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Feminist converting to Judaism says Netflix series Unorthodox is ‘far cry’ from her own experiences

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Feminist converting to Judaism says Netflix series Unorthodox is 'far cry' from her own experiences

A feminist pianist who decided to convert to Orthodox Judaism to marry her Jewish partner has claimed her experiences over the last three years are a ‘far cry’ from those depicted in the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox.

Ivi Chin, 35, fron London, spoke to Glamour about what it’s really like to join the religion – which has been accused of misogyny and the oppression of women – after growing up in a secular household.

She suggests a lot of the scenes in the show are over-dramatised for effect, yet acknowledges that some of the customs, including not being allowed to handle her partner’s plate or sleep in the same bed as him when she is on her period, do in fact still apply.

Ivi Chin, 35, has spent the last three years converting to Judaism and claims accusations of misogyny concerning the Orthodox Judaism faith are unjust

Ivi Chin, 35, has spent the last three years converting to Judaism and claims accusations of misogyny concerning the Orthodox Judaism faith are unjust

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Ivi suggests the portrayal of Orthodox Judaism is a ‘far cry’ from what she has experienced while converting to the religion in order to marry her partner. Pictured: a scene from the Netflix series Unorthodox

Conversion can take up to 10 years to complete, and those hoping to join are expected to immerse themselves in the faith, homes and communities of other Orthodox Jews.

Since starting her conversion three years ago, Ivi has been studying Judaism under the London Beth Din, which provide a central religious authority for Jewish communities in London and throughout the United Kingdom.

In her case, she has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion.

But she says since the release of Unorthodox – which depicts the fictional journey of 19-year-old Esther Shapiro (Esty), a member of the ‘ultra-orthodox’ Satmar Haredi Jewish sect – she has had lots of people asking if her experiences have been similar to those in the show.

She said: ‘I have been asked, “Why would you want to join a community that treats women in this way?”, but the way Esty is treated is a far cry from my experience of Judaism which has given me huge unexpected joy and fulfilment.’

Instead, she remarked that all women in all societies face misogyny – like that depicted in Unorthodox – and insisted the ‘draconian’ treatment of women in the show was not what she had experienced.

By contrast, she suggests women are revered in the religion and claims Judaism is one of the ‘earliest champions’ of feminism.

Ivi said her favourite example of women’s importance in the Jewish community is through the Ayeshet Chayil (Woman of Valour) which is sung to them every Friday evening.

The self-professed feminist boasted that instead of getting one card a year as a show of appreciation, her man serenades her and brings her flowers every week.

Ivi acknowledged that while there are stark contrasts between her experience and that depicted in the Netflix show, there are also similarities.

In the programme the newlywed couple struggle to consummate their marriage and continue to try for months – something Ivi said was most likely put in for ‘fantastic drama’.

She noted that Jewish law forbids married couples from having sexual relations when there is ‘disharmony’ between them.

Ivi has six rebbetzins - the wives of rabbis - whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion

Ivi has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion

Judaism also stipulates that men and women cannot have any sort of physical contact with each other when her period begins and for seven days after she stops bleeding.

For this reason, Ivi says most couples sleep on two single beds joined together, which can be easily separated when necessary.

The separation, according to Ivi, is designed to spark up the ‘honeymoon feeling’ once again.

Although many people assume the procedure is linked to periods being seen as ‘impure’, Ivi said it is actually treated as a time to work on the non-physical needs of your partner.

The women are not allowed to do certain chores such as serve their husbands food or pour a glass of water in front of him.

Another custom in the programme which Ivi said is adhered to in real life is Orthodox women only allowing their husband and female family members see their real hair.

In the show, Esty is forced to shave off her hair the night before her wedding - a tradition which dates back to medieval Hungary

In the show, Esty is forced to shave off her hair the night before her wedding – a tradition which dates back to medieval Hungary

Instead they wear scarves or wigs – something which is also worn on their wedding day.

In Unorthodox, Esty is forced to shave off her hair before her wedding – harking back to a former practice from medieval Hungary in which men would shave their future bride’s heads in order to repel feudal lords from bedding them before they were married – something Ivi said she had never seen in her experience.

And while phones and internet are banned in Unorthodox, Ivi only has to put down her luxury electrical items from sunset on Fridays to nightfall on Saturday.

During that time, the community gathers to eat meals together and do fun activities away from technology.

