International Peasant Conference: Stop the Land Grab

From the 17th to the 19th of November in Sélingué, Mali, the farmers of the National Coordination of Farming Organizations (CNOP) in Mali and the international farmers’ movement Via Campesina, held an international conference on land grabbing and to strengthen their continued fight against land grabs on the African continent. We interviewed Elizabeth Mpofu from Zimbabwe who was at the conference in Mali.

Listen to this weeks AP headlines and the interview with Elizabeth here
0:00 to 14:30 -- Headlines
14:31 to 30:41 -- Interview with Elizabeth

For more information on the conference and Via Campesina, visit their website

Land Grabs in Africa

Multinational corporations are buying enormous tracts of land in Africa to the detriment of local communities. These land grabs puts countries on the path to increased food insecurity, environmental degradation, increased reliance on aid and marginalisation of farming and pastoralist communities. This has resulted in the sale of enormous portions of land throughout Africa. In 2009 alone, nearly 60 million hectares of land were purchased or leased throughout the continent for the production and export of food, cut flowers and agrofuel crops. Recently the Oakland Institute has published several documents on these land grabs and their consequences, based on extensive research. The Oakland Institute is a is an independent policy think tank, bringing fresh ideas and bold action to the most pressing social, economic, and environmental issues of our time. Joining us on the line is Frederic Mousseau, policy director at the Oakland institute where he coordinates Understanding Land Investment Deals in Africa project.

Listen to this week's headlines here

Listen to Land Grabs interview with the Oakland Institute here

For more information on the Understanding Land Investments Deals in Africa project and the Oakland Institute, check out their website

Mau Mau Reparations

In this edition of African Perspectives we start of with headlines and then an interview with George Morara of the Kenya Human Rights Commission. In July of this year, 4 elderly Kenyan men won a "historic" ruling which takes them one step nearer to winning damages from the British Government over colonial atrocities during the Mau Mau uprising. These men were Mau Mau freedom fighters and endured torture and mistreatment from colonial officials during the Kenya struggle for independence.

For more information on the case and the work of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, check out their website.

Headlines: 0 - 17:10
George Morara interview: 17:11 - end

Listen to the show here

Interview with Femi Kuti

Interview with Femi Kuti as he talks about his new album 'Africa for Africa' and the use of Afrobeat in raising awareness about Africa's history.

You can listen to the interview here

Remembering David Kato

This edition of African Perspectives remembers the life and work of David Kato, a Ugandan gay activist from Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). We feature an interview with Sokari Ekine, and play segments of a vigil held in New York city honoring David Kato. We also hear a talk given by David last year in Europe on LGBT issue in Uganda.

Listen to this edition of African Perspectives here

Check out Sokari Ekine's blog here
For more information on SMUG, click here

Culture - East Africa

On the April 3rd edition of African Perspectives, we featured culture from East Africa. First was an interview with Abdulrazack Gurnah conducted by African American novelist Jeffery Allen. Second was a montage of voices from the Arba Minch collective. We started off as we always do with headlines from the continent.

Listen to the show here (or right click to download)

You can hear the complete Gurnah interview here
For more information about the Arba Minch Collective, check out their website

Foreign Intervention in Libya

Interview with Centime Zekele, an Ethiopian Assistant Lecturer at York University. She discusses the social revolt in Libya and the foreign intervention.

The interview can be listened to here

Interview with Nizar Visram - Tanzania Palestine Solidarity Committee

Interview with Nizar Visram of the Palestine Solidarity Committee. He addresses Israel's history in Africa and it's current imperialist agenda in Africa. This segment was part of Anti-Apartheid Frequencies, a 9 hour special program on CHRY 105.5FM as part of Israeli Apartheid Week at York University.

To listen please click here

Libya

This week we interviewed Prof. Horace Campbell a prominent Pan-Africanist scholar at Syracuse University in New York. Prof. Campbell addressed the protests in Libya and called for Gaddafi to step down immediately in addition to calling a revolution against capitalism not only against individual dictators.

The interview can be listened to here

Referendum in Sudan

From January 9 to 15, Sudan held a referendum to decide the faith of the South of the country. The results of the referendum show that the people of the South had voted overwhelmingly to succeed from the north. In this edition of African Perspectives, we spoke with Farid Omar about the larger geopolitical causes and implications of this referendum, the civil war in Sudan, and the prospects for this new country.

Farid Omar is a consultant, freelance writer and researcher at the York Center for International and Security Studies. He recently wrote an article in the Socialist Worker on Sudan and Oil.

Listen to this week's African Perspectives here

Weekly headlines from the African continent (until 15:43)
Interview with Farid Omar (starts at 15:44)

Tunisia

The Jasmine revolution has been seen as a dawn of a new era in Tunisia and a reference point for other North African countries who are also suffering from price inflation and food shortages. Robert J Prince, has been with the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies where he teaches full-time in their undergraduate International Studies Program, mostly courses on Global Political Economy. We discuss Tunisia wit him, its domino effect in North Africa and the way forward.

The interview can be listened to here

Kenyan Constitution

The 2010 Constitution of Kenya was drawn up to replace the first constitution of Kenya. The constitution was presented to the Attorney General of Kenya on April 7, 2010, officially published on May 6, 2010, and was subjected to a referendum on August 4, 2010. The new Constitution was approved by 67% of Kenyan voters. The constitution was promulgated on 27 August 2010.

The show can be listened to here

Elections in Ivory Coast

This edition of African Perspectives focused on the impasse of the November 28th elections in Ivory Coast. With both Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo claiming victory in the elections, the international community is calling of Gbagbo to step down, and threatening military intervention.

The first interview we conducted is with Mawuli Dake, who speaks about the dangers of a military intervention and war mongering by the international community. We also spoke with Gary Busch, who discussed the historical context of this election, especially of formal colonial power France.

Listen to the show here

New Publications from Tanzania

December 26, 2010

In this edition of African Perspectives, we explore two new publications from Tanzania that explore an important part of the history of that country. We start this edition as we always do with headlines from the African continent.

Our first interview is with Karim Hirji, the editor of a book called Cheche: Reminiscences of a Radical Magazine. Cheche was a radical socialist student magazine at the University of Dares Salaam, first published in 1969. It featured incisive analyses of key societal issues by prominent progressives, it gained national and international recognition in a short while. Because it was independent of authority, and spoke without fear or favor, it was banned after just a year of existence.

Our second interview is with Annar Cassam, the co-editor of Africa's Liberation: The Legacy of Nyerere. The book is a collection of the words, works and legacy of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and is co-edited by Chambi Chachage. The book includes contributions from leading commentators, those who worked and fought imperialism alongside Nyerere, members of a younger generation – and Nyerere in his own words. Their writings reflect on Nyerere and liberation, the Commonwealth, leadership, economic development, land, human rights and education. Above all, they are a testament to the growing recognition of the need to rekindle the fires of African socialism to which Nyerere was deeply committed.

Part 1: Headlines from the African Continent for the week of December 26, 2010, listen here

Part 2: Interview with Karim Hirji, listen here

Part 3: Interview with Annar Cassam, listen here