by Joseph Crupi, COHA Research Associate
After prolonging his failed campaign for a month after Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) ruled him ineligible to run for the presidency, Wyclef Jean has finally dropped his appeal, officially terminating his presidential bid on September 21st. Jean’s recent involvement in Haitian politics was a source of controversy from the outset; many had cast him as an unqualified meddler, while others embraced his now defunct candidacy as a move to empower the youth and deepen democracy.
Jean’s decision to run for the presidency was greeted with optimism and hope by much of Haiti’s politically discontented populace. However, there were early signs that Jean was not the progressive candidate he initially professed to be. In an interview with MTV published on February 25, 2004, Jean had expressed support for the coup that ousted democratically-elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In reference to the militants who overthrew the former president, Jean said, “I don’t consider those people rebels. It’s people standing up for their rights. It’s not like these people just appeared out of nowhere and said, ‘Let’s cause some trouble.’ I think it’s just built up frustration, anger, hunger, depression.” Jean originally made these comments to MTV right as the events began to unfold in Haiti, before the involvement of the United States and other international powers had come to light. Therefore, Jean may have been able to excuse his politically improvident comments on the grounds of ignorance, but he removed any doubt about his political stance when he produced the 2006 documentary, The Ghosts of Cité Soleil. While the film received generally positive reviews, Jean’s depiction of the 2004 coup was historically inaccurate and politically biased. In the film, Jean paints sweatshop owners and neo-Duvalierists in a positive light, while implying that Aristide stepped down of his own free will.
Jean has also come under investigation for the mismanagement of his charitable organization, Yele Haiti. According to a tax document published by The Smoking Gun, Jean used funds from Yele Haiti for personal purposes, a claim Jean vehemently denied. However, the organization’s president admitted that Yele Haiti does have unusually high administrative costs, but he attributed the anomaly to the organization’s inexperience. An August 16 New York Times article details the dismal quality of service that Yele Haiti has provided to tent camps under its responsibility. According to residents of the communities, Jean’s organization has failed to provide them with food or water, ignoring pleas from the camps’ leaders.
Jean’s supporters advanced two primary arguments during his campaign. First, they claimed Jean’s celebrity status would draw much needed investment to Haiti. However, the reasoning behind this argument is not clear. Multinational corporations do not respond to celebrity, but rather profitability and investment security. In light of Jean’s mismanagement of Yele Haiti and his lack of economic knowledge, it is difficult to see how any corporation could view a Haiti under Wyclef Jean as an attractive business environment. Second, Jean’s supporters argued that his election would demonstrate that a Haitian could command the world stage. Jean certainly could command attention, but it is not the type of attention Haiti wants or needs. During his bid for the presidency, Jean was more of an embarrassment than a source of national pride. Had he been elected, it is likely that he would have been viewed as a novelty rather than as a serious spokesperson for a new, autonomous Haiti.
In late August, the CEP ruled that Jean, along with 14 other candidates, was ineligible to run in the presidential election. Although the CEP did not explain its decision, it is believed that Jean was ruled ineligible because he failed to satisfy the five-year residency requirement. After initially stating that he would comply with the CEP’s ruling, Jean appealed the decision, claiming he had been acting as a roving ambassador and was therefore exempt from the residency statute.
Through his subsequent appeal of the disqualification, Jean may have inadvertently reinforced the political corruption already entrenched in Haiti’s electoral process. The CEP is notorious for its politically motivated decisions, lack of transparency, and ardent opposition of former president Aristide’s political party, Lavalas. The media coverage of Jean’s candidacy, though, painted a far different picture of the CEP. In Jean’s case, there was a rational legal basis for his exclusion from the election, and many media sources phrased their reports as if the CEP had definitively and specifically ruled Jean ineligible under the residency requirement. The wording of a number of news articles gave the impression that the CEP had declared a reason for excluding Jean, which it had not, thus creating an illusion of transparency. Jean’s statements immediately following his decision to accept the ruling granted the CEP even more legitimacy in the public eye. Although he later appealed and claimed the CEP had used trickery to block his candidacy, Jean attempted to appeal within the structure of Haitian political law, which has no appeal mechanism. His decision to protest the election through official channels validated the authority of the CEP and bolstered Haiti’s corrupt political system.
After dropping his bid, Jean claimed that his “ultimate goal in continuing the appeal was to further the people’s opportunity to freely participate in a free and fair democratic process.” However, Jean has hardly been an advocate of democracy in Haiti’s past elections. Indeed, he failed to speak out when Lavalas presidential candidate Gerard Jean-Juste was jailed under false pretenses and barred from running in the 2006 presidential election. Jean was again silent in 2009, when the Lavalas party was barred from the legislative elections for failing to produce a document signed by its party leader, the exiled President Aristide. In 2010, the Lavalas party fulfilled all the necessary requirements to register for elections, yet they were excluded for their failure to produce proper documentation in the previous election. The ruling was upheld despite condemnation from the UN, the OAS, and members of the US Senate; predictably, Jean remained silent. Jean’s failure to speak out on behalf of Lavalas may be attributable to his roots in Haiti’s elite class, which has traditionally opposed the progressive reforms of the Lavalas party. However, his failure to plead the case of the 14 other candidates ruled out of the 2010 presidential election, many of whom had legitimate claims to candidacy, suggests his appeal was motivated more by a desire for personal advancement than by genuine democratic conviction.
In addition to his weak record of support for democratic elections, the notion that Jean would have been committed to cultivating a democratic society had he been elected is equally dubious. Indeed, democracy consists of far more than the freedom to vote. Broadly understood, democracy is the right of the people to govern themselves in pursuit of a just society. If elected president, Jean would have had neither the capability nor the intent to secure this end. Having lived outside Haiti for most of his life, Jean can hardly claim to be attuned to the burdens and desires shared by much of the country’s impoverished citizenry. Furthermore, while Jean provided a vague vision of reducing poverty and attracting foreign investment, he has not demonstrated the expertise to translate such a vision into practical policies that would further democracy. Moreover, the Haitian people have spoken clearly in favor of the reforms introduced by the Lavalas party under Aristide, yet Jean remains unequivocally opposed to the Lavalas platform, preferring instead to retain the neo-liberal policies of Haiti’s elite class.
In recent weeks, Jean has begun to show signs of stress. In response to allegations from Sean Penn that Jean had not had a visible presence in Haiti, Jean lashed out and accused Penn of using drugs. Shortly thereafter, Jean was hospitalized for stress related illness. According to his publicist, Jean had been “suffering from stress and fatigue based on the grueling eight weeks he’s had.” Jean’s inability to handle the demands of a short campaign demonstrated that he was certainly not ready to assume leadership of a country, and fortunately, he was never given the chance.
For months, Jean’s candidacy has dominated headlines in Haiti and elsewhere, overshadowing the efforts of the Haitian people to rebuild their country, fight corruption, and achieve a true democracy. Unfortunately, Jean did not offer a solution to these problems, only a temporary distraction. Perhaps now the world can turn its focus back to the real needs of the Haitian people, and Jean can return to writing music.
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and information organization. It has been described on the Senate floor as being "one of the nation's most respected bodies of scholars and policy makers." For more information, visit www.coha.org
October 6, 2010
caribbeannewsnow
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Bahamas: Youth gangs up by '58%'
Youth gangs up by '58%'
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
THE number of youth gangs in the Bahamas rose by 58 per cent over the past eight years, according to data released by Youth Against Violence.
The total number of gangs in the Bahamas is now 79, and schools have become a "breeding ground." It is not just public schools being affected, said Minister Keith Gray, a presenter at the Conflict Resolution and Anger Management Seminar on Friday.
