Willem-Jan Markerink wrote:
> JayJBee <jayjbee@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in news:4779c0dd$0$18807$dbd4d001
> @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> Willem-Jan Markerink wrote:
>>> JayJBee <jayjbee@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
>>> news:47791d95$0$44953$dbd43001@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>
>>>> Le Monde Diplomatique January 2008
>>>>
>>>> Africa says no " and means it
>>>>
>>>> By Ignacio Ramonet
>>>>
>>>> Translated by Barbara Wilson
>>>>
>>>> The unimaginable has happened, to the displeasure of arrogant Europe.
>>>> Africa, thought to be so poor that it would agree to anything, has
said
>>>> no in rebellious pride. No to the straitjacket of the Economic
>>>> Partner****p Agreements (EPAs), no to the complete liberalisation of
>>>> trade, no to the latest manifestations of the colonial pact.
>>>>
>>>> It happened in December at the second EU-Africa summit in Lisbon,
where
>>>> the main objective was to force the African countries to sign new
trade
>>>> agreements by 31 December 2007 in accordance with the Cotonou
> Convention
>>>> of 2000 winding up the 1975 Lom(c) accords. Under these, goods from
>>>> former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are im****ted
>>>> into the European Union more or less duty-free, except for products
> such
>>>> as sugar, meat and bananas that are a problem for European producers.
>>>> The World Trade Organisation has insisted that these preferential
>>>> arrangements be dismantled or replaced by trade agreements based on
>>>> reciprocity, claiming that this is the only way African countries can
>>>> continue to enjoy different treatment. The EU opted for completely
free
>>>> trade in the guise of EPAs. So the 27 were asking African, Caribbean
> and
>>>> Pacific countries to allow EU goods and services to enter their
markets
>>>> duty-free (1).
>>>>
>>>> The president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, denounced these strong-arm
>>>> tactics, refused to sign and stormed out. South Africas Thabo Mbeki
>>>> immediately sup****ted his stand and Namibia also decided not to sign
>>>> (bravely, since an increase in EU customs duties would make it
>>>> impossible for Namibia to ex****t or continue to produce beef). Even
>>>> French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who made unfortunate remarks at
Dakar
>>>> in July 2007 (2), sup****ted the countries that were most strongly
>>>> opposed to these agreements, saying he was in favour of globalisation
>>>> but not the despoliation of countries that had nothing left (3).
>>>>
>>>> The EPAs aroused wide public concern. Social movements and trade
union
>>>> organisations south of the Sahara mobilised against them. And the
> revolt
>>>> against them bore fruit: the summit ended in failure. The president
of
>>>> the European Commission, Jos(c) Manuel Barroso, was forced to back
down
>>>> and accept
>>>> the African countries call for further discussions. He has promised
to
>>>> resume negotiations in February.
>>>>
>>>> This crucial victory is another sign that things are improving for
>>>> Africa. In the past few years, the bloodiest conflicts have been
>>>> settled, leaving only Darfur, Somalia and East Congo. Democratic
>>>> progress has been consolidated and local economies prosper under the
>>>> guidance of a new generation of leaders, despite social inequalities.
>>>>
>>>> Africa has another asset in the form of massive Chinese investments.
>>>> China will overtake the EU as one of the continents principal
>>>> suppliers and could beat the United States to become its most
im****tant
>>>> client by 2010. The time when Europe could impose disastrous
structural
>>>> adjustment programmes is long gone. Africa has had enough.
>>>>
>>>> End Notes
>>>>
>>>> (1) The Caribbean countries agreed to initial an EPA with the EU on
16
>>>> December 2007.
>>>>
>>>> (2) In his speech at the University of Dakar on 26 July 2007 Sarkozy
>>>> said the tragedy of Africa was that Africans had not really entered
>>>> history and were not eager to embrace the future. See Anne-C(c)cile
>>>> Robert, Franafrique Sarkozy-style, Le Monde diplomatique, English
>>>> edition, September 2007.
>>>>
>>>> (3) Le Monde, Paris, 15 December 2007.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>> =================================================================
>>>> NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems
>>>> Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
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>>>>
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>>> Ja JJB, in Kenia is men nu ook zeer rebels geworden.
>>> Wat een beschaving he?
>> Waarschijnlijk eentje die verdediging tegen de ver-McDonaltisering van
>> de wereld waardig is, Willum.
>
> Ja, tijd om eens wat anders te slachten dan een plakje koe.
Toch maar niet jouw verzetsgeschiedenis oprakelen, Jan?
>
>> JayJBee
>> "Peak oil... bello!"
>
> Net als peak turf en peak coal zal die er nooit komen.
Ik vrees ook dat het eerder uit de hand loopt door westerse mentaliteit.
Geef t op.
JayJBee
"De estafette gaat naar het verre oosten, en daarmee uit."
>
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