What Happened to Immigration Reform, Reflections on the 40th Earth Day, and Cell Phones that Fuel War

Please visit this site,
http://altoarizona.com/

and educate yourself and others on what is happening in Arizona. Before President Obama took office he swore to enact lasting immigration reform within his first 100 days of office. Obviously this is a more complex issue than that, and obviously his reform hasn't happened yet. But in order to be fully Holistic in the fight to bring peace, justice and sustainability to the US and the planet, this is an extremely important issue that must be dealt with appropriately.

Here's another important link to get you involved, http://dreamact.info/.

"Over three million students graduate from U.S. high schools every year. Most get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their American story. However, a group of approximately 65,000 youth do not get this opportunity; they are smeared with an inherited title, an illegal immigrant. These youth have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are, Americans." Read on through the website link above...

Of course by now we know everyday is Earth Day, but reflecting on its 40th anniversary, what better way to share some thought then hit a few beaming points.

Here's a link to an interesting video that activist have put together in an attempt to showcase the numerous problems going on with Canada and their oil sands project(s).

http://avatarsands.org/newyork.html

And in California, a committee has approved a bill to ban single-use plastic grocery bags. This one simple step could have a huge impact for the health of our planet, and help reduce and educate individuals on the destructive and very real nature of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Sign the petition to lend your voice to support:

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/oceans/bag-ban?id4=es

And lastly, here's a note from Amnesty International. It certainly speaks to specific legislation that I hope is passed, but with the failure of the political system to always enact what is says it will, and most importantly make those words and policy felt by those most impacted, I hope this will at least spread some knowledge, and maybe activate a few of you out there:

The Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128), introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) on November 19, 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives, seeks to improve transparency and reduce the trade in conflict minerals coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to promote the larger policy goal of supporting peace and security in the DRC.

The DRC is rich in natural resources, including large deposits of columbite-tantalite (known as coltan), cassiterite, wolframite and gold, which are used in everyday technology such as cell phones, laptops and digital video recorders and in jewelry. The mines from which these minerals are extracted are most often under the control of armed groups, especially in the volatile eastern part of the country, where conflict has been ongoing for many years despite the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUC.

The most recent report of the United Nations Group of Experts on the DRC found that armed groups in eastern DRC continue to control and profit from the extraction and trade of these minerals. Both the conflict and the mining of minerals itself have led to grave human rights abuses, including sexual violence, child and slave labor, and mass displacement.

If enacted into law, H.R. 4128 would mandate the production of a ?Congo Conflict Minerals Map,? which would map mines currently under the control of armed groups in the DRC. In addition, the bill would mandate the Secretaries of State and Commerce to work with interested parties, including commercial entities, to determine best practices to ensure due diligence and documentation on the origin and supply chain of potential conflict minerals. H.R. 4128 would specifically ensure that the minerals used by companies do not directly finance conflict, result in labor or human rights abuses, or damage the environment, by mandating the creation of a ?Potential Conflict Goods List? and the regular auditing of facilities that are engaged in the trade in minerals from the DRC.

Most importantly, H.R. 4128 would require that individuals or companies be subject to penalties if found guilty of entering conflict minerals into the United States by fraud, gross negligence or negligence. H.R. 4128 would greatly advance the goals of regulating and stemming the flow of conflict minerals, thereby limiting the ability of armed groups to benefit from conflict minerals and perpetuate the conflict.