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Once Leenay got involved with The People’s Closet, a community-driven clothing operation, she went in knowing that fashion was a way for the Black community to have full control over something.

Repainting the names of individuals lost to systemic oppression, running community gardens and sharing culture via fashion with a mutual aid clothing stand. These are all vital parts of the Saturday May 25, 2024 commemoration in George Floyd Square where community members and other guests came together to honor the deep-rooted sense of resilience and interconnectedness in the community.

Those in the community emphasized the camaraderie inside the George Floyd Square neighborhood even before his murder in May 2020. Jennie Leenay, organizer of The People’s Closet, said being part of this community means learning that rejection is

“I just started taking over more of a leadership role because people respected my expertise as a fashion designer and the things that I knew,” Leenay said. Jay Webb, community gardener in George Floyd Square, said everything that’s happened since Floyd’s murder is for everyone who has been a victim of oppression.

Webb said he had a “Noah moment” one night after the uprising where God told him to build a garden.

The artist credited with painting the names on the street leading into George Floyd Square, Mari Mansfield, said she was in the community the first few days after everything happened, and that’s when she

started painting the names on the street. “It was pretty shortly after the area got closed down and people started making it a community space when I started painting things,” Mansfield said.

Maria Hernandez, a new business owner in George Floyd Square, said the city was a little insecure and scared in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s murder. She came into this community three months ago, offering support through health such as offering Zumba classes and balanced nutrition. Regarding how she got into design work and what ultimately led to her taking over The People’s Closet, Leenay said she first got involved with fashion design by volunteering with the costume department of her theater group in high school. She was diagnosed with cancer at 18 and her friends from the group came together to support, so she decided to give back by helping them make clothing

items for theater. “I went and I volunteered with their costume department and I just fell in love with the work,” Leenay said. “I loved sorting all the looks together and making people feel like their character.”

Leenay said that people getting into mutual aid work need to understand that it’s going to take and that you have to build up the relationship with the community and not look down on the people you’re working with.

“(The People’s Closet) is helping by bringing us together, reminding us of the dignity and the humanity of each other,” Leenay said. “Instead of going on Nextdoor, you go next door.”

Mansfield said that the process of painting all the names happened organically, where family members would ask her to write names and she would add them to her list.

A memorial service for Willie Earl Vereen, a member of the political prisoner group Wilmington Ten, is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, May 28, at the Temple of Truth Light and Life in North Carolina. Vereen died on Saturday, May 25, at the age of 69. A viewing will be held later at John H. Shaw’s Son Funeral Home at 520 Red Cross St. Family members have scheduled a Wednesday funeral. Vereen, who had battled liver cancer and endured years of dialysis, died at 5:30 a.m. while in hospice care.

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan last week announced the appointment of Luis Rangel Morales as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. Rangel Morales will replace the Honorable Shawn M. Moynihan and will be chambered in Hastings in Dakota County.

Iran’s role in funding and arming proxy groups in the Middle East has been well documented and has gotten extra attention since the Hamas-led attack in Israel in October 2023. Similarly, Tehran’s arms shipments to Russia are well known and have prompted complaints and sanctions from the West.

But Tehran has received little coverage of its military intervention in another deadly conflict: Sudan’s civil war. Since that conflict started in April 2023, it has killed at least 13,000 people, injured over 33,000 others and displaced millions more. After years of relative peace, people are once again being massacred in the southern region of Darfur. In the immediate aftermath of fighting breaking out between two rival factions of Sudan’s military government, Iran limited its involvement to supplying humanitarian aid.

But that policy didn’t last long. Between December 2023 and January 2024, Tehran supplied several Mohajer-6 midrange reconnaissance and combat drones to President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF. In February, the drones helped the SAF take territory from Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti,” and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, during an offensive in the city of Omdurman.

While the conflict in Sudan has gotten less global attention than those in Ukraine and Gaza, it is strategically significant for Tehran. As an expert on Iran’s foreign policy, I see how Tehran is increasingly using involvement in African conflict zones to advance the country’s military, commercial and particularly geopolitical goals. It follows a similar trajectory as Iran’s involvement in Ethiopia during the Tigray war of 2020-22.

Projecting power

Militarily and commercially, drone exports to the SAF have been a continuation of Iran’s actions

since the expiration of a U.N. arms embargo against Tehran in October 2020.

Since then, Iran has delivered surveillance and attack drones not only to its quasi- and nonstate proxies and partners in the Middle East –such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen – but also increasingly to states outside the region such as Ethiopia, Russia, Tajikistan and Venezuela. Iran has done this to project power, strengthen alliances and influence conflicts in the Middle East and other

regions. At the same time, it can prove a lucrative source of income for the Iranian economy, as well as a showcase for the country’s technology. While it is difficult to determine the precise revenue Iran has received from military drone exports, the estimated value of the global market in 2022 was US$12.55 billion, a figure expected to reach $14.14 billion in 2023 and $35.60 billion in 2030. In regards to Sudan, arming the SAF helps both

“It is my pleasure to appoint Luis Rangel Morales to the First Judicial District,” said Governor Walz. “Appearing before the court is an intimidating experience for everyone, but Mr. Rangel Morales has proven throughout his career how empathy and compassion can ease those anxieties while also ensuring the equitable administration of justice. This skillset will be invaluable as a judge for the people of Dakota County.”

“Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever: that considering numbers, nature, and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation is among possible events: that it may become probable by supernatural interference! The almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest.”

-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia 1778 White America’s unfounded fear of Black people stems from a fear of losing their status, power, privilege, and dominance over Black and brown people.

“Luis Rangel Morales will be a remarkable judge,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “His exceptional legal acumen, lived experience, and public defense background will bring a unique and needed perspective to this important role. I look forward to seeing all the great work he will do for this court and community.” Minnesota’s First Judicial District consists of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, and Sibley counties. Luis Rangel Morales is a staff attorney and director of

In the above quote, one of America’s “founding fathers”, Thomas Jefferson is expressing a deep concern about the moral implications of slavery. He believes that God’s justice will

His death marks the passing of another key figure in the fight for racial justice in the 1970s. The Wilmington Ten were a group of civil rights activists wrongfully convicted in 1971 for the

Maria Nairn

Local artist Mari Mansfield repaints the Say Their Names street mural in George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, on the anniversary of Floyd’s death.

By Eric Lob

By Teegan Smith

Willie Earl Vereen, one of the Wilmington Ten, passed away on Saturday, May 25.

NorthPoint Health & Wellness

Center commemorated the completion of its 30-month campus expansion project at a special ceremony on May 18. The ceremony celebrated the $90 million renovation, which was made possible by the investment of Hennepin County.

Speakers including NorthPoint and Hennepin County leaders and partners as well as elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels shared messages of partnership, gratitude, and pride.

“It is an honor to get to deliver on the vision that this community has asked for and has created for itself,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando during her remarks.

The ceremony also celebrated a historic leadership transition. NorthPoint CEO Stella Whitney-West spoke about her upcoming retirement on June 30 and welcomed

Kimberly Spates as her successor.

“I’m leaving a legacy of leaders and amazing staff here at NorthPoint who will move the mission forward,” said Whitney-West. “I have no doubt that NorthPoint will continue the tradition of honoring our history and creating our future.”

Spates, who has served as NorthPoint’s Chief Operations Officer of Human Services since 2014, will begin her official appointment on June 17, overlapping with WhitneyWest by two weeks. This leadership transition honors the history of NorthPoint’s 55-year line of strong leaders committed to community wellness and empowerment.

Serving more than 30,000 residents each year, the center provides essential medical, dental, behavioral health, and human services. NorthPoint is administered

through a partnership between the Hennepin County Board and the NorthPoint Community Board of Directors made up of NorthPoint’s patients and people who live and/or work in the community.

After the 30-month campus expansion project, NorthPoint now has: Increased access to quality and innovative health and wellness services.

Expanded campus for clinics and programs. More employment and economic development opportunities.

Greater conservation impact with infiltration gardens (with the support of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization).

Features of the completed campus also now include: Dental specialty services

Food Shelf distribution operations Child Wellness Center Spirituality, Healing and Wellness Center

Café and teaching kitchen

Community courtyard

And more!

In addition to expanding its ability to holistically serve North Minneapolis and surrounding communities, NorthPoint worked with Hennepin County Facility Services, AECOM, JE Dunn, KMS Construction, and TRI-Construction to ensure a continuation of services all throughout the construction project.

Established in 1968, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center (formerly Pilot City) is a multi-specialty medical, dental and behavioral health center

and human service agency located in North Minneapolis. Now serving over 36,000 residents annually, NorthPoint is administered through a partnership between Hennepin County and a Community Board of Directors comprised of NorthPoint’s

Divesting university endowments: Easier demanded than done

By Todd L. Ely Associate Professor of Public Administration; Director,

Center for Local Government, University of Colorado Denver

Campus protests expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and objecting to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza include many calls for universities and colleges to divest – a word that basically means sell – any of their assets that are tied to Israel or connected to companies supplying weapons and technology to Israel’s government. The Conversation U.S. asked Todd L. Ely, a University of Colorado Denver public administration scholar, to explain the challenges of meeting this demand.

What are endowments?

Endowments are pools of assets that originally come from donations. Nonprofits and some public organizations invest those assets, which grow over time, and disburse a small percentage of them annually to support their missions. Nearly all nonprofit colleges and universities have endowments, as do hundreds of public institutions of higher education – some through associated

nonprofit foundations.

