GLOBAL DIVERSITY POST

Vancouver Winter Olympics: Where is Canada's Shani Davis?

Photo via www.shanidavis.org

By OBERT MADONDO

American speedskater, Shani Davis, is a superstar. His World Championship and Olympic medal count: Gold (11); Silver (4) and Bronze (3). Davis has set a total of eight world records.

Davis is a black man holding his own in a largely white sport in North America and Europe. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual Winter Games sport when he took the title in 1,000 meters. At the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, he became the first man to successfully defend his title in the 1,000 meters.

Davis is a black man representing the United States on the world stage through a largely white sport. Where is Canada's Shani Davis? An overwhelming majority of athletes competing for Canada at the Vancouver Olympics are white. All the medal winners so far are white. 

How can Canada claim to be an inclusive, multi-racial society when minorities are excluded when Canada engages the world through sport?

2010 Olympic Winter Games: Jarome Iginla, Sole Black on Canada's Hockey Roster

via en.wikipedia.org

By OBERT MADONDO

We Canadians pride ourselves as the most inclusive country in the world. We brag about it.

And yet, our men's national hockey team roster at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games has only one black player - Jerome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.

Iginla's father was Nigeria, and his mother, Susan, is originally from Oregon.

Hockey is a religion in Canada as soccer is a religion in Brazil. So, imagine Brazil having only one black or mixed-race player in it's national soccer team during a world cup competition. Unthinkable!

Philipp Rösler, Germany's Barack Obama

via en.wikipedia.org

By OBERT MADONDO

German politician, Philipp Rösler, cannot escape the notice of an unrepentant celebrator of global racial diversity.

Rösler is the only non-white member of Germany Chancellor, Angela Merkel's new cabinet.

The politician and physician is the quintessential immigrant success story. He was born in Vietnam and migrated to Germany before he was one, after being adopted from a Catholic orphanage.

Rösler attended high school and Hannover Medical School in Germany. He is a physician.

The leader of the liberal and business-friendly Freedom Democratic Party (FDP) in Lower Saxony, Rösler is also considered to be one of Germany's rising political stars.

In a world that's changing and embracing more and more diversity, Philipp Rösler might just be Germany's Barack Obama.

Bloomsbury USA "Whitewashes" Another Dark-Skinned Protagonist

By OBERT MADONDO

Bloomsbury USA has done another "anti-dark-skin" whitewash job!

Apparently the US publisher chose to represent its dark-skinned heroine of Jaclyn Dolamore's debut novel "Magic Under Glass" with a white model on the cover.

And this is the second time in 12 months. Last year, the publisher featured a white girl on the cover of Australian author Justine Larbalestier's young adult novel "Liar". The novel is about a black girl “with nappy hair which she wears natural and short."

Apparently "Whitewashing" is rampant in the publishing industry. There is a pervasive belief among publishers that books with white covers sell more than those with "dark-skinned" ones, and that white readers will not buy a book with a black person on the cover.

But if it's true, Bloomsbury USA should not shoulder all of the blame for perpetuating racism and stereotypes. Readers who prefer white over dark skin on the cover of a book are the problem. Such readers are still trapped in the 19th century, white-superiority mentality.

The good thing is that these readers are fighting a losing battle. The acceptance of the person of color as an equal - in fiction and real life - is an irreversible revolution.

And the person of color's cruise to the top is unstoppable. Case in point: Barack Obama. The US' first African-American President has not only reached the top already. He's currently the most powerful person on earth!

Outrage Over Air New Zealand's 'Cougar' Advertisement

By OBERT MADONDO

Admittedly, the Air New Zealand ad below is sexist. It portrays older single women as man-hungry "cougars" who troll bars for fresh "meat".

It has sparked outrage among rape prevention groups in New Zealand.

But the ad is also funny and, most importantly, spotlights a growing phenomenon - sexually aggressive women 35 and over increasingly pursuing men 10 years younger. The era of the cougar is upon us and it's a good thing.

Besides, we're already warming up to, even celebrating, the cougar, aren't we? The TV comedy "Cougar Town", starring Courtney Cox, comes to mind.

Watch the ad and reach your own conclusion.

Iraq: Native Blacks Face Discrimination & Racism

By OBERT MADONDO As much as I pride myself for being a racially tolerant person, the video below made me realize that humanity is not yet out of the evil grasp of the era of slavery. It's not yet Uhuru! Blacks descendants of African slaves brought to Iraq hundreds of years ago still live as second-class citizens of the "free" Iraq. They are routinely discriminated against and, sometimes, called "slaves".

PLAYBOY A Victim of Itself

Image via Wikipedia

By OBERT MADONDO

That the Playboy ship is sinking is beyond doubt. Hugh Hefner's iconic Playboy Enterprises Inc. lost $13 million last year and is expected to lose $8 million this year.

