Protect freedom of speech and expression – Suhakam – Aliran

Posted on by

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) wishes to express its concerns over the actions by the police using specific laws against activists, politicians, journalists and human rights defenders for exercising their freedom of expression.

Suhakam is of the view that the enjoyment of freedom of expression should only be restricted as provided by the law to the extent necessary and proportionate to achieve legitimate aims such as national security and public order. Restrictive laws which are essential for political stability, racial harmony and economic prosperity cannot be used as tools to restrict any political contestation and peoples mobilisation against it.

Suhakam notes that Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and laws such as the Sedition Act 1948, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and Sections 504 and 505 of the Penal Code and The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) are being used to censor, intimidate, silence critics and curtail freedom of expression and speech.

Suhakam is concerned with the ongoing use of restrictive laws, which are not in line with human rights principles as expounded in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia on freedom of opinion and expression. Anyone exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression should not be made to suffer or be fearful of retaliation or intimidation.

Therefore, Suhakam calls on the government to:

Suhakam wishes to remind the government of its duty and responsibility to protect the peoples right to free speech, in line with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which guarantees Malaysian citizens the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, as a democratic nation should be.

Our voluntary writers work hard to keep these articles free for all to read. But we do need funds to support our struggle for Justice, Freedom and Solidarity. To maintain our editorial independence, we do not carry any advertisements; nor do we accept funding from dubious sources. If everyone reading this was to make a donation, our fundraising target for the year would be achieved within a week. So please consider making a donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB Bank account number 8004240948.

View post:

Protect freedom of speech and expression - Suhakam - Aliran

Interview: Cory Booker – Making real the ideals of our country | Open Future – The Economist

Posted on by

Jul 14th 2020

THE PAST IS never dead. It's not even past, wrote William Faulkner, an American novelist. The observation rings especially true for the agonising problem of race in America. After centuries of slavery and segregation, African-Americans achieved formal legal equality only in the 1960s. Yet discrimination persists and they are far more likely to be victims of police violence than other demographic groups.

Cory Booker is a Democratic senator from New Jersey with bold ideas on how to improve the situation. In an interview with The Economist, he traced the cords of injustice that lay the foundation for todays problems, and offered solutions ranging from baby-bond legislation (giving poor children trust accounts) to removing ageing lead pipes that literally poison the countrys children.

Thats not radical, he says about these sorts of reforms, but common moral sense. The interview below with Mr Booker has been lightly edited.

***

The Economist: When you see a mass movement for racial justice happening again in this country and when you see frustration, not just over criminal justice, but the fact that black and white income gaps and wealth gaps are basically the same since 1968, what does that make you conclude about American society and government? Is it that formal legal equality has failed to guarantee equality of opportunity for black Americans?

Cory Booker: Look, we are a nation that has strong, sort of unbroken cords of racial injustice that have been with us for generations. And where lots of generational wealth has been created through the GI Bill [support to veterans for housing and education] through Social Security, through the Homestead Act, which granted massive tracts of land to new immigrants to this country. These are things that blacks were excluded from, that were barriers to economic opportunity.

We have a nation like that, up into my lifetime. My parents literally had to get a white couple to pose as us in order to buy a home in an affluent area of suburban New Jersey with great public schools. But we still live in a country where this denial of equal education is a part of our national fabric. Even today, we see schools that African-Americans attend receiving dramatically less funding than schools that are predominantly white.

These strong cords of injustice have never been broken. Our prison population has gone up about 500% since 1980 alone. Theres no difference between blacks and whites in using drugs or dealing drugs. But African-Americans were arrested for those crimes at rates three or four times higher than whites.

We have powerful, powerful forces of overt and institutional racism over the years that has really underdeveloped African-American opportunity and equality. It stretches now from the health-care system to issues of environmental justice. The number one indicator of whether you live around a Superfund site [designated a heavily polluted area] or drink dirty water or breathe unclean air is the colour of your skin. All of these things in their totality create a nation that still has such savage disparities and outcomes based upon race.

And I am encouraged that in this momentand I hope it's not a moment, I hope it grows to a greater movementthere is a greater expansion of our circles of empathy for each other. A greater understanding of the injustices that are there. It seems to be the dawning of an expansion of our moral imagination about how we can actually become a nation of equality, a nation of justice, and a nation that honors its highest values with a reality that reflects them.

The Economist: And how do you begin that difficult task of unwinding those deep threads that have not ever been broken? Whether its housing, policing, criminal justice, environmental issueshow do you start that? And do you feel optimistic about the possibility of change on some of those entrenched policy areas?

Mr Booker: Well, in a larger sense, first of all, the personal pronoun you use: I hope it's not a you, I hope its how do we do that? It's very hard in our country for us to create leaps in advancement without there being a greater sense of collective we, and a collective responsibility. The incredible legislation that's passed in our past from the suffrage movement to the labour movement to the civil-rights movement of the 1960s were all movements that happen because large swathes of American people put on personal responsibility to make dramatic change. The progressive movement in the 1920s was fuelled by people who weren't often directly affected by issues, seeing an urgency to change based on a growing consciousness.

It seems to be the dawning of an expansion of our moral imagination about how we can actually become a nation of equality

That is still ongoing: trying to expose the realities that are affecting our country as a whole and black people in particular, so that people feel a sense of moral urgency to address them. There are things that go on in our prison system that most Americans dont realise happen: that we shackle pregnant women when they're giving birth, that we put children in solitary confinement for extensive periods of times, even though our psychological professionals say that its torturous and causes brain damage.

I was encouraged when I heard very learned people telling me they never knew about what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [The prosperous neighbourhood of Greenwood, known as Black Wall Street, was destroyed by white residents in 1921.] Where people didn't know about the many places around this country that had seen such racial terror to the point where thousands upon thousands of Americans were lynched, often elected leaders, poor judges pulled out into streets and beaten. These stories have just been whitewashed from our history. I'm hopeful that we are at a period where awareness is growing, and with that, a sense of urgency to address it.

Now, when you talk about me in a particular senseand use that personal pronoun like you, Cory Booker, as a senatorI have an obligation to try to continue to push the bounds of justice as a United States senator and propose things that will actually have a very practical impact on disparities.

For example, baby-bond legislation is not that sexy, but it's this idea that every child, regardless of race, born in our nation, gets a $1,000 savings account. And then based upon their income, just like we base the earned-income tax credit, that child will get up to $2,000 a year placed in an interest-bearing account that compounds interest. By the time they're 18, the lowest-income American kids will have upwards of $50,000 saved.

Columbia University looked at that legislation for young adults and found it would virtually close the racial wealth gap. Policy solutions like that, like massive expansions of the earned-income tax credit [which tops up the wages of low-income Americans] or the child tax credit. These are things that affect poverty overall in our country, but would end poverty for a significant percentage of African Americans.

The Economist: After this period of consciousness-raising, what else might go in a Great Society-like radical programme of change, assuming that Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump were not part of this conversation for the moment?

Mr Booker: I hope that our policies begin to reflect what real public safety is. We know unequivocally by the facts that expanding Medicaid lowers violence. Expanding the earned-income tax credit lowers violence. You can go through these things that you know empower people. There are pilot programmes all over this country that show that dealing with people who are struggling with mental illness with police causes their death.

I hope that our policies begin to reflect what real public safety is

Black folks are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than somebody white. Someone with a mental illness is over ten more likely to be killed by the police than someone whos white. And to think that we actually could have services that help people have [mental] health-care. Thats not radical, that's just common fiscal sense, as well as common moral sense. To have an expansive view of public safety, to start investing as a society into those things that help people, who are hurt and fragile, can lead to greater human flourishing.

Our country is an outlier. We really dont do much for children until they turn five or six. So we lead industrial nations in infant mortality, in maternal mortality and in low-birthweight babies. It would be cheaper to revive at-risk women doula-care than to pay the extraordinary costs of premature birth. Something called nurse-family partnershipswhich is just having a nurse visit a home to be supportive with information for at-risk pregnant womenactually lowers encounters with police dramatically. Every taxpayer dollar you spend on the programme saves four or five taxpayer dollars because it lowers visits to the emergency room for that mother and that child.

Its not like we dont know how to elevate human potential while saving taxpayer dollars, or how to lower our reliance on police, courts and prisons. We know enough already. Its just that were not, as a society, collectively prioritising what would be a much more beloved way to move forward. And so this greater human consciousness, I hope elevates this ideal that, whether youre a fiscal conservative or a progressive liberal, these are things that abide with all of our values. Its why Ive had some success moving criminal-justice reform with strange partners, like the Koch brothers or the Heritage Foundation.

In a globally competitive environment, America is really falling behind those nations that do a better job of elevating human flourishing and human potential. The number China has in their top 10% of their high-school students is relatively close to the number of all of our high-school students. In a global knowledge-based society, your greatest natural resource is the genius of your children.

In a globally competitive environment, America is really falling behind those nations that do a better job of elevating human flourishing and human potential

And were doing a bad job because were a nation that has an astonishingly high level of children whose brains are addled by permanent lead damage. There are over 3,000 jurisdictions where children have more than twice the blood-lead level of Flint, Michigan, and they are disproportionately black and brown children. And so right now we don't even care enough. And I know we have the heart for it, but were not manifesting it in our policies to do something simple, which would have been a fraction of the last covid-19 bill. Why dont we as a country replace every lead service line in America that goes to our schools, to day-care centres and to homes in the United States that would actually pay for itself through the productivity of those children and saving them from the violence associated with lead poisoning.

There are a lot of common-sense things that we can do that should accord with the values of everybody who calls themselves pro-life to everybody who calls themselves a progressive, but we're just not doing it.

And so this is what the echoed words of our ancestors said. Martin Luther King, who wrote in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, was very critical. He actually said Im not as upset with the White Citizens Council or the KKK, I'm far more upset with the white moderates who are doing nothing. And he eloquently said that we have to repent in our day and age, not just for the vitriolic words and violent actions of the bad people, but the appalling silence and inaction of the good people.

Well, I fear that we will have to repent in our generation, if more of us who are good peopleand that is the overwhelming majority of Americanslet another generation go by, where we dont correct these persistent injustices with strategies that we know work and that we know will save us taxpayer dollars. Yet we fail to engage in the struggle to make them possible. As the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass said, If theres no struggle, there is no progress.

The Economist: A programme like baby bonds, which would do a lot on the racial wealth gap, would take 18 years for those accounts to accrue. And in the present day, theres a strong racial child-poverty gap. What do you see as the tools to fix that problem?

Mr Booker: The two very obvious tools are a massively expanded earned-income tax rate by more than half and a massively expanded child tax credit, like a lot of our peer nations do. But there's other tools that wed have to use to catch us up to the rest of the industrial world, like having affordable child care. We have a country in which child care in most states is more expensive than state-college tuition. It is unconscionable that we are doing that.

These are insane things that go on in this country that in our peer nations do not

We have something called the mortgage-interest deduction, for example, that is overwhelmingly used by the higher income. That tax expenditure goes to the wealthy in our country overwhelmingly. Why dont we do something for working people in America and have a rental tax credit if youre paying more than a one-third of your income on rent, which would cut poverty by the millions in America and give people security? One of the things that so undermine student performance are families who face evictions and are jumping from apartment to apartment. So theyre facing issues of fairness in our tax code like the ones I just mentioned, while also dealing with issues like paid family leave or child care that would take America so far in ending racial gaps.

A friend of mine named Natasha who worked a minimum-wage job couldn't afford housing. Her son was sick with asthma. Again, a black child is about ten times more likely to die of asthma complications than a white child. And she had to make a terrible decision of whether to stay at her job and get a pay-cheque that she really needed to keep a roof over the head of her kid, or to leave and go across the street and be with her child in the emergency room who was gasping for breath. I mean, these are insane things that go on in this country that in our peer nations do not. And we put our families in deep levels of stress and anxiety that ultimately undermines their overall flourishing.

We in this generation can end those things if we are committed to making real the ideals of our country and the laws of our countrythat we really are a nation that believes in life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that believes in human flourishing; that believes in equal justice under the law. And these are things that I think are long past [due]. Time has come. And, interestingly, they poll really well on both sides of the political aisle. But our people in elected office need more of a push to make them the law of land.

