September 2017
Issue 48
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CONTENTS French Animators to Build Regional Industry
Production and concept: D.T. Kalloo
Through Collaborations. 3 SAS Soldier Auctions Medals to Fund Culturepulse is designed and produced by Cashewmedia ltd and published online through www.issuu.com
Retirement. 6
Copyright 2017
Russia’s Zapad war Games. 7
Views and comments expressed by contributors are not necessary those of Culturepulse or Cashewmedia Ltd but of the author/s.
The End is Nigh for the Internal Combustion Engine. 10
For all enquiries, please contact: 07738864335
The Future is Lithium-ion. 11
cashewmedialtd@gmail.com
Black Cultures and Identities in Europe. 12
Culturepulse list of contributors’ to making the magazine a success.
Caribbean Food Week 2017. 17
Natalie Alicia Dookie Lyndon Brathwaite, Ansel Wong, David Wears, Chris Boothman, Nasser Khan, Malaika Crichlow, Amos Armstrong, Soshina Stephen, David Rudder, Jimmy Kainja, Paul Ade, Akilah Holder-Stewart, Michael La Rose, Dr Michelle Yaa, Dr Juanita CoxWestmaas, Dianne A Kalloo, Shabaka Thompson, Ron Ramdin, Rhianna Kalloo, Angelique, Dorothy Scott, Memory Pincheck, Erica Williams-Connell, Darren Lewis, Tessa Robinson, Cindy Mollineau, Omardath Maharaj,
Kenya Bans Plastic Bags. 19 My Notting Hill Carnival Experience. 22 Alexis Peskine’s Power Figures. 25
Selena Carty, Alison Bajaican, Mahalia Mayne, Afridiziak, Ron Ramdin, Caroline Muraldo, Nestor Sullivan and
Rhum Glorious Rum, sip it, taste it, love it. 28 The Growing Threat of Digital Crime. 31 Panipat’s Textile Recycling Under Threat. 33 The Grand Dame of Notting Hill Carnival. 33 Irma Leaves the Caribbean in Carnage. 37 Survival of the Soil. 38
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French Animators to Build Regional Industry Through Collaborations The third-year phase is where students are required to select a speciality field between 3D animation, digital special effects and video game which they will go on to complete in their fourth year before graduating. Pavadé and Bernabé believe it is important to create links within the Caribbean and identify opportunities in the region. Currently, the pair has forged a relationship with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) under a Memorandum of Understanding which will see Trinidadian students in the UTT degree in digital Media arts getting the opportunity to study at the Martinique institution. The programme is funded by the European Union Fund dedicated to developing exchanges between the French territories and other Caribbean islands. The collaboration with Trinidad and Tobago came about when Pavadé and Bernabé visited Trinidad earlier this year and met with Camille Selvon Abrahams. Two students from Parallel 14 are expected to go to Trinidad under an exchange with UTT for one Trimester which will commence in the New Year. Bernabé said “The ambition is to unite the region and create a platform where all the artists and technicians could come together and collaborate.” Bernabé is very optimistic about the future of 3D animation and film production in the Caribbean he added, “In the Caribbean you can feel something is about to happen in the animation world. There is talent in the Caribbean and we have to work together, that is the next step.”
Yoane Pavadé and Saidou Bernabé have an ultimate dream to establish a viable film industry in the Caribbean region. The who has founded an animation school in Martinique has been churning out world class 3D animation and graphics and visual effects. The Caribbean duo have worked on films such as The Hobbit, The Dark Knight, The Matrix, Despicable Me and Fight Club are just a few of the films they have worked with. Both Pavadé and Bernabé were born in Martinique and attended the Martinique Art School where they realised their potential and went off to Paris where they both went to cinema school. According to Pavadé it was at film school when he had the notion to “Get back to Martinique and share our knowledge. We wanted to give others the option to learn at home, studying in Paris was expensive.” Pavadé and Bernabé have put together with Parallel 14, a 4-year degree programme where students are required to go through a two-year preparatory study by which time the students would have acquired the skill sets to becoming Junior Generalist 3D artist-technician or Junior Motion Designers. They would have gone through the curriculum that includes; sketching, visual culture, programming, photoshop, storyboarding, cinema theory, character design, 3D modelling, 3D animation and lighting.
Source: www.frenchcaribbeannews.com Photo: www.frenchcaribbeannews.com
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Former SAS Soldier Auction’s Medal and Iranian Embassy Floor Plans to Fund Retirement.
On 5th May 1980 six gunmen took 25 hostages at the Iranian Embassy in London. What unfolded on live TV for six days was the most daring raid to free the hostages at the embassy. The world could see the SAS in action, in real time as they brought the siege to an end and for many years left the charred prime property in Princess Gate, South Kensington as a tourist attraction. Five of the gunmen were killed by the SAS.
The Wiltshire auctioneers, Wooley and Wallis expect the collection to fetch ÂŁ30,000 when it goes under the hammer. It is a shame when men who served to protect and secure lives are forced to part with their awards to maintain a lifestyle in retirement.
Almost 40 years on, many of the officers involved in the raid retired and faded into private life but one officer has resurfaced, he is Warrant Officer Ian White. Mr White, now in his sixties has emerged to auction off his medals and floor plans of the embassy to help fund his retirement.
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West Should Keep a Wary Eye on Russia's Zapad War Games Russia is currently mixing threatening language designed to intimidate the West with another, contradictory message: that those who fear a Russian military threat are 'hysterical' and hankering for the Cold War.
the move for major exercises to launch real military operations - against both Georgia and Ukraine. In Poland, Lithuania and especially Ukraine, some fear this year's Zapad could provide cover for preparing another Russian military adventure. But unlike those exercises, Zapad is not a purely Russian undertaking. It is run in cooperation with Belarus. Belarus finds itself in the difficult position of being officially an ally of Russia's but not sharing Moscow's antagonism toward the West and wanting instead to remain neutral in the confrontation between Russia and NATO. But at the same time, the country shares NATO's concern about the danger of inadvertent conflict in the region, and is looking for ways to avoid inflaming the situation. Belarus is pushing for openness to the West during the exercises - which will also help ensure that Russia does not take the opportunity to deviate from the exercise scenario to launch some kind of unfriendly action. The authorities in Minsk have invited military observers and defence attachĂŠs from a large number of NATO and non-NATO countries as well as from international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Red Cross to observe portions of the exercise. And Belarus is running its own programme of advance briefings for NATO and Western countries on how the exercise is to run, in parallel with information that Russia is providing. Various theories have been put forward for how Russia might exploit Zapad to gain some kind of military advantage. At the most extravagant, these theories include mounting an actual military attack on Russia's NATO neighbors, and the United States and other countries have made small temporary increases in the number of troops and defensive assets in place in the Baltic states
In Russia and neighbouring Belarus, preparations are underway for Zapad - a major military exercise to be held in September. The two countries' Western neighbours are worried. Zapad is Russian for 'West', and of all the different major exercises in the Russian military calendar, it causes the most excitement and concern because it is the one that most closely resembles practice for invading those neighbours. As a result, this regular event receives a lot more attention than other Russian manoeuvers of similar size. Held every four years, the exercise can even develop its own mythology: much of the Western coverage said that the 2009 exercise ended with a simulated nuclear attack on Warsaw, Poland, even though there is no evidence at all from unclassified sources to suggest this was the case. What happens during this year's Zapad exercise is important. The United States, NATO and especially the front-line states bordering Russia will be watching closely to learn what they can about the latest Russian capabilities and military procedures. An additional cause for concern is that Russia has previously used the fact of large numbers of troops being on 7
as a precaution. At the less dramatic end of the scale, another suggestion is that Russian troops taking part in the exercise on the territory of Belarus could remain there at the end of the exercise. There has been little public discussion on what the 'staying behind' option might actually look like. While major Russian units remaining on Belarusian territory seems a remote prospect, another possibility that has been put forward is Russian military equipment being left there without troops, as part of pre-positioning for possible future Russian military action launched against neighbours such as Lithuania or Poland, or the so-called Suwałki gap, from Belarus itself. A move such as this could be portrayed by Russia as a defensive measure in response to NATO's placement of a small number of additional troops in the Baltic states and Poland under the 'enhanced forward presence' programme - the argument would be that NATO has prepositioned its forces in the front-line states, so Russia is now doing the same. But this too would require cooperation and agreement from Minsk, which does not fit with Belarus' track record of resisting attempts at increasing the amount of Russian military infrastructure in the country.
