I will scatter them, and then I will gather them: Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64; 32:26; Isaiah 11:12;

Jeremiah 23:8 / Read about the African Slave Trade in Deuteronomy 28^th Chapter.

N E W S L E T T E R…….#22

"Take direct action against the U.S. government!" Dr. Robert Brock

Note from the REPNOW Newsletter Editor:

In view of all these horrifying experiences, President Bush and members of his Administration continue to encourage people to get back to normal and get out and spend money to save the economy in the process. You know he was talking to White Folks! Americans are also told to not be afraid to fly and in the same breath, are also told that if any commercial jet is suspected of being hijacked and is thought to be flying into a building, it will be blown to bits by "friendly fire." And if that’s not enough feces to hit the fan, consider the repercussions of a major bio/chemical outbreak in this country when there aren’t even enough antibiotics to satisfy a quarter of the population. (Y’all ain’t stupid, and you know who all will get whatever remedies exist.) And if that ain’t enough, if the smallpox germ is released in this country, and all people are not inoculated, this plague will be worse than any other to hit this planet. Isn’t it just amazing that all of these incidents and concerns have taken place in less than two months time. Unreal!

I must also point out that we haven’t seen so much patriotism since I don’t know when. Folks are calling up the radio stations and TV networks telling people to display their flags on their houses, cars, buildings, and on their person. I guess this displaying of the American flag is some kind of panacea of which Blacks aren’t aware because it certainly did nothing for those brought to this land in shackles. I fail to see how a red, white, and blue American flag that is a symbol of corruption, murder, and greed from the blood, sweat, tears, and free labor of Slaves can bring an end to the agony the US now endures. I even fail to see how this flag can obliterate the evils, immorality, and oppressive nature for which this country stands. And unfortunately, those who have not been wearing this flag or exhibiting it on their TV networks are under serious attack.

We even hear much about "America the Beautiful" and "Let Freedom Ring" and every other patriotic phrase and song geared towards bringing Black and White America TOGETHER and UNITING to fight Islam. No, scratch that, the report is that America is not proclaiming a war on Islam, but rather a war on the Taliban who just happen to be Muslim and believers in Islam. I have to keep telling myself that the United States can distinguish the difference. The United States forgets that it has a very poor track record for manipulating poor countries and imposing sanctions for the benefit of American policies. Unbeknownst to the White societies that worked their Slaves to death, Arabs and Muslims know all too well how Descendants of Slaves are treated, and that the US does not mean what it says about liking the people of Afghanistan. They know the history of this country, and they remember what the US promised and failed to deliver for them when the Taliban were fighting the Russians.

Another issue that has spurred World concern and opinion is the President’s policy of the United States first desire to becoming an isolationist nation to now becoming a coalition with literally every nation on this Earth in just a matter of hours after the September 11^th attacks. Now, the US wants every nation under the sun to help them fight "terrorism" ALL OVER THE WORLD, and if these nations are not with them then it’s understood that they are against them. These are strong words for a country that wanted to go it alone.

All these ominous threats coming on the heels of walking out of the World Conference Against Racism and letting the suffering Peoples and nations of this World know that the US could care less about the atrocities committed against them, but they better well care about atrocities committed against the United States. Can you believe it? And if you have been glued to the television and the newspapers, you can see just how most people of other countries do not want to be dragged into this "New War" along side the United States. Some brave souls in several countries are coming right out and telling the US that they brought this crisis upon themselves by financially and militarily supporting Israelis who are bombing and bull-dozing the Palestinians homes and farms for the construction of more and more Jewish settlements. That being a given, whether all Muslims join with the US or not, you can believe that they are in sympathy with their Palestinian brothers, especially in light of what the racist Israelis are doing to these Palestinians. And don’t you just know that there are probably more practicing Muslims in this World than Christians to get this message across loud and clear.

Now, that I have given you my spiel on the events now taking place, I ask, where does that leave Descendants of Slaves in "America the Beautiful" in regard to our thrust for Reparations? Remember, President Bush ordered US representation to walk out of WCAR because he didn’t want anything to do with the terrorism that the Slaves endured, Reparations for this heinous, cruel, and barbaric atrocity, or the RACISM Blacks face in America today. Oh yes, the President didn’t want the Conference to discuss the Israeli’s "RACIST" and terrorist attacks against the Palestinians, either. However, since the September 11^th tragedy, are we supposed to focus on this new sense of patriotism and wait until all this blows over and then rekindle our thrust for Reparations? Can we really afford to postpone our fight for Reparations for the TransAtlantic Slave Trade and postpone our fight to end RACISM, discrimination, prejudice, and racial profiling, police brutality, false police charges, unfair imprisonment, and other injustices. Are we really supposed to wait until this great White Nation of powers-that-be gives the signal for business as usual before we resume where we left off?

Since the September 11^th tragedy the thrust for Reparations seems to have slowed a bit. Yes, of course we are all saddened at the great loss of lives and shocked at the magnitude of what has happened. And yes, we are even nervous about the potential for other disasters, but don’t we also realize that we cannot afford to permit this "New War" for the attacks against the WTC and the Pentagon cause our fight for Reparations to be sidetracked. We have needs and this is our war for justice served for ourselves and for our little Black children who have suffered thousands of attacks of degradation, impoverishment, illiteracy, and humiliation. We cannot allow our needs to go unsettled. We have suffered long enough!

Not under any circumstances can we permit the United States government to slam the door in our faces when we are diplomatically appealing to this government and the United Nations to show Descendants of Slaves some compassion and to justly and honorably resolve, once and for all, this ever lingering issue of the Slave Trade, Reparations, and racism. We cannot let the powers-that-be think for one moment that we are succumbing to their rejections.

We must continue to write to our Congressional Representatives and let them know that we are not giving up. And also write to those who have voiced support for Reparations and let them know that we are behind their every effort for this cause so that this DEBT can be paid in order for justice to be served.

If the United States can drop bombs on Afghanistan and in the process throw food at those they bomb costing tax payers billions of dollars, then the US can most certainly give Descendants of Slaves their FREEDOM and Reparations for forced migration, enslavement, and ethnic cleansing. Justice is enabling Descendants of Slaves to employ self determination and pursue happiness in America or in a friendly country of our choosing.

The President recently stated that the people of America must "reassess what’s important in life." Well, first we have to get a life - and one that we have determined. As long as we live in a White dominating society that teaches Blacks the Great White Way, the longer Whites will appear to be Superior in all matters and will brainwash our youth. Then obviously we, as a People, will never have anything resembling a "life" to reassess if we don’t rise above the indignities, exploitation, and control placed upon us by this privileged, White dominant society. We have waited long enough for a genuine and moral settlement, and we cannot be manipulated into waiting any longer.

If Blacks out of Africa are not compensated for the great harm we have endured, we will never gain any respect from being "Descendants of Slaves." The descendants of those who took us captive will maintain this merciless control that they have over us and will continue to anticipate the slow demise of Blacks to impoverishment, drugs, gangs, and imprisonment. And we cannot let this happen!!! If we are to make for ourselves a better name than "Descendants of Slaves" and a better "life" for Black Peoples, then we must acquire these Reparations and make it happen - on our terms.

Many thanks to those who are remaining strong and diligent in this "OUR" struggle and on the case to end our oppression and impoverishment. May the Most High GOD continue to be with us in our endeavors for justice served.

Tziona Yisrael, Editor

www.thelawkeepers.org

(Click on "Repnow")

U.N. RACISM CONFERENCE: LESSONS FOR BLACKS

IN THE UNITED STATES

By the way, when you decide to go to South Africa, I highly recommend that you take South African Airlines. Their service to passengers was nearly impeccable (though our luggage got temporary left in Johannesburg), and you get a chance to see first-hand a microcosm of that country's on-going experiment in diversity. I wasn't alone in that assessment. The plane was full of African Americans returning to the States.

The Dalits, the dark-skinned people of India, the Roma (gypsies) of Europe, and many other issues got an airing.

The continuingly negative news reports to the contrary were simply mistaken. (There were over 1,000 journalists/media people at both conferences, and they had to have something to write home about everyday. Negative news is always easier news.)

The WCAR, slow and plodding as it was, got on with its business, and cannot be adjudged a failure at any level, save the common denominator problem with housing accommodations courtesy of Turners Travel and Tours (the single company assigned by the S.A. government to handle accommodations for over 15,000 guests in a city with only 6,000 registered hotel/bed 'n breakfast units). Turners, in a word, was not equal to the task.

What did blacks in the US get out of the WCAR and the NGO Forum?

-- We participated on a world stage with several thousand other groups, organizations and individuals.

-- We got a real feel for how deep and wide the growing international movement is, and a closer scrutiny of the depth of the opposition. The United Council of Churches was there, so were several Presbyterian groups, and the United Methodists as advocates of reparations for African and African Americans. Black American church groups were conspicuous by their absence.

