Activists Highlight Stolen Ethiopian Treasures

Submitted by Seymour Mclean of AFROMET:  UNESCO sponsors Africa Week which starts May 25 – 29,  the submission is published in recognition of the struggle by Blacks to reclaim their heritage

AFROMET press conference announcing the return of Emperor Tewodros's amulet 2002

On 13 April 1868 the British Army looted the churches of Ethiopia of all the treasures of its library and national archive, after a battle at the Palace of Maqdala waged to rescue a British diplomat who had been captured by then-Emperor Tewodros. The stripping of Maqdala in 1868 and the looting of priceless crowns, and innumerable manuscripts and crosses, constituted an immense depletion of Ethiopia’s cultural heritage.  The loot from Maqdala in fact constituted the largest amount of Ethiopian cultural property ever shipped out of the country – and some of the most valuable booty snatched from Africa in the entire Colonial Era.

Outright opposition to the looting of Maqdala was voiced three years later, on 30 June 1871, by none other than the renowned British Liberal leader, and Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Speaking in the House of Commons, he declared that the whole question of the acquisition of these two looted artifacts was “unsatisfactory… from first to last” and that “he deeply regretted that those articles were ever brought from Abyssinia and could not conceive why they were so brought. They [the British] were never at war with the people or the churches of Abyssinia.”

Among the treasures, the Magdala Collection of historic manuscripts can trace the activity of Ethiopia from the time of Solomon and Sheba to the early 19th Century, Royal chronicles of over 200 Emperors of Ethiopia, their life and times. The 400 Axumite manuscripts presently held in Princeton University in America contain the history of another 150 Kings and their chronicles.

Bajans Say Yes!

Submitted by Bajans ain’t foolish

People like Anojam think that the average Bajan is not too bright to see through their subterfuge.They start by telling you – oh we are in agreement that you can’t allow everyone in, but what about the declining population,or what about those xenophobic comments we hear on the airwaves and see in the newspapers.

Well to those persons I respond this way:

Were it not for this Barbados Underground blog,the issue of the negative impact of the deluge of Guyanese, Vincentians, Jamaicans, English,whoever would have been silenced because of the policies of said Roxanne Gibbs – Guyanese born editor of the Nation newspaper and one Vic Fernandes Guyanese born CEO of Starcom Network.

Of course they were aided and abetted by their usual stooges in the likes of Peter Wickham, Mia Mottley, Owen Arthur, Dale Marshall, Rawle Eastmond and the other BLP politicians, Mike Browne -the producer of the call in shows at Starcom, Olutuye Walrond formerly of CBC to name a few.

History has taught us that all during our years of oppression and struggle – during the slavery years and afterwards – there has always been members of the community of descendants of African people who have always acted as stooges and pimps and sold out their brothers and sisters,while the other races understood the need to unite as one – during times of crisis and national significance.

The Important Role Of The Intervenor At FTC Hearings

Now that the anticipated rate hike has been submitted by the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited (BL&P) to the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) it has raised another issue. The issue showed itself during the recent BL&P depreciation hearing. We continue to observe and applaud BU family members Chris Halsall, Roosevelt King et al who display courage and sacrifice required to perform in the role as Intervenor. They are obviously not doing it for the money but consider it a civic duty.

What resonated with the BU household  after listening to recordings of the recent BL&P Hearing was the complex nature of the hearings and the significant time which the Intervenors had to spend to prepare. Unlike the BL&P which had access to significant legal resources if we use the recent hearing as an example, the Intervenors were left to leverage the expertise which existed within the team. To access other resources obviously calls for money which they don’t have based on the comments posted to BU during the recent depreciation hearing.

