Friday, June 29, 2007

The Occupation of Alcatraz: Photo Essay

Thousands of American Indians and their families occupied Alcatraz Island from November, 1969 to June, 1971. The story of this occupation is absolutely amazing and I thought today, on this Day of Action, that it might serve as inspiration.


A proclamation on Alcatraz Island tells new arrivals where they are.

Signs hung on the dock on Alcatraz Island read, from left to right, "Red Power. Indians," "Human Rights, Free Indians," "Remember this land was taken from us!" "Alcatraz for Indians."

For many people, the occupation was the first time they had been surrounded by other Indian people. The experience was one of cultural renewal, exhilaration, and a new-found sense of Indianness.

Indian women played a major role in the occupation. They served on the is land council and the security force and worked in the health clinic, the day care center, and the school.

Stella Leach, a Colville/Sioux woman, took a leave of absence from her job at the All Indian Well Baby Clinic in Berkeley, California, to participate in the occupation of Alcatraz Island, where she operated a health clinic for island residents.

Many of the occupiers brought their families hundreds of miles to live on the island. A preschool and a nursery were operated for those who had children on the island.

Indian occupiers work to bring supplies onto Alcatraz. The island has no natural resources, so all supplies, fuel, and water had to be ferried over form the mainland and transported up the island by hand.

One of the last occupiers leaves Alcatraz Island, June 11, 1971.

On the mainland, on June 11,1971, Harold Patty (left), a Paiute Indian from Nevada, and Oohosis (second from left), a young Cree Indian from Canada, join two friends in demonstrating that the spirit will continue.

Overcoming exhaustion and disillusionment, young Atha Rider Whitemankiller (Cherokee) stands tall before the press at the Senator Hotel after the removal. His eloquent words about the purpose of the occupation - to publicize his people's plight and establish a land base for the Indians of the Bay Area - were the most quoted of the day.

Read more about the Alcatraz Occupation here and see more of these fantastic of photos here

ETP Editorial: On the Prime Minister’s speech to Parliament

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Court finds Siye Abraha GUILTY on one CHARGE, NOT GUILTY on THREE - sentencing July 4


- EPRDF LED PARLIAMENT TO REPLACE SEATS OF MISSING MPs(making sure there is no possibility of CUD leaders in Kality taking seats in parliament)
- Ethiopian Premier Admits Errors on Somalia
(Good morning Mr. Prime Minister, you’re finally waking up. Admirable. Now, Before you go back to sleep, would you like to face up to any errors on Ethiopia?)
- Ethiopian Soldiers Killed in Roadside Bomb Blast in Mogadishu
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ETP EDITORIAL - The Prime Minister in his latest speech to the house of Peoples' Representatives devoted a significant amount of time portraying his government as being tough on Eritrea. Naturally, this was an attempt to put out the fire Sebhat Nega (Aboy Sebhat) ignited after his controversial radio interview in which he unwittingly exposed the objectionable principle in which TPLF has been operating under for years.

Several foreign news agencies bought into the story, some intentionally and others inadvertently. But there were few who got it right. Agence France presse (AFP) for instance, rather than echoing the "Ethiopia ready for Eritrea war" story - hit the nail on the head by going with "Ethiopia accepts border ruling"

Hidden in-between a clutter of words and phrases is the key point of the Prime Minister’s speech;

“despite flaws in the decision of the Boundary Commission, we have repeatedly and unequivocally declared our acceptance because it is the Commission's verdict.”
Two weeks ago Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin expressed his shock and indignation when the Associated Press ran a story which said Ethiopia, as stipulated by the ruling of the boundary commission, is prepared to give Badme to Eritrea. Now here, just a few days later, the Prime Minister is publicly testifying that AP’s story was spot on.

Badme is a thorn on the side of this administration because it is an unambiguous and constant reminder of how lightly it takes the lives of its citizens. Tens of thousands have died in the fight for Badme; people from all walks of lives answered the government’s call believing their country was in trouble; from East to west, south to north - they came. After all the sacrifice, the government with one stroke of a pen undid what they had done. Many were left wondering what the point of it all was.

No sane Ethiopian wants conflict with Eritrea. The people of Eritrea have endured decades of war and are now under the rule of a tyrannical government which arguably is as oppressive as the Taliban. They too don't want war; they want freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, just like we do. These two nations are family; sharing history and culture. The majority of Ethiopians as well as Eritreans want to live in peace, putting into practice mutually beneficial policies.

That being said however, when the leadership of a country constantly and openly advocates in favor of another, at a disadvantage to its own national interests, as TPLF’s core directorate has been doing for decades, then it is easy to understand the suspicion of some that maybe Ethiopia has clandestinely been colonized.

Also:
-[Video] Dr, Berhanu Nega on National Security
(Must see)
-EthioMedia asks, Who is in power in Ethiopia?

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Rumour has it the natives will be restless tomorrow (Friday, June 29). Nobody really knows what's going to happen – there could be roads blocked, train routes compromised, taxes hiked way up on native cigarettes, anything at all.
[...]
Come the Day of Action, expect a plethora of grievances and calls for redress. Here are a few of the lesser-known ones:

WE DEMAND that something be done about the belief that Aboriginal people get everything for free. This might seem to be true if you count the bad water in Kashechewan, illness from black mould in inadequate housing, linguistical genocide, diabetes and rampant sexual abuse. But trust me, we've paid for all this.

WE DEMAND that the feds actually appoint a native person as the minister of Indian Affairs. We humbly ask: isn't the attorney general usually a lawyer? Isn't the minister for the Status of Women usually a woman? Doesn't the minister of Transportation have a driver's licence? Isn't the minister of Defence usually defensive?
[...]
WE DEMAND that white people (more politically correctly known as people of pallor) stop angrily saying, "They shouldn't do that!" in regard to protests and blockades, and instead exchange it for the more understanding "They shouldn't have to do that." It's technically more correct.
[...]
WE DEMAND that all commercials for Lakota medicine be pulled. Immediately.

WE DEMAND the Assembly of First Nations explain what it is it actually does – other than call for days of protest.

WE DEMAND that the police of this country stop shooting, assaulting and otherwise abusing the civil rights of native people. It's for law enforcers' own benefit. There are substantially more native people in this country than police, and we have more guns.

