Introducing Blackberry Bold

In early spring I sat outside a café with a friend while we waited for our order of blueberry pancakes, and sipped our coffee. Our conversation was intermittent, because my friend kept excusing himself, "Sorry," as he typed text messages into his Blackberry Curve. He was carrying on a dual conversation, and I felt I was put into second position, though I was the one physically present with him.

I would consider my friend a "Crackberry", a term coined for users who cannot live without their Blackberries. "Crackberry" is a reference to the street-drug form of cocaine known as crack. Use of the term CrackBerry became so widespread that in November 2006 Webster's New World College Dictionary named "crackberry" the "New Word of the Year". (Source: Wikipedia)

I am also part of the community that own a Blackberry. I bought one on e-Bay, second hand, and have decorated it with a red silicon cover to protect it from accidental drops. I abuse my Blackberry in a sense that I drop it constantly, but I don't consider myself an abuser of the technology it offers in terms being accessible to anyone at anytime.

Blackberry announced on Monday, May 12, 2008 the release of a new model. It is named Blackberry Bold , and is expected to be available first in the UK this coming summer. This new model finally offers new multimedia effects which other PDA (Personal Device A…) has been offering for quite sometime. I owned a Nokia last summer which allowed me to record audio, video, and take pictures; and have the ability to send reasonable sized files over wireless networks. When I first got my Blackberry Pearl I lamented not having these features. I was able to take photographs and send them as e-mail to other receivers, and/or send it over the Blackberry network as part of text message.

These two features 1) e-mail and 2) Blackberry network is what separates Blackberry from its other competitors.

Blackberry was the first of the wireless handheld devices that supported: Push e-mail, mobile phone, text messaging, internet faxing and web browsing by delivering information over the wireless data networks of mobile service phone service companies (Wikepedia.) These convenient features along with the regular offerings of PDA options (calendars, address book, calculator) made it the most desirable wireless handheld device since its introduction in 1997 by Research In Motion (RIM), a Canadian headquartered in Ontario Canada.

For those technically savvy, here is a list of the hardware specifications:


Blackberry features
624 MHz ARM processor
256 MB Flash memory
1GB internal storage
480x320 pixel screen
2 megapixel camera
HDSPA support
802.11 Wi-Fi
Integrated GPS

I'm still set upon being aware to pay respect to the presence of physical companions over virtual companion. I don't fault the growth of technology, because to me it is a valuable tool in expanding our reach to other worlds and people. But, I feel we shouldn't lose touch with our immediate surroundings. I've noticed some people have developed a nervous tick of constantly watching the blinking lights of their phones. I have to watch myself too, less I become a "Crackberry" too.

-Analyn Revilla READ MORE

Bush not impressed with changes in Cuba

“Until there is a change of heart and a change of compassion and a change of how the Cuban government treats its people, there is no change at all.”

The above quote is from President George W. Bush's address to the Council of the Americas at the US State Department on May 7, 2008. With the resignation of Fidel Castro and the new presidency of his 76-year old brother, Raul Castro, many people are expecting a less strict, changed, "opening up", of the communist country.

Truth be told, while there has been some change, for many critics these have been seen as merely cosmetic. For others, it is a signal of a new day dawning, albeit slowly. However, Bush states that “If Cuba wants to join the community of civilized nations, then Cuban rulers must begin a process of peaceful and democratic change and the first step must be the release of all political prisoners.” He further stressed that US policies towards Cuba “…must not change until the people of Cuba are free.”

Today, Cubans can now stay at the same hotels as tourists if they can afford it, which unfortunately only a very few can do. Other changes that have been implemented include the fact that there is no longer a restriction on the purchase of computers, pressure cookers and taking out cellphone contracts. In referring to these changes, Bush noted that these are things that the average Cuban cannot afford anyway.

The American president stated that the reforms in Cuba are ‘empty gestures’ and accused Raul Castro of not being serious about implanting reforms in the communist island.

Interestingly, Jamaica’s current Prime Minister, Bruce Golding has done what no other Jamaica Labour Party leader has done before – visited Cuba and met with President Raul Castro. The Jamaican Prime Minister and his entourage made a state visit from May 4 – 7 to further cement ties with Cuba that already existed between the two islands thanks to the Socialist regime of the People’s National Party in the 1970s.

In a statement to Parliament on February 20, 2008 concerning Fidel Castro’s resignation, Prime Minister Golding said that “As far as Jamaica is concerned, we expect that under the new leadership that will emerge, good relations between our countries will continue. Indeed, just last week I received an official invitation from Acting President Raul Castro to pay an official visit to Cuba. I indicated to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that I am accepting the invitation and discussions will take place with the Cuban authorities to determine the appropriate time for that visit bearing in mind the transition that will now be underway.”

Although having good relations with the USA, Jamaica’s decades long relationship with Cuba has not been a major bone of contention since the 1980s. As such, Jamaicans are little concerned that this visit by the prime Minister will have any repercussions in spite of President Bush’s recent statements about the communist island.

-Jessica McCurdy Crooks READ MORE

Microsoft offer for Yahoo withdrawn

Last February 2008 the blog topic I wrote was on the Microsoft bid to buy Yahoo. The intent of the offer was to merge two giants to try to compete with Google on internet search engines and ultimately earning the market share and revenue on advertising.

On Sunday, Microsoft made the announcement that it has withdrawn its offer to buy Yahoo. Yahoo would've have accepted the offer if Microsoft's price was at $37 per share, however Microsoft was unwilling to raise its $33 per share offer. The company felt its offer was the worth value of Yahoo, and nothing more above that.

