Canada cracks down on Namibian immigration violators

http://www.newera.com.na/

New Era - Canada cracks down on Namibian immigration violators

17 Sep 2012 - Story by Lorraine Kazondovi

WINDHOEK - Canada has singled out Namibians as the biggest violators of Canadian immigration laws. Namibians are fingered along with Batswana and Swazis for alleged human trafficking and presenting fraudulent documents.
This has prompted the Canadian government to put up visa requirements for Namibians travelling to Canada, revising its previous visa exemption for Namibians.

"In the case of Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland, human trafficking, especially of minors, and fraudulent documents are of significant concern," Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced on September 11.

"These changes are necessary because all the countries concerned have an immigration violation rate of over 30 percent, well above the level we deem acceptable for countries benefiting from a visa exemption," said Kenney.

Namibia's violation of Canadian immigration laws was at 81 percent in 2011 compared to other African countries.
It has also emerged that nearly 71 percent of Namibian passport holders who travel to Canada claim asylum status.

Hence, citizens of Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland now require a visa to travel to Canada.

New Era previously reported that Namibia was the third largest source of new refugee protection claims with the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada in 2011. 

IRB's Senior Communications Advisor Melissa Anderson confirmed this, although she could not confirm the actual number of Namibians who have claimed refugee protection status in Canada. There were however more than 1 000 pending claims submitted by Namibians on December 31, 2011.

Executive Producer at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of the Otjiherero radio service Uzeraije Tjazerua, who visited the North American country in April this year to do a story on the issue, estimates the number of Namibians in Canada to be above 3 000.

Namibians seeking asylum in Canada submit a number of fraudulent claims in support of their purported need for asylum status. These include reasons that education is not free in Namibia, that homosexuals are discriminated against, the disputed 51 percent unemployment rate, as well as domestic violence.

The High Commission of Canada to South Africa also confirmed the new requirement, stating that beginning September 11, all citizens of Namibia will require a visa to travel to Canada. They can apply at the visa office in Pretoria.
 "We continue to welcome genuine visitors to Canada," said Kenney, adding that the changes are necessary to protect the integrity of Canada's fair and generous immigration system by helping to reduce an unacceptably high number of immigration violations.

These changes will allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and its partners to ensure that those seeking to visit Canada intend to return to their country of origin, rather than overstaying or committing other immigration violations, according to the minister.
Kenney said Canada regularly reviews its visa requirements towards other countries and that countries are aware that they have a responsibility to satisfy certain conditions to receive a visa exemption.
"It is up to the applicants to satisfy visa officers that their visit to Canada is temporary; they will not overstay their authorised stay; they have enough money to cover their stay; they are in good health; they do not have a criminal record; and they are not a security risk to Canadians," he emphasised.

The High Commission of Canada to South Africa further clarified that any person intending to travel to Canada can apply by mail, by courier or in person, however in the coming months travellers will be able to apply online for all temporary resident visas.

The commission advised frequent travellers to apply for a multiple-entry visa, which is valid for up to 10 years.
In addition, individuals already in Canada can remain in that country subject to the terms of their authorised stay.

http://mshale.com/2012/09/13/summer-training-enrichment-african-immigrant-women/

Summer training enrichment for African immigrant women

African women at a summer training session offered by the Minnesota African Women's Association (MAWA). Photo: Ken Forbin/Mshale

The Minnesota African Women's Association (MAWA) this past  summer, engaged women from different parts of Africa across the Twin cities, in a series of training programs and activities that  made the summer very enriching.

On Saturday August 18th 20012, about fifteen women from different African countries attended a two- hour training program at the MAWA office conference room in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The training, which is part of the "Community Power Project", was funded by the Solid Waste Management Coordination Board. The focus was health-related: Smart choices: Creating Non Toxic Environments for Children.

At the training session, female community leaders from different African communities were trained on how to effectively educate women groups in African communities to make smart choices when using cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals at home. Participants at the training, were from various health and human service professions, and came from African countries, like Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.

Mostly made up of nurses, dental hygienists and social workers from across the Twin cities, the participants learned and engaged each other in information sharing on how best they can each transfer the knowledge and skills gained, to their respective communities in a culturally competent manner.

According to one of the participants, Mrs. Maureen Tambi, the most exciting and educational part of the training was the hands-on Activity session where the women learned how to make non toxic cleaning products by themselves. She said the training provided both useful information on how to avoid toxic chemicals at home and a skill set on how to make homemade cleaning supplies that are cheap and environmentally friendly.

Julia Earl, the trainer and presenter of the Smart Choices session said that the training was both useful and timely because of the increase in children's exposure to toxic materials, especially from cleaning supplies used at home. She added that the prevalence of some illnesses like; autism and hyper activity in children have now been associated with exposure to toxic chemicals.
Commenting on the fact that the group consisted mostly of health professionals, Julia said it was an added advantage because the women grasped the knowledge faster and engaged each other in really resourceful conversation.

But the Smart choice training session was only one of the several other programs MAWA is offering this summer. On August 11th 2012, MAWA sponsored a Shoulder-to-Shoulder training for parents of Amakolo participants and other African refugee and asylee community leaders.  "Shoulder to Shoulder" is an approach that teaches parents some innovative ways of dealing with their teenage children.

Last year, the training session was offered only to MAWA staff that in turn carried the message to the various African communities. This year however, thanks to more funding, MAWA extended the training to involve leaders of community based organizations. Participants came from Somalia, Sudan, Liberia and Cameroon and in the course of the training; these parents learnt that the best way to deal with their teenage children, is through Positive Parenting.
The Positive Parenting approach is where one the parents are warm, supportive and encouraging while being firm, consistent and clear with limits and boundaries. The training is particularly important to African mothers because due to cultural differences, child up bringing in America has now become a little more challenging.

A third workshop offered by MAWA was a health-related one for young people. MAWA is offering the nationally acclaimed curriculum, BART: Becoming A Responsible Teen, to 180 African teenagers. This training targets teenagers from African immigrant families and its first session begins  August 28th through the 31st. MAWA's objective for this program is to respond to a growing need.

Explaining the structure of the program to Mshale, Nambangi of MAWA noted that the BART program is gender based. There will be groups of 8 to 15 teenagers for girls and another for boys. Also commenting on the relevance of the program, she said that with the rise in teen pregnancy among African teenage girls, such a program is not only necessary but urgent. Statistics from the Minnesota HIV/AIDS Surveillance System on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among African teens also reiterates the urgency for such a program that responds to building HIV/AIDS awareness as well as teen pregnancy prevention education.

