When Children Become Victims of Poverty and Ignorance
The ‘plights of the Akwa Ibom Children’, as the Punch Newspapers editorial of 15 January, 2009 described the madness in the name of child-witches hunting and exorcising going on in the state, need the attention of every rational being on the surface of the earth. For as Guardian Newspapers editorial of December 21, 2008 suggested, it is nothing but a ‘debacle on Child Rights’, a situation that have taken away self-esteem and psychologically demean many children in the state to the extent that they are far too conscious of every of their daily acts everywhere and anywhere for the fear of being tagged witches or wizards. This is totally unacceptable. Hence the question: who is a witch?
Witchcraft, according to Bertrand Russell, is ‘a composite phenomenon drawing from folklore, sorcery, demonology, heresy and Christian theology’. The World Book Encyclopedia describes it as ‘the use of supposed magic powers generally to harm or damage property”. From these two definitions, we can move on to deduce a definition of a ‘witch’ as a person who is supposed to have received such powers from ‘evil spirits’, that is, power to know all things, power to destroy lives, among others. While ‘witch’ is a general name, the word has a gender connotation. A ‘male witch’ is called wizard, while a ‘female witch’ is called ‘witch’.
The belief in witchcraft is not recent, nor is it a product of the popular Harry Porter series. Rather, according to Godffrey Parrinder, it is “one of the great (sic) fears from which mankind has suffered”. The belief has appeared in many parts of the world, in one form or the other. While it became particularly prominent and developed in Europe in the later middles ages and renaissance periods, the belief in witches and their evil powers have remained with Africans for centuries before then. For Africa, therefore, till today, witchcraft belief is a great tyranny spreading panic and death. This unhindered, thriving, belief, which is devoid of any commonsensical scientific ratiocination, is being buoyed by the excruciating and pitiable living condition of many Africans that they found unexplainable; hence the need for scapegoats, the ‘witches’. Thanks to the modern day fraudsters, the Pentecostal pastors.
The advent of Pentecostalism, and the healing Christian, churches have contributed in no small measure in reinforcing the belief. They accepted the existence of witches and witchcraft and claimed they have the power to protect against its evil powers. All manner of social, health and economic problems are readily carpeted as having ‘spiritual’ dimension blamable on ‘witches’, who are usually aged women and unwitting teenagers. To market their churches, most of these pastors have now resorted to demonizing innocent children, as witches that must be ‘delivered’ and ‘saved’ from the power of darkness. This uncritical scapegoating is gaining momentum more than ever before because of the seemingly irredeemable economic condition of living of sub-Saharan Africans. The many frustrated sub-Saharan African people are brainwashed to believe that their major enemies are not corrupt government officials, inhuman government policies nor their, personal, inability to cultivate and explore the best of their potentials in the ‘here and now’ world. Rather they have been sweet-tongued into believing that it is the ‘witches’ in their families and their homes that have been working against their fortune spiritually. Based on the ‘prophesies’, the unfortunate scapegoats, those accused of being witches, are given two options: either to confess to their ‘countless heinous sins’ and be saved/delivered after severe beatings or risk being killed, which in most cases mean being stoned to death.
In the Akwa-Ibom situation, confession is often preferred. Why? The ‘Prophets’ and ‘Bishops’ of God must eat! All you need to imagine is a steady ten thousand naira, N10,000, minimum income, almost every other day for tagging an unfortunate child a witch. Let’s not forget that some pastors like Bishop Sunday Ulup-Aya charge as much as between N30,000, thirty thousand, and N400,000, four hundred thousand, naira for their services. But how, for instance, can one be sure that these children are witches, as these prophets claim, and not mere victims of the poverty ravaging the material and psychological fabric of their families and that of the prophets?
To answer this question, we took a field trip to the affected towns and villages early last month. The product of the ‘expedition’ as friends have retorted to calling it, is revealing. Our very first respondent in Eket, Mr. Edet claimed to have participated in “dealing with not less than 7 ‘confirmed’ child witches”, one of which was burnt by the mob beyond recognition.
“Who confirmed them as witches?” we inquired.
“Our pastor is a man of God and when he prayed, the Holy Spirit arrested the children”.
“Is it the holy spirit that pushed them to the front of the congregation to confess?”
“Sometimes, they cried of fire burning all over their bodies and sometimes, to be sincere, the look on the faces of members of the congregation is enough to push them to the front”
We then asked the question that pissed him really, really off:
“Don’t you think these allegations are fictitious and merely being fabricated by pastors to make some money and lure people to come to church for protection?”
Silently, I wished we never asked the question.
“You are possessed! Are you saying my pastor is a liar? Who you be sef? (meaning who are you?).I see that the devil is really disturbing you like that stupid Sam Ikpe (referring to the Director of CRARN, Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network, where some of the alleged child witches live). Now get off my bike!!”
With that last sentence, I need not tell you his profession. Well, Mr. Edet is a professional motorbike transport operator; he takes people from one location to another on his bike for a fee. He is married with four children and lives in a two-room apartment, shared toilet, shared kitchen. His average income is a bit over $5 per day, but about $4 sometimes. After Edet, we had some other interviews at the bar, at the market (buying what we don’t really need sometimes only to give them to other respondents), at a popular burukutu (local beer) joint, in canteens and church environs.
What is glaring from all the responses to our questions is that there seems to be element of aggression and frustration, which is being vented on these innocent children. The belief in witchcraft has stunted the growth of unchained creativity and made many Akwa-Ibomites to recoil unnecessarily to fate, visiting only pastors, Alfas (the Muslim witchdoctors) and the the traditional witchdoctors to ward off and cleanse themselves of the ‘curses or family jinx’ trailing them. Lean income, rather than been spent wisely are given to these modern day ‘fraudsters’ who ride in big cars for the spiritual ‘protections services’ they provided. In some cases, micro-finance loans, and financial compensations provided by the oil companies like Mobil Oil Unlimited, have been used in funding ‘witchcraft cleansing rituals’ rather than the small scale business that it was disbursed for. Some even ‘swore by the their fathers, grandfathers and great, great grandfathers’ that they will kill any child witch found in their families. Pathetic, enh?
So, what is the fate of these children? We sought audience with handful of local officials in charge of child welfare in Eket, Esit Eket and Ibeno local government areas and the youth council officials in Eket Zone. Specifically, we met the General Secretary of the Eket Youth Council, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Ibeno Youth Council, Mr. Ebong Edem and some of his executive members.
The local social workers opined that although they are convinced that these children are witches, yet as their duties demands, they are willing to help them, most especially in providing psychological counseling and rehabilitation, mostly biblically colored, for them. It was as if they have all rehearsed the same statement for ‘journalists’ (what we claimed to be). What is baffling is: how can a child, someone less than ten years old, think of seking ‘psychological counseling’? That to us is complete bullshit!! Why not offer the counseling to their parents and friends, we thought. Those are the people that need counseling. The representatives of the youths that we spoke with exhume hope and skepticism yet they can’t voice them. One sure fact, however, is that they are willing to do something about it.
That is exactly the kind of spirit that we need in our attempt to clear the slur on our image and stall the attempt to regress us back into the European middle ages. The people, as we observe, need to be enlightened on the provisions of the Child Rights Act, although ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The Akwa-Ibom State Ministry of Information needs to run campaigns that will inform and educate Akwa-Ibomites on the provisions of the Child Rights Act, passed by the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly and signed by Governor Akpabio, which criminalise childwitch hunting and stigmatizing. The provision that deals with this reads: anyone caught or suspected to be involved in any form of torture, trial by ordeal or inhuman treatment of a child, purportedly to cure, purge or exorcise such a child of witchcraft would be liable to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine. This to us is a precious and timely addition to subsisting Section 207 of the nation’s Criminal Code Act Cap 38(2004) which criminalize any trial by ordeal and Section 208 which stipulates that any person who directs, controls or presides at any trial by ordeal which is unlawful, “is guilty of a felony” and is liable on conviction to severe punishment.
Obviously, these children are mere victims of poverty ravaging the country and the inactivity of the state ministry concerned in dutifully informing the populace even when a very proactive measure have been taken by the Governor. We are, therefore, duty-bound as responsible global citizens to, by all moral means, assist in freeing these children from the shackles and bondages of poverty and ignorance they have been conditioned to live. We can do it!