In my February blog I thought that the bargaining dance would continue for several months, maybe even up to a year, and both companies would come to an agreed price on the buyout. But such will not be the story. 'Asked if that was the end of the story with Yahoo, Mr Courtois replied: "Absolutely, that's the end of the story. We are moving on because our strategy is very clear."' (BBC article of 05/06/2008)

In an analysis of the failed transaction Mr. Tim Weber describes a technical failure named "Panama" which is an advertising platform that matches a user's search with the appropriate advertising. A Microsoft executive stated, "There's nothing in Panama that I would want to integrate with our offering."

The speculation is that Microsoft will shop around in the smaller Web 2.0 companies, which is similar in functionality and capability to some of Google's best offerings.

Meanwhile, there is probably a large relief from the staff in the Yahoo camp that there is not any major reorganization to happen for the next little while… at least not until another bigger fish comes along, and/or Mr. Yang breaks decides to please his real which are the shareholders. Then maybe, just maybe… he may reconsider Microsoft's office if the door is still open.

-Analyn Revilla
. READ MORE

The Black Cinema Stamp Collection

The United States Postal Service will release Black Cinema Stamps this June, as part of it’s 2008 Commemorative Stamp Program, this June. Dedicated to the history of black cinema during the 20’s and 30’s, the movie-poster style stamps depict: The Sport of the Gods which was released in 1921 and was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Black and Tan which was released in 1929 and featured the first screen appearance of Duke Ellington, Princess Tam-Tam which was a French produced filmed that was released in 1935 and starred film legend Josephine Baker , Hallelujah which was also released in 1929 and featured and all black cast, and the 1945 release Caldonia which featured talented entertainer Louis Jordan.

When speaking of the Commemorative Stamp Program, Postmaster General John Potter states, “This stamp series celebrates our greatest creative minds, our groundbreaking heroes, and the places, institutions and values that have made us who we are,” “We’re proud to be able to highlight noteworthy parts of our shared American history on stamps that people will use every day to connect with family and friends.”

I pay every single bill I have on the internet, even my rent, so it’s not too often that I make use of a stamp. I’ve had the same book of stamps in my purse for over a year, in fact the only time I’ve been to the post office this year was when I went to mail off my taxes and even then I didn’t go inside. I just slid that God-forsaken envelope in the blue mail box marked “stamped” in the parking lot, and prayed to God that they didn’t lose it or forget to stamp it with the correct date, because as we all know, Uncle Sam “don’t play!” Just ask Wesley Snipes. However, I am a fan of African American commemorative items, so needless to say I was happy when I found out about the Black Cinema collection. The last book of Black Heritage Stamps I purchased was the Jazz Greats series, so I’m more than overdue on a new collection and this one looks like a nice choice, if only I can just finish the ones I have.

-Tremaya Reynolds READ MORE

Another Stolen Election??

Some leaders in the Democratic Party are playing with fire. They think that they can betray the will of millions of voters and choose Hillary Clinton as the nominee, regardless of whether or not she is the choice of the voters. We can't let this happen. It would be the largest disenfranchisement in modern history, and it would mean the Democratic Party giving their stamp of approval to a clear and consistent pattern of race-baiting by the Clinton campaign.

If we make our voices heard, we can stop it. Please join us in signing an open letter to leaders in the Democratic Party -- DNC Chair Howard Dean, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and all superdelegates -- demanding that they reject an outcome that involves trampling voting rights and legitimizing the politics of division and fear:

http://colorofchange.org/dems/?id=2226-313320

By the time the last vote is cast on June 3rd under the rules of the Democratic Party, it's unlikely Hillary Clinton will beat Barack Obama among voters.(1) But there's a chance that superdelegates will hand Clinton the nomination anyway.
 


This would be a shocking attack on democracy, and it would destroy the Democratic Party's credibility on protecting the right to vote. Black people have a long history of fighting against voter suppression, and now the Democratic Party will be the enemy in that fight. As bad as that would be, there's another reason that a coup by party insiders would threaten racial progress.

Senator Clinton's plan to have superdelegates hand her the nomination relies on a parallel strategy -- she has to stoke enough division and race-based fear among Democratic voters to convince superdelegates that white voters will not vote for Senator Obama in the general election.(2) One of Clinton's key arguments to superdelegates is that America won't elect a Black man, and therefore she's the better choice for Democrats to beat John McCain.(3,4) While she makes that argument in private to superdelegates, in public, Clinton's campaign and her surrogates are doing everything they can to damage Barack Obama by ginning up fear and division and playing to the worst instincts of our society. It's an insult to Black people and all Americans, Obama and Clinton supporters alike.

The pattern has been clear and consistent to some party leaders. Last week, according to the Washington Post, James Clyburn -- who as House Majority Whip remains neutral and is the highest ranking Black member of Congress -- accused the Clintons of marginalizing Black voters.(5) Referring to this strategy in another interview, Clyburn said that "Nothing in this campaign has been by accident."(6) Congressman Clyburn warned that "black people are incensed" over the divisiveness of the Clinton strategy and that it threatens an irreparable breach between Black people and the Democratic Party.(7) He's right. And if superdelegates hand Clinton a victory despite her defeat among voters, they will be condoning and rewarding that strategy.
Some party leaders have expressed strong concern about superdelegates overruling voters.(8,9) But as a whole, superdelegates have not made it clear that they will respect the will of voters. Today, we want to send a clear, unequivocal message to superdelegates and other party leaders: Reject the idea that the nomination can be won with a strategy that preys on racism, sows division, and disenfranchises millions of voters.

