http://news.scroll.in/article/prisons-in-maharashtra-jharkhand-and-odisha-see-a-wave-of-hunger-strikes?id=655408 Prisons in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Odisha see a wave of hunger strikes Aarefa Johari Since January 26, close to 500 prisoners in the jails of Jharkhand, Nagpur and Odisha have been on hunger strikes to highlight gaps in India’s criminal justice system On Monday, 169 prisoners in Maharashtra’s Nagpur Central Jail awaiting trial completed […]
Blog
-
Palestine solidarity activists disrupt speech by ‘Homeland’ TV series creator
Milwaukee, WI – Nearly 50 Palestine solidarity activists disrupted a speech hosted by the Israel Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation on Jan. 30. The event featured Ron Leshem, the original producer of the Israeli television series Hatufim, which was adapted for U.S. television as the series Homeland.
The event “TV: An Israeli Success Story” was designed to laud Israel’s cultural achievements in arts and entertainment while using those talking points to ignore or whitewash Israel’s illegal existence on stolen land. During the lecture, Leshem described his use of writing to humanize his subjects, who are often members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and showed a clip of an Israeli prisoner displaying his scars. Leshem spoke of shaping global public opinion, telling the “other side of the story,” and of making Israeli media more “cosmopolitan.”
20 minutes into the presentation, an activist stood in front of Leshem and loudly announced “Occupation is not cosmopolitan, it’s genocide! If you want to understand the other side, listen to the 2002 Palestinian call for academic and cultural boycott of Israel. Stop filming on occupied territory, stop touring with the IDF, stop advocating for Israel. Occupation is not entertainment!”
During the interruption, about 50 activists in the front of the room wearing t-shirts that read “Occupation is not education” and “Boycott Israel” stood up and slowly filed out of the event. About 30 people remained in the room, many hurling insults as the activists walked out.
Israel funding campus propaganda
With Palestine solidarity activism growing on U.S. campuses, Israel has poured millions of dollars into public relations to counter the success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. A 2013 move by the Jewish Agency for Israel will allocate $300 million a year to fund pro-Israel events, most of which will fund events on U.S. campuses, according to watchdogs.
Campus activist groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine have found success in neutralizing pro-Israel events with walk-outs, disruptions, mock checkpoints and other direct actions.
Ihsan Atta, member of the Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition states, “As Zionist groups continue to invite speakers who promote hatred and discrimination, we will continue to be there to remind them that oppressing the civilian population of Palestine is not acceptable nor will it be tolerated.”
-
NEFIS Press Release on North East students’ protest at Delhi University
Press Release :: 04.02.2014 North East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) holds candle light vigil and protest meeting at DU Metro Station Students from various North East communities unite against racism in Delhi Candle light march covers localities like Vijaynangar and Patel Chest near north campus NEFIS condemns the racist and barbaric attack on Arunachali […]
-
Senate vote to extend on Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) set for Feb. 6
Washington, DC – The Senate Democratic leadership announced today, Feb. 4, that a vote to extend benefits for long term unemployed workers is scheduled for Feb. 6.
The vote will be on a three-month extension of Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC). The measure has the support of a few Republican senators. 60 votes are needed to overcome a Republican filibuster.
In December 2013, Democrats did not force Republicans to accept extended jobless benefits as a part of the budget deal, setting in motion the uphill fight to restore unemployment compensation for those who have been without work for more than six months.
To date, about 1.7 million workers have been affected by the cut to unemployment benefits.
The long-running economic crisis, which started at the end of 2007, impacted the major capitalist countries and changed their economic landscapes. The outcome has been high unemployment rates, a net decline in the number of good paying jobs – especially in manufacturing – and more workers in part-time employment.
In the U.S. both major political parties have been part of a consensus to cut the social safety net.
-
Why is China’s Economy Slowing Down?
Minqi Li: State funded expansion of infrastructure projects is creating over capacity as wages and domestic consumer demand remains low
-
Feb 4: After almost five years in jail, alleged Maoist leader is found innocent
http://scroll.in/article/after-almost-five-years-in-jail-alleged-maoist-leader-is-cleared-of-all-charges?id=655295 After almost five years in jail, alleged Maoist leader is found innocent Aarefa Johari Mumbai political activist Arun Ferreira says that his spirit hasn’t been broken. At 42, he’s studying to become a criminal lawyer so that he can work with political prisoners. In May 2007, Arun Ferreira’s photo was plastered across the front […]
-
Feb 4: Infant mortality in Gujarat is higher than the national average
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-30/india/46827217_1_infant-mortality-narmada-waters-sardar-sarovar Infant mortality varies within states It is well known that quality of life greatly varies amongst different states within India. Some states have greater industrial or agricultural output, higher income levels, better educational and health indicators while others are still struggling with backwardness. But what is much less known is that within states too […]
-
Reports say Senate to vote on Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) this week
Washington, DC – According to widespread reports here, Feb. 2, the Senate is close to an agreement that would allow a vote on Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) the week starting Feb. 3.
Bloomberg news quotes Senate Majority leader Harry Reid as saying, “I hope we have something on the floor next week.” Insiders report that a vote is close, with Democrats and some Republicans nearing agreement on a funding source for the jobless benefit extension.
To date, about 1.6 million job seekers have lost or been denied extended benefits. The number grows every day that congress fails to act.