-- We gave primary recognition and re-introduced ourselves to a whole slew of heroes and sheroes in this effort: Jamaica's 85-year-old Dudley Thompson, who is a superb negotiator; December 12th's Viola Plummer and Roger Wareham; Fidel Castro; Adjoa Aiyetoro; the Black Political Leadership Forum; N'COBRA; the National Black United Front; reparations lawyer Charles Ogletree; Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte; and the Africa and African Descendants Caucus, to name but a few.

-- We learned once again that rhetoric and passion simply are not, and will not be, enough if victory, rather than merely noise and publicity, is our real goal. We've got to hit the books and records hard and develop tight, tight arguments. The European Union came to the WCAR coordinated with denials, excuses and counter-arguments for virtually everything we had, and they ran a strong tag-team assault on our reparations positions in virtually every commission, every meeting and every discussion. If we plan on running with and conquering the big dogs of this particular war, we better get our stuff very much together, and we are clearly not yet there.

-- We attended and frequently participated in many of the hundreds of panel discussions and information forums presented at the WCAR. There were too many great ones to name here, but a new UNESCO historical project on the Slave Trade Routes, Peoples, Issues and Resolutions was presented (mostly in French, with excellent work by the translators). Other issues included: A full elaboration of the May 2001 French law that declared the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade a crime against humanity and promised future discussions on possible compensation; racism and the media; issues of women's status in relation to racism, sexism other forms of intolerance; racism in the criminal justice system in international perspective; racism in Japan, were some of them. The learning opportunities at both conferences were immense.

-- We got a clearer vision of what this is all about and what we have to do.

-- We learned, again, about the perils of little or no communication between allies in a major battlefront. We handicap ourselves and sap our own strength. Too often, one group of African Americans was doing one thing, while another group operated as if it was fighting alone, and another acted as though it was the only group that counted and that could speak for us all: altogether sometimes confusing issues and negotiating partners unnecessarily, and all sometimes canceling each other's efforts

and hard work.

I have "tons" of paper and documents that I have to sort through and organize for some public presentations back in L.A. And yes, I do have quite a few pictures (at least, I think I do; the security scans which we had to go through at least 50 times, hopefully didn't zap them).

First, however, I need some sleep.

By Dr. David Horne

Dr. Horne teaches at California State University-Northridge.

Distributed by HYPE,

H|Y|P|E Information Service > Your "Talking Drum"

www.afrikan.net/hype > ytoure@mindspring.com > 404.767.1275 > USA

www.afrikan.net/hype, mediablacks@hotmail.com

Submitted by TheBlackList@topica.com

SOME DANGEROUS POLITICAL THOUGHTS

A REPORT ON THE WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

September 9, 2001

The theme of reparations for the illegal trans-Atlantic slave trade and the enslavement of millions of Africans in the "New World", and for European colonialism of the African continent was a major theme at this conference. This demand for financial reparations, as well as a formal apology, was stated quite forcefully by the African and African Descendants NGO caucus, especially by Africans from America, and the theme was picked upon by the African countries who had formed a bloc to demand reparations from the European Union, and countries active in the slave trade like Spain, England, Portugal, Britain, Holland and others. Slavery was described as a "crime against humanity", and demands were for development funds to rebuild Africa, since Europe as a technologically developed and industrial based economy was built off the sweat and blood of the peoples of Africa. The Europe Union, however, was extremely resistant to this characterization of its oppression of the continent, since it realizes that this would open itself up to litigation if it admitted guilt, not to mention expose the historical crimes of developing white capitalist governments in its desire for markets, cheap labor, and free material resources.

The plunder by Europe was real, just as the enslavement, rape and murder of millions of African in the Americas has been documented. But one thing that became readily apparent at this conference is that Europe and the West will not give up their stolen wealth without a fight, regardless of who knows of their criminal history. Many came to the conference however naively believing that somehow moral pressure or mass publicity alone would compel a settlement, but this was not to be. And although they achieved an international alliance around the desire for reparations, there is still no international organization to fight for those gains. First, the United Nations bureaucrats simply will not allow real empowerment of the poor, nor end racism with their useless entreaties to the rich countries. They would rather like to empower lawyers and international lobbyists to get grants and fees to act as advocates for poor and racially oppressed masses, but they don't want to hear from the poor themselves.

Any honest evaluation of the conference would show that this conference was set up for lawyers and non-profit association/civil rights bureaucrats. The poor only had a voice in this conference when thousands of landless "squatters", workers, students, indigenous peoples and others protested in the streets *outside* the conference venue. This class difference was one of the most blatant and disheartening features of the conference itself, too many were marginalized and had their cries muffled. These were both oppressed and indigenous peoples.

Another reason that the conference was limited in what it could produce as far as reparations is because the African heads of state were proven to be so weak because of a neo-colonial relationship with the West, and especially American capitalist institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, WTO, and others. This dependent financial status means that the economies of these African countries are subordinate to France, the US, Britain, etc., the same as always, and shows us that they are not reliable allies in a struggle to challenge the capitalist world system about the living conditions for Black workers and the poor. They started out with demands for reparations, but before it was over they were down on their knees and begging for development aid and capitalist investments, thus condoning more robbery by the same group of international exploiters, and the continued domination of the South by the North. No doubt the irony of this dawned on others as well. Let us understand that we must fight here, not delegate power to politicians, lawyers, preachers or heads of state.

Again, the 2-day General Strike of millions of South African workers, and the demonstration by the Durban Social Forum on the first day of the conference (August 31st) shows us a way forward. A movement against capitalism, and its exploitation in America, and a Black freedom movement with its mind on total liberation is where we should be going. Certainly we cannot accept financial reparations as a full settlement of our claims against the U.S. and European governments, but they must rather be part of a comprehensive liberation agenda. Reparations alone will not make us free or self-governing in either America or Africa. There is no easy path to freedom.

Neither the African governments, nor the United Nations, can end racism or ethnic oppression by government fiat. They can call for reforms in the system, they can call for the "rule of international law", and they can appeal to the "self interest" of the capitalist corporations as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan continued to do throughout the conference. But without the application of sanctions on oppressive or racist governments, no UN declarations have any meaning, it's just legalistic rhetoric. But then this is not the 1960s, when the anti-colonial movements were going from victory to victory with wars of liberation, and it was just a mere matter for the bureaucrats to endorse what the people were already making real. In the current period, there is basically defeatism and opportunism dominating social relations now, and the anti-colonial movement and its wars of liberation have been replaced with neo-colonial diplomatic settlements which preserve capitalism. That is precisely what happened in South Africa in 1994, when the ANC sold out to De Beers corporation and the other super-rich, paving their way to power. I believe that some of us who came to this conference saw that the ANC government is a capitalist caretaker regime, that barks when the white rich says bark, and bites whom the rich say bite. They bite the poor with privatization schemes for basic utilities, they bite imprisoned political activists like Mzwakhe Mbuli, and they take a bite out of students, the landless, and others who protest the economic and political arrangements of the new South Africa. Like Frantz Fanon said in "The Wretched of the Earth", anti-colonial forces can be heroic in one period, cowardly collaborators in the next.

The biggest failing to me with the conference was in failing to charge the Western powers (especially the USA) with genocide, oppression, and exploitation in the *current period* and then building movements to fight racism and neo-colonialism. We have 1,000,000 Black people in the prison system, mostly black youth; there are upwards of 1,000 members of oppressed racial groups killed by the police in the USA each year; there is massive poverty concentrated in the Black and Brown communities, there is a CIA generated drug trade, and government-sponsored terrorism of all sorts, but the conference's focus was on historical forms of slavery and exploitation. There was virtually no real discussion about building a mass movement to fight racism and the capitalist system which upholds it. The few discussions which were held didn't talk about building any form of grassroots campaigns, but instead counseled us to rely on the South African Human Rights Commission, the UN, or other governmental bodies in our host countries. They talked about legal complaints, lobbying, and the "proper way" of appealing to heads of state. What they didn't mention, and did not mean to, was how the poor and racially oppressed can build an international direct action protest movement to destabilize the international capitalist system, and to really win any concessions on reparations from host governments and multinational corporations, beat back privatization, police brutality, poverty, and other ills in the world. We clearly need a new fight-back movement worldwide, not just another group of slick lawyers among the oppressed peoples who will then rise up to oppress their own as agents of the rich themselves. We cannot fight for partial gains, and then leave these capitalist blood-suckers alive with their system intact.

What this conference showed is how weak the NGOs are under the United Nations system, and how subordinate they are to governments (although some argument can be made about Africans from American continuing to organize after the U.S. withdrawal). Neither the UN bureaucrats or government officials showed they had any respect for us at all. Treated us like children or cattle, including dumping us in a huge cricket stadium to meet in tents, while the bureaucrats and government officials met in air-conditioned comfort inside the International Convention Center, which was used by business trade shows ordinarily. Why the whole thing was not held inside the ICC is beyond me, except to make the point that NGOs don't matter as many delegates told me over and over again. But then the bureaucrats couldn't wear their $1,000 suits outside in the heat.

