WASHINGTON (AP) — Actress and activist Jada Pinkett Smith urged Congress on Tuesday to step up the fight against human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad. The actress testified during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that she plans to launch a campaign to raise awareness and spur action against human trafficking and slavery. She said the “old monster” of slavery “is still with us,” almost 150 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves in the U.S.
“Fighting slavery doesn’t cost a lot of money. The costs of allowing it to exist in our nation and abroad are much higher,” the actress said. “It robs us of the thing we value most, our freedom.” She said the issue was brought to her attention by her daughter Willow, 11, who sat nearby with actor Will Smith, Pinkett Smith’s husband and Willow’s father. The Smiths all wore blazers over T-shirts that read, “Free Slaves.” The hearing room was filled mostly with young people, some trying to take photos of the famous family.
With her father’s arm around her, Willow remained attentive to her mother’s testimony and often whispered to her father. At least 30 minutes into the hearing, Will wrapped his gray blazer around Willow. The actress called for an extension of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which provides funding to combat trafficking and help trafficking victims. The act also created a task force, chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, which coordinates among federal agencies to implement policies against human trafficking.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., pledged to try to gather bipartisan congressional support to further fund the act.
The State Department estimates that at least 14,500 people are trafficked to the U.S. annually.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Posts published in “Politics”
Women’s rights activists share 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. (Getty)
CNN is reporting that three women’s rights activists have received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize award. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and activist Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, along with activist Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, were awarded the prize “for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and forwomen’s rights to full participation in peace-building work,” the Nobel committee said.
“We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.”
Jan Egeland of Human Rights Watch told CNN that the Nobel committee had come up with a great prize that merged the efforts of Liberian women in achieving “momentous change” in their country with the vital role of women in the ongoing Arab Spring movement.
Rights group Amnesty International said the award would encourage women everywhere to continue fighting for their rights.
Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s 72-year-old president and Africa’s first elected female head of state, told CNN she was very excited about the prize, which she said was shared by all of her country’s people.
“I’m accepting this on behalf of the Liberian people, so credit goes to them,” she said. “For the past eight years, we have had peace, and each and every one of them has contributed to this peace.”
She said the peace that had ended 14 years of civil war should be attributed to the country’s women.
Congratulations to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state; Leymah Gbowee; and Tawakkul Karman for not only talking the talk but also walking the walk. The only thing more wonderful than when words and deeds match up is being acknowledged and honored for it.
Read more at CNN.
Sam Nzima poses with his iconic photo of Hector Pieterson, a 13-year-old fatally shot by police during the 1976 Soweto Uprising, in South Africa on Wednesday. (Denis Farrell/Associated Press)
The man behind a searing image that helped shine an international spotlight on apartheid-era violence more than 30 years ago is being recognized in South Africa Wednesday.
South African President Jacob Zuma will pay tribute to former photojournalist Sam Nzima and bestow on him the Order of Ikhamanga, which celebrates citizens who excel in the arts, culture, journalism or sport.
Nzima, 75, is best known for his June 16, 1976 image of Hector Pieterson, a 13-year-old who was one of the first to die from police gunfire during the Soweto Uprising.
Working as a photojournalist for daily newspaper The World, Nzima was assigned to cover what he thought would be a peaceful demonstration by black students protesting an order that Afrikaans be an official language taught in non-white schools. An officer ordered the students to disperse and, when they began singing instead, the police began firing on the students.
Pronounced dead
Nzima witnessed a boy shot and picked up by another youth, who began to run away with the boy in his arms.
The photographer was able to snap six images of the scene before he and another newspaper colleague rushed the injured child to a clinic. There, the young Pieterson was pronounced dead. Hundreds of black students were killed in ensuing incidents across the nation.
Nzima had removed the film with the images of Pieterson and hid the roll — wisely because when he later encountered police, the officers forced him to expose the film inside his camera.
“A lot of people ask me, why didn’t I help Hector Pieterson?…It was not my duty. A journalist must do his job. My job is to take pictures,” Nzima said in an interview on Wednesday. “This picture was an eye-opener for the whole world.”
Facing police harassment and fearing for his life after the attention-grabbing images were published worldwide, Nzima decided to end his career as a photojournalist. He left Johannesburg for a small eastern town.