With the current level of Western alarm at possible developments of the upcoming exercise, if it comes to an end with no incident, then Moscow can quite readily say, 'We told you so.' Author: Keir Giles Senior Consulting Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme Photo and article courtesy www.ChathamHouse.org
At the same time, Russia has good reason at the moment to play down conflict instead of launching new military adventures. With a strong interest in rolling back sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe, Moscow could choose to act calmly to defuse anti-Russian rhetoric and undermine those who warn of the Kremlin's aggressive intent. As a result, Russia is currently mixing threatening language designed to intimidate the West with another, contradictory message: that those who fear a Russian military threat are 'hysterical', 'living in the last century', and hankering for the Cold War. 8
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The End Is Nigh For The Internal Combustion Engine
Is the end near for the internal combustion engine? By the shape of the future of motoring, it certainly spells disaster for the engine that has shaped the modern world. Back in 1894 the French organised a Paris to Rouen race for horseless carriages, of the 102 entries entrants that included vehicles powered by ‘petrol, steam, electricity, compressed air and hydraulics only 21 qualified for the 126Km race’ with the clear winner being the internal combustion engine. Not a single electric vehicle made it to the finish line, mainly because batteries needed charging every 30km. For over a century the internal combustion engine powered industry globally. Today, with rapid technological growth, batteries can power electric motors for longer distances which has catapulted the electric car into mainstream motoring. Lithium-ion batteries can now power a vehicle for up to 383km before it needs recharging. Recently, Tesla recorded one of its Model S cars doing a 1000 km on a single charge. It is now predicted by UBS that by ‘2025 electric cars will make up 14% of the global car sales, from its 1% today. The cost of powering an electric vehicle has also fallen dramatically, in the past it would have cost ‘$1,000 per
kilowatt-hour in 2010 compare to $130200’ over the last year. As technology improves and the growing demand for low emission vehicles escalates, the cost of batteries could become significantly lower as major cities around the world aiming for zero-emission vehicles by 2050. The death of the internal combustion engine has sent cause for concern around the world as there is grave worry to what its demise can do to some economies. Manufacturing of parts and spares will be greatly reduced with the electrification of vehicles and the introduction of driverless electric vehicles would also see dramatic job losses in the transport network. The car making industry would also suffer significant redundancies as electric vehicles use fewer parts and would not require as many people on an assembly line. While
The Nissan Leaf
there will be significant consequences to 10
the development of the electric car, much as the digital age has done to other industries, new industry will emerge. It has already been suggested that the introduction by 2050 of zero-emission vehicles could reduce the death toll that petrol vehicles cause. A recent study in the US found that 53,000 American die each year from contributing pollution from vehicle emissions compared to 34,000 who die in traffic accidents. Some agencies have raised views about what the increased production of lithiumion batteries would have on Chile which is rich in lithium, claiming the country could become the next Saudi Arabia. However, experts claim that that while electric cars use lithium, it does not consume it as the internal combustion engine consumes petrol. The batteries from cars can be ‘reused in grids and ten recycled.’ While it may be the death of the internal combustion engine on our roads, it may take some time before it is replaced in shipping and aviation circles. Car manufacturers are well underway in making the transitions from the internal combustion engine to electric. Nissan motors in the UK, makers of the world’s biggest selling electric vehicle, Leafs made 17, 500 last year and 31,000 Qashquais and admitted that it has ‘lost money on every Leaf it has made.’ So, while preparation for the transition is in place, the sale of electric cars is increasing at a snail’s pace. Currently, electric cars only have a 1% share of global new-car market with 750,00 sold last year. The internal combustion engine may almost certain to have its life span shortened in major metropolis but in developing and lesser developed countries petrol engines will still be a way of life for some decades to come.
The Future is Lithium-ion With the growing need for lithium-ion batteries, can the battery industry keep up with the demands for portable electricity? The demand for batteries for electric cars is set to quadruple in the coming years as the world’s major cities push towards zero-emission vehicles by 2050. 26 years ago, the first lithium battery went on sale in Sony’s CCD-TR1 camcorder. The battery was such a hit that its uses soon spread to computers, cordless power tools, phones, gadgets and e-cigarettes. A spokesperson for Cairn ERA, battery consultancy said. “Demands for car batteries will overtake that of consumer electronics as early as 2018.” It means the industry will have to expand dramatically to satiate the car industry. The top five manufacturers Panasonic, LG, Samsung, BYD and CATL are already on projecting to tripling capacity by 2020. So how does lithium-ion batteries work? ‘When the battery is charging an electric potential pulls lithium-ions into the recesses of a graphite-based electrode; when it is in use these ions migrate back through a liquid electrolyte to a much more complex electrode made of compounds containing lithium and other metals-the cathode.’ All the major producers are adding capacity because it drives down unit cost and in doing so has led to producing cheaper and better batteries.
Source: The Economist August 2017
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Afroeuropeans: Black Cultures and Identities in Europe – 6th Biennial Network Conference (University of Tampere, Finland, 6-8 July 2017) A review, by Carol Ann Dixon, Ph.D. The following is a review by Dr Carol Ann Dixon from the recently concluded 6th Biennial Network Conference at the University of Tampere, Finland. This review was first published by Tiffany Floryil at H-Black-Europe. politics and the impacts of an increasing shift in Western cultural discourses towards the mainstreaming of right-wing ‘securitisation’ politics. Through a skilful articulation of “The Slave Historical Arc” – a tracing of key acts of resistance and struggles for self-determination, from the era of transatlantic enslavement through to the most recent manifestations of anti-racist campaigns in the 21st century to push back against the rise in hate crimes and intolerance – Professor Gilroy advanced his understanding (in reference to the philosophy of Hannah Arendt) of “the impossible condition of being” for black and brown people forced to negotiate the many enduring complexities, paradoxes, and precarities associated with significantly compromised states of (non-)citizenship in Europe (see also, for example, Arendt’s The Human Condition, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1958).
