What purpose does WTO serve?

The World Trade Organization appointed Brazilian Roberto Azevedo as new the director.

The question remains to many around the world . . . what purpose does this organization serve?  Exactly who is benefitting?

 Polyp depicts:

Many North and Eastern African countries are Non-Member and Observers.  Most WTO disagreements surround agricultural open markets and import disputes.  The modern global food system continues to cause cancer.   I don't want my main dish to be international agricultural trade disputes but rather a seasonal medley of locally produced and fair traded products, preferably even what can be foraged and grown in our community.  

From a country with vast ecological resources, will the new Brazilian director link labour and environment concerns into the World Trade's agenda?  

What would your plate look like?  How would you change your consuming/trading habits on your plate?

A Raw Sun in Marikana

MARIKANA
by Ari Sitas

The digital images fold as the TV screen tires
The cops, rifles in cabinet, past their third beer are edging towards bed
The night is quiet as the smelter has been closed,

the only music is of the wind on razor wire
the ears are too shut to hear the ancestral thuds on goatskin
humanity has somehow died in Marikana
who said what to whom remains a detailed trifle
the fury of the day has to congeal, the blood has to congeal
I reverse the footage bringing the miners back to life
in vain, the footage surges back and the first bullet
reappears and the next and the next and the next
and I reverse the footage in vain, again and again in vain

The image of the man in the green shroud endures
Who wove the blanket and what was his name?
There are no subtitles under the clump of bodies, no names
stapled on their unformed skull
A mist of ignorance also endures, a winter fog
woven into the fabric of the kill
The loom endures too, the weaver is asleep
The land of the high winds will receive the man naked
The earth will eat the stitch back to a thread
What will remain is the image and I in vain
Reversing him back to life to lead the hill to song
In vain, the footage surges back
another Mpondo, another Nquza Hill, another Wonder Hill
the shooting quietens: another anthill

My love, did I not gift you a necklace with a wondrous bird
pure royal platinum to mark our bond?- was it not the work of the most reckless angel of craft and ingenuity? Was it not pretty?
Didn’t the bird have an enticing beak of orange with green tint?
Throw it away quickly, tonight it will turn nasty and gouge
a shaft into your slender neck
And it will hurt because our metals are the hardest- gold, pig iron, manganese
yes, platinum
Humanity has somehow died in Marikana

What is that uMzimu staring back at us tonight?
Darken the mirrors
Switch off the moon
Asphalt the lakes

At dawn, the driveway to the Master’s mansion
Is aflame with flower, so radiant from the superphosphates
of bone
of surplus oxygen and cash,
such flames, such a raw sun
such mourning by the shacks that squat in sulphur’s bracken
and I wait for the storm, the torrent, the lava of restitution
the avenger spirits that blunt the helicopter blades in vain

these also endure: the game and trout fishing of their elective chores
the auctions of diamond, art and share
the prized stallions of their dreams
their supple fingers fingering oriental skins and their silver crystals
counting the scalps of politicians in their vault

The meerkat paces through the scent of blood
I want it to pace through the scent of blood,
she is the mascot, the living totem
of the mine’s deep rock,
the one who guards the clans from the night’s devil
she is there as the restless ghosts of ancestors
by the rock-face
feeding her sinew and pap

goading her on:
the women who have loved the dead alive
the homesteads that have earned their sweat and glands
impassive nature that has heard their songs
the miners of our daily wealth that still defy
the harsh landscape of new furies
the meerkat endures-
torn certainties of class endure
the weaver also endures: there-
green blankets of our shrouded dreams
humanity has died in Marikana

The strike is over
The dead must return
to work.


-----------------
" (written after a tough two weeks and seeing Pitika’s miner sculpture with the green corrugated iron blanket) "

You Can't See Me: South Africa Passes the Secrecy Bill

"You  must be going blind"

Criminalizing investigative journalism...a democracy-demolishing. This Tuesday's soundwave is sponsored by the Secrecy Bill passed in South Africa today "You can't See me."  The passing of the secrecy Bill in South Africa seeks to create a law-so that larger governing bodies to local municipalities, can classify a document 'secret' and place harsh penalties on whistleblowers.  Eish!

Graffiti Art on the Street talks back-Durban, South Africa

  We build walls, we break walls.

  We climb walls, we bomb walls.