"No school is impervious to gang penetration," he said. "We say this not to create pandemonium, but to create a network of support to address the plight of our youth," he said.
Earlier this week, Pastor Carlos Reid, a director at Youth Against Violence (YAV), said over 20,000 Bahamian youth are involved in gang activity. Since then, some Bahamians have accused the group of having exaggerated figures.
But Pastor Reid said he is not phased.
"Let's do the math," he said, referring to 1991 statistics that placed the number at 9,000. He said the reference was a consultative report on youth development produced by a government steering committee.
The problem is real and it is affecting Bahamians as young as eight and nine. At that age they serve as recruits. "It could start out as washing a car for $5 for a known gang member," he said.
Minor chores end up being major crimes, like transporting drugs, ammunition and weapons by order of gang leaders, he said.
The problem sufficiently warrants the creation of a multi-departmental gang unit, according to Pastor Reid. The idea has caught steam with the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The top brass were in attendance at the YAV workshop. Commissioner Elliston Greenslade confirmed that a gang unit has been a part of continuing discussions among his executive management team.
He said they are open to the idea of establishing a gang unit as another strategy for youth intervention.
The gang unit would fit into the police's over all youth strategy that includes "involvement, interaction and intervention," said Mr Greenslade. It would not be based on the "limited lock them up" mentality held by some people.
"I spoke to the boys and they are just ordinary kids. These are little fellas who need mentorship. They asked me questions like if I have ever stolen something," said Mr Greenslade. "They are just trying to test you."
He explained to a group of boys, suspended from H.O. Nash Junior School, that he once stole a bicycle when he was a boy in Bain Town. He said his grandmother made him take it back.
"We have been calling for this gang unit from thy kingdom come. The authorities are either clueless, don't care or they don't live in the Bahamas. All of the different agencies should come together and form that unit," said Pastor Reid, speaking of the ministry of youth and education, the department of social services, the police, and other stakeholders.
Minister Grey said gang membership is broken down into several categories. Wannabes, he said, are individuals who imitate the behaviour of "hardcore gangsters." This activity is primarily seen at the primary school and junior high school level.
Periphery members are individuals who are part in and part out, or may be interested in seeking membership. Primarily seen at the junior high school level, these members are not fully entrenched in the gang, but they deal in some level of intimidation and harassment.
"Affiliates are the real gang bangers", said Minister Grey. This activity is seen primarily at the senior high school level. Participants at this level are believed to be "committed to deviant behaviour" and other criminal activity such as carrying weapons and selling drugs.
"Hardcore gangsters, or OGs (original gangstas) are in for life; ready to die. They are mainly out of school young men," said Minister Grey.
Not all young people will admit to gang membership, said Minister Grey, but they are trained to look at the signs: graffiti in school books; body tattoos, particular ways of dressing; hair cuts; sounds; hand signals, for example.
"My mummy used to say stop hanging out with those bad company boys. Little did she know I was the bad company. A lot of parents they swear for their kids, but they are lost in the storm," said Minister Grey, who was one of the founding members of the Rebellion Raiders in the 1980s.
"The reality is a lot of our young people are good when they are home, but when they are out on the strips, they are terrorists. Personally, that is who I was. I had a split personality almost. Respectful at home, then out on the strip doing all kinds of crazy things. A lot of parents don't see their kids as being that," he said.
October 04, 2010
tribune242
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
THE number of youth gangs in the Bahamas rose by 58 per cent over the past eight years, according to data released by Youth Against Violence.
The total number of gangs in the Bahamas is now 79, and schools have become a "breeding ground." It is not just public schools being affected, said Minister Keith Gray, a presenter at the Conflict Resolution and Anger Management Seminar on Friday.
"No school is impervious to gang penetration," he said. "We say this not to create pandemonium, but to create a network of support to address the plight of our youth," he said.
Earlier this week, Pastor Carlos Reid, a director at Youth Against Violence (YAV), said over 20,000 Bahamian youth are involved in gang activity. Since then, some Bahamians have accused the group of having exaggerated figures.
But Pastor Reid said he is not phased.
"Let's do the math," he said, referring to 1991 statistics that placed the number at 9,000. He said the reference was a consultative report on youth development produced by a government steering committee.
The problem is real and it is affecting Bahamians as young as eight and nine. At that age they serve as recruits. "It could start out as washing a car for $5 for a known gang member," he said.
Minor chores end up being major crimes, like transporting drugs, ammunition and weapons by order of gang leaders, he said.
The problem sufficiently warrants the creation of a multi-departmental gang unit, according to Pastor Reid. The idea has caught steam with the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The top brass were in attendance at the YAV workshop. Commissioner Elliston Greenslade confirmed that a gang unit has been a part of continuing discussions among his executive management team.
He said they are open to the idea of establishing a gang unit as another strategy for youth intervention.
The gang unit would fit into the police's over all youth strategy that includes "involvement, interaction and intervention," said Mr Greenslade. It would not be based on the "limited lock them up" mentality held by some people.
"I spoke to the boys and they are just ordinary kids. These are little fellas who need mentorship. They asked me questions like if I have ever stolen something," said Mr Greenslade. "They are just trying to test you."
He explained to a group of boys, suspended from H.O. Nash Junior School, that he once stole a bicycle when he was a boy in Bain Town. He said his grandmother made him take it back.
"We have been calling for this gang unit from thy kingdom come. The authorities are either clueless, don't care or they don't live in the Bahamas. All of the different agencies should come together and form that unit," said Pastor Reid, speaking of the ministry of youth and education, the department of social services, the police, and other stakeholders.
Minister Grey said gang membership is broken down into several categories. Wannabes, he said, are individuals who imitate the behaviour of "hardcore gangsters." This activity is primarily seen at the primary school and junior high school level.
Periphery members are individuals who are part in and part out, or may be interested in seeking membership. Primarily seen at the junior high school level, these members are not fully entrenched in the gang, but they deal in some level of intimidation and harassment.
"Affiliates are the real gang bangers", said Minister Grey. This activity is seen primarily at the senior high school level. Participants at this level are believed to be "committed to deviant behaviour" and other criminal activity such as carrying weapons and selling drugs.
"Hardcore gangsters, or OGs (original gangstas) are in for life; ready to die. They are mainly out of school young men," said Minister Grey.
Not all young people will admit to gang membership, said Minister Grey, but they are trained to look at the signs: graffiti in school books; body tattoos, particular ways of dressing; hair cuts; sounds; hand signals, for example.
"My mummy used to say stop hanging out with those bad company boys. Little did she know I was the bad company. A lot of parents they swear for their kids, but they are lost in the storm," said Minister Grey, who was one of the founding members of the Rebellion Raiders in the 1980s.
"The reality is a lot of our young people are good when they are home, but when they are out on the strips, they are terrorists. Personally, that is who I was. I had a split personality almost. Respectful at home, then out on the strip doing all kinds of crazy things. A lot of parents don't see their kids as being that," he said.
October 04, 2010
tribune242
Monday, October 4, 2010
The UN and the Caribbean - A hope misplaced
by Rebecca Theodore
Eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today. The statistical surge of pictures of poverty around the world is not only manifested as a gross form of over representation by the media and other crusading organizations, but also shows the way in which poverty acts as a stigmata for entertainment and the way in which realism govern images in the capitalist press.
