BRAZILIAN MILITARY POLICE K*LL 8-YEAR-OLD
Today marks a sombre yet not so uncommon milestone. It’s the fifth anniversary of Brazilian military police k*lling 8-year-old Ágatha Vitória Félix as she rode a kombi, a collective public transport van, in the Complexo do Alemã (German Complex), one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela conglomerations. A favela is a Brazilian slum.
Gunfire rang out on the evening of 20 September 2019, striking Ágatha in her back while she sat next to her mother. Authorities charged military police officer Rodrigo José de Matos Soares with firing the rifle that k*lled her. However, public outcry, primarily from favela communities that know all too well what happens when structural racism and systemic violence go unchecked, hasn’t halted the bloodshed.
Then, former Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel (2019-21) blamed Ágatha’s death on people who ‘smoke marijuana,’ as authorities commonly scapegoat poor Brazilians.
Today marks a sombre yet not so uncommon milestone. It’s the fifth anniversary of Brazilian military police k*lling 8-year-old Ágatha Vitória Félix as she rode a kombi, a collective public transport van, in the Complexo do Alemã (German Complex), one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela conglomerations. A favela is a Brazilian slum.
Gunfire rang out on the evening of 20 September 2019, striking Ágatha in her back while she sat next to her mother. Authorities charged military police officer Rodrigo José de Matos Soares with firing the rifle that k*lled her. However, public outcry, primarily from favela communities that know all too well what happens when structural racism and systemic violence go unchecked, hasn’t halted the bloodshed.
Then, former Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel (2019-21) blamed Ágatha’s death on people who ‘smoke marijuana,’ as authorities commonly scapegoat poor Brazilians.
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Continued... As far as Witzel was concerned, storming the German Complex to detain or off community members selling and/or smoking weed was well within the law.
In 2023, police interventions in communities across Brazil k*lled 6,393 people, of which 82.7 per cent were of African descent. That’s a 188.9 per cent increase over the past decade, with the mortality rate of African-descended victims 3.8 times higher than white Brazilians. African descendents represent just over half of Brazil’s population.
Brazil’s war on drugs, an offshoot of the US 'war on drugs' initiated in 1971, shows no signs of letting up, leaving behind a trail of body bags.
In 2023, police interventions in communities across Brazil k*lled 6,393 people, of which 82.7 per cent were of African descent. That’s a 188.9 per cent increase over the past decade, with the mortality rate of African-descended victims 3.8 times higher than white Brazilians. African descendents represent just over half of Brazil’s population.
Brazil’s war on drugs, an offshoot of the US 'war on drugs' initiated in 1971, shows no signs of letting up, leaving behind a trail of body bags.
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LIBYA'S ENVOY BLASTS ISRAEL'S U.N. BUFFOONERY
In this viral clip, Libya's permanent representative to the United Nations, Taher EL-Sonni, accused his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon, of deploying double standards on the question of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. The next day, on 18 September, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a Palestine-drafted resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months and the imposition of sanctions for settlers' non-compliance.
Danon denounced the vote as a 'shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority's diplomatic terrorism.' While 124 countries voted for the resolution, 43 abstained and 14 voted against it. It was a historic first for Palestine, which introduced the resolution in the 193-member UN General Assembly.
In this viral clip, Libya's permanent representative to the United Nations, Taher EL-Sonni, accused his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon, of deploying double standards on the question of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. The next day, on 18 September, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a Palestine-drafted resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months and the imposition of sanctions for settlers' non-compliance.
Danon denounced the vote as a 'shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority's diplomatic terrorism.' While 124 countries voted for the resolution, 43 abstained and 14 voted against it. It was a historic first for Palestine, which introduced the resolution in the 193-member UN General Assembly.
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Continued... On 10 May, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that—as of 10 September—upgraded Palestine's rights at the United Nations to a permanent observer state. That resolution also urged the Security Council to approve Palestine's full membership, which would provide Palestine with additional rights beyond being able to sponsor resolutions. UNGA resolutions are non-binding and require the approval of the Security Council, on which the permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Israel's no. 1 ally, the United States—have veto power.
