Afrique News Magazine - News & Politics

Concern over getting too little in return for what they are being asked to give up has led some African nations to say "no" to some proposals for new trade relations with Europe next year. Several Eastern and Southern African nations have announced that they will only sign parts of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that relate to market access and development. At present , African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) members enjoy non-reciprocal trade benefits with the European Union (EU) -- such as access to EU markets which EU nations do not enjoy with ACP countries -- but these benefits are incompatible with WTO standards. New trade terms are being renegotiated through creation of WTO-compliant Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that are scheduled to enter into force by the end of 2007. But EPA negotiations have been difficult, with some countries fearing that their economies will not be able to withstand competition from European goods for years to come. At a meeting in Brussels in earlier this year, negotiators from several Eastern and Southern African countries said that potential loss to revenue for many African states across the continent heavily dependant on tariffs could require the EU to provide an additional 2 billion euros in assistance by 2010 if these countries were to allow Europeans free access. The COMESA members also want the EU to commit more funds to development in exchange for lowering trade duties.

No Refugee Status for Fleeing Zimbabweans

All Africa.com

South African Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has stuck to her guns on not granting Zimbabweans refugee status in SA, explaining that her department was instead considering temporary measures to accommodate the influx of Zimbabweans escaping massive unemployment in their country. One such measure would include providing Zimbabweans with temporary resident permits so that they could legally work in South Africa, Mapisa-Nqakula told reporters. SA has been struggling to deal with the thousands of Zimbabweans who have fled to the country in search of economic opportunities.( Zimbabwe has an unemployment rate of about 80%). The minister, who was participating in a briefing with her counterparts on the government's governance cluster, said there was no point in giving Zimbabweans refugee status as most of them wanted to earn money and then return home. If people are hungry and we open a camp along the borders of course people will jump over and come and have a meal and cross back to Zimbabwe," she said

All Hail Mandela

BBC.com

Mandela, 89, his wife Graca Machel, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown were among those at the unveiling in London’s Parliament Square. Brown referred to Mandela as the "greatest and most courageous leader of our generation". The 9ft high bronze statue was the brain child of anti arpatheid activist Donald Woods. In his address to crowds who gathered for the unveiling,” Mandela said: "Though this statue is of one man, it should in actual fact symbolise all of those who have resisted oppression, especially in my country." The location of the statue had been a subject of debate. London Mayor Ken Livingstone, (who was also attended the unveiling ceremony) had wanted it to stand on the north side of Trafalgar Square. Finally it was agreed the statue should face the Houses of Parliament, where it would stand alongside images of other great leaders such as Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Abraham Lincoln. "Long after we are forgotten, you will be remembered for having taught the world one amazing truth," said Mr Livingstone to Mandela.

Add yet another name to the list of political observers rooting for the Clinton-Obama ticket, Cuban leader Fidel Castro. In an editorial in Cuba's communist party newspaper, Granma, the ailing head of state called the pairing of the two White House hopefuls "invincible," according to an English translation on the paper's Web site. However, Castro, who has ruled Cuba as a communist nation for over four decades, was quick to say that he is not a fan of the duo’s support of democratic reform in Cuba. "Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding 'a democratic government in Cuba,'" Castro wrote. "They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon. Castro also gave his thoughts on the "will-he-or-won't-he" debate on former Vice President Al Gore's potential candidacy. “ I don't think he will do so," Castro said, but added that Gore, "better than anyone, he knows about the kind of catastrophe that awaits humanity if it continues along its current course."

During the onslaught of the Hurricane Dean, three people were killed –including a 15 year old girl from St. Thomas and a 44 year old farmer. The country’s agricultural products were especially hard hit. Jamaica's Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke said there was bad news for banana, plantain and vegetable crops. Most of the country also experienced power outages which utility companies are working to address. Still, most of the recovery plan has been focused on clearing mudslides, electricity poles and massive trees from roadways. In Caribbean Terrace just outside of Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston, people are counting their blessings after their beachfront community was hit by a 50 foot surge. Several houses there had been demolished by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, but still residents defied orders to leave. However faced with the storm's fury, they had to literally run for their lives. Luckily no-one was hurt. Due to the hurricane, Jamaican authorities have postponed general elections which had been scheduled for 27 August.

The Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has said the country is fast becoming the preferred destination for investors, with the total foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the economy now at about $35 billion. Out of this, China's investment alone accounts for $10 billion. On China's investment in the economy, Mustapha Bello of NIPC said the Asian power’s commitment in Nigeria went from $26 million in 1999 to $10 billion in 2007. While saying many had expressed discontentment at some un-scrupulous Chinese companies, which had been corrupting the economy, Bello, asserted that Nigeria should find ways of dealing with the bad eggs, so that they would not affect the thriving Nigeria-China investment and business relationship. “If Chinese authorities can commit that to help us develop our railways, which is a major infrastructure, develop dams to be able to produce about $12,000 MW, this is our friendly country. Whatever some of their citizens are doing, we must try to find ways of tolerating them and then stopping them from misbehaving. If I come in to work and I give you over $10 billion, then you have to find ways of making me your friend so that I can give additional billions of dollars.” said Bello of the China’s economic investment in the country.

The Sudanese government has expelled the top official in Sudan of the U.S.-based aid group CARE. Country director Paul Barker told Reuters that the Sudanese government's Humanitarian Aid Commission had given him 72 hours to leave the country . However the commission has yet to give a reason for the decision.(Barker is the third prominent foreigner expelled from Sudan in less than a week). Although officials were not available for comment at the commission, copies of its 72-hour order to Barker were printed in local papers. Barker said CARE had spent more than $184 million on aid projects in Sudan since it arrived in the country in 1979. In the last three years, it has spent more than $60 million, he added, mostly in the troubled Darfur region. "We have been in Sudan through thick and thin, through some very difficult times. It is very important that this doesn't impact on our work in Sudan," he added. Barker said he would be leaving for the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with his wife as soon as he received an exit visa.

Nigeria-The Atlas of Africa

It's been 47 years since Nigeria gained its independence from so many years of British colonial rule. This autonomy was not an easy ride considering the cost in both human and natural resources while being subjugated by the West.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa) was the first President to rule this black and most populous nation of Africa. This nation bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon, became the home of many immigrants from the African countries and other parts of the world.

When you think of Nigeria, it is a little more than twice the size of California and has always played the role of Big brother on the continent to the rest of African nations. Today efforts are under way to explore the possibility of a "United Government of Africa", and all eyes are on Nigeria once again.

A quick look at its history, reveals a country blessed with very rich cultural heritage composed of more than 250 ethnic groups. The most influential and populous ones are the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo. Soon after its independence, the young nation experienced one of the worst genocide ever recorded in the history of the black race; the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War. This was the high point of the religious and cultural differences that existed between the Northerners and the Southeastern regions.

After three years of battle, Biafra could not secede from Nigeria, there was therefore a need for reconciliatory efforts towards a more united nation. The results achieved so far left much to be desired. Every ethnic group in recent times fosters a militant group who often times take the law into their own hands.

Today, there are 36 states in Nigeria with Abuja as its Federal Capital Territory. The country is running a bicameral National Assembly consisting of a Senate (109 seats) and House of Representatives (360 seats). Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections in April 2007 was marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. Previous transfers of power have always been an intervention of the military.

President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA took office on 29 May 2007. In my humble opinion Nigerians witnessed "A SELECTION NOT AN ELECTION". Because of how the exercise was conducted, his predecessor is no longer popular amongst the people. The Nigerian people forged ahead with the hope that the new Government will revive the long hobbled rich oil nation from political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management.

There are so many domestic issues facing the new Government that must be resolved. Aside from the militant groups terrorizing the entire nation, there are many other internal challenges. The poor funding in educational sector and lack of infrastructures has made strike actions by various trade unions in the system a monthly affair. The roads has become deathtraps, electrical power supply even in major cities has remained epileptic. Despite effort to revive the now crippled Railway system to enhance transportation the Aviation sector has its own issues.

Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, and the world's sixth crude oil exporter. The country produces about 2.5 million barrels of oil daily. This would normally look very prosperous, however, vandalism of crude pipelines near the Niger Delta region has resulted in the loss of nearly 700,000 barrels per day making it about 1/3 of the daily production quota.

Of course, Nigerian government has made many efforts in curbing internal corruption. The established Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has routinely checked public officers records, and prosecuted those who were found involved in some financial mismanagements. The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have been able to check the access of imported fake drugs to evaluate the food and drug standards in the country. These all brings the people some sigh of relief.

Now, the possibility of a United Government of Africa is being explored, Nigeria as the Giant of Africa is once more facing the challenge of playing the Big Brother. I am only asking -What aspects of the participating countries’ sovereignties will be affected by this new twist? What about the existing political and economic integration arrangements that already exist at region al levels? There are several boarder/boundary issues between sovereign nations in Africa, How will a unity government carry these along? If we use Nigeria as a paradigm in putting the issue in perspective, we will easily see that Nigeria after 47 years is still struggling with its internal issues. I wonder how prepared the country is in taking more responsibilities on continental magnitude.

NIGERIAN PROFILES

As one of the largest African immigrant communities in the United States, Nigerians have become a force to be reckoned with. When I set out to interview inspiring and influential Nigerians in Chicago, my game plan was simple- I would scope out Nigerians in various professional fields and document their success stories. However I soon realized that I could use this project to dig much deeper. AFRIQUE could spend Nigeria’s birthday reminding our readers how far Nigeria has not come in 47 years or how much progress the country’s government is not making. Yes, these are all things are important. But we cannot forget to celebrate the positive aspects of Nigerian culture that the country’s immigrants have transported across seas and which we can now find in different corners of Chicago. Nigerian independence day let us celebrate the pockets of Nigerian culture in this city- the shrine to Yoruba based art in south side art studio; the sound of prayers from a Northside mosque, a group of young athletes running down a grassy field in Montrose Park……

The moment you step into Adedayo Laoye’s Hyde Park studio it is apparent that this visual artist is not short on pride for his Yoruba tribal heritage. The juju music of Nigerian musical legend King Sunny Ade blasts from a stereo buried amongst countless paintings depicting colorful, romantic scenes of rural Nigeria- a voluptuous brown skinned woman dressed in all white- agbada-clad sekere players- dancing men and women surrounded by a fiery red. Complementing the afro centric motif of his paintings are a line of multicolored masks positioned by the studio window which he explains are traditional pieces of work from Nigeria and other African countries.” If most of my family members [from Nigeria] were to come [to my studio] they would not repeat a visit. They would say that guy is a voodoo guy, says Laoye with a laugh.

But to those who dare venture into the 48-year old artist’s cultural haven, Laoye is one of the hottest artists in town. His predominantly African-American clientele hang his scenes on their walls –many in hopes that they are capturing a piece of a distant land to which they feel a strong connection. Despite his success, his art’s focus on rural Africa runs the risk of promoting stereotypes that many Africans shun in favor of a more Westernized identity.

But Laoye makes no apologies for the style of his art. “People who understand my culture as an Oyo Yoruba or as a Nigerian for that matter, will understand my work,” says the artist who grew up in Nigeria’s third largest city of Ibadan.

Ironically , Laoye’s fascination with traditional Nigeria did not start until he moved to the United States. As a student at the historically black Howard University in Washington D.C., he was amazed at depth of his African American professors’ understanding of traditional, African culture-particularly as it related to art. “It so ironic that in Nigeria, especially in the arts, our training in universities emphasizes the western oriented form,” says Laoye “At Howard my sense of ‘Africanness’ was awakened. I was able to tune into the more spiritual part of my culture.” His experience at Howard, coupled with his interaction with some African-Americans who practiced the Afro-Caribbean religion of Santeria (which derives from traditional Yoruba religion) inspired his series of paintings dedicated to Yoruba deities.

