EDUCATION

The real history of slavery

* A review of Hugh Thomas, the History of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440-1870 (Picador £25)

With: Muthoni Ismail.

If history is the world's court then capitalism is convicted of the most heinous crimes. One such crime is New World slavery. Yet some historians would like to deny capitalism its bloody past. A new book by Hugh Thomas, The History of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440-1870 (Picador £25), though containing some useful facts, represents such a view.
However, it is undeniable that slavery produced regular profits for the British Empire. These represented a massive boost to cities such as London, Liverpool and Bristol. Liverpool was transformed from a small fishing village into a huge dock, the hub of the growing world capitalist system. A walk around the Liverpool Exchange with its motif of black women tells you of the origin of its wealth. The canal from Manchester to Liverpool that cut the cost of transport from 40 shillings a ton to 6 shillings a ton was paid for by profits from the slave trade. High street names like Barclay and Lloyd banks made their entry into commerce because of the sweated labours of the slave.
In the early days of capitalism's growth the slave plantations formed a constant demand for manufactured goods, taking up to 20 percent of goods produced. It is calculated that the West Indian plantations alone brought an aggregate profit of £150 million for Britain's rulers. Karl Marx argued that 'direct slavery is as much the pivot upon which our present day industrialization turns as are machinery and credit. Without slavery there would be no cotton, without cotton there would be no modern industry. It is slavery which has given value to the colonies, it is the colonies which have created world trade, and world trade is the necessary condition for large scale machine industry.'
There was a direct connection between the rise of racism and the slave trade. An ideology was needed to justify the transportation of millions of blacks. David Hume, the Scottish philosopher, argued that blacks had the same intelligence as orangutans. This exposes the contradictory nature of the emerging capitalist society, which on the one hand hailed the ideas of the French and American revolutions - equality and unalienable rights - yet at the same time depended on the horrendous trade in human flesh. The American president Adams, at the end of the American Revolution which had been expected to abolish slavery, declared they had 'got the wolf by the ears but they aren't let it go.' World capitalism couldn't progress without a massive expansion of slavery in the American South.
Implicit in the argument that comes from Hugh Thomas is the idea that the Atlantic slave trade grew out of the slavery that already existed in African and Islamic societies prior to the 1700s. Essentially, he portrays slavery as a bad idea which was made worse by Europeans. Slavery, he argues, was a universal feature of ancient societies, but it was not racially based - slaves were the spoils of war. He fails to recognize that the Atlantic slave trade was unique because of the role it played in the emergent capitalist system.
There were class divisions in pre-capitalist societies. But in ancient Africa slaves were more like serfs - they were not barred from marrying the chief's daughter, or from owning property, or even rising to be governors. Two factors prevented African societies developing in the same way as Europe. Neither was to do with any inherent inferiority in those societies. In many ways Africa had been more advanced than Europe. In 1066, as Harold lost his eye, the complex infrastructure of Great Zimbabwe was in full force, controlling the movement of cattle on a vast scale. But the very success of cities such as Timbuktu, Benin and Mali meant there was no drive to develop production. Secondly, tsetse fly and poor soil ruled out the introduction of the plough and the possibility of higher agricultural yields that would parallel European development. There were constant crises in many African states, civil wars and famine - but in no way were these the killing grounds of the West Indian plantations. The dynamic for this came when, as Marx described, capitalism came into the world dripping with blood.
Prior to the development of capitalism and New World slavery contacts between Europe and Africa were on the basis of a meeting of equals. The cartographers' maps of the known world at this time gave African kings the same status as European monarchs. Thus, far from having no history, Africa was a combination of states much like Europe at that time. The introduction of firearms and gunpowder into Africa changed the balance of power between African states. The only way guns could be paid for was in slaves. Each African state would raid the others to pay for goods and this formed a dynamic in which Africa, in Marx's words, became the commercial hunting ground of black skins.
Trade in sugar and tobacco was the foundation of the British Empire and this was predominantly found in 'the Americas'. The first slaves in the New World after Columbus arrived there were natives who were subject to a massive assault. In Hispaniola the population fell from 300,000 to 30,000. In South America the population declined by 30 million. Having exhausted the local people as a source of labour, the planters turned to white indentured labour. Up to 340,000 people were sent from Europe. But this was still not enough labour to run the massive factory-style plantations. And so the planters turned to Africa for labour and here began the most horrific trade ever seen. Some 25 million people were transported from Africa to work the plantations. Once they arrived the average life expectancy of a slave was only three years - they were cheap and replaceable.
The biggest slur against the Marxist explanation of slavery is over the question of abolition. Most historians, like Hugh Thomas, write the history of capitalist landlords. William Wilberforce and Josiah Wedgwood raised the cry, 'Am I not a man, am I not a brother?' which, it is claimed, broke the hearts of the slaver. Letter writing campaigns and abolitionist propaganda played a role but the main reason slavery was abolished was because of the activity of the slaves themselves.
There were constant revolts against slavery - in Africa, on the ships and in the New World. These revolts initially involved blacks and poor whites. In the British West Indies between 1638 and 1837 there were 75 major slave rebellions, 22 of which involved thousands of slaves. In Barbados in 1683 handwritten leaflets were distributed. In Jamaica during the Maroon Wars of the 1700s, a planter wrote:
'We are in terrible circumstances in respect to the rebellious negroes. They get the better of all our parties; our men are quite dispirited and dare not look them in the face in open ground or in equal numbers.'
The great revolution in San Domingo in 1794 led by Toussaint L'Ouverture rang the death knell for slavery. Half a million black inhabitants repeatedly fought off the combined armies of Europe. The slaves' cry of self-emancipation was the real motor for abolition. The British supported abolition because they wanted to weaken the French Empire which was based on the wealth of San Domingo. But the masses stormed onto the stage of history, not as helpless victims, but as shapers of their own future.
Even more hidden from history is the popularity of anti-slavery sentiments and organization amongst white workers, especially in Britain. For instance, in 1795 a 20,000 name petition from Manchester called for the abolition of slavery. In 1814 a petition of 1.5 million names was collected in Manchester. White workers made the link between the horrors of capitalism and slavery. The Chartists attracted and were led by black radicals like William Cuffay, a freed slave.
There were constant links between the slave revolts and workers' movements. The Sam Sharpe Rebellion in Jamaica in 1832 involved 20,000 slaves, included the first slave strike and rocked the foundation of slavery in Jamaica. The slaves read out pamphlets from Britain calling for the end of slavery and universal suffrage, and so slaves took the whole island over for a week, with some whites joining the rebellion. The revolt was ultimately put down by the regular army, but immediate plans were made by the British government for the abolition of slavery. Sam Sharpe was caught and hanged. Before he died he said, 'I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery.
Industrialization meant that capitalism was no longer dependent upon slave labour, but slavery's end was hastened by the fight of slaves to emancipate themselves. Historians such as Hugh Thomas who currently write about slavery (with the noble exception of Robin Blackburn) want to write about capitalism without exploitation and misery. We want to understand the development of capitalism because the chains of slavery have given way to the invisible chains of capitalist exploitation. The real history of slavery is a history of resistance and revolutionary change from below. That does not just belong in the past; it's what we need in the present to win the future.

