Carnivalesque Rebellion in Beirut

Fighting Absurdity with Absurdity, Lebanese protesters descended to the streets today for the fourth week in a row demanding an end to the sectarian regime which has been in place in Lebanon since 1943.

While protesters throughout the Arab World have in recent months taken to the streets to demand an end to dictatorial regimes, Lebanon is unique because it’s system is, in fact, a type of democracy wherein power is allotted along religious lines so as to give certain religious groups a higher representation than they otherwise have. This all sounds okay in theory, but unfortunately the system was set up (by the French colonizers) to give Maronite Christians a monopoly over power in Lebanon, and the result has been decades of recurring civil strife as Lebanon’s 17 other groups have sought to gain power in accordance with their population.

In recent months, a secularist movement demanding an end to the entire system of classification and giving power along religious lines has sprung up, and so far many tens of thousands of Lebanese have taken part. And many have decided that in order to fight the system of clowns and militia bosses that rules the country, it is necessary to dress as a in a circus!

On Radio, Women’s Voices, and Hip-Hop Activism in West Africa

In February, I traveled to West Africa with Indymedia to meet with media activists from Africa and around the world.  To quote the IMC website, Indymedia (or “Independent Media Center”) is “a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media’s distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.” Indymedia activists from around the world were in Dakar, Senegal for a “convergence” or gathering, intended to strengthen solidarity between African movements and other groups from around the world, build media production and distribution skills within these groups, and to provide in-depth coverage of the World Social Forum, which was taking place in Dakar at the same time.

IMC-Africa Convergence at the opening day demonstrations of the World Social Forum. Feb 6, 2011.

Over 50 people participated in this Indymedia Africa Convergence (which was the 4th Convergence to take place on the continent – 2004-Dakar, 2006-Nairobi, 2007-Bamako), and participants came from 11 different countries in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea), 1 person from Germany and several others from the US.

My experience at the convergence definitely intensified my excitement about radio – and highlighted the importance of recognizing the local relevance of a particular information medium, and adapting to this reality. This past year, I have become really interested in both the technical and production sides of radio. As some of you might know (or listen!!) I began hosting a radio show with my friend Juell, as part of Radiohive Collective in New York. I worked with Clara from Democracy Now! and Newsic (on Radiohive) at the WGXC Prometheus Barnraising to build a 10Watt transmitter which we will soon be pirate broadcasting with. And I have filed several stories with Free Speech Radio News, which broadcasts on over 100 stations across the US. Working with DeeDee Halleck on the Waves of Change project has broadened my understanding of community media globally, and what functions on a local level (In fact, Waves of Change and Deep Dish collaborated with Indymedia to fundraise a good chunk of the budget that allowed more to participate in the convergence – including me!).

But to be able to get to know some of the people that I worked with at the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, and learn about their local realities, brought my understanding of the importance of radio to another level. I met community radio organizers from Nairobi, Kenya (KOCH FM) and Soweto, South Africa (in particular Molefi Ndlovu from the Center for Civil Society, RASA FM) who work with youth from the slums to expose and discuss issues faced by their communities that are not covered by mainstream media. Molly Stentz from WORT community radio (Madison, WI – !!!) helped organize live radio streaming so that these radio activists from Indymedia chapters in South Africa, Kenya, and others, could connect and discuss their experiences with like-minded Indymedia folk in Madison.

Radio Live Stream with WORT in Madison Wisconsin.

Others that participated in this radio broadcast, and who I spoke with extensively throughout the convergence, included Jean-Baptiste from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who works to end violence against women and youth, in a country where sexual violence is chronic; Charles, a music producer from Zimbabwe who works with hip-hop artists to produce CDs with political messages (Soundz of the South), which are distributed to taxi and bus drivers since government censorship prevents any other form of distribution (stay tuned for Radiohive show next week 3/22, featuring his music and an interview I did with him!). I also had ongoing conversations with Jules, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide about French complicity in the genocide, as well as other ways that France continues to impose its neo-colonial policies throughout francophone Africa.