U.S. college and university endowments had around US$1 trillion in assets as of the middle of 2021 – the most recent comprehensive data available. This wealth is highly concentrated. Nearly half these assets belonged to the 20 largest endowments in 2021. Endowments worth $40 million or less are more typical and around 95% colleges and universities have less than $1 billion in their endowments.

Endowment managers generally see making money as their primary objective and large amounts of these assets are subject to restrictions due to donors’ preferences.

Columbia University’s $13.6 billion endowment, for example, as of 2023 was split among more than 6,200 different funds and about two-thirds of the assets in its endowment were subject to donor-related limitations.

Because colleges and universities aim to preserve their endowments to support their operations for the foreseeable future, they typically spend about 5% of those assets per year on student financial aid and assorted programs to supplement what they can afford from their other revenue – primarily tuition, fees for housing and food,

as well as state funding for public institutions. Columbia’s endowment, for example, disbursed $679 million during its 2023 fiscal year.

Many protesters have said they object to their tuition dollars being in an endowment with financial ties to Israel. But that’s not how endowments work. Universities and colleges typically spend all the money they receive from tuition on core operations. They supplement those funds with revenue from other sources – including their endowments.

How much information about endowments is made public?

Because it’s unclear how much of these assets are tied to Israeli companies or the Israeli military, many protesters are calling on their colleges and universities to disclose more information about what’s in their endowments.

While universities and colleges typically release their audited financial statements annually, details about their endowments’ holdings are hard to find for several reasons.

First, professionally managed investments change so frequently that what’s in an endowment is a moving target. Periodic reporting at best reflects a historical snapshot. Second, higher education endowments are complex. Timely and detailed reporting of investments, while desirable for oversight, can reveal the secret proprietary strategies of endowments and their investments, including alternative investments like hedge funds.

Third, colleges and universities are increasingly hiring outside asset managers and hedge funds to manage their

“I had community support, and the first year I painted all 116 names myself, but I certainly didn’t do it alone. People would bring me paint and donate paint,” Mansfield said. “People would also just watch and guard and help me.” Leenay emphasized the importance of understanding that nothing in the community surrounding George Floyd Square is done by a single individual, it’s a group effort in everything that is accomplished.

endowments. Agreeing to keep quiet about those investments may be required due to the proprietary nature of those deals.

Some information about endowments does show up in 990 forms, which are informational returns charities file annually with the Internal Revenue Service and are made public. That form’s Schedule D includes the endowment’s size, its administrative expenses and the general restrictions it faces.

Although the forms require the disclosure of “Activities Outside the United States” in Schedule F, the highest level of detail required is the region of those investments. In other words, any investments in Israeli companies might be lumped together with investments in corporations based in Qatar or Lebanon. Are there legal obstacles?

Universities and colleges might not always be free to divest their endowments. When it comes to severing ties with Israel, laws in at least 38 states have banned that kind of divestment for public universities by outlawing adherence to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that has sought to pressure Israel for nearly 20 years.

Other state laws more broadly limit the use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment practices by public institutions. For example, officials at The Ohio State University have cited their state’s laws when they’ve told protesters they can’t sever ties with Israel. There is also a law that governs the investment and use of funds by nonprofits

“Nothing here was built, it was us coming together that ignited the fury of the entire world together,” Leenay said.

“People are continually inspired and in awe by what we do.”

New businesses are choosing to show support for this yearly commemoration. Hernandez, business owner in George Floyd Square, had a stand Saturday promoting her products. Hernandez has been in Minneapolis trying to grow her health and nutrition business.

“I’ve been here for three months,” Hernandez said.

“People talk… but I really like the community here.” In her time in

in nearly all states: the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act. This measure mandates a “prudent” approach to investment that can be interpreted as attempting to maximize an endowment’s growth.

However, some divestment advocates argue that colleges and universities have a moral duty to divest in certain cases based on those same laws – even if it means an endowment will potentially grow more slowly.

Is divestment from Israel feasible?

To be sure, many colleges and universities have agreed in recent years to students’ demands for divestment from industries that include tobacco, fossil fuels, private prisons and firearms. About 40 years ago, hundreds of schools divested from companies doing business in South Africa before the fall of its apartheid government.

But it would be hard to determine what specific assets would need to be sold off and then avoided for the foreseeable future if today’s protesters were to prevail.

No matter the focus of these campaigns, divestment takes political will, time and effort to implement. It also increases transaction costs, reduces access to certain investment products, and can take a long time due to how higher ed endowments are invested.

That’s partly because endowments generally don’t just include large amounts of stocks and bonds. To reduce risks, they are increasingly invested in mutual funds and other assets that are made up of many different securities. Outsourcing management of portions of their portfolios to private equity firms leads to other complications.

“The University has no discretion as to withdrawal of its investment in private equity and real asset funds,” Columbia University noted in its 2023 audited financial statements. “Distributions are made when sales of assets are made within the funds. In general, the remaining life of these private equity and real asset funds is up to 12 years.”

There’s yet another concern for colleges and universities: many of their biggest donors have made it clear that they oppose divestment from Israel. In some cases, those donors have said

Minneapolis she has come to understand the community and culture that comes with moving to a city with so much history. Her expectations of this area were proven wrong, she said.

“I’ve been here for three months and it’s completely different from what people say.

It’s calm, it’s quiet, and the only thing they want is to have their equality as a human being.” Hernandez said.

Mansfield said she wouldn’t repaint the names every year if there wasn’t so much community support. She said she takes the small wins and accepts them as they come regarding social change. The system of

they’ll stop giving to schools that sever ties with Israel as the protesters demand. Does divestment work?

Whether divestment works probably depends on its advocates’ goals. If they want to impose meaningful financial losses on specific companies, industries or countries, research indicates that they’re bound to fail for several reasons.

While many college and university endowments are large by most standards, they aren’t necessarily big enough to move financial markets, especially since their investments are diversified. Also, when a university does own shares in a targeted company, selling that stock simply transfers the ownership to a buyer who is less concerned about the social considerations.

Maintaining ownership and taking a more active investor advocacy role might be an alternative to divestment.

But if the goal is to raise awareness about a cause, then divestment may make a difference – even if it’s hard to measure.

How can colleges and universities heed student demands?

A few colleges and universities have found ways to engage productively with protesters, sometimes even resulting in the amicable end of encampments. Increasing engagement opportunities for students and the broader academic community around endowments and other institutional investments may provide an outlet to address current and future disputes. Brown University, Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota appear to be taking this approach. Some college and universities have promised to consider divestment demands at a future date and disclose more information about what’s in their endowments. Making those pledges has helped keep the peace while guaranteeing that this issue will remain on the agenda in the 2024-2025 academic year. Todd L. Ely is affiliated with the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise’s Research Advisory Network. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

oppression was built up in layers over hundreds of years whether it be small municipal laws or federal policies, so you have to chip away at the layers, Mansfield said. Webb highlighted the resilience within the community in George Floyd Square before and after Floyd’s murder, not just in Minneapolis, but the Black community everywhere.

“There is no other way to survive 400 years without resiliency,” Webb said.

“That garden there has 400 years of roots, so the resiliency, that’s just the foundation of our DNA, of our whole mind, makeup, body and soul.”

AP Photo/Jenny Kane

‘divest

protest against

war on April 29, 2024.

Vereen

From 3

of Mike’s Grocery Store and shooting at firefighters. The group, comprising nine Black men and one white woman, included Wayne Moore, Ann Shepard, James McKoy, Marvin Patrick, Reginald Epps, Jerry Jacobs, Connie Tindall, William Wright, and National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Wilmington was a flashpoint for conflict during a time of racial unrest, with violent clashes between Black activists and organizations supporting white supremacy, like the Ku Klux Klan. Racially biased legal proceedings and prosecutorial misconduct were the leading causes of the Wilmington Ten’s false accusations and subsequent convictions. The activists received harsh sentences, with their total prison terms amounting to 282 years. They spent almost a decade in prison before a federal

appellate court overturned their convictions in 1980. The court cited prosecutorial misconduct, including suppressing evidence and coercing false testimonies. Amnesty International declared the Wilmington Ten “prisoners of conscience” in 1976, bringing international attention to their case. The organization’s support, alongside public statements from American Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, who described the charges as “trumped up,” underscored the political nature of their imprisonment.

In 2012, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue issued pardons of innocence for the Wilmington Ten, recognizing the racial injustices that had tainted their convictions. “These convictions were tainted by naked racism and represent an ugly stain on North Carolina’s criminal justice system that cannot be allowed to stand any longer,” Perdue stated. “Justice demands that this stain finally be removed.” The death of Vereen follows the recent passing of another Wilmington Ten member, James “Bun” Mckoy,

in November. NNPA Chair and Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry said he deeply respected Vereen’s legacy. “Brother Vereen has gone on to glory, making his mark alongside other young freedom fighters,” Henry stated. “Because of their tenacity, perseverance, courage, and steadfast belief in their innocence, the Wilmington Ten were ultimately pardoned by Gov. Beverly Perdue, a testament to the enduring fight for justice.” Chavis., who will help eulogize Vereen, reflected on their shared journey. “Willie

Earl Vereen, at the age of 17, was one of the youngest members of the Wilmington Ten,” Chavis remarked. “Yet he was a gifted and talented young freedom fighter for equal and quality education for Black public school students. He was an accomplished musician and drummer who dedicated his cultural genius to proclaiming freedom, justice, and equality for all. We were political prisoners together and may the spirit of Willie Earl Vereen live on for future generations.”