As she continues on her journey of converting to Judaism, Ivi acknowledged that the rules she must adhere to are not for everyone and may seem restrictive to people in the secular world.

She said: ‘A boundless life is analogous to a violin – when the strings of a violin are not bound, they are free yet purposeless. It is only when the strings are bound that they make beautiful music.’

Finnish Officials take recommendations on EU Whistleblower Directive

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Posters of Dr Li Wenliang
Photo by Adli Wahid

Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP, The National Whistleblower Center, And Two European NGOs Dedicated To Whistleblower Rights Provide Finnish Officials Recommendations For Their Transposition Of The EU Whistleblower Directive

Today, the international whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP along with the National Whistleblower Center, Whistleblowing International, and the European Center for Whistleblower Rights continued its campaign to assist lawmakers in Europe to adopt specific proven protections for whistleblowers in any new legislation to be created to fulfill the requirements of the Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the Protection of Persons who report Breaches of Union Law, submitting a memorandum of best practices to government officials in Finland.

“Finland has the opportunity to modernize its anti-corruption laws and incentive whistleblowers to risk their careers by reporting violations of law. Whistleblowers are a key part of government transparency and accountability and they must be fully protected,” said Stephen M. Kohn, a partner in the whistleblower law firm of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP.

Because the Directive sets forth the “common minimum standards” for whistleblower protection required by each European Union (“EU”) Member State, the Directive permits Member States, such as Finland, to extend protections beyond these minimum standards. When implementing the Directive each Member State has an opportunity to create robust whistleblower programs that protect whistleblowers, incentivize the reporting of crimes or regulatory violations, and enable law enforcement agencies to effectively combat corruption.

Although traditionally Finland has a decent record of supporting whistleblowers, even suspending investigations where necessary to protect whistleblowers, it is lacking a comprehensive whistleblower law. Therefore, in accordance with Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP’s recommendations, Finland should focus on harmonizing its current legal scheme with the new proposed whistleblower law, incentivizing credible whistleblowers to come forward, and creating clear rules for whistleblower disclosures.

Based on an expert review by Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto attorneys, specific recommendations for new whistleblower legislation include:

  • Expanding whistleblower protections to cover disclosures permitted under international anti-corruption treaties signed by Member States;
  • Narrowly interpreting a provision in the Directive that could result in retaliation against whistleblowers (Article 22);
  • Enacting whistleblower reward laws to combat financial frauds, money laundering, foreign bribery, ocean pollution tax evasion and other crimes; and
  • Adopting language and procedures that have proven effective in protecting whistleblowers when implementing Articles 6-7, 11, 14-16, 19-21, and 23-24 of the Directive.

Wealth, not faith drives most Australian students to religious schools

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Wealth, not faith drives most Australian students to religious schools
The survey also found non-government school graduates were more likely than state school graduates to hold a bachelor’s degree, and to believe that school had prepared them for success at university.

Forty-eight per cent of respondents who attended an independent school said they held at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 41 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 27 per cent of government school graduates.

But the gap was significantly narrower on the broader question of whether school had set people up for career success, with 55 per cent of government school graduates believing it had, compared with 60 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 63 per cent of independent school graduates.

The Australian Schools and the Common Good report, released on Wednesday, said it was widely held that since the 1980s, “the ideology of neoliberalism has redefined education policy and the subsequent educational purposes within Australian schooling”.

“Within this view, education’s main function is to improve social mobility and an individual’s economic or psychological wellbeing,” it said.

“Attachments and obligations to neighbour, community, city or nation are downplayed. Common good is understood as the sum of the private goods of discrete individuals.”

The report was commissioned by a group of six Christian school associations.

Co-author Dr Darren Iselin said the study also sought to analyse how education had influenced people’s personal relationships, ability to deal with problems in life and attitudes towards volunteering and giving.

“There’s an important conversation around privatisation and self-interest that has taken place [in society] and let’s face it, Christian schools and the non-government sector have been the beneficiaries of that, but we were really wanting to explore a more holistic narrative,” Dr Iselin said.

Just 22 per cent of Catholic school graduates and 20 per cent of independent school graduates grew up in religious families, compared with 13 per cent of government school graduates, the survey found.

This compared with 43 per cent of graduates from the six Christian school associations that commissioned the research.

“Whilst there can be an emphasis in [non-government] schools around an ethos of spiritual and religious values, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it translates to that in later life,” Dr Iselin said.