Alongside Mali Indymedia, and with the guidance of Norm Stockwell (also from WORT community radio in Madison, WI), we also had a workshop in which we built a radio antenna ourselves from materials bought in Dakar (I was one of the people that spearheaded this mission – definitely a challenge to find “SO239 connector” and “step-down transformers” and “coaxial cables” in a french-speaking country, when I know only roughly how to explain those parts and what they do in English).

I also got to meet Stella Chuku, from the Niger Delta in Nigera, who organizes radio shows with women from rural communities that are affected by oil extraction. Stella was also in charge of the cooking crew, which made food for 50 people every day!!! A big topic of conversation was the “peppe” (“pepper”) – Nigerian food was too spicy for many of the delegates, particularly those from Mali…

Stella Chuku and Russell Shoatz from Philly cooking. (photo by Amy Dalton)

Kebetkache Niger Delta Women’s Organization leads a march from the Convergence Center to the World Social Forum. Emem Okun (founder and Executive Director), is on the right.

Dorothy Ejuwa from Ugborodo Women’s Forum in Nigeria, who participated in the take over of the Chevron Oil Tank Farm in 2002.

Windy Grace Mamman and Dorothy Ejuwa opening their first email accounts…! (you can hear Grace in this radio piece!)

All in all, 15 women came from the Niger delta to participate in the IMC Convergence and World Social Forum. I spent a lot of time with them, teaching basic computer literacy, and helping them to open their first email accounts. This is a radio piece I developed based on my interviews with Stella, Grace, and Emem, which aired on Free Speech Radio News across the country for International Women’s Day Centennial (March 8th).

Nigerian women lead the struggle against environmental and social problems caused by oil companies The West-African nation of Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and while the industry has created billions of dollars in revenue it also has led to corruption, repression and devastated the health and environment of many communities. But in the Niger Delta, women are fighting back. FSRN’S Nicole Hummel files this report.

After the convergence, I got to travel with Sphinx and the Mali Indymedi group back to Bamako (capital of Mali) on a 48-hour bus journey across the Sahel to help with setting up a community radio station, which will be managed collectively by several different organizations (including: L’Association Malienne des Expulsés (Association of Malian Deportees), Coalition des Alternatives Africaines Dette et Developpement (Coalition of African Alternatives, Debt and Development), le Mouvement des Sans Voix (Movement of the Voiceless), and others..). The bus journey of over 1,300 km took two full days – we had to spend the night at the Senegal/Mali border because they don’t let people cross past 10pm, and customs forced us to get off the bus and search our bags at each city once we crossed the border. Everyone explained that this is due to AQMI (Al Qaeda branch that is in Northern Mali), which operates a large drug trade throughout the region, but a big part of it also seems to be corruption within the customs enforcement officers.

Mali delegation + Sphinx and Nicole traveling back to Bamako

Baobab Tree!

bags being searched… again.

Once in Bamako, I co-facilitated a workshop with Sphinx called “Demystifying Radio” about the technical explanation of how radio works, and helped interpret from English to French – the workshop was also explained in Bambara, a local language in Mali. I also helped to demonstrate the equipment set-up, and visited some potential sites for the radio with the local groups heading up the project. This week they are beginning pirate broadcasts in Bamako, feeling a sense of urgency to mobilize their constituencies through the radio.

Sphinx and Nicole facilitate “Demystifying Radio” workshop. Mamadou Coulibaly.

When Sphinx and I came back to Senegal before returning home to the US, we met with a bunch of people interested in forming a chapter of Indymedia in Senegal. Among the people involved, is a group of conscious hip-hop artists, Keur Gui, which is mobilizing many Senegalese people demanding the end of corruption in the government, under the head of Abdoulaye Wade. You can hear some of their music in West Africa Simmering . They are planning a huge demonstration on March 19, and see themselves as part of the same popular movements mobilizing for change across the Middle East and North Africa!

Keur Gui street art in Dakar.