The Economist: You remain the optimist.

Mr Booker: Thank you. Forever, a prisoner of hope. And if anything, our nation's history is testimony, the triumph of hope, often under insurmountable conditions and odds.

Dig deeper:Sign up and listen to Checks and Balance, our weekly newsletter and podcast on American politics, and explore our presidential election forecast

Here is the original post:

Interview: Cory Booker - Making real the ideals of our country | Open Future - The Economist

Federal agency: Supporting ‘Black Lives Matter’ isn’t partisan or political – USA TODAY

Posted on by

A man was recorded throwing red paint onto the Black Lives Matter mural that was painted on the street in front Trump Tower in New York City. Wochit

Expressing support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement isn't political or partisan, an independent federal agency has said in an opinion addressingquestions from federal employees on the topic.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel cleared the way for federal employees to support the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Lives Matter Global Networkwhile on duty, includingwearing or displaying materials related to the cause, according toanadvisory opinionobtained by USA TODAY. The opinion was first issued July 10 and updated Tuesday.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is an independent federalagency which investigates Hatch Act violations.The Hatch Act prohibits appointed federal employees from participating in several types of partisan political activities, such as running for office, hosting fundraisers, making campaign speeches or distributing campaign materials.

'She knows better': Ex-ethics chief Walter Shaub says Ivanka Trump broke rule by promoting Goya beans

George Floyd protests: Black Americans report hate crimes, violence

"The Hatch Act generally allows employees to engage in BLM-related activity while on duty or in the workplace," the opinion says, while also stipulatingactivity involving more overtly political actions would be prohibited. The opinion is also narrowly focused on the Hatch Act, meaning other laws or rules may be relevant to certain federal employees.

The opinion comes as President Donald Trump has criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. In early July, he called a proposed New York City Black Lives Matter mural a "symbol of hate." That mural was later paintedpainted on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower.

Trump and aides have described some supporters of Black Lives Matter as vandals, citingproperty damage and some violence duringnationwide protests of police brutality, particularly after theMay 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of officers in Minneapolis.

The U.S. Office of Special Counselacknowledged the Black Lives Matter movementhas become a "'hot-button'issue," complicated by the use of "Black Lives Matter" as an umbrella term for a social movement.TheBlack Lives Matter Global Networkis the most prominent organization tied to that movement, the opinion says.

The agency reached its opinion because the Black Lives Matter movement concerns itself with issues such as racism, which are not inherently aligned with a single political party. And the prominentBlack Lives Matter Global Networkdid not meet any criteria for a "partisan political group," in part because the group says it will fight against officials from both parties who do not share its beliefs.

"An employee is not prohibited by the Hatch Act from expressing support for, or opposition to, the BLM movement while on duty or in the workplace. But the employee may not say, for example, 'if you believe that Black Lives Matter, then you should vote for/against X in November,' " the advisory opinionsays.

The agency notedit made a similar ruling about the Tea Party movement, known for its push to reduce the size of government, during the Obama administration.

TheBlack Lives Matter Global Network tracesits roots tobotha hashtagand a political projectaftertheacquittal of George Zimmerman in the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin.Foundersof the organization include PatrisseCullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tomet.

Themost important directive of Black Lives Matter,Cullors has said,is to deal with anti-black racism,to push for black peoples right to live with dignity and respect and be included in theAmerican democracy that they helped create.

What setsBlack Lives Matter apart from other social justice groups, however,is its decentralized approach and reliance almost solely on local, rather than national, leadership. Cullors said organizing is often spontaneous and not directed byone person or group of people.

Contributing: Ryan Miller, David JacksonandJessica Durando, USA TODAY;John Tuohy,Indianapolis Star

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/17/black-lives-matter-isnt-partisan-political-federal-agency-says/5452397002/

More here:

Federal agency: Supporting 'Black Lives Matter' isn't partisan or political - USA TODAY

Check Out This Amazing Music Video Shot on the Black Lives Matter Mural – Washingtonian

Posted on by

LaTeal in Black Lives Matter Plaza during the video shoot. Photograph by Reese Bland.

OnRa LaTeal has been making activism-driven music in DC for many years, but her latest video has received more attention than ever before. A Howard grad who is now a Journalism and Media Arts educator, LaTeal recently shot the video for Middle Finger to the Law at the spot near the White House that the city has renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza. The song, which will appear on her forthcoming album, Black Joy Experience Vol. 2., was inspired by the recent protests over the killing of George Floyd.

I am a music producer, videographer, and creative arts educator. I like to call myself a Liberation Music Maker because most of the music I produce is made to support the movement for Black lives. I am mostly known for transforming sounds from the movement into contemporary music. One of my latest musical works includes the Black Joy Experience, a musical compilation album of freedom songs and liberation chants I produced in partnership with the national member-based organization Black Youth Project 100.

My favorite artist quote is by Nina Simone, who once said, it is an artists duty to reflect the times that we are in. So as of late, I have been using my superpowers to create an audio/visual soundtrack highlighting the DC communitys response to the murders of Black people by state sanctioned violence across the nation. My music videos include footage from direct actions held by organizations like Black Lives Matter DC, Black Youth Project 100, Freedom Fighters DC, and local community activists. I normally attend these organizations protests to capture audio/video footage and later produce a musical track (or liberation chant remix) that embodies the overall mood and emotions I observed from participating protestors.

I refer to my chant remixes as fight songs because the goal is to get you amped up to enter revolutionary combat. Whether your fighting is done through writing legislation, attending a protest, facilitating healing circles, leading dance classes for youth of color, or resting in Black joy, I want my music to get supporters ready to battle fearlessly for the complete liberation of all Black people.

As a Black, queer woman, I want the stories that are later told about this moment in history to include the audio/visual soundtrack I am creating. I feel that its necessary for those stories to come directly from the perspective of someone who is intimately affected by and fighting against systemic oppression.

Most recently, I created a hip-hop remix to my favorite liberation chant, Middle Finger to the Law. I was previously introduced to this chant through Black Youth Project 100 while attending a few of their direct actions. It was during these moments when I noticed that the chant was clearly an entire vibe.

Every time I hear this chant at a protest, it gets people so hype and lifted that the energy in the space immediately goes from 0 to 100. Considering the recent demand from several Black organizers nationwide to defund the police, I wanted to support my comrades call to action by creating a fight song to amplify their demand.

Since the chant is already so igniting when performed a cappella, I knew that I needed to create an accompanying instrumental that could either match its energy or just completely send peoples adrenaline level into outer space. From what Im hearing from my comrades since releasing the music video, it seems that I did a pretty good job!

I am a classically trained instrumentalist who attended Suitland High Schools Center for Visual and Performing Arts, so that training really supports my composing abilities. I normally pray before sitting down to create, just to simply ask for musical ideas and a clear mind. My creating always comes best when Im resting in a positive spiritual space. On the other hand, Im super competitive, so my creative brain gets super active when Im being challenged by what I like to call an evil nemesis. Oddly, a good deal of my best works have come from a competition I have conjured up with a fellow artist in my head.

Shooting the video at BLM Plaza was incredible! I hit up a couple comrades from Black Lives Matter DC and Black Youth Project 100s DC Chapter and they basically brought out their whole squad to support. When I started to set up my equipment, there were about five young men hanging out so I asked them to help me set up because I was shooting a music video. They were super hype to help and asked me over and over again if they could make a cameo appearance. I didnt know that the small group of five would turn into an entire crowd!

The great thing about BLM Plaza is that it has basically turned into a mural where everyone wants to visit and take selfies. So mural visitors began congregating around us while shooting. What started out as a music video shoot quickly transformed into a Black joy community event, which is in complete alignment with the albums mission. I received countless requests from people passing by to join in so youll see more than a few people just partying and vibing with me and the organizers in the video. At one point I just said, Okay! Everyone jump in! It was really just to accommodate everyone. I didnt want anyone to feel left out. The energy was just so positive and affirming.

I am a long-time educatorIm always making it a point to include youth in my work. I reached out to a local dance troupe called the Silver Starlets, a young LED mask designer and skateboarder named FRO LITES, and an amazing hip-hop ballerina named Nya C. They all came prepared with routines and brought along so much young Black joy to the shoot.

For my Middle Finger to the Law video, I wanted to wear a statement piece that plainly symbolized Black culture and Black history in the boldest and most overt way possible. Every Black person born in the 90s is familiar with the hip-hop clothing brand FUBU. The brand was and is not only Black owned, but their slogan, For Us, By Us, basically made the brand feel super exclusive to Black people. My amazing artist friend Nia Keturah is reigniting the brand using art activism. She has basically developed FUBU WORLD, a distant galaxy that Black people can escape to and rid themselves of the chains of white supremacy. In FUBU WORLD everyone rocks FUBU gear, especially the FUBU jumpsuit you see me wearing in my music video.

My fingernails design was definitely intentional. I knew that I wanted my camera person and videographer, Teddy Gee, to grab multiple close-up shots of me beat mixing during the shoot, which meant that my hands would ultimately be the main attraction. So I figured it would be crazy cool to do something that would make people look once, look twice, then have to ask, What do your fingernails say? I was asked countless times during the shoot! Getting the letters to spell out DEFUND MPD on my nails was simply to drive home the overall messaging of the song in a non-traditional way.

It was also funny getting the letters painted on. Judy, my nail technician, had to basically turn my hands upside down while painting to make sure the letters read correctly on camera. She asked me to explain DEFUND MPD to her after she was done. My simple response was, LESS MONEY FOR THEM, MORE MONEY FOR OUR COMMUNITY! I promise I didnt yell at her, but thats how it came out in my head.

I consider myself a Liberation Music Maker who uses my beats to fight for the freedom of all Black people. Most importantly, I am a longtime advocate for youth. As a creative arts educator based in the District, Ive worked with organizations on a local, national, and international level to serve young people over the last eight years. Whether it is teaching in the classroom or hosting community events, Ive always been dedicated to serving and developing youth artistically in our city.

Im specifically interested in designing creative spaces for girls of color. I work with schools and youth serving organizations across the city through my grassroots program, Black Girls Handgames Project (BGH). The project revitalizes age-old games such as Miss Mary Mack, Gigolo, and Rockin Robin with soulful hip-hop remixes created by and featuring Black women and girls. As the co-founder of BGH, I use the project to elevate gender equality in the field of music production by teaching teenage girls fundamental skills in beat-making.

Ive also spent years creating spaces for youth of color to gain access to mentorship and training in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) career fields. A lot of my work as an educator and community organizer for youth involves producing high-quality learning opportunities and curating community-driven events offering teens in the city the platform to showcase their creative works to thousands of DC, Maryland, and Virginia community members.

I often say that Black joy is a form of resistance because it is something that we arent always entitled to. It is no secret that Black people have faced centuries of trauma and abuse. Today, Black women like Breonna Taylor can be murdered by law enforcement while sleeping peacefully in their homes. Black men like George Floyd can be killed by police officers after not being granted a simple breath of air for over eight minutes. These mere facts are a means for Black people to be everything except joyful. However, we as Black people seem to find a way to center ourselves in joy. As stated in a 2017 Black Youth Project article by Imani Jackson, We have always been people who prioritized joy. Joy gives us love, family, art, music and resilience. So even during a tumultuous time such as this in our country, I find myself using my art to combat oppressive systems, but most importantly to support my people in reclaiming the joy that we deserve.

Ive been to more than a few protests over the last several months, some with hundreds of people marching alongside me. One where I even experienced being pepper sprayed for the first time. However, the most significant moment I experienced was during a children-led protest hosted by Kendra Johnson, founder of the self-care and community movement Tribe Healer. The protest involved no more than 20 people, 75% being children. The youngest was being pushed in a stroller by their mother, and the oldest was about nine years old.

The children marched down MLK [Avenue] with their handmade signs, holding hands and yelling, We are black! We are strong! Our lives matter! While it may not have been as high profile with the press and hundreds of people in attendance, this march was the most memorable for me because this is the day that I came to a crucial realization. It is our duty to use everything within us to make sure that these babies dont have to step foot onto this battle field with us ever again. We fight so that our kids wont have to.