HISTORY

BAGAMOYO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

 

With: Muthoni Ismail.

Bagamoyo was recently designated as Tanzania’s seventh world heritage site and is the oldest town in Tanzania. Bagamoyo's history has been influenced by Arab and Indian traders, the German colonial government and Christian missionaries. 

Although Bagamoyo is no longer the busy port city that it once was, Tanzania’s Department of Antiquities is working to revitalize the town and maintain the dozens of ruins in and around Bagamoyo.

Bagamoyo was the major slave trading post in East Africa. Bagamoyo, which means ‘lay down your heart’ in Swahili, was probably given this name because Bagamoyo was the last place the slaves would stay in Tanzania before being shipped off to foreign lands. Although the slave trade officially ended in 1873, slaves continued to be sold and traded in Bagamoyo through the end of the nineteenth century.

During the slave trade, it was not uncommon to see hundreds of slaves walking through the streets of Bagamoyo chained together by the neck. Slaves were collected from the interior by capture, purchase or trade and then shipped to Zanzibar or Arab countries. Click here for a photo gallery.

Approximate Travel Times to Bagamoyo from Dar es Salaam, One hour, From Tanga, Five hours, From Lushoto and the Usambaras, Six hours, From Moshi, Eight hours.

SOCIAL

The History of Love

  With: Muthoni Ismail.

