Monthly Archives: July 2013

Reflections: The Specter of Race

28 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in Human Behavior, Relationships, Social Injustice

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Smiling FacesPhoto Credit: gamerfitnation.com
Faces, faces, faces, faces
Everywhere you turn
The more you learn
There is no real difference among races.
Excerpt of Poem, “Faces” from if only the gods were awake
by Guyanese-American Poet Gary Girdhari

 

On 13 July 2013, the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin not only raised concerns about Stand Your Ground laws in America, but also reminded us that the election of a black president did not mark the end of racism.

As defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica, racism is any action, practice, or belief that reflects the racial worldview—the ideology that humans are divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called “races,” that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural behavioral features, and that some races are innately superior to others. (The emphasis is mine.)

There is ample historical evidence that all peoples share the same human intelligence. The BBC series, The Lost Kingdoms of Africa, were an eye-opener for me. The great achievements of ancient African kingdoms were not “lost.” They were hidden from us to perpetuate belief in African inferiority.

The documentary film, Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, astounded me even more. Based on research of human genetic markers on the Y-chromosome conducted by Spencer Wells, an American geneticist and anthropologist, the documentary traces the geographical dispersal of early human populations back to our origin in Africa. In other words, each racial group carries the genetic marker of the same African ancestor. Given the theoretical nature of some of his scientific methods, these findings will no doubt be refuted by those seeking to maintain racial inferiority.

The more we learn about ourselves and our origin, the more it will become clear that the division of our species into several races, ranging from white supremacy to black inferiority, is a fallacy of the rulers of empires past and present. Their intentions were and remain the division, subjugation, and exploitation of those peoples defined as inferior.

In my upcoming three-part series, I will tackle the diverse, overt and covert manifestations of racism in Guyana, Brazil, and the United States. Though differing vastly in size and economic development, these three nation states share one thing in common. Situated in the Americas, formerly known as the New World, they were all colonized by European powers of the time. The imported African slave labor force was crucial to their expansion and economic development.

We have come a long way since the emancipation of black slaves. But Zimmerman’s acquittal reminds us that the entrenchment of racial profiling and racial stereotypes will take many more generations to be eradicated from our society. Until then, the specter of race will continue to threaten the lives of those of us who are not white or cannot pass for white.

Woman in Distress

21 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in Social Injustice, United States

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Bradley Manning at Fort MeadeBradley Manning: Integrity on Trial
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

 

Forgive me. I scrapped three attempts of writing this week’s blog article. They were rants of a woman in distress. You deserve better.

In distress over corporate wealth that renders our government dysfunctional.

In distress over corporate greed, crippling us with debt and destroying our planet.

In distress at the extent and invasiveness of our surveillance state that stretches beyond our borders.

In distress at state governments dominated by conservative males intent on policing the female reproductive system and criminalizing women.

In distress over the racial bias of our judicial system that acquitted an armed vigilante who pursued and killed an innocent and unarmed, seventeen-year-old, black male.

In distress at our lack of compassion for the dispossessed, homeless, hungry, poor, and sick.

I find solace in the knowledge that goodness and integrity exist. I hold on to the hope that our virtue will triumph over the chaos of unrestrained power and greed.

I ponder the words of wisdom of Lao-tzu:

If you realize that all things change,
There is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you aren’t afraid of dying,
There is nothing you can’t achieve.

 I soothe my troubled mind with the recital of Psalm 37:

Do not worry about the wicked,
Do not envy those who do wrong.
Quick as the grass they whither,
Fading like the green in the field…

 

 

CARICOM: Forty Years of Integration

14 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in Economy and Finance, Guyana

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CARICOM - Signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas - Trinidad & Tobago - 4 July 1973Signing the CARICOM Treaty of Chaguaramas – Trinidad & Tobago – 4 July 1973
Seated from Left to Right: Prime Ministers Errol Barrow for Barbados; Forbes Burnham for Guyana; Eric Williams for Trinidad and Tobago; and Michael Manley for Jamaica
Source: Chaguaramas Development Authority (www.chagdev.com)

 

On 4 July 2013, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) celebrated its fortieth anniversary. The Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Community was the vision of the leaders of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. As leaders of newly independent nations, the majority small islands, they perceived a need for cooperation for development. At the time, their focus was on economic integration, foreign policy coordination, and cooperation in areas affecting human and social development.