A symbol of the Soweto uprising
Over the years, his image has been included in exhibitions in the U.S. and across Europe. He was also invited to speak to students at a German school named for the slain Pieterson, who became a symbol of the Soweto Uprising.
“It has been 35 years now, but when I look at the picture, I still remember everything that happened on that day,” he said.
Nzima is being recognized alongside others receiving national honours on Wednesday, dubbed Freedom Day to mark the anniversary of the first democratic elections held in South Africa.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration said Wednesday that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.
Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act “contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships – precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution’s)Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against.”
The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now.
“Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed” the Defense of Marriage Act, Holder said in a statement. He noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional and that Congress has repealed the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Holder wrote to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that Obama has concluded the Defense of Marriage Act fails to meet a rigorous standard under which courts view with suspicion any laws targeting minority groups who have suffered a history of discrimination.
The attorney general said the Justice Department had defended the law in court until now because the government was able to advance reasonable arguments for the law based on a less strict standard.
At a December news conference, in response to a reporters’ question, Obama revealed that his position on gay marriage is “constantly evolving.” He has opposed such marriages and supported instead civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. The president said such civil unions are his baseline — at this point, as he put it.
“This is something that we’re going to continue to debate, and I personally am going to continue to wrestle with going forward,” he said.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama signed a sweeping overhaul of child nutrition standards Monday, enacting a law meant to encourage better eating habits in part by giving the federal government more authority to set standards for food sold in vending machines and elsewhere on school grounds.
Among other things, the $4.5 billion measure provides more money to poor areas to subsidize free meals and requires schools to abide by health guidelines drafted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To help offset the higher cost of including more fruits and vegetables, the bill increases the reimbursement rate for school lunches.
The bill is about “giving our kids the healthy futures they deserve,” the president said during a bill signing ceremony at a Washington elementary school. “Right now across the country too many kids don’t have access to school meals.”
Even when they do, he added, too often the meals aren’t sufficiently nutritious. As a result, he said, one out of every three children in America is overweight or obese.
Some Democrats had objected to the bill because it is funded in part by stripping $2.2 billion from the federal food stamp program. Congress also voted over the summer to take money from the program to fund legislation sending money to cash-strapped states to avoid teacher layoffs.
The cuts largely negate a spending increase provided to the food stamp program by the 2009 economic stimulus plan. Administration officials reportedly have promised anxious liberals that they will work to find ways to restore the higher funding levels.
The measure has been a top priority for first lady Michelle Obama, who has championed it as part of her “Let’s Move” initiative to combat child obesity in the United States.
“Had I not been able to get this bill passed, I would be sleeping on the couch,” the president joked shortly before signing the measure into law.
“We won’t go into that,” the first lady said. “Let’s just say it got done. Don’t have to go down that road.”
Braun to Run for Chicago Mayor
CHICAGO (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun kicked off her campaign for Chicago mayor Saturday by reintroducing herself to voters, some of whom weren’t even born when she last won election in 1992. Braun, who runs an organic food company, was the last of six major candidates to formally declare her candidacy to replace retiring Mayor Richard Daley, who has presided over the city for more than 20 years but announced in September that he wouldn’t seek a seventh term. The former senator joins a race that includes former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. “While the city has many challenges: creating jobs, balancing our budget, fixing our schools, protecting our seniors and our children and making our government more accountable to the people, I stand before you today in the fervent belief that there is no city in this country better positioned for progress and opportunity for all its citizens than Chicago,” Braun told more than 100 supporters at an outdoor rally on Chicago’s lakefront with the skyline as her backdrop. The 63-year-old Braun made history when she was elected in 1992 as the first black woman in the U.S. Senate. She lost a re-election bid in 1998 and was later named ambassador to New Zealand. Braun also ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. She is hoping voters will be attracted to her breadth of government experience. Before winning the 1992 Senate race for the seat President Barack Obama later went on to hold, Braun served as an Illinois state lawmaker and Cook County government official. In the mayor’s race, Braun will likely have to address some past miscues that raised questions about her judgment, including a highly criticized visit with a brutal Nigerian dictator when she was a senator and never-proven accusations about misused campaign money.
