The deputy president of Swaziland鈥檚 People鈥檚 United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) Sikhumbuzo Phakathi was arrested on September 6 at the Phongola border post.
The arrest came as Swazi police and soldiers were deporting a delegation of South African activists from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC).
Pudemo president Mario Masuku was detained before the start of a protest march on September 7 to mark the global day for democracy in Swaziland. He was 鈥渆scorted home鈥 by police to prevent his participation.
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Black Like Me: How a White American Travelled Through the Segregated Deep South of the 1950s Disguised as a Black Man John Howard Griffin, Souvenir Press, 2009, 241 pages, $39.99 (pb)
Review by Phil Shannon
John Howard Griffin, a white Texan, was shocked in 1959 when he saw the face in the mirror, 鈥渢he face and shoulders of a stranger 鈥 a fierce, bald, very dark Negro鈥, glaring back at him.
Venezuela鈥檚 decision to re-establish diplomatic, political and economic relations with Colombia on August 10 was only possible thanks to a range of circumstances and actions.
Venezuela cut ties on July 22 in the face of allegations made by Colombia at the Organisation of American States (OAS) of alleged Venezuelan support for left-wing Colombian guerrillas. The Venezuelan government said the allegations were part of an attempt, backed by the US, to spark a war between the two nations.
鈥淭wo American soldiers have been killed and nine wounded after a gunman in Iraqi army uniform attacked them at an Iraqi base, US officials said. 鈥淭he soldiers were part of a security detail for a United States company commander who was meeting members of Iraq's security forces at a commando compound near the city of Tuz Khurmato, 170 kilometres north of Baghdad, US military said. 鈥淭hey were the first American soldiers killed since US forces formally ended combat operations in Iraq a week ago 鈥 [I]nsurgents continue to launch attacks daily, many targeting Iraqi soldiers and police.鈥
More than 2.7 million workers joined protests across France on September 7. The strikes and protests marked the start of a parliamentary debate over the new pension bill that will dramatically cut workers鈥 pensions. The protests were called by coalition of six of France鈥檚 Union Confederations.
Thousands of people mobilised across Honduras on September 7 as part of the 鈥渃ivic strike鈥 called by the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP) to 鈥渄emand that the neoliberal offensive against the poor be halted鈥.
The FNRP said rallies were held in the capital, Tegucigalpa and 10 other cities and towns.
鈥淭ony Blair's autobiography, A Journey, is being subversively moved to crime 麻豆传媒 in book shops by members of a Facebook protest group. 鈥淥ver 10,000 Facebook members have joined the group 鈥楽ubversively move Tony Blair鈥檚 memoirs to the crime section in book shops鈥 and have been posting photos of them doing so 鈥 鈥淭he Facebook group description said: 鈥楳ake book shops think twice about where they categorise our generation鈥檚 greatest war criminal.鈥欌 鈥 September 8 Webusers.co.uk.
For five centuries, Africa has suffered at the hands of the West. Starting with the slave trade, through the colonial era, to today鈥檚 neoliberal global economy, the development of industrial capitalism in the West has come at a terrible price paid by Africans.
Food riots in Mozambique early this month and looming mass starvation in Niger after floods that were preceded by years of drought both reflect the ongoing economic exploitation.
However, they also reflect another creation of the industrialised West adversely affecting Africa: climate change.
Reverend Lucius Walker was a veteran US activist involved in many campaigns in solidarity with liberation struggles in Latin America. Walker passed away on September 7 at the age of 80. Below is an obituary from the Committees in Solidarity with the Peoples of El Salvador. It is abridged from www.cipes.org.
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Up to 20,000 supporters of the pro-democracy Red Shirt movement rallied at a concert in the Thailand seaside resort city of Pattaya on September 4. It was one the biggest mobilisations since the military bloodily dispersed the Red Shirts鈥 mass protest camp in Bangkok in May, killing 91 and injuring thousands more.
Red Shirt leader and Puea Thai party MP Jatuporn Prompan called on people to place red roses outside prisons around the country on September 17. Hundreds of Red Shirt leaders and activists continue to be detained.
鈥淭ony Blair today cancelled a second event scheduled to mark the launch of his memoirs after anti-war campaigners prepared to mount a protest against him 鈥 鈥淭he decision comes just days after Blair announced he was cancelling a signing session due to be held at the Waterstone's book store in London's Piccadilly this lunchtime, amid concerns over planned protests 鈥 鈥淎 book signing in Dublin a few days earlier had seen eggs and shoes hurled by protesters, with one individual attempting to make a citizen鈥檚 arrest.鈥 鈥 September 8 Guardian.
Not long ago, a lot of socialists around the world had little to say about environmental issues. The environmental movement was focused on individual (change your light bulbs) and capitalist (create a market for emissions) solutions to the ecological crisis.
In 2007, immediately after the founding of the Ecosocialist International Network (EIN), I wrote a Canadian Dimension article on the challenges facing ecosocialists.
In it, I discussed two trends that seemed to indicate a new wave of anti-capitalist and pro-ecology action:
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