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A recent article from the Toronto Star, "the ICE idea", is catching on and it is a very simple, yet important method of contact for you or a loved one in case of an emergency. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is program the number of a contact person or persons and store the name as "ICE". The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when they went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which numbers to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name to file "next of kin" under. Following a disaster in London The East Anglican Ambulance Service has launched a national "In Case of Emergency (ICE)" campaign. The idea is that you store the word "ICE " in your mobile phone address book, and with it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency ". In an emergency situation, Emergency Services personnel and hospital staff would then be able to quickly contact your next of kin, by simply dialing the number programmed under "ICE". Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference ! |
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Edmonton Journal Sunday, August 6, 2006 Page: Cassandra Kyle EDMONTON - Edmonton's African communities are standing together at the Heritage Festival to showcase their culture, and get to know each other a little better. Ten different nations from that continent, from Somalia to Kenya, are sharing a pavilion, along with "cultural colonies" such as Haiti. Six other African nations have their own pavilions. Nyambura Belcourt, the executive director of the Edmonton Multicultural Society and chairperson of the Afrika Oyi pavilion at the festival, said the American media's focus on crimes committed by African-Americans is casting a shadow over African-Canadians. "Most (Edmontonians) have never been exposed to our culture," Belcourt said. "Many people have a negative view of black people. We are black, but we came from Africa, not America." She said the solution to the problem is showcasing African culture through community involvement and cultural celebrations like the Heritage Festival to expose people to the culture. However, many African-Canadians are afraid to stand up and tell their stories, fearing they will become a target for racial crimes, she added. "Africans come from violence, political turbulence and poverty," Belcourt said. "They have not had time to sit down and smell the beautiful Edmonton roses." The pavilions showcase different crafts such as wood carvings, colourful clothes and even hand-decorated ostrich eggs, as well as drumming and dancing. There are four new African nations at the festival this year. Belcourt hopes the exposure will help the Edmonton community better understand the culture, and inspire people from the African community to get involved with their roots and their neighbourhoods. "You're in Canada now," she said. "You're not going back to Africa." Grace Lwanga has been a part of the Uganda Cultural Association of Alberta for almost 20 years. He is volunteering at the Ugandan pavilion to help promote his country and continent. "There needs to be some more awareness and this is the way to do it," Lwanga said. "There are so many aspects of bringing Africans together." One of those aspects is making contact with newcomers to the city. Lwanga explains that if a refugee family comes to Edmonton and they don't know about any African associations, they can't receive a warm welcome from the community. That welcome could include necessities like shelter and language training. "There are so many people coming here that don't know these societies exist," he said. "They make a lot of us see how we have to keep doing what we are doing." But, he added, more people need to get involved. Last October, the Federation of African Countries in Edmonton was formed as a way to tackle the issues of racism, cultural awareness, community involvement and newcomer services as a unified group. "We hope to bring the African community, our brothers and sisters not just from Sudan but from all of Africa, together," said Ater Deng, organizer of the Sudanese pavilion and a member of the federation. As African communities explain their traditional dances and hungry visitors try their first taste of Kuku wa Kubanka -- grilled chicken with spices -- Belcourt knows that this trade of cultures will one day erase stereotypical views of African-Canadians and create a strong African community. "By gathering together in this way we are meeting each other in happy moments, and that helps build a relationship," Belcourt said. "Africans are a big happy family." |
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This was found in his diary, Dear God, I promise I will never waste my food no matter how bad it can taste and how full I may be. I pray that He will protect this little boy, guide and deliver him away from his misery. I pray that we will be more sensitive towards the world around us and not be blinded by our own selfish nature and interests. I hope this picture will always serve as a reminder to us that how fortunate we are and that we must never ever take things for granted. |
