HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: ANC Leadership Wanes
Date: 29 Sep 92 18:57:09 GMT
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

In article <1992Sep28.215721.28128@ucthpx.uct.ac.za> gavan@elc.mth.uct.ac.za (Gavan Tredoux) writes:
>yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken) writes:
> 
>: The New York Times ran an interesting article on the Hostels and Inkatha
>: this Sunday. The Times has, in the past, depicted Buthelezi as a "moderate"
>: caught between extremists of the left and right and I believe that this
>: remains the editorial view of  the paper. Nonetheless, the article lends a
>: great deal of credence to ANC claims that Inkatha military actions are
>: supported by the South African security forces.
>
>Er, you might be a little more cautious when drawing conclusions about
>a complex situation from an article in the New York Times - that *is*
>ambitious. Regarding credibility, there's no doubt that the police and 
>military are partial, particularly in Natal. That doesn't alter the SOURCE
>of the conflict. 

The Times article was mainly concerned with Soweto, which as far as
I know is not in Natal. In any case, I'm not sure what relevance the
"SOURCE" of the conflict has. 

>: >appeal to "bugger the ANC up". Just goes to show how these extremely unsavoury
>: >people are dually responsible for all this "mysterious" violence.
>: 
>: While the Times story makes reference to anti-Inkatha vigilantes, the 
>: story, if accurate, shows that calling the ANC and Inkatha "dually
>: responsible" for violence is misleading.
>: 
>: If Inkatha and the security police are engaged in a violent campaign to
>: suppress ANC political organizing, what do you propose that the ANC
>: should do in response? Cease any actions which could be considered 
>: provocation? 
>
>The idea that the ANC are "acting in response" (which is their claim
>invariably) is sweet, but it doesn't measure up to the history of this
>conflict, which seldom makes its way, except in extremely brief and misleading
>snatches, into the media, locally let alone abroad. THere isn't any sense
>in petty arguments about original sin -- analysing the stats soberly reveals
>both sides taking heavy casualties. And the term "vigilante" is a nonsense.
>These are attacks by military operatives now.

You evade my question. I don't care who you believe is originally
responsible for the violence. The fact remains that the security forces
and Inkatha seem to be engaged in somewhat open warfare against the ANC.
What is it you expect ANC leadership
to do in response to combined police/Inkatha campaigns against their
organizers? You find marches to be irresponsible and  you object to armed
responses. What option does the ANC leadership have? Must they wait for
the U.N. to step in? Give up? It's quite easy for you to generate complaints
about the moral and tactical failures of the ANC leadership, please explain
what would happen if they followed your advice.


-- 


yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
From: Jim Rosenfield <jnr@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Date: 05 Oct 92 21:36 PDT
Subject: 9/24 Wire Stories on Hunger
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1471700142:000:2526
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!jnr    Oct  5 21:36:00 1992


/* Written  8:58 pm  Sep 24, 1992 by jnr in cdp:hunger.general */
/* ---------- "9/24 Wire Stories on Hunger" ---------- */
APn  09/23 1809  Migrant Education

Copyright, 1992. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The migrant education programs begun a
quarter-century ago need fine tuning to meet the needs of a migrant
work force that has changed dramatically, the National Commission on
Migrant Education said Wednesday.

The commission, created by Congress in 1988, released the results of a
three-year study examining programs for the children of migrant farm
workers.

The study painted a bleak picture for those children, noting that they
live in poverty, isolated from the communities to which they travel
with their families in search of work. Their educational attainment is
among the lowest of any occupational group while dropout rates are
among the highest, the analysis said.

While stopping short of recommending higher spending, the commission
did suggest that existing programs be retooled and that there be
greater coordination between federal, state and local migrant
programs.

"I don't think we are calling for a total revamping. I think what we
are asking for is modification in the existing programs," Linda
Chavez, the commission's chairwoman, told reporters.

