Cette nuit les instances dirigeantes égyptiennes semblent d'après cet article avoir ordonné aux fournisseurs d'accès internet égyptiens d'éteindre leurs interconnexions internationales, donc avec le reste d'internet.
Cette action fut d'une effroyable efficacité, aujourd'hui, l'internet a «désappris» à joindre l'Égypte et il n'est plus possible de communiquer avec les égyptiens que ce soit par mail, forum, usenet ou quelque technologie basée sur IP.
Dans la foulée, ce matin, les SMS semblent également êtres coupés privant le peuple égyptien de tout moyen de communication électronique.
Pour cette raison, et parcequ'il s'agit bien d'une attaque flagrante d'un état contre internet, FDN a décidé d'ouvrir une petite fenêtre sur le réseau en mettant a disposition de qui le souhaite un compte d'accès RTC.
Par ce biais, n'importe qui en égypte disposant d'une ligne téléphonique analogique capable de joindre la France a la possibilité de se connecter au réseau par le n° suivant : +33 1 72 89 01 50. (login: totopassword: toto).
Nous espérons contribuer par ce biais à la liberté d'expression des égyptiens et leur permettre de conserver un lien avec le monde. Rappelons enfin que FDN n'offre qu'une solution technique et uniquement technique.
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**Remembering Haiti, One year On**
from the World Association of Christian Communication
One year after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti killing over 250,000 people and paralyzing its communications and information infrastructure, reconstruction of the country is slowly gaining momentum.
Professor Ary Regis, President of WACC- Caribbean Region and based in Haiti, reports that communication in general has been re-established and local media have resumed operations. However, he cautioned that re-construction of community media has been slow and hampered by a myriad challenges. "Community radio stations are very fragile right now. In certain cases they have been wiped out by commercial media which have moreresources and better means of recovery", he said.
According to Regis, the situation has been exacerbated by the country's fragile economy, political and social unrest. "There are fewer volunteers working in community radio stations because of the bad economy".
These and other challenges are hindering local communities from voicing their needs, said Regis in a telephone interview from Port-au-Prince. Soon after the earthquake, WACC launched an appeal to raise funds to rebuild community media in the country. Nearly 60,000 Dollars were raised through donations from WACC members and friends. The donations have been used to re-construct and re-equip three community media networks run by WACC partners. They include Rezo Fanm Radyo Kominote Ayisyen (REFRAKA), Medialternatif Group/&Alterpresse and Social Animation and Communication Society (SAKS).
Marie Guyrleine Justin, Coordinator of REFRAKA, was grateful to WACC for re-equipping and reconstructing the station. "Thanks to the financial and technical support by WACC, a lot of the work spaces have been re-equipped and re-vamped.╡ The radio station is now operating
from a new studio, she said, adding that the network has also conducted radio production training workshops for young people.
Justin, however laments that most of the community radio stations in the country are isolated and far from the cities and that there are hardly any women radio presenters. "˛The majority of women don't have access and are not trained", she noted.
Gotson Pierre, Executive Director of Alterpresse said that operations at Medialternatif Group&Alterpresse had resumed since acquiring new equipment. "We have been temporarily renting space in Petionville but we will relocate to our own premises in April this year." The
network has produced seven videos since May 2010.
Pierre, however, observed that full recovery of the network's operations still has a long way to go. "Although we are carrying out training, the re-construction has been delayed by other social
problems such as re-building the education system and unemployment."
He emphasized that community media are equally crucial as they are independent spaces where people can freely express and experience their human and social rights.
"Community media represent the link between the people and the state. It is a space to ask questions and to reflect. It is the sole reference point for local communities, a source of information and knowledge", he said.
WACC General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, affirmed WACC's ongoing commitment and concern for the members and partner organizations that have worked in Haiti for many years. She thanked members and friends who supported the Haiti re-construction fund. "This is an expression of the global solidarity of our network", said Achtelstetter.
To donate and learn more about the Haiti Fund, please go to:
http://www.waccglobal.org/en/activities/haiti-appeal.html
For more information contact: Terry Mutuku: MT@waccglobal.org
Communications Officer and Web Manager, WACC
The Museo del Barrio of New York City celebrates the Three Kings Day Parade on January 6, 2011.