A total of 144 girls and 36 boys are anticipated to benefit from the program. While three African Community groups have already indicated their interest in having their teenagers go through this training,  MAWA is willing to extend the program beyond its own AGILE participants to include more teenagers from  two more African community groups. Leaders of teen initiatives in African communities are encouraged to put together groups of 12-15 girls and boys and register with MAWA.

http://thedailynewsegypt.com/2012/09/10/sudanese-refugee-eight-years-in-egypt-and-still-no-status/

Sudanese refugee: Eight years in Egypt and still no status

A Sudanese woman from the Nuba Mountains cradles her son in South Sudan wait outside the YIda refugee camp registration centre

Hassan,* a political activist from Sudan told us his story and spoke of the living conditions Sudanese refugees face here in Egypt.

Where do you come from in Sudan?

Originally I am from the North of Sudan, Darfur specifically. I have been in Egypt since 2004. Throughout this period, living in Egypt has been tough, especially for foreigners and above all for refugees. It is hard to find work; this is generally one of the biggest problems refugees face. Many people in Egyptian society do not understand what a refugee is, why we as refugees are here, and why we left our country.

Sometimes you face harassment that is lighthearted but at times it is to do with skin colour. This harassment usually comes from simple people with a modest educational background who do not know why we are here or think we came to take their jobs.

The challenge is in one's ability to overcome this harassment; some people try to integrate in and assimilate with Egyptian society, while others find it extremely hard to get over the harassment which affects their lives on a daily basis and their level of interaction within their communities. For me, living here for eight years and not knowing about my future constantly puts a psychological burden on me.

Why did you flee Sudan?

I was detained in Sudan for political reasons in a famous prison called "Kobar." The Sudanese government persecuted those who criticised its policies and if you were someone who was critical of it and outspoken, then you could be convicted for breaking the law and conspiring against the interests of the country. This is how Sudan lost many of its people. Some were kept in detention, some lost their lives, and some escaped to other neighbouring countries such as Uganda, and Chad. The people who left the country have suffered in two ways; internally in Sudan from the government's persecution and externally in the recipient countries where Sudanese refugees suffer as well.

To be completely honest, of course staying in Sudan was worse than living in Egypt because in Sudan the persecution is both verbal and physical; in Egypt it is mostly verbal harassment and sometimes bad attitudes. However, the Sudanese who chose to come to Egypt had certain expectations that this country that had long historical and cultural bonds with Sudan would be a better refuge for them. The question remains, have their expectations been fulfilled? The answer is relative, but at the time when the whole world condemned the war in Darfur, when over one million people lost their lives, we came to Egypt to find no sympathy or understanding of the conflict we escaped. The old Egyptian regime used to look at the Sudanese government and not the people and that's why the Sudanese refugees who come to Egypt are frustrated.

After eight years in Egypt, what is your status as a Sudanese refugee?

I am not a refugee yet! I still carry a yellow card which means I am a protected person and that I should not be returned to Sudan, but I am not yet a refugee. In 2004-2005, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees made a decision to stop conducting interviews for Sudanese people who want to be recognised as refugees. In 2009, I think they went back on that decision and started to conduct some interviews and granted a blue card to those in need or with dire medical needs. However, the percentage is tiny.

You were in Egypt when the revolution happened. How did the revolution change conditions for you on a personal level and for your refugee community?

When the revolution happened many refugees of different nationalities fled Egypt fearing the insecurity in the country. However, this does not apply to Sudanese refugees; they stayed. They were optimistic about what the Egyptian people did and they expected that Egypt after the revolution would be a better place for them. Many of the Sudanese refugees are politically aware and that's why they understand the transitional stage Egypt is going through. Now, we feel that the country is changing, even though it is not affecting us yet, but we are noticing it.

However, I also observe and hear many complaints about harassment that some Sudanese faced after the revolution, particularly women. Many of these incidents take place in slum areas that are harsh to live in.

Also, Sudanese refugees observe how the Egyptian people and civil society organizations are reacting towards the adversities that are taking place in Syria by organising workshops for the number of Syrian refugees who came to Egypt and wonder if these efforts have to do with racial discrimination. When Sudanese refugees came to Egypt, there was very little awareness about the war in Darfur and the millions who lost their lives.

Little help was provided to them. We did not want monetary help; we wanted psychological workshops to help refugees get over the traumas they experienced. It is saddening to see very different reactions for the same crimes against humanity and unfortunately colour is the first thing that comes to mind.

Currently Egypt is drafting its new constitution and soon new laws will be passed. What issues would you want to see addressed within the new constitution with regards to refugees?

There are priorities. We realise that the country is going through transition; this is not the right time to raise our demands. We should wait for Egypt to be more stable and for all institutions to be working at full capacity. Only then can we demonstrate our desire to revise the different agreements and processes applied to refugees in Egypt. 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gywemq1j746iQ2Rs1qkHQ9py5XaA?docId=N0330011346542530516A

Racism 'harms children's learning'

(UKPA) – 4 hours ago 

Children from families subjected to racist abuse are more likely to struggle in school, according to new research.

The study, by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Essex University, found that racial prejudice had an impact on children as young as five.

Youngsters from the families affected were found to be more likely to struggle with cognitive tests and faced more socio-emotional problems than other children their ages.

The findings were based on a study of 2,000 five-year-olds from ethnic minority backgrounds and their mothers.

Of the women, more than one in five had experienced racist abuse, with 23% suffering verbal insults in the past 12 months, 20% reporting unfair treatment and 23% reporting unfair treatment of a family member.

Researchers found that their children were more likely to have socio-emotional issues - such as hyper-activity or problems interacting with their peers.

They also received lower scores in cognitive skills tests - a key influence on academic achievement - while the results also showed a small increased risk of obesity.

Professor Yvonne Kelly of Essex University, who carried out the research, said the findings showed how racism could affect the way families brought up their children. "Our findings suggest experienced racism or feeling fearful about racist victimisation might impact on what parents allow their children to do, and constrain their capacity to provide the conditions to foster healthy child development," she said.

"Living in an area where racist attacks are perceived to be common may lead to children spending less time outside the home environment than might otherwise be the case, thus limiting the breadth and interactions and experiences with others outside the home setting.

