ISRAEL BEGINS DEPORTING MIGRANTS FROM AFRICA

South Sudanese men carry luggage as they walk towards Tel Aviv's central bus station to board a bus to Ben Gurion airport, Israel, June 17, 2012.


June 17, 2012
Robert Berger
JERUSALEM

Israel is deporting a first planeload of African migrants back to their home country.
Israel says the deportation of 120 Africans to South Sudan is the first step toward expelling thousands more. More than 4,000 migrants who came from African countries that have friendly ties with Israel will be sent home on weekly flights.

Describing the migrants as "infiltrators," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is carrying out the deportation in a humane way while safeguarding their dignity.

Each deportee was given 1,000 euros to help them start a new life in South Sudan.

But for the migrants, deportation is a punishment. Many have been in Israel for years, having fled war or poverty for the relative prosperity of the Jewish state. Simon Meir, who describes himself a Sudanese refugee, says he and the others want asylum in Israel.

"We [are] asking peacefully that refugees from Sudan should be recognized as refugees here, to take their rights, to give them health care, education and, you know, all these things," he said.

Israel, however, says the vast majority of the 60,000 Africans who have arrived here since 2005 are not refugees, but economic migrants. The Africans have been blamed for a growing wave of violent crimes, including alleged rapes of young Jewish women, prompting a backlash among Israelis who have demanded their expulsion.

Israeli officials say the migrants are a threat to security and the Jewish character of the state, and the deportation of the South Sudanese is the beginning of a campaign to expel most Africans from the country. But that is easier said than done. While Israel has diplomatic ties with South Sudan, the vast majority of Africans here came from Sudan and Eritrea, which are considered "enemy states."

William Tall of the United Nations agency for refugees says Israel is bound by international agreements.

"Anyone from Sudan, because of the ‘enemy state’ relationship, is considered a de-facto refugee, also from Eritrea; the government recognizes that it can’t send anyone back because of their risk of persecution there," he said.

Israeli human rights activists and intellectuals have criticized the government’s crackdown on the Africans. They say that Israel is a nation of refugees established in the wake of the Holocaust, and it has a moral obligation to help people in need.

THE TRAGIC DEMISE OF SAITOTI AND OJODE HAS IMMORTALIZED THEM

By Jerry Okungu
Nairobi, Kenya
June 13, 2012

George Saitoti and Orwa Ojode, like ML King Jr. JF Kennedy, Malcolm X, JM Kariuki, Robert Ouko, Tom Mboya and Pio Gama Pinto are now immortalized. They will never grow older in our memory. That is what tragic and sudden death does to famous personalities.

I knew George Saitoti better than he knew me. He was definitely a more reserved politician than Joshua Orwa Ojode Ja Sirkal. Orwa Ojode was simply warm and a people person. In his company, I enjoyed his jokes and candid views on the politics of Kenya.

Their sudden deaths last Sunday morning stunned the entire nation. Friend and foe came together and genuinely mourned them. The flow of tributes from ordinary Kenyans from every tribe and creed told it all. Yes, Kenyans were in agreement that death had robbed this nation of two able leaders at a most critical moment in our history.

I first came across George Saitoti and actually dealt with him 20 years ago. I was then a young Nation Newspaper executive trying to leverage the Nation Newspaper in the eyes of the public. A year earlier, parliament had banned the Daily Nation from covering parliamentary proceedings because it was viewed as an opposition tool bent on bringing down the government of Daniel arap Moi then.

Incidentally at about the same time, Kenya Football Federation officials had been sent packing for mismanaging football in Kenya. In their stead two assistant ministers had been appointed as part of the caretaker committee to manage football. One of them was the late Mathias Keah from Coast Province.

That same year, Kenya’s Harambee Stars were on a campaign to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Dakar Senegal. And as usual, the team’s dismal performance had caused it followers. To compound the problem, the defunct KFF was broke.
These were the mitigating factors that made the Keah team approach the Daily Nation for sponsorship which I quickly embraced and convinced the Nation Management that it was a risk worth taking.

As we continued to finance and manage the team, we started seeing signs of improvement. We could collect cash and put it to good use for the team. We chose to supplement gate collections with a major funds drive.
It was at this funds drive that I chose to invite George Saitoti to officiate at Hotel Intercontinental one evening which he surprisingly accepted.

As it turned out, it would appear like that was the first time in decades that
a top government official had ever associated with the Nation Newspaper. When it was over, Saitoti remarked that he never knew the Nation Newspaper could ever do anything good for the country. He had always believed that the newspaper‘s preoccupation was to fight the government.

Seven years later, I had to invite Saitoti again as the Chief Guest during the 1997 World Conference on Advertising that was held in Nairobi with me as the convener. Through my friend; the late Jonson Makau who was then Minister for Information, Saitoti again accepted to be my guest.