You know what, I think all people of pallor better go read the whole thing. There's something here for everyone.
Seeing red: This Indian’s plan to clean up the mess left by 500 years of illegal immigration by Drew Hayden Taylor.

Did I mention I heart Drew Hayden Taylor? HT to Stageleft

Stop the Big Media Takeover: Canadians for Democratic Media

Stop the Big Media Takeover Lately it seems a large media merger is in the news all the time. Recently we've seen the mergers of CTVGlobeMedia with Chum, Canwest with Alliance Atlantis, and Quebecor with Osprey. Generally media convergence means less media choice for all Canadians.

Media diversity is the cornerstone of democracy. But media ownership is more highly concentrated in Canada than almost anywhere else in the industrialized world. Almost all private Canadian television stations are owned by national media conglomerates and, because of increasing cross-ownership, most of the daily newspapers we read are owned by the same corporations that own television and radio stations.

This means a handful of Big Media Conglomerates control what Canadians can most readily see, hear and read. It means less local and regional content, more direct control over content by owners and less analysis of the events that shape our lives. It also means less media choice for Canadians and fewer jobs for Canadian media workers.

We must also be wary of the impacts mergers have on the diversity and neutrality of new on-line media. We need to reverse this trend before big media gets even bigger!<Democraticmedia.ca>


Right now until July 18th we can send our comments to CRTC about these issues. They are having a review of media concentration and if enough of us send in comments they could make stiffer rules for media companies.

Take just a few seconds to send a pre-formatted message

For more info, check out the new media reform campaign in Canada called Stop the Big Media Takeover

Please share this information with other freethinking Canadians.
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-[AUDIO] - Meles speaking about Kality prisoners
-Ethiopia calls West's appeals for CUD prisoners "shameful"
-OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND THE COALITION FOR H.R 2003 (Keif Schleifer, Executive Director of the Empowerment Initiative)
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Indigenous Peoples Fighting Ongoing Colonization and Genocide: Australia

Indigenous peoples all over the world are fighting valiant battles to protect what's left of their land, peoples, and cultures in the face of ongoing colonialism. While there are some small victories, the vast juggernaut of globalized corporate Capitalism simply steamrolls on. Helping this along is the paternalism of well-meaning liberals.

It is from the "white man's burden" that some of the most lasting harm has come. Apartheid in South Africa grew out of the same reserve system we have in Canada. Self-government for the natives in semi-autonomous communities - sounds almost progressive doesn't it? Well, we all know how that ended up.

Similarly, misguided but mostly benevolant people, who wanted to improve the lot of young native children through education, created Residential Schools - known as The Stolen Generation) in Australia. This was genocide dressed up as education, with devastating consequences. What happens when nearly an entire people is subject to state-sponsored physical, sexual, verbal, spiritual, and other forms of abuse - for generations? Anyone familiar with the effects of child abuse knows that it can persist through generations in complex ways.

Australia has done little to heal the damage, despite evidence of chronic social problems in Indigenous Australians communities. Instead of promoting healing, the Howard government introduced a a policy banning porn and alcohol for Aboriginals, ostensibly to protect children from abuse(even though the abuse is committed by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people). Howard's actions are reactionary, but he speaks the language of care, which unfortunately is often accepted by kind and decent people.
How does eliminating pornography teach a child to love her blood, her cells, her roots?
How does a ban on alcohol erase the desire to no longer be aboriginal?
How does controlling welfare payments teach aboriginal mothers to trust themselves and their love again? <BFP>

Not only are the Howard government's policies cruel and racist, but they are also not likely to be effective because they are targeting the consequences instead of the causes. Alcohol and pornography do not cause abuse. Rather, those with a history of abuse are far more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and to have difficulty achieving healthy sexuality, among other terrible outcomes. Even I know better than to conflate correlation with causation.

But perhaps the Howard government does not care if it will be effective. Perhaps this has to do with gaining increasing control over Aboriginal communities and lands (possibly for more nuclear waste dumps or mining): "Australia’s national Government was using its powers to seize control of the Northern Territory’s Aboriginal settlements... The proposals mean scrapping the entry-permit system under which Aboriginal people have controlled access to northern Australia’s 660,000 square kilometres of Aboriginal lands - an area about of the size of Afghanistan - in recent decades." <Times Online> The Howard government is using well-intentioned Australians to promote his atrocious policies. But such paternalism, however pure the intentions, is still racist.

Most Australians don't like to be termed as racist.

The word is supposed to be for South Africans two decades ago, or for Americans before the civil rights era, or even for our earlier colonial ancestors, about two hundred years ago.

But what other reason could there be for the fact Aboriginal people have the same mortality rate of sheep?

And what other word could be used to justify the fact that being an Aboriginal Australia is more dangerous in terms of annual excess mortality than that people in US-occupied Iraq? <National Indigenous Times via Shmohawk's Shmorg>

Decline in Rule of Law Seen in New Data Released by Freedom House, Ethiopian govt. major offender

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Washington Update
- Today's Top HEADLINES

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Washington, D.C - A global decline in the rule of law, particularly in Africa and Asia, was a major political development, data released today by Freedom House indicated.

According to the subcategory findings from Freedom in the World 2007, the most notable change in freedom in 2006 was global deterioration in judicial independence, due process rights, protection from torture, and freedom from war and insurgencies. These declines occurred in geographically and culturally diverse countries such as Chad, South Africa, Somalia and Ethiopia, as well as Afghanistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.(More...)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

- DIRECTION FOREIGN POLICY SHOULD TAKE UNDER NEW BRITISH PM - by Tom Porteous, director of Human Rights Watch

...The UK and the United States should stop working hand in glove with repressive dictatorships which are responsible for torture, arbitrary detention and suppression of non-violent opposition. This policy is playing into the hands of exactly those radical groups it is designed to contain, bolstering the popularity of forces that advocate political violence......it should also acknowledge and criticize the serious abuses carried out by governments that are recipients of UK development assistance such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.(More...)

