Boundaries only scratched the surface of the complaints many St. Johnians have expressed regarding the parks. Congresswoman Plaskett listened to accounts from several residents, including Lorelei Monsanto, who insinuated that the National Park Service has wrongfully claimed land belonging to their families. “They still owe us 300 acres of land,” stated Ms. Monsanto, who explained that her mother had successfully sued the NPS to recover some of the family's property. “The park has stolen and still needs to give us back the land they stole."
Raymond Roberts, who said that his family on St. John could be traced back five generations, revealed that his family is currently in court with the National Park Service over land that had been in his family for centuries. “How could they own all property that four generations before me have been living on?” Mr. Roberts asked. According to him, upon the death of his grandmother in 2004, the matter was thought to have been settled, but as another resident revealed, the NPS requested that the case be reopened, and “insists on fighting them for their property.”
Abigail Hendricks, the resident in question, also raised concerns over increasing property taxes on “landlocked” land within the National Park’s boundaries. “So then all of a sudden, now my land tax has gone way up because I'm a part of the National Park,” she complained. She detailed land access issues, saying that several roads to access owned properties within the park have been blocked off. “How do you block me from getting to my property, but the government expects us to still pay for it?” asked Ms. Hendricks. That question was met with rousing applause.
Indigenous citizens of Guyana and Venezuela must lead a challenge together against the idea of a border dispute. As the first “American” victims of European expansion, Indigenous “Americans” have an opportunity, and obligation, to lead the resistance against war, European expansion and resource seizure in the Americas as part of a global, intentional, reconnection of all indigenous peoples hemmed-in by borders drawn by European settlers.
Maybe, our logic was “they created the problem, let them solve it”, That logic is wrong. US troops at the border escalate the problem. A decision from the International Court of Justice will not end this conflict for us because the responsible parties are not in court. Until then, we continue as surrogates of the empires and at risk of becoming another front in their 500-year war.
In a recent address, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, highlighted the significant strides made by the regional integration movement throughout the year.
A significant milestone on CARICOM’s agenda is the implementation of free movement for all CARICOM nationals within the community.
Dr. Barnett said the focus is now on efforts to implement the free movement of all CARICOM nationals within the Community by March 2024 as determined by Heads of Government.
The reality is stark: despite commendable strides on the domestic front, CARICOM nations remain on the fringes of global significance. Economic growth, for the majority, is stunted, shackled by burdensome levels of unsustainable debt. External shocks, such as the reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic and the volatility of commodity prices, further strain their fiscal capacities.
The opportunity missed lies in the aftermath of the dissolution of the West Indian Federation, as each nation opted for the allure of self-reliance. They made the mistake that the United States of America did not. As US historian Carol Berkin put it, the 13 former British colonies formed a union “on the firm conviction that a strong government representing all the peoples of a Federal State was the surest path to economic growth and prosperity, to civil law and order, and to winning the respect and recognition from foreign nations necessary to insure America’s continued independence.” And so, it turned out to be.
While over the years, in recognition of their weakness, CARICOM countries have established joint institutions and collective machinery, they have fallen short of creating a legally binding, political umbrella that would be an effective instrument for dealing with critical domestic and foreign challenges.
Importantly, CARICOM leaders failed to do what the founding fathers of the US knew to be essential. They failed to do the hard work of governance which is to create a nationalism built on shared identity as citizens of a united Caribbean. Thus, the pursuit of separate sovereignties still hampers the strength of CARICOM countries in economic, financial, and diplomatic arenas.
CARICOM needs to reignite the flame of genuine independence. To do so CARICOM countries must reevaluate the concept of a Caribbean Single Market and Economy, fostering regional cooperation that transcends national borders.
In addition to external challenges, CARICOM countries face a significant hurdle in the form of internal political rivalries both within individual states and among the member nations. The relentless pursuit of political power and influence often takes precedence over the crucial need for social cohesion and national consensus -foundational elements for achieving fair and balanced regional development.