“Some of the selection processes around school choice certainly come down to providing that upward mobility.”

The report found a majority of graduates from all school sectors had donated to a charity or cause in the past year, but that volunteering rates were much lower.

It also found a significant gap in income and educational attainment between city and regional dwellers, although this gap was smallest among government school graduates.

These findings raise concerns about advantage and equity that “threaten social ties across the nation”, the report argued.

Communications officer Hella Ibrahim went to a mix of government and religious schools, including a Catholic primary and two private Islamic schools.

“While I really liked the school I completed VCE at, I don’t think it did set me up for success,” Ms Ibrahim said.

Instead it came down to the varying commitment levels of her teachers. She recalls one brilliant English literature teacher, who inspired her to high marks, and another teacher who didn’t even bother to check her homework, to the point that she stopped bothering to do it.

“Teacher attitudes matter,” Ms Ibrahim said.

With Hannah Schauder

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Jewish-religious, Druze schools lead national school rankings

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Jewish-religious, Druze schools lead national school rankings
    Schools in the Jewish-religious sector and Druze sector led in a number of fields in rankings released by the Education Ministry this week.The <a href="https://www.jpost.com/tags/education">Education</a> Ministry announced that there was a slight drop in the percentage of high school students that were eligible for a matriculation certificate (bagrut) in the 2019 school year.<div>69.7% of students earned a matriculation certificate compared to 69.9% in the previous year. In the Bedouin sector, the percentage of students eligible for a matriculation certificate fell 4%. In the haredi sector, the eligibility rose by 1.9%.</div><div>Some 71.8% of female students were eligible for a matriculation certificate, while only 67.2% of male students were eligible.</div><div>A number of <a href="https://www.jpost.com/tags/druze">Druze</a> towns lead the country in matriculation eligibility including Peki'in, with the highest rate (98.7%) in Israel, Hurfeish (97.1%) and Beit Jan (96.2%).</div><div>Ariel (97.7%), Kiryat Ekron (96.6%), Givat Shmuel (96.5%), Elkana (95.6%), Kaukab Abu al-Hija (94.5%), Tzura-Kadima (94.2%) and Ramat Hasharon (93.9%) were also in the top ten in Israel.</div><div>Modi'in Illit, a haredi city in the West Bank, had the lowest matriculation rate in Israel at only 4.7%, followed by Bnei Brak (95), Beitar Illi (15.9%), Rehasim (25.5%), Jisr az-Zarqa (31.5%), Tel Sheba (36.7%), Hazor HaHagalilit (37.1%), Segev Shalom (38.6%), Elad (39.6%) and Ofakim (47.4%).</div><template async="" id="4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6">  cnxps.cmd.push(function () {    cnxps({      playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b'    }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6');  });</template><div>Some 46 high schools in Israel achieved 100% matriculation eligibility. Most of these schools were state Jewish-religious schools. Five of the schools were religious-ecclesiastical schools in the Arab sector and nine of the schools were general state schools.</div><div>A number of the schools that achieved 100% matriculation eligibility have acceptance requirements and charge thousands of shekels in tuition payments.</div><div>The Education Ministry also published a ranking of schools based on the percentage of students who earned an "outstanding" matriculation certificate, which means that they learnt five units of English and at least four units of Math with an average grade of 90. The students must also achieve excellence in a program for personal development and social-community involvement.</div><div>The Darchei Noam Jewish-religious school for girls led the list of schools concerning "outstanding" matriculation certificates and was joined by six additional Jewish-religious schools for girls in the top 17 schools in this regard.</div><div>The Al-Qasemi Academy in Baqa-El-Gharbia ranked in second place in this regard and was joined by four other schools in the Arab sector and one school in the Druze sector in the top 17. Four general state schools ranked within the top 17 as well.</div><div>On Tuesday, the Education Ministry published a list of 755 "outstanding" high schools based on a number of paramaters including special education, IDF enlistment, civil services, matriculation eligibility and improvement.</div><div>Some 48% of the schools on the list were Jewish-state schools, 32% were Jewish-religious schools, 7% were in the Arab sector, 3.5% were haredi schools, 2.3% were Druze schools and 2.3% were Bedouin schools.</div><div>Eight out of the top ten outstanding schools were Jewish-religious schools.</div><div>The outstanding schools were split into four levels, with teachers in each school receiving grants based on the level the school achieved ranging from NIS 3,119 to NIS 8,318.</div>

The EU is fuelling hunger in Africa

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BANJUL –hunger – Africa is becoming a new COVID-19 epicentre. In the recent weeks, South Africa reported a 60% increase in natural deaths, suggesting a higher COVID death toll than reported. And the World Health Organization recently warned that cases are proliferating across Sub-Saharan Africa, including my country, The Gambia. Unless the European Union urgently rethinks its protectionist trade policies – beginning with the Common Agricultural Policy – a sharp uptick in food insecurity will turn the COVID-19 crisis into a catastrophe.