Iran’s wider geopolitical goals and its competition with regional rivals, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Rogue states Iran-Sudan relations date back to 1989, when Tehran backed the coup led by Omar al-Bashir, who later became the president of Sudan. During the 1990s and 2000s, Iran offered development assistance and military aid to Sudan. It exported tractors there and stationed naval vessels at Sudanese ports in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Along these strategic routes and shipping lanes, Tehran exported oil to African countries and smuggled weapons to regional clients, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

As a fellow so-called rogue state subjected to U.S. sanctions and embargoes, Sudan provided diplomatic support to Tehran throughout the period. It recognized Iran’s right to pursue a nuclear program and voted against U.N. General Assembly resolutions condemning Tehran’s human rights record. From 1979 to 2021, Sudan ranked as Iran’s third-largest trading partner in Africa and accounted for 3% of its average annual trade with the continent. But between 2013 and 2016, Iran-Sudan relations suffered a series of severe setbacks. In 2014, Sudan closed Iran’s cultural center and expelled its diplomatic officials for purportedly proselytizing Shiism in a predominantly Sunni country. Two years later, in 2016, it and other countries in the Horn of Africa cut formal ties with Tehran. These setbacks resulted from Iran disengaging from Sudan and Africa to concentrate on nuclear

community engagement for the Neighborhood Justice Center, where he represents low-income community members facing criminal charges in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington

eventually prevail, and that those who perpetrate injustice, such as slavery and oppression, will face consequences.

Jefferson also acknowledges that social dynamics will lead to

diplomacy with the United States and other world powers. They also coincided with growing military, diplomatic and economic assistance from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Sudan and other states in the Horn of Africa in exchange for joining the Saudi-led coalition against the Iranbacked Houthis in Yemen. This assistance was especially enticing to Sudan as it confronted isolation and economic adversity as a result of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for al-Bashir, the secession of oil-rich South Sudan and the imposition of intensified sanctions by the U.S. Despite Iran and Sudan subsequently participating in multilateral meetings on agricultural cooperation, the bilateral relations between the countries never fully recovered.

Making inroads in the Horn The civil war has provided an opportunity for Iran to correct course with

counties. He has also served as defense counsel for the Ramsey County Veterans Treatment Court and Ramsey County DUI Court. Rangel Morales’s community involvement

significant changes, including the potential for a reversal of fortune for both slaves and slaveholders. He also suggests that divine intervention will play a role in bringing about

Sudan. Supporting the SAF can help Tehran salvage relations with Sudan while also countering or containing Saudi and Emirate influence in the country and the wider continent. Tehran aspires to assist al-Burhan and the SAF win the war and take back control of the state.

Giving assistance to the SAF also fits a dynamic that predates the war and again relates to Iran’s battle for influence with Saudi Arabia.

In 2019, while Hemedti served alongside al-Burhan in the Transitional Military Council after al-Bashir’s ouster by a coup, he visited Saudi Arabia and pledged support for it against Iran and the Houthis. Nonetheless, supporting the SAF is not without risks for Iran.

For starters, a victory for al-Burhan and the SAF is far from certain. Since October 2023, the RSF has taken some key states, including the capital of Khartoum and the breadbasket of Gezira. In February

includes serving as chair of the St. Paul Planning Commission and vice-chair of St. Paul’s Board of Zoning Appeals. He has also volunteered with organizations helping at-risk

such changes and emphasizes that divine justice does not favor the oppressors. Throughout the Bible, it is evident that God maintains a profound relationship with the

2024, the SAF launched an offensive in Omdurman and made gains there. However, the overall balance may still tilt in the RSF’s favor. And unlike the wars in Syria and Ukraine, in Sudan, Tehran has found itself in the awkward position of supporting an adversary of Russia, which sponsors the RSF.

And contrary to the Ethiopia conflict, in which Iran supported the government against rebel groups alongside Turkey and the UAE, Tehran and Abu Dhabi are competing for influence in Sudan by backing the SAF and RSF, respectively. Outside the military realm, the UAE has a sizable economic edge over Iran as Sudan’s largest export partner and second largest import partner.

Fueling conflict

Even if al-Burhan were to emerge victorious, it’s not a given that Iran’s position in Sudan would significantly improve or its influence grow. Iran is constrained

youth. Rangel Morales received his B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. For more

oppressed and marginalized, watching over them with unwavering care. In Exodus 14, we see a powerful example of this as God delivers the oppressed from their oppressors

by being a Shiite power; Sudan is a Sunni-majority country. And even before Sudan severed ties with Iran and descended into another civil war, it had long accepted agricultural, commercial, developmental and military assistance from Iran’s regional rivals, Saudi Arabia and Israel. After Khartoum joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, it normalized relations with Tel Aviv through the Abraham Accords in return for diplomatic and economic incentives from the U.S. Time will tell whether Iran’s military intervention in Sudan marks a turning point in bilateral relations, or whether it’s nothing more than a weapons transfer in another civil conflict fueled by foreign intervention. Eric Lob is affiliated with the Middle East Institute. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.

through dramatic and decisive action. Similarly, in Habakkuk 2:9-12 (NIV), God issues a stern warning against

El 21 de marzo del año 2008, antes de emprender mi viaje a Angola para cumplir funciones diplomáticas, fui invitado por la Fundación Walter Rodney, que dirige Patrice Rodney, a través del profesor de la Universidad de Kennewe (Atlanta, Georgia), Dr. Jessie Benjamin, con la conferencista central en el V Simposiun en homenaje a este gran intelectual y panafricanista, Walter Rodney, quien había nacido el 23 de marzo, en la vecina Guyana, en 1942 y asesinado en Georgetown el 13 de junio de 1980. Walter Rodney, es considerado como el intelectual del siglo pasado la visión del Panafricanismo, movimiento

On March 21, 2008, before embarking on my trip to functions, I was invited by the Walter Rodney Foundation, led by Patrice Rodney, through Professor Jessie Benjamin from Kennewe University (Atlanta, Georgia), with the purpose of participating as the central lecturer at the V Symposium in tribute to this great intellectual and Pan-Africanist, Walter Rodney, who was born on March 23 in neighboring Guyana in 1942 and was assassinated in

iniciado a comienzos de 1900, siendo el puente de activismo intelectual de mayor trascendencia entre África y su diáspora en las Américas y el Caribe, como lo dice el académico militante Horace Campbell en su libro WALTER RODNEY AND PAN AFRICANISM TODAY: SU FUENTE INSPIRADORA PROVENIA DE LAS LUCHAS ANTIESCLAVISTAS, EL CIMARRONAJE Y EL ANTIIMPERIALISMO. Rodney mas que académico, había obtenido su titulo de Doctor sobre estudios africanos, era para decirlo a la manera de Gramsci, un intelectual orgánico, militante, anti burócrata y anti cubículo universitario, la vida para él era un continuum creador, elaboración del pensamiento, cuestionador de teorías racista y subestimadora, compartía con el pueblo con humildad y sin prepotencia, como lo hizo al convivir con la comunidad

Rastafari en Jamaica para contribuir al fortalecimiento rastafarismo, lo cual le costó la expulsión de ese país en 1968. Decía Rodney ¨Ellos no construyeron carreteras para unir a los pueblos de Africa¨. Hoy Africa, según expreso hace una decada, el premio Nobel Joseph Stiglitz, es potencialmente la parte mas dinámica del mundo. El laureado Nobel lo expresaba ante los indicadores de crecimiento e inversiones extranjeras que hoy tienen algunos países africanos. Pero mas allá de ese crecimiento, que no necesariamente y sustentable, hay que ver como lo analizamos a la luz del pensamiento Walter Rodney plasmado en su libro clásico COMO EUROPA SUBEDSARROLLO A AFRICA ; «Se ha demostrado, mediante comparaciones, que África es en la actualidad un continente subdesarrollado, en

relación con Europa Occidental y otras pocas partes del mundo, y que llegó a la posición actual no porque evolucionara independientemente de Europa, sino a causa de la explotación». mediados de la década de los año setenta del siglo pasado, siguen teniendo una vigencia ante las nuevas formas de dependencia y explotación que la alianza EuropaEstadounidense están haciendo en Africa subsahariana donde reposan en un alto porcentaje los recursos minerales estratégicos del planeta y eso es lo que ha permitido el crecimiento en países como Angola con un 11,1%, Nigeria 8.9%, Etiopia 8.4%, Chad 7.9%, Mozambique 7.9%, Rwanda 7.6% y para el 2015 se prevé crecimiento en Tanzania con un 7.2%, Ghana con 7 % y Zambia con un 7%.. La inversión extranjera llegó a 52, 4 mil millones de dólares en la segunda década del siglo XXI. Este tipo de crecimiento debemos revisarlo

a la luz de los indicadores de desarrollo humano para analizar como se están distribuyendo esas riquezas entre millones de desfavorecidos y por otro lado analizar como ese crecimiento atrae NO SOLO INVERSIONES, sino INVASIONES, como se ha demostrado en mas de cien golpe de Estados que ha sufrido este continente por la avaricia de las compañías transnacionales petroleras, Mineras y acaparadoras de tierras. Rodney decía que el desarrollo de carreteras, autopista que están haciendo en Africa, en su mayoría con capital extranjero, no tiene como intención de «unir» a los pueblos sino para aplicar el modelo neoliberal para la explotación y transporte de materias primas. En mi conferencia sobre la Vida y obra de Walter Rodney, destaque un ensayo de Rodney sobre la Historia de la Alta Costa de Guinea, donde demuestra

en parte la explotación y el secuestro del mineral mas preciado para Europa durante los siglos XVII, XVIII y XIX, la fuerza de trabajo e intelectual de los africanos. Para mi conferencia tome el viejo mapa de la trata negrera, indicando los puntos de salida involuntaria de hombres mujeres y niños de Africa subsahariana tales como las costas que van de Guinea Bissao, Guinea Ecuatorial, Nigeria hasta Angola, y hoy precisamente constituyen los puntos de mayor extracción de Petróleo y Gas, es decir ante los análisis de Rodney, estamos ante una reeplotación del Golfo de Guinea que constituye el 25% de las reservas mundiales de Petróleo y gas a nivel mundial. Revisar a la producción intelectual de Rodney es necesario para la comprensión de Africa contemporanea. Walter Rodney asesinado la tarde del 13 de junio de 1980 en su ciudad natal Georgetown, Guy.