According to UNICEF and World Health Organization statistics, every 3 seconds a child dies from hunger and preventable disease. Yet, while we revel in the repute of a scientific and technological age, with tremendous advances in modern medicine and billion of dollars spent on nuclear armaments, the UN under the umbrella of the MDG fuels the flame by internationally declaring that 2010 is a defining moment in their fight against poverty.
It is clear that not only is this an insult to one’s intelligence but in accepting a daylight saving time mentality by pushing the date forward to an additional five years to further give a distinct character to poverty, the UN defeats its purpose of serving as a forum to set a global agenda, far less a pursuit of a vigorous development agenda, or the deliverance of humanitarian assistance to improve living conditions and alleviate poverty to those in need.
It follows that if Millennium Development Goals are supposed to be a solid, visual depiction between the world’s major economic players, i.e. poor countries’ improvement of policies and governance and rich countries’ provision of resources; then this is nothing more that an inflated statement of intent because it is rhetoric such as this that continues to muster and produce the poor among us.
Examples are clearly seen in the activities of the World Bank, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose material operations are a consequence of the venality of poor people in the world at large.
In the same way that rhetoric did not fill stomachs in Nazi Germany’s day because the only goal of persuasive speech was to conquer the masses -- any means to that end was good and any means that did not serve that end was bad -- overcoming this delusion and developing a human development program through education, health, water, sanitation and job creation to eradicate poverty, to lift the poorest out of their isolation so that they can prosper and their talents and productivity can be unleashed will generate diverse return in terms of economic growth and social stability.
Statistics indicate that as many as 100 million people have fallen below the poverty line since the financial crisis began. Therefore a worldwide demand of civil society of the commitment to increase official development assistance is an economically solid and morally sound proposition.
In this regard, Caribbean states are also vulnerable in the face of poverty as economic and political problems that one state faces individually are common to all Caribbean states.
It is clear that Caribbean islands are experiencing climate change more quickly and visibly than other nations. Compressed with the malady of food security, marine and coastal resources, dependence on foreign aid and markets for financial growth -- a problem that sees fluctuation on global markets at an alarming rate, and dependence on imports for food and energy, then it is evident that Caribbean nations will have high debt burdens, which leave them vulnerable to economic problems, sinking deeper into the abyss of poverty and dehumanizing living and working conditions.
Hence, it is time to consider our vulnerabilities as leveraged strength and seek diasporic unity in the battle against poverty because the UN is no longer an immediate saviour.
It must be seen that UN conferences as MDG produces nothing but strife and bickering in its pledge to solve the sufferings of humanity, for if its purpose is to help countries build and share their own solutions to challenge urgent development needs, supporting coalitions for change and connecting individuals and institutions so they can share knowledge, experience and resources, then considering the UN’s deplorable track record in Rwanda, Darfur and Congo, committing hundreds of sex crimes against the people they were sent to protect; and until recently in Haiti where incompetence and corruption reigns supreme with its entrustment of billions of dollars to stabilize the lives of the Haitian people allotted to the salary and luxurious upkeep of its own workers, the question lingers -- Is there cause for optimism in its reconstruction of the Caribbean and its environs in the fight to eradicate poverty?
caribbeannewsnow
Eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today. The statistical surge of pictures of poverty around the world is not only manifested as a gross form of over representation by the media and other crusading organizations, but also shows the way in which poverty acts as a stigmata for entertainment and the way in which realism govern images in the capitalist press.
According to UNICEF and World Health Organization statistics, every 3 seconds a child dies from hunger and preventable disease. Yet, while we revel in the repute of a scientific and technological age, with tremendous advances in modern medicine and billion of dollars spent on nuclear armaments, the UN under the umbrella of the MDG fuels the flame by internationally declaring that 2010 is a defining moment in their fight against poverty.
It is clear that not only is this an insult to one’s intelligence but in accepting a daylight saving time mentality by pushing the date forward to an additional five years to further give a distinct character to poverty, the UN defeats its purpose of serving as a forum to set a global agenda, far less a pursuit of a vigorous development agenda, or the deliverance of humanitarian assistance to improve living conditions and alleviate poverty to those in need. It follows that if Millennium Development Goals are supposed to be a solid, visual depiction between the world’s major economic players, i.e. poor countries’ improvement of policies and governance and rich countries’ provision of resources; then this is nothing more that an inflated statement of intent because it is rhetoric such as this that continues to muster and produce the poor among us.
Examples are clearly seen in the activities of the World Bank, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose material operations are a consequence of the venality of poor people in the world at large.
In the same way that rhetoric did not fill stomachs in Nazi Germany’s day because the only goal of persuasive speech was to conquer the masses -- any means to that end was good and any means that did not serve that end was bad -- overcoming this delusion and developing a human development program through education, health, water, sanitation and job creation to eradicate poverty, to lift the poorest out of their isolation so that they can prosper and their talents and productivity can be unleashed will generate diverse return in terms of economic growth and social stability.
Statistics indicate that as many as 100 million people have fallen below the poverty line since the financial crisis began. Therefore a worldwide demand of civil society of the commitment to increase official development assistance is an economically solid and morally sound proposition.
In this regard, Caribbean states are also vulnerable in the face of poverty as economic and political problems that one state faces individually are common to all Caribbean states.
It is clear that Caribbean islands are experiencing climate change more quickly and visibly than other nations. Compressed with the malady of food security, marine and coastal resources, dependence on foreign aid and markets for financial growth -- a problem that sees fluctuation on global markets at an alarming rate, and dependence on imports for food and energy, then it is evident that Caribbean nations will have high debt burdens, which leave them vulnerable to economic problems, sinking deeper into the abyss of poverty and dehumanizing living and working conditions.
Hence, it is time to consider our vulnerabilities as leveraged strength and seek diasporic unity in the battle against poverty because the UN is no longer an immediate saviour.
It must be seen that UN conferences as MDG produces nothing but strife and bickering in its pledge to solve the sufferings of humanity, for if its purpose is to help countries build and share their own solutions to challenge urgent development needs, supporting coalitions for change and connecting individuals and institutions so they can share knowledge, experience and resources, then considering the UN’s deplorable track record in Rwanda, Darfur and Congo, committing hundreds of sex crimes against the people they were sent to protect; and until recently in Haiti where incompetence and corruption reigns supreme with its entrustment of billions of dollars to stabilize the lives of the Haitian people allotted to the salary and luxurious upkeep of its own workers, the question lingers -- Is there cause for optimism in its reconstruction of the Caribbean and its environs in the fight to eradicate poverty?
caribbeannewsnow
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Bishop Eddie Long's gay-sex scandal
By Anthony L. Hall
“If these politicians were not lead vocals in a chorus of moral crusaders, I would not give their sexual escapades a moment’s thought. For the unadulterated pleasure of afflicting these hypocrites, however, I don’t even mind being bedfellows with a publicity-seeking hustler like Larry Flynt.” (DC Madam outs Sen. David Vitter as a faithful “John”..., TIJ, July 17, 2007)
This quote explains why I have reveled in commenting on the sex scandals that exposed a number of politicians as self-righteous hypocrites in recent years. But I hope it goes without saying that the logic behind it applies even more to preachers. Remember gay-bashing Pastor Ted Haggard who was outed by his male prostitute? Well, this brings me to mega-church leader Bishop Eddie Long.
Four young boys filed lawsuits recently accusing this 57-year-old preacher, who has hobnobbed over the years with every US president from Carter to Obama, of using his power and influence as head of the Youth Academy they attended to sexually molest them … repeatedly. And, by the way, if four of them had the courage to come forward, chances are very good that there are at least another forty boys who are either too ashamed or too afraid to do so.