"This may be further compounded by the impact of poor parental mental health, linked to experienced racism and discrimination, which is in turn likely to lead to non-favourable parent-child interactions and parenting behaviours."

https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/(Institute for Social and Economic Research)

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Ethiopian Suspected of Torture Arrested in Colo.

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17128110

Ethiopian Suspected of Torture Arrested in Colo. - ABC News

Federal agents arrested an Ethiopian immigrant suspected of torturing political prisoners decades ago in his home country, prosecutors said Friday.

Three former Ethiopian political prisoners identified the man as Kefelegn Alemu Worku (kah-FEH'-lun ah-LEE'-moo WER'-koo), saying he brutally mistreated them and others in the late 1970s, authorities said.

He is being held on immigration charges, and federal agents said they were investigating a report that he was involved in atrocities that occurred in Ethiopia following a military coup that plunged the nation into turmoil, marked by arrests, tortures and executions.

All three former prisoners, now U.S. citizens living in Denver, picked the suspect out of a photo lineup, the U.S. attorney's office said. They told investigators that the man they identified as Worku was a guard at a prison in Ethiopia where they were held.

He was arrested Aug. 24. His attorney didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. The arrest was first reported by KUSA-TV.

The suspect has been charged with unlawfully procuring citizenship or naturalization and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of both charges, he faces up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

The Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said no one was available to comment.

Two of the former prisoners who identified the man as Worku said he beat them and subjected them to gruesome torture. The third said he witnessed the suspect abusing other prisoners. The men are identified only by initials in court documents.

Prosecutors said the suspect used several names. They say he entered the U.S. using a stolen identity and falsified paperwork and illegally achieved U.S. citizenship in 2010.

Officials won't decide whether to attempt to deport the man until the immigration and identity theft charges are resolved, said Jeff Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Denver.

It wasn't immediately clear how or when the man left Ethiopia. Another Ethiopian immigrant in Denver told investigators the suspect lived in Kenya for several years before entering the U.S.

The suspect is about 68 years old and has been living in a Denver apartment under the name of Habteab Berhe Temanu, prosecutors said. They declined to say how he had been supporting himself.

Dorschner said no picture of the suspect will be released because investigators may still ask others to identify him from a photo lineup.

A court hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday.

The man was a regular at the Cozy Cafe in Denver, which serves Ethiopian food, said Girma Baye, the restaurant manager.

Baye said he knew nothing of the accusations against the man and that the arrest came as a shock to him and others.

"If I knew anything about his past, he would not be long in the United States," Baye said.

Baye described him as "a happy, social person" and a "nice guy."

http://www.baystatebanner.com/natl18-2012-06-21

Community Voices: The black immigrant and the 21st century black struggle

Dedrick Muhammad

The term "African American" has become a catchall to describe black Americans in the United States. But it obscures the more nuanced realities of black immigration to the United States.

Black immigrants, whether they hail from Latin America, the Caribbean or the African mainland, often come to the United States to escape poor conditions and find economic opportunity. As this nation struggles with immigration reform, the black immigrant community will play a prominent role in developing a socially just immigration policy.

About eight percent of black immigrants are Afro-Latino. Many Spanish-speaking countries have massive Afro-Latino populations, including Brazil, Columbia, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba. These Latinos are diverse not only in their history and background but also in their struggles, and their reasons for migrating to the United States vary. However, the majority of them make the move to seek better economic opportunities for themselves and for their families.

Afro-Caribbeans also immigrate to the United States to seek expanded opportunity. The term applies to people with African ancestry whose native countries are located in the Caribbean. The first wave of Afro-Caribbean voluntary migration to the United States began in the 1930s and has continued to this day. According to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, this growth can be attributed to "the increasing economic hardship and disenchantment in the British West Indies and the simultaneous expansion of the U.S. economy with its relatively high wages and growing employment opportunities."

Finally, the rate of African immigration to the United States has steadily increased. According to figures from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the number of African immigrants to the United States more than quadrupled in recent years, from just over 100,000 in the 1960s and 1970s to more than 500,000 in the 1980s and 1990s.

Today's African migrants are increasingly interested in establishing permanent residency in the United States, a stark contrast to immigrants from the 1960s and 1970s who often intended to return home and contribute to nation-building efforts after acquiring an American education.

It is no coincidence that black immigration to the United States greatly increased after the 1960s, whether from the Caribbean, Latin America or Africa. Just as blatant racially discriminatory laws in the United States limited the progress of African Americans throughout the history of the United States, blatant racially discriminatory immigration policies limited the numbers of people of color who could legally immigrate to the United States.

The great influx of black immigrants in the latter half of the 20th century is largely attributed to the liberalizing of immigration policies that occurred during the height of the civil rights movement. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, one of the lesser-known civil rights bills from that era, ended the national origins quota system and opened the door for large-scale Asian, African and Latin American immigration.

Over the last 50 years, the children of black immigrants have become a growing part of the African American population. This can be seen in the election of the first African American president, himself the son of an African immigrant.

The diversity of the black community will continue to grow in 21st century America. As we continue to make advances against racial inequality in the United States, the connection between today's black freedom struggles will necessarily be connected to immigration and immigration policy.

Dedrick Muhammad is the senior director of the NAACP Economic Department.

In pictures: Tel Aviv's African migrants

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2012/06/2012617235121526442.html

In pictures: Tel Aviv's African migrants - In Pictures - Al Jazeera English

Fresh uncertainties face thousands seeking a better life, as Israel launches a crackdown with a view to deport them.

The Israeli government has in recent weeks started rounding up hundreds of migrants for eventual deportation. A first batch of 127 people from South Sudan (out of some 1,500) were flown home last Sunday after they had agreed to return for a free plane ticket and 1,000 euros ($1,250).

But in a hectic political climate, the Binyamin Netanyahu-led coalition government is tasked with processing some 10,000 other Africans from countries that would accept deportees under legal agreements, like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria. Some migrants from these countries have already been arrested in the current sweep.

Yet the biggest challenge by far is dealing with the estimated 50,000 "infiltrators" from Eritrea (around 40,000) and Sudan (mostly from Darfur) - who cannot under international law be sent home due to the risk of persecution. Those from Sudan could face the long arm of the law for fleeing a war-torn region for Israel, an enemy state.

And the Eritreans, though their government has relations with Israel, would reportedly face jail time for having evaded military service - despite the fact that most of them are economic migrants. Some contend that they deserve political asylum for having escaped a repressive regime in Asmara.

