OBITUARIES
~ PROFESSOR WANGARI MUTA MARY JO MAATHAI (1 Apr 1940- 25 Sep 2011), human rights acitivist and environmentalist.
THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT STATEMENT
Web: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org
WANGARI MUTA MAATHAI - A Life of Firsts
Wangari Muta Maathai (1940–2011): Nobel Peace Laureate; environmentalist; scientist; parliamentarian; founder of the Green Belt Movement; advocate for social justice, human rights, and democracy; elder; and peacemaker. She lived and worked in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Every person who has ever achieved anything has been knocked down many times. But all of them picked themselves up and kept going, and that is what I have always tried to do.”
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.”
Wangari Maathai was born in the village of Ihithe, near Nyeri, in the Central Highlands of Kenya on April 1, 1940. At a time when most Kenyan girls were not educated, she went to school at the instigation of her elder brother, Nderitu. Principally taught by Catholic missionary nuns, she graduated from Loreto Girls’ High School in 1959. The following year she came to the United States through a scholarship program of the African American Students Foundation — what became known as Kennedy “Airlift,” because a Kennedy family foundation helped fund the effort. Professor Maathai studied at Mount St. Scholastica (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kansas, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
In 1966 she earned a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. That year she returned to a newly independent Kenya, and soon after joined the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi. In 1971 she received a Ph.D., the first woman in east and central Africa to do so. She became the first woman to chair a department at the University and the first to be appointed a professor.
In the 1970s Professor Maathai became active in a number of environmental and humanitarian organizations in Nairobi, including the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK). Through her work representing women academics in the NCWK, she spoke to rural women and learned from them about the deteriorating environmental and social conditions affecting poor, rural Kenyans—especially women. The women told her that they lacked firewood for cooking and heating, that clean water was scarce, and nutritious food was limited.
Professor Maathai suggested to them that planting trees might be an answer. The trees would provide wood for cooking, fodder for livestock, and material for fencing; they would protect watersheds and stabilize the soil, improving agriculture. This was the beginning of the Green Belt Movement (GBM), which was formally established in 1977. GBM has since mobilized hundreds of thousands of women and men to plant more than 47 million trees, restoring degraded environments and improving the quality of life for people in poverty.
As GBM’s work expanded, Professor Maathai realized that behind poverty and environmental destruction were deeper issues of disempowerment, bad governance, and a loss of the values that had enabled communities to sustain their land and livelihoods, and what was best in their cultures. The planting of trees became an entry-point for a larger social, economic, and environmental agenda.
In the 1980s and 1990s the Green Belt Movement joined with other pro-democracy advocates to press for an end to the abuses of the dictatorial regime of then Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi. Professor Maathai initiated campaigns that halted the construction of a skyscraper in Uhuru (“Freedom”) Park in downtown Nairobi, and stopped the grabbing of public land in Karura Forest, just north of the city center. She also helped lead a yearlong vigil with the mothers of political prisoners that resulted in freedom for 51 men held by the government.
As a consequence of these and other advocacy efforts, Professor Maathai and GBM staff and colleagues were repeatedly beaten, jailed, harassed, and publicly vilified by the Moi regime. Professor Maathai’s fearlessness and persistence resulted in her becoming one of the best-known and most respected women in Kenya. Internationally, she also gained recognition for her courageous stand for the rights of people and the environment.
Professor Maathai’s commitment to a democratic Kenya never faltered. In December 2002, in the first free-and-fair elections in her country for a generation, she was elected as Member of Parliament for Tetu, a constituency close to where she grew up. In 2003 President Mwai Kibaki appointed her Deputy Minister for the Environment in the new government. Professor Maathai brought GBM’s strategy of grassroots empowerment and commitment to participatory, transparent governance to the Ministry of Environment and the management of Tetu’s constituency development fund (CDF). As an MP, she emphasized: reforestation, forest protection, and the restoration of degraded land; education initiatives, including scholarships for those orphaned by HIV/AIDS; and expanded access to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) as well as improved nutrition for those living with HIV/AIDS.
In the violence that followed the contested 2007 Kenyan elections, Professor Maathai served as a mediator and a critical voice for peace, accountability, and justice. In addition, she and GBM were instrumental in ensuring that the new Kenyan constitution, ratified by a public vote in 2010, included the right of all citizens to a clean and healthy environment, and that the constitution’s drafting was truly consultative.
In 2004 Professor Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work for sustainable development, democracy, and peace — the first African woman and the first environmentalist to receive this honor. In announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Professor Maathai “stands at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural development in Kenya and in Africa.” It praised the “holistic approach” of her work and called her “a strong voice speaking for the best forces in Africa to promote peace and good living conditions on that continent.”
In 2006 Professor Maathai co-founded the Nobel Women’s Initiative with five of her fellow women peace laureates to advocate for justice, equality, and peace worldwide.
In recent years Professor Maathai played an increasingly important role in global efforts to address climate change, specifically by advocating for the protection of indigenous forests and the inclusion of civil society in policy decisions. In 2005 ten Central African governments appointed her the goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin rainforest and that same year she accepted the position of presiding officer of the African Union’s Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
In 2006 Professor Maathai joined with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to launch a campaign to plant a billion trees around the world. That goal was met in less than a year; the target now stands at 14 billion. In 2007 Professor Maathai became co-chair (with former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin) of the Congo Basin Forest Fund, an initiative of the British and Norwegian governments, and in 2009 she was designated a United Nations messenger of peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
In 2010, Professor Maathai became a trustee of the Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust. That same year, in partnership with the University of Nairobi, she established the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI). The WMI will bring together academic research—e.g. in land use, forestry, agriculture, resource-based conflicts, and peace studies—with the Green Belt Movement approach and members of the organization. Through sharing their experiences, academics and those working at the grassroots will learn from and educate each other about the linkages between livelihoods and ecosystems.
Professor Maathai received a number of honors. Those bestowed on her by governments include: the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan, 2009), the Legion D’Honneur (France, 2006), and Elder of the Golden Heart and Elder of the Burning Spear (Kenya, 2004, 2003). Professor Maathai also received awards from many organizations and institutions throughout the world, including: the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights (2007), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), the Sophie Prize (2004), the Goldman Prize (1991), the Right Livelihood Award (1984); and honorary doctorates from Yale University and Morehouse College in the U.S., Ochanomizu University in Japan, and the University of Norway, among others.
Professor Maathai documented her life, work, and perspectives in four books: The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience (2003), which charts the organization’s development and methods; Unbowed (2006), her autobiography; The Challenge for Africa (2008), which examines the social, economic, and political bottlenecks that have held back the continent’s development, and provides a manifesto for change; and Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World (2010), which explores the values that underpin the Green Belt Movement and suggests how they can be applied.
Professor Maathai is survived by her three children — Waweru, Wanjira, and Muta, and her granddaughter, Ruth Wangari.
~ SYLVIA ROBINSON (6 Mar, 1936– 29 Sept 2011) singer, founder & CEO, Sugar Hill Records.
Sylvia Robinson was the driving force behind two landmark rap singles. ‘Rapper’s Delight‘ by the Sugar Hill Gang, was the first rap song to be released by a hip hop act. Meanwhile ‘The Message‘ by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five was when rap went politically conscious in a global way.
She was born Sylvia Vanderpool in New York City. Her first successful record was the 1956 hit, ‘Love Is Strange‘, written by Bo Diddley (but credited to his then wife, Ethel Smith) and guitarist Jody Williams, who had developed the distinctive lead guitar riff, and released as part of the duo Mickey & Sylvia with guitar player Mickey Baker.
She married Joe Robinson in 1964 and formed All Platinum Records in 1968, which released soul records by the likes of Donnie Elbert and Shirley Goodman. Sylvia is also credited as the producer of ‘Love on a Two Way Street’, a hit for the Moments in 1970. As a solo performer she recorded and released the single “Pillow Talk“ on the Vibration label in 1973 which reached number one for two weeks on the R&B chart and number three on the pop charts in the US. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in May 1973. The moaning vocals and heavy breathing, set the template for Donna Summer‘s orgasmic moans on the disco smash ‘Love to Love You Baby‘.
In the late 1970s the Robinsons along with Milton Malden founded Sugar Hill Records. Robinson recruited three unknown MCs - Big Bank Hank, Wonder Mike and Master Gee - and recorded the 15-iminute ‘Rapper’s Delight’ over a sample from Chic’s Good Times. Although the Sugar Hill Gang never equalled the success of their debut, the label continued to score hits. Among them were ‘Apache’, ‘That’s The Joint’ and ‘The Message’, the first rap song ever added to the US National Archive. She co-wrote Grandmaster and Melle Mel’s anti-drugs anthem, ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It)’. Sugar Hill Records was eventually closed in 1986, and its studios in Englewood, New Jersey, burned down in 2002.
Sylvia Robinson passed away at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey from congestive heart failure. She is survived by her sons Joey, Leland and Rhondo and 10 grandchildren.
WESTERN SELF-INTEREST DESTROYS THE UN
Feature Article by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo
That perceived collective Western “national interest” would be pursued to the extent of destroying the “peace and security” ethos of the United Nations (UN) is mind boggling and especially to the mass of the world population who have been fed to believe in the neutrality of the UN. What is happening now in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire tells us that you believe in the neutrality of the UN at your own peril.
The unbridled pursuit of Western or NATO self-interest in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire has the consequence of destroying the moral authority of the UN and its security council. In effect the security council has become a quisling facilitating what is becoming an apparent “re-colonisation” of some parts of the world strategic to the respective national interests of the NATO grouping. For global peace and security to prevail either the security council is immediately reconstituted or abolished. The security council should be reconstituted to remove the veto rights and expand its membership to reflect the realities of our global village. The general assembly as the constituent body should transfer executive powers into its own hands. A new ethically minded executive council of the general assembly can then run the UN. This is to free the UN from western stranglehold and irresponsibility and make it really a collective voice and a responsibility of all. National self-interest must not be allowed to endanger global peace and security.
I never thought I would live to witness again the UN brazenly being used to directly support “rebels” in an intra-nation dispute. I thought that the experience of the Congo leading to the avoidable loss of the celebrated Dag Hammarskjöld and nationalist icon Patrice Lumumba would have been a lesson enough in the living memory of the security council. The UN in the early ‘60s allowed itself to be used as an instrument of western policy to keep western stranglehold on the wealth of the Congo then under the suzerainty of the king of Belgium. This was cruelly achieved at the expense of the then prime minister of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba and the UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, who were brutally dismembered by agents of the Belgium king and a suspicious air crash respectively. To date the Congo remains dishevelled while the exploitation of the national wealth continues to the impoverishment and humiliation of the people. But what is instructive here is that the western powers could “collaterally” sacrifice one of their own, Dag Hammarskjöld, to remove a “nuisance” to their collective “national interest”.
It is this wicked and violent pursuit of western “national interest” in Africa and the consequence of the cost in the destruction of human life and the built environment that continues to inform the quisling knee-jerk responses of most of Africa’s leaders to western demands on them. Western pursuit of the national interest in Africa lacks compunction and has rooted such visceral fear in Africa’s leaders. These shackled leaders can point to the lot of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Shaka Zulu, Yaa Asantewaa, Dedan Kimathi, Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Nasser, Ben Bela, Modibo Keita, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Samora Machel and many more, when these African patriots would not bend to the wishes of the “colonial masters” and betray the Pan-African interest.
Kwame Nkrumah knew what he meant when he stated that: “The secret of life is to have no fear.” Robert Mugabe has no fear. Nelson Mandela has no fear. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has no fear. Muammar Gaddafi has no fear. And all of them, of the west too. The west could not tell Mandela not to be a friend of Fidel Castro. Ho Chi Minh demonstrated it all with the strong spinal chord of Vietnam to force the Americans out with their tails between their legs. American arrogance in the pursuit of the national interest in Vietnam led to humiliation because Vietnam had a fearless leadership that exposed the quislings for what they were to the courageous people of Vietnam. Spiritual leader Khomeini, like Boukman of Haiti, was fearless and marched Iran out of the armpit of America. The people of Somalia showed the all-powerful America the power inherent in not being afraid of a bully when they dragged the corpse of US soldiers in the streets of Mogadishu. Yet still, striking fear and the imposing threat and use of violence as an instrument of coercion and domination remain real. And the west, yes, they know how to exact such fear and acquiescence.
But there is nothing more disheartening than fearless leaders having to deal with quislings, like Lumumba had to deal with Moise Tsombe and Joseph Mobutu in the Congo. The west backed these “rebels” in the Congo as they are now backing “rebels” in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire to effect a regime change at whatever cost to local life and property as Africans and Arabs are teleguided to kill each other.
Some of my own experiences with the UN during the search for peace and security in Liberia and Sierra Leone must be told as cases in point. Dr. James Jonah, who during the heat of the Liberia and Sierra Leone civil wars was the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs and later finance minister of Sierra Leone, posited bluntly that: “…You do not negotiate with rebels. You destroy them instead…” I remonstrated with James Jonah that those “rebels”, especially the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone (RUF-SL), did not fall from another planet onto Sierra Leone but were part of the Sierra Leone peace problematic. I cautioned then that the end game of his policy agenda was genocide against his own people. And to be a living witness now to the UN enabling “rebels” in Cote d’Ivoire, Libya and elsewhere to effect a regime change becomes mind boggling.