Time To Rally Around Prime Minister David Thompson

Rickey Singh

Prime Minister David Thompson promised when he assumed office that he would established a Cabinet sub-committee to investigate the Immigration problem which was visibly evident in Barbados.  In keeping with his promise he issued a Ministerial Statement last week which focused on a new policy to tackle the problem. The issue of immigration is one being battled all over the world, Barbados no exception. Since issuing the statement all hell has broken lose with the most pointed yet covert attack coming from Prime Minister of St. Vincent Ralph Gonzales who elected to issue his own Ministerial Statement in response.

Prime Minister David Thompson although a rookie Prime Minister is a seasoned politician, and we are confident that he will make the right moves to protect the borders of Barbados and by extension the well being of the society which Barbadians have laboured to build in a post independence era.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning had earlier requested a CARICOM Heads of Summit to discuss the global financial crisis but we

Roxanne Gibbs

suspect that a lot of the time will be spent addressing the decision by the Barbados government to document immigrants. Already Prime Minister David Thompson can expect that Prime Minister Gonzalves et al will be frothing  at the mouth come Sunday in Trinidad to attack the government of Barbados’ decision to arrest the large number of undocumented workers in Barbados. It was yesterday we read Secretary General Edwin Carrington of CARICOM suggesting that the matter will be discussed. He was at pains to point out that member countries in CARICOM had a right to make decisions with respect to sovereignty but he was concerned with how they do it. This we consider to be a most inappropriate comment even before this matter has been discussed given the obvious inference to Barbados.

High Expectations For 2009 Budget Speech

Prime Minister David Thompson

Prime Minister David Thompson will deliver what must be the most important Budget in the history of our parliament. Arguably the oil crisis of the 70s, the economic depression of the early 90s or the post-911 economic hurdle cannot rival the prevailing economic meltdown which the world currently finds itself. In all the above instances Barbados was able to institute the economic remedies to buy Barbados the time which it needed to wait for the inevitable rally.

One senses that despite all the years of good management which Barbados has benefited under successive governments, the time has come to depart from old modalities. The traditional drivers of the economy like tourism, offshore sector have been placed under threat in a way we have not experienced before. Non-traditional tourist markets like Cuba, Abu Dhabi  and the cruise-ship industry have all conspired to determine that our leaders and planners must become more creative to ensure that our economic prosperity is sustained.

A key threat which we will have to confront sooner or later, is the need to shift dependency from fossil-based energy to an alternative energy source. If it is one criticism which our leaders of the past 15 years should have to answer is our lack of vision to build-up our alternative energy base. In 2009 we continue to be 100% dependent on the Barbados Light & Power Co Limited which to the best our knowledge is 100% powered by fossil inputs. Successive governments have muttered what is politically correct to suggest that they are aware of our predicament but have lacked the courage to commit the required resources to project case the task.

Should Barbados Light And Power Take A Hike?

Submitted by Hallam Hope – Consumer Advocate and Managing Director Caritel

Hallam Hope

An application for increased electricity rates has been made to the Fair Trading Commission which proposes the highest increase for domestic consumers.

It is proposed that consumers using 50 kilowatts monthly (at the bottom of the scale) would pay an increase of $3.47 and those at the top using 500 kWh would pay an additional $11.04. In between there are proposed rates for citizens using 100 kWh ($3.50), 150 kWh ($8.46), 200 kWh ($8.83), 300 kWh ($9.57) and 400 kWh ($10.30).

The company has contended that businesses have been paying a greater share of the cost of providing electricity and is seeking to adjust this so domestic consumers pay a larger share than they have in the past.

As a result the power company is proposing to increase the Rate of Return it makes from the Domestic side of the market from the current 2.58 per cent to 7.82 per cent, which is the single largest increase of the five categories.

What’s In A Name In Barbados: Trafalgar Square, Heroes Square, Parliament Square

Submitted by Yardbroom

The Fountain -in Trafalgar Square (Heroes Square) - was erected to celebrate the start of piped water in Bridgetown/GIS

It has been reported that the Minister of Community Development and Culture Mr. Steve Blackett has proposed to redesign and rename Heroes Square so that the statue of Lord Nelson – 1758-1805 – no longer occupies its present position; in essence the statue (originally in the past Trafalgar Square) will not be positioned “in” Heroes Square.

