2002: THE YEAR IN EDITORIALS
FATWAS AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS: THE TIME TO INTERVENE IS NOW
5 December 2002
An article written in mid-November by journalist Isioma Daniel about the Miss World beauty pageant and published by ThisDay newspaper in Nigeria sparked protests by Muslims and subsequent riots killed an estimated 200 people. Rotimi Sankore, Coordinator of CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights, argued that failing to halt 'politically' motivated rights violations at the starting blocks can often have devastating effects for society.
BLACK HISTORY: SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE DIASPORA AND AFRICA
14 November 2002
History has shown that racial superiority, which rationalises racism, is a myth. If all races are equal, then there is no basis for racism and economic exploitation, just as there never was any basis for slavery and colonialism beyond greed. The correction of contemporary understanding of Black history has massive implications for people of African descent and identity, in relation to racism, human rights, dignity and self-respect, argued this editorial.
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS
19 September 2002
University of Dar Es Salaam Professor of Law, Issa G. Shivji, argued that the language of rights articulates the most pressing concerns of the large majority of people, while at the same time providing for the language of resistance and the changing of existing conditions. It is important that activist NGOs and other human rights advocates are conscious of the different perspectives on human rights, so that they know what to promote, in whose interest and in which direction, he says.
THE MISSIONARY POSITION: NGOS AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
15 August 2002
Development NGOs operating in Africa have inadvertently become part of the neo-liberal global agenda, and thereby serve to undermine the battle for social justice and human rights in much the same way as their missionary predecessors, argued this paper in the July issue of International Affairs. The paper said that the contribution of NGOs to relieving poverty was minimal and they played a “significant role” in undermining the struggle of African people to emancipate themselves from economic, social and political oppression. NGOs faced a stark choice: They could move into the political domain and support social movements that sought to challenge a social system that benefited a few and impoverished the majority; or they could continue unchanged and thus become complicit in a system that left the majority in misery.
DEATH BY STARVATION IN MALAWI
13 June 2002
News of famine in Malawi began to reach the ears of urban policymakers in Lilongwe and foreign capitals from October 2001. The Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace had attempted to mobilize activist groups to pressurize the Government to declare a “famine”, but was unsuccessful, their data being dismissed as lacking credibility. By June 2002, the disaster had claimed nearly a thousand African lives. This policy brief from ActionAid scrutinized the failure of macro-economic and structural policy to safeguard against the famine in Malawi.
http://www.fpif.org/outside/commentary/2002/0204nepad.html
"WHAT WENT WRONG?" - INTERPRETING ZIMBABWE'S ELECTION
14 March 2002
The people of Zimbabwe re-elected Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) president Robert Mugabe in early March by a vote of 1.69 million to 1.28 million for his closest opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai. What will democratic activists in Zimbabwe do in response to the rigged elections, asked Patrick Bond and Raj Patel? The gut- reaction seemed to be one of hunkering down to overcome the shock of what many term “the mugging.” Activists were overcome with exhaustion, intimidation and the sheer challenge of going up against the repressive arms of the state. More than a thousand civil-society election monitors were arrested. Army and police patrolled the ghettoes and the mood of fear and loathing was palpable. At this crucial juncture, leadership appeared to be lacking.