I want for all my Black fellow creators to know that you have the power to make a difference. Dont be afraid to create and share your work. This is not the time to be shy or feel that youre interrupting the movement. Create with a purpose to support the movement for Black lives. Whether its music, video, photo, fashion, event curation, blogging, cooking, teaching, dance, hair styling, or wherever you feel your gifts may lay, be bold and unapologetic. We need you and your talents now more than ever. Im here with you. We are in this fight together.

Join the conversation!

Read more from the original source:

Check Out This Amazing Music Video Shot on the Black Lives Matter Mural - Washingtonian

Shaw: The crisis at our border continues – Grand Forks Herald

Posted on by

The migrants are not criminals or animals, as President Trump has called them. They are desperate people fleeing life-threatening gang violence, and hoping for a new life. One migrant had three members of her family shot dead, while she miraculously survived five bullet wounds. Another migrant woman joined a peaceful protest in Guatemala and then those protesters started disappearing. Going back to Guatemala would be a death sentence.

My gut hurts. I feel physical pain after hearing these stories, said trip organizer Vicki Schmidt of West Fargo. These are people with hopes and dreams. They have been physically and mentally traumatized, and theyre treated like vermin. I feel so hopeless, sad and embarrassed.

One group member, Martha Castanon of Moorhead, was a migrant farm worker for 40 years.

It brought me back to when I was a migrant worker, Castanon said. Seeing the poverty, the lack of water, and the injustices really bothered me. They said were not criminals. Were just seeking a better way of life. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories.

The Rev. Karin Moberg, who serves Lutheran churches in Walcott, Christine and Hickson, N.D., felt a calling to go to the border.

We believe to ignore migrants is a contradiction of Gods will, Moberg said. I was powerfully moved by personal stories, the experience of traveling here, and how vulnerable they are. They came to our borders with lots of hope of being in a safe place, and they were not welcomed.

One huge problem the group found is that the migrants are tossed around in a very confusing and inconsistent court system, designed to work against them. Many dont have the money or transportation to make it to court. Otherwise, a migrant will show up for a court hearing, and that hearing is constantly delayed without adequate explanation.

Rep. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, and Karen Ehrens, Bismarck, do art work with migrant children in Juarez, Mexico. Special to The Forum

The problem is, our policy is a continuing moving target, said Rep. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo. The rules keep changing. We have underfunded immigration courts.

They shared how badly they were treated and the excuses as to why their court cases have been delayed, said Rep. Ruth Buffalo, D-Fargo. When you have innocent people whose lives are being ripped apart, our policies need to change. The criminalization and dehumanization of the migrants is disheartening.

The group couldnt do much to change the situations for the migrants, but just listening to their stories and offering love and support made a big difference. Up until now, the migrants felt nobody cared about them.

Dr. Mary Jo Lewis of Fargo does artwork with migrant children in Juarez, Mexico. Special to The Forum

I have never choked up or teared up more in my life, said former Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams. The inhumanity of it. All that was happening to these women and children and nobody cared. We dont know how lucky we are.

Indeed, we need to constantly remember how lucky we are.

See the original post:

Shaw: The crisis at our border continues - Grand Forks Herald

Milestones and events of the Queen’s long reign – shropshirestar.com

Posted on by

As the Queen reaches 25,000 days on the throne, here are some of the events and milestones of her reign:

1952: George VI dies and Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen. Flood devastates the Devon village of Lynmouth. Mau Mau rising in Kenya.

1953: Sweet rationing ends in Britain. Queen Mary dies. Everest conquered on eve of the Coronation.

1954: Study links cancer to smoking. Crash grounds BOACs Comet aircraft. French defeated at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam. Elvis releases his first record. Roger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile record.

1955: Cyprus goes on strike against British rule. Sir Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister due to his failing health. The Warsaw Pact is signed by the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies. Princess Margaret calls off plans to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend.

1956: Hungarian uprising and Suez crisis. Teddy Boys rock around the clock. Prince Rainier III of Monaco marries American film actress Grace Kelly.

1957: Prime Minister Harold Macmillan tells a Tory rally most of our people have never had it so good. The Treaty of Rome sets up the European Economic Community. Russians launch the Sputnik satellite, the first man-made object ever to leave the Earths atmosphere.

1958: Race riots flare in Notting Hill. Manchester United players die in the Munich air crash.

1959: The Mini car makes its first appearance and the first UK motorway, the M1, opens.

1960: Macmillans Wind Of Change speech. Princess Margaret marries Tony Armstrong-Jones.

1961: John F Kennedy succeeds Dwight D Eisenhower as US president. Berlin Wall rises. Soviet Union puts first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space.

1962: US spaceman John Glenn orbits the Earth. The Cuban Missile crisis is resolved.

1963: Lord Beeching wields the axe on British Rail. Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream speech. John F Kennedy is assassinated. Profumo scandal. Great Train Robbery. One of the coldest, snowiest winters on record.

1964: Beatlemania grips the UK and US. Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston. Mary Quant pronounces Paris fashion out of date.

1965: Rhodesia declares independence. US bombs North Vietnam. Britain appoints its first female High Court judge.

1966: Swinging London revolves around Carnaby Street and the Kings Road. The Queen Mother undergoes major abdominal surgery. England win the World Cup. Aberfan disaster in Wales.

1967: Breathalyser introduced. Arab-Israeli War. Nigerian Civil War. Abortion and homosexuality are legalised.

1968: Enoch Powell makes rivers of blood speech. Ulster Troubles erupt with civil rights protests.

1969: Death penalty for murder permanently abolished in Britain. Prince of Waless Investiture at Caernarvon. British troops sent to Northern Ireland. American Neil Armstrong becomes first man to walk on the Moon. Woodstock music festival.

1970: Voting age cut from 21 to 18. North Sea oil fields discovered. First jumbo jet lands at Heathrow. Edward Heath wins election for the Tories. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi takes over as leader of Libya.

1971: British entry into EEC agreed. Decimalised currency launched in the UK. Angry Brigade bombs Employment Secretarys home.

1972: Miners strike and power crisis state of emergency declared. Industrial Relations Act disputes. Bloody Sunday. Duke of Windsor dies. First home video game system is released.

1973: Britain joins the EEC. The Princess Royal marries Captain Mark Phillips.

1974: Edward Heath loses narrowly to Harold Wilson, who wins second general election. US President Richard Nixon resigns over the Watergate affair.

1975: Margaret Thatcher becomes Conservative Party leader. Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts. End of Vietnam War.

1976: James Callaghan replaces Wilson at No 10. One of the hottest summers on record. Concorde begins commercial flights.

1977: Lib-Lab pact. Grunwick picket clashes. Punk rock. Silver Jubilee. The Queen becomes a grandmother. Red Rum wins Grand National for a record third time.

1978: Rhodesia settlement. Anna Ford becomes ITNs first primetime woman newsreader. Red Brigades kidnap former Italian premier Aldo Moro. Worlds first test tube baby, Louise Brown, born in Oldham. Winter Of Discontent strikes.

1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes Britains first woman prime minister. Queens art adviser Anthony Blunt exposed as Russian spy. Fall of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. Islamic revolutionaries come to power in Iran.

1980: SAS storms Iranian Embassy. Runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe win Olympic gold.

1981: Brixton riots. The Prince of Wales weds Lady Diana Spencer. Unemployment reaches 2.5 million. Britain in recession. The launch of the first space shuttle Columbia.

1982: Falklands War Prince Andrew is among those serving in the forces. Intruder in Queens bedroom. Pope visits Britain. King Henry VIIIs Mary Rose raised in the Solent. Prince William born. Economic recession.

1983: US President Ronald Reagans Star Wars speech. Russians shoot down Korean jetliner.

1984: The IRA bombs Grand Hotel, Brighton. Indira Gandhi assassinated. Bob Geldofs Ethiopia appeal. Miners strikes. Prince Harry born.

1985: Bradford City football stadium fire kills 56. Heysel stadium riot kills 39. Live Aid concert held to raise money for Ethiopian famine.

1986: Funeral of Duchess of Windsor at Frogmore. Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson and becomes Duke of York.

1987: Zeebrugge disaster. The Great Storm sweeps through southern England. IRA bombs Enniskillen Remembrance Day parade. Hungerford massacre. Kings Cross fire.

1988: Piper Alpha oil platform disaster. Lockerbie jumbo jet bombing. Government loses Spycatcher legal battle. Professor Stephen Hawkings A Brief History Of Time is published.

1989: Hillsborough disaster. Berlin Wall falls. Tiananmen Square massacre. Author Salman Rushdie goes into hiding. Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web.

1990: John Major becomes prime minister. Iraq invades Kuwait. Nelson Mandela is released from prison. Poll tax riots.

1991: Allies launch Operation Desert Storm in Gulf War against Iraq. Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev resigns. Birmingham Six freed after 16 years in jail.

1992: The Queens annus horribilis the Princess Royal and Captain Phillips divorce, the Waleses and the Yorks separate, Windsor Castle goes up in flames. Black Wednesday the day Britain crashed out of the ERM. The break-up of Yugoslavia.

1993: Publication of the Prince of Waless intimate talk with Camilla Parker Bowles. The IRA bombs Warrington. Buckingham Palace opens to the public. Stephen Lawrence is stabbed to death in Eltham, south-east London.

1994: Labour leader John Smith dies. The Queen and French President Francois Mitterrand open the Channel Tunnel. 50th anniversary of D-Day. Prince of Wales admits adultery in TV documentary. IRA ceasefire. The Queen visits Russia. Genocide in Rwanda.

1995: Official Aids cases pass one million mark. Barings Bank collapses. Terrorist gas attacks panic Tokyo and Yokohama. VE Day and VJ Day commemorated. Princess Dianas Panorama interview.

1996: The Duke and Duchess of York divorce. The Prince and Princess of Wales divorce. Mid-air crash in India kills more than 350. Fire in Channel Tunnel. Ban on exports of British beef amid BSE crisis.

1997: New Labour under Tony Blair beats the Conservatives, ending 18 years of Tory rule. Royal Yacht Britannia decommissioned. Diana, Princess of Wales dies in Paris car crash. Scotland and Wales votes for devolution. Dolly the Sheep cloned. Handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.

1998: War breaks out in Europe as a Nato coalition attacks Yugoslavia. Digital TV launched. Operation Desert Fox in Iraq. Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Omagh bombing.

1999: Birth of single European currency, the euro. Prince Edward marries Sophie Rhys-Jones.

2000: A new millennium and the Queen Mothers 100th year. British rower Steve Redgrave makes Olympic history by winning his fifth consecutive gold medal. George W Bush becomes US president.

2001: September 11 terrorist attacks. Foot-and-mouth outbreak in UK. First space tourist. Britain joins the US in strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

2002: The Queens Golden Jubilee. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret die. Twelve European Union countries adopt the euro.

2003: Britain and the US go to war against Saddam Husseins Iraq.

2004: Double Olympic gold for Kelly Holmes in 800m and 1,500m in Athens. Asian tsunami kills more than 100,000.

2005: Pope John Paul II dies and is succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI. The Prince of Wales marries Camilla Parker Bowles. London wins 2012 Olympics bid. July 7 terror attacks in London. Civil partnerships give same-sex couples legal rights.

2006: The former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is hanged in Baghdad. Lebanon War.

2007: Gordon Brown replaces Tony Blair as Prime Minister. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary.

2008: Jury return a verdict of unlawful killing in the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The UK enters a recession following the financial crisis. Barack Obama is elected to become the first black US president.

2009: Singer Michael Jackson dies. Swine flu pandemic. MPs expenses scandal.

2010: David Cameron becomes Prime Minister, leading a Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition. The Queen becomes a great-grandmother for the first time when Savannah Phillips is born. Volcanic ash cloud blowing in from Iceland grounds flights. Burmas pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.

2011: Middle East uprising. Japanese tsunami. Nato air raids on Libya. Prince William marries Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Queen visits Ireland. The summer riots.

2012: The Queen marks her Diamond Jubilee. London 2012 Olympics. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting a baby.

2013: Continuing civil war in Syria. Pope Benedict XVI resigns. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio becomesPope Francis. Baroness Thatcher and Nelson Mandela die. Prince George of Cambridge is born.

