Labels: Bangladesh, Dhaka, Drishtipat, elections, Shobak.org, Unheard Voice
¶ Monday, December 29, 2008 1 Comments
/../ in a letter in the Guardian, the 94, including the renowned author John Berger; UK musicians and song-writers Brian Eno and Leon Rosselson; filmmakers Sophie Fiennes, Elia Suleiman and Haim Bresheeth; documentary maker Jenny Morgan; singer Reem Kelani; writers Arundhati Roy, Ahdaf Soueif, and Eduardo Galeano, call on their colleagues:
"not to visit, exhibit or perform in Israel."
The letter comes after the August 2006 statement issued by Palestinian filmmakers, artists, writers, and other cultural workers calling for a cultural boycott of Israel. The statement can be viewed at: http://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=315_0_1_0_C
The Berger letter, signed by artists from across Europe, North and South America, as well as Palestinians and Israelis, reads:
“There is a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, albeit daily violated by Israeli overflights. Meanwhile the day to day brutality of the Israeli army in Gaza and the West Bank continues. Ten Palestinians are killed for every Israeli death /../ [link]
And Haitham Sabbah selected photos "to sum up all that can be said to describe the Israeli massacre in Gaza today"
Labels: Arundhati Roy, bombs, cultural boycott, Eduardo Galeano, Haitham Sabbah, Israel, John Berger, Palestine
¶ Sunday, December 28, 2008 1 Comments
Darfur Consortium
The situation in Darfur continues to be characterized by ongoing insecurity, numerous and widespread human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law (“the laws of war”) by all the parties to the conflict. Attacks on civilian populations by government forces and government-backed militias continue unabated. Since January 2008, more than 290,000 civilians have been forced to flee. Sudanese armed forces continue to conduct indiscriminate attacks: On November 14–two days after the government announced a ceasefire – rebel sources claimed government forces had bombed Kurbia in North Darfur.
Report: “Rhetoric vs. Reality–the Situation in Darfur”
Labels: Darfur, refugees, slavery
¶ Friday, December 26, 2008 1 Comments
Global Guerillas
The superempowered references are flowing for the man in the UK that shut down an electric power plant single handedly (without a boom):
The £12m defences of the most heavily guarded power station in Britain have been breached by a single person who, under the eyes of CCTV cameras, climbed two three-metre (10ft) razor-wired, electrified security fences, walked into the station and crashed a giant 500MW turbine before leaving a calling card reading "no new coal". He walked out the same way and hopped back over the fence. All power from the coal and oil-powered Kingsnorth station in Kent was halted for four hours...
Mystified Greenpeace activists explain why they FAIL (ego and legacy protest thinking play a big part):
Should "climate man" ever show up, he will be feted for what activists say was the most daring individual action of the year. "We have no idea who he is - but we really want to know. Everybody's asking, 'Where were you on Friday November 28?'." /snap/ [link]Labels: Climate Man, coal, Kingsnorth, oil, powerstation
¶ Sunday, December 14, 2008 0 Comments
see the online version of 'non-western' from:
http://www.lindawallace.eu
and jump in any order to see all five sections from, for example:
http://www.undergrowth.eu/
or see it from utube
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=machinehunger
'In her video non-western Linda Wallace subtitles her fascinating,
rhythmic montage of Dutch vistas, highways and people with long strings
of numbers. These "facts and figures" describing Dutch society slide
through the images at a fast pace, for instance: the total number of
non-western immigrants in 2050, the percentage of non-westerners in the
biggest cites, and the total numbers of non-western young people.
Wallace knowingly uses bureaucratic "truths" rather than the complex,
contradictory and dynamic daily reality that the statistics hide. What
do these statistics do? The inclination towards statistical
essentialism, where lives become stuck in unambiguous, unalterable and
irreconcilable identities is characteristic of the contemporary public
debate, and bears a striking resemblance to the corners and straight
lines of the Netherlands landscape.'
(Dr Jolle Demmers, Centre for Conflict Studies, Utrecht University)
Labels: Floris, immigration, Linda Wallace, Maxima, Netherlands, non-western, Rutger Hauer
¶ Friday, December 12, 2008 0 Comments
BBC World
At a 'DIAZ' pressconference, last Friday in London:
Campaigners have expressed dismay that a policeman acquitted of brutality last month will be in charge of security at next year's G8 summit in Italy.
Franco Gratteri was one of those in charge during the 2001 G8 meeting in Genoa, which was marred by violence.
While he was cleared of related charges, colleagues were convicted.
Mark Covell, who was beaten unconscious by police at Genoa, said he feared police had not learned lessons and violence would flare again next year.
Genoa 2001 became notorious for violent street clashes between anti-globalisation protesters and police, that left many people injured on both sides.
Thirteen police officers were convicted last month in connection with attacks on defenceless demonstrators at the Diaz School in Genoa in 2001. But Mr Gratteri and several other senior commanders were cleared of responsibility by the judge. -- /link/
- There are at least five documents taking the form of White House press releases that detail the number and names of countries in the "Coalition of the Willing" that publicly supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At one time, all five of these documents were archived on the White House web site.
- Today, only three of these five documents can still be accessed in the White House archives. One of the missing lists was removed from the White House web site at some point in late 2004, and the other was removed between late 2005 and early 2006. These two "missing" lists represent earlier and smaller lists of coalition members.
- The text of three of these five documents was altered at some point after their initial release, even though in most cases the documents still retained their original release dates and were presented as unaltered originals. These alterations to the public record changed the apparent number of countries making up the coalition, as well as the names of countries in the coalition. Some of these alterations appear to have been made as long as two years after the document's purported release date. -- /snap/ [link]
Labels: airbrushing history, Cline center for Democracy, Coalition of the Willing, Dictionary of War, Iraq invasion, White House archives
¶ Thursday, December 04, 2008 0 Comments
Unheard Voice
Dhaka -- Unlike the Baul statue circus a month ago, the group that came to smash Balaka Chattar/Biman Office statues (storks, also by Mrinal Haque) came near midnight. This time, no government officials, no advance “protest” in media, no advance anything. They worked quickly, with hammers. Other reports said “ramda”, but I tend to think that’s fear shorthand.
Then the police arrived. According to BdNews24, for the first fifteen minutes they did nothing. Then I suppose the “higher ups” decided whether to stop or allow, impede or accelerate. And then the police “swung into action.” Or, as Shamokal reports it, dhawa palta dhawa. Police wounded, attackers in custody, conveniently wearing white robes. Almost ready for their photo-op.
The hammers managed to get through the plaster legs, but stopped at iron rods.
I arrived after midnight. Lot of police vans. My CNG driver knew about it: “Ektu agei hangama hoise, oidike jaiben”. Helpful tour guide.
Al Jazeera camera crew were there. Video camera nicely set on tripod. [..]
It’s all one gigantic hodge-podge. But I’m sure some TV station will clarify and simplify, turn it into a bite-sized chunk and juicy headline.
And then two days later, a friend will write me from New York “What’s going on over there?” [..]
The police ask our group which paper we are with. We’re not with anyone. Ah, he says nodding, that’s why you’re so late. [..]
What is sand and pitch is a global audience, creating a conundrum for activists. I am glad they didn’t manage to smash the statues. Dodged the bullet, this time. And because there’s relief, our group starts having a discussion about tactical media. When we go home tonight and blog about this, we will put up our images by habit. But then what, where will those images go? -- [link]
