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The Gutter's Crisis

By K.J. PADILLA

United Nations begins meetings among national and international institutions to start talks about poverty reduction in rural areas The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) began a series of conversational meetings that will focus on rural poverty reduction last September 20. This is an initiative taken by the United Nations Rural Development Unit with the purpose of gathering experts and people from Honduran society, government institutions, international co-operation and the private sector concerned about and interested in the subject.

During this conversational meetings participants will be given the opportunity to generate a debating space to develop ideas for the making of policies and strategies. Mr. Jeffrey Avina resident representative of the United Nations in Honduras gave a brief welcome speech to the participants and explained the purpose of the gathering. The Agricultural Vice-Minister Jose Maria Ordonez expressed total approval of UN actions and introduced Mr. Norberto Kegler, spokesman for the meeting. Mr.Kegler is an Argentinean consultant whose experience in planning, developing and managing hydraulic resources in integrated rural development surpasses 30 years.

During this first meeting the subject list was varied and focused on poverty reduction through sustainable rural development. This includes watering systems, rural finances, technology implementation, field methods, community participation and management, agro-business, agro-business chains, natural resources management, systematization of experiences, non-agricultural rural income and technical assistance amongst others.

On this occasion Mr. Kegler emphasized the degradation of most of the traditional watering zones. Most of these systems are based on water distribution through gutters. The crisis these systems are dealing with the lack of a continuos and permanent water flow, which is required by modern production systems. Producers also find that their old traditional systems are deteriorated by time and use. Repairing them would require an unaffordable expense. The systems also cause environmental damage through water salinity and the overflow of the water in shallow areas. Once prosperous areas have been devastated over time by deficient watering systems. At the same, solid individual experiences with the use of local and pressurized systems have occurred and proven to users that the overall cost of equipment can actually be reduced," said Mr. Kegler.

After Mr. Kegler exposition of the gutter's crisis all participants analyzed the comparative advantages of both systems and their implementation. Many ideas and experiences were exchanged and shared, and even though more than 80% of the participants did not agree that implementing a modern watering system would ease poverty, they did agree that if it is done, it will allow for greater technical and economic competitiveness. htw2 Argentinean consultant Norberto Kegler (standing) and Jeffrey Avina UN representant in Honduras (seated) participated in rural poverty reduction for Honduras.




Irish NGO Spreads Its Reach To Touch Honduran Kids

By AINE CARVILL

Sitting across the table from Shailesh Katira, recently appointed Director of GOAL Honduras, the passion and intensity of his vocation are at once apparent. Priest or Pastor he is not, but he has certainly lead his flock from Comayagua to Tegucigalpa in recent days.

Indian born, African raised, with most of his formative years spent working in the UK as an engineer, Shailesh comes to Honduras with a wealth of NGO experience behind him. His first introduction to this line of work was in 1995 on the streets of Cambodia, where he met his Irish wife, Cathy.

At the time he was involved with Save The Children - USA, heading a steering group to restructure Cambodia’s primary education system. Following a coup in the country and the advent of their first child, both Shailesh and Cathy found themselves back in London running the GOAL office. Once their two children were old enough to travel, the lure of the “field” became too much to resist, and the couple arrived in Honduras with their two small children 8 months ago. Cathy also works within GOAL, taking responsibility for Disaster Preparation and the relatively new HIV/AIDS program.

GOAL is an International Relief and Development Agency, dedicated to the objective of alleviating the suffering of the poorest of the poor in developing countries. Founded in 1977, by Irishman John O’Shea, GOAL is non-denominational and non-political.

Over the last 25 years, GOAL has responded to every natural and man-made disaster and catastrophe and is presently working in 13 countries.

GOAL first came to Honduras in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, in November 1998, as did hundreds of other International NGO’s (Non Governmental Organizations). However, unlike most others who concentrated their efforts in the worst-hit areas and resulted in doubling up on help and support, GOAL chose the lesser-damaged, but nonetheless needy, area of Comayagua as a base.

Their immediate priority was disaster response to all those who had been displaced or had their water and sanitation supplies wiped out. Over the course of the following few years, GOAL went on to re-build over 700 houses for up to 4000 people.

What differentiates GOAL from other development organizations is their methodology. They believe that in all projects community must be involved, from conception to completion - helping people to help themselves.

The recent relocation of the main office adds a further presence of this Irish NGO in Honduras. Over the last five years GOAL has expanded its operation and currently offices can be found in Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, Yoro and Gracias a Dios. The latter two sites mainly deal with ongoing housing problems and instigating preventative measures to minimize disaster in the event of a flood, hurricane or natural disaster, whilst Comayagua deals with the ever increasing problem of street kids. Tegucigalpa, however has a variety of projects which vary from being in the infancy stages to future plans.

