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AFRICAN UNION STATEMENT ON LIBYA
AFRIKAN LEADERS OPPOSE NATO OVER GADAFFI
At a meeting between the UN Security Council and the African Union High Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya on June 15, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations gave the African Unions stand on NATO's invasion of Libya. Below is the full statement

Mr. President,

1. Thank you for organising this interactive dialogue. It is good that the United Nations Security Council has met the African Union (AU) Mediation Committee (High-Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya) so that we can exchange views on the situation in Libya in a candid manner. This should have happened much earlier because Libya is a founding member of the AU.

An attack on Libya or any other member of the African Union without express agreement by the AU is a dangerous provocation that should be avoided given the relaxed international situation in the last 20 years since the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and the eventual freedom of South Africa.

2. The UN is on safer ground if it confines itself on maintaining international peace and deterring war among member states.

3. Intervening in internal affairs of States should be avoided except where there is proof of genocide or imminent genocide as happened in Rwanda or against the Jews in Germany and the European countries that were occupied by the Third Reich.

4. There are differences on the issue of Libya as to whether there was proof of genocide or intended genocide. Fighting between Government troops and armed insurrectionists is not genocide. It is civil war.

It is the attack on unarmed civilians with the aim of exterminating a particular group that is genocide - to exterminate the genes of targeted groups such as the Jews, Tutsis, etc. It is wrong to characterise every violence as genocide or imminent genocide so as to use it as a pretext for the undermining of the sovereignty of States.

Certainly, sovereignty has been a tool of emancipation of the peoples of Africa who are beginning to chart transformational paths for most of the African countries after centuries of predation by the slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism.

Careless assaults on the sovereignty of African Countries are, therefore, tantamount to inflicting fresh wounds on the destiny of the African peoples. If foreign invasions, meddlings, interventions, etc, were a source of prosperity, then, Africa should be the richest continent in the world because we have had all versions of all that: slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Yet, Africa has been the most wretched on account of that foreign meddling.

5. Whatever the genesis of the intervention by NATO in Libya, the AU called for dialogue before the UN resolutions 1970 and 1973 and after those Resolutions.

Ignoring the AU for three months and going on with the bombings of the sacred land of Africa has been high-handed, arrogant and provocative. This is something that should not be sustained.

To a discerning mind, such a course is dangerous. It is unwise for certain players to be intoxicated with technological superiority and begin to think they alone can alter the course of human history towards freedom for the whole of mankind. Certainly, no constellation of states should think that they can recreate hegemony over Africa.

6. The safer way is to use the ability to talk, to resolve all problems.

7. The UN or anybody acting on behalf of the UN must be neutral in relation to the internal affairs of states. Certainly, that should be the case with respect to African countries. The UN should not take sides in a civil war. The UN should promote dialogue, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and help in enforcing agreements arrived at after negotiations such as the agreement on the Sudan.

8. Regardless of the genesis of the Libyan problem, the correct way forward now is dialogue without pre-conditions. The demand by some countries that Col. Muammar Gadaffi must go first before the dialogue is incorrect. Whether Gadaffi goes or stays is a matter for the Libyan people to decide. It is particularly wrong when the demand for Gadaffi's departure is made by outsiders.

9. In order for dialogue, without pre-conditions, to take place, we need a ceasefire in place that should be monitored by the AU troops among others. This will help the AU to confirm the veracity of the stories of Gadaffi killing civilians intentionally.

10. That dialogue should agree on the way forward in the direction of introducing competitive politics. Gadaffi thinks he has the most democratic system in the world of people's authority, elected local committees. Since so much chaos in Libya has emerged on the issue, Gadaffi should see the wisdom of accepting competitive democracy.

Gadaffi cannot ignore the fact that the rebels took over Benghazi and his authority melted away before NATO came in to confuse the picture. The pre-NATO uprising in Benghazi was, mainly, internal. Gadaffi may say that they were organised by Al Qaeda. Even if that is so, it is a fact that some Libyans in Benghazi threw out Gadaffi's authority. Therefore, Gadaffi must think of and agree to reforms, resulting into competitive politics.

11. A transitional mechanism could, then, be worked out and competitive elections would take place after an agree d timetable.

12. What about security for the opposition members? We have plenty of experience on such issues. What did we do in Burundi? We provided a protection force (a brigade) for the Hutu leaders who were living outside Burundi or were in the bush. One of them is now the President of Burundi after winning democratic elections.