- Lewit - No Court Session
- A Millennium Resolution: Never Take Wrong Historical Turns Again!
(Network of Ethiopian Scholars, NES)
- The Constitutional Rights of the Accused must be Respected!
(Ethiopian Human Rights Council, EHRCO)
- International Rally to Free Ethiopian Civil Society Leaders on Thursday (Join activists around the world on 28 June 2007 in calling for the acquital of anti-poverty activists in Ethiopia)
- Despite rain, hundreds of Ethiopians Rally in Wiesbaden
(EMF)
- World 'ignoring' Eritrea media crackdown
- Somali officials escape assassination attempts
- Brown takes over as UK prime minister
- CIA reveals Cold War secrets
- Nine killed in Israeli Gaza raids
- Protesters torch Iran gas stations

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(For those of you who are not regular visitors to this website, ETP is not affiliated with any political party in the diaspora)

Washington Update

By Mesfin Mekonen

Markup of HR 2003, the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007, delayed. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs committee postponed “markup” (the step immediately before a subcommittee vote) of HR 2003 in response to urgent communications from the State Department.

Officials from the Meles regime informed the State Department that going ahead with the markup would prevent the release of political prisoners. The Meles regime claims that if the markup is delayed it will release the prisoners within 10 days. Congressional staff expressed skepticism about the Ethiopian government’s true intentions, but said the U.S. Congress does not want to stand in the way of releasing the prisoners.

Meles has now made it absolutely clear to anyone who doubted it that he is holding Kinijit leaders, Journalists and civic group for purely political reasons and that he is treating them as hostages.

This blatant attempt to coerce Congress should reinforce its determination to enact HR 2003 and take other steps to encourage democracy and human rights in Ethiopia .

Members of Congress will be watching to see not only if the prisoners are released, but also whether they receive medical attention to help them overcome the horrors of their extended imprisonment, and that they are permitted to resume their efforts to create a peaceful transition to real democracy.

In addition to HR 2003, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) has introduced H.R.2228, the Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2007. Rep. Smith was the first member of Congress to introduce legislation promoting democracy and human rights in Ethiopia . The introduction of two bills with similar goals in the current Congress has created some confusion. Rep. Smith has agreed to support HR 2003 when it comes to the floor of the House.

It is essential that all Ethiopians contact members of Congress and tell them how important it is for them to co-sponsor and express their support for HR 2003. They could mention that the European Parliament in November 2006 passed a resolution demanding the release of the prisoners of conscience and the resumption of an all inclusive dialogue between the party in power and the opposition.

Amnesty International, in its May 2007 report, concluded that these "prisoners of conscience have not used or advocated violence and were peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as guaranteed by the Ethiopian Constitution and international human rights treaties which Ethiopia has ratified." The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the regime in Addis Ababa for its brutal actions against journalists.

We continue to stay in close contact with Congress, as well as non-profit organizations such as the Just Foreign Policy Group, Amnesty International, Human Rights Group and CPJ.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

MELES to US CONGRESS "IF YOU MARK-UP H.R. 2003, KALITY PRISONERS WILL NOT BE RELEASED"

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- International Day of Solidarity - 28 June; calling for the acquital of anti-poverty activists in Ethiopia
- Professor Donald Levine on the conviction and promised release of political prisoners
- CUD's tommorrow court session closed to the public (Lewit)

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[press release, Coalition for HR 2003 ]

The Coalition for HR 2003 has just learned that Zenawi, through his lobbyists and intermediaries, has communicated to House Africa Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos that if the Foreign Affairs Committee goes forward with the mark-up of H.R. 2003, he will NOT release the Kality political prisoners.

On the eve of the mark-up scheduled for June 26, 2007, a steady stream of State Department officials, lobbyists and others have gone to the Hill or called to tell Chairmen Payne and Lantos that the fate of the Kality prisoners will depend on the Committee’s decision to mark-up H.R. 2003.

State Department officials have sought to persuade the two committee chairmen and other members that Zenawi is in the final stages of releasing the Kality prisoners, and that marking up the bill at this time would cause him unspeakable embarrassment. Members were told that by marking-up the bill at this critical time, Zenawi will “lose face” among his people and the international community. To help him “save face”, members were asked to delay the mark-up for at least two weeks.(MORE)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Lewit - CUD's tommorrow court session closed to the public
-International Day of Solidarity - 28 June 2007 (Join activists around the world on 28 June 2007 in calling for the acquital of anti-poverty activists in Ethiopia)
-Final Day in Court?
-6 die in bomb explosion in Somali capital, witnesses say
-Somalia minister escapes from bomb attack
-Sheltering Ethiopian women
-Session on Darfur ends without action plan
-Israel to release Fatah prisoners
-Tony Blair Set to Be Named Mideast Envoy
-Immigration Gets a Second Senate Shot

On the conviction and promised release of political prisoners

Professor Donald Levine

Reports of the signing of a mediated consensus document by political prisoners at Kaliti brings a fresh blast of hope to all who care for human rights and for the future of Ethiopia. It offers a chance to get the country's progress toward democratization and development back on track.

It makes me feel like saying Ethiopia, you are coming home! You are returning to your honorable traditions: of hig makeber, of gaaddisa nagayaa, of shemgilna, of gurabet mekebabir, of beherawi andenet. You may be saying goodby to outmoded customs such as hamet, mesedadeb, political sem-inna worq, and politik be-temenja.

The timing is of course perfect. It opens the way to a genuinely joyous celebration in Maskaram of the Ethiopian millennium. It enables all concerned to face the future instead rather than continuing to obsess over past grievances, even though a future agenda will include efforts to redress those grievances. I am delighted to learn that my good friend and great Ethiopian patriot Zeleke Gessesse, of One Love Africa, is in Ethiopia preparing a special musical celebration of this supreme moment of peaceful reconciliation.

I hope all concerned will seize this moment as an opportunity to make renewed progress toward a genuinely democratic system. This means:

- the return of the CUD prisoners to a full and respected place as members of one of the opposition parties in the country;
- the release of all Oromos, Tigrayans, and any others who are being held as political prisoners;
- the creation of an independent structure to manage and ensure the independence of government-controlled media;
- open use of electronic media;
- institutional capacity-building in the judicial system to ensure that it is kept free from interference from political pressures stemming from any quarter;
- institutional capacity-building in the Election Commission to ensure that future elections will be free and fair; and
- a pledge by ALL parties inside and outside Ethiopia to renounce the kind of hate propaganda and violence that flourished around the time of the May 2005 election and since, and to engage in the kinds of peaceful communication that has characterized Ethiopians at their finest.
These changes will take time, but I urge everyone to do what can be done to ensure that irreversible steps toward them are put in place over the next few months.