The Israeli government is about halfway through construction of a long fence along the Egyptian border in Sinai to prevent the migrants from entering at the tail end of the Bedouin smuggling routes. With several thousand streaming in each month, the government has even suggested the possibility of another fence along the Jordanian border to keep out those who cross the Gulf of Aqaba.

The current plan is to host tens of thousands of migrants in tent cities at several detention facilities, mostly in the desert near Eilat, where many migrants enter the country and where many currently reside. The bulk of African migrants live around South Tel Aviv, in poor areas of the coastal city near the central bus station - neighbourhoods like Hatikva, Shapira and Yad Eliyahu.

Migrants typically are registered with three-month permits which do not legally allow them to work, even though most are involved through a tacit loophole in low-skilled labour - construction, food sector and domestic work.

Political opposition to the migrants has been most vocal from the Israeli right, from figures such as Eli Yishai, Danny Danon and Miri Regev, who notoriously labelled the Africans a "cancer". The threat has been framed in terms of a perceived increase in criminal acts such as rape, public health concerns and the demographic risk posed by foreigners who are not of Jewish background.

The migrants are mostly impoverished and have put a significant strain on resources in certain urban areas of Israel. But many have opened up thriving small businesses that cater largely to members of their communities - internet cafes, ethnic eateries and hair salons.

While the diverse black African immigrant population is lumped together by political rhetoric, the predominantly Christian and Tigriniya-speaking Eritreans do not always get along with the Arabic-speaking and Muslim Sudanese from Darfur. But Israel is geopolitically aligned with Darfur, since there is common cause against Khartoum.

Generally, while Israel is not interested in providing for this population in the long term, especially given rising racial tensions, there are vocal migrant advocacy groups such as Hotline for Migrant Workers and African Refugee Development Center.

http://www.imemc.org/article/63588

African Immigrants in Tel Aviv Attacked by Racist Israeli Mobs

According to an eyewitness report by a volunteer with the Hotline for Migrant Workers in Israel, "After a dose of racial incitement from the Members of Knesset who addressed them, Miri Regev, Danny Danon, Yariv Levin and Michael Ben-Ari, a handful of the protesters went on to attack Africans and stores owned by them in the Hatikva neighborhood. I arrived in the neighborhood with a camera to document what had happened."

The eyewitness, identified as Elisabeth Tsurkov, said, "I saw a policeman protecting a group of Eritrean refugees after one of the family members was attacked with a glass bottle while carrying his son, who as a result was dropped to the ground...I saw the blood of a Sudanese refugee on the pavement after he was stoned by a group of Israelis chasing him. I saw a shop owned by an Eritrean refugee, which was looted after its storefront was broken."

The string of attacks comes in the midst of increasing incitement against the non-white Israeli population, including indigenous Palestinian citizens of Israel and African immigrants into the country, by Israeli politicians and party leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently stated that the African immigrants, many of whom are refugees from war-torn regions, "threaten Israel's social fabric", and called for the implementation of policies that would refuse them services, deny them entry, and force the deportation of many who are living in Israel already.

In Tsurkov's account of the events of the last few days, she wrote, "Some [of the Israeli attackers] called the refugees "cockroaches", a woman said they should be killed and exterminated because non-Jews should not exist in the land of Israel, another of the residents said the refugees' heads need to be cut like chickens, others simply thought "they should be deported back to Sudan." The hatred was also directed at the "leftists" whom the residents blamed for the encroachment of refugees in their neighborhood."

The Hotline for Migrant Workers called on the Israeli government to take responsibility for the situation of migrant workers in Israel, and allow for a legal process for refugees to be allowed to seek asylum in the Jewish state – a status which is currently denied to non-Jews.

http://www.thegrio.com/money/kenya-is-becoming-a-geothermal-powerhouse.php

Kenya becoming a geothermal powerhouse

Kenya has become one of the world's leading countries in the exploration of geothermal energy. The country is now one of the world's top ten geothermal producers and plans to significantly increase output over the next five years.

The primary source of energy will be harnessed from hot steam in East Africa's Rift Valley, and could power Kenya many times over. Drilling for wells that run deep into the earth's surface in remote regions has attracted serious investment to the area.

Managing Director George Percy at Cluff Geothermal, a UK start-up, says that prospects in Kenya are promising. "The resource, by all indications, is fantastic and we certainly believe that in time, East Africa really could become a global leader in geothermal output."

This new source of energy is forecast to meet 30 percent of the country's electricity needs in the next 15 years. With a population of 38.4 million, Kenya's demand for electricity is growing. Access to energy is critical to the reduction of poverty, economic growth, industrialization and the country's agricultural development.

Kenya's geothermal production could push the African nation to a mid-economy country, pulling the nation out of an economic situation that has kept it from critical development and access to global economic development.

Follow Caryn Freeman on Twitter at @CarynFreemanDC

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/africa-to-get-its-own-web-domain-2012-05-21

Africa to get its own web domain

A project to establish a continental top-level domain for Africa is gaining momentum, with UniForum South Africa set to know by July whether its application has been successful.

UniForum, South Africa's .za central registry, was appointed to establish and operate the domain on behalf of Africa, said director Neil Dundas.

The dotAfrica project was promoted and led by the African Union Commission (AUC) and supported by over 40 African governments.

UniForum said registration cost $185 000 for each domain and held a $25 000-a-year maintenance fee. The company had earmarked about $1.3-million for the project.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers received over 2 000 applications for generic top-level domains since opening the first wave of applications three months ago. Applications for further registrations were closed.

A steering committee, which comprised a number of individuals and organisations, was leading and developing the dotAfrica application and launch.

The steering committee was established as a precursor to the dotAfrica Foundation, which would be launched as soon as the domain went live.

The foundation would, besides other beneficiation functions, use surplus funds from the sales of domain names under dotAfrica to further build the continent's registrar market and oversee a number of projects and initiatives relating to the African Internet and domain name industries.

Currently, all countries in Africa, with the exception of Kenya and South Africa, held less 10 000 country domain websites, while Kenya, with the .ke domain, had about 20 000 subscribers. South Africa, with domains such as .org.za and .co.za, had over 800 000 subscribers.

With the implementation of .Africa, Uniforum aimed to attract over 100 000 new subscribers over the next three years.

