Day: April 24, 2009

Bolivia: Evo Morales speaks on International Mother Earth Day

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24 April, 2009 – Source: Bolivia Rising

The primary cause of the twenty-first century should be the recognition of the rights of Mother Earth, Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma declared hours after the General Assembly passed a resolution designating 22 April as ‘International Mother Earth Day’.

‘If we want to safeguard mankind, then we need to safeguard the planet,’ he said, stressing that social movements, regular citizens and presidents the world over needed to understand and support the rights of Mother Earth. ‘That is the next major task of the United Nations’.

Speaking at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, he said previous centuries had witnessed a permanent ongoing battle for human rights. With those human rights now secured, it was time to fight for those of the planet, including the right to life, the right to regeneration of the planet’s biodiversity, the right to a clean life free of pollution, and the right to harmony and balance among and between all things.

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Video: Past is present in Latin America Part Two

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Last weekend, the leaders of the Americas met with US President Barack Obama for the first time as a group. While no major agreements were signed, long-time Latin America observer Larry Birns believes that the atmospherics were of a nature never before seen in the hemisphere. Signs of improvement in relations between the White House and Cuba, after 50 years of embargo and intervention. The leaders of Latin America have made it clear to Obama that any future progress in relations will require a drastic shift in his government’s policy toward Cuba, and there are signs that Obama will be willing to do so. Until that time, an entire hemisphere lies in wait.

Part One

Bio
Larry Birns is the Founding Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, a Washington-based independent research organization dedicated to promoting the hemisphere’s common interests. He is a longtime commentator on US-Latin American relations having written hundreds of articles for publications such as: The Nation, New York Review of Books, The Guardian, London Independent, Miami Herald, Toronto Star, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The New York Times and Foreign Policy, He served previously as public affairs officer for the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America in Santiago, Chile.

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Video: Past is present in Latin America Part One

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At Summit Obama interested in looking forward, while many live the past every day – El Salvador report

In their first ever meeting, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave US President Barack Obama a copy of Eduardo Galeano’s classic historical essay, Open Veins of Latin America. A best-seller in Latin America, the book is arguably the most complete history of imperialism in the region. And the move by Chavez represents the importance of understanding the context of the rise of the left in Latin America if you want to work with Latin America. But when Obama got to the podium, he announced “I didn’t come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future.” The most recent country to join Latin America’s leftist block is El Salvador, with the election of the FMLN’s Mauricio Funes to the presidency. Salvadoran anthropologist Ramón Rivas believes that the only way mutual understanding can be achieved is with a commitment to understanding the present, by learning the past.

Bio
Ramón Rivas is the Founding Director of the Museum of Anthropology at El Salvador Technological University in the capital of San Salvador. Originally from the department of Cabañas, El Salvador, Rivas received his doctorate in anthropology from the University of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. He has served as dean of the El Salvador Tech´s Art and Culture School, and sat on El Salvador´s National Council for Culture and Art. He writes a weekly column in the Salvadoran newspaper El Diario Co-Latino.
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Cuba50 – Celebrating Cuban Culture

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cuba50.jpg

Welcome to the Cuba50 newsletter

It aims to bring together the best of Cuban arts and culture events in the UK plus the latest culture news from Cuba, in conjunction with the website www.cuba50.org

If you want your event to be part of Cuba50 submit it on the website or get in touch at office@cuba50.org

LosVanVan.jpgLos Van Van and Pablo Milanés to headline Cuba50 weekend June 27/28

The Cuba50 weekend at the Barbican 27-28 June, promises a feast of the very best live Cuban music and dance direct from Cuba.The two special concerts feature Cuba’s greatest dance band Los Van Van, nueva trova star Pablo Milanés, top rumba group Yoruba Andabo, the soulful Son Tropical and fabulous jazz pianist Harold Lopez Nussa. Book your tickets now!  more>>

EVENTS

Rakatan.jpgHavana Rakatan
05 – 23 May 09, Peacock Theatre, London

Mambo, jazz, bolero, son, cha-cha-cha, rumba and salsa all come alive in a dazzling dance display of Cuban passion. Set to live Cuban music courtesy of Cuba’s well-known son band Turquino, Havana Rakatan is a captivating journey through the dance and music of a truly unique country.   more>>

YUSA.jpgYUSA on UK & Ireland tour 
9 May – 1 Jun 09
Washington-Kendal-Whitby-Stockton-London-Basingstoke-Brighton-Bristol

Singer songwriter Yusa brings forward-thinking new music from Cuba. Combining a beautiful voice, bitter sweet lyrics and an intimate sound influenced by jazz, Brazilian music and rock as well as Cuban rhythms. more>>

