Arab spring comes to EU
First of all, hope lives on. Last weekend Algiers was the scene of a very large conference of solidarity with the people of the Western Sahara.
Formerly a Spanish colony this sparsely inhabited but large mineral-rich territory was invaded by Morocco in 1975 and despite a valiant fightback by the Polisario forces, the majority were expelled to live in refugee camps across the border at Tindouf in Algeria or to remain under occupation.
Denied their legal rights under the UN decolonisation statutes they have been campaigning ever since for the right of return and their own self determination.
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is now recognised by over 80 countries around the world and the obdurate behaviour of Morocco has been widely condemned in preventing a referendum taking place, for the levels of poverty and human rights abuses suffered by the Sahrawi people living in the occupied territories and for the exploitation of fish and mineral resources which rightly belong to the Sahrawi people.
The European Union has been complicit in this by signing a trade agreement with Morocco, offering it enhanced status, and for the continued operation of efficient policy that benefits mainly Spanish fishing companies.
To its credit the British government voted against the renewal of the EU fish agreement amid concerns that profits from the fishing industry went to private sector companies in Europe and not to the Sahrawi people.
The SADR is a functioning democracy with an elected president. During a long meeting with President Abdul Mohammed Aziz we discussed the strange role of the United Nations in appointing a special force to monitor the ceasefire and to promote negotiated settlement.
Yet strangely, Minurso - the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara - has no human rights mandate which is almost unique among UN missions. It is high time this was rectified.
The vulnerability and volatility of the situation was highlighted two weeks ago when an armed force entered the refugee camps at Tindouf and abducted three European voluntary aid workers who have been kidnapped and are apparently being held in Mali at the present time.
The African Union recognises the SADR and the rights of the people of the Western Sahara to their self determination, and hitherto, few Arab League countries have shown much sympathy for them, under pressure from Morocco. However, the Arab Spring has opened many possibilities and last weekend's conference included a delegations from Tunisia and Lebanon, who recognise the legal right and the moral case for the Sahrawi people.
Those who have lived in refugee camps for the last 36 years deserve commendation and congratulations for their survival. Morocco, like any occupying power, spends an enormous amount of money maintaining a military presence in the Western Sahara in order to try and control the population
A substantial delegation from El-Ayoun managed to make it to the conference which was a victory in itself.
At the conference they were able to give graphic descriptions of the discrimination they suffer and the way in which the wealth of the Western Sahara is being sucked out by international mining companies and the fishing industry. Like other causes around the world, the steadfastness and determination of the Sahrawi people will eventually bring recognition and their right of return.
The Archbishop of Canterbury finally came off the fence after the Church of England hierarchy in St Paul's Cathedral had withdrawn their legal challenge to the protest camp, thus effectively allowing it to remain, and in return the head of the church of England supported a transaction tax, more popularly known as the "Robin Hood" or "Tobin" tax.
This is an interesting development and is a sign of the growing nature of the crisis of the capitalist society in which we live and the nature of the crisis.
Eighteen months of austerity in Britain is leading to fast rising unemployment, over 20 per cent of young people without a job and increasing levels of homelessness, poverty, crime and social unrest around the country.
Whilst the government claims their austerity package is working, they know that the deployment of police around Westminster to prevent protest is only a sign of the general anger that exists all over the country.
Britain is not unique in this and the situation is indeed far worse in the indebted Eurozone countries, such as Greece, Italy Spain Portugal and Ireland. The hapless George Papandreou, having forced through an austerity budget that has reduced wages, slashed pensions, closed services, and created fast rising unemployment and business failure, has finally had enough.
Resignations from PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist movement) have threatened his parliamentary majority and in return he has decided to call a referendum on the bailout.
The European Central Bank deal of writing off half of the Greek debt in return for endless posterity and austerity is apparently opposed by 60 per cent of the Greek population and the planned referendum could be a turning point not just for Greece, but for the European Central Bank as a whole.
This institution, independent of government and dedicated to orthodox economics and price stability rather than full employment and sustainability is under threat like never before.
Across Europe the anti-cuts and anti-austerity measures are producing the most extraordinary levels of opposition.
This is not a time to prop up the failed free market system but a time to campaign for a social Europe, the sharing of resources and the maintenance of full employment in a welfare state.
The government has been forced into negotiations over the attack on public sector pensions.
This is a sign of growing Union strength and a victory for solidarity.
There is no need for young people's lives to be wasted, hospitals to be closed, or pensions to be slashed.