In July 2017, circa 200 delegates from twenty countries gathered in Finland for the 6th Biennial Network Conference “Afroeuropeans: Black Cultures and Identities in Europe” – convened and hosted by Dr. Anna Rastas (Academy of Finland Research Fellow, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere), in partnership with social scientists, artists, and scholars from the Aalto University, Sibelius Academy, and the University of Helsinki. The three-day conference took place at the University of Tampere on 6-8 July 2017 to specifically coincide with the city of Tampere’s hosting of FEST AFRIKA 2017 – a diverse cultural programme of live music, dance, poetry and spoken word performances, curated by Zimbabwean musician and choreographer Menard Mponda, and involving instrumentalists, dub poets, singers and other artists from continental Africa and the African and Caribbean diasporas in Europe. Professor Address
Paul
Gilroy’s
The conclusion of the keynote touched on the increasing international circulation of ‘un-mediated’ photographic images, shared around the world by ‘citizen cameramen/women’ using smart-phones and social media to poly-vocalise and democratise the instant reporting of major social and political events. This digital documentation of alternative imagery and counter-narration to the ‘official’ news content broadcast via more conventional media was seen as a means of circumventing and destabilising the scripted messaging we have historically been exposed to via state-sanctioned and
Keynote
The internationally renowned social scientist and cultural theorist Professor Paul Gilroy (King’s College, University of London) gave the opening keynote address – “On the necessity and the impossibility of being a black European [a 2017 re-mix] or the value of anti-racism in the ‘Alt-right’ era.” In it, Professor Gilroy explored wideranging issues of race, migration, border 12
commercial broadcasters – often to the detriment of truth-telling.
integrated projection installation (in three voices), commemorating the life and legacy of a formerly enslaved African Igbo woman, Fanny Coker (1767-1820), who lived in Bristol during the late-18th century, and whose biography was narrated as a walk of remembrance and memorialisation through the city’s Greenbank Cemetery; (b) “I Witness” (2007) – a ‘multi art-form’ collaboration with the former British Empire and Commonwealth Museum commemorating the activism of Caribbean historian and Jamaican independence campaigner Richard Hart (1917-2013), presented through a series of songs, dance sequences and poetic monologues.
Two of the images placed in sharp focus – but, respectfully, not shown on screen in the conference auditorium because of their tragic and highly sensitive content – include firstly, the photograph of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, whose lifeless body was found washed up on a Turkish beach having drowned at sea during a fatal Mediterranean crossing in 2015; and, secondly, the equally poignant cameraphone footage of 22-year old Gambian refugee Pateh Sabally, who drowned in Venice’s Grand Canal in early 2017 as groups of Italian onlookers and tourists took pictures, laughed and hurled racist abuse from the canal side without attempting to come to his aid. Both examples provoked sombre reflection as Paul Gilroy spoke with heartfelt sincerity about the need for “a post-humanist humanism,” and a much more compassionate future in Europe characterised by “sympathetic,” “empathetic” and “convivial interactions” with our fellow human beings in ways that utterly reject the false binaries of “Us vs. Them,” “Insider vs. Outsider,” and “Self vs. Other.”
(2) “On some ‘documents of Euro-African contact’ (MacGregor),” by Dr. Mischa Twitchin (British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queen Mary, University of London). This paper featured a critique of the British Museum’s curation of masquerade masks and other works of fine art displayed in the African Galleries. A particularly interesting aspect of this presentation was a survey of the institution’s transition away from former director Neil MacGregor’s object-focused approach to collection interpretation, with the exhibits serving as cultural metonyms for “telling history through things” (see MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, London: British Museum, 2010); and then a turn towards new director Hartwig Fischer’s post-2015 commitment to opening up the collections to more dynamic, ideas-based thematic interpretation, and politicized engagement with object assemblages (including ‘decolonial’ perspectives on interpretation).
Museums, Galleries, Arts Activism and Decolonisation The panel discussion I chaired about “Western museumscapes and the political aesthetics of decolonisation: African and Diasporan arts activists agitating for change” was specifically themed around issues of ‘othering,’ exclusionary museographic practices and alterisation. It was catalysed by the following three presentations:
(3) “#RewriteTheInstitute and #DecolonizeTheMuseum – Barrel of a Hashtag,” by the Amsterdam-based writer and campaign organiser Simone Zeefuik. During this talk, Simone Zeefuik discussed the genesis of several social media initiatives developed to increase public involvement in challenging and decolonizing the historically racist and
(1) “Rendered Visible: An Artist’s Response to Museum Spaces in Bristol (UK),” by British visual artist Ros Martin – who showed film clips from two performance installations in her portfolio: (a) “Being Rendered Visible” (2016) – an 13
Eurocentric language featured in some Dutch museum and gallery displays, at sites such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam. Throughout this highly engaging talk, question were posed about how all of us (as scholars, artists, educators and activists, etc.) might work more collaboratively to make institutions in the Netherlands, and elsewhere, more culturally inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to young people to “reflect the needs and discourses of the times we are living in now!”
cultural geographies and political aesthetics of African and Diasporan artists in Italy, France, and the UK. Dr. Claudia Brazzale (University of East London) presented on “Afropean choreographies and the economy of West African dance in Italy.” PhD candidate Deonte Harris (University of California) shared emerging findings from recent interviews conducted with organisers and artists involved in London’s Notting Hill Carnival, who articulated the ongoing art-political struggles to retain the Caribbean diaspora Carnival’s historical and spatio-cultural heritage as a community-led street festival in Kensington, campaigning against a relentless tide of mainstream political opposition.
Artists’ Portfolios Among the most interesting panels scheduled on Day 2 was an artist-focussed session titled, “Afropean Firsts: Blackness in Cultural Heritage and Visual Arts in Europe” – chaired by art historian Dr. Temi Odumoso (Malmö University). This session included a portfolio presentation by the Zurich-born artist Sasha Huber Saarikko (www.sashahuber.com). The ‘Firsts’ in the title was a direct reference to Sasha’s portraiture series – “THE FIRSTS” (2014-ongoing) – featuring representations of pioneering figures of African descent who came to prominence and achieved key positions of influence within the fields of politics, finance, medicine and the arts, depicted in mixed-media, using staples on board. The artist’s process of applying thousands of these tiny metal fasteners using a staple gun was described as a counter-mechanism (and, more viscerally) her “weapon” for “shooting back” against histories of colonialism, scientific racism, and global injustice spanning many centuries.