A letter sent to Audrey Marks, Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, by members of the diaspora giving notice of a countrywide protest, has stirred unease among other Jamaicans domiciled overseas who believe that its contents could harm the...
The undated letter outlines several concerns, including “the increasing state of public corruption; the high level of violent crime; the [Government’s] failure to provide promised service delivery; unfulfilled promises to the diaspora regarding its involvement in the political process; and the legal defence that diaspora members do not have standing to sue the Government”.
It came above the signature of Dr Rupert Francis, who was identified as chairman of the Jamaica Diaspora Crime Intervention & Prevention task force.
According to the retired Jamaica Defence Force captain, the letter was written on behalf of concerned Jamaicans living in Jamaica and the diaspora and is a call to action.
“I wish to inform you, and by extension, the Jamaican Government, that the diaspora will engage Jamaica’s international partners to seek redress of our grievances. These international partners will include donor countries and organisations and Congressional/Parliamentary committees,” Francis wrote in the letter.
“We recognise that there are issues of corruption. Of course we recognise that there are issues of crime and violence. Of course, we recognise that there are issues with education. But this is where we have to build the country with our capacity as Jamaicans living overseas. To help with best practices and to invest in those start-up entrepreneurs,” said Peat.
The proposed Constitutional change directly concerns New Caledonia's sensitive issue of the electoral roll, which had been "frozen" since 2007, as prescribed by the autonomy Nouméa Accord signed in 1998.
The Accord saw fit to disqualify French citizens who had not resided in New Caledonia before 1998, in a move that, at the time, was seen as a step to ensure indigenous Kanaks were not at risk of becoming a minority in their own country.
The French government's draft Constitutional bill is described as restoring the universal voting rights of French citizens, especially with regards to local elections such as the election of members of the Congress (territorial parliament) as well as the three provincial assemblies.
It is believed that due to the previous restrictions, some 20,000 French citizens (most non-Kanaks) residing in New Caledonia are being denied their voting rights for these local elections.
The Paris government was also invoking France's adherence to world-recognised democratic universal rights as enshrined in its Constitution.
France has attempted, for the past year, to get all of New Caledonia's local political parties to come to the discussing table and come up with a new agreement on New Caledonia's political future after the Nouméa Accord, signed in 1998, is now regarded as having expired.
But to date, despite several attempts on the part of the French government and five trips by French Home Affairs and Overseas minister Gérald Darmanin, one component of the pro-independence FLNKS umbrella, the Union Calédonienne (UC), even though it has participated in discussions at some level, is still refusing to join inclusive talks.
One of the main figures in the pro-French part of the political spectrum, Sonia Backès (head of the "Les Loyalists" party) said the French constitutional reform plan was "very good news".
"This means New Caledonia will go from a transitional to a permanent status in the French Constitution", she said.
But she regretted that a minimum of ten years ("too long", she said) was now to become the rule to become an eligible voter.
On the side of the pro-independence FLNKS front, its current "animator", Victor Tutugoro (who also leads the moderate pro-independence Union of Melanesian Parties -UPM-, one of the members of FLNKS), said he was "not surprised" but that his priority was now to find a "local agreement" between "local political stakeholders" which could be a successor to the Nouméa Accord.
He however expressed doubts on whether the Constitutional Amendment will get sufficient support in the French Congress (three-fifths of the votes are required).
"Things are a bit difficult if you look at the concept of government majority. Will the French government muster enough support? We don't know."
In June 1975, Indira Gandhi, the third Prime Minister of India, imposed a State of Emergency throughout the country in response to what she called a “conspiracy” against her. Convicted of corruption and threatened by a growing opposition and mass demonstrations, Gandhi acted ruthlessly. Basic civil liberties were suspended, thousands were detained without trial, censorship imposed, and corruption reached new heights. Surprisingly lifted after twenty months, the Emergency became an anomaly in India’s democratic history—and was all but forgotten for many years, except, significantly, from literary fiction.
Refracted in the pandemic emergency, it became clearer in my study that emergencies worldwide are not only similar to past emergencies, but that they are constructed on a template of “emergency”: a structure within which an emergency could be comprehended despite its ostensible singularity. In other words, emergencies are unprecedented, but need to be recognizably so.