Further, UniForum applied for .joburg, .durban, and .capetown domains in light of increasing competition between international cities to brand themselves. The city domains would be operated under the current, established .za domain.

The company was currently in consultation with the three cities, and, while the Durban and Cape Town governments were still deciding whether they would apply for a domain name, Johannesburg was already on board.

UniForum said a domain name would be charged at $18 a year for a .Africa domain, and between R100 and R150 a year for a city domain name.

The company hoped to launch the domains for public registration in February or March next year.

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/content/tncms/live/

Report: Little progress in racial health disparities

Health disparities between blacks and whites in categories including maternal deaths and advanced-stage breast cancer diagnoses are worsening, while only a handful of disparities related to race, ethnicity or income showed significant improvement between 2002 and 2008, a new federal report shows.

Among the few bright spots in the 2011 National Healthcare Disparities Report by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is cardiac care, with data showing that blacks received better quality care than whites for more than half of cardiovascular measures.

For example, blacks had a lower rate of hospital deaths from heart attacks than whites. And blacks with congestive heart failure were more likely than whites to receive an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, a medication to help heart function, when they left the hospital.

For other conditions, such as cancer and diabetes, blacks typically had worse outcomes than whites.

Overall, the report shows that blacks received worse quality care than whites on 41 percent of 182 quality measures, while Hispanics received worse care than whites on 39 percent of 171 quality measures.

Still, small gains are giving federal officials some hope that progress will be made in years ahead with implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

"For the first time, we are starting to see that — while most disparities are persistent and aren't going away — we are seeing some improvement in a tiny minority of measures," said Ernest Moy, medical officer for AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. "There is a little bit of good news embedded in that."

Carolyn M. Clancy, director of AHRQ, said she was hopeful that the health care law's provisions would "reduce health disparities identified in the report and help achieve health equity."

The congressionally mandated disparities and quality reports, which AHRQ has produced annually since 2003, are based on over 40 different national sources that collect data regularly. The 2011 reports include about 250 health care measures.

Among the findings in the new disparities report:

- Between 2000 and 2007, the overall rate of breast cancer deaths significantly decreased, from 27 to 23 per 100,000 women. Improvements were observed among all racial and ethnic groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives. But in all years, black women had higher breast cancer death rates than white women. Hispanic women had lower rates than non-Hispanic white women.

- Among adults ages 40-64 with diagnosed diabetes, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were less likely than whites to receive the recommended services for diabetes. Blacks and Hispanics also had higher rates of end-stage renal disease due to diabetes than whites.

- Black and Hispanic children had higher rates of emergency department visits for asthma than non-Hispanic whites, an indicator of a lack of preventative care.

- Among nursing home residents, blacks and Hispanics were more likely to suffer from pressure ulcers or bed sores. Nursing homes can help to prevent or heal pressure sores by keeping residents clean and dry and by changing their position frequently or helping them move around.

- In 2008, blacks and Asians were less likely than whites to have a usual primary care provider. The percentage of people with a usual primary care provider also was significantly lower for Hispanics than for non-Hispanic whites. Low-income and middle-income people were significantly less likely than high-income people to have a usual primary care provider.

The full report is available here: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr11/nhdr11.pdf.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org).

NationalJournal.com - Study: Children From Black Immigrant Families on Rise - Tuesday, May 15, 2012

http://mobile.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/demographics/study-children-from-black-immigrant-families-on-rise-20120515

Study: Children From Black Immigrant Families on Rise

By Doris Nhan | Tuesday, May 15, 2012 | 6:05 a.m.

Children of immigrant families from Africa and the Caribbean made up about 12 percent of the black population in the U.S. in 2009, according to a report released in April.

The growing population of children from black immigrant families represents an overall rise of immigration by African and Caribbean families to the U.S., increasing by 92 percent between 2000 and 2009.

As children from African and Caribbean immigrant families gain a larger share, the black youth population also becomes increasingly diverse, according to the report, which was conducted by the Migration Policy Institute.

Proportionally, immigrants from the sub-Saharan are one of the largest-growing immigrant groups, says Michael Fix, the vice president and director of studies at MPI.

In general, black immigrant parents had higher levels of education and English proficiency and were more likely to be employed.

Children in these families were similarly well educated from the start: They had the second-highest rate of prekindergarten enrollment, second only to children from Asian families.

"The stereotypes that people hold both about immigrants and about blacks are not easily supported upon close analysis of the data," Fix said.

He said that children of black immigrant families tended to fare better than children from Hispanic families or children of black families, but that drilling down to country of origin helps to better understand how well—or worse off—they are.

For example, families from countries that had a longer immigration history with the U.S., such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Jamaica, tended to have higher advantages. Families from countries with a high number of refugees, such as Haiti, Somalia, and Sudan, tended to inherit more risks.

Close to 47 percent of black children from immigrant families are from the Caribbean; African immigrants make up about 39 percent.

The majority are concentrated on the East Coast—22 percent in New York and 18 percent in Florida. The percentage drops steeply from there—New Jersey, Maryland, and Georgia round out the top five states with about 5 to 6 percent each.

Brazil's census offers recognition at last to descendants of runaway slaves

When Jorge Moreira de Oliveira's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather arrived in Brazil in the 18th century he was counted off the slave-ship, branded and dispatched to a goldmine deep in the country's arid mid-west. After years of scrambling for gold that was shipped to Europe, he fled and became one of the founding fathers of the Kalunga quilombo, a remote mountain-top community of runaway slaves.

On Wednesday last week, more than 200 years later, it was Moreira's turn to be counted – this time not by slavemasters but by Cleber, a chubby census taker who appeared at his home clutching a blue personal digital assistant (PDA).

"I'm Kalunga. A Brazilian Kalunga," Moreira told his visitor from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, who diligently noted down details about the interviewee's eight children, monthly income and toilet arrangements.

Such is Brazil's 2010 census – a gigantic logistical operation that aims to count and analyse the lives of more than 190 million people in one of the most geographically and racially diverse nations on earth.

The scale of the mobilisation is staggering. With a budget of around 1.677bn Brazilian reais (£600m) the census, which began on 1 August, will peer into approximately 58m homes in 5,565 municipalities across 8,514,876 sq km (3.3m sq miles). Between now and the end of October around 190,000 census takers will venture into illegal goldmines, sprawling slums, high-security prisons, indigenous reserves and quilombola communities such as Engenho II, travelling by motorbike, donkey, canoe and plane.