Lastly, Kamal Ahmada (from the Make a Difference (M.A.D.) Project, London) presented his paper “Afro-French conscious rap: identity, resistance and solidarity with Palestine” – using the music and lyrics of French-Guadeloupian, Muslim rap artist Kery James (aka Alix Mathurin) as a departure point for examining the way multilingual expressive arts can serve as a unifying medium through which to share related experiences of subalternisation and marginalisation in different regions of the world. The powerful visuals and poetic symbolism featured in the video for Kery James’s “Lettre à la République” [“A Letter to the Republic”] (available to view online, in French with Englishsubtitles,at: https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=XI-7NKDQKoU) served as a rousing and anthemic invitation for every delegate to re-double our individual and collective efforts to be part of the progressive change we aspire to achieve in a Europe where Gilroy’s afore-mentioned “post-humanist humanism” still remains a hoped-for future aspiration and not (as yet) a lived reality.
Geographies of Blackness One of Day 3’s closing panels on “Geographies of Blackness: Performing Africanness through Art and Activism in Europe,” turned out to be my highlight of the entire conference programme, featuring scholarship from academics researching the
Dr. Carol Ann Dixon Researcher and Education Consultant https://museumgeographies.wordpress.com/ 14
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Caribbean Food Week 2017 The Caribbean arrived in Brixton last week when Grace Foods staged hosted Caribbean Food Week 2017, Windrush Square was basking in tropical weather and savouring the taste of the Caribbean with an assortment of delicacies and foods from the Caribbean prepared with Grace products. Chefs Shaun and Craig McNuff cooked up some ackee and salt fish with fried dumplings and had the crowd eating out of their hands. Nanny Outar’s Guyanese roti cooked fresh in front of you offered a spicy dhal with ochres that was mouthwatering and bursting with flavours. Sadly, I don’t believe that the event lived up to its advertised theme ‘Caribbean Food Week’. The Caribbean is much more than Jamaican food. There is so much more to Caribbean cuisine that wasn’t represented on the day. While I appreciate Grace is a Jamaican company, I do know that they are forging new ground across the globe and, stamping their authority as a world leading brand. The touch of steel pan aroused the carnival spirit with Notting Hill Carnival around the corner. Grace made sure there was ample stocks from their product range for those attending to sample and purchase and take away create sumptuous Caribbean dishes.
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South African is first black female CEO to head multi-national oil company
Multi-national oil company BP has appointed its first black female CEO in South Africa. Chartered Accountant Priscillah Mabelane will take up the post of chief executive from September 1st of BP’s Southern African operations.
Priscillah Mabelane has worked with BPSA since 2011 when she started as the Chief Financial Officer. Before joining BPSA, her career span over 20 years in total with companies such as; Ernst & Young, Airports Company South Africa, Eskon Holdings Ltd and Vodacom Group Ltd.
Her appointment reinforces BP’s pioneering role of commitment to cultivating diverse inclusive workforce which will breed creativity and ensure that they meet and exceed customer expectations in its Southern African operations.
Thandi Orleyn, chairperson for BPSA said. “Given Priscillah’s track record in her previous roles, we are confident that she will be a strong leader for our business, especially as we continue to explore new areas of growth and development.” Text and photo courtesy www.africanews.com
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Kenya Bans Plastic Bags. Kenya has recently enforced a ban on plastic bags which takes effect from 28th August. The blanket ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags was imposed in March.
It is the third time in a decade that the East Africa giant has taken this path. In 2007 and 2011, the ban focused on reducing the thickness of the bags which was not successfully achieved as the plastic waste menace continued to affect the environment.
Under the Environment Manufacturers and Co-ordination Act, a culprit faces not less than a year in prison or a fine of not less than Shillings 2 million ($19,305). The government has vowed strict enforcement of the law. Local media portals have reported that officers of the implementation agency and police have been deployed to enforce compliance of the ban.
In the East African region, Rwanda and Eritrea are on record as the two countries to have banned the use of plastics. Rwanda is particularly lauded as being a success story at banning plastic bags in 2008, earning them praise from the international community especially for being the first in the world to do so.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) petitioned the president in July against the ban. They cited job and revenue losses for their position and opted to contribute to a fund that will cater for plastic waste management in the country.
Environmentalists have expressed happiness at the law and are hopeful that Kenya – with effective implementation – can chart the path of countries in the world who have succeeded in banning plastic bags.
A last-minute court case attempting to halt the law was thrown out by the court paving the way for to ban to take effect.
According to research, 4,000 tonnes of plastic bags are produced each month in Kenya and half of that ends up in the waste stream without proper management. Text and photo courtesy www.africanews.com
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Celebrating the Heritage With an award of £97,500 made possible by National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Windrush Foundation will commemorate and celebrate in 2018 the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, Essex, in June 1948. This will be explored through a series of outputs. The project will engage the community with a programme of heritage workshops that will discuss how the Windrush migrants built their lives in Britain and feature their contributions to the community. It will also explore key individuals of Windrush generation and how their efforts contributed to the development of a more inclusive society in the UK. A commemorative hard copy Brochure and a PDF version will highlight 70 men and women of Caribbean heritage who have made outstanding contributions to their communities and to Britain and whose work will be included on the project website. The project plans to develop educational resources for children studying at Key Stage 2 level, and train up to 30 volunteers to help facilitate the project’s aims through a variety of media, including BEN Television. Consequently, these volunteers will acquire a deeper understanding of post-war history and heritage to share also with other people. Furthermore, they will have acquired skills in researching and presenting this important area of the British historical narrative. The project intends to highlight the work of co-founder of Windrush Foundation, Sam B. King MBE. The project will run from September 2017 to November 2018 Mrs Dione McDonald, granddaughter of Sam B. King MBE, and one of Windrush Foundation’s Directors, said: One of my granddad’s passions and goal was for the importance of Windrush to be acknowledged, understood and never forgotten. Therefore, this project is of great value to our community as it aims to give a public platform to the verbal and non-verbal narrative of strength, hope, resilience and philanthropy at the heart of our significant journey.” Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “The arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks was an incredibly significant moment in the history of the Caribbean community; extraordinary stories from everyday lives that have shaped London’s culture. We are delighted that thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support the commemoration of this important anniversary next year” For further information, images and interviews please contact: WINDRUSH FOUNDATION 20 Arthur Torrington, Director (07737271437) windrush.project@gmail.com
Nzingha lecture 36. Fibroids, What Sisters need to know Thu 28 September 2017 18:30 – 21:00 London WC1H View Map Women of African descent suffer far more from fibroids than white women but mainstream agencies have failed to highlight information on this topic. Black women are more likely to develop multiple, larger and more aggressive fibroids. Therefore, it is important that they are empowered with accurate and reliable information about fibroids, including prevention and treatment options. In this session of short talks and videos we will cover, symptoms, risk factors and prevention methods as below: How physical activity helps manage the effects of Fibroids. -Candice Bryan Fibroids and the elimination of stress through the art of breathing-Imani Sorhaindo Fibroids & Nutrition: A case study-Claudine J Thornhill Plus Q&A and presentation from Black History Walks. This event is sponsored by Race Matters@UCL and Owens Stevens Solicitors www.owensstevens.org.uk It will start at 6.30pm, latecomers will miss out and may not get a seat. This event is provided to you free but donations are accepted on the day. Book through Eventbrite for this event at www.eventbrite.com 21
My Carnival 2017 Notting Hill Carnival Experience By Cindy Mollineau
see the big names in Soca getting along for the greater good!