The CAP subsidizes European farmers to the tune of €42 billion ($50 billion) annually, thereby giving them an unfair advantage in foreign markets, such as Africa. As a report released by the NGO network Coordination SUD last year showed, such subsidies, together with the abolition of market-regulation mechanisms (such as milk quotas), have strengthened EU producers’ ability to export agricultural products at low prices to markets in the Global South.

Such policies distort markets, destabilize developing-country economies, and destroy livelihoods. For example, the CAP has devastated agricultural production in West Africa, particularly for wheat and milk powder. And the problem extends far beyond Africa: local industry and agriculture in Caribbean and Pacific countries have been undermined as well.

The EU’s protectionist policies mean that developing-country farmers, who have access to significantly less support, cannot compete with European imports. In fact, though 60% of Sub-Saharan Africans are smallholder farmers, a staggering 80% of local food needs are met by imports. EU subsidies to its own farmers, along with what the UN Food and Agriculture Organization describes as “unfair trade agreements,” have enabled EU farmers to undersell African farmers dramatically. This protectionist stifling of local producers partly explains why, even before the pandemic, half of Africa’s population faced food insecurity.

Last month, there was a glimmer of hope that the EU was finally rethinking the CAP, at least within Europe. One proposal that was put forward focused on helping small farmers in Europe by expanding community-supported agricultural (CSA) schemes, which directly connect farmers to consumers. Proposed reforms also reflected criticisms of industrial animal farming and trade in livestock over long distances – practices that facilitate the emergence and spread of viral infections similar to COVID-19.

But this approach once again remains inherently detrimental to African producers, who would continue to be subject to EU protectionism in the guise of “free trade.” It is precisely in regions like West Africa, where a large number of smallholder farmers are currently being crowded out of the market by protectionist policies, that CSA schemes would be particularly valuable.

What is needed from the EU is a fairer, more holistic approach that accounts for the effects of its policies on African farmers. In the meantime, European policymakers have shelved the proposals until at least the end of 2022, owing to the pandemic.

Making matters worse, to increase its own crisis stockpiles, the EU is preparing to limit food exports. This could directly constrain Africa’s food supply without supporting African farmers, compounding disruptions to global food-supply chains, while placing additional pressure on smallholder farmers.

The CAP is not the only EU policy that is devastating developing-country agriculture. Its 2019 ban on palm-oil imports, ostensibly implemented to prevent deforestation, is similarly misguided.

A blanket ban on palm oil – a common food product also used in biofuels – may simply shift demand to less efficient, more land-intensive agricultural products, such as sunflower and rapeseed oil, resulting in even higher rates of deforestation and greater environmental strain. (Some policy experts believe that this is the point: despite the guise of environmentalism, the ban is fundamentally a protectionist effort aimed at boosting the EU’s own oilseed industries.)

Whatever the motivation, there is no doubt that the ban devastates the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, who comprise 50% of palm-oil producers. Add to that the decline in overall demand caused by the COVID-19 crisis, and smallholder farmers in Malaysia – one of the world’s largest palm-oil producers – are facing a veritable “survival crisis,” despite the tremendous progress the country has made in ensuring sustainable production.

Again, there is some evidence that the EU is rethinking its approach. But the needed changes are far from guaranteed.

As the COVID-19 crisis escalates in Africa, the economic, social, and, eventually, political fallout will be significant. The harmful effects of poorly conceived policies and practices will intensify and multiply. And, in lieu of strong action, millions of people will go hungry.

