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Racism after Apartheid, volume four of the Democratic Marxism
series, brings together leading scholars and activists from around
the world studying and challenging racism. In eleven thematically
rich and conceptually informed chapters, the contributors
interrogate the complex nexus of questions surrounding race and
relations of oppression as they are played out in the global South
and global North. Their work challenges Marxism and anti-racism to
take these lived realities seriously and consistently struggle to
build human solidarities.
Leading up to the 200th commemoration of the abolition of the slave
trade and the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence, Pambazuka
News carried a series of four special issues during 2006 and 2007
that included articles designed to raise awareness and debate on
issues of trade and justice. These and other articles from
Pambazuka News have been gathered in this book. We have chosen a
deliberately provocative subtitle for this book: 'How trade
undermines democracy and justice.' Two years ago saw large
mobilisations around the world, calling for 'trade justice.' The
campaigners were lobbying for the introduction and implementation
of new world trade rules, ones that would work for all people,
instead of benefiting those who already have the most. They argued
that the global trading system should be rebalanced, taking into
account the needs of the poor, human rights and the environment.
But, can trade in the era of globalisation be 'fair' or 'just'?
Drawing on lessons from the slave trade, studies of the
international finance institutions and the struggles of many
African people to make a living, these essays provide insights into
how free trade policies have a profoundly negative impact on
democracy and justice in Africa. Whether it is the effects of trade
policies on informal street traders, who in Africa are often women,
the decimation of a country's health system as a result of the
World Bank's obsession with low inflation, or the sacrificing of
community rights in the interests of multinational corporations, it
is clear that 'free' trade policies impose a profit first and
people last regime in Africa. Many of the book's contributors will
be familiar to the readers of Pambazuka News. They include Charles
Abugre, Tope Akinwande, Soren Ambrose, Nnimmo Bassey, Patrick Bond,
Jennifer Chiriga, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, M.P. Giyose, Manu
Herbstein, Mouhamadou Tidiane Kasse, Salma Maoulidi, Stephen Marks,
Mariam Mayet, Henning Melber, Winnie Mitullah, Patrick Ochieng,
Oduor Ongwen, Robtel Neajai Pailey, Liepollo Lebohang Pheko and
Jagjit Plahe. The publication of this book was made possible with
the support of HIVOS.
China's global expansion is much talked about, but usually from the
viewpoint of the West. This unique collection of essays, written by
scholars and activists from China and the global South, provides
diverse views on the challenges faced by Africa, Latin America and
Asia as a result of China's rise as a significant global economic
power. Chinese aid, trade and investments - driven by the needs of
its own economy - present both threats and opportunities for the
South, requiring a nuanced analysis that goes beyond simplistic
caricatures of good' and evil'. China's engagement cannot be
understood independently of the imperial expansion of the US in the
global economy. Chinese production and American consumption, '
writes Walden Bello, are like the proverbial prisoners who seek to
break free from one another but cannot because they are chained
together. This relationship is progressively taking the form of a
vicious cycle.' Arising from a conference held in Shanghai in May
2007, when the African Development Bank was also meeting in that
city, this book provides a fresh perspective that focuses on the
economic, social and environmental impact of China's expansion. It
represents the first attempt to establish a dialogue between civil
society in China and the global south. From reviews of Fahamu's
African Perspectives on China in Africa (2007): ...a timely book on
a subject of critical importance. We should use it to strengthen
Africa's hand in negotiating with China...' Irungu Houghton, Pan
African Policy Advisor, Oxfam GB ...the first attempt in recent
years to examine African views of China.' London Review of Books
anyone interested in economic developments in Africa - and China -
will find much useful material here.' Charlie Hore, Socialist
Review
2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Amilcar
Cabral, revolutionary, poet, liberation philosopher, and leader of
the independence movement of Guinea Bissau and Cap Verde. Cabral's
influence stretched well beyond the shores of West Africa. He had a
profound influence on the pan-Africanist movement and the black
liberation movement in the US. In this anthology, contemporary
thinkers commemorate the anniversary of Cabral's assassination.
