ENvasa Inc.

Ivan Van Sertima and Africa's Contribution to Global Civilization

2012-07-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima (26 January 1935 – 25 May 2009) was an associate professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers University in the United States.

He is best known for his Olmec alternative origin speculations, a brand of pre-Columbian contact theory, which he proposed in his book They Came Before Columbus (1976). While his Olmec theory has "spread widely in the African American community, both lay and scholarly", it was mostly ignored in Mesoamericanist scholarship, or else dismissed as Afrocentric pseudohistory to the effect of "robbing native American cultures".

Van Sertima was born in Karina Village, Guyana, when Guyana was still a British colony; he retained his British citizenship throughout his life. He completed primary and secondary school in Guyana, and started writing poetry.He attended the School of Oriental and African Studies(SOAS) at the University of London from 1959. In addition to his creative writing, Van Sertima completed his undergraduate studies in African languages and literature at SOAS in 1969, where he graduated with honors. During his studies, he learned Swahili and Hungarian. From 1957 to 1959, worked a Press and Broadcasting Officer in the Guyana Information Services During the 1960s, he worked for several years in Great Britain as a journalist, doing weekly broadcasts to the Caribbean and Africa. Van Sertima married Maria Nagy in 1964; they adopted two sons.

In doing field work in Africa, he compiled a dictionary of Swahili legal terms in 1967.

In 1970 Van Sertima immigrated to the United States, where he entered Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for graduate work.

He published his They Came Before Columbus 1976, as a Rutgers graduate student. The book deals mostly with his claims of African origin of Mesoamerican culture in the Western Hemisphere, but among other things also writing that the kings of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt were Nubians. The book, published by Random House rather than an academic press, was a bestseller and achieved widespread attention within the African American community for his claims of prehistoric African contact and diffusion of culture in Central and South America. It was generally "ignored or dismissed" by academic experts at the time and strongly criticized in detail in an academic journal in 1997.

Sertima completed his master's degree at Rutgers in 1977. He became Associate Professor of African Studies at Rutgers in the Department of Africana Studies. In 1979, Van Sertima founded the Journal of African Civilizations, which he exclusively edited and published for decades.

He published several annual compilations, volumes of the journal dealing with various topics of African history. His article, "The Lost Sciences of Africa: An Overview" (1983), makes claims for early African advances in metallurgy, astronomy, mathematics, architecture, engineering, agriculture, navigation, medicine and writing. He claimed that higher learning, in Africa as elsewhere, was the preserve of elites in the centres of civilizations, rendering them vulnerable in the event (as happened in Africa) of the destruction of those centers and the disappearance of the knowledge. Van Sertima discussed such "African scientific contributions" in an essay for the volume African Renaissance, published in 1999 (he had first published the essay in 1983). This was a record of the conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 1998 on the theme of the so-called African Renaissance.

After divorcing his first wife, Sertima remarried in 1984, to Jacqueline L. Patten, who had two daughters.

On July 7, 1987, Van Sertima testified before a United States Congressional committee to oppose recognition of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas. He said, "You cannot really conceive of how insulting it is to Native Americans . . . to be told they were discovered".

Van Sertima retired in 2006. He died on 25 May 2009 aged 74.He was survived by his wife and four adult children. His widow, Jacqueline Van Sertima, said she would continue to publish theJournal of African Civilizations. She also planned to publish a book of his poetry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_van_Sertima

Afrikan-Jamaican dub--poet and monodramatist d'bi young in word! sound! powah! Sunday June 24.

2012-06-20T18:07:00.001-07:00

2012-06-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Cockpit Country is Our Home Premier May 22, 2012

2012-05-16T08:30:00.002-07:00

Cultural Cross Currents Thursday May 17, 2012

2012-05-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

NGJ Special Sunday: April 22, 2012

2012-04-20T10:01:00.003-07:00

Jamaica As It is Right Now

2012-03-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

Toni Morrison and I

2012-02-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday January 18, Clutch Magazine posted the article "4 Books You Should Reread" by Danielle Pointdujour. The list included Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and it struck me as odd that I had never read this novel.

At the time of reading Pointdujour's article, I was reading Morrison's Songs of Solomon, and I was in awe of Morrison's skill, her use of the language. There was a music to the narrative and this was infused with African mythology and rhythmic movement as the tale charted the journey of the main character "Milkman" from his dislike and fear of his father and his disconnection from his ancestral roots to self-discovery and courage.