Building on existing scholarship, I argue, for example, that the neither-left-nor-right opposition to the Emergency was pivotal in legitimizing the fringe elements of this Hindu right, paving the way to the rise of today’s BJP government. I also show how the mass forced sterilization campaign, which is often seen as emblematic of the Emergency, was in fact a continuation of a long-standing globally-funded project of population control. Relatedly, the Emergency was central to family and class politics in India, revealing that there were individual elite families that need to be guarded and preserved and lower-class families of populations that need to be limited and curtailed.
The question of unprecedented political emergencies brings us to our present crisis in Israel/Gaza. I wish to speak about it with care, both because it is ongoing and shifting all the time, and because I speak of it from a very personal and very painful place. As an Israeli, I am in anguish about the people and places decimated by Hamas’ attack on October 7. At the same time, I am paralyzed by my feelings of shame and complicity in the senseless carnage that Israeli has unleashed on Gaza.
The current deadly violence is not, in fact, either a singular moment of crisis, nor an inevitable result of a two-sided “conflict” in which we must line up to take sides. It is deeply embedded in a complex historical context, inextricable from occupation of Palestinians by Israel, with its attendant apartheid regime and ethnic cleansing.
sry for not being able to provide the translator's name > internet is too bad here, hence i could not open the original pdf at https://tabjournal.org/vol-10-2022 > believe me, i would have loved to open that file because, ummmh, yes: bibinur salykova
@gombang
i think that this students' protest was being paid for by the local government - i cannot remember any demonstrations happening in aceh since autonomy, and hell, there are tons of reasons to protest against the bullshit going on in aceh everyday > it is not credible that acehnese students would protest only when they see some refugees arriving on aceh's shores imho - to quote lady leshurr: "you don’t want smoke / i keep it blunt / look / issa publicity stunt"
@kierkegaank
this happened in aceh which is an autonomous region, where shariah law is used to suppress everything > any protest going on in aceh is a staged move #aceh#tootSEA @raymondpert
Demand for sand has risen dramatically in recent decades, thanks in large part to its crucial role in construction. In the Indian state of Goa, sand mafias are illegally extracting the resource from riverbeds, beaches and open pits, causing major environmental challenges.
At the time of his death, he was serving an eight-year prison sentence for a graft conviction.
His attorney, Petrus Bala Pattyona, said Lukas had been diagnosed with acute kidney failure since the start of his legal proceedings and he died at around 10:45 a.m. at 56 years old.
"He was first diagnosed with kidney failure amid the court hearings in October," Petrus said.
Enembe was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Jan. 10, 2023, as he was trying to flee the country. Since his arrest, Lukas Enembe had been in poor health, leading to his hospitalization. Lukas claimed to have suffered a stroke and kidney failure. After his condition improved, Lukas was detained at the KPK Detention Center.
The Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court found former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe guilty of corruption and sentenced him to eight years in prison on Oct. 19, 2023. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to return Rp 19.7 billion ($1.2 million) in embezzled state funds and fined Rp 500 million.
During his tenure, Lukas has been accused of accepting Rp 47 billion in bribes from private companies that secured contracts with the Papua government. He also faces a separate indictment related to money laundering allegations after the KPK seized a substantial sum of banknotes worth Rp 82 billion in various denominations from him.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed that Lukas made payments totaling 55 million Singapore dollars (US$39 million) to overseas casinos since 2017. This information came to light after analyzing the governor's financial records at the KPK's request. At one point, Lukas made a single casino payment of 5 million Singapore dollars, according to the PPATK.
KPK was also investigating allegations of the purchase of a private jet by Lukas Enembe. The KPK suspected that the purchase of the jet was related to the alleged receipt of gratuities and money laundering offenses.
In 1946, the US began its nuclear testing on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands – a terrifying thought for many Australians. Some 75 years on, the evidence shows their fears were well-founded.
