africa

The West has been ripping off Africa for 700 years. Not the other way around

gerry caplan — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 19:30:14 +0000

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump's transition team wanted to know: "Why should we spend funds on Africa when we are suffering here in the U.S.?" Curiously enough, most Americans probably would have agreed with Mr. Trump that this was a real question. But they all share an entirely false premise.

America and the rest of the rich world have actually been ripping off Africa for the past 700 years, ever since the Portuguese began the slave trade, all the while insisting that Africa has been the beneficiary of this relentless exploitation. It's been one of the great hoaxes of the past millennium.

Adam Sneyd on 'Cotton,' globalization, commodities and clothing poverty

Face2Face — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:50:16 +0000

Adam Sneyd on Cotton, Globalization and Clothing Poverty.

Adam and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new book Cotton, its empire, commodities and politics, "clothing poverty" and anti-globalization and why we need to be concerned about how the world works.

Biography

CIDA funds used to promote Canadian mining interests overseas

redeye — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 01:59:59 +0000

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Yves Engler says the Canadian International Development Agency has been using public money to assist Canadian mining companies in Africa and Latin America. Yves Engler is author of Canada in Africa: 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation. He speaks with Redeye host Esther Hsieh.

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Congo Week organizer calls on Canadians to show solidarity

redeye — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 23:06:10 +0000

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Canadian mining companies have $3 billion in assets in Congo. Maurice Carney says this means Canadians have a unique opportunity to support the nascent democracy movement there. Maurice Carney of Friends of the Congo was in Vancouver on October 18 to urge Canadians to inform themselves about the Congo and show solidarity with the youth movement challenging dictator Joseph Kabila.

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Canadians have right to be cynical about Trudeau's support for latest UN misadventure in Africa

yves engler — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 18:48:00 +0000

Canadian officials have long done as they pleased in Africa, loudly proclaimed this country's altruism and only faced push back from hard rightists who bemoan sending troops to the "Dark Continent" or "dens of hell."

The Globe and Mail shows its colours in Bata shoe company coverage

yves engler — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:47:34 +0000

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An elitist, nationalist, bias dominates in all areas of Canada's paper of record.

Giants of Africa brings stories of young basketball players to the screen

rabble staff — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 13:42:46 +0000

Giants of Africa takes viewers to special basketball camps set up by Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri, the first and only African-born manager of an NBA team.

Giants of Africa basketball documentary flows with feeling and fast play

rabble staff — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 13:29:31 +0000

Friday, August 26, 2016

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Giants of Africa is a sports documentary all right, but it's a very human one that you won't forget. Why? The faces. The heartbreaking faces of the boys and young men from Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan and Rwanda will be seared into your memory.

Giants of Africa is a sports documentary all right, but it's a very human one that you won't forget. Why? The heartbreaking faces of its basketball players will be seared into your memory.

Canada should hold investigation into its role in assassination of Congo's anti-colonialist PM

yves engler — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 09:05:02 +0000

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Call for charity rings thin while Canadian extraction industry plunders Africa's wealth

yves engler — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 19:43:40 +0000

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What is wrong here? While Canadian companies exploit African resources for their own benefit this country's charities call on us to join Africa "hope" walks.

Canada's mining industry boasts troubling history of 'spin-sploitation' in Africa

yves engler — Thu, 05 May 2016 23:51:36 +0000

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What do you call people who try to make people believe what they say but ignore the results of what they do? How about spin-sploiters?

After a few years of research I have come to realize that there is a long and ignoble history of Westerners exploiting Africans while touting humanitarian objectives. Unfortunately, this practice is not confined to the distant past.

The Canadian military leader who conquered West Africa's great metropolis

yves engler — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 21:55:20 +0000

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Few Canadians are familiar with pre-colonial African cities, and even fewer know a Canadian military leader helped sack one of West Africa's great metropolises.

Canada in Africa: 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation

redeye — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 16:08:07 +0000

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The Canadian government says its aid helps Africa to increase food security and stimulate economic growth. In his new book, Yves Engler argues that this is largely public relations spin. He says that what Canada has really been doing in Africa over the past 30 years is a new form of colonialism. Yves Engler speaks with Redeye host Esther Hsieh.

Challenges facing non-Syrian refugees

redeye — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 02:47:51 +0000

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Privately sponsored refugees from countries like Somalia and Eritrea can face a five-year wait before they're able to come to Canada. Even government-assisted refugees from Africa can wait 18 months. As we welcome Syrian refugees, Janet Dench says that it is important that we remember refugees from elsewhere. Janet Dench is executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees. She speaks with Redeye host James Mainguy.

Canada's colonial misadventures in Africa have strengthened Boko Haram's hand

yves engler — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 17:24:58 +0000

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Blowback. Karma. Unintended consequences. A corollary to the golden rule. We have many words to describe the concept: doing harm to others often results in bad things happening to us or people we "care" about, sometimes many years later.