permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

A heads-up:
So now is an excellent opportunity for Barack Obama to show that he has a 
worldview and is concerned
not only for the Buganda community but Uganda and this forest preserve and 
environmental issues in general.
Think we'll hear a peep out of him? Is he in the pocket of the 
military-industrial-political-religious complex?
As for right wing racist morons talking about nappy headed hoes, not knowing 
what that talkshow twit was going on about
I decided to go out to the toolshed and do an impromptu inspection. Expecting to see some members of the tool gang 
nodding in the rack or getting kinky with nappies on their heads I was relieved to see all my faithful hoes hanging at
attention on the wall ready to go to work in the dirt. Shows how folks can easily get fooled at times over divisive, 
polarizing issues. Time to lighten up.
-

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6548107.stm>

                
Last Updated: Thursday, 12 April 2007, 10:13 GMT 11:13 UK
E-mail this to a friend         Printable version
Deaths in Uganda forest protest
Uganda police block road
The police blocked the protesters
Two people have been killed in Uganda during violence at a protest against government plans to allocate forest land to a 
sugar company, police say.

Two looters were shot dead by security guards and about 20 people have been arrested, say the police, who have fired 
live bullets and tear gas.

There are reports of attacks on Asians - the sugar company is Asian-owned.

The government has earmarked a third of Mabira hardwood forest reserve for 
the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (Scoul).

Environmentalists say the move threatens existence of rare species of trees 
and birds at the forest.

President Yoweri Museveni was re-elected for a third term in office last year and reports say plans to de-gazette the 
forest land have sparked divisions in the government.

Text campaign

"People were demonstrating peacefully when there was a misunderstanding with the police. All of a sudden they opened 
fire," Frank Muramuzi, and environmental activist told Reuters news agency.

Scoul, part of the Asian-owned Mehta group, wants to expand its plantations 
in central Uganda.

map
Campaigners are now calling on Ugandans to boycott its sugar products to step up pressure against the government plans 
to hive the expansive forest land.

The BBC's Sarah Grainger in Kampala says parliament is yet to change the status of the forests and campaigners have 
threatened legal action if the forest is given away.

Public protests over the government plans have heightened in the capital and car bumper stickers urging people to save 
Mabira forest have become very popular, our correspondent says.

There has also been a text message campaign, urging people to take part in 
the protests.

Supporters of Scoul's bid for more land say the expansion of would create 
more jobs and income for the country.

They dismiss those opposing the move saying subsistence farmers have already 
encroached on much of the forest land.

The kabaka, or king, of the local Buganda community has offered to give alternative land for the sugar company in a bid 
to save the hardwood forest.