This just shows us that the NGOs and various oppressed peoples need to organize independently of the governments and the UN system, and in their own interest. They must build a more powerful movement both inside and outside the United Nations system. They must and should preserve the international platform at the United Nations, but should demand dual power, that is, some form of *power sharing*, rather than being mere subjects of a national government or human rights lobby like the UN. We need a mass international organization against racism, colonialism, caste oppression, gender/sexual oppression, and various other forms of oppression which were exposed at the WCAR, therefore we need some basis of unity to fight for each other's agenda. We need a broad-based movement that can unite with anti-globalization and liberation forces, Black community organizations, student groups, workers and others to transform society, not just reform the United Nations system.

We saw the beginning of this new movement with the Durban Social Forum demonstration on the first day of the World Conference Against Racism, when 20,000 rank-and-file union organizers, land reformers, anti-capitalists protesters, supporters of the liberation of Palestine, and anti-racists from various countries came together for a mass anti-government/anti-capitalist protest at the International Convention Center, where the WCAR was being held. A new grassroots movement has been created, which many believe will reshape South African politics forever. But to keep it from descending into the pit of opportunism and sectarianism, it must be a primarily anti-authoritarian movement, rather than a political party of would-be and professional politicians, or members of the upper classes. Of course, from being part of the demonstration and talking to various activists, it is clear that they already are aware of these dangers.

Such a direct action movement on an international level could more effectively deal with UN officials and national governments, and not only compel respect for a radical agenda, but lead to actual power-sharing for the NGOs. Only a few well-connected NGOs who served on the International Steering Committee (ISC) even knew what was happening at the conference, and they kept that knowledge pretty much to themselves. The ISC and the host NGO abruptly changed the agenda without notification or explanation. An international NGO federation could bring an end to the kind of abuses we witnessed at the WCAR and open the process to the masses of affected peoples all over the world. It could also make sure that we are never disrespected again by UN bureaucrats, and that the government officials will not be able to sell us out. We have to use the UN just like we do any other institution, to fight for our rights to survive and live in freedom, to build international alliances, and to let the world know of the crimes of government and capitalism.

By Lorenzo Komboa Ervin <komboa@yahoo.com>

Submitted by brc-news@lists.tao.ca

REPARATIONS IS A DEMAND FOR JUSTICE

October 9, 2001

This is not an official report, on the recent conference held in Durban, Africa, which saw an attendance of some several thousands from various governments, as well as non government organisations (NGO) and who debated for over one week at the World Conference Against Racism - xenophobia, human rights, slavery, discrimination and other related matters (WCAR).

This conference achieved much, but not as much as it could have, if it did not see, part way through the session, the withdrawal by the official delegates of the United States of America and of Israel. I think this was unfortunate because the United States, the only superpower, had an excellent opportunity of stating her case before the world.

One thing is certain, the prominence given to Reparation has placed this topic at last on the international agenda for serious consideration. Despite the absence of those two countries the UN Secretariat, under the excellent guidance of the President and Secretary, kept the conference on course and even managed to extend the discussion beyond the date for its closure, so as finally to arrive at a consensus.

The following are personal observations made by me as a member of the Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) mandated by the Organisation of African Unity in 1993, to study the effects of slavery, colonialism and their aftermath on Africa and people of African decent. We have been working steadily ever since in different parts of the world and aside from Barbados and Cuba, very little on this subject has been done in the Caribbean to sensitise the public as to the importance of Reparation.

This is largely because most people do not like to think about slavery, but more so, because they misunderstand entirely what Reparation is about. It is not about the payment by white people as a punishment for what they did to black people.

The word comes from 'Repare' meaning to repair. It is based historically on the fact that from the 15th Century plunderers from Europe kidnapped millions of black people from Africa, transporting them in the hideous conditions of the slave ships across the Atlantic.

Many of the cities of Europe and the New World were built on the sweat and blood of slavery. I may quote the words of Sir Winston Churchill, one of England's greatest Prime Ministers: "Our possessions in the West Indies gave us the strength and the wealth, but about all the wealth which enabled us to overcome the Napoleonic Wars and to succeed the highly competitive period of the 19th and 20^th Centuries, while the rest of Europe did not have these resources and to become the great Empire that we are today".

We are not asking for a penalty for these wrongs. History will show the following three features:

2. The slaves never gave up on their struggle for freedom although they had been separated by thousands of miles and many generations. This struggle for freedom continued in slavery revolts and rebellions.

It was continued by such abolitionists as Frederick; Douglas of America; Buxton of the United Kingdom; Harriet Tubman, that brave black woman, herself a slave who taught herself to read and write and later developed the 'underground railway'. The underground railway later rescued thousand of slaves from the south and transported them to freedom in the north at great risk to her own life.

3. When eventually in the 1830s Emancipation was proclaimed throughout the British Empire, it was the slave owners who received reparations of over two billion pounds sterling by today's valuation, for the rights they had in their slaves. On the other hand, the slaves received nothing at all for the wrongs they suffered through the years in the process of making their masters rich. It cannot be said that the books were closed at Emancipation. The debt had not been paid.

In fact, slavery was not so much abolished as it was transformed into colonialism and the ensuing 130 years or so, saw the freed slaves demanding full Independence.

Within 20 years after the conference, over 50 countries gained their Independence. Although at the time of the conference only a handful of three, Haiti, Egypt and Ethiopia were freed.

We gained Independence in the 1960s. They gave us our government, our anthem, our flag, etc. They gave us the Crown but kept the jewels. We were free, free to starve in a highly competitive world. We were burdened with debt from the start, and still are in debt today. Political Independence without economic strength is illusory. Once more the debt had not been paid, the books had not been closed.

Reparation is a movement aimed at closing these accounts, not merely by the payment of money, but by repairing the damage done to Africa, Africans and the people of African decent, that is, black people.

I stated that this was not a penalty. There have been legal precedence such as the payment of millions of dollars to the native Indians, to the Jews, to the Eskimos of Canada, the Aborigines of Australia, the Maoris of New Zealand and others, so there is both a legal basis as well as moral grounds for the claim.

The historic effects vary from country to country, but reparations seek to remove the economic, political, social and cultural disparities in our march towards an inseparable humanity. Reparation is not a plea for charity. It is a demand for justice.

By Dudley Thompson, Q.C. <dudjt@aol.com>

Gleaner Company

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20011009/cleisure/cleisure2.html

Ambassador Dudley Thompson, Q.C., was Jamaica's envoy to Nigeria and Cabinet Minister during the 1970s

Submitted by brc-news@lists.tao.ca

REPARATIONS IS A DEMAND FOR JUSTICE

October 9, 2001

This is not an official report, on the recent conference held in Durban, Africa, which saw an attendance of some several thousands from various governments, as well as non government organisations (NGO) and who debated for over one week at the World Conference Against Racism - xenophobia, human rights, slavery, discrimination and other related matters (WCAR).

This conference achieved much, but not as much as it could have, if it did not see, part way through the session, the withdrawal by the official delegates of the United States of America and of Israel. I think this was unfortunate because the United States, the only superpower, had an excellent opportunity of stating her case before the world.

One thing is certain, the prominence given to Reparation has placed this topic at last on the international agenda for serious consideration. Despite the absence of those two countries the UN Secretariat, under the excellent guidance of the President and Secretary, kept the conference on course and even managed to extend the discussion beyond the date for its closure, so as finally to arrive at a consensus.

The following are personal observations made by me as a member of the Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) mandated by the Organisation of African Unity in 1993, to study the effects of slavery, colonialism and their aftermath on Africa and people of African decent. We have been working steadily ever since in different parts of the world and aside from Barbados and Cuba, very little on this subject has been done in the Caribbean to sensitise the public as to the importance of Reparation.

We are not asking for a penalty for these wrongs. History will show the following three features:

In fact, slavery was not so much abolished as it was transformed into colonialism and the ensuing 130 years or so, saw the freed slaves demanding full Independence.

Within 20 years after the conference, over 50 countries gained their Independence. Although at the time of the conference only a handful of three, Haiti, Egypt and Ethiopia were freed.

Reparation is a movement aimed at closing these accounts, not merely by the payment of money, but by repairing the damage done to Africa, Africans and the people of African decent, that is, black people.

Some of the ways in which this can be done include the following:

I stated that this was not a penalty. There have been legal precedence such as the payment of millions of dollars to the native Indians, to the Jews, to the Eskimos of Canada, the Aborigines of Australia, the Maoris of New Zealand and others, so there is both a legal basis as well as moral grounds for the claim.

