By Zik Gbemre
With regards to your email dated 12/18/2014 (7:13 PM), which reiterated the
recently renewed United States of America (USA) diplomatic relations with
Cuba, we truly appreciate this step by the US Government. It was really a
welcome development that on December 17, 2014, US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro, announced the beginning of a process of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States. Negotiated in secret in Canada and the Vatican City over preceding months, and with the assistance of Pope Francis, the agreement would see the lifting of some US travel restrictions, fewer restrictions on remittances, and the
establishment of a US embassy in Havana, which closed after Cuba became
closely allied with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1961.
While we wonder what really prompted this ‘sudden’ change of a severed
US/Cuba diplomatic relations that lasted more than 50 years, we only hope
that this renewed diplomatic relations between US and Cuba will be
sustained by the present administration of both countries and those to come
after them in the future.
One of the things critics of global affairs have always pointed out, which
we have equally observed, is the fact that most countries surrounding the
United States of America (USA) are ‘developing countries’ still struggling
with issues of poverty and underdevelopment. Apart from Canada, some of
these ‘struggling nations’ around US include: Mexico, Bahamas, Guatemala,
Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Panama, etc. This is
something that we find quite disturbing and does not paint a good picture
about the US.
No developed independent nation should be an island and sees itself above
others in all ramifications. Aside the fact that it makes the developed
nation look bad; it portends a lot of dangers and disadvantage to the same
developed nation. The poverty level evident in some of the nations around
the US is responsible for the high level of “illegal immigrants” trooping
into the US on a daily basis. Therefore, there is need for the US
government to support the developmental progress of some of these poor
neighbouring countries, just the way it has now decided to do with Cuba. It
is actually in the best interest of the US Government to do this. If a man
is considered very wealthy and yet he is surrounded by poor people, that
man’s life is not that safe. The poor people around him, may one day decide
to break the high wall fence of his mansion just to gain entrance to his
home to have a taste of the ‘good life’.
We have all heard that “we should be our brothers keeper” in order to
have ‘sustainable peace’ within our immediate environment and the world in
general. According to mother Theresa: “What the World needs is love and not
food”. The US should show more love to its neighbours. There is no two ways
about it. This is the best line of action that will be in the best interest
of the US.
Similarly, the US Government and its relevant authorities should seriously
improve its laws and policies and ‘mindset’ towards the (Black)
African-American community. Particularly the US Law Enforcement Agencies
like the Police, Immigration and Custom officials; they seriously need to
improve their laws, policies and practices that would depict ‘equality’, ‘justice’ and ‘fairness’ towards African-Americans. This same ‘mindset’ and actions should equally be extended to Black Africans in America and those the African continent.
The United States of America (USA) that is known to champion Democracy, The Rule of Law and Human Rights observance across the globe, should not be
seen as the worst place where Human Rights abuse of its African-American
population is quite evident. The issues of racism and ethnic discrimination
in the United States have remained a major problem since after the colonial
era and the slavery era. Why do so many black Americans experience
discrimination today after so much progress in civil rights reforms over
the last four decades? How come the black community in the US are still
treated as ‘third class citizens’, yet they are supposed to be the
champions of democracy across the world? This is an anomaly that the
present administration of Barack Obama and those to come after him, should
seriously take decisive prompt steps to address in all ramifications.
It is really surprising to note that recent studies in the United States of
America (USA) showed that the US Police are more likely to pull over and
frisk African-Americans (Blacks) or Latinos than Whites. In New York City
for instance, 80% of the stops made were blacks and Latinos, and 85% of
those people were frisked, compared to a mere 8% of the white people
stopped. After being arrested, African-Americans are 33% more likely than
whites to be detained while facing a felony trial in New York. These are
serious issues that need to be addressed by the US Government.
We however appreciate the “leading role” the American (US) government is
playing across the globe; by caring and showing empathy towards poor or
developing countries that have either been ravaged by war or natural
disasters. We also appreciate the US for playing the role of a “global
police” that checkmates the excesses and overbearing tendencies of ‘power
drunk’ nations, which might use their position and having possession of
nuclear weapons for instance, to harm other smaller nations and humanity as
a whole. This leading role being played by the US in global affairs is
something no other nation is doing at the moment. We equally appeal that
such ‘goodwill’ by the US should always be extended to African nations as
well.
We are glad that the US President recently signed the Immigration Executive
Reform Bill that amongst so many other things avails Africans the
opportunity to immigrate and get their Green Cards to work and remain in
the US. The Immigration reform outlined a plan to temporarily protect as
many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, allowing
parents whose children are US citizens or in the US legally to qualify for
Work Permits. While we are glad with this development, let us hope that the
implementation will go smoothly without any form of discrimination or
racist tendencies, especially when we consider the fact that President
Barack Obama bypassed the US Congress to effect the immigration reform;
saying the country can no longer wait to fix a broken system.
In the same vein, the US should encourage building and renewing its
relationship with nations in Africa and the Black community across the
globe. The idea or mindset of seeing the Black man as an inferior and lower
class specie should be discouraged. The US Law Enforcement agencies for
instance, should stop seeing every Black man as a criminal suspect or
potential criminal. Crime is crime; corruption is corruption, irrespective
of the colour of whomever that has committed it. Crime and corruption is
not a ‘colour issue’ but a character and mind issue pertaining to
individual differences. The US should equally help African nations like
Nigeria to win their fight against corruption. The US should not encourage
African corrupt political leaders who loot their nations and transfer such
wealth to the US by owing properties there. Our African leaders should be
discouraged from using the US as their base to hide their ill-gotten
wealth, just the way the United Kingdom (UK) has done. The former Governor
of Delta State, James Ibori, who is currently serving prison term in the UK
for looting the treasury of Delta State while in office, is a clear good
example.
The Black Continent (Africa), should not be seen as a ‘hub of crime’ and
underdevelopment. Agreed that there are corrupt political leaders in Africa
(which is evident in varying degrees in other countries as well), that does
not mean all Black Africans or African-Americans are corrupt. There are
exceptional good Africans both living and late), that have greatly and
positively impacted humanity, both in Africa and across the globe. The
likes of late Nelson Mandela, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Peter Ekeh, late
Chinua Achebe, etc, are good examples. In order words, the US relevant
authorities as well as its white citizenry should change their mindset and
relations towards the Black race; both in America and Africa. Let us hope
that these needed changes will make things better for all.
Zik Gbemre, JP
National Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348052106013
