The Russell Tribunal on Palestine

December 8, 2011 David KeaneAmos Schocken, Cape Town RToP, Desmond Tutu, Discrimination, District Six Museum, Haaretz, humanitarian law, International Court of Justice, international criminal law, International Law, International War Crimes Tribunal, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, John Dugard, Knesset, Knesset Ethics Committee, Michael Mansfield, Palestine, Racial segregation, racism, Richard Goldstone, Russell Tribunal on Latin America, Russell Tribunal on Palestine, South Africa, South Africa under apartheid, Stephane Hessel, The New York Times, Victor Kattan, World Tribunal on IraqLeave a comment

I participated as a witness at the South Africa session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine which took place last month in Cape Town, from 5-7 November. The Tribunal was founded in the 1950s by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and originally hosted by Jean-Paul Sartre. Formally calling itself the International War Crimes Tribunal, it deliberated over two sessions in 1967 on the issue of American foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam. The overall aim, according to Russell in 1967, was to arouse consciousness in order to create mass resistance “in the smug streets of Europe and the complacent cities of North America”, and “prevent the crime of silence”. Continue reading “The Russell Tribunal on Palestine” →

Palestine and UNESCO: Upsets and Tensions Ahead of the Vote

October 25, 2011 David KeaneAlexis de Greiff, Anti-Defamation League, Arab-Israeli conflict, humanitarian law, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation, International organizations, Israel, Israeli-occupied territories, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jerusalem,Israel, Middle East, Nimrod Barkan, Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Palestinian territories, The New York Times, UNESCO, united nations, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural OrganizationLeave a comment

UNESCO’s 36^th General Conference begins today, running from October 25^th to November 10^th amid intense media interest since its executive committee decided to allow a vote to grant full membership to the Palestinians. Two-thirds of members will have to approve the bid in order for it to be successful.

There have been recriminations ahead of the vote, with the United States expressing “strong opposition” to the executive committee resolution. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has intimated that the Organisation should “think again” on its “inexplicable” decision, with Kay Granger, chair of the US Subcommittee responsible for US diplomatic funding, advocating for all US funding to be cut off; some 22% of UNESCO’s resources. A New York Times piece highlights that US legislation from the 1990s mandates a complete cut of American financing to any United Nations agency that accepts the Palestinians as a full member. Pressure indeed. Continue reading “Palestine and UNESCO: Upsets and Tensions Ahead of the Vote” →

Homeless Election Candidates, Dirty Tricks & Rupture in American Politics?

September 16, 2010 Illan Rua Wallamerica, Bonnie Honig, Democratic Party, Green Party, Homeless, Homelessness, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Mid-Term Elections, Mill Rats, Modern philosophy, Outsider, Political Exclusion, Political Theory, Politics, Politics of the United States, Primaries, Republican Party, Tea Party, The New York TimesLeave a comment

The question of populism and radical change has re-emerged in American politics, first with Obama and now with the tea party movement. However, it was another story that recently caught my eye. The New York Times carried a story about Republican ‘agents’ (or ‘operatives’) encouraging homeless people to stand unopposed in the Green Party primaries. Because the green party do not have sufficient coverage to stand centrally selected candidates for all ballots, homeless people have gained the nomination to stand for local government. Beyond the curiosity of the story, I want to argue that it is more significant and revealing than it might initially seem. Continue reading “Homeless Election Candidates, Dirty Tricks & Rupture in American Politics?” →

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The Russell Tribunal on Palestine

Palestine and UNESCO: Upsets and Tensions Ahead of the Vote

Homeless Election Candidates, Dirty Tricks & Rupture in American Politics?