The grooming these boys allege is textbook predatory behavior -- complete with Bishop Long enticing them with cash, jewelry, cars, and overnight stays in luxurious hotels (where they reportedly shared the same bed). Not surprisingly, in this age of Twitter and Facebook, there are even incriminating pictures that he sent to these boys, which are of the type that only a young stud would send to a young girl (or boy) he’s trying to seduce.
Meanwhile, anyone who knows anything about the black church, which I grew up in, knows that “Thou shall not be gay” is observed like the eleventh commandment. And no black preacher has hurled more invectives about eternal damnation at homosexuals than Bishop Long. Hell, he even led a notorious march through the streets of Atlanta in 2004 protesting the Sodomization of America.
I have often lamented that it’s not white Republicans as much as black Democrats who have blocked the passage of legislations and referendums granting equal rights to gay people. And, sadly, the historical irony, if not hypocrisy, inherent in their prejudice against our homosexual brothers and sisters seems completely lost on these black (Christian) folks.
More to the point, though, anyone who knows anything about the black church also knows that Bishop Long is hardly the only black preacher who preaches against homosexuality on Sunday morning as a perverse form of absolution for the homosexual “sins” he committed on Saturday night.
Indeed, it would not surprise me at all to learn that such closeted preachers are defiling pulpits in every state in the United States as well as in every country in the Caribbean. But I urge any young boy who is being groomed and molested in this fashion to report that so-called man of God to the police … today!
In any case, Bishop Long must derive some relief from the fact that his alleged assignations with these boys do not constitute crimes. Evidently, the boys were all above the age of consent when the alleged sexual acts were consummated. So at least the bishop does not appear to be a pedophile … as well.
Accordingly, what must matter above all else to him now is retaining the blind faith of the 25,000 members of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. No doubt this is why he stood before them on Sunday and casted himself as David fighting against some phantom Goliath -- not for the sake of his wretched soul, but for the sake of his hedonistic life.
Vowing to fight the allegations, he intoned that:
“I’ve been accused, I’m under attack… I am not a perfect man, but this thing I’m gonna fight. I feel like David against Goliath, but I got five rocks, and I haven’t thrown one yet.” (CNN September 26, 2010)
This triggered a rousing ovation from the poor, gullible souls who have poured tens of millions into the coffers from which Bishop Long has funded his lifestyle of the rich and famous. In fact, it has always been a source of profound shame for me that blacks take such incomprehensible pride in the ostentatious ways their pastors flaunt their ill-gotten wealth. Especially since these “tithing” folks themselves are invariably struggling to make ends meet.
Anyway, far too few members of his congregation seemed to wonder why he spoke so defiantly about fighting the allegations, but never denied any of them. Not to mention that one of the deacons of his church should have admonished him by quoting this familiar proverb, which might have made the bishop think twice about casting himself as David:
“He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.”
Of course, truth be told, the reason he hasn’t thrown any yet is that Bishop Long probably plans to quietly settle all claims and then go on preaching as if they were never filed. And his congregation will be all too willing to oblige….
But what I found particularly galling about the bishop’s statement on Sunday was his non-confession confession in which he said that “I am not a perfect man”. Indeed, when I finally saw the video of him making it, I wanted to shout at him:
“No shit, Sherlock! The problem is not that you’re not perfect; it’s that you’re a friggin’ sexual predator … and a hypocrite to boot! And one more thing, with all of the millions you’ve stolen from those poor suckers giving you a standing ovation, the least you could do is to buy yourself a better-looking toupee.”
And that’s coming from the son of a preacher man….
October 1, 2010
caribbeannewsnow
“If these politicians were not lead vocals in a chorus of moral crusaders, I would not give their sexual escapades a moment’s thought. For the unadulterated pleasure of afflicting these hypocrites, however, I don’t even mind being bedfellows with a publicity-seeking hustler like Larry Flynt.” (DC Madam outs Sen. David Vitter as a faithful “John”..., TIJ, July 17, 2007)
This quote explains why I have reveled in commenting on the sex scandals that exposed a number of politicians as self-righteous hypocrites in recent years. But I hope it goes without saying that the logic behind it applies even more to preachers. Remember gay-bashing Pastor Ted Haggard who was outed by his male prostitute? Well, this brings me to mega-church leader Bishop Eddie Long.
Four young boys filed lawsuits recently accusing this 57-year-old preacher, who has hobnobbed over the years with every US president from Carter to Obama, of using his power and influence as head of the Youth Academy they attended to sexually molest them … repeatedly. And, by the way, if four of them had the courage to come forward, chances are very good that there are at least another forty boys who are either too ashamed or too afraid to do so.The grooming these boys allege is textbook predatory behavior -- complete with Bishop Long enticing them with cash, jewelry, cars, and overnight stays in luxurious hotels (where they reportedly shared the same bed). Not surprisingly, in this age of Twitter and Facebook, there are even incriminating pictures that he sent to these boys, which are of the type that only a young stud would send to a young girl (or boy) he’s trying to seduce.
Meanwhile, anyone who knows anything about the black church, which I grew up in, knows that “Thou shall not be gay” is observed like the eleventh commandment. And no black preacher has hurled more invectives about eternal damnation at homosexuals than Bishop Long. Hell, he even led a notorious march through the streets of Atlanta in 2004 protesting the Sodomization of America.
I have often lamented that it’s not white Republicans as much as black Democrats who have blocked the passage of legislations and referendums granting equal rights to gay people. And, sadly, the historical irony, if not hypocrisy, inherent in their prejudice against our homosexual brothers and sisters seems completely lost on these black (Christian) folks.
More to the point, though, anyone who knows anything about the black church also knows that Bishop Long is hardly the only black preacher who preaches against homosexuality on Sunday morning as a perverse form of absolution for the homosexual “sins” he committed on Saturday night.
Indeed, it would not surprise me at all to learn that such closeted preachers are defiling pulpits in every state in the United States as well as in every country in the Caribbean. But I urge any young boy who is being groomed and molested in this fashion to report that so-called man of God to the police … today!
In any case, Bishop Long must derive some relief from the fact that his alleged assignations with these boys do not constitute crimes. Evidently, the boys were all above the age of consent when the alleged sexual acts were consummated. So at least the bishop does not appear to be a pedophile … as well.
Accordingly, what must matter above all else to him now is retaining the blind faith of the 25,000 members of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. No doubt this is why he stood before them on Sunday and casted himself as David fighting against some phantom Goliath -- not for the sake of his wretched soul, but for the sake of his hedonistic life.
Vowing to fight the allegations, he intoned that:
“I’ve been accused, I’m under attack… I am not a perfect man, but this thing I’m gonna fight. I feel like David against Goliath, but I got five rocks, and I haven’t thrown one yet.” (CNN September 26, 2010)
This triggered a rousing ovation from the poor, gullible souls who have poured tens of millions into the coffers from which Bishop Long has funded his lifestyle of the rich and famous. In fact, it has always been a source of profound shame for me that blacks take such incomprehensible pride in the ostentatious ways their pastors flaunt their ill-gotten wealth. Especially since these “tithing” folks themselves are invariably struggling to make ends meet.
Anyway, far too few members of his congregation seemed to wonder why he spoke so defiantly about fighting the allegations, but never denied any of them. Not to mention that one of the deacons of his church should have admonished him by quoting this familiar proverb, which might have made the bishop think twice about casting himself as David:
“He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.”
Of course, truth be told, the reason he hasn’t thrown any yet is that Bishop Long probably plans to quietly settle all claims and then go on preaching as if they were never filed. And his congregation will be all too willing to oblige….