Christie Hefner resigned as chairman and CEO in December. Now Playboy is reportedly outsourcing operations and cutting jobs.

But who is to blame for this sad situation? It's certainly not the global economic crisis. Hugh Hefner is to blame.

He spent the past 50 years building an image that would not survive the tide of racial diversity. His world of sex and beauty was blind to the reality of the 21st century. His world was mostly white and blond.

The 21st century is all colors of the rainbow, plus many more. It's diverse.

Playboy Enterprises Inc. swum against the tide for far too long. Few would miss this empire if it disappeared from the picture altogether.

Black Couple Axed From "Couples Retreat" Film Poster In UK

 
via www.mailonsunday.co.uk

By OBERT MADONDO

The two poster (above and below) advertise the same product - the hit movie "Couples Retreat". The poster below accompanied the move's release in North America. The one above is currently being used to promote the movie in the UK.

And yet the two posters are different. Different in a racist / racial ignorance kind of way.

 

Couples Retreat is about four couples - three white, one black - who go on holiday together and receive therapy to improve their relationships.

The the photos and names of the black couple - Faizon Love and Kali Hawk - are missing from the UK poster. Universal Pictures removed them.

What's Universal's message here? That the British do not celebrate racial diversity as North Americans do? Maybe blacks are not attractive enough to sell products outside the US?

Maybe Universal is suggesting that couples/relationship therapy is the preserve of whites?

The explanation a Universal spokesman gave to Mail on Sunday is as offensive as the removal act itself. The poster was changed to ‘simplify’ it for the UK and international market outside America.

Meaning that people in the UK and other countries are not keen to see blacks playing leading roles in film and entertainment?

Universal must remember that not long ago, whites went around the world acting superior to all other races. This is the message Universal is reinforcing.

Racism is still rampant in Hollywood. But we've seen more and more persons of color playing leading roles and winning Oscars in recent years. Denzel Washington is one example.

The folks at Universal Pictures are free to bask in racial ignorance. But exporting it to the rest of the world is unforgivable.

Obama's Big BOW In Japan: America's Machismo In Jeopardy?

via www.huffingtonpost.com

The photo speaks: the world's most powerful man bowed deeply to the Emperor and Empress of Japan today. And with this bow, President Obama might have mortally wounded the American macho spirit.

Lets face it, Americans are unlike Canadians and the British, who bow to royalty. Americans shake hands. They bring guns to the dinner table and fight wars abroad. They kick ass.

Even in fiction, the American male is tough, John Wayne style. In film, the American male is cold, loud, brutish, uncouth, selfish, promiscuous, abrasive and capable of inflicting maximum pain. And he conquers and destroys all, Arnold Schwazenegger style.

To many outside the US, "American" is synonymous with machismo - “male in an aggressive way”, according to the Oxford Dictionary. This is the image the American media and Hollywood have exported to the world.

So, I'd not be surprised if the Right tries to make a big deal out of Mr. Obama's bow and accuse him of jeopardizing America's macho image.

They'll be wrong. In bowing to Emperor Akihito, Mr. Obama did not only observe protocol, he gave the world the American we rarely see: the American educated in other cultures and ways of life.

Mr. Obama was also fulfilling the promise he made to the world when he took office. He promised mutual respect. He promised to reach out. 

Mr. Obama is slowly revealing the good, respectful and compassionate American the world has for so long hungered for.

Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

via news.bbc.co.uk

The Nobel committee said they wanted to support Mr Obama's approach

US President Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he won it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

The committee highlighted Mr Obama's efforts to support international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament.

Mr Obama's spokesman said the president was "humbled" to have won the prize. He said he woke Mr Obama up with the news early on Friday.

READ FULL STORY FROM THE BBC

AROUND THE WEB:

Obama Awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize - CNN

In Surprise, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama for Diplomacy - New York Times

The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 - Press Release - Nobelprize.org

Shock as Barack Obama Wins Bobel Peace Prize - The Australian

Analysis: Obama Won, But For What - CTV News

GOP Chairman Scoffs at Obama Winning Peace Prize - The Seattle Times

Rio 2016 Copenhagen IOC Presentation

By OBERT MADONDO Brazil unveils itself the world. The stunning beauty and racial diversity of Brazil is here for the world to see. If there is a country on this planet more racially diverse, more beautiful, please let me know.