Please join us:

http://colorofchange.org/dems/?id=2226-313320

-- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, Mervyn, Andre, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   May 2nd, 2008


References:
1. "Analysis: Time, delegate math working against Clinton," AP, 04-18-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3rzn45
2. Keith Olbermann Special Comment on Clinton Campaign, MSNBC, 03-12-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ2JtUmB3kc
3. "Mark Halperin Explains the Clinton Argument for Staying In," Mark Halperin on FOX News, 03-28-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ3Gyum4434
4. "Clinton ally: Some whites 'not ready' for Obama," AP, 02-12-2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23134717/
5. "Party Fears Racial Divide," Washington Post, 04-26-2008
http://tinyurl.com/4aoj6h
6. "Vexing Issue for the Clinton Campaign: What to Make of Bill?," New York Times, 04-29-2008
http://tinyurl.com/475g5b
7. "Black Leader in House Denounces Bill Clinton's Remarks," The Caucus, 04-24-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3hn8aj
8. "Brazile: I'll Quit DNC Position Over Superdelegates," News & Notes, 02-11-2008
http://tinyurl.com/4emgl3
9. "Brazile: Howard Dean And Other Party Leaders Should Be Prepared To Step In," TPM Election Central, 03-05-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3dfm6s

  READ MORE

DR Congo: End the Horrific Suffering in Eastern Congo

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the armed groups, and international parties to the Goma peace agreement should urgently implement the accord and end the horrific suffering of hundreds of thousands of men, women
and children facing brutal violence and deadly diseases in eastern Congo, 63 international and Congolese human rights and aid groups said in a joint statement today.

The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are urging the United Nations and the international players that helped negotiate the Goma agreement to appoint a high level independent special advisor on human rights for eastern Congo to focus attention and ensure action on protecting civilians at risk, specifically women and girls threatened by sexual violence. It also urged the international players such as the African Union, European Union, and the United States to support the appointment politically and financially.

"Hundreds of thousands of victims clung to the hope that the peace deal would end their suffering. Sadly, no meaningful progress has been made on human rights commitments," said Anneke Van Woudenberg, Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch. "We urge for the immediate appointment of a special advisor on human rights to help the parties honor their human rights commitments and to provide a voice for the victims who suffer in silence."

On January 23, 2008, after weeks of talks, the Congolese government signed a peace agreement in Goma, North Kivu, with 22 armed groups committing all parties to an immediate ceasefire and disengagement of forces from frontline positions. Yet since the signing, scores of civilians have been killed, hundreds of women and girls raped, and many more children recruited into armed service, adding to the extraordinarily high number of civilians who have already endured such crimes over the past decade.

An estimated 1.1 million people are displaced in North and South Kivu provinces, of which 550,000 fled from the fighting since 2007. Malnutrition, cholera, malaria and other preventable diseases are taking their lives at an alarming rate.

"This is a humanitarian catastrophe on an enormous scale. It demands urgent and concrete action by all parties to the agreement as well as by the international community," said Colin Thomas-Jensen, Policy Advisor of ENOUGH, a project to end genocide and crimes against humanity. "Getting the parties to sign an agreement was an important first step, but now we must move to the next step of helping people return home in safety and security."

Humanitarian agencies still face difficulties accessing civilians at risk and human rights defenders who have raised concerns about the abuses face threats and harassment. Armed groups, as well as the Congolese military, continue to illegally exploit natural resources and use the profits to fuel the conflict.

Special envoys from the African Union, the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region played a vital role in negotiating the Goma agreement. They agreed to continue to play an active role in monitoring and implementing its terms.

Under the terms of the peace accord, the parties agreed to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, including ending all acts of violence against civilians, halting the recruitment of child soldiers, assuring the release of political prisoners, and allowing access for humanitarian agencies.

Last week, Human Rights Watch made detailed recommendations on ways to appoint the special advisor on human rights for Eastern Congo to Abbé Apollinaire Malu Malu, the independent national-coordinator appointed by the Congolese government to lead its peace efforts, and the international community representatives. The organization urged Abbé Malu Malu to bring about this appointment, emphasizing that since human rights concerns were central to the conflict, failure to respond to such issues could cause the peace process to collapse.

The recommendations included that the special advisor be appointed either by the signatories to the Goma agreement, by the Secretary General of the United Nations, or by the international sponsors of the agreement.

Juliette Prodhan, Head of Oxfam in DRC said, "Without the appointment of a special advisor on human rights it will be far harder to hold parties to account for violating the peace agreement. For the sake of the Congolese people and the whole Great Lakes region, this investment in human rights is needed to help avoid a return to conflict that has already claimed too many lives."

For further information please contact:

For Human Rights Watch: Anneke Van Woudenberg in London on +44
(0)20 7713 2786 or +44 (0)7711 664960 (English, French)

For Oxfam: Rebecca Wynn in Oxford on +44 (0) 1865 472530 or + 44
(0) 7769 887139 (English)

For CRONGD (North Kivu): Kubuya Muhangi in Goma on +243 (0)99 861
0651 (French, Swahili)

For Centre Olame (South Kivu): Mathilde Muhindo, in Bukavu on +243
998755223 (French, Swahili)

For Enough: Colin Thomas-Jensen in Washington DC on + 1 202 682
6136 (English)

For Global Witness: Carina Tertsakian in London on +44 (0)207 561
6372 (English, French)

For International Rescue Committee: Lydia Gomersall in London on
+44 20 7692 2741 or +44 7779 855 021 (English, French)

The group of international and Congolese human rights and aid
organizations includes
[full list available in the web version of this e-mail bulletin, at
 http://www.africafocus.org/docs08/conk0805.php]

PhotoSource: Africanconservation.org

-AFRICAfocus
READ MORE

The Justice Issue

Check out the Justice Issue of The Coup Magazine at www.thecoupmagazine.com

* Interview with Emira Woods from the Institute of Policy Studies about her campaign against Firestone in Liberia
*Spoken Word artist Young Ceez performs "21-year-old Child"
*Interview with Chanel Kennebrew, founder and designer of junkprints, an indie design label
*America Martin explores the study and practice of eugenics in American History
*Gallery by Sama Alshaibi READ MORE

Spector of Food Insecurity in the Caribbean

Food security has always been somewhere under the radar for most Caribbean countries, but it is suddenly ‘the topic’ on everyone’s tongue. With the continuous increase in the price of oil and gas, food prices are increasing at an alarming rate. The Economist magazine published an article online where the food security crisis is referred to as the ‘silent tsunami’.

