Browsing the archives for the News category.
I realize it’s one day late but here is to the women on the 100th International Women’s Day 2011. Special regards to all the women readers, commenters, friends and contributors to KTravula.com, and to all the women of the earth. May we never shirk from the challenges and commitments to make life better for you and all our daughters. You make life worth living.
Link: Top 100 women around the world
This is a press release by Writers and Academics Against Homophobia. Feel free to append your signatures in the comment section, and to share this petition through your social networks.
_________________________________
We the undersigned condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of Mr David Kato the Ugandan gay rights campaigner. We wish to state emphatically that homosexuality is neither a sin nor a social or cultural construct. It is a biological given. Homosexuals are human beings like everybody else. Scientific research has been helpful in clearing the fog of ignorance entrenched by some religious texts in regards to homosexuality. Our opinions of homosexuality must change for the better just as our opinion of slavery has changed even though it was endorsed by those same religious texts. All violence against gays and people deemed to be gay in Africa must cease forthwith.
We call on the government of Uganda to find and prosecute all those involved in the murder of Mr Kato, including the newspaper that called for the hanging of gays. We also call on African governments to learn from the South African example by expunging from their laws all provisions that criminalize homosexuality or treat homosexuals as unworthy of the same rights and entitlements as other citizens. African states must protect the rights of their citizens to freedom and dignity. Homosexuals must not be denied these rights.
Undersigned
1. Wale Adebanwi, PhD, University of California, US
2. Diran Adebayo, Writer, UK
3. Kayode Adeduntan, PhD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
4. Biola Adegboyega, University of Calgary, Canada
5. Shola Adenekan, Editor, The New Black Magazine, UK
6. Pius Adesanmi, PhD, Carleton University, Canada
7. Akin Adesokan, PhD, Indiana University, US
8. Joe Agbro, Journalist, Nigeria
9. Anthony Akinola, PhD, Oxford, UK
10. Anengiyefa Alagoa, Writer, UK
11. Ellah Allfrey, Deputy Editor, Granta Magazine, UK
12. Alnoor Amlani, Writer, Kenya
13. Ike Anya, Public health doctor and writer, UK
14. Bode Asiyanbi, Writer, Lancaster University, UK
15. Sefi Atta, Writer, US
16. Lizzy Attree, PhD, University of East London, UK
17. Damola Awoyokun, Writer, UK
18. Doreen Baingana, Writer, Uganda
19. Igoni Barrett, Writer, Nigeria
20. Tom Burke, Bard College, US
21. Jude Dibia, Writer, Nigeria
22. Chris Dunton, PhD, National University of Lesotho, Lesotho
23. Ropo Ewenla, PhD, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
24. Chielozona Eze, PhD, Northeastern Illinois University, US
25. Aminatta Forna, Writer, UK
26. Ivor Hartmann, Writer, South Africa
27. Chris Ihidero, Writer, Lagos State University, Nigeria
28. Ikhide R. Ikheloa, Writer, US
29. Sean Jacobs, PhD, New School, US
30. Biodun Jeyifo, PhD, Harvard University, US
31. Brian Jones, Professor Emeritus, Zimbabwe
32. Martin Kiman, Writer, US
33. Lauri Kubuitsile, Writer, Botswana
34. Zakes Mda, PhD, Ohio University, US
35. Colin Meier, Writer, South Africa
36. Gayatri Menon, PhD, Franklin and Marshall College, US
37. Valentina A. Mmaka, Writer, Italy/South Africa
38. Jane Morris, Publisher, Zimbabwe
39. Mbonisi P. Ncube, Writer, South Africa
40. Iheoma Nwachukwu, Writer, Nigeria
41. Onyeka Nwelue, Writer and filmmaker, India/Nigeria
42. Nnedi Okorafor, PhD, Writer, Chicago State University, US
43. Ebenezer Obadare, PhD, University of Kansas, US
44. Juliane Okot Bitek, Writer, Canada
45. Tejumola Olaniyan, PhD, University of Wisconsin, US
46. Ngozichi Omekara, Trinidad and Tobago