13. How about those who are alleged to have committed war crimes including Gadaffi and the rebels? Again, our decision in Burundi is useful here. We used the concept of "immunité provisoire" (provisional immunity), for all the stakeholders so that they could participate in the dialogue. After peace is realised, then a Truth and Reconciliation body could be set up to look into these matters. After democratic elections, trials of guilty parties can take place.

14. Long-term safety of everybody can be ensured by security sector reform and especially reform of the army, so that it takes orders from any elected President.

15. The intervention in Libya was premised on the basis of protecting civilians and preventing further civilian deaths. However, the humanitarian situation in Libya remains serious and continues to get worse with continued hostilities.

Looking at how resolutions 1970 and 1973 are being implemented, the international community and the United Nations in particular, are being severely put to the test, as what is happening in Libya will undermine future efforts of the UN in the protection of civilians. There is, therefore, no need for any war-like activities in Libya because there is a peaceful way forward.

There has been no need for these war activities, ever since Gadaffi accepted dialogue when the AU mediation Committee visited Tripoli on April 10, 2011. Any war activities after that have been provocation for Africa. It is an unnecessary war. It must stop.

16. The story that the rebels cannot engage in dialogue unless Gadaffi goes away does not convince us. If they do not want dialogue, then, let them fight their war with Gadaffi without NATO bombing. Then, eventually, a modus vivendus will emerge between the two parties or one of them will be defeated. The attitude of the rebels shows us the danger of external involvement in internal affairs of African countries.

The externally sponsored groups neglect dialogue and building internal consensus and, instead, concentrate on winning external patrons. This cannot be in the interest of that country. Mobutu's Congo as well as performance of all the other neo-colonies of Africa in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and their eventual collapse in the 1990s prove that foreign sponsored groups are of no value to Africa.

17. It is essential that the UN Security Council works with the African Union to ensure that a ceasefire is immediately established with an effective and verifiable monitoring mechanism and dialogue embarked upon, leading to a political process including transitional arrangements and the necessary reforms. The crisis in Libya requires a political solution and not a military one; and the AU Road Map is the most viable option.

Finally, what is needed on the issue of Libya is a genuine partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union. By working together we can find a lasting solution to the crisis in Libya.

I thank you.

You can also read the article online at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=8&newsCategoryId=12&newsId=757904


EDITORIAL
The anti-Afrikan International Criminal Court have issued arrest warrants against Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif Al-Islam and his brother-in-law, Abdullah Al-Sanuissi, who is in charge of Internal Security. The chief ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, claims there is evidence showing Col Gaddafi personally ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians and is behind the arrest, torture and disappearance of his opponents. Saif al-Islam and Mr Sanussi are accused of similar crimes.

African Union Commission chief Jean Ping, speaking at the African Union summit in Equatorial Guinea, says France's air-drop of weapons to Libyan rebels is dangerous and puts the whole region at risk. The French military dropped arms to Berber tribal fighters in the mountains south-west of the capital, Tripoli.
Light armoured cars were also delivered to the rebels from Tunisia. This is in direct violation of the UN resolution 1970 which imposed an arms embargo across Libya. Yet the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has kept noticeably quiet on this issue, the targeting of civilians by NATO forces, the attempted assassination of a serving head of state and the public anti-Afrikan lynchings and beheadings perpetrated by the supporters of the Transitional National Council based in Benghazi. No doubt he was too busy with self-promotion as he sought re-election for a second five-year term. In a vote at the UN General Assembly in New York Mr Ban was the only candidate after the UN Security Council unanimously recommended his re-election despite complaints from some countries that he is too weak and incapable of resisting western countries running roughshod over the rule of law. His second term begins on 1 Jan 2012 and runs until the end of 2016.

Col Gaddafi has vowed to remain in Libya dead or alive in an audio message on state TV. He called on his supporters to defy the continuing NATO air strikes and said he would welcome death because martyrdom would be a million times better than surrender. US House Armed Services Committee member Mike Turner (R-OH) said that US Admiral Samuel Locklear, Commander of the NATO Joint Operations Command in Naples, Italy, told him that NATO forces are actively targeting and trying to kill Gaddafi, despite the repeated public claims of the Obama administration that regime change is not the goal and is not authorised by the UN mandate authorising the war. Turner said, "The UN authorisation had three components: blockade, no fly zone, and civil protection. And Admiral Locklear explained that the scope of civil protection was being interpreted to permit the removal of the chain of command of Gaddafi's military, which includes Gaddafi. He said that currently is the mission as NATO has defined."