The honorary kings are Lynda Baquero, WNBC Correspondent, Jesus "Papoleto" Melendez, poet and playwright and Julian Zugazagoitia, former Director of the Museo. Talent participating include Harlem Drummers, Trio Romanze, Children's Aid Society Choir and the Soul Tigers Marching Band.
Part Two
From the Museo's booklet on Three Kings' Day:
Although we usually take today‘s Christmas celebration customs for granted, most of the so-called ̳traditional‘ Christmas practices we are familiar with only date back to the 19th century in the United States. It was in the 4th century that the Roman Catholic Church adopted December 25 as the Christmas holiday, choosing a date that coincided with pagan festivals of the Winter solstice. Prior to this date, January 6 was the Christian day of celebration in many parts of Europe, including Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Even today, throughout Europe, the holiday celebration does not end until this date, marking the end of the ̳twelve days of Christmas‘ between Christmas and January 6. This is also often referred to as the Twelfth Day. In the United States, the holiday season for most ends after New Year‘s Day, however, for some Latinos the festivities continue throughout the months of January and early February. In some Latin American and Caribbean countries, Three Kings Day, or El Día de Reyes, is celebrated annually as one of the most joyous days of the holiday season. The day is also sometimes referred to as El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos or Day of the Three Wise Kings. Observed on January 6, it is recognized by Christians as the Epiphany, a feast day in the Anglican, Eastern, and Roman Catholic churches that commemorates the biblical story of the Three Kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts for the infant Jesús. Like Christmas or Navidad, in some Spanish-speaking countries including Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico among others, Three Kings Day is a religious holiday that has become a popular, cultural event. Celebrated with music, singing, family gatherings, and the sharing of food, Three Kings Day is a holiday that conveys the spirit of giving. The tradition promotes a sense of community, and emphasizes diversity, sharing, and reciprocity.
The Story of the Three Kings During the 1st century, astrologers, or seers of the future, foretold the advent of a divine king who was believed to be born God incarnate. Many argued about who would be the divine king as well as when and where he would arrive. The most commonly agreed prediction was that a child would be born and that he would be named Emmanuel, meaning ̳God is with us.‘ Astrologers predicted this child would bring peace and ultimately change the course of history. It is said that the Three Kings may have practiced astrology, and thus may have each seen this prediction forecast in the stars. The Kings are also known as the Three Wise Men or the Magi. Magi is plural for magus, a word that may refer to shaman or ̳wise man‘ and is the origin of the words magic and magician. In ancient Persian cultures, the magi were responsible for funerary and religious rites.
According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:1–13), the only biblical account of the event, the Magi came from ―the East‖ to first visit Herod (appointed governor of Judea by the Roman Empire) in Jerusalem, asking him where the new King could be found. Herod, troubled by the news of a new king, sent them to Bethlehem, and asked that they return when they had found him. According to legend, in order to greet the infant Jesús, the Magi traveled over a long distance guided night and day by a brilliant star that shined in the sky. The legend states that the Star of Bethlehem was located directly overhead of the location where the infant Jesús was born. When they arrived, they appeared before the baby, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
During the holiday season, many Latin Americans and Latinos erect nativities, small or sometimes life-sized figures representing the scene of the birth of Jesús, in their homes, in Churches, and in public spaces. As the legend describes, the nativity scene, known in Spanish as el nacimiento, is usually set in a humble stable, with the figures of Mary and Joseph, as well as shepherds and their animals. The figure of the baby Jesús is added on December 25, the day he was thought to be born.
In parts of Los Angeles, it is common to see nacimientos in front yards. Some residents include hundreds of animals and shepherds. Special tours of these nacimientos are now offered. Near Downtown L.A., along historic Olvera Street, a colorful and music-filled reenactment of the journey of the Three Kings is performed every year.