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Not Everyone Felt That Way - Tim Wise - Sept 12 - ZNet Commentary http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-09/12wise.cfm When I was a kid, I remember my maternal grandmother defending Richard Nixon for the crimes of Watergate, because, as she put it: "He didn't do anything any worse than what every other President did." Knowing, even at six, that this was hardly a morally compelling justification for one's actions, even if true, I recall how it infuriated me to hear it over and over again, whenever politics were discussed in my grandparent's home. Little did I realize that such obfuscation was hardly unique to certain members of my family. Indeed, throughout the years, it seemed like whenever Watergate came up in conversation (as it would for a long time after 1974, and Iran/Contra after that), someone would pull out this same canard, repeating with the precision of an atomic clock, that "so-and-so didn't do anything that every other President/Senator/Congressman, or whatever, didn't also do." And invariably, those who would say these things were always staunch supporters of whatever asshole was being criticized: whether it was Nixon, Reagan, or Bill Clinton. It's almost as if stupid arguments spread by osmosis, or some such thing. So we end up with people who have never met each other, nonetheless miraculously spewing the same apologetics, as if they had gotten some kind of memo instructing them on what to say whenever one of their personal heroes stepped in it. So too, the oft-heard argument that one shouldn't be too harsh on this nation's founders, or other early USAmerican Presidents, when it comes to slaveholding, or involvement in Indian genocide, because, after all, they were "products of their time," and shouldn't be judged by the moral standards of the modern world. I heard this one again recently, after an article of mine hit the Internet, in which I discussed, among other things, the depredations of Andrew Jackson: one of this nation's premier Indian killers. The person who wrote to attack me as a "PC liberal" who "hates America," insisted that Jackson, and others like Thomas Jefferson shouldn't be evaluated on the basis of today's moral "underpinnings." And as with every other instance in which something like this has been said to me, in this case too, the comment was made absent any awareness on the part of its author, as to the position's utter absurdity. The most infuriating thing about the "men of their times" defense, is that by insisting Jackson, Jefferson and the rest were in line with the standards accepted by all in their day, apologists ignore, in a blatantly racist fashion, that to the blacks being enslaved, or the Indians being killed, slavery and genocide were hardly acceptable. In other words, the "everybody back then felt that way" argument assumes that the feelings of non-whites don't count. Some folks always knew mass murder and land theft were wrong: namely, the victims of either. That lots of white folks didn't, hardly acquits them in this instance. It's not as if the human brain was incapable of recognizing the illegitimacy of killing and enslavement. Secondly, beliefs that killing and stealing are wrong hardly emerged in the 20th or 21st centuries. Indeed, the very people who suggest we should cut the founders slack because of the standards of their day, are overwhelmingly the kind of Bible-thumping conservatives who insist morality is timeless, and who clamor for the posting of the Ten Commandments in the public square for this very reason. Yet they appear to have forgotten that among those Commandments (which were not, after all, handed down to Billy Graham in the 1950s, but rather to someone else a wee bit earlier) are prohibitions against murder and theft. In other words, the founders don't merely offend by today's moral standards; they offended by the moral standards set in place at least by the time of Moses. But there's something else troubling about this kind of argument: the kind that seeks to paper over past crimes against humanity by insisting we can't hold old timers to today's standards (as if today's standards were really all that much better when it came to justifying war, racism and oppression). Namely, despite the apparent belief to the contrary, there were also whites in Jackson's time, and before, who opposed the extermination of native peoples, and who supported the abolition of slavery--and not only on grounds of political pragmatism but morality as well. In other words, even using the fundamentally racist limitation suggested by the apologists as to whose views mattered, it is simply not the case that all whites stood behind racist land grabs, killings and the ownership of other human beings. Thus, Jackson, Jefferson, and whomever else one cares to mention can hardly seek refuge in the notion of a universal white morality either. That the apologist (and for that matter, most everyone else) knows little of this history is as tragic as it is infuriating. Because the history of white dissent from the crimes of our kinfolk is so rarely told, too many of us become invested in a view of history that is thoroughly bound up with the narratives and interpretations of elites. So not only is the history we remember a white history, it is a very specific, narrow and cramped white history at that: one that normalizes contributing to the death and destruction of racial others as something quintessentially white, perhaps even the essence of whiteness. Ironically, this kind of historical understanding is itself racist on two levels then: first and foremost, because it erases the non-white perspective, and secondly because it implies that the white perspective is only that of racism; in other words, it suggests that to be white is to be racist, inherently, almost biologically perhaps, (and to forcelose the possibility of turning against racism). More than that, the argument even suggests that to be white is, by definition, to be a willing contributor to genocide, and to have no choice in the matter; no human agency to go in a different direction. The argument of the apologist, for this reason, denigrates whites as well. Is