One of Col Gaddafi’s big mistakes was that as Libya was a member of both the AU and Arab League it only took a decision by the emasculated cowards of the League to bring down the bombs and marginalise the AU’s efforts. You can hear the salivating hordes led by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her sickening cabal of US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, the US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and Jendayi Frazer moving in for the end game kill.


FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.


JULY PROMO







~ ‘37TH STATE’ – Various Artists [Mozik Records - Out Now] This double album is a nod to the Nigerian diaspora based in London which is so large that it is often considered Nigeria’s 37th state (as anyone who has had a money relieving experience at the hands and computers of the Thamesmead ‘419ers’ can attest!!!). The first album is subtitled ’Departures’ and the second album of remixes is called ‘Arrivals’. The cream of the crop – Dele Sosimi, Keziah Jones, Slum Village, Terri Walker, Ty, Ikwunga and the master drumming Godfather Tony Allen – are all present and correct alongside Breis, Giffy, Lyric L, Infinite Lives, Elle Holland and Lisa Lore. About one third of the tracks are different vocal versions and remixes of the Afrikan Anarchist Keziah Jones’ two funky songs ‘Invisible Hands’ and ‘Fire’. Elsewhere Fela Kuti’s former sidemen Tony Allen and Dele Sosimi, who was partially responsible for overseeing the whole project, reunite on ‘Why’ and ‘Alaye’. Ikwunga’s ‘Tic Toc’ is a tribute to Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai. Elle Holland and Giffy’s ‘Ladies UK’ is a cautionary tale for those vanity lovers not mature enough to know looks are often deceiving. There is a lot of musical talent here with the expected Afrobeat alongside rap and soulful Naija grooves.


NUBIART LIBRARY – JULY MEDIA
We will only review books we have read and DVDs we have seen and that are available at reasonable prices online or in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.


~ ‘THE WATER WARS’. Director: Licinio Azevedo [HB Films] This documentary covers the struggle of villagers to access water around Chicomo in Mozambique. During the war, most of the fighting in the country's interior region was a result of the scarcity of water sources, and many boreholes were destroyed so as not to fall into enemy hands. Now, there are only four infrequently functioning borehole water pumps that cater for the entire village. The film vividly depicts the effects of the shrinking water supply as arguments and accusations of infidelity break out as women queue for long periods (often overnight) at wells, water is stolen from baobab tree stores, elephants drink the water, clothes are placed on the ground to collect the precious morning dew and people are reduced to begging even a bowl of water. However, in the face of a water table that has dropped to 61m ingenuity and fortitude are also on display as people come together to solve problems with plans for a system of wells that everyone would contribute to for the upkeep. This is an example of the real challenges facing many Afrikan communities that will only increase with desertification, growing water demand and burgeoning populations.


~ ‘DARFUR’ – Dir: Uwe Boll [High Fliers Films] With the independence of South Sudan days away this film shows the shocking brutality that the people there faced for decades and that is still ongoing in Darfur, South Kordofan and Abyei areas. The pugilist Uwe Boll has directed a fictionalised account of a true story of journalists who go to cover the genocidal effects of the Sudanese government and the janjaweed attacks in Darfur where 300,000 people have been killed and around three million displaced in eight years of conflict. As they are leaving a village they see the janjaweed approaching. Two journalists and one Nigerian commander, acting under the auspices of the UN and AU, decide to stay in the hope that the threat of outside coverage will deter the impending attack. The film was shot in South Africa with the help of exiled Darfurians, whose stories are reflected in the ensuing slaughter. Rape, torture, murder, enslavement and forced displacement are the ongoing realities for the people of Sudan.


NUBIART DIARY
~ JULY AT THE AFRICA CENTRE

- ‘The Family Legacy’. To mark the start of the UK’s Sickle Cell Awareness Month and UK Sickle Cell Day, the Africa Centre in partnership with the Sickle Cell Society hosts a screening of ‘The Family Legacy’ followed by a Q&A with a panel of experts on the subject. Sickle cell disease is a serious inherited blood condition that affects mainly people who originate from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Around 13,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition whilst approximately 240,000 others carry one copy of the sickle cell gene (they are known as ‘carriers’ or are said to have the ‘trait’). ‘The Family Legacy’ is a moving British-Nigerian drama about the impact of sickle cell disease on a marriage and a family. The story was drawn from real life experiences of people living with sickle cell disease and their carers, gathered during discussion groups with members of the African & Caribbean community. The film was commissioned by the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme to help raise awareness of sickle cell disease and testing.