For many years Nelson’s statue has been a source of contention to many Barbadians, while a few have been very relaxed about it, even to the point of advocating that the statue should remain in its present position, against all opposition.

In taking a look at the situation we should start at the beginning and this is best done by asking why was the statue originally erected in Barbados.  The statue was erected in 1813 – sculpted by Sir Richard Westmancott – “to honour Nelson’s memory.”  I will return later to if Nelson’s memory should be honoured in Barbados.

Never Say Never…In Tough Times Especially At Budget Time

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

I did it! For years I wanted my Tumi Pullman. But every time I considered the price I said ‘no way’!

There is no way I could pay that much for a simple carry-on piece of luggage. I have made a point of walking into Tumi stores all over the world, with fingers crossed, hoping to see a reduction in price on my favourite piece of luggage. Somehow, in a moment of seeming weakness, I bought the laptop bag a few years ago and, notwithstanding its daily use, it’s still going strong, but I still mourn the loss of that particular chunk of money.

Tumi is arguably among the strongest and most durable brands of travel luggage in the world today. It is a good product but it is also a proud and perhaps arrogant product as well. When I first fell in love with Tumi the Manager of the store in New York said in response to my plea for a discount “Tumi never discounts. They do not waiver in price”.

Over the years, I have found myself repeating that statement to several friends and relatives as they sought to persuade me that if I could simply ‘hold strain’ the price of those wonder bags would come tumbling down. But, alas, they never did.

Clearing The Air Part II

Submitted by Looking Glass

Are we in a permanent state of denial, some too intelligent to understand the written word, or to engage in objective analysis? Some of the comments in the BU and BFP are a reminder that 98% literacy means only that we can read and write. Nothing more. The word hand-out was used simply to drive home the point that preference was necessary for our survival, progress and development. A hand-out remains a hand-out despite the language used to describe it.

I am not demeaning agriculture. Cane-cutting is hard, laborious work which few today are willing to do. Many of the persons alluded to are the products of agricultural workers. They attended high school in an age when education was not free except for bursary winners. Many had to do household chores at home or in the field before and after school and study by the “Slut Lamp” or the street light. Had it not been for the preference sugar enjoyed many of children of these hard-working people would not have been able to send their kids to college.

Our value system stressed not success per se but education as the means of success. Recall the calypso little children go to school and learn or else later on in life you’ll catch real hell…no room in the world for uneducated boy or girl to earn tomorrow you got to learn today…Our value system reinforced getting head which meant get a school certificate and head for the Civil Service, and getting by which meant learning a trade. In a culture which prized white collar employment, the tradesman however good or better off than the white collar worker was deemed socially inferior. And no, I’m not suggesting that bright people should not enter the Civil Service. We had few options. It gave us status and socially separated the sheep from the goats.

Why Doesn’t Rickey Singh And Norman Faria Come Home To Guyana?

Freddie Kissoon’s article reproduced from the Kaieteur newspaper

Guyana Consul to Barbados Norman Faria

During the seventies, when I was a UG student, I pointed out a criticism that was made against Professor Clive Thomas. I was young and radical and wanted to fight all the time. So I told Dr. Thomas he must reply. With his characteristic smile, he said that it is not everything you reply to; some things you just don’t dignify. I always remember those words of Clive Thomas.

I will not dignify the nonsense Vishnu Bisram writes about me. Every Guyanese who follows political debate in this country and every reader of the newspapers’ letter section will know by now that over the past two years, Mr. Bisram has failed to name the American high school he works at.

Quite shockingly, he got his side-kick, a person by the name of Anand Boodram, to write a letter in this newspaper stating that Mr. Bisram makes up for the time when he is in another countries doing polls by teaching his students in the summer recess. How foolish! I have been a teacher my whole life and teachers in schools and universities have to function from September to June in a calendar year.