Afghan Women in Politics: Afghan Star's Tarana Wins Seat

via www.time.com

(Afghan singer Farida Tarana at a studio in Kabul. Massoud Hossaini / AFP / Getty)

TIME | ARYN BAKER | October 6, 2009

To most Afghans, the face of Farida Tarana, 27, evokes her tumultuous 2006 ascent to the No. 8 position on the widely watched local version of American Idol. She was the first female competitor from the conservative western province of Herat, and while she charmed audiences nationwide with her joyful renditions of classic Afghan songs, she was persecuted by conservatives for daring to break cultural taboos against women singing in public. These days, however, her face, emblazoned on election posters and billboards across Kabul, symbolizes the shattering of new barriers: popularly elected women in politics.

READ FULL STORY FROM TIME

Africa Joins the Space Race

via news.bbc.co.uk

BBC |LOUISE GREENWOOD | October 1, 2009

Developed by students at South Africa's Stellenbosch University and local space technology firm SunSpace, the "SumbandilaSat" micro-satellite, took off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome on 17 September.

Pictures of the momentous event were streamed live over the internet and South Africa's Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor, was in Kazakhstan for the launch.

Taking its name from the Venda word meaning "pioneer", the SumbandilaSat will gather crucial information about weather patterns and how climate change is affecting Africa.

READ FULL STORY FROM THE BBC

Best Country in The World: NORWAY

By OBERT MADONDO

The UN has spoken, but I wonder whether our toothless global government is in touch with reality at all.

Norway is the best place to live, according to an annual report just released by the UN. And the African nation of Niger - not Zimbabwe - is the worst.

Norwegains enjoy the highest standard of living. 

The study looked at school enrollment, country economic performance, literacy rates and life expectancy. 

While the ranking highlights the disparities in wealth between the developed and developing words, there are notable surprises as well. The United States doessn't make the top ten, coming in at 13th. The UK sit at 21st spot. Canada is number 4. Fine with me.

The trouble is: the ranking in no way represents the most recent reality. The BBC reports that the the UN used data collected in 2007, well before the global economic crisis.

The top ten countries:

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan

2016 Olympics Vote: Obama DEFEATED as IOC Eliminates Chicago in the First Round

By OBERT MADONDO

It's not over yet in Copenhagen but surely the IOC has resisted U.S. President Barack Obama's seemingly irrestible political power, diplomacy and celebrity.

The race for the 2016 Olympics has come down to Rio de Janeiro and Madrid. The IOC produced a stunner in the first round of voting a few moments ago:

Chiaco was eliminated in the first round. Tokyo was knocked out in the second.

The IOC must do the right thing: give the Games to Rio. Awarding the Games to Rio is embracing universalism and global diversity.

2016 Olympics Vote: The IOC Must Ignore President Obama's Celebrity, Award the Games to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro. Image via Wikipedia

By OBERT MADONDO

Today, US President Barack Obama joins Oprah and First Lady Michelle Obama in Copenhagen to lobby the International Olympics Committee (IOC) on behalf of Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Games bid. The IOC must resist Mr. Obama's last-ditch offensive and do the right thing - award the Games to Rio de Janeiro.

The Brits are Coming! UK Actors Storm US TV

via www.guardian.co.uk

(PHOTO: Joseph Fiennes plays an FBI officer in the sci-fi series FlashForward)

They can act, they don't give the director a hard time, they're cheap(ish) – and now they can do the accent.

The Guardian | JOHN PATTERSON | Wed, September 30, 2009

British actors in Hollywood are nothing new – Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains, for example, were all stars of the 1930s. All fought in the same regiment in the first world war, but despite their military experience they didn't exactly "invade Hollywood" in quite the same way British actors seem to have invaded American television.

READ FULL STORY FROM THE GUARDIAN

RELATED:

British Actors Invade US Television

G-20 Wives: A Picture of Near-Perfect Racial Diversity

photo via www.politicsdaily.com

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/26/g-20-wives-who-was-the-be_n_300416.html?slidenumber=1#slide_image

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/26/g-20-wives-who-was-the-be_n_300416.html?slidenumber=2#slide_image

Could a Mixed-Race Contestant Become a Chinese Idol?

(Lou Jing, center, is seen during a TV show in Shanghai on Sept. 4, 2009. Imaginechina. via www.time.com)

TIME | Simon Elegant & Chengcheng Jiang | Wednesday, September 23, 2009

In many ways, Lou Jing is a typical young woman from Shanghai. Pretty and confident, she speaks Mandarin heavily accented with the lilting tones of the Shanghai dialect and browses the malls of this huge city for the latest fashions.

But there is one thing that distinguishes this 20-year-old from her peers, something that has made her the unwitting focus of an intense public debate about what exactly it means to be Chinese: the color of her skin. Born to a Chinese mother and an African-American father whom she has never met, the theater student rocketed into the public consciousness last month when she took part in an American Idol–esque TV show, Go! Oriental Angel.