47. Akin Omotosho, Actor and filmmaker, South Africa
48. Kole Omotosho, PhD, Africa Diaspora Research Group, South Africa
49. Samuel Sabo, Writer, UK
50. Ramzi Salti, PhD, Stanford University, US
51. Brett L. Shadle, PhD, Virginia Tech, US
52. Lola Shoneyin, Writer, Nigeria
53. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate for Literature
54. Olufemi Taiwo, PhD, Seattle University, US
55. Kola Tubosun, Writer, Fulbright Scholar, United States
56. Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Writer, Nigeria
57. Abdourahman A.Waberi, Writer, US /Djibouti
58. Binyavanga Wainaina, Writer, Kenya
59. Ronald Elly Wanda, Writer& Lecturer, Marcus Garvey Pan-Afrikan Institute, Uganda
60. Kristy Warren, PhD, University of Warwick, UK
French Version
lettre de pétition: Sur la Assassiner de David Kato, l’ougandaise des droits de Gay de campagne
Nous, soussignés, condamnons dans les termes les plus énergiques l’assassiner de M. David Kato de la campagne ougandaise des droits des homosexuels. Nous tenons à affirmer avec force que l’homosexualité n’est ni un péché, ni une construction sociale ou culturelle. Il est une donnée biologique. Les homosexuels sont des êtres humains comme tout le monde. La recherche scientifique a été utile dans l’élimination du brouillard de l’ignorance entretenue par certains textes religieux en ce qui concerne l’homosexualité. Nos opinions de l’homosexualité doit changer pour le mieux même que notre avis de l’esclavage a changé même s’il a été approuvé par ces mêmes textes religieux. Tous violence contre les gais et les personnes réputées être gay en Afrique doit cesser immédiatement.
Nous appelons le gouvernement de l’Ouganda à trouver et à poursuivre tous ceux qui sont impliqués dans la assassiner de M. Kato, y compris le journal qui a appelé à la pendaison des homosexuels. Nous appelons aussi les gouvernements africains à s’inspirer de l’exemple sud-africain par radiation de leur législation toutes les dispositions qui criminalisent l’homosexualité ou de traiter les homosexuels comme indigne des mêmes droits et avantages que les autres citoyens. Les États africains doivent protéger les droits de leurs citoyens à la liberté et la dignité. Les homosexuels ne doivent pas être privés de ces droits.
Portuguese Version
Carta de Petição: sobre o assassinato de David Kato, o Uganda Gay ativista de direitos
Nós, os abaixo assinados condenam nos termos mais fortes possíveis o assassinato do Sr. David Kato o activista dos direitos gays de Uganda. Queremos declarar enfaticamente que a homossexualidade não é pecado, nem uma construção social ou cultural. É um dado biológico. Os homossexuais são seres humanos como todos os outros. A investigação científica tem sido útil para limpar o nevoeiro da ignorância enraizada por alguns textos religiosos em relação à homossexualidade. Nossas opiniões sobre a homossexualidade deve mudar para melhor assim como a nossa opinião sobre a escravidão mudou mesmo foi aprovado por esses mesmos textos religiosos. Toda a violência contra homossexuais e pessoas consideradas gay na África deve cessar de imediato.
Apelamos ao governo de Uganda para encontrar e processar todos os envolvidos no assassinato do Sr. Kato, incluindo o jornal que pedia a suspensão dos gays. Apelamos também aos governos Africano de aprender com o exemplo Sul Africano por expurgando de suas leis todas as disposições que criminalizam a homossexualidade ou tratar os homossexuais como indignos de os mesmos direitos e os direitos dos outros cidadãos. Africano estados devem proteger os direitos dos seus cidadãos à liberdade e dignidade. Homossexuais não devem ser negados os seus direitos.
Swahili version
Mauaji ya David Kato – Mwanaharakati wa haki za wapenzi wa Jinsia moja nchini
Uganda.
Sisi tuliosaini hapo chini, tunashutumu vikali mauaji ya David Kato,
Mwanaharakati wa haki za wapenzi wa Jinsia moja nchini Uganda.
Tunasisitiza kuwa
mapenzi ya jinsia moja sio uovu wa aina yoyote, katika tamaduni zetu.