The majority of the nation's estimated 600,000 migrant children are
Hispanic where previously most were Anglo or black, said Chavez, a
former Reagan White House aide.

"This, of course, has made changes in the needs of the children," she
said, noting that many migrant children speak little or no English.

"Migrant children, unlike other children in our school system, come
and go," Chavez said. "They are easily missed and easily forgotten."

The commission recommended the creation of a council to coordinate
migrant services provided by the federal government and ensure there
isn't duplication of programs.

Another shortcoming, Chavez said, is that existing programs don't
target the children of former migrant workers -- most of whom retain
educational problems. "Just because a child's family stops migrating
doesn't mean that child's problems are going to disappear," she said.
"That child is still in need of services."

Of the estimated 337,762 currently migrant students, 79,619 are based
in California, 60,511 in Texas and 33,833 in Florida.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Used with permission of Associated Press
From: gds@casper.cs.uct.ac.za (Riel Smit)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: IPS: BOTSWANA: U.S. AIRBASE PART OF GROWING MILITARY ROLE
Date: 2 Oct 92 05:39:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: casper.BvHBqC.19n
Reply-To: gds@cs.uct.ac.za
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town

>Inter Press Service 1992, 
>johannesburg, sep 22 (ips/jaston binala)

>..., according to the latest issue of the
>magazine 'work in progress''.

>the independent south african monthly magazine says ....
     ^^^^^^^^^^^
I wonder how IPS defines "independent" -- 'work in progress' independent?
-- 
Riel Smit,  Computer Science                              gds@cs.uct.ac.za
University of Cape Town                      gds%cs.uct.ac.za@rain.psg.com
From: Jim Rosenfield <jnr@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Date: 05 Oct 92 21:35 PDT
Subject: Re: 9/22 News Stories on Hunger
Nf-ID: #R:cdp:1471700135:cdp:1471700138:000:2644
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!jnr    Oct  5 21:35:00 1992


/* Written  4:19 am  Sep 23, 1992 by dmorse in cdp:hunger.general */
I want to respond especially to the first news story which contains the
phrase about some relief officials estimate that as much as half the
food delivered is looted.

I hardly ever read a story about Somalia without that phrase in it.

Bernhard Helander, who posts about Somalia and is rather an expert
on Somalian politics, has asked, "How do they get that figure and who
is the source of it?"  Bernhard asked a Red Cross representative in Sweden
about this and the RC man said, "Oh, we estimate that the looted food is
about 10% of the total."

In the NY Times, I believe on Sept. 7 (I'm quoting from memory), after
a long front page intro about banditry, there appeared the sentence
"the International Committee for the Red Cross, which has delivered
most of the food to Somalia, says that much more than half of their food
gets through to the needy."


Now I have heard twice in recent days, from women to whom I casually
mentioned the Somalian crisis, the following statement, "Oh, they
have plenty of food in Somalia; it just gets looted."

Now what are the chances that these women are going to contribute to
Somalian relief?  None. Not because they are hardhearted, but because
they are convinced that their contributions won't do any good.

I think everyone should consider that the same media who did not report
on this crisis in the spring, when the ICRC was begging them to, are
now making sure that almost every story about Somalia emphasizes looting
Please check for yourself in the American newspapers and see if that is
not the case.

Please note that the effect of both policies--not to report on the aid
and to report that the aid will be stolen--is the same.  People
don't contribute--first, because they don't know about the crisis, and
second, because they believe nothing can be done.

jnr and I have a sort of running discussion--I think he feels that my
approach is perhaps too accusatory and negative, and probably for
letter writing more diplomacy and urging people toward good deeds is
more effective.  

But I don't think we want to be "in denial" about what is happening.
I know that looting and security *are* problems in Somalia, but
they are not the only problems, and certainly undersupply of aid has
been a leading problem and a leading cause of looting and violence for
a long time.  To this day, I am not sure if the 60,000 tons a month
the Red Cross says it needs are actually being shipped.

