---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Pambazuka Editor <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 17:22:54 +0100 Subject: Pambazuka News 546: US/NATO occupation of Libya & tributes to Samir Amin To: pambazuka-news <[email protected]>
PAMBAZUKA NEWS 546: US/NATO OCCUPATION OF LIBYA & TRIBUTES TO SAMIR AMIN The authoritative electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa Pambazuka News (English edition): ISSN 1753-6839 CONTENTS: 1. Features, 2. Announcements, 3. Comment & analysis, 4. Advocacy & campaigns, 5. Books & arts, 6. Letters & Opinions, 7. Cartoons /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 1 Features LIBYA COULD BREAK UP LIKE SOMALIA Samir Amin The revolution in Libya, led by a motley group of democrats and Islamists and their imperialist allies, is likely to entrench the deep divisions in the country, writes Samir Amin, warning of the possibility of disintegration of the nation. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76091 ****** ‘FREE TRIPOLI’, JUST DON'T MENTION THE CORPSES Lizzie Phelan Following her experience of being on the ground in Tripoli, Lizzie Phelan writes of the Western media’s alarming ability ‘to not just fabricate events but to create’. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76085 ****** WHAT DOES GADDAFI'S FALL MEAN FOR AFRICA? Mahmood Mamdani Gaddafi’s fall points to more Western interventions to come in Africa, writes Mahmood Mamdani. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76055 ****** INDIA'S VOLTE-FACE ON LIBYA: THE SECRET MISSION The recent Paris meet was a grim victory celebration by the NATO powers who wanted non-European poodles on the bandwagon, writes M.K. Bhadrakumar. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76054 ****** LIBYA: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR AFRICAN UNITY Nana Ansah Events in Libya are a clear wake-up call for Africa to unite, writes Nana Ansah. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76093 ****** LIBYA: INSIDIOUS PLUNDER, WHAT ELSE? Nicholas H. Tucker Though we might see events in Libya as a sort of twisted fantasy tale, their effects will be all too real for the country and Africa at large, writes Nicholas H. Tucker. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76095 ****** THE WAR AGAINST LIBYA IS CRIMINAL Amy Niang The NATO military campaign in Libya is a pointed example of imperialism as the last stage of capitalism, Amy Niang argues. It is a travesty of international law, whose goal is conquest of economic resources. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76092 ****** LIBYA: HOPE, UNCERTAINTY AND SUSPICION AFTER GADDAFI Dibussi Tande Dibussi Tande captures the reaction to the fall of Gaddafi in this week’s round-up of the African blogosphere. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76100 ****** SAMIR AMIN: A TRIBUTE TO A FIGHTER AGAINST GLOBAL CAPITALISM Horace Campbell Honouring Samir Amin as he celebrates his 80th birthday this month, Horace Campbell pays tribute to Amin’s tireless work ‘to strengthen effective forms of popular power’ and underlines his enormous contribution to our understanding of global capitalism’s increasing destructiveness. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76097 ****** SAMIR AMIN: A TITAN OF RADICAL THOUGHT Ama Biney To understand the present capitalist economic crisis, Ama Biney contends that there is an urgent need to revisit the works of Egyptian political economist Samir Amin. His bold proposals on ending global inequalities and injustices are timely. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76102 ****** SAMIR AMIN: COMBINING WORLD-CLASS SCHOLARSHIP WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE Ebrima Sall With Samir Amin celebrating his 80th birthday this month, Ebrima Sall salutes Amin’s long-standing commitment to allying world-class scholarship with an unflinching commitment to social justice. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76113 ****** TRIBUTE TO SAMIR AMIN Issa G. Shivji In the era of globalisation, post-modernism and culturalism, many a Marxist intellectual of the 1960s and 1970s has metamorphosed, abandoning the class stand of the working people against the voracious capitalist system and imperialism. Not so Samir Amin. He has stood firm against capitalist barbarism. He does not mince his words nor does he capitulate to intellectual fashions. He does not seek accolades from Western scholarship nor does he curry favours to be counted among the 'best' 100 intellectuals. He remains steadfast in the great struggle of national liberation and social emancipation of the working people of the world. He remains anchored in class struggles at 80 as strongly as he was at 30 when he wrote his 'Class Struggle in Africa'. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76050 ****** HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMIR AMIN! Norman Girvan Your prodigious, insightful work on the nature of world capitalism, its origins and evolution, and on the long but necessary transition to socialism has educated, enlightened and inspired us over the last half a century. Truly you are one of the most original thinkers of the 20th and early 21st century. Your treatment of Eurocentricity and on the epistemological and philosophical consequences of the worldwide expansion of European capitalism has given us a frame of reference within which the cultural diversity of humanity is validated as an intrinsic part of authentic socialism. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76051 ****** HONOURING SAMIR Cameron Duodu I heard of Samir Amin long before I met him. As a member of the Ghana Youth Council, I was involved in organising a conference that we thought would bring together youth movements throughout Africa to plan how we could plan together to advance the cause of Africa's political and economic development. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76087 ****** SAYING ‘THANK YOU’ TO SAMIR AMIN AS HE TURNS 80 Bill Fletcher, Jr Although I only met Samir Amin in late 2010, I had studied his work for decades, finding in them superior analyses and inspiration. In fact, after reading so much of his work I was quite unprepared for the person I actually met. He was very down to earth, incredibly funny, and could actually listen, the latter characteristic not one that can ever be taken for granted, particularly in the case of individuals who gain iconic status. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76052 ****** LONDON CALLING: FANON, SPONTANEITY AND THE ENGLISH INSURRECTIONS Nigel C. Gibson In the wake of England’s riots, Nigel C. Gibson draws on Frantz Fanon: ‘How to be human in a dehumanized society? This question haunted Fanon and it haunts our age.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76058 ****** HOW FAMINE MAKES UNSCRUPULOUS BUSINESSMEN FABULOUSLY WEALTHY Rasna Warah The global aid industry has made a core group fabulously wealthy, writes Rasna Warah. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76053 ****** EGYPT’S MILITARY RULER TANTAWI AND THE AMERICAN SIEGE OF GAZA Revelations from WikiLeaks Ali Abunimah As a WikiLeaks cable reveals, the US was even more actively involved than originally thought in ‘enforcing the siege of Gaza along Egypt’s border’, writes Ali Abunimah. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76056 ****** SUDAN: IN-BUILT NEOCOLONIALISM Explo Nani-Kofi With South Sudan continuing to face a number of acute historical challenges, the Pan-Africanist movement must move to develop campaigning and lobbying on the side of the ‘marginalised majority’ in South Sudan and Sudan alike, writes Explo Nani-Kofi. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76057 ****** SUDAN: FOR LGBT, MORE CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON Ghareeb In the second and final part of an article on LGBT rights in Sudan, Ghareeb writes that South Sudan has a long way to go before it becomes a society tolerant of homosexuality. Part one of the article is available here: http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75747 http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76059 ****** MAPPING WAR CRIMES IN SUDAN: AN OPEN LETTER TO GEORGE CLOONEY Samar Al-Bulushi In a letter to Hollywood actor George Clooney regarding his activism on Sudan, Samar Al-Bulushi raises a number of concerns around the motives, accountability and politics behind the Satellite Sentinel Project. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76060 ****** DIRTY DURBAN’S MANUAL FOR CLIMATE GREENWASHING Patrick Bond With serious concerns around the city’s pro-pollution policy and activity, will Durban – the host of the upcoming COP17 summit – clean itself up, asks Patrick Bond. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76061 ****** WHAT AILS MOVEMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA Lindela Figlan Social movements in South Africa are divided, which renders them amenable to external pressures, according to Lindela Figlan. Unless they unite and pursue a common vision against capitalism, they will not succeed in their objectives. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76103 ****** THE SECOND ACT OF A KENYAN WHISTLE-BLOWER A conversation with John Githongo Ron Singer In a interview with John Githongo, Ron Singer discusses the state of Kenya’s media and the dominance of self-interested political and ethnic forces. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76062 ****** ON LGBTI COMMUNITIES: ALTERNATIVE UNPACKING NEEDED Mia Nikasimo In response to an article entitled ‘Unpacking the LGBTI communities’, (http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/74658) by Andrey Mbugua, Mia Nikasimo takes great exception to Mbugua’s assumptions, language and presentations of LBGTI and transsexual people. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76098 ****** THE ROAD FROM ATTICA Michael E. Deutsch ‘9 September marks 40 years since the uprising at Attica State Prison’, writes Michael E. Deutsch, an incident alarming in its reflection of the US authorities' extreme brutality and the rise of the ‘prison–industrial’ complex. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76114 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 2 Announcements FAHAMU REFUGEE LEGAL AID NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER ISSUE The new Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter is now available ( http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/546/FRLANSept2011.pdf ) . This issue includes breaking news about Australia's plan to 'swap' asylum seekers with Malaysia; an in-depth article on the issue by Dr Savitri Taylor; a trio of pieces about the situation faced by Rwandan refugees, including an important statement, which you can sign on to, against the planned invocation of the Cessation Clause; a review of issues faced by LGBTI people in Sudan, a little-known topic; case notes on rulings about Dadaab camp and UK-Cyprus return; discussion of a recent review of asylum in Poland; and a report from visits to Syrian refugees in camps in southern Turkey – as well as our usual announcements of opportunities, requests and relevant new resources. ****** REQUEST FOR FRENCH–ENGLISH ARTICLE TRANSLATION Do you have experience translating articles in French into English? Would you be able to volunteer to translate an article for us? Please drop us a line at [email protected] if so. ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 3 Comment & analysis FAMINE: LESS LAND, MORE HUNGER Esther Vivas Africa faces an alarming rise in land grabbing, writes Esther Vivas. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/76094 ****** MALEMA ON BOTSWANA Ronald Wesso Following comments about Botswana being a puppet of US imperialism, ANC Youth League President Julius Malema is appearing before the party’s disciplinary committee, writes Ronald Wesso. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/76101 ****** THOUSANDS PROTEST AGAINST SWAZILAND’S ABSOLUTE MONARCHY Peter Kenworthy Swaziland's authorities are acting with more restraint towards protestors in response to this week's demonstrations, writes Peter Kenworthy. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/76088 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 4 Advocacy & campaigns AERIAL BOMBARDMENT CONTINUES DESPITE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT CEASEFIRE DECLARATION SUDO(UK) In spite of the declaration of a unilateral ceasefire in South Kordofan by President Bashir on 23rd August there has been a continuation of aerial bombardment of civilian targets by Government forces and attacks by Government soldiers and their allied militias. At the same time SPLA forces continued to attack Government garrisons. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/76065 ****** BLUE NILE: OUTBREAK OF WAR BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN TROOPS AND THE SPLM SUDO(UK) In the early hours of the 2nd of September there was an outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) which involved all of those gathered in the Joint Integrated Units (JIU) forces in Blue Nile. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/76066 ****** HALF A MILLION LIVES THREATENED BY LAND AND WATER GRABS FOR PLANTATIONS IN ETHIOPIA'S LOWER OMO VALLEY Oakland Institute According to a new Land Deal Brief from the Oakland Institute (OI) to be released on September 12, 2011, the controversial Gibe III hydroelectric project located in Ethiopia's Omo Valley is facilitating the take over of 350,000 hectares (ha) of land for sugar cane and cotton plantations. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/76078 ****** ONLY 17 HOURS LEFT TO BRING SYMPHONY WAY BOOK TOUR TO EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA We only have 17 hours left to raise the money we need for a our book tour. If we get at least $4,000usd, then we'll be able to bring 2 authors on tour. Please contribute here now so that our voices can be heard outside South Africa: http://www.indiegogo.com/SA-Pavement-Dwellers-Book-Tour http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/76086 ****** SIGN ON TO STATEMENT PROTECTING RWANDAN REFUGEES Fahamu Refugee Programme On 31 December 2011, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and several states hosting Rwandan refugees are considering invoking the “cessation clause” of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This is a very unusual and dangerous move that could cause revocation of the refugee status of tens of thousands of people who fled ethnic and political persecution in Rwanda, stripping them of basic rights and exposing them to forcible repatriation and possible persecution. Cessation is premature and should be stopped. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/76084 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 5 Books & arts ACHIEVING ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Review of ‘Haki Zetu: Economic, social and cultural rights in practice’ Hakim Mbanzamihigo In a review of ‘Haki Zetu: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Practice’, Hakim Mbanzamihigo writes that the ‘handbook could be a useful tool for the promotion of ESCR at the most local level’. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/books/76049 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 6 Letters & Opinions AFRICA AND THE FUKUS Moeen R We are now living in very dangerous times. France, UK and US known as FUKUS have a major plan to attack many nations in the twisted belief they are fulfilling some sort of Biblical Prophecies. Morrocco, South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria are the next targets in Africa. Syria and Iran in the Middle East and India partly due to the Maoist insurgency that is growing even though the Indian Government is keeping it quiet. Oil has been found on the Somalia/Kenya and Ethiopia/Kenya border areas so that is another potential target for FUKUS in the future. Please beware of these facts no one is exempt there is a lot of trouble coming and many people around the world will suffer. Currently, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Chechenya, Somalia are in Conflict with Bosnia and Kosovo in danger of conflict. You do not have to believe this but for sure you will see more conflicts start-up