James Jonah together with Her Majesty’s government in the full glare of the UN saw to the introduction and arming of mercenaries or private security companies with the single aim of destroying the RUF rebels. It is this shameless about turn that is confusing most people of high moral persuasion. What would James Jonah and his likes say to this UN double standards in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire? To those who help the west to re-colonise Africa, Kwame Nkrumah explained their actions thus: “…they believe, however, or at least pretend to believe, that if they copy, or claim to copy, the outward image of the western world, then – in some miraculous way – they will secure the advantages which the western world enjoys. The contrary is the case. The individuals who have made the counter-revolution from Saigon to Sierra Leone are dependent for their political existence upon western support. The countries over which they temporarily obtained control are therefore exploited all the more viciously. By supporting the reactionary rebellions in Africa the western countries have dug graves for imperialism and neo-colonialism and have put before the African people the clear choice which was unclear before, either to go forward with a thorough revolution or else continue in a situation which, year by year, impoverishes and humiliates them further…”
Before I took on the pioneering position of Special Envoy of International Alert (IA), charged with the responsibility of facilitating dialogue between the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (FMG) and Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and also to help bring the RUF to the negotiating table, I demanded the following of the then secretary-general of IA, Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe: that,
1. None of IA’s funding should come from the governments of the UK, US and France.
2. I would not be asked to confer with any of the embassies of the western countries while in the field.
3. IA would not lend itself as a tool of western hegemony interests in West Africa.
My reason for demanding this solemn pact was in recognition of the fact that we were dealing with weak “sovereign” states, with extremely fragile infrastructure and a leadership in turmoil because of the raging civil wars in an era of military regimes in West Africa.
From London, I went to Nigeria and camped in Lagos for three months (from October to December of 1993) to win the endorsement of the FMG after introductions facilitated by Lt. General Joshua Hamidu of Ghana and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, then chief of defence staff who later became the military head of state of Nigeria. Later on in 1995 it became necessary to seek the support of Cote d’Ivoire and so I went to the UN to confer with the then President of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Amara Essy, and to ask for the support of his government with my mission. The assurances were given that IA as an NGO was independent of the external forces at play in West Africa and was in the region to facilitate an African solution. I argued successfully for a frontline role for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in any mediation efforts in Sierra Leone because both ECOWAS and the UN had lost credibility in the eyes of the RUF and especially the leader, Corporal Foday Sankoh. Furthermore the credentials of the OAU secretary-general then, Salim Ahmed Salim, would lend themselves well to the comfort zone of the RUF leader who held in high esteem the leadership provided by Tanzania and its President, Julius Nyerere, in the liberation struggles to dismantle the settler and apartheid regimes of Rhodesia and South Africa.
The IA and Salim Salim met twice in London in 1996 and agreed on a way forward to bring the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone to the negotiating table. Ms. Adwoa Coleman, a highly principled and hardworking senior official, was appointed as the OAU representative on the ground concurrently in Abidjan and Freetown.
I was dispatched to go and get the RUF out of the forest for talks in Addis Ababa. After weeks of travelling in and out of Sierra Leone via Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea I managed to assemble an RUF peace negotiating team in Abidjan. My troubles with the UN, Commonwealth and the western governments started as soon as the presence of the “rebels” in Abidjan became common knowledge in diplomatic circles. The reality of the RUF as an organised unit with a leadership structure that can respond to international demands had hit home. These demonised “rebels without a just cause” with a mythical leader called Foday Sankoh became an instant “novelty” and those who mattered wanted an access in order to be counted. Without the astute management of the situation by the IA diplomatic liaison officer, lawyer Millius Palayiwa, all hell would have broken loose. But all hell broke loose when the UN and the Commonwealth representatives demanded access ahead of the OAU and treated Adwoa Coleman with disdain. IA did put its foot down and held the ground until Salim Salim dispatched Ambassador Daniel Antonio (assistant secretary-general for political affairs) to Abidjan to reinforce the OAU’s position and presence.
With the permission of the Ivorian authorities, I had set up a radio communication post where Ambassador Antonio and Adwoa Coleman briefed Foday Sankoh on the OAU’s preparations for eventual peace talks in Addis Ababa. The UN secretary-general special envoy, Berhanu Dinka and the Commonwealth representative, Moses Anafu and their western diplomatic allies did not take kindly to this strategic access that the OAU had to the RUF peace delegation and also to Foday Sankoh and began to undermine the delicate efforts of lawyer Palayiwa to appropriately organise that access without raising suspicion within the RUF camp as their mandate was to meet with the OAU in Abidjan and proceed to the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A diplomatic tussle ensued to a boiling point where the IA secretary-general, Kumar Rupesinghe and I were accused of being a stumbling block to peace in Sierra Leone and a lot of mud was slung at us to discredit and undermine IA’s independence and facilitation role. Instead of ensconcing itself in the comfort of hotels and enjoying the Abidjan night life, IA sent me as its special peace envoy to travel in and out of war zones in order to engage with the rebels and gain their confidence. Both the UN and Commonwealth instead chose to sit in Abidjan and Freetown and issue calls for dialogue and ceasefire to the RUF while they debated the existence of Foday Sankoh and the cohesiveness of the rebel organisation. IA dared to take the risk to seek out the RUF and its leadership and this risk paid off. IA had achieved what the UN and the Commonwealth had not been able to achieve in years but they desperately sought to deny IA the credit it deserved. It was a matter of jealousy as they were piqued by an NGO too independent-minded to be bullied.
By mid-1996, the tension between the UN and IA had grown to such an explosive point that the UN secretary-general, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, had to step in and a meeting was held in his New York office at the instance of Marrack Goulding, under-secretary-general for political affairs. With the exception of Kofi Annan, all the UN top diplomats were present and IA was represented by its board chair, Lord Frank Judd of Portsea, Kumar Rupesinghe and myself. The IA’s strategy via the agency of the OAU was explained and that the UN had no existence outside of the nation states and so the role of the OAU representing its member states must be respected. Moreover, ECOWAS as the regional body should have been the arbiter but could not because of ECOMOG, the military intervention force, and so the OAU was acceptable as a more neutral body than the UN here again because President Kabbah was seen as an imposition of the UN by the RUF. What was revealing at the meeting was that Marrack Goulding started a sentence with “…we the British…” looking pointedly at Lord Judd, the Labour peer, and a member of the Council of Europe and former Chair of Oxfam. Lord Judd cut short Marrack Goulding and reminded him that he was “an international civil servant”.
It was at this same meeting when Lord Judd stood up and pointed to me and turning to Boutros-Ghali told him that he found the gathering the most appropriate forum to open his heart out on a matter that has consumed his mind for quite some time. Pointing at me, Lord Judd told them that: “…had this unassuming and hardworking man been white he would have been an acclaimed international hero…” Lord Judd went on to recount how I had taken the risk to walk for three weeks, under constant ambushes and attacks by government forces, to the jungle headquarters of the RUF and successfully negotiated for the release of 19 hostages including ten Europeans then held by the RUF and persuaded the RUF to come out of the jungle for peace talks while agreeing also to a unilateral ceasefire. Lord Judd reinforced the fact that I duly handed over the hostages to the ICRC (Red Cross) as pre-arranged with the ICRC headquarters in Geneva before I left London to seek out the RUF leadership within Sierra Leone.
In the field in West Africa and in the UK the mud-slinging increased orchestrated by James Jonah and President Kabbah using the platforms of the ECOWAS, OAU and the UN to malign me and Rupesinghe. It was clear that they had been put up to it. In the UK some officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) were strident in their attacks against me. But a much needed psychological relief came to me when at a chanced meeting with a senior FCO official at Heathrow airport he pulled me aside and comforted me thus: “… do not take to heart all that is being thrown at you as they are borne out of professional jealousy. Your output was more than what six top UN officials could do and you practically made our envoy almost useless.” What I realised to be more serious was that I was being accused also of interfering in the strategic concerns of Her Majesty’s Government in the sub-region.
During the Sierra Leone crisis the FCO set up a task force to monitor events in Sierra Leone. This task force included a representative from DeBeers signifying the depth of British interests in the diamonds of Sierra Leone. The DeBeers representative visited the IA offices and when asked about the Kimberly process he remarked that: “…Why should DeBeers go through the legal channels of recording and marking diamonds and their origins, when the Lebanese and others in Sierra Leone and Liberia just smuggle them?” The interesting coincidence here is that as soon as the Blair government helped President Kabbah back to power in Sierra Leone in 1998 after being booted out on 25 May 1997 by his own soldiers, Kabbah revoked the citizenship of 9 Lebanese and along with 13 others, kicked them out of the country. Kabbah justified his action thus: “Some of the foreigners decided to stay in neighbouring countries to act as agents for the bandits, selling gold and diamonds for them to buy arms.”
In consolidating the British national interest in Sierra Leone, Tony Blair’s New Labour government threw caution to the winds by shipping arms to Sierra Leone via Nigeria at a time when British diplomats at the UN knew that Sierra Leone was under a UN arms embargo. Again the Blair government used British taxpayers’ money to install what turned out to be a hate radio station (98.1 FM) at Lungi near Freetown at a time when the then foreign minister, Robin Cook, had unveiled an ethical foreign policy. The ensuing Arms to Africa parliamentary enquiry attest to this fact. The fact that Her Majesty’s government dipped into the public purse to finance a radio station which at times was used to fan hatred and violent retribution has been kept under carpet by the FCO. British taxpayers must be made aware of the common criminal enterprise carried out in Sierra Leone by the Blair government.
All this time the UN department of political affairs, which is normally under British control, did not cause the sanction of the British government for violating a UN arms embargo and also for using the services of a mercenary group, Executive Outcomes, which later changed its spots to Sandline and then to AEGIS Defense Services when it came under the spotlight as the warrior-for-hire outfit. Executive Outcomes, had been brought into Sierra Leone by the beleaguered government and paid in diamonds in addition to a diamond concession granted under the nose of the UN. Marrack Goulding after retiring from the UN was later rewarded a job as a director of AEGIS whose chief executive is Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, the originator of Executive Outcomes and Sandline.
Marrack Goulding kept good company. Tim Spicer, is a former British commando who in 1992, as the commanding officer of the Scots Guards unit in Northern Ireland, two British soldiers, under his command, were convicted of murdering an unarmed Catholic teenager. In 1997 the beleaguered Papua New Guinea government handed Spicer a $35 million contract to suppress a rebellion.
The Blair government installed, Keith Biddle, a retired British police officer, as the inspector general of Sierra Leone’s police force, ostensibly to deal with corruption, improve competence and service delivery. Writing about Tony Blair’s legacy in Sierra Leone a Tony Blair wordpress.com website, profusely pointed out that: “… the level of British commitment in Sierra Leone was manifested during his visit to Freetown; the two men flanking President Kabbah when he matched towards Blair at the Lungi airport were Brigadier Patrick Davidson-Housten, President Kabbah’s British security adviser, and Keith Biddle, the then British Inspector General of the Sierra Leonean Police. The attendance of both British citizens – remunerated for by Britain – in such elevated positions in the Sierra Leone Government, exemplified the dedication of the UK to our country.”
The coincidence of the introduction of the Kimberly process and the hullabaloo over conflict diamonds in the Mano River Union states of West Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, have been stage managed for the express purpose of concentrating the diamond business in the hands of the west through the agency of the likes of DeBeers. My peace-building travels through the Mano River Union states confirmed to me that the Kimberly process was an economic instrument to strangle the local African and the Lebanese diamond winners out of the diamond trade. In the Mano River Union it is the informal sector that controls the diamond winning business before the rough diamonds enter the international market. This means that local people and mainly, the itinerant Fulani, Mandingo, Mauritanians, Lebanese and of late Nigerians control a major part of the supply chain to the chagrin of the big players of the west. What I found revealing was the racial and Islam phobia undertones of the conflict diamonds hullaballoo. This rudimentary diamond winning supply chain is seen to be alarmingly controlled by those who are not of the Judo-Christian faith but by those of the Islamic faith. The Islamic faith has been surreptitiously linked to “terrorism” by the powerful Judo-Christian media and their international NGO acolytes who instinctively rally to protect and advance western hegemony.
The linkage in interests becomes clearer when one notices that in May 2004, Tim Spicer’s company, AEGIS Defense Services, was awarded a hopping $293m “defense services” deal by the Pentagon to coordinate security in Iraq despite Spicer’s well documented links with conflict diamonds which should have been of concern to the sanctions committee of the UN security council. Here, the UN security council knows perfectly well that Spicer contemptuously busted UN arms embargo against Sierra Leone when he shipped 30 tons of arms to the war-torn country in 1998. The UN was maintaining one of its largest peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone then and we must remember that Marrack Goulding who is credited as “the pioneer of UN peacekeeping operations” should have been aware of the activities of this merchant of death machinery called AEGIS Defense Services before offering his services to Spicer.
Western self-interest and as promoted by its acolytes is conspiring to destroy the moral authority of the UN security council at the expense of global peace and security. It is left with the UN general assembly to boldly reform itself by first transferring executive powers in its own hands without fear of Franco-Anglo-American threats. The general assembly should call the bluff of the western powers as bullies crumble when you stand up to them.
Meanwhile African leaders must show courage as did Nkrumah and Nasser even at the expense of their own life as Africa’s self-determination is worth the sacrifice. Nkrumah could achieve so much for Africa because he harboured no fear. This is what the mass of the African people demand of their leaders in their dealings with the west and now China for the “secret of life is to have no fear”.
My field experience has taught me that you believe in the neutrality of the UN at your own peril.
Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is an independent consultant on the national interest and preventive diplomacy. E-mail: akyaaba@aol.com
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
OCT PROMO
~ BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974 – 1979 ‘ (Analog Africa – Out Oct 10) Another absolute gem from Analog Africa. The tracks here are culled from the vaults of the Club Voltaique du Disque (CVD) label and are a mix of Afrobeat, Afro-Latin grooves, Mandingue griot and guitar styles, especially from neighbouring Mali and Guinea indicating a wider West Afrikan influence. Many of those featured here passed through Mali’s Super Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs and Guinea’s Balla et ses Balladins and Keletigui et ses Tambourinis.
Extensive sleevenotes highlight the precarious nature of surviving as a musician and promoter in Afrika. Most of the recordings were done in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo and several of the artists and bands had played in what was at that time the West Afrikan music capital of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Track themes range from Mamo Lagbema’s ‘Love, Music And Dance’ to Orchestre CVD’s plea for Afrikan unity, ‘Rog Mik Africa’. There were indications of the political strains which would see the rise of Thomas Sankara with the activist lyrics of Sandwidi Pierre et l’Harmonie Voltaique with ‘Tond Yabramba’. The most well-known artist here Amadou Ballaké quite rightly has six powerful tracks: ‘Bar Konou Moussou’, ‘Renouveau’, ‘Baden Djougou’, ‘Johnny’, ‘Sali’ and ‘Oye Ka Bara Kignan’.
NUBIART LIBRARY – OCT MEDIA
We will only review books we have read and DVDs we have seen and that are available at reasonable prices online or in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘WOMEN IN THE YORUBA RELIGIOUS SPHERE’ - Oyeronke Olajubu. Foreword by Jacob K Olupona [State University of New York Press ISBN: 978-0-7914-5886-0] An exploration of gender and power relations in Yoruba religion - both Christianity and Yoruba traditional religion based on Olajubu’s PhD thesis. Drawing on a wide range of oral and written sources she shows that women occupy a central place in the religious worldview and life of the Yoruba people. Chapter headings are: Concepts and Theories on Women in Yoruba Religious Sphere; Women in Yoruba Culture and Society; Women in Yoruba Christian Tradition; Identity Power and Gender Relations in Yoruba Religious Traditions; and Women and Rituals in Yoruba Religion.
Olajubu’s background gives her an insight into the different aspect of Yoruba spirituality. She does an excellent job of maintaining the focus of the book which could have become a brick-sized tome while still touching on issues such as: Yoruba cosmological origins; the main orisas and their festivals; Ifa divination; oriki praise poems; the rational, dysfunctions and Christian condemnation of polygamy; patriarchy in the European missionary-led churches; the role of women in Afrikan-led churches such as The Cherubim and Seraphim and the Celestial Church of Christ; the even more strident recently established evangelical churches; the origins and rituals relating to both male and female circumcision, the cultural debate over calling it female genital mutilation and the health and ritual arguments for maintaining male circumcision; relations with neighbouring peoples and nations and those who were drawn into the Yoruba polity just as the society was being convulsed by European colonialism; and the spreading of Yoruba culture into the diaspora.
~ ‘PYRAMID OF ALLIANCE’ – J A Mukoyogo [HandE Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-906873-30-1] The second book in Mukoyogo’s science-fiction trilogy, following on from ‘Triangle of Alliance’. The Triangle and the Insidious Force face off on a global stage that spans all seven levels as the part seer, part leveller puts Custodis to work for him. The final instalment of the trilogy, ‘Prism of Alliance’, is due for release in the summer of 2012.
~ NATIONAL AFRIKAN PEOPLE’S PARLIAMENT PRESS CONFERENCE & DOWNING STREET DEMO. A protest letter to the Prime Minister will be delivered at 10 Downing Street re: the unlawful killing of Mark Duggan, the uprisings and the reactionary state assault on our community. On Fri 14 Oct at 10am-12pm: Press Conference at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach, London, N15. At 2-4pm: Demo at 10 Downing Street, London, SW1. Tel: 020 8539 2154. Mob: 07908 814 152. E-mail: info@afrikanpeoplesparliament.org Web: http://www.afrikanpeoplesparliament.org
~ OUR HAIR - CONNECTING WOMEN OF COLOUR – GLOBALLY. International Black Hairitage Month (IBHM) has been created to show that there is so much more to Afrikan hair than just…hair, it’s a cultural, political, and increasingly, powerful economic movement. Unshaken by the global economic dip, Afrikan hair is still booming business worldwide. In the USA, the Afrikan American hair industry is worth a cool $9bn! LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell produced the film ‘My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage’ (2007) it looks at the legacy of Afrikan hair-care through cultural identity, and also highlights societal and economic issues. The idea for IBHM stemmed from conversations Regina had with audiences that viewed her film in various countries. UK events sponsored by Tangle Teezer www.tangleteezer.com)
- Tues 11 Oct at 7.30pm at Seven Arts Centre, Leeds. Film screening of ‘My Nappy Roots’. DJ Fluid, founder of Leeds Black Film club at the Seven Arts Centre, Harrogate Road, Leeds. Followed by Q&A. Contact: DJ Fluid on 07939 011 546. E-mail: fluidirie@hotmail.com
- Sun 16 Oct at 1-5pm at Nicky Oliver Salon, Manchester. Film Screening at Nicky Oliver Salon based in the bohemian Northern Quarter. The screening will be followed by Q&A with Regina Kimbell and Nicky Oliver. There will be a hair and make-up demo plus entertainment. Organised by Karen Gabay. E-mail: troubadourfoundation@gmail.com Web: http://blackhairitagemanchester.eventbrite.com
- Fri 21 Oct 21 at 7-10.30pm at Sallis Benny Theatre, Brighton. Legacy Film Festival screening followed by Q&A with Regina Kimbell and a one-off performance by spoken word artists from the Positive Hair Day. For tickets visit: www.legacyfilmfestival.org.uk
- Sat 22 Oct at 12-5pm at Cottons Rhum Shack Restaurant, London. Respect the Fro Film Screening followed by panel discussion with Regina Kimbell, Natasha Dennis (trichologist), Pelumi Rae (founder of Care For Your Hair) and Crystal Afro. Tickets from Michelle 07533 966 335. Web: http://conta.cc/pjIAqQ
- Sun 30 Oct at 2.30-7.45pm at Tricycle Theatre, London. Series of short-films on Afrikan hair and identity followed by paneled discussion with Margot Rodway-Brown, owner of Adornment365 Natural hair salon, filmmaker Regina Kimbell, Angie Le Mar and LA celebrity Stylist Anthony Cherry. Event includes a Natural Hair workshops and hair & make-up stalls. The event is sponsored & brought to the theatre by - Images of Black Women. E-mail: images.blackwomen@btinternet.com Web: www.imagesofblackwomen.com plus MEE and The Village Production Int’l: www.meevillage.com
For all UK Media enquiries contact Denise Brooks at Onecircle Communications. Tel: 07985 213 636.
E-mail: denise@onecirclecomms.com Web: www.internationalblackhairitagemonth.com
~ BETTER THAN GOOD PRESENT ‘FROM BRONZE TO GOLD’ EXHIBITION. Ever since the departure of the Benin bronzes and other works of art from the Yoruba people and the pivotal historical event that took place in 1887, that saw the introduction of Afrikan art into the European psyche an on-going bitter and controversial debate of cultural identity has ensued. We have come to understand the importance of the influences that these artefacts have had on western art and European thinking. The richness of these unique objects of terracotta, bronze and ivory have become as precious as gold in the hands of their abductors. But what of the influence, impact, value and meaning, that these artworks have had on those who are still culturally and religiously aligned? What are the views of artists and activists of the Diaspora, what are their stories, associations and remembrances of these great works?
“From Bronze to Gold” presents the views, stories and thoughts of four artists that explore these intriguing works which have captured the imagination of the world. Forerunner of the Black British arts movement ‘Fowokan’ George Kelly and leading artists Alvin Kofi, Ken McCalla, Jennifer Lewis and Eli Anderson document their own relationships to these works and present the story of those individuals who have never stood up and voiced their views. They will exhibit sculpture and words that represent the spirit of those original artefacts, using modern materials, paintings, lino cut prints and digital media which borrow from the traditional style of the Benin plaques. This exhibition promises to be revealing, thought provoking, exciting and wonderfully bold, leaning on the legacy of works of art from the ancient Kingdom of Benin.
- Storytelling & mask making family workshop on Sat 22 Oct at 1-3pm. Discover West Afrika through a mystical tale. Storyteller and poet Eli Anderson weaves imagination and games into his interactive stories. Artist Alvin Kofi and Ken McCalla give a short guided tour of the exhibition ‘From Bronze to Gold’ and lead this family art workshop, inspiring you to be creative. Using a mix of different materials you will decorate masks and make treasures for Kings and Queens. Suitable for children 5 – 12 year’s old who must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Adm: Free. (Limited spaces - booking essential. Rich Mix Box Office: 020 7613 7498).
- Artist Workshop: ‘In conversation with’ and spoken word special performance on Sun 30 Oct at 12–3pm. The artists take the audience on a journey. They integrate the accepted historical records and present an alternative narrative behind the artefacts. Adm: £8 adv / cons £5. (Tickets from Rich Mix. Box Office: 020 7613 7498)
Exhibition runs from 13–30 Oct at Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA. Contact: Alvin Kofi - 07943 437 619 or Clem Richards - 07802 486 191. E-mail: betterthangoodart@yahoo.co.uk. Web: http://www.alexandragalleries.com/pages/event.php#bronze
~ TALAWA THEATRE COMPANY’S presenting ‘The Colored Museum’. Dir: Don Warrington. A hilarious piece which takes you on a roller-coaster ride through 200 years of African-American history. It takes place in an imagined cultural museum, where the 11 living ‘exhibits’ are all larger than life stereotypes. From 15-23 Oct at Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7. Tel: 020 7942 2211. Web: http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1369/the-colored-museum-performance-2467/
- Black Myth Versus History. Dr. Robert Beckford leads a panel that includes Bonnie Greer to discuss, ‘How do you decide which aspect of your experience and identity to retain and which to discard?’ On 15 Oct at Victoria and Albert Museum. Tel: 020 7942 2211
Jackie Friend, Marketing and Press Manager, Talawa Theatre, 53 - 55 East Road, London N1 6AH
Tel: 020 7251 6644. Fax: 020 7251 5969. E-mail: jackie@talawa.com Web: http://www.talawa.com
~ CENTRE OF AFRICAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AFRICA BUSINESS GROUP presents
‘The Engine of Development - Private Sector & Prosperity for Poor People, DFID’s Private Sector Work & Plans’ by Gavin McGillivray, Head of the Private Sector Department at DFID. Is the private sector the place for DFID? What impact will UK Government funds have on businesses currently trading in Afrika? How will the tension between British and Afrikan interests be resolved? On Thurs 20 Oct at 1-3pm at Rm 116, SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. Fees apply. Free to members of the Africa Business Group. To register contact tel: 020 7898 4370. E-mail: cas@soas.ac.uk
~ BLACK HISTORY WALKS
- Jumping The Broom (PG). Dir: Salim Akil. Dur: 115 mins. This is a special screening to raise funds for a Nubian Jak Blue Plaque to recognise Frank Crichlow, the founder of the legendary Mangrove restaurant. On Sat 15 Oct at 7pm at The Tabernacle, Powis Square, London, W11 2AY. Adm: £8.50.
- ‘Black Power Mixtape’ Community Premiere. Unseen interviews with Angela Davis, Huey P Newton, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-9.00pm at Kensington Library Theatre, Phillimore Walk, London, W8 7RX. Online tickets only £8.
- ‘Miracle at Santa Anna’ (15) Black World War Two troops in heroic action movie never released in this country .Starring Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy, Derek Luke and directed by Spike Lee. See it on the big screen with Q&A afterwards. Also at 11am on the same day Afrikan British RAF War Hero Cy Grant, who was also an actor, will be featured on the big screen with a two hour review of his biggest films plus Q and A with those who knew him. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am-1pm and 2-5pm at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1. Adm: £5. E-mail: info@blackhistorywalks Web: www.bfi.org.uk
~ ‘THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK’. Dir: Menelik Shabazz. Dur: 96 mins. Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely Afrikan British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance at parties and clubs. It developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands. These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history. For venues across Britain check: http://www.loversrockthefilm.com
~ ‘THIN BLACK LINE(S): THE LEGACY OF BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS’
Put together by Tate curator Paul Goodwin and artist Lubaina Himid, MBE, ‘Thin Black Line(s)’ presents a selection of pieces drawn from three major exhibitions of Afrikan and Asian women artists curated by Himid in the early 1980s: ‘Five Black Women’ at the Africa Centre (1983); ‘Black Women Time Now’ at the Battersea Arts Centre (1983-84); and ‘The Thin Black Line’ at the Institute for Contemporary Art (1985). The display includes works by Sutapa Biswas, Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Maud Sulter. Drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs are showcased alongside a video documentary on the ‘Black Art’ scene and archival documents comprising of exhibition posters, invitations, letters, etc. In Britain, the Caribbean Artists Movement (1966-72) and the Black Art (1980s) have enabled Afrikan artists and intellectuals to retain ownership of the discourse on their arts and cultures. Until 18 Mar 2012 at Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
~ ‘THE PLACE WE CALL HOME AND OTHER POEMS’. Book launch of renowned Ghanaian poet Professor Kofi Anyidoho’s latest collection is both a lamentation and a celebration, documenting epic events in world history ranging from the abolition of slavery to the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Anyidoho tells us that the title of the work came to him more than a decade ago as a collage of voices and memories that he carried with him on his many travels, knowing that there was one place that he could claim as his own, a place of emotional anchor in a haunted, turbulent world. The book is accompanied by two CDs, allowing us to savour the poet’s resonating voice in a powerful live performance. On Thurs 27 Oct at 5-7pm at Rm B102, Brunei Gallery Building at SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. RSVP to cas@soas.ac.uk Web: www.ayebia.co.uk)
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES & PCS PRESENT ‘Hidden Colors: The Untold History of People of Aboriginal, Moor & African Descent’. Dir: Tariq Nasheed. Dur: 109 mins. A documentary about the real and untold history of people of color around the globe. This film discusses some of the reasons the contributions of African and aboriginal people have been left out of the pages of history and features scholars, historians and social commentators who uncovered amazing facts about things such as: the original image of Christ; the true story about the Moors; the original people of Asia; the great West Afrikan empires; the presence of Afrikans in America before Columbus; and the real reason enslavement in America was ended. Interviews with Shahrazad Ali, Sabir Bey, Dr Booker T Coleman, Umar Johnson, Tariq Nasheed, Dr Phil Valentine and Dr Frances Cress Welsing. There will be a fundraising raffle to raise money towards future projects by Black History Studies. On Mon 10 Oct at 6.45-9.30pm at the PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN. Adm: £4.
