Raffique Shah Sunday, April 1st 2007 LAST week the world’s conscience drifted back in time, some 400 years, to the barbaric transatlantic slave trade, and to the bicentennial of its formal abolition in 1807. What I read and heard of apologies sans reparations, of manufacturing heroes and liberators while ignoring those who really fought to … Continue reading No man must ride your back
By Leslie www.africaspeaks.com/leslie March 27, 2007 When has Western society ever taken moral precedence over the dollar? All the examples chronicled in our recent and ancient history indicate that the answer is a resounding “never.” It is therefore safe to say that the decision to ban the slave trade in 1807 was not about those … Continue reading Celebrating the Madness: Britain’s Financial Decision to End the Slave Trade
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu March 26, 2007 Slavery started in the United States in 1619 when twenty Afrikans arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, aboard a Dutch ship. According to the 1850 census figures, there were 3.5 million Afrikan slaves in the United States. On 1st January, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation thereby freeing … Continue reading America’s slavery experience: Underground Railroad
By Marion O’Callaghan, newsday.co.tt Monday, March 19 2007 This is what Harry Mungalsingh, speaking in the Senate, said: “As far as I know, 83 percent of the prison population come from specific communities which predicates the need for a strong and distinct national development plan accepted by the entire society for these specific 16 communities … Continue reading Harry Mungalsingh’s distinct national development plan
By Stephen Kangal February 11, 2007 The arbitrary and selective conduct of the police in responding to recent popular protest movements raises fundamental questions on this response and its linkage with the composition of the protective services in plural Trinidad and Tobago. In cosmopolitan societies but more so in a multicultural but in an ethnically … Continue reading Wanted: Plurality in the Police Service
By Linda E. Edwards January 20, 2007 Re: Marion O’Callahan’s Commentary in Newsday There are two additional ways we do not want, definitely do not want, to follow the U.S. prison system. 1. The building of private prisons to be leased to the state is one of them. In this system – example Corrections Corporation … Continue reading Do not follow the U.S. prison system
By Raffique Shah January 07, 2007 First, the positive sides to Choc’late Allen’s foray into the public limelight as she sought to highlight the many problems that bedevil the nation. Choc’late herself embodies the biggest positive. Here’s a girl (I’m tempted to use “child”, but she is mature way past her age) who is brimming … Continue reading One Choc’late with courage, please
By Linda E. Edwards Dated: December 26, 2006 Your Excellency The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Sir: I e-mailed a Nigerian friend the article from the New York Times this morning, with a brief comment, “O God, Again?” Again, because I am tired of seeing articles about a ruptured pipeline, with people stealing … Continue reading An Open Letter To President Olusegun Obasanjo
Remember that this execution (assassination) of Saddam Hussein was carried out by the U.S. installed government in Iraq while the U.S. is illegally occupying Iraq. The U.S. had physical control of Saddam up until the time of his execution and transported the body afterwards. Simply put, Saddam Hussein was executed by the U.S. government. It … Continue reading They made sure Saddam took his secrets to the grave
By Maseeh Rahman, The Guardian UK December 28, 2006 Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh became the first leader of his country yesterday to compare the condition of low-caste Hindus with that of black South Africans under apartheid. Mr Singh drew the parallel at a conference in New Delhi on social and caste injustices saying it … Continue reading Indian leader likens caste system to apartheid regime