 September 2, 2010
Kofi Annan Backs Small-Scale Farmers in Africa BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for more backing for Africa’s small-scale farmers. Annan on Monday toured a test field near the village of Sanankoroba, located 24 miles (40 kilometers) south of the capital, where researchers showed off new varieties of rice developed in Mali that produce twice the yield as normal seeds. Annan says that farmers have been “allowed to sink or swim on their own” without help. Annan is the chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa which aims to assist farmers by ensuring access to improved seed varieties, fertilizer and modern farming techniques. He argues that small-scale farmers are essential to ensuring African countries do not again experience high food prices or food shortages. U.N. Peacekeepers Mostly Silent as 200 Women are Reported to be Seen Gang-Raped (GIN) — An American aid worker and Congolese doctor reported recently that nearly 200 women and some young boys were gang-raped by Congolese and Rwandan rebels over four days within miles of a U.N. peacekeepers’ base in an eastern Democratic Republic of Congo mining district. More than three weeks later, the U.N. mission has issued no statement about the atrocities and said recently it still is investigating. A public-service billboard in Kalenger, Eastern Congo, discourages men from raping women. “Ubakaji” is the Congolese word for rape. It is borrowed from the language of neighboring Tanzania; Congolese culture itself did not openly speak of rape until very recently. An estimated 500,000 women and girls have been victims of sexual violence since the Second Congo War began in 1996. Less than a year ago, Hillary Clinton became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit war-torn regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo — and pledged $17 million to fight the rape epidemic. “Working together, we will banish sexual violence into the dark past, where it belongs, and help the Congolese people seize the opportunities of a new day,” she wrote in an op-ed. Ten months later, Africa experts are questioning how the $17 million has been spent. Media Fears Censorship Under New Gov’t Bill (GIN) — South Africa’s investigative reporters say they fear a proposed “media tribunal” could end their exposes of public corruption and maladministration by government officials. In the name of allowing average citizens to hold the media accountable, President Jacob Zuma’s ANC has proposed a tribunal, accountable to an ANC-led parliament to monitor and sanction the press. A Protection of Information Bill is also under consideration to curb the reporting of so-called “state secrets.” Journalists reporting official information the state deems classified could face as many as 25 years in prison. Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, speaking to the South African National Editors Forum, defended the tribunal concept but stressed that media would not be treated as the apartheid regime treated black journalists. He invited the media to participate in drafting legislation. South Africa Unions Threaten Wider Walkout (NNPA) — South Africa’s biggest labor federation, Cosatu, recently rallied its members to join a strike by about 1.3 million state workers over wage and benefit issues. The strikers include teachers, health care workers, police, customs officials and clerks. The government has rejected their demands for an 8.6 percent wage increase and a 1,000-rand ($136) monthly housing allowance, as unaffordable, offering 7 percent. Cosatu unions will hold a secondary sympathy strike and will “shut down” the country on Sept. 2, Zwelinzima Vavi, the federation’s general secretary, said in a press interview. Cosatu claims to have about 2 million workers, several hundred thousand of whom have already walked off the job. “We are demanding that government immediately move to make a new offer,” Vavi said. The government spends “millions of rand on luxury vehicles. This is the case of the shepherd feeding himself and forgetting about the lambs. Our demands are legitimate.” Oil Money Taints U.N. Report on Nigerian Spills (GIN) — Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International are furious over a U.N. report, whose partial contents were leaked, that blames toxic oil spills in the Niger Delta primarily on poor Nigerians living in the highly polluted region. The three-year-old U.N. study received $9.5 million in funding from the Shell Petroleum Development Co. of Nigeria, with approval of the Nigerian government. “The report relies more on figures produced by oil companies and Nigerian state statistics than on community testimony and organizations on the ground who work with communities,” wrote Nnimmo Bassey, chair of Friends of the Earth, in a press release. Responding to the outcry from local groups, the U.N. Environmental Program wrote that the findings were only, “official estimates of the Government of Nigeria, based in part on data supplied by the oil industry.” It also wrote: “They do not represent nor reflect results of UNEP’s current assessment process which is still ongoing. … UNEP wishes to assure all concerned that the assessment will be concluded to the highest standards of independence, integrity and transparency.” But Friends of the Earth chair Nnimmo Bassey countered: “We monitor spills regularly and our observations often contradict information produced by oil companies and Nigerian regulatory agencies… The UN assessment is being paid for by Shell so we are not surprised that it tells Shell’s version of the facts.” |
 September 2, 2010