With a core staffing of five, three of which are project coordinators in the field, four projects in operation in conjunction with local NGO’s are as much as can be currently handled.

The first such project is based in Comayagua and helps children at risk by providing a residential home for 44 boys, in conjunction with local NGO ‘Horizontes al Futuro.’ These kids are not necessarily on the streets through a lack of love, but more often because of a lack of economic means.

The second project involves the aid of a local NGO, Alternativas y Oportunidades. They assist street kids who work in the Tegucigalpa markets by providing health and education. During the March 2002 floods in downtown Tegucigalpa, three children died, and this is precisely the kind of situation they are trying to avoid.

The third project has been running for seven months and deals with HIV/Aids. It takes the form of peer-to-peer-youth education. A team of specially trained nurses hold informal evenings for up to 80 kids, and educate the kids on preventative methods, birth control and the practice of safe sex. A select few are being trained as counselors.

The fourth project deals with a particularly emotive subject. In conjunction with local NGO, Compartir, GOAL is working with parents in the ‘barrios’ who send their kids to work at the municipal rubbish dump, Crematorio, to find things to resell. Children as young as drop out of school, even before they start, and can be found elbow deep amid household, chemical and hospital waste in an environment where air, ground and water are contaminated beyond belief. Parents who participate in the program receive aid with schooling and associated costs.

Future plans are always being made, and GOAL is presently busy building a network of associated NGO’s to address the issue of gang culture and violence, which is present and accelerating in Honduras.

Of course, as with all NGO’s, funds restrict the purse strings and substantial donors are constantly being sought. International funding comes from organizations such as the World Bank, the EU, KFW, US Aid and the UN. Specific funding comes from themed organizations such as in the case of the Aids project, and the Elton John Aids Foundation. The Irish Government has constantly supported GOAL’s work, and together with the Irish public and businesses, this makes up the remainder of donors.

So, as GOAL formally launch their Tegucigalpa office on October 3rd, it is fitting to pause and remember the sterling work that they, their international associates and local partners carry out from day to day, making a difference in our world. htw4 Small children found on the streets of Honduras are the beneficiaries of GOAL projects.


 

Government will build 30 thousand new homes

As a means of covering the housing deficit, President Maduro launched a new program on Wednesday titled “Housing for the people.” The program will be available to families with monthly incomes equal to four minimum wages or approximately Lps. 7,500.00. Homes worth Lps. 150,000.00 will be financed over 20 years with Lps. 1,500.00 monthly payments.

The construction companies will be responsible for choosing land for the projects, building the homes and providing basic services. The funds will be channeled through RAP (Private Contributions Regime) to avoid political interference. —La Tribuna

Zero taxes on Christmas bonus and severance pay

President Maduro announced this week that no new taxes on Christmas bonuses, the fourteenth month salary, severance pay and other bonuses will be imposed. Maduro made these statements a week after the Ministry of Finance had proposed the new taxes. But Maduro stated his vision of developing Honduras without affecting the poor and the middle class. “If we instate a tax that reduces the Christmas bonus of a person who earns three or four thousand lempiras it would be really unpopular. It would not be correct, it is not acceptable and we will not permit it.” —El Heraldo

Financing for non-traditional export products

The Sub-Secretary of Agriculture, German Perez, announced that the government has budgeted 773.3 million lempiras for agriculture, of which some will be destined to financing farmers of non-traditional export products. —El Heraldo
 

Fisherman Act to Save Lobsters, Live

The fishermen of Cayos Cochinos, an archipelago off Honduras’ northern Miskito Coast, recently decided that the regulations protecting their island homes did not go far enough. They took the bold step of banning all scuba diving lobster, a move that will mean less money for the already low-income residents, but will guarantee long-term survival for the marine resources on which they depend and result in far less risk to the fishermen’s health.

For years, the industrial fishing industry encouraged the Garifuna and Miskito indigenous people who three of Cayos Cochinos’ 12 isles to use scuba gear to dive deep for valuable spiny lobster. Diners on the mainland are willing to pay up to US$80 for a lobster dinner, so the pressure to harvest as many lobsters as could be found was intense. The catch is also exported to the United States. Without training, the fisherman might make as many as 12 deep dives a day. The accumulation of nitrogen in their bodies often resulted in debilitating crippling, and there are no decompression chambers on the islands. Today some 100 men are incapacitated from lobster diving.

To encourage residents to find a solution to the continuing health problems, crashing lobster populations, and destruction of the coral reef that surrounds the cays, the World Wildlife Fund arranged a field trip to Mexico for a group of the Cayos Cochinos fishermen. They visited Banco Chinchorro, off the Yucatan Penisula’s southern coast, where local fishermen have organized themselves into cooperatives that negotiate fair prices for their catches and that have banned all fishing with scuba gear within the protected area.

