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| << July05, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] G 8 & debts,Imrana,Gujarat water,women wihout voice,Pak news |
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[1] From: EMPOWER - INDIA <ttn_empower@sancharnet.in> Date: Tue Jul 5, 2005 9:06am Subject: Live 8 success and pre-G8 African summit News: Live 8 success and pre-G8 African summit 1) News: African press looks to G8 2) Live 8 success hailed by Geldof 3) Africa leaders hold pre-G8 summit ************************************** 1) News: African press looks to G8 BBC News 3 July 2005 *********** Saturday's worldwide series of Live 8 concerts are greeted enthusiastically by Sunday papers in South Africa, while throughout the continent, commentators look ahead to this week's G8 meeting. Johannesburg's Sunday Times was impressed by the worldwide extravaganza, labelling the concerts "The Gr8est Show on Earth". "They were old songs, but they were good ones," says the paper, noting in particular how Sir Paul McCartney and U2 joined forces to sing The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "It was a canny choice. Its opening line, 'It was 20 years ago today', harked back to Live Aid, the historic concert in July 1985 when Geldof and fellow musician Midge Ure turned Wembley Stadium into the world's largest begging bowl." Another South African paper, the Mail and Guardian, hails a certain local hero's performance at the Johannesburg concert. "Bono effortlessly worked the crowd. Half a globe away, Bjork strutted the stage. Bill Gates was cheered like a rock star. And on the continent that inspired the unprecedented Live 8 extravaganza, Nelson Mandela outshone them all," the paper says. Trade not aid? The focus of Live 8, the G8 summit in Gleneagles, has begun to generate press comment from further afield on the continent, revealing mixed feelings. Kenya's Daily Nation criticises what it sees as the summit's focus on increased aid and debt relief. "Why should more aid suddenly work miracles, when Africa has received more aid per head in the past than any other region, and still has little to show for it?" the paper says. In fact, it adds, the world's entire approach to Africa's poverty needs rethinking. "The poor would certainly benefit from the removal of tariff barriers, in particular the EU's unfair system of farm subsidies. However, Africa needs to begin to seriously look for its own home-grown solutions to poverty and the debt problem." A commentary in the Mail and Guardian is also sceptical, and criticises the conditions attached to debt relief. "The G8's plan for saving Africa is a little better than an extortion racket," it complains. But South Africa's Business Day says aid "always will be a tool of foreign policy" and admonishes African states for what it calls a "lack of gratitude". The G8 leaders, it says, "are genuinely trying to do the right thing" for African poverty. "Being critical... is just so much nit-picking." 'Window of opportunity' Writing in Nigeria's This Day, Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, believes the summit comes at an "historic moment of opportunity for Africa". "Africa is showing signs of hope that need to be grasped. There are more elected governments and fewer civil wars. A number of countries have enviable growth rates," he says. Mr Tutu also praises the 100% debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries already decided, but warns that more still needs to be done, in particular on fair trade and tackling corruption. "We must... ensure that this window of opportunity does not become one more vanishing mirage," he says. Kenya's The Standard agrees, arguing that fine words at the G8 summit will not be enough. "The message that needs to reach them is that the world has had enough of lip service to Africa's plight and that it is now time for action," the paper says. Spectre of corruption In Angola, Angolense says the country has many obstacles to overcome before it is likely to attract aid, listing "corruption, poor management, and lack of transparency". Sierra Leone's The Exclusive also acknowledges the role of corruption in keeping Sierra Leone from qualifying for debt relief, but praises UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for fighting "hard". "Try hard as Tony Blair did, the G8 countries did not include Sierra Leone... Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown fought very hard to sell the case of this country... because Sierra Leone is just coming out of a devastating decade-long civil war. "Certainly we did not qualify because of the prevailing corruption in governmental circles." However, The Exclusive says "Sierra Leone is blessed" to be a British "overseas territory" at a time when Britain chairs the G8 and holds the EU presidency. BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaus abroad. 