Why Mandela Is So Important
Although I have only made reference to him three other times in this blog, Nelson Mandela is a person who I revere like no other. And of course, I am…
South Africa
Guatemalan Dictators, and Brutes of our Own. . . .
Yesterday the former dictator of Guatemala, Efrain Montt, was convicted of 80 years in prison for Genocide. The sentence is, in a sense symbolic considering that Mr. Montt is now…
Chief Theresa Spence’s Heroism Already Eclipses Nelson Mandela’s
by Obert Madondo | Huffington Post Blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/obert-madondo/chief-theresa-spences-her_b_2408049.html Hunger-striking Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence is the reincarnation of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. She is becoming the…
South Africa’s ANC makes support for BDS part of official policy: ‘Roadmap to Apartheid’ released
At its 53rd National Conference, South Africa’s ruling ANC affirmed support for the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. It is now part of official ANC…
‘Roadmap to Apartheid’: Israeli and South African parallels
Clips from “Roadmap” that draw Israel/ S. African parallels A feature-length documentary Roadmap to Apartheid is the first time close parallels between the apartheid of the old South African regime…
South Africa: interracial poster generates heat
Even with apartheid gone racial sensitivities still run deep in South Africa. There is nothing like a provocative photo to trigger a reaction. A political poster put out by the…
Durban: Youth Turn Their Backs In Response To Canadian Government’s Disregard For Their Future
Here’s another post from Ani, part of the Canadian Youth Delegation in Durban, South Africa where the 10 days of U.N. climate negotiations have less than 48 hours to go,…
Open Government
A government so open, that it lost its marbles. If we had journalists who uniformly understood that letting politicians get away with flaming lies would lead us into a mess,…
Hope As A Gas
What if we could frack for natural gas without polluting the drinking water tables? I don’t think it’s as easy as this article suggests. Your only concern cannot be the…
South Africa on slippery slope?
Normally, I’m wary of slippery slope arguments but when an African government acts to limit freedom of speech, I suspect such an argument may be valid. Unfortunately, South Africa has…
People Hugging: UNFCCC Forest Policy Needs A Climate Justice Framework
The importance of the world’s forests and the role that environmental activism surrounding forests have helped to shape a public perception that being an environmentalist means that you’re a “tree…
Frack Attack Music Video Warns of Gas Drilling Dangers in South Africa
Screen shot 2011-07-28 at 11.39.42 AM.png The anti-frack movement just got a bit cooler thanks to Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG). Today, the citizen-led environmental organization release...
Shell Forced to Retract "Misleading" Fracking Adverts in South Africa
Screen shot 2011-07-21 at 5.43.24 PM.png The gas industry has finally received the slap on the hand it deserves for parroting the outdated refrain: “there are no instances of documented…
UN Human Rights Council passes equal rights bill
The United Nations Human Rights Council passed on Friday an historic resolution that seeks equal rights for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The 47-member Council voted 23…
Skoonheid (Beauty) wins Queer Palm at 64th Cannes Film Festival
Skoonheid (Beauty), the first Afrikaans film to be screened at the Cannes International Film Festival, won the 2011 Queer Palm award, which recognizes one film for its contributions to lesbian,…
The Positive Women’s Network Enriches Community Fabric
I’m constantly impressed with the caliber of community cooperation in Vancouver. The Positive Women’s Network is holding a film screening fundraiser on May 26th at 7pm at Vancity Theatre. VIFF…
Panem et Circenses South African Style
USA v Algeria, 2010 World Cup by jasonwhat A recent Sports Illustrated article, World Cup’s Empty Legacy, reports on the state of South Africa’s sports infrastructure several months after this…