According to Sylvia Marin, WWF representative for Central America, the visit was a very effective way to convince the Cayos Cochinos residents that they must adopt sustainable methods of harvesting the marine resources that provide their income. “It makes a difference when people can talk with their peers, not just with scientists,” she says.

Earlier this year, the Cayos Cochinos fishermen lobbied the Honduran government to impose a ministerial decree that prohibits the fishing with scuba gear in the cays. In part of the area, fishermen are permitted to free dive for lobster and t set nets or traps, but they can use only motor-less boats. No industrial fishing boats are permitted within the protected zone.

According to Adrian Oviedo, director of the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation, a conservation group that administrates the protected area, “Prohibiting lobster fishing with scuba gear limits the volume that can be extracted, while protecting the divers at the same time.”

Natividad Arzu is vice president of the Chachahaute Garifuna community of Cayos Cochinos, and has been a fisherman since he was 15. He explains that fishing with scuba gear “gave us short-term profits, but over the long-term there would no work or resources.” He adds that the scuba diving was not all that lucrative, since divers would receive only 45 lempiras (less than $3) per pound of lobster.

For Roman Norales, a former angler who now sells fish locally, the new ministerial decree is “perfect, because it protects the worker as well as production. He distributes nearly 80 percent of the fish that are sold in restaurants in the coastal city of La Ceiba and says is convinced that scuba diving for fish and crustaceans “destroys the richness of the sea.”

The Cayos Cochinos protected area includes two forested islands and 12 sandy cay. Nearly 230 species of marine life swim in its water, while some 350 people live on 3 of the 13 cays.

The work of the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation includes control and monitoring of fishing activities in Cayos Cochinos; conservation of the reefs and endangered species; a research program supported by a fully equipped research station; and involvement of local residents in conservation activities and projects to help them make a living without harming the environment. —Eco-Exchange.

Investigation of Political Campaigns Ensues

By IXCHEL GRANADA

Tegucigalpa - National Congress ordered The Legislative Commission on Municipal Orders to deliver a complete audit on all fiscal campaign activities of the municipalities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa within the next fifteen days.

The motion was presented by the liberal party. The General Accountant of the Republic requires the information in order to proceed with investigations involving the public campaigns held in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa.

The resolution was made by president of Congress, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, due to various points of view and opinions voiced following the declaration. The Speaker of the Liberal Party, Roberto Micheletti Bain introduced the proposition.

Micheletti´s premier as Speaker for the liberal party commences with this demand for investigation into misuse of funds throughout two principle municipalities. The announcement emphasized the roles that San Pedro and Tegucigalpa play as major centers of economic growth in the country, which should therefore also be leaders in efficient and accurate accounting and fiscal management.

This is certainly not the case, in fact, the reverse is true where smaller rural municipalities manage their resources with greater care and transparency.

The motion presented by Speaker Micheletti states the following, “We present the following directives to the Inspector ( Superintendent) of the Republic and the Director of Probity: Within the terms of no more than 15 calendar days a notarized report must be submitted to a Review Committee. The report will present expenditures including advertisement campaigns costs for Sand Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa for the year 2001.”

The initiative generated various commentary and reaction among congressional members. There were suggestions made to include private corporations and the fiscal administration activities of Congress in the audit







Bay Islands Communications On Par With World Technology

By SANDRA SAMPAYO

Roatan, Bay Islands—Business and personal communications on the Bay Islands are about to undergo a total upgrade, which will firmly place the islands amongst the most technologically advanced in the world.

The company responsible for increasing the level of technology is Tropico Networks. Traditionally a provider of Internet and wireless telephone services, Tropico Networks has diversified to provide the Bay Islands with a total communications solution based on the highest-quality technology and the most experienced staff.

Simply put, companies and individuals are now able to call on the company to provide them with advice on what systems work best for where they are located and what they are trying to achieve.

The company prides itself on being able to quickly understand and supply exactly what a client needs in order to function efficiently.

“There are times that we have to tell people that the systems that they want are not the most efficient for what they need to do, but I think our clients appreciate this in the end because it saves them money and the trouble of having to redo a system,” says Jurgen Peters, the owner of Tropico Networks, who also believes that happy customers are his most important investment.

The company provides individual and business internet-dial-up connections, wireless and satellite internet connection, email and website hosting services - both in Honduras and in the US - network consulting, web design, computer sales and repairs, wireless telephone service and the provision of bandwidth to other internet service provides.

Kurt Halverson, part owner of Bahia Magazine and owner of the successful Munchies Café on Utila says, “We have both the high speed internet service and a wireless telephone and, to be honest, I’m not sure how we made it in the past. Jurgen and his team have brought Utila into the 21st century.”

Similarly, Jim Engel, owner of Utila Lodge, believes that Tropico Networks has not only done incredible things for the islands, but also for Honduras. “It is really important for our guests to be able to communicate with their families and friends at home, especially since they have such a wonderful time while on the islands,” says Engel. “It is natural for them to want to share that, and it is good for us when they do.”