Laoye yearns for the days when talking drummers in Yoruba culture wore agbada (traditional Yoruba garment) instead of Western suits and the eldest members of the family got to name new born babies. “That’s the Nigeria I remember and that is who I am,” he declares. And, if you don’t mind, that is the Nigeria that he would like to immortalize in his paintings. “It is my way of holding on to the Nigeria that those coming after me won’t see, “says the artist.

Laoye plans to work on a series of paintings called “Fela’s Nigeria.” It will be a tribute to the late Afrobeat king, depicting both the positive and negative aspects of Nigeria through his eyes. “I will wait and see what I will paint,” says Laoye.

It is hard to determine exactly when All-American football became the hot sport for Nigerians abroad. But somehow, in the past three years, five Nigerian-Americans have joined the Chicago Bears football team. Adewale Ogunleye, Israel Idonije, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Obafemi Ayanbadejo and Michael Okwo. Perhaps never in the Bears’ history have there been so many players with names that sports casters cannot pronounce. But these young athletes are riding their Nigerian heritage all the way to the goal line. “We nicknamed ourselves the Nigerian delegation,” says Brendon Ayanbadejo. The five members of the delegation rely on one another to get their periodical does of Nigerian culture . “Anytime one of our family members is in town, we make sure we go to that person’s house and greet their relatives,” explained Brendon Ayanbadejo, “If Israel’s mother is in town, I am definitely going over to his house and his mother is gonna cook a nice Nigerian meal.”

But apart from their common love for homemade dodo (plantains) and jollof rice, the five teammates share a deeper connection. They have all experienced the challenges (and privileges) of children born under two cultures. For the Ayanbadejo brothers especially, the struggle to maintain their few memories of Nigeria (they left when Brendon was three- years old) has been difficult since they grew up with their Irish-American mother. The two brothers vaguely remember speaking Yoruba as children. These days, their Yoruba vocabulary barely extends beyond “hello” and “goodbye.” “I always felt like something was taken from me because I forgot how to speak so much

[of the language],” says Brendon who has yet to return to Nigeria since he left as a child.

Ogunleye, on the other hand, has received tons of press on his recent trip to Nigeria in April of 2006. “When I went there, I saw all the love that my parents had and the fact that people who had never seen me before were treating me like I was their own son,” says Ogunleye of his return to Naija.

In the meantime, Ogunleye and his teammates are in training camp, getting ready for another one of a kind football season. Alteast until then of the season there will be little room for their usual Nigerian dinner gatherings, but they all insist that the values which their parents transported from Nigeria to the United States will never leave them. Idonije said it best. “I moved from Nigeria [to Canada] when I was five but everyday, we ate Nigerian food, my parents wore rappa (traditional African cloth), and taught us songs from home.” It is traditions like those that the members of the Nigerian delegation hope to pass down to their children.

Tucked away in a North side two flat is the Islamic Center, a sort of cultural enclave for Chicago’s Nigerian Muslim community where young students are versed in Koranic and Arabic studies. Sikirat Adigun of Chicago’s Nigerian Muslim Association is there to make sure that it all runs smoothly. “We have been able to have five graduates from the Koranic school that are able to read the Koran from beginning to end, “says Adigun proudly. She speaks even more proudly of their success in influencing intermarriage between the young people in their community. “Alhamduallah so far we have had six marriages,” Adigun reports, “These are the things that are telling us that [our efforts] are fruitful.”

But keeping their Nigerian- American children on the right path is not always so easy. At their national convention last year, two Nigerian-American Muslim children were brought before the committee of the National Council of Nigeria Muslim Organizations-U.S.A (NCNMO-USA) because they had stopped wearing their hijabs, the head covering which Muslims are required to wear. “They were scared that people would call them terrorists at school,” says Adigun, who is also a board member of NCMNO-USA. “They were young kids you know, you can understand.” And the committee did. Although they did not force the children to resume wearing their hijabs, they delivered the message that they always give to all children of their community. “We let them [the kids] know that as a Muslim, you have to stand up,” says Adigun, “We are not terrorists. The people who are doing that, they have their own agenda.”