Panel to include: Professor Elizabeth Anionwu, CBE, Founder & patron of the Sickle Cell Society; Dr Lola Oni, OBE, Specialist Nurse Consultant in sickle cell and Service Director, Brent Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Centre; Mr Olu Alake, President, 100 Black Men of London; Ade Solanke, Script Writer of ‘The Family Legacy’; Jane Thorburn, Director, ‘The Family Legacy’; A. Tejan, Sickle Cell Service User; and Iyamide Thomas (Chair), Regional Care Advisor of the Sickle Cell Society. On Mon 4 July at 6.30pm at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, London, WC2E 8JT. Adm: Free. Sheila Ruiz. Tel: 020 7224 5680 Fax: 020 7224 5681. E-mail: sheila@businessofculture.com For more info on the Sickle Cell Society contact Iyamide Thomas on iyamide.thomas@sicklecellsociety.org

- Book Launch: ‘Patchwork’ by Ellen Banda-Aaku, Winner, 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing with: Ellen Banda-Aaku, Author, ‘Patchwork’; Dr Mpalive Msiska, Reader in English and Humanities, Birkbeck College; and Sylvie Aboa-Bradwell (Chair), Writer and Executive Director, African Peoples Advocacy. On Fri 29 July at 6.30pm start at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, London, WC2E 8JT. Adm: Free.

- Screening Africa: ‘Migration Stories’ - at the Africa Centre in partnership with the South London Gallery. In ‘Waiting for Happiness’ Abdallah is in flux, waiting to leave a land he no longer feels connected to and whose language he can’t speak. Abdallah’s future lies in Europe and his spirit has already left the shores of Africa, but his body remains waiting. ‘Waiting for Happiness’ explores notions of belonging and change. The film serves as a microcosm for a continent whose men are leaving in their droves in search of work, whose women have few rights and many responsibilities, and whose children are increasingly exposed to cultures the elderly regard with disdain.

The K. Boateng Academy of Performing Arts has brought together a group of young actors to work on a series of short plays to be performed as part of this youth-oriented summer program. The Academy hopes that audience members will get a glimpse of the African perspective on a variety of subjects through performances that celebrate the cultural diversity of this rich continent. On Sun 31 July at 5pm at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, London, WC2E 8JT. Adm: Free.

~ ORIGINS: FESTIVAL OF FIRST NATIONS

- Music In The Yard: ‘The Lani Singers’ (West Papua) on Mon 4 July at 5.50pm at Guildhall Yard, Gresham St, London, EC2. Adm: Free.

- Rosanna Raymond (Samoa) & George Nuku (Maori) Exhibition. Amiowhenua (Encircle the Lands),
Amiorangi (Encircle the Heavens). Until 29 July at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green Road, London, E1. Adm: Free.

- Current Exhibition. The work addresses specific issues of concern around the environmental sustainability of the region and explores the relevance of specific cultural traditions. Artists: Andy Leleisi'uao (Samoa), Filipe Tohi (Tonga), James Ormsby (Māori), Nic Moon (New Zealand), Reuben Paterson (Māori), Virginia King (New Zealand). Curated with Whitespace, Auckland, New Zealand. Until 23 July at 12.30-5.30pm (Tues-Sat) at the October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, London, W1.

~ LSE AND CARICOM PUBLIC LECTURE: ‘The Caribbean in a Changing Global Environment’ with Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, Chair, Board of Directors, University of the West Indies Press. He is Director of Cable & Wireless Barbados Ltd, as well as Sagicor Financial Inc, the largest Caribbean financial conglomerate. On Tues 5 July at 6.30-8pm. Adm: Free. Web: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2011/20110705t1830vOT.aspx