Sphinx and I spent a lot of time together as a result of all of this work and travel – and he is a really amazing person! He was a core organizer of the convergence and a long-time Indymedia activist in exile from Cameroon, where he participated in the anti-government students movements of the 1990s. Here is an interview I did with him on Best of Both Worlds:

West Africa Simmering – Best of Both Worlds (Radiohive) From the Indymedia Africa Convergence, to a recent crackdown on hip-hop activists in Senegal, to women fighting back in the Niger Delta, to a new community radio in Mali… Tonight Best of Both Worlds explores the uprising that is simmering West Africa. Tune in for stories from women’s movements in the Niger Delta, music and updates from the musicians/activists of Keur Gui, and an interview with Indymedia’s Sphinx. Featuring music from the Lijadu Sisters (Nigeria) and Keur Gui (Kaolack, Senegal).

Soooo…!!! I’m still processing a lot of this experience, but it has already impacted my work. First of all, I feel a renewed sense of drive in the organizing and reporting work that I do. I also gained a lot of clarity into my identity as a white person from a wealthy country, and the role I can play in fostering solidarity as opposed to doing charity work. This focus on solidarity v. charity is based on an intentional critique of the NGO model that is rampant in Africa, which tends to be imposed in a top-down and controlled by the north. The solidarity model comes from a focus on supporting and collaborating with community-based groups and social movements that are community-driven.

 

LOVE + SOLIDARITY,

Nicole

 

 

Some other links:

http://imc-africa.mayfirst.org – the website built for the convergence that continues to be updated by all participants, includes audio, video, photos, and written reflections…

http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2011/03/72485.php – Nick from IMC Houston interviews me about the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, especially looking at the radio in Africa, programming/logistics of the convergence, and workshops we had.

Thoughts on the Unity of Language & Sound from Sana’a

While walking around the old city of Sana’a, Yemen, I met a very fascinating woman. Having grown up in Hong Kong, in her middle age she packed all her things into a crate and shipped them to Yemen to begin investigating human civilization, history, and language. Whereas most linguists group languages into families based on grammar, she began to examine languages through their sounds and to examine how certain sounds have meanings (apart from words, but reflected in words) that are present across many (quote unquote unrelated) languages…

Thus, she began taking steps on her quest to understand the unity of humankind by investigating the shared meanings of sounds… and the original oneness of human language. Her quest continues, and I will share but of bit of her wisdom here:

“But with your help, I finally figure out the interesting map of the sound of “the bird” (ger), it seems to me that from Egypt it is a hard “GA“, then it gets softer as it goes north and east. In Yemen, in the south the also say “Ga” (already softer).  In Greece, it is “Ge“………  Then in the middle of Yemen from a region called Ibb/Taiz (where most of the emigrant from Yemen are originated because lack of enough farm land for the population, many of them emigrated to other countries), this people actually have a very interesting sound of “gi-ch” (a mixed of the two sound, you have to hear it), then in classic Yemen Arabic, it is of course the “ج” (gim/jim = jer) then we learned in ”fusha”, then as you told me, in Persian you have this “ﭺ” (che) sound……….. and then as you go east further into China, it became “jerk” again in the north China, and when it goes to S. China, my region, then it became “tje” for bird and “Gai” for chicken, sort of similar to Egypt again.  Very interesting!

So how on earth I can write this down?  But you can see a map here, a big circle when the sound made a full return to its origin……  or if the sound came in the middle (around Sumeria), it spread east (to China) and west (to Egypt) and ended up the same way????  I do not want to say who is first or last (human ego is very delicate), but the thing is that it seemed like a record of how human beings learning how to make sounds!!!  How to control our muscles like a child learning how to talk!!!!

“Dj” (in heiroglyph) and “GA” (colloquial Egyptian) –> “Ga” –> “Ge” –> “gi-ch” –> “jer” –> “che” –> “jerk” –> (Chin) “tje” (bird) / “Gai” (chicken) as in “dijeje/digaga” (Chicken in different accents of Arabic)

This is the same form between ancient Chinese drawing of exactly a bird, which ended up now like this “隹” (short tail bird – see its wing?)  or “鳥“ (long tailed bird – see the long tail) and another simplified form of the bird shape “乙” and Arabic “ج” (the dot was added much later) the form of a bird.   The island (al-jezeera) is the long tailed bird on a hill/rock “ger” (bird on) “sahra” (rock) = 島

And as I said in Chinese all words of “ga”thering carries a “bird” as 雥 / 雦 / 集 (3 birds or 1 bird on tree top) (sound “jaap” = gather, collect, jam together) and of course all Arabic words as well like in “جمع“  “مسجد” “جامع” “جامعة“ (jamah, jama’, masjid, jama’) from gather to University to mosque, all are places of “congregation”, like the gregarious birds, congruent!!!  When we write, we put the “bird” inside as a sound, and symbol and to imitate reality as a picture!!

