PAMBAZUKA NEWS 543: RESISTING IMPERIALISM: SITES OF STRUGGLE 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. Pan-African Postcard, 6. Books & arts, 7. Letters & Opinions, 8. Highlights French edition, 9. Cartoons /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 1 Features NO EASY PATH THROUGH THE EMBERS Richard Pithouse The recent acquittal of members of a leading South African social movement showed up the undemocratic tendencies of the ANC. Those committed to democracy will have to stand firm, writes Richard Pithouse. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75415 ****** LEAVING OIL IN THE SOIL Patrick Bond >From a wrecked tanker on South Africa’s coast to the forests of South America, Patrick Bond explains why mining oil is a bad idea. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75430 ****** EGYPT: PHARAOH IN A CAGE Dibussi Tande 'The surreal images of ex-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on a hospital bed inside an iron cage in a Cairo courtroom have been the leading topic in the African blogosphere this week,' writes Dibussi Tande. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75436 ****** LIBYA AND THE RIGHT TO PROTECT Khadija Sharife The ‘international and continent-wide issue is not so much whether Gaddafi's regime should be removed’, but rather ‘how this should be approached, and why it is being approached at all,’ writes Khadija Sharife. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75438 ****** US DEBT CEILING DEBATE AND THE ALTERNATIVES Horace Campbell In the wake of the passing of the Budget Control Act to prevent the US defaulting on its debts, Horace Campbell stresses the need for progressive people to organise to oppose militarisation, defend livelihoods and social security protection, and chart the path towards alternatives. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75453 ****** STRUGGLING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIA 200th edition of Pambazuka News in French Tidiane Kassé With Pambazuka News publishing its 200th French-language edition ( http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/issue/current/ ) this week, Tidiane Kassé – Pambazuka’s French-language editor – discusses the importance of alternative, Africa-led media and the challenges for the future. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75452 ****** FAMINE BY MAN NOT DROUGHT Africa Answerman The famine spreading across the Horn of Africa is ‘not principally the result of drought’, it’s ‘due to political and social circumstances that if left unaddressed will begin one terrible unending famine capable of wiping out entire populations and massively stressing global resources’, writes Africa Answerman. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75437 ****** FAMINE IN SOMALIA The story you're unlikely to hear any time soon Rasna Warah In the absence of a well-functioning central government, Somalia is in effect being ‘managed and controlled by aid agencies’, writes Rasna Warah. But it’s a story that is unlikely to be told by either the global news networks or the ‘aid workers whose livelihoods depend on donor money that will soon flow into Somalia via Kenya.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75419 ****** MAURITANIA: SLAVERY AND STATE RACISM Sy Hamdou Tackling the racism and slavery inherent in Mauritania will rely on overthrowing ‘the ideological and religious foundations of slavery and racism with the state’, writes Sy Hamdou. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75421 ****** A WAR CRIMINAL IN SPAIN: TSHOMBE AND THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT Agustín Velloso Following a trip to Madrid’s archives, Agustín Velloso uncovers the history of Spain’s relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the 1960s and the secret backing given to Moise Tshombe’s ‘subversive activities’, his use of Spanish state resources and institutions and ‘the support of the press and other fascist entities of the time’. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75425 ****** ENDEMIC VIOLENCE IN POSTCOLONIAL NAMIBIA Shaun R. Whittaker ‘Colonialism signified nothing less than the collective traumatising of the Namibian people who must carry the heavy burden of the consequences for generations,’ writes Shaun R. Whittaker. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/75423 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 2 Announcements PAVEMENT DWELLERS IN JOHANNESBURG TO PROMOTE NEW BOOK Symphony Way Pavement Dwellers The Symphony Way Pavement Dwellers – the authors of 'No Land! No House! No Vote! Voices from Symphony Way' ( http://fahamubooks.org/book/?GCOI=90638100888310 ) – invite Pambazuka readers to learn more about their struggle by attending events in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week. Naomi Klein ('The Shock Doctrine', 'No Logo') has called their book 'a beauty, extraordinary in every way’. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/Announce/75435 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 3 Comment & analysis RETURN OF ‘WANJIKU’ TO KENYA’S CONSTITUTION IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Katto K. Wambua If Kenya’s new constitution is to provide for a genuine democratisation of the country’s politics, public participation will need to be the prerequisite underpinning all other constitutional provisions, writes Katto Wambua. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/75414 ****** EAST AFRICA’S DROUGHT RESPONSE: UNION MEMBERS MUST ARISE Anne Mitaru With the Horn of Africa facing an acute drought and food crisis, Anne Mitaru underlines the need for African states and leaders to take centre stage in dealing with the crisis. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/75413 ****** KENYAN LIVES ARE CHEAP, SOMALI LIVES EVEN CHEAPER Muthoni Wanyeki ‘Life is cheap. And so we are lethargic – until the numbers become too large to ignore,’ writes Muthoni Wanyeki, as Kenyans fail to heed the plight of either their fellow citizens or neighbouring Somalis during the region’s worst drought in 60 years. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/75420 ****** SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN UGANDA Doreen Lwanga When it comes to sexual violence against women in Uganda, Doreen Lwanga says it is about time men start seeing women as human beings and not sexualised objects. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/75416 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 4 Advocacy & campaigns ALL CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST THE GRAHAMSTOWN FOUR Unemployed People's Movement All charges have been dropped against four activists from the South African town of Grahamstown, reports the Unemployed People's Movement. But it has taken six month's for justice since their initial arrest on 10 February. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/75431 ****** WAR IN BLIKKIESDORP Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign The Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign reports on a spate of killings in Cape Town's notorious Blikkiesdorp and demands to know what the City of Cape Town is doing to address their circumstances. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/75432 ****** PETITION: FOR A REAL GAS REVOLUTION, STOP GAS FLARING Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria Individuals and organisations are invited to endorse a petition registering concern about the Nigerian government’s proposed ‘Gas Revolution’ and calling for the 'total stoppage of routine gas flaring.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/75457 ****** DESECRATION OF THE LATE PRESIDENT SANKARA’S TOMB Mariam Sankara Following the desecration of the tomb of the late Thomas Sankara in Ougadougou, his family is calling on the Burkinabé state ‘to apprehend and sanction the authors of this barbaric act and to ensure that this type of behaviour does not go unpunished.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/75443 ****** PRESIDENT OBAMA SHOULD NOT HOST CÔTE D’IVOIRE’S ALASSANE OUATTARA AdddAfrica On Friday, July 29, 2011 President Barack Obama will meet Mr. Alassane Ouattara at the White House. Although the meeting may fall into the normal US-Côte d’Ivoire bilateral relations, it is nonetheless questionable that it is to take place at a moment when Côte d’Ivoire is still suffering from the consequences of the tragic events, which followed the presidential election of November 2010 and to which the Obama administration contributed. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/75412 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 5 Pan-African Postcard KENYA: DEALING WITH DROUGHT H. Nanjala Nyabola ‘Defying the image of Kenyans as a parasitic nation that would gladly stand by and watch fellow citizens die’, Kenyans of various backgrounds have raised ‘in eight days ten times what the Kenyan government had pledged to put towards food distribution to the drought stricken areas,’ writes H. Nanjala Nyabola. Shouldn't the government be doing more? http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/75434 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 6 Books & arts A LIBRARY IN ASABA Chuma Nwokolo Chuma Nwokolo revisits a childhood library and is shocked at its deterioration. 'It is great to have a completed central bank project and a new airport, but how about a time frame for a public library?' http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/books/75433 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 7 Letters & Opinions SOUTH SUDAN: THE URGENCY IN STATE FORMATION Response to South Sudan in the post-CPA era: Prospects and challenges Africaforafrica Christopher Zambakari’s article on South Sudan fails to address the key issue of leadership, writes Africaforafrica. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/75424 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 8 Highlights French edition PAMBAZUKA NEWS 200: CELEBRATING 200 ISSUES IN THE SERVICE OF RESISTANCE, ALTERNATIVES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Why Pambazuka is unique The 200th edition of Pambazuka News in French is a special issue featuring different contributors who over the years have made this a reality. In the 10 years of Pambazuka’s existence, 2,500 researchers, academics, activists and others, driven by a Pan-African ideal and a commitment to social justice, have made Pambazuka the most prolific African platform for citizen journalism. This special edition hears from these contributors, why they read Pambazuka and why it is important to them. The 200th edition also carries excerpts from the 500th English-language edition of the newsletter published in October 2010 (http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/500). Pambazuka is clearly more than just a newsletter. ****** The struggle for a new thought world order Tidiane Kasse Four years on, we are now at the 200th edition of Pambazuka News in French. After years of cutting one’s teeth in mainstream journalism, working with Pambazuka (which means ‘arise’ in Swahili) and immersing oneself in the fervour of activism has led to a better understanding of the issues at stake in the battle for information in Africa. http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75360 ****** Pambazuka and the struggle against capitalism, imperialism and for the emancipation of peoples Demba Moussa Dembele Demba Moussa Dembele pays tribute to Pambazuka’s commitment to the struggle for political, economic and social justice for the peoples of Africa and the diaspora and underlines that ‘its credibility and prestige make it a vital source of information on Africa for other media in the world, many of which reproduce Pambazuka articles, including translations, on their websites.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75358 ****** Pambazuka – a constant questioning Amy Niang According to Amy Niang, ‘the articles in Pambazuka use a kind of subversion which allows us to break through the dogma of the dominant narrative. Pambazuka generally puts forward subversive thought which allows one to break out of the dogma of the dominant narrative which paints Africa as frozen in time and incapable of following its own rhythm of change rather than one dreamed up elsewhere’. http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75361 ****** The second phase of African decolonisation needs an alternative press Guy Marius Sagna and Fode Roland Diagne After reviewing the evolution of the African press since colonisation, Guy Marius Sagna and Fode Roland Diagne make a plea for a different kind of press to tackle Africa’s current challenges, one that will put at the forefront the voices of ‘workers, peasants, workers in the informal sector, women, youth and progressive Africans’ and accompany them in the struggle to take destiny into their own hands and break with the slavish ties imposed on the peoples of Africa by Françafrique, Eurafrique and Usafrique.’ Pambazuka, they say, ‘is the kind of model required for a truly alternative and anti-neoliberal press.’ http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75357 ****** Pambazuka – an example of a free, alternative, citizen media Erika Carmelo The partnerships and links developed by Pambazuka News over the years have created bridges to several organisations including Ritimo. It is hence important, says Erika Carmelo, that Pambazuka remain ‘a reference and an example of what is meant by a free, alternative, citizen media’. http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75347 ****** Alternative media, a means of struggle against the capitalist system Bernard Dodji Bokodjin Amidst the plethora of mainstream media that has swept through the world to consolidate a system of exploitation and servitude, Pambazuka News, according to Bernard Bokodjin, stands out as a platform that enlightens people in Africa and elsewhere on the real issues of governance in Africa and ‘fights for the emancipation of Africa from the yoke of colonialism and the domination of the Françafrique mafia’. http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/75356 ****** ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 9 Cartoons ADVICE FOR GREECE Gado African countries could advise Greece on its economic woes… http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/cartoons/75408 ****** GMOS OR ORGANIC? Gado Debates around GMOs or organic food are far from the first concern of those without food… http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/cartoons/75407 ****** /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 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 ) . 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