International Solidarity My talking notes at The World Transformed-Zitto Kabwe Liverpool, 23/9/2018

[Zitto]

When you live in a dysfunctional system, with a dysfunctional leadership and governance culture, you have to choose early on the extent to which you will succumb or you will resist. For me, the definition of being an activist has been directly related to that resistance. And I have always chosen activism. Eg from school day activism, to student politics at the university, to civil society movements and, for the longest time now, as an opposition politician.

So biggest motivation is that passivity means succumbing. And succumbing means agreeing to be a part of an exploitative and unfair system. I choose to resist.

Resistance comes with massive challenges in a country where socially, culturally, and institutionally, questioning and challenging is a sign of disrespect. Worse yet, end increasingly, opposition/resistance is seen as unpatriotic and potentially treasonous.

In a country, when a narrative is built that a president is God sent, where the government has a monopoly over data and ‘truth’, and where they have the security forces at their disposal to enforce that narrative ... democracy starts to crumble.

That is why international solidarity is so important

• To reduce the isolation and therefore vulnerability that activists at risk face when they oppose and resist those in power;
• To share experiences and lessons from other places;
• And at the very least, to bear witness. Sometimes that is all that we need. That the international community bears witness to atrocities being committed in our home countries.

But important to also note that international solidarity has its complexities and therefore limitations. For example, within my country I can consider myself as an activist against those in power. But my country is in itself on the loosing end of a broader, international power structure. A neoliberal capitalist system that exploits my country. So, when I seek out solidarity and international relationships, I have to navigate all those sometimes contradictory elements.


Should I seek support from a government that defends a bank which has been involved in corruption in Tanzania (for example $600m Standard Bank loan to Tanzania that was corruptly procured in 2013)?

A case international solidarity on issues such as illicit financial flows can not be left from this discussion. I have seen some bits of this issue on forthcoming Labour Manifesto. Africa is losing $50 billions a year through illicit financial flows and city of London is a conveyer belt of that. UK dependencies hold more than £40 billions of money owned by Africans. Labour in government must commit itself to address this issue. As an African this subject is at the center of my heart. I hope Labour in power will vehemently address it. This is the future and we must forge it together.

 

[kopites]

mkuu alikua Anfield anawacheki The Kops,wakikipiga na The saints!....

 

[thetallest]

Kumbe anawajuza wazungu!,mimi nilifikiri anatueleza sisi

 

[Mindi]

When you live in a dysfunctional system, with a dysfunctional leadership and governance culture, you have to choose early on the extent to which you will succumb or you will resist. For me, the definition of being an activist has been directly related to that resistance. And I have always chosen activism. Eg from school day activism, to student politics at the university, to civil society movements and, for the longest time now, as an opposition politician.

So biggest motivation is that passivity means succumbing. And succumbing means agreeing to be a part of an exploitative and unfair system. I choose to resist.

Resistance comes with massive challenges in a country where socially, culturally, and institutionally, questioning and challenging is a sign of disrespect. Worse yet, end increasingly, opposition/resistance is seen as unpatriotic and potentially treasonous.

In a country, when a narrative is built that a president is God sent, where the government has a monopoly over data and ‘truth’, and where they have the security forces at their disposal to enforce that narrative ... democracy starts to crumble.

That is why international solidarity is so important

• To reduce the isolation and therefore vulnerability that activists at risk face when they oppose and resist those in power;
• To share experiences and lessons from other places;
• And at the very least, to bear witness. Sometimes that is all that we need. That the international community bears witness to atrocities being committed in our home countries.

But important to also note that international solidarity has its complexities and therefore limitations. For example, within my country I can consider myself as an activist against those in power. But my country is in itself on the loosing end of a broader, international power structure. A neoliberal capitalist system that exploits my country. So, when I seek out solidarity and international relationships, I have to navigate all those sometimes contradictory elements.


Should I seek support from a government that defends a bank which has been involved in corruption in Tanzania (for example $600m Standard Bank loan to Tanzania that was corruptly procured in 2013)?

A case international solidarity on issues such as illicit financial flows can not be left from this discussion. I have seen some bits of this issue on forthcoming Labour Manifesto. Africa is losing $50 billions a year through illicit financial flows and city of London is a conveyer belt of that. UK dependencies hold more than £40 billions of money owned by Africans. Labour in government must commit itself to address this issue. As an African this subject is at the center of my heart. I hope Labour in power will vehemently address it. This is the future and we must forge it together.