it any wonder that with such a stunted understanding of what it means (or can mean) to be a person of European descent, that so few whites think antiracism their struggle? Is it any wonder that whites who have never been exposed to antiracist white history can't then see any alternative to going along with the system as they've inherited it, all the while making excuses about how "that's just how our people have always thought?" But of course there is another history, and however much white antiracism has been trumped quantitatively by white racism and supremacy, it is still vital to learn of this history, so as to put an end to the excuse making for those who chose to oppress others, as well as to point to a different set of role models whose vision young whites might choose to follow. We could begin with Bartolomé de Las Casas, a priest who traveled with Columbus, and after witnessing the cruelty meted out against the Taino (Arawak) Indians by the "peerless" explorer (who we are still taught to venerate in this culture), turned against the genocidal activities of the Spanish crown and spoke and wrote eloquently in opposition to them. That we know of Columbus, but that most have never heard the name of Las Casas is because of a choice we have made to highlight the one and ignore the other. That Las Casas existed gives the lie to the argument that Columbus can be excused based on the standards of his day. We could follow up then with the group of whites in the Georgia territory, who, in 1738, petitioned the King of England to disallow the introduction of slavery there, because they considered it morally repugnant and "shocking" to the conscience. The existence of these whites gives the lie to the argument that slavers in the 18th century can be excused based on the standards of their day. We could then discuss the ways in which colonial elites actually passed laws to punish whites for running away and joining Indian communities: a move they felt compelled to take only because this kind of emigration from whiteness happened so often that it was perceived as a threat. In other words, it can hardly be claimed that anti-Indian sentiment was "just the way everyone felt," if indeed many whites ran away to live among Indians, and had to then be compelled to stop on pain of imprisonment or even the death penalty in some colonies. Likewise, the lack of anti-black racism among most of the white working class in the 1600s, and the recognition on the part of working class, landless white peasants that they had more in common with black slaves than European elites, led those elites to pass laws specifically designed to divide and conquer the class-based coalitions that were beginning to emerge. Why would that have been necessary, if anti-black racism was already a universally accepted ideology, to which all whites adhered, and for which whites like Jefferson should be excused? Or what of iconic USAmerican heroes like Thomas Paine, the famous pamphleteer and author of Common Sense, who (as Robert Jensen points out in his upcoming book, The Heart of Whiteness) was an ardent abolitionist, and who condemned so-called Christians for their support of the slave system? Or Alexander Hamilton, who freed the slaves that became his after marriage, and started the New York Manumission Society. Surely Jefferson and Washington were familiar with Hamilton, to put it mildly, and his example gives the lie to the argument that they can be excused because of the standards of their day, which, after all, was his day too. Or William Shreve Bailey, of Kentucky, who advocated for the total and immediate abolition of slavery, and who was harassed in the mid-1800s for his opposition to the Fugitive Slave Act, and for operating an abolitionist paper in the heart of a Southern slave state. That Bailey existed gives the lie to the notion that Southern slaveowners and defenders of slavery can be excused, because, after all, "that's just how everyone felt back then." Or Ohio politician Charles Anderson who spoke out against what he called the "myth of Anglo-Saxon supremacy," as well as the material manifestations of that myth, including slavery and conquest of much of Mexico in the 1840s. Or John Fee (also a Kentuckian as with Bailey), who was a radical abolitionist preacher, dismissed from his pastor's position by the Presbyterian Synod for refusing to minister to slaveholders, and who helped to found interracial Berea College in 1858. Or the celebrated writer, Helen Hunt Jackson, who railed against Indian genocide and the repeated violation of treaties made with Indian nations by the U.S. Government. Or Robert Flournoy, a Mississippi planter who quit the Confederate army, and encouraged blacks to flee to Union soldiers: an act for which he was arrested. Flournoy, whose name is known by almost no one it seems, also published a newspaper called Equal Rights, and pushed for school desegregation at Ole Miss a century before it would finally happen. Or George Cable, born to a wealthy family, who became one of the nation's most celebrated writers at one time, and whose classic, The Silent South, inveighed against the reestablishment of white supremacy in the wake of emancipation. Or George Henry Evans, leader of the Workingmen's Party, who published a newspaper defending Nat Turner's rebellion at a time when most whites viewed Turner's insurrection as among the most vile acts imaginable. That Evans existed gives the lie to the notion that whites can be forgiven for their racism at that time, and in that place. Or for that matter, poets like James Russell Lowell, or intellectuals like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, or William Lloyd Garrison, or the