After reading Songs and I made the decision to read The Bluest Eye. The Bluest Eye is Morrison's first novel and it is the story of a young black girl, Pecola Breedlove who is described as ugly and who in internalizing the belief that she is indeed ugly; dreams, prays and wishes for blue eyes to the point of madness.

The novel is essentially from the point of view of Claudia MacTeer, and is presented by Claudia as a child who is Pecola's contemporary and school mate, and Claudia as an adult reflecting on life in Lorain, Ohio (United States of America) during the years following the Great Depression.  However, there are distinct moments where the narrator is the omnipresent third-person narrator.

The Bluest Eye broke my heart and I cried for all the Black girls past, present and future who have, who are and who will be made to feel ugly because of the rich ebony of of their skin.

I had borrowed Songs and The Bluest Eye and then Kingston Bookshop had its annual Yard Sale and I am blessed to have purchased a copy of  The Bluest Eye.

Presently I am re-visiting Beloved. I read Beloved as part of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Literatures In English, Prose Level 1. I loved the story and knew the lives of Sethe, Denver, Baby Suggs, the Garner men inside-out. In re-reading this tale I am now in far better position to appreciate the physical, psychological, emotional, sexual and metaphysical effects of slavery from which the story rests upon and seeks to confront.

Toni Morrison

After reading these three novels by Morrison I am truly inspired to write. I need to tell the stories I know, while creating the book I would want to read and infusing the histories I have have learnt.

In this Black History Month 2012, I want to thank Toni Morrison for writing, teaching, inspiring and creating.

Dennis Brown and Good Vibrations in Downtown Kingston

2012-02-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Dennis Brown the Crowned Prince of Reggae earthstrong was Wednesday February 1. This post was supposed to be published on February 1, 2012 but again I am behind.

Sunday evening through to early Monday January 29 to 30) morning I was in Downtown Kingston. Orange Street, to be more precise was blessed by the good vibrations of music. Hundreds of people, from just out of hand toddlers to grey headed Elders of the community were in Orange Street to share in the celebration of the life and musical legacy of the Crowned Prince of Reggae. The Dennis Brown Tribute Concert was a produced by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) The concert was the first of many activities slated for Reggae Month (February) 2012.

Orange Street Big Yard

Dennis Emmanuel Brown , the Crowned Prince of Reggae

Orange Street

The free concert was had a star-studded lineup. Headliners included Marcia Griffith, Maxi Priest, Freddie McGregor, Tony Rebel, Duane Stephenson, Ibra Mahr, Junior Reid, Shaggy, Half Pint, Big Yute, Ken Boothe, George Nooks, Bryan Hart, John Holt, Jimmy Riley

The concert offered a platform for up-coming artistes. Among the new acts the band Raging Fyah offered a stella performance singing their intense ode Rastafari "Judgement Day".

Myself and many other patrons were truly excited to see the sons of the King of Reggae Bob Marley perform. They did not disappoint, Damian "Junior Gong" Marley, Stephen Marley and Julian Marley. Stephen Marley open the performance with his chart topping hit "Traffic Jam", the trio performed mega- hits like "It is Written", "Welcome to Jamrock" and quite befitting to the tribute concert the Gongs performed "Promised Land" ft Dennis Brown off Damian Marley-Nas 2010 collaborative album Distance Relatives.

The star of the night was Taurus Riley. Taurus Riley "Singy-Singy" wowed the crowd with a powerful performance of his Pan-African Anthem "Shaka Zulu Pickney " He kept the momentum going performing Dennis Brown songs and thrilling the patrons with his hits like "Good Girl Gone Bad" and She's Royal"

Downtown Kingston has a bad reputation and I work Downtown and I try to tell people that they are wrong the area is not really violent. The people are aggressive because of the environment poor education, high levels of illiteracy, high levels of unemployment and poverty. But looking beyond that and seeing the people of Downtown Kingston they are good people. So I went to the concert in Downtown with all these people who are considered the worst in Jamaica and I was truly happy being there among them sharing in the music and the good vibrations it was an awesome experience. The concert didn't end until 2:30 in the morning my feet hurt and were swollen way into the next day but that did not matter the experience was just amazing.

HAPPY 67^thEARTHSTRONG BOB MARLEY

2012 Figuring It All Out

2012-01-31T05:54:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to write this blog post on January 1 and life started rolling on and so here we are and it is January 31. I have decided to set some clear measurable goals this year. Last year I spent an awful lot of time saying I wanted to do this or to acquire that. At the end of 2011 the many "do-to" and "go-get" lists simply never materialized.