 Approximately 70 years before the present, the 10-year-old Polish-Jewish Leopold (Leo) Gursky falls in love with his neighbor Alma Mereminski. The two begin a relationship that develops over the course of 10 years. In this time, Leo writes three books that he gives to Alma since she is the only person whom he deeply cares about. The first book is too realistic and boring, the second one is entirely fiction and unconvincing, and the last book is dedicated to his love: "The History of Love." Leo promises he will never love anyone but Alma.
Alma, now 20, is sent to the United States by her father, who feared the alarming news concerning fascist Germany. Leo does not know that Alma is pregnant and dreams of going to America to meet her. A short time after, the Germans invade Poland and Leo takes cover in the woods, living on roots, small animals, bugs and what he can steal from farmers' cellars. After two years of hiding he goes to America and finds Alma but is shocked to hear she thought he had died in the war and had married the son of the manager of the factory she works at. He is devastated when he finds she has had another child with her husband. He asks her to come with him, but she refuses. She tells him, however, about his son Isaac who is now five years old. Heartbroken, Leo leaves and becomes a locksmith. Leo regularly watches Isaac from a distance, wishing to be part of the boy’s life but scared to come in contact with him.
In the present day, Leo is a lonely old man who waits for his death, along with his recently found (most probably in his imagination) childhood friend, Bruno Shultz especially since Alma has been dead for five years. Leo still keeps track of his son, who has become a famous writer, much to Leo’s enjoyment since he believes Isaac inherited the talent from his father. Leo's depression deepens when he reads in a newspaper that his son has died at the age of 60, and Leo develops an obsession with finding his place in his son's world, to the extent that he breaks into Isaac’s house to see if he had read "The History of Love". Leo wants to reread "The History of Love", so he tries to obtain a copy of the book that he gave to his friend Zvi Litvinoff, who had immigrated to Chile. Their friendship dates from when Leo fell gravely ill in Poland and wrote his own obituary, after which Lev stole it in the hope that it would keep his friend alive. Leo writes a letter to Zvi, but his wife informs him that the book was destroyed in a flood, conspiring to hide that her husband did not write "The History of Love".
Unknown to Leo is that the book had been published in a small printing of two thousand copies (and re-published upon the supposed author's death) in Spanish, but under the name of Zvi Litvinoff, who copied the book thinking Leo was killed in Poland. Zvi felt so guilty for copying his book that he added his friend’s stolen obituary as the last chapter, telling the publisher that including the obituary was conditional to printing the book, although doing so did not make sense with the plot. When Leo called to recover the book, Zvi's wife, Rosa, fearing her husband would lose his fame if the world found out his well-regarded book was   plagiarized, lied by saying the manuscript had been destroyed in a flood, and then manufactured a flood in her house to realize the lie. Zvi died later without telling the world about the real author of "The History of Love".
In a parallel story, a 15-year-old Jewish girl, Alma Singer, named after the Alma in "The History of Love", her parents’ favorite book, is struggling to cope with the loss of her father due to cancer. Her mother becomes distant and lonely, escaping into her work of book translation. Her younger brother Bird, so called for jumping from the second story of a building hoping he could fly, seeks refuge in religion and believes himself to be one of God’s chosen people, thus distancing himself from reality. Alma finds refuge in one of her father’s hobbies: surviving in the wild. Alma also bears a crush on her Russian pen friend Misha, who has moved to New York. The two become a couple but they break up because of Alma’s incertitude.
One day, her mother receives a letter from a mysterious man named Jacob Marcus who requests that she translate "The History of Love" from Spanish to English for $100,000 dollars, to be paid in increments of $25,000 as the work progresses. Alma’s mother finds the sum suspicious, but the stranger confesses that his mother used to read the book to him when he was a child, so it has a great sentimental value. Alma sees this as an opportunity to help her mother recover from her depression and changes her mother’s straight-forward letters to Jacob Marcus into more romantic versions. When the letters stop before her mother completes the translation of the book, Alma decides to find the mysterious client.
She starts by noting down what she knows about Jacob Marcus in her diary, and concludes that the Alma in the book was real and proceeds to find her. She struggles in her search for Alma Mereminski, but succeeds when she realizes that Alma could have married and finds her under the name of Moritz. She is disappointed to hear that Alma has been dead for five years. However, she finds out that Isaac Moritz is the first of Alma's sons and a famous writer. When she starts reading his bestselling book, she finds that the main character's name is Jacob Marcus and realizes that Isaac Moritz had hired her mother to translate the book. Isaac is dead, however, which explains why his letters had stopped coming to their home. To be sure about her suspicions, Alma leaves a note on Isaac’s door asking who the writer of the novel is.
In the meanwhile, Bird finds Alma’s diary and misinterprets the names Alma Mereminski and Alma Moritz as being his sister’s real names, and believes they had different fathers. Isaac’s brother calls Alma, after reading the note and the original manuscript of the book, to tell her that Gursky is the real author, but Bird answers the telephone and it confuses him even further. He now suspects that Leopold Gursky is Alma's real father. To cleanse his sin of bragging and to regain the status as one of the chosen ones, he decides to set up a meeting with Alma and Gursky, thus doing a good deed without anybody knowing except God.
When the two receive the letter regarding their meeting, both are confused: Alma tries to discover which of the people she met during her searches could have sent her the note, while Leo comes to believe it was Alma who sent him the note, despite her being dead.
The two meet and are both a bit confused. Leo mentions some of his life's secrets in an effort to make conversation, while Alma pieces the puzzle pieces together. When Alma confronts him about his past asking him if ever loved a girl named Alma Mereminski or if he wrote "The History of Love", the old man finally feels a sense of recognition he was lacking during most of his life, has a heart attack and dies.
The last chapter is entitled "The Death of Leopold Gursky" and is identical with the last chapter of the book inside a book "The History of Love", both being the self written obituary of Leopold Gursky.

Literary allusions in the History of Love

There are many thematically significant literary allusions in The History of Love. The writer Isaac Babel (1894–1940), as eulogized by Leo Gursky, has unmistakable affinities with Zvi Litvinoff's description of Leo's own writing style, and the description of Rosa Litvinoff's writing style in the early chapter "Forgive Me". The Polish writer Bruno Schulz (1892–1942) and his classic The Street of Crocodiles are mentioned several times in the novel, as is Nicanor Parra (1914-), whose 1954 book of antipoems is translated by Charlotte Singer and read by the mysterious Jacob Marcus. A passing reference to "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) is also significant because Don Quixote is a novel that contains stand-alone stories within it, much in the same way that The History of Love contains excerpts of a mysterious book called "The History of Love." Other important literary allusions in the novel include references to James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Antoine de Saint Exupery, Leo Tolstoy, Ruben Dario, and Pablo Neruda.

