Background from Ogele Updates July 20, 2001

Here, at the G8summit, with a man dead, the most important thing seems the violence in the streets. The media are only covering the several violent acts that are occurring in Genoa. Many peaceful organizations have declared their will to stop their peaceful manifestations in order to not be associated with those who are attacking the "red zone". In Genoa, the real issues of the debt of economically poorer nations, globalization and the global economy risk being lost, as the violence in the streets consumes the lion' s share of the media's attention.

The peaceful manifestations have been forgotten and, with them, all the efforts to sensitise public opinion toward globalization have lost significant ground. All this because some people took to violence - people whose motivation is unclear as it seems their only aim is to be violent and attack the police. On the other hand it seems that the same police allowed somehow this violence to arise. Here we don't know what to think, we only know that we are very sad..!!

Questions/Food for Thought

* When manifestations become violent they get much media attention. The protestors are noticed, maybe even heard. But is the message behind the manifestation heard or just the manifestation itself? Is the message, in fact, further from being heard or widely known than it was before?

* What purpose can violence serve, if any, in activism?

* Should activists be setting the peaceful example that they are asking for?

* Can issues be brought to attention through peaceful manifestations? What was the secret behind past successful peaceful activism, such as the US Civil Rights Movement?

* Who is responsible for the violence?

Fedelis Neba Chebe, Cameroon Aug 23, 2001

We regret deeply that it wasn't all that smooth for AKPOS whose midnight tranquility was perturbed by youths of the Niger Delta (read Akpos' story) who to my mind are part of the struggle that Akpos has for all this time been championing before he bacame part of the less militant side of the battle ( THE GOVERMENT). Akpos we thank God you became part of the summer olmpics and were a great Ben Jonson running pretty fast to save body,soul and talents not just for your sake but to keep the battle on.

Well in as much as we cherish peace by peaceful means, I think those boys are a symbol of the loss of faith and hope in the existing stuctures, all they need is a genuine commitment to assuring them of realistic hope, the need to see things happenning. Peace work has to go beyond the gospel approach of doing good waiting for the reward in heaven,genuine peace has to be matched by some concrete archievements. That is what make s peace progressive. My tips to you therefore is, I donnot know how militant you are now in the battle yet i think you have to tell those officials working with you in that high executive capacity, that peace is best archieved by Bottom to Top policies. Provide a source of hope for those boys and girls in the noger delta, give them education, create employment, social facilities and improve upon their lot. That is the language they understand, if not then be rest assured you may be in for another midnight escape and if you are not very lucky, it may become midnight capture. folks, that is price of peace and to all you out there involved in it like my brother AKPOS, you will have a price to pay but not exactly as the midnight escape.

The Ogele is a proactive peaceful dance celebrated by the Ijaws as a connotation of joy, happiness and an expression of sympathy for justice and of concern.
In the spirit of the Ogele, through this website, we seek to unite and channel ...

Voices
       for Peace