Be-zimdina'nna wodajenet

Liben Gebre Etiyopia
aka Professor Donald Levine

Monday, June 25, 2007

This Blog is Rated R

Online Dating

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

* bomb (3x)
* murder (2x)
* crap (1x)

Fuck. I've been found out.

Ok, so as a public service announcement, kids, you better get your parent or guardian to accompany you while you read my most dangerous ideas: perhaps Iraqis and Afghanis don't like it when we bomb them, war and capital punishment both bear a striking resemblance to murder, and there's something wrong with a world in which the working class must spend their meager earnings on crap they don't need but are programmed to think they want.

Via brownfemipower

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Markup of H.R. 2003

The Coalition for HR 2003 is pleased to share with all of our pro-human rights and pro-democracy supporters and allies that H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007” introduced by Chairman Donald Payne on April 20, 2007, has been scheduled for a mark-up vote at the U.S. Congress Committee on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at 10 AM. (More...)

TOP HEADLINES

- Kality News, Comments
- TPLF dissidents forming a new party
- Ethiopian Govt. planning complete monopolization of info, reminiscent of socialist era - critics say
- Ethiopia rebels say govt kills 40 in air raids
- THE WEEK IN REVIEW PLUS WEEKEND NEWS
- Security Personnel Kill Civilians Waiting For Food In Somali

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Week in review plus weekend news

ETP - There are credible reports that an agreement has been reached or is close to being reached, between Jailed Kinijit Leaders and the Ethiopian government. We are all anxiously awaiting the final outcome.

However, pro-democracy Ethiopians might want to hold off on the celebrations until the democratically elected leaders actually, physically - walk out of Kality. (Now is not the time for MeZenagaT). Therefore, all of us should continue business as usual - lobbying, organizing, demonstrating, writing letters, signing petitions, etc...

Weekend Top Stories:
[TPLF dissidents forming a new party] - [Kality News, Comments] - [Mogadishu stunned by blasts despite curfew] - [Somali MP survives assassination attempt] and more of the weekend's top stories!
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The Week in Review

TOP STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
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Kality News, Comments


Opposition leaders due in court June 27 (Ethiomedia)
With No Room Left to Wiggle (Lewit)
EPRDF executive committee approves (EZ)
Loyalty and trust are truly the glue (Seblework Tadesse)
All have signed the document (Reporter)
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TPLF dissidents and other prominent Ethiopians forming a new party
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Somali MP survives assassination attempt

MOGADISHU, June 24 (Reuters) - Gunmen tried to kill a Somali lawmaker on Saturday night in the latest assassination attempt on a government official in the violent Horn of Africa country. Member of parliament Hussein Osman was in his house west of Mogadishu when gunmen opened fire. He told local media on Sunday he did not know who the assailants were.

"This was a well-planned plot to eliminate me," he was quoted as saying. Witnesses said Osman's security guards repulsed the gunmen after a brief but heavy exchange of fire. No one was hurt.(More...)

Seven Killed in Fighting Among Somali Soldiers

NAIROBI, June 22 -- In another sign of trouble for Somalia's transitional government, fighting erupted Friday among hundreds of government soldiers belonging to two rival sub-clans.

Seven people were killed in the brief but heavy battle near the southern coastal city of Kismaayo, home to a lucrative port and fertile farmland that the Majerteen, the sub-clan of Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, and the Marehan, their historical enemies, would both like to control.(More...)

Also see:
-Clan fighting erupts between govt troops in south Somalia, 17 dead
-15 die as Somali troops from rival clans fight it out
-Fighting in Somali port city of Kismayo


Mogadishu stunned by blasts despite curfew

Around 11 bomb blasts have trembled overnight the Somalia’s volatile city Mogadishu despite curfew imposed by the national security commission to restore normalcy – there are no immediate casualties from the latest explosions.

The explosions followed by gunfire happened in north and south of the capital but this morning the city was quiet as the Somali government troops along with the Ethiopian forces set up checkpoints in the main Mogadishu streets.(More...)

Also see:
-Explosions rock 3 cities in Somalia
-Series of Bomb Explosions Rock Mogadishu Amid Curfew in Place
-Five killed in explosion against police in Mogadishu

Saturday, June 23, 2007

How the Cult of Busy Protects Capitalism

I have a confession to make. The other day I was reading Ways to begin gutting Capitalism (and this - Strategies that have Failed), and the first thing that I thought was yeah, but who has TIME for this. Neighbourhood associations, local currencies, growing my own food, it all sounds great, but geez, there's practically no time to eat and sleep any more let alone adding all that face time with people. (I'm also kind of shy, but that's another issue altogether.)

As regular readers know, I'm quitting my job of 9 years and going back to school, and the more I think about it the happier I am about this decision. The truth is, I have a great job, with good pay, a fair bit of autonomy, and great co-workers. But it's not nourishing me. And I have no time to even contemplate a change in my daily routine, such as would be necessary to get more involved in my community. I used to be time rich and cash poor. Now, relatively speaking, I'm cash rich and time poor. I wouldn't really call that progress.

But it's hard to give up busy. There's a certain pride I take in my work and accomplishments, and having a schedule that isn't completely full feels, well, empty. But that's the whole point, isn't it? That unstructured time, that space in the interstices between appointments, is where the mind plays. That's where imagination, creativity, and problem solving all function their best.

So I know all of this, and I accept it. That's why I'm taking about six weeks off (well, I'm taking one class) before full time school starts, and looking forward to it. Despite this, I worry what others will think of me. People might think I'm an unproductive member of society, lazy, morally deficient, stupid, ungodly, whatever. What's this insecurity all about? See, somehow there's this equivalent between how hard a person works in the paid sphere, or how much money she makes, how busy she is, and her moral value. Oh, and the stuff she consumes - people who own BMWs and Audis are superior to people who take the bus, because clearly they work harder.