In Mexico, Mary and Joseph‘s search for shelter is re-enacted during Las Posadas, a nine- day celebration between December 16 and Christmas Eve. During these special celebrations, a family may host a party at their home to welcome the arrival of a nativity procession. The family and shepherds seeking shelter, played by children, are followed by musicians and adults who sing carols outside the home. The event concludes with the sharing of traditional foods and the breaking of a piñata. Also in Mexico, pastorelas, or shepherds plays, are staged throughout the holidays by professional and amateur groups. These traditional, often improvised, theatrical presentations date back to Mexico's Colonial period, and tell the story of the shepherds‘ and Three Kings‘ journey to find the infant Jesús in Bethlehem. In some countries, a special celebration of the nativity is held on January 5, the Eve of Three Kings Day. This day is also referred to as La Vispera de Reyes. Children dress up as characters of the nativity and perform in plays or pageants that recount the story. On this day families also add the figures of the Three Kings to the nativity scene in their home or in public spaces. In some cases, like the Three Kings, visitors to the nativity bring gifts of money or food to offer the infant Jesús.
The Origin and Iconography of the Three Kings In the story described in the Bible‘s Book of Matthew, the Three Kings are said to have come from the East. If they were traveling to Bethlehem, then it can be surmised that they came from either Asia or Africa. However, again generations recount the story in a myriad of ways. Christian depictions as early as the 6th century represent the Three Kings in Persian garb. In the 13th century, Marco Polo‘s writings refer to the Kings as having hailed from Persia or present-day Iran. Parts of this story as told today are attributed to another book written in the 14th century, History of the Three Kings, by the cleric John of Hildesheim, who states that the Kings hail from "Ind, Chaldea, and Persia,‖ referring to India, Babylon (or present day Iraq), and Iran. Still other accounts tell of each King having traveled from a different part of the world, specifically Europe, Africa and Asia. It is believed that this version of the story dramatizes the arrival of various nations from different continents into the Christian faith. A similar personal twist has been added to the story in Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America, where the origin of the Three Kings is believed to represent the three dominant ancestries of the region: indigenous, African and European.
Although the Bible‘s Book of Matthew does not specify the total number of kings that came to visit Jesús, nor their names or their specific places of origin, in the West, the Three Kings are widely recognized as Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. As the scripture mentions three gifts were offered, perhaps it was assumed that there were three kings.
Eduardo Vera Cortéz Programa de Navidad, 1978 Silkscreen, 30 3/8 x 18 7/8 in (77.2 x 47.9 cm) Published by: División de Educación de la Comunidad (DivEdCo) Collection El Museo del Barrio, NY, W91.920.2
Melchor (or Melchior) was known to have brought the gift of gold to Jesús. As one of the most precious metals, gold is a symbol of charity, suitably fit to be a gift bestowed for a king. In many accounts Melchor was an Arabic sultan or ruler. In Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America he represents a Moor or Northern African. In this way, Melchor references the Moorish heritage of Spain since most of Spain was under Moorish rule for eight hundred years. This is still a similar representation as the Moors in Spain spoke Arabic. However in Puerto Rico he is represented with a dark brown complexion, thus representing not just Northern Africans, but the people of the whole continent of Africa. Melchor‘s feast day in the Catholic Church is January 7.
Gaspar (also known as Caspar, Casper or Jasper) is usually represented as an emperor of the Orient. He is depicted as a youth of light complexion. Because of his young age he is seldom depicted with a beard. In some cases he is believed to be of Asian origin. Caspar is associated with the gift of frankincense. In Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America, he is often represented with a bronze complexion and is believed to represent the indigenous heritage of Latin Americans. His
feast day in the Catholic Church is January 6.
In European accounts and in some Latin American
countries, Balthasar (also known as Baltasar or Baltazar) is depicted as a Nubian prince from Ethiopia. For this reason he is represented as a man with a dark brown complexion. He is believed to have brought the gift of myrrh, a resin from trees native to Africa. As Ethiopia is regarded by some as the birthplace of Christianity, it is significant that this region of Africa is represented in the legend. However, considering that in Puerto Rico and some other Latin American countries, Melchor becomes the King to represent the continent of Africa, the significance of Balthasar changed to represent a king from the West, or rather a European king of a pale complexion. In this way, Balthasar in some parts of Latin America represents the European presence that arrived in the late 15th century. His feast day in the Catholic Church is
January 8.