Grimke sisters. The list, however much longer it should be, is far longer than most probably realize. And every single one of them gives the lie to the apologists' position: that somehow the morals of the day excuse the racist depredations of people like Andrew Jackson. To be sure, not every one of these persons was free of racist sentiment, and not all of them opposed both slavery and Indian genocide (some, rather, chose to focus their ire on one or the other), but all of them suggest that there was not only one way of thinking about either of those subjects, even among whites, to say nothing, of course, of Indians or African Americans themselves. To accept the idea that the nation's founders should only be judged by the moral standards of their own time is to ignore that there has been no single set of morals accepted by all, at any point in history. The victims of human cruelty have always known that what was being done to them was wrong, and have resisted oppression with all their might. As well, some among the class of perpetrators have seen clearly to this fundamental truth. And their lives, and perspectives give the lie to the arguments of those who would rather excuse murderers than praise and emulate true heroes. Tim Wise is the author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son (Soft Skull Press, 2005) and Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White (Routledge, 2005). He can be reached at timjwise@msn.com and his website is www.timwise.org. Hate mail, while neither desired nor appreciated, will be graded for content, form and grammar. |
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A Canadian Multicultural Day at Canada Place By Sean Wei Mah
The June 27, Multicultural Day festivities began with a prayer by Aboriginal Elder Eva Baretti who lit the braid of sweetgrass and invited all to join with her in prayer. Eva explained “With all that goes on around us, and all that we see, I hope we all can come to reality of what we are all about.” Eva’s message was followed by the Praying Mantis Kung Fu Society’s exciting Lion Dance; a dance to bring courage, integrity, strength and good luck to all. Weaving in through the crowds, this lion displayed the grace and form symbolic of martial arts, drawing spectators in for this noon hour celebration. Speakers included the Director of Canadian Heritage, City Councilor Terry Cavanaugh, and Highland’s MLA Brian Mason whom all came to celebrate with multicultural day speeches. Most memorable speech came from Terry Cavanaugh who began by quoting a Chinese proverb “If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be Peace in the World.” The next cultural performance was by Classical Guitarist George Ali, graduate of several music schools, who delighted the crowd with his flamenco song. After listening to the classical composition, the noon hour did not seem long enough to enjoy extended performances by all the talented artists. The final speaker was special guest Dr. Sultana Qureshi, a 23 year old medical doctor. She explained her secret to overcoming racism and discrimination was “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration,” which she says is basically maintaining a positive attitude in the face of adversity. Dr. Qureshi, told her story of growing up in a small town, experiencing racism as a Muslim girl. She explained “It is important to not ignore the solution, and not harbor hatred, having a negative attitude can be draining, and no fun at all.” Her outlets for overcoming racism included wining an anti-racism poster contest, founding a multicultural youth magazine entitled “Rainbow,” and taking a positive action for each negative incident. Dr, Qureshi closed with a quote from Sir Winston Churchill, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Following her speech was a performance by the Global Hand Drummers, whose sound and rhythm was amazing. Closing the celebration was a group performance by all musicians, including the Pepper Seed Orchestra. This was the perfect ending to the Multicultural Day Celebration at Canada Place (not including the free cake). Organizations in attendance included: Madelaine Sanaam Foundation, Action fro Healthy Communities, Heritage Communities Foundation, Society of Friends of The Ukrainian Folklore Centre, Canada World Youth, Edmonton Immigrant Services Association, Service d’accueil et d’establissment, Indian & Northern Affairs, A Centre For Immigrant Women “Changing Together,” International & Heritage Languages Association (IHLA), Alliance Jeunesse Famile de l’Alberta Society (AJFAS), Acces’ Emploi, Canadian Arab Friendship Association (CAFA), Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations (NAARR), Edmonton Police Services, Canadian Armed Forces, Black Pioneer Descendants Society, Vision Images. |
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When Networking Means Survival Employment Experiences Of African-born Professionals Sean Wei Mah Monday, June 20, 2005