The historic effects vary from country to country, but reparations seek to remove the economic, political, social and cultural disparities in our march towards an inseparable humanity. Reparation is not a plea for charity. It is a demand for justice.

By Dudley Thompson, Q.C. <dudjt@aol.com>

Gleaner Company

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20011009/cleisure/cleisure2.html

Ambassador Dudley Thompson, Q.C., was Jamaica's envoy to Nigeria and Cabinet Minister during the 1970s

Submitted by brc-news@lists.tao.ca

[Very informative and very well said. T.Y., Editor]

PASSAIC COUNTY REPARATIONS RESOLUTION

October 7, 2001

The following contains information related to a Resolution supporting Congressman John Conyers, Jr.'s legislation HR 40 which seeks a study of slavery of African Americans and the effects of slavery on contemporary African Americans.

The following resolution was requested by the Passaic County Reparations Coalition, which I am privileged to Chair, last year and approved by the Board of Freeholders, however, as you can see from the date, the resolution was not issued until September 25, 2001. Better late than never.

Please add this resolution to others that have been passed by legislatures in the past. I now intend to pursue resolution from the sixteen municipalities that make up the Passaic County Government. I will keep your office advised of all progress.

La Luta Continua

Rev. Ron Gross, Chairman

Passaic County Reparations Coalition

R-01-503

09-25-01

PASSAIC COUNTY REPARATIONS RESOLUTION

September 25, 2001

WHEREAS over 4 million Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and colonies that became the United States from 1619 to 1865: and

WHEREAS the institution of slavery was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789 through 1865: and

WHEREAS the slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of African’s life, liberty, African citizenship rights, and cultural heritage, and denied them the fruits of their own labor; and

WHEREAS sufficient inquiry has not been made into the effects of the institution of slavery on living African Americans and society in the United States; and

WHEREAS to address the above stated issues, Congressman John Conyers, 14th Congressional District of Michigan, introduced Bill H.R. 40 into Congress this year and every year previous to this one since 1989, proposing to enact the "Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act"; and

WHEREAS the purpose of this bill is to acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes; and

WHEREAS the matters to be addressed by this bill are of great importance to the people of Passaic County and are therefore encouraged and supported by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Passaic; and

WHEREAS the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Passaic previously expressed our support for this bill and would like to go on record as the supporting the passage of such.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLED by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Passaic that it hereby wishes to go on record as supporting the passage of H.R. 40 proposing to enact the : Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act".

BE IT FURTHER resolved that a certified copy of this Resolution be forwarded to all members of the Congressional Delegation representing the State of New Jersey.

Dated: September 25, 2001

Georgia D. Scott

Freeholders:

Cuccinello: Aye Eagler: Aye

Gallagher: Aye Mecca: Aye

Porter: Absent Rosado: Aye

Scott: Aye

cc: County Counsel

County Administration

Certified copy: To all members of the Congressional Delegation

Requested by:

APPROVED AS OF FORMAT

William J. Pascrell, III - County Counsel

From: Aurevouche Dorothy B. Lewis

N'COBRA, National Co-Chair

OrAvouChe@aol.com

*********

Reparations

70. Recognising that the Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Saharan and Trans-Indian Ocean slave trade and slavery constitute crimes against humanity and were based on economic exploitation, doctrines of racial supremacy and racial hatred and have subjected Africans and African descendants, Indigenous Peoples and many others to the most horrific denigration of their being including classification as sub-humans and chattel, subjugation to rape, forced labour, branding, lashings, murder, maiming, destruction of their languages, cultures, psychological and spiritual well-being resulting in structural subordination which continues to the present.

71. Slave-holder nations, colonizers and occupying countries have unjustly enriched themselves at the expense of those people that they enslaved and colonized and whose land they have occupied. As these nations largely owe their political, economic and social domination to the exploitation of Africa, Africans and Africans in the Diaspora they should recognize their obligation to provide these victims just and equitable reparations.

72. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, slavery and colonialism is a crime against humanity because of its abhorrent barbarism, its magnitude, long duration, numbers of people brutalized and murdered and because of their negation of the very essence of humanity of their victims, therefore, reparations programs must be comprehensive enough in addressing all areas of concern including economic, educational, health, land ownership and possession as well as the racially biased systems of administration of justice that brutalize Africans and people of African Descent.

73. The Trans-Saharan and Trans-Indian Ocean Slave Trades and slavery must also be acknowledged and recognised as crimes against humanity, which brutalised communities and stripped people of their dignity, and for which those communities must receive justice and redress.

74. There is an unbroken chain from the slave trade, slavery, colonialism, foreign occupation, apartheid, racial discrimination and the contemporary forms of structural racism that maintain barriers to the full and equal participation of the victims of racism and discrimination in all spheres of public life;

75. The enslavement of Indigenous Peoples, the appropriation of their lands and exploitation of their resources must be acknowledged and repaired and the historic precedents for reparations to the victims of gross violations of human rights should be applied to them;

76. Victims of declared and undeclared wars throughout the world have had their human rights violated because of their race, ethnicity and the intersection of race, ethnicity and gender and disability and are in need of reparation;

233. We demand that educational curricula reflect the accurate historical experiences of both the victims and the perpetrators of the Trans Atlantic SlaveTrade, Trans-Saharan and Trans-Indian Ocean Slave Trade, Slavery and Colonialism.

234. Therefore, we call for the establishment of an international tribunal within one year to document the character and extent of harm derived from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Trans-Saharan and Trans-Indian Ocean Slave Trade, slavery and colonialism which are crimes against humanity.

235. Urge governments in Cameroon, Mauritania, Niger and Sudan that engage in any form of slavery to eradicate this practice. In particular, laws abolishing traditional slavery should include reparations for the victims of these violations. Criminal sanctions should be imposed on perpetrators of these crimes. States should recognize the human rights of these victims, including their political, social, economic, cultural and civil rights.

236. We demand that the United States, Canada, and those European and Arab nations that participated in and benefited from the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, the Trans-Sahara Slave Trade, the Trans-Indian Ocean Slave Trade, Slavery and the Colonization of Africa, within one year of the WCAR establish an international compensatory mechanism for victims of these crimes against humanity.

237. Ensure that, in accordance with universally recognised human rights norms and standards, all nations, groups and their members who are the victims of crimes against humanity based on race, colour, caste, descent, ethnicity or indigenous or national origin are provided reparations;

238. Ensure that the perpetrators and beneficiaries of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Slavery, Colonialism, Foreign Occupation acknowledge that these polices and practices are crimes against humanity;

239. Create programs of reparations for the victims of crimes against humanity and violations of human rights reaching the masses of the victimized and not merely an elite few and designed to address the specific character of the peoples injured that include:

240. Restitution encompassing the unconditional return of land, heritage icons and artifacts; the provision of land to those forced to leave their homelands and forcibly resettled in foreign lands; cancellation of debt of countries victimized by these crimes against humanity including African countries and impoverished countries in the Americas;

241. Monetary compensation that will repair the victims, including Africa, Africans and African descendants, by closing the economic gap created by these crimes and encompassing debt cancellation, programs for creation and enhancement of participation in production enterprises; full accessibility and affirmative inclusion in all levels of employment opportunity; grants of cash payments based on assessment of losses resulting from the violations of human rights and crimes against humanity;

242. Restoration including release of all political prisoners, providing for health care, including mental health care, educational and social services that are specifically designed to correct the injuries caused by the violations of human rights and crimes against humanity;

243. Satisfaction and guarantee of non-repetition includes the public acknowledgment of the crimes against humanity; the correction of the history of Africa, African and African descendants in educational materials and in the media; acknowledgment of the economic base of exploitation of the victims of crimes against humanity and violations of human rights and the unjust enrichment of the perpetrators;

244. Create an independent international and regional monitoring organization with the responsibility to assure that programs of reparations are designed and implemented with timetables and that satisfy the provisions of this programme of action are accomplished;

245. We call on all States to acknowledge the principle of reparations for the cultural, demographic, economic, political, social and moral wrongs of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Trans-Saharan slave trade, Trans-Indian Ocean slave trade, slavery and colonisation and that African and African Descendant victims reserve the right to determine the form and manner of reparations;

246. We call on all concerned African nations to take formal legal action to obtain the return of stolen cultural artifacts, gold, money, mineral wealth and the return of occupied land on the continent and call on the international community to support such actions.

Declaration and Programme of Action, NGO Forum, World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Durban, South Africa, August 27-Sept 1, 2001

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WCAR2001/NGOFORUM/index.htm

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WCAR2001/NGOFORUM/Africans.htm

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WCAR2001/NGOFORUM/Colonialism.htm

Reparations

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WCAR2001/NGOFORUM/Reparations.htm

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/WCAR2001/NGOFORUM/Slavery.htm

Submitted by BRC-REPARATIONS: Black Radical Congress - Reparations Caucus

REPARATIONS TO BE A KEY FOCUS OF ATLANTA CONFERENCE

September 11, 2001

As the count down to the historical State of the Black World Conference (SOBWC) in Atlanta November 28 to December 2 begins, one thing is certain, the burning issue of reparations for Africans in America, the continent of Africa and the Caribbean will be one of the main focal points of the deliberations. As the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson remarked during the World Conference on Racism (WCAR), which recently concluded in Durban, South Africa, "reparations is an idea whose time has come."

