Perspectives on organising in the times of Covid19
Welcome
In memoriam: Ernest Wamba dia Wamba
The Forge mourns the passing of Congolese militant intellectual Ernest Wamba-dia-Wamba, who left us on 15 July 2020. Professor Wamba Dia Wamba was a dedicated and outstanding political thinker and organiser, militant educator, theorist and committed Pan-Africanist and working class internationalist. His most well-known work, Experiences of Democracy in Africa: Reflections on Practices of Communalist …
Threat to Liberation: Tishio La Ukombozi: Ubeberu na Mapinduzi Zanzibar
What was ‘The Threat of Liberation’ by Amrit Wilson in her book? Zahid Rajan reviews Amrit Wilson’s book originally published in English by Pluto Press (2013) as The Threat to Liberation The Relevance and the Context today: Academicians, intellectuals and historians will benefit immensely from this excellent book by Amrit Wilson, published by Daraja Press. …
Organising on COVID-19 in the Niger Delta
Emem Okon is a feminist activist, grassroots mobilizer, gender specialist, social change advocate, pan-africanist and a development practitioner who has successfully led grassroots campaigns in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and in the African region with over 20 years experience in the non-profit sector and specializes in practical issues associated with gender, women empowerment, …
False Promises: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
Timothy A. Wise is a Senior Adviser at IATP, where his work focuses on the Future of Food, based on his recent book, Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Battle for the Future of Food (The New Press). Tim has a long history of collaboration with IATP, on issues including agricultural dumping, U.S. agricultural …
Challenges posed by COVID-19 in Haiti
Paul Christian Namphy works on the nexus between water / sanitation / hygiene (WASH), the health sector, and community involvement, in Haiti. Formerly in the public sector in the struggle to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services in displaced-persons’ camps after the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the to eliminate cholera in Haiti …
The struggle against racism: Updates from Portland, OR, and beyond
This special broadcast from The People’s Strike provides an update on the struggles against racism across the USA.
What do Free Trade Agreements mean for African women?
Susan Nakacwa writes: “I am a Ugandan journalist and currently working with GRAIN. Currently, my passion is in researching, documenting and making the case for smallholder farming on the African continent. I have opted to use my journalism training to make a case for sustainable agriculture, smallholder farming as well as gender advocacy. I believe …
Black resistance, power and Covid-19 in Canada
Desmond Cole is a Canadian journalist, activist, author, and broadcaster who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of The Skin We’re In, and essential reading for understanding the depth of racism and silences in Canada.
Former Chief Justice of Kenya speaks about Covid-19 and justice
Willy Mutunga is the retired Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya On 29 July 1982, he was detained, just three days before 1 August 1982 abortive coup by the Air Force. He was also dismissed from his University of Nairobi job. Founder of many important institutions in Kenya including …
Covid-19 and fears of a black nation rising?
David Austin is one of the most important black writers and intellectuals in North America. Based in Montreal. David has been a prolific writer. He has published widely including: David Austin is the author of Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolution (London: Pluto Press, 2018) and Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex, …
Navajo Nation: Organising in the time of Covid-19
“The Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, reported a population of 173,667 on the 2010 census. As a result, with 4,002 cases, the Native American territory has 2,304.41 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people.” I speak with Janene Yazzie, Sustainable Development Program Coordinator, International Indian Treaty Council, & Co-Convenor, Indigenous …
Gas in Mozambique: A windfall for the industry, a curse for the country
Between 2010 and 2013, huge gas deposits were discovered in Mozambique. Around 5 trillion cubic meters were found, making this the 9th largest gas reserve in the world. Over the coming years, a projected minimum of 60 billion USD is set to be invested in the exploitation of these reserves, amounting to the largest investment …
Arrests, tests and lockdown in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Indefinite lockdown started on Level 2 on 4 May 2020, in a context in which Zimbabwe has not reached the WHO standards for lifting of lockdown. • Regionally, there are increasing concerns about whether lockdown infringes citizens’ rights including the right to earn a living. • Zimbabwe initially locked down in good time to contain …
Fanonian revolutionary practice and Fanonian psychotherapeutic practice
Helen Neville and Lou turner just published on Fanonian psychotherapy, “Frantz Fanon’s Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Clinical Work: Practicing Internationally with Marginalized Communities” (2020). It’s the first collection of its kind to situate, actually push, Fanon into disciplines, professions, and practices of psychology. The case studies are powerful. Recognizing Frantz Fanon’s remarkable legacy to applied mental …
The Politics of Love and Rebellion
We ask, is rebellion an expression of the fundamental nature of humans that seek freedom and emancipation, and ways of defining and inventing what it means to be human? Discussants include: * Margo Okazawa-Rey – Prof Emeritta at San Fransico State University * Roberto D Hernández – Associate Prof of Chicano and Chicano Studies at …
Brazil: Rise of fascism in the time of Covid-19
Dr. Alexandra Gabbard is a Ph.D. professor of English Literature, my research focuses on the cross-cultural fields of Cultural Studies, Queer Theory, Gender Studies, Feminist Studies, Posthumanist Theory, New Materialisms, Body Politics and Psychoanalytical Theory. Having obtained a PhD degree in Contemporary Politics and Literatures in 2017, the main corpus of my research approached perspectives …
What does COVID-19 look like in Sierra Leone, a country that has successfully dealt with ebola?
Gwendolyn Schulman of AMANDLA.ca talks to Ismail Rashid about COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, and how Sierra Leoneans’ experience with Ebola has shaped their response to this pandemic. Ismail Rashid grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone and has been teaching history at Vassar College since 1998. His many publications include Understanding West Africa’s Ebola Epidemic: Towards a Political …
A TALE OF ARRESTS AND TESTS… Covid in Bulawayo and Rural Matabeleland
I interview an activist from UKUTHULA TRUST to discuss the conditions in Bulawayo and rural Matabeleland in Zimbabwe Summary of Main Findings Indefinite lockdown started on Level 2 on 4 May 2020, in a context in which Zimbabwe has not reached the WHO standards for lifting of lockdown. Regionally, there are increasing concerns about whether …
People’s Strike – 1 July: Part 2
All times are EDT (UTC-5) 1:25 – 2:30 BLACK & BROWN UNITE AND FIGHT with Johanna Fernandez 2:30 – 4:30 BLACK LIBERATION UPRISINGS and INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY & STRUGGLE: Frieda Afary 4:30 – 5:20 COVID Update: Firoze Manji with Rob Wallace & Antoine Johnson 5:25 – 6:00 PEOPLE’S STRIKE SUMMARY: Kali Akuno
People’s Strike – 1 July: Part 1
Times show below are all EDT (UTC-5) 9:00 – 9:20 Intro: Rose Brewer 9:25 – 10:30 BLACK FARMERS and BLACK ECOLOGIES: JT Roane 10:30 – 12:30 UPRISINGS UPDATES: Holden Cession and Firoze Manji 12:45- 1:20 Labor: INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE and WAREHOUSE UNION with Clarence Thomas