The Gifts of the Three Kings Even though the Three Kings did not know who Jesús was, they predicted that a child who would become king was born in Bethlehem. To honor the infant, the Three Kings carried gifts fit to bestow a king. Legend states that the gifts consisted of gold, myrrh, and frankincense, brought as symbols of charity, hope and faith. Each of the Kings transported their gifts in ciboria, ornate containers or vessels. The Kings did not expect anything in return, other than the opportunity to meet this new baby king. This tradition is slightly different than what we associate with the holidays today as it does not represent a gift exchange. Additionally, the gifts offered by the Three Kings had a much more spiritual or symbolic value rather than a material value.
Many Christians believe that it was Melchor who brought the gift of gold to Jesús, although in some cases this gift is associated with Caspar. Gold is a precious metal that is widely coveted around the earth by different people. It is a symbol of royalty and was offered to Jesús to mark him as an ―earthly king.‖ According to the legend surrounding the holiday, at the time Jesús was born, King Herod learned that three wise men or Magi were searching for a newborn king. Feeling threatened he demanded that the Magi inform him of the baby king‘s whereabouts. Instead the Magi secretly left Bethlehem, never informing Herod of the baby they had just met. In retaliation, Herod ordered that all baby boys born in Bethlehem be killed. Jesús‘ family was instructed to flee to Egypt where he would be safe. It is believed that the gift of gold from the Three Kings financed the family‘s long trip to Egypt from Bethlehem.
The gift of myrrh is usually associated with Balthasar. Although in the Puerto Rican community he is thought to be of European descent, elsewhere he is commonly viewed as a Nubian king from Ethiopia, a place where myrrh is of high importance and readily available. Myrrh is a type of resin that comes from the sap of a tree in Africa and is collected collected for the purpose of burning incense mostly. Myrrh is believed to have medicinal and spiritual properties. It is said that Jesús was offered the gift of myrrh because if he accepted it, then it would mark him as a healer. In biblical stories, the child did accept the myrrh and his short life was characterized by miraculous acts in which he was able to heal various people.
In many places in Latin America, frankincense was thought to have been brought by King Caspar. In other places, frankincense is associated with King Balthasar. Similar to myrrh, frankincense is collected from the sap of a special tree. It is mostly found in Somalia, a country in North Africa that borders Ethiopia and Kenya, and from the Middle Eastern country of Arabia. In the time of Jesús and the Magi, kings were not necessarily crowned but were instead anointed with precious perfumed oils in a special ceremony. Frankincense has the same association to royalty as it was a precious scent used by important people such as kings and priests. As such, it was used by the Magi to anoint the new baby king. It is said that the gift of frankincense was brought with the intention that if the baby Jesús accepted it, it would mark him as a god. As incense, frankincense is still burned and associated with prayer in many churches throughout the world, including the Roman Catholic Church. Another use for frankincense was found among the Egyptians who burned the charred powder into kohl, a black substance they used to create the thick eyeliner seen in so many examples of Egyptian art.
Today, many people in Latin America and the Caribbean and those of Latin American descent living in the United States, continue to follow the Three Kings‘ tradition. Most notably the traditions of gift giving, singing of aguinaldos (holiday carols), parrandas (door-to-door caroling), and the sharing of food and sweets embody the kind spirit of the Three Kings. Although some of these customs may vary slightly from place to place, the message of sharing with friends and family is a common theme that is celebrated in similar rich and festive ways.
Mirroring the gifts offered by the Three Kings, many people in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other Latin American and Caribbean countries exchange gifts or regalos on January 6. Although today many people have adopted the U.S. custom of exchanging gifts on Christmas Day, most still reserve a few gifts to open twelve days later on Three Kings‘ Day. Young children wait for this day with great anticipation, eagerly waiting to receive special gifts from ̳the kings‘ or their parents, families, and friends.