Let's wrap up. The measure of our moral character is equivalent to our busy-ness. Extra points for each hour of sleep debt incurred. Working so hard to buy more things that take up our time (video games, television, cars, big houses) leaves us us too exhausted to organize. How convenient for capitalism

I'm Now Officially a Thinking Blogger

Thanks to Politics Plus for the Thinking Blogger award.

Here are the rules:

  1. If, and only if you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
  2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
  3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (there is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Now the hard part. I have to choose 5 from the long list of amazing blogs I read. So, I've taken my daily read list, removed any that (as far as I could tell) had already been awarded this, and also very large and popular blogs. Here's my five, in no particular order:

Marginal Notes is one of my favourite feminist blogs. She takes no shit and I admire her for it.

A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land for his long, well-reasoned, and thought-provoking posts.

Sand Gets in my Eyes, an American ex-pat in Saudi Arabia. From her I get a very different and valuable perspective on many issues.

Shmohawk's Shmorg helps me stay up to date on many underreported issues, especially pertaining to Aboriginals in Canada.

Thought, Interrupted by Typos not only has one of the best blog names out there, but has clear concise writing and a diverse set of topics.

There's many, many more. My blogroll is in need of an update.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Vocabulary Building

Now, don't get me wrong. I like words. I like the feel of a rolling multi-syllabic word in my mouth (say that out loud: "multi-syllabic" - so satisfying). I'm just not so convinced that I can use these new words three times in my daily language, to really make them my own.

Slap Upside the Head has learned me about "homofascism" - from which Bill Whatcott, a mayoral candidate, is committed to protecting Edmontonions.

Also, via JJ, I was schooled about "secular humanist fundamentalists" and their "fetophobia". Fetophobia is of course the reason the "secular fascists" visit the "abortuaries".

I have a good word. How about "asswipery"?
TPLF dissidents and other prominent Ethiopians forming a new party

(Dekialula) - According to reliable sources, former TPLF officials led by Gebru Asrat and other prominent Ethiopians have submitted an application to the National Electoral Board of Ethoipia for a formation of a new political party. Sources say the TPLF dissidents submitted all the necessary requirements including the party's name, program, by laws, and over 1200 signatures to the NEB in March but the electoral board has not approved their application yet.

(Picture - Gebru Asrat)

Sources say although the constitution stipulates a multiparty system, the ruling party leaders led by Sebhat Nega and Abay Tsehaye are busy preaching to their supporters/cadres that Tigreans are one and the same and no alternative party to TPLF is needed in Tigray. In fact, the government has distributed a list of the people who signed for the party formation to its cadres and the cadres in turn have started their intimidation and harassment campaign.

Many observers say this new development is a major breakthrough for Ethiopians in general and Tigreans in particular who have been yearning for a formidable alternative party for years. Sources say an overwhelming majority of Tigreans are enthusiastic by this development and hope the NEB approves their application soon.

Attention Ethiopians in Europe!

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

(On yesterday’s EP resolution) -- For the key provisions of the resolution to be translated into practice, it needs the cooperation of the European Commission, which is, in turn, dependent on the cooperation of the European Council. Since the latter is made up of representatives of EU Member States, the ball ultimately rests in the courts of the government of powerful member states.

It is, therefore, up to Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia across Europe to make a concerted campaign at the national level. The campaign may involve, demanding members of national parliaments in each EU member country to table and adopt similar resolutions (something similar to what the Coalition for HR2003 is doing across the United States), asking them to urge their respective governments to implement the resolutions of the European Parliament, etc.

There is little time to be wasted, for most parliaments will be on summer recess. If a handful of committed individuals in key European countries could take the initiative, the present EP resolution will have had an enormous impact two weeks from now. This is also the best we can do to express our gratitude and admiration to the upright EU parliamentarians who are tireless working to advance the cause of human rights and democracy in Ethiopia.(More...)
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-RESOLUTION ON ETHIOPIA approved yesterday by the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (Official)

-ANA GOMES' SPEECH at yesterday’s plenary session before the resolution was voted on

-PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT YESTERDAY by the Socialist Group of the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

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-STOP U.S. SUPPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ETHIOPIA (Petition sponsored by justforeignpolicy.org)
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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Creepy Love Songs

So, this post at The Vanity Press has been lurking in the back of my head. Then this morning, I was listening to this song, and the refrain began to creep me out:
"My salvation lies in your love"*


That got me thinking to another song that is really creepy:

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You


Gag me with a spoon.

This CD was sent to me by a creepy** ex, who was stalking me. Interestingly, I was involved in an online support group and I wasn't the only one who'd had this exact same song sent to me. It's THE abusers' anthem.

Other notable mentions: Every breath you take; Escape ("You can run you can hide but you can't escape my love"); Never gonna give you up ("A full commitment's what I'm thinking of /You wouldn't get this from any other guy"); Figured you out, Savin' Me, and others by Nickelback; How am I supposed to live without you; Broken Wings ("you're half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole"); You're Havin my baby ("Havin' my baby/What a lovely way of sayin' what you're thinkin' of me")

It's so hard to like love songs when they are about unhealthy attachment and codependent love. Some even make excellent stalker songs. Don't some of them just make you feel like you're being smothered (Don't Want To Miss A Thing)? If this is what we hear on the radio, no wonder relationship "issues" are the new black.

As TVP says:
A lot of men are looking for their anima -- the term Jung gave to the feminine side of a man's personality. But what a lot of men in a patriarchal culture do not understand is that the anima is part of them, and is not to be found in another person. This is because men in a patriarchal culture are taught precisely that they don't have an anima: that there is nothing feminine about them, or if there is, that it is a bad thing and must be suppressed... I wasn't reacting to women as if they were real people. Instead, I was reacting to them as if they were the missing part of myself.


A lot of these so called love songs are of the "you complete me" variety, or "I can't live without you". Some are all about possession.

So, what creepy love songs come to mind for you?

* Turns out on reading the rest of the lyrics, Murdoch is talking about his brother and sister. Phew. It's a good song, and I was afraid I'd hate it after this.

** Sorry to use this word so much, but sometimes a better word can't be found. Definition: 1. Of or producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, as of things crawling on one's skin. 2. Annoyingly unpleasant; repulsive.