Who could have predicted just a few short years ago that the United States government would be so terrified of facing up to its own history of sanction and complicity with slavery that Secretary of State Colin Powell would refuse to go to the conference, sending instead a low level delegation. And, who could have predicted that U.S. representatives would stage a walkout in the midst of the withering condemnation of Israel for its discriminatory policies against the Palestinians and Arab citizens of Israel and a major push by Africans in America, African nations and Non-Governmental Organizations to formally declare the trans-Atlantic slave trade a crime against humanity.

But that is exactly what happened -- the big bad, U.S. government, the world's one remaining super power, beat a hasty retreat and withdrew from the WCAR rather than face the aggrieved parties and dialogue on their petition for redress. The irony is not lost that for years at the height of apartheid in South Africa it was the United States that steadfastly advocated "constructive engagement" with the brutal White minority regime in that nation. At WCAR the U.S. government was exposed as a hypocrite and a coward. Far from being discouraged by the cowardly actions of the U.S., however, the broad global coalition of forces pushing for a discussion of reparations seized the moral and political high ground, generating tremendous momentum as the delegates return to their respective nations.

As the powerful delegation of Africans from America return to the U.S., the moral and political energy generated at WCAR will be channeled in many directions including the SOBWC which now must become a critical convergence point and catalyst for intensifying the struggle for reparations in this country. With this in mind, the conference planners have adjusted the schedule to build a direct link between WCAR and SOBWC. Dr. Raymond Winbush, Director of the influential Race Relations Institute at Fisk University in Nashville and Beni Ivey, Executive Director of the Center for Democratic Renewal in Atlanta have been asked to organize a briefing on WCAR. The panel of presenters will include Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement and Dr. Conrad Worrill, National Chairman of the Black United Front among other organizational representatives who went to Durban.

In addition to the briefing, the Conference will include a major plenary session on reparations with a panel of presenters being organized by Dr. Jemadari Kamara, Director of the Black Studies and Haitian Studies Programs at Umass/Boston and the Chairman of the African American Institute for Research and Empowerment. The goal is to have representatives of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N'COBRA) and other key organizations and agencies advocating for reparations in the U.S., Africa and the Caribbean serve as panelists and resource persons for this crucial plenary session. And, of course, we expect Congressman John Conyers, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus to be a part of this panel. As Convener of SOBWC, I am hopeful that a reparations working group can be convened during the conference to discuss ways and means of forging greater operational unity and a united front at this critical juncture in the reparations movement.

As a longstanding proponent of reparations, I believe that the time is ripe for a massive coordinated campaign incorporating widespread popular education, litigation, legislation and direct action. In the last couple of years, the N'COBRA Legal Task Force has been painstakingly crafting a major legal case. In addition, Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogeltree has also assembled a legal team, which includes Johnny Cochran and Willie Gary to explore legal strategies to win reparations. Congressman Conyers continues to introduce HR-40, the Reparations Study Bill in the House of Representatives, and the time may be at hand to mount a major push to press for its enactment.

In terms of direct action, the concept of a Million People's March, which is being discussed, is an idea that I fully support. It is time for a "Million March" with a specific goal and outcome. Last but not least, I would hope that the Million March idea would be coupled with a call for economic sanctions targeted against one of the growing list of corporations that has been identified as participants and/or prime beneficiaries of slavery in the U.S. Break the back of a major corporation and the task of winning reparations will improve immensely.

The pace of the struggle to win reparations has picked up dramatically. Accordingly, the State of the Black World Conference must be utilized as an important forum to advance the cause of vindicating the trials, tribulations and triumphs of our ancestors. There can be no reconciliation without repairing the damages of enslavement. "Reparations is an idea whose time has come."

Submitted by Ron Daniels <ronmae@aol.com>

The Black World Today

http://www.tbwt.com/content/article.asp?articleid=1636

[If we don’t demonstrate and make our voices heard, as well as protest for the lack of respect for the needs of Black Peoples, we will never acquire Civil Rights and Human Rights, and much less Reparations. My People, we are fighting for our survival and for our children. We must make this government know that we are serious! There is but one way to correct the damage done to the Black psyche, and that is to attain self determination and have our own communities governed by Black folks and based on our own cultures, economic, political, and social design. Remember, we lost everything, and everything we now have (just about) is accredited to those who took us captive. Our children must be taught again that "Black is beautiful" in such a way that we will take pride in ourselves and join together to make efforts to better our lifestyles, be they in the lands that took us captive, in Africa, or in other friendly countries. T.Y., Editor]

WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM XENOPHOBIA AND INTOLERANCE:

AN HISTORIC SUCCESS

AN ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THE WCAR

September 28, 2001

The American NGOs can take considerable credit for a contribution to the positive result. While the NGO Forum ended in disarray without a democratic vote on its findings, they provided a tremendous support to

Governments in the positive aspects of their final Declaration.

The Conference dramatized the distance between U.S. policy and the new agenda adopted by the world for dealing with many major problems contributing to the current crisis. One might well ask the question, If the U.S had stayed would we now have a more enlightened policy towards the Arab States and the terrorist network? I will attempt to answer this at the end of this article.

As Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN, put it: "I do not claim that this Conference has solved the problems of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The issues have been addressed, not answered. But we have a framework. We have made a start and that is what counts."

The Western press and particularly the American media dramatized the confrontation between the Palestinians Arabs and the Jewish and Israeli delegates. While emotional, this obscured important ideas and solutions to many other issues. Critical of Israel's human rights policies toward Palestine, the NGO Forum never approved some of the extreme statements of Arab delegates. In fact, the NGO Forum adopted a strong statement on the dangers of antisemitism which said in part, " Antisemitism is one of the oldest, most pernicious and prevalent forms of racism which still exists and is even increasing in many areas of the world." They condemned the rise of hate groups and the use of the Internet for spreading anti-Semitism world wide.

In both the NGO Forum and the Government Conference there were strong attacks against Israel for its Palestinian policies and U.S. policy in the Middle East was widely criticized for its support of not only Israel but conservative Arab states. However, in the confusion of the closing session of the Forum the majority of the delegates never voted on the International Steering Committee statement and Mary Robinson refused to accept the " excessive language used against Israel."

The Governments, after a protracted debate, called for the end of violence in the Middle East and the swift resumption of peace negotiations, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law and respect for self-determination. This conciliation was persistently pushed by the European Union and, in an over time session, the Arab states finally acquiesced.

Much marching and demonstrating took place and it was important to note that some Jewish delegates marched with the Palestinians, protesting Israel's violent actions. This ultimate agreement aired the differences and laid the basis for a continuing attempt by the world to reach a peaceful resolution.

The most important and hopefully lasting accomplishment by both NGOs and Governments was to put on the world agenda several issues of "Institutional racism." and the identification of certain "crimes against humanity" punishable under international law. The proposed International Criminal Court was strongly endorsed in the Government and NGO statements.

Governments have rejected racism as an ideology or a direct policy. The old methods such as Apartheid and segregation have been abandoned. But in many instances discrimination by dominant groups and governments continue in new forms of inequality of opportunity and discrimination. South Africa was repeatedly praised for its multi-racial accomplishments. Demonstrators in the streets led by the South African Trade Union COSATU protested that the Mbeki Government should not privatize industry and must provide jobs for Africans through land reform.

While racism was officially condemned, Americans, especially African Americans and Native Americans, were prominent in their denunciation of continuing forms of discrimination in economic opportunity and education. Native Americans criticized the institutional injustice prevalent in environment control and management of resources.

Several new NGOs from the U.S. were prominent on panels concerning institutional racism and supportive of the final declaration adopted. This writer presented a paper on "Environmental Injustice on the Rio Grande/Bravo." The Environmental Justice Center at Clark University in Atlanta sent several delegates led by Robert Ballard who is one of the pioneers on this topic. The NGO Forum adopted a strong statement on Environmental Racism which stated in part: " Environmental racism is a human rights violation and is a form of discrimination caused by government and private sector policy, practice, action or inaction which intentionally or unintentionally, disproportionately targets and harms the environment, health, biodiversity, local economy, quality of life and security of communities, workers, groups, and individuals based on race, class, color, gender, caste, ethnicity and/or national origin."