The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, signed on 5 July 2001, went beyond with the inclusion of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), established in 1989. Globalization had changed the world market. For leaders across the region, the Single Market was important to achieve sustained economic development based on international competitiveness, coordinated economic and foreign policies, functional cooperation and enhanced trade and economic relations with third States. It is clear from the Preamble that the signatories were fully aware of the challenges ahead and the need for change.

The Single Market, launched under the Revised Treaty in 2006, has yet to be fully implemented across the region. Statistics available for intra-regional trade for the period 2007-2012 show little growth over the period. Oil-rich Trinidad and Tobago dominate total trade in the region. In Jamaica, some factions blame the common external tariff for the country’s large trade deficit.

Like the European Union (EU), CARICOM is much more than trade and business. Over the past forty years, several institutions were established for formulating policies and executing functions in critical social and economic areas. Peoples across member states have benefited from the achievements and success of these institutions.

CARICOM’s four founding fathers have passed away. Their vision for our region has yet to be fully realized. Under Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque, appointed in August 2011, the community is undergoing a period of renewal and change. These are formidable economic times for small vulnerable developing nations. Old ways of thinking and behaving must be put aside. As an integrated region, we stand a better chance of dealing with current dilemmas and those that lie ahead. The challenges of climate change, bringing more severe hurricanes and rising sea levels, are already upon us and must be addressed.

CARICOM remains alive today because it serves a vital function for the peoples of the region. Without it, our individual sovereign states will fall prey to transnational corporations, intent on controlling Earth’s natural resources.

When my Guyana Passport expires in 2014, I will be issued with a CARICOM Passport, initially introduced to promote hassle-free travel for nationals within the region. While my new passport will not guarantee ease of travel within the region, as I have learned from recent Caribbean news reports, it will concretize my new identity.

I am an emerging Caribbean novelist born in the member state of Guyana. I have to give that some serious thought.

Brazil: Bouncing Back During a Financial Crisis

07 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in Brazil, Economy and Finance, Working Life

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Brazilian Invoice for Sample Shipment of HammocksInvoice for Sample Shipment of Brazilian Hammocks to the USA
August 1999

 

As a mother and breadwinner in my family, I could not fall apart when Ceará Importers* cut my work-hours and pay in half. I had to remain strong and focused. I had to maintain my equilibrium. There was no room for self-pity, anger or hopelessness. My sons, then fourteen and sixteen years old, depended on me for survival. Together, we found ways of cutting our expenses to the bone. We had to support each other to get through this period of financial difficulty.

In search of a new work contract, I spent the first three months meeting with business contacts. The year 1999 was a tough time to find work at any level. Brazil’s economy was in shambles as a result of the collapse of the Asian and Russian economies. The unemployment rate rose daily. Consumption fell, worsening the situation with more lay-offs. The government’s efforts to promote exports for badly needed foreign currency made no headway. Due to the unstable economic climate, exporters in Ceará were reluctant to invest in expansion and hire additional staff.

My hopes soared when I learned about a project to stimulate Ceará’s fresh melon exports. The project team was looking for an international trade professional with experience in the European market. My contact thought I was ideal for the position. He arranged an interview with the Project Manager at Cambeba, the seat of the Government of the State of Ceará. The interview went well. Two hours later, my interview with the Senator overseeing the project was a disaster. I was an outsider.

Faced with a shrunken job market, I had to change direction and focus. Partnering with my sister in Los Angeles, I set up a sole-proprietor export/import firm. My sister did the same in the USA. With permission from my landlord, I transformed our guest room into our Brazil Office. As local manufacturers would ship goods directly to our USA Office, I did not need storage facilities in Fortaleza. My Business Plan seemed a winner.

I dedicated my afternoons to establishing contacts with potential suppliers. Our first sample shipment of 14 Units of Brazilian Handwoven Cotton Fabrics Hammocks for Camping left Fortaleza on 24 December 1999.

My hard work came to naught. Without capital, I failed to launch our export/import business. By September, my financial situation had become critical. Putting aside my pride, I asked my family in the USA and Canada for assistance. In December, through referral from a close friend, I signed a contract with a small cashew-nut producer seeking to enter the European market. The value of the contract covered less than half of my rent, but I had my first client.

Then, in February 2000, a miracle happened. The Classified Section of a major local newspaper carried two ads of job openings for a foreign-trade professional with export experience. After interviews for both positions, I succeeded in winning one of them. My nightmare over the past eight months had come to an end.

*Fictitious Name