Thursday, November 27, 2003
'Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought'
An invitation to the palace to accept an New Year honour... you must be joking. Benjamin Zephaniah won't be going. Here he explains why...more... .....
A Decade of Criminal Justice Transformation
An important national conference for people involved in criminal justice and crime prevention work in South Africa. The conference titled ‘A Decade of Criminal Justice Transformation – Reflecting on the past to shape the future’ will be held at Spier Estate, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, from 13 to16 July 2004. More... .....
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Focus on Zimbabwe
The lastest issue of African Studies Quarterly, now online. Special focus on Zimbabwe...read the journal.... .....
Rugby Boot Camp
The Mail and Guardian reports on an urgent meeting involving top national rugby bosses and Minister of Sport and Recreation in South Africa Ngconde Balfour will most likely take place on Wednesday, the sports ministry said on Monday. Balfour called for an urgent meeting with the rugby bosses on Sunday after extraordinary details of a training camp the Springboks had been subjected to before the World Cup became public. Newspapers have been reporting since last week that the players attended a training camp where they were stripped naked and deprived of sleep and food. The team was further ordered into a lake to pump up rugby balls underwater while guns were pointed at them. The ignominy was compounded on Monday with newspapers running a picture of the Boks, with exposed backsides, crawling through the veld. The camp took place as part of the preparations of the Springboks for the tournament, which they crashed out of in Australia....more... .....
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
100 Best Novels
Lists of the 100 best novels, well according to the Guardian on thw one hand, and the Literary Critic on the other. Thanks for this Andie! .....
Gacaca court system
Special report on hopes for reconciliation under Gacaca court system. A constant update on this grass-roots "courts" process in Rwanda. More... .....
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Jim Clowes, an inspiration
A story about Jim Clowes' last lecture, a colleague and friend who I met in Northern Ireland, and I have been assisting his students in Belfast. Jim is from the University of Washington and has cancer. He is an inspiration...more... .....
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Continuing Collateral Damage: Iraq
The war on Iraq and its aftermath exacted a heavy toll on combatants and civilians, who paid and continue to pay the price in death, injury and mental and physical ill health. Between 21,700 and 55,000 people died between March 20 and October 20, 2003 (the date on which this report went to press), while the health and environmental consequences of the conflict will be felt for many years to come. See the Continuing Collateral Damage Report. .....
Virtual March March Against Bush
Many people will be demonstrating in person tomorrow in London against the visit of George Bush, but for those who can't this is the perfect opportunity to express their opposition to his visit. The Virtual March will bombard the Embassy with faxes, phone calls and emails - to show George Bush how strongly the British people feel about his visit. 700,000 people joined a similar event in the US which had a massive impact. To sign up, visit Our World Our Say. .....
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Judge Skeptical Over Apartheid Suits
Thu Nov 6, 7:38 PM ET
By Gail Appleson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge suggested on Thursday he might dismiss litigation seeking to hold a long list of corporate defendants liable for aiding the violent South African apartheid regime. More... [but remember, for those of you following this there are two cases. One headed by Ed Fagan, who has now been fired apparently by those he is representing - to which the above headline refers. The other case is by Khulumani and went more favourably larger because of its more specific focus. This is explained in the article ~BH] .....
US offers two million dollar reward for Charles Taylor
Fri Nov 7,12:38 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has included a two million dollar reward for former Liberian leader Charles Taylor in its 87.5 billion dollar special budget for Iraq and Afghanistan. More... [tricky one when you agree with bringing someone to book but wonder about the motives of those offering the funds...is it me, or is the world becoming more and more like the Wild West? Wanted, Dead or Alive ~BH] .....
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Reparations: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Some Philosophical
The Department of Philosophy and the Forum for Philosophy and Public Policy
at Queen's University in Canada are pleased to announce a conference,
"Reparations: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Some Philosophical
Issues", to be held on the Queen's campus from February 6-8, 2004. Coming
from five continents, the well-known group of speakers will draw on their
diverse expertise and experiences as economists, lawyers, philosophers,
political theorists, psychologists, public policy specialists and
representatives of NGOs to examine a range of philosophical issues
pertaining to four different reparations cases: reparations for victims of
war, reparations for indigenous peoples, reparations for victims of
colonialism, and reparations for victims of slavery. For more information,
visit the conference website (http://www.queensu.ca/conferences/reparations)
or contact the conference organizer, Jon Miller (Department of Philosophy,
Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada; phone: 613-533-2182;
fax: 613-533-6545; email: miller@post.queensu.ca). .....
Friday, November 07, 2003
SOUTH AFRICA: Special report on widening poverty gap
JOHANNESBURG, 3 Nov 2003 (IRIN)
South Africa has made significant gains since the advent of democracy in April 1994. However, the country still faces serious problems. The most significant one - apart from the impact of HIV/AIDS - is the lack of economic and social rights for a large sector of the population. Research undertaken by a project team in the office of President Thabo Mbeki, assisted by the Department of Social Development, has attempted to capture the essence of the problem. Their report, titled "Towards A Ten Year Review", seeks to quantify the performance of the state in its constitutional obligations to its citizens, and its progress in redressing apartheids injustices. While the government's performance in provision of health, education and other basic services has been commendable, the report notes that "two economies persist in one country". More... .....
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Flying flags of fear
I have just made available a copy of one of my lastest papers, entitled "Flying flags of fear: The role of fear in the process of political transition", which I presented at a conference in Jordan recently. The paper begins..."As tension mounts during the build up to the Orange Marching season in the summer each year in Northern Ireland the streets of many of its cities and towns are festooned with flags. The proliferation of Union Jacks, Irish Tricolours, Ulster flags, and paramilitary flags that adorn the streets symbolise loyalty and are sectarian markers of territory. In July 2002, however, something unusual happened. As if from nowhere, Republicans started hoisting the Palestinian flag alongside their Irish Tricolours, and in neighbouring Loyalist areas the Israeli flag fluttered happily alongside the Union Jack and paramilitaries flags. It is difficult to analyse the reasons for this..." The essay posits some reasons for this by mainly focusing on the concept of ‘fear’, more... .....
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Biko: 'Killers' not prosecuted
07/10/2003 20:31 - News24
Johannesburg - The five policemen who were accused of killing anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in 1977 will not be prosecuted, justice ministry officials said on Tuesday. The unit found that there was insufficient evidence, in part because there were no eyewitnesses to the killing, to support a murder charge. Charges of culpable homicide and assault were also considered, but because the killing of the black consciousness movement leader occurred in 1977, the time frame for prosecution had lapsed. More... .....
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