Remember all the craziness leading up to Notting Hill Carnival? Trying to get all your bits and pieces together in time for the carnival weekend, while still juggling work, family life and the pre-carnival parties!
Next stop was Socalicious, this is probably one of the oldest soca parties for Notting Hill Carnival, and the vibes did not disappoint. Junior ‘Troubles’ Innis, you did it again!!!
This year I decided to put pen to paper and give my 2 pennies on my carnival experience. I promise to be fair and unbiased as possible. I stress, these are only my opinions and my own carnival experiences for 2017.
I never made it to Sunset this year…. Sigh…But somehow, carnival Thursday turned out to be the night of most parties and I am only human. Double sigh… Friday was of course, Scorch Duck Work Boat Party. Great news… I made it to the pier, on time and made it on the boat!!! Each year getting to this event presented many challenges, I’ve been left behind in the past. It was not a pretty sight, trust me! This boat party was heavily heaved with international DJs and so, the foreigners came out in their large numbers. Note to self, Miami have some good-looking guys… need to visit soon!!
My pre-carnival experiences started with UV Vibe and Intensity Parties. I did not go to Soca Addict due to work commitments so I am not able to judge whether it had the carnival party vibes, although feedback from party goers was that it was lit!!!!! For me, Intensity turned out to be quite a refreshing party. There was a drummer in addition to the heavy DJ line up and giveaways for the patrons. All in all, a great attempt by DJ Remy.
The concert that would rival all events! The BUSS HEAD featuring Machel Montano, Bunji and The Ultimate Rejects! So being a
My partying took a couple days off and resumed on carnival Thursday… having missed the boat for Amnesia Carnival Cruise hosted by DJ Tate. This was a great party last year and I really wanted to follow up this year to compare the vibes. Nevertheless, as they say the party must go on… I attended The Gathering, hosted by Tri Angels Entertainment which was a meet and greet for most of the artistes that performed live during the carnival weekend. It was interesting to meet the artistes in a more relaxed atmosphere and to have a chat of sorts about the culture, its legacy and how we as a people can take our heritage to another level. It was also fascinating to see Bunji, Fay Ann and Machel all in the same room, talking, laughing and giving each other light hearted banter throughout the evening. This is something most of us never thought we would see in our lifetime; but very proud to
Zephora Designer: Melissa Simon-Hartman Photo by @asiko_artist
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Machel fan from since the dawn of time, I knew this was going to be an amazing experience, and it didn’t disappoint. Big congrats to the promoters who united to give Londoners this event; Morris Roots, Tri Angels, Ashton and Friends; thank you for this gift.
Carnival Sunday could not have come sooner. J’ouvert with Ucom is always special. This year the theme was liquid gold as Ucom celebrated 10 years of Mas with their theme Reflections. Anyone who has ever seen Paul’s designs know that he is in a league all on his own! The details, gem work, the size of some of these costumes is enough to make you want to put your costume on every day of the year and just pose! My fellow masqueraders know what I’m talking about! To further enhance the day, Paul was at hand with a bottle of puncheon to get me ready for the day!!!
Before I knew it, Carnival Saturday was here. I couldn’t do my Ruk Atuk or Suits annual boat party this year. Work commitments again and the million and one last minute errands meant that I barely made it to Shipwrecked in Time, Back to the 70s all Inclusive Party!!! This event is an essential on the carnival diary as it always promises a carnival experience with a difference. This year was no exception. In fact, this year for the first time in history, I witnessed the men out dressing the ladies at an event! These guys came out and fully embraced this year’s 70s theme with authentic wear. Very impressed with the effort! As always, a great DJ line up, the drinks flowed and the atmosphere grooving.
Ofcourse carnival is not carnival if you don’t walk around to link up with your other besties in various bands. So I passed through Abir, Colours, Island Mas; Lawddd, this band big!!!! I can’t tell you how much times I got lost in there and still didn’t find my girl Nicole Bacchanalist! Tears Mas, again on the road in camouflage. I always love to see Tears band on the road. It’s a different vibe, it feels like family and everyone is always smiling! Here comes the big day! This is the day all carnivalists and masqueraders live for. This is the day we go to the gym 2 weeks before carnival hoping for miraculous results, cuz we all wanna look like Andrea Cha Cha when we step out on the road! So here I am, with my team slaying faces and when I see Bacchanalia Band swoosh past my hotel window in all its splendour! I’m telling you, this was one of the most breathtaking views of the day!!! Kelly Rajpaulsingh and team; you done great girl!!!!! I cannot write this article and not talk about UCOM. Yes, I played with this band; it’s my second year and I love the vibes, the people, the management, the masqueraders…. I cannot even begin to express how much costume envy I had in this band. I don’t know if I can choose one section as my all-time favourite, but I think Cheetah is getting that vote! Scratch that! Fool’s Paradise was hotttt!!!! Envy was wicked too! (that’s the green costume) and
Fool’s Paradise Designer: Paul O’Donaghue Photo by Cindy Mollineau
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the colour chosen to pay tribute to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Other positive points were the profound respect shown for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, marked with a minute silence on both days and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ played in tribute.
I cannot talk about carnival without mentioning Melissa Hartman, designer for Legion Mas. This woman is super special and amazingly talented! You know when you meet someone and you feel like OMG, she knows who I am!!!! EEEKKKKKKKK! That’s how I feel every time I meet Melissa. Your presentation this year was mind blowing and out of every box I know!
I certainly cannot wait to do this all over again next year! Until that time, we
jamming still!
Cindy Mollineau Beauty & Holistic Therapist Independent Distributor for Forever Living Products and Independent Presenter for Younique Products
Generally, it was a great carnival season; sorry to see its all over, until you see posts talking about 2018 presentation! Yes Paul O’Donoghue, I’m talking about you! I can’t wait for next year and the experiences that it promises. So, my synopsis for NHC 2017: Best Party I attended: Socalicious. It was real, great vibes and everyone enjoyed themselves. Best boat party was Duck Work; hands down! Best Band Presentation: Bacchanalia; because you crossed the judging point and I got an aerial view of those amazing costumes. Best Individual Piece: Mellissa Hartman with her piece, Zephora Best Costume Designer: I couldn’t choose between Melissa Simon-Hartman and Fred Os-Palmer so it’s a tie for me! Best Carnival Experience overall: Make up application for masqueraders. Being able to make other women happy and feel confident when they stepped out in their costumes, some of them for the first time. Worst Overall Experience: Cancellation of Buss Head After Party. I think everyone was disappointed. Best Rum Punch: Making Mas. Their rum punch is wicked!!!