~ ERITREA COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (ECCC) ACTION DAY. E-smart Action to Lift the UN Sanction against Eritrea. Ever since the unjust and illegal sanction resolution was imposed on Eritrea, three stages of worldwide campaigns to lift the UN sanction have been conducted. Accordingly, British-Eritreans and friends of Eritrea participated in the Geneva demonstration and thousands sent petitions to the Secretary General of the UN, US President Barrack Obama, Foreign Affairs Ministries and many other institutions and pressure groups. The actions demonstrated the determination of the British-Eritreans, other Eritreans residing in the UK and friends of Eritrea to stand against the injustices and in support of the Eritrean people and Government. They also contributed immensely to their mobilization and organization as a community. Action Day in South London on 6 July at Laryn Internet Caffe, 9 Ascot Parade, Clapham Park Road, London, SW4 7EY. Tel: 07904 212 319 / 07900 428 716

~ THE ROYAL AFRICAN SOCIETY presents ‘Blessing or a Curse: Analysing the Rights of Children in Africa’. Speakers: Prof Jean La Fontaine, Professor Emeritus, LSE; Dr. Emile Secker, Advocacy Officer, Stepping Stones Nigeria’s; and a representative from AFRUCA (TBC). In Africa the recognition of the importance of child rights led to the creation, in 1984, of the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect. Although, many institutions and laws have been developed for safeguarding the rights of children in Africa, there still continues to be a wide range of abuses endured by African children. In previous years news agencies have bombarded us with reports both within and outside of Africa of different cases of child abuse including neglect, child trafficking and witchcraft-related abuse. The meeting will begin with some clips from the new and innovative Nollywood film, ‘The Fake Prophet’, produced by the UK-based child rights charity, Stepping Stones Nigeria (www.steppingstonesnigeria.org) On Thurs 7 July at 6pm in Rm G3, SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG.

~ CAINE PRIZE 2011 READINGS AND PUBLIC EVENTS

- On Fri 8 July at 7pm at Overseas League, Park Place, St James’s Street, London, SW1A 1LR. Adm: £7 / £5 concs / £4.50 friends of ROSL ARTS. Booking: 020 7408 0214 ext 219

- Sun 10 July at 7pm at Level 5 Function Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Adm: £8 / £4 concs. Tel: 0844 875 0073. Web: http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/literature-spoken-word/tickets/2011-caine-prize-readings-59244 or

- Wed 13 July at 12.45pm at BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7323 8181. Web: http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/invt/mevse1caine
~ BRITISH BLACK MUSIC MONTH (BBMM)

- ‘Where Is Africa In Words, Music & Politics?’ A free and open discussion on where Afrika and Afrikans are within British society, arts, media and politics. It will be recorded for later transmission on Voice Of African Radio 94 FM. Panel: Space Clottey, station manager, Voice Of African Radio; Biyi Adepegba, promoter, Joyful Noise; Baffour Ankomah, editor, New African; Ms Serwah, BTWSC co-ordinator / NewAfricanPerspective.blogspot blogger; Yemisi Mokuolu, promoter, Hatch Events; Niles Hailstones, band leader, Bese Saka Arts Collective; and Toyin Agbetu, founder, Ligali.org. Chair: Kwaku, founder, BBM / BMC. On Fri 8 July at 6.30-9pm at Voice Of African Radio 94 FM, 24 Swete Street. Plaistow, London, E13 0BS. Adm: Free.

- Akoben Awards / Music4Causes Presents 4 The Hard Way: Hip-Hop On A Conscious Tip. A chance to hear some conscious rap, including tracks made for BTWSC & Akoben Awards’ Music4Causes edu-tainment stand, and for artists and the inter-generational audience to explore issues around hip-hop music as used to educate, entertain, empower through videos, discussions, performance and special freestyle by conscious rappers, including Paradise and Silas Zephania. On Sat 10 July at 3-6pm at Moyo Solidarity Centre, 365 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7DA. Adm: Free but must pre-book:

- ‘Niche Genres: Surviving As An Indie Record Company’ Seminar. Advice and strategies for surviving as an indie within a presently turbulent industry. Panel: Neil ‘Mad Professor’ Fraser (Ariwa Sounds); Robert Urbanus (Stern’s Music); Faron McKenzie (RepMe); and Michael Fuller (Association Of Independent Music). Chair: Kwaku (BBM/BMC). In association with AIM. On Mon 11 July at 6.30-9pm at PRS, 29-33 Berners Street, London, W1T 3AB. Adm: Free but must pre-book.