The company’s wireless telephone and high-speed internet systems have been especially well received on Utila and areas on Roatan, where there was previously no reliable telephone or communication service.

It is almost impossible to run an efficient hotel or resort without reliable communications, especially since between 50 and 80 percent of bookings are being generated directly through the internet or by phone. Hotels have also lost out on tourism promotional opportunities because they are too difficult to reach. Tropico Networks is supplying the solution, and it is finding that more and more tourism and general businesses, as well as individual users, are installing both high-speed internet and wireless systems.

The internet connection offered by the company produces approximately ten times the internet speed of an ordinary dial-up modem, and they also offer the widest wireless coverage on the islands. “Our coverage currently includes French Harbour, Coxen Hole, West End, West Bay and Sandy Bay on Roatan and both Utila Town and the Cays, and we intend to cover the entire area (Roatan and Utila) by the end of this year,” says Peters.

“Our promise to our clients is to constantly strive to improve our service, efficiency and technology. The nature of technology is that it evolves rapidly, and although we have the most technologically advanced products right now, it may change in a few months, which is why our people are constantly researching better ways to service our clients,” concludes Peters.

Sandra Sampayo runs Roatan's Bay Islands Marketing, a company working to increasing tourism and general business in the Bay Islands. She can be reached at sandra@bayislandstourism.com.
 

President Maduro Launches Second Stage of Anti-Delinquency Campaign

By IXCHEL GRANADA

Tegucigalpa- The second phase of the War Against Crime was initiated this week with the official commencement of the Community Police program. The program has created police officer teams to be assigned to sections of the capital city to remain vigilant around the clock.

The program will begin in the cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa.

New vehicles will be available within the month to allow more rapid emergency response and crime-scene response. The police will have direct association and communication with their assigned communities.

The new strategy relies on the financial support of private businesses. Additionally, proposals are being drafted to attract support from the international community within the next few days.

President Maduro was on hand for the commencement of the program in the streets of Tegucigalpa. His participation included a brief speech where he emphasized that the new police force would work to reduce crime and delinquency, not only in the capital city, but throughout the country.

He also took the opportunity to reinforce his commitment to his administrations war against crime.

Once the program has proceeded according to plan, another phase of the program will follow. This phase, known as the Safer Community Program, is designed to achieve a higher level of community involvement. Community leaders have been called upon to act as figureheads for neighborhood watch groups. The government hopes that communities will supervise and coordinate crime prevention alongside the additional police force, thus assuring that squadrons are effective and meet the needs of the communities.

Recent congressional mandates have assured that over 1,000 new police officers will graduate from academies for the new year.

Oscar Alvarez, Minister of Security, indicated that the new plan would create mechanisms for reducing the criminal indices through the cooperative efforts of the State, private business and local communities.

Economic growth and educational opportunity for at-risk youth, however, was not addressed as part of the anti-crime proposal.



 

Salvadoran’s Argue Honduras Has No Exit To Pacific Ocean

Salvadoran authorities maintain that the judgment given out 10 years ago by the International Court of Justice (IJC) supports that the continental territory of each of the three countries - El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua - includes the islands, and adjacent coastal territories.

The joint posture of El Salvador and Nicaragua is to close down Honduran access to the Gulf of Fonseca. The chancellery said the Central American Court of Justice, in 1917, and the ICJ, in 1992, established a system of co-sovereignty in the waters yielding into the Gulf of Fonseca that still need to be delimited.

The ICJ ruled that delimitation would be respected between Honduras and Nicaragua as had been established since 1900, and the remaining waters would be under co-sovereignty as long as the countries would agree. According to the amount of coastline of each country, distribution would be in equal form.

There are 132 kilometers of coastline in the Gulf of Fonseca, of which Honduras has 66.9 kilometers, Nicaragua has 39.31 kilometers, and El Salvador 26.35 kilometers.

The decision of the ICJ cannot be appealed, and, for the countries involved, only the alternative of “reviewing” exists. After decades of decisions, no reviews have been admitted by the lawmakers. -La Tribuna

Tegucigalpa’s Mayor Graded the Best of Central America

A Central American pole gave a score of 86 percent to Miguel Pastor, Tegucigalpa’s city mayor. After only six months in office, Tegucigalpa’s acknowledged his effort to build a “new time” in the capital city by keeping it clean, repairing the streets, dealing with traffic order, and creating strategic alliances, both national and international.-La Tribuna

Warm Farewell To British Ambassador

The Chancellor of the Republic, Guillermo Perez Cadalso, and his wife, Rosa de Lourdes, offered a farewell reception to the British Ambassador David Osborne and his wife Joan. Cadalso spoke kind words of the ambassador, saying that through his social interaction at various levels Osborne has contributed to make the bonds of friendship between Honduras and the United Kingdom stronger.-La Tribuna

New Member Of The Honduran Academy Of The Language

For his extensive trajectory in national literature Felipe Elvir Rojas has been incorporated to the Honduran Academy of the Language. In 1987 Rojas won the national prize of literature. Rojas worked as director and owner of Pegaso, director of Honduras Infantil, as well as chief editor and administrator of El Pueblo. -La Tribuna

“We leave the country with a mixture of melancholy”: Frank Almaguer

Frank Almaguer was the US ambassador in Honduras until September 6th, 2002. He left the country with many friends and with a desire to return.