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Alexis Peskine’s Power Figures Every art exhibition holds its own special appeal of the way in which art interacts with you and vice versa is always a personal journey that you undertake. Alexis Peskine’s Power Figures at the October Gallery offered more than that to me when I attended the private viewing of his exhibition at the gallery (13th Sept – 21st Oct).
Peskine is delivering a powerful serious message, not just to gallery audience but to the world. The black figures are empowered by the complexity and precision of every nail anchored. The nail having the ability to destroy and construct. However, Peskine demonstrates here, the power to construct with each nail embellished in gold leaf that adds to the contouring depths of beautiful optical illusion.
I have always gone to these events to look at art yet. However, as I entered the gallery, art was looking at me, reaching into me and drawing me closer, as if to say come inside and explore. You could not help but obey the command of the pieces on display and each telling you a story intertwined with struggle, yet holding magnificent power. Alexis Peskine dug deep into his consciousness to produce these magnificent captivating large-scale images in just three months. They can only be described as breathtaking. Using nails of varying lengths and diameter embedded into wooden planks with precise depths to create awesome three-dimensional figures with gold leaf overlay onto the nails that brings an optical illusion to the images. The wooden planks are stained with earth, coffee, water and acrylic all of which encompassed Peskine’s heritage. His mother being from Salvador de Bahia, Brazil and his father a Russian from St Petersburg and his own experiences from growing up as a teenager in Paris all manifest itself bringing power, struggle and grounding in Peskine’s solo exhibition, Power Figures.
Peskine’s work is as delicate as it is powerful as he embraces all aspects of his heritage into his work. It is a truly beautiful description of Peskine when asked about the people he choose for his Power Figures. “It’s my choice to depict Black people and especially those darker hues within the range of Black people. That’s because of the way colourism has worked against them, and they have been regarded as unattractive- even within our own communities.” He said. Peskine speaks freely of Fanon, Césaire and Du Bois with such ease as if schooled directly by them and appreciates their contribution that has helped his awareness of the Black Experience, the Negritude movement and the Afropean where a lot more attention is being paid to African art and artists.
There are no smiling images in Alexis work, the figures give a clear message that 25
Alexis Peskine Power Figures October Gallery 13th September – 21st October 2017 24 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3NL 020 7242 7367 Tuesday – Saturday 12.30-5.30 pm Free www.octobergallery.co.uk
Zac Ove introducing Peskine at the October Gallery said artist such as Peskine and others are always in “discourse with the language of old African art making into the future and on this instance how nail permeates, not just the past, but the future.” Peskine’s Power Figures truly harnesses both as he adopts the figurines from the Congo Basin where wooden images full of nails called minkisi was used by ancestors to heal people. Peskine’s inspiration are also drawn from Senegal and Dakar as well as his own experiences of growing up in Paris. Ove is humble and says of Peskine’s work. “There is a kind of timelessness, a confrontation as if being read by them…there is a sense of duality in the faces.” Photos courtesy D. Kalloo
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Rhum Glorious Rum…sip it, taste it, love it. By David Kalloo It had not occurred to me in the slightest that while vacationing in France recently, to do a rum journal. A couple years ago, with the help of my Finish friend,
modern bars these days with rum of all varieties having an enormous impact in recent years shedding its island image of a cheap spirit. Rum commands respect now and judging from the supermarket shelves in France, it certainly is doing well.
I discovered a new rum experience. I also discovered Rum Agricole, the process of making rum using 100% fresh cane juice as opposed to conventional process of molasses. Since then, I have always been keen to sample various Agricole rums.
What struck me with the selection of Martinique rums I had was its mellowness, I did not expect it from a white rum of 55% abv. The more I savoured it the more I wanted another shot. Trois Rivières(50% abv), St James, Rhum HSE (55% abv), Clement (40% abv), Rhum Neisson(50% abv) and La Mauny(50% abv) were just a few of the glorious white rums from Martinique which I sampled.
This year in France, favoured the Martinique rum experience. I had tried many of the other French department rums before, but this year Martinique had an appeal. I opted too, for the white rather than the dark rums and, to my surprise there was a fair bit of white versions available.
While these rums are favoured by cocktail mixers, you should not miss the opportunity to have them neat or better still, on the rock with a wedge of lime. The flavour and intensity of these rums are out of this world. But don’t take my word for it, according to rum ambassador Ian Burrell “You have to have a rum that’s ticking all the boxes. You have to have a rum from Martinique.” Enough said.
Rum cocktails have become a sort of statement in 29
The British Foundation for the University of the West Indies invites you to the book launch of Sir Hilary Beckles: Cricket without a cause – The Fall and Rise of the Mighty West Indies Cricket Team Thursday 28th September 2017 18:30 – 21:00 Admission Free. Book through www.eventbrite.com The Anatomy Theatre Room K6:29 30 King’s College, Strand Campus London WC2R 2LS
The Growing Threat of Digital Crime By David Kalloo Digital technology is taking over our daily lives at an alarming rate and the threat of cybercrime have become a mountainous challenge for both law agencies and the private sector. According to the Office for National Statistics crime reports ‘fraud and computer misuse offences outstrip all other types of crime.’ A frightening thought, but it’s the reality of the world we currently live in. A leading Chief Constable for Digital Investigation and Intelligence said. “…the threat is increasing at a deeply concerning rate that the private sector struggles with and the public sector poorly understands it.” The good news is, law enforcement agencies and their partners in the UK are enormously committed to tackling cybercrime. One of the biggest drawbacks with fighting digital crime is funding to enable transformation and develop strategies and intelligence, not just in tackling cybercrime but also presenting evidence to court.
Norfolk police source ‘we do not have enough prison places, even if we were to prosecute them all. The responsibility of protecting children from cyber abuse according to policing agencies must be a collective one that includes all partners from, social services, education agencies, schools, health service, courts, politician, internet and social media providers all have a duty to protect ‘naive and vulnerable individuals’ from predators. Terrorism have also presented a global difficulty for law agencies and intelligence gathering. The internet has provided a scope for radicalising and manipulating individuals to commit cowardly acts that cause death and injury to innocent people. Tackling terrorism through digital technology in the twenty-first century is crucial for security agencies and the police alike. While agencies can do groundwork on individuals through social media platforms they still require what one officer describes as ‘big data and clever analytics’ to monitor those who present the greatest risk. This means tracking their movements through digital technology to see who these individuals are communicating with, where they have travelled to build a profile. The problem exists where agencies do not have public consent to enable them to perform these tasks.
Upskilling police officers in modern technology for policing through a wider process with Digital Media Investigations. This means front line officers would have updated information and intelligence from sex offenders, missing people, burglaries, Domestic Violence, Fraud, harassment and digital crimes would all be part of a national network. One senior law agency spokesman said. “It’s about unlocking policing from the bureaucracy…and making police officers multi-skilled.” Although all crimes are given serious attention, one key area of concern for police is the challenge and difficulty in tackling online child abuse. The digital revolution meant that it now became easier for paedophiles to ‘share images with likeminded people’ globally. The NSPCC are constantly providing information regarding child abuse imagery but according to a
While the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 (DRIPA) gives some 31
powers such as snooping on individuals browsing history, Counter Terrorism personnel believe it does not give them enough access for in-depth monitoring of individuals. Private lobby continue to dominate the role the government wants to play in the integrity of undermining their privacy. Some security agencies argue that there doesn’t seem to be an acceptance of the scale and volume of harm that individuals and terrorism groups pose through using digital technology. While lobbyists dub DRIPA a ‘snoopers charter’ police agencies say, ‘we must maintain public confidence, the police must be seen to be respecting legislation and human rights’ and keeping standards of integrity as transparent as possible.