But for people such as Moreira, the census is about more than number-crunching. For the Kalunga, descendants of slaves shipped to Brazil from places such as Angola, Mozambique and Ivory Coast, it is a chance, finally, to be counted, heard and helped by a government that has long ignored them.

"The federal government has to know that we exist – what we do, what we have," said Moreira, a 42-year-old subsistence farmer, who attributes recent improvements in his community, including the arrival of roads, electricity and a school, to Brazil's last head-count, in 2000. "Before, we were totally forgotten. Now equality is coming through the census and the interviews."

Identity

"It is a question of identity," said Ivonete Carvalho, the government's programme director for traditional communities. "When you assert your identity you are saying you want [government] action and access to public policies. [The census] is a fantastic x-ray."

The Kalungas' fight for recognition is part of a wider movement for racial equality in Brazil, a country with deep roots in Africa but where Afro-Brazilian politicians and business leaders remain few and far between. According to Carvalho, only one of Brazil's 81 senators is black, despite the fact that Afro-Brazilians represent at least 53% of the population. The last census found that fewer than 40% of Afro-Brazilians had access to sanitation compared with nearly 63% of whites.

Just as descendents of Brazil's runaway slaves are finding their voice – and telling the census takers about it – so too are Brazil's officially black and indigenous communities swelling as a growing number of Brazilians label themselves "black" or "indigenous" rather than "mulatto" when the census takers come knocking.

"People are no longer scared of identifying themselves or insecure about saying: 'I'm black, and black is beautiful,' " Brazil's minister for racial equality, Elio Ferreira de Araujo, told the Guardian.

For the first time in Brazilian history, this year's census will map out the different indigenous languages spoken in Brazil and register the number of same-sex relationships. It will also ask people their "ethnicity" – a thorny issue in a country that has long regarded itself as a racial melting pot and the rainbow nation of the Americas.

Since president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came to power in 2003, increasing steps have been taken to bridge the social chasm between Afro-Brazilians and their white counterparts. A ministry for racial equality has been created and university quotas introduced. The Brasil Quilombola programme, which aims to provide basic social services to thousands of slave descendants, has been rolled out across the country.

Engenho II, a village that is home to around 4,500 "Brazilian Kalungas" and was officially recognised by the government in 2009, has been one of the communities to benefit from the cause's new visibility.

Calamitous

"It was pretty calamitous here before," said Cerilo dos Santos Rosa, the territory's 56-year-old leader. "We didn't have roads, or energy. We'd have to take our produce to town on donkeys or on our backs."

The Kalungas also hope that their land will soon be formally demarcated by the government, with plans to offer compensation to landowners who leave the area, around 320km from Brazil's capital, Brasilia.

Not everybody is enthusiastic about the government's sudden engagement with quilombola communities. Some claim the arrival of brick houses, cash-transfer programmes and roads will irreparably damage their culture and create divisions between them and other communities. Others speculate that the government simply wants access to the abundant mineral resources buried under this sparsely populated savannah region.

Local people, however, are united in their praise for Lula's attempts to create what he calls a Brasil para todos – "Brazil for all".

"Lula has been a great example. He was the first president to visit our community," said Rosa, a father of 11 and grandfather of 29 who credits the president with building 40 brick homes and 93 toilets in the territory.

Government officials defend their attempts to offer "contemporary" life to some of the country's poorest, most isolated citizens.

"Cultural preservation has to be our objective … but giving quality of life to families that live in such remote places is also part of the mission," said Ferreira, the racial equality minister. "We have to value their culture but also the economic support that will give them social benefits."

Carvalho, herself born into a quilombola community in southern Brazil, said the government had finally started paying "an historical debt" to those whose forefathers were "wrenched from their motherland".

Brazil's excluded, she said, were increasingly willing to stand up and be counted. "I'm here. I'm me. I'm not ashamed of my history."

"The progress is slow but it is progress," said Moreira, sat beside his shack's rickety wooden door, bearing the chalked words: "God in first place."

"Before, the government didn't care if we existed or not. Today things are different. Today we all have to be registered. We have to appear. That's the only way things will get better."
Census facts

• In 1872, when the first Brazilian census was conducted on the orders of Emperor Dom Pedro II, the population was divided into free people and slaves, who represented 15% of the population.

• Just 1.8% of the 1872 population were considered "rich" – 23,400 families. In 2000 that figure had risen only slightly to about 2.4%.

• The following census, in 1890, found that 83% of over-fives were illiterate. By 2000 this had fallen to 17%.

• Brazil's population has more than doubled in 50 years, from 71 million in 1960 to more than 190 million today.

• 734,000 Brazilians identified themselves as "indigenous" in the 2000 census.

• This year, more than 7,000 data centres will compile information from about 225,000 PDAs.

The Challenges of Recruiting Africans for Graduate Programs

April 4, 2012, 3:29 pm

By Guest Writer

The following is a guest post by John D. Holm, the former director of the Office of International Education and Partnerships at the University of Botswana and director of international programs at Cleveland State University.

Universities in the United States appear eager to enroll more Africans in their graduate programs. Last month a group of administrators from American institutions, including Ohio University and University of Cincinnati, visited Botswana to explore partnerships, which could bring students from the sub-Saharan country to their campuses. In general, universities see African students as a way to diversify their classrooms and, at the same time, help fix Africa’s massive shortage of locals with graduate degrees.

While most Africans are too financially strapped to study abroad, a number of African economies are starting to take off. As a result, an increasing number of families in countries such as Botswana, the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa can afford an education in the United States, without the need of scholarships.

However, according to the latest figures from the Council of Graduate Schools, applications to American graduate programs from African students for the fall of 2012 declined 5 percent. While Africans consider an American education one of the best in the world, there are several obstacles that keep them from applying.

In particular, two policies are part of the problem–using GRE scores for admission evaluation and that American institutions require much more classroom time than universities elsewhere. Thus, Africans heading to graduate school often see Australia, Britain, Canada, and France as more attractive.

As director of international education for four years at the University of Botswana, I was keenly aware of these two concerns. The university paid for staff development fellows to go overseas for their advanced degrees, but they frequently avoided going to America–and that trend continues today.

