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Terms with a Growing Diaspora’s Dual Citizenship Biden's VP Pick: Why Kamala Harris Embraces her Biracial Roots
Biden's VP Pick: Why Kamala Harris Embraces her Biracial Roots
By Soutik Biswas, India correspondent
"My name is pronounced "comma-la", like the punctuaƟ on mark," Kamala Harris writes in her 2018 autobiography, The Truths We Hold.
The California senator, daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father, then explains the meaning of her Indian name. "It means 'lotus fl ower', which is a symbol of signifi cance in Indian culture. A lotus grows underwater, its fl owers rising above the surface while the roots are planted fi rmly in the river boƩ om."
Early in life, young Kamala and her sister Maya grew up in a house fi lled with music by black American arƟ sts. Her mother would sing along to Aretha Franklin's early gospel, and her jazz-loving father, who taught economics at Stanford University, would play Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane on the turntable.
Shyamala Gopalan and Donald Harris separated when Ms. Harris was fi ve. Raised primarily by her Hindu single mother, a cancer researcher and a civil rights acƟ vist, Kamala, Maya and Shyamala were known as "Shyamala and the girls".
Her mother made sure her two daughters were aware of their background. "My mother understood very well she was raising two black daughters. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confi dent black women," she wrote. "Harris grew up embracing her Indian culture, but living a proudly African-American life," wrote the Washington Post last year.
The 55-year-old senator says she has not grappled with her idenƟ ty and describes herself simply as "an American". In many ways, say people who know her, Ms. Harris straddles both communiƟ es eī ortlessly.
When Ms. Harris got married to Douglas Emhoī , a lawyer, in 2014, "in keeping with [our] respecƟ ve Indian and Jewish heritage", she put a fl ower garland around her new husband's neck and he stomped on a glass.
Ms. Harris's public image has been more Ɵ ed to her idenƟ ty as an African-American poliƟ cian, especially recently during the current conversaƟ on around race and the Black Lives MaƩ er movement in the US.
But Indian-Americans also view her as one of their own, her candidacy suggesƟ ng a potenƟ al wider recogniƟ on of the Indian and South Asian communiƟ es in the country.
It is clear that her late mother was a big inspiraƟ on for Ms. Harris. Gopalan was born in the southern Indian city of Chennai, the oldest of four children. She graduated from the University of Delhi at the age of 19, and applied to a graduate programme at Berkeley in the USA. Gopalan picked up her doctorate degree at age 25 in 1964, the same year Ms. Harris was born.
She met Kamala Harris's father and fell in love at Berkeley while parƟ cipaƟ ng in the civil rights movement.
Back in India, Gopalan had been raised in a household of "poliƟ cal acƟ vism and civic leadership". Her grandmother never aƩ ended high school, but was a community organiser taking in vicƟ ms of domesƟ c violence and educaƟ ng women about contracepƟ on. Her grandfather, PV Gopalan, was a senior diplomat in the Indian government who lived in Zambia aŌ er it gained independence, and he helped seƩ le refugees. Kamala Harris lived in Zambia as child with her family for a Ɵ me during her grandfather's tour of duty.
In her book, she writes she is close to her mother's brother and two sisters, with whom she kept in touch through long distance calls and leƩ ers and periodic trips. Ms. Harris's mother died in 2009, at age 70.
US DemocraƟ c Party acƟ vists like Shekar Narasimhan say her candidacy would be "seismic" for the IndianAmerican community. "She's a woman, she biracial, she will help win the elecƟ on for Biden, she appeals to various communiƟ es and she's really smart." "Why should Indian-Americans not be proud of her? It's a signal that we are coming of age."
www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53745141 Image credit: Getty Images
African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) hƩ ps://nepad.org
AdvocaƟ ng for the Accelerated ImplementaƟ on of the African High-Speed Rail Project
ParƟ cipants at the webinar on the African High-Speed Railway Project which was held on 29 July, called on African Union and leaders of the conƟ nent to fast track implementaƟ on of the high-speed rail to support the implementaƟ on of the conƟ nental free trade area.
Mr Raila Odinga, the AU High RepresentaƟ ve for Infrastructure Development in Africa noted the many railway developments across Africa said the conƟ nent has spent a lot of Ɵ me on planning and emphasised that now is the Ɵ me to hit the ground running as the world will not wait any longer.
CiƟ ng the new free trade area, the African ConƟ nental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), the AU High RepresentaƟ ve said transport logisƟ cs and interconnecƟ vity are criƟ cal to the success of the project.
Among the many recommendaƟ ons of the webinar was the need to launch implementaƟ on of the highspeed project aŌ er the design and planning issues have been sorted out.
Other takeaways included the need to possibly shorten the implementaƟ on Ɵ metable; fast tracking of raƟfi caƟ on of the Luxembourg protocol for rolling stock acquisiƟ on; engagement with African private sector; the need to create African Railway standard; enforcement of localisaƟ on to boost job creaƟ on, and; the urgent need to explore internal fi nancing through sovereign wealth and pension funds, among others.
Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) www.uneca.org/oria/pages/amu-arab-maghreb-union
The establishment of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) by the African Union is a huge step for the conƟ nent in providing a conƟ nent-wide plaƞ orm to coordinate infecƟ ous disease management. During this crisis, the Africa CDC has rolled out a new program, the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 TesƟ ng in Africa (PACT) to increase tesƟ ng by supporƟ ng African governments with support to test 10 million people over the next four months. The PACT program will also deploy 1 million community health workers to aid contract tracing and seek to train an addiƟ onal 100,000 healthcare professionals in the conƟ nent. AddiƟ onally, during this crisis, the Africa CDC has also served as a central insƟ tuƟ on in coordinaƟ ng staƟ sƟ cs and sharing knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus throughout this pandemic.
Even with the Africa CDC, there is a sƟ ll a case to be made for greater coordinaƟ on and cooperaƟ on on regional levels. As COVID-19 cases are not spread equally across subregions, with North and Southern Africa accounƟ ng for over 50% of all confi rmed COVID-19 cases, regional approaches are necessary to respond accordingly to varying levels of outbreak severity.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) www.comesa.int
Food Security Response Plan
The COMESA Secretariat has developed a draŌ COVID-19 Regional Food and NutriƟ on Security Response Plan to improve agricultural producƟ vity, enhance access to compeƟƟ ve markets and trade in agri-food commodiƟ es in the region.
ImplementaƟ on of the Plan is expected to create synergies and complement exisƟ ng iniƟ aƟ ves in the region and Member States, targeƟ ng specifi c commodiƟ es and value chains that are criƟ cal for both regional and naƟ onal food security and nutriƟ on, and with strong linkage to smallholder agriculture.
According to COMESA agriculture experts, COVID-19 risks escalaƟ ng further, the current food insecurity arising from the negaƟ ve impact of the containment measures on the agri-food system. These include restricƟ ons on movement and availability of labour for farm work, diĸ culƟ es in moving food from rural
to urban areas, limitaƟ ons to agro-input supplies and availability, closed markets, restricƟ ons on agriculture extension and advisory services and fi nancing agricultural acƟ viƟ es due to curtailed banking services.
Other key supporƟ ve intervenƟ on programmes that COMESA Secretariat is implemenƟ ng to support the sector include: the Regional Enterprise CompeƟƟ veness and Access to Market Programme (RECAMP), Joint IndustrializaƟ on Pilot Programme between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Reinforcing Veterinary Governance (VET-GOV) in partnership with AU-IBAR – Funded by EU and AU, the Climate Change Programme, PrioriƟ zing of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Investments for Market Access (P-IMA), the COMESA Seed HarmonisaƟ on ImplementaƟ on Plan (COMSHIP), the Biotechnology and Biosafety Programme and the CBC Agro-Industry Seed.
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) www.uneca.org/oria/pages/cen-sad-communitysahel-saharan-states Trade and Market IntegraƟ on
In recent years, an encouraging upsurge in eī orts to boost intra-African trade has been observed among African countries. The AcƟ on Plan for BoosƟ ng IntraAfrican Trade (BIAT), TFTA, and the recently launched negoƟ aƟ on for CFTA are specifi c steps to establish the African Economic Community – and thus, sƟ mulate the trade of goods and services through regional integraƟ on agreements designed to eliminate tariī and non-tariī barriers. Although a number of trade and market integraƟ on-related agreements, protocols and convenƟ ons have been signed among member States in their respecƟ ve regional economic communiƟ es, a number of factors have contributed to its slow implementaƟ on. Among the main barriers to trade, are poor infrastructure developments, maintenance and connecƟ vity, and confl icts and security issues in subregions.
Moreover, a number of the conƟ nent’s railways and roads oŌ en lead to marine ports rather than crossborder linkages over land. Internal waterways are, similarly, insuĸ ciently exploited and in most cases underdeveloped, making it diĸ cult to conduct intraconƟ nental business. Further emphasis to revamp naƟ onal transport and infrastructure that can create linkages among African regions is therefore needed in order to improve the movement of goods and services across the conƟ nent. Regional infrastructure development programmes, such as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, are thus opƟ mum ways to achieve conƟ nental connecƟ vity for Africa. It is equally imperaƟ ve that African countries and regional economic communiƟ es streamline and apply exisƟ ng regional trade agreements into their naƟ onal policy and execuƟ ve bodies to obtain the benefi ts associated with deeper trade and market integraƟ on in Africa..
East African Community (EAC) www.eac.int EAC to launch Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Tracking System
The EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Productive and Social Sector, Hon Christophe Bazivamo has disclosed that all is set for the launch of the EAC Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Tracking System (RECDTS) in collaboration with the EAC Partner States National Focal Points on Covid-19 and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA).
The EAC Secretariat has distributed special terminals (tablets) procured with the support from TMEA to support operationalization of the system, adding that all selected borders will be equipped with the necessary terminals to allow easy movement of the truck drivers.