 We stare at walls, we wonder . . . if walls could talk.

  We paint walls, so they talk back.

  -Athena

   This picture was taken in 2005, in Durban, South Africa.

The cradle of the West in flames: Another one tears from gas

 This image could be from anywhere at the moment.


Activists are coming out and protesting for what we believe we need as a greater whole. These aren't local issues. We may live within borders but global issues cross and today we are more interconnected to stand in solidarity of human rights than ever before. Greece has started to protest austerity measures implemented by the government which is another stand against a system that isn't working for the people.  The cradle of the west is in flames which well may be a foreshadow of efforts to spark change around the world.  Dictators are stepping down, corrupt governments are being pressured, a call for action towards change is in order.  How many more curtains of tear gas and Molotov cocktails will have to be thrown?

I came across this website: Tips to survive a tear-gas protest which lists first-aid to bring with you and a 101 of all things considered when protecting you from tear-gas at a protest.  We can come prepared and aware, but intuitively I think we are capable to act and stand for peaceful change, educate ourselves and eachother to communicate.  While protesters on ground level are burning and blinding eachother, how can another wave of activism support the same issues and combat on another level without tears from gas?

Inhumane Energy

Source: via Athena on Pinterest           How can we reverse damage already done to the environment in Ecuador and our brothers and sisters who have been affected by the pollutants?

We can start to clean what has already been damaged by not tolerating inhumane systems of power and economy. I hope this case is a call to form better plans for our future and take on our power to make a change.

“The case really sends a message that companies operating in the undeveloped world cannot rely on a compliant government or lax environmental rules as a way of permanently insulating themselves from liability,” said Robert Percival, a law professor and director of the environmental law program at the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore. Click for more 

An apology is due but the money stays in those deep pockets fueling more greed and manipulation. Read more en espanol 
 If business' continue to practice in inhumane systems, then a call for compassion and innovation is pending for us to make change.  Let's create a more sustainable form and can we agree on what is sustainable?  

 "Everything lost can be found again in a new form and a new way" -Roan Robbins

Tunisia ☑ Egypt ☑ Iran ☐

"We are great people and we did something great.  This is the expected end for every dictator." Mahmoud Elhetta, an Egyptian protest organiser.

Source: english.aljazeera.net via Athena on Pinterest

The bridge leading to peace is a strong image. My thoughts and solidarity are with protestors in Iran during anti-government protests and the struggle towards change.

Voices on Obama: Emmanuel

It’s very interesting for an African to become the president in the United States. He’s very interesting, and I’m very happy for the politics.  It’s like Ghana, the democracy needs to be understood, if not, an African cannot be a president in the United States. It’s because of the democracy.

It’s like Ghana too, because of the democracy, if they finish the election, there's no violence.  It’s all quite interesting because even in Africa, some of the countries, like Zimbabwe, after the elections, well, you know what is happening over there; their leader doesn’t want to give up.
If it’s not your turn you have to step down and then let someone else in.

There must be changes, there must be change.

Emmanuel is from Ghana and has been living in Khayelitsha, South Africa for 3 months. He is an entrepreneur and is opening up a restaurant soon.

Voices on Obama: Nathi

I am very surprised to see the Black man ruling in a country like America because it’s a very big country in the world. I am very surprised to see all that in America.

Maybe now is the time to see the Xhosa men rule the world, ya know?

It’s the time to change now. Ya know, it's time to give that guy a chance to see what he's going to do in America.

 I listened to the first speech that man spoke. He was trying to open the minds here because if you say all the minds in South Africa are closing, that guy can open the minds here in South Africa.

Nathi is a petrol attendant in Khayelitsha, Western Cape. He is originally from Umtata, Eastern Cape.

Voices on Obama: Abigail and Dure

Abigail

For me, because they say now he’s the second Mandela, you know Mandela was the one we look up to, our role model, and now he’s followed Mandela’s footsteps now.  He's the second Black president.

Dure

I actually think he’s going to be bad for Africa. Yes, because before, in the past it was 'Poor Africa'. America would say Poor Africa. He’s got family in Kenya so he knows what Africa is about and he’s not going to say Poor Africa. He’s not going to be as sympathetic.

I feel he’s going to be less sympathetic. In all our Afrikaans papers and things we read, they are also speculating that he’s going to be less sympathetic, the economic people and everyone is speculating that.