Looking back at 2011 I am certainly happy and grateful for the strides I made in figuring what my goals are and thinking of strategies to achieve them. I am also happy with the relationships that I am building.

I have decided to follow a more organized approach to fulfilling my dreams. I have adopted Lisa Nichols' 4 quadrants of life and will focus on how to improve my life in all these areas.

1. Health and Wellness
2. Love and Relationships
3. Work and Finance
4. Spirit and Affirmation

More on these next time.

Dennis Brown Symposium Sunday January 29,2012

2012-01-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

Haiti: Promise and Betrayal Lecture Sunday January 22, 2012

2012-01-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

Haiti Marks Two years After Catastrophic Quake.

New Haiti Cholera Campaign Faces Tough Questions

2011-11-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's two most prominent health care organizations are preparing a new assault on the country's deadly cholera epidemic: the dispatch of hundreds of workers to remote villages and gritty alleys in the capital to administer a vaccine against the raging disease.

But the pilot project, which has not yet secured the $870,000 it is estimated to cost, has set off a debate among some public health experts who question the wisdom of a program that will inoculate only 1 percent of the population and could deplete the world's stock of available cholera vaccine, potentially putting people at risk in other vulnerable places.

Experts also wonder whether it will even be possible to successfully administer a vaccine that must be given in two dosages two weeks apart. They contend the money is best spent cleaning up the waterways that have allowed cholera to flourish in Haiti.

Further reading at the Jamaica Gleaner

Haiti cholera victims demand UN compensation

2011-11-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

The United Nations is facing claims for hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from Haitian cholera victims.

Several studies have found that cholera was probably brought to Haiti by UN peacekeepers from Nepal.

The US-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti filed the demand on behalf of some 5,000 victims.

Haitians have little natural resistance to cholera, and the waterborne disease spread rapidly in a country whose already poor infrastructure was shattered by the January 2010 earthquake.

A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

An estimated 2 million people lived within the zone of heavy to moderate structural damage. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years and massive international assistance will be required to help the country recover.

Continue reading at the BBC

2011-09-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Word of the Day

Word of the Day provided by TheFreeDictionary

Liberty Hall celebrates the 124th anniversary of the birth of Marcus Garvey August 17 2011

2011-08-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Change and Challenges

2011-08-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” -Buddha

I am in a transitioning phase and this quote expresses exactly where I am.
I have been thinking about what I want and doing a lot of what I would do this if...

And now its time to start doing.

In terms of writing literary work I wrote a story in May and sent it in to Small Axe journal I entered their Literary Competition so I can't share it here. But it felt good to write something and complete a piece and to actual share it and have it critiqued. I am looking forward to the outcome of that.

I am also writing something else but the idea keeps shifting I have been writing since December 31 2010 I want to complete it and share it with you by the end of this September.

This is a challenge to myself I have publicly stated what I am doing and my intention and so it is up to me to deliver on my commitments.

I also want or rather I will at the end of September create a separate space/blog to share my stories and other forms of creative expressions as they come to me.

Tomorrow I am back to being a Researcher and I happy and grateful for that. I enjoyed my three month stint in broadcast journalism but news writing is simply not for me.

So my challenge to myself is to complete and share my story by the end of September and to complete my academic research paper "Positioning Grandy Nanny as a Proponent of Black Power" by December 2011.

And Happy Emancipation Day!

UN Declares Famine in Somalia

2011-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is according to the Agence France Presse-the APF News Agency

The UN officially declared famine in two parts of southern Somalia Wednesday as the world slowly mobilised to save the 12 million people battling hunger in the region's worst drought in 60 years.

More than 10 million people in the Horn of Africa have been affected by the drought

The United States urged the Al Qaeda-inspired rebels controlling the area to allow the return of the relief groups they expelled two years ago while aid groups warned many would die without urgent action and funding.

Somalia, which has been affected by almost uninterrupted conflict for 20 years and become a by-word for "failed state", is the worst affected nation but parts of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti are also hit.

The Horn of Africa

The United States urged neighbouring Eritrea, one of the most secretive countries in the world, to reveal the scope of its own food situation.

Famine implies that at least 20 percent of households face extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition in over 30 percent of people, and two deaths per 10,000 people every day, according to UN definition.

The Shebab expelled foreign aid groups two years ago, accusing them of being Western spies and Christian crusaders.

However, the UN last week airlifted in the first supplies since the group said it would lift restrictions on aid.

For further information on the issue visit the BBC page on the Horn of Africa drought.