SPORTS

Tennis gold day a real smash.

  With: Muthoni Ismail.

On the 17th of May the excitement of the first Tennis Gold Day Program started for the year. From 9:15 to 2:55 students from year 8, 9 and 12 came to the tennis courts to participate.

The Gold Day is an extension activity for people involved in tennis at our school; mainly for people involved in the Tennis Program. It is open to all year levels to participate. The day was organized by Ian Cowan and Chris Carter; our schools enthusiastic and funny tennis coaches.  

The day hit off with a fun warm up which got the kids to work on their footwork and coordination skills. The middle session focused on ground shots which were used through modified games. In the last session there was a doubles competition. 

LOCAL NEWS

Armed DRC soldiers seized at Kigoma port

With: Muthoni Ismail.

Kigoma A group of 20 heavily armed soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) traveling by boat, docked at Kigoma Port on the shores of Lake Tanganyika unannounced on Saturday, to the amazement of Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) officers and regional administration officials. The soldiers said their mission was to pursue rebels whom they claimed were undergoing medical treatment in Kigoma, according to information availed to them.

Incredibly, neither TPDF nor any other security organ intercepted the group throughout the journey. It is only shortly after it had docked next to a Police Force vessel upon arrival, that the soldiers were detained. The 24 KJ, Commander, Lt Col Emanuel Mcheri, told reporters yesterday that the DRC were detained because they had entered Tanzania without following proper procedures.

He further explained that it was forbidden for armed soldiers of one country to enter another unannounced, as the action could cause a war between them. Lt Col Mcheri said the DRC soldiers were under the command of Lt Col Mohamed Mustafa from 42 Infantry section which has a base in Eastern DRC.

“They told us during interrogation that they were pursuing rebels whom they were told were in Kigoma for medical treatment,” he said, adding:

"But they have crossed the border without following procedures. We might as well regard this as an invasion... they traveled all the way from the border to Kigoma Port without notifying us. We are detaining them until we get further information and directives from above.”

He said the soldiers were armed with various weapons, including 17 sub machine guns (SMGs), light machine guns (LMGs), pistols, and rocket propelled grenades, (RPGs) a hand grenade and three surface - to - air missiles used for downing planes.

Lt Col Mcheri further explained:  "They also had a large consignment of rounds of ammunition. When we inspected them and their boat, we impounded 32 SMG magazines with a total of 960 bullets. They also had 360 bullets for the LMGs…they had a box full of ammunition.”

He attributed failure to detect soldiers to expansive Tanzania borders, but
stressed that TPDF was very keen on securing them against intrusion by foreign forces.

"Kigoma’s borders with neighboring countries are very extensive and therefore securing them against intrusion threat poses a major challenge. But I want to assure you that we are very keen, alert and ready to respond to any threats to our country at any time,” he said.

Of the 20 detained soldiers, four are officers and 11 infantry soldiers. In the group too is a civilian reported to be a boat mechanic. Unconfirmed reports said that the Regional Peace and Security Committee met at the Regional Commissioner’s office immediately after the intrusion by DRC soldiers was reported. However, no hints on what was discussed had emerged.

The soldiers are reportedly being held at Bangwe prison and there are unconfirmed reports that they might be charged for entering the country illegally. On November 3, this year, a group f nine people, believed to be rebels fighting the DRC government in the eastern parts of the country, arrived in Kigoma through Mtanga village.

They surrendered at a TPDF camp at the village and were detained. Most of them were injured and were rushed to Kigoma Regional Hospital, Maweni, where they have been admitted for treatment.

Reports from the hospital said that one of them had died while receiving treatment.

POLITICS

The Death of Osama bin Laden

*He was killed by special force from United Stated America.

Late Osama Bin Laden as seen in picture when he was alive before killed by special force from United Stated America.

 With: Muthoni Ismail.

Osama bin Laden was a son of the Saudi elite whose radical violent campaign to recreate a seventh-century Muslim empire redefined the threat of terrorism for the 21st century.
With the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, Bin Laden was elevated to the realm of evil in the American imagination once reserved for dictators like Hitler and Stalin. He was a new national enemy, his face on wanted posters, gloating on videotapes, taunting the United States and Western civilization.
He was killed on May 2, 2011, by American military and C.I.A. operatives who tracked him to a compound in Pakistan.
President Obama announced the death in a televised address to the nation from Washington, where it was still late on the night of May 1. "Justice has been done,'' he declared.
The United States had been trying to kill or capture Bin Laden since it launched an invasion of Afghanistan in November 2001. The next month, he escaped from American and Afghan troops at an Afghan mountain redoubt called Tora Bora, near the border with Pakistan. For more than nine years afterward, he remained an elusive, shadowy figure frustratingly beyond the grasp of his pursuers and thought to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan's remote tribal areas and plotting new attacks.
When he was hunted down, Bin Laden was killed not in the wilderness but rather in the city of Abbottadad, about an hour’s drive north of the capital of Islamabad, raising anew questions about whether the Pakistani intelligence services had played a role in harboring him.