On June 18, 2005, a consultation meeting at the Grant MacEwan City Centre Campus brought together members of the African community to share experiences in the Canadian job market. The meeting was to discuss issues regarding successful economic and social integration of immigrants; where hopes to start a new life here have been compromised amid employment issues and recognition of foreign credentials. The meeting was arranged through the efforts of the African Canadian Community Association of Edmonton (ACCAE), an organization whose mandate includes addressing employment barriers for African-born professionals in all sectors. Mr. Zed Ghebremusse, Co-Chair of ACCAE, explained “The unemployment of African Professionals in Edmonton is more common than most people realize. We face many challenges in tackling this issue, but first must become a socially and federally recognized issue. The purpose of this project is to create a profile of African professionals living in Alberta; where information generated will help create policy recommendations regarding the equitable integration of African-born professionals in the labour force.” The participants at the meeting consisted of professionals and fresh graduates in fields such as engineering, finance, education, physics, air forces, computer programming, and business. An impressive range of fields, but what is most impressive, is the fact that many of them had to abandon their original career expectations and hard-earned education to adapt and survive in Canada. Many immigrants rely upon their previous credentials and education in hopes to survive and make a living here, often finding it hard to let go of their expectations and move on. Most African professionals share disappointment and pessimistic attitudes when considering the numerous challenges to social and economic integration. It is not surprising that most minorities share similar experiences and success in the labour market. Since 1990, Africa is losing 20,000 professionals annually; 300,000 now reside globally. Despite many efforts on a provincial and federal level to assess and recognize foreign credentials, progress is slow, where much must be done on an individual (skill-based), systemic (integrative), and social (barriers) level. Everyone shared their experiences and gave recommendations; the support in this room and community was evident. One participant who has been teaching for over 30 years explained,”I come highly qualified and experienced as a teacher, but that did not come easy. I took the jobs that no one wanted, because I was strong, I worked hard; I was there to replace the teachers that gave up on these children. I advise you all, do not rely upon your credentials, and diplomas, only, because only through networking, and working hard will you find work.” One counsellor states, “The term ‘Canadian Experience’ is not real, you have to make your own, focus on transferable skills, and other strong qualities to survive. It is important to learn marketing of yourselves, your cultures, we must act outside of tradition to adapt, our people may look down upon boasting of skills and credentials, but it works out there. We are the leaders, we must support each other” Another important point raised was that “We are in 2 different worlds here; we may be here to stay even when we say we want to go back. Our children are growing up here and may not want to leave.” An interesting statement was that many immigrants are bilingual; having strong French-speaking skills, yet face discrimination in being immigrant bilinguals. One doctor closed the session by stating, “Many employers do not take the time to recognize highly trained, educated, and experienced immigrants; much of the barriers exist in the appearance of the person rather than the resume. Make people comfortable with you, its not always the case that employers get across that feeling of ‘wrong face, can’t work.’ Community involvement is important, support each other, and network. Although the hill is steep, progress is slow, so have humble expectations, and time will allow change.” |
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One Study Finds AIDS Virus Transmitted Orally By Katrina Woznicki Women’s e-News (NNPA) - The virus that causes AIDS spreads surprisingly fast throughout the head and neck after oral exposure—either through breastfeeding or semen—and may result in a greater number of infections than previously believed, according to new research. The findings—preliminary until confirmed by other investigators—could have major health implications for women and girls worldwide. For the study published in December, researchers led by Donald Sodora, assistant professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, tracked the simian version of HIV, known as SIV, throughout the oral cavities and digestive tracts of monkeys. The animals were infected in their cheeks pouches. One day after exposure, scientists found lymph nodes—tissue that serves as filters for the immune system—in the head and neck had been infected. They also found the virus had infected much of the soft tissue in the mouth, including the gums, and also the esophagus and tonsils. Four days after infection, the AIDS virus was found in nearly all head and neck tissue. However, researchers did not find evidence AIDS had infected any of the digestive tract, leading scientists to suspect stomach acids may contain substances that ward off the virus. Prof. Sodora and his team reported their study results in the Dec. 3 issue of the medical journal, AIDS. “It looks like a well-done study,” says Charles Hicks, M.D., associate professor of Medicine at Duke University’s Division of Infectious Diseases in Durham, N.C. “This isn’t very well known among the general public. Oral exposure can be an important mechanism by which people get infected. There are a lot of misconceptions about what really is a potential risk behavior.” The risks of contracting HIV through sexual contact have been well-established, but the understanding of how the virus spreads through oral exposure is murkier. Prof. Sodora said the virus was not found in saliva during his study, suggesting saliva may contain substances, such as enzymes, which may destroy the AIDS virus. However, these protective substances do not appear to also exist in breast milk and semen. “Most women contract HIV/AIDS through unprotected heterosexual intercourse,” says