There were hundreds of African American delegates to the NGO Forum who stayed after the NGO forum ended to lobby the Governments on African issues which included financial support for the AIDs programs of African states, debt cancellation and reparations for colonialism and slavery. The reparations issue was pushed primarily by African NGOs and African States. European support for this was led by France which had officially declared slavery in its old and new forms a crime against humanity. In the end the demands for compensation were set aside by the Governments and a compromise adopted which finally acknowledged "the slave trade and slavery were a crime against humanity and has always been."

However, the Europeans refused to accept any liability from this for reparations. To many African Americans like Jesse Jackson and Africans such as Bishop Desmond Tutu this was failure to recognize the opportunity to do something to support sustainable development for the poor of Africa and the Caribbean through debt cancellation and financing of the world AIDs program. These were two programs strongly endorsed by both Conferences.

The recognition of this issue in debate by Governments has opened the way to more serious support for the needs of the disadvantaged peoples and states. The acceptance of wealthy countries of their responsibility for slavery carries with it a moral obligation to do more for the AIDs program in Africa and the cancellation of debt of Third World countries.

Indigenous Peoples

Native Americans First Peoples in Canada charged the official Declaration and Program of Action failed to accede to their demands for full recognition of their sovereignty and rights under international law. They united on behalf of over 350 million indigenous people in the world to demand the dropping of paragraph 27 in the Government Declaration which excluded them from protection by international law against crimes against humanity. The British and American official delegates(in the preparatory commissions) were the most strongly determined to retain the existing exemption of non-state peoples from this protection. And in the end their views prevailed. In a dramatic appearance before the assembled delegates the chiefs and leaders of the indigenous people warned they would withdraw from the Conference. It is significant to note that the NGO Forum had supported them in paragraph 63 of their statement regarding the applicability of international human rights law to indigenous peoples: "Indigenous Peoples are peoples within the full meaning of international law. Indigenous Peoples have the right to self-determination by virtue of which they freely determine their economic, social, political and cultural development and the inherent right to possession of all of their traditional and ancestral lands and territories." The Latin American NGOs were instrumental in the drafting of this statement.

Migrant Workers Numerous NGOs and governments from African, Asia and Latin America worked on behalf of the rights of migrant workers. Both Conferences adopted meaningful proposals for reform that were directed at changes in policy for European states and the North American continent. Arnoldo Garcia from California was the representative of the NGO, national network for immigrant and refugees rights who was a leader in the discussions over U.S. Latin American issues. Teresa Leal of the Southwest Network spoke for indigenous peoples on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The NGOs urged "ratification of numerous existing conventions on the rights of migrant workers." and interalia requested the granting of visas, work permits, better family conditions, housing and access to justice for people regardless of color, descent, or national origin.

Minorities

Numerous minority issues were brought before both Conferences. The Dalits of India made a strong case against caste discrimination. Kurds and Romas(gypsies in Europe) were for the first time given recognition in an international conference such as this. Once again gender equality for all nations was proclaimed and states urged to not only ratify conventions in support of these rights, but as the Arab NGO Cairo Declaration Against Racism said, bring their own laws and practices into conformity with real equality for women.

Post Durban

The question of follow up after Durban was stressed by Kofi Annan who told the delegates that civil society would determine if the Conference had been a success. Mary Robinson who had put more than two years into the preparation for this gathering, urged everyone to go beyond this first step taken in Durban and work in their own countries for understanding and new policies.

This was particularly acute for American NGO delegates who returned to a country which suddenly realized it was at war. It will be very difficult to get the country and especially the Government to focus on this new world agenda. However, the rest of the world will continue to work from this first step in the assistance of victims of racism and xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.

In time the U.S Government will discover that military and violent approaches to the problems of the Middle East do not work. Europe experienced this some years earlier. American NGOs can continue to play a role in helping this country to realize the limits of force in North/South relations and the imperatives of negotiation and compromise.

Submitted by WCAR - World Conference Against Racism Xenophobia and Intolerance

From: randall@udayton.edu

To: WCAR-Updates@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:

WCAR-Updates-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

[Yes, in time the U.S. Government will realize quite a few things. One in particular is that racism and race hatred is destructive, and that the United States can never be termed "America the Beautiful" in light of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade and the injustices Descendants of Slaves face in this "Sweet Land of Liberty" for privileged Whites. T.Y., Editor]

WILL BARBARA LEE’S RISKY GAMBLE PAY OFF?

September 21, 2001

California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a black Democrat, is gambling that she won't share the fate of Montana Republican Jeanette Rankin, Oregon Senator Wayne Morse, and Alaska Senator Ernest Gruening. Rankin cast the only congressional vote against Franklin Roosevelt's declaration of war against Japan following the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Morse and Gruening cast the only votes against the Tonkin Gulf resolution that gave Lyndon Johnson full power to wage war in Vietnam in 1965.

The voters didn't forgive or forget their dissent. Rankin left Congress in 1943, and Morse and Gruening were trounced in their re-election bids. Lee followed their example when she cast the lone vote against giving President Bush carte blanche to unleash war against terrorists. She ignored polls that show that a staggering number of Americans want a swift, pulverizing hit against terrorists even if that means body-bagging innocent civilians in the process. The vote was her personal message to Bush to think before lobbing bombs, cruise missiles, and ground troops at Afghanistan.

Lee is not off base in her dread that Bush's big stick will turn terrorist wanted man Osama bin Laden and the Afghan Taliban into mythic heroes among their supporters, swell the ranks of terror bombers, cripple relations with moderate Arab and Palestinian leaders, and torpedo chances for an Israeli-Palestinian deal. Some British and French officials, and Bush's Arab allies, have implored him to use caution and restraint in dealing with Afghanistan.

But the parallel to the dissent over America's entrance into World War II and Vietnam don't hold up. Much of the world was already at war when the Japanese attacked the U.S. military, and while the Vietnam war was a towering disaster, with heavy racist, and imperial overtones, the Americans that filled the body bags were mostly combatants. Those filling the bags at the Trade Center and Pentagon are clerks, typists, computer processors, security guards, fire fighters, and beat police officers. And, those European officials and Arab leaders that voiced mild dissent to U.S. war making in the next breath pledged their total support to any action Bush takes.

Lee also banks that in bucking Bush and the public's war mania she speaks for her core supporters, the black voters in the Berkeley and Oakland districts she represents. Lee claims that she received thousands of emails from those constituents urging her to take a stand against Bush and war. But this also rests on the shaky belief that blacks are less willing to back America's wars than whites. This is pure myth.

During America's wars, black protest has always given way to black patriotism. Black divisions distinguished themselves in the Civil War and the Spanish American War. During World War I, black scholar, and activist, W.E.B. Dubois in a Crisis Magazine editorial rallied blacks to the flag with a call to close ranks and forget their racial grievances. They flocked to a segregated army in droves. Patriotic fever among blacks soared during World War II. Black newspapers carried headlines "Buy a Liberty Bond and Win the War." Not only did blacks buy millions of dollars in war bonds, they also staged victory balls, rallies, and fund drives.

During the Korean conflict, blacks again dutifully trudged off to yet another foreign battlefield. The massive 1960s protests, and urban riots, heavyweight boxing champ, Muhammad Ali's draft refusal, the relentless attack by Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, and black power advocates on the Vietnam war as "racist," and "imperialist," did not dissuade blacks from fighting and dying in disproportionate numbers in Vietnam.

In the Gulf War in 1991, blacks composed more than one-third of the fighting force. When Congress voted unanimously to authorize Clinton to wage war against Serbia in 1998, other than Lee who cast the sole vote against the war resolution, and a small number of black militants, there was scarcely a murmur of opposition among blacks.

The week before the Trade Center and Pentagon terror attacks, Congressional Black Caucus members were savaging Bush for not attending the World Racism Conference, the Florida vote fraud, and his tax rebate that further drained billions from the budget coffers for health and education programs. The moment after the attacks, they instantly reversed gear, rallied round the flag, and with not a peep of public protest, other than Lee, backed Bush's war power resolution. The Black Caucus's most vocal Bush critics, Georgia representative, Cynthia McKinney and Texas Representative, Eddie Bernice Johnson, even issued public statements that sounded every bit as bellicose as Bush's.

The reflexive liberal politics of Lee's district, her long political tenure, and the short memory of voters virtually assure she'll be reelected in 2002. But Lee also gambles that eventually she'll be applauded for saying no to Bush. It would be nice to think that, but the national anguish for the thousands buried in the rubble of the Trade Center and the Pentagon make that unlikely to happen.

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The Black World Today

http://www.tbwt.com/content/article.asp?articleid=1744

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally syndicated columnist and the president of the National Alliance for Positive Action. website www.natalliance.org

Submitted by alarkam@webtv.net

***

Congresswoman Barbara Lee should be commended for refusing to jump on President Bush's rush-to-war bandwagon. When Pharaoh Bush tells the world, "You are either with the U.S.A. or you are with the terrorists," he is also serving notice on all African-Americans, "You are either with the Caucasian ruling elite, or you are against it. I want you African-American men and women to fly overseas and bomb and kill anyone I order you to, while I deny you basic human rights right here in America." The real battle our people should be focusing on is the legal and spiritual battle for massive Reparations which is being waged inside the United Nations.

Please visit www.afre-ngo.org and donate to the Reparations War Chest.

Minister Malik Al-Arkam

alarkam@webtv.net

Visit The Black World Today @ http://www.tbwt.com

[When the body bags come home, we know there will be business as usual, but will Blacks and Whites still support President Bush and re-elect him? And will these same Blacks and Whites - after all the togetherness and prayers and unity after September 11, - be ready to discuss justice served for the Descendants of Slaves. President Bush has the Armed Forces of NATO going after those responsible for the WTC and Pentagon attacks. Folks, we should have taken their initiative and gone after the Slave Masters and their descendants who reaped great wealth from the Slave Trade, after all, one act of revenge is just as good as another. T.Y., Editor]

***

REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE, WE STAND BY YOU!

September 20, 2001

Dear Representative Lee:

We, the Association of Africans and African-Americans, headquartered in Oakland, California, are proud to profess that we stand by you 100 percent in the stance that you took in voting against President Bush's call for military action subsequent to the disasters that took place on Tuesday, September 11, 2001; and we, indeed, support you for the courage you have shown in the face of adversity. We had hoped that President Bush would show restraint and obtain all the facts before making a decision that may change the United States and the world forever.

426 Cannon House Office Bldg

Washington DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-2661

Fax: (202 225-9817

1301 Clay Street, Suite 1000N

Oakland, CA 94612

Phone: (510) 763-0370

Fax: (510) 763-6538

Website: < www.house.gov/lee >

E-mail Address: < barbara.lee@mail.house.gov >

Gye Nyame

Tunde Okorodudu, President

Karen C. Aboiralor, Deputy President

Nasiru Nikharo, Secretary

Queen E. Thurston, Treasurer and Chief Elder

Jeffrey Fletcher, Esq., President Emeritus

http://www.theMarcusGarveyBBS.com

NEWS, EVENTS, FORUMS and more..

TheBlackList - "The New Negro World" / Satisfying the African Need to Know

Submitted by kcamm23063@aol.com

***

LETTER OF SUPPORT TO REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE

September 28, 2001

Contact: Frances M. Beal, fmbeal@igc.org

Bill Fletcher Jr., bfletcher4@compuserve.com

The Honorable Barbara Lee

U.S. House of Representatives

426 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Lee:

The Black Radical Congress salutes you for your courageous stand in opposing the House resolution to provide the U.S. President carte blanche in responding militarily to the horrific events of September 11, 2001. It is an infamous act of violence that brings grief and fear to all decent people at home and abroad. While most of our elected officials beat the war drums and promise to spill the blood of even more people - somewhere, or anywhere - it takes a person with an extraordinary level of integrity and political grit to stand alone against the jingoism that is sweeping the nation. You are proving to have such courage and we are proud that you have raised your voice for peace and justice at this time of crisis.

In the years to come, we are sure that your name will shine brightly as a beacon of rationality and the lone voice of conscience in the halls of the U.S. Congress, at a critical time in our nation's history.

We will be doing everything in our power to activate our membership and our friends in the struggle for peace in the days to come. It is good to know we have such an ally in Congress.

Submitted by blackradicalcongress@mail.com (Black Radical Congress)

NOTE: When responding or sending us feedback about

this statement, please indicate whether we have your

permission to share your comments publicly, as part

of a broader discussion and debate. Thank you.

Black Radical Congress

National Office

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New York, NY 10025-1509

Phone: (212) 969-0348

Email: blackradicalcongress@visto.com

Web: http://www.blackradicalcongress.org

BRC-PRESS: Black Radical Congress - Official Press Releases/Statements

McKinney Declares US Effort To Split Blacks Fails:

Remain Real Issues that won't go away.

September 10, 2001

(Washington, DC) The walkout of the United States Government was supposed to weaken the resolve of the participants in the third United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), begun August 31 and ending September 7 in Durban, South Africa.

It hasn't. In fact, "US behavior during the WCAR, has been so obnoxious and so transparent that it has served to strengthen the bonds between the world's minorities, in particular, African Americans and Africans, in a way that could never have been anticipated by the current Administration," stated McKinney.

Historically, there have been countless efforts by the US to undermine cooperation between African Americans and Africans as stated in National Security Council (NSC) Memorandum Number 46, penned in 1978 by then National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brezezinski. This document outlines covert steps to be taken in order to thwart cooperation by black organizations in the United States and liberation movements on the African Continent.

As we look to Durban today, we see that the world's minorities have gathered in an unprecedented effort to stand together with one intent in mind: to lay their issues before an international audience. Although the immediate work of the US delegation was to try to satisfy African concerns about colonialism while sidestepping African and African American concerns about the slave trade, an apology, and reparations. The US plan to mollify the Africans at the expense of the African Americans backfired as these two groups have unified in an effort to push the issues of reparations and slavery forward even beyond WCAR.

In addition, seven Members of the US Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by CBC Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, dissented from the position of the US delegation by adopting the platform of African American non-governmental organizations participating in the WCAR. "We will continue to stand firm with our brothers and sisters on the Continent. Any effort to project division is not true. In fact, the only thing that divides us from our brothers on the Continent is the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and we're together on the need for an apology and reparations for this crime against humanity," stated McKinney.

While in Durban, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus announced they are discussing the possibility of holding their own "Conference Against Racism in the United States in 2003."

Press Release

www.afre-ngo.org.

[The year 2003 is much too far away to have a "Conference Against Racism in the United States." Plans should have been started for this caliber of meeting immediately upon leaving Durban, South Africa. Anything can happen between now and 2003, as you can see with the WTC and Pentagon attacks. T.Y., Editor]

THE UNITED STATES CHANGES NAME FROM "INFINITE JUSTICE"

TO "ENDURING FREEDOM"

September 28, 2001

The U.S.A. has changed the name of its worldwide war against terrorism from "Infinite Justice" to "Enduring Freedom," after being advised that the original name would offend many Muslims who know that only Allah God can dispense ultimate justice.

Both names sound extremely ironic to the millions of African-Americans who for centuries have been victims of U.S. government practices of ethnocide, forced assimilation and institutionalized racism. Since being brought in chains to America 446 years ago our ancestors and their descendants have never experienced freedom, justice and equality under Caucasian rulership. To this day in 2001 we do not enjoy equal employment opportunities, equal business opportunities or equal justice under the law.

We should remember that the Administration of President George Bush, who now declares that he wants to rid the world of "all evil-doers," declared his total opposition to the concept of Reparations for African-Americans prior to the convening of the World Conference Against Racism. The U.S. government refused to participate in the WCAR for fear that both the U.S. and Israel would be held accountable for the many violations of human rights which they have committed.

The African-American people will only have freedom, justice and equality when we have established our collective political identity inside the international legal arena, secured broad Reparations, and won the right to erect our own government on some of this Earth that we can call our own. Since in recent months Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and several other notable figures have placed more emphasis on the Reparations issue, it is our hope and prayer that they and all influential African-Americans will join hands with the Honorable Silis Muhammad inside the United Nations to secure genuine justice for our long-oppressed people.

Minister Malik Al-Arkam

www.afre-ngo.org

Submitted by brc-reparations@yahoogroups.com

BRC-REPARATIONS: Black Radical Congress - Reparations Caucus

[It’s hard to believe that President Bush doesn’t bite his tongue when he speaks about ridding the World of "all evil-doers." The United States wasn’t built on GOD’s concept of Righteousness. It was build on the backs of Slaves forced out of Africa. And if he were a Descendant of Slaves, he wouldn’t have any problems knowing who the real "terrorists" are. T.Y., Editor]

REFLECTIONS ON DURBAN

THE NATION

September 11, 2001

To some of us in Africa, it seems as if your new President is scared of getting involved. Whereas Clinton entertained us with his exploits, throwing apologies around liberally afterwards, Bush seems to prefer pre-climactic withdrawal. We are referring of course to the US government's premature departure from the World Conference Against Racism. This was the highest-profile pull-out ever staged by such a low-profile delegation. One wonders whether US officials were sent there with the express purpose of being withdrawn in protest.

What Bush overlooked is that the damage has already been done, and the United States cannot dodge its responsibility by its absence. The damage we are referring to is the legacy of centuries of conquest, subjugation and economic exploitation on the descendants of slaves and on colonized and indigenous peoples. Granted, Bill Clinton's apologies pale into insignificance by comparison.

In reality, the former colonial and slave-trading powers needed this conference more than the so-called victims. This was a unique opportunity for Western governments to look on politely while representatives of the poor and marginalized aired their grievances, and for those governments to make a symbolic gesture in the direction of their victims -- infinitely preferable to the hard-core demonstrators on the streets of Seattle or Genoa.