(ARA) — Cheryl Koompin knows a thing or two about getting dinner on the table for her family after a long day of work. She and her husband raised two boys while maintaining the family’s potato farm in American Falls, Idaho. That meant years of early mornings, long days in the field and making sure dinner, homework and chores were taken care of in the evening. Today, Koompin is the United States Potato Board’s (USPB) chairman of the board. She is using this expertise and leading the U.S. potato industry in their efforts to educate consumers, specifically moms, that potatoes are a nutritious, delicious and quick mealtime solution. “I understand first-hand the challenges of getting a healthy meal on the table in minutes,” says Koompin. “I hope some of the potato tricks and tips I learned over the years can help other moms speed up dinnertime prep. Plus, kids love potatoes and moms can feel good about serving them.” One medium (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, sodium or cholesterol, and more potassium than a banana. Pound for pound, potatoes are also still one of the least expensive items in the produce department. One serving — a medium potato — will set you back only about 25 cents. Nutritious, affordable and delicious, but are potatoes convenient for today’s time-strapped mom trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry? Yes. You can speed up your spuds in a number of ways, including using your microwave for perfect baked, roasted and mashed potatoes. Potatoes are also one of the best vegetables for slow cookers, one of the most popular cooking appliances today, because you can prepare a dish the night before or in the morning and have dinner ready when the family gets home. The starch in the potato absorbs water and swells during the cooking process, resulting in tender, fluffy potatoes that require no monitoring while cooking. The USPB’s new recipe for Quick & Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes calls for bone-in, skinless chicken breasts, fresh-from-the-farmers’-market ingredients like red potatoes, baby carrots, pearl onions and button mushrooms, and simple seasonings like Herbs de Provence (dried herbs found in the spice section of most grocery stores) and fresh thyme. Quick & Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: Can range from four hours to eight hours, depending on temperature set on slow cooker Ingredients: 4 small (2 pounds) bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence (or combination of dried thyme, fennel, basil and savory) 1 teaspoon garlic salt Freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup flour 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 1/4 pounds small red potatoes 3/4 cup frozen, thawed pearl onions 1 cup small baby carrots 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 8 ounces small baby bella or white mushrooms Chopped fresh thyme (optional) Directions: Combine the Herbs de Provence, garlic salt and pepper on a dinner plate. Spoon flour on to second dinner plate. Coat each chicken breast in the herb mixture; then dredge well in flour. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is golden brown on both sides (approximately three to four minutes per side). Cook chicken in two batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. Place chicken in a large slow cooker and add remaining ingredients except fresh thyme. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or on low for eight hours. Sprinkle with fresh thyme before serving, if desired. Makes six servings. Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories: 430, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 400mg, Potassium: 771mg, Carbohydrates: 43g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Protein: 45g, Vitamin A: 90 percent, Vitamin C: 60 percent, Calcium: 4 percent, Iron: 20 percent Visit www.potatogoodness.com to see three additional flavor variations to the Slow Cooker Chicken & Potatoes recipe. You’ll also find videos and a host of potato recipes. Courtesy of ARAcontent. |
|
 September 2, 2010
BY HAZEL TRICE EDNEY NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WASHINGTON (NNPA) — A red, black and green flag flapping in the sweltering Saturday afternoon breeze said it all in the one word embroidered on its front — “Justice.” That one word encompassed the sentiments of the throng of thousands who weaved for miles through the streets of Washington, D.C., behind civil rights leaders, chanting, singing and shouting demands to the powers that be. “What do we want? … Justice! … When do we want it? … Now!” This was the clarion call that went out from the Rev. Al Sharpton’s “Reclaim the Dream” rally and march, adding fuel to an obvious rekindling of a movement to refocus attention back on the plight of the historically oppressed — largely Black people in America — and the disparities that are clear. “You may remember that my father, in 1967 and early ’68, was focused on economic empowerment, bringing together poor Blacks and poor Whites, and poor Native Americans and poor Americans from all walks of life. He did not live to see that come to fruition,” said Martin Luther King III after the march reached the MLK Memorial construction site. “But, today, 47 years since the March on Washington, we are here talking about economic empowerment for all. “And so, I hope that we understand as we observe in love that this is not about a left side or a right side. This is about God’s side in terms of doing that which is good, just and right for all of America. Not for a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent, but for every American. That’s what Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was about.” King III made that point with clarity as the “Reclaim the Dream” march was named as such because of a rally on the same day, led by Fox TV host Glenn Beck, a leader of the conservative Tea Party movement. Tea Partiers were accused of hurling racial epithets at members of Congress as they crossed the street to the Capitol to cast their health care votes in March. Little more than a mile from the majority-Black “Reclaim the Dream” crowd, the Beck crowd stood on the Washington Mall in a “Restoring Honor” rally that drew a near-solidly White crowd to the same spot — the Lincoln Memorial — where King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Beck had said the date of his rally was a coincidence, but many saw it as disrespectful to the legacy of the civil rights leader. “Well, they may have the mall, but we have the message. They may have the platform, but we have the dream,” Sharpton said at Dunbar High School, where thousands gathered to prepare for the trek. “If you understood