I also don't know how we can overcome this widespread public sense of
futility inculcated by the media.  But getting the real facts is a start.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: COUNTRY PROFILE: SIERRA LEONE/RELATE/
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 01:55:15 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: COUNTRY PROFILE: SIERRA LEONE/RELATE/


/att editors: relate the following to 'no end in sight to rebel
destabalisation' moved from freetown at 11:50 gmt'./

location: the tropical west african coastal country of sierra
leone is bordered by guinea to the north and east, and liberia
in the south-east.

population: the former british colony, independent in 1961, has
an estimated population of 4,046,000. the capital, freetown
numbers around 465,000 people.

ethnic groups: among a mixed population of muslims and
christians, the main ethnic groups are mande, temne, limba and
the loko. english is the official language, but west african
creole is widely spoken.

economy: per capita gross domestic product was 323 dollars in
1985. sierra leone is well endowed with mineral resources. the
export of diamonds, bauxite, rutile and gold accounts for
two-thirds of official export earnings. main trading partners
are britain, the u.s., germany, nigeria, japan netherlands,
belgium, luxembourg and china.

recent political developments: sierra leone was ruled from 1971
to 1986 by president siaka stevens. the country has a history
of political violence and vote rigging but stevens managed to
win two elections before declaring single-party rule in 1978.

in 1986, stevens resigned and handed power over to his chosen
successor and ally maj-gen joseph momoh. momoh, despite early
popularity in condemning corruption and black marketeering was
confronted by an economy in crisis and in 1986 began an
international monetary fund-backed programme.

by 1990, he was also under pressure to re-establish multi-party
democracy.

sierra leone joined the peacekeeping effort of west african
states (ecomog) in liberia in 1990, which further strained the
economy. in response, liberian rebel leader charles taylor sent
forces into sierra leone's south-eastern region in 1991, and
recruited among disaffected sierra leoneans. it was a situation
that the army was hard-pressed to confront.

mounting disaffection with the economy and the political
corruption of momoh's transition to party politics resulted in a
coup in april 1992 led by a 26-year-old captain, valentine
strasser.

it had originally begun as a protest by the troops in the
south-east over non-payment of salaries and inadequate supplies,
but with momoh fleeing by helicopter to guinea, strasser's men
took over government pledging to rid the country of graft.
(end/ips)
From: Jim Rosenfield <jnr@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Date: 05 Oct 92 21:35 PDT
Subject: Re: 9/22 News Stories on Hunger
Nf-ID: #R:cdp:1471700135:cdp:1471700140:000:1443
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!jnr    Oct  5 21:35:00 1992


/* Written  8:12 pm  Sep 23, 1992 by dmorse in cdp:hunger.general */
jnr--your points are very good and I feel we are strongly convergent on
one point.

It would be enormously helpful for people to see and hear about kids
getting better as a result of the food aid being sent in.  Some people
are going to survive, some are going to make it, because increased aid
is sent.  The truth is, this is good journalism in the most popular
sense--people love to read that their contributions have helped people,
and it inspires them to do more.  The National Enquirer did a tremendous
business getting its readers to help the unfortunate.


I really don't recall that the Ethiopian famine was presented in quite
as discouraging a light as the Somalian one, however.

Maybe we could concentrate on some media figure and point out these facts--
that the stress on looting does discourage people from contributing to
the relief effort--and specifically ask for human interest stories showing
some good coming from the efforts of the aid workers (who are genuinely
heroic).  A possibility would be Garrick Utley.  He's on the board of
directors of the aid agency Doctors Without Borders.  He also interviewed
the French minister Bernard Koucher just after the Maastricht vote--and
Koucher is the man who went to Somalia and cried out for increased aid
and got some things cooking--Koucher is, I think, also a former volunteer
for Doctors Without Borders.
From: ckna@ac.dal.ca
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: Great Victory in Angola! Savimbi loses elections
Date: 4 Oct 92 17:30:17 -0300
Organization: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The point I want to emphasise is this: Savimbi and his organisation can best
be held in check if he is allowed to operate openly. As to the machinations of his
his foreign financiers I think their scope of action is limited if UNITA 
operates in the open.