POLITICS

THE DEATH OF MUAMMAR GADDAFI, HYPOCRISY’S FINEST HOUR

With: Muthoni Ismail

It would appear that the world went mad on September 11 2001, when a part of it was in jubilation because about 3,000 innocent people lost their lives as a result of a suicide attack and the other in mourning. The jubilant people gave many reasons for their happiness and justified an evil of great monstrosity. The inappropriate nature of the affect of those who were rejoicing was obvious to those who know that death and destruction evokes sadness and mourning from normal people and that inappropriate affect is a feature seen in schizophrenia.
Since then, the madness of the world has continued. Every day, innocent women, children and elderly people are killed by unmanned American drones patrolling the skies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Innocent soldiers are killed by IEDS, and many more are killed by insurgence. In an attempt to avenge the death of 3000 innocent people, tens of thousands more have been killed, countries renders ungovernable and many young people radicalized. The world has become a more dangerous place. Yet, people justify the senseless destruction that some people are determined to continue in the name of war on terror or fight for democracy as if there is no other way.
Earlier this year, the signs of madness were reversed as America erupted in jubilation at the death of Osama Bin Laden and the people of Pakistan and many of his supporters mourned his death. Again I could not help noticing the incongruity of affect. It was yet another pathetic spectacle to watch western leaders justifying extra judicial killing of an unarmed man who should have been brought to justice in accordance with civilized values. In that round, America celebrated and the fundamentalist Islamic world mourned. Then few weeks later a helicopter crash resulted in the death of some elite American soldiers, some of who took part in the killing of Osama Bin laden and Americans mourned and Islamic fundamentalists rejoiced.
Since then, the madness has taken a sinister turn as the world economy collapsed and the governments instead of bailing out the tax payers, bailed out the Bankers who are owned money by tax payers with tax payer’s money leaving tax payers eternally indebted to banks. The Arab world erupted in violence and bloodshed, which has so far claimed three governments and one head of state. The spectacle has been gripping to watch, with soldier shooting on defenseless citizens in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, and police brutalizing peaceful demonstrators in ‘developed countries’. Who would ever have believed that Saddam Hussein would be found in a hole on the ground? Who would have thought that Hosni Mubarak would be brought to an Egyptian Court on his sick bed? Who would have imagined that Brother Leader, Strong man of Libya, King of kings of Africa and Imam of Muslims, would have been found on a drain pipe and killed like a dog? These are the realities of life in our mad planet. It is frequently unpredictable and the seemingly impossible, seldom proves insurmountable; a lesson to those who think that Nigeria cannot make a peaceful transition to good government.
Thursday 21 October 2011, was another day that diminished humanity and provided evidence that humanity has not evolved much from the cave of ignorance and learnt very little form history. It suggests that inspite of our smart phones and advanced technologies that we are still very much animals at heart. Brother leader, Mummar Gadhafi, was a wicked a dictator who brutalized his people, enriched his family and friends and persecuted his opponents. He had lived in power and splendor, feared by friends and foes; his word was law and his ambition and ego knew no bounds. He spent a substantial part of his country’s oil wealth on arms which did not protect him from his people. He also supported freedom fighters and the struggle against apartheid. Which goes to show that nobody is so evil that he is not capable of some good? He was found inside a drain pipe and shot like a dog.
He ended like many others before him, another example about life which humanity has refused to learn. Which is that we indeed blossom and flourish, and then wither and die? That only goodness protects on the day of rage. How different his meeting with the rebel would have been, if Muammar Gaddafi had allowed his people some of the rights he reserved for only the members of his family and friends. Even though he often made a monkey of African leaders, he did some good when his demon left him which was not very often. Yes he was a megalomaniac with delusional ideas of grandeur about his power and position in the world. But he did not deserve to be murdered in the circumstance the rebel did. Yes, it was a war, but he had been captured and he was defenseless. There is no excuse to murder a defenseless old man in cold blood, no matter his crimes. The manner of Gaddaffi’s murder should shame the west and all believers in civilized values. It makes mockery of the west claim to higher moral and civil values and gives insight into the type of future that may await Libya.
What is about dictators that they do not understand their vulnerability? Muammer Gaddafi must have had a different view of the revolution. May be, he believed that they were a group of young people on drugs who would regain their common sense once the effect of their drugs wore off. No, he knew they were rebels and he said that he would show them no mercy. Unfortunately, he was stopped from his real intentions for Benghazi. How difficult to prevent evil. What was prevented in Benghazi was allowed in Sirte. How sad and imperfect human justice can be. It all boils down to who your friends are.
It is inconceivable that with a son who holds a doctorate degree from a top British university that Gaddafi could not understand how vulnerable he was in the face of the West apparent failure to take over Iraqi’s oil field and its economic collapse. His mistake has had a fatal outcome for him and a very serious long term consequences for the country he claimed to loved but lived to exploit. Another important lesson for African dictators that, the best way to secure your legacy is to look after your people and allow them the freedom and consideration you allow members of your family and friends. I hope the president of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Bokino Fasso and Nigerian politicians are watching the news. If it can happen to Brother Leader, it can happen to anybody in Africa.
The apparent triumph of the Libya revolution is the victory of liberty over tyranny, but the killing of Mummar Gaddaffi’s in cold blood is the defeat of a smaller evil by a bigger evil. How can a country defend and justify the broadcasting of a mob setting on an old man and still lay claim to higher moral values? Pictures which would have been described as gruesome and in bad taste under a different circumstance and censored were judged acceptable because it was Gaddafi. Gross violation of human rights and rules and laws of war are being justified. Bombs were dropped on innocent people who have not done anything to deserve their fate. Cities have destroyed which may never be rebuilt. When has it become acceptable to shoot prisoners of war in cold blood? Or besiege a city because of one man. It is a dangerous thing to justify evil because it was mated to a wicked man. What goes around comes around. 21 October 2011 May go down in history as hypocrisy’s finest hour. If the west cares so much about freedom and democracy and justice, why is it silent on Syria, Palestinian problem and Yemen? Does it mean that what is good for Libya is bad for Syria, Yemen and Palestine? I think Mummar Gadhafi was a grotesque dictator, but I will always defend his right to due process even though he denied it to many people. A civilized people do not judge themselves by the standard of those who they oppose. I come from a culture that abhors death penalty. We exiled our murders and rapists because my ancestors realized that evil is conceived in the dark part of human heart and that the only cure is to give an evil man opportunity to reflect on his evil. They knew that revenge makes bad justice.
In the face of opposition, Gaddaffi’s resulted to type; having suppressed his people for so long he underrated the determination of the people and miscalculated the reaction of his so called friends. Even though he wined and dined with western leaders, and his children socialized with the cream de la cream, they treated him as an outcast at the time of his greatest need. He could not read the signs of the time. If he did, he would have understood that he represented a dying breed which no longer served the interest of the west. That he behaved the way he did may not baffle, if one realize that he had never lived in the same world with the rest of us. He died because he lived in a fool’s paradise and put his trust in men and his weapons of war.
Like his predecessors he chose to fight to the end when he could have lived. He forgot that power is held in trust for the people and must be surrendered once the people want it back. He had ample time to negotiate a dignified exit but chose to be guided by his pride, ego and overvalued ideas about him and power. He could not read the mood of the people. His life is evidence that in the end, if not in this world, definitely in the hereafter, good will triumph over evil, that the triumph of evil over good which we experience every day is but momentary. The end of Gadhafi, although, tragic, barbaric and unnecessary is another lesson to all leaders who use their political position to amass wealth and build political dynasties on corruption; that anything build on corruption will not endure, That there is no leader too strong for the people to remove from power. That tyranny may endure for a time, but in the end, the will of the people will prevail.
The west will not emerge from Libya covered in glory. The death of Gaddafi is the end of the beginning of the problem of Libya. African leaders should study the relationship of Gaddaffi’s and the west to understand the type of friends the west can be. Libya has been thrown into uncharted water. I hope it is smooth sailing for Libya from now. Who knows, who will be next, the sharks have tasted blood.