One barrier is the mandatory use of Graduate Record Exam for admission evaluation. Most of the rest of the world evaluates students for graduate school on their undergraduate academic record (usually transcripts). The GRE by contrast is a one-time test of a student’s overall verbal, mathematical, and analytical reasoning. Africans perceive quite rightly that they will need considerable coaching and study to do well on this type of exam since it is foreign to their previous academic experiences. Those who already have a good record, not surprisingly, are reluctant to take on the extra effort required to do well on the GRE.

Further compounding the problem is that in parts of Africa the math section of the GRE is intimidating. Some African cultures do not value the mathematical thinking found on the test (i.e. algebra and geometry) and many school systems have not rigorously countered this problem. As a result, a considerable number of Africans score low on the math section.

A second deterrent to African interest in American graduate programs is that our degrees take longer to complete than ones in Europe and elsewhere. Many more classes are required, and then students must pass comprehensive exams, some sections of which may have to be retaken in case of failure. Thus, a master’s degree with thesis can end up being two years rather than the one year as is the case in the rest of the world. The doctorate can be even longer.

American graduate schools wanting to recruit Africans need to confront both of these concerns. For one, they should find alternative assessments to the GRE. Two options are likely to be helpful, especially in combination. One is to require that applicants who have not taken the GRE submit a scholarly paper which demonstrates verbal and analytical skills and, where appropriate, mathematical abilities. The applicant’s instructor would need to certify that the paper was his or her work.

The other option is for a university to encourage their faculty members doing research or teaching in Africa to be on the lookout for potential graduate students. Faculty members can solicit recommendations from their African colleagues, enlist potential African graduate students on research projects, and explore the possibility that a local university’s staff development fellows might have an interest in furthering their education in the United States. In short, American universities need to become proactive in recruiting African students.

American universities must also confront the length of time required for graduate degrees. Probably the most significant step would be to allow African graduate students to return to their home countries for thesis research and writing after finishing their comprehensive exams. With Skype and e-mail now widely available in African countries, adequate communication with thesis advisers is feasible—and with some special training before they return home, doable. Such an approach would also insure that African graduate students are working on problems relevant to their countries.

African universities themselves could advertise their graduates by publishing a list of a small number who are the best prepared for advanced work. They could send these lists of potential graduate students to institutions that have a special interest in recruiting Africans.

Such efforts, of course, will not reduce all the barriers facing Africans who want to earn an American degree. But a better understanding by American university officials of the two obstacles discussed here can help increase the number of Africans studying on their campuses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/world/africa/mali-rebels-to-impose-islamic-law.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Mali: Rebels to Impose Islamic Law

The Islamist rebel faction that seized control of the northern city of Timbuktu over the weekend has said it will impose Islamic law there, local officials said Wednesday. The Ansar Dine rebels, who took advantage of a power vacuum after a coup last month to seize the town, made the announcement at a meeting of the city's imams on Tuesday. The group's leader, Iyad Ag Ghali, said that women would be required to wear veils, thieves would be punished by having their hands cut off and adulterers would be stoned to death, according to local officials and a radio journalist. Ansar Dine is one faction of the Tuareg rebels, who also have a secular faction.

Off-Duty NYPD Auxiliary Cop Shot to Death in Brooklyn - DNAinfo.com

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120404/canarsie-mill-basin/man-shot-death-brooklyn

Off-Duty NYPD Auxiliary Cop Shot To Death In Brooklyn Updated 2 Hrs Ago

By Trevor Kapp and Wil Cruz

DNAinfo Staff

BROOKLYN — A churchgoing off-duty NYPD auxiliary cop who had two young sons was shot to death on a Canarsie street Wednesday morning just blocks from his home, police sources and a relative said.

Francky Aleger, 39, a Haitian immigrant who worked at Mount Sinai Hospital, was found by a passerby lying on the street at East 95th Street and Glenwood Road, about 10 blocks from his home, shortly after 6 a.m., police said.

He suffered a gunshot wound to his back and was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where he died, police said.

"He was the best brother," said Alan S., 25, who identified himself as Aleger's brother. "He did everything for me, took care of me.

"He took me in," added the man, who asked not to be identified. "He was even a father figure."

Police sources said Aleger was an auxiliary police officer with a Manhattan precinct, though they would not say which one.

But Alan said his brother worked in the 13th Precinct, which covers Murray Hill and the Flatiron District.

Aleger was married and had two young sons, who are 6- and 8-years-old, Alan said.

"They know, but they don't understand the magnitude of what happened," he said. "They're young. There's not much you can really tell them."

Aleger worked at Mount Sinai Hospital as a support associate in the maternity ward, said a co-worker.

"Anything you need, he's the man to ask," said Abigail Caesar, 36, a business associate at the hospital who worked with Aleger.

"This is a man that didn't deserve this," she added. "I can't believe it."

Friends and relatives said Aleger, who worked a 7 a.m. shift and walked along Glenwood Road to the Canarsie Parkway train station, was likely on his way to the hospital when he was shot.

No one has been arrested and the motive was not immediately clear.

Aleger, who emigrated from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1994, was a parishioner at nearby Our Lady of Miracles, Alan said.

"Anytime the church would be open, he'd be there. That was his thing," he said.

Neighbor Emile Auguste said attending church was a family affair for Aleger.

"He would always go to church with his wife and children," she said. "They were always together."

The victim's brother said Aleger wasn't a troublemaker and didn't live the type of lifestyle that would end in such a violent death.

"He wasn't a violent person," the man said. "He didn't have beef with nobody.

"He was soft-spoken," he added.

http://m.voanews.com/english/Chinese-President-to-Inaugurate-New-African-Union-Headquarters-137374063.html

Chinese President to Inaugurate New African Union Headquarters

Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to visit Addis Ababa this month to inaugurate a new African Union headquarters financed by China and built largely with Chinese labor.  The project was launched when Moammar Gadhafi was maneuvering to move Africa's diplomatic capital to Libya.

Official African Union and Ethiopian sources confirm that President Hu will be in Addis Ababa January 28 to open what is being called "China's gift to Africa."  The inauguration ceremony will be held the day before African heads of state hold their January meeting at AU headquarters for the first time.

According to custom, African heads of state meet every January in Addis Ababa. But the summit previously has been held at the city's United Nations conference center because the AU headquarters building was too small.

Construction of new facility began in June 2009, when Addis Ababa's position as Africa's diplomatic capital was in doubt.  The city has been home to the continental body since its founding, largely due to the influence of the late Emperor Haile Selassie, who was one of the driving forces behind creation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963.