Braun is counting on her business experience running a small company that specializes in coffee, tea and spices to be a plus with voters. She said she’s had to work hard to weather the recession that battered businesses, both big and small. In her attempt at a political comeback, Braun has the backing of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who said he was friends with Emanuel and the other two major black candidates in the race, state Sen. James Meeks and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. In fact, Rush said he “loved” Davis. “But you know what? This election is not about friendship, it’s about leadership,” Rush bellowed into a microphone, revving up Braun’s supporters. A group of black leaders tried to prevent splitting black votes in the Feb. 22 mayor’s race by picking Davis as their preferred candidate over other finalists, including Meeks and Braun. Braun singled out Emanuel during her announcement speech, taking him to task over a TV commercial that says people must decide whether Chicago will become a “second-tier” city. Braun said Chicago can’t just be great for people who live in the “right neighborhoods.” “Let me tell you something about us: Chicago will always be a great city because its people will tolerate nothing less,” she said. Other major declared candidates in the mayor’s race are Chicago City Clerk Miguel del Valle and former Chicago school board president Gery Chico.
Washington (CNN) — The U.S. Senate approved a $1.15 billion measure Friday to fund a settlement initially reached between the Agriculture Department and minority farmers more than a decade ago. The 1997 Pigford v. Glickman case against the U.S. Agriculture Department was settled out of court 11 years ago. Under a federal judge’s terms dating to 1999, qualified farmers could receive $50,000 each to settle claims of racial bias. “This is much long overdue justice for black farmers,” said John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association.
President Barack Obama issued a statement applauding the Senate’s decision and urging the House to follow-up on its efforts earlier this year, so he can sign the settlements into law. Officials are still working to resolve similar discrimination lawsuits filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture by women and Latino farmers, according to Obama. “While these legislative achievements reflect important progress, they also serve to remind us that much work remains to be done,” Obama said. In another statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the settlements “a major milestone in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to turn the page on a sad chapter.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, also said the vote gives “long-suffering Americans … the closure that they deserve.” “The agreement that we reached shows what can happen when Democrats and Republicans come together to do the right thing,” he said. The measure was approved by unanimous consent. The Senate also cleared — in the same piece of legislation — $3.4 billion to fund a separate settlement reached with the Department of Interior for mishandling of a trust fund managed for Native Americans. The bill also includes settlements for four water-right lawsuits filed by Native American tribes.
In July, the House approved a war supplemental bill that included money to pay for the settlements. At the time, however, the Senate failed to approve the measure. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, dropped an objection to the package this week after Senate leaders agreed not to finance it through additional deficit spending. Prominent members of both parties have voiced support for paying out the settlements. The measure will now have to be approved by the lame duck House before moving to Obama’s desk to be signed into law.
CNN’s Ted Barrett and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report.
Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu talks during a press conference in Cape Town, South Africa, July 22, 2010. (AP Photo)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a “moral titan” who will be missed as he formally retires from public life Thursday on his 79th birthday. Obama says the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been a voice of principle, an unrelenting champion of justice and a dedicated peacemaker. Tutu played a pivotal role in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, the now-abolished system of white-minority rule. He also has advocated freedom and justice worldwide, supported gay rights and pushed for treatment programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Tutu announced this year that he would retire on his birthday, Oct. 7, to spend more time with his family.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
By WILL CONNORS
Jane Hahn for The Wall Street JournalObama biscuits are wrapped at the United Biscuit factory in Ghana.
ACCRA, Ghana—The expansion of a small cookie factory on this city’s outskirts offers a glimpse of how Obamamania in Africa is developing from a fad into a lasting brand for local companies across the continent, even as the U.S. president’s popularity takes a hit at home. Marc Skaf, a portly man of Lebanese-French stock, is the managing director of United Biscuit Ltd., maker of the “Obama biscuit.” Mr. Skaf is overseeing the expansion of the company’s main factory, which during peak production churns out 2.8 million biscuits a day. The Obama biscuit accounts for about 60% of current production. The round cookie stamped with the company’s logo comes in regular, ginger flavor and the latest, ChocObama. Its package bears an image of Mr. Obama, and can be found in small roadside shops across Ghana.