Larry Palmer will substitute him. Almaguer came to Honduras a little over three years ago. He played a major role after Hurricane Mitch in reconstruction and transformation in Honduras. On behalf of himself and his wife Almaguer said, “The Hondurans have won our hearts over and we will always miss them” -El Heraldo

A 20% Growth In Honduran Tourism

In La Ceiba for the inauguration of his government’s Tourist Police initiative, President Ricardo Maduro said Honduras showed a 20 percent growth in tourism over the past year. The sole purpose of the new police group is to orient and give greater security to visitors. The President has proposed to make out Honduras into a tourist power. -El Heraldo

Specter Of Failure Puts Pressure On Summit

Exhausted negotiators appear divided down the middle.

A South African protestor demonstrates the emotions of a continent as world leaders gather in Johannesburg for the 2002 United NationsWorld Summit.

By Oscar Gutierrez.
Special To Honduras This Week

World Summit negotiators under pressure to produce a make or break agreement were still locked in talks early this week in a bid to wrap up business before the summit’s focus switched to the heads of government.

Delegations representing developing countries, the European Union and the U.S. remained divided, but cautiously optimistic, over trade and finance issues, a target for renewable energy, and world health. Some of developments include the government delegations from the US and Japan have allied with members of the organization of petroleum exporting countries (OPEC) to block moves to set targets on renewable energy at the summit. Greenpeace voiced displeasure at the action.

From the other side Kofi Annan, announced that businesses had come to realize that their profits could only be sustained if social and environmental issues were effectively addressed at the mating of 700 business leaders from more than 150 local and international corporation under the umbrella of the UN.

The author shakes hands with South African hero Nelson Mandela.

Britain will help Mozambique by writing off debt owed by Mozambique, said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in Maputo. Mr. Blair is a vocal critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his program to seize thousands of white-owned farms.

Some of the Summits rich countries came with donations. The US will give millions of dollars toward HIV and Malaria. However, critics say the problem with the U.S. is that they don’t see the point that Africa needs less expensive medicine.

There is sense coming across from delegates to the Summit that humanity is crying out for a new world order. Enormous changes have been sprung on it by the advent of the global village and its breathtaking technological prowess. U.S. President, George W. Bush’s decision to stay way from the Summit has not helped to ease these doubts.

In addition to corporate negotiations, NGOs can’t agree on a simple solution as they are divided in a unity march. Some representatives from NGOs failed to persuade a coalition of disgruntled activist not to split off from the main protests.

 

Frontier Problems: The Ghost Of Integration

By BLANCA MORENO

The vice-Minister of Inter-American Affairs of the United States, Otto Reich, made a visit to Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador last week. During his stay, Reich confirmed U.S. support for Central America's anti corruption fight, and advised the urgent need to fix the frontier problems in the region. Fixing this frontier problem, said Reich, is the first step towards the Free Commerce Treaty with the United States.

“I have all the backing of President George Bush, who completely identifies with your administration, and supports your fight against corruption,” said Reich to the President of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolanos. “We will use all legal efforts to cooperate with your fight.”

Currently, Bolanos is having a very public fight with his predecessor, Arnoldo Aleman.
Bolanos says Aleman is responsible for a long list of corrupt acts, including laundering millions of dollars that have been deposited in personal accounts of friends and members of his family.

The sandinistas, Nicaragua’s rulers during the ‘80s, were hostile towards Reich during his visit. They haven’t forgotten the man they call, “the big man in Washington”, who, during the ‘80s strongly helped the “contras”, who were working against the sandinistas.

El Nuevo Diario, a Nicaraguan newspaper, displayed a headline during the visit claiming Aleman was shivering in fear at the presence of the “Reich Falcon”. The headline was designed to highlight the presence of Reich in Nicaragua.

In Honduras, Reich had an interview with President Ricardo Maduro. At the end of the meeting he said that the illegal tax of 35 percent from Nicaragua on Honduran imports is an obstacle to Central American integration.
He told Maduro that imposing a retaliatory tax on Nicaragua would not solve the problem, it would only make things worse.