But what I found particularly galling about the bishop’s statement on Sunday was his non-confession confession in which he said that “I am not a perfect man”. Indeed, when I finally saw the video of him making it, I wanted to shout at him:
“No shit, Sherlock! The problem is not that you’re not perfect; it’s that you’re a friggin’ sexual predator … and a hypocrite to boot! And one more thing, with all of the millions you’ve stolen from those poor suckers giving you a standing ovation, the least you could do is to buy yourself a better-looking toupee.”
And that’s coming from the son of a preacher man….
October 1, 2010
caribbeannewsnow
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Canada's first black G-G turns her focus on Haiti
Keeble McFarlane
MICHAëLLE Jean was only 11 years old when she first set foot in Canada. Her father, Roger, had fled Haiti in 1967 after suffering persecution and torture. He was a teacher and managed to secure a position with a local college in the rough-and-tumble town of Thetford Mines in eastern Quebec. A year later he sent for his wife Luce and daughter.
Unfortunately, the brutality he suffered had taken a serious toll, and according to his daughter, he became increasingly prone to violence. The marriage eventually came apart, and his wife left for Montreal to make a new life.
They lived in a small apartment in the basement of a house while Luce worked first at a clothing factory and then as a night orderly in a psychiatric hospital. It was quite a comedown for the former residents of a middle-class section of Port-au-Prince where Roger was principal and philosophy teacher at an upscale preparatory school.
They kept their daughter away from school and taught her themselves because if she had enrolled in school she would have had to swear allegiance to François (Papa Doc) Duvalier.
Michaëlle attended the University of Montreal, where she earned degrees in Spanish and Italian as well as in literature. She also studied at three universities in Italy and emerged a fluent speaker of five languages -- French, Creole, English, Spanish and Italian — and reads Portuguese.
While still at university Jean worked with women and children who had suffered domestic violence and also worked with organisations which helped new immigrants in the unsettling experience of settling in the new country. She took part in a landmark study — published in 1987 — which examined abusive relationships in which women suffered sexual violence from their spouses.
But it was in television that Jean made her mark. In the late 1980s she joined the French-language service of the CBC, Canada's national broadcaster, and worked as a reporter, presenter and documentary maker. From time to time she acted as host of the nightly national newscast and came to the attention of the English network, where she presented documentaries on its all-news channel.
By this time she had married a French-born documentary maker and had adopted Marie-Éden, an orphaned girl from Jacmel, Jean's mother's hometown in Haiti. She collaborated with her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, in several documentaries including an award-winning production in which she met an uncle who had fled in exile to France and wrote about his dreams for Haiti.
Since Canada became self-governing in 1867, the sovereign in London was represented by a string of British aristocrats until 1952. Prime Minister Louis St Laurent broke the chain by choosing Vincent Massey, a member of a prominent Ontario family and a distinguished diplomat, to be the first Canadian governor-general.
Since then, many ex-politicians have resided in Rideau Hall, a stately house in immaculately kept grounds close by the Ottawa River in the quite agreeable Canadian capital city. But four ex-journalists, all from the CBC, have also filled the post.
Two of them were former Liberal politicians — the first woman in the job, Jeanne Sauvé, who had a 20-year broadcasting career in Quebec before going into politics in 1972. The other was Roméo Leblanc, who was a foreign correspondent for several years before getting into politics. The other two were Ms Jean and her predecessor, Adrienne Clarkson, who was also precedent-shattering.
Clarkson was born in Hong Kong as Adrienne Poi and went to Canada as a young child with her family who barely escaped the brutal Japanese occupation of the territory during the Second World War. She enjoyed a brilliant career as a current affairs interviewer, presenter and reporter on television before going off to Paris as the cultural and trade representative of the Government of Ontario.
In her five years as Canada's vice-regal figurehead, Michaëlle Jean has drawn considerable kudos for her performance. She made trips all over the country and her most rapt admirers were the children with whom she loves to interact. She showed the flag in Africa, Europe and the Americas. In South Africa, President Thabo Mbeki praised her appointment as an example to European countries of how African immigrants should be treated.
Canadian soldiers have been fighting alongside other NATO contingents in Afghanistan since that war began, and despite warnings about the dangers, Jean travelled to Kabul to mark International Women's Day in 2007. On arrival she declared, "The women of Afghanistan may face the most unbearable conditions, but they never stop fighting for survival. Of course, we, the rest of the women around the world, took too long to hear the cries of our Afghan sisters, but I am here to tell them that they are no longer alone."
But Jean also engendered controversy, notably for her decision to go along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's request to prorogue Parliament in December 2008, just two months after a national election. Two opposition parties had agreed to form a coalition to defeat Harper's Conservatives and the third said it would support them.
Her granting of Harper's request wasn't pro forma, and just this week she explained to a news agency that she wasn't aiming to keep the nation in suspense when she left Harper waiting for two hours. She simply wanted to take the necessary time before arriving at such an important decision and at the same time hoped to engage the country in the process.
Early last year, on a visit to the northern territory of Nunavut, Jean attended a traditional Inuit community festival in which she partook in the gutting of a freshly caught seal and in accordance with aboriginal tradition, ate a piece of its raw heart. This act drew particular attention because it coincided with a recent ban by the European Parliament on the importation of Canadian seal products in protest against the killing of seals.
Now, the lady who left Haiti as a child but has maintained a strong connection to her homeland will, for the next while, be the UN's special envoy for Haiti. Her task is to help fight poverty and illiteracy and raise money from international sources to rebuild the earthquake-shattered country.
Her term ended on Thursday and it seems Ottawa is back to the old ways. Canada's new vice-regal representative is a 69-year-old white lawyer and academic whose most recent post was president of the University of Waterloo in Ontario. David Johnston, with degrees from Harvard, Cambridge and Queen's in Kingston, Ontario, has worked in several universities, written a shelf-ful of books and his big passion is hockey. It looks as if things will be a bit quieter around Rideau Hall for the next five years or so.
October 02, 2010
jamaicaobserver
MICHAëLLE Jean was only 11 years old when she first set foot in Canada. Her father, Roger, had fled Haiti in 1967 after suffering persecution and torture. He was a teacher and managed to secure a position with a local college in the rough-and-tumble town of Thetford Mines in eastern Quebec. A year later he sent for his wife Luce and daughter.
Unfortunately, the brutality he suffered had taken a serious toll, and according to his daughter, he became increasingly prone to violence. The marriage eventually came apart, and his wife left for Montreal to make a new life.
They lived in a small apartment in the basement of a house while Luce worked first at a clothing factory and then as a night orderly in a psychiatric hospital. It was quite a comedown for the former residents of a middle-class section of Port-au-Prince where Roger was principal and philosophy teacher at an upscale preparatory school.
They kept their daughter away from school and taught her themselves because if she had enrolled in school she would have had to swear allegiance to François (Papa Doc) Duvalier.
Michaëlle attended the University of Montreal, where she earned degrees in Spanish and Italian as well as in literature. She also studied at three universities in Italy and emerged a fluent speaker of five languages -- French, Creole, English, Spanish and Italian — and reads Portuguese.
While still at university Jean worked with women and children who had suffered domestic violence and also worked with organisations which helped new immigrants in the unsettling experience of settling in the new country. She took part in a landmark study — published in 1987 — which examined abusive relationships in which women suffered sexual violence from their spouses.
But it was in television that Jean made her mark. In the late 1980s she joined the French-language service of the CBC, Canada's national broadcaster, and worked as a reporter, presenter and documentary maker. From time to time she acted as host of the nightly national newscast and came to the attention of the English network, where she presented documentaries on its all-news channel.