- ‘CARIBBEAN HISTORY: THE REAL DEAL’. Caribbean History has for many years been romanticized in Hollywood mainly through swash-buckling films based on pirate adventures, the most recent being ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. In fact, there is a great deal of truth about wars between European nations on the high seas and particularly in the Caribbean. However, there was also a much more sinister side to what went on in the Caribbean. This was especially the case where the pursuit of money, power and glory was concerned. Europe was built off the back of the Caribbean. This introduction by Linford Sweeney will provide you with a basic foundation in Caribbean History. On Sun 16 Oct at 1-4pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £5.
- ‘THE BLACK CANDLE’. Dir: M.K Asante Jr. Dur: 71 mins. A landmark, vibrant documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou ‘The Black Candle’ is an extraordinary, inspirational story about the struggle and triumph of family, community, and culture. Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, ‘The Black Candle’ traces the holiday’s growth from the first celebration in 1966 to its present-day reality as a global holiday embraced by over 20 million celebrants. With NFL Legend Jim Brown, Hip Hop icon Chuck D, Kwanzaa’s founder Dr. Maulana Karenga, artist Synthia Saint James and many others. On Mon 24 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
- ‘MARCUS GARVEY, WALTER RODNEY AND RASTAFARI’. Who was Marcus Garvey? What did he stand for? Who did he influence? Who did he inspire? What were his legacies? This presentation is an opportunity to learn more about the history of Caribbean activists and politics. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.15- 7.30pm at Ealing Central Library, 103 Ealing Broadway Centre, London, W5 5JY. Adm: £4.
- ‘MALCOLM X: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY’. Dur: 120 mins. A documentary of Malcolm’s life as a child up to when he was murdered. There will be a discussion after the screening. On Wed 26 Oct at 7-9.30pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4.
- ‘AFRICAN HISTORY BEFORE THE SLAVE TRADE’. A visually stunning presentation that addresses one key question: What history do Afrikan people have before the slave trade started? The lecture discusses the Empire of Mali, the Yoruba Kingdoms, Medieval Sudan, Medieval Ethiopia and the East African Coast. These civilisations have left behind a splendid array of evidence that are all discussed in the lecture. This evidence includes wonderful artefacts, illuminated manuscripts, and impressive architecture. The lecture is based on the book Before the Slave Trade: African World History in Pictures which will be available at the event. On Mon 31 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £5
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES, LONDON BOROUGH OF WALTHAM FOREST & PCS film screenings to celebrate Black History Month.
- ‘VISIBLY INVISIBLE’. Dir: Kurt Orderson. Dur: 57 mins. Afrika’s history can be marked by the term ‘transitional’ since its borders were historically transgressed by insatiable colonisers out of Europe and the Americas and also by the forced movement of Afrikans out of the continent through slavery. ‘Visibly / Invisible’ looks at this term that is so implicit to Afrika’s identity by focussing on Afrika’s presence in Norway through the African History Week festival that has taken place every year since 2004. This festival brings together artists from Afrika and the Diaspora to acknowledge their history and the resultant positioning of Afrikans living inside and out of Afrika today, using art and culture to facilitate healing amongst the many dislocated individuals and families. This festival aims to acknowledge the complex configurations of Afrikans living in the Diaspora brought about by a history of slavery, by ancestors brought to build the great cities of the so-called West and by Afrikans displaced by war, famine and political unrest, all pointing an unwavering finger at colonisation and the brutal legacy that has spawned this strife. On Wed 12 Oct at 7-9pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4
- ‘MOTHERLAND: A STORY OF A CONTINENT AND ITS PEOPLE’. Dir: Owen ‘Alik Shahadah. Prod: M.K. Asante, Jr. Dur: 120 mins. ‘Motherland (Enat Hager)’ is a bold, epic journey through Afrika with an authentic Afrikan voice. From the glory and majesty of Africa’s past through its complex and present history. ‘Motherland’ looks unflinchingly toward a positive Pan-African future. With breathtaking cinematography and a fluid soundtrack sculpted by Sona Jobarteh. The film features some of the greatest minds from Afrika and the Diaspora: Harry Belafonte, Meles Zenawi, Gamal Nkrumah, Tony Browder, Haki R Madhubuti, Frances Cress Welsing, Tsedenia Gebremarkos, Hakim Quick, Jacob Zuma, Didymus Mutasa, Dr.Kwadwo Osei-Nyame, Jeff Radebe, Molefi Asante, Maulana Karenga, Kimani Nehusi, Desta Meghoo, Hakim Adi, Esther Stanford, Mohammad Ibn Chambas and Mulugeta Asrate. On Fri 14 Oct at 6-9pm at the Leytonstone Library, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone, London, E10 1HG. Adm; £4.
- ‘IDA B.WELLS: A PASSION FOR JUSTICE’. Dur: 53 mins. Though virtually forgotten today, Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a household name in Black America during much of her lifetime (1863-1931) and was considered the equal of her well-known African American contemporaries such as Booker T Washington and W E B Du Bois. ‘Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice’ documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison reads selections from Wells’ memoirs and other writings in this winner of more than 20 film festival awards. On Mon 17 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ PECKHAM SPACE
- Artist Talk, 11 Oct at 7-8:30pm. Artist Sonia Boyce will be in conversation about her work with playwright and critic Bonnie Greer. This talk will address how the artist has explored modern concepts of communities and look at the use of oral history in her Peckham Space commission Network. The discussion will also examine the role of film-making in the development of the artist’s practice.
- Closing Party, 15 Nov at 6-8pm. Last chance to see ‘Network’, Sonia Boyce’s specially commissioned film which explores how forms of social communication such as mobile phones and social networking sites have become the most popular ways for youths to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Exhibition runs until 19 Nov at 11am-5pm (Tues-Fri) and 11am-4pm (Sat) at Peckham Space, 89 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5RS. Tel: 020 7358 9645. E-mail: info@peckhamspace.com
~ WORD POWER BLACK LITERATURE FESTIVAL & BOOK FAIR 2011. On 14-21 Oct at 10am-9pm at Centerprise, 136 Kingsland High St, London, E8 2NS. Tel: 020 7254 9632. E-mail: eamevor@centerprisetrust.org.uk Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
~ THE POMEDY SHOW with Yasus Afari, Joan Andrea Hutchinson, Ping Wing. David Neita, Dr Lez Henry, Naomi Francis, Ras Ichey and Spicy Fingers. Web: www.pomedy.com
- On Fri 14 Oct at 8pm at The Broadway Theatre, Catford, London, SE6 4RU. Tel: 020 8690 0002. Web: www.thebroadwaytheatre.co.uk
- On Fri 21 Oct at 7.30pm at The Drum, Potters Bar, Birmingham, B6 4UU. Tel: 0121 333 2444. Web: www.the-drum.org.uk
~ FELA KUTI BIRTHDAY TRIBUTES.
- Dele Sosimi ensemble + DJ Ade & Bobblin Hot. Annual event to celebrate the originator of Afrobeat led by Fela’s Egypt 80 keyboardist and the musical director of award winning musical ‘Fela’, Dele Sosimi. On Fri 14 Oct at Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Adm: £10. Web: theticketsellers.co.uk
- Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra + DJ Koichi Sakai (Afrobeat Vibration). On Sat 15 Oct at 7-11pm at The Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1. Adm: £17.50 adv / £22 OTD Web: www.venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe
~ BLACK MYTH VERSUS HISTORY. Join documentary film maker, educator and academic theologian, Dr. Robert Beckford, and a panel including Bonnie Greer to discuss two and a half decades of Black British identity. Organised in collaboration with Talawa Theatre Company. On Sat 15 Oct at 3-4pm at Lecture Theatre, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Adm: £8 / £4.
~ BTWSC BHM 2011 EVENTS. NARM (Naming And Role Model) consultant Kwaku will deliver an interactive presentation on Afrikan British Civil Rights highlighting activists from the NARM book
- A Focus On Dr Harold Moody. Dr Harold Moody of the League Of Coloured Peoples lived and worked in Southwark. There will also be an edutainment performance that speaks to the topic by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by a discussion on the life and work of Dr Moody. On Sun 16 Oct at 1.30-4pm at Dulwich Library, 386 Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8NB. Adm: Free.
- CLR James Discussion. Tribute to socio-political activist CLR James. There will be poetry by Ngoma Bishop, and Music4Causes rapper Kimba will perform a rap that speaks to the topic plus an ode to CLR. The event will end with a discussion with audience and special guests on CLR’s work. Signed copies of ‘African Voices: Quotations By People Of African Descent’ will be on sale with a £1 discount. Presented by BTWSC in with the Centerprise Trust. On Wed 19 Oct at 6.30-9pm at Centerprise Bookshop, 136 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2NS. Adm: £5. Tel: 020 7254 9632. Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
- Key Activism & Campaigns. The meeting will highlight campaigns such as the Bristol Bus Boycott, Black People’s Day of Action, and the activism of Eric Irons OBE in Nottingham, Berry Edwards in Manchester, etc. Historian Dr Hakim Adi will deliver a talk on WASU (West African Students Union) and the activism of its members. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UL. Adm: Free.
- Henry Sylvester Williams & Co. The event will focus on Henry Sylvester Williams, who organised the 1990 Pan-African Conference, Dr. John Alcindor, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, who had local Westminster connections. There will also be an edutainment performance on the theme by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by an open discussion. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, London SW1E 6QP. Adm: Free
- The Conscious Music Mini Discussion & Freestyle Session. An open event for parents, young people, artists, promoters, and consumers - this is an opportunity for conscious artists including Kimba and Paradise (57th Dynasty), and fans to discuss how music can be used to highlight significant issues. Performers in the audience will be welcome to join in the closing freestyle session based around the Harrow BHM 2011 theme: ‘Significant British African Achievements Throughout History (outside of Sports and Entertainment)’. On Sun 30 Oct at 2-4.30pm at Gayton Library, 5 St John’s Rd, Harrow On The Hill, HA1 2EE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8427 6012. E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
E-mail: info@btwsc.com Web: www.btwsc.com/BHM_Projects / www.btwsc.com/NARM.
~ AFRIKÀBA 2011 (UK) – AFRICA, LIFE & SOUL. With Nana Tsiboe Supa Hi-Life + Zara McFarlane. On Sat 29 Oct at 7.30pm at Sussex Coast College, Station Approach, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1BA. Adm: £12 / £10 (concs) / family ticket, £35. Tel: Hastings Information Centre - 01424 451 128
~ THE CARAF CENTRE & OMEGA RADIO 104.1FM Present ‘DON’T BE NAIVE!’ Guest Speakers: Cristia Esimi-Cruz, Community Gangs Prevention Worker; Jenavi Omoma, Addaction; & Davis Williams. Youth crime and gang activity is now a national concern! On Sat 29 Oct at 3-5pm at the Unity Centre, Church Road, London, NW10. Tel: 020 7284 0030.
~ ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ (PLAY). August 1963, USA: Martin Luther King prepares to deliver a speech that will change the course of American history forever. But Yolanda, his daughter, isn’t happy that her dad never has time for her. 48 years later, and Raheem is at home in south London. Life seems so unfair: not only is his mum a teacher at his school, she is now applying for the job of head; this is sure to ruin his reputation! But when Raheem falls asleep, he finds himself transported back to the 60s, face to face with Yolanda King. Their friendship takes them on a journey of discovery across decades and continents in this powerful and inspiring production written by Levi David Addai. Until 29 Oct at 6pm at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London, SW19 1SB. Tel: 020 8543 4888. Adm: £12 / £8. Entry to talk: Free. Web: www.polkatheatre.com
~ REEL TRINI fortnightly screenings. The new rendezvous for local film aficionados on Sundays at 5pm at Trevor’s Edge in St Augustine, Trinidad. Tel: 744-4956. E-mail: caribbeinginc@gmail.com
Contact Details
Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
External Links
Afrikan Quest International
~ PROFESSOR WANGARI MUTA MARY JO MAATHAI (1 Apr 1940- 25 Sep 2011), human rights acitivist and environmentalist.
THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT STATEMENT
Web: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org
WANGARI MUTA MAATHAI - A Life of Firsts
Wangari Muta Maathai (1940–2011): Nobel Peace Laureate; environmentalist; scientist; parliamentarian; founder of the Green Belt Movement; advocate for social justice, human rights, and democracy; elder; and peacemaker. She lived and worked in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Every person who has ever achieved anything has been knocked down many times. But all of them picked themselves up and kept going, and that is what I have always tried to do.”
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.”
Wangari Maathai was born in the village of Ihithe, near Nyeri, in the Central Highlands of Kenya on April 1, 1940. At a time when most Kenyan girls were not educated, she went to school at the instigation of her elder brother, Nderitu. Principally taught by Catholic missionary nuns, she graduated from Loreto Girls’ High School in 1959. The following year she came to the United States through a scholarship program of the African American Students Foundation — what became known as Kennedy “Airlift,” because a Kennedy family foundation helped fund the effort. Professor Maathai studied at Mount St. Scholastica (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kansas, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
In 1966 she earned a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. That year she returned to a newly independent Kenya, and soon after joined the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi. In 1971 she received a Ph.D., the first woman in east and central Africa to do so. She became the first woman to chair a department at the University and the first to be appointed a professor.
In the 1970s Professor Maathai became active in a number of environmental and humanitarian organizations in Nairobi, including the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK). Through her work representing women academics in the NCWK, she spoke to rural women and learned from them about the deteriorating environmental and social conditions affecting poor, rural Kenyans—especially women. The women told her that they lacked firewood for cooking and heating, that clean water was scarce, and nutritious food was limited.
Professor Maathai suggested to them that planting trees might be an answer. The trees would provide wood for cooking, fodder for livestock, and material for fencing; they would protect watersheds and stabilize the soil, improving agriculture. This was the beginning of the Green Belt Movement (GBM), which was formally established in 1977. GBM has since mobilized hundreds of thousands of women and men to plant more than 47 million trees, restoring degraded environments and improving the quality of life for people in poverty.
As GBM’s work expanded, Professor Maathai realized that behind poverty and environmental destruction were deeper issues of disempowerment, bad governance, and a loss of the values that had enabled communities to sustain their land and livelihoods, and what was best in their cultures. The planting of trees became an entry-point for a larger social, economic, and environmental agenda.
In the 1980s and 1990s the Green Belt Movement joined with other pro-democracy advocates to press for an end to the abuses of the dictatorial regime of then Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi. Professor Maathai initiated campaigns that halted the construction of a skyscraper in Uhuru (“Freedom”) Park in downtown Nairobi, and stopped the grabbing of public land in Karura Forest, just north of the city center. She also helped lead a yearlong vigil with the mothers of political prisoners that resulted in freedom for 51 men held by the government.
As a consequence of these and other advocacy efforts, Professor Maathai and GBM staff and colleagues were repeatedly beaten, jailed, harassed, and publicly vilified by the Moi regime. Professor Maathai’s fearlessness and persistence resulted in her becoming one of the best-known and most respected women in Kenya. Internationally, she also gained recognition for her courageous stand for the rights of people and the environment.
Professor Maathai’s commitment to a democratic Kenya never faltered. In December 2002, in the first free-and-fair elections in her country for a generation, she was elected as Member of Parliament for Tetu, a constituency close to where she grew up. In 2003 President Mwai Kibaki appointed her Deputy Minister for the Environment in the new government. Professor Maathai brought GBM’s strategy of grassroots empowerment and commitment to participatory, transparent governance to the Ministry of Environment and the management of Tetu’s constituency development fund (CDF). As an MP, she emphasized: reforestation, forest protection, and the restoration of degraded land; education initiatives, including scholarships for those orphaned by HIV/AIDS; and expanded access to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) as well as improved nutrition for those living with HIV/AIDS.
In the violence that followed the contested 2007 Kenyan elections, Professor Maathai served as a mediator and a critical voice for peace, accountability, and justice. In addition, she and GBM were instrumental in ensuring that the new Kenyan constitution, ratified by a public vote in 2010, included the right of all citizens to a clean and healthy environment, and that the constitution’s drafting was truly consultative.
In 2004 Professor Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work for sustainable development, democracy, and peace — the first African woman and the first environmentalist to receive this honor. In announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Professor Maathai “stands at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural development in Kenya and in Africa.” It praised the “holistic approach” of her work and called her “a strong voice speaking for the best forces in Africa to promote peace and good living conditions on that continent.”
In 2006 Professor Maathai co-founded the Nobel Women’s Initiative with five of her fellow women peace laureates to advocate for justice, equality, and peace worldwide.
In recent years Professor Maathai played an increasingly important role in global efforts to address climate change, specifically by advocating for the protection of indigenous forests and the inclusion of civil society in policy decisions. In 2005 ten Central African governments appointed her the goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin rainforest and that same year she accepted the position of presiding officer of the African Union’s Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
In 2006 Professor Maathai joined with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to launch a campaign to plant a billion trees around the world. That goal was met in less than a year; the target now stands at 14 billion. In 2007 Professor Maathai became co-chair (with former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin) of the Congo Basin Forest Fund, an initiative of the British and Norwegian governments, and in 2009 she was designated a United Nations messenger of peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
In 2010, Professor Maathai became a trustee of the Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust. That same year, in partnership with the University of Nairobi, she established the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI). The WMI will bring together academic research—e.g. in land use, forestry, agriculture, resource-based conflicts, and peace studies—with the Green Belt Movement approach and members of the organization. Through sharing their experiences, academics and those working at the grassroots will learn from and educate each other about the linkages between livelihoods and ecosystems.
Professor Maathai received a number of honors. Those bestowed on her by governments include: the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan, 2009), the Legion D’Honneur (France, 2006), and Elder of the Golden Heart and Elder of the Burning Spear (Kenya, 2004, 2003). Professor Maathai also received awards from many organizations and institutions throughout the world, including: the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights (2007), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), the Sophie Prize (2004), the Goldman Prize (1991), the Right Livelihood Award (1984); and honorary doctorates from Yale University and Morehouse College in the U.S., Ochanomizu University in Japan, and the University of Norway, among others.
Professor Maathai documented her life, work, and perspectives in four books: The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience (2003), which charts the organization’s development and methods; Unbowed (2006), her autobiography; The Challenge for Africa (2008), which examines the social, economic, and political bottlenecks that have held back the continent’s development, and provides a manifesto for change; and Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World (2010), which explores the values that underpin the Green Belt Movement and suggests how they can be applied.
Professor Maathai is survived by her three children — Waweru, Wanjira, and Muta, and her granddaughter, Ruth Wangari.
~ SYLVIA ROBINSON (6 Mar, 1936– 29 Sept 2011) singer, founder & CEO, Sugar Hill Records.
Sylvia Robinson was the driving force behind two landmark rap singles. ‘Rapper’s Delight‘ by the Sugar Hill Gang, was the first rap song to be released by a hip hop act. Meanwhile ‘The Message‘ by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five was when rap went politically conscious in a global way.
She was born Sylvia Vanderpool in New York City. Her first successful record was the 1956 hit, ‘Love Is Strange‘, written by Bo Diddley (but credited to his then wife, Ethel Smith) and guitarist Jody Williams, who had developed the distinctive lead guitar riff, and released as part of the duo Mickey & Sylvia with guitar player Mickey Baker.
She married Joe Robinson in 1964 and formed All Platinum Records in 1968, which released soul records by the likes of Donnie Elbert and Shirley Goodman. Sylvia is also credited as the producer of ‘Love on a Two Way Street’, a hit for the Moments in 1970. As a solo performer she recorded and released the single “Pillow Talk“ on the Vibration label in 1973 which reached number one for two weeks on the R&B chart and number three on the pop charts in the US. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in May 1973. The moaning vocals and heavy breathing, set the template for Donna Summer‘s orgasmic moans on the disco smash ‘Love to Love You Baby‘.
In the late 1970s the Robinsons along with Milton Malden founded Sugar Hill Records. Robinson recruited three unknown MCs - Big Bank Hank, Wonder Mike and Master Gee - and recorded the 15-iminute ‘Rapper’s Delight’ over a sample from Chic’s Good Times. Although the Sugar Hill Gang never equalled the success of their debut, the label continued to score hits. Among them were ‘Apache’, ‘That’s The Joint’ and ‘The Message’, the first rap song ever added to the US National Archive. She co-wrote Grandmaster and Melle Mel’s anti-drugs anthem, ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It)’. Sugar Hill Records was eventually closed in 1986, and its studios in Englewood, New Jersey, burned down in 2002.
Sylvia Robinson passed away at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey from congestive heart failure. She is survived by her sons Joey, Leland and Rhondo and 10 grandchildren.
WESTERN SELF-INTEREST DESTROYS THE UN
Feature Article by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo
That perceived collective Western “national interest” would be pursued to the extent of destroying the “peace and security” ethos of the United Nations (UN) is mind boggling and especially to the mass of the world population who have been fed to believe in the neutrality of the UN. What is happening now in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire tells us that you believe in the neutrality of the UN at your own peril.
The unbridled pursuit of Western or NATO self-interest in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire has the consequence of destroying the moral authority of the UN and its security council. In effect the security council has become a quisling facilitating what is becoming an apparent “re-colonisation” of some parts of the world strategic to the respective national interests of the NATO grouping. For global peace and security to prevail either the security council is immediately reconstituted or abolished. The security council should be reconstituted to remove the veto rights and expand its membership to reflect the realities of our global village. The general assembly as the constituent body should transfer executive powers into its own hands. A new ethically minded executive council of the general assembly can then run the UN. This is to free the UN from western stranglehold and irresponsibility and make it really a collective voice and a responsibility of all. National self-interest must not be allowed to endanger global peace and security.
I never thought I would live to witness again the UN brazenly being used to directly support “rebels” in an intra-nation dispute. I thought that the experience of the Congo leading to the avoidable loss of the celebrated Dag Hammarskjöld and nationalist icon Patrice Lumumba would have been a lesson enough in the living memory of the security council. The UN in the early ‘60s allowed itself to be used as an instrument of western policy to keep western stranglehold on the wealth of the Congo then under the suzerainty of the king of Belgium. This was cruelly achieved at the expense of the then prime minister of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba and the UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, who were brutally dismembered by agents of the Belgium king and a suspicious air crash respectively. To date the Congo remains dishevelled while the exploitation of the national wealth continues to the impoverishment and humiliation of the people. But what is instructive here is that the western powers could “collaterally” sacrifice one of their own, Dag Hammarskjöld, to remove a “nuisance” to their collective “national interest”.
It is this wicked and violent pursuit of western “national interest” in Africa and the consequence of the cost in the destruction of human life and the built environment that continues to inform the quisling knee-jerk responses of most of Africa’s leaders to western demands on them. Western pursuit of the national interest in Africa lacks compunction and has rooted such visceral fear in Africa’s leaders. These shackled leaders can point to the lot of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Shaka Zulu, Yaa Asantewaa, Dedan Kimathi, Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Nasser, Ben Bela, Modibo Keita, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Samora Machel and many more, when these African patriots would not bend to the wishes of the “colonial masters” and betray the Pan-African interest.
Kwame Nkrumah knew what he meant when he stated that: “The secret of life is to have no fear.” Robert Mugabe has no fear. Nelson Mandela has no fear. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has no fear. Muammar Gaddafi has no fear. And all of them, of the west too. The west could not tell Mandela not to be a friend of Fidel Castro. Ho Chi Minh demonstrated it all with the strong spinal chord of Vietnam to force the Americans out with their tails between their legs. American arrogance in the pursuit of the national interest in Vietnam led to humiliation because Vietnam had a fearless leadership that exposed the quislings for what they were to the courageous people of Vietnam. Spiritual leader Khomeini, like Boukman of Haiti, was fearless and marched Iran out of the armpit of America. The people of Somalia showed the all-powerful America the power inherent in not being afraid of a bully when they dragged the corpse of US soldiers in the streets of Mogadishu. Yet still, striking fear and the imposing threat and use of violence as an instrument of coercion and domination remain real. And the west, yes, they know how to exact such fear and acquiescence.
But there is nothing more disheartening than fearless leaders having to deal with quislings, like Lumumba had to deal with Moise Tsombe and Joseph Mobutu in the Congo. The west backed these “rebels” in the Congo as they are now backing “rebels” in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire to effect a regime change at whatever cost to local life and property as Africans and Arabs are teleguided to kill each other.
Some of my own experiences with the UN during the search for peace and security in Liberia and Sierra Leone must be told as cases in point. Dr. James Jonah, who during the heat of the Liberia and Sierra Leone civil wars was the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs and later finance minister of Sierra Leone, posited bluntly that: “…You do not negotiate with rebels. You destroy them instead…” I remonstrated with James Jonah that those “rebels”, especially the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone (RUF-SL), did not fall from another planet onto Sierra Leone but were part of the Sierra Leone peace problematic. I cautioned then that the end game of his policy agenda was genocide against his own people. And to be a living witness now to the UN enabling “rebels” in Cote d’Ivoire, Libya and elsewhere to effect a regime change becomes mind boggling.