Despite the conciliatory tone of Reich’s advice to the Central America, El Salvador voiced intentions to ask for a reconsideration of the frontier judgment of the International Court in The Hague from September 11, 1992.

With the presence of Reich the United States has laid out the rules of the game.
 

Corrupt Honduras Government Still Better Than Guatemala and Nicaragua

By BEN PILGRIM

The Honduran Government has fared badly in an international corruption survey released last week – but Guatemala and Nicaragua came out even worse.

The survey ranked over 100 countries in terms of abuse of power by politicians for personal gain, with the data coming from opinion polls prepared by independent institutions including the World Bank and World Economic Forum.

The polls rated countries on a scale of 1 to 10 - 1 being the most corrupt. Honduras averaged a 2.7 rating, landing it in a tie with India, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Russia, and Cote d'Ivoire for the 71st most corrupt nation. The survey was put together by Transparency International (TI), a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting international corruption.

However, neighboring Governments in Guatemala and Nicaragua, both in joint 81st place, came in considerably lower, and so more corrupt, according to the survey. The best-placed countries in the region were Costa Rica (40th place), Mexico (57th), El Salvador (62nd) and Panama (67th).

Chairman of Transparency International, Peter Eigen, noted that parts of South and Central America had suffered setbacks in democratic rule during the last year, commenting, “In parts of South and Central America, the graft and misrule of political elites have drained confidence in the democratic structures that emerged after the end of military rule. Argentina, where corruption is perceived to have soared, joins Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti and Paraguay towards the bottom of the list.”

Eigen added, “Corrupt political elites in the developing world, working hand in hand with greedy business people and unscrupulous investors are putting private gain before the welfare of citizens and the economic development of their countries.”

Before leaving for the United Nations Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development, Eigen stressed that “the summit in Johannesburg must lead to action. Corruption impedes sustainable development and robs the children of today of the resources they will need to survive tomorrow. When the leaders sign the Johannesburg Declaration, they must make pledges they can keep, not raise false hopes.”

TI Vice-Chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz said: “Corruption continues to deny the poor, the marginalised, and the least educated members of every society the social, economic and political benefits that should properly accrue to them, benefits that are taken for granted in societies that have managed to shake off the yoke of corruption.”

Finland was declared the ‘cleanest country surveyed whilst Bangladesh came bottom of the list.

Countries were only included if at least of 3 independent surveys had been recently carried out, meaning that some of the planets most corrupt nations were not included.

Honduran Dengue Epidemic Not Letting Up
Community members need to join health care workers in the fight

By SEAN MCCLORY AND EDWARD DAWE
Special to Honduras This Week

Dengue Fever was first reported in 1779 in Asia, Africa and North America. Until fairly recently Dengue was not considered a major threat to public health, merely a benign infection common in travelers to the tropics. The disease had been limited in its spread because long-distance travel was uncommon.

However, as transport improved throughout the 20th century, the spread of the virus rapidly increased. In the 1950s and 60s the Pan-American Health Organization designed an eradication program to remove the carriers of the disease, mosquitoes, from Latin America. This had a steady level of success, but was abandoned, allowing the mosquitoes to re-colonize in Central America and bringing back Dengue Fever to levels much higher than those before the eradication program began.

The Mosquito

Dengue Fever, or Break-Bone Fever as it is sometimes called, is spread by the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Aedes mosquitoes are usually most active in the early morning hours, in the late afternoon before dark, and also when indoors or in shady areas during the day. If the mosquito bites a person infected with Dengue, the virus will enter the mosquito and remain.

This means that any person that the mosquito subsequently bites will be infected by the virus which causes Dengue Fever. The mosquitoes breed and lay their eggs in still water, and are capable of laying eggs in tiny pools of water that collect in empty plastic bottles. The main domestic sites of the insect are pots, jars and tanks used for storing water.

The Fevers

There are 4 distinct sub-types of the virus which causes Dengue Fever. These are called DEN, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Research from the World Health Organization says there are two possible conditions resulting from a bite by an infected mosquito. The first and most common is Dengue Fever. The symptoms of this are dependent on the age of the patient.

In adults, the disease onset is extremely rapid. There is severe headache with pain behind the ears accompanied by a rash and high fever. There are also severe joint and muscle pains, which give rise to the name Break-Bone Fever. This condition, although severely incapacitating, is not often fatal. Generally, younger children experience a more mild illness than older children and adults.

The second possible condition is Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). This is a much more severe condition in which blood vessels rupture causing extensive bleeding. It is characterized by a sudden rise in temperature, accompanied by facial flush and the other constitutional symptoms of Dengue Fever. The fever usually continues for two to seven days and can produce temperatures as high as 40-41 degrees C, possibly with feverish convulsions, abnormal bleeding and very low blood pressure (shock).