By this time she had married a French-born documentary maker and had adopted Marie-Éden, an orphaned girl from Jacmel, Jean's mother's hometown in Haiti. She collaborated with her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, in several documentaries including an award-winning production in which she met an uncle who had fled in exile to France and wrote about his dreams for Haiti.
Since Canada became self-governing in 1867, the sovereign in London was represented by a string of British aristocrats until 1952. Prime Minister Louis St Laurent broke the chain by choosing Vincent Massey, a member of a prominent Ontario family and a distinguished diplomat, to be the first Canadian governor-general.
Since then, many ex-politicians have resided in Rideau Hall, a stately house in immaculately kept grounds close by the Ottawa River in the quite agreeable Canadian capital city. But four ex-journalists, all from the CBC, have also filled the post.
Two of them were former Liberal politicians — the first woman in the job, Jeanne Sauvé, who had a 20-year broadcasting career in Quebec before going into politics in 1972. The other was Roméo Leblanc, who was a foreign correspondent for several years before getting into politics. The other two were Ms Jean and her predecessor, Adrienne Clarkson, who was also precedent-shattering.
Clarkson was born in Hong Kong as Adrienne Poi and went to Canada as a young child with her family who barely escaped the brutal Japanese occupation of the territory during the Second World War. She enjoyed a brilliant career as a current affairs interviewer, presenter and reporter on television before going off to Paris as the cultural and trade representative of the Government of Ontario.
In her five years as Canada's vice-regal figurehead, Michaëlle Jean has drawn considerable kudos for her performance. She made trips all over the country and her most rapt admirers were the children with whom she loves to interact. She showed the flag in Africa, Europe and the Americas. In South Africa, President Thabo Mbeki praised her appointment as an example to European countries of how African immigrants should be treated.Canadian soldiers have been fighting alongside other NATO contingents in Afghanistan since that war began, and despite warnings about the dangers, Jean travelled to Kabul to mark International Women's Day in 2007. On arrival she declared, "The women of Afghanistan may face the most unbearable conditions, but they never stop fighting for survival. Of course, we, the rest of the women around the world, took too long to hear the cries of our Afghan sisters, but I am here to tell them that they are no longer alone."
But Jean also engendered controversy, notably for her decision to go along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's request to prorogue Parliament in December 2008, just two months after a national election. Two opposition parties had agreed to form a coalition to defeat Harper's Conservatives and the third said it would support them.
Her granting of Harper's request wasn't pro forma, and just this week she explained to a news agency that she wasn't aiming to keep the nation in suspense when she left Harper waiting for two hours. She simply wanted to take the necessary time before arriving at such an important decision and at the same time hoped to engage the country in the process.
Early last year, on a visit to the northern territory of Nunavut, Jean attended a traditional Inuit community festival in which she partook in the gutting of a freshly caught seal and in accordance with aboriginal tradition, ate a piece of its raw heart. This act drew particular attention because it coincided with a recent ban by the European Parliament on the importation of Canadian seal products in protest against the killing of seals.
Now, the lady who left Haiti as a child but has maintained a strong connection to her homeland will, for the next while, be the UN's special envoy for Haiti. Her task is to help fight poverty and illiteracy and raise money from international sources to rebuild the earthquake-shattered country.
Her term ended on Thursday and it seems Ottawa is back to the old ways. Canada's new vice-regal representative is a 69-year-old white lawyer and academic whose most recent post was president of the University of Waterloo in Ontario. David Johnston, with degrees from Harvard, Cambridge and Queen's in Kingston, Ontario, has worked in several universities, written a shelf-ful of books and his big passion is hockey. It looks as if things will be a bit quieter around Rideau Hall for the next five years or so.
October 02, 2010
jamaicaobserver
Friday, October 1, 2010
Venezuela: “Only Ecuadorans Can Neutralise Coup Attempt”
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com:
Mérida, September 30th 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – As a coup attempt takes place in Ecuador, Venezuela and regional organisations of Latin America have come out in solidarity with Ecuador, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on the people and military of Ecuador to defend President Rafael Correa and their country’s democracy.
Ecuador is a close ally of Venezuela, and a fellow member of the progressive Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Our America (ALBA).
Early this afternoon the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry released an official statement condemning the coup attempt and expressing its solidarity with President Rafael Correa and the Ecuadoran people.
The statement said, “A few minutes ago President Hugo Chavez Frias talked with President Rafael Correa, who is being held in the National Police hospital in Quito. President Correa confirmed that what is taking place is a coup attempt, given the insubordination by a section of the National Police towards the authorities and the law”.
“Commander Hugo Chavez expressed his support for the constitutional president of our sister, the Republic of Ecuador, and condemned, in the name of the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Our America (ALBA), this attack against the constitution and the people of Ecuador,” continued the statement.
“The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its confidence that President Rafael Correa and the Ecuadoran people will overturn this coup attempt and, together with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, we will be alert and accompanying them with solidarity in this historic moment,” the statement concluded.
Later this afternoon, Chavez talked on the telephone with Telesur, commenting on the coup attempt as he prepared to travel to Argentina to meet with other presidents of UNASUR and discuss the situation in Ecuador.
“According to what our ambassador [in Ecuador] has reported, the airports have been taken. It’s an operation that has been prepared. They are the forces of... the extreme right,” he said.
“The president [of Ecuador] is alone [in the hospital] with just an assistant and a few security members. Our ambassador Navas Tortolero tried to enter the hospital but they impeded him. There is a lot of police violence and its clear they received instructions from above.”
Correa “told me, ‘I’m ready to die, I’m not going to give up’,” Chavez said.
Chavez argued that a peaceful march needs to support the president, and the military needs to guarantee the peace. “Only Ecuadorians can neutralise the coup attempt... and can save democracy in Venezuela,” he said.
“Correa is a man of great dignity, we’ve seen him confront this situation despite his physical condition, his knee [which was operated on recently]... I have faith in President Correa, who has already suffered attacks from outside Ecuador in the sad case of Colombia’s incursion... he knows how to respond and how to plant peace in Ecuador,” Chavez said.
Chavez also commented that it was “strange that the military hasn’t appeared... their president is kidnapped... they aren’t letting him out, hopefully there’ll be a reaction... I’ve talked with Venezuelan military in Ecuador who tell me that the military there are in their barracks but they aren’t active... the situation is very very bad.”
Chavez called on the Ecuadoran military to “not allow them to massacre the Ecuadorian people” and to “rescue President Correa.”
“It’s a coup attempt against ALBA... the countries who have raised the banner of democracy... the [coup] masters... we know where they are, they are in Washington,” he concluded.
Already, Venezuelans are mobilising outside the Ecuadorian embassy in Caracas.
Regional Response
The Organisation of American States (OAS) is holding an emergency meeting and ALBA and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) are making arrangements to hold emergency meetings.
However, Chavez commented on Telesur that the OAS is “impotent” in the face of such situations. “Beyond chest beating”, nothing will come out of it, he argued, sighting the case of Honduras.
To date in the OAS meeting, all government representatives who have spoken, including those from the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, have said they reject the coup attempt.
Cuba, the European Union, the general secretary of the United Nations, Mexico, France, and Bolivia also declared their support for the democratically-elected Ecuadoran government.
The US ambassador to the OAS, Carmen Lomellin, stated, “We condemn any attempt to violate or alter the constitutional process and constitutional order in Ecuador”.
ALBA has also released a formal statement, manifesting “solidarity with the legitimate government of President Rafael Correa and with the sovereign people of Ecuador”.