- ‘Talking Films & Celebrating South Africa!’ Q&As with invited special guests follow the screening of excerpts from ‘Amandla! A Revolution In 4 Part Harmony’, BBM/BMC and BTWSC films, and Afrikan-American actor, singer and political activist Paul Robeson’s films.On Friday 15 July at 6-9.30pm at Mission Dine Club Centre, Fry Road, Harlesden, London, NW10 4BZ. Adm: Free but must pre-book:

- Black Music Records & African Crafts Fair & Community Fun Day. The place for African crafts, clothes, food, posters, books, live music, karaoke, free African drumming lessons by Brother Kofi, open mic for artists, organisations and vendors, face painting, bouncy castle, clown, oware games, and an opportunity to find out your Ghanaian day name. Artists and label owners, do business on a community tip - just get a stall and sell your CDs or old vinyl, etc! In association with BTWSC and Voice Of African Radio 94 FM. On Sat 16 July at 1-6pm at Mission Dine Club Centre, Fry Road, Harlesden, London NW10 4BZ. Adm: Free. Stalls - £15-20.

- Back 2 Da Future Music Presents June Is Black British Month Showcase & Party With DJ Prezedent and co. On Tues 19 July at 10pm-3am at Moonlighting Nightclub, 16 Greek Street, Soho, London, W1D 4DR. Adm: £10. / Special BBM guest list pre-booked price £3.

E-mail: editor@britishblackmusic.com Web: www.britishblackmusic.com

~ FREEDOM SUMMER PROJECT TO BUILD AFRIKAN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN FLORIDA. The Uhuru Movement is calling on workers, students, artists, legal advisors, computer programmers, health care workers, teachers, and young people to come to St. Petersburg, Florida to be part of Freedom Summer 2011. Modelled on the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964 and the Oakland Summer Project of 1984, the month-long intensive will involve volunteers from throughout the US in building self-reliance programs, including: Freedom Schools, providing liberation education to challenge the anti-Afrikan curriculum and culture of the public school system; People’s Community Kitchen, a fully equipped facility to serve the economic development and nutritional needs of the poor and impoverished community of south St. Petersburg; Uhuru Recording Studio, a dynamic centre for international Afrikan culture and media; Community Gardens growing nutritious food for neighbourhood survival in the face of rising food costs and economic crises; Training centre for cyberspace and social network training to overcome the digital divide faced by the technologically starved Afrikan community; and Uhuru News Network – independent radio, TV and newspaper production to report on and analyze world events through the eyes of the international African working class. From July 9–Aug 9 in St. Petersburg, Florida. For more info contact: Chimurenga Waller, Uhuru House. Tel: 727-821-6620. Web: www.uhurusummerproject.org

~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES PRESENTS

- ‘Fire in Babylon’. The breathtaking story of how the West Indies triumphed over its colonial masters through the achievements of one of the most gifted teams in sporting history. There will be a discussion after the screening. On Mon 11 July from 6.45-9.30pm at the PCS HQ, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN. Adm: £4.

- 'Territories' + 'Handsworth Songs'. ‘Territories’ (1984) Critiques the ways traditional media represent black people and portrays the Notting Hill Carnival as an event about resistance. ‘Handsworth Songs’ (1986) is an experimental film essay on race and disorder in Britain, filmed in Handsworth and London during the riots of 1985 and incorporating newsreel and archival material. Q&A with Handsworth Songs producer Lina Gopaul, who is currently a producer with Smoking Dogs Films. On Sun 17 July at 2-4pm at the Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Street, East Finchley, London, N2 9PJ. Adm: Free. Phoenix Box Office: 020 8444 6789. Black History Studies Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com


~ ROD WESTMAAS AND BLACKHISTORYWALKS present ‘The Walter Rodney Story’ plus Q & A. Walter Rodney was killed on June 13, 1980, when a bomb disguised as a walkie talkie, given to him by Sergeant Gregory Smith of the Guyana Defence Force, exploded in a car in which he was being driven by his brother Donald Rodney. W.A.R Stories: Walter Anthony Rodney takes a straightforward, chronological approach to Rodney's life in Guyana, Jamaica, Tanzania and England, footage of various physical locations interspersed with interviews of persons who knew and worked with him, as well as his daughter Asha. Michael O. West said that Rodney was under surveillance almost all his adult life and there are also interviews with researchers Horace Campbell and Robert Hill, among others. Substantial treatment is given to Rodney's political activities in Guyana in the final few years of his life in which he formed the Working People's Alliance. Included in those years was his 1979 trial for arson, after two government buildings were razed.