In Puerto Rico, the spirit of benevolence is returned to the Kings as exemplified by the gifts offered by young children and their parents on the Eve of Three Kings Day. Given the island‘s tropical climate, the Puerto Rican tradition recognizes that the Kings rode horses instead of camels on their journey. In light of this, on the Eve of Three Kings Day, or La Vispera de Reyes, children gather grass, hay, and water and place it in shoeboxes under their beds to feed the Kings‘ horses. Some children also set out their shoes next to the boxes under the bed. Their parents often set out pastries or sweets for the Three Kings. On Three Kings Day morning, children discover the pastries and food left for the Kings and animals are gone. Instead, the food is replaced with gifts, candy, or nuts that the Kings have left for them. Similarly, in Mexico, children write letters to the Three Kings requesting special gifts analogous to the tradition of writing a letter to Santa Claus. On the Eve of Three Kings Day, children leave their shoes near their bed or window, often filling them with hay for the camels and horses. The next morning, when the children wake up, the hay is gone and the shoes are filled with gifts...
For over 30 years, El Museo del Barrio has presented the Three Kings Day Parade on January 6, as well as other educational and public programming with the purpose of keeping the Three Kings traditions alive. Each year, El Museo‘s dynamic parade, led by the giant Three Kings puppets, winds through the streets of El Barrio and includes lively music, colorful costumes, animals, floats, and thousands of students and community members as participants. The parade route ends with a gift distribution for the children who have marched in the parade sponsored by generous donors. Leading up to the event, El Museo, along with a steering committee of community leaders nominates ―Three Kings‖ to preside over the Parade. Being chosen as a King is recognition for outstanding cultural or political achievements within the Latino communities of New York. These honorary Kings, along with selected madrinos and padrinos, (godmothers and godfathers) lead the parade through the streets of East Harlem, dressed in elaborate costumes that are cared for by the Museum. Over the years, El Museo has presented exhibitions in our galleries that feature artworks from the Museum‘s Permanent Collection associated with this holiday such santos de palo, hand-carved wooden statues created by master artisans as posters, posters from the División de Educación de la Comunidad (DIVEDCO) that celebrate the tradition of El Día de los Reyes, and the giant Three Kings puppets. During these three decades, El Museo has distinguished itself as the leading institution in New York City that celebrates and promotes the Three Kings Day tradition.
El Museo‘s Three Kings Day Puppets
Our gigantic puppets are central to El Museo‘s annual Three Kings Parade. In 1978 when we created the parade, museum staff and artists contributed to producing its props and decorations. Our original puppets reflected the Three Kings Day legend and were used in over thirty performances in the cold winter weather. Popular Christian culture depicts the Three Kings arriving to Jerusalem to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. According to legend, each king brought an offering that came from his respective homeland. King Gaspar brought incense from Asia; King Melchior brought gold from the Middle East; and King Balthazar brought myrrh from Africa.
In our 33rd Annual Three Kings Day Parade, we welcomed our new generation of puppets created by El Museo‘s artist educator Polina Porras. This year, we are exhibiting these giant puppets, which will be part of our annual parade on January 6, 2011. These beautiful 12 feet tall creations are made of paper maché, color fabrics, and a carefully crafted structure that allows for graceful movement. To the traditional representation, the artist has added a new source and inspiration based on Taíno cosmological traditions. Melchior, who represents the night sky, has black and dark blue clothes and carries a present that symbolizes the celestial dome shaped in the form of a bat—which in Taíno tradition signifies the connection with the ancestors. Gaspar, who represents the connection between the celestial and the under worlds—which in Taíno tradition are connected by the Ceiba tree—wears green and brown clothes and carries as a present the base of a Ceiba tree trunk. Balthazar, who represents the underworld, wears light blue and turquoise clothes and carries as a present a seashell with a turtle coming out of it, which represents the birth of Taíno culture.
The synergy of the Christian and Taíno traditions wonderfully embodied by our new puppets, perfectly synthesize the unique cultural mix that characterizes our community as well as El Museo del Barrio‘s mission.
A small community radio station in El Salvador stands up to threats from death squads and rallies the community against violence and degradation of the environment.Part One:
Part Two:
MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO,Makeda “Dread” Cheatom founded the WorldBeat Center (WBC) in Balboa Park and began hosting the 91X Sunday-nightReggae Makossaprogram. Her goal—fostering a broader appreciation of various cultures—resonates both locally and globally. Dedicated to presenting and preserving African and indigenous cultures, the WBC welcomes visitors of all ages with low-cost classes and presentations in dance, drumming and art, including classes for the developmentally disabled. Its Day of the Drum Global Music and Dance Festival is October 8. The center’s garden is a springboard for school projects in collaboration with local organic farmers and the Ocean Beach People’s Co-op....