The seeds for this disastrous cut to the unemployed were planted in December of last year, when Democrats failed to insist that the funds for Extended Unemployment Compensation were included in the budget deal. Congressional Republicans are generally hostile to any assistance for the unemployed.
A bipartisan consensus exists in Washington D.C. that federal spending must be cut and that social programs that serve working and low-income people need to be put on the chopping block. Recently unemployment insurance, food stamps and rental assistance have been targeted by politicians who favor austerity.
-
PFLP leader Ahmad Sa’adat transferred to Gilboa prison by Israeli authorities
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Feb. 2 statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
The Popular Front’s prison branch reported that the Zionist prison authority has transferred the Front’s General Secretary, Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, from Shata prison to Gilboa prison.
The Prison Branch said that this is aimed to distract and obstruct the efforts of Sa’adat as a leader in the prisons to unify the national prisoners’ movement and build the struggle within the prisons. The Branch noted that Sa’adat and other leaders of the prisoners’ movement are always subject to vindictive measures and are closely monitored by the Zionist prison authorities in attempts to obstruct their leadership and influence within the prisons.
-
Fight for Black, Chicano Studies continues at CSULA
Los Angeles, CA – Over 100 students, community activists, faculty, staff and others jammed the Cal State University of Los Angeles (CSULA) faculty Academic Senate, Jan. 28, to demonstrate support for Ethnic Studies – Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies – becoming part of the General Education program.
General Education (GE) courses contribute to a student’s bachelors graduation requirement. These courses are intended to introduce undergraduates to a broad knowledge base from a wide range of disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. General Education courses are important, for they help students develop basic problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
As it currently stands now at CSULA, Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies are not fully supported within the GE course structure. They are primarily electives.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, professor and Chair of Pan-African Studies, proposed a remedy to the lack of institutional support of ‘Ethnic Studies’ by including language that essentially institutionalizes Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies into the General Education structure. This means that all students planning to graduate from CSULA would have as part of their education an Ethnic Studies course requirement.
Dr. Abdullah’s motion states: “At least one of the two diversity courses must be taken in one of the four Ethnic Studies/Area Studies Departments/Programs: Asian/Asian American Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Latin American Studies, or Pan African Studies.”
Yet, as the Academic Senate debated, it was evident that there was strong opposition among CSULA faculty to explicitly require Ethnic Studies be part of the new General Education structure for Fall 2016.
In a most undemocratic manner, it was also made clear to all of us in attendance, that this was not a public forum, and that it would be up to the Academic Senate to vote on whether to allow public comment or not.
To add insult to injury, for the first-time ever the Academic Senate voted with clickers, ensuring that there’d be no accountability or transparency on this matter.
When Dr. Abdullah continued to press for faculty accountability and transparency by calling for a roll call vote, the Academic Senate refused and voted it down with their clickers.
As of now, we do not know which professors voted for or against Dr. Abdullah’s proposal. Chicano Studies professors remained silent during the debate. However, the final tally to include the language that would make Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies part of the GE was voted down 29 to 20.
Ethnic Studies evolved out of the militancy and radicalism of the 1960s and 1970s and since then have been under assault by right-wing elements of this country. The fight for Ethic Studies is part of the struggle of Blacks and Chicanos for equality and self-determination. The oldest Chicana/o Studies Department was founded at Cal State University L.A. in 1968 as a result of the Chicano power movement.
In recent years, Chicana/o Studies has been banned, Chicana/o books censored and educators fired in the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona.
The opportunity to strengthen Ethnic Studies at CSULA by incorporating it into the General Education course structure was an opportunity lost. Yet, it is clear that the very presence of hundreds of students and community activists at the meeting demonstrated that this battle is just beginning and the community is once again ready to mobilize to stop the attacks against Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies at CSULA. This event created a new spirit of unity and action among the students, faculty and community to continue to fight to expand Ethnic Studies.
On Jan. 30 scores of students marched to the office of CSULA president to demand that Ethnic Studies be included in the General Education requirements. This issue is receiving more support from students in other colleges.
“We have an opportunity to bridge divides and stand as a model if we move in the right direction. The Senate meets every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Golden Eagle Ballroom 3. There is always an opportunity to right the course,” stated Dr. Abdullah.
The students, faculty, staff and surrounding community of CSULA request your support to demand that CSULA require Ethnic Studies as part of the General Education (GE) course structure by calling or writing letters to the following offices:
CSULA Academic Senate Staff
Jean Lazo-Uy, Administrative Support Coordinator
5151 State University Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Office: Administration 317
Tel: (323) 343-3750
FAX: (323) 343-6495
Chicana/o Studies Department
C/O Dr. Bianca Guzman, Chair
5151 State University Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032email: chicanostudies.csula@gmail.com
Tel: (323) 343-2190
Department of Pan-African Studies
C/O Dr. Melina Abdullah, Chair
5151 State University Dr. Los Angeles
King Hall C3095
Phone (323) 343-2290
Fax (323) 343-5485
Asian and Asian American Studies Program
C/O Ping Yao, Program Director
5151 State University Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Email: pyao@calstatela.edu
Phone: (323) 343-5775
David Cid is a Los Angeles-based Chicano activist and educator. Cid is active in the anti-war and immigrant rights movements. He recently received his Masters in Chicano Studies at CSULA.