Conjugal is marriage by joining the two, in Chinese it was expressed as 雔 (2 birds together = jugal/jam) and it carried in Chinese the sound of “zau (jau)” like Arabic “زوج” (zawag), see the bird is also there!!!  And the Egyptians said “جوز” (gawz), the bird also there, but did you notice it is a reverse of the arabic alphabets?  And in Chinese in another love bird, we also have the same sound!!  In Greek, since the Arabic “Jim” was the “Gamma” (harder J), the marriage is “Gamos”.  Same system!!

And the Egyptian ”جوز” (gawz) marriage, is the word the Arabs used for passport “جوز” (jauwaz – same spelling, different pronunciation) has the bird because it was link to the pilgrims, it was understood as a flock of birds like the peregrine (a falcon like bird) flying every year to its sacred destination!!

See how important the observation of birds in forming languages and writings?  That is why the ancient Egyptian god of writing was Thoth, a bird, and as I told you the ancient Chinese book also talked about our legendary inventor of writing did so by the observation of the foot prints of the animals and birds!!!  Pedigree!!

“Grue” in Latin is the crane, the “Gerano” in Greek.  And Pedigree is the feet (ped) of the “grue” (crane), the 3 toes which we used to draw a family tree……. we followed the feet of our ancestor, represented by this “auspicious bird” which later linked with a “stork” (looks similar) which brings the baby every years (as legend goes every where, including China).   The family line also has the other image of a 3-ply thread, like the 3 toes of the bird……….

Every alphabet had been a picture, then it became stylised as a symbol, then it became a phoneme (a sound sign), then we use it blindly as “alphabets”!!  So when we “spell” a word, we are still drawing all the elements as pictures inside a word!!  So to say!

It is fascinating how close the way we think in ancient times and how similar the sounds were, so was there really ONE language?  I guess (this is my guess) human as an ape, started as sign and body language, then we actually learn to speak bit by bit like a child………… language history is how human learnt to control the muscles of our mouths, tongues, lips, teeth…….. bit by bit.  And as times goes by we speak with more skill and more speed!!   We distinguished many sounds are we are proud of it, it became a competition, see how Arabs are proud of their confusing 4 “h”s?????  I found out every single “H” in Chinese we have exactly the same sound in one word meaning exactly the same thing!!!  But since we are not based on consonants and alphabets, we just don’t care if you do not speak it so “rightly” as long as we understand what you say!

In the Bible, there were story that when a group tried to identified their enemy, they forced every passers-by to pronounce a certain consonant, because at that time certain group could not dominate a sound………. those who could not pronounced that sound revealed that he was not a member of a group, they might be killed because of that………….  (like many Chinese until now cannot say “R”, they will only say “L”, unless they were trained as a child in another language).

Language and writing became a tool of “separation” instead of “communication”, because that was a weapon we used to distinguish people, that was a weapon we used to “spy” and convey secret messages……….   The Tower of Babel is in a true sense, because of economic and political benefit, different groups of people started to use symbols and language as a tool to exclude those who they didn’t want to include in their plan.  Interestingly, I started to research in a tool of communication and I found out that people actually use a lot of effort to hide things inside their writings so the other could not understand………….  very interesting!!

tracking the "g" sound across continents

Stenciling & Guerrilla Art

Time for the Co-op to get back out there and do some stenciling…came across these in the Mt. Victoria tunnel and thought they were cool.   Don’t know where the fabric stuff was, just some random street walking around Wellington. Seems like there would be a lot of potential to get out around Los Angeles and do this type of stuff.

Also I think the little Pac Man guys are by some famous graffiti artist.

Get on the map!