James Jonah together with Her Majesty’s government in the full glare of the UN saw to the introduction and arming of mercenaries or private security companies with the single aim of destroying the RUF rebels. It is this shameless about turn that is confusing most people of high moral persuasion. What would James Jonah and his likes say to this UN double standards in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire? To those who help the west to re-colonise Africa, Kwame Nkrumah explained their actions thus: “…they believe, however, or at least pretend to believe, that if they copy, or claim to copy, the outward image of the western world, then – in some miraculous way – they will secure the advantages which the western world enjoys. The contrary is the case. The individuals who have made the counter-revolution from Saigon to Sierra Leone are dependent for their political existence upon western support. The countries over which they temporarily obtained control are therefore exploited all the more viciously. By supporting the reactionary rebellions in Africa the western countries have dug graves for imperialism and neo-colonialism and have put before the African people the clear choice which was unclear before, either to go forward with a thorough revolution or else continue in a situation which, year by year, impoverishes and humiliates them further…”
Before I took on the pioneering position of Special Envoy of International Alert (IA), charged with the responsibility of facilitating dialogue between the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (FMG) and Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and also to help bring the RUF to the negotiating table, I demanded the following of the then secretary-general of IA, Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe: that,
1. None of IA’s funding should come from the governments of the UK, US and France.
2. I would not be asked to confer with any of the embassies of the western countries while in the field.
3. IA would not lend itself as a tool of western hegemony interests in West Africa.
My reason for demanding this solemn pact was in recognition of the fact that we were dealing with weak “sovereign” states, with extremely fragile infrastructure and a leadership in turmoil because of the raging civil wars in an era of military regimes in West Africa.
From London, I went to Nigeria and camped in Lagos for three months (from October to December of 1993) to win the endorsement of the FMG after introductions facilitated by Lt. General Joshua Hamidu of Ghana and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, then chief of defence staff who later became the military head of state of Nigeria. Later on in 1995 it became necessary to seek the support of Cote d’Ivoire and so I went to the UN to confer with the then President of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Amara Essy, and to ask for the support of his government with my mission. The assurances were given that IA as an NGO was independent of the external forces at play in West Africa and was in the region to facilitate an African solution. I argued successfully for a frontline role for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in any mediation efforts in Sierra Leone because both ECOWAS and the UN had lost credibility in the eyes of the RUF and especially the leader, Corporal Foday Sankoh. Furthermore the credentials of the OAU secretary-general then, Salim Ahmed Salim, would lend themselves well to the comfort zone of the RUF leader who held in high esteem the leadership provided by Tanzania and its President, Julius Nyerere, in the liberation struggles to dismantle the settler and apartheid regimes of Rhodesia and South Africa.
The IA and Salim Salim met twice in London in 1996 and agreed on a way forward to bring the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone to the negotiating table. Ms. Adwoa Coleman, a highly principled and hardworking senior official, was appointed as the OAU representative on the ground concurrently in Abidjan and Freetown.
I was dispatched to go and get the RUF out of the forest for talks in Addis Ababa. After weeks of travelling in and out of Sierra Leone via Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea I managed to assemble an RUF peace negotiating team in Abidjan. My troubles with the UN, Commonwealth and the western governments started as soon as the presence of the “rebels” in Abidjan became common knowledge in diplomatic circles. The reality of the RUF as an organised unit with a leadership structure that can respond to international demands had hit home. These demonised “rebels without a just cause” with a mythical leader called Foday Sankoh became an instant “novelty” and those who mattered wanted an access in order to be counted. Without the astute management of the situation by the IA diplomatic liaison officer, lawyer Millius Palayiwa, all hell would have broken loose. But all hell broke loose when the UN and the Commonwealth representatives demanded access ahead of the OAU and treated Adwoa Coleman with disdain. IA did put its foot down and held the ground until Salim Salim dispatched Ambassador Daniel Antonio (assistant secretary-general for political affairs) to Abidjan to reinforce the OAU’s position and presence.
With the permission of the Ivorian authorities, I had set up a radio communication post where Ambassador Antonio and Adwoa Coleman briefed Foday Sankoh on the OAU’s preparations for eventual peace talks in Addis Ababa. The UN secretary-general special envoy, Berhanu Dinka and the Commonwealth representative, Moses Anafu and their western diplomatic allies did not take kindly to this strategic access that the OAU had to the RUF peace delegation and also to Foday Sankoh and began to undermine the delicate efforts of lawyer Palayiwa to appropriately organise that access without raising suspicion within the RUF camp as their mandate was to meet with the OAU in Abidjan and proceed to the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A diplomatic tussle ensued to a boiling point where the IA secretary-general, Kumar Rupesinghe and I were accused of being a stumbling block to peace in Sierra Leone and a lot of mud was slung at us to discredit and undermine IA’s independence and facilitation role. Instead of ensconcing itself in the comfort of hotels and enjoying the Abidjan night life, IA sent me as its special peace envoy to travel in and out of war zones in order to engage with the rebels and gain their confidence. Both the UN and Commonwealth instead chose to sit in Abidjan and Freetown and issue calls for dialogue and ceasefire to the RUF while they debated the existence of Foday Sankoh and the cohesiveness of the rebel organisation. IA dared to take the risk to seek out the RUF and its leadership and this risk paid off. IA had achieved what the UN and the Commonwealth had not been able to achieve in years but they desperately sought to deny IA the credit it deserved. It was a matter of jealousy as they were piqued by an NGO too independent-minded to be bullied.
By mid-1996, the tension between the UN and IA had grown to such an explosive point that the UN secretary-general, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, had to step in and a meeting was held in his New York office at the instance of Marrack Goulding, under-secretary-general for political affairs. With the exception of Kofi Annan, all the UN top diplomats were present and IA was represented by its board chair, Lord Frank Judd of Portsea, Kumar Rupesinghe and myself. The IA’s strategy via the agency of the OAU was explained and that the UN had no existence outside of the nation states and so the role of the OAU representing its member states must be respected. Moreover, ECOWAS as the regional body should have been the arbiter but could not because of ECOMOG, the military intervention force, and so the OAU was acceptable as a more neutral body than the UN here again because President Kabbah was seen as an imposition of the UN by the RUF. What was revealing at the meeting was that Marrack Goulding started a sentence with “…we the British…” looking pointedly at Lord Judd, the Labour peer, and a member of the Council of Europe and former Chair of Oxfam. Lord Judd cut short Marrack Goulding and reminded him that he was “an international civil servant”.
It was at this same meeting when Lord Judd stood up and pointed to me and turning to Boutros-Ghali told him that he found the gathering the most appropriate forum to open his heart out on a matter that has consumed his mind for quite some time. Pointing at me, Lord Judd told them that: “…had this unassuming and hardworking man been white he would have been an acclaimed international hero…” Lord Judd went on to recount how I had taken the risk to walk for three weeks, under constant ambushes and attacks by government forces, to the jungle headquarters of the RUF and successfully negotiated for the release of 19 hostages including ten Europeans then held by the RUF and persuaded the RUF to come out of the jungle for peace talks while agreeing also to a unilateral ceasefire. Lord Judd reinforced the fact that I duly handed over the hostages to the ICRC (Red Cross) as pre-arranged with the ICRC headquarters in Geneva before I left London to seek out the RUF leadership within Sierra Leone.
In the field in West Africa and in the UK the mud-slinging increased orchestrated by James Jonah and President Kabbah using the platforms of the ECOWAS, OAU and the UN to malign me and Rupesinghe. It was clear that they had been put up to it. In the UK some officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) were strident in their attacks against me. But a much needed psychological relief came to me when at a chanced meeting with a senior FCO official at Heathrow airport he pulled me aside and comforted me thus: “… do not take to heart all that is being thrown at you as they are borne out of professional jealousy. Your output was more than what six top UN officials could do and you practically made our envoy almost useless.” What I realised to be more serious was that I was being accused also of interfering in the strategic concerns of Her Majesty’s Government in the sub-region.
During the Sierra Leone crisis the FCO set up a task force to monitor events in Sierra Leone. This task force included a representative from DeBeers signifying the depth of British interests in the diamonds of Sierra Leone. The DeBeers representative visited the IA offices and when asked about the Kimberly process he remarked that: “…Why should DeBeers go through the legal channels of recording and marking diamonds and their origins, when the Lebanese and others in Sierra Leone and Liberia just smuggle them?” The interesting coincidence here is that as soon as the Blair government helped President Kabbah back to power in Sierra Leone in 1998 after being booted out on 25 May 1997 by his own soldiers, Kabbah revoked the citizenship of 9 Lebanese and along with 13 others, kicked them out of the country. Kabbah justified his action thus: “Some of the foreigners decided to stay in neighbouring countries to act as agents for the bandits, selling gold and diamonds for them to buy arms.”
In consolidating the British national interest in Sierra Leone, Tony Blair’s New Labour government threw caution to the winds by shipping arms to Sierra Leone via Nigeria at a time when British diplomats at the UN knew that Sierra Leone was under a UN arms embargo. Again the Blair government used British taxpayers’ money to install what turned out to be a hate radio station (98.1 FM) at Lungi near Freetown at a time when the then foreign minister, Robin Cook, had unveiled an ethical foreign policy. The ensuing Arms to Africa parliamentary enquiry attest to this fact. The fact that Her Majesty’s government dipped into the public purse to finance a radio station which at times was used to fan hatred and violent retribution has been kept under carpet by the FCO. British taxpayers must be made aware of the common criminal enterprise carried out in Sierra Leone by the Blair government.
All this time the UN department of political affairs, which is normally under British control, did not cause the sanction of the British government for violating a UN arms embargo and also for using the services of a mercenary group, Executive Outcomes, which later changed its spots to Sandline and then to AEGIS Defense Services when it came under the spotlight as the warrior-for-hire outfit. Executive Outcomes, had been brought into Sierra Leone by the beleaguered government and paid in diamonds in addition to a diamond concession granted under the nose of the UN. Marrack Goulding after retiring from the UN was later rewarded a job as a director of AEGIS whose chief executive is Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, the originator of Executive Outcomes and Sandline.
Marrack Goulding kept good company. Tim Spicer, is a former British commando who in 1992, as the commanding officer of the Scots Guards unit in Northern Ireland, two British soldiers, under his command, were convicted of murdering an unarmed Catholic teenager. In 1997 the beleaguered Papua New Guinea government handed Spicer a $35 million contract to suppress a rebellion.
The Blair government installed, Keith Biddle, a retired British police officer, as the inspector general of Sierra Leone’s police force, ostensibly to deal with corruption, improve competence and service delivery. Writing about Tony Blair’s legacy in Sierra Leone a Tony Blair wordpress.com website, profusely pointed out that: “… the level of British commitment in Sierra Leone was manifested during his visit to Freetown; the two men flanking President Kabbah when he matched towards Blair at the Lungi airport were Brigadier Patrick Davidson-Housten, President Kabbah’s British security adviser, and Keith Biddle, the then British Inspector General of the Sierra Leonean Police. The attendance of both British citizens – remunerated for by Britain – in such elevated positions in the Sierra Leone Government, exemplified the dedication of the UK to our country.”
The coincidence of the introduction of the Kimberly process and the hullabaloo over conflict diamonds in the Mano River Union states of West Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, have been stage managed for the express purpose of concentrating the diamond business in the hands of the west through the agency of the likes of DeBeers. My peace-building travels through the Mano River Union states confirmed to me that the Kimberly process was an economic instrument to strangle the local African and the Lebanese diamond winners out of the diamond trade. In the Mano River Union it is the informal sector that controls the diamond winning business before the rough diamonds enter the international market. This means that local people and mainly, the itinerant Fulani, Mandingo, Mauritanians, Lebanese and of late Nigerians control a major part of the supply chain to the chagrin of the big players of the west. What I found revealing was the racial and Islam phobia undertones of the conflict diamonds hullaballoo. This rudimentary diamond winning supply chain is seen to be alarmingly controlled by those who are not of the Judo-Christian faith but by those of the Islamic faith. The Islamic faith has been surreptitiously linked to “terrorism” by the powerful Judo-Christian media and their international NGO acolytes who instinctively rally to protect and advance western hegemony.
The linkage in interests becomes clearer when one notices that in May 2004, Tim Spicer’s company, AEGIS Defense Services, was awarded a hopping $293m “defense services” deal by the Pentagon to coordinate security in Iraq despite Spicer’s well documented links with conflict diamonds which should have been of concern to the sanctions committee of the UN security council. Here, the UN security council knows perfectly well that Spicer contemptuously busted UN arms embargo against Sierra Leone when he shipped 30 tons of arms to the war-torn country in 1998. The UN was maintaining one of its largest peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone then and we must remember that Marrack Goulding who is credited as “the pioneer of UN peacekeeping operations” should have been aware of the activities of this merchant of death machinery called AEGIS Defense Services before offering his services to Spicer.
Western self-interest and as promoted by its acolytes is conspiring to destroy the moral authority of the UN security council at the expense of global peace and security. It is left with the UN general assembly to boldly reform itself by first transferring executive powers in its own hands without fear of Franco-Anglo-American threats. The general assembly should call the bluff of the western powers as bullies crumble when you stand up to them.
Meanwhile African leaders must show courage as did Nkrumah and Nasser even at the expense of their own life as Africa’s self-determination is worth the sacrifice. Nkrumah could achieve so much for Africa because he harboured no fear. This is what the mass of the African people demand of their leaders in their dealings with the west and now China for the “secret of life is to have no fear”.
My field experience has taught me that you believe in the neutrality of the UN at your own peril.
Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is an independent consultant on the national interest and preventive diplomacy. E-mail: akyaaba@aol.com
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
OCT PROMO
~ BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974 – 1979 ‘ (Analog Africa – Out Oct 10) Another absolute gem from Analog Africa. The tracks here are culled from the vaults of the Club Voltaique du Disque (CVD) label and are a mix of Afrobeat, Afro-Latin grooves, Mandingue griot and guitar styles, especially from neighbouring Mali and Guinea indicating a wider West Afrikan influence. Many of those featured here passed through Mali’s Super Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs and Guinea’s Balla et ses Balladins and Keletigui et ses Tambourinis.
Extensive sleevenotes highlight the precarious nature of surviving as a musician and promoter in Afrika. Most of the recordings were done in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo and several of the artists and bands had played in what was at that time the West Afrikan music capital of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Track themes range from Mamo Lagbema’s ‘Love, Music And Dance’ to Orchestre CVD’s plea for Afrikan unity, ‘Rog Mik Africa’. There were indications of the political strains which would see the rise of Thomas Sankara with the activist lyrics of Sandwidi Pierre et l’Harmonie Voltaique with ‘Tond Yabramba’. The most well-known artist here Amadou Ballaké quite rightly has six powerful tracks: ‘Bar Konou Moussou’, ‘Renouveau’, ‘Baden Djougou’, ‘Johnny’, ‘Sali’ and ‘Oye Ka Bara Kignan’.
NUBIART LIBRARY – OCT MEDIA
We will only review books we have read and DVDs we have seen and that are available at reasonable prices online or in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘WOMEN IN THE YORUBA RELIGIOUS SPHERE’ - Oyeronke Olajubu. Foreword by Jacob K Olupona [State University of New York Press ISBN: 978-0-7914-5886-0] An exploration of gender and power relations in Yoruba religion - both Christianity and Yoruba traditional religion based on Olajubu’s PhD thesis. Drawing on a wide range of oral and written sources she shows that women occupy a central place in the religious worldview and life of the Yoruba people. Chapter headings are: Concepts and Theories on Women in Yoruba Religious Sphere; Women in Yoruba Culture and Society; Women in Yoruba Christian Tradition; Identity Power and Gender Relations in Yoruba Religious Traditions; and Women and Rituals in Yoruba Religion.
Olajubu’s background gives her an insight into the different aspect of Yoruba spirituality. She does an excellent job of maintaining the focus of the book which could have become a brick-sized tome while still touching on issues such as: Yoruba cosmological origins; the main orisas and their festivals; Ifa divination; oriki praise poems; the rational, dysfunctions and Christian condemnation of polygamy; patriarchy in the European missionary-led churches; the role of women in Afrikan-led churches such as The Cherubim and Seraphim and the Celestial Church of Christ; the even more strident recently established evangelical churches; the origins and rituals relating to both male and female circumcision, the cultural debate over calling it female genital mutilation and the health and ritual arguments for maintaining male circumcision; relations with neighbouring peoples and nations and those who were drawn into the Yoruba polity just as the society was being convulsed by European colonialism; and the spreading of Yoruba culture into the diaspora.
~ ‘PYRAMID OF ALLIANCE’ – J A Mukoyogo [HandE Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-906873-30-1] The second book in Mukoyogo’s science-fiction trilogy, following on from ‘Triangle of Alliance’. The Triangle and the Insidious Force face off on a global stage that spans all seven levels as the part seer, part leveller puts Custodis to work for him. The final instalment of the trilogy, ‘Prism of Alliance’, is due for release in the summer of 2012.
Afrikan Quest
Nubiart Diary
~ NATIONAL AFRIKAN PEOPLE’S PARLIAMENT PRESS CONFERENCE & DOWNING STREET DEMO. A protest letter to the Prime Minister will be delivered at 10 Downing Street re: the unlawful killing of Mark Duggan, the uprisings and the reactionary state assault on our community. On Fri 14 Oct at 10am-12pm: Press Conference at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach, London, N15. At 2-4pm: Demo at 10 Downing Street, London, SW1. Tel: 020 8539 2154. Mob: 07908 814 152. E-mail: info@afrikanpeoplesparliament.org Web: http://www.afrikanpeoplesparliament.org ~ OUR HAIR - CONNECTING WOMEN OF COLOUR – GLOBALLY. International Black Hairitage Month (IBHM) has been created to show that there is so much more to Afrikan hair than just…hair, it’s a cultural, political, and increasingly, powerful economic movement. Unshaken by the global economic dip, Afrikan hair is still booming business worldwide. In the USA, the Afrikan American hair industry is worth a cool $9bn! LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell produced the film ‘My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage’ (2007) it looks at the legacy of Afrikan hair-care through cultural identity, and also highlights societal and economic issues. The idea for IBHM stemmed from conversations Regina had with audiences that viewed her film in various countries. UK events sponsored by Tangle Teezer www.tangleteezer.com)
- Tues 11 Oct at 7.30pm at Seven Arts Centre, Leeds. Film screening of ‘My Nappy Roots’. DJ Fluid, founder of Leeds Black Film club at the Seven Arts Centre, Harrogate Road, Leeds. Followed by Q&A. Contact: DJ Fluid on 07939 011 546. E-mail: fluidirie@hotmail.com
- Sun 16 Oct at 1-5pm at Nicky Oliver Salon, Manchester. Film Screening at Nicky Oliver Salon based in the bohemian Northern Quarter. The screening will be followed by Q&A with Regina Kimbell and Nicky Oliver. There will be a hair and make-up demo plus entertainment. Organised by Karen Gabay. E-mail: troubadourfoundation@gmail.com Web: http://blackhairitagemanchester.eventbrite.com
- Fri 21 Oct 21 at 7-10.30pm at Sallis Benny Theatre, Brighton. Legacy Film Festival screening followed by Q&A with Regina Kimbell and a one-off performance by spoken word artists from the Positive Hair Day. For tickets visit: www.legacyfilmfestival.org.uk
- Sat 22 Oct at 12-5pm at Cottons Rhum Shack Restaurant, London. Respect the Fro Film Screening followed by panel discussion with Regina Kimbell, Natasha Dennis (trichologist), Pelumi Rae (founder of Care For Your Hair) and Crystal Afro. Tickets from Michelle 07533 966 335. Web: http://conta.cc/pjIAqQ
- Sun 30 Oct at 2.30-7.45pm at Tricycle Theatre, London. Series of short-films on Afrikan hair and identity followed by paneled discussion with Margot Rodway-Brown, owner of Adornment365 Natural hair salon, filmmaker Regina Kimbell, Angie Le Mar and LA celebrity Stylist Anthony Cherry. Event includes a Natural Hair workshops and hair & make-up stalls. The event is sponsored & brought to the theatre by - Images of Black Women. E-mail: images.blackwomen@btinternet.com Web: www.imagesofblackwomen.com plus MEE and The Village Production Int’l: www.meevillage.com
For all UK Media enquiries contact Denise Brooks at Onecircle Communications. Tel: 07985 213 636.
E-mail: denise@onecirclecomms.com Web: www.internationalblackhairitagemonth.com
~ BETTER THAN GOOD PRESENT ‘FROM BRONZE TO GOLD’ EXHIBITION. Ever since the departure of the Benin bronzes and other works of art from the Yoruba people and the pivotal historical event that took place in 1887, that saw the introduction of Afrikan art into the European psyche an on-going bitter and controversial debate of cultural identity has ensued. We have come to understand the importance of the influences that these artefacts have had on western art and European thinking. The richness of these unique objects of terracotta, bronze and ivory have become as precious as gold in the hands of their abductors. But what of the influence, impact, value and meaning, that these artworks have had on those who are still culturally and religiously aligned? What are the views of artists and activists of the Diaspora, what are their stories, associations and remembrances of these great works?
“From Bronze to Gold” presents the views, stories and thoughts of four artists that explore these intriguing works which have captured the imagination of the world. Forerunner of the Black British arts movement ‘Fowokan’ George Kelly and leading artists Alvin Kofi, Ken McCalla, Jennifer Lewis and Eli Anderson document their own relationships to these works and present the story of those individuals who have never stood up and voiced their views. They will exhibit sculpture and words that represent the spirit of those original artefacts, using modern materials, paintings, lino cut prints and digital media which borrow from the traditional style of the Benin plaques. This exhibition promises to be revealing, thought provoking, exciting and wonderfully bold, leaning on the legacy of works of art from the ancient Kingdom of Benin.
- Storytelling & mask making family workshop on Sat 22 Oct at 1-3pm. Discover West Afrika through a mystical tale. Storyteller and poet Eli Anderson weaves imagination and games into his interactive stories. Artist Alvin Kofi and Ken McCalla give a short guided tour of the exhibition ‘From Bronze to Gold’ and lead this family art workshop, inspiring you to be creative. Using a mix of different materials you will decorate masks and make treasures for Kings and Queens. Suitable for children 5 – 12 year’s old who must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Adm: Free. (Limited spaces - booking essential. Rich Mix Box Office: 020 7613 7498).
- Artist Workshop: ‘In conversation with’ and spoken word special performance on Sun 30 Oct at 12–3pm. The artists take the audience on a journey. They integrate the accepted historical records and present an alternative narrative behind the artefacts. Adm: £8 adv / cons £5. (Tickets from Rich Mix. Box Office: 020 7613 7498)
Exhibition runs from 13–30 Oct at Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA. Contact: Alvin Kofi - 07943 437 619 or Clem Richards - 07802 486 191. E-mail: betterthangoodart@yahoo.co.uk. Web: http://www.alexandragalleries.com/pages/event.php#bronze
~ TALAWA THEATRE COMPANY’S presenting ‘The Colored Museum’. Dir: Don Warrington. A hilarious piece which takes you on a roller-coaster ride through 200 years of African-American history. It takes place in an imagined cultural museum, where the 11 living ‘exhibits’ are all larger than life stereotypes. From 15-23 Oct at Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7. Tel: 020 7942 2211. Web: http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1369/the-colored-museum-performance-2467/
- Black Myth Versus History. Dr. Robert Beckford leads a panel that includes Bonnie Greer to discuss, ‘How do you decide which aspect of your experience and identity to retain and which to discard?’ On 15 Oct at Victoria and Albert Museum. Tel: 020 7942 2211
Jackie Friend, Marketing and Press Manager, Talawa Theatre, 53 - 55 East Road, London N1 6AH
Tel: 020 7251 6644. Fax: 020 7251 5969. E-mail: jackie@talawa.com Web: http://www.talawa.com
~ CENTRE OF AFRICAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AFRICA BUSINESS GROUP presents
‘The Engine of Development - Private Sector & Prosperity for Poor People, DFID’s Private Sector Work & Plans’ by Gavin McGillivray, Head of the Private Sector Department at DFID. Is the private sector the place for DFID? What impact will UK Government funds have on businesses currently trading in Afrika? How will the tension between British and Afrikan interests be resolved? On Thurs 20 Oct at 1-3pm at Rm 116, SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. Fees apply. Free to members of the Africa Business Group. To register contact tel: 020 7898 4370. E-mail: cas@soas.ac.uk
~ BLACK HISTORY WALKS
- Jumping The Broom (PG). Dir: Salim Akil. Dur: 115 mins. This is a special screening to raise funds for a Nubian Jak Blue Plaque to recognise Frank Crichlow, the founder of the legendary Mangrove restaurant. On Sat 15 Oct at 7pm at The Tabernacle, Powis Square, London, W11 2AY. Adm: £8.50.
- ‘Black Power Mixtape’ Community Premiere. Unseen interviews with Angela Davis, Huey P Newton, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-9.00pm at Kensington Library Theatre, Phillimore Walk, London, W8 7RX. Online tickets only £8.
- ‘Miracle at Santa Anna’ (15) Black World War Two troops in heroic action movie never released in this country .Starring Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy, Derek Luke and directed by Spike Lee. See it on the big screen with Q&A afterwards. Also at 11am on the same day Afrikan British RAF War Hero Cy Grant, who was also an actor, will be featured on the big screen with a two hour review of his biggest films plus Q and A with those who knew him. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am-1pm and 2-5pm at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1. Adm: £5. E-mail: info@blackhistorywalks Web: www.bfi.org.uk
~ ‘THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK’. Dir: Menelik Shabazz. Dur: 96 mins. Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely Afrikan British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance at parties and clubs. It developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands. These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history. For venues across Britain check: http://www.loversrockthefilm.com
~ ‘THIN BLACK LINE(S): THE LEGACY OF BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS’
Put together by Tate curator Paul Goodwin and artist Lubaina Himid, MBE, ‘Thin Black Line(s)’ presents a selection of pieces drawn from three major exhibitions of Afrikan and Asian women artists curated by Himid in the early 1980s: ‘Five Black Women’ at the Africa Centre (1983); ‘Black Women Time Now’ at the Battersea Arts Centre (1983-84); and ‘The Thin Black Line’ at the Institute for Contemporary Art (1985). The display includes works by Sutapa Biswas, Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Maud Sulter. Drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs are showcased alongside a video documentary on the ‘Black Art’ scene and archival documents comprising of exhibition posters, invitations, letters, etc. In Britain, the Caribbean Artists Movement (1966-72) and the Black Art (1980s) have enabled Afrikan artists and intellectuals to retain ownership of the discourse on their arts and cultures. Until 18 Mar 2012 at Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
~ ‘THE PLACE WE CALL HOME AND OTHER POEMS’. Book launch of renowned Ghanaian poet Professor Kofi Anyidoho’s latest collection is both a lamentation and a celebration, documenting epic events in world history ranging from the abolition of slavery to the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Anyidoho tells us that the title of the work came to him more than a decade ago as a collage of voices and memories that he carried with him on his many travels, knowing that there was one place that he could claim as his own, a place of emotional anchor in a haunted, turbulent world. The book is accompanied by two CDs, allowing us to savour the poet’s resonating voice in a powerful live performance. On Thurs 27 Oct at 5-7pm at Rm B102, Brunei Gallery Building at SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. RSVP to cas@soas.ac.uk Web: www.ayebia.co.uk)
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES & PCS PRESENT ‘Hidden Colors: The Untold History of People of Aboriginal, Moor & African Descent’. Dir: Tariq Nasheed. Dur: 109 mins. A documentary about the real and untold history of people of color around the globe. This film discusses some of the reasons the contributions of African and aboriginal people have been left out of the pages of history and features scholars, historians and social commentators who uncovered amazing facts about things such as: the original image of Christ; the true story about the Moors; the original people of Asia; the great West Afrikan empires; the presence of Afrikans in America before Columbus; and the real reason enslavement in America was ended. Interviews with Shahrazad Ali, Sabir Bey, Dr Booker T Coleman, Umar Johnson, Tariq Nasheed, Dr Phil Valentine and Dr Frances Cress Welsing. There will be a fundraising raffle to raise money towards future projects by Black History Studies. On Mon 10 Oct at 6.45-9.30pm at the PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN. Adm: £4.