dreaming, you can dream anywhere. We don’t have to be at the spot. All we need to be is who we are. We can dream from jail cells. We can dream from hospital beds. We can dream wherever we are!” Saturday’s march to the King Memorial, another in Detroit with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and yet another on Sunday in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, underscored Sharpton’s point that people around the nation — wherever they are — are daring to mobilize. Many are preparing to vote in midterm elections Nov. 2. Others are simply feeling the need to do something as they come to the realization that racial disparities in just about every category are almost as they were 40 years ago. Yet a “One Nation” march on Washington, led by the NAACP and some 200 other organizations around the nation, will be held Oct. 2, illustrating the passion of this moment in history. “We need you back here on 10-2-10,” NAACP President Ben Jealous shouted to the crowd, citing the aim to “put our country back to work and pull our country back together!” Other speakers included Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; Melanie Campbell of the National Coalition for Black Civil Participation; Marc Morial of the National Urban League; and radio talk show hosts Tom Joyner and Joe Madison, who emceed the rally at Dunbar. Despite the focus on key issues of disparity, an overriding focus was the perceived insult from the Beck crowd. Sharpton concluded, “While they are down there, they ought to have Abe Lincoln to tell them why he fought against state’s rights and held the union together. “They ought to read Dr. King’s speech. And then they need to talk to some of us who came up the rough side of the mountain. That’s why we’re marching. Somebody said there’s no trouble today. Ain’t no trouble. We wouldn’t disgrace today by allowing you to provoke us. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, we’re going to celebrate those who laid down their lives to give us a chance.” |
 September 2, 2010 By Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. NNPA Columnist (NNPA) — The Civil Rights Movement is alive and well in 2010. There is no such thing as the “post-Civil Rights era,” unless you are one of those rare individuals who assume that African-Americans and others have already “overcome” racial discrimination and economic exploitation. There is no such thing as a “post-racial” America, unless you are also one of those brothers or sisters who think that you are a “post-Black” colorless person who lives in a colorblind society of true equality and equity. I remember well, back in the 1960s and ’70s, there were some who misguidedly believed that we should stop marching, organizing, struggling, singing and praying for a better day. Yes, we have made tremendous progress during the last 50 years toward racial justice and equality. But our progress did not happen by osmosis. We had to stand up, speak out, protest and, for many, we had to shed blood, tears, jail time and suffering to get where we are today. We cannot afford now to acquire contemporary amnesia about our civil rights and human rights continuing struggles. That is why today, we are sounding a national alarm about what is happening and not happening in education for African-American children in particular. It is way past time for the vast majority of African Americans and others who consider themselves to be progressive to speak out and take direct action to ensure that our children get the best possible quality education. A people who will not put the highest priority on the education of their children are a people who are doomed to social and economic hardship and subjugation. Black parents have to exercise their parental rights and responsibilities to demand better educational options for our children across the United States. We say “our children” because every child in our community deserves the fundamental right to have equal access to a high-quality, not low-quality, education. Why are we so patient and silent about the failures of school systems that are failing to provide the education “our” children deserve? Yes, we need a national movement for equal quality education today with no less of a collective sense of urgency than we exhibited five decades ago. Our children are being miseducated, harmed and racially discriminated against. This is a civil rights issue. This is a human rights issue. This is a parental responsibility issue. In some cities like New York; Detroit; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Chicago; Houston; Cleveland; St. Louis; Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Jackson, Miss.; the high school dropout rates are unacceptably high and directly proportioned to the issues of denying parental choice, systemic institutional failures, poverty and the refusal to develop and support alternative, more effective educational models that put the educational needs and rights of our children as the priority focus. Disproportionately high dropout rates of African-American students from high schools throughout America directly lead to the disproportionate high incarceration rates of African Americans in prisons and jails. The continued miseducation of our children will consign future generations to abject poverty and a neo-slave existence. The 21st century offers so many new global opportunities for all people to improve their quality of life, but this requires a high quality education to meet these new opportunities. African-American children should not be denied this moment in history. We cannot and should not any longer allow this situation to go unchallenged. We believe in movement building. If you agree with us, come join us. Let’s build this movement together for change in education. Add your voice and energy to this important cause. It’s time for us to stand up and speak out again. The education and the future of our children are at stake. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is a national civil rights leader, senior advisor to the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and president of Education Online Services Corp. |
|
September 2,2010