Em 21 de março de 2008, antes de embarcar em minha viagem para Angola para cumprir funções diplomáticas, fui convidado pela Fundação Walter Rodney, liderada por Patrice Rodney, através do professor da Universidade de Kennewe (Atlanta, Geórgia), Dr. Jessie Benjamin, para participar como conferencista principal em um simpósio em homenagem a este grande intelectual e panafricanista, Walter Rodney, que nasceu em 23 de março, na vizinha Guiana, em 1942, e foi assassinado em Georgetown em 13 de junho de 1980. Walter Rodney é considerado o intelectual século passado, a visão do

Georgetown on June 13, 1980.

Walter Rodney is considered the intellectual who reshaped the vision of PanAfricanism at the end of the last century, a movement initiated in the early 1900s, being the intellectual activism between Africa and its diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean, as stated by the militant academic Horace Campbell in his book WALTER RODNEY AND PAN AFRICANISM TODAY: HIS INSPIRATION CAME FROM ANTISLAVERY STRUGGLES, MAROONAGE, AND ANTIIMPERIALISM.

Rodney, more than an academic who obtained his Ph.D. in African studies, was, to put it in Gramsci’s terms, an organic intellectual, a militant against to university cubicles. For him, life was a creative continuum, a development of thought, questioning of racist and

panafricanismo, movimento iniciado no início de 1900, sendo a ponte de ativismo entre a África e sua diáspora nas Américas e no Caribe, militante Horace Campbell em seu livro WALTER RODNEY E O PANAfricanismo HOJE: SUA INSPIRAÇÃO PROVÉM DAS LUTAS ABOLICIONISTAS, DO QUILOMBOLISMO E ANTI-IMPERIALISMO. Rodney, mais do seu doutorado em estudos africanos, era, para falar à maneira de Gramsci, um intelectual orgânico, militante, anti-burocracia e anti-gabinete universitário, a vida para ele era um contínuo criador, elaborador de pensamento, questionador de teorias racistas e subestimadoras, compartilhando com o povo com humildade e sem arrogância, como fez ao conviver com

belittling theories, humbly and unpretentiously sharing with the people, as he did when living with the Rastafari community in Jamaica to contribute to the philosophical and practical strengthening of Rastafarianism, which led to his expulsion from the country in 1968. Rodney said, “They did not build roads to unite the peoples of Africa.” Today, Africa, as expressed a decade ago by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, is potentially the most dynamic part of the world. The acclaimed Nobel laureate stated this in view of the growth and foreign investments indicators that some African countries are experiencing. However, beyond this growth, which does not necessarily imply sustained and sustainable development, we must analyze it in light of Walter Rodney’s thinking as expressed in his classic book HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOPED

a comunidade rastafari na Jamaica para contribuir para prático do rastafarianismo, o que lhe custou a expulsão desse país em 1968. Rodney dizia: “Eles não construíram estradas para unir os povos da África”. Hoje, a África, como expressado há Joseph Stiglitz, é potencialmente a parte mais dinâmica do mundo. O laureado com o Nobel falava diante dos indicadores de crescimento e investimentos estrangeiros que alguns países desse crescimento, que não desenvolvimento sustentado e sustentável, devemos analisar como o pensamento de Walter Rodney, expresso em seu livro clássico COMO A EUROPA SUBDESENVOLVEU A ÁFRICA, pode nos ajudar: “África é, atualmente, um continente subdesenvolvido em comparação com a Europa

AFRICA;

“It has been shown, through comparisons, that Africa is currently a underdeveloped continent in relation to Western Europe and a few other parts of the world, and it arrived at its current position not because it evolved independently of Europe, but due to exploitation.” from the mid-1970s continues to be relevant in the face of new forms of dependency and exploitation that the EuroAmerican alliance is imposing on sub-Saharan Africa, where a high percentage of the world’s strategic mineral resources are located. This has allowed for growth in countries such as Angola at 11.1%, Nigeria at 8.9%, Ethiopia at 8.4%, Chad at 7.9%, Mozambique at 7.9%, Rwanda at 7.6%, and a projected growth in Tanzania of 7.2% by 2015, with Ghana at 7% and Zambia at 7%. Foreign investment reached $52.4 billion in the second decade of the

Ocidental e algumas outras partes do mundo, e alcançou essa posição não porque evoluiu independentemente da Europa, mas devido à exploração”. metade dos anos setenta do século passado, mantém sua relevância frente às novas exploração promovidas pela aliança Europa-Estados Unidos na África subsaariana, onde se encontram em grande parte os recursos minerais estratégicos do planeta. Isso tem permitido o crescimento em países como Angola com 11,1%, Nigéria 8,9%, Etiópia 8,4%, Chade 7,9%, Moçambique 7,9%, Ruanda 7,6% e para 2015 está previsto crescimento em países como Tanzânia com 7,2%, Gana com 7% e Zâmbia com 7%. Os investimentos estrangeiros alcançaram 52,4 bilhões de dólares na segunda década do século XXI. Esse tipo de crescimento deve ser analisado à luz dos indicadores

21st century. We must evaluate this type of growth in terms of human development indicators to analyze how these riches are being distributed among millions of underprivileged individuals. Additionally, we must consider how this growth attracts not only investments but invasions, as demonstrated by over one hundred coups d’état due to the greed of transnational oil, mining, and land-holding companies.

Rodney argued that the development of roads and highways being built in Africa, mostly with foreign capital, is not intended to “unite” peoples but rather to implement the neoliberal model for the exploitation and transportation of raw materials.

During my conference on the Life and Work of Walter Rodney, I highlighted an essay by Rodney on the History of the Upper Guinea Coast, where he partly demonstrates the exploitation and seizure of the most precious mineral for Europe during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, the workforce, and intellect of Africans. For my conference, I used the old map of the slave trade, indicating the points of involuntary departure of men, women, and children from subSaharan Africa such as the coasts from Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria to Angola, which today precisely constitute the points of greatest extraction of oil and gas. In other words, according to Rodney’s analysis, we are facing a re-exploitation of the Gulf of Guinea, which accounts for 25% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. Reviewing Rodney’s intellectual production is necessary for understanding contemporary Africa. Walter Rodney was assassinated on the evening of June 13, 1980, in his hometown of Georgetown, Guyana.

de desenvolvimento humano está sendo distribuída entre milhões de desfavorecidos, além de compreender como esse crescimento atrai não apenas investimentos, mas invasões, como demonstrado por mais de cem golpes de Estado sofridos pelo continente devido à ganância de empresas transnacionais petrolíferas, mineradoras e de terras.

desenvolvimento de estradas e autoestradas na África, em capital estrangeiro, não tem a intenção de “unir” os povos, mas sim de aplicar o modelo neoliberal para exploração e transporte de matérias-primas.

Em minha palestra sobre a vida e obra de Walter Rodney, destaquei um ensaio em que ele abordava a História da Alta Costa de Guiné, demonstrando parte da exploração e sequestro do mineral mais precioso para a Europa nos séculos XVII,

XVIII e XIX, a força de trabalho e intelectual dos africanos. Para minha palestra, utilizei um antigo mapa do comércio de escravos, indicando os pontos de saída involuntária de homens, mulheres e crianças da África subsaariana, como as costas que vão de Guiné-Bissau, Guiné Equatorial, Nigéria até Angola, que hoje são justamente os principais pontos de extração de petróleo e gás. Diante das análises de Rodney, estamos diante de uma reexploração do Golfo da Guiné, que representa 25% das reservas mundiais de petróleo e gás. Revisar a produção intelectual de Rodney é essencial para a compreensão da África contemporânea. Walter Rodney foi assassinado na tarde de 13 de junho de 1980 em sua cidade natal, Georgetown, Guiana.

By Jesus Chucho Garcia

Translated from Spanish by Yoji Senna Special for Insight News

Photo of Walter Rodney

Photo of Africa during the colonial era

Photo of Africa during the colonial era

universitaires. Pour lui, la vie était un continuum créatif, un développement de la pensée, une remise en question des théories racistes et dévalorisantes, un partage humble et sans prétention avec les gens, comme il l’a fait lorsqu’il vivait avec la communauté rastafari en Jamaïque pour contribuer au renforcement philosophique et pratique du rastafarisme. , ce qui a conduit à son expulsion du pays en 1968.