2) Live 8 success hailed by Geldof BBC News 3 July 2005 ************** Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof says he is confident world leaders at next week's G8 summit will listen to the call for more action to tackle global poverty. He said that the Live 8 day of concerts and protests had been "full of hope and possibility and life". Chancellor Gordon Brown said it was proof "people can have power if they make their views felt". Shows were held in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow. They were designed to put pressure on the G8 leaders who are meeting next week in Gleneagles in Scotland. Mr Brown compared the spectacular to the 1985 Live Aid concert, also organised by Geldof, to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. "In 1985 it was about charity, raising money for charity, when it was Live Aid," he said. "Today it's about a campaign for justice and empowerment for millions of people round the world..." Peter Mandelson, the European Union's Trade Commissioner, said the pressure had to be maintained. "They can't ignore it," he told BBC Television. "We need to see ... that energy channeled into continuing pressure and interest and attention not just to the issues of humanitarian aid and debt relief, but trade." Geldof said: "Mahatma Gandhi freed a continent, Martin Luther King freed a people, Nelson Mandela freed a country. It does work. They will listen." In London, the concert was watched by 205,000 music fans who came to hear acts including Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sir Elton John and Sting and Sir Paul McCartney and Bono. As the 10-hour marathon concert drew to a close, Sir Paul thanked the crowd for their support to the anti-poverty campaign. "Everybody who's come along today has come for the right reason. We hope that the people, the heads of G8 are listening hard," he said. "They can't avoid this, they cannot have missed it and all you people who've come along for this message - we love you." United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan was also a guest at the London gig. He told the crowd: "This is really a united nations." He said: "The whole world has come together in solidarity with the poor. On behalf of the poor, the voiceless and the weak, I say thank you. " 'Genocide' In Johannesburg, the concert was attended by 8,000 people who were entertained by mainly African acts. The former South African President, Nelson Mandela, also appeared on stage. He said that if the G8 leaders failed to act they would be committing a crime against humanity. "History and the generations to come will judge our leaders by the decisions they make in the coming weeks. Bono opened the London show with Sir Paul McCartney "I say to all those leaders: Do not look the other way, do not hesitate ... It is within your power to prevent a genocide." Africans who knew about the global concerts thought they were a good idea but some questioned why their own musicians had been sidelined. "What do participating musicians know about Africa?" asked Susan Outa, a student in Nairobi. "How do we know whether half of them have even visited a single African country?" In Philadelphia, Destiny's Child, Jay Z and Bon Jovi were among the big performers, watched by a crowd of nearly one million people. And in Berlin, the Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson and American rockers Green Day fired up a crowd of 150,000 in Tiergarten park. The Canadian concert in Barrie, Ontario attracted 35,000, with performers including Bryan Adams and Neil Young. In Tokyo the concert drew around 10,000 people, all of whom were selected in a lottery. Disappointing turn-out In Rome, Faith Hill, Duran Duran and a host of Italian stars took to the stage in Rome's Circus Maximus. The number of people watching grew to around 50,000 by the evening, although organisers had been hoping for up to one million people. The Italian media said a combination of the summer heat, annual holidays, plus the draw of watching the other worldwide events at home on television, might have caused the lower turn-out. Some of the artists also said the mainly home-grown line-up for the Rome concert was less attractive than the global stars, such as the Pink Floyd, who were playing in London. "I'm sure they all went to see Pink Floyd in London," said Cesare Cremonini, one of the stars at the Rome concert. "I, too, would probably have wondered whether it was better to go to Rome to see Cremonini or to London to see Pink Floyd." Elsewhere, the Paris