Youth have a resounding place at the WBC; they learn public relations skills, stage lighting and video, and they assist in producing shows. A teen group built its own sound studio at the center, which also has radio and TV stations, as well as a recording label.
In 2005, Cheatom founded the Give a Hug Foundation after visiting an orphanage in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. In addition to the orphanage, beneficiaries include Hurricane Katrina victims, a Burmese preschool in Thailand, refugees in Ghana, a library in Costa Chica, Mexico, and a cultural center in Peru.“Helping others makes me less greedy,” Cheatom says. “People should try it; it’s a good antidote. You’re supported by a sacred energy. We’re taught that happiness is outside, in acquiring. Be still and look at what’s inside.”................from the San Diego Magazine
AS IF Gallery is proud to present the art works of the children's group, Ti Moun Rezistans, whose studio is at the Atis Rezistans art school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Complementing the children's work will be a small selection of Daniel Morel's iconic photographs of the children and their surroundings in the throws of the Haitian earthquake which took place in January, 2010. Also included is Les Indiens, a large-format photograph by Phyllis Galembo, depicting four children in contemporary ritual costumes from the Jacmel Carnival in Haiti in the decade before the island's devastation.
On January 12th, 2010, Daniel Morel was busy photographing the artwork of the children of the Atis Rezistans in the courtyard of their school in Port-au-Prince when the historic 7.0 earthquake struck. His pictures of the moments just before and after the devastation became the most widely distributed and iconic images of that disaster. But the passage of these photographs to global prominence was far from smooth. As powerful aftershocks rocked the city, Morel made his way along the shattered Grande Rue to the still standing Oloffson Hotel, photographing the wreckage and pandemonium that he witnessed en route. At the hotel Morel connected to the internet, created a web account, and directly uploaded his pictures to facilitate their instant dissemination to news media and wire services worldwide. Morel hoped to show the unimaginable scope of the destruction even as it was occurring, so that the task of organizing aid could begin without delay. His staggering pictures of flattened structures and shocked, dust-covered survivors appeared throughout the world within hours, and came to define the Haitian disaster as it was unfolding.
Daniel Morel, Ti Moun Rezistans at Atis Rezistans Art School, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 12, 2010, C-print
Ti Moun Rezistans is the name of a Haitian children's group in Port-au-Prince who study art with the more established members of the Atis Rezistans collective, also known as the Grand Rue Sculptors. Atis Rezistans was founded in 2000 by the artists Jean Hérard Celeur and André Eugène, and set up at the south end the Grande Rue, in a close-knit neighborhood where traditional handicraft workshops are hemmed in by car repair outfits, scrap metal dealers, and junkyards. Over the last decade the Grand Rue Sculptors have exhibited their work throughout the world to considerable acclaim. "Their powerful sculptural assemblages made from engine manifolds, TV sets, wheel hubcaps and discarded lumber have transformed the detritus of a failing economy into bold and radical sculpture. They reference a shared African/Haitian cultural heritage, a dystopian sci-fi view of the future and the transformative act of assemblage." (Atis-rezistance website) Ti Moun Rezistans was established to expand the horizons, powers of expression, and most importantly, the earning capacity of the impoverished children of Port-au-Prince. The children of Ti Moun have also exhibited their artworks widely and sell them directly through their own email addresses, websites and in person at the Atis Rezistans studio in Port-au-Prince.