Rodney a déclaré : “Ils n’ont pas construit de routes pour unir les peuples d’Afrique.” Aujourd’hui, comme l’exprimait il y a dix ans le prix Nobel Joseph Stiglitz, l’Afrique est potentiellement la région la plus dynamique du monde. Le célèbre lauréat

du prix Nobel a déclaré cela au vu des indicateurs de croissance et d’investissements étrangers que connaissent certains pays africains. Mais au-delà de cette croissance, qui n’implique pas nécessairement un développement soutenu et durable, il faut l’analyser à la lumière de la pensée de Walter Rodney exprimée dans son ouvrage classique COMMENT

L’EUROPE A SOUS-

DÉVELOPPÉ L’AFRIQUE ; “Il a été démontré, à travers des comparaisons, que l’Afrique est actuellement un continent sous-développé par rapport à l’Europe occidentale et à quelques autres parties du monde, et qu’elle est arrivée à sa position actuelle non pas parce qu’elle a évolué

indépendamment de l’Europe, mais grâce à l’exploitation. “ milieu des années 1970 reste pertinente face aux nouvelles formes de dépendance et d’exploitation que l’alliance euro-américaine impose à l’Afrique subsaharienne, où se trouve un pourcentage élevé des ressources minérales stratégiques mondiales. Cela a permis une croissance dans des pays comme l’Angola à 11,1 %, le Nigéria à 8,9 %, l’Éthiopie à 8,4 %, le Tchad à 7,9 %, le Mozambique à 7,9 %, le Rwanda à 7,6 %, et une croissance projetée en Tanzanie de 7,2 % d’ici 2015. , avec le Ghana à 7 % et la Zambie à 7 %. Les investissements étrangers ont atteint 52,4 milliards de

dollars au cours de la deuxième

décennie du XXIe siècle. Il faut

évaluer ce type de croissance en termes de développement humain des indicateurs pour analyser la manière dont ces richesses sont réparties entre des millions d’individus défavorisés. En outre, nous devons considérer comment cette croissance attire non seulement les investissements mais aussi les invasions, comme le démontrent plus d’une centaine de coups d’État que ce continent a subis en raison de la cupidité des sociétés transnationales pétrolières, minières et foncières. Rodney a soutenu que le développement des routes et autoroutes construites en Afrique, principalement avec

des capitaux étrangers, n’a pas pour but “d’unir” les peuples mais plutôt de mettre en œuvre le modèle néolibéral d’exploitation et de transport des matières premières. Lors de ma conférence sur la vie et l’œuvre de Walter Rodney, j’ai souligné un essai de Rodney sur l’histoire de la côte de Haute Guinée, où il démontre en partie l’exploitation et la saisie du minéral le plus précieux pour l’Europe au cours des 17e, 18e et 19e. siècles, la main-d’œuvre et l’intellect des Africains. Pour ma conférence, j’ai utilisé l’ancienne carte de la traite négrière, indiquant les points de départ involontaire des hommes, des femmes et des enfants de l’Afrique subsaharienne comme les côtes de la Guinée-Bissau, de la Guinée équatoriale, du Nigeria jusqu’à l’Angola, qui aujourd’hui constituent précisément les points de plus grande extraction de pétrole et de gaz. Autrement dit, selon l’analyse de Rodney, nous sommes confrontés à une réexploitation du golfe de Guinée, qui représente 25 % des réserves mondiales de pétrole et de gaz. Revoir la production intellectuelle de Rodney est nécessaire pour comprendre l’Afrique contemporaine. Walter Rodney a été assassiné le soir du 13 juin 1980 dans sa ville natale de Georgetown, en Guyane.

Xusuusin Walter Rodney….Sida ay Yurub Africa u Hormareen

By Jesus

Waxaa aga soo turjumay Isbaanishka Yoji Senna Somali

Maarso 21, 2008, ka hor intaanan u ambabixin safarkaygii Angola si aan u guto hawlo diblomaasiyadeed, waxa igu martiqaaday Walter Rodney Foundation, oo uu hoggaamiyo Patrice Rodney, iyada oo loo marayo Professor Jessie Benjamin oo ka socda Jaamacadda Kennewe (Atlanta, Georgia), iyada oo ujeedadu tahay ka qaybgalka Isaga oo ah bare dhexe ee V Symposium-ka oo lagu maamuusayo indheergaradkan weyn iyo Pan-Afrika, Walter Rodney, oo ku dhashay Maarso 23-keedii Guyana deriska la ah 1942-kii laguna dilay Georgetown bishii Juun 13, 1980. Walter Rodney waxaa loo arkaa indheergaradkii wax ka beddelay aragtidii PanAfricanism-ka dhammaadkii qarnigii la soo dhaafay,

Translation by Macdonald Anyanwu

Afrodescendientes

Ilitafsiriwa kutoka Kihispania na Yoj Senna

Swahili Text

Mnamo Machi 21, 2008, kabla ya kuanza safari yangu ya kwenda Angola kutekeleza majukumu ya kidiplomasia, nilialikwa na Walter Rodney Foundation, iliyoongozwa na Patrice Rodney, kupitia Profesa Jessie Benjamin kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Kennewe (Atlanta, Georgia), kwa madhumuni ya kushiriki. kama mhadhiri mkuu katika Kongamano la V katika kumuenzi msomi huyu mkuu na mwana-Pan-Africanist, Walter Rodney, aliyezaliwa Machi 23 katika nchi jirani ya Guyana mwaka 1942 na kuuawa huko Georgetown mnamo Juni 13, 1980. Walter Rodney anachukuliwa kuwa msomi ambaye alibadilisha maono ya Pan-Africanism mwishoni mwa karne iliyopita, vuguvugu

dhaqdhaqaaq la bilaabay horraantii 1900-meeyadii, isagoo ahaa buundada ugu muhiimsan ee dhaqdhaqaaqa garaadka ee u dhexeeya Afrika iyo qurba-joogta Ameerika iyo Kariibiyaanka. Sida uu aqoonyahankii dagaalyahanka ahaa ee Horace Campbell ku sheegay buugiisa WALTER RODNEY IYO PAN AFRICANISM MAANTA: DHIIRIGELINUUKAYIMID HALGANKA ADDUUNKA, MAROONAGE, IYO KA SOO HORJEEDA Imperialism. Rodney, in ka badan aqoonyahan helay Ph.D. Daraasadaha Afrikaanka, waxay ahayd, marka loo eego ereyada Gramsci, caqli-gal organic, dagaalyahan ka soo horjeeda maamulka iyo ku-xidhnaanta cubicles jaamacadaha. Isaga, noloshu waxay u ahayd halabuur joogto ah, horumarinta aragtiyaha cunsuriyadda iyo quudhsiga, si khushuuc leh oo aan fasiraad lahayn ula wadaaga dadka, sidii uu sameeyay markii uu la noolaa

lililoanzishwa mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1900, likiwa daraja muhimu zaidi la harakati za kiakili kati ya Afrika na diaspora yake katika Amerika na Karibiani, kama ilivyosemwa na msomi mwanaharakati Horace Campbell katika kitabu chake WALTER RODNEY NA PAN AFRICANISM LEO: UONGOZI WAKE ULITOKANA NA MAPAMBANO YA KUPINGA UTUMWA, MAROONAGE, NA KUPINGA UBEBE MKUU. Rodney, zaidi ya msomi aliyepata Ph.D. katika masomo ya Kiafrika, ilikuwa, kuiweka katika masharti ya Gramsci, msomi hai, mpiganaji dhidi ya urasimu na kufungwa kwa cubicles za chuo kikuu. Kwake yeye, maisha yalikuwa ni mwendelezo wa ubunifu, nadharia za ubaguzi wa rangi na dharau, kushiriki na watu kwa unyenyekevu na unyonge, kama alivyofanya alipokuwa akiishi na jumuiya ya Rastafari huko Jamaika ili kuchangia

bulshada Rastafari ee Jamaica si uu gacan uga geysto falsafada iyo xoojinta la taaban karo ee Rastafarianismka. , taasoo keentay in dalka laga saaro 1968-kii.

Rodney ayaa yiri, “Ma aysan dhisin waddooyin ay ku midoobaan dadyowga Afrika.” Maanta, Afrika, sida uu muujiyay toban sano ka hor oo uu bixiyay abaalmarinta Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz, waa Abaalmarinta Nobel-ka ayaa sidan sheegtay iyadoo la eegayo kobaca iyo tilmaamayaasha maalgashiga shisheeye ee ay dalalka Afrika qaarkood la kulmaan. Si kastaba ha ahaatee, wixii ka dambeeya koritaankan, oo aan macnaheedu ahayn horumar waara oo waara, waa

Walter Rodney sida uu ku muujiyey buugiisa caadiga ah SIDA AY YURUB AFRIKA U HOOS MAREEN; “Waxaa la isbarbardhigay, in Afrika ay xilligan tahay qaarad aan wax horumar ah ka samayn marka loo eego Yurubta Galbeed

katika uimarishaji wa falsafa na vitendo vya Rastafarianism. , jambo ambalo lilipelekea kufukuzwa kwake nchini mwaka 1968. Rodney alisema, “Hawakujenga barabara za kuwaunganisha watu wa Afrika.” Leo, Afrika, kama ilivyoelezwa muongo mmoja uliopita na mshindi wa Tuzo ya Nobel Joseph Stiglitz, ina uwezekano wa kuwa sehemu yenye nguvu zaidi duniani. Mshindi huyo wa Tuzo ya Nobel alisema haya kwa kuzingatia ukuaji na viashiria vya uwekezaji wa kigeni ambavyo baadhi ya nchi za Kiafrika zinapitia. Hata hivyo, zaidi ya ukuaji huu, ambao haumaanishi maendeleo endelevu na endelevu, ni lazima tuyachambue kwa kuzingatia mawazo ya Walter Rodney kama yalivyoelezwa katika kitabu chake cha kawaida cha JINSI ULAYA ILIVYOKUWA NA MAENDELEO YA AFRIKA; “Imeonyeshwa, kwa kulinganisha, kwamba Afrika

imunadoko ti Rastafarianism n lé e kúrò dún 1968.