By her activeness in the Nigerian Muslim community both locally and nationally, Adigun may not know it but she is shattering another stereotype about Muslims and Nigerians for that matter- one that women who fit either description are oppressed and/or submissive. She is the only woman serving on the board of the NCNMO-USA. But she asserts that amongst Nigerian Muslims, this is not uncommon. In fact, her fellow board members have even asked that she encourage more women to join the board. “I don’t think this is because we are in American or because we are ‘civilized’,” she explains. “Back home in Nigeria too, [Muslim] women are active.”

All in all, Adigun insists that she and other Muslims are not as concerned with disproving stereotypes as they are with keeping their culture and religion alive here in the United States. “We believe in serving our God and that’s it,” Adigun asserts.

At a symposium held recently in Chicago, a group of young people descendant from Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group, stood up to pose some provocative questions to their parents. They wanted to know why their parents thought they had to be lawyers of doctors to be successful. Why was the ability to speak Igbo so important when it was not the only aspect of their Nigerian identity? What is the big deal about always using the right hand when giving objects to an elder? Strongly behind the cultural war of words were members of the Umu-Igbo Alliance (UIA), a fledgling organization consisting of Igbo college students and young professionals in Chicago. Looking to interact with other young Igbos, a handful of youth from the community (ranging from ages 18 to35) started the organization in 2006. “I just wanted to keep up with everyone, to see who was doing what,” explains Ngozi Onyema, a UIA planning committee member. But the members soon realized that they had the resources to do more than just network. They started the Southeastern Nigeria Health Initiative, a program designed to promote HIV/ AIDS Awareness and general nutrition in the Igbo region of Nigeria. “We’re gonna have literature that will be translated to Igbo,” says Onyinyechi Enyia, another member of the group’s planning committee. “This is a very innovate program as most HIV/AIDS awareness programs are concentrated in northern Nigeria.” The members of the organization’s planning committee are especially passionate about provide quality health services back home since most of them work in the medical field.

Then again, these young Igbos seem to be passionate about anything concerning South Eastern Nigeria. They talk in great detail about the Nigerian Civil War, although none of them were born when the Biafran forces surrendered in 1970. And do not even get them started about the injustices their people have suffered under a certain gas company (which shall remain nameless) in the Niger Delta. “That’s our country. If something were to happen in the United States we would all go back to Nigeria,” says Onyinyechi Enyia.

Because the members of UIA- many of them born in America-may not know why they must hand their uncle a fork with the right hand or why their parents insist on speaking to them in Igbo, but they do recognize that they have a responsibility to fight for a people whose ways they may not always understand but who are nonetheless a part of them.

Inspired by the success of the symposium held in July, the Umu-Igbo mebers are planning to hold a series called TheCultural Connection Series

“Folks from different tribes are fighting but whenever Nigeria [national team] is playing, it seems like folks come together to root for the team,” explains Dr. Christian Akiwowo, founding member of Chicago’s Gazelle Soccer Club. It was that same sense of unity that he and other Nigerians (and some other Chicago Africans) wanted to create when they formed the Gazelle Soccer Club in the 1970s. Back then, the members of the club were mainly young Nigerian students who had come to the U.S. to study and who simply wanted to partake in a sport which reminded them of home.

Some thirty years later, over three generations of players have sported the Gazelle jersey. “I have a set of twin girls who were barely one year old when this thing started,” says Akiwowo. Gazelle’s success encouraged the formation of another predominantly Nigerian soccer club, 36 Lion. Under the leadership of Gafar Liameed, 36 Lion has been the soccer club of choice for many Nigerian players on the Northside of Chicago while Gazelle maintains a stronghold on the Southside.

Liameed has started a junior team for children as young as six. “When I would go to Nigerian picnics, I would see children playing football, baseball, basketball, but I never saw soccer,” he says. “The kids back home [in Nigeria], they play it day in, day out. Our kids that were born here, we want them to learn the sport at an early age so that they can feel the joy we felt [playing it] when we were growing up.”

But Gazelle and 36 Lion have become more than just recreational clubs. Both clubs have started programs through which they recommend talented players from their clubs for college soccer programs. Akiwowo scouts players for his almer mater University of Wisconsin- Green Bay, while Liameed has placed players at Kennedy King College or any other schools that ask him to recommend players. Through these soccer programs, some players get full scholarships for college.