Palestine's resolution was based on an advisory opinion that the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, issued in July, saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip violates international law and that Israel must immediately evacuate settlements, among other actions. The court based its advisory opinion on the 'sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power' by building and expanding settlements, using the area's natural resources, annexing and imposing permanent controls over lands, and undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination.
Palestine's resolution was based on an advisory opinion that the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, issued in July, saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip violates international law and that Israel must immediately evacuate settlements, among other actions. The court based its advisory opinion on the 'sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power' by building and expanding settlements, using the area's natural resources, annexing and imposing permanent controls over lands, and undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination.
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KENYAN MUSIC LEGEND BEHIND ‘HAKUNA MATATA’ JOINS ANCESTORS
Renowned musician Teddy Kalanda Harisson, a founding member of Kenya's iconic band Them Mushrooms, has tragically lost his battle with cancer. But his legacy will live on through his music - including his perhaps most memorable composition, the song Jambo Bwana. This not only achieved international fame but also elevated Kenya’s cultural standing globally. The song's global recognition was further solidified when German group Boney M covered it, sharing vibrant Kenyan culture with audiences worldwide.
Renowned musician Teddy Kalanda Harisson, a founding member of Kenya's iconic band Them Mushrooms, has tragically lost his battle with cancer. But his legacy will live on through his music - including his perhaps most memorable composition, the song Jambo Bwana. This not only achieved international fame but also elevated Kenya’s cultural standing globally. The song's global recognition was further solidified when German group Boney M covered it, sharing vibrant Kenyan culture with audiences worldwide.
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Continued... One of the song’s central lines - ‘hakuna matata’ (Swahili for ‘no worries’) - was controversially trademarked by Disney, who used an English version of parts of Harisson’s song for its hugely successful Lion King movie. Only Disney can now use the phrase - a unit of African language! - on clothing, something critics see as cultural theft. Numerous attempts to get the company to relinquish the trademark, including a huge petition, have fallen on deaf ears. The trademark controversy served as a wake-up call, prompting calls for the Kenyan government to create a database for trademarking cultural expressions.
Rest in peace, Teddy Kalanda Harisson.
Rest in peace, Teddy Kalanda Harisson.
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United Nations members voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday 18th September 2024 to demand that Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months.
The United Nations General Assembly non-binding vote was backed by 124 of the 181 member states as 43 members abstained.
Of the total of 34 African states voted in favour of the resolution, seven abstained, 10 did not vote at all, and Malawi was only African country to vote against the resolution.
Source- https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4061432?ln=en
The United Nations General Assembly non-binding vote was backed by 124 of the 181 member states as 43 members abstained.
Of the total of 34 African states voted in favour of the resolution, seven abstained, 10 did not vote at all, and Malawi was only African country to vote against the resolution.
Source- https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4061432?ln=en
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TRUMP BLAMES MIGRANTS FOR CRIME
Anti-immigrant sentiment is rife in the US, much like Europe, where the far-right have seen a rise in popularity in places, such as Germany. Listen to Donald Trump in this clip from a recent New York rally, blaming the lack of safety in US cities on migrants and pledging a purge should he take office.
However, the facts prove him wrong.
Christian Gunadi’s 2019 published research found undocumented immigrants are 33 per cent less likely to be incarcerated compared to US citizens, with that figure as high as 47 per cent in Texas, a state bordering Mexico, according to the Cato Institute.
Plus, the Global North owes a debt to the Global South. Many people flee Western-manufactured conditions in their home countries to seek a better life in the West.
Slavery forcibly removed millions of people from Africa, while Europeans colonised Africans on the continent and plundered our lands.