iyo meelo yar oo kale oo adduunka ka mid ah, halka ay hadda taagan tahayna ay ku soo gaadhay ma aha inay ka madaxbannaan tahay Yurub, balse waa ka faa’iidaysi. “ Milicsigan uu sameeyay Rodney bartamihii 1970-meeyadii waxa ay sii ahaanaysaa mid ku habboon wajiyada cusub ee kutiirsanaanta iyo ka faa’iidaysiga ee isbahaysiga YuuroMaraykanku uu ku soo rogayo Afrikada Saxaraha ka hooseeya, halkaas oo boqolkiiba sare ee kheyraadka istaraatiijiyadeed ee dunidu ku yaalaan. Tani waxay u saamaxday kobac wadamo ay ka mid yihiin Angola 11.1%, Nigeria 8.9%, Ethiopia 8.4%, Chad 7.9%, Mozambique 7.9%, Rwanda 7.6%, iyo in Tanzania uu koboc gaadho 7.2% sanadka 2015 , Ghana 7% iyo Zambia 7%. Maalgashiga shisheeye wuxuu gaaray $52.4 bilyan tobankii sano ee labaad ee qarnigii 21aad. Waa in aan ku qiimeynaa korriinka noocaan ah dhanka horumarka aadanaha Tilmaamayaal lagu falanqeeyo sida hantidan loogu qaybinayo malaayiin qof oo

kwa sasa ni bara ambalo halijaendelea kuhusiana na Ulaya Magharibi na sehemu nyingine chache za dunia, na sasa si kwa sababu ilibadilika bila ya Ulaya, lakini kutokana na unyonyaji. “ Tafakari hii ya Rodney kutoka katikati ya miaka ya 1970 inaendelea kuwa muhimu katika kukabiliana na aina mpya za utegemezi na unyonyaji ambazo muungano wa Euro-Amerika unaweka katika Afrika Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara, ambako asilimia kubwa ya rasilimali za kimkakati za madini duniani zinapatikana. Hii imewezesha ukuaji katika nchi kama vile Angola kwa 11.1%, Nigeria kwa 8.9%, Ethiopia kwa 8.4%, Chad 7.9%, Msumbiji kwa 7.9%, Rwanda 7.6%, na makadirio ya ukuaji wa , huku Ghana ikiwa na 7% na Zambia kwa 7%. Uwekezaji wa katika muongo wa pili wa karne ya 21. Ni lazima kutathmini aina hii ya ukuaji katika suala

danyar ah. Intaa waxaa dheer, waa in aan tixgelinno sida kobacani u soo jiidanayo ma aha oo kaliya maalgashi laakiin duullaanno, sida lagu muujiyay in ka badan boqol afgambi oo qaaradani ay soo martay sababtoo ah damaca shidaalka, macdanta, iyo shirkadaha dhulalka ee caalamiga ah. Rodney waxa uu ku dooday in horumarinta waddooyinka iyo waddooyinka waaweyn ee laga dhisayo Afrika, oo inta badan leh caasimad shisheeye, aan loogu talagelin in la “mideeyo” shucuubta balse ay tahay in la hirgeliyo hannaanka neoliberalka ee ka faa’iidaysiga iyo gaadiidka alaabta ceeriin. Intii lagu guda jiray shirkii aan ku saabsanaa Nolosha iyo Shaqada Walter Rodney, waxaan iftiimiyay qormo uu Rodney ka qoray Taariikhda Xeebta Sare ee Guinea, halkaas oo uu qayb ahaan muujinayo ka faa’iidaysiga iyo qabashada macdanta ugu qaalisan Yurub intii lagu jiray 17th, 18th, iyo 19th. qarniyo, xoogga shaqada, iyo garaadka Afrikaanka.

la maendeleo ya binadamu viashiria vya kuchanganua jinsi utajiri huu unavyogawanywa miongoni mwa mamilioni ya watu wasiojiweza. Zaidi ya hayo, ni lazima tuzingatie jinsi ukuaji huu unavyovutia sio tu uwekezaji bali uvamizi, kama inavyodhihirishwa na mapinduzi zaidi ya mia moja ya kwamba bara hili limeteseka kutokana na uroho wa makampuni ya kimataifa ya mafuta, madini na umiliki wa ardhi. Rodney alisema kuwa maendeleo ya barabara na barabara kuu zinazojengwa barani Afrika, nyingi zikiwa na mitaji ya kigeni, haikusudiwi “kuunganisha” watu lakini badala yake kutekeleza mtindo wa uliberali mamboleo wa

Wakati wa mkutano wangu kuhusu Maisha na Kazi ya Walter Rodney, niliangazia insha ya Rodney juu ya Historia ya Upper Guinea Coast, ambapo anaonyesha kwa kiasi fulani unyonyaji na unyakuzi

Shirkayga, waxaan isticmaalay khariidaddii hore ee ganacsiga addoonta, taasoo tilmaamaysa qodobbada ka bixitaan aan ikhtiyaari ahayn ee ragga, haweenka, iyo carruurta ka yimid Afrikada Saxaraha ka hooseeya sida xeebaha GuineaBissau, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria ilaa Angola, kuwaas oo maanta. si sax ah waxay ka kooban yihiin meelaha ugu badan ee laga soo saaro saliidda iyo gaasta. Si kale haddii loo dhigo, marka loo eego falanqaynta Rodney, waxaynu wajahaynaa dib-u-faa’iidaysiga gacanka Guinea, oo 25% ka ah kaydka saliidda iyo gaasta adduunka.

Dib u eegista wax soo saarka garaadka Rodney ayaa lagama maarmaan u ah fahamka Afrika casriga

wa madini ya thamani zaidi kwa Ulaya wakati wa 17, 18, na 19. karne nyingi, nguvu kazi, na akili ya Waafrika. Katika mkutano wangu, nilitumia ramani ya zamani ya biashara ya utumwa, nikionyesha pointi za kuondoka bila hiari kwa wanaume, wanawake, na watoto kutoka Afrika Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara kama vile pwani kutoka Guinea-Bissau, Guinea ya Ikweta, Nigeria hadi Angola, ambayo leo. kwa usahihi hujumuisha pointi za uchimbaji mkubwa wa mafuta na gesi. Kwa maneno mengine, kwa mujibu wa uchambuzi wa Rodney, tunakabiliwa na unyonyaji upya wa Ghuba ya Guinea, ambayo inachukua asilimia 25 ya hifadhi ya mafuta na gesi duniani. Kupitia upya uzalishaji wa kiakili wa Rodney ni muhimu kwa kuelewa Afrika ya kisasa. Walter Rodney aliuawa jioni ya Juni 13, 1980, katika mji aliozaliwa wa Georgetown, Guyana.

ìsìn Walter Rodney Foundation, tí Patrice Rodney n Jessie Benjamin láti Yunifásítì Kennewe (Atlanta, Georgia), lú ète kíkópa. gege bi oluko agba ni V Symposium ni oriyin fun oloye nla yii ati PanAfricanist, Walter Rodney, ti a

Walter Rodney ni a gba pe

WALTER Rodney ATI PAN AFRICANism LONI: ISESI

Anti-IMPERIALISM.

lodi si bureaucracy ati itimole to University cubicles. Fun u, idagbasoke ti ironu, ibeere ti

Rastafari ni Ilu Jamaica lati

Nobel Joseph Stiglitz, ni agbara ní ojú ìwòye ìdàgbàsókè àti

IDAGBASOKE AFIRIKA;

n gbe lori iha isale asale Sahara, nkan ti o wa ni erupe ile aye wa. Eyi ti gba laaye fun idagbasoke ni 11.1%, Nigeria ni 8.9%, Ethiopia ni 8.4%, Chad ni 7.9%, Mozambique ni 7.9%, Rwanda

ni 7%. Idoko-owo ajeji de $52.4

idagbasoke eniyan

Rodney jiyan pe

neoliberal fun ilokulo ati gbigbe

ti Okun Guinea Upper, nibiti o ti

lati iha isale asale Sahara ni lati Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria si Angola, eyiti ti isediwon nla ti epo ati gaasi. Ni gbolohun miran, ni ibamu si Gulf of Guinea, eyi ti iroyin fun 25% ti aye ni epo ati gaasi ni

n pa Walter ti Georgetown, Guyana.

Na Jesus Chucho Garcia

Chucho Garcia

Photo of Africa during the colonial era

Photo of Walter Rodney

Sports

The Timberwolves turnaround

By Gminski Stubbs Staff Writer

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered Tuesday night’s elimination game with one thing on their minds… not getting swept. Their opponent, the Dallas Mavericks were looking to get back to the Finals for the first time since 2011 and they were prepared to have a post-game awards ceremony. However, Anthony “Ant-Man” Edwards, Karl Anthony Town, and the resilient Timberwolves had other plans.

The game plan was obvious at the start of the game… for Edwards to be more aggressive than he had been in the previous three games, and he did just that. He came out the gate with more intensity, attacking the paint, drawing fouls, and giving the Wolves an early lead.

Another good sign for the Wolves early in the first quarter was the play of Rudy Gobert. The four-time player of the year faced a great deal of criticism coming into the game and desperately needed to redeem himself.

Much to the delight of Minnesota fans, Gobert started the game by defending the pick and roll much better and even making some stunning contributions on the offensive end.

The first quarter intensity of the Timberwolves shocked the fans at sold out American Airlines Center down in Dallas, but their beloved Mavericks slowly narrowed the gap during the second quarter. With arguably one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history, the Mavericks’ twoheaded monster of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were bound to get it going. Things quickly turned in the second quarter with the Mavs taking a late lead, going on a 10-0 run, and getting Wolves in foul trouble. Edwards, Towns, and Gobert ended the first half on the bench with three fouls each, which allowed the Mavs to steal the momentum going into halftime.

