Issue Highlights
US to terminate ties with Uganda over human rights violations
Section 104F of the AGOA’s requirements states that to be eligible for aid, countries must not “engage in gross violations of internationally recognised human rights” or “provide support for acts of international terrorism”.
Building and sustaining movements in the South: The crucial role of intermediaries | Commentary and opinion | Features | PND
new partnerships and more expansive funding channels are urgently needed. And intermediaries can play a critical role in increasing the reach and impact of philanthropic dollars.
LGBTQ Social Justice
World Bank will not resume Uganda projects without LGBTQ safeguards
“World Bank project documents will make it clear that LGBTQ+ Ugandans should not face discrimination and that staff will not be arrested for including them,” Victoria Kwakwa, the World Bank’s Head for Eastern and Southern Africa, said
U.S. warns about dangers of doing business in Uganda
The U.S. Government warned businesses that Ugandan human rights abuses and corruption put at risk companies’ reputations and finances if they do business there.
Caribbean conference focuses on needs of LBTQ people assigned female at birth
The event was organized by the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) and co-organised by Solidarity Yaad International with input from independent activists. It was was hosted by the local organisation SAFE SxM.
“It’s a privilege to host the Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference over so many years,” said Kenita Placide, executive director of ECADE. “The conference provides an important platform for Caribbean activists and we are committed to continue to work with our partners to ensure that the Caribbean LBTQ+ women and people assigned female at birth can live in safety and dignity,”
Jamaican court again rejects LGBT rights; Jamaican activist bows out
On Oct. 27 the Supreme Court upheld our country’s archaic anti-sodomy law, claiming that only Parliament could repeal this discriminatory edict.
What everyone should know about the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson
House Republicans unanimously selected Congressman Mike Johnson (R-LA) as the new Speaker. Compared to the previous Republican candidates for Speaker, Johnson has kept a relatively low profile in Congress.
Great Apes & Gibbons
ChineseToday | Guardians of Hainan gibbons in rainforest-Xinhua
Using the sounds and calls made by the forest's Hainan gibbon residents, Li observes the species. Over the past 13 years, Li has amassed a collection of about 100,000 Hainan gibbon pictures.
Myanmar’s primates and their guardians need more support, study says
a new study shows that Myanmar’s gibbons are on a slippery slope to extinction, a trend reflected among all species of primates that call the country home.
Study: Despite armed conflicts, Indigenous lands have better environment quality
A new study finds four-fifths of these armed conflicts in biodiversity hotspots occur on Indigenous peoples’ lands — yet these areas remain in better shape ecologically than conflict-affected non-Indigenous lands.
Orangutan killings in Borneo likely still occurring in large numbers | Endangered species | The Guardian
Despite it being taboo and illegal to kill critically endangered primate, 30% of villages have evidence of killing in ‘last five to 10 years’
Deforestation surges in hotspot of critically endangered Bornean orangutans
Concession holder PT Mayawana Persada cleared 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) of forest between January and August, or 40 times the size of New York’s Central Park, of which 13,000 hectares (32,100 acres) were areas identified as orangutan habitat.
Menopause in chimpanzees | Science
female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) living in a relatively undisturbed population in Uganda show physiological signs of menopause and survive long past the end of reproduction. This observation means that the role of grandmothers in the evolution of menopause may need to be reconsidered
Rescue and recovery of Ikoto, orphaned bonobo sold into captivity
Ikoto was rescued and brought to the sanctuary run by Friends of Bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lola ya Bonobo—he was the youngest orphan to ever come into the sanctuary’s care.
Philanthropy
Under Threat: LGBTQ+ Rights Right Now - The Center for Effective Philanthropy
It is critical that we not only hold hope but translate that hope into a disciplined practice that invests in intersectional movement building
The impact of MacKenzie Scott’s resourcing of women’s funds - Alliance magazine
Between 2020 -2022, Scott gifted $170 million to Prospera and 17 of the 47 women’s funds that are part of the Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds. I interviewed 15 of the 17 Prospera International Network members who received Scott funding to better understand the experience of applying to and receiving funds. While these gifts have been extraordinary and undoubtedly useful given these funds’ financial shortfalls, Scott’s prioritizing of US and Latin American-based funds has also created inequity within the women’s funds movements.
Ford Launches Global Network to Help Social Justice Groups Manage Risks and Rewards of Tech | Inside Philanthropy
Ford Foundation has launched the Global Network for Social Justice and Digital Resilience, an initiative that seeks to embrace technology and its potential, while also minimizing the risks associated with the use of technology. The network, which will be managed by an independent board, will provide support for organizations that offer technological support to civil society organizations in the Global South
Owned by Movement Leaders, This Financial Firm Is Shaking Up Nonprofit Investing | Inside Philanthropy
the new $20 million Just Transition Integrated Capital Fund, recently launched by the progressive grantmaker network Justice Funders, which aims to demonstrate to foundations how they can use their assets to provide support to communities of color and the working class via financing like no-interest loans. The goal is to move financial investments away from extractive relationships, to use the popular progressive lexicon that the firm also employs.