In early April there were riots in the improvised Caribbean island of Haiti as the price of food spiraled out of control. The result was a virtual shut down of the capital city, Port-au-Prince and the death of six persons, while many others were injured.

Jamaica is also making the issue of food security a priority. So serious is the matter that the government is looking at re-introducing rice farming to the island. The idea of backyard gardening encouraged in the socialist era of former Prime Minister Michael Manley is once again being put forward.

One of the problems facing Jamaica as it looks at improving food security and supply is how to be less dependent on exports and become more self reliant. The consensus now from many quarters and one being advocated by a former National Champion Farmer, Egbert ‘Bob’ Miller, is for Jamaicans to “eat what they grow and grow what they eat”.

Jamaica has been warned by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture to reduce its dependence on imports. A spokesperson for the Jamaica chapter of the organization said:

“We believe that Jamaica has to correct its heavy dependence on food imports and start consuming and producing more local food if the country is to maintain an acceptable level of food security over time.”



This is a message that is relevant for the other islands that make up the region.

There are now reports that rice is in short supply in Jamaica, especially since there is a problem with getting adequate supplies from Guyana. However, today (April 30) it was announced that the Jamaica Flour Mills will try to ease the shortage by importing 30, 000 tonnes of rice. The country’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Investment, the Honorable Karl Samuda said of the move:

“We intend to bring that rice to the Jamaican people at a price that is competitive with the Guyanese rice under the same provisions that the rice from Guyana comes in.”

The seriousness of a possible shortage of food worldwide is not lost on Caribbean nationals at home and in the Diaspora. The widespread food riots not only in Haiti, but also in Africa (Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal an others) and Asia (Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand) is causing more than a little concern.

Many experts are predicting that food insecurity will continue to grow. One of the major concerns that few in the Caribbean want to address out loud is the issue of pending starvation if food prices continue to go up and food supplies decrease.

-Jessica McCurdy Crooks READ MORE

South Africa: Women, Aids, and Violence.

In South Africa in late 2006 a new spirit seemed to have taken hold in public discussions on how to achieve a more concerted, effective response to the country"s epidemic of HIV infection. The ensuing collaborative efforts, which drew in health department officials, civil society organizations and medical specialists, resulted eventually in agreement on a number of issues: notably that the challenges posed by persistent poverty as well as violence and other forms of discrimination against women had to be addressed as part of an effective overall response to the epidemic and the realization of the right to health of those affected and infected by HIV. The consensus on this and other issues was reflected in a new plan adopted by Cabinet in May 2007 to guide the work of the next five years.

This report, which reflects research undertaken by Amnesty International (AI) in 2006 and 2007, provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment. It draws on the testimonies of 37 women who, to varying extents, had experienced incidents of violence from intimate partners or strangers, were unable to secure a stable income, faced periods of hunger, but were striving to maintain their access to health services and adhere to treatment despite the consequences of poverty, stigma and their low social
status...........


The women involved were interviewed by AI in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces, in collaboration with local service providing organisations with whom AI has worked for some years. The interviews were conducted with the assistance of interpreters in most cases and the support of the organizations" lay-counsellors. The interviewees" identities have been protected throughout this report to ensure their right to privacy and to avoid any possible harmful consequences resulting from their identification. Identifying place names have also been excluded when referring to their testimonies.

While there were singular aspects to each of their stories, some common themes emerged which pointed towards wider, more systemic factors which affected the women"s ability to realize their right to health. In the following chapters some of these factors are examined, including the direct and indirect impact of gender-based violence, discriminatory attitudes and gender stereotypes, and economic marginalisation. In attempting to assess their effects, AI has drawn on information provided to it in meetings and other communications with nongovernmental and government sector service providers, human rights and advocacy organizations, policy development and research institutions, health professionals and government officials.

The report"s analysis has also benefited from some of the extensive published research undertaken by South African and international organizations. Finally, the report"s analysis and conclusions are underpinned by a framework of human rights standards which reflect the consensus of the international community. South Africa since 1994 has participated in the further development of these standards, as well as shown its acceptance of them through its commitments made under key international human rights treaties. This report and associated campaign are intended as contributions towards South African efforts to overcome the legacies of the past and address current human rights abuses.

HIV and AIDS in South Africa

South Africa is continuing to experience a severe HIV epidemic. Five and a half million South Africans are HIV-infected, the highest number of people in any one country in the world. Fifty-five per cent of them are women. UNAIDS estimated that 320,000 people died of AIDS in 2006. The epidemic developed rapidly from the first case recorded in 1982,to a national prevalence rate of at least 16 per cent in 2005.

The epidemic had begun during a period of extreme state violence and political and racial oppression which included government imposed states of emergency from 1985 to 1990, and continued to develop while the country was largely preoccupied with the efforts to negotiate the end of the apartheid system and National Party rule and securing the transition to nonracial democracy in 1994. Initially perceived in South Africa as a disease particularly affecting gay men and people receiving blood transfusions, it became apparent that HIV and AIDS was not confined to particular "at-risk" groups but was becoming a generalised epidemic in
certain communities. From 1991 onwards the majority of transmissions in South Africa were through heterosexual intercourse. In 1993 the national prevalence rate amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinics was 4.0 per cent; in 1996 it was 14.2 per cent; and by 1999 22.4 per cent of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics were HIV-infected. In 2005 data from a population survey indicated that 16.2 per cent of adults 15 to 49 years were infected, while UNAIDS, using antenatal clinic data, published an estimate of 18.8 per cent prevalence for adults 15 to 49 years of age.