If the EU really wants to help Africa, during the pandemic and beyond, it must urgently reform its trade policies to ensure a level playing field and enhance food security. We are all in this crisis together. We in West Africa hope that we will not be left alone in addressing it.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020.

www.project-syndicate.org

Rehabilitation is needed by every two out of three COVID-19 patients

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epa09525768 A hospital staff carries two fresh oxygen reserves at the Covid-19 section of National Institute of Pneumology 'Marius Nasta', in Bucharest, Romania, 15 October 2021. Romania registered on 15 October 365 coronavirus related deaths, the highest number of daily deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. About 18,000 patients are hospitalized, of which 1,729 in intensive care units, in the entire country. Romanian health authorities are overwhelmed by the outbreak of the fourth wave, as the number of infected people with SARS-CoV-2 are rising from one day to another. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Rehabilitation needed by every two out of three COVID-19 patients recovering from intensive care – The story of Samantha

The first thing you notice about Samantha, a Community National Health Service (NHS) Physiotherapist in Bournemouth in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is her beaming smile, energy and passion for her work. Her outstanding professionalism and capabilities mean that it takes most people she meets a while to notice her disability. Four years ago, Samantha fell 50 m off the side of a mountain in Austria while sledding, sustaining a brain injury and multiple fractures to her spine. Months of rehabilitation were needed for her physical, cognitive and speech difficulties which earned her huge gains, but limitations with her right arm movements are permanent. She says, “I have adapted and deliver the same high standard of care anyone else could.”

Samantha delivers rehabilitation to individuals that experienced injury, surgery, illness, or a fall. Many of Samantha’s current patients are recovering from COVID-19. Data from the United Kingdom’s chartered Society of Physiotherapy shows that 62% of COVID-19 patients who were in intensive care will need rehabilitation once they return home. After the acute rehabilitation phase in hospital, rehabilitation may continue in long-term care or at home.

Rehabilitation is key to improving the functioning and quality of life of a person affected by COVID-19 while reducing potential long-term disability. WHO’s Regional Office for Europe has published “Support for Rehabilitation Self-Management after COVID-19 related illness” which advises on exercises and activities to empower and facilitate recovery after discharge from hospital, which Samantha says is an “extremely useful resource for the provision of rehabilitation services to people recovering from COVID-19”.

To ensure patient needs are met and the continuation of vital rehabilitation services in the community, infection prevention and control measures have been implemented. Samantha says, “Before entering a patient’s home, I clean my hands, then put on my apron, then my mask, eye protection, and finally my gloves. The use of each type of personal protective equipment is based on the risk of exposure to body fluids, which I conduct every time I see a patient. I’ve been vigorously washing my hands.”

As for many with disabilities, Samantha has found adhering to infection prevention and control measures difficult. “I couldn’t fit the medical mask myself as I can’t lift my arm to the back of my head to tie the knot needed to secure it in place. I had to ask for masks with elastic ties I can fit with just one hand. I also have to tie the aprons at the side rather than at the back as I can’t reach and it’s a struggle to put the gloves on. All of this takes time, so I have to allow myself more time in my planning.” Samantha finds the WHO issued COVID-19 guidance for those with disability useful to prevent and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 and elaborates, “It helps me as a rehabilitation professional with disability to do my job properly.”

Samantha describes an elderly patient suspected to have COVID-19 which she treated. “Burt is an elderly gentleman with dementia who was referred because he was finding it difficult to walk, felt like he had a lot of mucus in his lungs, and had a temperature. He was already having daily visits from his primary health doctor and carers were visiting him three times a day to help with personal care.” Burt did not want to go to hospital for treatment, so his family and the medical team jointly decided to care for him at home. Samantha provided a walker and advised his family on exercises Burt could follow to clear his chest secretions and maintain his mobility. She also facilitated the installation of a downstairs hospital bed and commode. Burt recovered, thanks to the efforts and services of the community team and his family.

“No one ever questions my ability to do my job because of my disability. Most people don’t even notice,” says Samantha. “Once I have explained what I’ve been through and overcome, they are usually in shock and awe. My patients trust and work so much harder with me because I’ve been through it myself. I love being a rehabilitation professional and having a positive impact on someone’s life.” Samantha’s passion to overcome challenges from disability isn’t just limited to her professional life. Samantha has found ways to ski, rock climb and swim. Her ultimate goal is to climb Mount Everest, the highest point in the world!