The tracking system is expected to be the key to the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After installation, users are to share their Covid-19 test results on the platform for easy information exchange along the Central and Northern corridors. The system
will subsequently pass on the results using already existing systems used by the national revenue and health authorities in the region.
The RECDTS will help in sharing of EAC Covid-19 Test certificate for cross border truck drivers/crews electronically, and facilitate easy information exchange along transport corridors within the EAC and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The RECDTS is directly linked to the national Laboratory repository for all COVID-19 results for each Partner State. Only the negative results are automatically linked to the application and information is shared across all transport corridors through a secure mechanism,” said Hon. Bazivamo.
In 1983, ECCAS adopted the Protocol on Freedom of Movement and Rights of Establishment of NaƟ onals of Members States. This protocol includes provisions for the freedom of movement, residence and establishment for all ciƟ zens in the ECCAS region.
In pracƟ ce, the free movement of people is only eī ecƟ ve in four CEMAC member States namely Cameroon, Chad, Congo and the DemocraƟ c Republic of the Congo. The rest of the member States require visa for fellow ECCAS ciƟ zens. Some member States underline security issues as the main reason for delaying implementaƟ on. The poliƟ cal commitment is able to solve the problem of free movement of persons and is, arguably, the main reason for the slow implementaƟ on of the Protocol. More recently, however, more member States are oī ering fellow ECCAS ciƟ zens’ visa on arrival and in some countries, the movement of people is relaƟ vely fl uid.
The West Africa CompeƟƟ veness Programme (WACOMP) aims to support several selected value chains at the naƟ onal and regional level so as to promote structural transformaƟ on and beƩ er access to regional and internaƟ onal markets while taking into account social and environmental concerns.
The major objecƟ ves of the programme are to strengthen the compeƟƟ veness of West African countries and also enhance their integraƟ on into the regional and internaƟ onal trading system. To reach this overarching goal, the programme will work to: • improve performance, growth and contribuƟ on to the industry, • regional trade and exports of selected value chains, • and improve the business climate at naƟ onal and regional levels.
The Programme has 16 NaƟ onal components and 1 regional component. Each country is individually responsible for the implementaƟ on of its component and the ECOWAS Commission, with the support of West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA) Commission, is responsible for the implementaƟ on of the regional components and for the coordinaƟ on of the programme through a programme overall steering commiƩ ee to be convened once every year. A number of Technical partners will support implementaƟ on at the country and regional levels.
Ethiopia Receives In-Kind Support Of Personal Protect Equipment
The Minister of Health of the Federal DemocraƟ c Republic of Ethiopia, HE Dr. Lia Tadesse, received personal protecƟ on equipment from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). This in-kind support is part of the regional response to fi ght the COVID-19 epidemic and will benefi t the cross-border sites, refugee camps and Internal Displaces Persons.
“The support from IGAD today will be a great support to meet the special needs of vulnerable groups by providing safe health services
at Cross Border sites, at refugee camps and where IDPS and Migrants reside,” said the H.E. Dr. Lia Tadesse.
“IGAD is an important plaƞ orm for regional cooperaƟ on,” said the minister. “We highly appreciate the support and will conƟ nue collaboraƟ ng with Member States to fi ght the pandemic”.
Dr. Girum Hailu Maheteme, RepresenƟ ng IGAD, represenƟ ng the ExecuƟ ve Secretary of IGAD, H.E. Dr. Workaneh Gabeyahu, commended the eī orts of the government and the people of Ethiopia in combaƟ ng the Covid-19 disease.
“This support is aimed for the protecƟ on of the frontline care workers,” said Dr. Girum Hailu.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) hƩ ps://sadc.int SADC, EU and Germany step-up cooperaƟ on towards regional response to COVID-19
Through the EU-SADC Support to Peace and Security (SPSS) programme, the EU is supporƟ ng SADC to monitor and address the escalaƟ ng trends of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) arising from movement restricƟ ons put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The EU and SADC have allocated EUR 361,000 to the EU-SADC Regional Agriculture Policy (RAP) programme to support Regional and NaƟ onal Early Warning Systems. In addiƟ on, the EU and SADC have allocated EUR 180,000 to the Global Climate Change Alliance Programme (GGCA+) to improve availability and access to high value nutriƟ ous agricultural produce using Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies in EswaƟ ni, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe targeƟ ng food insecure and vulnerable communiƟ es impacted by COVID-19.
Ambassador Sadek added that, “the EU wants to be relevant to SADC and stands in solidarity with SADC Heads of State and Governments, and the SADC Secretariat to support the regional response both to the health crisis as well as economic recovery. COVID-19 can only be defeated if we act united through a coordinated global eī ort”.
The SADC ExecuƟ ve Secretary highlighted that, “the collaboraƟ on between SADC and the InternaƟ onal CooperaƟ on Partners in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will assist to facilitate trade and ensure sustained movement of essenƟ al goods and services, enhance capacity of local manufacturers of PPEs and medical supplies, boost food and nutriƟ on security of vulnerable communiƟ es and address Gender-Based Violence. With unity and joint eī orts of all stakeholders, we will defeat COVID-19”.