READ FULL STORY ON TIME

One Man, 4 Wives and One Wedding

(Bridegroom Milton Mbhele, with his four brides, left to right, Happiness, Thobile, Simangele, and Zanele at their western wedding in Weenen, near Ladysmith, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. AP Photo/Str)

By OBERT MADONDO

It's history - of the worst kind - as a South African man marries four wives at the same time. Milton Mbele, 44, wed the 4 women in a two-day wedding ceremony that started today and ends Monday with a traditional Zulu ceremony. 

So why am I, an African and unapologetic advocate of "global diversity", whining? After all, South African law recognizes traditional polygamous marriages. Jacob Zuma, the newly-minted President of South Africa, has three wives. And polygamy is still accepted among some of the famous tribes of Southern Africa, particularly the Zulus and Swazis.

I'm whining because...

One: Thanks to the bride-price practice, each women is priced. Individually and collectively, Mbele's wives are very cheap. He paid a total of 33 cows in bride-price. I'm told a cow is about $250 dollars these days. Do the math. That's all the four women are worth.

Two: Power is a factor here. And it's power that perpetuates the dominance of men over women. Having paid the hallowed pride-price, Mr. Mbele becomes not only the man of the house. He owns the women. The women owe it to their parents to be good (translation: subservient and obedient) to their man. With four women competing for his attention Mr. Mbele is much more than a man. He's Godly.

Dalai Lama Embraces the Fist Bump

Reverse Racism: White Cop Told Can't Wear Cornrows

via www.nydailynews.com

By OBERT MADONDO

This Philadelphia cop story has all the fine ingredients of reverse racism.

A veteran white cop, Thomas Strain, shows up for work wearing braided cornrows. Strain's black boss is not amused. Supposedly, officer Strain doesn't look "professional". So, the good boss gives him the treatment reserved for serious police conduct, such as brutality or shooting a suspect: he yanks Strain off the streets and puts him on desk duty.

If this was about professionalism or the hallowed "department standards" claptrap, the story would have ended there. But the boss reportedly ordered officer Strain to lose the hairstyle altogether.

Meanwhile, dozens of black officers sport the "unprofessional" hairstyle while on street duty...

Professionalism has got nothing to do with this one. I'll summarize my opinion: reverse racism, racism, prejudice, racial profiling and discrimination.

Officer Strain should get his cornrows back. Cornrows are a black invention and style but they are also a gift to the world.

Peter Sloly: Toronto's First Black Police Chief (in Waiting)

via www.thestar.com

By OBERT MADONDO

As the global center of racial diversity, Toronto suffers from a cancer of the most curious kind: it's rare to see people of color in position of power and influence. But that's about to change if this Toronto Star story on new Toronto Police Service deputy chief Peter Sloly is to be believed. 

It can only be believed. Deputy Sloly's rise to this rank, one rung below the Police Chief, has been something of a fairy tale. He got here at age 43, after only 21 years with the force. According to the Toronto Star:

"The traditional culture of policing is you come in and do your time. Now here's a young a man, in his early 40s, who has become youngest deputy ever. It's a rank more typical of someone who has been around 30-35 years."

If deputy Sloly's rise is indeed unstoppable, it's a good thing for Toronto. A diverse city should show some color at the top from time to time.

Besides, an immigrant success story is always a good story. Deputy Sloly moved to Toronto from Kingston, Jamaica, just before he turned 10.

His ascension to the Police Chief's throne would affirm Toronto's diversity and global outlook. Deputy Sloly met his wife in Turkey. There's something very Canadian about him too. He has served in Kosovo on a UN peacekeeping mission.

Toronto Police Service deserves a big pat on the back for recognizing deputy Sloly's leadership qualities and, in general, embracing the city's diversity. About one-third of recent recruits are non-white.

A World of Albino Animals

By OBERT MADONDO

Albinism - a condition caused by various gene mutations that affect the production of normal pigmentation - is not confined to humans.

I picked this beautiful photo from a bunch on ABC's slideshow Albino Animals: Ghosts of the Wild. Frankly, I didn't like the title. It suggests that albino animals do not belong, even that they're less than animals.

This is a dangerous attitude. In in places like Tanzania, Albinos are being murdered for muti. Luckily, compassionate Canadians like Peter Ash are doing something to stop this horrendous crime.

I think Albino animals bring diversity to the animal kingdom. We need to respect that as much as we respect diversity in humans.

The Huffington Post has another slideshow. Check it out and vote on your favorite cutie or scary albino animal.

PHOTO OF THE MOMENT: Sean Penn & New Woman Jessica White

via www.people.com

The Only Ethiopian in Brazil

(Weinshet Kifle, 34, arrived in Brazil thinking she was the only Ethiopian in the country. (Seth Kugel/GlobalPost))

via www.globalpost.com

Alienated and out of hair gel, one woman struggles to hold on to her heritage.

