By Boaventura de Sousa Santos* ‘Z’ originally published this article under the Creative Commons licence. COIMBRA, Portugal | 26 February 2023 (IDN) — In 1947, Karl Jaspers published a short book entitled The Question of German Guilt (Die Schuldfrage)[1]. It was the time of a Germany devastated in body and soul, a pariah people, disgraced […]
French Police Found Guilty of Racist Brutality, but Sentence is Light
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 22 January 2024 (IDN) — Three officers who received suspended jail sentences over their violent assault of a French Black man are symbols of out-of-control racist police violence tolerated by the government in France. The officers were convicted on 19 January of “voluntary violence” towards the […]
New Report Examines Racism and Racial Discrimination in the UN System
By Shihana Mohamed* UNITED NATIONS | 31 October 2023 (IDN) — In 2020, the UN Secretary-General made formal acknowledgement that racism exists within the United Nations in 2020. He said, “Racism is the repudiation of our common humanity—of the Charter of the United Nations—of all that we are and all that we do. We must […]
Anti-Slavery Campaigner Frederick Douglass’ Statue Unveiled
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK. 7 August 2023 (IDN) — A statue of anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass is now on display in Belfast city center—“amongst the people he loved.” Douglass gave around 50 speeches in his time in Ireland and could speak for up to two hours without notes. Professor Christine Kinealy, […]
UN Honours the Contributions of the African Diaspora
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) — The murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, on May 25, 2020, in the US city of Minneapolis, galvanized people worldwide to protest racism and racial discrimination and prompted important global discussions on racial justice. 2020 marked a turning point in how these issues are being addressed […]
Europe Slow in Recognising Global Impact of Colonialism
Viewpoint by Michael McEachrane* LUND (IDN) – Centuries of European colonialism have had a tremendous impact on shaping inequities within and among countries, many of which are yet to be effectively addressed. This may seem like a trivial statement, but it is only recently being recognised by EU countries. In 2019, the European Parliament passed […]
Ugandans Launch Drive to Rename Streets with Colonial Names
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | KAMPALA (IDN) – A petition to rename roads honouring British colonial figures has gathered thousands of names. The appeal ties into the Black Lives Matter protests. Running through the centre of the city and past Kampala’s impressive Independence Monument is Speke Road, named after the British […]
Black Power Move to Remove Columbus Statue Contravenes Heritage Protection Act
Viewpoint by Dr Kumar Mahabir TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (IDN) – The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago has been strangely silent on the rowdy and relentless campaign to remove the historical statue of Christopher Columbus in the capital city of Port of Spain. I was the Vice Chairman of the Trust from 2013 to 2015. […]
How the Black Lives Matter Movement Went Global
By Mark Leon Goldberg, UN Dispatch Podcasts NEW YORK (IDN ) – The Black Lives Matter movement has spread quickly around the world. Over the last several weeks, there have been BLM demonstrations in nearly every major city in Europe. Tens of thousands of people showed up for protests in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and London, […]