2014: Major flooding in England and Wales.The first same-sex wedding takes place after gay marriage becomes legal in England and Wales. Crisis in Iraq and Syria over the Islamic State militant group. Scotland votes no to independence. Ukraine crisis. Ebola epidemic.

2015: Attacks on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge born. Conservative win majority in general election. Migrant crisis. The Queen becomes Britains longest reigning monarch. Terror attacks in Paris, including at theBataclan concert hall.

2016: Shooting at gay nightclub in Orlando. Queen celebrates her 90th birthday. British astronaut Tim Peake returns to Earth after a six-month mission on the ISS. The UK votes for Brexit in referendum on the EU. Theresa May becomes Prime Minister. The Queen becomes the worlds longest-reigning, still-serving monarch after the death of the king of Thailand.

2017: US President Donald Trump takes office. The Queen reaches her Sapphire Jubilee 65 years on the throne. Manchester Arena bombing. Early election. Grenfell Tower fire. The Queen and Philip celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary.

2018:Diplomatic row breaks out with Russia over poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal. Prince Louis of Cambridge born.Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle.

2019: Notre Dame fire. Terrorist attack in Sri Lanka. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is born to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Donald Trumps state visit to the UK. England win the Cricket World Cup. Theresa May resigns. Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister. The Duke of York steps down from royal duties amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

2020: Megxit Harry and Meghan quit royal life. Brexit the UK leaves the EU. Coronavirus outbreak. Lockdown in the UK. Black Lives Matter protests follow the death of George Floyd in the US.

Read more:

Milestones and events of the Queen's long reign - shropshirestar.com

KIIT at the frontline of Odisha’s war against coronavirus – Jagran English

Posted on by

New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), moved by the compassionate vision of its Founder, Professor Achyuta Samanta, have always responded swiftly to reduce the suffering of people at the time of natural calamities. This time also, right from the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, it has been doing its bit to reach out to the worst-affected, touching the lives of patients, stranded migrant workers, people living in containment areas and even starving animals.

Predicting the challenges that lay ahead, KIIT and KISS initiated an action plan to help the worst-hit sections of the society. It was the first mover in creating awareness on the disease even before the State reported its first coronavirus case. Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), the medical wing of KIIT, organised alecture on CoronaVirus- A Global Threaton 1stFebruary, 2020 in which standardinfection control strategies to prevent the spread of coronavirus was discussed. Subsequently, Kalinga Institute of Nursing Sciences (KINS) and KIIT School of Public Health also joined the awareness effort.

The student community is one of the worst affected groups in the present crisis. Examinations, admissions and academic sessions all remain disrupted. KIIT Deemed to be University, which has been recognised as an Institution of Eminence by the government of India, has 30,000 students from all parts of India and over 50 countries. Another 30,000 underprivileged students study in KISS, the worlds largest fully-free fully-residential institute exclusively for tribal students. Anticipating the problem early, all the students of KIIT and KISS were safely sent back to their homes well before India declared the nationwide lockdown.

But for KIIT and KISS students, being away from the campus did not mean academic loss. KIIT is the first university to have begun online classes for 30,000 students. Encouragingly, about 95 per cent of the students are attending the online classes, conducted through Zoom, regularly. Not only online classes, but there is good participation in the one-day academic seminars conducted online, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students. As such, KIIT has been able to maintain the academic calendar perfectly so far. If the crisis persists for a longer time, KIIT has made all preparations to conduct online examinations also. Similarly, 30,000 tribal students of KISS are in constant touch with their teachers through WhatsApp groups. KISS has taken initiative to start e-Learning classes for them through Kalinga TV.

While in their homes in various districts of Odisha, KISS students are actively engaged in creating awareness on social distancing and respiratory hygiene in their areas.Involving the students of the institute, KISS launched Project Uday, a massive awareness campaign on social distancing, proper use of mask, hand washing andrespiratory hygiene in six aspirational districts of Odisha: Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Balangir, and Gajapati. Under Project Uday, students are carrying out door-to-door campaigning and organizing awareness camps at market places. More than 500 volunteers are involved in the project covering 220 villages.

In one of the most significant measure in Odishas war against COVID-19, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) set up Indias first standalone COVID-19 hospital, a 500-bedded ultramodern facility including 50 critical care beds, with the support of the government of Odisha.This COVID Hospital is functioning from a dedicated block of KIMS with an exclusive team of doctors, nurses, paramedicsand housekeeping staff.The quick turnaround time in setting up of the state-of-the-art dedicated COVID Hospital received much praise. Today, KIMS is the go-to hospital for any suspected coronavirus patient in the capital city of Bhubaneswar.

The vision of Shri Naveen Patnaik, Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha in tackling the pandemic has been proactive and ahead of any other Indian state. The MoU with KIMS takes that vision one step further. KIMS will definitely put in all possible effort to justify the Chief Minister's faith and fulfill his vision, and serve the people of the state in a better and bigger way. I hope that this partnership will bear fruit and we can soon have a COVID-19 free Odisha, said Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT and KISS.

In anticipation of the possible spike in positive cases in districts, KIIT has also set up three 200-bedded COVID-19 hospitals, one each in Kandhamal, Balangir and Mayurbhanj districts, with the support of the respective district administration. In Balangir and Mayurbhanj, the facility functions from the satellite campuses of KISS, which were inaugurated recently. All three District COVID-19 Hospitals, already operational from the mid of April, are managed by KIMS and provides round the clock services following WHO and ICMR guidelines.The COVID Hospital in Kandhamal, a district having no railway connectivity, is a boon for the local people, who are yet to be exposed to the world of high speed internet connectivity. Besides COVID Hospital, KIIT and KISS are providing groceries and cash for miscellaneous expensesto over 40 orphanages, old age homes and leprosy centres in Kandhamal district.

Another constituent of KIIT,KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI) under KIIT School of Biotechnology, has been recognised as a Centre for Augmenting War with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), government of India, along with other eminent institutes in India, including IITs. KIIT-TBI is responsible for implementing this program in East & NE.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a global health emergency, it have also caused a grave humanitarian crisis due to prolonged lockdowns and loss of livelihoods for millions. KIIT and KISS have been trying to identify and reach out to various groups facing hardship due to the extended lockdown. It distributed family survival packets comprising of essential food items like rice, pulses, cooking oil, etc. - to the disadvantaged people living in various slums in Bhubaneswar. The survival packets were giventhrice a week for the first month during lockdownto40,000 people in the slum areas of Bhubaneswar.

We are doing our bit to ensure that vulnerable sections of the population around do not face starvation. We are augmenting the efforts of the State Government, which has robust policies for such sections, in a humble way, Prof. Samanta said, while urging every citizen to do whatever best they can individually and to support the local administration in these challenging times.

KIIT also took initiative to deliver cooked food to police personnel on duty, who were diligently enforcing the lockdown. Lunch was provided every day to more than 2000 police personnel across Bhubaneswar as well as adjoining cities of Puri and Cuttackto honour their work to make people aware about COVID-19.

The institution is working closely with the government of Odisha to provide all support from its available resources like logistics, infrastructure, healthcare, human resources, etc. It provided temporary shelter and cooked meals to migrant labourers, who were stranded in Bhubaneswar, after the lockdown was announced.More than 1000 migrant workers were helped in this initiative.After some areas in Bhubaneswar were marked as containment zones, it distributed food and essential items to the people of the zone. KISS worked closely with the American Embassy in the evacuation of personnel who were stuck in Odisha and other adjoining areas. It also distributed feminine hygiene products to women and girls in all the districts of Odisha.

Other community outreach activities include provision of one month supply to the Tibetan population in Chandragiri and Padmasambhava Monastery in Jiranga, a Tibetan settlement area in Eastern Odisha; adoption of two old age homes in Chandragiri.KIMS is also supporting a hospital in Jiranga and has provided PPE to the health workers.

Reaching the unreached, KIIT & KISS extended a helping hand to the red light areas in Bhubaneswar. Groceries and other essentials were provided to the needy. KIIT, KISS, Sakha and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives came together to distribute ration and essential items for the transgender community in Bhubaneswar, Rayagada and a few other districts of Odisha.

KIIT and KISS even set up a team to source and distribute fruits, vegetables, biscuits and other food materials to animals like monkeys, cattle and dogs, in and around the campus. It has adopted 140 peacocks in Bhubaneswar is taking care of these beautiful birds and providingfinancial assistance to more than 10 Goshalasin Puri, Bhubaneswarand Cuttack. I wish to remind everyone that while we need to be kind to every other human through social distancing, we must not forget about these animals who are so much dependant on us. Show some kindness, bring a smile to everyone in this difficult time, says Professor Samanta.

COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious global health crisis of our times and also the toughest humanitarian challenge. It has extracted a huge human toll, besides causing big setbacks to the economy. Our efforts are a drop in the ocean and aim to bring smiles on the faces of as many people as we can touch. But, I am sure, together, we will overcome this crisis also, he added.

Posted By: Aalok Sensharma

See original here:

KIIT at the frontline of Odisha's war against coronavirus - Jagran English

Ethiopian maids ‘dumped’ in the streets in Lebanon as COVID hits – Reuters

Posted on by

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian mother Alemtsehay Nasir went to Lebanon dreaming that her maids job would let her earn money to make a better life for her young son. But she was fired when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and her employers dumped her on the streets.

The 32-year-old was left on the curb outside the Ethiopian consulate in a suburb of Beirut, one of hundreds of women abandoned by employers without the means to get home after the pandemic hit, on top of a financial crisis that has devastated the Lebanese economy.

Lebanese labour laws offer little protection for migrant workers. The best the women can hope for is that a charity will help them get home.

They just take them out and dump them on the streets with their belongings, Alemtsehay told Reuters. Even right now, there are many women on the streets, waiting for someone to come to their rescue.

Ethiopia accounts for the biggest percentage of migrant workers in Lebanon, according to Lebanese government data.

In May, Alemtsehay was one of around 650 women returned to Ethiopia on a flight organised by Addis Ababa authorities and the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Another woman on the flight said she had been dumped without her wages or passport and arrested for not having identification. She didnt want Reuters to identify her for fear that traffickers that she paid to bring her to Lebanon would track her down and force her to repay her debts.

Maureen Achieng, IOMs chief of mission in Ethiopia, said women were still keen to work in Lebanon despite the horror stories.

The dangers are for the most part well known but ... not always a sufficient deterrent, she told Reuters.

Alemtsehays family is just happy to see her.

Thank God now she is back home, in one piece, said her mother Workitu Metaferiya as Alemtsehays 6-year-old son, Christian Mikias, smiled shyly. He was 2 the last time she was home.

Reporting by Kumerra Gemechu and Nazanine Moshiri; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Giles Elgood

View original post here:

Ethiopian maids 'dumped' in the streets in Lebanon as COVID hits - Reuters

Research Aims To Create Surface Coating That Kills COVID-19 On Contact – Coatings World Magazine

Posted on by

The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) within the University of Waterloo, is working in collaboration with SiO2 Innovation Labs on the research.

The COVID-19 virus can survive on surfaces for 24 hours or more, saidSushanta Mitra, professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and lead researcher on the project. In order to protect frontline workers and the general public, its important that the virus is neutralized immediately when it comes into contact with any surface; our work will culminate in the production of an anti-viral coating that will do just that.

Mitras team has developed an innovative experimental set-up to quantify the adhesion force between the viral load and the coated surface. Mitra is using water droplets to mimic the primary mode of transmission of COVID-19 between humans droplets of saliva or other bodily fluids.

Further testing will determine the coatings' ability to de-activate SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 illness in our populations.

The process for creating the coating is multi-step, involving the development of techniques to durably coat the anti-viral material of different surfaces, understanding the origin of the physical forces between the virus and the coated materials through careful experiments and the development of a computational model and finally the creation of an optimal formulation of the coating materials based on these studies.

Our history of creating and delivering safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly products is enabling us to meet this historical moment, said Bruce Johnston, chief technology officer at SiO2 Innovation Labs. Were thrilled to be collaborating with Prof. Mitra and WIN in order to bring to market a surface coating that can neutralize pathogens quickly and their subsequent spread. Reduced infection rates will save lives and create safer environments in public and private spaces including homes, the workplace, schools, stores, public transit and hospitality venues.