Global Post | SETH KUGEL | September 13, 2009

SAO PAULO, Brazil — As an Ethiopian national living in the heart of Sao Paulo state’s sugar cane country, 34-year-old Weinshet Kifle is part of a very, very small ex-pat community: herself.

That means that unlike Americans in search of peanut butter in Paris or Brits craving cricket in Karachi, Kifle lives a life of almost complete isolation from her native culture in the half-million person city of Ribeirao Preto. Though she takes solace in a few traits the locals share with Ethiopians, like a natural friendliness and love of expertly cooked meat, there are no stores that sell berbere spice or teff flour, and no friends to chat with in Amharic.

READ FULL STORY FROM GLOBAL POST

BRAZIL: $18.7 Billion Train in the Works

(Kyushu Shinkansen series 800 bullet train. Image via Wikipedia)

By OBERT MADONDO

Brazil is either finally confronting the chaos of its domestic air travel or showing off some economic muscle

The South American economic giant's next project is a massive $18.7 billion bullet train linking Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Campinas.

Brazil's announcement seems to signal renewed interest in the bullet train, Japan's most iconic technological achievements of the last century. US President Barack Obama recently signed an $8 billion package to develop the country's high-speed rail system.

The successful completion of the project will not only signal Brazil's entry into an elite club of high-speed train nations. It will personify the growing economic muscle of the developing world.

The high speed train system will cease to be the preserve of France, Japan, China and other rich nations. South Korea now has one. Vietnam, Turkey and Morocco are planning their high speed train systems.

Tweets From Around the World

Selected by OBERT MADONDO | September 5, 2009

nytimeskristofRT @LaraABCNews Am fascinated to see Saudi broadcaster MBC bring 'Big Love' to the Arab world, where polygamy continues.

Deepak_ChopraPlease tell me ! Are you in the world or is the world in you?

blackvoicesRepublican Presidents' Long History of Talking to Schoolkids http://bit.ly/3L5Mn4

ObiemadMiyuki Hatoyama, The First Lady Who Went to Venus http://bit.ly/1Q46dG

canadafreepressCFP Marxism, Human organs, the Constitution and you http://bit.ly/bs2oM

wyclefDo anyone know why we are called West indians, labor day ? #warriors

wyclefIf you are gonna party hard this weekend and get your drink on please have a person driving the car I would hate to loose you #warriors

nationalpostRobert Fulford: The man behind Canada's political psycho-drama http://bit.ly/4zhgXG

nprnewsInternet Addiction Center Opens In U.S. http://su.pr/3GuA5z

globalvoicesGhanaian food goes global and “You are invited”: Mushy, gooey, fragrant, grainy, tasty, starchy, spicy, creamy, .. http://bit.ly/dAxpr

AmnestyOnlineLet's talk about Human Rights & invite followers to CAST their VOTE 4 Human Rights http://ow.ly/nUP0 @BlogActionDay Topic! Pls RT

katejongbloed"For the 75 percent of patients who survived, noscomial infection added an average of $33,000 in medical costs" (Garrett on US infections)

World's First "Halal" Search Engine Designed for Muslims Launched

Image via Wikipedia

By OBERT MADONDO

Global diversity is on the move again! This time it's religion - Islam - embracing technology in a way that is progressive and safe for its followers.

A Dutch media company, AZS Media Group LTD, has today launched a search engine that enables Muslims around the world to safely search the World Wide Web without coming across content that might be considered "Haram" according to Islamic Law.

The search engine, ImHalal.com, "only fetches results that are flagged as to be "Halal". The search engine uses various techniques to determine which results fetched are supposed to be "Halal" or "Haram". Once a user comes in contact with content of explicit nature, the search engine will return a negative search advice."

Africans 'Under Siege' in Moscow

(Many African students in Moscow are afraid to go outside)

via news.bbc.co.uk

Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia's capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.

Africans working or studying in the city live in constant fear of attack, according to the report by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy. A quarter of 200 people surveyed said they had been assaulted more than once. Some 80% had been verbally abused.

FULL STORY ON THE BBC

Israeli Jew Uri Davis Will Save Palestine

(Uri Davis, left, at a Fatah meeting in Ramallah. Photograph: Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images. via www.guardian.co.uk)

Historical and seemingly never-ending conflicts rarely produce individuals prepared to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of the common good. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict did: Uri Davis.

Davis personal and political journey is unique but potentially perilous. He is an Israeli just elected the first Jewish member of the Revolutionary Council of the Palestinian Fatah movement.