Dr. Florence Tumasang, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Yaounde, Cameroon, and a spokesperson for the International Women’s Health Coalition. “More often than not, they contract HIV from their regular sexual partners, people they have known for some time and have become less cautious with to the extent that they stop using condoms.” If these new findings are confirmed by additional studies, it could “explain the already high rates of infection in (breastfed) babies born in Africa,” says Dr. Tumasang. “If the risk of infection through oral exposure is much higher than previously believed, those responsible for health education should get out that information. This is something that had been refuted for such a long time. It is important to let the world know that there is a real risk of infection through oral exposure.” The Geneva-based World Health Organization reports that AIDS is beginning to disproportionately affect women. In the United States, women, particularly minority women, constitute a growing number of HIV infections. Data from 2001 shows HIV infection was the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34 and was one of the top four leading causes of death for Latino women ages 35 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. In addition, HIV infection was the sixth-leading cause of death among all women ages 25 to 34 and the fourth leading cause of death among all women ages 35 to 44. Of the 37.2 million adults living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, almost half are women. In the region hardest hit by AIDS, sub-Saharan Africa, 60 percent of the adults living with HIV are women. In this area alone, women are 1.3 times more likely to become HIV infected than men. WHO statistics also indicate that in the past two years AIDS has steadily increased among women in every region. Many women today still fail to understand AIDS can be contracted through heterosexual sex. If the virus is spreading through oral exposure as quickly as this new research might indicate, Dr. Theresa Mack, an AIDS specialist and associate medical director at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, says then “it has grave implications” for women’s health. |
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Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to African Woman
"This is extremely encouraging to the people of Africa and the African woman," she told the BBC. "It is a recognition of the many efforts of African women, who continue to struggle despite all the problems they face." Social science In the late 1970s, Mrs Maathai led a campaign called the Green Belt Movement to plant tens of millions of trees across Africa to slow deforestation. The movement grew to include projects to preserve biodiversity, educate people about their environment and promote the rights of women and girls. Known as "The Tree Woman" in Kenya, Mrs Maathai celebrated by planting a Nandi flame tree in her home town of Nyeri, in the shadow of Mount Kenya. I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance Profile of Wangari Maathai Nobel Peace Laureate She said she was delighted that the vital role of the environment had been recognised. "The environment is very important in the aspects of peace because when we destroy our resources and our resources become scarce, we fight over that". "I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance," she added. The committee says she has combined science with social engagement and politics, and has worked both locally and internationally. 'Honoured' The professor was the 12th woman peace laureate since the first award was first made in 1901. A spokesman for the Kenyan government said his country was honoured. Africa's peace laureates 2004 - Wangari Maathai, Kenya 2001- Kofi Annan, Ghana 1993 - Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk, South Africa 1984 - Desmond Tutu, South Africa 1960 - Albert John Lutuli, South Africa "This is a great moment in Kenyan history. To us this shows that what Wangari Maathai has been doing here has been recognised," Alfred Mutua said. "We're very proud of her and she deserves all the credit." Mrs Maathai beat a record 194 nominations, including former chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix and the head of the UN energy watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, to win the prize. Mrs Maathai is the second woman in a row to be awarded the peace prize, which last year went to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi for her work for the rights of women and children in Iran. The award, which includes 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.3m) is awarded in Oslo on 10 December each year. |
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Black Sergeant Was 'Loyal Klansman' By Deborah Bulkeley Deseret Morning News