In moderate DHF cases, the signs and conditions will alleviate after the initial condition subsides. In severe cases, the patient’s condition may suddenly deteriorate after a few days of fever; their temperature will drop, and the patient may rapidly enter a state of shock and die within 12-24 hours, or quickly recover following appropriate fluid-volume replacement therapy.

The Threat

Globally, 2.5 billion people, two-fifths of the world’s population, are at risk of Dengue Fever, which is now a severe, sometimes fatal condition. In epidemics, usually 40-50 percent of the total population is susceptible to infection. However, infections by more virulent strains combined with low levels of immunity in the population and variations in their genetic susceptibility can produce rates as high as 90 percent.

Last year, more than 609,000 cases of Dengue were reported in the Americas, of which 15,000 cases were of the more deadly DHF, of whom a very large proportion were children. According to the World Health Organization, this figure is more than twice what was reported in 1995.

At least 2.5 percent of cases die, although case fatality can be twice as high. Without proper treatment, DHF case fatality can exceed 20 percent. With modern intensive supportive therapy, such rates can be reduced to less than one percent.

This highlights the need for increased awareness of the early symptoms of Dengue Fever so that hospital admission or appropriate care can be rapidly administered.

The Emergency

On July 22nd, 2002 Honduran President Ricardo Maduro declared a national state of emergency over the recent outbreaks of Dengue Fever. “I don’t want this epidemic to cost us one more life,” Maduro said. “We have decided to widen the health emergency to a national level to confront and destroy this Dengue outbreak that is killing our people.”

From figures given by the Catholic Relief Services, by August 4th of this year there had been over 16,000 reported cases of Dengue Fever in Honduras, of which 486 were cases of DHF. Most of these cases have occurred in Tegucigalpa and its environs. Fifteen resulting deaths have been reported, naming patients between the ages of 1 and 16, and three additional are pending confirmation that Haemorrhagic Dengue was the cause.

This outbreak has come before the onset of the main rainy season between October and September. The extra rainfall increases the number of pools of stagnant water which allow the infected mosquitoes to breed. This, along with Honduras’ environmental sanitation problem, drastically promotes sharp rises in Dengue levels.

Prevention

Reports from the World Health Organization say no Dengue vaccine is available. However, extensive work is being done to produce a vaccine for both Dengue Fever and DHF. The difficulty lies in that a vaccine is needed for four different viruses, as any of these viruses are capable of causing the disease. Unfortunately, protection against only one or two of these viruses could actually increase the risk of a more serious disease.

The Center for Disease Control says candidate vaccine viruses are being developed in Thailand. They suggested the vaccines are safe and immunogenic even when used together to form a vaccine for all four Dengue viruses. However, trials have not yet been done on humans. It’s estimated that an effective Dengue vaccine for public use will be available in 5 to 10 years.

The Center suggested that new Dengue virus strains and serotypes will likely continue to be introduced into areas where there are high mosquito populations. They also said that with the lack of adequate mosquito control technology available, public health authorities have been emphasizing community efforts to reduce the mosquito’s breeding grounds.

Clean away trash, tires and other material around the house that allow water to stagnate. Discarded plastic bags and containers have been detrimental to mosquito prevention because they allow water pockets to be formed and provide an almost perfect breeding ground for a mosquito.

It is recommended that all water containers be covered with mesh or plastic. For ponds or other areas of ornamental stagnant water certain fish and crustaceans can be purchased that like eating mosquitoes. Alternatively, a thin layer of oil on the top of the water will deter a mosquito from laying eggs.

The last recommendation is not to be bitten by mosquitoes. Bites can be prevented by using protective mosquito nets and gauzes, wearing longer clothes and insect repellent containing adequate amounts of DEET - 30 to 35 percent is recommended for adults, and 6 to 10 percent is recommended for children.

Most importantly if any Dengue-like symptoms arise, please seek immediate medical advice.

 

Lps. 3 Million Donation from Taiwan

A cooperation agreement was signed on Monday (August 26) between the Republic of China and Honduras to support micro, small and medium enterprises of Honduras. The donation of $200,000 - Lps. 3 Million 362 thousand- will be of invaluable help in order to develop the small business sector in Honduras. The agreement will be signed with the presence of the Ambassador of Taiwan, You Tien-der; the political advisor, Stephen Sheng and financial advisor, Gregorio Huang. In addition, the Chancellor of Honduras, Guillermo Perez Cadalzo Arias and the Minister of the International Cooperation Department- Brenie Matute, will be present since they will be responsible for monitoring the project to assure and maximize its success for the benefit of Honduran entrepreneurs. LA PRENSA (August 26/02)

