NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I am in Okinawa this week. I'll be speaking at a conference in Ishigaki Island this weekend, but I've spent the past week traveling around doing interviews with various activists involved in the struggle against US bases here. I haven't had much time to write up anything for this blog or elsewhere since I've gotten here as things have been so crazily busy. On Facebook one source of information about Okinawa that I've found very informative is the group Okinawan Independence and Free Ainu. It provides a very intriguing perspective on these two native groups within Japan which the Japanese government and people once sought to erase. These two groups are native to locations which lie at the opposite ends of Japan, but it is heartening to see a group that is seeking to connect their histories and futures. I've included some recent updates from the group below: *********** 181 environmental groups support LewChew (Okinawa) governor Onaga’s revocation of Henok

Why the People of Ferguson Can't Trust the Cops Thursday, 21 August 2014 16:04    By Mike Ludwig ,  Truthout | Report  Several African-American men share with Truthout their stories of abuse at the hands of police, and after 12 days of continuous demonstrations against the shooting of an unarmed teen, Michael Brown, it appears that the community is in it for the long haul. After hours of peacefully marching up and down the sidewalks on Ferguson's now- infamous South Florissant Avenue on Tuesday night, several dozen protesters formed a thick circle in a parking lot to conclude their demonstration with a prayer lead by a local minister. It was getting late, and it seemed that, after several nights of unrest and police crackdowns , the protest might end in peace. I sat down on a curb to jot down some notes, and a young man with dreadlocks asked me if I was a reporter. He called to his friends, and soon several