Anti-immigrant sentiment is rife in the US, much like Europe, where the far-right have seen a rise in popularity in places, such as Germany. Listen to Donald Trump in this clip from a recent New York rally, blaming the lack of safety in US cities on migrants and pledging a purge should he take office.
However, the facts prove him wrong.
Christian Gunadi’s 2019 published research found undocumented immigrants are 33 per cent less likely to be incarcerated compared to US citizens, with that figure as high as 47 per cent in Texas, a state bordering Mexico, according to the Cato Institute.
Plus, the Global North owes a debt to the Global South. Many people flee Western-manufactured conditions in their home countries to seek a better life in the West.
Slavery forcibly removed millions of people from Africa, while Europeans colonised Africans on the continent and plundered our lands.
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Continued...
Upon ‘flag independence’ in the mid-20th century, neo-colonialism kept poor countries in shackles because of high debt to Western financial institutions. Plus, for centuries, European powers and the United States have destabilised Africa, such as with the 1961 US/UK/Belgian-supported assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba (1925-61), who wanted to use Congolese resources for the Congolese people. These powers then supported one of the most corrupt leaders, Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-97), who pillaged the country for decades.
Today, Trump demonises those same Congolese people fleeing militias, backed by US allies Rwanda and Uganda, to fight over resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
With the US meddling throughout the Global South, is it any surprise that people would flee their homes and wind up in the US?
Sources:
Research on migrants and crime
https://academic.oup.com/oep/article-abstract/73/1/200/5572162?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.cato.org/publications/immigration-research-policy-brief/criminal-immigrants-texas-2017-illegal-immigrant# - Texas
Drivers of migration
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/25/1/tay040/5056445
Impact of slavery
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/1
Impact of colonization
https://socialstudieshelp.com/colonizations-impact-on-african-societies-a-deep-dive/
Impact of neocolonialism
https://doaj.org/article/699b218e0c894c16a0242ec7473a343c
US role in killing of Lumumba
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/17/patrice-lumumba-congo-washington-00121755
US support for Mobutu
https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-pedia/why-did-the-us-support-mobutu/
Mobutu pillages Congo
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/mobutu-leaves-legacy-of-chaos-and-corruption-1.104463
https://ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/2024_0418_ohss_estimates-of-the-unauthorized-immigrant-population-residing-in-the-united-states-january-2018%25E2%2580%2593january-2022.pdf
Upon ‘flag independence’ in the mid-20th century, neo-colonialism kept poor countries in shackles because of high debt to Western financial institutions. Plus, for centuries, European powers and the United States have destabilised Africa, such as with the 1961 US/UK/Belgian-supported assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba (1925-61), who wanted to use Congolese resources for the Congolese people. These powers then supported one of the most corrupt leaders, Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-97), who pillaged the country for decades.
Today, Trump demonises those same Congolese people fleeing militias, backed by US allies Rwanda and Uganda, to fight over resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
With the US meddling throughout the Global South, is it any surprise that people would flee their homes and wind up in the US?
Sources:
Research on migrants and crime
https://academic.oup.com/oep/article-abstract/73/1/200/5572162?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.cato.org/publications/immigration-research-policy-brief/criminal-immigrants-texas-2017-illegal-immigrant# - Texas
Drivers of migration
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/25/1/tay040/5056445
Impact of slavery
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/1
Impact of colonization
https://socialstudieshelp.com/colonizations-impact-on-african-societies-a-deep-dive/
Impact of neocolonialism
https://doaj.org/article/699b218e0c894c16a0242ec7473a343c
US role in killing of Lumumba
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/17/patrice-lumumba-congo-washington-00121755
US support for Mobutu
https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-pedia/why-did-the-us-support-mobutu/
Mobutu pillages Congo
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/mobutu-leaves-legacy-of-chaos-and-corruption-1.104463
https://ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/2024_0418_ohss_estimates-of-the-unauthorized-immigrant-population-residing-in-the-united-states-january-2018%25E2%2580%2593january-2022.pdf
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IS THIS AN ACCEPTABLE HEADLINE?