This research is multi-faceted and is being conducted by many different researchers at Waterloo includingBoxin Zhao, professor in Chemical Engineering andJohn Honek, professor in chemistry.

TheWaterloo Institute for Nanotechnology(WIN) is Canadas largest nanotechnology institute committed to UN Sustainable Development Goals and a global leader in discovering and developing smart and functional materials, connected devices, next-generation energy systems and, therapeutics and theranostics.

SiO2 Innovation Labs creates innovative, safe and efficient ultra-thin high-performance commercial and industrial coatings that are manufactured in North America.

See the article here:

Research Aims To Create Surface Coating That Kills COVID-19 On Contact - Coatings World Magazine

Nano Diamond Powder Market 2020 Business Outlook with COVID-19 Scenario Analysis and Forecast 2026 Sumitomo, Yahua, American-Diamond Industrial,…

Posted on by

The global Nano Diamond Powder market report consists of the updated and detailed information, published by the CMFEI Insights. The report covers a detailed and in-depth analysis and the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 on the market, is covered. The data, covered in the report study provides a detailed analysis from the historical data from 2015 to 2019 and also forecasts the further market conditions from 2020 to 2027.

The 2020 latest edition of this report is entitled to provide additional commentary on latest scenario, economic slowdown and COVID-19 impact on overall industry. Further it will also provide qualitative information about when industry could come back on track and what possible measures industry players are taking to deal with current situation.

Request Sample Copy of Nano Diamond Powder Market Research [emailprotected] https://www.cmfeinsights.com/request-sample.php?id=101416

Major Market Players with an in-depth analysis: Sumitomo, Yahua, American-Diamond Industrial, Adamas Nanotechnologies, Sinta, Reishauer

The report on the Nano Diamond Powder market provides a detailed analysis and the overview of the market. It also provides the market definition of the market, which is covered in detail in the study. Several techniques such as the primary and secondary techniques are used for the validation and the estimation of the numerical data for the Nano Diamond Powder market. The research study also provides updated information on the compound annual growth rate of the Nano Diamond Powder market. The study also highlights the changes, which are affected by the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market values are estimated by using the research tools for the validation of the numerical values covered in the report.

Any query? Enquire Here For Discount (COVID-19 Impact Analysis Updated Sample): https://www.cmfeinsights.com/ask-for-discount.php?id=101416

The report on the Nano Diamond Powder covers and provides a detailed analysis of the major factors which have an impact on the growth of the market. Some of the major factors, which are affecting the growth of the Nano Diamond Powder market are covered and provided in detail in these research reports. Moreover, the study also emphasizes and covers the drivers, which have an impact on the growth of the Nano Diamond Powder market. It also covers the challenges and the opportunities for the market. It also provides a detailed analysis of the impact of these factors of the market are also analysed.

The market report provides detailed information of these segments through the graphs and pictorial representation of the data. These are used for highlighting the information on Nano Diamond Powder market. The report also provides detailed information of the segments of the regions and also determines and analyses the information based on the several countries which are covered in the Nano Diamond Powder market.

The key highlights of the report:

1) Market driver, barriers, opportunities, and challenges

2) Industry development

3) Key regulations and mandates

4) Value chain analysis

5) Patent analysis

6) PESTLE and SWOT analysis

7) Porters five forces model

8) Competitive landscape

9) Investment opportunity analysis

10) List of distributors/traders and buyers

Note In order to provide more accurate market forecast, all our reports will be updated before delivery by considering the impact of COVID-19.

(*If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.)

To check the complete Table of Content click here: https://www.cmfeinsights.com/enquiry-before-buying.php?id=101416

Follow this link:

Nano Diamond Powder Market 2020 Business Outlook with COVID-19 Scenario Analysis and Forecast 2026 Sumitomo, Yahua, American-Diamond Industrial,...

Why Girls In Indias Largest Muslim Ghetto Are Betting Big On Football – The Incredible Story Of Parcham – Yahoo India News

Posted on by

Historically, Mumbra, a small city in the suburbs of Thane district, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First it was the Bhiwandi riots of 1984, and later it was the Bombay riots of December 1992 that shaped the socio-political topography of the place, located two hours away from Mumbai.

Even two decades later, the impact of these unforgettable events continues to mould the fate of the marginalised communities living in these regions, save for one difference. Now, if you happen to drive through this suburb, you might spot a squad of young girls, decked in bright blue jerseys playing football and breaking all stereotypes that people have formed about Mumbra and Muslim girls over the years.

And its all thanks to social activist Sabah Khan and her non-profit collective, Parcham, which was launched in October 2012.

Parcham means the flag or banner that is carried during revolutions, says Sabah alluding to a poem written by Urdu poet Majaz and a particular stanza which reads, tere mathe pe ye aanchal bahot hi khoob hai lekin, tu is aanchal ka ek Parcham bana leti to acha tha. A loose translation of these verses is, this veil on your forehead makes you look very beautiful, but if you had made a loftier flag out of this veil, it would have been more meaningful.

In these lines, the famous Urdu poet alludes to the idea of revolution and sovereignty. At Parcham, it translates into breaking free of the prejudices, advocating unity, harmony, and women empowerment, through sports.

Football for us is a means to many things claiming our right to public space, increasing the visibility of women in public spaces, building bridges of friendship among people who have been taught to hate each other, building confidence in girls, talking about equality and financial independence, says Sabah, emphasising, This sport also challenges every stereotype of Mumbra and Muslim girls.

In 2012, when she was approached by a friend who was working with Magic Bus, an NGO focusing on kidseducation, to start a football programme in Mumbra, Sabah leapt at the opportunity. It was just the right kind of mission for the activist who had by then already worked in the suburb and built a rapport with the girls there. It made perfect sense to start here, she recalls.

But soon, Sabah would realise that it was easier said than done. After we started, we discovered that playing in an open ground was a bigger challenge than we had imagined. Most of the girls had not told their parents that they were playing football, because they were certain they wouldnt be given permission. They would tell their parents that they were going to learn English and played football instead, she shares.

And then there was the issue with onlookers and the unavailability of the playing grounds, because who has even heard of women in hijab playing football?

Almost always, recalls Sabah, the ground would be fully occupied by men and boys playing cricket, and we had to negotiate and wait for them to complete their innings for us to start playing. This ate into the precious little time girls were allowed to stay out of their homes.

The challenges were manifold, but Sabah was determined not to give up. The activist, who was at the time involved in the campaign for People Centric Development Plan of Mumbai, realised upon some brainstorming that every city had allotments of lands reserved for various uses, including play and recreation.

We studied the map of Mumbra, zeroed in on a plot reserved for a recreation ground and initiated a signature campaign demanding that it be reserved exclusively for girls and women, she tells us.

Her campaign picked up steam, and in no time, it garnered some 900 odd signatures. Sabah even found a strong ally in local MLA, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, who not only helped her take the initiative forward but also arranged a meeting with the Municipal Commissioner who signed off the reservation of the ground for women, the first such reservation in the country.

ALSO READ: From The Women Who Led India's Mars Mission to The Women Protesters at a Nuclear Power Plant: Minnie Vaid's Pen Covers Them All

What started as an initiative to get more and more girls from both Muslim and non-marginalised communities to come out of their homes and reclaim their freedom and football, has now snowballed into a full-fledged movement, training girls and women, and even preparing them for competitive events.

Says Sabah on this progress, Since 2012 we have trained over 1000 girls, and this is not only in Mumbra but also in Mumbai.

Some of these young talents have also made it to sports leagues and professional coaching. Afifa from our first batch now plays league matches across the country, says Sabah adding, Another player, Saba Parveen, coaches girls of the Thane Municipal Corporation school in Mumbra.

While Parcham and its football initiative might have taken flight with simpler goals, over time, it has gone beyond just sports. Today, its football training is interspersed with perspective-building, aimed towards understanding society, inequality and the struggles to overcome these.

We also have residential workshops for the girls to stay together and get to know each other, shares Sabah adding, These workshops are spaces for us to talk about diversity among many other things.

ALSO READ: This Mushroom Farmer in Bihar Makes Rs.1 Cr Annually, Pays Full Salaries to Employees During Lockdown

The fruition of Parchams goals marks a huge leap, not just for the girls of Mumbra but also for Sabah, who much like these girls, grew up in the Muslim ghetto of Madanpura in South Mumbai. And while she was fortunate enough to receive the best of education she studied in an English medium school, got a degree in Economics and Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) she too grew and evolved in the process of running her sports-centric initiative.

Through my childhood, I was never conscious of my gender identity. The identity I knew was that of being a Muslim and a good Muslim, she says. Perhaps thats why she was upset when, in the second year of field work at TISS, she was assigned an organization working solely with Muslim women.

I believed that I had been assigned the organization because of my identity and I tried to argue against it, she recalls.

Since then, confesses Sabah, she has come a long way in her understanding of Muslim womens issues. She is more focussed on her football initiative now, which is only temporarily halted due to the Coronavirus lockdown. And soon, she hopes to have the Parcham Football Academy on its feet.

We have to have a team of women coaches who train Muslim, Dalit, Adivasi, and underprivileged girls. We want to see them at the national level, she says.

The girls of Parcham are just getting started. As Sabah says, the accomplishment of one goal has only led to dreams of other bigger goals.

(Edited by Athira Nair, Video Produced by Urmi Chatterjee)

MAKERS India is now on Telegram! Click here to join us!

Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates.

See the original post:

Why Girls In Indias Largest Muslim Ghetto Are Betting Big On Football - The Incredible Story Of Parcham - Yahoo India News

Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market To 2028 Report Reviews Size, In-depth Qualitative Insights, Explosive Growth Opportunity, Regional…

Posted on by

QMI comes with an in-depth analysis and prediction report on the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market. A new research has been carried out across many regions and sectors. It offers a wide-ranging survey report of market players, product type and application level from all key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America.

This study report shows growth in revenues of Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market in USD from the 2020-2028 forecast periods. The Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market Research Report covers all of the significant developments that are being implemented recently across the global market. The study also offers reliable industry values highly dependent on the end-user as well as manufacturers in Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market. The Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market study also makes extensive mention of the major market players operating in this sector.

Sample Copy of This Report: https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/request-sample-29723?utm_source=JL/komal

Companies Covered:D-Wave Systems Inc, Qxbranch LLC, IBM Corporation, Cambridge Quantum Computing Ltd, 1qb Information Technologies Inc., QC Ware Corp., Magiq Technologies Inc., Station Q-Microsoft Corporation, and Rigetti Computing

A lot of companies are key players in the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market which are studied extensively in this report. To strengthen their product portfolio and increase their market share the key manufacturers/ companies are constantly improvising their goods and services. The report provides an in-depth review of the Growth Factors, Potential Challenges, Distinctive Patterns and Market Participant Opportunities to allow readers to fully understand the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market. Major vendors included in the market study along with stock determinations, market share, and sales, figures, efficiency, size, production, cost, and revenue. The QMIs chief objective is to offer crucial insights into current trends, competitive positioning, market potential, alternative related statistics, and growth rates.

The segmentation of Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market is done By Component (Hardware, Software, Services), By Application (QKD, Quantum Cryptanalysis, Quantum Sensing, Naval).

This Press Release primarily offers current trends that control the market. What insights will readers obtain from the report on the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market? It provides niche insights for the decision about every possible segment helping in the strategic decision-making process. Market size estimation of the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market on a regional and global basis. Exclusive research design for market size assessment and forecast Identification of major companies operating in the market with related developments, behavior patterns of each Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market playerproduct launches, extensions, alliances and market acquisitions Comprehensive scope to cover all the possible segments helping every stakeholder in the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market.

Get ToC for the overview of the premium report @ https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/request-toc-29723?utm_source=JL/komal

The report answers the following questions-1. What is the market share of important countries in each of the regions?1. Which regions and countries will show the highest growth potential in the forecast period?2. At what rate the Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market is expanding globally and what are the key upcoming trends in this market?3. Which product and applications are at the top and hold a good potential and chances of growth?4. Which are the main Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense market players and their competitors?5. What are the constraints currently impacting the market growth and the main market drivers influencing growth over the period of forecast?