With the game tied 49-49, which was the lowest scoring half of the series, Edwards had a team high of 17 but only managed to score 3 points in the second quarter. Since Edwards was commanding so much attention, Timberwolves Coach Chris Finch had to figure out a way to get his other All-Star, Karl Anthony Towns more involved. Towns came into Game 4 shooting a career low from behind the arch and in the paint, but if the Wolves were going to force a Game 5 and send the series back to the Twin Cities, he would have to be more involved on the offensive end. Towns answered the call in the third quarter by being more aggressive on both ends of the court. However, there was one issue, Towns picked up a costly fifth foul with five minutes left in the third quarter and was forced to go to the bench. Coach Finch was livid

and was even issued a technical foul for his outburst, despite being hobbled with a leg injury he suffered in a sideline collision early in the playoffs and coaching from the second row. With his team scrapping for loose balls and doing everything in their power to slow down the offensive onslaught of the Mavs dynamic duo of Kyrie and Luka, Coach Finch was trying to get his team to settle down. The Mavs were also forcing turnovers and blocking multiple shots which gave Mavs fans more energy going into the final quarter. The game remained close and Towns was having an amazing second half. With only 1:38 minutes left in the game, Towns hit his fourth three pointer of the game, but shortly after, fouled out. With the game still close, the Mavs put the ball in the hands of their all-world guard, Luka Doncic, who ended the game with a triple double. But Luka’s heroics weren’t enough as Anthony Edwards answered the call and lifted his team to victory with a big basket with only 38 seconds left. Minnesota fan favorite and Sixth Man of the

Gambling addiction advocates underscore opportunities to improve future sports gambling bill

Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling reinforces the importance for Minnesotans to recognize a gambling addiction and know there are free resources for help.

The Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling (MNAPG), a gambling-neutral organization, says the failure to legalize sports gambling in Minnesota is an important opportunity for lawmakers to re-engineer any future bill to include a framework that includes important consumer protections. MNAPG stresses that it will be critical to ensure that if and when Minnesota legalizes sports betting, there are resources in place to support the probable spike in problem gambling.

‘“Any future sports gambling bill must include language that provides

the funding for increased treatment resources, education, research and safeguards to make Minnesota a safer, more supportive community that treats problem gambling as a treatable and preventable public health issue,” says Susan Sheridan Tucker, Executive Director of MNAPG. MNAPG says several states that have legalized sports betting failed to include proper consumer protections and prevention resources, while all states that legalized sports betting have seen significant spikes in calls to problem gambling helplines as a result. These are key reminders for Minnesota to take a smart approach for future legalization efforts, says Sheridan Tucker.

MNAPG says a key component of any future sports gambling bill should include

funding for more treatment providers and family services, and to provide prevention tools to help Minnesotans understand problem gambling, especially for youth. MNAPG says there also need to be safeguards in place to allow players to opt out from online or in-app games that are designed to keep players gambling.

MNAPG says any future bill should also include important consumer protections such as specific curbs to limit advertising to people under 21. Finally, MNAPG recommends the state ban prop betting — side bets not related to the outcome of a game — on college games to prevent gamblers from making excessive bets and to protect student athletes from harassment and potential game integrity issues.

“The truth remains

that, legal or not, many Minnesotans are going to participate in sports gambling, likely through off-shore, unregulated sites,” says Sheridan Tucker. “This reality means it’s more important than ever for people who gamble and their loved ones to know there are resources for treatment, which is free in Minnesota.”

Problem gambling impacts millions of people in the United States and the addiction can have serious consequences for individuals, families and cultural communities — including bankruptcy, dissolved relationships, domestic violence, homelessness, money crimes and suicide. In Minnesota 250,000 adults have reported problematic gambling along with 6,000 high schoolers.

Here are some common signs that might indicate a gambling addiction:

• Increased frequency of gambling activity.

• Gambling for significantly longer periods of time than originally planned.

• Boasting about wins, but never talking about losses.

• Lying about how money is spent.

• Turning to other excesses to relieve gambling stress (alcohol, sleep, video games, etc.)

Those seeking help should call the Minnesota Gambling Helpline at1-800-333-4673.

For more information about MNAPG and tools for

increasing awareness of problem gambling, visit www. mnapg.org.

About the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling MNAPG is a nonprofit, gambling-neutral organization dedicated to improving the lives of Minnesotans affected by problem gambling. MNAPG is a coalition of individuals and organizations sharing the belief that problem gambling is a serious public health problem that is both treatable and preventable. MNAPG works to raise public awareness about problem gambling and the stigma that’s often associated with it. The organization advocates for funding for treatment programs and to provide professional training for those who work with problem gamblers. The collective impact of our efforts helps individuals, their families and their communities deal with the devastating effects of problem gambling.

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is blocked by Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) as he tries to score during the second half in Game 4 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Dallas.

Yep, That’s My Mommy

Sharing Our Stories

By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

YEP, THAT’S MY MOMMY!

By Jean Mountain (She/Her/ Hers)

Illustrated by Ashley Finch

What a family looks like is ever-evolving. No longer is there only the nuclear family; we have single-parent families, blended families, extended families, forever families, friendship families, LGBT families, and each family is valid in its own right. I once heard a child say, “Families are the people who love you the most.” That being said, I am kicking off Pride Month with Jean Mountain’s children’s book Yep, That’s My Mommy.

Miguel was upset at school because the kids were saying that his mommy, Ms. Mountain, was his daddy. At the grocery store, the cashier referred to Ms. Mountain as “sir” instead of “ma’am.” The reason: Ms. Mountain is a transgender woman, and the kids in question have no concept of gender identity. When Miguel asks what “transgender” means, Ms. Mountain explains it to her son in terms he can understand. The concept of Two Spirits helps him to understand, and at the end of the day, so do his classmates.

Mountain’s book reminds us of the importance of children seeing themselves and their families reflected in

the books they read. The white, cisgender, nuclear family cookie-cutter children’s books aren’t enough in this age of diverse families and gender identity. As a transgender woman, a mother, and BIPOC, Mountain raises awareness of treating children and parents of modern families with the respect and dignity they deserve. At the end of the day, Miguel has a mommy who loves him.

As one who retired as a teacher for elementary school students, from time to time I came across students who had two moms or two dads, and as such I felt it important to set an example for the other students on how to treat them, since children take their cues from the adults around them. I appreciate how beautifully Mountain, with the wonderful illustrations by Ashley Finch, captures the perspective of a child who has a transgender parent and how to handle this with others. The fact that she shows a supportive, affirming, extended family for Miguel and his mommy in the book is priceless and heartwarming. To further discussion, Mountain includes questions and vocabulary terms at the end of the book.

Yep, That’s My Mommy is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Strive Publishing. It is the winner of the Royal Dragonfly Book Award.

Thank you, Jean, for bringing your unique voice and story to the table to start off Pride Month. Representation matters, and I acknowledge you for changing the narrative by changing the perception.

who exploit others for personal gain. Verse 12 states, “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!”

Furthermore, Psalm 103:6 (NIV) affirms, “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” The message is clear: God abhors injustice and oppression, and those who perpetuate such wrongs will inevitably face divine consequences.

Despite Jefferson’s belief that God would eventually repay white America for the institution of slavery and its heinous treatment of Black people, he

feared that freeing the slaves through manumission (act of slave owners freeing slaves) without subsequent oppression or colonization would lead to a race war. Jefferson was unwilling to relinquish control over Black lives, even though he acknowledged that divine judgment would ultimately come for their mistreatment.

Throughout history, white fear, disguised under the false ideology of white supremacy, has been upheld through violence and systemic oppression. From the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which declared that Black people have no rights that whites are bound to respect, to the 1866 New Orleans Massacre, to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and beyond, Black communities have faced terror and destruction at the hands of white Americans seeking to maintain control and

keep Black people oppressed. Fear breeds hatred, and hatred breeds destruction.

White Americans fear experiencing the oppression, exclusion, and rejection that they have historically imposed on Black and brown people. They are acutely aware of the pain and suffering they have caused and continue to inflict on Black people. Simply put, they fear karma but refuse to stop oppressing Black people. This fear drives the creation and enforcement of discriminatory laws, policies, rules, regulations, and actions (both de jure and de facto) that perpetuate the oppression of Black lives.

Let us examine a few examples of actions by white America to maintain power: Efforts to erase the truth of white oppression from history by banning books.

Suzanne Nossel,

CEO of PEN America, a free speech advocacy group, noted that since January 2021, there has been an “intensification” of book bans across the country, more formalized than ever before. Nossel also stated that these bans overwhelmingly target books about slavery, Black Americans, the Black experience, and racial justice in the United States. Voter suppression laws, a form of political repression These laws have significantly restricted or outright prevented Black and brown Americans from engaging in the political process.

This effectively silences the voices of Black communities, rendering them invisible and powerless to challenge and address racist policies.

The phrase “I was afraid for my life” has been

weaponized against Black people, granting impunity to those—both police and civilians—who shoot and kill them.

This narrative perpetuates fear and justifies violence against Black individuals, as evidenced by numerous cases of unjustified killings.

Moreover, DEI

efforts that arose after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, intended to provide equal job opportunities for Black and brown people in corporate America, are now being labeled as racist, immoral, and illegal, with critics claiming they unfairly disadvantage white people.

However, despite these challenges, Black communities will remain resilient, steadfast, and undeterred in our fight for

freedom and equality. The struggle for freedom and equality in America from the abolition of slavery, civil rights movement, Black power movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement has seen progress, but true liberation is still far from realized. White Americas’ fear of relinquishing their perceived superiority only serves to prolong this struggle, but change is coming.