There is a need to control the banking system through public ownership and public responsibility and there is a need for democracy to prevail over market orthodoxy.
morning Star, 2/11/2011
Formerly a Spanish colony this sparsely inhabited but large mineral-rich territory was invaded by Morocco in 1975 and despite a valiant fightback by the Polisario forces, the majority were expelled to live in refugee camps across the border at Tindouf in Algeria or to remain under occupation.
Denied their legal rights under the UN decolonisation statutes they have been campaigning ever since for the right of return and their own self determination.
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is now recognised by over 80 countries around the world and the obdurate behaviour of Morocco has been widely condemned in preventing a referendum taking place, for the levels of poverty and human rights abuses suffered by the Sahrawi people living in the occupied territories and for the exploitation of fish and mineral resources which rightly belong to the Sahrawi people.
The European Union has been complicit in this by signing a trade agreement with Morocco, offering it enhanced status, and for the continued operation of efficient policy that benefits mainly Spanish fishing companies.
To its credit the British government voted against the renewal of the EU fish agreement amid concerns that profits from the fishing industry went to private sector companies in Europe and not to the Sahrawi people.
The SADR is a functioning democracy with an elected president. During a long meeting with President Abdul Mohammed Aziz we discussed the strange role of the United Nations in appointing a special force to monitor the ceasefire and to promote negotiated settlement.
Yet strangely, Minurso - the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara - has no human rights mandate which is almost unique among UN missions. It is high time this was rectified.
The vulnerability and volatility of the situation was highlighted two weeks ago when an armed force entered the refugee camps at Tindouf and abducted three European voluntary aid workers who have been kidnapped and are apparently being held in Mali at the present time.
The African Union recognises the SADR and the rights of the people of the Western Sahara to their self determination, and hitherto, few Arab League countries have shown much sympathy for them, under pressure from Morocco. However, the Arab Spring has opened many possibilities and last weekend's conference included a delegations from Tunisia and Lebanon, who recognise the legal right and the moral case for the Sahrawi people.
Those who have lived in refugee camps for the last 36 years deserve commendation and congratulations for their survival. Morocco, like any occupying power, spends an enormous amount of money maintaining a military presence in the Western Sahara in order to try and control the population
A substantial delegation from El-Ayoun managed to make it to the conference which was a victory in itself.
At the conference they were able to give graphic descriptions of the discrimination they suffer and the way in which the wealth of the Western Sahara is being sucked out by international mining companies and the fishing industry. Like other causes around the world, the steadfastness and determination of the Sahrawi people will eventually bring recognition and their right of return.
The Archbishop of Canterbury finally came off the fence after the Church of England hierarchy in St Paul's Cathedral had withdrawn their legal challenge to the protest camp, thus effectively allowing it to remain, and in return the head of the church of England supported a transaction tax, more popularly known as the "Robin Hood" or "Tobin" tax.
This is an interesting development and is a sign of the growing nature of the crisis of the capitalist society in which we live and the nature of the crisis.
Eighteen months of austerity in Britain is leading to fast rising unemployment, over 20 per cent of young people without a job and increasing levels of homelessness, poverty, crime and social unrest around the country.
Whilst the government claims their austerity package is working, they know that the deployment of police around Westminster to prevent protest is only a sign of the general anger that exists all over the country.
Britain is not unique in this and the situation is indeed far worse in the indebted Eurozone countries, such as Greece, Italy Spain Portugal and Ireland. The hapless George Papandreou, having forced through an austerity budget that has reduced wages, slashed pensions, closed services, and created fast rising unemployment and business failure, has finally had enough.
Resignations from PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist movement) have threatened his parliamentary majority and in return he has decided to call a referendum on the bailout.
The European Central Bank deal of writing off half of the Greek debt in return for endless posterity and austerity is apparently opposed by 60 per cent of the Greek population and the planned referendum could be a turning point not just for Greece, but for the European Central Bank as a whole.
This institution, independent of government and dedicated to orthodox economics and price stability rather than full employment and sustainability is under threat like never before.
Across Europe the anti-cuts and anti-austerity measures are producing the most extraordinary levels of opposition.
This is not a time to prop up the failed free market system but a time to campaign for a social Europe, the sharing of resources and the maintenance of full employment in a welfare state.
The government has been forced into negotiations over the attack on public sector pensions.
This is a sign of growing Union strength and a victory for solidarity.
There is no need for young people's lives to be wasted, hospitals to be closed, or pensions to be slashed.
There is a need to control the banking system through public ownership and public responsibility and there is a need for democracy to prevail over market orthodoxy.
morning Star, 2/11/2011