This is anticipated to drive the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market over the forecast period. This research report covers the market landscape and its progress prospects in the near future. After studying key companies, the report focuses on the new entrants contributing to the growth of the market. Most companies in the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market are currently adopting new technological trends in the market.

Finally, the researchers throw light on different ways to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affecting the growth of the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market. The feasibility of the new report is also measured in this research report.

Make an Enquiry for purchasing this Report @ https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/enquiry-before-buying-29723?utm_source=JL/komal

About US:

QMI has the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services available on the web. We deliver reports from virtually all major publications and refresh our list regularly to provide you with immediate online access to the worlds most extensive and up-to-date archive of professional insights into global markets, companies, goods, and patterns.

Contact:

Quince Market Insights

Ajay D. (Knowledge Partner)

Office No- A109

Pune, Maharashtra 411028

Phone: APAC +91 706 672 4848 / US +1 208 405 2835 / UK +44 121 364 6144

Email: [emailprotected]

Web: https://www.quincemarketinsights.com

Read the rest here:

Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market To 2028 Report Reviews Size, In-depth Qualitative Insights, Explosive Growth Opportunity, Regional...

Nanomedicine Market 2020 Industry Share, Size, Consumption, Growth, Top Manufacturers, Type and Forecast to 2028 – Bulletin Line

Posted on by

Most recent report on the global Nanomedicine market

A recent market study reveals that the global Nanomedicine market is likely to grow at a CAGR of ~XX% over the forecast period (2019-2029) largely driven by factors including, factor 1, factor 2, factor 3, and factor 4. The value of the global Nanomedicine market is estimated to reach ~US$ XX Bn/Mn by the end of 2029 owing to consistent focus on research and development activities in the Nanomedicine field.

Valuable Data included in the report:

Request Sample Report @https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3117?source=atm

Competitive Outlook

The presented business intelligence report includes a SWOT analysis for the leading market players along with vital information including, revenue analysis, market share, pricing strategy of each market players.

market dynamics section of this report analyzes the impact of drivers and restraints on the global nanomedicine market. The impact of these drivers and restraints on the global nanomedicine market provides a view on the market growth during the course of the forecast period. Increasing research activities to improve the drug efficacy coupled with increasing government support are considered to be some of the major driving factors in this report. Moreover, few significant opportunities for the existing and new market players are detailed in this report.

Porters five forces analysis provides insights on the intensity of competition which can aid in decision making for investments in the global nanomedicine market. The market attractiveness section of this report provides a graphical representation for attractiveness of the nanomedicine market in four major regions North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World, based on the market size, growth rate and industrial environment in respective regions, in 2012.

The global nanomedicine market is segmented on the basis of application and geography and the market size for each of these segments, in terms of USD billion, is provided in this report for the period 2011 2019. Market forecast for this applications and geographies is provided for the period 2013 2019, considering 2012 as the base year.

Based on the type of applications, the global nanomedicine market is segmented into neurological, cardiovascular, oncology, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and other applications. Other applications include dental, hematology, orthopedic, kidney diseases, ophthalmology, and other therapeutic and diagnostic applications of nanomedicines. Nanoparticle based medications are available globally, which are aimed at providing higher bioavilability and hence improving the efficacy of drug. There have been increasing research activities in the nanomedicine filed for neurology, cardiovascular and oncology applications to overcome the barriers in efficient drug delivery to the target site. Moreover, the global nanomedicine market is also estimated and analyzed on the basis of geographic regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. This section describes the nanomedicine support activities and products in respective regions, thus determining the market dynamics in these regions.

The report also provides a few recommendations for the exisitng as well as new players to increase their market share in the global nanomedicine market. Some of the key players of this market include GE Healthcare, Mallinckrodt plc, Nanosphere Inc., Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co Inc., Celgene Corporation, CombiMatrix Corporation, Abbott Laboratories and others. The role of these market players in the global nanomedicine market is analyzed by profiling them on the basis of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments.

Link:

Nanomedicine Market 2020 Industry Share, Size, Consumption, Growth, Top Manufacturers, Type and Forecast to 2028 - Bulletin Line

Ironhand Wins NASA Commercial Invention of the Year Award – PRNewswire

Posted on by

STOCKHOLM, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Ironhand is the world's first active soft exoskeleton for the hand, based on Bioservo's SEM Technology in combination with Robo-Glove, invented by NASA and General Motors. Robo-Glove and the commercialized version Ironhand has won the NASA Commercial Invention of the Year Award for 2020.

In the Inventions and Contributions Board's motivation, they write: "The winning invention, "Robo-Glove," is the world's first soft robotic muscle strengthening system for professional users. In developing the Robo-Glove, NASA set out to assist astronauts, improve the efficiency of spacewalks, and extend its capabilities in space exploration. Co-developer General Motors sought to improve the safety and effectiveness of the production operators working in its manufacturing plants. Robo-Glove in its commercial product form of "Ironhand" has far exceeded the current state of the art which includes: uncomfortable hand exoskeletons, passive grip strengthening gloves, or low strength rehabilitation gloves used by individuals who, for medical reasons, cannot create simple grasps. General Motors workers are using Ironhand on automobile assembly lines and performing well. No other currently available grasp assist glove is effective in performing these types of demanding manual assembly tasks."

"We are very proud of receiving this award which recognizes a lot of hard work over the last years." Says Petter Bckgren, CEO at Bioservo and continues, "without the close collaboration with and the continuous feedback from our development partners, such as General Motors, we would not have been able to make Ironhand so intuitive, comfortable and ergonomic."

Read the NASA announcement here

For more information, please contactPetter Bckgren, CEO of Bioservo Technologies ABPhone: +46 (0)8-21-17-10[emailprotected]

Mikael Wester, Marketing Director of Bioservo Technologies ABPhone: +46 (0)8-21-17-10[emailprotected]

About IronhandIronhand is the world's first active soft exoskeleton for the hand, designed to improve the health for workers that perform grip intensive, repetitive and static work tasks. Ironhand mimics the user's grasp movements and gives extra strength and endurance to the grip. The extra strength relieves the muscles and conserves the energy of the user, improving productivity as well as the well-being by the end of the shift. In short, the system helps to keep the workers healthy and efficient.

About Bioservo TechnologiesBioservo Technologies AB (publ) is a world leading company in wearable muscle strengthening systems for people in need of extra strength and endurance. All our innovative products and systems are designed to keep people strong, healthy and efficient.

The company has a unique global position within soft exoskeleton technology for the hand, both for industrial applications to improve the health for workers and to improve quality of life for people with reduced muscle strength.

Bioservo Technologies was founded in 2006 in collaboration between researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology and a doctor at Karolinska University Hospital. Bioservo Technologies is a Swedish public limited company with headquarters in Stockholm.

FNCA Sweden AB, +46(0)8-528-00399, [emailprotected] is the Company's Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North Growth Market.

For more information, please visit

http://www.bioservo.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/bioservo-technologies-ab--publ-/r/ironhand--wins-nasa-commercial-invention-of-the-year-award,c3156286

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Bioservo Technologies AB

Originally posted here:

Ironhand Wins NASA Commercial Invention of the Year Award - PRNewswire

‘Someday we will touch the sun’: Netizens amazed by NASA’s ‘closest’ pictures of the sun – Times Now

Posted on by

Image of the sun clicked from 48 million miles away by NASA  |  Photo Credit: Twitter

NASA had taken social media by storm when the pictures of the sun were released by the space centre on the internet. The photos were taken from a spot that was closest to the hot celestial body.

Since its release, the pictures have been ruling the world wide web. They have been shared left, right, and center by every netizen, extremely mesmerized by the achievement.

Time and time again, science and technology have surprised. This field has brought about some pathbreaking discoveries and achievements time and time again.

Everybody around the world knows about NASA and what they do. Their achievements have been well-known all across. Many young children look up to it and dream to either become an astronaut or work in the space station imagining them facilitating the launch of a ship into the solar system.

However, one could not have imagined seeing the sun up close, thanks to the photographs clicked by NASA.

The pictures of the sun were clicked a mere 48 million miles away from it, which makes it quite close. A Solar Orbiter clicked them which is a joint venture of NASA with the European Space Agency.

NASA had shared the information about the activity on their official Twitter page.

Then, ESA tweeted about the photographs.Here is the spectacular feat, caught on camera.

In a statement by NASA quoted by ABC News, Holly Gilbert said, These amazing images will help scientists piece together the suns atmospheric layers, which is important for understanding how it drives space weather near the earth and throughout the solar system.

ESA also revealed that a new phenomenon seen on the sun in the pictures is called Campfires. They are similar to solar flares that can be seen in small size from the earth.

The scientists from both agencies were not expecting such a great result. We did not expect a result so early, ESAs Daniel Muller told the American news channel.

Netizens could not keep calm after seeing the photos. They expressed their awe in the comments section.

Indeed, this is an achievement that will be talked about for the time to come. The Internet still cannot get enough of the stunning pictures of the molten celestial body which we normally see from a distance and point a finger at whenever the heat gets unbearable.

See the original post:

'Someday we will touch the sun': Netizens amazed by NASA's 'closest' pictures of the sun - Times Now

Supreme Court ruling expanded tribal land. What does that mean for Arizona? – AZCentral

Posted on by

Supreme Court(Photo: Getty Images)

In a decision hailed as a landmark in federal Indian law, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that much of Oklahomas tribal lands had never been rescinded, and that the state had no criminal jurisdictionover those lands.

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the courts four liberal justices in the 5-4 decision and wrote the opinionfor the case, McGirt v. Oklahoma.

The ruling primarily affects who gets to prosecute tribal members for serious crimes on tribal lands, and it won't affect non-Indian prosecutions by tribes or property ownership. However, some Indian law experts believe the ruling may lead to more civil and regulatory oversight by tribal governments on land within historic reservation boundaries.

And it's unclear yet whether the case can be used by some Arizona tribes to reclaim sovereignty over lands that were removed from original reservation boundaries.

Robert J. Miller, a law professor at the Sandra Day OConnor College of Laws Indian Legal Program in Arizona State University, said language holds the key to determining if any Arizona tribal nations are eligible to pursue a similar remedy."What did Congress say?" he said. "Ifit did not expressly take away the tribe's reservation or change its borders, then things that happen later do not."

The case was brought by Jimcy McGirt, a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in east-central Oklahoma. McGirt was convicted in state court on rape charges and sentenced to life in prison. The crime was committed within the reservation lands that had been established for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in 1832. A subsequent treaty enacted in 1866 reduced the Creek land base to its current 3-million-acre historical boundary, but also compensated the tribe for the lostlands. Serious crimes committed by American Indians on tribal lands come underfederal jurisdiction through the Major Crimes Act.

The state of Oklahoma argued in part that since the lands had been allotted in small parcels to individual Native citizens through an 1887 law known as the Dawes Act, the trust land status of the reservation had been rescinded, and the land should now be considered subject to state law.

However, McGirts attorney, Ian Gershengorn, countered that since the law authorizing the allotments never actually removed reservation (also known as trust land) status from those lands, federal and not state courts had jurisdiction over the case.

The Supreme Court agreed. On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise, Gorsuch wrote. Forced to leave their ancestral lands in Georgia and Alabama, the Creek Nation received assurances that their new lands in the West would be secure forever.

The case, he wrote, asked the Supreme Court whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law. Because Congress has not said otherwise, we hold the government to its word.

Gorsuch is versed in federal Indian law, and his appointment in 2017 was hailed by many Indian law experts and tribal nations as a voice for understanding and applying the law to the governments interactions with tribes. Hes known as an originalist or, as one legal blog notes, Gorsuch believes the U.S. Constitution should be construed as it was by its original drafters. Hes also the only Westerner on the court.

Miller said that the ruling affects only the Creek treaty lands and the nearly 1.1 million people living within the historic Creek boundary line.Miller is an enrolled citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe in far northeastern Oklahoma, which also was part of the allotment act era.

However, if all the so-calledFive Civilized Tribes, which also include the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole nations with lands that were placed into trust in the 19th century choose to pursue similar remedies, some 1.8 million residents would be affected. AndMiller said that others of the 39 tribes in Oklahomamay have similar standing to reassert sovereignty over their historic reservation boundaries.

In the second paragraph of the decision, Gorsuch states the issue the court is answering, Miller said. The Supremes are very specific and careful about the exact question they are addressing in appeals; it is only about criminal jurisdiction.

Indian nations don't have criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians except for narrowly-defined circumstances, most notably when a tribal court obtains authorization from the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute domestic violence suspects under the Violence Against Women Act.

Also, a document shared by the Native American Rights Fund and the Native American Journalists Association said that land ownership in the historic Creek lands would not beaffected by the ruling.

But Miller also said that there could be some changes underway in the historic Creek lands. For example, tribal members may no longer be subject to state taxation if they live and work within the boundaries, he said. Non-Indians who own land within the Creek Nation may find that the tribe now has some zoning or regulatory jurisdiction. They might be taken to tribal court for civil cases.

Miller said that McGirt could now be prosecuted by the federal government, given the heinous nature of his crime, which involved raping a 4-year-old girl."Federal criminal penalties are often harsher than state ones. So Mr. McGirt or future Indian defendants sometimes face higher criminal sentences because of the federal system," Miller said. The Creek Nation could also prosecute McGirt, but since tribes can only sentence a convicted person to no more than 1 year in jail, the feds would be the logical court totake the case, he said.

Miller said that the 21 Indian reservations in Arizona may or may not be affected by the decision. "If Congress did the removing [of tribal lands], it's valid," he said. "Congress has the power to abrogate Indian treaties and U.S. treaties with foreign governments." However, Miller said Congress must say "expressly" that a reservation is diminished, or its lands reduced, or disestablished, or returned to federal, state or local control, as several other cases specify.

If a tribe were to determine that parts of its lands were taken without express congressional statement and some kind of payment for those lands, a suit could be brought to remedy that, Miller said.

At least one Arizona tribe, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, has had their original trust lands reduced.

Their lands werediminishedfive times between 1872 and 1902 by a series of presidential actions. This included oneof themost sacred places to Apache people.Dzi Nchaa S'an, known now as Mount Graham, was placed under public domain in 1873 and is now part of Coronado National Forest.

Miller comparedGorsuch's written opinion to "judicial poetry," and said that the justice has been what Native rights organizations like the National Congress of American Indians hoped for;"Gorsuch knows some Indian law and does not hesitate to vote for tribal positions even when conservatives would probably argue that he has turned into a liberal."

Debra Utacia Krol covers Indigenous issues atthe intersection of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Southwest. Reach the reporter at debra.krol@AZCentral.com or at 602-444-8490. Follow her on Twitter at @debkrol.

Coverage of tribal issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation and the Water FunderInitiative.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2020/07/11/supreme-court-ruling-expanded-tribal-land-what-does-mean-arizona/5410782002/

More:

Supreme Court ruling expanded tribal land. What does that mean for Arizona? - AZCentral

Eriksmoen: North Dakota mother and daughter represented people they cared about in ‘Wizard of Oz’ and the real-life Emerald City – Grand Forks Herald

Posted on by

Within one family, both the mother and daughter had important roles to advocate for the people they represented in their seats of power: The mother, Magdalena (Carpenter) Birch, advocated figuratively, and the daughter, Jocelyn (Birch) Burdick, did so literally.

Magdalena, Baums niece, is said to have been the inspiration for Dorothy in her uncles classic childrens book. Jocelyn Burdick was a U.S. Senator, the first woman to represent North Dakota in the Senate.

Magdalena (Carpenter) Birch. Special to The Forum

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published in May 1900 and proved to be very popular, selling out within weeks of its publication. The text of the book was then adapted into a theatrical musical and it premiered at the Chicago Grand Opera House on June 16, 1902.

Because of its huge success, the musical was moved to the Majestic Theater on Broadway on Jan. 21, 1903, where it ran for 293 performances. The original cast then went on traveling tours across the U.S.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Meanwhile, life was changing for Magdalenas family. Dry summers, severe winters and poor grain prices had forced the Carpenters off of their land. In 1899, they moved their house off of the farm and into Edgeley, N.D., where her father, James, started a dray line business, transporting goods within the town. In 1901, the Carpenters moved to Fargo, and James became an insurance salesman.

Despite his new fame and fortune, Baum continued to remember the Carpenters. This was evidenced during the early part of the new century when Baum, under the pseudonym Laura Bancroft, began publishing "The Twinkle Tales." Originally, there were six individual stories, each published in a booklet, centering on the adventures of Twinkle in Edgeley that were reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Twinkle was an inquisitive farm girl who was constantly swept away into the world of enchantment. She and her friend, Chubbins, were miniaturized by a prairie dog magician and then entered the world of sugar people. In 1906, these six stories were combined into a book titled "The Twinkle Tales," which was followed by "Policeman Bluejay" in 1907 and "Babes in Birdland" and "Twinkle and Chubbins" in 1911.

With his success as a writer established, a new opportunity was opening up that Baum hoped to capitalize on motion pictures. In 1908, he wrote, produced and starred in the two-hour movie "The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays." Even though it received good reviews, it did not have adequate funding and closed after appearing in only two cities.

Undeterred, he and his wife, Maud, moved from Chicago to Hollywood in 1910 and bought a home that he named Ozcot. For the next six years, Baum produced eight movies based on his writing, and on May 5, 1919, he died at his home in Hollywood.

Magdalena attended public schools in Fargo and went to college at the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1913. She then taught school in Iowa and South Dakota before marrying Albert Birch on Nov. 20, 1913. Albert, who was originally from Minto, N.D., was also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he majored in civil engineering.

The newlyweds relocated to Great Falls, Mont., and Albert was employed as an engineering contractor. The couple later moved to Fargo and Albert joined his father, Steven Birch, in establishing a construction firm, S. Birch and Son. When Steven died in 1942, Albert became president of the company and Magdalena became vice president, a position she held until her death on Oct. 9, 1948.

Albert and Magdalena Birch raised two daughters, Jocelyn and Helen. Jocelyn, who was born on Feb. 6, 1922, was named in honor of her great-grandmother, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Jocelyn grew up in Fargo, but also spent considerable time living with her aunt, Maud Baum, in Hollywood.

Following her graduation from Central High School in Fargo, Jocelyn attended Principia College, a private liberal arts college in Elsah, Ill. Two years later, she transferred to Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill., and graduated in 1943 with a degree in speech.

Jocelyn (Birch) Burdick. Special to The Forum

Jocelyn returned to Fargo and worked as a radio announcer and disc jockey for the KVOX radio station. Jocelyn married Kenneth Peterson in 1948, but 10 years later, he suffered a fatal heart attack.

On July 7, 1960, she married Quentin Burdick, who had been elected U.S. Senator one week earlier. Quentin was reelected to the Senate five times, and when he died in office on Sept. 8, 1992, North Dakota Gov. George Sinner appointed Jocelyn to fill his vacancy four days later, which made her the first woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from the state of North Dakota.

Jocelyn finished out her husbands term, which lasted until Dec. 14, 1992, and then returned to her home in Fargo, where she remained active in politics. On April 6, 2019, she again made news when, with the death of Fritz Hollings from South Carolina, she became the oldest living former U.S. Senator. Jocelyn died on Dec. 26, 2019.

In 1964, historians began to look at "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" in a new light. Similar to Jonathan Swifts "Gullivers Travels," it is a childrens book that is also believed to be a satirical take on the political, social and economic situation of the time.

While Baum was a newspaperman in Aberdeen, S.D., during the late 1880s and early 1890s, many farmers lost their land because of the low prices they received for their produce and the severe drought that occurred at the same time. Baum embraced populism, a political movement that opposed the tactics of the railroads, bankers, millers and elevator owners who exploited the small farmers.

Many historians saw similarities between the characters in "Oz" and the groups of people in the Midwest. The Wicked Witch of the East represented the eastern industrialists and the bankers who controlled the people (the Munchkins). The Wicked Witch of the West represented the drought that melted away after Dorothy threw a bucket of water on her.

The Scarecrow was based on the wise but exploited Midwestern farmer, and the Tin Woodman was the dehumanized industrial worker. The Cowardly Lion represented William Jennings Bryan, who roared about the way the people were treated, but lacked the courage to do anything about it. The Wizard represented the presidents of the time who operated out of Washington, D.C. (Emerald City).

Who did Dorothy represent? Some wrote that she represented the American people: level-headed, innocent and naive, but when determined, capable of defeating the evil forces around her.

Baums description of Dorothy Gales home is that of Magdalena Carpenters home. Dorothy lived on a farm with her aunt and uncle, who were poor. Dorothys simple wood-frame home on the gray prairie very closely paralleled the Carpenter home as Magdalena described it to her daughter, Jocelyn Burdick.

The bleak setting near Edgeley was well-experienced by Baum, who was a frequent guest at the Carpenters' farmstead. In 1899, the Carpenters were forced to give up their farm, one year before the publication of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

If Magdalena indeed was the inspiration for Dorothy, isnt it ironic that, 90 years later Magdalena Carpenters daughter, Jocelyn Burdick, represented North Dakota Munchkins in Emerald City?

ARCHIVE: "Did You Know That" columns

Did You Know That is written by Curt Eriksmoen and edited by Jan Eriksmoen of Fargo. Send your comments, corrections, or suggestions for columns to the Eriksmoens at cjeriksmoen@cableone.net.

Curt Eriksmoen, Did You Know That? columnist

Read this article:

Eriksmoen: North Dakota mother and daughter represented people they cared about in 'Wizard of Oz' and the real-life Emerald City - Grand Forks Herald

Book World: How elites distorted the meaning of populism – The Advocate

Posted on by

The People, No

The People, No

Photo: Metropolitan, Handout

The People, No

The People, No

Book World: How elites distorted the meaning of populism

The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism

By Thomas Frank

Metropolitan. 307 pp. $26.99

---

If one were to try to pinpoint the birthplace of populism, eastern Kansas - home to the honest-to-God geographical center of the U.S.A. - would be a solid bet, historically and metaphorically. During the drought-ridden years of the 1880s and 1890s, movements such as the Farmer's Alliance flourished there, promoting a vision of government that supported the interests of America's farmers over those of bankers, corporations and railroads. In the city of Winfield, the radical American Nonconformist and Kansas Industrial Liberator newspaper was the first to use the term "populist" in print, referring to the new People's Party formed in 1891 to push collective bargaining, a graduated income tax and other people-centered policies. The Nonconformist was firmly in the populists' corner, but 150 miles to the north, Kansas's leading Republican newspaper derided the reformers as a gang of disgruntled hayseeds.

Nearly 130 years later, in the decade of Trump, Brexit and Bolsonaro, both of these views are alive and well. And as always, the populist label remains easier to apply than to define.

"From the very beginning . . . populism had two meanings," Thomas Frank instructs in his brilliantly written, eye-opening "The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism." "There was Populism as its proponents understood it, meaning a movement in which ordinary citizens demanded democratic economic reforms. And there was populism as its enemies characterized it: a dangerous movement of groundless resentment in which demagogues led the disreputable."

Frank - a former Harper's columnist, founding editor of the Baffler and best-selling author of "What's the Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America" - is the ideal public intellectual to grapple with this duality. From 1891 to the rise of Trumpism, Frank walks readers through a minefield of assumptions about populism's nature and history. His reflections on the 1896 presidential election set the narrative's pace and tone, describing the new alliance between populists and Democrats that delivered the latter party's nomination to William Jennings Bryan, and the competing alliance of big business and Republicans that ultimately propelled William McKinley to victory and precipitated the populists' decline.

Stressing populism's egalitarian roots in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, Frank rails against modern Democratic and GOP elites for a disdainful attitude toward ordinary, hard-working people - an attitude he considers as "poisonous today as it was in the Victorian Era, or in the Great Depression." Frank calls out TV talking heads for stripping the populist label from Martin Luther King Jr. and the AFL-CIO, and instead linking it only to the xenophobia, racism and Twitter rants of the current president. By devaluing populism, he believes, America has abandoned the organic political values that produced the labor and civil rights movements and contributed to decades of broad-based prosperity. What's left is an almost cartoonishly polarized choice between Beltway elite meritocracy and bigoted, authoritarian Trumpism.

Frank devotes the middle chapters of "The People, No" to Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which fused populism with a smart liberalism. Though it helped millions survive the Great Depression, it also earned endless opposition from Republicans, their Wall Street backers and most of America's big-city newspapers. Frank documents how the DuPont family and other wealthy industrialists founded and lavishly funded the right-wing American Liberty League to destroy Roosevelt, smearing him as a socialist and a traitor to his class.

Having enacted a flurry of New Deal programs in his first term, Roosevelt offered a full-throated lambasting of his conservative adversaries when he accepted the Democratic nomination for a second term in 1936. "These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America," he thundered. "What they really complain of is that we seek to take away their power. Our allegiance to American institutions requires the overthrow of this kind of power. In vain they seek to hide behind the Flag and the Constitution. In their blindness they forget what the Flag and the Constitution stand for."

For Frank, the lineage is clear between the People's Party of the 1890s and Roosevelt's New Deal liberalism. Roosevelt succeeded, Frank insists, because he rejected his generation's accepted wise men of finance and industry and instead sought counsel from progressives like Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes and Frances Perkins - genuine reformers who recognized that the historic moment called not for doubling down on the system but for devising smart new solutions to meet grave new challenges.

"Painful though it may be for liberals to acknowledge nowadays, it was Roosevelt's willingness to disregard elites that won that war," Frank concludes. "These were the reasons the New Deal succeeded and democracy lived. If the heroes of those days were cranks, then thank God for cranks. Thank God for populism." Given our current historical moment, that's a lesson Joe Biden would do well to heed.

Among postwar anti-populists, historian Richard Hofstadter receives particular scorn for his influential book "The Age of Reform" (1955), which valorized professionalism, pluralism and benevolent, administrative capitalism while depicting the People's Party as low-IQ racists and proto-McCarthyites.

"When reform came from the bottom up, in other words," Frank complains of Hofstadter, "it was moralistic, demagogic, irrational, bigoted, and futile. When reform was made by practical, business-minded professionals - meaning lobbyists and experts who were comfortable in the company of lobbyists and experts from other groups - prosperity was the result."

Throughout "The People, No," Frank takes pains to look at populism through a broad lens - from Paul Robeson, Bayard Rustin, Fred Harris and Frank Capra to Father Charles Coughlin, Pat Buchanan and Steve Bannon. His reflection on how the jeans-clad Jimmy Carter wrapped himself in populism to avoid being tagged as a socialist, liberal or conservative is spot-on. In Frank's view, Carter was "a bland technocrat" who donned populism to win the White House but then chose as his Fed chairman Paul Volcker, who famously said, "The standard of living of the average American has to decline" and raised interest rates to 20% to make it happen.

Frank also accuses Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and "blue-collar billionaire" Donald Trump of being faux populists in bed with Wall Street and the ruling class. Obama earns scorn from Frank for leaning on tropes of populists as anti-science zealots clinging to guns and religion, and for his 2016 charge that an unnamed candidate had "embraced a crude populism that promises a return to a past that is not possible to restore." Hillary Clinton is chastised for stereotyping half of Trump's supporters as "deplorables" and "irredeemables."

By the close of "The People, No," readers know where Frank stands. He bristles over an elite that dreads "the lower orders" and uses its power and wealth to squash peace movements, labor strikes and demands for universal health care. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are the type of politicians Frank thinks we need more of.

"For whom does America exist?" he asks in closing. "Its billionaires? Its celebrities? Its tech companies? Are we the people just a laboring, sweating instrument for the bonanza paydays of our betters? Are we just glorified security guards, obeying orders to protect their holdings? Are we nothing more than a vast test market to be tracked and probed and hopefully sold on tickets, fast food, or Hollywood movies featuring awesome new animation technology? Or is it the other way around - are they supposed to serve us?"

Frank wants readers to ponder this fundamental question and come away knowing that at its heart, populism means just one thing: This land was made for you and me.

---

Brinkley is Katherine Tsanoff Brown chair in humanities and professor of history at Rice University and the author of "Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America."

Read more here:

Book World: How elites distorted the meaning of populism - The Advocate

Mompremier happy to land with Sun – News from southeastern Connecticut – theday.com

Posted on by

Beatrice Mompremier gave herself about a week of disappointment before getting back to the basketball grind.

Mompremier was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Sparks on April 17 and was cut a little over a month later (May 26) before WNBA teams even had training camps.

"It was a downer for me not to get an opportunity to actually try out," Mompremier said. "My high school coach that I was working out with (Sam Baumgarten from Miami High in Florida) was like, 'yourtime will come. Just continue working.'"

Mompremier's time came a little over a month later. The Connecticut Sun needed to add post depth when All-Star Jonquel Jones announced on June 22 that she was opting out of this season due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Sun signed Mompremier the next day.

"I had an overseas contract that I had recently signed (with CMB Cargo UNI Gyor in Gyor, Hungary)," Mompremier said. "Then a couple of days later, I got the call from (Sun head coach and general manager) Curt Miller. He said I had an opportunity to come in if I'm interested in playing this summer, and I was, and now I'm here and excited about that."

Mompremier, a 6-foot-4 post, averaged 16.82 points and 9.82 rebounds in 17 games during her redshirt senior year at Miami(she missed 13 games due to an acute foot injury). She was the 2019-20 ACC Preseason Player of the year afterranking ninth in Division I in rebounding (12.2 rpg) and fifth in double-doubles (25) during her junior year. She was also a finalist during her final two seasons for the Lisa Leslie Award, awarded to the best center in women's basketball.

She transferred to Miami after playing for Baylor as a freshman and sophomore.

"I feel like I can bring defense, rebounding and blocking shots," Mompremier said. "I think I'm capable of doing whatever the team needs me to do in order for us to win."

Mompremier was one of many players who never got a chance to compete for roster spots at training camps. Teams had to cut their rosters down to a maximum of 12 players on May 26 so that the league could start paying players on June 1.

Shes an underrated offensive player, Miller said. She can really drive it from the elbows. She can be creative from the short corners as a five (center).

Shes typically going up against either Alyssa (Thomas) or Bri (Brionna Jones at practices), and thats not easy for a seasoned pro. Shes just got to make the quick adjustment to the physicality that this level has.

New players such as Mompremier have little time to adjust because of the WNBA's compacted season, which will be held on the campus of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Every team except the Indiana Fever arrived last Monday and went into quarantine. Those teams started training camp last Friday.

The regular season starts July 25. The Sun play their first game the next day against the Minnesota Lynx at noon.

Mompremier will be busy off-the-court, too,as she's taking online courses to earn a masters degreein liberal arts from Miami. She graduated in December with a degree in economics, and while she's not certain what she'd like to do after basketball, she thinks it might be social work.

"I could take year off and come back and do it," Mompremier said about getting her masters. "I honestly know myself and if don't get it done now, I would probably never come back and finish it off. And I only have one more semester. It's one more semester. ... Why not get my masters done?

"Helping kids. ... being in that system where I go into people's homes and just make sure everything is okay, stuff like that, that's what interests me more than anything else."

n.griffen@theday.com

View post:

Mompremier happy to land with Sun - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

Being a nation and the bogey of self-determination – The Tribune India

Posted on by

M Rajivlochan

Historian

As India goes about dismantling the underpinnings of the structures that had nurtured separatist movements and ideas in the country, it is an apt time for us to reflect upon the idea of self-determination, its connection with the will of the people and the nation. Self-determination is an idea that is frequently used to accuse the government in India of being oppressive, imperialistic etc. Few today recall that the USSR was created by Russia subjugating over two dozen countries in the name of self-determination. Much like China today goes about unhindered, subjugating over six nationalities and claiming everyone to be part of the Middle Kingdom.

In European usage, the idea of a nation has had many meanings. I am born was its meaning some 2,000 years ago. The term nation was a derogatory term, used in common language in the Roman empire to refer to a non-Roman group bound together by some similarity in birth; either birth in the same city or land. The Romans never used it for themselves. Cicero used it for foreign peoples, like the Jews and Syrians, as being born in servitude.

After the collapse of Rome, feudal Europe used it in the councils for representatives of different European rulers at the great ecclesiastical meetings that were presided over by the Pope. The council of nations was an elite body which ruled over the commoners, who in turn, had no political or social identity. Till the 18th century, the term nation was used for the rulers and aristocrats. The people had no existence. It was the ruling class that represented the nation. When in 1731, in the Transylvanian parliament, a priestly delegate spoke of the Walachian nation, he was shouted down by the rest, who said that there was no Walachian nation, only Walachian plebs.

In the 19th century, the humungous growth in the production of almost all goods seemed to empower the plebs. So much so, that the deep distancing between the commoners and those who ruled over them gave people like Karl Marx the hope that the plebs would recognise a sense of commonness between themselves and stop sacrificing their lives in the wars that benefited only their national elite. Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains was based on the hope that the workers were disconnected from the land where they worked. It was this connection, which Marx was not able to see, into which began to merge the concepts of people, nation and state all of them to uniquely define those who lived in a specific geographical region. The nineteenth century wars between the European nations that led to the First and the Second World Wars, fostered nationalism, forcing people to pay a heavy price for being part of that nation.

India, in contrast to Europe, was characterised by an easygoing culture in which people lived together, irrespective of language, religion or ethnicity. The common people knew three or more languages, the slightly educated knew four to five languages routinely, with the well-educated and well-travelled being comfortable with 10 or more. This was how Indians lived till as recently as the 1950s. The monolingual Indian, ever willing to protest the learning of other languages, was the creation of the crazy 1960s, when all of a sudden, Indians began to fight each other over identity. The easygoing ways of the past were now gone. People forgot that it wasnt any idea of inclusivity which was behind appointing a Momin governor for the Konkan by a Hindu king in the eighth century. Neither were the Mughals appointing Hindu Rajputs as governors in order to appease the local Hindu population. The fact was that the mindscape in India was rarely based on religion, caste or ethnicity. A persons individual capabilities were all that mattered. Till as late as the eighteenth century, the Brahmin Peshwas had Shindes, Gaekwads, Bhonsles and other people of lower caste working as trusted soldiers and generals. Pune had a habshi kotwal, as did Hyderabad.

The idea of a nation began to haunt Indians only in the nineteenth century. By this time, Indians had lost all their social and cultural moorings, saw themselves as losers, considered their society degenerate and began to find ways to fit themselves into some imagined European paradigm of being a good nation.

Indians never realised that the textbook idea of a European nation with a single language and religion did not exist in reality. France, despite the efforts of Napoleon to privilege the language of le-de-France as the national language, continued to have many regional languages. As recently as 1999, the French Government recognised as many as 75 languages as regional or minority languages. China, great as it is today, comprises Han control over six major nationalities, representing between them eight main languages, each of which has hundreds of variations, not counting minority languages like Mongolian or Tibetan and their variants.

In fact, the only one time in history when the principle of self-determination was actually implemented was in the early 1920s when Trotsky, Lenin and Stalin used it as an excuse to militarily overthrow the governments of as many as 32 countries which had been forcibly occupied by Tsarist Russia at one time or the other. The Russians then installed puppet Communist governments in these territories which then were pulled together in the name of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Since the simplistic Western notions of nation and nationalism did not seem to gel with the reality of India, Western observers of India have been predicting the falling apart of India since 1950. This was the time when the people of India gave to themselves a Constitution by which to live together. The Constitution did not specify a national religion or a national language. It did not even make clear whether India was a union or a federation of states. Not only that, it provided every adult Indian, irrespective of caste, class, gender, wealth or education, an equal weightage in electing a government.

The liberal British had promoted the idea of Islam being a separate nation in India that resulted in a disastrous partition, creating Pakistan as the only nation in the world for Muslims. Indians, despite suffering the Partition, have refused to be drawn into the morass of equating religion with nation. An unthinking acceptance of these Western ideas of what constitutes a nation created the bogey of self-determination in Kashmir and became the basis of much tragedy.

Here is the original post:

Being a nation and the bogey of self-determination - The Tribune India