Mayor Pastor Throws Farewell Dinner Party for Ambassador Almaguer

Accompanied by several of his friends, Ambassador Frank Almaguer and his wife Antoinette, attended the farewell dinner party given in their honor by the Mayor of Tegucigalpa, Miguel Pastor. Pastor honored the ambassador with the “New Times” Golden Pin - which is awarded to friends of the municipal government, according to the Mayor. Almaguer, received the pin with gratitude and asked the Municipality and the habitants of Tegucigalpa to take care of the city where he lived and worked for 2 years. Other attendants included Cardinal Oscar Andrews Rodriguez, Spain's Ambassador- Jose Javier Nagger and Chinas Ambassador- You Tine-deer amongst others. EL HERALDO (August 27/02)

1.5% Rise on Electricity Bill Next Month

There will be a raise of 1.5% on the electricity service this next month (September) and not of 12.6% as it had been informed on Monday (August 26). The information was explained by the Presidents Secretary - Ricardo Alvarez- who assures that since 1994 there is a law that obliges the National Electrical Energy Service (ENEE) to make periodic revision of the costs of the use of petroleum to generate electricity. Due to the rise in the International Price of Petroleum, ENEE will increase the tariff 1.5-%. Alvarez indicated that the 12.6% raise mentioned in the news before, referred to the accumulated percentage as a result of increments in Petroleum prices during the past days as well as the devaluation of the Lumpier EL HERALDO (August 28/02)

New Hope for Children With Cancer.

Children suffering from Cancer already have a new Oncology Unit at Hospital Escuela. The project was possible because of the cooperation of thousands of Hondurans and FUNHNICER (Honduran Foundation for Children With Cancer). The cost of the new unit is estimated on Lps. 2.7 Million and is equipped with new beds, spacious hallways and a fresh environment for the children.

Gaspar Vallecillo- director of the Hospital- highlighted the importance of organizations like FUNHNICER, which give life to Hospital Escuela. Vallecillo, also called out and asked the government to increase its support towards the Hospital and health services in general. The sub secretary of Health, Manuel Sandoval, applauded FUNHNICER for their assertive donations and indicated that cooperation from different institutions is fundamental and serves as a complement to the public health system as well. EL HERALDO (August 28/02)

Reichs Visit to Honduras: Positive and Encouraging

Otto Reichs visit to Honduras is both encouraging and positive according to Roberto Herrera Caceres- Central American Integration Issues specialist. He added that Reich’s presence could be influential in order to negotiate the 35% tax duty imposed by Nicaragua and could also be valuable in terms of alleviating corruption, since Hondurans have been trying to establish strategies to eradicate it. Caceres also explained that future policies of cooperation from the United States will depend on the ability of Central American countries to fight corruption at all levels. EL HERALDO (August 28/02)

Central American Presidents To Meet With Bus

The presidents of the different countries of Central America will gather with President George Bush in his farm house in Texas as announced by the International Relations Minister of Costa Rica- Roberto Tovar. Tovar also stated that the date of the meeting has not been set yet but tentative dates fall around the last days of September and the first week of October. In the meeting, the presidents of the region will discuss the negotiations to start the Free Trade Treaty (TLC, Tratado de Libre Comercio) with the United States. The last reunion Bush had with the Central American leaders took place in El Salvador on the 24th of March, where Bush declared his initiative to participate in a Free Trade Treaty with Central America. LA TRIBUNA (August 26/02)


 

New York laboratories to exploit local medicinal plants

By IXCHEL GRANADA

Tegucigalpa – Batana is a local plant found throughout the low-land forests along the north coast of Honduras. The vine has long-since been used by local indigenous groups, principally the Garifuna, as a hair dye and hair thickener. This common indigenous knowledge has found a multi-million dollar market in the US as a product to combat premature balding.

The raw plant product was collected here in Honduras while testing, synthesis and marketing are taking place in New York. The laboratory is taking the raw form and extracting the active alkaloid or plant compound and recreating the compound for mass production where it will take on a new name. This process is very common in natural product extraction. A celebrated example of natural product synthesis is Aspirin whose active component was derived from the bark of a willow tree.

As much as 80 percent of commonly used medicines are derived from natural products. However, the indigenous groups which share their knowledge rarely receive compensation for their contributions. Such is the case with the Garifuna and batana.

The Center for Intellectual Property Rights ( OPI) in Honduras has denounced the New York laboratory. The criticism followed an economic and social impact analysis from the Secretary for Central American Integrated Economic Development (SIECA) located in San Salvador, El Salvador.

These offices gathered several indigenous rights groups for a round table discussion where this case was specifically addressed. “ These companies don’t pay for the use of traditional knowledge from groups such as the Garinfuna. Pharmaceuticals continue to prosper while Garifuna instead of gaining from this exploitation, they struggle to escape from their cycle of impoverishment,” says Camilo Bendeck , director of the OPI

New regulations within The Global Center for Intellectual Property Rights (OMPI) state that traditional knowledge of traditional peoples is to be respected and any use or exploit of this knowledge requires the appropriate compensatory measures.