Environmental.jpgEnvironmental Study Tour to Cuba
22 Nov – 07 Dec 09
Explore Cuba’s developing green issues with a full ecological agenda in its 50th Anniversary year. Includes hiking in the Escambray mountains, organic allotments and food conservation, an urban river conservation project, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, solar energy projects. more>>

OTHER EVENTS

clash.jpgSpanish Bombs: Tropical Tribute to The Clash
28 Apr 09, Barbican, London
The musical influence of The Clash on a generation of Spanish-speaking artists comes together in this unique concert, featuring guest musicians & vocalists from the hottest Latin bands around who bring to life the repertoire of this legendary band from London. more>>

Cuba50 newsletter and website bring you the best of Cuban arts and culture events around the UK plus the latest culture news from Cuba
http://www.cuba50.org/ email office@cuba50.org

Media Lens 24 April, 2009: Protesting War – An Exchange With The BBC’s Diplomatic Editor, Mark Urban

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24 April, 2009

MEDIA LENS: Correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media

On April 15, we wrote to Mark Urban, the Diplomatic Editor of the BBC‘s Newsnight programme. Urban was formerly defence correspondent at the Independent. He served in the British Army, for nine months as a regular officer and four years in the Territorials. He has hosted a series of virtual reality war games on the BBC, Time Commanders, re-enacting key battles. He is also the author of several books:

Soviet Land Power (1985)
War in Afghanistan (1987)
Big Boys’ Rules: The SAS and the secret struggle against the IRA (1992)
UK Eyes Alpha: Inside British Intelligence (1996)
The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s Codes: The Story of George Scovell (2001)
Rifles: Six Years with Wellington’s Legendary Sharpshooters (2003)
Generals: Ten British Commanders Who Shaped the World (2005)
Fusiliers: Eight Years with the Redcoats in America (2007)

Dear Mark Urban

Hope you’re well. In your latest War And Peace blog, you write:

“In this Mesopotamian prescription of a plague on all their houses we must not forget though the opponents of the war back home as well. For while many may feel vindicated by what subsequently happened, it was their hand wringing and magnification of every set back or mis-step that played a key role in undermining the political will to achieve more in southern Iraq.”
(www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/markurban/2009/04/the_price_of_division.html)

You have misunderstood the whole basis of the anti-war protest. The argument is that the invasion was illegal, in fact a classic example of the supreme war crime – the waging of a war of aggression. The Nuremberg trials were clear that it makes not a jot of difference whether such criminality has positive outcomes – the waging of aggressive war is illegal.

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Video: Is Zionism Racism? UK Ambassador gets grilled on the walkout

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BBC reporter for Newsnight, Paxman grills the UK Ambassador on the walk-out. This video wasn’t available for anyone outside the UK, and after a few hours, even they couldn’t watch it anymore! It is an incredibly important excerpt of a document on the nature of what the journalist clearly recognises as a “stunt” and the Ambassador insists upon calling a “protest”, falling all over his own rhetoric in the process.

http://blip.tv/play/2GX8pymMh2c%2Em4v

Jeremy Paxman: What is the difference between Zionism and racism?

Peter Gooderham: Well we see the two as being quite distinct…

Jeremy Paxman: Yeah what’s the difference?

Peter Gooderham: Well Zionism is a political movement related to the establishment of a homeland…

Jeremy Paxman [quietly]: So are some forms of racism.

Peter Gooderham: …a Jewish homeland, in the er…in what is now Israel and racism is something else. I mean racism is, I think we all know it when we see it and it’s not, it’s not that, and we have fought long and hard at the United Nations to keep that, to maintain that distinction.


Video: South Africa: Forgotten Freedom Fighters – Part 4

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24 April 2009 — Youtube

In 1961, Nelson Mandela formed the military wing of the ANC to help in the struggle against Apartheid.

As South Africans prepare to go to the polls in their fourth general election since the end of Apartheid, Al Jazeera follows a group of former combatants who have stopped waiting for the compensation promised to them by the ANC and have decided to start their own business.

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Video: South Africa – Forgotten Freedom Fighters – Part 2

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24 April 2009 — Youtube

In 1961, Nelson Mandela formed the military wing of the ANC to help in the struggle against Apartheid.

As South Africans prepare to go to the polls in their fourth general election since the end of Apartheid, Al Jazeera follows a group of former combatants who have stopped waiting for the compensation promised to them by the ANC and have decided to start their own business.

Continue reading →

Video: South Africa – Forgotten freedom fighters Part One

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24 April 2009 — Youtube

In 1961, Nelson Mandela formed the military wing of the ANC to help in the struggle against Apartheid. It was known as ‘Umkhonto we Sizwe’ or ‘Spear of the Nation’ and often referred to as MK.

In 1990, when the first steps were taken to dismantle the Apartheid system, thousands of ex-combatants, who for years had been living in exile, began to return home.

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