Nestor Kirchner, general secretary of UNASUR, expressed his total support for and “absolute solidarity” with the Ecuadorian government.
Events in Ecuador
This morning police forces in Quito, Ecuador, took over strategic sites, including an airbase, airports and parliament. President Correa immediately went to the military base to work out a solution. Police claimed they were protesting a law passed on Wednesday that allegedly would reduce their work benefits.
Correa argued that his government had doubled police wages and that rather the law just restructured the benefits.
He also denounced that ex-President Lucio Gutierrez, who, following large protests, was removed from office by a vote of the Ecuadorian congress in 2005, was behind the protest and using it to justify a coup.
Police forces attacked Correa with tear gas and the president was hospitalised shortly after in a military hospital, which coup forces subsequently surrounded. Since then he has not been able to leave.
Supporters have gathered around the presidential palace, and the Ecuadoran government has declared a state of emergency.
In a nationally televised press conference, Ecuador’s top military officials declared their support for the constitutional order of Ecuador. The top commander, General Ernesto González, demanded the police cease their subversive activities. However, the military has yet to intervene to end the police’s occupations, and only Ecuadoran civilians have taken to the streets to confront the police.
The coup attempt is not the first against an ALBA country, countries which challenge US domination in Latin America. In June 2009, Honduras, an ALBA member at the time, was subject to a coup d’état that forced its president Manuel Zelaya from power. In 2004, a coup similar to the one in Honduras was carried out in Haiti with US backing. In 2002 Venezuela was also subject to a coup, but a huge mobilisation by Venezuelans combined with military support for Chavez, defeated the coup.
venezuelanalysis
Mérida, September 30th 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – As a coup attempt takes place in Ecuador, Venezuela and regional organisations of Latin America have come out in solidarity with Ecuador, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on the people and military of Ecuador to defend President Rafael Correa and their country’s democracy.
Ecuador is a close ally of Venezuela, and a fellow member of the progressive Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Our America (ALBA).
Early this afternoon the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry released an official statement condemning the coup attempt and expressing its solidarity with President Rafael Correa and the Ecuadoran people.
The statement said, “A few minutes ago President Hugo Chavez Frias talked with President Rafael Correa, who is being held in the National Police hospital in Quito. President Correa confirmed that what is taking place is a coup attempt, given the insubordination by a section of the National Police towards the authorities and the law”.
“Commander Hugo Chavez expressed his support for the constitutional president of our sister, the Republic of Ecuador, and condemned, in the name of the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Our America (ALBA), this attack against the constitution and the people of Ecuador,” continued the statement.
“The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its confidence that President Rafael Correa and the Ecuadoran people will overturn this coup attempt and, together with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, we will be alert and accompanying them with solidarity in this historic moment,” the statement concluded.
Later this afternoon, Chavez talked on the telephone with Telesur, commenting on the coup attempt as he prepared to travel to Argentina to meet with other presidents of UNASUR and discuss the situation in Ecuador.
“According to what our ambassador [in Ecuador] has reported, the airports have been taken. It’s an operation that has been prepared. They are the forces of... the extreme right,” he said.
“The president [of Ecuador] is alone [in the hospital] with just an assistant and a few security members. Our ambassador Navas Tortolero tried to enter the hospital but they impeded him. There is a lot of police violence and its clear they received instructions from above.”
Correa “told me, ‘I’m ready to die, I’m not going to give up’,” Chavez said.
Chavez argued that a peaceful march needs to support the president, and the military needs to guarantee the peace. “Only Ecuadorians can neutralise the coup attempt... and can save democracy in Venezuela,” he said.
“Correa is a man of great dignity, we’ve seen him confront this situation despite his physical condition, his knee [which was operated on recently]... I have faith in President Correa, who has already suffered attacks from outside Ecuador in the sad case of Colombia’s incursion... he knows how to respond and how to plant peace in Ecuador,” Chavez said.
Chavez also commented that it was “strange that the military hasn’t appeared... their president is kidnapped... they aren’t letting him out, hopefully there’ll be a reaction... I’ve talked with Venezuelan military in Ecuador who tell me that the military there are in their barracks but they aren’t active... the situation is very very bad.”
Chavez called on the Ecuadoran military to “not allow them to massacre the Ecuadorian people” and to “rescue President Correa.”
“It’s a coup attempt against ALBA... the countries who have raised the banner of democracy... the [coup] masters... we know where they are, they are in Washington,” he concluded.
Already, Venezuelans are mobilising outside the Ecuadorian embassy in Caracas.
Regional Response
The Organisation of American States (OAS) is holding an emergency meeting and ALBA and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) are making arrangements to hold emergency meetings.
However, Chavez commented on Telesur that the OAS is “impotent” in the face of such situations. “Beyond chest beating”, nothing will come out of it, he argued, sighting the case of Honduras.
To date in the OAS meeting, all government representatives who have spoken, including those from the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, have said they reject the coup attempt.
Cuba, the European Union, the general secretary of the United Nations, Mexico, France, and Bolivia also declared their support for the democratically-elected Ecuadoran government.
The US ambassador to the OAS, Carmen Lomellin, stated, “We condemn any attempt to violate or alter the constitutional process and constitutional order in Ecuador”.
ALBA has also released a formal statement, manifesting “solidarity with the legitimate government of President Rafael Correa and with the sovereign people of Ecuador”.
Nestor Kirchner, general secretary of UNASUR, expressed his total support for and “absolute solidarity” with the Ecuadorian government.
Events in Ecuador
This morning police forces in Quito, Ecuador, took over strategic sites, including an airbase, airports and parliament. President Correa immediately went to the military base to work out a solution. Police claimed they were protesting a law passed on Wednesday that allegedly would reduce their work benefits.
Correa argued that his government had doubled police wages and that rather the law just restructured the benefits.
He also denounced that ex-President Lucio Gutierrez, who, following large protests, was removed from office by a vote of the Ecuadorian congress in 2005, was behind the protest and using it to justify a coup.
Police forces attacked Correa with tear gas and the president was hospitalised shortly after in a military hospital, which coup forces subsequently surrounded. Since then he has not been able to leave.
Supporters have gathered around the presidential palace, and the Ecuadoran government has declared a state of emergency.
In a nationally televised press conference, Ecuador’s top military officials declared their support for the constitutional order of Ecuador. The top commander, General Ernesto González, demanded the police cease their subversive activities. However, the military has yet to intervene to end the police’s occupations, and only Ecuadoran civilians have taken to the streets to confront the police.
The coup attempt is not the first against an ALBA country, countries which challenge US domination in Latin America. In June 2009, Honduras, an ALBA member at the time, was subject to a coup d’état that forced its president Manuel Zelaya from power. In 2004, a coup similar to the one in Honduras was carried out in Haiti with US backing. In 2002 Venezuela was also subject to a coup, but a huge mobilisation by Venezuelans combined with military support for Chavez, defeated the coup.
venezuelanalysis
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Bahamas: More than 20,000 young people involved in gangs
'20,000' in street gangs
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
Pastor Carlos Reid is set to release an updated gang list this week, a document produced by the community-based non-profit Youth Against Violence, which he leads. The list details the schools and communities that are "contaminated" with gangs.
Ridgeland Park and the Grove are two communities featured on the list. They are said to have gangs that are involved in "wars" and "cross rivalry", according to St Cecelia Member of Parliament Cynthia "Mother" Pratt, who recently sounded the alarm.
She claims both communities are engaged in an endless spree of retaliations that are affecting the community.