(Left) Ron Stallworth carries his KKK membership card as a memento. About 25 years ago, Ron Stallworth was asked to lead the Ku Klux Klan chapter in Colorado Springs. Problem was, the outgoing Klan leader didn't know that Stallworth is black. "He asked me to take over the lead because I was a good, loyal Klansman," said Stallworth, who had been in constant phone contact with the Klan leader while leading a yearlong Colorado Springs police investigation into the Klan. Stallworth later moved to Utah, where he recently retired after nearly 20 years as an investigator for the Utah Department of Public Safety. He says he's amazed that no one ever caught on to the investigation he led starting in 1979. After he was offered Klan leadership, he quietly disappeared. As a memento Stallworth still carries his Klan membership card — signed by David Duke. "It was one of the most fun" investigations, he said. "Everybody said it couldn't be done." Stallworth communicated with Klan leaders using the telephone. A white officer posing as Stallworth went to the meetings. "The challenge for me was to maintain the conversation flow," Stallworth said. At the same time, Stallworth also led an undercover investigation into the Progressive Labor Party, a communist group that protested at Klan rallies. Stallworth, of Layton, worked 30 years in law enforcement in four states. Stallworth's undercover experience and research led him to become a nationally known expert on gang culture. He calls the Klan investigation "one of the most significant investigations I was ever involved in because of the scope and the magnitude of how it unfolded." The investigation revealed that Klan members were in the military, including two at NORAD who controlled the triggers for nuclear weapons. "I was told they were being reassigned to somewhere like the North Pole or Greenland," Stallworth said. The Klan investigation isn't the only time Stallworth has been mistaken for a white guy. He's been contacted by academics about his "scholarly research" on gangs. One such academic "said he was so impressed that a white Mormon in Utah could write such an impressive work on black gang culture." Stallworth said he laughed and explained that not only is he not white or Mormon, he started his college career in 1971 and remains about 2 1/2 years shy of his bachelor's degree. Stallworth started to work on gang activity for the Utah Department of Public Safety in the late 1980s. He wrote a report that led to the formation of Utah's first gang task force — the Gang Narcotics Intelligence Unit that involved the Utah Division of Investigation and the Salt Lake City Police Department. "Based on what was going on at the time, I knew about the L.A. gang problem," he said. Utah gang suspects were "telling us they were Crips from California." Stallworth said of his work in Utah, it's his investigation of gangs that he's most proud of. "It's had a lasting impact, first and foremost, on law enforcement," he said. Wes McBride, president of the California Gang Investigators Association and retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said about 15 years ago he "heard about this guy in Salt Lake who was becoming an expert" in gangsta rap music. So, he invited Stallworth to speak on the topic. It was the first of a series of lectures Stallworth gave on street-gang culture. "I don't know that any of us ever listened to it," McBride said. "Where he was instrumental with us was pointing out to listen to the words, to listen to what these gangsters were saying." The two both testified in a 1993 homicide in which a Texas state trooper was killed by a 19-year-old gang member, McBride said. Stallworth was the expert witness on the connection between gangsta rap and gang culture in the case, McBride recalled. Leticia Medina, executive director of Utah Issues, said she started working with Stallworth on gangs in the late 1980s, when the first Metro Gang Unit was under development. She was a youth corrections provider at the time. "He was very interested in what my perspectives were," she said. "I learned from him as much as I hope he learned from me. "Law enforcement is not something that I grew up trusting. I had an opportunity to deal with a cop and see his world," she said. At the time, Medina said, law enforcement wasn't involved in the community. "They started the Metro Gang Unit, and everyone knew who the gang unit was," she said. "One key that Ron worked on was getting to know the community and community leaders. . . . Law enforcement needed to be trained in cultural competence and gang culture." Stallworth has self-published four books on gang culture and has testified before Congress on gangs and violence. He also served as the state's first gang-intelligence coordinator. In 1994, he was selected by the U.S. Justice Department's National Drug Intelligence Center to participate in a national street-gang symposium, the results of which were presented to the U.S. attorney general. Now that he's retired, Stallworth plans to remain active, politically and otherwise. Stallworth is chairman of the Black Advisory Council and serves on Layton's Parks and Recreation Commission and Planning Commission. He also was one of several applicants for a vacant City Council seat in Layton. Stallworth didn't get the seat but says he plans to run for City Council. He coaches a youth track team for 9-to-14-year-old boys and girls, and would like to volunteer for the Huntsman Cancer Center, which cared for his wife, Micki, before her death. Stallworth is also going back to school. He wants to complete a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration at Columbia College. Medina said she wouldn't be surprised if Stallworth continues to speak up on issues close to him. "Now that he's retired, watch out," Medina said. "He is very committed to all these communities. He is also very committed to the career he chose as a law-enforcement officer. . . . People need to take the time to really listen to him." |
Kenyan
environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai has won the
Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African woman to be awarded the
peace prize since it was created in 1901. The prize committee says Mrs
Maathai, Kenya's Deputy Environment Minister, is an example for all
Africans fighting for democracy and peace. The delighted 64-year-old
professor said the award was completely unexpected. The work of Wangari
Maathai is proof that responsible leadership will be the only salvation
for Africa 