HISTORY

 A dog named Gelert

* Sculpture of legendary canine unveiled at sculpture forest

Sculptor Mary Anne Bark house and donor Diana Ferguson stand in front of ‘Gelert,’ the newest addition to the Halliburton Sculpture Forest.

 With: Muthoni Ismail.

The rains cleared and the afternoon was everything that Jim Blake, curator of the Halliburton Sculpture Forest, could have wished for and the crowd that gathered in the woods, between 80 and 100 strong, was icing on the cake. The event, which took place on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 18, was the unveiling of a sculptured canine from Gelert resident Mary Anne Bark house.
Blake smoothly guided the ceremony through the obligatory introduction of the principals and those responsible for the commissioning of the sculpture, to an appreciative crowd that had gathered around the small knoll in the forest.
Short speeches were delivered by Barb Bolin, Chair of the Sculpture Forest committee; Shelly Schell, who spoke on behalf of Sir Sand ford Fleming College; and Brian Markle, who represented the Ontario Trillium Foundation, a funding body for the project.
Diana Ferguson was visibly moved as she spoke of her late husband Alan, and his love of dogs. Ferguson was a major donor for the commissioning of the sculpture which is a memorial to her husband. A small plaque to Alan Ferguson could be seen at the base of the sculpture, which still stood draped atop a huge boulder.
Without further ado, the drapery was cast aside to reveal a majestic life-sized bronze wolfhound named Gelert. Appreciative oaths and amahs were uttered and after photo ops and a word or two from sculptor Bark house, everyone moved to the nearby great hall of the college, where music by cellist Bethany Houghton awaited. After a small pause for refreshments Tammy Rea from Highland Media Arts presented the gathering with four short videos of the making of the sculpture Gelert.
Despite some initial technical glitches, it was through the videos that the event coalesced. They took the gathering through the various stages in development of the sculpture; from the vision, through the research of the wolfhound breed, precise measurements, sketches, foam mock-ups, the precise fitting on the rock upon which the finished Gelert would stand, the wax overlay and the final casting. All the stages were accompanied by short snippets and comments from the delightful Bark house.
The climax of the afternoon was left to Blake. In one of the video segments he gave a wonderful account of the historic story of the original dog Gelert, accompanied by images of period paintings depicting the 13^th century legend.
Briefly, the legend tells of Welsh Lord Llewellyn who, returning home from a hunt, finds his baby’s crib empty and smeared with blood. His faithful Wolfhound Gelert, who was entrusted with the protection of the infant, is also smeared with blood. Llewellyn assumes that the hound has killed the child, and in a fit of rage he uses his sword to kill the dog. Then he finds the infant safe nearby. Next to the infant lies a dead wolf. Too late Llewellyn realizes that Gelert had saved the child by killing the wolf.
In Wales, there is a site and a village called Bedgelert (grave of Gelert), and it’s after the site that our local hamlet of Gelert, which lies in the former Snow don Township, was named. Snow don is also the name of the region in Wales where the legend originated.
So, the sculpture of Gelert, standing majestically on his rock in the Halliburton Sculpture Forest comes ‘alive’ when the legend is known. Bark house, with her usual meticulousness, has created a worthy addition to all the other sculptures in the forest.
In her artist’s statement, Bark house explains how she has interpreted the piece.
“The bronze sculpture situated within a wooded setting lends itself to more universal interpretations. Not only does it acknowledge the long association between man and dog, speaking of dedication and loyalty, but additionally, through the aspect of the figure of the hound, it becomes a sentinel within the forest … watchful, companionable and protective.” Sculptor Mary Anne Bark house and donor Diana Ferguson stand in front of ‘Gelert,’ the newest addition to the Halliburton Sculpture Forest.

ENVIRONMENT

 species at risk workshops focus on a snake and a sink.

With: Muthoni Ismail

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (photo Will Jones)

Did you know that the Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake will hiss and strike when cornered? It’s OK though, because it’s not venomous, has no teeth and such poor eyesight that it’ll probably miss anyway.
And, how about the fact that the Five Lined Skink has a bright blue tail when it’s young, which falls off and wiggles around on its own if tugged by a predator, or clumsy amateur naturalist.
These gems of information were just a smidgen of what was learned by a small but enraptured audience at the Species at Risk Workshop, held at the Gooderham Community Centre on July 23. Hosted by the Halliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) and The Land Between, the workshop was one of a series currently touring the county in places where there are areas of particular biological interest.