Some useful numbers and web addresses where you can report crimes and where you can obtain more information regard police and policing.
The problem of cybercrime is a global issue, it is not confined to any one specific area of criminality order jurisdiction and so, it needs a global collaboration and responsibility to affect any dynamic paradigm to tackling cybercrimes. Internet providers too, have a significant role to play in dealing with cybercrimes. The growing scale of criminality in the digital era means that businesses should continuously engage with the police so both can comprehend the challenges involved. The City of London police are very conscientious and work closely with city firms with wide ranging strategies including cybercrimes and counter terrorism. Essex police are currently developing roles for police specials for those who work in the IT environment so they can support police investigations.
www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-activity-to-mi5
www.met.police.uk www.cityoflondon.police.uk www.kent.police.uk www.west-midlands.police.uk www.essex.police.uk www.gmp.police.uk www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hom e-office www.gov.uk/government/.../nationalcounter-terrorism-security-office
www.witnessconfident.org www.crimestoppers-uk.org www.essex.police.uk/join-the-police/specialconstabulary www.hampshire.police.uk/join-us/specialconstables/
Emergency services: 999 Crime Stoppers: 0800 555 111 Anti-Terrorist Hotline: 0800 789 321 Mi5: 0800 111 4645 (Please note that you should call your local police if it’s not a matter of National Security) NACTSO: 0207 931 7142
There is no doubt that with digital and internet technology ingrained in almost every aspect of daily lives there a vital need for businesses, internet providers, security agencies, media agencies, the police, governments and the community to collaborate and coordinate when meeting the enormity of the challenge that face us in the digital age.
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Panipat’s Textile Recycling Under Threat Not many people may know it but Panipat, a city 90km from Delhi, India is probably the world’s biggest centre for textile recycling. Known as the ‘cast-off capital’ it is home to over 200 recycling mills process old T-Shirts, winter jackets, denims and other fabrics before it is spun into yarn.
soon its annual turnover was more than $300m. In recent years Panipat’s industry has been on the decline. Cheaper and lighter materials such as polyester which is preferred by wholesale buyers plus rising labour cost have seriously affected the recycling industry in the city. Other factors hampering Panipat’s recycling is shorter winters which means the demand for woollen clothing is less. Erratic electricity supplies also contribute to its fragmented industry with many mills functioning on half capacity.
Panipat recycling industry employs over 20,000 people and has an annual revenue of $62m according to the All India Woollen and Shoddy Mills Association. The history of Panipat’s textiles began after India’s bloody partition in 1947 and weavers found themselves located in Pakistan. They then uprooted and ‘set up looms in the ancient city where they hand-spun cotton carpets and wall hangings from new wool’ which became an instant hit.
A lack of oversight may have also contributed to the demise of a once thriving recycling industry according to some in the business. Many of the businesses are at best poorly organised and almost unregulated. Foresight to reinvest profits from its boom time to upgrade machinery could have benefited the industry. As it stands the future of nearly 20,000 workers hangs by a thread.
The city’s emergence into the ‘recycling hub’ really came into prominence with the collapse in ‘Prato, a small industrial town in Italy’ where a 1,000-year tradition in textiles flourished. Panipat mill owners took the opportunity in the early 1990s and bought the discarded machinery which was designed to make cheap yarn from recycled wool. Panipat’s industry took off and very
Source: The Economist September 2017
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haired, but mighty and well-informed woman, who despite her sharp tongue was always willing to assist anyone who needed the help to either best understand Carnival or needed direction and advice for their band or production. I recall as a student in London how Gloria assisted me in finding my first accommodation in West London and that was only because I attended LCMA meetings and felt confident enough to approach her on that issue.
The Grand Dame of Notting Hill Carnival: A personal tribute by Shabaka Thompson
Gloria was a community activist active within North Paddington. In many ways, she was a voice for the Black community within the liberal labour movement of North Paddington. Like others she was instrumental in standing against Westminster Council and their leader Lady Porter on the Gerrymandering issues that give birth to WECH (Walterton and Elgin Community Home) pioneered then by the indefatigable Jill Selbourne, the local Councillor at the time. In fact, Gloria and Jill were at one time the two women in North Paddington you go to for assistance concerning issues with the local Westminster Council. I believe the acquisition of 1 Fernhead Road, where she and her partner Larry Ford set up the Flamboyant Carnival Band, was a result of her activism within the local community and a fitting reward for both her and Larry’s long commitment to the Carnival Artform. As a forerunner 1 Fernhead Road is perhaps the only remaining official mas camp in London with the longest history that is fully own by its proprietors – indeed a national institution. She later became a board member of the Paddington Development Trust a locally based Trust spearheaded by local activists and leaders as a non- for profit social enterprise set up to regenerate North Paddington.
If Claudia Jones is considered the “Mother of Notting Hill Carnival”, in my opinion, Gloria Cummins should be acknowledged as “The Grand Dame of Notting Hill Carnival”. Just as Claudia, Gloria worked tirelessly for her community, especially in the realm of the Carnival. I first met Gloria when I attended my first mas bands’ meeting in London. The association was known then as LCMA (London Carnival Mas Association). She was the only woman among a group of men who were leaders of LCMA. If my memory is right she was the secretary of what was a very vibrant community artist led organisation. That was back in the middle 80’s when the Carnival politic was rife and the interactive scenario at the LCMA meetings were colourful and boisterous. But among all this clamour and heated discussions were this minute figure, grey
1 Fernhead Road for me was the place to go for advice on costume making. As the Yaa Asantewaa’s Carnival Organiser I would 35
usually put on a brave face and enter 1 Fernhead Road seeking crucial advice and direction or just as a means of better understanding the Carnival scene in London. It was never easy as one will be first faced with a barrage of scrutiny, but that soon faded and both Larry and Gloria were always willing to share the information that did help you understand better the processes and dynamics of costume construction and the politics of the Notting Hill Carnival. Through Flamboyant, Gloria provided a resource for young people to explore the creativity of costume making by offering placements to many arts and secondary school students
Committee of Carnival Arenas) was born and Yaa provided the space for the group meetings. The outcome of this movement has now resulted in the makeup of the current London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprise Trust. LNHCET as the new governing body, is now devoid of charismatic leadership and is totally powered by the five artistic arenas, placing the arts of carnival at the centre of the organisation. Gloria came to Britain in the 60’s and was already a qualified psychiatric nurse when she went to work in Kent. There she met her husband who was also a nurse and they had five children (4 alive today). She later moved to London, where she worked as a Community Relation Officer in Westminster. Always a dedicated family person, her lineage consists of eleven grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She died on 17th September 2017 at the St. Mary’s hospital at the age of 78 years.