Abigail and Dure are shoe sales associates in Knysna, South Africa

Voices on Obama: Frank and Bernie

What do you think of the new president of the US?

Oh it’s cool.  I hope that he’ll just be nice and look after the people.  It would be nice. There won’t be a big issue.

                                 What does it mean to you as a South African?

For me, it's quite different.  Well, he’s a Negro and maybe it will be better, better or worse I don't know. But I try to guess that he'll be equal to his family, the family is what’s important over other things. It will be nice, man.

When are you gonna be South Africa's president?

Oh gosh sake, look.  Look at the new president. That’s what I’m saying.  In South Africa, you don’t know when it’s summer, or when it’s winter.

Bernie

This country is not right, man.

 This country is very bad. The crime rate is very bad. 

Killing children, and all this is bad.

Do you have children?

Six children. Two girls and four boys I got and I’m selling fruit everyday.  Everyday.

Oooh, it's heavy man. And look here I don’t got fingers too.

There’s no money in this damn country.

Frank and Bernie sell fruit from their truck in various areas around Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Nick and Chris

                                            Nick

I’m a little bit skeptical, I would say. But seemingly Barack Obama seems like a really good choice and it's really positive that so many people have gone out and voted for him. But I’m just a bit, ya, a bit skeptical about world politics; if it will really actually mean change. That’s pretty much my opinion on it.

Chris

Well, I share skepticism on world politics, but at the same time sometimes you have call a spade a spade. And Bush was a fucking spade. {laughs}

Any improvement on that front I think is good, ya know? And um, because America’s got such a huge controlling power in the world economy, their stability and non-war mongering is going to benefit everybody. But on our side, um, I’m not entirely sure what these elections will prove.

Chris and Nick are students at University of Cape Town, South Africa

Voices on Obama: Christopher

Did you know the United States elected a new president?

Now I didn’t know that. I don’t even look at the news anymore. I used to look at news, I used to watch T.V, I used to watch soccer. I like my cricket, I like my sport, but I don’t watch it anymore.

Why not anymore?

Cause I haven't got a T.V. Cause I'm sleeping in the car.

And the newspapers?

I read newspapers yeah, I like to read newspapers, I used to work at C&A. When I was a young kid, I used to work at C&A - Cape Town, Bree street. I used to work in the old C&A building.
I used to work in books and I like to read. And I like to read the bible also. Yeah that's my main book I like to read.

My parent's they brought me up like that you see, read the bible everyday, every time.

 Why don't you work at C&A anymore?

Oh that was in the 70's I used to work there. Now it's in the 2000's.

 

Tell me the difference.

Oh, it's very different.

How's it different for you?

It's not the same bosses anymore you see. These days, they're not bosses like they used to be. You get good people and you get bad people, and today you get bad people.

How do you think South Africa’s changed?

{Sigh} Bad.

Do you have hope?

I have hope, yeah, I have hope for the country, yeah. I also worked for the country.
It’s not the country, it’s the people, you see, the people.  The country is fine.
I was in places .I met mates over seas guys that I worked with.

Jesus man, they enjoyed our country. That was in the early days I used to work for the English person, Mr Morgan. He said to me, Christopher in 1984, when he sent me to Joburg, he said to me, look here Christoper, in ten years time, this was 84, he said in ten years time, you’ll see how many cars will be in South Africa. It was '84, ten years was '94. And look at the cars now!

More cars than people. Now where’s the money coming from? 

{pause}

 Now, I've got to do some scrap... {laughs}

Christopher is a repairman and metal scrap collector in the False Bay area of Cape Town.  Interviewed in Kalk Bay.

Voices on Obama: Felix

How do you feel about, now that you know the outcome of the U.S. election and what it means to you as a Zimbabwean, as a world citizen?

As a world citizen, okay, I would say, like, I mean.. it shows that life man, if you believe, you know, things can change especially if people come together.

Like you see the case of America, it's not about.. like, it wasnt the race issue. It's about people, come together as a nation and they believed in Obama and you know they want something for a change which is what has been happening.

What do you think that change is?

That change, like, basically you know people always thought that, like, you know America, it was mainly, eh, how can I say?, you know, the time of Martin Luther King, they came from a time where once Blacks were oppressed. Martin Luther had a dream that one day that dream would come true..so like in a way, this is the way I would say that dream of Martin Luther has become a reality.