Onward!
‘Yemi Ademowo Johnson, socio-political philosopher and applied anthropologist, is Editor, YouthSpeak!, Belgium, and International Coordinator, HAWK-Africa Project.
Yemi Ademowo Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/causes-and-organizations-articles/when-children-become-victims-of-poverty-and-ignorance-756041.html
Churchill’s During World War II and Its Aftermath
The growing rapacity of German gluttony forced Hitler to take over Austria in 1938 and threaten Czechoslovakia. In Britain this produced a national crisis which resulted in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s meeting Hitler in September 1938 at Berchtesgaden. Chamberlain returned from the meeting announcing ‘peace in our time’ which was abruptly smashed when Hitler invaded Prague in March 1939. Soon after given Western weakness and hesitation to work with the Soviet Union Stalin formed a pact with the Nazi’s guaranteeing Russian security and the partitioning of Eastern Europe between the Bear and the Hun. There was nothing to stop Hitler from destroying Poland and then turning his malevolence towards the West.
Public anger which had exploded after the subjugation of Prague had forced Chamberlain to give the improvident pledge to guarantee Poland’s security. Militarily and rationally this was an impossibility. The British did not possess a large enough standing army to lend help to Poland to stem a German advance and the logistics of transferring military relief to Poland was never calculated. Only the Navy was possessed war making power and there was little the Navy could do to defend Poland. She was invaded on the first of September and the Second World War began. Churchill was immediately recalled into power as First Lord of the Admiralty – the very same post he had assumed control of 25 years previous on the eve of the First World War.
From day one of the war Churchill was the true Leader of Britain. Chamberlain was defeatist and broken hearted remarking bitterly how his life’s work was now tragically sundered. He did not have the capability to rouse a nation and persevere to the bitter end. Winston as Naval War Lord was not only attacking the enemy on the seas but combating defeatist elements at home and trying to prod the blind neutral nations into action. Only Churchill could utter with true conviction and spirit, “Now we have begun; now we are going on; now with the help of God, and with the conviction that we are the defenders of Civilisation and Freedom, we are going on, and we are going on to the end.”
The Royal Navy was the only strong force that Britain possessed and from the opening bell the naval squads were on the offensive. Churchill worked at least an 18 hour day. Plans were drawn for a blockade of the German coast, convoy arrangements were made; mine-sweeping was instituted, enemy raiders harassed and submarines sunk. By the end of 1939 the Royal Navy had sunk half of all German submarines. However the war was only in its infancy. Great battles loomed.
On May 10 1940 the Germans began their vicious assault on the West. The Hun streamed into Holland and Belgium. That night the King of England sent for Churchill and asked him to form a government. Thus began the creation of the Churchill legend and his enshrinement into history. The story of the British war effort under Churchill falls into two distinct categories – the struggle to survive and the establishment of the alliance with the USA and Russia and the ultimate destruction of Germany and Japan.
The battle to survive covers the twelve or so months that Britain fought Germany completely alone in 1940-1. This period covered the dazzlingly quick disappearance of France under the heel of the Gestapo in June of 1940 to the German attack on Russia in June of 1941. This grim year brought horrible highlights; the partition of France, the formation of the pro-Nazi French Vichy government, the battle of Britain, the blitz on London, the beginning of the North African desert war, the defeat of Greece, and the British Commando raids along the Norwegian and French coasts.
It was during this sombre episodic current of ruin that Churchill became the most inspirational Leader of the Western world in the 20th century. He portrayed the towering, implacable fierceness of a proud nation, and of liberty, and expressed every free man’s tenacity to fight in words that no other could have summoned forth. Winston’s knowledge of military matters and his close operational vigilance over all affair animated and excited the British war effort with a boldness that astonished. British prestige in this desperate hour reached its highest ever pitch. The world over prayed for its salvation and success.
The immense energy and illimitable skill that throbbed and turned in his heart and mind was at last released from its bondage and given full scope of use. Churchill no longer knew the frustration of ideas that could not be brought alive, vitality that could not be expended, or ingenious approaches that could not be tested. The supreme challenge was met by a man of supreme stature. The Government was turned upside down. Routine was destroyed. Twenty four activity the rule with Churchill as the master organiser. All knew their place and role. Churchill immediately established a small War Cabinet to make effective and quick decisions. At first the membership was four which grew during the war to seven. This tiny all powerful directing force was supported by sixty or seventy other ministers of all parties who formed the core membership of the Coalition government but responsible only for their own departments. As Churchill pointed out, it was only the members of the War Cabinet, “who had the right to have their heads cut off on Tower Hill if we did not win.”
Never before in modern history did one man have so much power. Churchill was everywhere. He not only controlled the government but the operational side of the conflict as well. He was not only the King’s First Minister but Leader of the House of Commons and, even more important Minister of Defence also. The military Chiefs of Staff instead of reporting to their own ministries reported instead directly to Churchill. The Joint Planning Committee – a body of professional staff officers of all three services – worked under Churchill as part of the Ministry of Defence rather than under the Chiefs of Staff. Thus by permission of the War Cabinet and Parliament Churchill became the penultimate democratic Leader.
No one can study Churchill’s part in the war without being staggered by the colossal output of interests, dictation’s, orders, speeches, broadcasts, plans, promotions and prunings. In military matters he covered an almost incomprehensible range of activity. When Britain stood alone and the nation was bracing itself for the storm of invasion Churchill was racing about the government demanding attack plans, offensive action and targets of British incursions. He demanded the end of the passive war. Thus the commando raids were born. He participated during the war in every operational plan and strategy demanding full technical elaboration’s and missives to be sent to his attention. “During the war,” the American General Eisenhower later testified, “Churchill maintained such close contact with all operations as to make him a virtual member of the British Chiefs of Staff; I cannot remember any major discussion with them in which he did not participate.”
Churchill’s power was dependent upon the War Cabinet. It is a tribute to his skill of persuasion that unlike Roosevelt or Stalin, who were by their constitutions absolute military leaders of their nation, Churchill exercised his authority only by the permission of the War Cabinet who were willing to grant this authority only so long as Winston commanded the confidence of Parliament. Much of Parliament’s confidence was bolstered by Churchill’s impassioned, humanised and soaring orations. No man or women in the British Commonwealth who heard on June 4 1940 that France was being devoured by the German beast, will forget the tingling of emotion and courage when Churchill uttered in a strange, hoarse voice: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever he cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God’s good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”
Another Leader may have uttered, “We will do what is necessary to win this war and persevere in its struggle until it is won. This government believes in the ultimate ability of our nation to come through to victory.” Or something to that effect. Very few would have evinced the crescendo of emotional “We shall’s” in a peroration. Churchill gave the roar to the British lion and heart to the British public. Romance, history, philosophy and leadership all running in the cloud-burst of Churchill’s speeches and leadership of the war effort. But though he carried his role with pride, prompt execution and relish in no way implies a cold heart or an acceptance of war’s carnage. The suffering that he saw, and he saw a lot with his own eyes as he inspected damage through Britain, on more than one occasion pushed him into tears. When Churchill saw a small shop in ruins and wondered out loud to his private secretary the anguish that the owner must feel to have his whole life exploded and ruptured so completely, he became so visibly upset that he resolved at that moment to compensate all damaged property with state payments. Thus the policy of war damage for private assets came into effect. If Churchill enjoyed the waging of war he certainly suffered from the anguish it induced and endeavoured to share its destruction with the common man and woman.
The second phase of the war lasted from the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941 until the end of the war. Until 1944 the British and Russian armies bore the brunt of the struggle against the demented German race. From early 1944 onwards the Americans assumed a greater share and responsibility of the war effort and began to relegate the British to a supporting role in the drive to victory. Roosevelt and Churchill met nine times during the war establishing a strong if short lived friendship. The Americans including Roosevelt were incorrectly convinced that Churchill and the British wanted to expand their Empire.
This calamitous suspicion allowed the Russians more freedom in Eastern Europe than the British would ever have tolerated. As early as 1943 with victory a matter of time and logistics Churchill implored the American leadership not to let Soviet ambition run unimpeded in Eastern Europe. The American reply was incredibly purblind and vague. It appears in scouring the documents and American communiqués that they trusted the Soviets to behave themselves more than their close allies the British ! Eisenhower and many of his chiefs remarked in letters and in meetings that they could not understand why the British constantly mixed politics and military affairs.
To the British this represented reality and the best hope to avoid another world war with the Soviets after the defeat of Germany. Churchill and his advisors even preached that upon the war’s closing everything necessary should be attempted to revive Germany as a bulwark against the pending Soviet menace. The Americans felt that such targets as Prague, Berlin and Vienna were unnecessary military ventures that would endanger the lives of their men. If the Soviets wanted to shed more life in attacking these seemingly remote locations than the Americans were content to let them. The British just shook their heads in dismay unable to impress the Americans with their superior logic. Victory was attained but it set the stage for the Cold War.
The fact that the British survived the early years of the war when Germany swept all before it and that the British evaded a complete national disaster at Dunkirk and defeated the Nazi’s in the air during the Battle of Britain, issued during the remainder of the war and for a short period after it, an inflated sense of self destiny and strength and even an isolationist mentality. The collective suffering and emotional agony endured by the entire British nation also gave express an imbued spirit of egalitarianism. The depth of this communal desire was the most profound in British history and exercised a new faith in social planning and cohesion. During Churchill’s premiership in the war the most celebrated social reconstruction document of the period was the report by William Beveridge which outlined a radical scheme of comprehensive social security, financed from central taxation. This new state aided social plan included maternity benefits, child allowances, universal health and unemployment insurance, old age pension and death benefits – an entire cradle to grave policy. From 1940-45 Britain moved more rapidly to the left than at any time in history a move marked by the important positions Labour ministers occupied in the war government.
At the end of World War II in 1945, Britain was still one of the Big 3 powers, indeed it was ranked as a great power, an illusion that held until about 1963. The British still had their empire in 1945 and in the ensuing years they could still produce great artists and Nobel prize winners, but much to the chagrin of Churchill and the leadership class British glory was long past. The rapid decolonisation of most of its empire — India, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka — and parts of Africa shedded from British finance much unneeded expense and worry, and solidified Britain’s secondary role in world affairs subordinate to the USA and Russia.
Success in conflict notwithstanding the British electorate in the 1945 general election shockingly kicked Churchill and the Conservatives from office by an overwhelming share. For the third time the Labour party was called forth to govern. Churchill after leading the democracies to attain the supreme glories and garlands of success instantly found himself shorn of privilege and casted into opposition. It was a role he obviously did not appreciate. For Churchill defeat was only explained by the plain fact that people believed his government to be a war council, unprepared for the extended restructuring of society that peace demanded. Labour presented a sharper and more intelligent platform and catalogue of change. The Conservatives were quite content to rest upon Churchill’s name and ignore the organisation and deliverance of a viable alternative to the Labour programme.
Whilst Churchill harried the Labour government and began the rebuilding of the Conservative party to respond to public and peace-time pressure he began the personal memoirs of the great struggle and in the absence of anything else offered by the other leaders – Stalin, Roosevelt, Truman, or Hitler – Churchill was able to dictate on the best terms and in the most convincing language possible, his and Britannia’s exalted position in the struggle against evil. It was an incomparable success, ensuring that in times forward, historians would favourably compare the works of Thucydides and those of Churchill. Both men represented and recorded their times and events on an unparalleled scale.
What Churchill was able to offer the reader was a glimpse into the details of history’s most horrible man-made disaster. The wicked folly of the conflict was evident at the war’s end. Whole nations lay in ruins. Towns, cities, industrial plants and transportation facilities were erased. Food and life essentials were unavailable to great migratory populations. Cynicism and disillusionment in Europe and elsewhere bred the shift to the political left. Marxism replaced Fascism as an acceptable form of social order. Communism erupting from poverty, spread like an open wound across Asia and Europe. With the complete eradication of Nagasaki and Hiroshima the nuclear age dawned. Moral questionings loudly divided those in the West over the usage of weapons of such finality – especially against a prostrate Japan. Dropping two bombs three days apart on a nation that was in the process of trying to negotiate an exit from the war seemed to many morally reprehensible. It was an inauspicious beginning to the scientific era.
The United States and Russia emerged from the rubble of the war as opponents. Russia was mauled and mutilated by the war with over 20 million dead and whole sections of her country raped. The USA stood at war’s end possessing a massive ego and the greatest economic supremacy in history. The big two were joined by the little third – Great Britain – and the three during the war and after drove the discussions regarding the build up of the United Nations. Most vexing to the Allies in the construction of the United Nations Assembly was whether members were obliged to surrender part or all of their own independence to the new body in order to maintain peace. How would it be possible to invest such a supranational body with enough force to enforce decisions ? How would the large powers relate to the smaller in the decision making of such a forum ? At Moscow in 1943 the Big Three resolved many of these issues and in Washington in 1944, joined by China, hammered out the shape of the new international body. At the Yalta conference in 1945, the Big Three came to terms on the matter of securing for each of the major powers the right to veto decisions of the new international body. This allowed the creation of the UNO charter at San Francisco in April 1945 which clearly identified the principles and responsibilities of the new organisation. Fifty one founding nations signed the document and in September 1945 the UNO opened its headquarters in New York.
Comprising the UNO were principally the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. Most power resided in the Security Council which was given the task of maintaining the peace. Five permanent members sit in the council; the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China and France and six other nations are elected for two year terms as non-permanent members. The permanent members retained veto power with all resolutions needing the consent of the five permanent nations before passing.
In contrast to the Security Council the UNO General Assembly was shaped by all the member states each wielding one nation one vote rights. International problems are to be solved in an open forum and mandates need to be passed by majority vote. This effectively gives the smaller nations more voice in international affairs. The Secretariat acting as the permanent secretary of the UNO concerned itself with internal operations with its Secretary General the highest profiled member of the UNO, exerting wide diplomatic powers emanating from the prestige of the office.
Thus the founding of the UNO was an expression of hope by the survivors of the Second World War. Quickly this vision was marred and jaded by political ineptitude and quivering resolve by the UNO in major affairs. There was little effective work during the Cold War that could be resoundingly accomplished. This war which was contested by two sides that viewed the other as monolithic or controlling inimical forces, could never have been settled via diplomatic channels. The mental straitjackets of both sides; with the Soviet Union believing that the capitalist West controlled by a few monied financiers who desired the destruction of communism and especially the Soviet Union and which would never grant the Russians fair credit in defeating Hitler; and the West believing that Russia controlled the communistic movement world-wide and that communism and especially Russia wanted to overthrow the better functioning liberal states, could only end with the breakdown of one of the combatants. The demise of Marxism gave spring to the hope of a liberal-democratic world.
The major events since 1945 can be summarised in a short list;
- The Collapse of Communism
- The Triumph of Capitalism
- The beginning of the High Tech Era
- The Decline of the USA and the re-emergence of Europe, Japan and China
- The Fragmentation of parts of the world into tribes
- Ecological dislocation
- Growing disparity between the have and have-not nations
- Emerging militant Islamism
- Questioning over the role of the UNO
The most momentous and important event however has been the spread of globalism. Economically, morally, and spiritually people are viewing themselves regardless of race, kin, geography or circumstance as belonging to the entire human race and not a limited defined tribe. Though tribalism in some areas of the world is taking hold even within these identified units a greater consciousness is emanating out to the rest of the globe that though distinct there resides a desire and need to be integrated into a global framework. Economics, peace and ecological salvation commonsensically dictate this. So do the various images from space capturing a small blue ball in the surroundings of space. Somehow this humbles even the largest of egos. So even as, in some parts of the world, balkanisation is shattering mature states, the pieces will still be forced to bond not only together but somehow they will need to align themselves to the greater puzzle that resides outside their narrow borders. It is only by collective effort that the solutioning of poverty, ecological rapine, and the stoppage of war can be peacefully effected.
Churchill died just after the Cuban missile crisis during a bitter period of Cold War strife, which almost pushed the world into a nuclear confrontation. Though he felt certain of liberal-democracy’s triumph he did not see the maturity of his concept. And though he sustained an undying faith in the ability of man to overcome his worst problems we can be sure that without using the leadership skills presented through his example we will have a very difficult time indeed.
C. Read
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/churchills-during-world-war-ii-and-its-aftermath-700338.html
Third Intifada: NONVIOLENT and with Words Sharper than a Two Edged Sword
On Tuesday November 7, 2006 I traveled to the village of Maghar in the Galilee, home to 18,000 inhabitants. 60% of the people are Druze. Christian and Muslim are evenly divided, although the Christian Exodus has increased since 2005 at an alarming rate.
One percent of Israeli society are Druze, which is an offshoot of Islam with secretive practices and meeting places. The Druze originated in Egypt in the 11th century and today they number about 70,000 in Israel. While the Druze had lived in peaceful community throughout the centuries with Christians in Israel, in February 2005 violence erupted.
Rumors had circulated that a Christian had posted a photograph of a Druze female on the Internet and as a result of the unverified rumors 3,000 Druze youth took to the streets and attacked, vandalized, burned and destroyed 120 houses and stores and 125 cars belonging to Christians.
Attorney Haytham Abdalla, Advocate for St. George Melkite [Greek Orthodox in communion with the Roman Catholic Church which has married priests] of Maghar stated, “No one was killed, but these youth were all armed. The Druze serve in the Israeli army in the West Bank and in Gaza. If we Christians would have resisted, they most likely would have shot us. After these youth serve in the army, they return home thinking they can do anything and they take their anger out on us Christians.
“For three days they terrorized us and the Israeli police did nothing but watch the destruction of our property. The big problem is the State of Israel does not protect the Christian, and they claim everything they do is for “Security.” One day after the attack the police did announce there never was such a photograph on the Internet. But the police never did anything to protect us or our property. They just watched it happen. We are like the first century Christians, we are attacked and have no support. That is Israeli state policy. An Israeli TV station did come here and shot video, but the police forbid them to air it for “security” reasons.
“Right after the attack the Israeli Minister of Education issued an order that Christians were not allowed to attend the public school in Maghar. The parents were too afraid to send them back there anyway, and now 90% of our children study in Canna or Nazareth. They all attend private schools which are expensive and the parents must transport their children. Only one of our youth attends the public school now because his family can not afford private school. Every day he is beaten and every time his father reports it to the Principal, he is told they will take care of the situation, but nothing ever changes. This young boy use to be very calm, but now he is angry all the time, always under pressure, always being beaten and the school system and the Israeli police do nothing.
“Fifteen years ago a policy was instituted by the Israeli government to get rid of all the Christian teachers from the public school system. There are 400 people who work with the Maghar city council, but only four are Christians. We Christians don’t belong to this village, it is like we are living in a hotel, we just sleep here.
“We Christians in the Holy Land are always on the losing side. We face discrimination from the State of Israel, from the Druze and even some Muslims. Everyone is against us! In Maghar most of the Muslims are neutral about us, and we are all afraid to join together because then the Israeli forces will shoot us all!
“We once were a vibrant Christian community, but now our church is the only church in a Druze neighborhood. Fifty years ago there were only Christians in this neighborhood, but they have left. My son is three and unless things change, when he is five we are leaving too.
“But, yet we have many volunteers who want to change the situation. We want to build a Christian school. We have room on the church property, what we lack is money and outside support. We look to you to tell our story.”
On May 14, 1948 The Declaration of the establishment of Israel affirmed:
“One the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations.”
When Israel became a State it was contingent upon upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which Israel denies, ignores, defies and “Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law…
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” [Preamble Universal Declaration of Human Rights]
May We the People of the world unite in International Solidarity and Rise Up/Intifada in nonviolent resistance and with words sharper than a two edged sword and demand Israel uphold the rule of law and what they agreed to.
There will never be peace nor security without JUSTICE and Human Rights for all because whenever there is “disregard and contempt for human rights [it has]resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind” [Ibid]
May We the People of the world unite in International Solidarity and demand Israel uphold ALL Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically citing:
Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
-Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.
-Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
I close my case with Article 19 and will NOT shut up, until the Mainstream Media-the Fourth Estate in the USA does it’s job. Until that happens civilian journalists/bloggers must Rise Up/Intifada and DO SOMETHING!
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Eileen Fleming
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/third-intifada-nonviolent-and-with-words-sharper-than-a-two-edged-sword-72783.html
Nigeria: State and City police
The former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo fondly called “ Baba Iyabo” made an attempt to ask the nation if we needed a federal police system at the same time former Governor of Lagos state Asiwaju of Yoruba land Tinubu was advocating for a state police, the issue became so popular that it generated lots of opinions among Nigerians in and out of the country and in my contribution which was titled “ Towards internal Security” which was published online I was advocating for city and county police system similar to what is operated in the United States of America.
The article revealed Nigeria police as presently constituted was not only underpaid but under equipped for job in the 21st Century. A police recruit in the state of Texas gross pay is over $48,000 per annum in addition to this pay, if the recruit can speak other languages he earns more than his colleagues, his life insurance is over $250,000 if he dies in the line of his duty, the incentives attached to the job of Police in the state of Texas is so mouth watering that it will be difficult to accept bribe as a police officer and a mere look of a police officer in Dallas County is enough to convince any observer that the officer is not only well paid but also well equipped for the job.
The internal security of Nigeria is so broken down that kidnapping is more of an acceptable fashion like we used to read in James Hardly Chase novels with some notable titles like “ Wants to stay alive? “ Believed violent ‘and Well now my Pretty” which were very popular with my generation in the seventies. Kidnapping as handled by police in those novels revealed how United States of America handled issues of serious nature and how crimes were departmentalized as federal, state and city issues, it revealed how the country was able to move beyond sentiment of federal to allowing state and city to handle crimes.
With the above understand, in mind, and actual real situation on the ground, research revealed more than what James Hardly Chase mentioned, it revealed US police system was just as corrupt and under equipped like Nigeria before each state was allowed to have its own police and with only a supervisory role from the FBI. The last administration made a cosmetic approach toward this by establishing the EFCC but failed to remove the federal police system which would have given the supervisory role to EFCC over the state and city police through out the country.
The questions in the mind of the readers will be as follows, what will happen to the states and cities that can not afford to set up the police administration right now? Suppose the governors turn the new police system to political control machine? Suppose non indigenes are victimized with state and city police? These are understandable fears of those who will rather look at negative effect than looking at how such problem was handled by nations that had similar problems.
Our nature and composition, does not allow us to effectively operate a single federal Police system in a nation with various ethnic compositions, to alley the fear as mentioned above, the laws to give power to state and city to establish police must make it difficult for governors, local government chairmen and city mayors in future to exercise undue influence on the system. The law will allow those states and cities which will rather have the Federal police to stick with the present system while those states and cities in Lagos, Oyo, Anambra, kano to test the market for the state and city police.
The transition to state and city police can not happen overnight for all states because some will rather stick with what they are used to, it took the state of Oregon in America 100 years to adopt state police behind the state of Texas. Recruitment must reflect the state composition and federal character before funds can be released by the Federal government, and each state or City police must be subjected to EFCC supervision and when a complex which case can not be solved by the state or the city police the EFCC will move in to reorganize the police system of the state or city for a reasonable period that will be stated by the law.
The Present Mobile Police must be under the EFCC to take over any state or city police in case of emergency and the rest of the police force will be re-deployed to operate solely at state level and city that will require their services if they can not be totally employed by the states or cities they can be laid off and such men in uniform can work as security men for companies or private sectors.
The Yoruba has an adage “Opo kan ni eyin afaa, Iba je eyo kan ko sa le fi mu musa” meaning “The chief Imam does not need to have lots of functional teeth even if it is one as long as the Imam can pick donut with it” It is very funny, but it is true with the police system we have right now, it is not the numbers of men in uniform but a functional police system which can only be achieved by creating state and city police.
The current Federal police system is making a mockery of security in Nigeria, kidnapping today is more of lucrative business than 419 or internet advanced fee fraud, kings, wives and concubines, children and movies stars are being kidnapped on daily basis and the ransom are being announced by the press like lottery winning games.
Finally, unlike what all the doubting “Thomases” will want us to believe on the shortcomings of State and City Police, establishing it, is where the solution to internal security of Nigeria lies, it will not only solve the problem it will put tribal “things” called OPC, Egbesu and area boys out of business, Governors and future Mayors of each city performances will be measured before re-election, State and City police will help to enforce all the local laws passed by the State House of Assembly and those of the local government, to ignore this, is to postpone the evil day, Nigeria Bless Your Hearts
Zents Kunle Sowunmi
New York USA the author of “Before the Journey became Home”
Kunle Sowunmi
Cma-cgm: Jacques Saade’s Involvement in “damietta Gate”
Free translation of the article published in the egyptian daily « Massaeyat » of October 17th 2006
Jacques Saade’s involvement in “Damietta Gate”
New developments in the case of the Damietta company next November
The General Prosecutor launches new investigations in relation to public funds and other irregularities perpetrated after the arrest of Ali Massaad
The appearance of the accused and the lifting of the sequestrations are the main issues of this case
This case locally known as the “great corruption case of the Damietta Containers” and internationally named the “Damietta Gate” has shaken the Egyptian, Arab and international public opinion.
From the first audience, three of the six accused confessed, the third, the fifth and the sixth and acknowledged having been involved in the briberies paid to Ali Massaad, whereas the latter denied at the beginning the whole matter.
The six accused, Ali Massaad, chairman of the board of directors of the Damietta Container Company, Jihad Anis Dagher, employee of Leader Company, Nabil Elie Bassil, CMA-CGM regional Finance and administrative director, Mostapha Mohamad Khalil Abdel Monhem, Director of the Damietta subsidiary, Jamal Abdel Razek Abdel Sadek and Ahmad Mahmoud Ahmad Yacoub have been referred to the Penal Court by the General Prosecutor (financial section), and the second hearing is set for November 9th for a contradictory debate and confrontation with the prosecution’s witnesses who will appear before the court for corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
The most surprising aspect of this case it seems is that Ali Massaad’s successor as head of the Damietta Container Company is following the same methods as his predecessor, a matter which compelled the General Prosecutor to launch a second investigation pertaining to the period following Ali Massaad’s management of the company. This investigation has been postponed following the juridical holidays and the promotion of prosecutor Wadih Hanna Nached.
Ali Massaad, known as the “Bey”, is now in prison.
This case is about corruption, account manipulations, financial fraud and a plot between the Damietta Container Company and French company CMA-CGM presided by Lebanese national Jacques Saade whose corporate headquarters are in Marseille. The file that is being dealt with by the Court of State Financial Security in Egypt pertains to the misappropriation of funds that could reach up to 20 million dollars.
The main accused is being held in temporary custody while awaiting the outcome of this case.
This case is of major interest in its Egyptian, Lebanese and French ramifications.
The Egyptian media has released important pieces of information revealing that this is not an isolated corruption matter in the shipping sector in Egypt. The former General Prosecutor Maher Abdel Wahed has already ordered the chairman of the board of directors of the Damietta Container Company, Ali Massaad, to be placed in custody and his personal assets seized until the end of the investigation; the latter decision has been notified to the Central Bank of Egypt, the Finance Directorate and the land registry.
The General Prosecutor opened an investigation following a declaration presented by the president of the Central Accounting Agency regarding the statements of accounts pertaining to the company owned by the holding company for land and shipping transport presided by the General Mohammad Youssof already indicted in the case of the seizure of the “Salem 2” vessel in the port of Alexandria. The president of the Court of Appeal of the district of South Cairo, Adel Joumaa had set the next hearing to last May 29th in order to take a decision as to the verdict of the General Prosecutor.
The investigations have revealed a plot between engineer Ali Massaad and the managers of the foreign shipping company regarding the signature of an agreement according to which the foreigh company could benefit from exceptional rebates to the detriment of the Damietta Public Company that could reach up to 5,5 million dollars.
This scandal is worrying Egyptian public opinion as well as the political scene, as it happens to occur after other scandals such as the one related to the Directorate of Transport, the Bank of Cairo and the robbery of steal and other metals.
The investigations have proven the existence of a plot between the first accused Ali Massaad Saad and the President of the foreign shipping company, which resulted in the disappearance of 6 million dollars from the Egyptian treasury. It has been established, following the house search, that the accused regularly received briberies from France.
In a surprising rebounce, the investigation revealed that the managers of the international shipping company based in Marseille (France) reimbursed the amount of 3,1 million dollars by bankers cheque to the Damietta Company following a compromise aimed at smothering the case, after that the General Prosecutor started a legal action against this company and seized the assets of Ali Massaad. This payment did not put an end to the legal actions but led to the discovery of another aspect of this case namely the direct involvement of the French company in corrupting Egyptian officials.
Despite CMA-CGM’s denial of any involvement in this corruption case declaring that an internal investigation is underway in coordination with the Egyptian authorities, the Sunday Express newspaper revealed that CMA-CGM presided by Jacques Saade, paid 10,000 dollars per month to Massaad, and has reimbursed as reparation 3.1 million dollars to the Egyptian port of Damietta.
In a statement made by Jacques Saade to the same newspaper, he mentioned that these people were paid by the CMA’s Egyptian subsidiary, that no transfers were made by the French head office and that his company was investigating in coordination with the Egyptian authorities. Various managers were heard including the accountancy manager.
According to the Sunday Express, this is an extremely serious situation and other countries, including the United States, are being worried. It seems that political pressures have been exerted in order to prevent CMA-CGM from acquiring from the English company P&O its shares in the American port of Dubai for security reasons. The American authorities are undertaking an investigation regarding this matter.
Other pieces of information collected in parallel to the secret investigation indicated that many points in this case were still not clear. The most important element that has been discovered until now is the false contract -which is the main aspect of the investigation- signed by Farid Salem, CMA-CGM general manager and brother-in-law of Jacques Saade.
It has been revealed that Abdel Razek is the financial manager of CMA-CGM in Egypt, presided by Jacques Saade, as indicated by the social security registers.
All the evidence indicates that the financial offenses have been perpetrated by the chairman of the Damietta Company, in addition to the irregularities within the contract signed with the shipping line in Marseille.
In an Al-Ahram article of May 26th 2006, it seems, according to the investigations undertaken by the financial control services [official body], the principal accused perceived important amounts on a regular basis in exchange for those irregularities. The former General Prosecutor Wadih Hanna Nached issued search-warrants in the offices of the said shipping company (CMA-CGM) in Alexandria, which resulted in the seizure of numerous pieces of evidence confirming the transfer of important amounts from the accounts of the latter company in favor of the accused.
According to the “magazine Rose El Youssof” that published the result of a long investigation on the subject, the chairman of the Damietta Company is the owner of two palaces in the city of Damietta on the river Nile as well as a dozen estates and three villas in the touristic village of Yasmina in Port Said, in addition to five hectares of agricultural land in the latter city, 20 million Egyptian pounds deposited in bank accounts in his name, his wife’s and children’s and a number of bank accounts abroad which inventory is not yet known.
It was mentioned in the article that Ali Massaad had a nickname, “the Bey”, to the order of whom checks were drawn up.
The investigations revealed that the number of containers CMA-CGM sent in transit through the port of Damietta, did not exceed 70,000 teus for the last 12 months allowing the French company to benefit from rebates of the amount of 5,5 million dollars. This led them to illegally modify the contract with the Damietta Company by paying briberies in addition to the monthly remuneration of Ali Massaad.
Rose El Youssof added that Ali Massaad pretended that he made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for 12 years, and in Bahrein, where he worked 5 years; but was not able to keep the evidence that would clear him.
A surprising aspect is that he appeared before the court, which ordered the seizure of his assets and his wife’s, wearing bad quality clothes, in an attempt to conceal his wealth. The most astonishing is that the law firm handling his defense is one of the major firms specialized in shipping matters in Egypt.
The investigation is moving forward with the hope to shed light on other thorny aspects of this case. There is a strong probability that the General Prosecutor would prosecute Jacques Saade, chairman of CMA-CGM; one more element that adds up to the conflict as to the ownership of this company and increases the legal stranglehold around Jacques Saade.
Damietta “Gate” to date is the last link in a series of legal proceedings facing Jacques Saade.
If this case is taking an official aspect in Egypt given that it involves a number of irregularities, corruptions and misappropriation of public funds, other legal proceedings have been launched in many countries in which the conflict between the brothers Jacques and Johnny Saade is raging around the ownership of CMA-CGM, the first shipping company in France and the third worldwide.
Six years after the signature of a contract on September 16th 2006 between the two parties aimed at ending the conflict but which deprived Johnny Saade of his legitimate rights due to a deceitful set-up, new facts could reveal unexpected developments in the coming months very probably in favor of the latter.
The internet site www.mistralholding.com owned by Johnny Saade’s company Mistral Holding s.a.l., contains a huge amount of documents, compromising reports and legal evidence, that explains in detail the conflict between the two brothers which is being reported at the top of the news in the Lebanese, arab and international press. Among these documents a report issued by the financial expert Antoine Gaudino explaining the circumstances that led to the said conflict.
One can read in the report that the conflict between the two Saade brothers as the major shareholders of the CMA-CGM Group is mentioned by the media as a family feud due to Jacques Saade’s statements, but Johnny, who owns 48.44% of CMA’s shares accuses his brother of hiding information in general and more specifically regarding transactions initiated by Jacques Saade in France and elsewhere.
The conflict actually starts by the lack of transparency during the acquisition of CGM by CMA, and Jacques Saade’s attempt at controlling the group for his sole personal benefit.
The preliminary investigations undertaken by Gaudino on August 29th 1997 at the request of Mistral holding, revealed that the management system established by Jacques Saade on behalf of CMA made Johnny Saade fearful, as major shareholder, of the company’s future.
With further investigations, various fiscal irregularities and others have been discovered, and are part of the conflict between the brothers.
The main historical stages of this conflict are the following:
The Limited company CMA (Compagnie Maritime d’Affretement) was created by brothers Johnny and Jacques Saade on September 8th 1986 and registered at the RCS of Marseille on April 8th 1987 under number 340 353 911.
The initial capital was FFr.250,000. It was to be increased following various share capital increases in 1986, 1987 and 1993 as well as on May 26th 1994 further to an extraordinary general assembly to reach FFr. 60,000,000 divided in 600,000 shares with a nominal value of FFr.100.
At the latter date and according to the shareholders’ registry, the shares were distributed between three Lebanese companies: Merit s.a.l., owned by Jacques Saade, 48.41%; Mistral Holding s.a.l., owned by Johnny Saade, 48.41%.
The six shares attributed to the “Jacques Saade Family” are held by Mr. Jacques Saade, his spouse Mrs Nayla Salem, his daughter Tania, his son Rodolphe, his brother-in-law Mr. Farid Salem and Mr.Tristan Vieljeux.
The three Lebanese companies are all registered at the Beirut registrar of Companies and domiciled in the same city and the same address.The company Rodolphe Saade & Co is owned by Jacques Saade and Johnny Saade, 50% of the shares each, respectively through Merit s.a.l. and Mistral Holding s.a.l.
CGM s.a. (Compagnie Generale maritime), with a capital of FFr. 1,275,948,600 and registered at the RCS of Nanterre under number 562 024 422, has been transferred by the French government to the private sector by ministerial decision on October 21st 1996.
The capital of CGM is distributed as follows: 90% of the shares came to be held by CMA, 6% personally by Jacques Saade and 4% between three other shareholders.
CMA got 96% of the CGM shares whereas the 4% remaining were held by three other shareholders; and Jacques Saade’s stake reached 51% whereas Johnny’s, through Mistral holding, did not reach 49.9%.
The first findings revealed a certain number of irregularities, the most important of which related to general assembly meetings.
An extraordinary general assembly was held at CMA head offices on December 12th 1996 without letting Mistral Holding s.a.l. have the opportunity to participate. This assembly was aimed at granting the board of directors the right to increase the share capital, in one or many times. This authorization to the board of directors was valid for a period of five years and aimed at increasing CMA’s capital from FFr. 60,000,000 to a maximum of FFr. 135,000,000.
The report added that until December 12th 1996 CMA’s management has always convened Mistral holding s.a.l. by rapid courier (DHL) and simultaneously by fax, given postage delays to Lebanon. In an unusual manner, the convening to the extraordinary general assembly meeting of December 12th 1996 was sent to Mistral Holding s.a.l. on November 26th 1996 by recommended letter with acknowledgement of receipt.
Everything was done in order to prevent Johnny Saade to be informed in due time and therefore to participate to the main decisions to be taken including the share capital increase.
It is within the above-mentionned context that Johnny Saade seized the Tribunal of Commerce of Marseille who designated on December 23rd 1996 a judicial “huissier’ in order to get the documents pertaining to general assemblies and board of directors held by CMA.
Following this judicial decision, Mr Johnny Saade was able to raise various irregularities. Four Board of Directors meetings were held on June 7th, September 20th and November 14th & 15th 1996 without Mistral Holding s.a.l. being ever convened whereas the minutes of meetings stipulated that Mistral Holding s.a.l. was “absent and excused”.
A general assembly was held on March 27th 1997 in cancellation of the share capital increase decided by the general assembly of December 12th 1996.
This did not however erase the irregularities due to the share transfers and the acquired majority to the benefit of Jacques Saade which jumped from 48,41% to 50,001%.
Irregularities were noticed regarding the presentation of balance sheets. It appears from CMA’s balance sheets in the offer for the acquisition of the CGM of October 3rd 1996, that CMA was in good financial health, that it increased its shareholders’ equity funds, reaching FFr. 700 million and the CGM acquisition project would allow the financial rehabilitation of the latter no later than 1999.
The findings made on certain accounting entries called in question the validity of the level of CMA’s shareholders’ equity which were lower than the reality. These shareholders’ equity funds were much lower than the FFr. 200 millions and CGM’s takeover was a juicy business deal that Jacques Saade wanted to keep for himself to the detriment of his brother Johnny.
This report mentioned, backed by the necessary documents and figures, that the filed balance sheets were false and did not reflect the truth about CMA’s accounts, a matter that was to jeopardize the future of the company and the interests of Johnny Saade, its main shareholder.
This report mentionned that Jacques Saade made his brother Johnny become a minority shareholder through successive steps and by premeditation in order to prepare the acquisition of CGM to his sole personal benefit; the report also summarized the various attempts of Jacques Saade to escape legal proceedings which were accumulating every day.
Of importance in this conflict is the re-opening of a financial investigation by the Paris Tribunal regarding the accounting irregularities and fiscal fraud perpetrated by Jacques Saade in managing CMA-CGM.
Other information indicate that Egyptian courts of law are entangled in an important corruption file involving the Port of Damietta since the 90s and are attempting to determine the scale of corruption involving the representatives of the French shipping line on behalf of their managers in France. While awaiting new developments, the director of the Port of Damietta has in the meantime been arrested.
On another level and following the penal lawsuit filed by Mistral Holding, Paris Tribunals (France) have launched legal investigation regarding the CMA-CGM balances sheets that are allegedly false. The investigation has been entrusted to two prominent magistrates in France. The aim of this investigation is to shed light on the possible fiscal fraud and concealment of the real profits, a matter that goes back to the signature of the contract that has put an end to the conflict between brothers Jacques and Johnny Saade.
Finally, we can add to this multi-faceted judicial file that is surrounding Jacques Saade, a matter that is worrying investigators near the General Prosecutor of Lattakia in Syria. It involves the falsification of official documents, the use of false documents and usurpation of legal capacity, involving Choucri el Khoury that seems to have acted on behalf of Jacques Saade.
andrew barns
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/cmacgm-jacques-saades-involvement-in-damietta-gate-80435.html
We Can Begin the World Again
Jerusalem-On June 26, 2006 this reporter attended a world wide satellite linked Interfaith Peace Conference at Jerusalem’s Notre Dame Cathedral. Dan Rather moderated from Washington DC and the Holy Land interfaith panel were all moderates attempting to reclaim the battlefield of ideas from extremists on both sides.
Rev. Theodore Hessburgh, President Emeritus University of Notre Dame began the evening with a pledge and a summons: “The Peace of the world begins in Jerusalem.”
Dr. Tsvia Walden, Board of Director of the Peres Center and Geneva Initiative stated, “There is a need for a third party in the negotiations that could enable both sides to trust each other. There are more people in this region interested in making concessions, they all want peace so desperately.”
The Coordinator of World Bank emergency services to the Palastinian Authority, Rania Kharma commented, “We all need to be the bridges to our leaders that justice, equality, and human rights will bring peace. Give people justice and they will reward you with peace.”
Sheik Imad Falouiji warned, “Religions must go back to their origins. God commands us to love each other and live together. This Holy Land was given to all people. This land is on fire. There is an occupation that musty be removed. The language of peace cannot succeed without justice for all.”
President Bush in his second inaugural address promised, “In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without liberty…. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand or liberty we will stand with you.”
The Rt. Rev. Bishop Riah Abu Assal affirmed, “Peace is an act. Blessed are the peacemakers not the peace talkers. Peace is possible in the Holy Land. The root cause for the lack of peace since 1967 is the occupation. For peace to make progress in the Middle East we need to deal with the root cause…Religion was not meant to bring death. All those involved in searching for peace should commit themselves to work for justice and truth.”
On November 1, 2006, Jeff Halper, American Israeli, Founder and Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions/ICAHD and a 2006 Noble Peace Prize nominee informed this reporter:
“It has been said that the Israeli’s do not love this land, they just want to possess it. There have been three stages to make this occupation permanent. The first was to establish the facts on the ground; the settlements. There are a quater of a million Israeli’s and four million Palestinians here. They have been forced into bantusan; trunkated mini states; prison states. It is apartheid and Bush and Hillary are both willing collaborators. In 1977, Sharon came in with a mandate, money and resources to make the Israeli presence in the West Bank irreversible. The second stage began in April 2004 when America approved the Apartheid/Convergence/Realignment Plan and eight settlement blocs. This is just like South Africa!
“The Bush Sharon letter exchange guaranteed that the USA considers the settlements non-negotiable. The Convergence Plan and The Wall create the borders and that is what defines bantusans. Congress ratified the Bush plan and only Senator Byrd of West Virginia voted no and nine House Representatives.”
With the turnover in Congress the words of Tom Paine come to mind, for in solidarity “we have it in our power to begin the world again.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ can become relevant in the 21st century if all who claim to be Christian’s follow his philosophy. Thomas Jefferson weeded out the miracle stories from the gospels and clarified the teachings of Christ in “The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” which clarify what Christ was really all about:
To be just and justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart. To treat people the way we want to be treated. To always work for PEACEFUL resolutions, even to the point of returning violence with COMPASSION. To not judge others and bear no grudges, and those who think they know the most are the most ignorant.
“Soon after I had published the pamphlet “Common Sense” [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion. The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”-Tom Paine
Christ’s other name is “The Prince of Peace” and he walked and preached the good news that God is within all people. To truly follow Christ means one will rise up, [in Arabic the word is "intifada"] for the oppressed, the outcast, the widow, the orphan, the poor, the prisoner and refugees. Christ taught that we are to pursue justice, and justice is the only way to security and peace.
The Christian population of the Holy Land has decreased from 20% of the total population to less than 1.3% since 1948. 90% of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land never even meet any Palestinian Christians; thus they are known as The Forgotten Faithful.
Prior to 1948, 70% of West Jerusalem was Palestinian. From ’48 to ’67, Jerusalem was divided into Israeli West Jerusalem and Palestinian East under Jordan’s control. When Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in 1967, the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem were also redefined. Israel annexed the greater Jerusalem area but did not ‘adopt’ the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem as Israeli citizens.
Today, Palestinians living in Jerusalem are classified differently from those in the West Bank. They are called permanent residents, they can vote in local elections but not in Israeli national elections. Most do not bother to vote as a statement against the occupation.
Today, West Jerusalem in nearly 100% Jewish. The Palestinians in East Jerusalem pay the same taxes as those on the West side, but receive only 8% of the total municipal budget. Orthodox Jews pay no taxes. Palestinians make up 1/3 of the total Jerusalem population, but pay over 40% of the taxes. One is immediately aware when one walks from the East to the West that one is truly in two different worlds. On the West side of town there are many parks, the roads and streets are well maintained and sanitation pick up is predictable. Twenty-six of the thirty-one City Council members of Jerusalem are Orthodox Jews. The East side of Jerusalem resembles the lower east side of New York.
While the Israeli government considers Jerusalem the capitol of Israel no foreign country does. There are no international embassies in Jerusalem, except for a fundamentalist International Christian Zionist one.
The Wall that was begun after the Second Intifada/Rise Up, has expanded the municipal boundaries established in 1967 and the Israeli settlements/colonies are growing unabated.
According to International Law all the settlements are illegal and the world is silent. In the 1930′s Ben Gurion said that the settlements will define the boundaries of Israel.
In 1973, Ariel Sharon told Winston Churchill III, “We’ll make a pastrami sandwich of them. We’ll insert a strip of Jewish settlement, in between the Palestinians, then another strip of Jewish settlement, right across the West Bank, so that in 25 years time, neither the United Nations, nor the United States, nobody, will be able to tear it apart.”
But all things are possible and miracles do occur.
God has always spoken through Jewish prophets and Jeff Halper is one. On November 1, 2006 he informed this reporter, “Israel has set up a matrix of control; a thick web of settlements guaranteed to make the occupation permanent by establishing facts on the ground. Israel denies there is an occupation, so everything is reduced to terrorism. It is our job to insist upon the human rights issue, for occupied people have International Law on their side.”
While International Law guarantees the rights of the occupied to rise up with violence against their occupiers. But, prophetic organizations such as ICAHD, Anarchist’s Against the Wall, International Solidarity Movement and Sabeel all promote Creative Nonviolence.
Jeff stated, “When Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan, the East side was 6 sq. km. Since 1967, Israel has added 64 km. The West side was 38 sq. km until ’67 and is now 108 sq. km’s. Israel plans to develop 17 settlements. Israeli policy is to maintain a 72% Jewish and 28% Arab population. Palestinians cannot get building permits to build upon their legally owned land. The Arab land has been re-zoned as green space, and the green space will be re-zoned for the settlements.
“Every single Palestinian home in Jerusalem has a demolition order. The entire West Bank has been zoned as agricultural land by Israel, and that will also be re-zoned again for more settlements.
“It has been said that the Israeli’s do not love this land, they just want to possess it. There have been three stages to make this occupation permanent. The first was to establish the facts on the ground; the settlements. There are a quater of a million Israeli’s and four million Palestinians here. They have been forced into bantusans; trunkated mini states; prison states. It is apartheid and Bush and Hillary are both willing collaborators. In 1977, Sharon came in with a mandate, money and resources to make the Israeli presence in the West Bank irreversible. The second stage began in April 2004 when America approved the Apartheid/Convergence/Realignment Plan and eight settlement blocs. This is just like South Africa! The Bush Sharon letter exchange guaranteed that the USA considers the settlements non-negotiable. The Convergence Plan and The Wall create the borders and that is what defines bantusans.Congress ratified the Bush plan and only Senator Byrd of West Virginia voted no and nine House Representatives.”
Orwellian doublespeak has also been employed in the USA to turn the illegal colonies into “neighborhoods”. A new highway has already begun to link all the settlements. The Eastern Ring Road will have bridges for Israelis but is just another wall against the Palestinians. The settlements-and all settlements are considered illegal under international law- will ring around the Old City of Jerusalem.
Jeff concluded with, “I don’t just have a political problem with this Judiaization of the Old City, it is ecologically and environmentally offensive.”
I add it also is spiritually impoverished. The raping and pillaging of what is claimed holy ground refutes and denies the biblical meaning of dominion. The ancients understood dominion meant to nurture, love and protect and the destruction of Palestinian homes, the stealing of their legal property, their water is an abomination.
On May 14, 1948 The Declaration of the establishment of Israel stated:
“One the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations.”
“What does God require? He has already told you o’man! Be just, be merciful and humble.”-Micah 6:8
“The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.”-Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis
The “fierce urgency of now”-Rev. MLK, Jr should compel we the people of the United States to rise up and demand Congress hold President Bush to the promise in his Second Inaugural Address:
“In the long run, there is no justice without FREEDOM. There can be no human rights without LIBERTY. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for liberty, we stand with you.”
The “war on terror” must be fought at the root and all roads lead to Jerusalem.
Eileen Fleming
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/we-can-begin-the-world-again-76476.html
Obama charts new world order – 23 Sep 09
US president, Barack Obama, outlined his vision of a new world order in which the US would participate fully – during his first address to the UN general Assembly meeting in New York.
His vision was rooted on four basic principles: Non proliferation and disarmament, the promotion of peace and security, the preservation of the planet, and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.
Among the speakers that followed was the leader of Libya – Muammar Gaddafi, and the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reports from New York on the days events.
Duration : 0:2:56
Rescuing Gm
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, bailing out America’s Big Three automakers should not be considered “as life-support to sustain a dying industry, but a jump start for an industry that is essential to our country’s economic health.” Really, Madam Speaker? America, let’s face it, the proposed bailout isn’t about rescuing GM, it’s about preserving the UAW, its toxic contracts, and its political ties with the Democratic Party. A bailout of the Big Three is a mistake of monumental proportions as it subsidizes a failed business model and supports continued mismanagement. Jack Kemp, former United States Representative and founder and co-director of Empower America, a public policy and advocacy organization, stated it best:
“If you tax something, you get less of it. If you subsidize something, you get more of it. The problem in America today is that we are taxing work, saving, investment, and productivity; and we’re subsidizing debt, welfare, consumption, leisure, and mediocrity.”
According to conservative industry estimates, GM alone is bleeding $1 billion of cash per month. If you give GM a $10 billion lifeline, they’ll burn through it in 10 months!
A bailout clearly is not the answer. GM’s primary foreign rivals (BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota) all build vehicles in the USA using American labor. The key difference is they maintain leaner and more adaptable organizational structures than GM, and can perform the same operations better, faster, and with fewer resources. In the current business environment of global competition, rapid technological change, and uncertainty, this is unacceptable. GM’s multi-layered, bureaucratic organizational structure is crippling its ability to compete effectively in a global marketplace.
If a bailout is not the answer, what can GM do?
o GMAC must stop originating, securitizing, and servicing insurance and mortgage products and focus on automotive financing.
GMAC lost $2.3 billion in 2007; unfortunately, it will be difficult for GM to force any changes at GMAC. (Cerberus acquired a controlling 51% stake in 2006.) In order to return GMAC to profitability, the subsidiary must reduce exposure to the foreclosed assets, impaired loans, loan commitments, and reserve requirements inherent in their insurance and mortgage product portfolio. The business of GMAC is borrowing and lending money, and that’s not GM’s business.
o Alternatively, GM could swap a portion of its remaining 49% equity stake in GMAC to Cerberus for ownership of Chrysler.
According to its 2007 Form 10-K, GM has 184 directly or indirectly owned subsidiaries. As a result, there’s plenty of room for asset sales and internal consolidations to generate cash and to enhance operational efficiencies. Ownership of Chrysler would enable additional asset sales and consolidations beyond what GM already can do on its own. In particular, GM and Chrysler can consolidate or dispose of assembly plants, automotive retailers, brands, duplicative corporate assets, employees and layers of management, and parts suppliers. For instance, the All-American Chevrolet and Dodge brands can be merged, as can the iconic Hummer and Jeep brands. The Chrysler nameplate can be sold to generate cash, as can Global Electric Motors. GM can swap Mopar to Delphi for forgiveness of GM’s remaining financial (including pension) and other obligations and expedite Delphi’s emergence from bankruptcy. Finally, Chrysler Financial can either be left with Cerberus or sold after the swap.
Not only is GMAC not as critical to GM’s operations as it once was, “GMAC’s business requires substantial capital”1 GM doesn’t have and cannot get. Additionally, it draws management attention away from the firm’s core operations and its reason for existence. This is something Sears discovered long ago, leading to their decision in late 1992 to divest their capital intensive non-core financial services network (i.e., Allstate, Coldwell Banker, and Dean Witter/Discover.) Please refer to Outsourcing the American Dream by Christopher M. England for additional information related to Sears’ failed venture into retail financial services.
1General Motors Corp 2007 Form 10-K
o GM must invest heavily in intellectual property and research and development.
In my July 2008 article, “Rescue the American Dream from the Tyranny of Foreign Oil,” I outlined several initiatives that are essential to the survival of America’s Big Three automakers, including investments in breakthrough automotive technologies and commercially-viable alternative-fuel sources. For example, GM can drive up Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) thresholds in a couple of ways. One is by substituting the same lighter-weight carbon-fiber composite body panels used by our military for steel. Another is by harnessing kinetic energy from the natural motion, rotation, and vibration of the vehicle and its parts as a supplemental power source. GM also must replace current “flex-fuel” (a.k.a. E85) vehicles with “multi flex-fuel” vehicles capable of using any pure or blended fuel source. Alternative-fuel sources can include ammonia, bio-diesel/bio-fuels, compressed natural gas, gas/electric hybrids, plug-in electrics, etc.
While hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, most of it remains locked up in more complex compounds such as ammonia, methane (natural gas or propane), or water. Not only does it require tremendous amounts of energy to separate the hydrogen from its natural compounds, it requires tremendous amounts of energy to liquefy and condense hydrogen; however, scientists are experimenting with electrolyzers, genetically-engineered bacteria, and various reactive metals that might one day lead to an abundant alternative-fuel source. According to Kevin Mayhood in a June 30, 2008 article in The Columbus Dispatch, Gerardine Botte, director of Ohio University’s Electrochemical Engineering Research Laboratory, is working on a method to pull hydrogen from the ammonia in animal and human urine. This is important for several reasons. First, we already have the infrastructure in place to distribute ammonia to retail gas station pumps, as it’s been used to make fertilizer for decades. Second, separating hydrogen from ammonia does not produce “greenhouse gases” as long as the required electricity comes from a source which produces no greenhouse gases. (The same can be said for gas/electric hybrids and plug-in electrics.) Third, ammonia is more easily liquefied and condensed than hydrogen.
o GM should consider Chapter 11.
Filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code should present GM with an enhanced opportunity to restructure its business model and dump its burdensome union agreements. GM can enter and re-emerge from Chapter 11 without enormous job losses, something the UAW and the pro-bailout Democrats chose to ignore. We’re not talking about Chapter 7 here. We’re talking about an opportunity to reign in the massive healthcare, pension, and other legacy costs that are draining GM of value and leaving it at a competitive disadvantage. Chapter 11 should be considered even if it means freezing defined benefit pension funds to new employee participation, beefing up 401(k) plans, and increasing cost sharing with employees and retirees. If GM leaves legacy costs untouched, employees and retirees ultimately will be the ones who suffer. That being said, GM also must redesign performance management and reward systems to ensure workers are compensated in the most appropriate ways. Despite suffering a net loss of $38.7 billion in 2007, Richard Wagoner, Jr., Chairman and CEO of GM, earned $15.7 million in total compensation. Something’s definitely wrong with this picture.
If a bailout is not the answer, what can the Federal Government do?
o Put an end to America’s unilateral free-trade policies.
We should practice free-trade only with nations who practice it with us. Why do we allow Japan full access to the American economy, when Japan puts up barriers to American ownership of Japanese corporations or restricts the number of automobiles GM or Ford can sell in Japan? If Japan puts up barriers, we need to do the same. If China implements a 25% import tariff making our automobiles more expensive in Chinese markets, we need to do the same making Chinese automobiles more expensive in American markets. This isn’t protectionism; it’s good economic sense.
o Rescue the American Dream from the Tyranny of Foreign Oil
In my July 2008 article, “Rescue the American Dream from the Tyranny of Foreign Oil,” I not only outlined several initiatives that are essential to the survival of America’s Big Three automakers, I also outlined numerous initiatives we must undertake to simultaneously diversify sources of oil supplies, dramatically slash oil consumption, and increase production of alternative-energy sources to clean up the environment, increase our energy efficiency, protect national security interests, reduce the military and political leverage of OPEC oil, revitalize the U.S. economy, and shrink trade deficits.
Christopher M. England
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/rescuing-gm-690521.html