- ‘CARIBBEAN HISTORY: THE REAL DEAL’. Caribbean History has for many years been romanticized in Hollywood mainly through swash-buckling films based on pirate adventures, the most recent being ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. In fact, there is a great deal of truth about wars between European nations on the high seas and particularly in the Caribbean. However, there was also a much more sinister side to what went on in the Caribbean. This was especially the case where the pursuit of money, power and glory was concerned. Europe was built off the back of the Caribbean. This introduction by Linford Sweeney will provide you with a basic foundation in Caribbean History. On Sun 16 Oct at 1-4pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £5.
- ‘THE BLACK CANDLE’. Dir: M.K Asante Jr. Dur: 71 mins. A landmark, vibrant documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou ‘The Black Candle’ is an extraordinary, inspirational story about the struggle and triumph of family, community, and culture. Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, ‘The Black Candle’ traces the holiday’s growth from the first celebration in 1966 to its present-day reality as a global holiday embraced by over 20 million celebrants. With NFL Legend Jim Brown, Hip Hop icon Chuck D, Kwanzaa’s founder Dr. Maulana Karenga, artist Synthia Saint James and many others. On Mon 24 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
- ‘MARCUS GARVEY, WALTER RODNEY AND RASTAFARI’. Who was Marcus Garvey? What did he stand for? Who did he influence? Who did he inspire? What were his legacies? This presentation is an opportunity to learn more about the history of Caribbean activists and politics. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.15- 7.30pm at Ealing Central Library, 103 Ealing Broadway Centre, London, W5 5JY. Adm: £4.
- ‘MALCOLM X: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY’. Dur: 120 mins. A documentary of Malcolm’s life as a child up to when he was murdered. There will be a discussion after the screening. On Wed 26 Oct at 7-9.30pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4.
- ‘AFRICAN HISTORY BEFORE THE SLAVE TRADE’. A visually stunning presentation that addresses one key question: What history do Afrikan people have before the slave trade started? The lecture discusses the Empire of Mali, the Yoruba Kingdoms, Medieval Sudan, Medieval Ethiopia and the East African Coast. These civilisations have left behind a splendid array of evidence that are all discussed in the lecture. This evidence includes wonderful artefacts, illuminated manuscripts, and impressive architecture. The lecture is based on the book Before the Slave Trade: African World History in Pictures which will be available at the event. On Mon 31 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £5
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES, LONDON BOROUGH OF WALTHAM FOREST & PCS film screenings to celebrate Black History Month.
- ‘VISIBLY INVISIBLE’. Dir: Kurt Orderson. Dur: 57 mins. Afrika’s history can be marked by the term ‘transitional’ since its borders were historically transgressed by insatiable colonisers out of Europe and the Americas and also by the forced movement of Afrikans out of the continent through slavery. ‘Visibly / Invisible’ looks at this term that is so implicit to Afrika’s identity by focussing on Afrika’s presence in Norway through the African History Week festival that has taken place every year since 2004. This festival brings together artists from Afrika and the Diaspora to acknowledge their history and the resultant positioning of Afrikans living inside and out of Afrika today, using art and culture to facilitate healing amongst the many dislocated individuals and families. This festival aims to acknowledge the complex configurations of Afrikans living in the Diaspora brought about by a history of slavery, by ancestors brought to build the great cities of the so-called West and by Afrikans displaced by war, famine and political unrest, all pointing an unwavering finger at colonisation and the brutal legacy that has spawned this strife. On Wed 12 Oct at 7-9pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4
- ‘MOTHERLAND: A STORY OF A CONTINENT AND ITS PEOPLE’. Dir: Owen ‘Alik Shahadah. Prod: M.K. Asante, Jr. Dur: 120 mins. ‘Motherland (Enat Hager)’ is a bold, epic journey through Afrika with an authentic Afrikan voice. From the glory and majesty of Africa’s past through its complex and present history. ‘Motherland’ looks unflinchingly toward a positive Pan-African future. With breathtaking cinematography and a fluid soundtrack sculpted by Sona Jobarteh. The film features some of the greatest minds from Afrika and the Diaspora: Harry Belafonte, Meles Zenawi, Gamal Nkrumah, Tony Browder, Haki R Madhubuti, Frances Cress Welsing, Tsedenia Gebremarkos, Hakim Quick, Jacob Zuma, Didymus Mutasa, Dr.Kwadwo Osei-Nyame, Jeff Radebe, Molefi Asante, Maulana Karenga, Kimani Nehusi, Desta Meghoo, Hakim Adi, Esther Stanford, Mohammad Ibn Chambas and Mulugeta Asrate. On Fri 14 Oct at 6-9pm at the Leytonstone Library, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone, London, E10 1HG. Adm; £4.
- ‘IDA B.WELLS: A PASSION FOR JUSTICE’. Dur: 53 mins. Though virtually forgotten today, Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a household name in Black America during much of her lifetime (1863-1931) and was considered the equal of her well-known African American contemporaries such as Booker T Washington and W E B Du Bois. ‘Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice’ documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison reads selections from Wells’ memoirs and other writings in this winner of more than 20 film festival awards. On Mon 17 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ PECKHAM SPACE
- Artist Talk, 11 Oct at 7-8:30pm. Artist Sonia Boyce will be in conversation about her work with playwright and critic Bonnie Greer. This talk will address how the artist has explored modern concepts of communities and look at the use of oral history in her Peckham Space commission Network. The discussion will also examine the role of film-making in the development of the artist’s practice.
- Closing Party, 15 Nov at 6-8pm. Last chance to see ‘Network’, Sonia Boyce’s specially commissioned film which explores how forms of social communication such as mobile phones and social networking sites have become the most popular ways for youths to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Exhibition runs until 19 Nov at 11am-5pm (Tues-Fri) and 11am-4pm (Sat) at Peckham Space, 89 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5RS. Tel: 020 7358 9645. E-mail: info@peckhamspace.com
~ WORD POWER BLACK LITERATURE FESTIVAL & BOOK FAIR 2011. On 14-21 Oct at 10am-9pm at Centerprise, 136 Kingsland High St, London, E8 2NS. Tel: 020 7254 9632. E-mail: eamevor@centerprisetrust.org.uk Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
~ THE POMEDY SHOW with Yasus Afari, Joan Andrea Hutchinson, Ping Wing. David Neita, Dr Lez Henry, Naomi Francis, Ras Ichey and Spicy Fingers. Web: www.pomedy.com
- On Fri 14 Oct at 8pm at The Broadway Theatre, Catford, London, SE6 4RU. Tel: 020 8690 0002. Web: www.thebroadwaytheatre.co.uk
- On Fri 21 Oct at 7.30pm at The Drum, Potters Bar, Birmingham, B6 4UU. Tel: 0121 333 2444. Web: www.the-drum.org.uk
~ FELA KUTI BIRTHDAY TRIBUTES.
- Dele Sosimi ensemble + DJ Ade & Bobblin Hot. Annual event to celebrate the originator of Afrobeat led by Fela’s Egypt 80 keyboardist and the musical director of award winning musical ‘Fela’, Dele Sosimi. On Fri 14 Oct at Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Adm: £10. Web: theticketsellers.co.uk
- Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra + DJ Koichi Sakai (Afrobeat Vibration). On Sat 15 Oct at 7-11pm at The Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1. Adm: £17.50 adv / £22 OTD Web: www.venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe
~ BLACK MYTH VERSUS HISTORY. Join documentary film maker, educator and academic theologian, Dr. Robert Beckford, and a panel including Bonnie Greer to discuss two and a half decades of Black British identity. Organised in collaboration with Talawa Theatre Company. On Sat 15 Oct at 3-4pm at Lecture Theatre, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Adm: £8 / £4.
~ BTWSC BHM 2011 EVENTS. NARM (Naming And Role Model) consultant Kwaku will deliver an interactive presentation on Afrikan British Civil Rights highlighting activists from the NARM book
- A Focus On Dr Harold Moody. Dr Harold Moody of the League Of Coloured Peoples lived and worked in Southwark. There will also be an edutainment performance that speaks to the topic by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by a discussion on the life and work of Dr Moody. On Sun 16 Oct at 1.30-4pm at Dulwich Library, 386 Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8NB. Adm: Free.
- CLR James Discussion. Tribute to socio-political activist CLR James. There will be poetry by Ngoma Bishop, and Music4Causes rapper Kimba will perform a rap that speaks to the topic plus an ode to CLR. The event will end with a discussion with audience and special guests on CLR’s work. Signed copies of ‘African Voices: Quotations By People Of African Descent’ will be on sale with a £1 discount. Presented by BTWSC in with the Centerprise Trust. On Wed 19 Oct at 6.30-9pm at Centerprise Bookshop, 136 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2NS. Adm: £5. Tel: 020 7254 9632. Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
- Key Activism & Campaigns. The meeting will highlight campaigns such as the Bristol Bus Boycott, Black People’s Day of Action, and the activism of Eric Irons OBE in Nottingham, Berry Edwards in Manchester, etc. Historian Dr Hakim Adi will deliver a talk on WASU (West African Students Union) and the activism of its members. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UL. Adm: Free.
- Henry Sylvester Williams & Co. The event will focus on Henry Sylvester Williams, who organised the 1990 Pan-African Conference, Dr. John Alcindor, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, who had local Westminster connections. There will also be an edutainment performance on the theme by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by an open discussion. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, London SW1E 6QP. Adm: Free
- The Conscious Music Mini Discussion & Freestyle Session. An open event for parents, young people, artists, promoters, and consumers - this is an opportunity for conscious artists including Kimba and Paradise (57th Dynasty), and fans to discuss how music can be used to highlight significant issues. Performers in the audience will be welcome to join in the closing freestyle session based around the Harrow BHM 2011 theme: ‘Significant British African Achievements Throughout History (outside of Sports and Entertainment)’. On Sun 30 Oct at 2-4.30pm at Gayton Library, 5 St John’s Rd, Harrow On The Hill, HA1 2EE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8427 6012. E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
E-mail: info@btwsc.com Web: www.btwsc.com/BHM_Projects / www.btwsc.com/NARM.
~ AFRIKÀBA 2011 (UK) – AFRICA, LIFE & SOUL. With Nana Tsiboe Supa Hi-Life + Zara McFarlane. On Sat 29 Oct at 7.30pm at Sussex Coast College, Station Approach, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1BA. Adm: £12 / £10 (concs) / family ticket, £35. Tel: Hastings Information Centre - 01424 451 128
~ THE CARAF CENTRE & OMEGA RADIO 104.1FM Present ‘DON’T BE NAIVE!’ Guest Speakers: Cristia Esimi-Cruz, Community Gangs Prevention Worker; Jenavi Omoma, Addaction; & Davis Williams. Youth crime and gang activity is now a national concern! On Sat 29 Oct at 3-5pm at the Unity Centre, Church Road, London, NW10. Tel: 020 7284 0030.
~ ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ (PLAY). August 1963, USA: Martin Luther King prepares to deliver a speech that will change the course of American history forever. But Yolanda, his daughter, isn’t happy that her dad never has time for her. 48 years later, and Raheem is at home in south London. Life seems so unfair: not only is his mum a teacher at his school, she is now applying for the job of head; this is sure to ruin his reputation! But when Raheem falls asleep, he finds himself transported back to the 60s, face to face with Yolanda King. Their friendship takes them on a journey of discovery across decades and continents in this powerful and inspiring production written by Levi David Addai. Until 29 Oct at 6pm at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London, SW19 1SB. Tel: 020 8543 4888. Adm: £12 / £8. Entry to talk: Free. Web: www.polkatheatre.com
~ REEL TRINI fortnightly screenings. The new rendezvous for local film aficionados on Sundays at 5pm at Trevor’s Edge in St Augustine, Trinidad. Tel: 744-4956. E-mail: caribbeinginc@gmail.com
Contact Details
Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
External Links
Afrikan Quest International
Ligali is not responsible for the content of third party sites
Get involved and help change our world