BBC's Drought in the Horn of Africa

South Sudan Profile: An Overview

2011-07-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

The following is from the BBC with minor changes to be current, the following was originally posted BBC World News on July 8 2011: The BBC South Sudan country profile

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011 as the outcome of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war.

An overwhelming majority of South Sudanese voted in a January 2011 referendum to secede and become Africa's first new country since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993.

The new nation stands to benefit from inheriting the bulk of Sudan's oil wealth, but continuing disputes with Khartoum and a lack of economic development cloud its immediate future.

Geography

Formed from the 10 southern-most states of Sudan, South Sudan is a land of expansive grassland, swamps and tropical rain forest straddling both banks of the White Nile.

It is highly diverse ethnically and linguistically. Among the largest ethnic groups are the Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk.

Unlike the predominantly Muslim population of Sudan, the South Sudanese follow traditional religions, while a minority are Christians.

South Sudan celebration scene

History

As Sudan prepared to gain independence from joint British and Egyptian rule in 1956, southern leaders accused the new authorities in Khartoum of backing out of promises to create a federal system, and of trying to impose an Islamic and Arabic identity.

In 1955, southern army officers mutinied, sparking off a civil war between the south, led by the Anya Nya guerrilla movement, and the Sudanese government.

The conflict only ended when the Addis Ababa peace agreement of 1972 accorded the south a measure of autonomy.

But, in 1983, the south, led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its armed wing, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), again rose in rebellion when the Sudanese government cancelled the autonomy arrangements.

At least 1.5 million people are thought to have lost their lives and more than four million were displaced in the ensuing 22 years of guerrilla warfare. Large numbers of South Sudanese fled the fighting, either to the north or to neighbouring countries, where many remain.

The conflict finally ended with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, under which the south was granted regional autonomy along with guaranteed representation in a national power-sharing government.

The agreement also provided for a referendum in the south on independence in 2011, in which 99% of southern Sudanese voted to split from Sudan.

Most South Sudanese sustain themselves through agriculture

Economy

Long based on subsistence agriculture, South Sudan's economy is now highly oil-dependent. While an estimated 75% of all the former Sudan's oil reserves are in South Sudan, the refineries and the pipeline to the Red Sea are in Sudan.

Under the 2005 accord, South Sudan received 50% of Sudan's oil proceeds, which provide the vast bulk of the country's budget. But that arrangement was set to expire with independence.

Despite the oil wealth, South Sudan is one of Africa's least developed countries. However, the years since the 2005 peace accord ushered in an economic revival and investment in utilities and other infrastructure.

Conflicts

Alongside the oil issue, several border disputes with Sudan continue to strain ties. The main row is over border region of Abyei, where a referendum for the residents to decide whether to join south or north has been delayed over voter eligibility.

The conflict is rooted in a dispute over land between farmers of the pro-South Sudan Dinka Ngok people and cattle-herding Misseriya Arab tribesmen.

Another source of conflict is the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan's South Kordofan state, where violence continues between the largely Christian and pro-SPLA Nuba people and northern government forces.

Inside South Sudan, several rebel forces opposed to the SPLM-dominated government have appeared, including the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) of Peter Gadet and a force led former SPLA general George Athor. Juba says these forces are funded by Sudan, which denies the accusation.

South Sudan's Independence and breaking the bonds of colonialism

2011-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday South Sudan became the world's newest nation and African 54th country.

Map showing the established borders of Sudan and South Sudan

Sudan, the largest and one of the most geographically diverse states in Africa, split into two countries in July 2011 after the people of the south voted for independence.

The world's newest nation was born at midnight East African Time last Saturday. Independence marked the the climax of a process made possible by the 2005 peace deal that ended a long civil war.

The South's independence follows decades of conflict with the north in which some 1.5 million people died.

South Sudan's independence following a referendum held in January 2011 in which nearly 99% of voters opted for separation from the rest of Sudan.

Saturday's independence ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the late rebel leader John Garang, who died just months after signing the peace deal with Mr Bashir that ended Africa's longest-running conflict.

While we celebrate with South Sudan and look towards a bright future for the long suffering Southerners we must acknowledge that moving forward will be hard.

South Sudan is in an oil rich region but is considered to be the most underdeveloped country in the world.

South Sudan most now move to build basic infrastructure and amenities such as roads, schools, hospitals, schools and the like.

However, I see good in all this. As a student of African history I am proud and happy that Sudan is the first country to break the artificial and forced boundaries established under colonial rule.