This desperate situation was unfolding while the country from 1994 was engaged in remarkable legal and institutional transformations which began to affect every sphere of life. These changes included the finalisation and adoption in 1996 of a constitution with a legally enforceable bill of rights protecting, among others, the right to equality, to bodily and psychological integrity, to freedom from violence from either public or private sources, and to the realization of the right to health without discrimination on any grounds. Within this framework institutional reforms were initiated, for instance, to improve access to education and to employment for "historically disadvantaged groups", to integrateand reform the health services, as well as the policing and criminal justice systems with the intention to improve service delivery for all South Africans without discrimination.

Despite the relentless upward trend in HIV infection rates, the government"s initial responses to the epidemic were slow and erratic during the Mandela presidency. From late 1999 the government of President Thabo Mbeki took a direction which turned a public health emergency into a matter of political conflict. For
whatever complex reasons, President Mbeki"s decision publicly to question the link between the virus and the onset of AIDS, as well as the efficacy and safety of the then known drug treatments, precipitated a period of confusion and demoralisation within government departments and the public health services and disputes
between national and some provincial governments over responses to the epidemic. Adding to these consequences was a growing bitter conflict with sectors of civil society, including medical practitioners, who were pressing for access to antiretroviral treatment for HIV-infected pregnant women and others with AIDS.
There was a loss of strong unified leadership at a critical juncture in the life of the epidemic and a further delay in access to life-saving medicines for those with AIDS who were dependent on the public sector for health services.

In late 2001 the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)15 obtained an order in the Pretoria High Court requiring the government to supply antiretroviral medication to pregnant women to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies. The High Court ruling was confirmed by the Constitutional Court in July 2002 after the
Department of Health appealed the High Court decision. The Constitutional Court held that "Sections 27(1) and (2) of theConstitution require the government to devise and implement within its available resources a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme to realize progressively the rights of pregnant women and their
newborn children to have access to health services to combat mother-to child transmission of HIV".

In November 2003 the Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, announced the government"s decision to provide antiretroviral treatment in the public health sector within the framework of the National Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Management, Treatment, Care and Support (NOP). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) finally and slowly began to be provided in public sector hospitals from 2004. The "roll-out" of treatment occurred at a pace below the targets indicated in the NOP and was dogged by an atmosphere of distrust of government intentions. Advocacy groups observed that the Cabinet-approved NOP
had "committed the state in 2003 to placing approximately 645,740 people on ARV treatment in the public sector by the end of 2006/7 financial year," but according to Department of Health information, "approximately 250,000 people had been initiated on ARV treatment in the public health sector by this time."Bymid-2006, 200,000 adults were on treatment while an estimated 511,000 still needed to begin ART.20 The numbers had risen to 303,788 patients on treatment by May 2007, according to the government"s MDGs Mid-Term report, and to 408, 218 by the following November.

The tensions between government and civil society over responses to the HIV epidemic appeared to reach a nadir at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006. The promotion by the Minister of Health at the conference of a diet-based treatment for AIDS led to further national and international pressure and criticism of the government. The Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, as Chairperson of the
reconstituted South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), began to have an increasingly prominent role in the oversight of the response to the epidemic and the development of the new national strategic plan. As described in the NSP which was adopted by SANAC in April 2007 and the Cabinet in the following month, the
final version of the plan had been developed through an intensive and consultative process over a six month period. SANAC symbolised the changes with its membership and co-chairing role for civil society. The process of developing the new NSP was described to AI as genuinely participatory by civil society
organizations. As summarised by the Joint Civil Society Monitoring Forum, the new plan proposed to expand the access toappropriate treatment, care and support to 80 per cent of all HIV positive individuals by 2011; create a social environment which encouraged HIV testing, and promote, protect and monitor human
rights involved in these interventions.

Some uncertainties still remained, however, when in August 2007 the goodwill developed during this process was put at risk by the dismissal by President Mbeki of the Deputy Minister of Health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, after she participated in an AIDS conference in Spain without his formal approval. The Deputy Minister had been an active participant in the development of the NSP. In a further sign of unresolved issues, public controversy intensified in late 2007 over the delays in producing new guidelines and budget for the provision of dual therapy treatment to pregnant women prior to labour and to their new born babies to
prevent HIV transmission, consistent with revised WHO guidelines and in compliance with the ruling of the Constitutional Court in 2002. Approval of the new guidelines appeared imminent in September, but they had still not been produced by the following February. While the Western Cape Province had implemented since
2004 the dual therapy regime and had reduced infant infection rates reportedly to less than 10 per cent, other provinces continued to use single therapy treatment while awaiting national authorisation. The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society expressed concern that children were continuing to be infected unnecessarily. In KwaZulu Natal Province, a hospital doctor, who in 2007 had raised concerns with the Department of Health about the delays, was charged in February with misconduct for accepting outside funds to implement dual therapy at his hospital. Although the departmental charge was later dropped, the incident and
associated public outcry indicated that the new spirit of collaboration which had helped create the NSP was still fragile.

The female face of the HIV epidemic: the impact of discrimination, violence and poverty.