concert attracted 100,000 and a concert of African artists at the Eden Project, on the UK's south west coast, drew a capacity 5,000-strong crowd. Online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4645823.stm 3) Africa leaders hold pre-G8 summit BBC News 4 July 1005 ************** The summit is being held in Gaddafi's home town of Sirte Leaders from across Africa have gathered in Libya for the start of a summit of the African Union. They are expected to set out their views on the issues of trade and aid ahead of the G8 summit in Scotland. And UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is likely to discuss how Africa can work with the West to solve its problems, in his speech at the summit. But the AU will also be considering new ideas to boost and unite the continent, says a BBC correspondent at the summit. The 53-nation union has already reached a consensus agreement to press for two permanent seats on an expanded UN Security Council. But much of the focus is likely to be on pressuring richer countries to help them fight poverty and disease on the continent. Trade and debt relief for Africa will be discussed by Western leaders at the G8 summit at Gleneagles, starting on Wednesday. "Africa has got the will but does not have the means," Somali Foreign Minister Abdullahi Sheekh Ismail said. "The G8 has got the means and all the logistical supportive means. It is very important that the political will should be combined with the resources that the G8 can afford to provide [help] to Africa," he told Reuters news agency. Coming of age But Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the BBC Africa was unlikely to be granted "a fairer trading environment" by the G8 - one of its key charges against the West. Libya's leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, is hosting the African Union summit in his home town of Sirte. There is a real sense that the three-year-old union - which succeeded the Organisation of African Unity - is finally coming of age, says the BBC's Mike Donkin. The AU is looking to have its own ministries of foreign affairs, defence, trade and others. There has also been discussion of opening up borders between states with the creation of an African passport, but this is far from agreed. Africa is also keen to have its own standing army ready to go to trouble spots at a moment's notice. And it wants to set up its own financial fund so that aid and grants allocated by organisations like the World Bank or the European Union can be spent faster and not just sit in Western coffers, our correspondent says. Online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4647579.stm Cross posted:AF-AIDS Forwarded by : ---------------------------- Yours in Global Concern A.SANKAR Executive Director EMPOWER. 107J / 133E, Millerpuram TUTICORIN-628 008 INDIA Phone: 91 461 2310341 Telefax: 91 461 2310151 Mobile: 094431 48599 EMPOWER is a Non-profit, Non-Political, Voluntary and Professional Civil Society Organisation . - Registered in the year 1991- Engaged in developmental work for the past 13 years in Southern Tamil Nadu. --------- [2] From: dnrad1 <dnrad1@sancharnet.in> Date: Mon Jul 4, 2005 Subject: S.U.C.I. CONDEMNS THE ATTACK IN AYODHHYA. dnr3000 SOCIALIST UNITY CENTRE OF INDIA GUJARAT STATE ORGANISING COMMITTEE S.U.C.I. OFFICE 206/1 PATEL VAS, MADALPUR, AHMEDABAD-6 PH.No-079-26579962 TO, THE EDITOR/PRESS REPRESENTETIVE FOR FAVOUR OF PULICATION S.U.C.I. CONDEMNS THE ATTACK IN AYODHHYA. The Socialist Unity Centre of India, Gujarat State Organising Committee strongly condemns the attack in Ayodhya, which is the outcome of serious security loopholes in the site. This terrorist act is the mastermind of the disruptive forces to rouse communal passions in the country to disturb communal peace. Gujarat is slowly trying to recover from the Godhra and post Godhra riot and presently about 2 crore people of the State are marooned in the unprecedented flood and waiting for relief, humanitarian help and rehabilitation. At this hour of catastrophe, S.U.C.I. appeals to the people of Gujarat not to fall prey in the hand of the disruptive elements, rumour mongers and maintain peace. At the same time S.U.C.I., urge upon the Govt. of Gujarat to keep strict vigilance to maintain law and order through out the State. S.U.C.I. appeals to the people of the State to stand united at the hour of un-precedent flood in the State by the side of the affected people. News by Dwarika Nath Rath Secretary, S.U.C.I. Gujarat D-5-7-05 ---------------------------------------------------- [3] From: Parvez Jamasji <parvez1942@yahoo.com> Date: Tue Jul 5, 2005 9:36am Subject: Re: [makeindiasuperpower] CAPTIVE clients reject " indigenious cutting edge, state