Interviews with: Horace Campbell, PhD, Professor of African-American Studies and Political Science at Syracuse University, New York; Rupert Roopnaraine, PhD, Principal of the Critchlow Labor College, Georgetown, Guyana; Clive Thomas, PhD, Professor of Political Science, University of Alaska Southeast; Issa Shivji, PhD, Professor of Law, University of Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania; the late Professor Haroub Othman, PhD, University of Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania; the late Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Rex Nettleford, PhD, Professor of Cultural Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica; US poet and playwright Amiri Baraka; Eusi Kwayana, Working Peoples Alliance (WPA); Karen DeSouza (WPA); Andaiye, (WPA); Manning Marable, Malcolm X biographer; Asha Rodney, Walter’s daughter; and Donald Rodney (brother).

Proceeds from the screening will be donated to the Queen's College of Guyana Association (UK) which raises funds to enrich the lives and educational experience of current students at the Queen's College of Guyana, Walter Rodney's old school. On Sat 16 July at 3-6pm at Roxy Bar & Screen, 128-132 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LB. Adm: £7 / £9 (OTD). Web: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/124779 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/blackhistorywalks#p/u/6/yF5PHRPe2Kc

~ ART OF CHANGE: COMMONWEALTH ART EXHIBITION FOR WOMEN ARTISTS. The exhibition is in line with the 2011 theme of the Commonwealth of ‘Women as Agents of Change’. The exhibition is focusing on women artists from each of the 54 Commonwealth countries who create or inspire change. From 18 July– 5 Aug at the Commonwealth Club Gallery The Royal Commonwealth Society, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP. Adm: Free. Web: www.kambani.com

~ TRADE ROUTES, MIGRATION AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION. Subjects include ‘Creole societies in Cabo Verde’ and ‘The Swahili Language: Culture Contact and Transformation’. Speakers include: Dr Richard Pankhurst, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Prof Philip Murphy, Director, Institute of Commonwealth Studies; and Ms Wambui M Wa-Ngatho, School of Oriental & African Studies. It will end with a book launch of ‘African Diaspora in Asian Trade Routes & Cultural Memories’ by Dr Shihan de Silva. On Wed 20 July at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, G22/26 Senate House, Malet Street, London. WC1E 7HU. RSVP: Troy.Rutt@sas.ac.uk


~ JAMAICAN CONSTITUTIONAL OATH OF ALLEGIANCE ORDER. Diamond and Golden Jubilee prayer meeting and Commonwealth Flag parade. The Standard Ethiopian Bible publication. Opening the Book of Life, Lefafa Sedek. On 23 July from 1-4pm at Windsor Great Park. Contact: Ras Seymour Mclean: 07950 738 053. E-mail: seymour31@hotmail.co.uk

~ MAX KANDHOLA: THE SEVEN WORDS OF CHRIST. Autograph ABP in collaboration with Reverend Dave Allan at St Clement's Church present Max Kandhola’s work ‘The Seven Words of Christ’. Kandhola is a photographer and head of photography at Nottingham Trent University. His approach is philosophical, photography used within a cultural discourse, critically observing and questioning the complexity and relationship of the human condition and the politics of representation. Kandhola’s work is an allegory to a series of self-portraits by Frederick Holland Day (1864-1933) titled ‘The Seven Words of Christ’ (1898). Kandhola re-contextualises the meaning of Day’s tableau by photographing a black man as Christ, upon his observation that the iconography of the Christ figure has been colonised stereotypically especially concerning his racial characteristics. This work is both a provocation and an enquiry into issues concerning ethnicity and the representation of Afrikan & Asian people within contemporary Western Art, to address stereotypes and misconceptions and to recognise the political and pictorial significance behind iconographic symbols of religious belief. Until 31 July 2011 at St Clement's Church, King Square, Clerkenwell, London. Contact Emma Boyd Tel: 020 7729 9200. E-mail: emma@autograph-abp.co.uk Web: www.stclementfinsbury.org

~ REEL TRINI fortnightly screenings. The new rendezvous for local film aficionados on Sundays at 5pm at Trevor’s Edge in St Augustine, Trinidad. Tel: 744-4956. E-mail: caribbeinginc@gmail.com

Contact Details

Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp