The Anti-Empire Project

Thanks to Narconews, this just in: Bolivia’s President Carlos Mesa has resigned.

Bolivian social movements are once again on the verge of overthrowing a government. Their demands are for the government to go, and for the full nationalization of oil and gas. Bolivia was among the first countries to suffer neoliberal restructuring in 1985, accompanied by the destruction of its mining union. It was also among the first countries to develop unique forms of resistance to privatization and neoliberalism, first with the ‘water war’, and more recently with the ‘gas war’. No coincidence.

Continue reading “Bolivia!”

Got this in the mail a few days ago. It makes the upcoming ‘elections’ planned for Haiti somewhat problematic. The plan of the regime, the US, and the UN is, presumably, to kill Lavalas and force them into hiding, and then hold elections. There is another wave of massacres happening in Port au Prince’s popular neighbourhoods, and there will be more waves before the October elections.

The below shows the reaction of Lavalas activists to this plan. It is a testament to the resilience of Haitians, a testament that should probably put us to shame.

“We’re Not Participating In Selections!” Says Haitians in Haiti
*

(“Misery in my A##, Boulos in my A##, Apaid in my A##, Bourgeoisies in my A##, Starvation in my A##. We are not participating in elections!” – Voices from the streets of Haiti, May 27, 2005

….The twisted intestines of an empty stomach are not enjoyable…. – Demonstrators, May 27, 2005 )

For the Ezili Danto Witness Project, by Jean, direct from the streets of Haiti.

*******

Editor’s Note:
This recorded Kreyol report was filed for the Ezili Danto Witness Program by Jean direct from Haiti while the student demonstration was occurring on May 27, 2005 and translated into English by Frantz Jerome for HLLN.

Some within this cadre of “student” demonstrators (the trade unionists in particular) were allied with group 184 and called for the Coup D’etat. As this demonstration indicates, it looks as if they’ve disengaged from Group 184 and Latortue.

Kreyol speakers may listen to the 23-minute original recording, on line, at Lakou New York for May 27, 2005:

*********
Jean: Greetings to everyone…We are live in Port-au-Prince at the Commerce Ministry where students organized a large demonstration, yelling: ‘down with the rising cost of living, down with starvation.’

The students have taken over the Ministry’s yard, to literally run her out of the Ministry.

We have with us one of the organizers of this demonstration and are ready for a short interview.

Lakou New York greets you!

Organizer: Well, we greet all the people listening in New York and say that today we’ve all come together. We have the trade unionists. There’s UNNOH, PAPBA, MODEP, Mega, Kay Fanm, Sofa – all of us.

We are united. We’ve come together to tell this government that we fought against the high cost of living, corruption, theft and still the same situation remains. The cost of living has sky- rocketed. Life is harder. The suffering has amplified and all of us cannot eat or drink. All of us here, whether we are teachers, students, even the cops who are here, the little money they are paying us, we can’t do anything with what we are getting paid. Yet, they are paying MINUSTHA $25 million U.S. dollars per month while we cannot eat.
Therefore, Latortue (“se ti moun”) is a child – He is the IMF’s boy; the World Bank’s boy; USA’s boy – there to execute orders coming from the USA, the World Bank and the IMF.

Today we need visionaries as government officials. We need Haitians with a sense of social awareness, social vision to run the affairs of the country.

The current ones are mere pimps.

Pimps working to fatten their own pockets. They are not working for the people. That is why today Haitians everywhere, in Haiti and abroad, should stand up and demand a country where we can live.

There are Haitians in New York, abroad -everywhere – who want to come back home to live and work. But as long as there are corrupted Toms, ready to say “yes sir” like Latortue, they will never be able to work over here. Although the country is ours, for the past 200 years, we’ve been living with shameless bullies. A small portion of the population is satisfying their unbridled appetite, while the overwhelming majority is starving to death. It’s unacceptable!

We are tired of this.

Today the bourgeois must understand this untenable situation will not continue. Things can’t go on like before. It’s not acceptable that they take all the resources and let the people starve to death. For 200 years the pie hasn’t been cut right. On one side, there’s a small click that has been living large while the rest of us have nothing. Something must be done. Whatever they do, we will not be intimidated. We are not afraid of the “Chimè’s” guns. We are not afraid of anything. (….inaudible)

Jean: What is your name?

Organizer: Josue Merilien, UNNOH

Jean: That’s how things are at the demonstration, where they are directing many venomous slogans towards the ruthless and lawless defacto government.

The students climbed over the wall and jumped into the yard of the Ministry and started to disrupt the environment. The Minister’s car sped away but not before they wrote “down with the high cost of living.” They are chanting and writing it on all the cars parked in the yard. They are making a racket that I am going to have you sample right now.

(Editor’s Note: We hear demonstrators jumping up and down, rhyming, chanting. Clapping, shouting vociferously in piercingly angry voices. Above the raucous one singer leads, stridently chanting an impolite call-and-response song denouncing the bourgeoisie, group 184. Everyone answers one unequivocal response in unison: “We won’t participate in elections. And then: “We won’t participate in imported selections” Editor sends her apologies to the Network in advance. But we couldn’t figure out a more polite way to translate the word “bounda” – Kreyol for “ass.” No other English equivalent more adequately conveyed the Haitian students’ disenchantment with U.S. officials, group 184 and Latortue. So “ass” they said. “Ass” we write. Reprints of this report, may use “A###” as an alternative if desired.):

Lead Singer: “Bourgeois in my ass. Misery in my ass.”
Chorus: “We ain’t participating in elections!”

Lead Singer: “Baker in my ass. Misery in my ass.”
Chorus: “We ain’t participating in elections!”

Lead Singer: “Apaid in my ass. Starvation in my ass.
Chorus: “We ain’t participating in elections!”

Lead Singer: “Boulos in my ass. Starvation in my ass.
Chorus: “We ain’t participating in elections!”

(Translator’s notes: And so on and so forth, going through the list of the 184 members. The chanting lasts for a few minutes during which the demonstrators associate the bourgeoisie – Apaid, Baker, Boulos and many more members of the 184 organization – to their misery, starvation, insecurity and inability to buy basic food staples.)

Jean: You hear the very intense atmosphere. Students who claimed the Ministry does not deserve to be called “Ministry of Commerce” have sprayed over where the Minister’s name was written, stating that the defacto government is the one that brought the high cost of living to Haiti. They also have put certain items on exhibit. Here’s a glimpse of the exhibit the demonstrators have put on display:

There’s a small natural gas container with the caption: “in 1986 it cost US$0.65, in 1990 it cost US$1.97, in 2004 it cost US$10.48, in 2005 it cost US$12.45.”

There is a 10 pound bag of wheat with the caption: “not too long ago the price of a 10 pound bag of wheat was US$0.26, now it cost US$0.40.”

The demonstrators are complaining that the price for grapefruit is too much for their pocketbook, as well as sweet potatoes… They further pointed out that not too long ago the cost of a couple of pounds of kidney beans was US$0.65, as opposed to the current US$1.05….

That is how things are even though the police officers are behaving as their usual repressive self.

Right now, although the gate has been opened, the students are still scaling the wall making the point that they must leave the way they entered, understand?

Unidentified Student: If they want to kill us because we are stating the fact the bourgeoisie is responsible for our misery, even though today they make US$0.79 profit on the gallon of gas as opposed to the US$0.08 per gallon profit that they made in 1994, they may as well kill us.

One thing is for sure, we are fighting against the high cost of living. We are fighting in order to eradicate misery in Haiti.

Jean: We noticed that the police officer was harassing you while you were removing the official license plate from the car and writing your slogans.

Demonstrator: The police are supposed to be a law and order institution. As such, we have no problem with the police. Nonetheless we will point out that the police are paid for the job that they do. But although we are pushed around, the problem remains a social one. People cannot eat, the populations of Bèlè and Site Solèy can’t. The current regime has a macabre plan. The imperialists are mixed up with the bourgeoisie in order to lead the people to a hopeless situation. The twisted intestines of an empty stomach are not enjoyable. Latortue must try to imagine what is happening on the street, what the people are going through.

As far as we are concerned, the Constitution is clear. Elections can’t be debated or organized in the current state of things. It is a fact that it is impossible to run elections in the current state of affairs. The problems faced by the country currently have nothing to do with elections. It is about time that we address the true problems of this country. The problem of squeezing, the problem of exploiting, the problem of alienating of the majority by the vampire bourgeoisie.

Us students, we are more determined than ever; us the responsible representatives, the enlightened conscience of the people, we say no. Things must change. The exploitation must stop.

Jean: What is your name?

Student: I am a student at the school of ethnology.

Jean: That is how thing were. The students left the Minister’s yard and continued their demonstration on the streets. Yet when the Minister’s car was pulling out, in an effort to avoid the demonstrators going over the wall, it was a veritable assault on the car, though limited to punches and kicks to the car. They wrote and yelled (“aba grangou, aba la vie chè” ) – “down with the high cost of living, down with starvation.”

They appear to be chanting something new, let’s listen in:

Student: As the song just stated, the police is a tool manipulated by any government. A tool manipulated especially by the bourgeois. We understand that it is their instrument that they use against us. While the cops push us around, we know that they are victims of the very misery that we are contesting. The government and bourgeoisie dispatched their police on us because the police are their instrument. They were given strict orders to rough us up, because as an institution, they are instruments of the government and bourgeoisie to hit us. However, we don’t care and will be sitting here on a regular basis, until the price of gas goes down.

Jean: Today you went over the wall and really disrupted the Ministry’s environment. What is the next step?

Student: We had started by a sit-in and the government ignored our demand. We are going to continue to mobilize in all form of peaceful demonstrations, until the cost of gas goes down. The Ministry’s yard is a public place, access to which we are entitled. We were protesting the high cost of living; we went to let them know.

Jean: …(inaudible)

Student: Our principles tell us that once we went over the wall on the way in, we had to use the same approach to exit.

Jean: Why did you need the Minister’s license plate?

Student: We did not need the license plate. We think that the car should be sold and the money used to provide the peasants with seeds and fertilizers. The money used to buy these cars comes from loans given by the IMF.

Jean: What is your name?

Student: My name is Laurent.
Jean: …(inaudible)

Student: I don’t belong to any political party I am a student.

(Translator’s notes): The chanting starts again. But this time around the word “ election” is replaced by “SELECTION” in the chorus– Grangou lan bouda-m, mwen pa lan selektyon!)
*
“Bourgeois in my A##. Misery in my A##.” (Chorus:) “We ain’t participating in this selection.”

“Baker in my A##. Misery in my A##.
(Chorus:) “We ain’t participating in this selection.”

“The high cost of living in my A##, Boulos in my A##.
(Chorus) “We ain’t participating in this selection”

“High cost of living in my ass. Apaid in my A##. Amwe, Amwe.

(Chorus) “We ain’t participating in this selection.”

High cost of living in my ass. Starvation in my A##.
Chorus: “We ain’t participating in this selection….”

(Translator’s notes: The slogans became more hostile to the bourgeois class):

“People, stand up!
(Chorus) It’s the bourgeoisie that won’t stop killing us.”

“People stand up!
(Chorus) The bourgeoisie won’t finish killing.”

“Young people stand up!
(Chorus) The bourgeoisie won’t stop the slaughter.”

“Young people stand up!
(Chorus) We don’t want imported selections.”

“Site Solèy stand up!
(Chorus) We don’t want an imported administration.”

“Peasants, stand up”
(Chorus) It’s the bourgeoisie that keeps killing.”

“Bèlè stand up!
(Chorus) It’s the bourgeoisie that won’t stop killing.”

(etc, etc,.. Kreyol speakers may listen to the original recording for full chant.)
*
Jean: Yes, that is the way things are progressing at the demonstration …

(Translator’s notes: Jean’s voice is drowned out by a new chant….. “Nou pa t ap dòmi non. Se yon kabicha nou t ap fè. La boujwazi tonè, nou reveye….”):

Demonstrators:

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!
Latortue, it’s for real, we’ re awaaake!

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!
Danm it bourgeoisies, we’re awaaaaake
Danm it bourgeoisies, we’re awaaaaake

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!

We weren’t asleeeeeeeep noOOO.
We were just snoozing. We weren’t asleep!
Latortue, damn it, we’ re awaaaake!
*
(Note: Another students heatedly start another rhyme with a different slogan, everyone joins in the chorus:)

(“Nou fout grangou” ) – “We’re starving, damn it!”
(Chorus- “Nou grangou”) – “We’re starving.”
“We’re starving, damn it”
(Chorus) “We’re starving”
“We’re starving, damn it!”
(Chorus) We’re starving
“We’re starving, damn it!”
(Chorus slogan gets faster, faster, faster)
“We’re starving!”
“We’re starving!”
“We’re starving!”
Nou grangou/nou grangou/nou grangou…..

****
End of Report

I’m sorry about the missing days. I am not yet ready to stop making excuses and accept that I am an irregular blogger, even if you (readers) have done so.

Enough with the excuses. My friend Stefan Christoff, from Montreal, is planning a trip to Lebanon. The idea behind the trip is twofold. First, Stefan, who has been doing great work in alternative media, immigration and antipoverty activism, and anti-corporate globalization activism, intends to help facilitate ongoing exchanges between activists in Lebanon and in Montreal. Second, he wants to report on ongoing events in Lebanon for alternative media here. Both are worthy projects, and like many worthy projects, they take resources, some of which Stefan certainly has, others (mostly money) of which he does not.

Take a look at his ‘pitch’ below, and send him some money if you can!

LIVING WAR: Reporting on Struggles for Social Justice in LEBANON A Fundraising Appeal for an Independent MEDIA Initiative….!

This is a call for financial support and solidarity for an independent media initiative of CKUT Radio’s Community News Collective in Montreal, with the collaboration of the Electronic Intifada, Free Speech Radio News and members of the Independent Media Center in Beirut.

Between June & September 2005, Stefan Christoff, an independent journalist and community organizer in Montreal, will travel to Lebanon to produce written, audio, and visual reports on present-day struggles for social justice in Lebanon. He will be the Electronic Intifada’s “Special Correspondent” in Lebanon. Christoff will also be producing regular radio reports for Free Speech Radio News and recording material for a radio documentary series to be produced at CKUT Radio in Montreal and distributed to community radio stations throughout the world in the fall of 2005.

This independent media initiative coincides with a period of significant political change in Lebanon, following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime-Minister Rafik Hariri in downtown Beirut in February 2005. Hariri’s death sparked a political shift in Lebanon, which saw the longstanding presence of approximately 15 000 Syrian troops in Lebanon come to an end. Also in recent months a series of sectarian bombings have taken place throughout the country, igniting a growing fear that Lebanon will relapse into the religious and political sectarianism which defined the 15 year civil-war from 1975 to 1990.

In this political context, the media initiative aims to explore grassroots political organizing and campaigns in Lebanon that oppose sectarian violence as well as Western military intervention in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East. Additionally, reporting for this project will focus on political movements that are struggling for broad principles of social and economic justice, in relation to other movements throughout the global south that are fighting for self-determination and against capitalist globalization.

Importantly, this project aims to focus on the politically diverse voices within Lebanese society that are not often broadcast or projected by major media outlets on a local and international level. In so doing, it will confront the international corporate media distortions of the current political situation in Lebanon. This project aims to give voice to the struggles of oppressed communities in Lebanon, from the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, to the working poor, to the foreign workers, and to progressive political movements in a social context in which upwards of 40% the population lives in poverty.

The existing budget for this independent media initative is approximately $3,000 Canadian, which takes into account travel expenses, equipment needs, including recording devices and basic living expenses.

It is only with YOUR financial assistance, solidarity, and support for this important initiative that the radio documentary project will take place. Please consider donating today. ALL financial donation information is included BELOW.

Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity, Stefan Christoff CKUT Radio Montreal — www.ckut.ca Tel: 514 398 6788 Email: christoff@resist.ca

“I have learned a great deal from Stefan Christoff’s breakthrough reporting on and from Beirut. In the midst of the Bush Administration’s propaganda campaign about spreading “democracy” through the Middle East, it is absolutely crucial that probing and engaged independent journalists like Christoff have the resources they need to bring us unfiltered and unembedded voices from the front lines of Lebanon’s genuine grassroots struggles for self-determination. I urge you to support this project.”

Naomi Klein, syndicated columnist and author, “No Logo.”

—-> If you are interested in supporting this project financially, you can make checks payable to “Stefan Christoff” and mail them to the following address:

Stefan Christoff C/O CKUT Radio Montreal 3647 University Street Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B3, Canada

NOTE – Those wishing to make a contribution to this project that is tax-deductible under U.S. law for U.S taxpayers can make their donation through the Electronic Intifada. To donate, please visit the Electronic Intifada’s donation page at:

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2162.shtml

—-> Details on Accessing Christoff’s Reporting on Struggles for Social Justice in Lebanon:

Between June & September, Christoff will be filing regular bi-weekly reports for the ELECTRONIC INTIFADA, while also producing radio reports for CKUT RADIO & various community radio stations throughout the world.

You will find Christoff reports as the ELECTRONIC INTIFADA’s “Special Correspondent” in LEBANON online at: http://www.electronicintifada.net…. You will hear Christoff’s audio reports on CKUT Radio (http://www.ckut.ca) in MONTREAL at 90.3 FM. The radio reports will also be available for re-broadcast & download on-line at: http://www.radio4all.net….

ALSO, Christoff will be collaborating with Palestinian independent journalist Mohammed Shublaq of the Independent Media Center in Beirut for Free Speech Radio News (FSRN). These reports will broadcast on over 93 community radio stations throughout the world and will also be accessible online. All details concerning FSRN and the program’s broadcast schedule can be found at: http://www.fsrn.org

AND Christoff will be recording and producing audio material for a larger radio documentary series entitled LIVING WAR, which will be edited and ready for broadcast in October 2005 and will be aired on CKUT Radio in Montreal and throughout community radio stations in Canada, North America and the world.

The distribution of this documentary will take place by Internet. CD mail-outs will be made available upon request to community radio stations…. If you are interested in broadcasting or distributing the LIVING WAR radio documentary project please do not hesitate to get in touch!

—-> Information on Independent Media Activist & Community Organizer Stefan Christoff:

Stefan Christoff is a social justice organizer and media activist based in Montreal. Christoff has been active with various Palestinian solidarity organizing including the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and heavily involved with the struggle of Palestinian refugees in Canada through the Coalition Against the Deportation of Palestinian Refugees. Christoff has also been active with various networks and organizations actively confronting capitalist globalization including the Peoples Global Action Network and locally with CLAC, the Anti-Capitalist Convergence in Montreal.

As a media activist Christoff is a long-time member of CKUT’s Community News Collective. He has focused on forging connections between social justice movements and community based media initiatives. Stefan is also a regular contributor to Free Speech Radio News (FRSN.org) based in the U.S. Christoff’s radio work has been broadcast on countless community radio stations throughout the world, including Canada, the United States, the UK, the Middle East & Africa. Christoff’s written work has also been published in various media sources throughout the world, from the Middle East, to Canada, to the U.S. and the UK, including the Montreal Mirror, Lebanon’s Daily Star, the Jordan Times, Z Magazine, Canadian Dimension, and the Electronic Intifada.

http://www.zcommunications.org/palestinians-in-israels-prisons-by-sahar-francis

Sahar Francis is a lawyer and human rights advocate in the Occupied Territories. She works with Addameer (www.addameer.org) in Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank on political prisoner’s rights campaigns. In April 2005, she was part of a North American tour organized by Sumoud (http://sumoud.tao.ca) to raise issues of Palestinian prisoners internationally. I interviewed her in Toronto.

Justin Podur (JP): Can you introduce us to your organization, Addameer?

Continue reading “Palestinians in Israel’s Prisons: Interviewing Sahar Francis”

I attended the London (Ontario) Palestine Film Festival over the weekend. There were some great films shown. I was there to visit friends and to be on a panel on media coverage of the Israel/Palestine conflict. The panel was shown after the film ‘Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land’ (I follow Bollywood convention and abbreviate this film to P3L). All of the films were, in my opinion, excellent. In the order that I preferred them, from excellent to superb, here are some brief descriptions.

Continue reading “My weekend in London (Ontario)”