Mkuu Zitto heshima mbele. Hongera sana yote unayofanya hivi sasa. Umeiva, naamini sasa upo kwenye peak. Najikuta nashindwa kuchagua kati ya kumlaumu Rais Magufuli kwa mtindo wake wa utawala, au nimpongeze kwa kukufanya uwe mpinzani mahiri. Ile style ya JK ilikuwa inakupeleka kwenye UMAKONDA MAKONDA, na sijui ungeishia wapi. Lakini ukatili wa serikali hii, kutojali sheria, Demokrasia ya vioja kama kununua wapinzani, na mengine mengi, yamekufanya utoe kilicho bora ndani yako. Hongera sana.

Ushauri wangu kuhusu hiyo dilemma: tuwe wazi. Mabaya yote yawekwe hadharani. Wawepo wanao-protest kuhusu matendo hayo ya kibeberu, upande mwingine tuendelee kupigia kelele machafu ya serikali zetu. Wababe wetu mara nyingi hujificha nyuma ya vita dhidi ya ubeberu. Tusiwape hiyo fursa.

 

[Prince jr 47]

Hapa wengi hawatakuja,

 

[Mindi]

When you live in a dysfunctional system, with a dysfunctional leadership and governance culture, you have to choose early on the extent to which you will succumb or you will resist. For me, the definition of being an activist has been directly related to that resistance. And I have always chosen activism. Eg from school day activism, to student politics at the university, to civil society movements and, for the longest time now, as an opposition politician.

So biggest motivation is that passivity means succumbing. And succumbing means agreeing to be a part of an exploitative and unfair system. I choose to resist.

Resistance comes with massive challenges in a country where socially, culturally, and institutionally, questioning and challenging is a sign of disrespect. Worse yet, end increasingly, opposition/resistance is seen as unpatriotic and potentially treasonous.

In a country, when a narrative is built that a president is God sent, where the government has a monopoly over data and ‘truth’, and where they have the security forces at their disposal to enforce that narrative ... democracy starts to crumble.

That is why international solidarity is so important

• To reduce the isolation and therefore vulnerability that activists at risk face when they oppose and resist those in power;
• To share experiences and lessons from other places;
• And at the very least, to bear witness. Sometimes that is all that we need. That the international community bears witness to atrocities being committed in our home countries.

But important to also note that international solidarity has its complexities and therefore limitations. For example, within my country I can consider myself as an activist against those in power. But my country is in itself on the loosing end of a broader, international power structure. A neoliberal capitalist system that exploits my country. So, when I seek out solidarity and international relationships, I have to navigate all those sometimes contradictory elements.


Should I seek support from a government that defends a bank which has been involved in corruption in Tanzania (for example $600m Standard Bank loan to Tanzania that was corruptly procured in 2013)?

A case international solidarity on issues such as illicit financial flows can not be left from this discussion. I have seen some bits of this issue on forthcoming Labour Manifesto. Africa is losing $50 billions a year through illicit financial flows and city of London is a conveyer belt of that. UK dependencies hold more than £40 billions of money owned by Africans. Labour in government must commit itself to address this issue. As an African this subject is at the center of my heart. I hope Labour in power will vehemently address it. This is the future and we must forge it together.

We must keep up the Drum-beating. We should target their tax payers, we are sure to get sympathisers who will carry on the battle on the home front

 

[Alexander The Great]

Rais wa 3 wa marekani, bwana Thomas Jefferson alinena hivi; "Udhalimu ukiwa ndio sheria, Upinzani unakua ni wajibu"

 

[Sungusela]

We must keep up the Drum-beating. We should target their tax payers, we are sure to get sympathisers who will carry on the battle on the home front

I guess you've got no idea how the capitalist system works ! To suggest targeting their tax payers hoping to win sympathisers ! Mama mia! The huge chunks of money from Africa hidden in offshore banks in Europe is partly what drive their economies. Hata tupige kelele za kutaka kutapika ndimi hakuna atakae sikiliza. Muulize Muhammadu Buhari wa Nigeria!