Essentially these two organizations are not only preserving a sport which has been known to unite whole countries in Africa, but they are using it as a ticket to success for their children in America.

On a Sunday afternoon inside a storefront building on North Clark street, men, women and children, all dressed in white, raise their hands towards the ceiling as they sing soulful Yoruba hymns. It is one of the many places of worship for the Holy Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, a religious movement which originated in Nigeria and has spread to different corners of the globe. For over twenty years, the Cherubim and Seraphim church has made its mark in Chicago as many Chicagoans have come to know them by their long white robes- the very same way they are identified in Nigeria.

Idowu Connell Akande who has been pastor of the church’s Clark Street location for over two decades. “Many of us that came from Nigeria went to other churches,” says Pastor Akande of the many Cherubim and Seraphim followers who migrated to Chicago. “But the way of worship was different, the music was different.” So in 1983, Pastor Akande started a Chicago chapter of the C&S church in his North Side apartment. Today the church has approximately one hundred members.

Still, like in Nigeria, many people in Chicago ll do not understand the reasons for the white robes and bare feet. Pastor Akande explains, “We are also using this to portray our holiness. We are not saying that if you do not wear white, you will not enter the kingdom of God. But we are saying that is how you can identify us.” The white robes are also a way to blur any social class differences. “When I first came to America, I was a student with no money, I went to a church and they expected me to wear three piece suit,” Akande recalls. The pastor says his lack of funds to purchase the required formal wear discouraged him from attending church. “At our church, you don’t need to spend money on your credit card [for church clothes].”

But one can imagine that for the children of the C&S church, wearing white robes on Sundays may not exactly make them the cool kids at school. Pastor Akande disagrees. “In our church, we have not lost any teenagers to any other church,” he declares. “A lot of churches are failing nowadays because they do not seek ways to reach these children. For instance if I have to win [over] a child with rap music, I would use it as long as the rap music has got to do with morality and with our lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, even American hip-hop is a medium for passing religious tradition to the next generation.

CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE CEOS MAKE MILLIONS WHILE YOU SUFFER-

If you haven’t seen Michael Moore’s documentary on American Healthcare, you should. It has brought attention to the disturbing truth about the Health Care industry today. We are the richest and most advanced country in the world, yet our citizens suffer continuously when dealing with obtaining healthcare. Americans are dying while doctors and hospitals refuse to give care due to unrealistic money saving standards implemented by the Health Insurance Agencies. Currently, in Chicago, workers are fighting with Resurrection Healthcare to raise wages and maintain quality health service. However their four year long struggle is being ignored by the management of the company.

Resurrection Health Care (RHC) claims to be the giver of compassionate, family centered care. Their mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of the community. With a core value emphasizes on compassion, respect, excellence, and service, they are the powerful Catholic based Health Care company with nine hospitals in the state of Illinois.

On Tuesday August 7th, a group of concerned RHC employees and AFSCME Council 31 gathered in the Drake Hotel Superior Room to discuss the formation of a union. The employees are the backbone of the company, and they have been underpaid and overworked while executives earn high salaries compared to the norms of the industry. The employees spend long hours disinfecting the operating rooms, cleaning the floors, and providing the crucial care to patients within the community. The RHC management has neglected their cries to form a union to ensure worker’s rights to better benefits and wages in the future.

Back in 2000, RHC took some giant steps towards market sharing. It turned from a non-for-profit company set out to serve the community people into a multi million-dollar corporate scale business. The RHC is still a property tax exempt company because of its small percentage of charity work within the city.

The IRS requires at least 5% of the profit to be given back to the community in charity work in order to qualify for non-for-profit tax exempt. For the majority of hospitals owned by RHC, under one percent of the profits are actually used for charity work.

Over the years, the quality of service has suffered due to budget constraints. “It’s shocking, the annual salary report shows that Joseph Toomey, one of the CEOs of RHC was making well above one million dollars, while the long term employees were making only 8 –10 dollars per hour without adequate healthcare benefits.” A union forming member told Afrique.