In 1946, the Marshall Islands seemed very close for many Australians. They feared the imminent launch of the US’s atomic testing program on Bikini Atoll might split the earth in two, catastrophically change the earth’s climate, or produce earthquakes and deadly tidal waves.
A map accompanying one report noted Sydney was only 3,100 miles from ground zero. Residents as far away as Perth were warned if their houses shook on July 1, “it may be the atom bomb test”.
Radiation poisoning, birth defects, leukaemia, thyroid and other cancers became prevalent in exposed Marshallese, at least four islands were “partially or completely vapourised”, the exposed Marshallese “became subjects of a medical research program” and atomic refugees. (Bikinians were allowed to return to their atoll for a decade before the US government removed them again when it was realised a careless error falsely claimed radiation levels were safe in 1968.)
In late 1947, the US moved its operations to Eniwetok Atoll, a decision, it was argued, to ensure additional safety. Eniwetok was more isolated and winds were less likely to carry radioactive particles to populated areas.
Australia’s economic stake in the atomic age from 1954 collided with the galvanisation of global public opinion against US testing in Eniwetok. The massive “Castle Bravo” hydrogen bomb test in March exposed Marshall Islanders and a Japanese fishing crew on The Lucky Dragon to catastrophic radiation levels “equal to that received by Japanese people less than two miles from ground zero” in the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts. Graphic details of the fishermen’s suffering and deaths and a Marshallese petition to the United Nations followed.
Virgin Islands: Mistrust, Tax Burdens and Blatant Land Theft Accusations Made Against National Park Service During Heated St. John Town Hall (viconsortium.com)
Community's outcry over disputed land ownership, rising taxes, and restricted access echoes in heated meeting
In Guyana, Venezuela, Indigenous people must lead resistance against border disputes (www.stvincenttimes.com)
Guest column by Clairmont Chung, a Guyanese lawyer, writer, film maker and progressive activist. Saving the Essequibo from becoming another Gaza.
CARICOM advances regional integration initiatives in 2023 (www.caribbeannationalweekly.com)
In a recent address, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, highlighted the significant strides made by the regional integration movement throughout the year.
Smallness and separateness will not do (caribbeannewsglobal.com)
By Sir Ronald Sanders...
JAMAICA: DIASPORA DUEL (jamaica-gleaner.com)
A letter sent to Audrey Marks, Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, by members of the diaspora giving notice of a countrywide protest, has stirred unease among other Jamaicans domiciled overseas who believe that its contents could harm the...
French government announces constitutional amendments for New Caledonia (www.rnz.co.nz)
France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has announced a Constitutional amendment to "unfreeze" New Caledonia's electoral roll.
Texts in Context: Ayelet Ben-Yishai on the Historicization of Crisis - Asymptote Blog (www.asymptotejournal.com)
I know that the violence today, and the occupation of which it is part, has a history and a politics which are man-made and can thus be unmade.
Bibinur Salykova: a night of a merger (www.angime.com)
Call for Submissions: On Palestine - Asymptote Blog (www.asymptotejournal.com)
Submit your pieces on Palestine to the blog by December 31.
Illegal sand mining inflicts environmental damage in India – DW – 12/27/2023 (www.dw.com)
Demand for sand has risen dramatically in recent decades, thanks in large part to its crucial role in construction. In the Indian state of Goa, sand mafias are illegally extracting the resource from riverbeds, beaches and open pits, causing major environmental challenges.
Former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe Dies from Illness while Serving Prison Sentence (jakartaglobe.id)
Jakarta. Former Governor of Papua, Lukas Enembe, passed away on Tuesday after being treated for kidney failure at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital.
Wolfgang Schäuble, Architect of German Reunification and Eurozone Austerity, Dies at 81 (www.wsj.com)
The staunch adherent to fiscal restraint prioritized balanced budgets at home and helped enforce austerity on the EU’s ailing economies.
75 years after nuclear testing in the Pacific began, the fallout continues to wreak havoc (theconversation.com)
In 1946, the US began its nuclear testing on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands – a terrifying thought for many Australians. Some 75 years on, the evidence shows their fears were well-founded.