Here at last is the TTT interactive world map:

World in TechNiCoLoR

You can also get there via the link near the top of the blog titled “World in Technicolor.” I’ve been working on this project for a few weeks. In a sentence, it’s a custom Google Map to help TTT members and alumni keep abreast of our many and varied travels/adventures. Please give it a look. Feel free to put up markers for your current location, places you’ve lived before, or any geographical locale of significance to you. Include a few explanatory words, and a photo URL if you have one handy. Just click the map to add a marker.

For those who care about such things, here are the significant changes since I last emailed the link:
- added an instructions page
- new edit button allows you to update content without having to delete and create a new marker every time
- new zoom button centers and zooms in on markers (can be clicked more than once for different levels of zoom)
- can zoom to a specific address using the input box in the upper-right corner
- a list of the most recent markers and edits, with links

Steez and vinegar,
Jacob

Michaela’s NZ Blog

Here it is in all it’s glory: http://mickywagner.wordpress.com/

A few notes from beirut on the verge of war

from former co-oper alex, in beirut…

It’s strange living in the shadow of war. For the last few months every week or so some political leader or another has threatened to take this country to war over some issue or another, but in the last week the government has collapsed and the threats are becoming daily. Yesterday, one friend was swearing tonight would be the first clashes; other friends think he’s being ridiculous and a fearmongerer but are sure that within two weeks we’ll be at war. Tonight, tires are burning in major cities across the country and the roads have been blocked by protesters, while the radio is telling us not to go out. A number of members of Parliament have labeled tomorrow a “day of rage.” Life continues.

This being Lebanon, plastic surgery and expensive boutiques are still doing brisk trade, but the streets feel notably tenser as banners have gone up the past few days in every other neighborhood reiterating their allegiance to one warlord or another. The issues are unbelievably complex; it suffices to say that it involves Lebanon, Syria, the US, Israel, Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sunnis, Maronite Christians, Shias, Orthodox Christians, Druze (an offshoot of Islam), Alawites (another offshoot of Islam), Armenian Refugees, Greek Catholic Lebanese, Palestinian refugees and an extremely delicate balancing act between all of them. But that’s always been life here for the Lebanese: the 4 million here, and the 15 million scattered around the globe. But now, again, it almost seems like the whole thing is about to disintegrate…

Even amidst this chaos, however, we all continue working. A feminist collective I’ve joined tries to expand the discourse on what indigenous feminisms and sexualities will look like in this region, while at my office we continue coordinating workshops on democratic governance and children’s rights among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, a population around 300,000-strong that were forced out of their homes in what is now Israel in 1948 and will probably never be allowed to go back to their homeland so they can practice their “democratic governance” skills. It’s a bit tough realizing the world’s biggest military power [the US] and their most militarized ally [Israel] are pretty set on not letting you go back to your home (in order to keep Israel a majority Jewish state). And annoying in a silly way realizing that road blocks have been set up by protesters on the road I need to take to help set up one of the seminars tomorrow morning in the South…

So much is left to be fixed in this world, and there are still so many intent on fucking it up. Here, in Beirut, the results of policy decisions made in Washington D.C. are felt on a very real level- as I wrote this the U.S. government released a statement saying that they would loath to recognize the new Lebanese government, a decision that would serve as a virtual okay for an Israeli attack and invasion á la Gaza 2008-9.

So much of what needs to change cannot be affected by those who are themselves being affected; unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Empire must be brought down from the inside, even as we strive to support those who work from the periphery. Militarism is the only way many of the beleaguered Lebanese feel they can defend themselves after invasion after invasion and war after war that the world community did little or nothing to prevent; but it is up to us, as children of the Empire, to fight for the real change that must come at home. Our safety cannot and must not be guaranteed at the expense of others’ safety, and we must always be aware that this is the case.

It is not that we live in peace while others suffer; no, this is far too simplistic and naïve of an equation. Others live in insecurity and war BECAUSE we live in peace, because we have a government willing to murder abroad to keep the peace at home. We must never forget the true cost of our stability in Los Angeles. Here in Beirut, no one is given even a chance to forget, as tonight’s riots remind us.

.

a co-oper in yemen

A few shots from Arabia Felix….