of the art technology. parvez1942 India is NOT a poor country, it has been impoverished by its ruler's mismanagement of it's wealth, it's industries, it's environment & most important of all it's people's enterprise & expertise. Why ??? because WE deserve such rulers as WE elect them. History is witness to our rulers mortgaging our country for the sake of acquiring weapons to conquer their neighbours, till unable to pay their debts; WE paid with our land, our country & OUR FREEDOM; to the East India Co, to the Dutch, to the French & to the Portuguese Cases & stories abound in every facet of Indian endeavour, especially in PSUs. Is it any wonder that Indians are known for their proclivity for the unetheical, world wide ? Our Mahatma's words to introspect & clean ourselves have never rung out louder, as now; but who is listening ?????? MOST IMPORTANT, WOULD WE FORSAKE OUR UNETHICAL WAYS BEFORE CRIBBING & GRIPING ????? Parvez Jamasji http://www.geocities.com/siafdu/vc81.html shailesh dixit <skdixit60@...> wrote: My dear Parvez, You have talked about mostly Defence deals, the same is the case in other ministries also. I will give you one example of Steel ministry Originally the Government steel plants were under Hindustan Steel Ltd., HSL. and CEDB was the in house engineering and design bureau. HSL was subsequently made as SAIL Steel authority of India Limited, delinking CEDB as this was converted to MECON, both reporting to the ministry of Steel and Mines. M.N.Dastur & Co. was formed by the Calling in of so called Indian Experts who were settled abroad During Pandit Nehru's time and Indira Gandhi's time. After that though MECON was an inhouse engineering and design organisation for the steel plants, Rourkela Steel plant and Vizag steel plants were put in under the main Consultant as M.N.Dastur Co. This was nothing but to feed ones own brothers and deprive what is the inhouse organisation. Mind it MECON had the strength of more than 3000 engineers and capable of doing the same work, when compared to Dastur Co having a very very negligible strength. Not that they were very much technologically advanced. Then came the period of Rajiv Gandhi taking over after her mother's assassination and he had to face the elections. That was the time when Durgapur steel plant modernisation was on the anvil and MECON prepared the feasiblity report and arrived at the figure of about 600 as the investment requirement. However this was rejected and the job was handed over to Birla Technical Services, a much smaller outfit for such a job and they turned out with the feasibility report indicating the requirement of 1800 and job was given to BTS for execution who then employed MECON for execution of different parts of the work. So how come the higher value investment was acceptable and that too during the time when the national elections were in the offing. Inferences can be drawn what all happened and that too so big and sizeable account. Ultimately because of the preference not being given to the inhouse engineering and design organisation, MECON started starving of jobs. More over in this period of crisis who so ever came up at the helm of affairs they had their own advantages and the organisation which originally started with the investment of Rs. 2 crores acquired the assets beyond Rs. 90 crores in a short span and then went to the extent that it started overdrawing from the Banks and ent probably up to minus 30 crores or so. So who are the persons responsible for this, purely vested interests. Some one had given a good analogy for the public sectors. Originally when the public sectors were formed they were meant for the employment purposes and production / output was not the criteria. However this was changed during the Rajiv Gandhi Time that they have to work like the commercial organisations and need to earn for themselves. During the formation of these PSUs being an employment oriented organisation, all the people at the helm of affairs had their best days in getting the employment to their kith and kin and when that purpose could not be persued further they said that they had to be like any other commercial organisation. Other than this you may remember about the Janardhan Pujari's Loan Melas. Banks for forced to fall in line in providing loans to the people flouting all their working procedures. When the loans were to be recovered and most of the people were not traceable then Coolly it was indicated by the Same finance ministry that Banks have been in existence on their own and they know how to recover the loans so no questions to be asked to Finance ministry based on whose pressure huge amount of money was distributed by the practices which no financial organisation