Hili ni jambo linalotokea kimaumbile na wapenzi wa jinsia moja ni binadamu tu
sawa na wengine. Utafiti wa sayansi umesaidia kuondoa kasumba hii mbovu
iliyowekwa na baadhi ya vitabu vya dini juu ya wapenzi wa jinsia moja.Lazima
tubadilishe maono yetu na mawazo tuliyonayo juu yao ili tuboreshe uhusiano
uliopo.
Lazima uhasama na chuki iliyopo dhidi ya wapenzi wa jinsia moja iangamizwe
kabisa.
Tunatoa wito kwa serikali ya Uganda kuwafungulia mashtaka wote waliohusika
katika mauaji ya David Kato pamoja na gazeti hilo lililotoa wito wa chuki na
mauaji ya wapenzi wa jinsia moja.
Pia tunatoa wito kwa mataifa mengine ya Afrika yajifunze kutoka kwa serikali ya
Afrika Kusini na kuondoa tamaduni zinazoakandamiza wapenzi wa jinsia moja na
kuwanyima haki zao za kibinadamu sawa na wananchi wengine. Mataifa ya Afrika
yanawajibu wa kulinda haki na uhuru wa raia wao. Na wapenzi wa jinsia moja pia
lazima wapewe haki hizi.
One of the most iconic artworks from the old Benin Kingdom (a 16th century ivory mask, pictured here) stolen during the British “Punitive Expedition” of 1897 has now been put up for sale by a private “collector” in London for almost to 5 million pounds. (The details are here).
I don’t know what is more disgusting, calling a stolen artwork a “collected” artwork or offering same for sale when the real owners have spent years advocating for its return. This particular art piece is only one of the many that have been in the possession of the British museum for decades. This one is peculiar for being in private hands of descendants of the British soldiers who looted Benin and made away with its treasures.
A Nigerian activist Kayode Ogundamisi is now calling for signatories to a petition to stop the sale, and get the iconic mask (forcibly taken away during the dark days of colonialism and exploitation in Nigeria) returned to the country, or something. Please find details of the appeal here and see how you can help.
Those who have read my rants in the past few days about the Nigerian election cycle would have noticed my preference for the incumbent as the best person to win the ticket and the election for 2011 in Nigeria. I made this choice because of his image as a uniter and someone whose ethnic background doesn’t becloud his judgement of his position as a responsible leader in a time of difficulty. For one, he is also a better and (to my opinion) more politically savvy person than the rest of the contestants. All that changed a few minutes ago.
I’ve spent this whole day at a public exhibition. You can call it “stuff white people like” if it makes more sense to you. It is an exhibition of food, wine, artworks, upholsteries, and other pastries at the Missouri Botanical Garden to last all weekend. It involves food tastings, wine sampling and a few other past times one could do while in a public park. The Botanical Garden itself was an ideal location and I was privileged to visit its amazing Climatron for the first time. It’s is an indoor garden with a tropical feel hosting hundreds of vegetation, many of which are already endangered in many parts of the world. One more peculiar thing about the market was that all the food, wine, upholsteries, artworks etc in the fair were all produced in the state of Missouri.
I have now just returned, only to read on the news that the President of Nigeria (Goodluck Jonathan) had, in a speech to ECOWAS yesterday come to the defense of MEND, the group who had yesterday claimed responsibility for the bomb blasts in the capital Abuja a few blocks from the independent anniversary celebrations – a blast that claimed the lives of about 8 people and wounded about half a dozen more. The president claimed that MEND who had already publicly claimed responsibility was not the real perpetrators, but was a stooge of some faceless enemy. “WTF”, I first thought, then “What a shame,” and it was all over. Ethnicity, greed and nativity has taken over again, and the silver lining wiped out, all in an instance. Just yesterday while watching the independence parade on NTA, I was filled with some sense of solidarity with the president standing alone while his “brothers” from the oil-rich delta took the country to ransom and lose all previously-held goodwill. It would have been a source of political capital for such a president to be decisive, and to do what was necessary at the moment in time to show the perpetrators that killing innocents was not a way to show grievances. But now, he has relapsed into good old denial and it is all over. I have wiped my eyes from all drowsiness and confirmed that the wine has nothing to do with what I’m reading in the news. This is actually not the man we can trust with our votes for providing security for the nation.
I am now shopping for a new candidate.