Pope at Audience: Christian hope, rooted in God, is our anchor

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Pope at Audience: Christian hope, rooted in God, is our anchor - Vatican News

By Francesca Merlo

Pope Francis opened his catechesis on Wednesday by inviting the faithful to “accept the gift of hope that comes from Christ”, especially during the pandemic, in which “so many risk losing hope”. The Pope explained that it is Christ who “helps us to navigate the tumultuous waters of sickness, death and injustice, which do not have the last word on our final destination”.

Pandemic and social inequalities

Pope Francis went on to note that many social inequalities have been “highlighted and aggravated” by the pandemic: many children are unable to continue receiving their education, people are unable to continue their work from home, and many nations cannot issue money to deal with the emergency.

“These symptoms of inequality reveal a social disease” said the Pope: “a virus that comes from a sick economy…the result of unequal economic growth, which is independent of fundamental human values”.

“In today’s world, very few rich people possess more than the rest of humanity. It is an injustice that cries out to heaven!”

Reflecting the design of Creation

This “sin of wanting to possess and dominate our brothers and sisters, nature and God Himself” is not the design of Creation, said the Pope.

Pope Francis reminded the faithful that God gave the earth “to all of us” to care for and cultivate. He asked us to dominate the earth in His name, cultivating and tending it like a garden, “the garden of all”.

This garden must be “kept and preserved”, continued the Pope. It must not be abused of “to make the land what you want it to be”. The Pope stressed that “it has been given by God to all mankind and so it is our duty to ensure that its fruits reach everyone, not just some”.

Political authorities

Pope Francis went on the stress that in order to ensure that what we possess “brings value to the community”, political authorities have the right and the duty to “regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to property according to the common good”.

Although “property and money are instruments that can serve the mission”, we easily turn them into “individual or collective” ends, said the Pope. When this happens, he explained, essential human values are undermined. “We forget that, being created in God’s image and likeness, we are social beings, creative and supportive, with an immense capacity to love”. 

“With our gaze fixed on Jesus and with the certainty that His love works through the community of His disciples, we must all act together in the hope of generating something different and better. Christian hope, rooted in God, is our nostalgia for God. It supports the will to share, strengthening our mission as disciples of Christ, Who has shared everything with us”.

The Pope concluded, saying that that if we take care of the goods that the Creator gives us, and if we share what we possess so that no one is lacking, then indeed “we can inspire hope to regenerate a more healthy and equal world”. 

Finally, Pope Francis invited the faithful to “think about the children”, so many of whom are suffering due to this unjust system. Many are dying, hungry, lacking the opportunity to gain an education. After the crisis, he stressed, we must be better. 

Is EU delegation exerting undue influence on Ugandan election?

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Is European Union delegation exerting undue influence on Ugandan election?

COMMENT | Dr Bruce Tumwine Rwabasonga | Ugandan election — Highly publicized media images of the European Union delegates visiting opposition leaders in Uganda have been shared widely across social media over the last couple of weeks. While these would not have raised a lot of eyebrows at any other time, these images have garnered the public’s attention as they come a few months ahead of upcoming national elections.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Is EU delegation exerting undue influence on Ugandan election?
The EU team visited the ANT party this week. They earlier visited other political groups

In addition, unlike most diplomatic talks which either are tightly muted or covered transparently with media releases and press conferences, these have been different as despite being conducted in the public eye, the purpose and content discussed has been kept private thus far.

These meetings have also come at a time when awareness on two contextually related issues, Black Lives Matter movement and foreign interference in national elections have been elevated into the world’s consciousness. These two issues as well as the public display but private nature of these visits, pose a question – is the European Union delegation exerting undue influence on the upcoming national elections in Uganda or are these innocuous talks that the public shouldn’t read a lot into?

Role of foreign players in elections

The Special Counsel Investigation commonly known as the Mueller probe in 2019 exposed how significant the threat of a foreign player can be in any election.

As revealed in the Mueller probe report and congressional hearings, foreign interference in the 2016 US election was suspected to have been done with nefarious methods that ranged from hacking the computer servers of the Democratic National Committee to leaking of incriminating emails from the Clinton campaign. Other techniques that were done with varying levels of success included attempts to penetrate the election systems and databases of several US states as well as the much more documented social media misinformation campaigns that included Facebook ads and ‘troll farms’ propagating ‘false news’ stories.

This threat posed by foreign entities in an election, should be an area of concern as Uganda doesn’t have the resources that the US has, and that ended up being insufficient to withstand the foreign interference in its election.