can survive. Mind it whose money it was, none other than the general public who had the faith that the Nationalised Banks are an assurance and guarantee for their money to be safe. So above I had given the example of just two ministries and fraction of what actually happens, so you can imagine how all the ministers are thriving. ----------------------------------------------- [4] From: Parvez Jamasji <parvez1942@yahoo.com> Date: Tue Jul 5, 2005 Subject: Re: [makeindiasuperpower] educated Politicians needed p Don't blame the illiterates for our ills. The Power thefts are by the educated factory & shop owners. The Counterfiet of Stamps Paper, the Adultration of Medicines & Food Stuff are the handi work of the educated. Scams in the Share market, Land mafia, UTI, Enron, Industry, Banks & Defence. Encouragement of THEFT, public land & prolifiration of slums are NOT by illiterates, they are by the EDUCATED IDIOTS of this country; calling themselves social working NGOs. The educated demand more bribes than all the poulation of the illiterates - majority in the country. WE THE PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE & WE have to clean up ! ! ! CAN OR MORE IMPORTANTLY WOULD WE ?????????????? Parvez Jamasji http://www.geocities.com/siafdu/vc81.html aashish chheda <aashish_chheda@...> wrote: Hi Shailesh, What u say makes sense but we should have only educated and qualified people stqanding for elections.some thing like u need to be IAS to get into govt service ..similarly u need to have that qualification to become a polititian --- shailesh dixit <skdixit60@...> wrote: > My dear Aashish > > Your idea is definitely good. > > But do you realise that it is the illiterate masses > who bring these politicians to power. So when the > majority of the population is illiterate how do you > expect that they be representated by a literate / > educated person. > > That is what is the draw back of democracy that you > have everyone equal and everyone has a right to go > upto what ever level they can attain. > > It is not that India has spent since independence > crores and crores of rupees in making new facilities > or the core industries which non of the enterprenours > would not have thought of. Among that core building > was supposed to be education for all. However if > the masses are educated they wont be easily seduced to > vote for the same politicians. So it was in the > better interest of the Leaders/ politicans that let the > masses remain illiterate. > > More over what these leaders do at the parliament > for the fat sums of money legally doled out to them from > the taxes collected from the tax payers, invariably > every one pays the taxes whether they like it or not > as at every step there are some taxes or others, may > be already included in the price of the article. > > Here I remember the great Management expert Peter > F.Druker had said > > Going to a meeting is like going to toilet > > you go there sit there there is a loud report you drop the matter and come out > > This is exactly what the politicians do whether it > is parliament or state assemblies. > > They stall the proceedings and see to it the > business does not proceed, so that they can postpone the same for more time further, and remain unanswerable to > the masses, saying we tried our level best but could not > achieve what we wanted to do, so you elect me once > again and Iwill see to it that this time you will > get the benifit. So the cycle goes on and issues > remain. > No serious thinking on any matter of consequence. ------------------------------------------------- [5] From: Parvez Jamasji <parvez1942@yahoo.com> Date: Tue Jul 5, 2005 Subject: Re: [indiathinkersnet] Corruption Industry in India parvez1942 Is it any wonder Indian's propensity to be corrupt ? Education in corruption starts from the primary. Sukla Sen <suklasen@...> wrote: Indians pay heavy bribes: Transparency survey For those who believe that corruption in India is almost an industry, here??™s proof. A survey conducted by Transparency International India (TII) says Indians paid bribes amounting to Rs 21,068 crore in the past year. And no one would have guessed it, but the biggest chunk of this money goes to schools till the Class XII level. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/114625/1/1893 ----------------------------------------- |
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| << July05, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] G 8 & debts,Imrana,Gujarat water,women wihout voice,Pak news |
July06, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] Interview with VP Singh,US visited Indian nuke sites (6-7) >> |
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