donderdag 27 augustus 2009
zondag 23 augustus 2009
BOTSWANA'S KALAHARI BOSJESMANNEN VERDREVEN OMWILLE VAN DIAMANTONTGINNING
BOTSWANA OFFICIAL ADMITS: ‘BUSHMEN WERE EVICTED FOR DIAMONDS’
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| Since the government disabled their borehole, the Bushmen get much of their water from melons. ©R H-T/ Survival |
The official, a ‘highly placed government employee’ at the time of the 2002 eviction of the Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, told American author James G. Workman:
‘I have seen the plans; I have looked at the blueprints. Don’t quote me by name, please, as I would get in trouble. But of course the water cut-off has to do with diamonds. It has everything to do with diamonds.’
The Botswana government disabled the Bushmen’s vital water borehole when it evicted them, and poured their water supplies into the sand. It has repeatedly denied that the reserve’s diamond deposits were behind the evictions, although Survival International and others have long maintained this was the cause.
The planned diamond mine on the Bushmen’s land was shelved earlier this year due to the global recession. The diamond deposit in the reserve was previously owned by De Beers, who sold it to the company Gem Diamonds soon after the Botswana High Court ruled in 2006 that the Bushmen had been forcibly evicted. In 2007 Gem Diamonds valued the deposit at $2.2bn, and announced its intention to open the mine as soon as possible.
Many Bushmen have returned to the Central Kalahari since their High Court victory, but the government continues to prohibit them from accessing water, and the Bushmen have begun new legal proceedings to secure this right.
The book ‘Heart of Dryness’ by James G. Workman examines the Botswana government’s campaign to evict the Bushmen, using water as a weapon.
To find out more about the book or to buy a copy visit www.heartofdryness.com
To read this story online: http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=6bdb7bc3f0&e=hiuKZFnv6W
vrijdag 21 augustus 2009
TOWNSHIP SOCCER TOURS IN CAPE TOWN
The Cape Town Soccer tour celebrates soccer (or football) culture in South Africa through all standards and economic levels. From the Camps Baybeachfront to Gugulethu township, from stadiums outfitted with every state-of-the-art luxury, to stretches of bare earth merely cleared of broken glass, we will explore places where the love of the game conquers all obstacles. We will see stark evidence of the great divides that linger on in this and every other facet of society, and how they are overcome through the unifying power of the shared passion for football. The conditions may vary, but the dreams are all the same.
On an afternoon’s journey, we’ll meet local football professionals whose lives and stories are woven into the soccer history of Cape Town. Their infectious and heartfelt enthusiasm for football will prime you to get caught up in the spirit of soccer training sessions (and when possible, soccer matches) of soccer clubs big and small. Visitors will be encouraged to participate, so willing soccer lovers will have a chance to get involved in a taining session at grass routes level!