Communal, urban Agriculture in Sana'a, Yemen.. like the co-op's backyard but a few hundred years old and fewer chickens

Thilla Village outside Sana'a

time for a nap

Road-trip Australia

The best thing I did in Australia was road trip from Adelaide to Exmouth. It’s about 6,500 miles and I did it solo, in my 1996 Nissan Nevara. I thought I’d get terribly lonely, since I’m pretty outgoing, but with the exception of about 3 days of the 50, I was golden. Instead, I felt like I was more aware of of the rhythms that worked for me. So, waking up early, reading poetry, breakfast, driving, lunch, driving, photography, dinner, sleep. I went to the Head of Bight, which is where all these migrating whales pass right by the coastline. And the coastline! It was incredible – cliffs dropping off into three kinds of blue ocean. The Nullarbor is a three day journey (if you drive slow like me!) and every 200 kilometers there is a petrol station. That’s it. No town around the petrol station, either. The best you can hope for is one of those oversized animals that the Aussies have a penchant for. The big whale will entertain the kiddies while you’re inside, buying a $8 pack of tim-tams. I dropped south after the Nullarbor, and the road to Esperance is a whole ‘nother scenery set. From desert to dairy cows in under two hours. Suddenly, electric yellow flowers and rolling green hills were the name of the game. No more sleeping on the side of the road, either. I found a campsite in Esperance, and was hoping to SCUBA dive in the morning, but it decided to rain instead. Bummer. I went up through the Margaret River area, where I stopped at the Tingles – aka the Valley of the Giants. These are some seriously huge trees, folks. What’s better is that the park has designed a tree-top walk to protect their fragile root system. You’d think that such tall trees would have super tough roots, but au contraire. One misstep, and you can kill em. I saw an old WSA (Women’s Student Assembly) friend in Perth, who is working as a geologist for one of the mining companies that dominate Australia. I went diving off Rottnest Island (rumored to be fabulous for day-trip… all I know was that the marine life was sensational!). I loved Perth – it was much better than Adelaide – bigger and it had running trails by the Swan River. Don’t stay in the YHA Perth though… too expensive! Good for one day, so it’s easy to get to the museums, but for the rest of my trip, I stayed in Cottsloe, a sleepy beach town with a recently remodeled library (anywhere with free internet gets a major check plus in my book). On the way to Exmouth, I stopped for a night in Coral Bay. Dinky little tourist town, but wade into the water, and the reef is right there! The snorkeling is some of the best I’ve ever experienced. Definitely worth stopping for. I went diving and saw manta rays barrel rolling there too. Beautifully huge creatures. Up in Exmouth, I saw some reef sharks, a turtle eating a jellyfish (did you know they only eat part of it, so that way the jellyfish can regrow? Sustainable feeding in action!), a tiger shark (I tried to chase it… didn’t actually know it could eat me!), and heaps of fish. I did the Navy Pier, twice. The American military has a base there, with 13 huge poles, taller than the Eiffel Tower, that can communicate with submarines all the way to San Francisco. The Aussies control most of the base now, but I met a guy from Alabama who was studying the sun from the military meteorology station there. On the way home to Adelaide, I ventured into the Outback, which comprised mostly of mining towns. Just a little town around one gargantuan hole in the ground. It made me sad, and I thought about how alienated most customers are from the jewelry they purchase. I was sad to go home when I did – I had missed the States, my family, and friends A LOT when I was gone, but those last two months made me feel desperately attached to the land itself. Though I never felt emotionally attached to most Aussies (with one exception, my work friend Adam), I vowed I’d go back to road trip around another section of that country. A year just wasn’t long enough to be there, after all.

Lots of love, Caroline

WE DON’T LIVE AT THE COOP ANYMORE BUT YOU SHOULD STILL READ OUR BLOG!

Max and Rachel used to live with the Technicolor Tree Tribe, until they moved into their veggie-oil housebus and took off up the coast visiting other intentional communities.

Here is their blog: http://autonomecollective.org/ollie/

Though they don’t miss the smog, they do miss the TTT very much, and talk about it with members of other communities as if they still live there.  (In their hearts, they always will.)

Peace!