29 Manhattan Avenue, New York, NY 10027
(AS IF Gallery is located at the NW corner of 122nd Street and Manhattan Avenue on the ground floor) www.asifgallery.com
For the last several years, a group of young Afghani’s in the Bamyan province of Afghanistan have been on “Our Journey To Smile” (http://ourjourneytosmile.com/blog/). This journey to smile is their effort to bring about peaceful nonviolent solutions to conflicts in Afghanistan using the principles taught by Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and others.object height="305" width="420">
Afghanistan – The People’s
In the first person voice of Abdulai, a fifteen year old Afghan boy whose father was killed by the Taliban:
“The place where I live is the worst place on earth in which to be born[1]. Good thing my mother survived her pregnancies[2]. But my father — he didn’t survive the war. Isn’t it strange that there is a graveyard marked out especially for children in my small remote mountain village? A quarter of all children do not live beyond five years of age[3] and they are buried there; we already have to find new space because the graveyard is filled. As 42 percent of Afghans live in poverty[4], my family could not afford a proper grave for my father for five years. My father would have understood our predicament: in a land with the worst food risk in the world[5], we make do with whatever food and clean water[6] we can get. Since we don’t have electricity[7], we are grateful for diesel lamps. And most importantly, my father would have understood that we still struggle to stay away from the killings.
Since War World II, wars have killed mainly civilians[8] and this war in Afghanistan is no exception. In fact, we now have nowhere to turn[9] and nowhere to hide[10]. We face night raids[11], computerized aerial bombings[12] and the armed players who neither recognize our language nor our faces.
Many of our families and friends have sought refuge in far-away places[13]. What can our people do? Wait to die of sickness or violence? Be pawns in the warlords’ games? I made hand-sewn leather cell-phone peace pouches for our ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ in Kandahar and I know that before the NATO commander had launched the current offensive there, 94% of Kandaharis said they wanted peace talks[14], not war. But the US led coalition went ahead and launched its deadly military operation. They proved their utterly un-democratic, unimaginative addiction to an unchanging military solution.
Karzai said that more than 42 percent of children in Afghanistan still have no access to schooling[15]: at least, that’s not as fatal as the three children killed daily in the conflict last year[16]. If you don’t grasp how the Afghan state is the third most corrupt in the world[17], come take our school exams to experience the rampant bribery and cheating this war encourages. Like other war-torn countries, the influx of weapons and un-accounted monetary aid fosters corruption, fuelling deceit at all levels of our society.
Drugs made from poppies grown in our country are everywhere, with more than a million drug addicts in country[18]. Perhaps, being doped is better than putting up with our sheer lack of work and recourse to government services or justice. Last year, estimates are that we Afghans had to pay $2.49 billion dollars in bribes to our own government officials[19], which is equivalent to 23% of our country’s GDP.
But heck it….we don’t even want your money! Two billion of which you spend on the military weekly[20]and the remaining dirty trickle cannot even be accounted for by your Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)[21].
My mother and sister say to you that you can forget about promoting ‘women’s rights’ with your uniformed pride. Last year, there were 2300 suicides related to depression among women and girls[22]. And don’t ever claim that a military strategy can stop them from taking their lives. Neither the US-NATO coalition nor our warlords can, with their violence, stop the desperation of our people. In fact, like the people caught in the Helmand operation that was declared a success, the women of Afghanistan want you, with full responsibility, to transition out as soon as possible[23].
President Obama, please completely rethink the ‘progress’ you declared in the December review[24]. To Ms. Hillary Clinton and Mr Robert Gates, we’re sorry for your dismissal of world public opinion[25]. Now, get ready for its flood![26]
[5]Afghanistan tops the list of 163 countries which face the risk of food shortages in the “food security risk index” compiled by global analysts Maplecroft.
[11]Gen. David Petraeus released totals for the alleged results of nearly 3,000 “night raids”by Special Operations Forces (SOF) units over the 90 days from May through July
[12] Up till December, coalition aircraft have used 4,615 bombs and Hellfire missiles in 2010. Every Hellfire missile fired in Afghanistan costs USD58,000.
This People’s December Review sought to speak from the ‘hearts and minds’ of ordinary Afghan people, commoners who share the same pain experienced by the impoverished and unheard masses everywhere.
It is a reflection of life as it really is for the people of Afghanistan.
The world should listen.
The people of the world should be listening to one another, because governments are not.
But, Abdulai’s People’s December Review shows how far off-track Obama is from the people’s concerns and how U.S. foreign policy gives no alternative options for any citizen.
There ARE alternative options and views, a small number of which we’ve listed below, starting off with Prof. Noam Chomsky’s views expressed in the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers’ recent conversation with him.
In the bigger scheme of history, for too long now, the strategies for resolving global conflicts have been built predominantly around military force.
Soul-force must be given a chance.