“We’ve been to Dorset; today, we’re at Gooderham and Wilberforce and on August 6, there’ll be two more, in Minden and Miner’s Bay,” said Sheila Ziman, chair of the HHLT. “Our choice of location was influenced by our desire to find out more about these particular areas, in which currently we don’t have much data about threatened species such as the Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake and Five Lined Skink.”
Ziman introduced the workshop and talked about the 21 species of threatened wildlife in Halliburton County. She told of the HHLT’s work mapping the potentially suitable habitat for endangered species in the county and of over 450 reported sightings of endangered or threatened species in the recent past.
“Since we started logging reported sightings local people have become really involved,” said Ziman. “We have also mapped 50 ecologically important wetlands identified within the county so far and there are many more. In fact, I found out about one today, at the workshop in Wilberforce.”

Ziman went on to describe the 21 threatened species in the County and talk about their traits and quirks in order to let us none-experts better look out for and identify them.
We learned that the Blanding’s turtle has a yellow throat and looks as though it is smiling at you; and, that snapping turtles can jump if provoked. We discovered that Milk Snakes are called so because farmers used to find them in barns and believe they stole milk from the cows (They don’t. The snakes are more likely to be after rodents).
Engelmann’s Quillwort is a small grass-like plant that grows in shallow water. Or rather it did. This plant can be found at just two locations across Canada: both are in Ontario and one is in Halliburton Country. Similarly, American Ginseng is also categorized as endangered both provincially and nationally. It is difficult to distinguish from Sarsaparilla but, with Ziman’s advice, one attendee went home to check on what she thought might be Ginseng growing in her garden. She promised to report back to HHLT with her findings.
And that is the beauty of this Country, We are all lucky enough to be living amongst wildlife, some of which is endangered and very difficult to spot unless you have know how.
Leora Berman, program manager of the Land Between, took over from Ziman and explained more about the significance of the place in which we live. She went into detail about the Land Between and its meaning. “We’re in an acetone in biologist-speak,” she said, “on the transition between the Canadian Shield, which stretches down from the north, and the St Lawrence Lowlands, which spread up from the south. The result is a fantastically diverse strip of land that is home to creatures from both regions.”
This coincidence of nature means that Halliburton County is home to fishers, black bears, river otters, lynx and grey wolves, all of whom live on the shield. And, it is also possible to see European hares, cottontails, striped skunk and many other critters, who make their home in the lowlands too. But with this cornucopia of wildlife comes a responsibility to protect its habitat; the tract of nature that has been dubbed the Land Between.
Berman then went on to focus on the Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake and Five Lined Skink; outlining their preferred habitats and quirks.
“The Eastern Hog-Nose has been persecuted because it is bigger than say garter snakes and looks scary. People commonly called it the Puff Adder in the past,” she explained. “But, really, it is non-venomous and only interested in being left alone, so we shouldn’t be alarmed if we see it.”
Similarly, the Five Lined Skink is not dangerous in any way. In fact, its defence is to drop its tail if a predator grabs it. The tail then wiggles like a crazed worm, attracting the attention of the predator and so allowing the skink to escape.
“The trouble is,” said Berman, “the skinks store a lot of fat in their tail and so if they lose it they are in danger of starvation in the lean months. So, if you see one please don’t grab it by the tail.”
The largest threat to both species, though, is habitat loss on micro and macro levels. Both Berman and Ziman instilled the need for conservation of natural habitat and careful consideration of the uses to which developed land is put.
“If you look at a map of the Land Between, ninety percent of the landscape is still green and predominantly undeveloped,” said Berman. “This makes it all the more important to endangered species and we must do our utmost to protect and maintain it as wild land.”
The final two Species at Risk workshops are on August 6. In Minden the workshop will be at R.D. Lawrence Place, 174 Bobcaygeon Rd, from 10-11:30 a.m.: while, the Miner’s Bay Lodge will host a later workshop at 9718 Hwy 35, from 1-2:30 p.m. For more information go to www.haliburtonlandtrust.ca; call (705) 454-8107 or emailadmin@haliburtonlandtrust.ca.