Obama Cookies Find Sweet Spot in Ghana
Many in Africa consider Mr. Obama, whose father was Kenyan, one of their own. During his visit to Ghana in July 2009, thousands of spectators wearing T-shirts or traditional fabric bearing the president’s image lined the streets to catch a glimpse of his motorcade. That popularity inspired African entrepreneurs. In the months surrounding Mr. Obama’s Ghana visit, hundreds of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels across the continent adopted the Obama name. Dozens of companies put Obama on their products, including bottled water, bubble gum and beer. A year later, many of these products are still selling well, highlighting an African consumer trend that could be termed “brand Obama.” This summer, Mr. Skaf noticed that a Chinese company had begun exporting Obama crackers to Ghana from China. Mr. Skaf says he has plans to release his own Obama cracker soon. Requests to the White House to comment on the proliferation of Obama products in Africa went unanswered.
Obama biscuits are packaged to be sent out to stores.
KenAfric Industries Ltd., one of the biggest confectionery makers in Kenya, sells Magic Obama Bubblegum (strawberry and orange flavored). In Zambia you can buy Obama-branded whiskey and brandy. And in several countries, including semi-autonomous Somaliland, you can eat at the Obama Restaurant or the Obama Cafe. “There was a definite increase in sales around the time Obama announced his candidature,” says John Mwongera, head of sales at KenAfric Industries. Now, however, Mr. Mwongera says, sales of the Obama candies are “purely driven by the usual market forces and branding activities.”The Obama brand may be most developed in Ghana. In Accra, the capital, there is the Obama Hotel, where a portrait of the president hangs in the busy lobby; guests can stay in the Joe Biden room. On the road to the United Biscuit factory, travelers pass roadside artists; one is selling portraits of boxer Mike Tyson, an unidentified woman in a green bikini, and Mr. Obama, depicted in traditional Ghanaian dress. For five months after Mr. Obama’s Ghana visit, the United Biscuit factory produced only Obama biscuits. Demand eventually tapered off, and Obama biscuits now account for just 60% of the factory’s production.
Mr. Skaf, who has lived in West Africa for more than 20 years, still faces obstacles to further growth. The price of flour—which makes up more than two-thirds of each biscuit—went up 80% recently, without explanation from flour importers. But Mr. Skaf has big plans for the Obama biscuit. Expansion work on his factory is now almost complete. The company has hired additional staff to supplement the 250 he now employs. In August, he rolled out the newest flavor: ChocObama. He is planning another big push for the biscuits in November, as the holiday season rolls around, including an ad campaign—the company’s first.
“It’s the best idea I’ve ever had,” says Mr. Skaf. “In America he is not popular right now. The war, the economy, the oil spill. But here he’s still popular, and I don’t think that will be changing anytime soon.” While an August Gallup poll reported that a majority of Americans, 51%, disapproved of Mr. Obama’s performance as president, in Africa his name continues to be a good way for businesses to attract attention and customers. “Regardless of the status of President Obama’s popularity in the U.S., he continues to be enormously popular in Africa and his name and image are co-opted for many uses,” says David Easterbrook, curator of the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University, which has been collecting publications and objects from Africa that use Mr. Obama’s name and image.
Despite the challenges, the Obama Biscuits brand is well-established in Ghana. Mr. Skaf introduces himself around town as the “guy who makes Obama biscuits.” His factory manager also has been given a nickname. “Every day on my drive to work people point and yell at me, ‘Obama!’ ” says United Biscuits manager Elie Abou Jaoude. “They don’t know my real name, so they call me Obama.”
—Each week, Africa Dispatch takes a snapshot of a different African place, offering a ground-level view of change on the continent.
via online.wsj.com
President Obama welcomed the leaders of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) to the White House a few moments ago and pledged to throw the full support of his administration behind their efforts to improve graduation rates and prepare as many students as possible for the challenges of the 21st century workplace.
“You’ve got a partner in me and a partner in the Department of Education,” Obama said in brief remarks to the group.
The presidents said HCBUs are known for making it “possible for millions of people to achieve their dreams.” He said the institutions in years past gave many young people “a chance that nobody else would give them.”
Earlier this year, Obama announced that the government would invest $850 million over 10 years in HCBUs. He said he expects the colleges and universities to help him reach his goal that the U.S. by 2020 will lead the world in the number of college graduates.
(Posted by Mimi Hall)