I've been following Obama's profile. To me, it seems to me, it sounds like he has a very good education background...like in the senate most of those guys they used to oppose him. Like he's a republican is it?

Obama?

Obama, he's Republican?

Democrat.

Democrat, yeah, like but in his case he actually brought those two parties, Republican and Democrat together in the senate.

So like for him as a statesman, I think he'll do much better, its not about the political indifference with them but its about bringing all the people together, which if you want something to work you have to bring people together.

Felix is originally from Zimbabwe, working in South Africa. He bartends at Zula Bar on Long Street, Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Gary and Eve

I’m doing interviews on South African reactions to the victory of the democratic candidate Barack Obama . . .

Eve: It’s what we woke up to this morning. Like Gary and I, ya know, trying to sleep to 10 -that’s all we want to do in life-and John walked out. Little economist, John, walked out of his room and went "Yay, Obama won!" And we were like, "Huh?"

What does that mean to you?

Eve: Ya, well, I dunno what it means to me. It means that my best friend whose planning on moving to the states has, uhm, a new president. She said, well like her husband’s American and she’s obviously African, and she said she has an African-American baby and he’s just delighted.

And so do you think you are affected as a South African by the U.S elections?

Gary: Yes. But I'm not really sure why. I was reading up on it on the internet today and there's a lot of things but I generally, like . . . when I listen to politics, ah, it’s pretty rad and nah, I'm really stoked and it's awesome but uh, but exactly why I'm affected, like I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you, cause I just want to rock.

What’s awesome about? Why do you use those words?

Gary: Um, that I know, I know the gist of why the Republicans were, weresh, were shit. And why the Democrats are rad. And like it’s cool that it’s a black guy and it's just like ya . . . just and the other guy look soooooo boring. [Laughs in the background]

Eve: Also, like McCain is a kind of oven bake chips. That’s no person to rule the free world. And we never listen to the news… never ever ever and today, like, we listened to a good I’d say minute and a half . . . hey hey ‘hows that?’ of the news before we put the next CD in, that’s that’s a lot . . . oh, we heard Nelson. Nelson Mandela said something, cause we discovered that he only speaks in proverbs. He never, like, has actual conversations with anyone. He just says one liners and they’re always, like awesome. What did he say?

Gary: "He shows how..anyone can achieve. Anyone can achieve anything..." Yada, yada, {in Mandela voice} I’m Nelson and leave me alone I’m going back to bed.

Eve: {in Mandela voice} I’m very old.

Eve and Gary make music in Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Cath and N.D

In response to Obama's victory:

Cath: I feel fantastic. I think the world has turned with Barack Obama and the American presidency ( things can't surely be the same again), and I just think that it's a very, very hopeful time and I'm so happy to be alive at this point.

Cath is a social development consultant based in Cape Town.

N.D: Ya I feel, I’m so amped I’ve been like buzzing, buzzing along 100 percent. Ya, going like a boeing, zooming along doing all my clips, totally inspired by Obama. He’s risen to the seat of influence and power-where he can do stuff. Ya, it’s the time of the time of the great turning. You must read David Korten, The Great Turning. It’s my bible.

N.D. is a cartoonist and comix publisher.

Why does the US vote on Tuesday?

From http://whytuesday.org/answer

"In 1845, before Florida, California, and Texas were states or slavery had been abolished, Congress needed to pick a time for Americans to vote. We were an agrarian society. We traveled by horse and buggy. Farmers needed a day to get to the county seat, a day to vote, and a day to get back, without interfering with the three days of worship. So that left Tuesday and Wednesday, but Wednesday was market day. So, Tuesday it was. In 1875 Congress extended the Tuesday date for national House elections and in 1914 for federal Senate elections.

Today, we are an urban society, and we all know how hard it is to commute to our jobs, take care of the children, and get our work done, let alone stand on lines to vote. Indeed, Census data over the last decade clearly indicates that the inconvenience of voting is the primary reason Americans are not participating in our elections.

If we can move Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Holiday for the convenience of shoppers, why not make Election Day more convenient for the sake of voters? First and foremost, it is time to end the deafening silence of good people on this vitally important issue.

So we ask: Why Tuesday?"

Contact your congressional representatives www.congress.org and ask them to make Election Day a National Holiday.