Davis reminds me of whites who joined liberation movements across the colonized world to fight colonialism. In Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where the racist settler regime had vowed that blacks would never rule "not in a thousand years", such courageous whites were often resented and considered traitors by fellow whites.

Israelis denounce Davis as a "traitor" and "self-hating Jew".

Individuals like Davis transform race and ethnicity-based entities into into broader-based movements. In South Africa, the participation of whites in Nelson Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) liberation movement guaranteed equal rights for both blacks and whites in independent South Africa.

Davis’ presence in the Fatah movement will save Palestine.

As a member of the council, Davis "now he enjoys an extraordinary mandate to explain his own views", the most important of which is "never to generalize". Not all Palestinians seek the annihilation of the Jewish State. Not all Jews seek the complete eradication of Palestine from the face of earth. Justice and vengeance are not interchangeable.

Most importantly: a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might just be the only viable one.

Palestinians will listen. Davis has gone beyond fighting with the Palestinians to becoming one of them. He converted to Islam. In 2008 he married a Palestinian woman. He describes himself as Palestinian Hebrew of Jewish origins. A Palestinian.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Israeli wins Fatah top body seat (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Palestinians Ask U.S. Envoy to Press Israel on 'Two-State Solution' (nytimes.com)

President Obama Gives Ramadan Message

via www.youtube.com

Once again, President Obama reaches out to the Muslim world. On Thursday, Mr. Obama extended his best wishes to Muslims around the world during Ramadan.

Usain Bolt - NEW WORLD RECORD 19.19 in 200m

via www.youtube.com

By OBERT MADONDO

Jamaican Usain Bolt wants to be the greatest sprinter the world has ever seen. He even wants a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth. Who can blame him? 

He is currently the fastest man on earth over 200m and 100m.

Yesterday Bolt shattered his own world record in the 200m to win gold at the World Championships in Berlin, clocking 19.19seconds.

Last Sunday, the Jamaican shattered the 100m world record, running in 9.58 seconds. That was 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The best of Bolt is yet to come.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bolt sets sights on 9.4 seconds (news.bbc.co.uk)

Italian City to Fine Muslim Women in Burkinis

via www.alarabiya.net

Gianluca Buonanno, the mayor of a northern Italian city has barred Muslim women from wearing the body-concealing burkini and will fine them €500 ($700) if they're spotted wearing the garment around swimming pools or riversides, according to this report by alarabiya.net

Surely racism knows how to appeal to our fears and fragilities. For Mayor Buonanno, "The sight of a masked woman could disturb small children, not to mention problems of hygiene."

But who exactly is talking here? Mayor Buonanno is openly anti-immigration. He doesn't conceal his racial intolerance either.

"We don't have to be tolerant all the time," he said.

Read full story from Alarabiya.net

Abu Dabi's KALIMA Translates Obama Biography Into Arabic

via www.middle-east-online.com

A must-read in any language

Now available in Arabic: US President memoir 'Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance'.

ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi's KALIMA project announced publishing the translation of Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" into Arabic.

The book is a memoir by the US President, first published in 1995, before his political career began but after he was elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.

It was re-released in 2004 and the new edition includes a new introduction by Obama, then a Senator-elect.

Read full story from Middle East Online

In Mosaic Lebanon, Farmer's Market a Model of Unity

via www.middle-east-online.com

Lebanon's different communities united around one common passion - food at Beirut's first farmers' market

BEIRUT - On a parking lot in the heart of Beirut, Kamal Mouzawak has managed no small feat -- uniting Lebanon's ever different communities around one common passion, food.

From Hussein Abu Mansour, from a Druze village in the southern Bekaa region, to Mona al-Dorr from a Shiite village near the Israeli border, to Sarkis and Lina Geryes from a Christian town in the north, all have joined to battle it out on the culinary rather than the political front.

Read full story from Middle East Online

PHOTO OF THE MOMENT August 12 2009: The President And The Brand New Justice

By OBERT MADONDO

 

(Pres. Barack Obama laughs with new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at a White House reception in her honor, August 12, 2009.)

 

Photo via VOA News

 

 

 

 

Turkish Reality TV Show Aims to Convert Non-Believers

Spiegel Online International | August 3, 2009

By Daniel Steinvorth in Istanbul

 

(Choosing my religion: An advertisement for the controversial show "Penitents Compete.")

A new reality television show has rabbis, priests, imams and monks trying to make non-believers pious. The Vatican is reportedly sending a priest, a Buddhist monk has been recruited and atheists who convert will win a trip to a holy site. The Muslim religious authority in Turkey is not amused.

Channel T is not exactly one of the major players in the Turkish television business. And the niche station, tucked away in a commercial area of Istanbul, has made headlines primarily because of the woman who runs it, Seyhan Soylu. Often simply called "Sisi" by the press, the 36 year old is a former police officer and journalist, a transsexual and the enfant terrible of Turkey.