Antique and collectibles veteran appraises local treasures (From - Country Voice news room)

With: Muthoni Ismail.

 Pictured is Antiques Appraiser Robert Carruth with Jeanette Campbell and her valuable 19^th century miniatures.

 

We’ve all seen an episode of the Antiques Road Show, the very successful TV program from England and the U.S.A we’ve even got our own, albeit slightly watered-down, Canadian version. But locally, Minden’s Lawrence Place (RDLP) had its own, non-televised edition, held last Thursday and the outcomes were every bit as fascinating as those on the popular TV shows.

The event was a fundraising effort in support of RDLP. Appraisals were a mere $5 and admission was by donation so, for an insignificant fee, people could bring in their treasures to have them appraised and valued by Robert Carruth from Fenelon Falls, who has over 20 years experience in the field.

Carruth, a history teacher and football coach at Fenelon Falls Secondary School, is the father of Meg Carruth who is an intern and assistant coordinator at the RDLP. Meg’s mom Ann Marie is also passionate about antiques and collectibles, and she was present to lend hubby a helping hand.

Robert ‘Bob’ Carruth gave an informal talk before things got underway and he confessed that his wife Ann Marie had introduced him to the world of collectibles when the two were courting. Knowing that they were getting married he said that “we furnished our home at a very reasonable price.”

Those familiar with the Antiques Road Show are aware of the constantly fluctuating value of antiques, and Carruth explained that at the present time the antiques market is in a bit of a decline.

Carruth was a bit surprised therefore, when Jeanette Campbell Unwrapped two beautifully painted water color miniatures in original frames, dating from the first half of the 19^th century. Accompanying the miniatures, whose images showed a gentleman at two different stages of his life, was a letter which explained the pictures to some degree, and gave the grouping that magical word ‘provenance,’ or authenticity.

Antique shows are built around stories and Campbell didn’t disappoint as she revealed that the letter was sent to her great grandmother in Ireland who was working as a housekeeper for a local minister. The letter was from the minister who seemed to be expecting imminent danger in the time of the Irish ‘troubles.’ He was vacating his house and the letter to Campbell’s great grandmother was basically saying that she could help herself to some of the items in the household. She chose the two miniatures. Sometime later she came to Canada and eventually the letter and the miniatures passed on to Jeanette.

Carruth extolled the skill of the unknown ‘door to door’ artist and appraised the small collection at between $1,200 and $1,500, and said that at most small shows these particular items would be the stars.

Hilary Brown then presented two framed charcoal drawings from 1935 depicting the horrors of war by artist Raymond Sisley. Carruth said that they were difficult to appraise because there was really nothing to compare them to, but he said that they might have value to a military collector.

Brown’s father, in addition to being a journalist, editor and CBC scriptwriter, was also a founder of the Canadian March of Dimes, so she also displayed some March of Dimes posters and ephemera. Though they were fascinating and of great value to the family, Carruth was hesitant to put a monetary value on them.

Carruth appraised an odd metallic toy dog which also belonged to Brown at $40-60 and a doll with original clothing and moving eye lids, from the 1950s was valued at $75-100.

Later on Sharon Lawrence came by with a sulphide marble that was appraised at $50.

After the event Carruth volunteered his skills to the Minden Hills Museum and identified a very interesting King George clock in the museum collection.

 It was fascinating to watch Carruth do his appraisals and give his explanations. He also offered to help people further their investigations into their treasures, but it was even more fascinating to hear the stories behind antiquities that belonged to local residents, because by revealing information about their treasures the stories also told us much about the people themselves.

The Antiques Appraiser Robert Carruth with Jeanette Campbell and her valuable 19^th century miniatures.