Another related contextual issue is the Black Lives Matter movement.

As the world grappled with the unjust killing of Freddie Gray, the Black Lives Movement took front and center and forced people across the world particularly in white majority societies to analyze the systemic and structural factors that for generations have led to subjugation and oppression of black people in those nations.

One thing that became obvious as the conversation continued, was that this same subjugation and oppression of black people did exist within black majority nations too. In a 6/23/20 Financial Times article, Patrick Gathara writes the following paragraph that captures the essence of this discussion. “Less has been said about the racism inherent in the existing international order and the obstacles faced by black-majority nations. In principle, all nations have equal sovereignty; in practice, they have anything but. A racial hierarchy is clearly evident, with white nations at the top of the ladder, those of black Africa at the bottom….”.

All this said, the European Union remains the largest donor to Africa and by extension has bought itself a seat at Africa’s decision-making table.

With this ‘seat at the table’ comes responsibility to both African leaders and the European Union delegates alike to adhere to the ‘partnership’ guiding principles that are spelled out in the ‘post-Cotonou framework’ and the Joint Africa-EU Strategy.

For now, all Africans ought to be cautious and wary of the impact of this ‘partnership’ on the future of the continent. This concern is best described by Wandia Njoya, a Kenyan academic, who says the following on the status of the current ‘partnership’. “They basically say ‘I am superior to you and for you to be like me you have to do what I say and then I approve whether you are like me or not’.”

Echoes from the past

She goes on to say that in this way, the western world ‘partnership’ with Africa should be viewed as ‘rebranding of the civilizing mission of colonialism’. It is hard to argue against her assessment given the evidence seen in such visits in Uganda recently and other similar historical interactions.

As one looked at the images from the visit, one couldn’t help but wonder how much the precolonial visits by the then would be colonialists to tribal kings like King Kabalega and King Mwanga resembled these visits.

In the images, one can see a fleet of luxury SUVs, a number of pristinely dressed white people disembarking from cars with briefcases that one can assume carry important documents. From the serious looks on their faces and the officious air they carry, it is obvious that the importance of these talks haven’t been lost upon them.

One can’t help but wonder, is this the same pomp that the precolonial delegation arrived with to meet tribal kings? What was discussed and what promises were made in these talks? Will these talks have generational ramifications that Ugandans didn’t sign up for –  as the historical ones did?

To all these questions, only opposition leaders and the EU delegation alone know the answers and without full transparency and disclosure of what was discussed, Ugandans will never know for sure what these discussions about the nation’s future entailed.

Dr. Rwabasonga is a Ugandan based in Washington, DC. He is a physician, public health professional and healthcare services consultant .  

Email: Mande166@u

Tajikistan: EU-funded project improves waste management system in Ayni district

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Tajikistan: EU-funded project improves waste management system in Ayni district

AYNI, Tajikistan (TCA) — In the frame of its activities for environmental protection within the EU-funded project “Enhancing Water and Natural Resources Management and Protection in upper catchments of Zarafshon Watershed” the Italian organization Cesvi, being implementing partner of the Welthungerhilfe Consortium, collaborates with the local population in the target area for the establishment of improved waste management systems. The system that was set up and opened for usage in the area of Shome near Shurmashk village links now the four villages Pinyon, Shurmashk, Pasrud and Marghuzor to the final waste disposal site with a capacity for about 400 cubic meters of household waste, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan reported.

Cesvi staff provided trainings for the village population on waste segregation and separate composting of organic waste in the frame of the planning process for the establishment of the improved waste management system, while being also in charge for the supervision of the construction of the waste deposit site in early 2020, aiming at reducing the unplanned disposal of household waste along the river sides and therefore also reducing the negative impact of such waste onto the health of local population.

The population of the four villages with support of Cesvi decided to conduct a public cleaning campaign in each village to initiate the opening and use of the established waste deposit site and the system in general. The population gathered dispersed waste in the villages and along river banks, and partly brought their household waste to be transported to the final disposal site. Approximately three cubic meters of waste was collected in the four villages and disposed at the new disposal site.

Transparent Conductive Films Market Is Anticipated To Reach USD 10.2 Billion By 2028

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Transparent Conductive Films Market Is Anticipated To Reach USD 10.2 Billion By 2028

Transparent Conductive Films Market Is Anticipated To Reach USD 10.2 Billion By 2028 – Organic Food News Today – EIN News

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