around the world then you must wake-up to reality. Be safe and be aware. ****** EMPTYING OF LIBYA'S 'BLACK' CITIES Myron Lloyd I think it is absolutely disgusting how black cities in Libya like Tawergha are being emptied out by the rebels and US airstrikes. One thing that I have noticed is that in all the videos I have seen where the rebels are 'liberating' a city, there seems to already be no one there! How are we protecting the civilians if most people have fled in fear? The Wall Street Journal even reported a rebel commander saying that the people in Tawergha should just pack up their things and go because it won't exist anymore after the rebels arrive. ****** TO THE AFRICAN UNION ON LIBYA Antumi Toasijé My question is: Can we defend ourselves or we are still weak? This is a pledge for the African Union to take action and firmly intervene in the issue of Libya. As events in this war develop in the worst direction the intervention is necessary for two main reasons, first one is the documented racist harassment of the Black populations living in Libya. If we allow the Libyan Rebels to continue with this kind of prosecutions without reaction or even punishment, we will set a huge step back to the Apartheid Era because it can be an extremely dangerous precedent for all the countries in the north of Africa or even the European countries too, meaning that attacking or killing black innocent citizens is cheap and easy. The second reason is that Côte D'Ivoire and Libya have become experiments for the Neocolonial powers in a time of economical crisis. Traditionally, when the European economy breaks down then the colonialism raises. If we don't take effective and executive strong actions all Africa will be in a serious danger of recolonization. This intervention has a strong legal basis as Libya is still a member of the AU and Article 4 of the African Union Act provides for: “(h) the right of the Union to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Assembly in respect of grave circumstances, namely: WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE and CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY”. I'm not asking for an intervention in support of Kaddafi’s regime but in support of African independence and protection of our citizens. The intervention should be military if necessary with enough effectives of the AU crossing the borders of Niger and Chad. It should consist in a rapid rescuing operation of all black citizens living in Libya, repatriation if they wish so and/or a demonstration of force to stop killings in the hands of the Libyan Rebels. Remember History tends to repeat itself specially if we don't learn from past lessons. ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 7 Cartoons GADDAFI AGREES TO NEGOTIATE Gado Gaddafi agrees to negotiate… http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/cartoons/76048 ****** LIBYA'S NTC IN SESSION Gado Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) in session. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/cartoons/76047 ****** MUSEVENI VERSUS BESIGYE Gado Tank versus protest placard… http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/cartoons/76046 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ Fahamu - Networks For Social Justice http://www.fahamu.org Pambazuka News is published by Fahamu Ltd. © Unless otherwise indicated, all materials published are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. For further details see: http://www.pambazuka.org/en/about.php Pambazuka news can be viewed online: English language edition ( http://www.pambazuka.org/en ) Edição em língua Portuguesa ( http://www.pambazuka.org/pt ) Edition française ( http://www.pambazuka.org/fr ) RSS Feeds available at http://www.pambazuka.org/en/newsfeed.php Pambazuka News is published with the support of a number of funders, details of which can be obtained here ( http://www.pambazuka.org/en/about.php ) . To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE go to: http://pambazuka.gn.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pambazuka-news or send a message to [email protected] with the word SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line as appropriate. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Pambazuka News or Fahamu. With around 2,600 contributors and an estimated 600,000 readers, Pambazuka News is the authoritative pan-African electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa providing cutting edge commentary and in-depth analysis on politics and current affairs, development, human rights, refugees, gender issues and culture in Africa. Order Samir Amin's 'Ending the Crisis of Capitalism or Ending Capitalism?' from Pambazuka Press ( http://fahamubooks.org/book/?GCOI=90638100866770&utm_source=PZ_newsletter_footer_amin_crisis&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=amin_crisis ) . * Pambazuka News is on Twitter. By following 'pambazukanews' on Twitter you can receive headlines from our 'Features' and 'Comment & Analysis' sections as they are published, and can even receive our headlines via SMS. Visit our Twitter page for more information: //twitter.com/pambazukanews ( http://twitter.com/pambazukanews ) . * Pambazuka News has a Del.icio.us ( http://Del.icio.us/ ) page, where you can view the various websites that we visit to keep our fingers on the pulse of Africa! Visit http://delicious.com/pambazuka_news. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