"The HIV epidemic and AIDS [in South Africa] is clearly feminized,
pointing to gender vulnerability that demands urgent attention as
part of the broader women empowerment and protection. In view of
the high prevalence and incidence of HIV amongst women, it is
critical that their strong involvement in and benefiting from the
HIV and AIDS response becomes a priority." (NSP)36

Women are particularly affected by HIV and AIDS. As noted by the Executive Director of UNAIDS in his opening address at the July 2007 International Women"s Summit, "the most significant development of the AIDS epidemic is its growing feminization. What entered history 25 years ago as a disease of white gay men is now increasingly affecting women all over the world."37 Of the 40 million people living with HIV globally in 2007, almost half are women - reaching 60 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.38 In South Africa, women under 25 are three to four times more likely to be HIV-infected than men in the same age group.39 Significantly, the
level of new HIV infections amongst women in South Africa continues to increase, while overall incidence of the disease has levelled off.40 Data presented to the Third South African AIDS Conference in June 2007 indicated that of the more than 500,000 new infections in 2005, the highest incidence occurred in young women aged 15 to 24 years. Provincial antenatal clinic prevalence rates vary considerably, ranging from 15.7 per cent in the Western Cape to 39.1 per cent in KwaZulu Natal.42

The NSP notes that while the immediate determinants of the spread of HIV relates to behaviours such as unprotected sexual intercourse, multiple sexual partnerships, and some biological factors such as concurrent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), women"s socioeconomic disempowerment and the impact of
gender-based violence contributed to women"s significantly higher infection rates. 43 Women are biologically more vulnerable than men to contracting the virus through unprotected vaginal intercourse.44 Available evidence globally, as well as evidence presented in this report, suggests that women are also put a
greater risk of transmission due to the discriminatory impact of gender roles and stereotypes.

They are frequently unable to insist on condom use to protect themselves against the risk of HIV transmission by a male partner where they are economically, socially or culturally dependent on that partner or his family, or risk being subjected to violence as a result of suggesting condom use. Their exposure to sexual violence and intimate partner violence increases their risk of HIV infection over time.46 Women are less likely to have independent access to economic resources and recent research in South Africa has shown the direct positive correlation between women"s access to economic resources and their ability to protect themselves from
HIV infection and against violence.47 In many countries, women also carry a disproportionate burden as carers once members of a household fall sick - a particular concern in a country like South Africa where AIDS affects a large part of the population.

William Minter for Africafocus.org
...
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FIRE IN THE BELLY: Haitians Eating Dirt to Survive

I refuse to believe that we good people
Would forever turn our hearts and eyes away.
Haiti I'm sorry
We misunderstood you,
But one day we'll turn around
And look inside you.
Haiti I'm sorry
Haiti I'm so sorry...
But one day we'll turn our heads
And restore your glory.
(David Rudder -1988)


“Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt.” I read the article and looked at the photographs months ago but the image of hopelessness and perpetual poverty is still etched on my mind. I have a feeling that it will be there for years to come.

There is no doubt that the mass of impoverished Haitians suffer the most debilitating and demoralizing misery of any people in the world. There is nothing redemptive about not having enough food, clothing, medical attention, water or shelter. Moreso in these days of plenty when developed countries like the US and UK are battling an obesity epidemic and rich capitalists such as Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim Helu have personal fortunes in excess of $62 billion and $60 billion respectively according a recent Forbes listing. Another Forbes- listed billionaire, is building a 26-storied palatial home in England.

Yet in Haiti, the poorest and the blackest country in the Western Hemisphere, people are literally eating dirt to survive.

But how did a country, once known as the world's most prosperous colony in the 18th century, become today's “poorest country in the western hemisphere?” A brief look at its history reveals that by 1780, Haiti, a French colony, was one of the wealthiest regions in the world. The economy was knitted together by a high demand for sugar and tobacco, African slave labour, a deeply entrenched class system predicated on colour, race, fear of voudou (voodoo) and brutality. But in 1791 a protracted slave uprising began and it was led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean Jacque Dessalines and Henri Christophe. The slaves would eventually overcome the best efforts of the French armies, even defeating the great Napoleon Bonarparte to oust French rule.

In 1804 the island became the first black independent nation in the western hemishere. But, the European ruling classes never forgave Haiti and her black slaves for the insubordination and humiliation. The two centuries which followed independence were marked by bloody internal atrocities, class conflicts, black dictators and racially-motivated indifference from the imperialist powers of Europe calculated to destabilize the only republic ever founded by slaves.

Today, slavery is a distant, half-forgotten memory in the past but for the black masses mired in poverty, living conditions have hardly changed. With food prices on the rise, more of Haiti's impoverished are now eating dirt to stave off the prospects of death by starvation because they cannot afford to buy rice, corn or flour. They are eating mud cookies are made from dried yellow dirt, salt and vegetable shortening. One mother from the oceanside slum of Cite Soleil, describes the cookies as having a “buttery, salty taste.” She admits that they cause stomach aches but she has no choice but to serve them as meals for herself and her emaciated 16 month old son.

Another unemployed Haitian Saint Louis Meriska, told reporters that his two children ate two spoonfuls of rice apiece as their only meal recently and then went without any food the following day. Haiti’s ever burning hunger, has become fiercer than ever in recent weeks as global food prices spiral out of reach. According to World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, "In just two months, rice prices have skyrocketed to near historical levels, rising by around 75 percent globally and more in some markets, with more likely to come.”

He also pointed out that the price of wheat has jumped 120 percent in the last year, doubling the bread prices, in places like Haiti where the poor spend as much as 75 percent of their income on food. In recent weeks, Haitians like their starving counterparts in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Bangladesh, Egypt, The Cameroons, Malaysia, Mozambique and India took to the streets in angry protests. The Haitians bashed in the front gate of their presidential palace burning tires and confronting the soldiers and the police.

“It’s the worst crisis of its kind in more than 30 years,” said Jeffrey D Sachs, the economist and special adviser to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Prices for all basic food commodities including corn and beans have spiked because of higher oil prices, increasing prices for fertilizer, irrigation, transportation, and the heavy demand for biofuels such as ethanol, which has diverted food into energy production. Jean Ziegler, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, has called using food crops to create ethanol "a crime against humanity."