Consider targeted sanctions against senior Ethiopian govt. officials EP tells EC

Update on today's EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT resolution:

European Parliament asks European Council to consider targeted sanctions against senior Ethiopian government officials: "the EU Commission and Council should "pursue a coherent post-electoral policy in Ethiopia" and "consider the application of targeted sanctions against senior government officials"".[Unofficial Resolution]

- SUMMARY OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON ETHIOPIA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP (Ethiopians in Europe are asked to pay particular attention to the 'Summary Remarks' section)
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The Washington Post is reporting that a deal has been struck between some of the 38 opposition leaders in Kality (not all) and the Ethiopian govt. The report also asserts that those who signed the agreement could be free within days. We advise our readers to take this story with a grain of salt. Also see Ethio-Zagol and EMF’s report.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Lifestyles of the Poor and Displaced (Photo Essay)

Happy World Refugee Day. How shall we celebrate the 10 million global refugees? They don't make a Hallmark card for today. So instead let's go visit some refugee camps, featuring the #1 and #2 sources of refugees: Afghanistan and Iraq.

Iraqi Refugees

Mujahed Mohammed/AFP/Getty
Mosul, IRAQ: An Iraqi boy walks through erected tents at a camp for displaced people in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, 06 April 2007.

Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty
Baghdad, IRAQ: An elderly Iraqi displaced woman weeps inside her tent at a camp for displaced people in Baghdad, 14 January 2007.


Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty
Baghdad, IRAQ: Iraqi displaced children play outside a camp for displaced people in Baghdad's al-Karrada neighbourhood, 25 March 2007.
From IraqSlogger

Afghan Refugees

The tents of the camp are crowded together, increasing the likelihood of epidemics of communicable diseases.

Crowded living conditions also prevent the proper drainage of water. Stagnant pools form which can further the spread of communicable diseases.

This picture was taken by a 19 year-old girl who lives at Jalozai with her mother, father and siblings. She was unable to work or study in Jalalabad and thus fled with her family to Pakistan.

This boy and his family spin yarn. He, like many of the people of Jalozai, show strong personal initiative.

This picture was taken by a 26-year-old man who, along with his family, fled the war in Kabul.
From Médecins Sans Frontières

Other large groups of refugees include Sudanese, Somalis, Congolese and Burundians. The 10 Million figure doesn't include Palestinian refugees for some reason, which alone now count over 4 million. They also don't include the 24.5 million internally displaced people.

Who takes in these refugees? Not the wealthy countries, mostly. Map from Worldmapper.

Details

The Current Situation in Gaza & The West Bank

I haven't had the energy to post on this, despite the significance of what is going on right now. But, this article is worth reading: From Nakba to Gaza: Palestine at the friction point. It's pretty long, but interesting.

Also worth reading, The Crisis in Gaza: Made in Israel, A Tale of Two Governments and of course, Robert Fisk: Welcome to 'Palestine'


Bendib

Deki-Alula: When Winning in a Free Election becomes a Crime!

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Witnesses Say Ethiopian Troops Killed at Least 8 in Mogadishu] - [Sounding the Horn: Portland woman fights for her country] - [Ethiopian Airlines - The Purse of Ethiopia's Dictatorship] - [Somalia Needs Power-Sharing, Expert Tells U.S., EU Lawmakers]

International:
[First S Leone war crimes verdicts] - [NYC mayor leaves GOP amid White House speculation] - [Women, children evacuate Gaza ] - [abcnews: U.S. Using BlackBerries to Spy on France?] and more of today's top stories!


(Ethiopian refugees, Who left their country due to economic hardship and/or government harassment, perform a dance during celebrations to mark "World Refugee Day" in Nairobi, June 20, 2007. Last year was one of the worst on record for refugees and the crisis is deepening in 2007. REUTERS) [The reasons for World Refugee Day]

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(On the Addis Millennium Celebrations)
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Kinijit Australia Press Release

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[AUDIO] - Statement on the June 11 verdict and Badme, Vancouver Ethiopians
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The perfectly legal civil disobedience at the Ethiopian Embassy-U.S (June 18), is worthy of imitation in other major cities
(By Seblework Tadesse, CUDP member and former prisoner of conscience)
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THE OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY HAS ADOPTED A HISTORIC RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA
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Letter to the Editor

(Seyoum Mesfin on Jeffrey Gettleman and The New York Times)

Dear Editor,

The remarkable rebuttal by Seyoum Mesfin regarding Jeffery Gettleman's expose is absolutely laughable... I would call it the-opposite-of-reality rebuttal.

I hope other people recognize this for exactly what it is... an apologist of the regime who is willing to say anything on the world stage no matter how deceptive, fallacious, or convoluted to give the appearance of a fair and just government of the people that has, in his own words:
"gradually moved through various stages of democracy in the last 16 years, culminating in the first real competitive multi-party elections in 2005. Despite some controversial elements, including the deeply regretted riots and deaths in June and November 2005, these were largely successful. We now have a functional, indeed, lively, opposition in parliament, and a parliamentary body to which the administration is now answerable."
This reconstructed fabrication of a well documented history is such a bold-faced lie that it totally undermines Mr. Mesfin's credibility and brings into question the validity of anything and everything he asserts in his letter.

If the government is so supportive and benevolent to the people of the Ogaden, for example, then please except my request, now, to visit the region freely and unobstructed to document all of these services the government is supplying so that I may indeed attest to Seyoum Mesfin's claims. If militaristic genocidal rape is truly a wild claim that the "Ethiopian army takes very seriously... and investigates any and all accusations that are made against its troops," then please allow me to verify that, as well.

I'm not a journalist "seeking my name in bold" as a by-line. I am just the one of the world citizens that Seyoum Mesfin is trying to convince. I'd be happy to verify any of his claims by my own presence. AND, if denied this opportunity "for my own personal safety," then I know all too well by this tired old excuse, that the government is indeed trying to hide the facts.

It appears that Seyoum Mesfin and the administration he represents is either delusional or desperate.

Keif Schleifer
Executive Director
The Empowerment Initiative
Human Rights, Social Justice, Non-Violence Advocacy
Empowerment.Initiative@gmail.com


When Winning in a Free Election becomes a Crime!