Gloria was always keen on improving the artistry of the Carnival. As her discipline was costuming, she made every effort to insure this discipline shined through. Her ideas for the mas were innovative and refreshing. It was under her watch back in the early 90’s that LCMA initiated the idea of using Alexandra Palace for a Costume show. Although the initial idea did not happen, she finally attained this ambition through NHMBA (Notting Hill Mas Band Association) with the Costume Splash that lasted for nine years and culminated with the CALO festival in 2011. During these nine years Gloria was an executive member of NHMBA and together with the team led by Angela Duncan Thompson, the Costume Splash provided the ample platform for mas bands to showcase their work in a friendly and highly competitive environment. NHMBA under her watch helped to stabilise the London mas fraternity that now provides for a more stable member led organisation in CAMF (Carnival Arts and Masquerade foundation).
May we hail the Dame of Notting Hill Carnival for her sterling and indelible contribution to the development of the artform. We must not forget her commitment and dedication to the Carnival and the North Paddington Community in which her efforts breathed New Life in Paddington. As a community, we should ensure she is recognised, albeit posthumously for these efforts. For all her contributions, goodwill, and creativity we are assured that she will find favour and for this she will rest in Eternal Peace within the bosom of her creator.
Shabaka Thompson September 2017
It was Gloria who approached me as the Director of the Yaa Asantewaa Arts Centre to initiate a forum that will encourage discourse between and among the five Carnival disciplines. ECCA (Executive 36
Irma leaves the Caribbean in Carnage The Caribbean is known for volatility to hurricanes. They cause massive destruction and 7 out of ten times they leave carnage behind as they go out to sea to wither or simply pick up momentum and move from island to island. Hurricane Irma did just that when she swept through the Caribbean leaving some of the archipelago’s idyllic islands in over 95% ruins.
$300bn in rebuilding and kick-starting economies again. Insurance companies are bracing themselves for claims that could reach over $65bn which may also result in the collapse of some insurance firms too. The reality and cost of the true damage to the infrastructure and economy will not be known for months as the Caribbean community struggles to get back to day-today living and resume some semblance of normality.
Irma has left tens of thousands of people struggling for basic needs after being ravaged one of the most powerful storms to hit the eastern Caribbean. St Maarten, Barbuda and Anguilla were three of the islands that suffered most of the damage. According to a United Nations assessment, ‘a clear majority of both the French and Dutch side of St Maarten was damaged or destroyed.’ Almost 90% of buildings in Anguilla was ‘substantially damaged’ and Barbuda with a ‘total of about 1,800 people’ looked like a landfill according to one source.
Many of the Caribbean Islands Foreign Office here in the UK are mobilising aid efforts for the region. Please get in touch with your High Commission Office to find out how you can assist and donate towards relief. The Rebuild Barbuda Appeal Fund has set up an account with the Royal Bank of Scotland where you can donate funds. See below for details. Rebuild Barbuda Appeal Fund
The UK, France and the Dutch were quick to respond with aid to the affected Islands as well as aid from other Caribbean islands to those affected. However, the long-term recovery for these islands who depend solely on tourism for its economy could be hampered for years to come. Gaston Browne, the prime minister for Anguilla and Barbuda said his island was ‘barely inhabitable’ in the wake of Irma’s destruction. Other Islands affected by Irma include; Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, St Kitts and Nevis, British Virgin Islands, Haiti, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands and the state of Florida where over six million people have been affected.
Bank: Account Name: #1127204) Account No.: Sort Code: Reference: Fund’
Analysts predicts that property damage across Irma’s path of destruction could total $2tn. However, the economic cost has already unsettled financial markets and suggests that costs could well be above 37
Royal Bank of Scotland Ascension Trust (Charity 10019655 16-00-93 ‘Rebuild Barbuda Appeal
Survival of the Soil: Goodbye Irma,
Hello St Martin. I am from St Martin, currently living on the French (Northern part) of the island which sustained severe damage and fatality tolls. The island both French and Dutch sustained 90% damaged including our main national infrastructures.
St Martin, a small but unique island (it’s a mere 37 square miles and separated onto a French and Dutch territory) is home to many of us here in the UK. So, when we heard and saw what Hurricane Irma had done, it left us in complete shock and horror. At first, many of us had a feeling of helplessness. We desperately wanted to be with our countrymen, rebuilding our Island, making her greater than before. We waited anxiously to hear from our family and friends. But there was nothing we could do‌or so we thought.
As a former UK resident, I have kept in contact with my fellow St Martiners as well as friends and associates from diverse backgrounds and professions residing in different parts of the UK. Shortly after the hurricane, I received calls and messages of concerns and pledges to help almost instantly. From not only the UK but those within the region not affected by Irma and much much further afield. And they are still filtering in, which is an absolute boost of morale and spirit and it showed that we are not alone and, have solidarity globally.
Then it happened! St Mariners all over France, Holland and even the UK got together and partnered with other St Martiners all over the world, with one question: How can we help? The St Martin Diaspora UK, now officially formed, decided to take firm action. One of our members, Soshina Stephen, wrote an amazing piece titled; Survival of the Soil: Goodbye Irma, hello St Martin. Below is an extract.
Hurricane Irma, 5September 2017, never recorded wind force category 5, has left unprecedented damage and infrastructure carnage in her passage on the islands of St Martin and her sister islands of Anguilla, St Barts, Tortola and BVI, St Thomas and the UVI, Barths and Caicos Islands and many others that found their way in her path.
The St Martin Diaspora UK, an association of St Martiners was officially formed 8 years ago to encourage the pride and solidarity of St Martiners away from home. They are now a registered association working in the same vein as a result of this natural disaster. The association is working hard to provide relief to
The road to recover for us is a long one‌The images tell the story.
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our families and our communities at home in St Martin.
#rebirthrestorerebuild. #soualigastrong
The efforts to mobilise relief, help and support the people of St Martin have been astounding from my people in the UK and their community at large. We have naturally also received a great response from St Martiners and the communities in France and the Netherlands, nationalities into which St Martin is divided.
To follow and support the St Martin Diaspora UK (SDUK) Email: sxmdiasporauk@gmail.com Visit us at: www.facebook.com/SxmDiasporaUK We know St Martin will rise again Francesca Lestrade
As we experience the wake of Irma on St Martin there is a great despair at the devastation of our paradise. Our morale, national and personal spirit is broken, our concerns for our family members and close friends, our jobs, financial security and social wellbeing is uncertain and unsure. But we are reminded that we have life and we have hope. We have rebuilt after the passage of hurricane Luis 22 years ago (another devastating category 5weather system) and our resilience and determination as a people and country mean we can and, will restore St martin to paradise once again. 39
Gloria Cummins: The Grand Dame of Notting Hill 40 Carnival 01/12/1938 – 17/09/2017