The European Union recognized this. The Belgian foreign minister stayed an extra night in Durban, holding up an important EU summit in Brussels, in order to try to come up with a final conference declaration. "One of the main reasons we need this conference to be a success" he said at his press conference, "is to provide a reply to the 'anti-globalists.'"

The message Europe wanted to give to the antiglobalization movement is that Western powers are aware of their historical responsibility for creating poverty and inequality and are on top of the situation. Fancy footwork by Europe insured just this outcome. The conference declaration denounces slavery and colonialism and recommends remedies based on a "developmental partnership," such as "promotion of foreign direct investment and market access."

Presto! Western elites are absolved of the guilt they might feel for having built their economies on systematic racial exploitation, and, as if by magic, minor modifications to their present economic policies are offered as remedies. No need for wild calls like reparations, and never mind a fundamental rethinking of contemporary capitalism. And as a bonus, Thabo Mbeki and leaders of other African elites consent to the outcome. Not a bad result for Europe. Seems like Bush missed the boat.

Even greater legitimacy was accorded the UN conference by the presence of thousands of nongovernmental delegates at the parallel NGO Forum. Not only did African presidents endorse the conference outcome but those boisterous civil society types, who have developed a predilection for trying

to sabotage international gatherings of world leaders, had their own meeting just a block away.

Not surprisingly, the NGO declaration contains much more radical language than the official UN document. It condemns the contemporary racist exploitation by states of groups such as the Palestinians, the Dalits (or "untouchables") in India and present-day slaves in Mauritania and elsewhere. And it calls for direct financial reparations to be paid to the victims of racism. It also points to present forms of globalization as an ongoing source of racial inequality.

What impact will the NGO document have on the UN or its member governments? Perhaps the best indication of this is given by the response of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, to the NGO document. Her first, private reaction was apparently to reject it outright. Later, at a press conference, she said that while it contained some good ideas, she could not recommend it to the main conference. In particular, she felt that its reference to Zionism as racism was unhelpful.

Could it be that the whole multimillion-dollar event, including the NGO Forum, was a charade, designed to give the impression that the more enlightened elements of global civil society have bought into the empty promises of globalization? That certainly was the prevailing view in the third gathering, the unofficial "pavement conference" attended by 20,000 landless and penniless people from around Durban and elsewhere in South Africa.

Unable to afford the $100 entrance fee to the NGO Forum, Durban's poor held their own assembly and march. This was the largest political protest in South Africa since the demise of apartheid, outside of a labor-union general strike. A few US conference delegates strayed wide-eyed into the gatherings. They may not have understood the slogans being chanted by the masses in Zulu: Ulawula ngobubanxa Mbeki, e-South Africa ("Hey Mbeki, you're messing up South Africa"); Wena wawutshelwua ubani ukuthi amanzi ayakhokhelwa? ("Who told you you could sell us water?").

But they couldn't have missed the placards: Landlessness equals racism. You promised us land: you gave us jail. The landless of south africa support the landless of palestine.

Since the demise of apartheid, just 1 percent of South Africa's land has been redistributed to the black majority. White farmers still own 85 percent of the land. Homeless families who recently put up shacks on unused land in Johannesburg to fend off the winter cold were promptly and mercilessly evicted by the ANC municipality.

Residents of Durban's still-segregated black townships also condemned the ANC's cost-recovery policies, which have led to thousands of people having their water and electricity cut off and 100,000 people contracting cholera in the past year. Thousands of workers marched to protest the job losses associated with South Africa's home-grown (but by co-written by the World Bank) structural adjustment program. South African unemployment is estimated to be around 40 percent, and according to the UN Development Program, South Africa recently overtook Brazil to become the most unequal society on the planet.

Across South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, a new social movement is forming to resist the new economic apartheid, which comes in the form of structural adjustment, corporate excess and debt-dependency. This is a global apartheid system felt almost as strongly in the ghettos of Western cities as in the sweatshops of the Third World. The "Durban Social Forum" was founded on the streets outside the World Conference Against Racism to challenge this system.

At Porto Alegre in Brazil in February 2002, the second "World Social Forum" will unpack an alternative vision for the world, in which peoples' basic rights are paramount. Later this month protesters will once again challenge the World Bank's dependency-creating policies in Washington, DC. Then in November, thousands across the world will challenge the proposed new round of WTO talks to be held in the inaccessible state of Qatar. In September 2002 many thousands will return to Johannesburg to challenge the hype at the Rio+10 summit on sustainable development.

Together with the local struggles for jobs, homes, services, education and healthcare, this is the real cutting edge of the fight against racism on a global scale. The World Conference Against Racism never provided a real opportunity for change. We are pleased that the US government revealed its real interests by going home. At least Bush, unlike his predecessor, represents a more honest approach.

By By Dennis Brutus <dvbmay+@pitt.edu> and Ben Cashdan <bcashdan@igc.org

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=special&s=brutus20010911

--

Ben Cashdan is a Johnnesburg-based scholar, filmmmaker and author. His films on Africa and Globalisation will be on tour in the US later this month. For more information check <http://go.to/two.trevors>.

Dennis Brutus is a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, a reknowned poet, and now professor of Africana studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

Submitted by brc-news@lists.tao.ca

MAMMON MAD

13-19 September 2001 [Issue No. 551]

The gulf between the final official resolutions and the resolutions of the parallel non-governmental organisations and civil society meetings at the World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances (WCAR), exposed the African governments' confounding dilemmas. With little to lose, most African governments have openly embraced economic deregulation, unbridled privatisation, and fiscal discipline. Greedy for more, the West has urged African governments to accelerate towards radical fiscal and monetary reforms. New concepts, so ill-defined as to allow their authors to adapt them to whatever purposes suit (think "good governance"), are introduced and demanded by the West. Many African governments have succumbed. Economic partnership, so much more cost-effective for Western taxpayers, is now the only carrot the West cares to hold out to poor nations. Development aid (especially American) is down to a trickle; "economic partnership" is the new buzz phrase. But the benefits to Africa are highly doubtful.

The pressure put on African governments to accept Western hegemony is vast. Western-funded think-tanks and research institutes across Africa have jumped on the bandwagon, stoutly advocating the worst excesses of neo-liberalism. Even as the Lome Treaty creating the African Union formally came into force at the last Organisation of African Union (OAU) summit in Lusaka in May, 2001, most African governments were making it clear that continental union is meaningless without some form of partnership with the West. The continent's chief recovery programme, the New African Initiative (NAI) for African continental development, is based on this very concept of economic partnership with the EU and the US.

But the other option, hope of a fair amount of redistribution of rich countries' wealth, has little mileage either. The now-defunct OAU was beset by a bedraggled procession of miscalculations that hastened its demise. Chief among these errors was the inability of Africa's post-independence neo-colonial leaders to understand that the hardest gesture for rich countries to make was to put cash on the table. They wrongly assumed that their peoples' manifold socio-economic afflictions would somehow help win over the wealthy Western powers. Let's face it, neither WCAR, nor the fight against poverty, nor even HIV/AIDS, have managed to tilt the scales towards compassion.

Africans have to weight those scales themselves. It was refreshing to note that when the host government is on the side of justice at an international conference, there is no need to batter those protesting against global inequality, as occurred at previous international conferences convened in Seattle, Prague, Davos or Genoa. At WCAR, South Africa acted as a gentle mediator in order to ensure a meaningful outcome to the conference. It played a pivotal role in reaching a compromise between the West and the rest of the world at WCAR over the wording of the final communique. Indeed, WCAR had partially proven that Africans, that African- Americans, that the world's poor, economically marginalised and politically disfranchised can be historical actors.

Sadly, race issues and the legacy of apartheid still beleaguer us. Zimbabwe, South Africa's neighbour, is found just across the Limpopo river. In Zimbabwe, the land-grab by indigenous African peasants of white-owned farms is ripping apart the socio-economic fabric of the country and that once prosperous country is languishing in political chaos. Zimbabwe's turmoil threatens to spill into neighbouring countries like Namibia and South Africa, which share a similar history of European settler colonialism. Trouble may brew.

Zimbabwe's peasants increasingly blame Western economic self-interest for their plight. That self-interest is disgracefully flaunted all across the continent. The stipulations, rules and regulations of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), signed between the US and 35 African countries, and the similarly-structured EU's Cotonou Agreement with almost 80 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states with a total population of some 650 million, merely lock Africa into economic subservience to Western consumers. The essence of these agreements is unrestricted access to and control over the continent's farming and mineral resources. Such unequal relationships between the former colonies and their one-time masters hauntingly echo painful memories of past repression. They might as well start calling us wogs again.

Far from being a marriage of convenience, such partnerships between rich and poor inevitably drive the relationship in contradictory directio