First coined as an acronym for some emerging economies in 2001, BRIC countries formally emerged in 2009 at a diplomatic meeting in Russia involving Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa became a member in 2010 when the group’s name changed to BRICS. Its primary focus at that time was reforming the global financial system, stabilizing the global economic situation and finding ways to give developing countries, which included some members of BRICS, a stronger voice. While there is no doubt that the Western economic crash in 2008 must have given an impetus to the formation of BRICS, the assertion of the economic interests of the South by the formation of BRICS must be seen in the larger context of the economic dominance of the North over economic and political institutions and the growing multilateral sentiments in the world. The emerging economic clout of the BRICS countries, particularly China, India and Brazil, underlined the formation of BRICS and has ensured its survival. Before this summit last week in South Africa, it had already been established as a global force with an influential impact on world affairs. Countries subjected to restrictive trade practices and sanctions will now have an ally in efforts to challenge the dominance of the North.
Continue reading “BRICS”THE BLOOD NEVER DRIED OVER THE BRITISH EMPIRE
The Demerara Rebellion of 18 August 1823 was a seminal event in the history of enslaved resistance in British Guiana and in the colonial world. Its exposure of the horrors of slavery, along with the Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica on 17 December 1831, involving 60,000 enslaved persons, 400 of whom died, and an area of 750 square miles, speeded up its demise. Jack Gladstone was the Rebellion’s principal organizer and leading militant but his contribution to the abolition of slavery in 1838 and the advancement of freedom is little known and has not been fully acknowledged until Professor da Costa’s book, Crowns of Glory, Tears of Blood – The Demerara Slave Rebellion of 1823 (1997).
Continue reading “THE BLOOD NEVER DRIED OVER THE BRITISH EMPIRE”A TENDENTIOUS EDITORIAL ON CHINESE LANDING
Editorialising on “Mining and Amerindians” last Friday, after my article, “Chinese Landing” on Sunday, Stabroek News largely adopted the point of view of the Amerindians of Chinese Landing as its own. In doing so SN tendentiously describes some of what I said as ‘baffling’ and ‘bizarre.’ SN suggested that since Chinese Landing got “no support from the local court system,” they had to resort to IACHR. This is not what happened.
Continue reading “A TENDENTIOUS EDITORIAL ON CHINESE LANDING”CHINESE LANDING
Illegal mining at Chinese Landing has been in the news. A report in SN on Thursday last, stated that the Village Council said that it never asked the government to stop all mining on its lands as some of its villagers earn their livelihoods by mining. Also, it does not approve of the government’s fact-finding mission. Chinese Landing complained to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is that armed, outside, miners working are illegally on Wayne Vieira’s concession which is within Amerindian lands and that they feel unsafe. The IACHR, on a prima facie basis, requested the government to take steps to protect the life and integrity of the villagers, consult and agree on measures to be adopted and report on the actions taken to investigate the events. This last recommendation to ‘investigate’ appears to be the basis of the fact-finding mission by the government. The Chinese Landing Village Council, who took their claims to the IACHR, objects to the cessation of mining and the fact-finding mission by the Government, as requested by IACHR. Why?
Continue reading “CHINESE LANDING”ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE AS A PARTIALLY LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE
Israel is in the throes of a struggle between opposing forces in support of its partly liberal democratic state and those proposing a fully neo-fascist one. For seven months now large demonstrations have taken place against legislative proposals by the most rightwing government in Israel’s history to remove the power of the judiciary to overrule government decisions as being unreasonable. The government has been described by Bret Stephens, a conservative New York Times columnist, and a strong supporter of Israel, as “a coalition of the bigoted, the corrupt, the dependent and the extreme.” Reforms to give more power to the government over judicial appointments, weakening the power of government lawyers and limiting judicial review of appointments, are yet to come. The already conservative Supreme Court has approved the torture of Palestinians, the destruction of their homes and the expansion of settlements.
Continue reading “ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE AS A PARTIALLY LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE”