Monthly Archives: January 2021

BAME people are over-represented as essential workers on the frontline of the pandemic. Tim Dennell | Flickr

Under the cover of the pandemic, the actions of the UK government have reinforced systems of racial oppression. The virus discriminates based on race: Public Health England data has established that BAME people are dying in disproportionately higher numbers compared to their white counterparts. BAME communities are on the frontline. They are overrepresented as essential workers, being placed in the most dangerous lines of work and, as a result, are more likely to die of the virus. The pandemic has both highlighted structural inequalities and seen government inaction help to reinforce these systems of oppression. The governments failure to protect BAME workers on the frontline has left them vulnerable to a virus which discriminates.

The actions of the government were indicted in a recent report by Baroness Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, the black British teenager who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in London in 1993. Commissioned by Sir Keir Starmer, the Lawrence Review condemned the government for perpetuating racial inequalities through its response to the pandemic. She states:

Black, Asian and minority ethnic people have been overexposed, under-protected, stigmatised and overlooked during this pandemic... The impact of Covid is not random, but foreseeable and inevitable the consequence of decades of structural injustice, inequality and discrimination that blights our society.

Lawrence sends a clear message: the governments response to the pandemic has highlighted, enforced and entrenched existing structural inequalities.

The racial discrimination of the virus is evident. Those of Bangladeshi origin are 50% more likely to die of the virus according to Public Health England data. Almost three times as many black males and twice as many black females were infected with the virus compared to their white counterparts. The disproportionate impact of the virus can be explained by the overrepresentation of BAME people in frontline professions, particularly in the health sector, education and the food industry. The government designating certain workers as essential saw many BAME people put on the frontline against a virus that the government has failed to control.

The BAME lives lost in the pandemic cannot be reduced to statistics; daily death tolls are dehumanising and have left the public desensitised to this still unfolding tragedy. The death of TfL worker Belly Mujinga, a black woman who was spat on by a passenger and denied PPE by her employer, exposes the shocking neglect perpetrated by those with a responsibility to protect essential workers. Her death further ignited Black Lives Matter protests earlier this summer. Areema Nasreen, a brown woman, was one of the first nurses to die of the virus. She worked tirelessly in the intensive care units in a hospital near Birmingham. These stories remind us of the lives behind every statistic and demonstrate the overexposure of BAME people on the frontline and the failure of the government to protect them.

The most vulnerable communities experience the greatest impact of the virus, while the government continues to deny them protection.

The racial disparity in the effects of the virus has been investigated and some have suggested that biological factors can partially explain why BAME people are more likely to die of the virus. The August PHE report states that once comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type II diabetes are taken into account, the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on BAME people is less pronounced. The link between these conditions and poverty highlights the connections between material conditions, race and risk of suffering from the virus. The report fails to investigate the intersection between occupation, deprivation, race and coronavirus deaths, a gross oversight that prevents us from gaining a holistic understanding of the risk posed by the virus. This type of simplification reduces the issue to genetics and fails to take into account the way in which deliberate actions taken by the government have reinforced structural inequalities.

Socio-economic inequalities have exacerbated the racial inequalities entrenched by the pandemic. The option to work from home simply isnt available for many, meaning that not just those workers deemed essential have had to travel, often on public transport, to unsafe workplaces, putting themselves at risk in order to survive. Poor and crowded housing has aggravated this crisis. Half of all Bangladeshis and Pakistanis live in poverty, limiting their ability to self-isolate or shield and putting their lives at greater risk. Like the Grenfell Tower tragedy, poor housing has exposed the intersection between poverty, government neglect and institutionalised racism, which has ultimately led to the avoidable loss of BAME lives. The most vulnerable communities experience the greatest impact of the virus, while the government continues to deny them protection.

Not only has the government put BAME workers on the frontline, it has actively targeted their communities during the pandemic. The Conservative MP Craig Whittaker stoked backlash by suggesting that Muslims were to blame for the spread of the virus, with the Prime Minister failing to denounce the comments. Furthermore, an investigation by Liberty revealed that the police are more likely to fine black and brown people for breaking coronavirus rules. This targeting of BAME communities by the Conservative government predates the pandemic and can be seen by the hostile environment policies that led to the Windrush scandal. The Equality and Human Rights Commission recently stated that these discriminatory actions were against the law. Racism is deeply ingrained in the states consciousness, meaning the simultaneous targeting and neglect of BAME communities is far from incidental.

As with the Grenfell tragedy, the Windrush scandal and the hostile environment policies, the governments response to the pandemic indicates that it does not value BAME lives. These systems of oppression however, are part of a wider malaise. Entrenched structural inequalities, both in institutions and wider society, have been highlighted by the pandemic. This is a time of crisis, and BAME lives are on the frontline.

Varsity is the independent newspaper for the University of Cambridge, established in its current form in 1947. In order to maintain our editorial independence, our print newspaper and news website receives no funding from the University of Cambridge or its constituent Colleges.

We are therefore almost entirely reliant on advertising for funding, and during this unprecedented global crisis, we expect to have a tough few months and years ahead.

In spite of this situation, we are going to look at inventive ways to look at serving our readership with digital content and of course in print too.

Therefore we are asking our readers, if they wish, to make a donation from as little as 1, to help with our running costs at least until this global crisis ends and things begin to return to normal.

Many thanks, all of us here at Varsity would like to wish you, your friends, families and all of your loved ones a safe and healthy few months ahead.

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On the frontline: How the government has made BAME lives dispensable - Varsity Online

Cairo journalist Khaled Elbalshy launched his news website Darb Arabic for Path in March to provide an alternative to Egypts mainstream news media and to protect independent journalism.

But one month later, access to the site was blocked. And in September, authorities arrested Elbalshys brother, Kamal, to try to pressure the journalist into stopping.

Darb, which also documents violations against journalists and activists, is not the first independent publication Elbalshy founded. That was launched while the late Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was still in power. But all the sites have been blocked under consecutive governments since Mubaraks presidency. One, Katib, went offline after only a few hours.

Since 2017, authorities have acted without judicial authorization to block an estimated600 websites containing news and politics or focused on human rights, according to the World Report published by nonprofit Human Rights Watch.

Blocking a website will affect its work. Limiting its outreach will hold any possible revenue that might be generated from reaching to as much people as possible. This will prevent the platforms work from evolving and growing, and it will send a sense of frustration to journalists that it is no use to be part of a platform that does not reach people, Elbalshy told VOA.

To get around blocks, Elbalshy publishes content on social media like Facebook, which can be viewed in Egypt, as well as his website, which is accessible from other countries.

The shutdowns have not discouraged the journalist from trying to create a space for free and independent journalism in Egypt, but Elbaslhy says the arrest of his brother is the harshest measure Egypt has taken against his work.

Complete control

Only a few independent media outlets remain in Egypt that offer news outside the official narrative. Those websites cover stories considered sensitive by the government, like human rights violations or corruption by state officials.

For their editors, it is crucial to keep a free space for future journalists.

We are trying to keep alternative journalism alive. Platforms like Mada Masr, al-Manassa and my attempts, we have a responsibility in guarding a free space for future journalists and journalism, Elbalshy said.

These sites face financial, political, economic or religious pressure that make it harder for journalists to work with them because of loss of earnings or intimidation through arrests of them or their relatives.

The Egyptian government has been tightening its grip on media by restructuring media institutions and introducing laws that regulate journalism and media platforms. Activists say that the harassment of a free press soared in 2013 when President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi came to power after the army deposed the first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi.

The country ranks as the third worst jailer of journalists in the world, with 27 in prison, according to a report released in December.

Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to VOAs request for a comment. Cairo has previously rejected international criticism of rights abuses, saying its arrests and other actions were in response to national security concerns.

In June, el-Sissiissued a decree to reshuffle members of the bodies that regulate TV, radio, print and online media in Egypt, including the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR).

'Negative' practices

The newly elected members have vowed to stand together against all negative media practices, and the media council ruled that only official government statements should be used in reporting on sensitive political, economic and health issues, such as the response to coronavirus, military projects in Sinai, Egypts dispute with Ethiopia about the latters dam project, and any story related to the president, his family and army generals.

Elbalshy said that these practices aim for complete control over media in a country where most outlets are owned or affiliated with those in power.

On the legislative level, the government made harsh laws to regulate media. We have daily practices of jailing people and charging them with publishing fake news on social media, Elbalshy said.

These arrests are legalized through exceptional laws that opened the door for blocking and censorship, which gave security officers the authority to arrest anyone who publishes anything, under the accusation of spreading fake news and abusing social media.

Even social spaces and religious expression are policed, Elbalshy said, citing arrests over content posted to TikTok and Instagram. In July, a court sentenced two women in their 20s to two years in prison and fined them for violating Egyptian family values with videos that showed them dancing and clowning around.

Push for freedoms

Despite the risks, journalists continue to advocate for a free press in Egypt. Earlier this month, Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), testified at a private hearing before the U.S. Congress.

In his testimony, Mansour described how his family has been punished for its work fighting for democracy and freedom in Egypt. Even after Mansour and some relatives left the country, authorities still harass members of the extended family, most recently arresting one of Mansours cousins, Reda Abdelrahman, in August.

A prosecutor this week renewed Abdelrahmans custody order until January 13.

Sadly, Redas case is not unique in Egypt, but also not unique for my family. Many of us have faced arbitrary detention, torture, threats by religious extremists and intimidation by state authorities, Mansour said in his testimony.

Link to aid

Experts say one way to encourage greater press freedom would be to make progress a condition for international aid.

A massive spending bill approved by the U.S. Congress includes $1.3 billion in military aid for Egypt. The bill includes requirements such as the support of independent media and internet freedom programs in countries including Egypt.

Mansour believes that conditional aid will at least pressure the Egyptian government to ease its crackdown, adding that Cairo should not be given military and financial support, training and collaboration from the U.S. with impunity.

The U.S. government did not challenge these governments enough, by aid conditionality, by withholding Washington trips and other means that provide these governments with the legitimacy that they use for oppression, he said.

While journalists at Egypts remaining independent media outlets continue to challenge the punitive measures targeting them, the political environment in Egypt remains largely hostile to their work.

The situation of journalism in general in Egypt is the worst of all times. There is a total absence of the idea of a free press, Elbalshy said.

Read more here:

The Fight to Stay Online in Egypt - Voice of America

More than a decade ago, Sundance, a member of the Muscogee tribe, led a successful effort to change the mascot of a high school from the Oberlin Indians to the Oberlin Phoenix. So when the Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians announced that they will change their name, it was a big win for him and members of the Native community. But is it only the "tip of the iceberg," he said.

Sundance is the director of the Cleveland branch of the American Indian Movement, one of the organizations that has been urging national and local teams with indigenous names and mascots to change their names for more than 50 years.

There are so, so many issues that we need to address as indigenous people that are certainly more important than the mascot issue, but it is the mascot issue, among others, that prohibits people from seeing indigenous people as people, he told ABC News, adding that the Native American ethnicity is the only one that is widely used as a mascot across the country.

A protestor speaks to a crowd of demonstrators prior to the Opening Day game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field, July 24, 2020, in Cleveland.

According to a FiveThirtyEight analysis, hundreds of schools across the country still use Native Americans as their team mascots -- monikers widely seen as racist and dehumanizing to the Native American community.

There are people who will downplay the importance of the issue and say, 'Gosh, don't you people have better things to worry about?' Well, dehumanization is, I think, the very root of all the other issues that we face, said Heather Whiteman Runs Him, a law professor and director of the Tribal Justice Clinic at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Protesters sing and play the drums outside of Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Co., Oct. 27, 2013.

For decades, advocates for Native American rights had been working relentlessly to convince the teams to change their names -- from filing lawsuits to protests to applying pressure on teams and their sponsors.

But it was not until an immense movement swept the nation in the summer of 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd -- an unarmed Black man from Minneapolis -- that some of the most high profile teams relented.

After insisting in 2013 that a name change will never happen, Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, announced in July that the team would change its name to the Washington Football Team, after FedEx, which has naming rights to the stadium, requested a change.

Advocates within tribal nations in our communities started working strategically to target the financial backing of the sports --- the Nikes of the world, the FedExes, Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, told ABC News. That was part of our strategic thinking, knowing that you're trying to get something that is based on pure morality and a sense of justice is simply not enough -- that the power of the almighty dollar and money in this country, whether you're in sports, or a member of Congress, is such a powerful influence.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Associated Press, Cleveland Indians team owner Paul Dolan cited the killing of Floyd as an awakening or epiphany that contributed to the teams decision, along with conversations with the Native American community.

Before deciding to change their name -- a change that is expected to take place in 2021 -- the Cleveland Indians stopped using the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniforms in 2019.

According to Sharp, who leads the countrys oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native tribal government organization, the widespread Black Lives Matter protests ushered in a national debate about race and racism in America -- one that finally included the rights of Native Americans.

We've known that a day of reckoning would come the momentum has just been an incredible sacred moment, Sharp said, adding that the organization has brought Indian Country together to advocate for the rights of indigenous people and to be an ally and partner with others that are disenfranchised.

In this Sept. 13, 2020, file photo, seats at Fedex Field display the Washington Football Team logo in Landover, Md.

The shift in energy comes amid some wins in representation for the Native American community that advocates are hoping will lead to policy changes.

Six Native Americans were elected to serve in the next Congress, a record in U.S. history. Meanwhile, Rep. Deb Haaland, who was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to lead the Department of the Interior, could become the first Native American to serve in a presidential Cabinet. If confirmed by the Senate, Haaland would be the first Native person to oversee an agency that played a major role historically in the forced relocation and oppression of indigenous people.

Reps. Deb Haaland, right, and Rashida Tlaib, left, are seen in the Capitol's House chamber before members were sworn in on the first day of the 116th Congress on Jan. 3, 2019 in Washington.

For Whiteman Runs Him, there's a tremendous capacity for hope in this moment, but she remains cautiously optimistic.

Knowing history, we also have to be vigilant that theres enough done, she said, adding that the success of leaders such as Haaland will also depend on the support they get from other branches of government, especially Congress.

Sundance echoed the sentiment, saying, What we need are people who will maintain their Native identity in the face of rules and regulations that have been enacted to keep us oppressed.

Read more from the original source:

For Native Americans, the fight against mascots is much bigger than sports - ABC News

[Peoples Dispatch brings you a series of articles and videos on 2020, a momentous year that saw humanity face unprecedented challenges. The beacon of hope remained the historic resistance mounted by peoples movements, and the care and solidarity they epitomized, proving yet again that our collective struggles alone can dismantle and end oppression. You can read the full serieshere]

2020 will likely go down in history as the year of the great lockdown. As the coronavirus spread like wildfire, millions were forced into their homes to curb the transmission of the deadly virus. Millions more were forced to remain at their posts, in hospitals, sanitation plants, grocery stores, the fields, care facilities and other front line work posts.

With the adverse situation, governments and political leaders made vague calls for national unity to overcome the pandemic. Some governments were forced to make mild concessions, enacting rent moratoriums, relaxation of debt payments, and sometimes even bolstering previously gutted national health systems. However, this honeymoon of national unity and togetherness did not last long in most countries.

In many countries, especially those already with bad track records for suppression of dissent and criminalization of protest, the pandemic and the lockdowns served as justifications for governments to tighten their grip on society and unleash new, unprecedented campaigns of repression against historic enemies of the state and against all those taking the streets to protest.

The lockdown conditions provided the perfect cover for selective arrests and dulled the possibility of a mass campaign on the streets rejecting such targeted acts of criminalization. In countries such as India, Thailand, Colombia, Palestine, the US and others, we saw a sharp uptick in state repression of those who have dared to fight for a better future.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Indiacontinued its repressionof political opposition and minorities and used the COVID-19 related lockdown to advance its anti-people agenda. In the beginning of the year, it stood by during a vicious campaign against those protesting the citizenship laws. This campaign ultimately led to large-scale violence against minorities in the capital Delhi. The government used the violence and COVID-19 outbreak to not only disrupt the months-long protests but also, under the watch of Home minister Amit Shah, the Delhi police targeted a large number of leaders of the anti-citizenship law campaign and arrested them, blaming them for the violence. Most of them were charged with the draconian anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The BJP-ruled state of Uttar Pradesh took a similar approach against the protesters.

Student leaders such asNatasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Sharjeel Imam andpolitical activistsincluding Umer Khalid, Ishrat Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Safoora Zarger and Kafeel Khan among several otherswere arrested for their alleged role in the Delhi riots. Most of them are still in jails without being formally charged for months now.

The Modi government used COVID-19 related lockdowns to arrest human rights activist and journalistGautam Navlakhaand scholarAnand TeltumbdeinAprilunder the same draconian UAPA for their alleged involvement in Bhima Koregaon case. The government arrested 83 years old human rights activist Stan Swamy in the same case in October 2020. Similarly the cases of 79-year-oldVaravara Rao, in prison since 2018, and G.N. Saibaba, whois 90% disabled and has been in prison since 2017, have raised great concern. In all these cases, the government and courts have refused to consider the concerns raised by family members about their advanced age and vulnerability to COVID-19 infection in prison.

In several other cases, the courts accepted arguments by the police and the government, and ignored procedures and established conventions to deny bail. The police and government used media, both social and conventional, to push campaigns terming arrested activists and journalists critical to its policies as urban naxals or anti-nationals. They have similarly vilified minorities and justified the blatant misuse of state machinery and violation of peoples human rights.

The Palestinian struggle for the right to self-determination faced increased repression in the year 2020 with the Netanyahu-led Zionist regime. His administration used its proximity to fellow imperialist powers, to threaten formal annexation of around one third of the occupied West Bank in the name of Trumps so-called deal of the century and to attempt to isolate the Palestinian people within the larger Arab world through the so-called normalization deals with some of the Arab countries.

The year saw a number of killings of the innocent Palestinians. The murder of 32-year-old Iyad Halaq, 27-year-old Ahmed Erekat, 29-year-old Mustafa Abu Yaacoub and13-year-old Ali Ayman Abu Aliyawere condemnedinternationally. UN human rights expertscondemnedthe killing of Abu Aliya and called for an independent investigation and expressed that they were deeply troubled by the overall lack of accountability for the killings of Palestinian children in recent years. Furthermore they highlighted that Abu Aliya was the sixth Palestinian child living in the West Bank to be killed by Israeli security forces with live ammunition in 2020. They reported that between November 1, 2019 and October 31, 2020, 1,048 Palestinian children were injured by Israeli security forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Israeli regime used COVID-19 pandemic to arrest and illegally detain severalPalestinian activists, including manystudentsand freedom fighters, despite concerns of increased vulnerability of prisons. It carried out demolitions of Palestinian houses and used the state authority and its occupying forces to continue stealing Palestinian land and advanced projects to build illegal settlements and outposts by displacing the rightful owners by force.

The human rights record of the far-right government of Ivn Duque is one of the worst in the region. Under the shadow of the lockdown, his government tightened its grip in its attack on social movements and, at the bare minimum, turned a blind eye to what movements have called a genocide of social leaders, human rights defenders, and ex-combatants/signatories of the 2016 peace agreements.

In 2020, according to reports from the Institute of Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ),310 social leaders and human rights defenderswere assassinated. 90 massacres were committed and 65 signatories of the peace agreements, demobilized combatants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), were killed.

At the same time, the repression and criminalization of social movements has increased significantly. This ranges from surveillance and harassment of social leaders by government agents and members of the public force, to conspiratorial frame-ups which have put dozens of social leaders behind bars. A recent example was on December 15 and 16, when three historic peasant leaders Tefilo Acua, Adelso Gallo and Robert Daza were arrested and accused by the Attorney General of being part of an armed guerrilla group. They were released following a tireless campaign by movements to show that their work as peasant leaders and defenders of the land and human rights is not a crime.

The mass protests that took place in the Colombian capital, Bogot in early September against the police killing of Javier Ordez were also met with brutal repression by security forces. The violent repression by police resulted in the killing of 13 people (10 in Bogot, 3 in Soacha), more than 65 gravely injured by firearms, with more than 400 were injured overall, and hundreds arbitrarily detained.

In Thailand, the year began with an attack on democracy and popular will with amass shooting by a soldierthat killed 30 and injured dozens and thedissolution of a major oppositionparty by the constitutional court, at the behest of the military-supported government of Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Over the next few months suppression of democratic avenues brewed untilprotests broke out in mid-Julyin the capital, Bangkok, and elsewhere across the country. The protests included a cross section of people fromstudents groupstotrade unionsconverging on a common demand toend the militarys controlover civilian governments, an end to the nations lese-majeste laws, and an end tohounding of activistsand journalists. Ironically, the government did exactly the opposite of what the protesters have been demanding. From declaring anabortivedeclaration of emergency, slapping charges of insulting the monarchy ondozensof protesters and even pursuingcases against media outletsreporting on the protests. Nevertheless, the movement continues unabated and will continue to grow stronger next year.

In the Philippines, repression continued under president Rodrigo Duterte. Even though the year began witha trucebetween the government and the communist insurgents, it slowly deteriorated as the year rolled in. Attacks on media stood out particularly, with the conviction against veteran journalistMaria Resaand her colleague from theRappler, the closure of a national broadcasterABS-CBN, and the murder of a regional radio journalistVirgilio Maganes. Filipinos also had to deal with a particularlyrepressive governmentduring the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed a newanti-terror law. Politicalassassinationsalso continued this year, despitecalls for protectionfrom civil society groups against proven threat to life. But efforts from activists and grassroots leaders paid way after a recent report by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court found the governmentguilty of possible crimes against humanityin its anti-drugs campaign.

The conservative Law and Justice(PiS) party led government in Poland relentlessly pursued their regressive, misogynistic policies and continued the persecution ofcommunistsin 2020. In order to reinforce theirschemingfor absolute power, the PiS regime called for the presidential elections amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in May. Widespread popular outrageforcedthe government to postpone the elections and when the elections happened on July 12, PiS-backed Andrzej Duda managed to win only with 2% majority over than liberal opposition candidate.

The PiS governments decision toquitthe European treaty on violence against women and domestic violence popularly known as the Istanbul Convention drew widespread protests from womens groups, the left and the international community. In October, the Polish constitutional courtruledthat abortions in the case of foetal defects are unconstitutional. Womens groups, the Polish left and other progressive sectionsdenounced the judgementas a war on women and started massiveprotestsacross the country. Throughout the year, womens groups and progressives in Polandfoughttirelessly against the tyranny of PiS, braving police crackdowns and harassment from far-right miscreants.

2020 saw one of the largest sustained uprisings in the history of the United States. Millions took to the streetsin cities and towns across the country, both large and small, toprotest against the racist killing of George Floydon May 25 in Minneapolis and against theracist systemthat continues to perpetuate these acts of violence while ensuring impunity for the perpetrators. The central slogan of the protests #BlackLivesMatters was echoedacross the world, with protests in Australia, Brazil,Franceand the United Kingdom also demanding justice for victims of police violence and structural change to address racism.

However, this great uprising was also met with harsh repression. Images circulated across social media throughout the months of the uprising of local police officers and federal officers, sent at the request of local officials or by the federal government,using violence and forceto attack protesters. Officers used tear gas, baton attacks, and rubber bullets against the protests causing hundreds of injuries to protesters and members of the press.

In several cities such as Philadelphia, civil rights groups filed lawsuits against city administrations for disproportionate use of force and racialized and militarized policing.

The repression was not limited to violent police attacks, according to reports,over 300 demonstrators were charged with federal crimes, during the course of the uprising. Civil rights advocates have pointed out that many of these charges are either exaggerated claims by law enforcement agencies or completely trumped up. On September 18, three organizers from the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in Denver, Colorado, Lillian House, Eliza Lucero and Joel Northam,were arrestedon charges ranging from felony charges of kidnapping and rioting to misdemeanors like disturbing the peace. The activists were on the forefront of the mass anti-racist movement and in Denver organized fiercely to demand justice in the case of23-year-old Elijah McClainwho was murdered by officers from the Aurora Police Department (city next to Denver) on August 24, 2019. Theywere released on bondafter spending a week in prison but the District Attorney has yet to drop the charges.

This year was also key in the struggle to free one of the key political prisoners,Julian Assange. The trial portion for Julian Assanges extradition hearings took place in the month of September, at the Central Criminal Court or the Old Bailey in London. The case which deals with the fundamental question of press freedom, began with censorship, as the judge presiding over the case, Vanessa Baraitser,excluded over 40 applicants for remote accessto the trial. Throughout the four weeks of trial, testimonies were presented from nearly three dozen expert witnesses, covering a range of aspects of the case, from Assanges mental health to the political nature of the charges he will be facing in the US to the possibility of torture and maltreatment he is likely to face if extradited. Judge Vanessa Baraitser is set to deliver the verdict on January 4, 2021. Since theconclusion of the trial, Assange remained in the Belmarsh prison as he was denied bail.

A large number of global leaders and personalities, as well associal movements, have manifested their support to Assange and rejected his persecution and extradition including former Brazilian presidentsLuiz Incio Lula da Silva,Dilma Rousseff, former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa,Roger Waters, Jeremy Corbyn, Noam Chomsky, Argentine president Alberto Fernndez, and many others.

With contributions from Abdul Rahman, Anish R.M., Muhammad Shabeer and Zoe PC.

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Under the Cover of the Pandemic, States Cracked Down Even Harder - NewsClick

The Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawazare two of the biggest political parties in Pakistan. For decades, they have taken turns sitting on the throne of Islamabad and every time they failed to do so, the two parties joined hands.

We saw this in 2006 when Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif two former Prime Ministers of Pakistan came together to overthrow General Parvez Musharraf. Now, years later,we are seeing it again as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Nawaz Sharif the heirs of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have come together to overthrow the government of Imran Khan Niazi.

Their coming together has infused new energy in their cadre. Their anti-govt rallies are being attended by thousands of Pakistan locals and their bonhomie is making headlines.

Also read|Imran Khan government is illegitimate, incompetent: Pakistan's united opposition Chief Fazlur Rehman

Can this alliance go beyond mere posturing?

The images of Bilawal Bhutto driving Maryam Nawaz to his mother's grave are quite telling.It was Benazir Bhutto's 13th death anniversary andMaryam Nawaz accompanied Bhutto's son to her mausoleum. The two paid their respects to Benazir Bhutto Pakistan's first woman prime minister.

Maryam Nawaz, who has often called Benazir her idol, also tweeted after her visit."Politics of hatred and polarisation has to be buried. Pakistans younger politicians need to build on COD, unite against poverty & oppression," she tweeted.

The political pundits of Pakistan are seeing this growing camaraderie as a new chapter in their country's politics. However, the real question is if this assumption is correct.

In 2006,Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto came together in London to sign a charter of democracy. They promised to struggle against what they called a dictatorship and they too promised to do away with the politics of hatred and polarisation.

Then, on December 27, 2007,Benazir Bhutto got assassinated after a suicided attack at one of her rallies claimed Bhutto's life. It plunged Pakistan into turmoil less than two weeks before the election.

Nawaz Sharif's party joined a coalition with Bhutto's party under its new leader and Benazir's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, butthe alliance was strained by differences and the coalition collapsed. The PPP and PML-N parted ways.

Five years later, in2013, Pakistan went to elections once again. Nawaz Sharif, who once couldn't stop singing praises of the Pakistan People's Party, now left no opportunity to attack the party.

"Since they did nothing for the country, and their performances are zero, so they don't have anything to tell the people, they don't have anything to sell to the people of Pakistan, because they didn't do anything in the five years so people don't expect them to do anything in the next five years," he had said.

It's been seven years and the next elections in Pakistan are still a couple of years away, but Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in exile,is laying the groundwork. He has managed to build a coalition of at least 11 political parties against Imran Khan.

His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, and Benazir's son, Bilawal Bhutto, have taken the centre stage. They have united against a common enemy the PTI government led by Imran Khan. Whether or not the unity will work this time will soon be made clear. Till then, it's a game of 'wait and watch'.

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History repeats itself: Will Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz join hands again? - WION

Kai Kahele had one ambition growing up in Hawaii, and that was to fly airplanes. He achieved that goal by the age of 19, and was happy working as a military and commercial pilot when a family tragedy propelled him into the world of politics.

Kahele, an indigenous Hawaiian, was appointed to the state senate in 2016 after the sudden death of his father senator Gil Kahele, 73, a progressive stalwart in the Democratic party for over 40 years. Two day before he died, Kaheles father had asked him to consider following in his footsteps.

Five years ago I was a working dad, living my dream as a pilot and raising my young family when things changed overnight. I grew up immersed in the progressive values of the Democratic party, but this is not something I planned to do, Kahele told the Guardian. I think my dad knew that if there was someone who was going to continue his legacy, and be a leader in the Native Hawaiian community and for the indigenous peoples in our country, that his son was ready. And here I am.

On Sunday, Kahele, 46, will be sworn into Congress as part of the most diverse Democratic freshman classes in US history, with newly elected women outnumbering men two to one. Hell also be among a record-breaking five Native Americans three Democrats and two Republicans in Congress. It was going to be six, until New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, was appointed as secretary to the interior by Joe Biden.

Im elated because congresswoman Haaland brings to a very important cabinet level position a cultural and historical perspective thats been missing. Indigenous peoples in this country share a similar history, a history of colonization, oppression and marginalization, and whose economic benefit and social fabric is unfortunately directly dependent on the federal government. I feel like were going to be able to do great things for our indigenous communities.

They will have their work cut out, but for the first time many in Indian country are hopeful of meaningful change or at the very least, the end to decades of treaty violations by the US government which has had devastating consequences for life expectancy, political participation and economic opportunities for Native Americans.

Currently there are 574 federally recognised sovereign tribal nations located across 35 states, and according to the 2010 census, 5.2 million people or about 2% of the US population identifies as American Indian or Alaskan Native descendants of those who survived US government policies to kill, remove or assimilate indigenous peoples.

In Hawaii, historical land grabs, cultural violations and economic abuses perpetrated by the US government in cahoots with western businessmen are at the root of some of the most difficult and polarizing issues today, according to Kahele. This includes the contested decision to construct a huge telescope on Mauna Kea, the most sacred mountain to Native Hawaiians, as well as water rights amid growing shortages linked to overdevelopment. Native Hawaiians are not currently recognised by the US government as sovereign indigenous people.

We have an awakened generation of Native Hawaiians that know their past, they understand and speak their language and theyre not turning back People are split about how to right the wrongs, whether its through sovereignty or federal recognition, and part of my role is trying to figure out what the future path looks like. Having a voice in Congress and representation at the table is important.

Representation is also important symbolically, argues Kahele. It sends a message to indigenous peoples around the world that their voices matter, that their history, language and culture matter, and that youll have people fighting for that in the United States of Americas Congress. We can be an example for other countries dealing with these same issues.

Kahele was born in 1974 in Milolii, an off-the-grid fishing community on the southern tip of the island of Hawaii where households generate electricity through solar panels and collect rain for water. Its one of the last surviving villages where pre-western migrants from China and Taiwan are believed to have settled.

Before politics Kaheles father Gil was a marine who met his future wife, a flight attendant, on a Hawaiian beach. Kahele and his two siblings grew up with three cousins who were orphaned by a drunk driver.

My dad conveyed to me the experiences he had in the military as a Native Hawaiian travelling through the south in the 1960s seeing segregation and racism through his own eyes. My mum took us on random trips all over the world, made sure we knew there was a bigger world than Hawaii, and would often take me into the cockpit which piqued my interest at a very early age.

Hell join Congress as a lieutenant colonel with the Hawaii air national guard and will continue to fly part time with Hawaiian Airlines. (His wife Maria is a flight attendant, and they have three daughters, aged four, six and 16.)

Kahele served as the state senate majority leader and chaired the committee on land and water amid growing demands from Native communities for environmental justice. The climate crisis is also omnipresent in Hawaii, and islands across the world, as rising sea levels and temperatures are devastating coral reefs and fish stocks, as well as threatening the existence of coastal communities.

A few metres of sea could wipe out Waikiki, the economic engine of Hawaii. On islands across the Pacific, most of the population lives near the ocean, around the shoreline you have the roads and homes on the verge of collapsing. We need to reimagine and rethink how our communities will look like in the future when you need to use natural resources to feed your families, you need to understand the changes in climate and environment to survive. Thats where I come from.

Hes hopeful that America will start to take concrete steps forwards after four years of backtracking. Joe Bidens climate plan is definitely 100% better than the Trump plan. Just the fact that well re-enter Paris is huge, so is having climate change champion Deb Haaland at the cabinet level and leading an agency that will make critical decisions.

The geographical isolation of Hawaii, which is situated 2,500 miles from the mainland, has somewhat protected islanders from the worst of the Covid health crisis. But, the economic fallout has been devastating, and has renewed questions about the over-reliance on tourism especially as natural resources like beaches and clean water are under threat from the climate crisis, over development and environmental degradation.

Amid mass layoffs, the pandemic has increased food insecurity by 50% in Hawaii, with a quarter of people currently struggling with hunger; Native Hawaiians are disproportionately affected.

Covid has been devastating to our economy which lives and breathes almost exclusively from tourism, and its been detrimental to the social fabric of our community, exposing many of the deep known issues in Hawaii. We need to diversify, we need to be more sustainable.

A lot of people are hurting and face great uncertainty and fear about the future. I see a migration of people leaving Hawaii for the mainland [for work], the brain drain of teachers, doctors, firefighters doesnt help our economy or social structure.

Kahele is firmly on the partys left, an advocate for the Green New Deal, Medicare for all and universal preschool education policies dismissed as radical by many on the right. Hes been assigned to the congressional transportation and infrastructure committee and hopes that they will pass a transformational green package advocated by lawmakers like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Why do we have to label these changes as radical, this is where we need to go as a country, in order to invest in every young child, and to rebuild and strengthen our country I cant wait to say a hui hou which in Hawaii means see you later to President Trump on January 20th. Its time to move on.

Excerpt from:

Congressman-elect Kai Kahele represents an 'awakened generation' of Native Hawaiians - The Guardian

[Peoples Dispatch brings you a series of articles and videos on 2020, a momentous year that saw humanity face unprecedented challenges. The beacon of hope remained the historic resistance mounted by peoples movements, and the care and solidarity they epitomized, proving yet again that our collective struggles alone can dismantle and end oppression. You can read the full serieshere]

From theover 1,100 strikesin the US, averaging over three a day, to historyslargest known general strikewitnessed in India, labor actions across continents in 2020 demonstrated the firm refusal of the working class to passively accept on to its shoulders the burden of an unprecedented economic that has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ILOestimatesthat the global labor income has seen a 10.7% decline, compared to the same period in 2019, which itself saw the slowest economic growth since the 2008-09 crisis. This decline translates into a global labor income loss of US$3.5 trillion, which equals 5.5% of the worlds GDP during this period.

The hundreds of millions jobs lost are estimated to have causedwell over twice the unemployment-rate increase suffered during the 2008-09 economic crisis. The stimulus packages announced by various governments were grossly insufficient to offset the loss of incomes.

In the meantime, the total wealth owned by the 2,000 odd billionaires of the world rose this year to arecord high of US$10.2 trillion, up from US$8.7 trillion in 2019. At the top of this pyramid remains Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon emerged as historys first trillion dollar corporation.

Its workers among the underpaid and overworked, glorified during the pandemic as frontline workers faced threats and intimidation if they spoke out for their rights to a fair wage, according to theMake Amazon Paycampaign which launched in November.

While corporations evaded taxes, workers around the world buckled in as the governments refused to break from the austerity policies and undertake the required public investment.

Even the healthcare workers, hailed as heroes in the fight against COVID-19, were denied appropriate risk allowances, medical cover and even their basic labor rights to occupational safety. Hundreds of thousands of health workers were infected across the world and thousands died after contracting the virus on duty.

The Americas saw the highest rate of infections amongst the healthcare workers. According to the data of the WHOs Pan-American Health Organization, as of the beginning of September,570,000 health workers in the region were infected, over 2,500 of whom succumbed to the virus.

By December, the US which is the worst faring country in the region with322,488 infected health workers was swept witha wave of strikesin the healthcare sector. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 16-unionized healthcare centers in the US have seen strike actions, according toBloomberg Law.

Adequate PPEs, reduction in work hours from 12-hour shifts, hazard pay and increased recruitment to meet the healthcare needs of the population were the major demands behind this agitation.

In Latin America, demanding better conditions, special bonuses for COVID-19 work and greater budget for public health, which was downsized by 3.2% in Chile in the face of the pandemic, over 60,000 public and municipal health workersstruck work for a weekin November.

The workers strike in Chile in November

This labor action was led by the National Confederation of Public Health Workers (FENATS), the second largest trade union in the country. The Peruvian Medical Federation (FMP), the Health Workers Federation (FED-CUT-ESSALUD) and the National Social Security Medical Union of Peru (SINAMSSOP) also held various national strikes.

In Brazil, doctors and other health workers held several protests against thereckless abandon of far-right president Jair Bolsanaros administration in the face of shortages of PPEs and medical equipment.

In Europe, inadequate state support for the healthcare sector and its workers led to mass mobilizations of doctors, nurses and other sections of the working class.

Soon after the lockdown was imposed, on April 7, the World Health Day, health workers across Greece, whose healthcare system had been undernourished over a decade of severe of austerity policies, marked theDay of Panhellenic Action for Health, at the call of Federation of Greek Hospital Doctors Associations (OENGE).

Demands around the needs of healthcare workers and healthcare rights of citizens were among the central issues raised by the trade unions and working class parties across Europe during theMay Daymobilizations this year.

A May Day mobilization in Greece. Photo 902. gr

The workers took to streets in Belgian capital Brussels, demanding a large-scale refinancing of the health sector.Massive ralliesled by organizations including Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM) and the General Labour Federation of Belgium (FGTB/ABVV), denounced the commodification of healthcare, and pressed on the need to ensure greater investments in infrastructure, fresh recruitment and wage hikes.

In several European countries, progressive political parties demanded the governments to impose a one time special coronataxon multi-millionaires in order to ensure money to support the working class families. The working class also protested the COVID-19bailoutsfor corporates who invest their profits intaxhavens and use the crisis to terminate tens of thousands of workers and cut down workers benefits. Strong resistance was registered against right-wing governments attempts toamendlabor codes during this pandemic in order to increase over time working hours and to dilute workers right to maximise the profits of the capitalists. Unions also fought to defend therightto protest during the pandemic which has been also challenged by the governments in the garb of COVID-19 safety protocols.

In mid-October, healthcare workers in France who had been protesting for almost ten months before the onset of the pandemic organized ademonstration outside the health ministryin Paris, amidst a fresh spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Launching a campaign called #JeSuispuisE (I am exhausted), health workers, organized under trade unions including the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), demanded a greater investment to facilitate immediate hiring, wage hike of existing health workers and improved safety measures and working conditions for the staff.

Africa with 16.72% of the worlds population had only 3.25% of the worlds COVID-19 cases. However, with the healthcare system already in shambles in the region, this relatively lower rate of infection is also taking a heavy toll on healthcare and the healthcare workers.

The shortage of PPEs, gloves, testing instruments, beds and other infrastructural needs is a particularly pressing problem in this part of the world. In addition, in a number of countries, payment of salaries to health workers had already been pending from many months even before the pandemic struck.

In Nigeria, health workers, along with other civil servants, had not received full salaries for months due to the federal governments introduction of the controversial Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform in October 2019.

In March, when the third COVID-19 case was recorded in the country, doctors in the capital city Abuja, represented by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD),downed tools, demanding the payment of their pending salaries. Most had received only a fifth to a tenth of the full amount. In case of the newly employed doctors, arrears went back to 5-7 months, leaving many incapable of paying their rents.

In August, government employees in the oil sector the largest source of foreign exchange in Nigeria struck workcomplaining that they had not been paid for three months due to non-enrollment on the IPPIS.

Themost prolonged labor struggle in the healthcare sector on the continenthas been raging in Kenya, where more than 2,000 workers have been infected.

Kenyan health workers stage protest. Photo: PD Online

A large section of doctors and nurses, who remain unpaid for many months, have been unable to afford the cost of treatment when they contracted the virus. Anationwide strikeaction began on December 7, when nurses and clinical officers downed tools. Doctors also downed tools to join the labor action on December 21.

While they returned to work on December 24 to break the paralysis of public healthcare amidst the pandemic, their demands remain unfulfilled as yet. The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN)remains on strike.

Similarly struggling were the nurses in South Africa, who complained of being unable to make ends meet on their poverty wages. On May Day, striking nurses led by the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU)staged a demonstration, demanding that the government provide transport for nurses and other healthcare workers, in addition to danger allowance for those on COVID-19 duty and a tax break for a period of six months.

Nurses also demanded scheduled periodic COVID-19 testing of all healthcare workers and decent and habitable accommodation for essential staff working in COVID-19 units.

In solidarity with the nurses, the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) also raised similar demands to protect the food workers, who are tirelessly turning up for work every day.. (and) have to interact with multiple others in factories or.. retail stores all over the country. Declaring support for the struggles of the workers on the frontlines of the pandemic was the single largest union in the country, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).

NUMSA has been on the forefront of a number of other struggles: including that ofmotor industry workersfor the implementation of the wage agreement from which the employers have been backtracking and that of theworkers of the South African Airways (SAA), to protect their jobs and save the national airline from beingbroken up and sold to private players.

Despite the manyvictoriouslabor struggles, the working class continues to reel under a crisis of unemployment and job losses. Millions meant for the protection of health and livelihoods of the vulnerable has been allegedly stolen through overpriced tenders.

An investigation into this corruption and punishing of the guilty was among the main demands raised by the workers in thegeneral strikein October. This nationwidelabor actionwas of particular significance because it raised theprospect of greater unity in the trade union movement, which had been divided over the support to the ruling ANC by the largest union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

The strike in October saw the participation of COSATU as well as the left-wing South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU).

In neighboring Zimbabwe, where the real income of an average worker has declined by about 80% over the last two years, the government responded to calls for a nationwide strike and protest action on July 31 by deploying army.

Asmurmurs of a mass uprisinghaunt the corridors of power, the ZANU-PF led government is growing increasingly authoritarian. Trade unionists live under continuous death threats and police harassment. Many cases ofabductionandtortureby alleged state security agents have also been reported.

Despite these adverse conditions, unionized health workers in Zimbabwe who had already been amidst aprolonged and sustained strugglefor restoration of the wages to the level of 2018 won some crucial battlesunder the leadership of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA).

In many of the countries of South Asia, the most crucial links between the majority of the public and the healthcare system are the predominantly women community health workers, who are not even recognized as workers with the right to a minimum wage.

Brought together by the Public Services International (PSI), these workers launched a campaign called Community Health Work is Work, demanding labor rights and minimum wage.

In India, awareness campaigns and surveys conducted by the female community health workers played a critical role in facilitating a public health response to the pandemic. The government, despite describing them as the first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population, especially women and children, refuses to recognize them as workers. They are instead deemed as Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHAs.

ASHAs and other unrecognized community health workers heldnumerous protests this year, demanding increased recruitment, labor rights, PPEs, health insurance and retirement benefits. In the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh,2,000 ASHAs were detainedby the police during one such agitation.Non-payment of wagesandpending arrearspushed doctors and workers in the capital city, New Delhi, into protests and strike action.

Police repress protest by community health workers in India.

The far-right BJP governments callous imposition of a strict lockdown without preparations to cater to the migrant workers in the cities who depend on daily wages had triggeredan unprecedented forced mass-migration.This pushed tens of thousands to walk hundreds of kilometers back to their villages. Dozens died on the road.

The government also took advantage of the pandemic toscrap labor lawsandderegulate the trade of agricultural commodities.

On November 26, despite heavy repression andarrests of trade union leaders,250 million workers were mobilizedby ten central trade unions in what turned out to be arguably the largest general strike in human history. On the same day,hundreds of thousands of farmers from neighboring states arrived at the borders of Delhi, braving tear-gas, water cannons and baton charge by police as they broke the barricades erected on their way.

The Asia-Pacific has also been an arena of resistance by workers this year. In the Philippines, workers and social movements heldprotestsandralliesagainst the anti-terror laws, unfazed by thethreatsof violence from security forces.

Indonesian workers mobilize against Omnibus Law. Photo: IndustriAll

Indonesia witnessed arenaissance of radical social movements, astradeunionsacross the country joined handsin the fight against the governments assault on labor and environment protections.

Across the world, unions managed to bring relief to millions and organizing continues to bring hope.

Painful as 2021 may be in the aftermath of the pandemic, trends across the world indicate that a radicalized global working class is emerging from the crucible of 2020, with a determination to challenge neoliberal capitalism.

(With inputs from Muhammed Shabeer, Anish R M and Tanya Wadhwa)

Read more:

The Year the Unions Kept Us Strong - NewsClick

Anyone who reflects on the annus horribilis of 2020 in these dark and cold days of winter is drawn to the horror of a global pandemic that has infected over 80 million people worldwide and killed almost 1.8 million.

And we are struck by the economic carnage that necessary lockdowns and other health precautions have caused almost everywhere.

We are also frightened by the mental distress that resulted from the self-isolation and the impact it might have had on suicide rates or additional deaths from other causes or simply the impact which the pandemic has had on our happiness.

We look at the loss of our personal freedoms which, contrary to the fanciful thinking of some, were not the result of political oppression but of the necessary interventions to keep more people from dying.

We also look at a world that, beyond the virus, has become politically more and more unstable. With autocratic regimes becoming even more assertive and with some liberal democracies plunging themselves into self-inflicted chaos and self-doubt.

But then we also look at the rapid development of several effective vaccines, already being deployed across large parts of the globe.

And, we appreciate the rescue of U.S. democracy by virtue of voters determined to dispose of an erratic, xenophobic and increasingly dangerous President.

We also have witnessed the hunger for freedom by the people of Hong Kong who by the hundreds of thousands flocked to the streets to demonstrate a reactionary law imposed on them by China. Their courage was exemplary (although it is now being squashed by authorities).

All of this gives us reasons for growing optimism and hope.

If all goes well, significant shares of the worlds population will be vaccinated against COVID 19 by the end of 2021. This seems like a long time from now but it gives us something to look forward to.

It also gives our self-isolation a purpose rather than simply viewing it as a function of lifeless self-preservation.

Even the most optimistic among us are hardly expecting that the change of government in the United States will cure the political ills that country has to contend with.

They reach far beyond the division and divisiveness that Donald Trump wrought so systematically and mischievously.

Joe Biden will not act as Tweeter-in-Chief but rather as a sober, measured and empathetic person. He will try to glue together what has been recklessly broken by his predecessor over the past four years.

Beyond the United States, most nations and regions also face steep challenges. Quite a few face considerably steeper ones than the United States does.

After all, the worlds biggest and oldest political pandemic that of mis-leadership persists in many places.

Just consider Russia: Today, for that country reaching a leadership that is not cynically exploiting its own people, still seems as far off as ever.

Meanwhile, in some places in Africa, there is hope insofar as the process of a true democratic transition is taking hold. That in itself says a lot about Russias level of development.

China, meanwhile, is firmly on the path that the Soviet Union aspired to but could never deliver on. A materially satiated consumer society that is a hyper-technological version of Orwells animal farm.

Despite all this, as we enter 2021, one can only hope that the new year might once come to be known as the year of the great appreciation.

We will not just get up and dust ourselves off but we will rediscover our human soul. We will rejoice when we can hug all of our family members, friends and even random strangers without fear of spreading (or receiving) the deadly virus.

We will very consciously enjoy our visits to indoor restaurants, sharing meals, laughing with friends and talking to whoever might be sitting next to us at a bar.

We will appreciate traveling without too many restrictions, awed by the world we get to discover. We will enjoy hanging out in our favorite grocery stores not rushing through the aisles in artificial one-way traffic.

And we will once again fill sports stadiums, theaters and cinemas. And our cheers, chants or applause will no longer be pre-recorded but will become a symbol of our regained freedoms. There will be heartfelt cries of liberation.

If we are lucky, the post-pandemic will bring us all closer together because those of us who were fortunate enough to survive will look at our fellow-human beings, first and foremost as such, joint survivors of a long and dark struggle.

If we are very lucky, this might even help us to heal some of our political divisions.

As the American writer, Laura Ingalls Wilder, once wrote: It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.

Her insight applies equally to the privileged and the poor as well as to the oppressed and the free.

And maybe, just maybe, the time of the pandemic will allow us all to find great appreciation in 2021 in those things that we were so brutally robbed of in 2020.

Read the rest here:

2021: The Year of the Great Appreciation - The Globalist

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Our previous piece about the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) portrayed an overall picture of Irans army of terror and repression. The first part of this series exposed the IRGCs organization, how it functions, and its role in preserving the mullahs regimes grip on power. In fact, the IRGC is the main force of the regime, which both oppresses people inside Iran and exports chaos and terrorism abroad. But the question is how this entity is funded?

The previous part showed partially how the IRGC has monopolized Irans economy. In this piece, we intend to show how the worlds largest terrorist organization is funded. The following information is from The Rise of the Revolutionary Guards Financial Empire, a book published by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) United States Representative Office.

Our last piece revealed the names of 14 powerhouses that are under the supervision of the IRGC and Ali Khamenei, the regimes supreme leader. These 14 powerhouses oversee the looting of Irans economy and fund the IRGCs activities and its subsidiaries, such as the terrorist Quds Force and Basij militia.

These 14 powerhouses are:

The 14 powerhouses and large economic institutions that control Irans economy are as follows:

Setads influence and domination over the Iranian economy surpass even that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is the most assertive of the so-called non-government public sector companies when it comes to the confiscation of assets. An important difference between Setad and other similar institutions in the sphere of the velayat-e faqihs influence is that it has been able to take possession of some of the most profitable and largest commercial and financial firms, thanks to the direct and daily backing of Khamenei himself.

Supreme Leader Khamenei is the direct overseer of Setad, an organization with assets worth approximately $95 billion

A Reuters investigation published in 2013 estimated Setad assets to be worth around $95 billion. Those assets not mentioned in the Reuters report, but listed below, reveal the wealth of Setad to be much more than this estimate. In reality, Setad is the engine of Khameneis synergy strategy for the Iranian economy.

The mandate of the Tadbir Energy Development Group, one member of the Setad conglomerate, is to establish a powerful international oil, gas, petrochemical and energy producer through the creation or ownership of effective shares of active companies or companies with potentially viable assets.

A review of Setads activities also confirms that this complex is one of the most important interlocutors for transactions with western companies.

For example, in the conclusion of this text, mention is made of some pharmaceutical components of Setad with French, American, British, Italian, and Swiss companies.

The new administrative organ of Setad has 100 employees and is authorized to make policy and supervise the institutions activities. The members of this board are handpicked by Khamenei himself. They include the likes of mullah Hossein-Ali Nayyeri, a judge during the 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners; Hossein Shariatmadari, an interrogator, torturer, and now Khameneis representative in the state-run daily Kayhan; and Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, Khameneis chief of staff.

To strengthen the financial backbone of Setad, in 2010, Khamenei transferred close to $1B worth of assets from Astan-e Abdol-Azim in Rey city to Setad.

The names of some of the parent companies within this conglomerate are:

The Tadbir Energy Development Group, also sanctioned under Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations by the U. S. Treasury Department, has the following holdings:

Tadbir Energy Development Holding Company: This enterprise is active in the exploration and production of oil and gas, refineries, petrochemicals and other commercial pursuits. It has been reported that the so-called Peace pipeline project in Pakistan, a deal worth about $500M, belongs to this holding. 80 percent of another project to build a refinery in Hormoz, as well as the Mansouri oil field development have also been awarded to this holding. Its subsidiaries include:

Mobin Iran Electronics Expansion Holding Company

Tadbir Industry and Mining Development Holding Company

Barkat Pharmaceuticals Holding Company: This parent company owns 60.6 percent of the Alborz Investment Group, the second-largest pharmaceutical holding company in the country. Companies in this conglomerate include:

Tadbir Strategic Studies and Management Consultant Group

Tadbir Construction Development Company: This holding company, also sanctioned under Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations by the U.S. Treasury Department, manages construction for residential, commercial and tourist projects.43 It has four large construction companies under its umbrella.

This organization has confiscated real estate properties, land, assets, residential homes, heritage and historic properties, and many others, especially over the past decade.

The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced on November 1, 2016, that it had awarded another massive development project to the Mostazafan Foundation. Mahmoud Navidi, managing director of Khomeini Airport Estates Company announced that the Ministry will sign a contract with the Mostazafan Foundation for construction and operation of the Salam Terminal in Khomeini Airport in Tehran. The state-run ILNA news agency, quoting Navidi, wrote: This project was awarded to the Mostazafan Foundation without competitive bidding. According to [Navidi], the contract was awarded upon the recommendation and approval of Rouhanis cabinet.

The Foundations investment in this project was announced at $4B USD. Construction of part of the Salam Terminal had previously been awarded to the National Construction Company, a subsidiary of the Mostazafan Foundation.

Heads of Khamenei-controlled Mostazafan Foundation in the past 41 years. From left: Ali-Naghi Khamoushi, Mohammad-Ali Rajaei, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mohsen Rafighdoost, Mohammad Foruzandeh, Mohammad Saeedi-Kia, Parviz Fattah

Some of the other main subsidiaries of this foundation are listed below.

Alavi Foundation

The Peyvand Ferdous Pars Agriculture and Gardening, which includes: Sirjan Bonyad Agriculture, Mashhad Gardening and Farming, Pars Milk And Meat Investment, Fajre Esfahan, Fajre Sari Gardening and Agriculture, Dasht-e Naz-e Sari Farming, Sina Seed and Plant, Ebrahim Abad Agriculture, Ferdous Tehran Agriculture and Gardening, Peyvand-e Khavaran Agro Industry, Nemat Agro Industry, Golcheshmeh Agro Industry, Ran-e Behshahr Agriculture and Farm Animals, and Mahya Agro Industry.

Kaveh Pars Mining Industry Development

Pars Milk and Beef Investments, which includes: Magsal Agro and Farm Animals, Teliseh Nemooneh Farm Animals, Milk and Farm Animals, Yassouj Agro, Mahdashe Sari Milk and Beef, Azarnegin Agro Industry, Binaloud Neyshabour Agro Industry, Dasht-e Novin Malayer Agro Industry, Negin Fam Khouzestan Agro Industry, Arak Cultivation, Kangavar Beef and Milk, Zagros Shahr-e Kord Milk and Beef, Khorramdareh Agro Industry.

Sina Food Industries Development, which includes: Domestic Chickens, Oroumieh Toyour Complex, Mehrshar Food Industry, Pakdis, Behnoush Iran, Ab-Ali Beverages, Shahd-e Kouhrang, Glucosan, Gousht-Iran, Pak Dairy Products.

Cultural Institutions:

Other Companies:

Financial Institutions:

According to websites affiliated with the economic organization of this institution, the Razavi economic organization is recognized as the biggest economic holding in eastern Iran with high diversity in different businesses. It controls the production of 10 percent of sugar, 11 percent of decorative stones, 3.7 percent of city and inter-city coach buses, and one-sixth of bread production in the country.

The cartel of companies tied to Astan-e Qods-e Razavi controls the annual production of 47,000 tons of non-homogenized milk, 2,000 tons of red meat, 1,000 tons of white meat, 100,000 tons of agricultural products, 10,000 square meters of fabric, 6,000 square meters of hand-weaved carpets, while also executing over 136 construction, development, road, and urban development projects.

Large swathes of farmland in northeastern Iran, estimated to be at least 990,000 acres with an estimated value of over $20B, are owned by this foundation. Additionally, 43.5 percent of Mashhad citys urban land is under the foundations ownership. It also has endowments in 14 provinces, real estate offices in 20 provinces, and 300,000 rentals.In the context of the regimes export of fundamentalism, the foundation conducts activities in Syria, including bridge construction. In 2016, the foundation and the IRGC conducted negotiations for the foundation to allocate at least 20 percent of its annual income to cover the IRGCs expenses.

Below is a list of some of the conglomerates firms and holding companies.

Construction

Auto Manufacturing

Food Products

Sugar Industry

Agricultural

Textile Industry

Pharmaceuticals

Financial

Others

Ebrahim Raisi, the then caretaker of AQR, offers Qassem Soleimani, commander of terrorist Quds Force, the highest honorary title of AQR, July 21, 2018, Mashhad, Iran

The Shahid (Martyr) Foundation was created in 1979 on the orders of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini. Its reach grew after the start of the eight- year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, as it provided services to the victims families. Much like other similar institutions, the foundation took huge leaps in the 1990s to accumulate wealth quickly. Under Khameneis direct control, the foundation took ownership of many financial, commercial and manufacturing enterprises. Despite owning a vast range of assets and generating significant revenues, it is also allocated a portion of the government budget. The chairman of the foundation is a representative of the Supreme Leader.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Martyrs Foundation on July 24, 2007 under Executive Order 13224. Designations under E.O. 13224 freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons with the designees. In its statement, Treasury said, The Martyrs Foundation is an Iranian parastatal organization that channels financial support from Iran to several terrorist organizations in the Levant, including Hizballah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). To this end, the Martyrs Foundation established branches in Lebanon staffed by leaders and members of these same terrorist groups. Martyrs Foundation branches in Lebanon have also provided financial support to the families of killed or imprisoned Hizballah and PIJ members, including suicide bombers in the Palestinian territories.

Some of the companies and institutions controlled by the Shahid Foundation are listed below.

Kowsar Economic Organization, which itself owns over 30 companies, including:

Dey Bank (47 branches): According to the Dey Banks financial disclosure information for the fiscal year 2014, the bank owns over $3.5B worth of assets; additionally, it owns at least 13 other companies, including:

One of Bank Days branches in Iran

The Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (IKRC) was established on March 5, 1979. Its declared goal is to support the destitute and oppressed and to enable them to be self-reliant. Although the committee receives a remarkable share of the annual government budget, it also runs separate commerce and financial enterprises, obtaining significant profits.

Despite its declared aim of helping the destitute, numerous reports, including those published in the regimes own media outlets, confirm that the Emdad Committee is part of the regimes apparatus of exporting terrorism and fundamentalism. Its website declares it has offices in Iraq, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Syria, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the African country of Comoros. According to state-run media, Based on official figures, the Emdad Committee has official representation in 6 countries. Per its former chairman, the committee has formed popular cells in 30 countries around the world. As of 2014, the committee helps a total of 34,219 people in Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraq and Comoros. Afghanistan has the most beneficiaries with 13,200 people in need of help. Iraq is second, with 12,700 people.

Some of these so-called beneficiaries are the same people who, after undergoing a series of training sessions, are sent to Syria by the Quds Forceto fight for the Assad dictatorship. Many other reports describe the Emdad Committees activities associated with exporting fundamentalism in various countries of the region. On July 8, 2016, Tajikistans Ministry of Justice asked a court in the country to ban the activities of the Emdad Committee.

A 2016 report obtained from inside the Iranian regime indicates that the Emdad Committee pays monthly stipends to over 5,000 households of the Syrian dictatorships forces killed in recent years.

On August 3, 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department designated The Imam Khomeini Relief Committee Lebanon Branch pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. Treasury stated, Iran has provided millions of dollars to the Hezbollah-run branch in Lebanon since 2007. The IKRC has helped fund and operates Hezbollah youth training camps, which have been used to recruit future Hezbollah members and operatives. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has acknowledged the IKRC branch in Lebanon as one of Hezbollahs openly-functioning institutions linked to and funded by Iran.

On December 20, 2015, Iranian media reported that Parviz Fattah, the head of Emdad, had paid a visit to the Beqaa (Bekaa) Valley in south Lebanon, which is the stronghold of Hezbollah, to meet with persons who had received the committees aide.

Some of the holding companies and institutions controlled by the Emdad Committee are:

Construction and Building

Agriculture and Food Industry

Mines and Mining Industry

Commerce

Financial

Real Estate: The lands confiscated by the Emdad Committee in various provinces include:

The committee also owns significant land and farms in other provinces, including Tehran, Esfahan, Hamedan, Semnan Alborz, Khorasan, Qazvin, Ilam, Kermanshah, Azarbaijan, Lorestan, Charmahal Bakhtiari, and Ardebil. However, there are no official reports in this regard.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cooperative Foundation (Bonyad Taavon Sepah) is regarded as the most powerful financial institution in the country. Article 4 of the charter of this so-called foundation states, The initial investment in the foundation at the time of its founding was ten million Rials (roughly $315), contributed by the Supreme Leader. Article 23 says, All of the funds and assets of the foundation belong to His Excellency the Supreme Leader. In case of its dissolution, after settling all debts, all of the properties and assets will be handed over to His Excellency.

The U. S. Treasury Department announced in December 2010 that pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382 an authority aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction Bonyad Taavon Sepah had been designated for providing services to the IRGC.

The foundation is one of the five largest economic powerhouses in the country. Some of the commercial companies and groups of this foundation are:

A considerable portion of this automotive group belongs to the IRGC Cooperative. The Ghadir Investment Company also owns a significant portion. The automobile manufacturing group itself owns the following companies:

Saipa Company: Saipa is the second-largest automaker in Iran. Despite only holding 17 percent of shares in the company, in effect the IRGC is the main decision-maker and beneficiary of its profits. Saipa owns other companies, including:

National Iranian Investment Company

Bahman Investment Company

Bahman Leasing Company

Bahman Diesel (montage of Japanese Isuzu trucks)

Iran Credit (79 percent share)

Bahman Brokerage

Etemad Development Investments

Thamen Institution

Thamen al-ameh Financial and Credit Institution: Also known as a credit cooperative, it has 500 branches. By early 2010, the company had lent over $13B to applicants.

Behshahr Industrial Investments (16 percent)

Iranian Negin Khatam Investments (owns shares in Ansar Bank)

Saman Majd Investments (belongs to Thamen Credit)

Ayak Investments

One of Ansar Banks branches in Iran

Ansar Bank has 600 branches across Iran and is the fourth largest bank in the country. It has formed several other companies, including:

Atlas Iranians Investment Holding Company, which is active in real estate services, and owns the following:

Ansar Electronics

Houshmand Iranian Electronics

Novin Padideh Ansar

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Inside Irans Army of Terror and Oppression: Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) - Part 2 - National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)