Headlines like this reveal that the Western mainstream media is colonial in its nature and dehumanises non-White people without a second thought. The pager attack on Lebanon is claimed to have pin point-targeted thousands of Hezbollah operatives, yet, thanks to its indiscriminate civilian ‘collateral,’ is widely regarded as a terrorist attack - with children and health workers reportedly among the dead. Can you imagine similar jokey headlines about a terrorist attack in Europe or North America?
The Western media has form, of course. When NATO-backed rebels sodomised and killed Gaddafi, the UK’s The Sun newspaper ran with the headline ‘That's for Lockerbie’ (referring to an airliner bombing over Scotland, something the Libyans always denied carrying out) - as if turning Libya into a failed state and sowing the seeds of terrorism in the region, which is still-ongoing Sahel, is somehow an acceptable response.
Headlines like this reveal that the Western mainstream media is colonial in its nature and dehumanises non-White people without a second thought. The pager attack on Lebanon is claimed to have pin point-targeted thousands of Hezbollah operatives, yet, thanks to its indiscriminate civilian ‘collateral,’ is widely regarded as a terrorist attack - with children and health workers reportedly among the dead. Can you imagine similar jokey headlines about a terrorist attack in Europe or North America?
The Western media has form, of course. When NATO-backed rebels sodomised and killed Gaddafi, the UK’s The Sun newspaper ran with the headline ‘That's for Lockerbie’ (referring to an airliner bombing over Scotland, something the Libyans always denied carrying out) - as if turning Libya into a failed state and sowing the seeds of terrorism in the region, which is still-ongoing Sahel, is somehow an acceptable response.
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Continued... The double standards raises questions about the neutrality and objectivity of Western mainstream media outlets, which critics argue often act like fans cheering on their favourite team. It also raises concerns about manufacturing consent. This even has a name - the CNN Effect - in reference to the role mainstream media played in the lead-up to the US war in Iraq.
Let us know what you think.
Sources:
NYT headline
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/12/us/us-attacked-hijacked-jets-destroy-twin-towers-and-hit-pentagon-in-day-of-terror.html
Daily Telegraph on Gaddafi killing
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2011/oct/21/muammar-gaddafi-national-newspapers
The Sun on Gaddaf killing
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2011/oct/21/muammar-gaddafi-national-newspapers
CNN hotbed of terror jibe
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/obama-kenya-visit-al-shabaab-threat/
The CNN effect
https://institute.aljazeera.net/en/ajr/article/1365
Let us know what you think.
Sources:
NYT headline
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/12/us/us-attacked-hijacked-jets-destroy-twin-towers-and-hit-pentagon-in-day-of-terror.html
Daily Telegraph on Gaddafi killing
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2011/oct/21/muammar-gaddafi-national-newspapers
The Sun on Gaddaf killing
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2011/oct/21/muammar-gaddafi-national-newspapers
CNN hotbed of terror jibe
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/obama-kenya-visit-al-shabaab-threat/
The CNN effect
https://institute.aljazeera.net/en/ajr/article/1365
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OUSTED GABON LEADER QUITS POLITICS
A little over a year ago, Gabon's ousted president, Ali Bongo, asked the world to 'make noise,' a plea that only memeified him instead (as seen in slide 3).
In a 19 September letter to the Gabonese people that his lawyer circulated to the media, the 65-year-old, whom the military ousted on 30 August 2023, said he would exit the political arena and renounce his ambition for office. 'I call on my country, its leaders, and my fellow citizens to renounce vengeance and to write its next history with harmony and humanity.'
Bongo might be referring to his family's allegations that they are being abused and tortured. While he and his two younger sons, Jalil and Bilal, are under house arrest, his French wife, Sylvia, and their eldest son, 32-year-old Noureddin, are imprisoned. Bongo and his two younger sons attempted a hunger strike in May to protest their alleged treatment, which the military has denied.