Chris
From: pmmst8+@pitt.edu (Paul M Mweene)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Great Victory in Angola! Savimbi loses elections.
Date: 3 Oct 92 19:07:10 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: pmmst8@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu


Rejoice Ye all. The Slave Trader kind Jonas Savimbi has been buried by the
great people of Angola led by the mighty and righteous MPLA party of Jose
Eduardo Dos Santos. 

With 75% of the vote unofficially announced MPLA has secured a majority of 
total vote hammering the reactionary UNITA movement of Savimbi by at least
35%. Our last prayer, of course, is that the upright and courageous people 
of this great province of Africa will give their party, MPLA, the 66% absolute
majority. With this MPLA would proceed to legislate the disgraceful UNITA
movement out of existence.


All Right!

Makala  
exi
From: Dorothy Morse <dmorse@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Date: 26 Sep 92 12:54 PDT
Subject: Calgary Aids Somalia!
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1471700126:000:947
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!dmorse    Sep 26 12:54:00 1992


From: Dorothy Morse <dmorse>
Subject: Calgary Aids Somalia!

/* Written 12:52 pm  Sep 26, 1992 by dmorse in cdp:reg.africa */
/* ---------- "Calgary Aids Somalia!" ---------- */
Today, Sunday September 27, 1992, the Calgary Friends of Somali Refugees
are holding a Starvation Banquet at Prince's Island Park.  A sample of a
Somalian's daily ration of rice and peas will be distributed for $5.00
donation (sliding scale donations also welcome).  There will be entertainment
and speakers as well as information booths from several relief agencies.
All proceeds to the Somali relief effort.  For more information, call
Sonom Dejkhansar 240-9358 or Traci Dunlop 287-0903.

This information was sent to me by Nima Dorjee, a Tibetan in Calgary who
has worked on behalf of Tibetan refugees and has acted as advisor to
the 200 Somalians in Calgary.

This sounds like a supergood idea for a fundraiser.
(Note--the phone numbers are in Calgary, of course.)
From: chris@psg.com (Chris Pinkham)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: NY Times credibility (Re: ANC Leadership Wanes)
Date: 30 Sep 92 01:59:28 GMT
Organization: Pacific Systems Group, Portland Oregon, US

> Er, you might be a little more cautious when drawing conclusions about
> a complex situation from an article in the New York Times - that *is*
> ambitious.

I actually find the Times to be a very good source of information - it
provides a lot of in-depth discusion on a lot of issues, and SA is getting
quite a lot of coverage lately. It's certainly a helluva lot better
than anything I've seen in SA. Not quite the same as being an eye-witness
and an expert in SA conflict analysis, but it covers a lot of good ground.

Tends to gloss over important things like who won the Currie/Castle/Santambank
cup on occasion though.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
From: kautaj@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (kauta)
Subject: Re: Great Victory in Angola! Savimbi loses elections
Organization: Indiana University, Department of Mathematics.
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 15:19:00 GMT

In article <1992Oct4.173017.7947@ac.dal.ca> ckna@ac.dal.ca writes:
>The point I want to emphasise is this: Savimbi and his organisation can best
>be held in check if he is allowed to operate openly. As to the machinations of his
>his foreign financiers I think their scope of action is limited if UNITA 
>operates in the open.
>
>Chris

Savimbi is a major threat to the national security. By all means, he should be
removed from active service, lest he indulges in more unAfrican activities.

There is no reason to believe that the foreign financiers will reduce his
stipend now. That's not the way they operate. Just before the elections, 
they gave him over US$200 m I think. The last amounts were grosssly expedited
since he was in big trouble: he had just murdered a few of his opponents 
inside UNITA, the story was a big deal, and there was the risk that the 
congress might cut off funding. They (Savimbi's western henchmen) did all 
this shamelessly. They WILL do it again!