Although my speech on press freedom and poverty in Africa was rather strong by that time’s standards, Saitoti seemed to take everything in his stride. Speeches by Ali Mazrui, the late Prof Atieno Odhiambo and radicals like Prof Anyang’ Nyongo’ did not shake him. He delivered his speech and spent half a day with us, culminating in a luncheon with delegates.

I will remember Orwa Ojode as a jovial and a free spirit that never let his high political office get in the way of his friends. I knew Ojode as a politician and only went to see him whenever he wanted us to meet; which we did either at a spot in Hurlingham area or in his office in Harambee House.

Late last year and early this year, I had two incidents that required that I see Ja Sirkal. A relative had been assaulted by some thugs and the police handling the case were beginning to play games with the case.

As I sat in his office taking tea, he was busy in contact with the relevant authorities trying to find out how investigations were progressing. What was meant to be a 15 minutes date ended up being a two hour session with Ja Sirkal.

Early this year, I and my friend Rosa Buyu met Ja Sirkal upon his request again in his office on a whole range of issues including the politics of the day. Listening to Orwa Ojode, one got the impression that he was a fearless politician who never shied away from criticizing even his own party without compromising his loyalty to it. It was the reason Ojode became a Kenyan who was never a slave to his party and cultivated friendship across all political and ethnic lines. Once he was appointed an assistant minister for Internal Security, national duties became his priority and not narrow parochial party politics.

Now that the two giants are gone; how will Kenyans remember them?
For George Saitoti, Kenyans will remember a Mathematics professor who Moi plucked from the classroom and literally groomed for the top post but abandoned at his hour of need after serving as Moi’s deputy for 14 years. They will also remember him for one of the biggest scandals in Kenya’s history. He was Finance Minister when the Golden Berg scandal took place at the Treasury.

For Joshuah Orwa Ojode, we will remember the political elephant that stayed in politics for 18 years without a major scandal. And while he lasted, he enjoyed his life to the full and made happy whoever he came across.
jerryokungu@gmail.com

SUMMERISED 15 TERRIFIC TED TALKS FOR AFRICAN STUDIES STUDENTS

By Staff Writers
www.onlinecolleges.net
December 7, 2011

Although quite a popular topic in classrooms and news sources, the African continent nevertheless ends up clouded by frequent overgeneralizations, misportrayals, misconceptions and myths regarding its issues and its people. One cannot ignore its history of violence, subjugation, poverty, famine, and disease, of course, but the truly savvy understand that there is much potential to be found in its eclectic peoples and environment alike. TED, as one can probably imagine, set out to peel back the myriad layers in order to showcase the continent’s (not country’s!) true diversity and opportunities. And despite its efforts, one gets the impression that only the surface receives a scratching. Albeit a rather deep one!

John Kasaona: How poachers became caretakers

Namibian activist John Kasaona instituted an innovative initiative to reinvigorate his beloved homeland, particularly the Kunene Region. Benefiting both humans and the endangered animals sharing habitats with them, he’s developed caretaker positions for those needing steady employment. Some of these individuals once worked as poachers, now using their knowledge for preserving the species they once nearly wiped out.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Want to help Africa? Do business here

Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister shatters many of the misconceptions regarding African economics and entrepreneurship, stories which rarely reach foreign shores. She believes that truly sustainable support doesn’t come from sending money, food, or clothing donations, but rather investors helping businesses get started. In this illuminating TED Talk, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala presents a more than compelling case for what real aid should strive to accomplish.

Wadah Khanfar: A historic moment in the Arab world

2011 saw many a revolution take place across North Africa, particularly in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, and former Al Jazeera Director General Wadah Khanfar attributes the success to social media. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter empower those pining for democracy to band together and fight “authoritarian regimes” for the rights they so desperately want. Even though his media outlet “do[es] not create revolutions,” he discusses how enthused both he and his fellow reporters were to cover such major moments in Arab history.

Emily Oster flips our thinking on AIDS

This TED lecture is sure to spark both thought and maybe a little bit of controversy, as it dismantles many common assumptions people hold about HIV and AIDS. Only Uganda and its ABC program promoting safe sex have successfully lessened the epidemic, and economic principles (not economics itself) might very well explain why the initiative works. Seeing as how public health is, in fact, both a political and an economic issue, this approach does make perfect sense.

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

African studies majors (or minors!) with a particular affinity for alternative energy will find this young man’s story absolutely riveting; hopefully others will, too! In 2001, when he was 14, Malawi suffered a horrendous famine, which threatened William Kamkwamba’s family’s farm. With spare parts, an innovative mind, and an overwhelming love, he constructed a windmill that powered everything and guided them through a devastating time.

Franco Sacchi tours Nigeria’s booming Nollywood

The world’s third largest film industry sits nestled – and, sadly, largely unknown — in Nigeria, where a “grassroots movement” generated nearly 2,000 movies in 2006 alone. It creates jobs by the “thousands, if not tens of thousands” and (as of the time of Franco Sacchi’s TED Talk) is worth about $250 million. Unlike its Hollywood and Bollywood counterparts, guerilla filmmaking reigns supreme here, with creative crews battling both time crunches and the government to produce entire features in only (if not less than!) a week.

Mother and daughter doctor-heroes: Hawa Abdi + Deqo Mohamed

Philanthropy and courage run in the family, as this duo of inspiring doctors and activists reveal in their hopeful Somali story. Despite civil war and the crippling marginalization of females, the two reached out to all refugees they could through medicine and education alike, establishing a hospital and school to meet two major basic human rights. Their outstanding efforts established an oasis of love and peace within a nation shredded by subjugation.

Eleni Gabre-Madhin on Ethiopian economics

Ethiopia receives more food donations and aid than any other country in the world, but actually boasts numerous opportunities for farmers. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, an economist, wants to organize the country’s first low-risk commodities market, starting with agricultural investments and development. She believes that doing so will not only establish more sustainable jobs, but also reduce Ethiopian dependence on foreign food support and encourage higher household incomes.

Marisa Fick-Jordan shares the wonder of Zulu wire art

Although Marisa Fick-Jordan’s TED Talk lasts less than three minutes, what she has to share will surely delight art aficionados. Zulu’s tradition of wire weaving not only captures the society’s unique and ancient aesthetic, it provides some fantastic economic opportunities as well. Craftspeople skilled in the intricate medium reach out to buyers worldwide, earning money while simultaneously encouraging the gorgeous art style’s perpetuation.

Corneille Ewango is a hero of the Congo forest

This esteemed botanist rightfully receives much acclaim for his work in the Congo Basin’s Okapi Wildlife Reserve, which, as its name suggests, focuses on keeping the eponymous endangered species alive. Part of his responsibilities include protecting the safehaven’s fragile flora and fauna from poachers and servicemen with callous attitudes towards environmental initiatives. And he’s done pretty well thus far, here sharing some of the occasionally ghastly narratives about destruction and human entitlement issues.

Chris Abani on the stories of Africa

Poetry kept Nigerian activist Chris Abani stable, sane and self-expressive during his three stints as a political prisoner. One of his TED Talks sees him perusing the African continent for more stories, both similar to and different from his own, that might help him find some semblance of unity across an incredibly diverse continent. What results is an absolutely haunting, necessary, beautiful lecture illuminating very human, very universal emotions gleaned from unique experiences.

Dr. Seyi Oyesola tours a hospital in Nigeria

Nearly every bit of equipment in the Nigerian teaching hospital featured here came courtesy of donations, either secondhand or via generous philanthropic gestures, or hacking. Because of these lacking and sometimes inadequate resources, those receiving medical education in such facilities might not be able to assist patients to the best of their abilities before or after graduation. The world’s most economically deprived regions have been and currently are experiencing a healthcare nightmare, and without support to get them started with the most advanced technologies, things might get worse.

Vusi Mahlasela sings “Thula Mama”

One of South Africa’s most effective creative voices fighting apartheid performs a gorgeous piece at TEDGlobal 2007. He devotes this “Thula Mama” to his grandmother and shares an incredible story of her standing up to “harassing” soldiers with boiling water and threats. And, extending beyond that, all women who fight for their families and other loved ones in times of great hardship and upheaval.

Zeresenay Alemseged looks for humanity’s roots

No African studies students’ education is complete without anthropological lessons, particularly when it comes to the community’s attempts to discover human evolutionary origins somewhere on the continent. Here, paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged summarizes the story of Selam, the 3.3-million-year-skeleton of a three-year-old girl discovered in the Ethiopian badlands. The discovery doesn’t answer the question of where, exactly, mankind started, but it certainly brings scientists much closer to finding out!

Andrew Mwenda takes a new look at Africa

Presented by a respected, experienced journalist, one of TED’s most important, provocative discussions about the African continent confronts many of the myths and misconceptions perpetuated worldwide. Most tend to view it as a rather uniform cesspool of nonstop violence, human rights violations, famine, poverty, and AIDS/HIV; obviously, these issues are present and very much deserve addressing. But Africa also provides both the citizenries that call it home as well as intercontinental investors some prime chances to promote peace, equality and opportunity – it’s all a matter of being willing to take the risk and open up to promising people.