Pastor Reid said the Grove has several gangs on the list, including the Grove Boys. He said the Jungalist gang occupies Ridgeland Park.
The gang listing was first brought out in 1997. It was last updated in 2002, when more than 50 gangs were listed. It has grown since then.
"A lot of the killings we have seen this year are retaliation killings. When someone gets killed, you are not just getting rid of that person, because that person is attached to an immediate family and an extended family, the gang. The mentality is, when you kill one of us, in most cases we have to take one of your own," said Pastor Reid..
"Almost every community has a feud going on with a different community. We have not properly addressed the issue of gangs. We have allowed situations to breed, and a lot of the people in the position to make a difference don't have a clue about what is going on," he said.
Poinciana Drive is still known as "the Gaza Strip", according to Pastor Reid. It is the meeting ground of four different gang territories (Gun Dogs, Pond Boys, Rebellions and Nike Boys), and four different schools (CC Sweeting, HO Nash, TA Thompson and CR Walker).
The Balliou Hill playing fields is known as the "killing fields", according to Pastor Reid, who said, "every day there is a fight going on out there".
"Let us look at Government High School. When you have to walk through Yellow Elder, where the Hornets are, if you are a Rebellion they know and you are getting it," said Pastor Reid.
Once a student lives in a certain area, they are automatically assumed to be in a "particular click". A GHS student said there was a fight in school yesterday because of gangs. The fight was sparked because a student from the Grove "trespassed" in Rebellion territory.
"Take CI Gibson. The Hoyas from Kemp Road believe they own that school, so as far as they are concerned, no one else is supposed to be in that school," said Pastor Fox.
However, students from the Fox Hill Dogs, Nassau Village Rebellions and the Mad Ass from Wulff Road all go to the same school.
"Now think about this. If you know someone wants to chap you up and kill you, do you really think you can focus on your school work. The only thing you are thinking about is how am I going to get out of here after school," he said.
Pastor Reid is certified in gang prevention and intervention skills by the National Gang and Crime Research Centre of the United States of America.
He is also the lead pastor at the Hope Centre Ministries, which runs several youth outreach programmes, including a suspension programme.
The Hope Centre and Youth Against Violence are hosting a Conflict Resolution and Manger Management Seminar this week, where they plan to release the updated gang listing.
Minister Keith Grey, also a certified gang prevention and intervention specialist, is one of the presenters at the seminar. He was one of the founders of the Rebellion Raiders.
Pastor Keith said the Rebellion gang is still the largest gang in the Bahamas. Its members boast of having 14 segments across the island, from Elizabeth Estates to Carmichael, Road.
It was started in the early 1980s "to rebel against the Syndicates, which was one of the earliest gangs formed that had some structure", said Pastor Reid.
"The same things they formed to rebel against, they started doing, so the other gangs started coming up to rebel against the Rebellions," he said.
Bahamian gangs are not constituted in the same way as American gangs, or Jamaican gangs. Pastor Reid said American gangs are "more organised crime gangs", and Jamaican gangs are "political gangs".
Organised crime gangs are often underground organisations that run the entire community, including housing projects, businesses and politicians.
"It doesn't mean we don't have gangs. We basically have youth gangs. The problem is, America started off just as we did and we don't want to get where America is," said Pastor Reid.
"We are seeing the formation of these groups really to protect themselves. To be honest, in the Bahamas, just being by yourself is a risk.
"Most of the youth gangs they will mess with you just because they see you walking by yourself and you might have something on you that they want: watch, chain, shoes," he said.
September 29, 2010
tribune242
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
THE gang problem in The Bahamas affects more than 20,000 young people, according to a Bahamian gang expert, and the number is on the rise.
Pastor Carlos Reid is set to release an updated gang list this week, a document produced by the community-based non-profit Youth Against Violence, which he leads. The list details the schools and communities that are "contaminated" with gangs.
Ridgeland Park and the Grove are two communities featured on the list. They are said to have gangs that are involved in "wars" and "cross rivalry", according to St Cecelia Member of Parliament Cynthia "Mother" Pratt, who recently sounded the alarm.
She claims both communities are engaged in an endless spree of retaliations that are affecting the community.
Pastor Reid said the Grove has several gangs on the list, including the Grove Boys. He said the Jungalist gang occupies Ridgeland Park.
The gang listing was first brought out in 1997. It was last updated in 2002, when more than 50 gangs were listed. It has grown since then.
"A lot of the killings we have seen this year are retaliation killings. When someone gets killed, you are not just getting rid of that person, because that person is attached to an immediate family and an extended family, the gang. The mentality is, when you kill one of us, in most cases we have to take one of your own," said Pastor Reid..
"Almost every community has a feud going on with a different community. We have not properly addressed the issue of gangs. We have allowed situations to breed, and a lot of the people in the position to make a difference don't have a clue about what is going on," he said.
Poinciana Drive is still known as "the Gaza Strip", according to Pastor Reid. It is the meeting ground of four different gang territories (Gun Dogs, Pond Boys, Rebellions and Nike Boys), and four different schools (CC Sweeting, HO Nash, TA Thompson and CR Walker).
The Balliou Hill playing fields is known as the "killing fields", according to Pastor Reid, who said, "every day there is a fight going on out there".
"Let us look at Government High School. When you have to walk through Yellow Elder, where the Hornets are, if you are a Rebellion they know and you are getting it," said Pastor Reid.
Once a student lives in a certain area, they are automatically assumed to be in a "particular click". A GHS student said there was a fight in school yesterday because of gangs. The fight was sparked because a student from the Grove "trespassed" in Rebellion territory.
"Take CI Gibson. The Hoyas from Kemp Road believe they own that school, so as far as they are concerned, no one else is supposed to be in that school," said Pastor Fox.
However, students from the Fox Hill Dogs, Nassau Village Rebellions and the Mad Ass from Wulff Road all go to the same school.
"Now think about this. If you know someone wants to chap you up and kill you, do you really think you can focus on your school work. The only thing you are thinking about is how am I going to get out of here after school," he said.
Pastor Reid is certified in gang prevention and intervention skills by the National Gang and Crime Research Centre of the United States of America.
He is also the lead pastor at the Hope Centre Ministries, which runs several youth outreach programmes, including a suspension programme.
The Hope Centre and Youth Against Violence are hosting a Conflict Resolution and Manger Management Seminar this week, where they plan to release the updated gang listing.
Minister Keith Grey, also a certified gang prevention and intervention specialist, is one of the presenters at the seminar. He was one of the founders of the Rebellion Raiders.
Pastor Keith said the Rebellion gang is still the largest gang in the Bahamas. Its members boast of having 14 segments across the island, from Elizabeth Estates to Carmichael, Road.
It was started in the early 1980s "to rebel against the Syndicates, which was one of the earliest gangs formed that had some structure", said Pastor Reid.
"The same things they formed to rebel against, they started doing, so the other gangs started coming up to rebel against the Rebellions," he said.
Bahamian gangs are not constituted in the same way as American gangs, or Jamaican gangs. Pastor Reid said American gangs are "more organised crime gangs", and Jamaican gangs are "political gangs".
Organised crime gangs are often underground organisations that run the entire community, including housing projects, businesses and politicians.
"It doesn't mean we don't have gangs. We basically have youth gangs. The problem is, America started off just as we did and we don't want to get where America is," said Pastor Reid.
"We are seeing the formation of these groups really to protect themselves. To be honest, in the Bahamas, just being by yourself is a risk.
"Most of the youth gangs they will mess with you just because they see you walking by yourself and you might have something on you that they want: watch, chain, shoes," he said.
September 29, 2010
tribune242
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