BIG QUESTION: After all these untold miseries the almighty dollar has 
inflicted upon the citizens of Angola, will Washington make reparation now?

-- 
Internet: kautaj@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Bitnet:   kautaj@iubacs.bitnet         
Uucp:     kautaj@iubacs.uucp           
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: COUNTRY PROFILE: LIBERIA
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 01:53:27 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: COUNTRY PROFILE: LIBERIA


/attn editors: please relate the following to 'liberia:
peacemakers look to the u.n. as mediation runs out of steam'
moved from banjul at 12:45 gmt./

location: the west african coastal country of liberia is borderd
by sierra leone to the north-west, guinea to the north, and cote
d'ivoire to the east.

population: among liberia's 2.4 million people are four main
ethnic groups: the kpelle, bassa, gio and kru. an estimated half
of the population has since fled to neigbouring countries due to
two-years of war.

there is a fundamental divide between indigeneous africans and
the descendants of the freed american slaves that ''founded''
the country in 1847. english is the official language.

economy: iron ore, diamonds and gold are liberia's main
minerals. exports are iron ore, crude rubber, timber and coffee.
the country's biggest single crop is rubber. the u.s., germany,
brazil, south korea, singapore, norway and spain were, prior to
the war, principal trading partners.

liberia's total external debt stood at some 550 million dollars
by the end 1990, the equivalent of about 50 per cent of the
gross domestic product (gdp).

recent political developments: in april 1980, troops led by
sergeant sammuel doe (28) seized power executing president
william tolbert and several ministers. he became the first
indigeneous liberian to hold office.

backed by the u.s., traditionally closely linked to liberia and
with substancial economic interests through firestone rubber
plantations, doe's regime was repressive and corrupt.

in december 1989, charles taylor, a former government official
accused of theft, launched a small incursion from across the
cote d'ivoire border. cote d'ivoire's president, felix
houphoet-boigny had been a close friend of tolbert. the
brutality of doe's troops response in the countryside
quickly alienated the people and the rebellion grew.

a fresh rebel group sprung up under prince yormi johnson. with
liberia in chaos, the sub-regional economic community of west
african states (ecowas) sent a peacekeeping force (ecomog) in
august 1990. doe was besieged, and while apparently negotiating
safe conduct out of monrovia, was captured by prince johnson's
forces at ecomog headquarters and executed in september 1990.

several ecowas initiatives on a ceasefire and elections have
failed. taylor has failed to abide by an agreement last october
to disarm his 10,000-rebels by august. ecomog currently holds
monrovia, seat of a transitional government under dr amos sawyer
and taylor the bulk of the country. (end/ips)
From: manhica@icaen.uiowa.edu (Artur Simiao Manhica)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Victory in Mozambique!
Summary: ...and finally he signed (the bandit)
Date: 6 Oct 92 14:46:23 GMT
Organization: Iowa Computer Aided Engineering Network, University of Iowa


		Afonso Dlakama came to his knees after many
failed tries he finally conceeded to sign the PEACE agreement.
On his speech afterwards he hinted that he may not be in full
control of all the different factions in the country by stating:
"...I hope all rebel forces follow this new transition from the war
to the democratic Mzambique!"

		Mozambicans in every little corner of the country
followed the peace signing cerimony on their little transistor radios
and expectations built up to a point that after the failed Oct. 1st
date there was a great suspicion that if the signing failed the country
would turn up in unrest.

		Meanwhile the United States will now grant the rebel leader
(the force behind mutilations, burning alive, and nothing more than 1.1 million
dead in 18 years), yes the master of the masters on banditry has now permission
to visit the US and probably collect royalties on his movie "I ruined Mozambique"

		Nevertheless the people of Mozabique have achieved a great victory,
maybe now the mistery of all the 1.1 million can be decifered...there will be much
hardship ahead but to the African that is nothing new.

	Artur Manhica
	Viva todo o Mocambicano!