In what is termed the "Scramble for Africa" also known as the Race for Africa and the Partition of Africa was the process of annexation, colonization of African territories by Europe between 1881 to the start of the World War I in 1914.

European imperialist created artificial boundaries and called them countries wherein ethnic groups and nation-states were forced to live within laws that did not fit the African personality. Such laws are exported from Europe ( such a the British common law that former colonies of Britain like Jamaica continue to struggle operate in).

After the 1960s the Decade of Independence for most African and Caribbean nations that were colonized these artificial boundaries were maintained and Sudan is the first nation to act to change from these colonial spatial definitions.

I will watching closely to see how South Sudan and Sudan adjusts. And I pray and wish them success as this may be the step needed to end the ethnic clashes that have plagued Africa since the end of official colonial rule.

For the next few weeks Envasa will have a South Sudan post independence series as we monitor the transitional period.

What do you think of the independence of South Sudan? Do you think other African countries can benefit from the Sudan-South Sudan model? or is it just too soon to tell?

From UNESCO The long and difficult road to school for girls

2011-05-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

UNESCO has commissioned or endorsed a photo exhibition highlighting the difficulties and obstacles girls around the world encounter when trying to gain access to education. I saw this today and it made me pause to think of how easy it has been for me access a full education from elementary to tertiary. This is a blessing in my life and it is something that I have not always been consciously thankful for having received. So watch and discuss.

Photo exhibition illustrating the difficulties that girls face all around the world to access education. On the occasion of the signature of the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls' and Women's Education, 26 May 2011: "Better Life, Better Future" - muet projection

Also remember to volunteer. We all have something to offer. If scheduling the time is a major deterrent, and you cannot commit to visiting and working in an actual space remember that you can become a United Nations Online Volunteer UNV. For further information visit the UNV website

Young Professionals Network Of Jamaica

2011-05-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Young Professionals of Jamaica Network is a network of that provides opportunities to like-minded individuals to meet each other and to engage with politicians, academics, people who work in NGOs and influential members of the business community.

The network brings together professionals aged 21 to 45 with a passion for nation building.

Today May 18 the YPNJ will launch a Skills Consortium that will comprise a cadre of skilled and experienced professionals, such as marketers, graphic designers, researchers, project-management specialists, writers, accountants, paralegals, and proposal writers, who will be available for employment on a part-time, short term or project basis.

The launch will be at 6 this evening at the Council of Voluntary Social Services Building, 2D Camp Road.
For further information see the YPNJ Facebook Page

Ward Threatre to be retored to her former glory

2011-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Jamaica Observer newspaper is reporting the Ward Theatre is to receive much needed restoration in time for its 2012 centenary. The restoration is said to be budgeted at US $ 6.2 million.

For further information see the Jamaica Observer

The Ward Theatre, North Parade, Kingston.

Desmond Tutu ‘God is not a Christian’

2011-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

I saw this interesting piece on New African Magazine homepage and decided to share it with you. I am in complete agreement with his sentiments. Christianity is a fairly new religious and life philosophy while the presence of and the belief in a Supreme Element (of whatever name, shape, size, colour or race) has been intrinsic in human civilization and cosmic realities. So I invite you to read the excerpt below and then discuss. Is God a Christian?

New African Magazine Homepage
“God is clearly not a Christian. His concern is for all his children. To claim God exclusively for Christians is to make God too small and in a real sense is blasphemous. God is bigger than Christians and cares for more than Christians only,” writes Archbishop Desmond Tutu in his new book, God Is Not A Christian, a collection of some of his speeches, sermons, lectures, letters, and exchanges from the past three decades. Below is an excerpt from the book.

Most Christians believe that they get their mandate for exclusivist claims from the Bible. Jesus does say that no one can come to the Father except through him, and in Acts we hear it proclaimed that there is no other name under heaven that is given for salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Those passages seem to be categorical enough to make all debate superfluous. But is this all that the Bible says, with nothing, as it were, on the side of inclusiveness and universality, and does the exclusivist case seem reasonable in the light of human history and development?

The Most Reverend Doctor Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African activist and Christian cleric who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. He was the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town., South Africa, and primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa).

Archbishop Tutu has been active in the defense of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, homophobia, transphobia, poverty and racism. Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986, the Ghandi Peace Prize in 2005, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Tutu has also compiled several books of his speeches and sayings.

Haiti: Culture A Vehicle for Reconstruction

2011-04-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

From UNESCO, just sharing. Enjoy!
Comment and Discuss: Does cultural heritage or intangible heritage stimulate sustainable economic development in Africa and the African Diaspora?