A little over a year ago, Gabon's ousted president, Ali Bongo, asked the world to 'make noise,' a plea that only memeified him instead (as seen in slide 3).
In a 19 September letter to the Gabonese people that his lawyer circulated to the media, the 65-year-old, whom the military ousted on 30 August 2023, said he would exit the political arena and renounce his ambition for office. 'I call on my country, its leaders, and my fellow citizens to renounce vengeance and to write its next history with harmony and humanity.'
Bongo might be referring to his family's allegations that they are being abused and tortured. While he and his two younger sons, Jalil and Bilal, are under house arrest, his French wife, Sylvia, and their eldest son, 32-year-old Noureddin, are imprisoned. Bongo and his two younger sons attempted a hunger strike in May to protest their alleged treatment, which the military has denied.
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Continued... The ruling military has charged Bongo and his family with several counts of plundering the country's resources. The family, with ties to former coloniser France, ruled Gabon for 56 years.
Bongo was ousted in a military coup d’état led by his cousin Brice Oligui Nguema, so one can say the dynasty has continued, just with a different branch of the family tree.
What do you make of Bongo's latest statements? Let us know in the comments.
Sources:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240919-gabon-s-ousted-leader-bongo-says-renouncing-politics-for-good
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/gabons-ousted-leader-renounces-politics/f1jpky5
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gqw34463wo
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/c98508d1p87o
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/ousted-gabon-president-ali-bongo-begins-hunger-strike/03djlvz
https://apnews.com/article/gabon-coup-c2b28cedfdd77242956916780595cc68
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gqw34463wo
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157902552694361&set=pb.100063890732751.-2207520000
https://www.facebook.com/sbongoondimba/photos/mon-fils-ador%C3%A9-a-19-ans-aujourdhui-tu-es-mon-plus-beau-cadeau-de-lunivers-i-%EF%B8%8Fu-b/10155725938849541/?locale=fr_FR
Bongo was ousted in a military coup d’état led by his cousin Brice Oligui Nguema, so one can say the dynasty has continued, just with a different branch of the family tree.
What do you make of Bongo's latest statements? Let us know in the comments.
Sources:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240919-gabon-s-ousted-leader-bongo-says-renouncing-politics-for-good
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/gabons-ousted-leader-renounces-politics/f1jpky5
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gqw34463wo
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/c98508d1p87o
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/ousted-gabon-president-ali-bongo-begins-hunger-strike/03djlvz
https://apnews.com/article/gabon-coup-c2b28cedfdd77242956916780595cc68
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gqw34463wo
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157902552694361&set=pb.100063890732751.-2207520000
https://www.facebook.com/sbongoondimba/photos/mon-fils-ador%C3%A9-a-19-ans-aujourdhui-tu-es-mon-plus-beau-cadeau-de-lunivers-i-%EF%B8%8Fu-b/10155725938849541/?locale=fr_FR
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UN VOTES TO END ISRAELI OCCUPATION
On 18 September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly voted in favour of a historic Palestine-drafted and -introduced resolution demanding an end to Israel's illegal occupation of 'occupied Palestinian Territory' within a year and the imposition of sanctions for settlers' non-compliance.
Palestine's resolution was based on an advisory opinion that the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, issued in July, saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip violates international law and that Israel must immediately evacuate settlements, among other actions. The court based its advisory opinion on the 'sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power' by building and expanding settlements, using the area's natural resources, annexing and imposing permanent controls over lands, and undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination.
On 18 September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly voted in favour of a historic Palestine-drafted and -introduced resolution demanding an end to Israel's illegal occupation of 'occupied Palestinian Territory' within a year and the imposition of sanctions for settlers' non-compliance.
Palestine's resolution was based on an advisory opinion that the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, issued in July, saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip violates international law and that Israel must immediately evacuate settlements, among other actions. The court based its advisory opinion on the 'sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power' by building and expanding settlements, using the area's natural resources, annexing and imposing permanent controls over lands, and undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination.
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