They reflect on the legacy of this extraordinary individual and his
relevance to contemporary struggles for self-determination and
emancipation.
2007 marked the 21st anniversary of the entry into force of the
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the establishment
of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. It was a
moment both for celebration and for reflection on the achievements
and the limitations of the charter and its implementation. The
purpose of this book, which accompanies a special issue of the
award-winning electronic newsletter Pambazuka News, is not only to
mark the 20th anniversary, but also to popularise understanding of
the work of the commission. The essays in this book review the
achievements of the commission since its establishment, with
contributions from Hakima Abbas, Korir Sing'Oei Abraham, Roselynn
Musa , Mireille Affa'a Mindzie, Otto Saki, as well as interviews
with Commissioner Bahame Tom Mukirya Nyanduga, Special Rapporteur
on Refugees and Displaced Persons in Africa, and Commissioner Faith
Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in
Africa. The articles appear in English in the first part of the
book with French translations in the second.
The essays in this book first appeared in the prize-winning weekly
electronic newsletter, Pambazuka News. They provide an easy-to-read
introduction to the struggle for women's rights in Africa. The
contributors describe how African women won a cross-continental
campaign for a protocol to protect their rights. In a rich variety
of articles, they consider topics such as: women and conflict, the
impact of current US policies on women's health in Africa, women's
rights in Islam, and the implications of the Jacob Zuma trial for
women in South Africa. Patrick Burnett, from South Africa, has a
background in journalism. He is a contributing editor of Pambazuka
News, and runs Fahamu's Cape Town office. Firoze Manji is the
director of Fahamu and editor of Pambazuka News. Originally from
Kenya, he has more than 30 years of experience in international
development, health and human rights. He is a member of the
editorial board of Development in Practice. Shereen Karmali is an
editor with wide experience in the NGO sector. She is a co-director
of Fahamu.
The 54 essays included are wide- ranging and complied into 11
focused chapters. An introductory chapter outlines the global and
regional context of underdevelopment in Africa, while special
attention is given to the conflicts in The DRC, Rwanda, Sudan and
Zimbabwe. The establishment of the African Union and attempts to
develop regional integration are commented upon along with special
chapters devoted to resource exploitation, Womens Rights and the
rights of refugees in Africa. Both the IMF and World Bank
celebrated their 60th anniversaries in 2004; their track-records in
Africa are assessed. The concluding Chapter 11 contains a selection
of letters submitted by subscribers to Pambazuka News which
demonstrate the lively debate many of these editorials have
sparked. The 47 contributors include such distinguished Africans as
Mahmood Mamdani, Adebayo Olukoshi, Kewsi Kwaa Prah, Brian
Raftopoulos, Pierre Sane and Ernest Wamba dia Wamba.
China's involvement in Africa has provoked much debate and
discussion. Is China just the latest in a line of exploiters of
Africa's rich natural resources who put their own economic
interests above humanitarian, environmental or human rights
concerns? Or is China's engagement an extension of 'South-South
solidarity'? Does China's involvement enable African countries to
free themselves from the tyranny of debt and conditionality that,
through two decades of structural adjustment programmes, have
reversed most of the gains of independence? Or is Africa swapping
one tyranny for another? Much of the commentary on China in Africa
focuses either on assessing how Western capital's interest might be
affected, or on denouncing China for practices that have for
centuries been the norm for US and European powers - support for
dictators, callous destruction of the environment, exploitation of
minerals, and complete disregard for human rights. Lost in that
noisy debate has been the voice of independent African analysts and
activists. They are heard in this unique collection of essays from
the prize-winning weekly electronic newsletter, Pambazuka News. As
these articles demonstrate, there is no single 'African view' about
China in Africa, but the authors are united by their concern for,
and commitment to, social justice for Africa's people. The
contributors include: Ali Askouri, Horace Campbell, Michelle
Chan-Fishel, Moreblessings Chidaushe, John Blessing Karumbidza,
Daniel Large, Anabela Lemos, Firoze Manji, Stephen Marks, Ndubisi
Obiorah, Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Daniel Ribeiro and John Rocha.
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