Read full story from Spiegel Online International

 

A Mountain Called Obama

By OBERT MADONDO

 

 

(The Caribbean nation of Antigua honored US President Obama on his birthday, August 4th, by naming its highest peak "Mount Obama". Photo via BET)

 

US President Barack Obama’s global star continues to shine and inspire hope. The Caribbean island of Antigua confirmed it Tuesday by renaming Boggy Peak, its highest peak, Mount Obama. The peak is 1, 300 feet (396m) above sea level.

 

Antiguan Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer presided the re-christening ceremony on August 4th, Mr. Obama's birthday.

 

According to this BET report, the plaque on the rock sculpture at the base of the mountain reads: "Mount Obama, named in honor of the historical election on Nov. 4, 2008, of Barack Hussein Obama, the first black president of the United States of America, as a symbol of excellence, triumph, hope and dignity for all people."

Book Review: Outcasts United

By OBERT MADONDO

 

I haven't read Outcasts United, Warren St. John's "story of a refugee soccer team, a remarkable woman coach and a small southern town turned upside down by the process of refugee resettlement". But I stumbled on the book's website and fell instantly in love with the book.

 

Outcats United is my story too. The soccer players in the book are from diverse racial backgrounds, united by the beautiful game and my passion, soccer.

 

Like the soccer players in Outcasts United, I'm a former refugee from a troubled country, Zimbabwe. Now permanently based in North America (Canada), I went through the sometimes unforgiving process of building a new life in a new country. I've lived in a small city facing change while not yet ready to embrace diversity.

 

So, I'm posting the following excepts from the information provided on the website. 

 

The Book:

 

Outcasts United is the story of a refugee soccer team, a remarkable woman coach and a small southern town turned upside down by the process of refugee resettlement.

In the 1990s, that town, Clarkston, Georgia, became a resettlement center for refugees and a modern-day Ellis Island for scores of families from war zones in Liberia, Congo, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. The town also became home to Luma Mufleh, an American-educated Jordanian woman who founded a youth soccer team to help keep Clarkston’s boys off the streets. These boys named themselves the Fugees -- short for refugees.

Outcasts United follows a pivotal season in the life of the Fugees, their families and their charismatic coach as they struggle to build new lives in a fading town overwhelmed by change. Theirs is a story about resilience in the face of extraordinary hardship, the power of one person to make a difference and the daunting challenge of creating community in a place where people seem to have so little in common.

The Author:

Warren St. John has written for the New York Observer, The New Yorker, Wired and Slate, in addition to his work as a reporter for The New York Times.  His first book, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania (2004), was named one of Sports Illustrated’s best books of the year, and ranked number one on The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of the best books ever written about collegiate athletics.

Some Reviews:

“If you only read one book over the next few months, it should be Outcasts United.” —Bill Littlefield, NPR

 

A "richly detailed, uplifting account of a young Jordanian immigrant who created a soccer program in Georgia for young refugees from war-torn nations . . . educational and enriching." — Kirkus Reviews

 

 

 

 

Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein Makes an Ass of The Law

By OBERT MADONDO

 

 

My heart goes to Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, a Sudanese journalist currently on trial for wearing pants/trousers. She faces 40 lashes if convicted under Article 152 of Sudan’s criminal law, which forbids “indecent clothing in public”. 

 

Ten other women have already been whipped for similar offences under Islamic law.

 

In an incredible show of courage, Lubna waived her United Nations immunity to allow the trial to go on. Since the trial started, she has send the world press hundred of invitations to her trial.

 

Lubna is inviting us to walk with her on this horrible trip to her flogging. She is putting the law on trial.

Major Victory for Global Diversity as Queen Elizabeth II Gets Sikh Guards

By OBERT MADONDO

 

(Queen Elizabeth's Sikh guards, Sarjvit Singh and Simranjit Singh. Photo via Associated Press)

 

It's a first for global diversity as two Sikh men are inducted into the Royal Guards, the elite British Army regiment that protects Queen Elizabeth II and and her immeasurable treasures.  

 

Lance Corporal Sarjvit Singh, 28, and Signaller Simranjit Singh, 26, are the first Sikh soldiers to take part in patrols outside the queen's residence and to stand watch over the Crown jewels at the Tower of London across town.

 

And they will carry out their duties in style - wearing their turbans. Sarvjit Singh was also born in India.

 

Not to say that the days of the famous bearskin caps are numbered. Even the conservative British Royal Family cannot resist the potent power of diversity. That's all.