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The article presented here may not entirely reflect the views of ETP; nevertheless, it is extremely well written and offers outstanding insight on the significance of the May 2005 elections
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Deki-Alula.com - Solomon Medhanie

"...Addis Ababa, a metropolitan city where people of different ethnics and politically informed citizens reside, because of their relative access to private media outlets, were considered by many election observers, including EPRDF’s election team, to be a leading indicator of the overall winner of the election.

....The court, without any fear of repercussion, should repent this mayhem, drop the charges and set the elected officials free; order mayor Dr. Birhanu Nega to take his responsibility and form the administration of the city of Addis; and instruct all political parties to settle their differences through negotiation and reconciliation with good faith, and in the spirit of the new millennium for the unity of our CHILDREN, GRAND CHILDREN, and for the future of our country, ETHIOPIA, for heaven sake."(More...)

Ethiopian Airlines - The Purse of Ethiopia's Dictatorship

It does not require anyone to be a rocket scientist to understand some very simple issues that follow from logic and facts. Ethiopian Airlines is government owned, that naturally means 100% owned by the government of Ethiopia. Ethiopia's foreign minister no less is the chairman of Ethiopian Airlines.

Ethiopian Airlines is the major single source of hard currency income to the Ethiopian govt. Being the airline with the most routes throughout Africa, it makes, even in declared figures, hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

It's executives are paid salaries in the declared region of $100,000 in a country where less than $100 a month is the average per capita income.

The government is accused by all human rights groups of gross violation of human rights in the areas of democracy, elections, incarceration of political opponents, press freedom, and in engaging in large scale oppression of national minorities or even majorities in other parts of the country.(More...)

Sounding the Horn
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A Portland woman fights to focus Americans' attention on her native Ethiopia
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On June 11, 38 prominent opposition leaders in Ethiopia were found guilty of multiple capital crimes, including treason and "outrages against the constitution."

The developments were the latest outrage in Africa's third most populous nation. Since contested elections in May 2005 resulted in surprisingly strong showings by opposition parties, hundreds of opposition political leaders, students, lawyers and others have been killed or arrested.

The most recent convictions and the overall human-rights crackdown since the 2005 elections have been condemned by worldwide human-rights groups (Reporters without Borders recently ranked Ethiopia second worst on the African continent for press freedoms behind Eritrea). But that's been largely overshadowed in major U.S. media more focused on Ethiopia's military intervention in Somalia against the Islamic Union of Courts—with U.S. military support.(More...)

VOA: Witnesses Say Ethiopian Troops Killed at Least 8 in Mogadishu
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Ethiopian troops opened fire on a minibus, killing two passengers, and shot several youths in the area, including three brothers
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Witnesses in Somalia's capital say Ethiopian troops shot and killed at least eight people late Tuesday, following a roadside bomb attack. The witnesses say the bomb hit an Ethiopian military convoy, damaging a truck and causing an unknown number of casualties.

They say after the blast, Ethiopian troops opened fire on a minibus, killing two passengers, and shot several youths in the area, including three brothers. Attacks on Somali government officials and their Ethiopian allies have increased in recent weeks despite a government claim of victory over Islamist insurgents in late April.

On Tuesday, the interim government offered amnesty to some of the insurgents, although fighters who engage in what officials called "international terrorism" were excluded from the offer.(More...)

Also see:
-Ethiopian forces 'kill 5 boys'
-Ethiopian troops kill five youths in Somalia
-Gunmen launch attacks on Somali police stations
-Somalia prime minister flies to US for UN conference
-Somalia's Opposition Regrouping, Planning


Somalia Needs Power-Sharing, Expert Tells U.S., EU Lawmakers

United States Department of State

Washington -- The main hope for a nonmilitary solution to the Somalia crisis is for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to share power with moderate opposition groups, making national reconciliation a prime goal, a former ambassador told U.S. and European lawmakers.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn, now an adjunct professor at George Washington University, spoke June 8 at a meeting with members of the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress, sponsored by the House Subcommittee on Africa.

Shinn said most observers agree that power-sharing is the key to sustainable peace in Somalia, and therefore "political reconciliation … is the most urgent task." The question, he said, is how to achieve that reconciliation.(More...)

Ethiopia’s Tiananmen Square

(Excerpt from the New York Times report)

(Doctors and Ethiopian students display dead bodies at the Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Up to 100 people in their twenties were also being treated for serious gun shot wounds and other injuries at the hospital in the third day of clashes between protesters and police on the streets of Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa 08 June 2005. Andrew Heavens)

Its (Ethiopia's) leaders, many whom were once rebels themselves, from a neglected patch of northern Ethiopia, are widely known as some of the savviest officials on the continent. They had promised to let some air into a very stultified political system during the national elections of 2005, which were billed as a milestone on the road to democracy.

Instead, they turned into Ethiopia’s version of Tiananmen Square. With the opposition poised to win a record number of seats in Parliament, the government cracked down brutally, opening fire on demonstrators, rounding up tens of thousands of opposition supporters and students and leveling charges of treason and even attempted to kill top opposition leaders, including the man elected mayor of Addis Ababa.

Many opposition members are now in jail or in exile. The rest seem demoralized.

There are no real steps toward democracy,” said Merera Gudina, vice president of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, a leading opposition party. “No real steps toward opening up space, no real steps toward ending repression.(More...)
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Tiananmen square, what is it ?
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
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At least three journalists a month flee their home countries to escape threats of violence, imprisonment, or harassment. CPJ has documented 243 cases of journalists forced into exile over the past six years. The 243 journalists surveyed by CPJ came from 36 countries, with more than half hailing from just five. Ethiopia is second in the world, next to Zimbabwe, where journalists are forced into exile to escape harassment.(More...)

Today's Top International Stories

-First S Leone war crimes verdicts (Three men have been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone's decade-long war)
-Libya Court to Rule July 11 on AIDS Case
-NYC mayor leaves GOP amid White House speculation
-Women, children evacuate Gaza
-Malaysians, Taliban, protest at Rushdie honor
-U.S. Using BlackBerries to Spy on France?
-Berlin hotel recreates East Germany





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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Men, Women, Gay, Straight, Trans, Bi, Unisex - Everyone looks better in white lace see-through pants

The late 1960s were a time of throwing off the shackles of traditional societal gender norms, including the rules surrounding who could wear lace pants. Unisex clothing popped up on runways mid-decade, reaching suburban malls by the time today's ad appeared.