The World Bank announced a $10 million grant from the United States for Haiti to help the government assist poor families but the question is, how much of this will reach poor families and how far will it go before they are hungry again?

Most impoverished Haitian families have no hope of ever reaching beyond subsistence living.
Many are not certain if there'll be shortening available to make their dirt cookies tomorrow.

Human suffering in the form of physical hunger is something that I never can quite get my arms around. I do not want to rationalize it as part of the natural order of life. It is too unnatural. Maybe the real cause of hunger is really a shortage, no - not a shortage - but famine of fairness and human compassion. Maybe the few with a social conscience are barely surviving ourselves and perhaps like me they are all cried out - to the point of numbness.


-Carol Ann Mohamed READ MORE

The Paradox

When people speak to me on the phone, they think that I have dreadlocks. Don't ask me why; I think that the assumption is a product of our society, which trains us to categorize and stereotype people according to their interests. I love social justice, the Roots, poetry slams, natural hair growth, and run a magazine aimed at the enlightenment of women of color; people assume that I am a vegetarian with locked hair. What I have to explain is how much I also enjoy listening to Coldplay, dancing with friends to music that accompanies senseless lyrics, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and smothered pork chops. Being conscious of my surroundings, my circumstance, the environment, and the state of people of color around the world does not look a certain way. I believe that thinking "consciousness" has a specific look, stifles its possibility of really taking people of color, and more, women of color, to the another social and intellectual level.

I embrace my natural hair, but do not mind seperating it into cornrows and slapping a couple packs of Remi Indian #2 on it in order to avoid morning hair routines during a busy week. We are a diverse people; a people of physical, cultural, and biological variation. I believe that in accepting our differences, in experimenting ways to individually express ourselves is true enlightenment. I know what I want. I know what/who I love. I know from where I have come. And that, to me, is what consciousness is really about.

-Wayetu Moore

Photo Credit: D. Lammie hanson"Issues Natural Hair and the Afro"2005, Painting Acrylic

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Again

Three NYPD detectives have been found not guilty in the shooting death of Sean Bell. The officers fired 50 shots at Bell and his companions who were unarmed.

When I walked into my office this morning, there was a feeling of disappointment and outrage. There were no shocked faces, and no questions. Indeed, it seems, this is the way goes.

-Ashleigh Rae READ MORE

Ranking, American Style

It's sad that I acquire the bulk of my stats these days from the Today Show and the New York Times, especially considering their somewhat questionable journalism (I mean, is the best color for spring shoes more important than continued turmoil in Kenya? hmmm), yet yesterday, they featured NBC News Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman who relayed some pretty unsettling information about the state of our union. She discussed a study by the University of Washington and Harvard University on life expectancy among Americans, particularly women. Despite the trillions of dollars we spend on health care, we rank 42nd in the world in life expectancy, behind some countries from the former Soviet Union. According to the special guest, the United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among countries of the "developed" world (think G8 countries, European Union). Even Cuba, a country that we have demonized to no end, had a lower infant mortality rate than us. Cuba also happened to far outshine us in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, as they aggressively promoted safe sex practices and their HIV/AIDS treatment programs are free to those in need. The United States government can hardly fathom teaching its young people about their own bodies, God forbid begin to tackle HIV/AIDS seriously, despite the growing infection rate and the fact that we have a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS than most nations in the developed world, with the exception of Spain, whose rate is only slightly higher than ours.

Yikes.

We have some catching up to do, especially if we plan on upholding our image as the best country in the world, so much so that we participate in domination by force to get people to think and act just like we do. But other statistics are alarming as well. As our country scrounges up change to afford rice (they actually have started rationing rice at large wholesale stores like Sam's Club and Costco!) and drives across state lines to find slightly lower gas prices, we also continue to imprison more people than any other country...IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. Many activists against what they call the "prison industrial complex" have dubbed America's prison system as a modern, more nuanced version of slavery in which more people of color continue to be its target, despite the level of their crimes or even status of guilt.

It seems as if the United States' ranking "successes" lie in highly negative aspects of our culture, practices on which the rest of the developed world - our competitors, allies, and peers - frowns upon and statistics that demonstrate our inability to do much better than the nations we have set out to "correct" or "save." It's time that we start looking at ourselves in the mirror and recognizing that we must devote serious time and energy to addressing our flaws, starting with the ignorance that allows us to continue touting ourselves as the best there is.

- Wendi Muse READ MORE

Saudi Arabia's Arab Light

Looking at the list known as the "Opec basket price" for crude oil, I'm reminded of the coffee beans menu at coffee bean roasting proprietor:

Saudi Arabia's Arab Light
The United Arab Emirates's Dubai
Nigeria's Bonny Light
Algeria's Saharan Blend
Indonesia's Minas
Venezuela's Tia Juana Light
Mexico's Isthmus.

The leading story of today's BBC News Business section headline read: "Oil Rises to Yet Another Record". I was curious to learn more as to what drives the cost of petroleum.

I am a conditioned consumer of petroleum products, particularly what I pump into my car. I am accustomed to living my life with the use of a car. Without the supply of gas would be synonymous to my autonomous nervous system shutting down. It is as constant as my heartbeat. I take it for granted that gas will always be available.

But at the cost of $4.39 per gallon (the average cost in San Francisco these days for premium gas) I have opted to take the Metro. Luckily the city is well planned and developed for a far-reaching urban transit system. I recently moved here from Los Angeles, where I think that a car is almost 99.9% necessary, because the there is limited transit service. People speculate it has something to do with the physical geography where LA and outlying areas have stretches of land where ribbons of tar can be laid out. The freeways there are congested with traffic of cars occupied generally by one person during the rush hours.

