on the execution-style killing of Natalya Estemirova, a human rights campaigner and independent journalist critical of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Despite the mortal danger that comes with reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous places, Link TV consistently brings you some of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging international news on American television.

So as the brave men and women of the international press corps put their lives on the line to get the story, it’s more important than ever to support the channel that brings their work to a national audience, Link TV, television without borders.

Torture. Why is this issue so hotly debated, and how can we separate the truth from the lies? As long-held secrets of the Bush administration's policies on detention and interrogation are revealed, Americans are increasingly asking questions: behind the closed doors of far-away prisons, what acts were committed in our name? Who committed these acts? And will they be held to account?

June is Torture Awareness month. Find out how you can stand up against torture by visiting our Accountability page.

After being in production for over 3 years, Global Spirit has launched! It is showing on national television and streaming for free to a world-wide audience online.  We created this blog to accompany the series, with the hope of keeping in touch with the wonderful new people and communities to which this show is appealing.

We will approach our blog entries from two different perspectives: 1) Personal Journeys: the real, personal stories and experiences of people who are on spiritual journeys. People who are seeking truth, exploring what it means to be human, and connecting with life in a deeply personal and meaningful way; and 2) Behind-the-Scenes: a look at Global Spirit as a web & television series. We will include updates from the producers and program guests, interviews, book and film recommendations, basically anything related to this world of creating innovative programming on culture, philosophy, spirituality and science.

We hope you will help us build a unique and inspiring web community around this blog, by sending comments and impressions our way. We want to know what's interesting, insightful, curious, and exciting about the series and guests, and in your life, so that we can continue to create programs that resonate with you... 

Check back soon when we give you Behind the Scenes: Update from Alan Ereira, Director of "From the Heart of the World." In April, he went back to visit the Mamas in Columbia and has some exciting news.

Megan McFeely, Director of Outreach
Adrianne Anderson, Co-Producer

I would like to introduce myself. I am Megan McFeely, the outreach director for Link TV’s Global Spirit.  I am also a fellow traveler on the path of personal exploration. I feel it is my individual responsibility to the whole of life to become who I really am…free of anxieties, fears and beliefs that are outdated – those things that keep me stuck  -- so that I can be an living example of what it means to be free (I am not there by any means just my lofty goal!)   My posts to this blog will be about my life experiences that relate directly to  the topic of discussion for each show and I would like to encourage you to engage with me by sharing your insights and experiences.

I am thinking about reconciliation and it clear to me that it is inextricably linked to forgiveness. One cannot reconcile with out forgiving. I have had several experiences of this in my life from the simple apology that comes after an argument to a long separation from a family member or friend that takes a little more effort.  What I know from this experience is that I have to take responsibility for the hurt I may have caused others. I must recognize what I have done – see where I may have been out of integrity or where I may have been wrong and own it.  AND I must come from my heart -- it has to be authentic or it has no meaning and will have no impact. To do this it seems that I must feel the pain of having wronged someone and acknowledge their pain …even feel it, or no true reconciliation can occur.  And from this place  forgiveness seems to just happen. The heart opens and you feel love for the other person.  This is my experience but I would love to hear yours. Thanks for taking this journey with me.

The Latin Pulse Team brings you a special report on the historic election in Latin America. El Salvador, a tiny Central American country of 7 million inhabitants, recently elected its first leftist president, Mauricio Funes. Not unlike the evening Barack Obama was elected as President of the United States, the crowds in the capital city of San Salvador were chanting "Sí se pudo" - "Yes we did!"

The Latin Pulse Team is excited to bring you an exclusive interview with El Salvador's President-Elect Mauricio Funes in the second part of this special presentation:

We're feeling a bit calmer about the swine flu today. Planes are flying empty to Mexico and 30,000 restaurants lie quiet across the Mexican capital. But as the first week of swine flu hysteria draws to a close, the Mexican death toll appears to have stabilized and fears of a mounting global apocalypse have yet to materialize.

We're more prone now to heed the words of pandemic skeptics, like virologists that contend the swine flu mortality rate is likely to be not far off the typical seasonal flu death rate. We are also swayed by histories of the epic false alarm that was the last swine flu outbreak in 1976.

Still, for panic-watchers we do note the beta launch of Google Flu Trends for up-to-date tracking of swine flu spread across Mexico. And for those who opt to don a face mask when venturing out of home, recognize that a mask can fast become porous as it absorbs humidity.

Does the arrival of swine flu constitute real reason for alarm? Or like SARS and the avian flu before it, is this more a minor local than major global tragedy?

Watch the Global Pulse episode on swine flu here.