Wicked hot.
Via Torontoist
Happy Pride!

U.S administration to double non-humanitarian aid to the Govt. of Ethiopia

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Somalia presidential spokesman shot] - [Islamists oppose reconciliation conference, discredit Ethiopia's role] - [Ishac Diwan makes way for Kenichi Ohashi] - [A roadside bomb explodes as an Ethiopian convoy passes]

International:
[US-Israel talks on Palestinians] - [Splitsville For French Power Couple] - [Gazans stream to crossing with Israel] - [Videotape supposedly shows suicide bomber 'graduation'] and more of today's top stories!

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At least three journalists a month flee their home countries to escape threats of violence, imprisonment, or harassment. CPJ has documented 243 cases of journalists forced into exile over the past six years. The 243 journalists surveyed by CPJ came from 36 countries, with more than half hailing from just five. Ethiopia is second in the world, next to Zimbabwe, where journalists are forced into exile to escape harassment.(More...)

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LEBA! LEBA! - video by the Ethiopian Television Network (ETN)
(June 18 protest at the Ethiopian embassy in Washington DC)
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THE OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY HAS ADOPTED A HISTORIC RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA
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Shame on Zenawi

by Tumusiime Kabwende
(spokesman for the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network)

"It is unbelievable that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has turned himself into one of Africa’s nascent dictators, yet no international body has come out strongly to condemn him"(More...)

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Bush administration to double non-humanitarian aid to the Ethiopian Govt.

(Excerpt from the New York Times report )

US Administration officials are trying to double the amount of non-humanitarian (Not for humanitarian purposes) aid to Ethiopia to $481 million next year, from $284 million this year. But key Democrats in Congress, including Mr. Payne (seen here), are questioning this, saying that because of Ethiopia’s human rights record, it is time to stop writing the country a blank check.

...This is a country that is abusing its own people and has no respect for democracy,” said Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa and global health.

We’ve not only looked the other way but we’ve pushed them to intrude in other sovereign nations,” he added, referring to the satellite images and other strategic help the American military gave Ethiopia in December, when thousands of Ethiopian troops poured into Somalia and overthrew the Islamist leadership. (More...)


Also see:
-Ethiopian Govt. Bullies its Citizens, United States keeps Ignoring
-"New York Times" Covers Ethiopia Horrors
-U.S. Funds African Civil War


Somalia presidential spokesman shot twice

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's presidential spokesman was shot twice at close range in the latest assassination attempt on government officials in the Horn of Africa nation, officials said on Tuesday.

"He was shot in the neck and near the jaw," a security source speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters. "I think the gunman was aiming for the head. He wanted to eliminate him."

The security source, who saw Hussein Mohamed Mahamud "Hubsired" recuperating in a hospital run by African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu, said he was in stable condition and was to be flown to Nairobi for treatment.(More...)

Also see:
-Assassination attempt in East Africa
-Somalia presidential spokesman wounded in latest violence
-Somalia presidential spokesman shot twice in capital


Ishac Diwan makes way for Kenichi Ohashi
By Groum Abate

Capital -- The World Bank has appointed Kenichi Ohashi as its new country director for Ethiopia and Sudan. Kenichi Ohashi will succeed Ishac Diwan, who had been serving in the position since 1997.

According to the WB, Kenichi served the World Bank as a Country director for Nepal and would be replaced by Susan Goldmark on July 1st 2007.

Before his current position, Ishac served as Manager of the Economic Policy for Poverty Reduction Unit of the World Bank Institute (WBI) and head of the Institute’s Attacking Poverty Program.

Mr. Diwan has dual Lebanese and Canadian nationality with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
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TOP STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK____________________________________

A roadside bomb explodes as an Ethiopian convoy passes

An Ethiopian military convoy hit a roadside bomb around former Somalia Defense Ministry in northwest of the capital where contingents of Ethiopian forces are based. Witnesses told Shabelle that they saw the mine explode while the Ethiopian convoy was passing by the road.

It is not yet clear if any of the Ethiopians were hurt in the blast that occurred at 3:00 pm local time, according an eye-witness refused to be named.(More...)

Ethiopia’s Tiananmen Square

(Another Excerpt from the New York Times report)

(Ethiopian students protest outside Addis Ababa Tegbareed Industrial Technology College in the Mexico area of the Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 07 June 2005. Andrew Heavens/REUTERS)

Its (Ethiopia's) leaders, many whom were once rebels themselves, from a neglected patch of northern Ethiopia, are widely known as some of the savviest officials on the continent. They had promised to let some air into a very stultified political system during the national elections of 2005, which were billed as a milestone on the road to democracy.

Instead, they turned into Ethiopia’s version of Tiananmen Square. With the opposition poised to win a record number of seats in Parliament, the government cracked down brutally, opening fire on demonstrators, rounding up tens of thousands of opposition supporters and students and leveling charges of treason and even attempted to kill top opposition leaders, including the man elected mayor of Addis Ababa.

Many opposition members are now in jail or in exile. The rest seem demoralized.

There are no real steps toward democracy,” said Merera Gudina, vice president of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, a leading opposition party. “No real steps toward opening up space, no real steps toward ending repression.(More...)
_____________________________
Tiananmen square, what is it ?
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
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Islamists oppose reconciliation conference, discredit Ethiopia's role

The much anticipated Somalia national reconciliation conference may not take place after all because of inter-clan suspicion and the stand taken by the ousted Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) that it must be held on neutral grounds.

As the conference failed to take place for the second time, The EastAfrican obtained a communiqué issued by UIC leaders in Doha, Qatar, on June 7 during a two day conference, in which the Islamists insisted that there would be no genuine reconciliation until Ethiopian troops left Somalia.

Ethiopian embassy officials in Nairobi, however, insisted that Addis Ababa will only act according to bilateral agreements with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) led by President Abdullahi Yusuf.(More...)

Today's Top International Stories

-US-Israel talks on Palestinians
-Gazans stream to crossing with Israel
-Videotape supposedly shows suicide bomber 'graduation'
-Splitsville For French Power Couple
-YouTube makes international move
-Moscow ranks as world's priciest city
-Papers show Isaac Newton's religious side



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