What do the people want?
A Sample of Alternative December Reviews
Excerpts of interview with Prof Noam Chomsky
In a conversation with the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers on the 17th of December 2010 for The People’s December Review.
On Obama’s claims of ‘significant progress’
…it’s worth noting that a few days ago the International Commission of the Red Cross released a report which is extremely unusual for them, -they rarely do it,- in which they said that the situation on the ground has deteriorated radically. They gave particulars and said it’s now far worse than it’s been in the past. They’re actually working there and have experience. Plainly that’s not consistent with the picture of progress.
On self-determination by the people
I know for me at least and the people I work with in the antiwar movement the goal for Afghanistan would be for Afghans themselves to take over the planning, the determination of what will happen ,so that there won’t be a review conference in Washington where they have their own goals, –the welfare of the people of Afghanistan is not high among them,– but rather the decisions will be made by people like you and others in Afghanistan who have the fate of your country and your lives at heart and people of the US here should support your efforts in whatever way we can.
….But there is extensive study that demonstrates that there is a very wide gap between the decisions of the government and the will of the population. That’s true on domestic issues.It’s true on international issues, and it reflects the fact that though the U.S. is an unusually free country by comparative standards, it’s only in a very limited way a functioning democracy.
Power does not lie in the hands of the population except in a very limited way and popular opinion does not determine policy.And that’s in fact one of the reasons why there’s such hysteria over the leaks of government documents.Anyone who has studied secretdocuments for many years, as I have, knowsone of their main purposes is to protect the government from the population, not security, but just keeping the public controlled and obedient.That’s a battle that has to be constantly fought in the more free societies as well to try to overcome this dysfunctional element of formal democracy which keeps it from functioning properly. Popular movements have in the past and should in this case too integrate themselves with those of other countries and form a common force, often against their own governments.
On reparations
Afghanistan has a very dramatic, important history of independence, but for the last thirty years it has simply been a plaything of the great powers which have virtually destroyed it. All of them. All of the ones who were involved owe Afghanistan not aid but reparations. Apology and reparations. That includes Russia, of course, and certainly the United States and it also includes Pakistan. Aid sounds like something we give out of our good nature or good will. Reparation means what we are responsible for providing because of the extreme damage we have caused.And yes, that‘s a very important demand.It should be made here and should be made in Afghanistan.
On the question of U.S. intentions in Afghanistan: eventual withdrawal or permanent presence?
At this point, I think it’s not unlikely that even just for domestic, political reasons, the U.S. will try to find a way to withdraw most of its forces and try to portray it as some kind a victory.That’s for domestic reasons.
But, I don’t think that’s what should concern us.We’re not concerned with making officials in Washington look good to their associates.
We should be concerned with what matters for the people of Afghanistan. And that’s of course for you and others like you to decide. Success, I would understand as meaning success in achieving your aims, not Washington’s aims.
On what Afghan and international peace activists should focus on
What Afghans should focus on is finding ways to join together to formulate their own ideas and plans as to the course of policy, internal to Afghanistan, and their demands on other countries that are engaged in Afghanistan.That means primarily the US but also others that are involved.
Afghans should formulate those goals and policiesjointly with people in the rest of the world, in particular in the United States that work to support those plans, so the activists in the United States should be and to an extent are waiting to hear from people of Afghanistan. What do you want us to do?
The People look for alternative solutions
to their ‘floods’
A Sample of Alternative December Reviews
“So what’s my option?” the president asked his war cabinet, seeking alternatives…
You have essentially given me one option. …It’s unacceptable.”
“Strategic Survey 2010″ released by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies
Both studies above conclude that “a Taliban takeover is unlikely even if Washington reduces its military commitment” in Afghanistan, in good measure because the conditions that allowed the first Taliban takeover in the 1990s no longer exist and can’t easily be repeated. As important, “there [are] no significant Al Qaeda presence in Afghanistan today, and the risk of a new ‘safe haven’ there under more ‘friendly’ Taliban rule is overstated.”
Afghan Women Speakby David Cortright of Kroc Institute which expresses Afghan women’s recommendations to the US and NATO governments for a responsible withdrawal.
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What do the people want?