Africa Review - African Union finally launches Pan-African university

http://www.africareview.com/News/African+Union+finally+launches+Pan+African+university/-/979180/1290060/-/uexjcrz/-/

African Union finally launches Pan-African university

The African Union Thursday launched a Pan-African University as part of its strategy to speed up regional integration.

At a ceremony in Addis Ababa, the organisation announced five regional universities that will host the different fields of studies of the continental institution.

In the arrangement, South Africa will host the space science component of the university with oil rich Algeria hosting the college of water and energy sciences.

Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is expected to take in the study of basic sciences, technology and innovation.

Nigeria's University of Ibadan will host the college for life and earth sciences.

Representing the Central Africa region is the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, that has been offered the school for governance, humanities and social sciences.

To ensure coordination and smooth operation of the different components will be the AU Commission for Human Resources, Science and Technology.

Mooted in 2005, the Pan-African University is designed to boost education standards, science and technological innovations across African to facilitate faster regional integration and development.

----

Mosi Ifatunji, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Department of Sociology and

Carolina Population Center

155 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210

Office: (919) 843-6466

Fax: (919) 962-7568

Cell/text: (312) 607-2825

Email: ifatunji@unc.edu

Twitter: @ifatunji

Web: http://sociology.unc.edu/

          http://www.cpc.unc.edu/

          http://www.ifatunji.com/

"Power concedes nothing without a demand."

                         - Frederick Douglass, 1857

http://bikyamasr.com/50659/israel-okays-funding-to-block-african-migrants/

Israel okays funding to block African migrants

 

Israel-Egypt border in the Sinai Peninsula.

CAIRO: The Israeli government on Sunday voted unanimously to launch a $160 million program to curtail illegal African migrants ability to enter the country from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The program will boost the country's ability to build a large border fence and will also expand a detention center able to hold thousands of new illegal arrivals.

The move comes after many in Israel have expressed anger at the large number of Africans, mainly from Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, entering the country through the Sinai. Since 2006, the Israeli government estimates that approximately 50,000 Africans have entered southern Israel.

Those in opposition to the migrants claims of asylum argue they are not Jewish and have left an economic and social burden on Israel.

However, others believe the government is moving toward a Nazi-style policy that would turn people away who are facing persecution or genocide, but this community remains in the minority in Israel.

Addressing the Cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the increasing number of migrants is "a national scourge."

Netanyahu, like other officials, said the overwhelming majority of infiltrators are not refugees escaping persecution, but instead "have come to Israel seeking better economic opportunities."

"If we don't take action to stanch this illegal flow, then we will simply be inundated," he said.

The prime minister said he would look into repatriating a number of the eonomic migrants during visits to Africa in the coming year.

The program also comes in response to what Israeli officials say is poor border security by Egyptian police, which often result in the shooting of Africans. In early December, one African was shot dead by Egyptian police and two others wounded when they attempted to enter Israel.

Many African migrants try to cross to Israel every year through Egypt's Sinai Peninsula seeking a better life.

Egypt's border security has been repeatedly criticized for its "shoot first" strategy in dealing with migrants attempting to cross into the Jewish state, as they often do not issue verbal warnings first and fire at the Africans.

Africans in Egypt complain of poor living conditions and bad treatment at the hands of their host nation. Many see Israel as the next best solution for their troubles and are willing to risk death to reach the Jewish state, refugees in Egypt have repeatedly said.

Ali, a Somali refugee in Cairo, told Bikyamasr.com that living in Egypt is "one of the worst things I have experienced in my life." He points to racism and lack of opportunities as the main hardships.

He was the victim of police's heavy hand in Egypt a few years ago when he and two roommates were held in connection with the murder of an elderly man in their building. According to Ali, the two Somali men and one woman were detained for 9 months without charge and were "tortured on a regular basis." He says life is hard.

"I know a lot of people who would rather risk being killed on the border than continue to sit around Cairo and be faced with all these troubles because of our status. We can't even work," he said.

Dozens of Africans have been shot dead by Egyptian police in recent years, as refugees and migrants continue to complain of poor treatment and conditions inside Egypt.

BM

Tags: Africans, Border, featured, Israel, Migrants

Section: Egypt, Features, Human Rights, Latest News, Palestine

http://peoplesworld.org/

Obama administration reverses Bush policy on affirmative action

Affirmative action, the policy designed to assist historically under-represented minority groups and women with access to university admissions, has received an important boost from the Obama administration.

On Friday, the Department of Education jointly with the Department of Justice issued a new Guidance on the Voluntary use of Race to Achieve Diversity in Post-secondary Education.

The new guidelines reverse anti-affirmative action policies adopted by the Bush administration that forbad any use of "quotas"  emphasizing instead so called "race neutral solutions."

"Post-secondary institutions can voluntarily consider race to further the compelling interest of achieving diversity," says the guidelines.

Bush's rule stressed limitations on the use of affirmative action. By way of contrast the Obama policy opens the door of possibility again to achieving diversity by considering race and ethnicity as one of several considerations in admissions. In this regard the New York Times writes, "The guidelines focus on the wiggle room in the court decisions."

In place of the Bush measures, which resulted in a steep drop in minority admissions in top universities, with the new framework "the Obama administration has aligned itself strongly with the right of colleges to consider race and ethnicity in admissions decisions," writes Inside Higher Education.

Dr. Gerald Horne, author of Reversing Discrimination: The Case for Affirmative Action,  said the Obama policy "is a step back from the precipice to which Bush (and the high court) led us. It is a significant step forward, particularly given the political constraints."

In 2003, the Supreme Court in rulings involving the University of Michigan, rolled back the use of race and ethnicity.

Now, the Department of Education and the Justice Department say that universities seeking diversity may include consideration of high schools attended, including cases in which the class population is mostly minority, mentoring programs aimed at minority students, and high schools who partner with historically black colleges, among other factors.

While acknowledging the use of some race neutral admissions programs, the new policy  says schools need not be bound by them. "Institutions are not required to implement race-neutral approaches if, in their judgment, the approaches would be unworkable," the guidelines argue. The document continues, "In some cases, race-neutral approaches will be unworkable because they will be ineffective to achieve the diversity the institution seeks. Institutions may also reject approaches that would require them to sacrifice a component of their educational mission or priorities (e.g., academic selectivity)."

The Supreme Court may hear a new challenge to affirmative action at the University of Texas in the spring, placing it in the middle of the presidential election campaign.

Photo: Creative Commons 2.0