Je

fferson’s acknowledgment that God in his divine justice cannot side with those who perpetrate injustice serves as a reminder that accountability is inevitable. Despite white fear, divine justice will prevail, and God’s law of reciprocity will not be thwarted. James Trice is Founder and CEO of the Public Policy Project and Co-Creator of Environmental Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC).

Trice

From 5

By Nikki Crowley Assistant Professor of Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacology, Penn State

With the new Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” in U.S. theaters as of May 17, 2024, the late singer’s relationship with alcohol and drugs is under scrutiny again. In July 2011, Winehouse was found dead in her flat in north London from “death by misadventure” at the age of 27. That’s the official British term used for accidental death caused by a voluntary risk.

Her blood alcohol concentration was 0.416%, more than five times the legal intoxication limit in the U.S. – leading her cause of death to be later adjusted to include “alcohol toxicity” following a second coroner’s inquest.

Nearly 13 years later, alcohol consumption and binge drinking remain a major public health crisis, not just in the U.K. but also in the U.S.

Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. adults report binge drinking at least once a week, with an average of seven drinks per binge episode. This is well over the amount of alcohol thought to produce legal intoxication, commonly defined as a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08% – on average, four drinks in two hours for women, five drinks in two hours for men.

Among women, days of “heavy drinking” increased 41% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prepandemic levels, and adult women in their 30s and 40s are rapidly increasing their rates of binge drinking, with no evidence of these trends slowing down. Despite efforts to comprehend the overall biology of substance

The

Kali Thorne Ladd, Chief Executive Officer,

Institute

For many working in the early childhood field, we understand the need to offer our youngest children nurturing and caring environments that stimulate learning and healthy development. The neuroscience of brain development helps us understand why. In the first year of life, 1 million neural connections are made in the brain every minute.

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are most critical to brain development and social-emotional well-being. Ninety-five percent of brain development happens in the first five years of a child’s life. Neuroplasticity is greatest in our younger years, so our ability to scaffold our

Insight 2 Health

use disorders, scientists’ and physicians’ understanding of the relationship between women’s health and binge drinking has lagged behind.

I am a neurobiologist focused on understanding the chemicals and brain regions that underlie addiction to alcohol.

I study how neuropeptides –unique signaling molecules in the prefrontal cortex, one of the key brain regions in decisionmaking, risk-taking and reward – are altered by repeated exposure to binge alcohol consumption in animal models.

My lab focuses on understanding how things like alcohol alter these brain systems before diagnosable addiction, so that we can better inform efforts toward both prevention and treatment.

The biology of addiction

While problematic alcohol consumption has likely occurred as long as alcohol has existed, it wasn’t until 2011 that the American Society of Addiction Medicine recognized substance addiction as a brain disorder – the same year as Winehouse’s death. A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder is now used over outdated terms such as labeling an individual as an alcoholic or having alcoholism.

Researchers and clinicians have made great strides in understanding how and why drugs – including alcohol, a drug – alter the brain. Often, people consume a drug like alcohol because of the rewarding and positive feelings it creates, such as enjoying drinks with friends or celebrating a milestone with a loved one. But what starts off as manageable consumption of alcohol can quickly devolve into cycles of excessive alcohol consumption followed by drug withdrawal.

While all forms of alcohol consumption come with health risks, binge drinking

brain toward resiliency starts early and has a lasting impact. But many things can get in the way of optimal development for young children. Abuse, racism, and poverty can cause stress and trauma. Being bullied in school or elsewhere can create significant challenges and undermine a sense of belonging. The lack of caring adults in these circumstances can leave children feeling unsafe and insecure. Living through a global pandemic or under the constant threat of racial or school violence can compound the stress response in children. When a child experiences stressful things, especially over a prolonged period, there is great danger that the stress can register in the brain and body as trauma. When this happens, it has an extremely negative impact. The trauma scars reshape a child’s brain. It disrupts the foundations of

appears to be particularly dangerous due to how repeated cycling between a high state and a withdrawal state affect the brain. For example, for some people, alcohol use can lead to “hangxiety,” the feeling of anxiety that can accompany a hangover.

Repeated episodes of drinking and drunkenness, coupled with withdrawal, can spiral, leading to relapse and reuse of alcohol. In other words, alcohol use shifts from being rewarding to just trying to prevent feeling bad. It makes sense. With repeated alcohol use over time, the areas of the brain engaged by alcohol can shift away from those traditionally associated with drug use and reward or pleasure to brain regions more typically engaged during stress and anxiety. All of these stages of drinking, from the enjoyment of alcohol to withdrawal to the cycles of craving, continuously alter the brain and its communication pathways. Alcohol can affect several

memory, decision-making, and emotional stability. Later in life, these traumatic wounds can fuel the fires of addiction and mental illness and cast shadows over the path of learning and growth. Trauma disrupts everything.

But there is one important research and data point that offers hope. When children experience hard things, the one thing that can help them overcome trauma and develop resiliency is love. Loving, caring relationships are the most important factor in building sturdy brain architecture and turning stress into resiliency. This is gamechanging. It’s something we can all understand. Each one of us is wired for love. We all need it, and children have the greatest opportunity to thrive when immersed in it.

But what does this mean for people and organizations in the early

dozen neurotransmitters and receptors, making understanding its mechanism of action in the brain complicated. Work in my lab focuses on understanding how alcohol consumption changes the way neurons within the prefrontal cortex communicate with each other. Neurons are the brain’s key communicator, sending both electrical and chemical signals within the brain and to the rest of your body. What we’ve found in animal models of binge drinking is that certain subtypes of neurons lose the ability to talk to each other appropriately. In some cases, binge drinking can permanently remodel the brain. Even after a prolonged period of abstinence, conversations between the neurons don’t return to normal. These changes in the brain can appear even before there are noticeable changes in behavior. This could mean that the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction may take root well before an individual or their loved ones

childhood field? For teachers, policymakers and advocates? For leaders of organizations or our local, state, and federal government? It means we have a moral imperative to create the best possible conditions for learning, love and growth for our youngest children. The good news is that we have plenty of examples and efforts to build from. Now we simply need the commitment to act in the best interest of our children.

Here are some next steps: Visualize an ecosystem of love, care, and learning for children that begins before they are born and is designed to help them grow and thrive. Prioritize giving all children access to loving, caring adults inside and outside of the home, understanding that love is not just nice to have, it’s an essential need.

suspect a problem with alcohol.

Researchers like us don’t yet fully understand why some people may be more susceptible to this shift, but it likely has to do with genetic and biological factors, as well as the patterns and circumstances under which alcohol is consumed.

Women are forgotten

While researchers are increasingly understanding the medley of biological factors that underlie addiction, there’s one population that’s been largely overlooked until now: women.

Women may be more likely than men to have some of the most catastrophic health effects caused by alcohol use, such as liver issues, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Middle-aged women are now at the highest risk for binge drinking compared with other populations.

When women consume even moderate levels of alcohol, their risk for various cancers goes up, including digestive, breast and pancreatic cancer, among other health problems – and even death. So the worsening rates of alcohol use disorder in women prompt the need for a greater focus on women in the research and the search for treatments.

Yet, women have long been underrepresented in biomedical research.

It wasn’t until 1993 that clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Health was required to include women as research subjects. In fact, the NIH did not even require sex as a biological variable to be considered by federally funded researchers until 2016. When women are excluded from biomedical research, it leaves doctors and researchers with an incomplete understanding of health and disease, including alcohol addiction.

Create dedicated funding streams for the expansion of early childhood programs and services at local, state, and federal levels.

Ensure public access to quality preschool programs that promote early learning and health development while simultaneously strengthening the supply of childcare and the needs of working parents and families.

Ensure that policymaking at all levels centers on young children and their families, including housing, healthcare, behavioral health, law enforcement, economic development, and education.

Now, it can be overwhelming to think about changing these complex systems. But there is a way to simplify things and for each of us to commit to doing what’s right for children in our world today, right now. Reach into your soul and heart and imagine your power to give the gift of love and resiliency to a child.

There is also increasing evidence that addictive substances can interact with cycling sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. For instance, research has shown that when estrogen levels are high, like before ovulation, alcohol might feel more rewarding, which could drive higher levels of binge drinking. Currently, researchers don’t know the full extent of the interaction between these natural biological rhythms or other unique biological factors involved in women’s health and propensity for alcohol addiction.

Looking ahead

Researchers and lawmakers are recognizing the vital need for increased research on women’s health. Major federal investments into women’s health research are a vital step toward developing better prevention and treatment options for women. While women like Amy Winehouse may have been forced to struggle both privately and publicly with substance use disorders and alcohol, the increasing focus of research on addiction to alcohol and other substances as a brain disorder will open new treatment avenues for those suffering from the consequences. For more information on alcohol use disorder, causes, prevention and treatments, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Nikki Crowley receives funding from The National Institutes of Health, The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences endowment funds. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Maybe it’s a child you know, a classroom you’re familiar with, a community or church that is part of your life. When you look inside, know that you can be an ambassador for love, an ambassador for helping children thrive in a community of love. It takes a lot of love to heal the world, but only takes a little to help a child know they belong, that they are cared for and safe, that they are loved and that they can heal. When we do that, we can change the world with one act of love followed by another, and another. Kali Thorne Ladd leads the Children’s Institute, which leverages research, practice, policy, and advocacy to shift systems toward justice for families so that all of Oregon’s children, prenatal to grade 5, have access to opportunity.

Michael

Adobe Stock

Since Amy Winehouse’s death in 2011, professionals have learned a great deal more about alcohol use disorder.

game-changing power of love

Kali Thorne Ladd, Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Institute