New Faces of Irish Politics

Colin Murphy | Le Monde Diplomatique | June 2009

 

A way to set the standard for other immigrants

 

Interest in European elections is traditionally low, but less so in Ireland, where political and economic crises have animated voters. Meanwhile, in local elections, also on 5 June, the immigrant community has become a vibrant new force

 

Rea full story from Le Monde Diplomatic

 

 

 

Poverty Drives Iraq Organ Trade

Al Jazeera | July 20, 2009

 

Abject poverty across Iraq is fuelling an illegal trade in human organs.

Hundreds of people are believed to have sold kidneys and other organs through dealers in the capital, Baghdad, over the last year.

Karim Hussein made the long journey from Amara, a province in the south of Iraq, to Baghdad because he was desperate for the $3,000 he would get from the sale of a kidney there. 

 

Read more from Al Jazeera

 

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Europe: A New Way to Beat the Resurgent Far Right?

By OBERT MADONDO

 

Last month, Europeans elected a sizeable number of far right politicians, including Nick Griffin, who has proposed that the EU should sink all boats carrying non-white immigrants to prevent them from entering Europe.

 

Now some European governments are employing desperate measures to contain the far right. According to The Guardian, the British government recently excluded Griffin and Andrew Brons, another elected far right politician, from a champagne reception.

 

Alienating extremist politicians at the EU parliament will not cause them to fade away. They are extensions of something bigger in the individual European countries countries they represent. They represent Hungarian gypsy-haters, French Holocaust deniers, Dutch Islam-baiters, Austrian antisemites, Italian racists, and Flemish separatists.

When Will Charles Taylor's Friends In High Places Stand Trial?

By OBERT MADONDO

 

(Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. Photo via The Independent)

 

Charles Taylor's trial for war crimes resumed in The Hague yesterday with the former Liberian leader defending himself against allegations of murder, rape, sexual slavery, recruiting child soldiers, torture - and cannibalism.

 

Taylor alleged that the case against him was all about "disinformation, misinformation, lies and rumours".

 

Obvious, the world is excited about this trial. It's trial of an African leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial will add credibility to the International Criminal Court and the global justice system.

 

Taylor's conviction will send a powerful message to other leaders around the world that they cannot act with impunity.

 

But when Taylor's powerful friends and supporters stand trial? Without the support of friends in high places, Taylor would not have successfully staged a rebellion, ruled Liberia for 14 years of bloody carnage and plunder, and stoked civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

 

 

Mexican Asylum Seekers Increasingly Turned Away By US Immigration Courts

Todd Bensman | GlobalPost | July 15, 2009

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Their stories may be heart-rending. Their experiences may seem unimaginable. Their lives may still be at risk.

But the growing numbers of Mexican citizens who have fled rampaging drug trafficking cartels to seek American political asylum are finding the door slammed shut in their faces.

U.S. immigration judges are expelling Mexican asylum seekers, leaving them to face their cartel demons, according to confidential records provided to GlobalPost and interviews with seven lawyers handling such cases.

Read full story from The Huffington Post

Italy Turns up the Heat on Immigration

Jon Rosen | World Politics Review | July 14, 2009

 

PALERMO, Italy -- It's a balmy morning in the Sicilian capital, and a dozen African men are lounging in the shade at the Missione di Speranza e Carita, a Church-run shelter that's home to more than 500 immigrants. Though they are all recent arrivals to Italy, only some of the men have proper documents.

They are waiting to speak with Brother Dario, a Catholic Friar and mission administrator, for help in finding employment. In addition to meals and a bed, the shelter provides vocational training to as many of its residents as it can handle. These days, however, accommodating new arrivals is tough.

"We only have space for 300," says Brother Dario. "We don't turn anyone away, but we have people sleeping in the courtyard. They just keep coming."

It's not surprising in a country going through what some consider a full-fledged immigration crisis. In recent years, thanks to geography as well as a strong record of granting amnesty, Italy has become a top destination for international emigrants. While the majority arrives by air, an unsettling number depart the Libyan coast in what are often less-than-seaworthy fishing boats -- many having paid large sums to be smuggled through the Middle East or across the Sahara.

 

Read full story from World Politics Review

 

 

TORONTO: Mayor Proposes Extending Voting Rights to Non-citizens

Allison Hanes | National Post | July 11, 2009

Calling it an issue close to his heart as the child of an immigrant single mother, Mayor David Miller last night threw his support behind a movement to give non-citizens the right to vote in Toronto municipal elections.

Enfranchising newcomers who live in the city but have not yet attained citizenship would be a first in Canada, but not the world.

"It's my view that those people who have chosen to make Toronto their home and live here permanently should have the right to vote in municipal elections in exactly the same way as Canadian citizens," the Mayor said during a city-organized panel last night.

Read full story from the National Post