The fight to form this union has been a four-year long struggle. The management has been ignoring their workers and refused to enter in any type of dialogue when called upon. Cards and letters were sent out from different clergies to the Cardinal, but those attempts to communicate were largely ignored. When the interfaith group, formed by various different clergies tried to speak up on behalf of the workers, they were stopped at the door, barred from entering, and police were called to the scene. The employees at RHC feel that the insider board no longer represented the true original mission of Resurrection.

There are over eight thousand workers within the system, during the recent petition drive, workers were interrogated, and were told that they’d be out of a job if their participation continued.

Shirley Brown, a RHC employee who works for the Westlake Hospital is a surviving patient of cancer. She told Afrique that harassment at the management level happens often upon gaining knowledge of union forming participation. Brown has put in 11 years of hard labor into the company, and was on sick leave for three months to battle her illness. Her paycheck from working at the RHC was not able to cover her monthly expenses and her prescribed generic cancer medications. The management threatened to fire her if she did not return to work within three months. She returned in fear of losing her job.

“When I returned part time, they made me clean all the bathrooms on the first floor. I could have done anything, and they made me do this.” Shirley’s co-worker, who’s had no dealings with union formation, was on pregnancy leave for five months, and she returned back to work with very little trouble. “They called some of my co workers in a closed door and asked them to sign an anti-petition. 8 employees have been fired from their jobs, and 4 of them was from my hospital.” Brown said.

“Employers need to realize, that by having a good relationship with their employees, it would raise the moral of the workers and raise the service that’s given. Workers will work hard if they are happy. They should be recognized, treated with dignity, and in a Christian way.” Says a supporting clergy.

Currently, RHC management and its workers have seen a true gap of communication. It has become a battleground of impossible negotiation. To advocate the union is to form ground rules between employer and employees to result in better and more genuine service given to the public.

The RHC in help of AFSCME Council 31 is asking citizens of Illinois to get involved through their website: http://www.afscme31.org/

RAT RACE 2008

How well do you know the Candidates who are running for the 2008 presidential race? Today, we are becoming more and more uninformed even with the wonderful communication tools out there. So much information so little time! Let us make it easy for you.

Agenda:
Make health care affordable and accessible to every American
Expand access to affordable, high quality childcare.
Make college more affordable.
Increase minimum wage.
Create good jobs with good wages to expand the middle class.

However, it seems Clinton can be a bit indecisive. Clinton chastised Obama for not wanting to use nuclear weapons in the war on terror, when only a year ago [2006] she said she would take nuclear weapons off the table. Now she is saying “I don’t believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons.” Don’t forget, she gave the lunatic (Bush) a loaded gun to go into the Iraq war and still have not apologized.

Save average American family up to $2,500 annually in healthcare premiums.
Maintain added quality on affordable and portable health coverage for every American.
Plan to increase federal college aid.
Free up money for student aid while protecting student borrowers.
Plans to ensure freedom to unionize.
Create career pathways for workers who want to move up the ladder.
Improve transportation access to jobs.
Increase minimum wage to $7.25.
Expand the earned income tax credit.

We hope those promises will be kept if he does step into office. Obama is hip, slick, and perfect, a little too perfect, and one must be on it’s toes when trusting a politician.

Update unemployment insurance so 500,000 jobless citizens will continue to receive money without working.
Ensure every man, woman, and child has health insurance at low cost and better plans.
Reverse Bush’s tax and trade policies to help families save money.
Plans to invest in teachers so public school students will receive a better education.
Create second chance schools for high school dropouts.
Create a national plan to pay one year of public college tuition, fees, and books for more than 2 million students.

Okay, so we are in a deficit and how is Edwards going to achieve this? All this talk of giving away free money, is it really realistic or does it sound like empty promises again? Aren’t we tired of this game yet?

African News Breif

Nigeria-The Atlas of Africa

NIGERIAN PROFILES

CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE CEOS MAKE MILLIONS WHILE YOU SUFFER-

RAT RACE 2008