There's one salient example of what affects the cost of gas prices: supply and demand wrapped with the delicate balance of consumer choice or lack of choice. A brief research about petroleum (aka crude oil) shows that it is the most actively traded commodity in global exchanges (the largest exchange markets in: London, New York, and Singapore.) There are benchmarks used in the industry to determine the quality of the oil based upon 1. specific gravity and 2. sulphur content (which is influenced by where the oil is pumped from.) "Because there are so many different varieties and grades of crude oil, buyers and sellers have found it easier to refer to a limited number of reference, or benchmark crude oils. Other varieties are then priced at a discount or premium according to their quality." (source: BBC news analysis)

Different benchmarks are predominant in certain exchanges. For example, Brent is common in Europe (and in fact is considered a world benchmark where it's used to price two thirds of the world's internationally traded petroleum supplies.) In the US the benchmark is based on West Texas Intermediate (WTI.) "This means that crude oil sales into the US are usually priced in relation to WTI." (source: BBC news analysis)

It was surprising to read one analyst's observation that geopolitical events aren't the strongest influencing factors affecting the cost of oil. For example: Upcoming economies of China and India is expected to raise the demand for oil consumption; the assassination on December 27th, 2007 of Benazi Bhutto brought up the price to $115 per barrel on April 16, 2008.

Apparently, a trader's whim can affect the price of oil when on January 2, 2008," a single trade was made at $100 per barrel in view of the combined effect of violence in Nigeria, Algeria, and Pakistan, the weak US dollar and the threat of cold weather. The trader who paid $100 almost immediately sold the contract for less than $100, and took a loss. Therefore, this one $100 trade for oil remains in question, as some believe this trader might have had other motives for the purchase and subsequent loss." (source: Wikipedia)

Another take on this event by a different analyst was "...financial factors may be at work, such as a hedge fund having to sell a particular oil contract so it does not end up receiving a tanker-load of oil - or a trader deciding it would be fun to be the first to trade oil above $100 a barrel." (source: BBC news analysis)

The future outlook is not rosy for consumers at the gas stations. The chief economist of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, expressed his thoughts in October 2007 that oil prices will remain high for the reason of the booming economies of India and China. In addition the result of a meeting in December 2007 by OPEC members has decided to maintain high "but" stable prices, which would guarantee a high income for oil producing states, but would also prevent a depression of the economies dependent upon oil.

I'm slowly conditioning myself to use my car less and less by taking the Metro, so that when gas prices soar to over $5.00 per gallon I won't be suffering a heart attack.

~*~

Note: Perhaps if the Reagan administration didn't cut down the funding in 1981 of the "Biomass Energy and Alcohol Fuels Act" (1977) from $600 million to $460 which eventually shriveled down to nothing then we would be more advanced in the development of the technology (in cars and fuels) that is not reliant on oil.)

-Analyn Revilla READ MORE

France gets Anti on Eating Disorders

On Tuesday April 15th, the French Parliament’s lower house adopted a controversial bill that basically would make it illegal for individuals, websites or publications to promote extreme thinness. The bill will have to pass senate before it can become a law, and much of the fashion industry in France is firmly against the bill. This is the first bill of its kind and includes jail time and fines of up to $70,000 if a death is found to have been caused by anorexia.

Upon reading about this bill I immediately thought not only about what this means for women and girls of color, but in particular Black women, whom it is believed are “culturally immune” to eating disorders. Even today many medical professionals do not believe Black women have eating disorders and you need only try to find scientific studies (there are few and most are dated) focused on or including Black women to see what I mean. By in large an eating disorder is still considered to be a “white girl disease.” However, according to a recent study done in the Eating Disorders Program in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Medical School, “African-American women more than White women report using laxatives, diuretics and fasting to avoid weight gain.” Once again it seems to come down to race and semantics. Yes, Black women do have eating disorders but they are often dismissed by medical professionals and/or the habits of Black women with eating disorders don’t fit the medical definition.

On March 28, 2008 Farai Chideya moderated a segment on NPR entitled, African Americans and Eating Disorders. One of her guests was Marna Clowney-Robinson, a Black Woman who is an eating disorder survivor and now advocates for survivors of eating disorders. When Clowney-Robinson was struggling with her eating disorder she went to her doctor and was told that they (doctors) didn’t see or recognize eating disorders in minority cultures so he (the doctor) was not going to go down that road, he would test for other things. It took several years before she could find someone who would accept and treat her as a patient with an eating disorder who happened to be Black.

But what’s all this got to do with fashion, fines and food? I look at what the French Parliament is attempting to do as not only a step in the right direction but also as silence breaking. In the United States alone 25 million people suffer from compulsive overeating and at least 10 million women and girls suffer from anorexia and bulimia according to the National Eating Disorder Association. Of the millions of eating disorder sufferers approximately 20% die from this mental illness and funding for research is grossly inadequate. For example in 2005 the National Institute of Health (NIH) gave $647,000,000 to support research into Alzheimer’s disease for an estimated 4.5 million sufferers. Meanwhile, the NIH gave only $12,000,000 to support research on Anorexia Nervosa exclusively while 10 million suffer from other types of eating disorders.

I do not believe that fining media outlets and/or individuals in the fashion industry will put an end to eating disorders. Nor do I believe that the media is exclusively responsible for women’s negative body image. However, the media and the fashion industry do contribute and have a great impact on women and girls, when it comes to shaping our ideals of attractiveness and beauty. What is scarier is that Black, Latina, Native American and Asian American girls and women are at a far greater risk of having an eating disorder because we are furthest away from the dominant culture’s definition of beauty. So the simple and obvious answer seems to be acceptance of self. But that would mean seeing ALL of OURSELVES on the rack in a department store, on TV, in our homes with our families, strutting down the runway, as doctors, world leaders and so on and so on… France, is this the start of something beautiful?

-Adisa Vera Beatty READ MORE